Tag Archives: holy spirit

Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – Deliverance from Fears

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“I sought the Lord, and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fears” (Psalm 34:4, KJV).

Susie seemed outwardly to be a well-poised, lovely young wife and mother with everything under control. She was active in her church and attended other Christian gatherings during the week. But secretly she was filled with fear from which psychologists and psychiatrists with whom she consulted were unable to set her free.

She became very discouraged and depressed. “What can I do?” she asked through her tears. “I have everything to live for and no real reason to be afraid, but my days are consumed with worry and dread and fear, as I anticipate all kinds of evil things happening to me, to my husband , to my children.”

“Do you believe that God in heaven has the power to remove your fears, Susie?” I asked.

“Yes, of course,” she replied.

“Do you believe He loves you?”

“Yes, I believe that.”

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Ray Stedman

Ray Stedman – The Perils of Prosperity

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Read: Isaiah 39

Hezekiah received the envoys gladly and showed them what was in his storehouses—the silver, the gold, the spices, the fine olive oil—his entire armory and everything found among his treasures. There was nothing in his palace or in all his kingdom that Hezekiah did not show them. (Isaiah 39:2)

Taken in by the flattery of Babylon, the king trusted these ambassadors despite the fact that Isaiah had spoken very clearly of the threat from that quarter: what Babylon represented in spiritual terms, and what Babylon’s ultimate fate would be. But the king ignored Isaiah’s words, as many today ignore the clear warnings of Scripture.

So Isaiah pays another visit to Hezekiah. The old prophet says to the king, I see you have had visitors. Who were these men? Oh, replies Hezekiah, they are ambassadors from Babylon, the great power to the east. This superpower has recognized our tiny kingdom, and that makes me feel proud and honored. Doubtless he had shown the letter to his wife, exclaiming, Look, dear, the king of Babylon has now taken note of us. Asked by Isaiah what he had shown these ambassadors, Hezekiah replied, I showed them everything we’ve got—all our treasures, all our defenses, everything.

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Words of Hope

Words of Hope – Daily Devotional – The With-God Life

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Read: John 15:1-8

I am the vine; you are the branches. (v. 5)

Spiritual formation has also been called the “with-God” life. The goal of our with-God life is personal transformation that leads to the transformation of the world around us. The notion of being spiritually formed seems radical to those have seen the Christian life as only intellectual assent to the lordship of Jesus and adherence to ethical rules and moral living. The discipleship Jesus requires is costly, but as Dallas Willard has said, the cost of nondiscipleship is even more costly. It costs the abundant life that Jesus said he came to bring (John 10:10).

In his book Practicing the Way of Jesus, Mark Scandrette notes that when people hear about becoming like Jesus, they often begrudgingly think or ask, “What do I have to do?” or “How far do I have to go?” or “How much do I have to give up?” Yet he says, “A better question is, ‘How free and alive am I willing to be?’” (p. 47).

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Presidential Prayer Team

Presidential Prayer Team; A.W. – That’s Not Fair

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The United States justice system was created to uphold the rule of law. Courts and judges are supposed to be impartial and enforce fairness, which is why justice is often symbolized as a blindfolded figure balancing a set of scales. However, in 2014, a Rasmussen Report indicated that 43 percent of Americans felt the federal justice system was unfair. The following year, a law professor named Adam Benforado published a book, Unfair, which highlights what he views as the hidden unfairness in the legal system.

Let the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you judge the peoples with equity.

Psalm 67:4

Today’s verse reminds believers there really is a judge who rules fairly and guides those who follow His laws into prosperity. It proclaims this is reason to sing for joy and offer praise. When nations invite Christ to reign over them and allow Him into their governance, the nation prospers; but when the people leave God out, the nation falls into condemnation.

