Tag Archives: holy spirit

Ravi Zacharias

Ravi Zacharias Ministry – In Pursuit of Happiness

Leave a comment

Recently, an interesting article caught my attention: “The Golden Triangle of Happiness” by William Verity and Yasmin Parry. The article attests that all over the world, people of all persuasions are in pursuit of happiness. It cites the latest findings of the Australian Wellbeing Index that involved more than sixty thousand participants. Conducted twice a year over the last fifteen years, the study concludes that besides genetics, there are three simple indicators of a happy life. Being part of an intimate relationship is the most vital component in contributing to a person’s sense of wellbeing. Second, people are happiest when they are active, when they have a goal and a sense of purpose in life. And third, people are happiest when they have financial control. While money alone cannot make us happy, a lack of stability can make us miserable.

To phrase it simply, the three components that define happiness according to this study are relationship, meaning, and security. In a world that constantly tries to project power, pleasure, and more pleasure as indispensable to human happiness, this may well offer a refreshing counter-perspective. I wonder if it might also reaffirm the truth of the Christian gospel? For relationship, meaning, and security are the very things God offers us through the person and work of Jesus Christ.

Continue reading Ravi Zacharias Ministry – In Pursuit of Happiness →

John MacArthur

John MacArthur – Strength for Today – God’s Sacrificial Love

Leave a comment

“‘For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life’” (John 3:16).

God’s love is vicarious and sacrificial.

Today we continue a short study of a topic that brings joy to every Christian: God’s love. Both Paul and John call His love “great” (Eph. 2:4; 1 John 3:1), because only great love would provide such a sacrifice as God did in Christ.

We have already seen that God’s love is unconditional, unrequited, and righteous. God’s love is also vicarious; it bears the pain of others. In a prophecy about Christ, Isaiah wrote: “Surely our griefs He Himself bore, and our sorrows He carried” (53:4). Christ bears our earthly sorrows, and, infinitely more significant, He bore the pain and punishment for our sins.

True love is a sacrificial love that gives without expecting anything in return. God gives so many good things to everyone, and He gave the greatest gift of all, His Son. As John 3:16 teaches, love was His motive for sending Christ to die; He wanted to provide salvation for us.

Continue reading John MacArthur – Strength for Today – God’s Sacrificial Love →

Wisdom Hunters

Wisdom Hunters – Image and Likeness  

Leave a comment

Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. Genesis 1:26

One of the most remarkable aspects of being a human being is that, as an image bearer of God, you, in your body and in your relationships, have the capacity to reflect the very nature of God Himself. You are able to live your life in such a way that it can point beyond itself, encountering the love of God and sharing that love with the world.

Throughout the history of Christianity, this passage from Genesis has been one of the central verses to our entire understanding of what it means to be human. Rather than seeing “image” and “likeness” as two ways of making the same point, it has often been interpreted as making two separate statements. Simply put, every single human being who has ever lived is made in God’s image, yet the Scriptures remind us that not all humans equally reflect his likeness.

The image of God can never be lost. It is the very basis of what it means to be human. It is the source of our understanding of human rights and the universal dignity of every human being, regardless of anything they can do or say.

Continue reading Wisdom Hunters – Image and Likeness   →

Turning Point

Today’s Turning Point with David Jeremiah – The God Who Made Us

Leave a comment

For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen.

Romans 11:36

Recommended Reading

Psalm 8:1-9

Scientists are learning more and more about the lives of animals. Primates have been found to use tools; fish have demonstrated memory and emotion; dogs have been trained to detect and point out human cancers. But so far, there is no record of any members of the animal kingdom contemplating their origin or expressing appreciation for their existence and the blessings of nature.

Self-awareness is on the human side of a large gap that separates the human from the non-human kingdoms. Even the psalmist, when contemplating the wonders of man’s place in God’s creation, notes that God created “the beasts of the field, the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea”—but makes no mention of those animals’ awareness of that fact (Psalm 8:8). Fortunately, humans are created in the image of God (Genesis 1:26-27) with the same self-awareness possessed by God. And our awareness lets us know that Someone else is responsible for our creation and sustenance.

Continue reading Today’s Turning Point with David Jeremiah – The God Who Made Us →

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Joyce Meyer – Sanctification of the Soul

Leave a comment

So get rid of all uncleanness and the rampant outgrowth of wickedness, and in a humble (gentle, modest) spirit receive and welcome the Word which implanted and rooted [in your hearts] contains the power to save your souls. —James 1:21

Once you are born again, your spirit has been reborn and you will go to heaven when you die. But God is not finished—He is just beginning. You need to work out your own salvation with fear and trembling (Philippians 2:12 KJV). In other words, your soul needs to be saved. The 14 soul is often defined as the mind, the will, and the emotions. Each of these areas needs salvation.

