Tag Archives: god

Presidential Prayer Team; C.H. – R-E-S-P-E-C-T

October 11, 2013 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

Everyone wants a little respect. While some demand it, wise people know you cannot force respect. It is earned – by honoring your word, putting others above yourself, or pitching in when someone needs help.

Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father‘s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.

Luke 12:32

You can’t focus on the character trait itself; instead, you must focus on the actions that instill respect. In today’s passage, Christ cautions His listeners not to worry about their needs being met. He tells them in Luke 12:31 to “seek his kingdom, and these things will be added to you.” God’s provision is a result of obedience and focusing on Him, just as respect is a result of a life well lived.

Are you consumed with worry for your own household or the future of America? When you give too much attention to a problem, you’ve shifted the emphasis off of God. Ask your Heavenly Father to help you put Him first in everything, and watch how it changes both your own home life and trickles out to change America. Pray, too that the president and vice-president would learn to put their focus on God and, in doing so, earn the respect of many.

Alistair Begg – Blameless

October 10, 2013 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

Blameless before the presence of his glory.

Jude 24

Let your mind revolve around that wonderful word “blameless”! We are far from it now; but since our Lord never stops short of perfection in His work of love, we will reach it one day. The Savior who will keep His people to the end will also present them finally to Himself as “the church . . . in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing.”1 All the jewels in the Savior’s crown are pure and without a single flaw. All the maids of honor who assist the Lamb’s wife are pure virgins without spot or stain.

But how will Jesus make us blameless? He will wash us from our sins in His own blood until we are as white and fair as God’s purest angel; and we will be clothed in His righteousness, that righteousness that makes the saint who wears it positively blameless-yes, perfect in the sight of God. We will be unblameable and unreprovable even in His eyes. Not only will His law have no charge against us, but it will be magnified in us. Moreover, the work of the Holy Spirit within us will be altogether complete. He will make us so perfectly holy that we will have no lingering tendency to sin. Judgment, memory, will-every power and passion will be set free from the tyranny of evil. We will be holy even as God is holy, and in His presence we will dwell forever. Saints will not be out of place in heaven; their beauty will be as great as that of the place prepared for them.

Oh, the intense delight of that hour when the everlasting doors will be lifted up, and we, being made fit for the inheritance, will dwell with the saints in light. Sin gone, Satan shut out, temptation past forever, and ourselves “blameless” before God-this will be heaven indeed!

Let us be joyful now as we rehearse the song of eternal praise that will soon sound forth in full chorus from all the blood-washed host; let us copy David’s exultings before the ark as a prelude to our ecstasies before the throne.

11 Ephesians 5:27

Charles Spurgeon

Charles Spurgeon – Self-examination

October 10, 2013 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

“Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?” 2 Corinthians 13:5

Suggested Further Reading: 1 Corinthians 11:23-32

“Examine:” that is a scholastic idea. A boy has been to school a certain time, and his master puts him through his paces—questions him, to see whether he has made any progress,—whether he knows anything. Christian, catechise your heart; question it, to see whether it has been growing in grace; question it, to see if it knows anything of vital godliness or not. Examine it: pass your heart through a stern examination as to what it does know and what it does not know, by the teaching of the Holy Spirit. Again: it is a military idea. “Examine yourselves,” or renew yourselves. Go through the rank and file of your actions, and examine all your motives. Just as the captain on review-day is not content with merely surveying the men from a distance, but must look at all their equipment, so look well to yourselves; examine yourselves with the most scrupulous care. And once again, this is a legal idea. “Examine yourselves.” You have seen the witness in the box, when the lawyer has been examining him, or, as we have it, cross-examining him. Now, mark: never was there a rogue less trustworthy or more deceitful than your own heart, and as when you are cross-examining a dishonest person—you set traps for him to try and find him out in a lie, so do with your own heart. Question it backward and forward, this way and that way; for if there be a loophole for escape, if there be any pretence for self-deception, rest assured your treacherous heart will be ready enough to avail itself of it. And yet once more: this is a traveller’s idea. I find in the original Greek, it has this meaning: “Go right through yourselves.”

For meditation: Is self-examination a foreign concept to you? It should be done as least as regularly as we observe the Lord’s Supper (1 Corinthians 11:28); God is able to assist us in our self-examination (Psalm 26:2; 139:23,24).

Sermon no. 218

10 October (1858)

John MacArthur

John MacArthur – Searching for Truth

October 10, 2013 broboinhawaii 1 Comment

“Thy law is truth. . . . And all Thy commandments are truth. . . . The sum of Thy word is truth” (Ps. 119: 142, 151, 160).