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Kids 4 Truth

Kids 4 Truth International – God Is Our Refuge

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“I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge, and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.” (Psalm 91:2)

In the news, we hear a lot about refugees. We talk about those people, and we see pictures of them on TV. But who are they really? They are people who are looking for safety and help. For one reason or another they have been put out of their homes and villages – usually because of war – and are seeking a new place to live and a brand new start in life. We have refugees come to the United States sometimes because they can’t live in their own countries anymore. Just as those people are looking for a safer, better place to live and raise their families, you and I are spiritual refugees. We are searching for a safe place, a refuge – and we find it in God.

The dictionary defines refuge as “a source of help, relief, or comfort in times of trouble.” How is God my refuge? Psalm 91:2 refers to a spiritual refuge, not necessarily a physical one. When we are tempted to sin, what do we do? We need to find a place to get away from the temptation so that we don’t sin. God provides that place. When we are tempted to sin we can run to Him, pray, and ask His help – and He will be our refuge, our source of help and comfort, our safe place.

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The Navigators

The Navigators – Leroy Eims – Daily Discipleship Devotional – Humility

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Today’s Scripture: Philippians 2:1-11

But when his heart became arrogant and hardened with pride, he was deposed from his royal throne and stripped of his glory. – Daniel 5:20

We were on our way to Steamboat Springs for a few days of skiing. The road was icy, and the wind was blowing so hard we went gliding right off the road into the snow. Some of us got out and tried to push the car back onto the road. The combination of slickness and a large snow bank was too much resistance for us. The car wouldn’t budge.

Eventually, a good Samaritan in a four-wheel-drive truck came along and pulled us out.

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Moody Global Ministries

Moody Global Ministries – Today in the Word – REST WRECKERS: IMPATIENCE

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Read 1 Samuel 13:1-15

Patience is a virtue, but impatience might be a national trait. Timex asked people how long they would wait before taking action; they learned that most would wait thirteen seconds before honking at a car in front of them stopped at a green light, twenty-six seconds before taking the seat of someone who has walked away, thirteen minutes for a table at a restaurant, and twenty minutes for the last person to show up for Thanksgiving dinner before beginning the meal.

In Saul’s case, impatience was more than a personality trait. It was a sin. Saul sent his son Jonathan to attack the Philistine garrison at Geba and summoned the people to assemble at Gilgal for a sacrificial ceremony. The prophet Samuel had commanded Saul to wait at Gilgal when he anointed him to be king (see 1 Sam. 10:8).

Samuel had been emphatic that Saul must wait for his arrival, but Jonathan’s foray against the Philistines provoked such a hostile response that the troops remaining with Saul began to defect (vv. 6–7). Saul waited for seven days, and still Samuel did not appear. He decided that extreme measures were necessary: he began to offer the burnt

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Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – No Greater Love

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Read | John 15:12-14

One of the most intense expressions of human love is the protective instinct parents have toward their children. There is little most moms and dads wouldn’t do for a baby. If a truck posed a threat to the little one, it wouldn’t surprise us if they jumped in front of the moving vehicle without a second thought.

Wouldn’t you like to be cared for with this kind of intensity? You are. In fact, the Lord’s love toward you is far deeper and more secure than that of even the most caring, tuned-in human parent. And what God did for us is proof. Romans 5:8 says that while we were living in disobedience, He sent His only Son to die on the cross for us.

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Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — Ice Flowers

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Read: 1 Corinthians 12:4-14

Bible in a Year: Leviticus 14; Matthew 26:51-75

There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. —1 Corinthians 12:4

Fifteen-year-old Wilson Bentley was captivated by the intricate beauty of snowflakes. He looked with fascination through an old microscope his mother had given him and made hundreds of sketches of their remarkable designs, but they melted too quickly to adequately capture their detail. Several years later, in 1885, he had an idea. He attached a bellows camera to the microscope and, after much trial and error, took his first picture of a snowflake. During his lifetime Bentley would capture 5,000 snowflake images and each one was a unique design. He described them as “tiny miracles of beauty” and “ice flowers.”

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John MacArthur

John MacArthur – Strength for Today – Evidences of God’s Power

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“I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you may know . . . what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might” (Ephesians 1:18-19).