The Holy Spirit works relentlessly to transform the whole man into God’s perfect will. This process is called sanctification. When your soul is renewed with His Word, you think His thoughts and not your own. Submit yourself to the Holy Spirit and allow Him to change every thought and motive.

From the book Ending Your Day Right by Joyce Meyer.

http://www.joycemeyer.org

Girlfriends in God

Girlfriends in God – What Do Others See in You?

Leave a comment

I know that I will remain, and I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith…

Philippians 1:25

Friend to Friend

When I was growing up ours was on the doorframe between the kitchen and the hall with red carpet. A vertical trail of penciled dashes and dates that marked the growth of my siblings and I – that eventually got painted over. An archive of ages and heights that proved physical progress was really happening in the Eisaman household.

And boy did I want my growth to show.

Each time my dad lined us up to draw lines just above our highest hairs, I would stretch my spine to the sky. {It’s even possible that I might’ve lifted my heels occasionally. Possible. Just throwing it out there. Don’t judge me. Dad always bumped us back down…}

Continue reading Girlfriends in God – What Do Others See in You? →

Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – Is Your Faith Worth Sharing?

Leave a comment

“But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day” (Proverbs 4:18, KJV).

I had just finished giving a message, challenging students and young executives to commit their lives to helping to fulfill the Great Commission when Steve approached me with words that shocked me. I had known him for a long time and believed his life to be totally committed to Christ.

“If I were to respond to your challenge to take what I have to the rest of the world,” he said, “I’m afraid not much would be accomplished, because my brand of Christianity -quite frankly – is not that attractive, exciting or fruitful.”

He went on to share how he was not experiencing the joy of the resurrection in his life. The study of the Word of God had no appeal, his prayer life was nil and it had been a long time since he had introduced anyone to Christ. His outward evidence of being a man of God was just a facade, by his own admission.

Continue reading Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – Is Your Faith Worth Sharing? →

Ray Stedman

Ray Stedman – Gospel Paradox

Leave a comment

Read: Isaiah 44:1-5

For I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground; I will pour out my Spirit on your offspring, and my blessing on your descendants. (Isaiah 44:3)

Chapter 44 opens with a beautiful promise, spoken by God through the prophet: Here is pictured the refreshment of spirit that God gives to those who are thirsty, those who recognize the dryness of their lives and who come to him for supply. Notice that the promise extends even to their offspring. Here is a great word for families: God will bless them as they take the place of a suppliant and bring their need before him.

As is true many times in Isaiah, all this is to be ultimately true of the nation of Israel. We must never steal these promises away from the Jewish people. God will fulfill them literally one of these days. But this is also applicable to those who, by faith in Jesus Christ, have become sons and daughters of Abraham. These promises, that God will pour water on the thirsty, and streams on the dry ground, are made to us, as well. This is one of the most remarkable paradoxes in the Scripture. What man could ever devise a plan that if you fail, you win, if you lose, you will succeed, if you are broken, you will be lifted up? But that is God’s plan. He always deals realistically with us. He will not force us to be humiliated, but he wants us to face the whole picture. He is totally honest. He knows exactly who we are and what our problem is. The folly of man is that he seeks to smooth that over and to pretend to be something he is not. All this is remarkable proof that the Bible is a divine Book, for no man would ever come up with a program for success that starts with an admission of failure.

Continue reading Ray Stedman – Gospel Paradox →

Words of Hope

Words of Hope – Daily Devotional – Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God

Leave a comment

Read: Judges 3:1-8

They were for the testing of Israel, to know whether Israel would obey the commandments of the Lord. (v. 4)

In seeking a one-sentence definition of sin I asked another professor of theology and received a more traditional answer: “Sin is violating God’s law, which immediately results in alienation from God, self, neighbors, and creation.”

Certainly this is the situation Israel found itself in as Judges 3 opens. The conquest of the Promised Land had devolved into an accommodation with the people already living there. The author of Judges tells us these people remained in the land to test Israel, and Israel failed the test by worshipping their pagan gods. The nation of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, and the Lord’s anger kindled against them. Once again, Israel went into slavery.

Continue reading Words of Hope – Daily Devotional – Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God →

Presidential Prayer Team

Presidential Prayer Team; H.L.M. – Advance Praise

Leave a comment

Lori “Lolo” Jones is an American track and field and bobsled athlete who specializes in the 60- and 100-meter hurdles. Jones has won both United States and World Championships in hurdle events and competed at the 2008, 2012, and 2014 Olympic Games. Jones continually seeks to trust God despite the personal hurdles she faces. When the 33-year-old athlete had to have hip surgery, she set goals for her recovery and chose to “praise Him in advance” for whatever lay ahead in her rehabilitation.

I give thanks to you, O Lord my God, with my whole heart.

