Tag Archives: faith

Wisdom Hunters

Wisdom Hunters – A God Hug

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For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Revelation 7:14

A God hug is a timely gift. His hugs soothe, comfort and calm. He is never late in offering His affection or too busy to stand still and embrace His human creation. The Spirit gently caresses burdened shoulders and rubs out raw pain from the backs of believers. His compassion has never failed. His mercy is fresh every day. Like a cool cream alleviates an itchy rash, so His balm of grace relieves a rash of worries. A God hug holds on until healing occurs. He holds on tight.

The Lamb Jesus, serves as the Great Shepherd who will tenderly lead those who have suffered to springs of living water. Though He is the sovereign judge, and Lion of Judah—Jesus continues to  shepherd His sheep, whose hearts are heavy and hurting. Tears trickle into the hands of the One who holds the world in His hands and wipes away weeping with His gentle touch. Sheep who look to their compassionate Shepherd for care—will not despair—but be aware of His secure affection.

“For the Lord comforts his people and will have compassion on his afflicted ones” (Isaiah 49:13).

A God hug does not happen on the run, but when we stand still. ‘Slow down my child,’ He says, ‘Hush, I have this,’ ‘Be still, let Me hold you.’ ‘Rest in My arms.’ So we learn to stay stationary by faith and trust the right activities will get done in the right time. When we schedule appointments to be loved by the Lord, we receive strength for the journey. Otherwise we exhaust our ability to encourage without the infusion of Christ’s courage. His hugs hearten. The Lord comforts us, so we can comfort others.

Shout for joy in praise to your Creator for His comfort and compassion. Brag on His name and extol Him for His divine affection. Like the father of the prodigal son who returned home, your Father in Heaven can’t wait to embrace you in your shame, stress or success. He runs to greet you with warm acceptance, so throw yourself into His arms. Cast your cares on Christ and abandon your life to the Lord. Invite His affections to become your affections. Yes, enjoy His sweet embrace!

“I will turn their mourning into gladness; I will give them comfort and joy instead of sorrow” (Jeremiah 31:13).

Prayer: Heavenly Father, I receive your love and affection. Thanks for your comforting hugs just when I need them.

Application: What hurt is in need of a hug from my compassionate heavenly Father? Who needs a reassuring hug of comfort from me?

Related Readings: Psalm 23:4; Jeremiah 8:18; Zechariah 10:2; 2 Corinthians 1:3-4

 

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Turning Point

Today’s Turning Point with David Jeremiah – Be Strong and Do It!

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Be strong and of good courage, and do it; do not fear nor be dismayed.

1 Chronicles 28:20

Recommended Reading

1 Chronicles 28:20-21

Near the end of his life, evangelist George Whitefield grew weak but refused to give up. His prayer was: “Lord, I am weary in Thy work but not of Thy work. If I have not yet finished my course, let me go and speak for Thee once more in the fields….” Writing to a friend, Whitefield said, “O to stand fast in the faith…and be strong.”

That’s what we need too—the determination to stand strong till the end. Scripture repeatedly counsels us to take courage and be strong. We may become weary while serving the Lord, but we mustn’t grow weary of serving the Lord. We’re to follow the sample of David, who, in a time of crisis, “strengthened himself in the LORD his God” (1 Samuel 30:6).

Later, in 1 Chronicles 28:20, David advised Solomon to keep going in the strength of the Lord. The New International Version translates 1 Chronicles 28:20 like this: “Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD God, my God, is with you.”

Be strong and courageous today, and He will strengthen your hands.

What! Get to heaven on your own strength? Why, you might as well try to climb to the moon on a rope of sand!

George Whitefield

Read-Thru-the-Bible

Hosea 10 – 14

 

http://www.davidjeremiah.org/

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Changes: Oh, the Possibilities!

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My father became a Christian when he was 83 years old. There were many times throughout the years when I thought, “He will never change!” But I kept praying for him. And thank God, eventually, he did change—he experienced the greatest transformation of all.

My father became a Christian when he was 83 years old. There were many times throughout the years when I thought, “He will never change!” But I kept praying for him. And thank God, eventually, he did change—he experienced the greatest transformation of all.