It amazes me how people can spend so much time searching for truth but ignore the Bible. In his poem Miriam, John Greenleaf Whittier reflected on the same conundrum:

We search the world for truth. We cull The good, the pure, the beautiful, From graven stone and written scroll, From all old flower-fields of the soul; And, weary seekers of the best, We come back laden from the quest, To find that all the sages said Is in the Book our mothers read.

God never intended for truth to be mysterious or unattainable. His Word is a repository of truth, containing every principle we need for life and thought.

But knowing truth begins with knowing God, who is its author. First John 5:20 says, “We know that the Son of God has come, and has given us understanding, in order that we might know Him who is true, and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life.”

The psalmist proclaimed, “The works of His hands are truth and justice; all His precepts are sure. They are upheld forever and ever; they are performed in truth and uprightness” (Ps. 111:7-8).

As Christians, we are those who walk in truth. That’s how Jesus described us when He prayed to the Father, “Sanctify them in the truth; Thy word is truth” (John 17:17). Similarly John said, “I have no greater joy than this, to hear of my children walking in the truth” (3 John 4). In contrast, unbelievers “suppress the truth in unrighteousness,” thus making themselves targets for the wrath of God (Rom. 1:18).

To love God is to love truth; to love truth is to love the Word. May you walk in the truth of God’s Word today and every day.

Suggestions for Prayer:

Thank God for the privilege of knowing Him and being able to walk in His truth.

For Further Study:

How does Jesus describe the Holy Spirit in John 14:17, 15:26, and 16:13?

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Signs of Success

October 10, 2013 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

And these attesting signs will accompany those who believe: in My name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new languages; they will pick up serpents; and [even] if they drink anything deadly, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will get well. —Mark 16:17-18

Salvation is in the name of Jesus. You are baptized in that name, both in water and the Holy Spirit. You pray and expect your prayers to be heard and answered in that name. The sick are healed and demons are cast out in that wonderful name.

The early disciples used the name of Jesus, and Satan came against them fiercely. The devil does not want you to start anything of value—and if you do manage to get started, he does not want you to finish.

He knows well his time on this earth is quickly running out. Accomplish great things in the name of Jesus and finish strong!

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – Can You Get Away with Sin?

October 9, 2013 broboinhawaii 1 Comment

Galatians 5:19-25

If you planted several apple seeds in your front yard, what would grow? Apples, of course! It is foolish to plant apple seeds but then expect to reap a crop of oranges, isn’t it?

Now, let’s take that little question a step further. If you planted seeds of sin in your life, what would grow? Sadly, the result is just as logical as the consequence of sowing apple seeds.

Why, then, is the answer so obvious when we’re talking about fruit, yet so elusive when we’re dealing with sin in our own life? Many people who freely engage in wrong activities are shocked and dismayed to discover the disastrous results that always follow. Why are they surprised? It is probably because they never actually think of themselves as planting seeds of sin; rather, they see themselves as simply “having a good time.”

This is a trademark maneuver of Satan’s. With temptation, he always offers us one thing but then delivers something completely different. The good we think we are getting turns sour before we can fully enjoy it. That is because the Devil can offer no lasting joy; he serves up only lies and destruction.

Read today’s passage and ask yourself, Am I planting seeds of the flesh or seeds of the Spirit? Do I want to reap the consequences of sin, or do I want a harvest of spiritual fruit?

There is simply no comparison between the two options. As a matter of fact, you might say it is the difference between apples and oranges.

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — Life Without Bread

October 9, 2013 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

John 6:25-35

I am the bread of life. —John 6:48

In cultures with an abundance of food choices, bread is no longer a necessary part of the diet so some choose to live without it for various reasons. In the first century, however, bread was viewed as an essential staple. A diet without bread was a foreign concept.

One day a crowd of people sought out Jesus because He had performed the miracle of multiplying loaves of bread (John 6:11,26). They asked Him to perform a sign like the manna from heaven that God had provided for His people in the desert (6:30-31; Ex. 16:4). When Jesus said He was “the true bread from heaven” (John 6:32), the people didn’t understand. They wanted literal daily bread. But Jesus was saying that He had been sent to be their spiritual bread; He would supply their daily spiritual needs. If they, by faith, applied and took His words and life into their very souls, they would experience everlasting satisfaction (v.35).