Psalm 86:12

Continue reading Presidential Prayer Team; H.L.M. – Advance Praise →

Kids 4 Truth

Kids 4 Truth International – God Is Our Stronghold

Leave a comment

Psalm 144:1-2 “Blessed be the LORD my strength… my goodness, and my fortress; my high tower, and my deliverer; my shield, and he in whom I trust.”

God is a stronghold for us when Satan tempts us to sin.

There is a place in Israel near the Dead Sea called Masada. It looks like a mountain with a flat, square top. Masada was once a huge getaway palace for Herod the Great. In the first century after the time of Christ, Jewish people used it as a fortress. Men, women, and children lived there for three years, hiding from the Romans who had attacked and destroyed their cities. “The Romans cannot get to us here,” they thought. “We are safe in Masada.”

But they were not safe. The Roman army built a siege ramp all the way up the side of the mountain. Day after day, the Jews saw the Romans working on the ramp, and they knew that they had only a little time.

Continue reading Kids 4 Truth International – God Is Our Stronghold →

The Navigators

The Navigators – Jerry Bridges – Holiness Day by Day Devotional – Why We Worry

Leave a comment

Today’s Scripture: Matthew 6:25

“Do not be anxious about your life.”

Why do we worry? Because we don’t believe. We’re not really convinced the same Jesus who can keep a sparrow in the air knows where our lost luggage is, or how we’ll pay that car repair bill. Or if we believe he can deliver us through our difficulties, we doubt if he will. We let Satan sow seeds of doubt in our minds about God’s love and care for us.

The great antidote to anxiety is to come to God in prayer about everything. “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7). Nothing’s too big for him to handle or too small to escape his attention. Paul said we’re to come to God “with thanksgiving.” We should thank him for his past faithfulness in delivering us from troubles. We should thank him for the fact that he’s in control of every circumstance of our lives and that nothing can touch us that he doesn’t allow. We should thank him that in his infinite wisdom he’s able to work in this circumstance for our good. We can thank him that he won’t allow us to be tempted beyond what we can bear (1 Corinthians 10:13).

The promised result is not deliverance, but the peace of God. One of the reasons we don’t find this peace is that all too often we won’t settle for anything other than deliverance from the trouble. But God, through Paul, promises us peace, a peace that is unexplainable. It will guard our hearts and minds against the anxiety to which you and I are so prone.

https://www.navigators.org/Home

The Navigators

The Navigators – Leroy Eims – Daily Discipleship Devotional – Dispelling the Darkness

Leave a comment

Today’s Scripture: Leviticus 24-27

“Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.” – Matthew 5:15

In today’s passage about the tabernacle, we read that the lamps were to burn continually. They were to be tended and supplied with oil so their light would never go out. Throughout the Bible, lamps are used to picture our lives as believers.

Jesus said, “Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:16). Where does a lamp do the most good? Outside at high noon or in a dark place where there is no other source of illumination? Yet how many times we complain when God puts us in a situation where we are about the only source of light.

Continue reading The Navigators – Leroy Eims – Daily Discipleship Devotional – Dispelling the Darkness →

BreakPoint

BreakPoint – Christian Colleges & Gender Identity: The Next Assault on Religious Freedom?

Leave a comment

You’ve probably heard of Title IX, the federal law signed by President Nixon in 1972 “that prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in any federally funded education program or activity.” Title IX is probably best known for its effect on women’s athletics by mandating equitable treatment with men’s teams.

Of course, discrimination against women and girls on the basis of their sex is a bad thing, and so Title IX—though not a perfect piece of legislation—has done a lot of good. But the federal government has a habit of extending legislation beyond its intended reach, and that’s what is happening right now with Title IX.

The Department of Education, under pressure from LGBT groups such as the Human Rights Campaign and some legislators, has agreed to create a public, searchable database of Christian colleges and universities that obtained Title IX waivers based on claims of religious freedom.

These exemptions—which, for example, allow religious schools to provide male-only or female-only dorms—have been granted routinely since the law’s passage, but all that may be beginning to change. According to a report in WORLD magazine, the HRC has “accused Christian institutions of ‘hidden discrimination’ for obtaining Title IX waivers.”

Continue reading BreakPoint – Christian Colleges & Gender Identity: The Next Assault on Religious Freedom? →

Moody Global Ministries

Moody Global Ministries – Today in the Word – DISCIPLINES OF REST: SABBATH

Leave a comment

Read Isaiah 58:1-14

The church has never held a uniform view of the Sabbath. One scholar notes, “The early church had no single answer to the question of the relevance of the Sabbath commandment to Christians. The churches of the New Testament period included a variety of views.”