To be transformed means you are changed entirely from the inside out. When we become born-again Christians, 2 Corinthians 5:17 (AMP) says we are “a new creation (a new creature altogether); the old [previous moral and spiritual condition] has passed away. Behold, the fresh and new has come!”

The Holy Spirit comes to live in us, and He works in us—transforming our mind, will and emotions—so we become more like Jesus day by day. As we grow spiritually, the good work that’s happening inside us can be seen through the way we live, and we become testimonies of what God has done.

Sadly, many times people don’t believe they can be completely changed. And often they don’t believe other people can change. But the only thing that never changes is God (Hebrews 13:8). And He wants us to dare to believe that He “is able to [carry out His purpose and] do superabundantly, far over and above all that we [dare] ask or think [infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, hopes, or dreams]” (Ephesians 3:20 AMP).

The question is what are you expecting God to do for you? Maybe you’re having a hard time believing that your kids can change, your marriage can improve or that you can ever lose weight, get a better job or get completely out of debt.

But Jeremiah 29:11 says God’s thoughts and plans for us are “for welfare and peace and not for evil, to give you hope in your final outcome.” He has a good plan for you, and you can dare to believe He can heal you anywhere you hurt and help you with every problem you face. It’s time to start expecting more from God than you’ve ever believed He would do for you before.

Continue reading Joyce Meyer – Changes: Oh, the Possibilities! →

Girlfriends in God

Girlfriends in God – Grace Times Grace

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Friday Friend

Today’s Truth

Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.

2 Peter 1:2

Friend to Friend

When my daughter Noelle was in 3rd grade, she had a clever multiplication exercise called “Minuto Loco” which means crazy minute in Spanish.

The kids had to see how many multiplication problems they could solve in one minute. The first “Minuto Loco” exercise was on the twos. Once they mastered the twos, they could move on to threes and so forth.

But my daughter had a problem. She was getting stuck after only a few seconds and her incomplete sheet bore testimony that multiplication was not her favorite subject. Most of her other classmates were at a higher number than she was.

My husband James went into full-on tutor mode. He made flashcards. He printed out multiplication practice sheets. Each weeknight, he would drill Noelle for a few minutes.

Maybe you are facing a problem like my daughter Noelle. You’re completely stumped. You have problems at work. You’re wondering how to fulfill all your commitments and remain sane. You wish things were better with a friend or family member. Thinking of solutions is like staring at a blank piece of paper. The good news is you are not alone. You have a tutor in the Holy Spirit who can teach, comfort, and guide you.

Invite God’s multiplication to work in your favor.

Grace times grace. Grace may be defined as the unmerited or undeserving favor of God to those who are under condemnation.

Peace times peace. Peace is the concept of being complete or sound. It’s not just the absence of hostility; it’s the presence of harmony and living well. The Apostle Peter greeted believers with the words “Grace and peace be multiplied to you.” He knew the believers needed that encouragement and likewise, modern believers do too.

Continue reading Girlfriends in God – Grace Times Grace →

Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – The Bond of Love

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“Let me assure you that no one has ever given up anything – home, brothers, sisters, mother, father, children, or property – for love of Me and to tell others the Good News, who won’t be given back, a hundred times over, homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, and land – with persecution! All these will be his here on earth, and in the world to come he shall have eternal life” (Mark 10:29,30).

Having admonished His disciples to follow Him even at the cost of leaving everything – including mothers and families – behind, Christ is now affirming His consistency with the disciples. Obviously He loved His own mother dearly – one of His last acts before He died on the cross was to be sure that the apostle John would take care of her. Yet the bond of love which Jesus felt toward His disciples, a bond which continues today toward those who truly seek Him with all their hearts, transcends even the bond of love which one experiences in flesh-and-blood relationships, unless those relationships are also rooted in the love of Christ.

Romans 5:8 explains the basis for this bond. The love of God is shed abroad in our hearts through the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit ignites the hearts of true disciples with supernatural love, (agape)in action. That bond of love builds a spiritual family relationship that transcends all others, a relationship that is truly supernatural. In this way our Lord fulfills His promise that everything that is given up to follow Him will be given back a hundred times over in this life.

