Tag Archives: holy spirit

Denison Forum

Denison Forum – THE MOST POWERFUL WAY TO UNCLUTTER YOUR LIFE

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“When you have peace and quiet and you’re not concerned with people trying to get your attention, you’re dramatically more effective and can get important work done.” This is how psychologist Josh Davis describes the advantages of starting your day at 4 a.m. He notes that people booby-trap their offices with distractions: desk clutter, email pop-ups, cellphone, Facebook, other social media. However, “by waking up at 4 a.m., they’ve essentially wiped a lot of those distractions off their plate.”

You may not decide to get up at 4 a.m. tomorrow, but you can still choose to live a less cluttered life. Here’s how.

God’s word teaches us to “take every thought captive to obey Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5). One way to do this is to cultivate a soul that listens to God. David testified, “For God alone my soul waits in silence” (Psalm 62:1). As a result, he could say, “Once God has spoken; twice I have heard this: that power belongs to God, and to you, O Lord, belongs steadfast love” (vs. 11–12).

“God said” appears forty-six times in the Bible. We find this statement first in the third verse of the Bible (Genesis 1:3). The next-to-last verse of Scripture also quotes a direct statement of God (Revelation 22:20). Since neither human nor divine nature have changed, does it seem reasonable that the God who spoke so often in the biblical era would be silent today?

Francis Schaeffer noted that “he is there and he is not silent.” Our culture desperately needs Christians to hear from Christ and speak his word to our world.

According to The Atlantic, a major reason more people don’t go to church is that they don’t trust religious institutions. If they knew they would receive a genuine word from God, it seems they would be more interested in attending.

Continue reading Denison Forum – THE MOST POWERFUL WAY TO UNCLUTTER YOUR LIFE →

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – The Savior’s Mission

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John 14:6

Many believers know Jesus Christ is the Son of God, but we should also understand His mission, how He fulfilled it, and what that means to each of us. Christ had a twofold goal in coming to earth: to provide us with a tangible image of who God is, and to die in our place to pay our penalty for sin.

What an incredible plan! The omnipotent, omniscient Lord had existed since eternity past (John 1:1; John 8:58). Yet for a time, He set aside power and strength that were rightfully His, so that He could become like us. Because God-in-human-flesh lived His life before men, we can better understand our heavenly Father (Col. 1:15).

Through Christ’s sacrifice, we are invited into an eternal relationship with God. You see, Scripture teaches that every descendant of Adam is guilty of sin (Isa. 53:6; Rom. 3:23), and the punishment is death (Rom. 6:23). The penalty must be paid by the shedding of blood (Lev. 17:11). Yet the Father can accept nothing less than a perfect sacrifice (Deut. 17:1). The Savior—who was fully God, fully man, and 100 percent innocent—died a humiliating, excruciating death to pay the debt we couldn’t afford. He is the only one who could lay down His life to save us and bridge the gap between each person and the Father.

There is no possible way for us to earn our salvation. It is an awesome gift that the Father freely offers to each one of us. The only requirement is that we receive Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and follow Him. Have you chosen to accept this amazing blessing from the Father’s hand?

Bible in One Year: Jeremiah 51-52

 

 

http://www.intouch.org/

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — Watch and Pray

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Read: Mark 14:32–42 | Bible in a Year: Psalms 116–118; 1 Corinthians 7:1–19

Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. Mark 14:38

From my window I can see a 1,700-meter hill called the Cerro del Borrego or “Hill of the Sheep.” In 1862, the French army invaded Mexico. While the enemy camped in the central park of Orizaba, the Mexican army established its position at the top of the hill. However, the Mexican general neglected to guard access to the top. While the Mexican troops were sleeping, the French attacked and killed 2,000 of them.

This reminds me of another hill, the Mount of Olives, and the garden at its foot where a group of disciples fell asleep. Jesus rebuked them, saying, “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Mark 14:38).

Lord, help me to watch and pray today for myself and for others.

How easy it is to sleep or become careless in our Christian walk. Temptation strikes when we are most vulnerable. When we neglect certain areas of our spiritual lives—such as prayer and Bible study—we become drowsy and let our guard down, making us easy targets for our enemy, Satan, to strike (1 Peter 5:8).

We need to be alert to the possibilities of an attack and pray to maintain vigilance. If we remain watchful and pray—for ourselves and for others—the Spirit will enable us to resist temptation.