Jesus doesn’t want to be an optional commodity in our diets; He desires to be the essential staple in our lives, our “necessary” food. As first-century Jews could never imagine life without physical bread, may we never attempt to live without Jesus, our spiritual bread! —Marvin Williams

FOR FURTHER THOUGHT

What are some ways you can let Jesus, the

Bread of Life, and His words satisfy the

hunger pangs of your soul today?

Only spiritual bread satisfies the hunger of the soul.

Bible in a year: Isaiah 32-33; Colossians 1

Alistair Begg

Alistair Begg – No More Dangerous Road

October 9, 2013 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

. . . Able to keep you from stumbling.

Jude 24

In some ways the path to heaven is very safe, but in other respects there is no more dangerous road. It is surrounded with difficulties. One false step (and how easy it is to take that if grace is absent), and down we go. What a slippery path some of us have to tread! How many times do we have to exclaim with the psalmist, “My feet had almost stumbled, my steps had nearly slipped.”1

If we were strong, surefooted mountaineers, this would not matter so much; but in ourselves, how weak we are! On the best roads we soon falter; in the smoothest paths we quickly stumble. These feeble knees of ours can scarcely support our tottering weight. A feather may divert us, and a pebble can wound us. We are mere children taking our first trembling steps in the walk of faith; our heavenly Father holds us by the arms or we would soon be down.

If we are kept from falling, how we should bless the patient power that watches over us day by day! Think how prone we are to sin, how apt to choose danger, how strong our tendency to stumble and fall, and these reflections will make us sing more sweetly than we have ever done, “Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling.” We have many enemies who try to put us down. The road is rough, and we are weak; but in addition to this, enemies hide in ambush and rush out when we least expect them and try to trip us up or throw us over the nearest cliff.

Only an almighty arm can preserve us from these unseen foes who are seeking to destroy us. Such an arm is involved in our defense. He is faithful who has promised, and He is able to keep us from falling, so that with a deep sense of our utter weakness, we may cherish a firm belief in our perfect safety and say with joyful confidence

Against me earth and hell combine,

But on my side is power divine;

Jesus is all, and He is mine!

1Psalm 73:2

John MacArthur

John MacArthur – Giving Godly Counsel

October 9, 2013 broboinhawaii 1 Comment

“Concerning you, my brethren, I myself also am convinced that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, and able also to admonish one another” (Rom. 15:14).

In recent years the question of who is competent to counsel has become an important issue in the church. Many pastors and other church leaders have curtailed their counseling ministries or stopped them altogether. They’ve been made to feel inadequate for not having formal training in psychological counseling techniques.

Behind this movement away from pastoral counseling is the subtle implication that the Holy Spirit and Scripture are incapable of addressing the deepest needs of the human heart. It is claimed that only secular psychology dispensed by trained analysts can do that.

But the truth is, the heart of man is “more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick; who can understand it?” (Jer. 17:9). No one. That includes humanistic counselors. Verse 10 says, “I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind.” Only God can understand the human heart.

David prayed, “O Lord, Thou hast searched me and known me. Thou dost know when I sit down and when I rise up; Thou dost understand my thought from afar. Thou dost scrutinize my path and my lying down, and art intimately acquainted with all my ways. . . . Where can I go from Thy Spirit? Or where can I flee from Thy presence?” (Ps. 139:1-3, 7).

Only God knows what’s in a person’s heart. Only His Spirit working through His Word can penetrate one’s deepest thoughts and motives to transform the heart and renew the mind (Heb. 4:12; Rom. 12:2).

Professional psychologists are no substitute for spiritually gifted people who know the Word, possess godly wisdom, are full of goodness, and available to help others apply divine truth to their lives (Rom. 15:14).

When people come to you for counsel, the best thing you can do is show them what God’s Word says about their problem and how it applies to their situation. But you can’t do that unless you know the Word and are allowing it to do its work in you first. Then you’ll be in a position to counsel others more effectively.

Suggestions for Prayer:

Thank God for the wise and all-sufficient counsel of His Word.

Reaffirm your commitment to share it at every opportunity.

For Further Study:

According to Psalm 119:24, on what did the psalmist rely for his counsel?

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Bless Yourself

October 9, 2013 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

I love those who love me, and those who seek me early and diligently shall find me.

—Proverbs 8:17

Our motives are misplaced if we think we read the Bible and pray to please God, or to keep from making Him mad at us. God once told me, “You think, when you read the Bible, that you are making Me happy. I am going to be happy whether you read it or not. No, Joyce, if you read the Bible, you’re happy. If you pray, you’re happy. If you give, you receive.”