Bible Reading: Matthew 12:46-50

TODAY’S ACTION POINT: In every way I will seek to obey the commands of my Father in heaven with the certainty that greater bonds of love will unite my heart with many brothers and sisters. This will demonstrate to the world the validity of the revolutionary, supernatural power of the love of God ignited in our hearts through the Holy Spirit.

 

http://www.cru.org

Ray Stedman

Ray Stedman – True Baptism

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Read: Romans 6:3-7

Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. Romans 6:3-4

It is always interesting to me that when some people hear the word baptism they immediately smell water. When I was a boy in Montana, I had a horse that could smell water from farther away than any animal I ever saw. There are people who are like that. Whenever they read these passages, and see the word baptism, they smell water, but there is no water here. This is a dry passage.

This passage is dealing, of course, with the question of how we died to sin, how we became separated from being in Adam, how we became joined in Christ. No water can do that. That requires something far more potent than water. It is, therefore, a description for us of what is called the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Paul wrote to the Corinthians: For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body — whether Jews or Greeks, slaves or free — and we were all given the one Spirit to drink, (1 Corinthians 12:13). He says twice that all believers were baptized into one body. We were placed into Christ. You are not a Christian if that isn’t true of you. People today who say you need to experience the baptism of the Holy Spirit after you become a believer do not understand the Scriptures. There is no way to become a believer without being baptized with the Spirit.

Notice some things that Paul says about the baptism of the Spirit in this passage: First, he says that we are expected to know about it. Don’t you know… Paul asks. He expects these Roman Christians, who had never met him or been taught personally by him, to know this fact. It is something new Christians ought to know.

Continue reading Ray Stedman – True Baptism →

Words of Hope

Words of Hope – Daily Devotional – Softness

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Read: Psalm 65:1-13

You water its furrows . . . softening it with showers. (v. 10)

Halfway through our poem we come to five one-word definitions of prayer. The first is perhaps the oddest: “softness” can have such a negative ring to it—think of phrases like soft in the head, a soft defense, soft in the middle—and the “soft clothing” that characterizes the kind of people among whom (Jesus suggests) his coarsely clad preacher cousin John is unlikely to be welcomed (Luke 7:25). Is softness really to be one of our main objects in praying?

But then consider the opposite: not things that are already soft, but hard things that need “softening.” Here prayer comes into its own. It can deal with hard hearts. It can unravel hard problems. It can break up hard ground. It can answer hard questions. It can put a smile on hard faces. It can nerve the Lord’s people to face hard, indeed impossible, challenges.

We find this “softness” metaphor in the last part of Psalm 65. It belongs to the way the Lord manages the agricultural year for the benefit of those who farm his land. In the middle part of the psalm we have already been shown the worldwide scope of his operations, a vast management scheme of which Israel is only the local expression. And amazingly, the One who carries out all this “softening” is (as the opening verses have already told us) the God who has placed the center of his worldwide operations right here among us, in Zion.

Here is the poem in its entirety:

Continue reading Words of Hope – Daily Devotional – Softness →

Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – Shine God’s Light on It

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But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light, for whatever makes manifest is light.—Ephesians 5:13

When you lose something, you turn on the light. I am always losing things in my car. When my keys or wallet (or maybe a burrito!) drops between the seats, sometimes I have to get a flashlight out and search under the seats until I find it. Light exposes things.

I heard a story of a drunk man who was down on his hands and knees under a streetlight looking for something. A stranger came up to him and asked what he was doing. He said, “I lost my wallet.”

“And you lost your wallet right here?” the stranger asked.

“No,” the drunken man said, “I lost it two blocks over, but there is no light there.”

Looking for something in the wrong place is not a good idea, is it? You need to look in the right place—and the right place to look when your marriage is facing problems is the Scriptures.

Sometimes when a marriage is having troubles, the couple goes for counseling. I am for that—as long as it is biblical counseling. Counsel that originates from human thought and reasoning is not going to help. You must get counsel from the Word of God, for He is the One who created marriage.