Lord Jesus, I know my spirit is willing, but my body is weak. Help me to watch and pray today for myself and for others.

Satan is powerless against the power of Christ.

INSIGHT:

The garden of Gethsemane was the starting point of the sufferings of Christ, and it could not have been more appropriately named. In Aramaic, the word Gethsemane means “olive press.” In olive tree orchards, it was normal to have a press where the harvested olives would be placed so that a heavy stone could be rolled over them—crushing the olives and removing the valuable oil from the fruit. That imagery precisely describes what Christ would undergo in His own “olive press.” Imagine the sinless Son loaded down with the weight of all the sins of the entire world from all the ages!

 

http://www.odb.org

Ravi Zacharias

Ravi Zacharias Ministry – At Ease or Uneasy

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I found myself sighing with something like relief one day after reading a comment made by C.S. Lewis. He was responding to a statement made by a scholar who noted that he didn’t “care for” the Sermon on the Mount but “preferred” the ethics of the apostle Paul. As you might imagine, Lewis was bothered at the suggestion of Scripture alternatives between which we may pick and choose, and it was this that he addressed first. But his response also included an honest remark about the Sermon on the Mount as well, and this is what caught my attention. He wrote, “As to ‘caring for’ the Sermon on the Mount, if ‘caring for’ here means liking or enjoying, I suppose no one cares for it. Who can like being knocked flat on his face by a sledgehammer? I can hardly imagine a more deadly spiritual condition than that of the man who can read that passage with tranquil pleasure. This is indeed to be ‘at ease in Zion.’”(1)

To be “at ease in Zion” was the deplorable state of existence the prophet Amos spoke of in his harsh words to the Israelites hundreds of years before Jesus was giving sermons and causing commotion. Reeling in false security and erroneous confidence from their economic affluence and self-indulgent lifestyles, the Israelites, Amos warned, would be the first God would send into exile if they failed to heed his words: “Woe to those who are at ease in Zion… who lie on beds of ivory, and lounge on their couches… you have turned justice into poison and the fruit of righteousness into wormwood.”(2)

The Sermon on the Mount is equally startling. Lewis’s comparison of Christ’s words to a sledgehammer is not far off. Those potent chapters are not unlike the electric paddles used to shock the heart back to life, back to the rhythm it was intended to have.

The Sermon on the Mount is like the keynote address for the kingdom Christ came to introduce. On that mountainside, Jesus points out many of the mountains that blur visions of God in our very midst. He suggests that we may well not be seeing fully, not grasping reality as it really is. “You have heard that it was so…” he says again and again, “but I tell you…” His words are hard and thorough, and even the simplest of phrases is resonant with the promise of one who so values creation that he would join us within the very thick of it:

Blessed are the pure in heart,

for they will see God.(3)

Continue reading Ravi Zacharias Ministry – At Ease or Uneasy →

John MacArthur

John MacArthur – Strength for Today – The Sin of Worry

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“‘Do not be anxious for your life, as to what you shall eat, or what you shall drink; nor for your body, as to what you shall put on’” (Matthew 6:25).

To worry about the future is to sin against God.

Someone has said, “You can’t change the past, but you can ruin a perfectly good present by worrying about the future.” Worry does ruin the present, but even more important for the believer is to recognize that worry is sin. Let’s look at why that is so.

Worry means you are striking out at God. Someone might say, “Worry is a small, trivial sin.” But that’s not true. More important than what worry does to you is what it does to God. When you worry, you are saying in effect, “God, I just don’t think I can trust You.” Worry strikes a blow at God’s integrity and love for you.

Worry means you are disbelieving Scripture. You can say, “I believe in the inerrancy of Scripture. I believe in the verbal, plenary inspiration of every word,” and then just live your life worrying. You are saying you believe the Bible, but then worry about God fulfilling what He says in it.

Worry means you are being mastered by circumstances. Let the truths of God’s Word, not your circumstances, control your thinking. By worrying, you make the circumstances and trials of life a bigger issue than your salvation. If you believe God can save you from eternal Hell, also believe He can help you in this world as He has promised.

Worry means you are distrusting God. If you worry, you’re not trusting your Heavenly Father. And if you’re not trusting Him, perhaps it’s because you don’t know Him well enough. Study God’s Word to find out who He really is and how He has been faithful to supply the needs of His people in the past. Doing so will help give you confidence for the future. Allow His Word to indwell you richly so that you aren’t making yourself vulnerable to Satan’s temptations to worry.