Every single thing that God tells us to do, He tells us to do so to bless ourselves. He doesn’t ask us to devote ourselves to study and prayer for Him; it is for us. The good life is our choice.

Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – He Has Not Deserted Me

October 9, 2013 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

“And He who sent Me is with Me – He has not deserted Me – for I always do those things that are pleasing to Him” (John 8:29).

If we have a conscience free of offense, and if we have evidence that we please God, it matters little if men oppose us or what others may think of us. “Enoch, before his translation, had this testimony – that he pleased God.”

It would not be fair for you or me to profess ignorance in this matter of pleasing God. If we had never known before, we know now that it comes from doing always those things He commands – which of course are the things that please Him.

Jesus is saying here, among other things, that God is with Him in the working of miracles. Though men had forsaken and rejected Him, yet God stayed by Him and worked in and through Him.

In the same way, God has made it possible for us to please Him by giving us His Holy Spirit to indwell, enable and empower us for service. With the available enablement, we are without excuse in the matter of doing the “greater things” He has promised for those who love and serve Him.

What better goal for today, tomorrow and all our coming days than to seek to please Him?

Bible Reading: John 8:25-28

TODAY’S ACTION POINT: So that Christ might be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death, I will seek to do only those things today which please Him.

Presidential Prayer Team

Presidential Prayer Team; C.P. – For the Birds

October 9, 2013 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

As the builders for Domino Day worked on their 4 million domino project in 2005, a sparrow got into the building – and created quite a challenge. The bird caused 23,000 meticulously placed dominos to fall. They tried to capture the creature, to no avail. Finally, as last resort, the sparrow was destroyed. Outrage spread worldwide about the death of the small bird. The shooter had to pay a 200 Euro fine. The bird’s remains were even displayed in a museum in Rotterdam for several months.

Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows.

Luke 12:7

If people can care that passionately about a tiny bird, imagine how much more God cares about people? Today’s verse declares humanity is more valuable than sparrows. They are so treasured in God’s eyes, He sent His only Son to save them (John 3:16).

Jesus said that not one sparrow is forgotten before God and He even knows your hair count. God treasures and cares for you. Find rest and hope in that truth as you deal with whatever challenges come your way. Then pray for this country, the leaders and the troops…knowing God loves you and is attentive to your prayers.

Max Lucado – Thank you, God

October 9, 2013 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

If you feel the world owes you something, brace yourself. You’ll never get reimbursed! Henry Ward Beecher said, “A proud man is seldom a grateful man, for he never thinks he gets as much as he deserves.” The sky is never blue enough, the steak isn’t cooked enough, the universe isn’t good enough to deserve a human being like you.

Pursue gratitude. The grateful heart is like a magnet, sweeping over the day, collecting reasons for gratitude. Thank you, God. Your lungs inhale and exhale 11,000 liters of air every day. Thank you, God. For the jam on our toast and the milk on our cereal, the blanket that calms us and the joke that softens us and the warm sun that reminds us of God’s love. Gratitude leaves us looking at God and away from dread. It does to anxiety what morning sun does to valley mist. It burns it up!

Thank you God.

From You’ll Get Through This

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – Obstacles to Righteousness

October 8, 2013 broboinhawaii 2 Comments

Galatians 5:16-17

Just because something is natural or “only human” does not mean it’s right or beneficial for us. In fact, we actually hinder the things of God in our life when we set our mind on things of the flesh—which can include sinful attitudes, ideas, and habits or even common worldly aspirations like money, sex, prominence, and power. The reason is that the natural man does not receive the things of God (1 Cor. 2:14).

Notice that there is nothing wrong with eating, but the Scriptures categorize gluttony as sinful (Prov. 23:20-21). Nor is there anything immoral about sexual intimacy when it is practiced within the God-given parameters of marriage. As long as our desires and appetites are subdued and brought under subjection to the Holy Spirit, our fellowship with God can continue harmoniously. But when yearnings are unrestrained, our closeness and communication with the Lord are obstructed.

In order to give the Holy Spirit control of our life, we must be persuaded that we cannot live righteously in our own strength. Most of us realize that it’s a struggle to live in a God-pleasing manner; to do so requires that we surrender our entire being to Him—mind, will, emotions, and conscience. Ask God to reveal areas of weakness, and then give Him each frailty as it comes to light. This needs to be done not just one time, but daily. Every morning when you wake up, it’s wise to pray, “Father, today I’m totally Yours. I can’t live the Christian life on my own, but I pray that You will live through me.”