Here’s something else to keep in mind. Just because a person says they are a Christian counselor doesn’t necessarily mean they are giving biblical counsel. I have often heard advice from “Christian counselors” that is contradictory to what the Bible says. The true counsel of God comes from His written Word, the Bible.

“But what if you don’t agree with what the Bible says?” you ask. Simple answer: Change your opinion because the Bible is right and, if you don’t agree with it, you are wrong.

If you want a successful marriage, shine the light of God’s Word on it.

 

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

Kids 4 Truth

Kids 4 Truth International – Christ Suffered To Bring Us to God

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“For it is better, if the will of God be so, that ye suffer for well doing, than for evil doing. For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit.” (1 Peter 3:17-18)

Have you ever “suffered”? Some children have. You, or someone you know, may be fighting a battle against a painful disease. Some children have suffered under physical or emotional abuse. Maybe that has happened to you. Or maybe you have lost a friend or a loved one to death. You may have heard of families who have been persecuted for worshipping the God of the Bible.

But most children have not seen heavy, hard suffering – at least, not yet. Suffering is intense pain that we feel, either on the inside or outside. You might look and feel fine externally (on the outside), but you might be suffering on the inside, in your heart.

Very few people like suffering! Think about it. Let’s say you are sitting in a lawn chair, sipping pink lemonade under the hot sun, when – all of the sudden – you hear a strange, yet familiar buzzing sound near your right arm. What!? It’s a bee! A very large bee with a very sharp-looking stinger on his backside! What is your first reaction? Do you calmly say, “Mr. Big Scary Bee, sir, please do not poke me today with that painful stinger of yours! I’m right in the middle of my lemonade!”? No! You would probably jump out of your lawn chair really fast, screaming and swatting and running around in circles until you were sure Mr. Big Scary Bee, sir, had gone bye-bye!

Why is that your response? Because you hate pain. You dread it. You would never seek after it. You would be crazy if you did. Humanly speaking, suffering is always a bad thing! We never enjoy pain, and we always try to get out of it if we can!

Continue reading Kids 4 Truth International – Christ Suffered To Bring Us to God →

The Navigators

The Navigators – Jerry Bridges – Holiness Day by Day Devotional – Word of His Grace

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Today’s Scripture: Acts 20:32

“I commend you . . . to the word of his grace.”

We need to get beyond the “how-to’s” of Scripture—how to raise children, manage finances, witness to unbelievers—and all other such utilitarian approaches to Scripture. Such practical instruction is indeed valuable, but we need to go beyond that. Our practical age has come to disparage a firm doctrinal understanding of Scripture as being of no practical value. But there’s nothing more practical for our daily lives than knowing God. Only in Scripture has God revealed to us the truths about his person and his character.

But the Bible is more than merely objective truth; it’s actually life-giving and life-sustaining. “It is no empty word for you, but your very life” (Deuteronomy 32:47). Growth in the grace of God requires growth in our assimilation of the Word of God. In the biological realm, assimilation is the process by which nourishment is changed into living tissue. In the spiritual realm, it’s the process by which the written Word of God is absorbed into our hearts and becomes, figuratively speaking, living spiritual tissue.

How do we know God’s grace is sufficient for our particular “thorns”? How do we rightly understand what it means to live “by the grace of God”? How do we learn about the “throne of grace” where we receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need? Where do we discover that God is the gracious landowner who gives us far, far more than we deserve? The answer to all these questions is the Scriptures. That’s why Scripture is called the Word of his grace. God uses Scripture to mediate his grace to us. R. C. H. Lenski said, “God and the Word of his grace always go together; God lets his grace flow out through that Word.” (Excerpt taken from Transforming Grace)

 

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The Navigators

The Navigators – Leroy Eims – Daily Discipleship Devotional – Word of His Grace

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Today’s Scripture: Acts 20:32

“I commend you . . . to the word of his grace.”