Suggestions for Prayer

Review the four points given above, and confess any sin to God.

For Further Study

Read Psalm 55:22; 1 Peter 5:7. What antidote to worry do both verses give?

 

http://www.gty.org

Wisdom Hunters

Wisdom Hunters – Heartfelt Worship 

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The twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne and worship him who lives for ever and ever. Revelation 4:10

I could see love in their faces. Some leathery and wrinkled from the toils and trials of life, others youthful: smooth cheeked and white toothed — both beaming with the joy of Jesus captured on their countenance. My fifth trip to India in ten years felt like my first. Why? I’m not sure, but it was something in the heart of the people: pure, fresh and faith filled. Their unintelligible Hindi prayers and praise escorted my soul into the presence of our Savior. The Holy Spirit, like a knife through hot butter, cut to the very depths of my being. I wept in the presence of great lovers of God.

The twenty-four elders represent the church and all believers who lift their heartfelt worship to the Lord God Almighty. All followers of Jesus will be rewarded or not at the Judgement Seat of Christ (Romans 14:8-10). The crowns cast before the throne in honor of God are the rewards received by the righteous, only to be offered back in humble adoration and honor of the King of Heaven. Heartfelt worship keeps the glory of God, not the works of man, the center of attention.

“My heart rejoices in the Lord; in the Lord my horn is lifted high…‘There is no one holy like the Lord’” (1 Samuel 2:1-2).

Magnify the Lord in worship, rejoice in and praise His holy name in song. God has done extraordinary things for you, in you and through you. He created you in His image and He saved you to grow into the image of His son Jesus. As you fear and adore Him—He pours out His abundant grace and mercy on you. A life compelled by willful worship is captured by Christ. Yes, your praise models gratitude to God for the next generation to mightily rejoice in Jesus Christ!

Like the mighty Mississippi River, thankfulness fills to overflowing the soul that sings out to its Savior. As we adore the Lord for His loving presence—He awards us the gift of security. We worship the Holy One in the rarified air of His righteousness, while His Spirit bestows holiness into our hearts. Our heartfelt praise guarantees generational engagement with God. We are secure aliens—but the Holy Spirit’s influence is without borders. Like John, we are instruments of Christ’s work in and through us.

“I will perpetuate your memory through all generations; therefore the nations will praise you for ever and ever” (Psalm 45:17).

Application: Who in the next generation needs me to model adoration of God?

Related Readings: Psalm 78:4; Isaiah 61:10; 1 Timothy 4:10; 1 Peter 2:10-12

 

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Turning Point

Today’s Turning Point with David Jeremiah – The Best Laid Schemes

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For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.

Jeremiah 29:11

Recommended Reading

Jeremiah 29:1-11

Poor Donald Pugh. He was very upset over the unflattering photograph of him released by the Lima, Ohio, police. He appeared overweight and puffy. Pugh was so unhappy he sent them a much better picture of himself—which led to his arrest. It reminds us of the line by poet Robert Burns: “The best laid schemes of mice and men often go awry.”

Our schemes often go awry. God’s never do. Look back over the course of your life. If you’re a child of God, you’ll undoubtedly see how God opened doors, closed doors, directed and redirected, ruled and overruled, and led in paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.

In Jeremiah 29, the Lord told the exiles in Babylonian refugee camps to trust the Lord, for His plans for them were good and He would give them a future and a hope. The plans we make for ourselves are far exceeded by God’s plan for us. So trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths (see Proverbs 3:5-6).

When we want to know God’s will there are three things which always concur: the inward impulse, the Word of God, and the trend of circumstances.

  1. B. Meyer

Read-Thru-the-Bible

Ezekiel 1 – 4

 

http://www.davidjeremiah.org/

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Don’t Offend God

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…Work out (cultivate, carry out to the goal, and fully complete) your own salvation with reverence and awe and trembling (self-distrust, with serious caution, tenderness of conscience, watchfulness against temptation, timidly shrinking from whatever might offend God and discredit the name of Christ).- Philippians 2:12

We can allow the Holy Spirit to invade our lives. We can be so filled with His presence and power that we allow Him into every aspect of who we are and into everything we do. He can get into our thoughts, emotions, and even our wills and bring healing and wholeness to our entire being, but He wants an invitation.