God’s power is seen in creation, preservation, redemption, and resurrection.

Think of all the energy we get from the sun, and multiply that by the innumerable stars in space. But God by His great power created all the stars with no effort whatsoever: “By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, and by the breath of His mouth all their host” (Ps. 33:6). He just spoke, and they were made.

God’s power also preserves the universe. Christ “upholds all things by the word of His power” (Heb. 1:3), and “in Him all things hold together” (Col. 1:17). Chaos would result unless His sustaining hands were directing the orderliness of creation (Ps. 104; Jer. 31:35-36).

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Wisdom Hunters

Wisdom Hunters – Radical Romance 

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Early the next morning they arose and worshiped before the Lord and then went back to their home at Ramah. Elkanah made love to his wife Hannah. 1 Samuel 1:19

A radical romance is based on a rock solid relationship with Jesus Christ. When the Lord lights the flames of love between two faithful hearts, it’s heavenly. Their allegiance to the Almighty makes their allegiance to each other easy. Their love for the Lord ignites their love for one another. Their faith in God fuels their trust in each other. Their passion to know Christ produces a deep desire to know their lover’s heart. Radical romance flows from a radical worship of God.

A romance with radical results starts in the margins of our relationship with our spouse. Margin is the white space in our schedule that makes us available to support our husband or wife. She may sign up for a couple’s cooking class and would really enjoy your eager participation. He may love for you to accompany him to a sporting event, all decked out in his favorite team’s colors. Serve your spouse in a way they want to be served. Since it makes them happy, you are happy.

“Our Master [Jesus] said, ‘You’re far happier giving than getting’” (Acts 20:35, The Message).

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Turning Point

Today’s Turning Point with David Jeremiah – Love Languages: Speak Your Love

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Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal.

1 Corinthians 13:1

Recommended Reading

Ephesians 4:15

Famous passages of Scripture are often taken out of context. First Corinthians 13, Paul’s “love chapter,” is such a passage. Why did Paul write his beautiful words about love to the church at Corinth? The answer is simple: They were a carnal, unloving community of Christians! They had an abundance of spiritual gifts, but they used them in unloving ways.

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Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – You Are God’s Favorite

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Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings. —Psalm 17:8

What does it mean to be a favorite? It means to be particularly favored, esteemed, and preferred. It means to enjoy special attention, personal affection, and preferential treatment, even without being deserving of it. There is nothing about you or me or anyone else that can cause us to become God’s favorite. He chooses us for that place of honor and esteem by an act of His sovereign grace. All we can do is receive His gracious gift in an attitude of thanksgiving and humility.

Now when I talk about being the favorite of God, I must make something clear. Because God is God of all His creation, and because He has a personal relationship with each one of His children, He can say to every single one of us at the same time, and sincerely mean it, “You are the apple of My eye; you are My favorite child.”

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Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – He Bears and He Gives

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“What a glorious Lord! He who daily bears our burdens also gives us our salvation” (Psalm 68:19).

Did it ever occur to you that you are disobeying God when you carry your own burdens, when you are worried, frustrated and confused over circumstances? That is exactly what God’s Word says.

In 1 Peter 5:7, God gives a specific command to His children, “Cast…all your cares upon Him; for He careth for you” (KJV). Not to cast all of one’s cares upon the Lord is to disobey Him and to deny oneself that supernatural walk with God among men.

Is it not logical to believe that He who loved us so much that He was willing to give His only begotten Son would also be faithful to keep His promise to bear our burdens daily?

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Ray Stedman

Ray Stedman – The Cure to Fear

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Read: Isaiah 36:1-37:20

Say to Hezekiah king of Judah: Do not let the god you depend on deceive you when he says, Jerusalem will not be given into the hands of the king of Assyria. Surely you have heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all the countries, destroying them completely. And will you be delivered? (Isaiah 37:10-11)

This communication came in the form of a letter to Hezekiah. Clearly, it was intended to keep his heart fearful and anxious. It was a threat for the future, saying that although the king of Assyria was leaving for the moment, he would return again to wreak a terrible vengeance on Judah. Had Hezekiah taken the Assyrian message in that way, he would have lived in constant fear.