We need to get beyond the “how-to’s” of Scripture—how to raise children, manage finances, witness to unbelievers—and all other such utilitarian approaches to Scripture. Such practical instruction is indeed valuable, but we need to go beyond that. Our practical age has come to disparage a firm doctrinal understanding of Scripture as being of no practical value. But there’s nothing more practical for our daily lives than knowing God. Only in Scripture has God revealed to us the truths about his person and his character.

But the Bible is more than merely objective truth; it’s actually life-giving and life-sustaining. “It is no empty word for you, but your very life” (Deuteronomy 32:47). Growth in the grace of God requires growth in our assimilation of the Word of God. In the biological realm, assimilation is the process by which nourishment is changed into living tissue. In the spiritual realm, it’s the process by which the written Word of God is absorbed into our hearts and becomes, figuratively speaking, living spiritual tissue.

How do we know God’s grace is sufficient for our particular “thorns”? How do we rightly understand what it means to live “by the grace of God”? How do we learn about the “throne of grace” where we receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need? Where do we discover that God is the gracious landowner who gives us far, far more than we deserve? The answer to all these questions is the Scriptures. That’s why Scripture is called the Word of his grace. God uses Scripture to mediate his grace to us. R. C. H. Lenski said, “God and the Word of his grace always go together; God lets his grace flow out through that Word.” (Excerpt taken from Transforming Grace)

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BreakPoint

BreakPoint –  Muslims, Mosques, and Religious Freedom: Christians Must Take a Stand

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On the fifteenth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, an arsonist set fire to the Islamic Center of Fort Pierce in Florida. The Islamic Center was the mosque attended by Omar Mateen, who massacred 50 people at the Pulse night club in Orlando three months ago.

One state over in Georgia, officials in Newton County, which has a “places of worship” exception to zoning regulations designed to “make things easy for anyone who wanted to build a church,” cancelled a meeting in which they expected to approve the building of a mosque.

The reason for the cancellation was that a “self-described militia group from a nearby county posted a video on Facebook threatening to demonstrate outside the meeting with guns drawn.”

Now, no one remotely acquainted with BreakPoint or the Colson Center can reasonably accuse us of being indifferent to the threat posed by militant Islamists. We’ve talked here about it often, including the persecution of Christians around the world, the global struggle with Islamic terrorism, and the worldview of those seeking to kill so many.

Having said that, let me be clear: Christians should oppose and condemn those recent actions in both Florida and Georgia for several reasons. These reasons fall into two basic categories: principled and pragmatic.

The principled reason was articulated clearly, just recently, by Russell Moore of the Southern Baptist Convention. As Moore reminded us “religious liberty is not a government ‘benefit,’ but a natural and inalienable right granted by God. At issue is whether or not the civil state has the power to zone mosques or Islamic cemeteries or synagogues or houses of worship of whatever kind out of existence because of what those groups believe.”

“When Christians say,” Moore continued, “that freedom of religion applies to all people, whether Christian or not, we are not suggesting that there are many paths to God, or that truth claims are relative.”

On the contrary, “We are saying that religion should be free from state control because we believe that every person must give an account before the Judgment Seat of Christ.”

Continue reading BreakPoint –  Muslims, Mosques, and Religious Freedom: Christians Must Take a Stand →

The Navigators

The Navigators – Leroy Eims – Daily Discipleship Devotional – Motivating One Another

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Today’s Scripture: Hebrews 8-10

I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong. – Romans 1:11

From time to time I’m asked what I’ve found to be the most important principles of Christian living. Of course, the answer could be approached from many angles, but when it comes to our daily walk of discipleship, I usually talk about three principles of living from Hebrews 10 that begin with the two words, “Let us.”

First, there is Hebrews 10:22: “Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith.” This has to do with our fellowship with God. We can call it quiet time, personal devotions, or whatever. The important thing is to set aside time each day to draw near to the Lord.

Verse 23 gives the second “Let us”: “Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess.” This deals with our outreach to the lost through personal witness. We are to hold the confession of our faith high like a banner, never growing silent, and never denying the Lord who has bought us for Himself.