Tell the Holy Spirit you are ready to work with Him to bring what He has done in you by the grace of God to the forefront of your life. “Work it out,” which is the theme of our scripture for today, means that we must learn to live from the Spirit. We need to learn to live inside out. Be cautious not to offend God by giving in to temptation and sin. Learn to live in such a manner that your conscience is entirely clean at all times.

You might be thinking, Joyce, all of this sounds hard and I am not sure I have what it takes. But, I want to assure you that you do have what it takes, because you have the power of the Holy Spirit in your life. You cannot do it in your own strength, but as you partner with God you can do whatever you need to do in life. Don’t settle for a “barely get by” kind of life when there is a life of abundance waiting for you.

From the book Hearing from God Each Morning: 365 Daily Devotions by Joyce Meyer.

 

http://www.joycemeyer.org

Girlfriends in God

Girlfriends in God – What You Miss When You Don’t Forgive

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Today’s Truth

For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

Matthew 6:14-15

Friend to Friend

One last wish.

The longing of a dying mother’s heart.

A wish that only one person could have satisfied. But he didn’t.

If you’ve read any of my books, you know that my childhood was a cauldron of violent arguments, alcohol-induced rage, and physically terrifying fights. As a child I saw things that a child should never see and heard things that a child should never hear. My parents were a mess. Their kids were even messier.

But God—my two favorite words in the Bible.

I met Jesus in a powerful way when I was fourteen years old, my mom followed when I was seventeen, and my mean old dad accepted Christ when I was twenty. Our family was a portrait of mercy and grace painted by the hand of an all-loving God.

Continue reading Girlfriends in God – What You Miss When You Don’t Forgive →

Ray Stedman

Ray Stedman – Qualities of Genuine Faith

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Read: Jeremiah 32:1-10

Jeremiah said, The word of the Lord came to me: Hanamel son of Shallum your uncle is going to come to you and say, Buy my field at Anathoth, because as nearest relative it is your right and duty to buy it. Then, just as the Lord had said, my cousin Hanamel came to me in the courtyard of the guard and said, Buy my field at Anathoth in the territory of Benjamin… I knew that this was the word of the Lord; so I bought the field at Anathoth from my cousin Hanamel and weighed out for him seventeen shekels of silver. Jeremiah 32:6-9

That is a remarkable act of faith. It belongs with those acts of faith in the record of Hebrews 11. As we examine it, we learn what it means to walk by faith. Every one of us is called to walk by faith, and there are certain qualities of faith seen here.

First there is what we might call the caution of faith. Notice how the account progressed. God said to Jeremiah, in the loneliness of his prison, Your cousin Hanamel is coming to you, offering to sell his field. A little later on the account says, Then Hanamel my cousin came to me … in accordance with the word of the Lord. Later still, Then I knew that this was the word of the Lord. The important thing to see is how Jeremiah tested this impression he received.

Many of us have wondered how these Old Testament prophets were given words from God. Many times you find this phrase in the Scriptures: The word of the Lord came to me… How did it come? This account suggests that the usual way God spoke to these prophets was the same way he speaks to us, i.e., through a vivid impression made upon the soul, an inner voice informing us of something.

But the great lesson to learn from this account is that this inner voice is not always the voice of God. Sometimes the god of this world can speak through that inner voice, sounding very much like the voice of God. Many a person has been tremendously injured in his faith, and has damaged the faith of others, by acting impulsively on what this inner voice has to say, without testing whether it is the voice of God or not.

Faith, though it acts in a remarkable way, does not act fanatically. Faith acts cautiously, expecting God to confirm his word. Jeremiah was no novice in the active life of faith. He knew that God would confirm his word, and he had learned to wait upon God. God confirmed the word by fulfilling the prediction he had made.

Continue reading Ray Stedman – Qualities of Genuine Faith →

Words of Hope

Words of Hope – Daily Devotional – Clapping Their Hands

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Read: Isaiah 55

And all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. (v. 12)

What does it mean that the trees shall clap their hands? From science we know that every tree is a water column constantly supplying the air with moisture. We know that each tree species has its own distinct bioelectric field, with daily and annual rhythms. We know that trees communicate with each other by sending electrical signals via a fungal network. Is it that farfetched to believe that trees have their own arboreal ways of clapping their hands?