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Receive His Forgiveness

October 8, 2013 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?—Romans 6:1 KJV

We often have very strong feelings and emotions that we don’t seem to be able to control! The truth is, you don’t have to make decisions based on your feelings! You have a free will, and you can choose to believe God’s Word more than you believe how you feel at the time. When you begin to live by the Word of God and what you know through Him instead of how you feel, your feelings will eventually change and line up with the Word.

Satan used guilt to steal from me for years, which was often false guilt because much of the time I had nothing to be guilty for. I had repented, asked God to forgive me, and even believed that He had forgiven me. And yet I would still live my life feeling guilty and badly. I carried the burden of guilt everywhere that I went. I often said, “I did not feel right if I did not feel wrong.” At times I even felt very spiritual because I always felt bad about my behavior; now I understand God doesn’t want me to feel that way.

Every morning when I went to have my prayer and time with God I would go over one of two things: all of my problems or all of my mistakes. The Bible says ask and receive that your joy may be full. I was asking for forgiveness, but I never took the time to receive. I’d like to encourage you from now on when you ask God to forgive your sins for anything you’ve done wrong, take a moment and say, “I receive your forgiveness right now.” Don’t just ask, ask and receive so that you can take the next step and be filled with joy.

One morning as I was attempting to spend time with God, He spoke to my heart and said, “Are you going to fellowship with Me this morning or with your problems and your sins?” Do you spend more time with your sins than you do with God? Do you spend more time thinking about what you’ve done wrong than about what He’s done right? Remember, where sin does abound, grace and forgiveness and mercy does much more abound.

Trust in Him: When you go to God in prayer today, ask Him to forgive you for whatever it is you need forgiveness for, receive His forgiveness, and trust His grace as you press on with joy to what He has for you.

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – Shutting Our Ears to the Lord

October 7, 2013 broboinhawaii 1 Comment

James 1:22-25

When we fail to listen to God, we pay attention to wrong voices, fall prey to deception, and refuse to submit to the Lord. All three negative results are evident in Adam and Eve’s decision to eat from the forbidden tree. What other consequences result from shutting our ears to God?

First, we will make decisions based on their appeal. To entice Adam and Eve to disobey, the Devil twisted God’s words and misused legitimate desires the Lord had given to the couple. We have the Holy Spirit to teach us how to keep our appetites and desires in check.

Second, we will excuse our wrongdoings and blame others. Adam pointed a finger at Eve, and she blamed the serpent. Satan can tempt us, but the responsibility is ours if we consent.

Third, we will experience divine discipline. Not only that, but others will also suffer when we disobey. The first man and woman were cast from God’s presence, and their lives became much harder. Sin entered their family and led to strife and death—their son Abel was murdered by his brother Cain. Adam and Eve’s choice affected all future generations as well. Through them, sin entered the world and resides in us (Rom. 5:12).

Fourth, we will miss out on God’s best. The first humans lost both Eden’s splendor and perfect communion with the Lord. Unconfessed sin will separate us, too, from fellowship with the Father.

Closing ears to God’s voice can happen in a moment’s time. Safeguard yourself. Commit to genuine listening: hearing, remembering, and doing what God says.

Alistair Begg

Alistair Begg – Testing Our Faith

October 7, 2013 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

Why have you dealt ill with your servant?

Numbers 11:11

Our heavenly Father sends us frequent troubles to test our faith. If our faith is worth anything, it will stand the test. Gilt is afraid of fire, but gold is not: The imitation gem dreads being touched by the diamond, but the true jewel fears no test. It is a poor faith that can only trust God when friends are true, the body is healthy, and the business profitable; but it is true faith that rests in the Lord’s faithfulness when friends are gone, the body is ailing, spirits are depressed, and the light of our Father’s face is hidden. A faith that can say, in the deepest trouble, “Though he slay me, I will hope in him”1 is heaven-born faith.

The Lord afflicts His servants to glorify Himself, for He is greatly glorified in the graces of His people, who are His own handiwork. When “suffering produces endurance, endurance produces character, and character produces hope,”2 the Lord is honored by these growing virtues. We would never know the music of the harp if the strings were left untouched, nor enjoy the juice of the grape if it were not trodden in the winepress, nor discover the sweet perfume of cinnamon if it were not pressed and beaten, nor feel the warmth of fire if the coals were not completely consumed. The wisdom and power of God are discovered by the trials through which His children are permitted to pass.