Verse 24 gives the third principle: “Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.” We are to encourage and motivate each other in the Christian life. And, of course, one of the best ways to do that is to meet together regularly to worship God and get instruction from His Word.

The Christian life is personal, but it is not private. We are an interdependent body. And this call to be a spiritual motivator is given to all of us, not just the church leadership or full-time Christian worker.

Prayer

Lord, thank You for the encouragement You give me through my brothers and sisters in Christ. Amen.

To Ponder

Let us draw near to God; let us hold up our witness; let us encourage one another.

 

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Today in the Word

Moody Global Ministries – Today in the Word – APPROACHING THE THRONE

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Read ESTHER 5:1–8

In September 2016, a group of middle- school students in St. Augustine, Fla., were chosen to meet with royalty. Their artwork was presented as a gift to the king and queen of Spain, who included the historic American city on their royal tour. The children wore their nicest clothes and were visibly awestruck by the experience. Said Caitlyn, one of the student artists, “I was really excited, and I didn’t know what to think or expect.”

An invitation to meet royalty is not to be taken lightly. Even though she was queen, Esther waited three days before approaching the king (v. 1). She adorned her royal robes but did not approach the king directly. Instead, she stood nearby where he would be able to see her (v. 2). The tension builds in the text: we know that Xerxes thought highly of Esther, but we still breathe a sigh of relief when he extended his scepter, a sign that she was welcome to approach the throne.

We learn a few things about Esther from this passage. First, we see that she was respectful. She took care in approaching his throne, wearing appropriate outfits and waiting until he addressed her first. Second, she was patient. She did not rush to give the king her request, even though the urgency was weighing on her mind. Instead, she asked that Haman and the king join her for a banquet (v. 4).

At the banquet, the king once again extended a generous offer, “up to half the kingdom” (v. 6). Instead of bursting forth with a plea, Esther exhibited grace and patience. She asked the king and Haman to attend yet another banquet the following day. Esther was beautiful and smart, and also gracious, respectful, and patient. She proceeded thoughtfully, knowing many lives depended on her success.

APPLY THE WORD

How wonderful that we can approach the throne of grace without intimidation or fear. We should never take it for granted that we have been invited to talk one-on-one with God, the all-powerful King of the universe, at any time. We have an all-access pass to the throne room of the King. Thank Him today and bring Him your concerns.

 

http://www.todayintheword.org

Denison Forum

Denison Forum – US RELIGION WORTH $1.2 TRILLION

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It’s not often that an academic report changes the conversation about religion in America, but one just did. Georgetown University professors Brian Grim and Melissa Grim of the Newseum Institute have unveiled their groundbreaking study: “The Socio-economic Contributions of Religion to American Society: An Empirical Analysis.” Here’s the summary:

  • Religion in the US contributes $1.2 trillion each year to our economy and society.
  • Despite declining religious affiliation in the American population, religious organizations have tripled the amount of money spent on social programs in the last fifteen years—to $9 billion.
  • Religion’s $1.2 trillion impact is more than the annual revenues of Apple, Amazon, and Google combined.

The study notes that congregations and religiously affiliated charity groups are responsible for:

  • 130,000 alcohol and drug abuse recovery programs.
  • 94,000 programs to support veterans and their families.
  • 26,000 programs to prevent HIV/AIDS and to support those living with the disease.
  • 121,000 programs to provide support or skills training for unemployed adults.

While religion contributes $1.2 trillion each year, religious tax-exemptions cost the US $71 billion. In other words, religion contributes seventeen times more to America than it costs.

This good news comes as we are facing unprecedented attacks on religious liberty and increasing skepticism regarding our contribution to the common good. For instance, 63 percent of atheists and agnostics believe that religious institutions contribute not much or nothing at all to solving social problems.

Continue reading Denison Forum – US RELIGION WORTH $1.2 TRILLION →

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — Helping Each Other

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Read: 2 Corinthians 1:3-7

Bible in a Year: Proverbs 22-24; 2 Corinthians 8

[God] comforts us . . . so that we can comfort those in any trouble.—2 Corinthians 1:4

“The body of Christ” is a mysterious phrase used more than 30 times in the New Testament. The apostle Paul especially settled on that phrase as an image of the church. After Jesus ascended to heaven, He turned over His mission to flawed and bumbling men and women. He assumed the role of head of the church, leaving the tasks of arms, legs, ears, eyes, and voice to the erratic disciples—and to you and me.