We are told, furthermore, that instead of the thorn there will grow the cypress, and instead of the brier the myrtle will grow. Thorns and briers hurt and are good for very little. The cypress and the myrtle, on the other hand, are pleasant and useful. The durable wood of the cypress was used for buildings and boats, and the fragrant oil of the myrtle was used in perfumes. Symbols of blessing and shalom.

This chapter is a song of hope. It concludes the middle section of Isaiah (chapters 40-55) by giving comfort to the people of Israel. A new exodus is coming for a people in exile. The restoration of Israel is near. This vision is embodied in Jesus and extolled by the apostle Paul. In Christ God brings reconciliations and restoration. And what is begun in Christ will be completed by the Holy Spirit. A time is coming when the trees of the field will clap their hands.

Prayer:

God of restoration and renewal, when we’re in exile give us hope.

Author: Steven Bouma-Prediger

 

https://woh.org/

Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – Taking the Gospel to the World

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But He said to them, “Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also, because for this purpose I have come forth.” —Mark 1:38

Jesus went and met the woman at the well in Samaria because she had an appointment with God. In Jesus’ detour into enemy territory, we see two important concerns as we bring the message of the gospel today.

First, we have to go to where people are. Jesus did not say that the whole world should go to church; He said the church should go into the whole world. As Mark’s Gospel tells us, “And He said to them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature’ ” (Mark 16:15).

When Harvest Ministries was doing an outreach in Disneyland a number of years ago, I was asked, “Why are you doing this in a place like Disneyland? Why would you come and hold an event in a place like this?”

I said, “Because Jesus said, ‘Go into all the world,’ and He did not exempt Disneyland. There are people there. And we want to reach people.” The glorious thing is that many people came into the kingdom through that outreach. We need to go to where people are.

Second, we need to care about the people we speak to. Jesus needed to go to Samaria because He cared about this woman (see John 4:4). When the apostle Paul was in Athens, he saw the city that was given over to idolatry, and his spirit was stirred within him (see Acts 17:16–17). He felt righteous indignation as he saw so many turning to false gods.

In the same way, any effective sharing of the gospel must always begin with a God-given burden. We have to care. Jesus cared. Do you? Do you want to reach out to perishing people?

 

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

Kids 4 Truth

Kids 4 Truth International – The LORD Is a Man of War

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“Then sang Moses and the children of Israel this song unto the LORD, and spake, saying, I will sing unto the LORD, for he hath triumphed gloriously: the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea. The LORD is my strength and song, and he is become my salvation: he is my God, and I will prepare him an habitation; my father’s God, and I will exalt him. The LORD is a man of war: the LORD is his name.” (Exodus 15:1-3)

When Moses and the children of Israel sang this song of praise, they had just been rescued by a miracle. The Egyptian military had followed them when they left Egypt, and the Israelites knew they were in trouble. The LORD opened up the Red Sea for them so that they could cross it on dry land. Once all of His people were safe on the other side, the LORD let the water come crashing down on top of the Egyptian soldiers who were chasing them.

These Egyptian soldiers did not understand or care Who God was, and it cost them their lives. They did not understand or care that God protects His glory, and God protects His people. If they had believed the truth about God, they never would have chased His people down in the first place.

When you see it all capitalized in the Bible, the name “LORD” means “Jehovah” (juh-HO-vuh). It is a name full of meaning, and it is what God answered Moses when Moses asked what to call Him. It means “I AM.” In other words: God was, is, and always will be Who He says He was, is, and always will be. It is not for humans to change Him or to think of Him in other ways, or as less than He is. He is the King of the universe. He is not just a human being. He is all-powerful, everywhere at once, and all-knowing. Nobody alive compares to God. If people really understood and believed Who God is, they would not be surprised to read the Israelites’ song. They would not be surprised to learn that the LORD is a “man of war.”

The LORD is a warrior. He is willing and able to fight for the glory of His name and to fight for the good of His people. He is mighty. He is unstoppable. He is unbeatable. Clearly, the Egyptian soldiers did not know Whom they were up against. Or if they knew it, they did not really believe it.

Continue reading Kids 4 Truth International – The LORD Is a Man of War →

BreakPoint

BreakPoint – Welcome to College: Why It’s Important to Ask the Right Questions

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Editor’s Note: With summer winding down and BreakPoint staff on vacation, we will be re-airing a few popular BreakPoints from John, Eric, and Chuck.