Present afflictions tend also to heighten future joy. There must be shade in the picture to bring out the beauty of the light. Could we be so supremely blessed in heaven if we had not known the curse of sin and the sorrow of earth? Will peace not be sweeter after conflict, and rest more welcome after labor? Will the recollection of past sufferings not serve to enhance the bliss of the glorified?

There are many other comfortable answers to the question with which we opened our brief meditation; let us think upon it all day long.

1Job 13:15 2 Romans 5:3-4

John MacArthur

John MacArthur – Enjoying God’s Blessings

October 7, 2013 broboinhawaii 1 Comment

“Blessed are those who hear the word of God, and observe it” (Luke 11:28).

When Scripture speaks of a person’s being blessed, it usually refers to the reception of some temporal or spiritual benefit. It also includes the joy and sense of well-being that comes with knowing that God is at work on your behalf.

The psalmist wrote, “How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the path of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers! But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night. And he will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither; and in whatever he does, he prospers” (Ps. 1:1-2). Those who know and obey God’s Word will be blessed. The psalmist likened them to a strong, productive, prosperous tree.

James added, “One who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty [God’s Word], and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man shall be blessed in what he does” (James 1:25). Again, the very act of obedience brings blessing.

John opens the book of Revelation with this promise: “Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy, and heed the things which are written in it” (Rev. 1:3). Jesus closed the Revelation with the same promise: “Blessed is he who heeds the words of the prophecy of this book” (Rev. 22:7). Obedience and blessing always go hand-in-hand.

As a Christian, you’ve been blessed “with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ” (Eph. 1:3). Every spiritual resource is yours. Even in times of sorrow and persecution, God’s blessing rests on you (1 Pet. 4:14). But you can forfeit His blessings by neglecting His Word or committing other sinful acts. So guard your heart carefully and continue in the Word. As you do, your joy will be boundless!

Suggestions for Prayer:

Make a list of specific ways in which the Lord has blessed you in recent days. Praise Him for each one.

For Further Study:

Read James 1:12, 1 Peter 3:14, and 1 Peter 4:14. How does God’s blessing apply when you’re suffering unjustly?

Presidential Prayer Team

Presidential Prayer Team; A.W. – Personally Significant

October 7, 2013 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

When the angels announced the birth of Jesus, they didn’t tell royalty, the government, politicians or the richest people in society. They appeared to shepherds watching their flocks near Bethlehem. Shepherds weren’t esteemed in society. They weren’t wealthy or important. They smelled like sheep, lived outside and slept on the ground. Most people didn’t think much of them. But God chose to reveal His Son’s arrival to them first.

Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy that will be for all the people.

Luke 2:10

The angels announced the “good news” was for “all the people.” God’s free gift of salvation given through Christ is available to everyone (Acts 2:21). The announcement to the shepherds fulfills prophecy and also demonstrates that, no matter how low, insignificant, cast aside or powerless you feel, God chooses you. There’s no need to fear. Like a shepherd watching his sheep, He will keep you under His care and protect you.

Do you feel unimportant or forgotten? Remember, He desires fellowship with you, and you are personally significant to Him. As you pray, ask that your country’s leaders in Washington DC and elsewhere will recognize this truth and experience God’s fear-free, joy-filled love.

Recommended Reading: I Corinthians 1:4-9, 26-31

Charles Spurgeon

Charles Spurgeon – Fast-day service

October 6, 2013 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

“Hear ye the rod, and who hath appointed it.” Micah 6:9

DAILY DEVOTIONS, NEWS AND INFORMATION

Tag Archives: god

Presidential Prayer Team; C.H. – R-E-S-P-E-C-T

Alistair Begg – Blameless

Charles Spurgeon – Self-examination

John MacArthur – Searching for Truth

Joyce Meyer – Signs of Success

Charles Stanley – Can You Get Away with Sin?

Our Daily Bread — Life Without Bread

Alistair Begg – No More Dangerous Road

John MacArthur – Giving Godly Counsel

Joyce Meyer – Bless Yourself

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – He Has Not Deserted Me

Presidential Prayer Team; C.P. – For the Birds

Max Lucado – Thank you, God

Charles Stanley – Obstacles to Righteousness

Joyce Meyer – Receive His Forgiveness

Charles Stanley – Shutting Our Ears to the Lord

Alistair Begg – Testing Our Faith

John MacArthur – Enjoying God’s Blessings

Presidential Prayer Team; A.W. – Personally Significant

Charles Spurgeon – Fast-day service

Scriptures, Lessons, News and Links to help you survive.