Jesus’s decision to operate as the invisible head of a large body with many parts means that He often relies on us to help one another cope during times of suffering. The apostle Paul must have had something like that in mind when he wrote these words: “[God] comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ” (2 Cor. 1:4-5). And all through his ministry Paul put that principle into practice, taking up collections for famine victims, dispatching assistants to go to troubled areas, acknowledging believers’ gifts as gifts from God Himself.

The phrase “the body of Christ” expresses well what we are called to do: to represent in flesh what Christ is like, especially to those in need. —Philip Yancey

Dear Lord, thank You for always being faithful to comfort me when I’m hurting. Show me who needs my encouragement today.

God’s presence brings us comfort; our presence brings others comfort.

INSIGHT: We receive God’s comfort for our sake but also to extend God’s comfort to those around us. The word paraklesis, translated as comfort, appears twenty-nine times in the New Testament. The word has a range of meaning that encompasses comfort, consolation, and earnest request and is most often translated encouragement. And of the eight times paraklesis is translated comfort, seven appear in this passage. Paul paints a picture of the God who is concerned: The God who, out of His compassion, is acting to provide consolation for His people. The text says not simply that God is a dispenser of comfort but that He is the source of all comfort.

 

http://www.odb.org

Ravi Zacharias

Ravi Zacharias Ministry – The Last Enemy

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In spite of the proverbial certainty of death and taxes, the human psyche has always dreamed of discovering loopholes in whatever mechanisms fix the limits. Yet though it might be possible to cheat on one’s taxes, “cheating death” remains a phrase of wishful-thinking applied to incidences of short-lived victories against our own mortality. Eventually, death honors its ignominious appointment with all of us, calling the bluff of the temptation to believe that we are the masters of our own destiny. But despite the universal, empirical verification of its indiscriminate efficiency, we continue to be constantly surprised whenever death strikes. Only a painfully troubled life can be so thoroughly desensitized against its ugliness as to not experience the throbbing agony of the void it creates within us whenever the earthly journey of a loved one comes to an end.

Such a peculiar reaction to an otherwise commonplace occurrence points strongly to the fact that this world is not our home. As Ecclesiastes 3:11 explains, God has put eternity in our hearts, and therefore the mysterious notion that we are not meant to die is no mere pipe dream: it sounds a clarion call to the eternal destiny of our souls. If the biblical record is accurate, there is no shame or arrogance in pitching our hopes for the future as high as our imaginations will allow. Actually, the danger is that our expectations may be too low, for “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him” (1 Corinthians 2:9). Far from being the accidental byproducts of a mindless collocation of atoms, we are indestructible beings whose spiritual radars, amidst much static noise, are attuned to our hearts’ true home.

Trouble begins, however, when we try to squeeze that eternal existence into our earthly lives in a manner that altogether denies our finite natures. We do so whenever we desensitize ourselves against the finality of death through repeated exposure to stage-managed destruction of human life through the media. Or we zealously seek ultimate fulfillment in such traitorous idols as pleasure, material wealth, professional success, power, and other means, without taking into account the fleeting nature of human existence. Or we broach the subject of death only when we have to, and even then we feel the need to couch it in palatable euphemisms. With some of our leading intellectuals assuring us that we have pulled ourselves up by our own bootstraps and we therefore have no need for God, the only thing missing from our lives seems to be the tune of “Forever Young” playing in the cosmic background. A visitor from outer space would probably conclude that only the very unlucky ones die, while the rest of us are guaranteed endless thrill-rides through space aboard this green planet.

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John MacArthur

John MacArthur – Strength for Today – Bearing Burdens

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“Bear one another’s burdens, and thus fulfill the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:2).

Those who walk by the Spirit will lovingly bear one another’s burdens.

The Lord Jesus presents love for God and love for our neighbor as the great summary of the entire Law (Matt. 22:37-40).