If your son or daughter is getting ready for college, you’re probably feeling the mixed emotions of pride and nervousness: pride in your child’s accomplishments and nervousness for . . . well, for a whole host of reasons.

If you’re a Christian parent, for instance, you may be concerned for your son or daughter’s faith. Maybe you know how many young adults with church backgrounds end up dropping out of church: 43 percent, according to David Kinnaman in his recent book “You Lost Me.” At least part of this trend stems from college lessons and experiences that can chip away at students’ faith, leaving them unsure what they really believe.

As a friend of mine says, sending your children to college is like sending them off for “four-year brain and heart surgery.” Now, there’s more to that analogy than meets the eye. Surgery can be a good thing, but one has to prepare for it properly. And part of that is asking the right questions. When you’re having surgery, you want to know things like, how experienced is this surgeon? What’s his or her track record? And most importantly, what exactly is going to happen to me?

But when it comes to choosing and preparing for college, too many students and parents focus on the wrong question. They want to know what the dorms are like or how good the football team is. Is there good food in the cafeteria? But what they really need to ask is, what’s exactly going to happen to my son or daughter? How will this college affect their faith and worldview? Do students here get educated or indoctrinated?

For students and parents who want to know the right questions, and how to prepare for college, I’m pleased to recommend the book “Welcome to College: A Christian’s Guide for the Journey,” written by my friend Jonathan Morrow. As the title makes clear, Morrow has written this book specifically for young students about to embark on the college experience. The tone is friendly and accessible, and the book deals with the breadth of college life, from picking roommates and classes to making sure not to park in the wrong spot!

But most importantly, “Welcome to College” lays out the basics of the Christian worldview, as well as the challenges that are likely to come to that worldview, in a way that students can understand and learn to apply — in their college years and beyond.

Continue reading BreakPoint – Welcome to College: Why It’s Important to Ask the Right Questions →

Denison Forum

Denison Forum – AMERICAN EARNS OLYMPIC AWARD ONLY 17 HAVE RECEIVED

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The Washington Post reports that last night’s 6.2-magnitude earthquake has killed at least thirty-eight people in central Italy. Today’s New York Times has a heartbreaking story on the effects of Zika on the brains of Brazilian babies.

In the midst of all the bad news, I was excited to read some amazingly good news today.

American runner Abbey D’Agostino became famous for helping fellow runner Nikki Hamblin after both were tripped during a race at the Rio Olympics. Abbey was severely injured but finished the race. Now she and Hamblin are the eighteenth and nineteenth recipients of the Pierre de Coubertin medal. It is not awarded at every Olympic Games. Rather, it is reserved for the most exceptional displays of sportsmanship and the Olympic spirit.

Abbey explained her behavior during the race as an expression of her faith, and the world took note. There’s something in us that responds to the God who made us.

I recently reread Alister McGrath’s A Cloud of Witnesses, which profiles some of the greatest theologians in history. His chapter on Martin Luther contains the great reformer’s insight that we should trust God’s promises over our experience. McGrath describes Luther’s conviction: “God promises to be present with us, even in life’s darkest hours—and if experience cannot detect him as being present, then that verdict of experience must be considered unreliable.”

The theologians McGrath surveys all agree on this central principle: Jesus is God, and he is real. He is a Person who is as alive and present in our world by his Spirit as he was in his flesh. He prays for us (Romans 8:34) and welcomes our prayers. He teaches us through the Spirit (John 16:14–15). He protects us on earth (John 10:28–29) while he is preparing our reward in heaven (John 14:2). One day he will come to take us from this fallen planet into God’s perfect paradise (v. 3).

Continue reading Denison Forum – AMERICAN EARNS OLYMPIC AWARD ONLY 17 HAVE RECEIVED →

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – Reasons to Surrender

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1 Corinthians 6:19-20

As we saw yesterday, God wants us to surrender our life to Him. This is no small task. All of our plans, every desire we feel, each entitlement that once seemed our right—everything is put aside in order to make way for our King’s will. But perhaps you have wondered why the Lord can ask this of us.