The apostle Paul warned the Colossians not to let anyone judge them when it came to religious festivals, new moon celebrations, or Sabbath days (Col. 2:16). These were all associated with the Mosaic Law. New Testament believers could still observe sacred days if they chose. Paul’s own practice after his conversion to Christ was to visit the synagogue on the Sabbath. This seems to have been driven more by evangelistic intent, however, than by any continued devotion to the day itself. On the first day of the week Paul gathered with other Christians for worship, the regular practice of the New Testament church.

Continue reading Moody Global Ministries – Today in the Word – DISCIPLINES OF REST: SABBATH →

Denison Forum

Denison Forum – APPLE VS. THE FBI: IT’S COMPLICATED

Leave a comment

The FBI wants Apple to create software that would enable authorities to unlock an iPhone used by one of the San Bernardino shooters. Apple has refused. When I saw this news story, I wondered why the company wouldn’t want to help.

However, the more I read, the more complex the debate became.

According to Apple’s engineers, the software it would develop for this purpose would threaten the security of all iPhones and could be used on any number of devices. However, according to prosecutors, the new software would affect only the terrorist’s phone.

According to legal scholars, if the FBI can compel Apple to do this, perhaps it could force Facebook or other tech companies to do the same. However, according to terrorism authorities, unbreakable technology could enable terrorists to escalate attacks against us.

Continue reading Denison Forum – APPLE VS. THE FBI: IT’S COMPLICATED →

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – Biblical Love

1 Comment

Read | 1 Corinthians 13:1-8

In today’s passage, Paul talks about love and its preeminence over speech, knowledge, generosity, and self-sacrifice (1 Cor. 13:1-3). The apostle then describes the nature of biblical love, which is patient, kind, humble, and slow to anger (1 Cor. 13:4-7).

However, we often struggle as we try to practice this model of unselfish affection. One reason is that the godly expression of caring doesn’t come naturally to us. Pure Christian love puts the other person ahead of our own interests, even when our human inclinations clamor to place self first (1 Cor. 13:5).

Continue reading Charles Stanley – Biblical Love →

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — The Ease of Ingratitude

Leave a comment

Read: Hebrews 12:18-29

Bible in a Year: Leviticus 15-16; Matthew 27:1-26

Since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful. —Hebrews 12:28

Thwip, thwap. Thwip, thwap.

The windshield wipers slamming back and forth trying to keep up with the pelting rain only added to my irritation as I adjusted to driving the used car I had just purchased—an old station wagon with 80,000+ miles and no side-impact airbag protection for the kids.

To get this station wagon, and some badly needed cash for groceries, I had sold the last “treasure” we owned: a 1992 Volvo station wagon with side-impact airbag protection for the kids. By then, everything else was gone. Our house and our savings had all disappeared under the weight of uncovered medical expenses from life-threatening illnesses.

Continue reading Our Daily Bread — The Ease of Ingratitude →

Wisdom Hunters

Wisdom Hunters – Lonely But Not Alone 

Leave a comment

A time is coming and in fact has come when you will be scattered, each to your own home. You will leave me all alone. Yet I am not alone, for my Father is with me. John 16:32

In some seasons of my life I have felt very lonely. At age 12, after hearing of my mom and stepfather’s divorce—I crawled into my bunk bed and wept. I prayed to God and asked why I couldn’t have a dad like my friends. I felt very alone—my fledgling faith offered little comfort. At age 19, after becoming a Christian, my fellow college students could not comprehend or accept my new behavioral boundaries. I felt abandoned, left alone. I looked for others who loved Jesus. As an adult I’ve had similar times of unsolicited isolation. Though I felt lonely—I was not alone.

Jesus described this scenario of being left alone, but not being alone. He verbalized to His disciples how they were about to be scattered and how Jesus would be left by Himself to face His accusers. In Christ’s greatest time of need those He needed most fled from His presence. As Jesus faced His arrest, trial and death, the disciples’ fear superseded their loyalty to Christ. Jesus was left alone by many who loved Him the most, yet He was not alone. His Father was with Him. Loneliness can strike down the most devout followers of the Lord, but they are not alone.

Continue reading Wisdom Hunters – Lonely But Not Alone  →

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Bless Somebody

Leave a comment

And let us not lose heart and grow weary and faint in acting nobly and doing right, for in due time and at the appointed season we shall reap, if we do not loosen and relax our courage and faint.—Galatians 6:9

The Word says, Let each one of us make it a practice to please (make happy) his neighbor for his good and for his true welfare, to edify him [to strengthen him and build him up spiritually] (Romans 15:2).

This tells me that we need to have our mind full of ways to bless people. Early in the day, think up something you want to do to bless someone. Think up something you can do to surprise somebody or to make somebody happy. You will be amazed at how quickly the Lord leads you to something good you can do for someone. Joy comes from giving on His behalf.

From the book Starting Your Day Right by Joyce Meyer.

http://www.joycemeyer.org