It only makes sense, then, that love will characterize the life of any Christian who is walking by the Spirit. Love will also be an integral part of any Spirit-assisted ministry to others. Paul tells us in today’s verse that when we help other believers hold up their particular burdens, we are obeying “the law of Christ” or the law of love, which James calls “the royal law” (James 2:8).

But what exactly does Galatians 6:2 mean when it commands us to “bear one another’s burdens”? Commentator William Hendriksen gives us this general but helpful observation: “This does not merely mean ‘Tolerate each other,’ or ‘Put up with each other.’ It means: ‘Jointly shoulder each member’s burdens.’”

The actual word burden calls to mind a variety of possible sins, difficulties, and responsibilities; but Paul was using the Greek term that refers to an extremely heavy and unbearable load. It’s a load that one person alone can’t carry, which underscores again that Christians need each other. The Holy Spirit wants each member of the church involved in a ministry of mutual support.

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Wisdom Hunters

Wisdom Hunters – Well-Balanced Faith 

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You desire truth in the inward being; therefore teach me wisdom in my secret heart…O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise. Psalm 51:6, 15

Have you ever noticed how we are tempted towards extremes in life? We so often say “either/or” rather than “both/and.” We do this with food, entertainment, and social interactions, often struggling to find that elusive balance of discipline and indulgence, activity and pleasure, personal time and interaction with others. In our spiritual lives, the same temptation exists.

One of the greatest imbalances I see in the Christian life is the inability to maintain a vibrant personal faith and an intentional life of active praise and service. These are both faithful expressions of our Christian faith and are never meant to be an “either/or” choice. In fact, they are closely linked!

When we submit our lives, our wills, and our desires to the Lord, we open ourselves up to the Spirit’s internal renovation. He teaches us the way of wisdom within our innermost being, making us capable of knowing and loving him. This is why it is so important to find a regular rhythm of prayer and personal devotion. In these moments we encounter God’s love, forgiveness, and healing grace.

However, as we encounter God in the secret place, this renewal and renovation is only a part of the story. Our personal faith always has a public expression. As the psalmist says, the Lord opens our lips and renews our hearts so that we can declare his praises! This is the “both/and” of our faith. God wants to heal and renew your heart, but he also wants you to actively share his love and tell others of his goodness and faithfulness.

Personal faith without public praise is self-fulfilling, inverted, and anemic. Public praise without the renewing work of the Spirit is a form of moral striving and will always lead to exhaustion and burn out.

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Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Make Wise Choices

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I have set before you life and death, the blessings and the curses; therefore choose life, that you and your descendants may live.- Deuteronomy 30:19

Today’s Goal: Choose Wisely

All of our choices are important and they either have a positive or a negative impact on our life. Are we putting our time into what will help us be the person we truly want to be? Or will we end up someday disappointed and bitter because “life” didn’t turn out the way we hoped it would?

Life doesn’t just turn out to be one way or another without any input from us. Although we certainly cannot control all of our circumstances and the things that happen to us, we can control a lot of them by making a commitment to know God’s will for us and then make decisions accordingly.

The world is filled with people who are resentful and angry because their life isn’t what they want it to be, but if we could closely examine the choices they have made during the course of their life, we would usually find that their poor choices are behind their dissatisfaction. The problem is that unless they realize that, take responsibility for it and make positive changes, they are stuck in a situation that will not change.

I wasted several years of my life being angry, resentful, discouraged and depressed, but thankfully I finally decided to do something good with the time I had left. If you want to start today using the time you have left on this earth, then it begins with a decision to seize the day every day and be an individual who lives life “on-purpose, for a purpose.”

God has given us free choice and His wisdom is available to help us make choices that will produce a life we can be proud of and enjoy.

Pray: Lord, I ask for Your grace and wisdom to make good choices for my life and be an “on-purpose” person. Help me not to focus on the mistakes of the past, but take responsibility and concentrate on the great future You have in store for me. Amen.

From the book Seize the Day by Joyce Meyer.

 

http://www.joycemeyer.org