God has every right to demand that we give Him our all. First, Scripture teaches us that He is the sovereign King who rules over the entire universe (Ps. 135:6). As a result, we are under His authority, whether or not we choose to submit. Next, through His death and resurrection, Jesus saved us from our sin and its consequences. Therefore, we are indebted to Him more than we could ever repay. And finally, He sustains us. We should consider each breath and heartbeat a gift from Him.

Undoubtedly, the Lord is entitled to ask that we yield our life to His will. At the same time, we should realize that surrender is in our best interest. The Father promises that following Him leads to hope and an established future. Psalms 31:19 states, “How great is Your goodness, which You have stored up for those who fear You …” So, while He is the Almighty with authority over every aspect of our life, He promises to care for us and to do what will benefit us most.

Are you willing to put yourself aside in order to follow Jesus? His way is best, and it offers hope, joy, and peace. We will not always like everything He chooses at the moment, but He promises to work all things for our good. Will you trust God enough to hand the reins over to Him?

Bible in One Year: Jeremiah 49-50

 

 

http://www.intouch.org/

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — God Talk

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Read: Hebrews 1:1–12 | Bible in a Year: Psalms 113–115; 1 Corinthians 6

What we have received is . . . the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us. 1 Corinthians 2:12

Recently, my son-in-law was explaining to my granddaughter Maggie that we can talk with God and that He communicates with us. When Ewing told Maggie that God sometimes speaks to us through the Bible, she responded without hesitation: “Well, He’s never said anything to me. I’ve never heard God talk to me.”

Most of us would probably agree with Maggie, if hearing an audible voice telling us, “Sell your house, and go take care of orphans in a faraway land,” is what we mean by God communicating with us. But when we talk about hearing God “speak,” we usually mean something quite different.

Scripture tells us how to find salvation in Jesus and how to live in ways that please Him.

We “hear” God through reading Scripture. The Bible tells us about Jesus and says that God “has spoken to us by his Son” who is “the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being” (Heb. 1:2–3). Scripture tells us how to find salvation in Jesus and how to live in ways that please Him (2 Tim. 3:14–17). In addition to Scripture itself, we have the Holy Spirit. First Corinthians 2:12 says that we are given the Spirit “so that we may understand what God has freely given us.”

Has it been a while since you’ve heard from God? Talk to Him and listen to the Spirit, who reveals Jesus to us through His Word. Tune in to the wonderful things God has to say to you.

Speak to me, Lord. Help me to understand the message of Scripture, the lessons of Jesus, and the urgings of the Holy Spirit.

God speaks through His Word when we take time to listen.

INSIGHT:

This section begins with a reference to Jesus’s incarnation and His unique position as God’s Son, and the admonition for Him to be worshiped (vv. 5–8). We see the “radiance of God’s glory,” in the person of Christ (v. 3). As we read His Word, we learn to love Him.

 

http://www.odb.org

Ravi Zacharias

Ravi Zacharias Ministry – Learning How to Think

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There are patterns of thought that come as natural to us as our daily routines. These patterns of thought emerge from constructs and experiences that color and shape the way in which we view the world and they can emerge in the most unexpected ways. Sometimes we simply repeat what we have heard. Mindless phrases spill out of our mouths forming the patterns of response—even when the response is incongruent with the situation. “It is what it is,” we say, when compassionate silence is called for or “Everything has a reason” when faced with inexplicable chaos.

I recognize in my own life how these patterns of thought belie my true way of viewing the world, much to my chagrin. Oftentimes, they reveal callousness to the suffering of others. I’ll tell someone, “I’ll keep you in my thoughts and prayers” as a substitute for tangible assistance. Or my desire to fit every happening into a neat, understandable package compels me to speak when I first should listen.

Regardless of the situation, it seems a sad reality that so often these patterns of thought and action revolve around placing the self at the center of everything. Many function as if the world really does revolve around the immediate and urgent demands of living one’s own life. Everything is simply an incursion into the routine of putting me, myself, and I front and center. I automatically feel offended, for example, when cut off in traffic. I instinctively feel slighted or defensive that my very presence doesn’t delight and soothe the unhappy. I groan at the inconvenience of having to wait in another line and when I finally have my turn, I take offense at the clerk who doesn’t smile at me the way in which I think I deserve.