It is very important for Christians to understand that God does not want his people to live in fear. Fear is one of the great perils of our day. Anxieties beset us on every hand. We need to hear again the words of Jesus that we should not be anxious about tomorrow. Again and again our Lord told his disciples, Fear not. Paul told us that God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, of love and a sound mind. It is not within our power to remove these threats to us, but we can meet them with faith. This is what Hezekiah does. Hezekiah received the letter from the hand of the messengers, and read it; and Hezekiah went up to the house of the Lord, and spread it before the Lord.

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Words of Hope

Words of Hope – Daily Devotional – Glorifying God

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Read: Revelation 4:1-11

Worthy are you, our Lord and God . . . (v. 11)

We are now ready for the last phrase of our definition of Christian spiritual formation: “the process of being conformed into the image of Christ, through a relationship of intimacy with God, by the power of the Spirit, in order to live a good and beautiful life of faith, hope, love, joy, and peace—a life that will be a blessing to oneself and to others and will glorify God now and for all eternity” (emphasis added).

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Presidential Prayer Team

Presidential Prayer Team; C.P. – Decrease the Deficit

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The national debt is over $18 trillion, but there is an even greater deficit incurred by the nation – the debt of praise and thanksgiving. The Lord has blessed America, but the number of people in it who are faithful to give Him honor has been dwindling. Is it even ten percent?

Praise is due to you, O God, in Zion, and to you shall vows be performed.

Psalm 65:1

One day, as Jesus was on His way to Jerusalem, ten lepers approached Him, begging for mercy. He healed them and told them to show themselves to the priest. On their way, they became well. Only one man turned around, praised God, fell at Jesus’ feet, and thanked Him. Jesus wondered why only one of the ten remembered to honor the Lord (Luke 17:11-19).

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Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – Ready to Join the Circus Parade?

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“God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another.”—1 Peter 4:10

Every follower of Jesus has been given certain gifts and abilities.

Perhaps you have been blessed with musical or artistic talent. Then again, you may be good at crunching numbers or building things.

One person may be a great visionary, but not very good with the practical. Another may be a detail person who is not big on vision.

I encourage you to discover your talents and gifts, cultivate them to their fullest, and use them for God’s glory!

Scripture tells us to “not neglect the spiritual gift you received” (1 Timothy 4:14 NLT); we are to keep our gifts in use, not collecting dust.

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Kids 4 Truth

Kids 4 Truth International – God Delights To Answer Prayer [replace]

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“If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?” (Matthew 7:11).

Regular readers, please see a special note for you at the foot of this devotional.*

When Michele was eleven, her best friend left their school to go to a different school. Michele’s class was small, and she didn’t feel close to any of the other three girls in the class. She wanted so much to have a best friend that she could talk to.

That summer before sixth grade, Michele’s mom said, “Why don’t you pray that God will send a new girl to your class next year to be your close friend?” She took her mom’s advice and started praying. But she didn’t have much faith. Where would a new girl come from? And even if a new girl did come, would she really want to be her friend? Michele dreaded the beginning of the new school year, because she didn’t believe God would answer her prayer.

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The Navigators

The Navigators – Jerry Bridges – Holiness Day by Day Devotional – Our Holy God

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Today’s Scripture: Exodus 15:11

“Who is like you, majestic in holiness?”

God has called every Christian to a holy life. There are no exceptions to this call. This call to a holy life is based on the fact that God himself is holy. Holiness is nothing less than conformity to the character of God.

Holiness in Scripture describes both the majesty of God and the purity and moral perfection of his nature. Holiness is one of his attributes—an essential part of the nature of God. His holiness is as necessary as his existence—as necessary, for example, as his wisdom or omniscience. Just as he cannot but know what is right, so he cannot but do what is right.

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