In his lauded address to graduates of Kenyon College, the late author David Foster Wallace exposed the routines of thought and action that place the self at the center.(1) In his remarks regarding the benefits of a liberal arts education in shaping one’s ability to think, he suggests that it is the “most obvious, important realities that are the hardest to talk about.”(2) In other words, one of those obvious realities is that when left to our own devices humans think and behave in self-centered ways. But it is one of those routines of thought that mostly goes unmentioned. He continues, “The choice is really about what to think about and how we think about it…to have just a little critical awareness….Because a huge percentage of the stuff that I tend to be automatically certain of is, it turns out, totally wrong and deluded.”(3) Rarely, Foster Wallace notes, do we think about how we think because what is revealed is that we are basically selfish in action and thought 99% of the time.

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John MacArthur

John MacArthur – Strength for Today – Letting the Fog Lift

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“‘Do not be anxious for your life, as to what you shall eat, or what you shall drink; nor for your body, as to what you shall put on’” (Matthew 6:25).

God’s Word commands us not to worry.

A story I once read reminded me that worry is like fog. According to the article, dense fog covering seven city blocks a hundred feet deep is composed of less than one glass of water—divided into sixty billion droplets. In the right form, a few gallons of water can cripple a large city. Similarly, the object of a person’s worry is usually quite small compared to the way it can cripple his thinking or harm his life. Someone has said, “Worry is a thin stream of fear that trickles through the mind, which, if encouraged, will cut a channel so wide that all other thoughts will be drained out.”

All of us have to admit that worry is a part of life. The Bible commands us, however, not to worry. To break that command is sin. Worry is the equivalent of saying, “God, I know You mean well by what You say, but I’m just not sure You can pull it off.” Worry is the sin of distrusting the promises and providence of God; yet we do it all the time.

We don’t worry about anything as much as we worry about the basics of life. In that regard we are similar to the people whom Jesus addressed in Matthew 6:25-34. They were worried about having sufficient food and clothing. I suppose if they were to try and legitimize their worry, they would say, “After all, we’re not worrying about extravagant things. We’re just worrying about our next meal, a glass of water, and something to wear.” But there is no reason for a believer to worry about the basics of life since Jesus says He will provide for him. You are neither to hoard material possessions as a hedge against the future (vv. 19-24) nor be anxious about your basic needs (vv. 25-34). Instead of letting the fog of worry roll in, it’s time to let it lift.

Suggestions for Prayer

“Rejoice in the Lord always. . . . Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God” (Phil. 4:4, 6).

For Further Study

What counsel does 1 Peter 5:7 give?

 

http://www.gty.org

Wisdom Hunters

Wisdom Hunters – 3 Lessons I Learned Since I Married

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The husband should fulfill his marital duty to his wife, and likewise the wife to her husband. 1 Corinthians 7:3

For much of my adult life I ate standing over the kitchen sink. But that all changed in 2014 when I finally became a bride for the first time at age forty-six. Yep, it surprised me too. When I turned forty-three, I figured I was destined to spend my life alone, but God has a wonderful way of surprising us and changing things in ways we never imagined. Now that I am a Mrs., I know a few things I didn’t know before. If you are married or single, I hope these lessons encourage you.

Just because you marry later in life doesn’t mean it will be difficult to adjust. There are a lot of clichés floating around about marriage and one of them is that people who marry after thirty years old are too set in their ways and too inflexible to have a peaceful marriage. If you are single and this is your fear, be encouraged. A lot of it has to do with how much you want to put your mate first, and if you are willing to be a giver. My husband is a great example of serving well and I have learned a lot from him about living unselfishly. He has made being married a joy.

“Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ” (Ephesians 5:21).

Don’t marry just for sex. Sex is a beautiful gift from God; but it’s peculiar how the world oversells and undersells it. They oversell it by making us think sex is always fireworks, never awkward, always easy, and the most important part of any relationship. But they undersell the beautiful, joyous sacredness of it. The world feeds us the lie that true intimacy is found in sex alone, but real intimacy isn’t found just by merging bodies in sex. When Jesus said, “and the two shall become one. . .” I can’t help but think that He meant more than just the physical. After all, how many couples go to bed at night, share their bodies, but not their hearts? Undoubtedly, many of these people would say they are very lonely. Why? Because just as a garden hose is not the source of water, but only an expression or vehicle for it, so sex is not the source of intimacy, but an outlet (or expression of) it. Never marry just for sex. Marry someone you respect, admire, shares your faith, and is your friend. These things will carry you a long way down the road of marital bliss.

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