Tag Archives: holy spirit

Ray Stedman

Ray Stedman – The Truth about Sex

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Read: Leviticus 18

No one is to approach any close relative to have sexual relations. I am the Lord. Lev 18:8

Next to the preservation of life the most powerful human drive is sex. Sex, as we are beginning to understand these days, is like a great river which, when it flows quietly between its banks, is a boon and a blessing to us. But when it is raging in full flood, inundating the landscape in permissiveness and promiscuity, it is terribly destructive and hurtful. God’s Word is careful to regulate us and help us in this area. It is amazing that God takes the risk of letting us have this fantastic power in our lives. He doesn’t take sex away from us if we misuse it. He takes that risk with us, with a plea to us that we learn to keep it within its banks.

You can see how God underscores the purpose of these instructions. They are to make you live, not die — not be restricted, not narrowed and hemmed in and prohibited from expressing yourself. No, quite the contrary! They are there so that you might live, might enjoy life to the fullest degree, might find it whole and rich.

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Words of Hope

Words of Hope – Daily Devotional – Playing Favorites (Part 1)

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Read: James 2:1-7

My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory. (v. 1)

Mahatma Gandhi was a wise man, who led India in the independence movement against British rule and developed nonviolent civil disobedience. He was extremely well-educated, and a voracious reader. He was curious about Jesus, and read the Gospels in order to learn more about him. Gandhi often quoted from Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. However, he later told how he once tried to enter a Christian church to worship, and the ushers refused to let him through the door, rudely suggesting that Gandhi should “leave or be thrown down the steps.” Gandhi famously said, “Oh, I don’t reject Christ. I love Christ. It’s just that so many of you Christians are so unlike your Christ.”

James makes it very clear in this passage that we often judge or discriminate without even thinking about it! You may not think that you favor the rich, but ask yourself: did you look down on that woman at the store when you noticed she was using food stamps? You passed a homeless man on your way to work recently; did you invite him to church, or offer him a meal? Did you know that some 1.2 billion people worldwide live on less than $1.25 a day (World Bank Web site)?

Jesus said that we will always have the poor among us (John 12:8), and he also said we are to love our neighbors as ourselves. James is just reminding us what that should look like.

Prayer:

Holy Spirit, help me to love others without favoritism.

Author: Susan Hetrick

https://woh.org/

Presidential Prayer Team

Presidential Prayer Team; C.H. God Thing

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Have you ever been so focused on the road that you forget where you are going? Sometimes that happens when following God. Bible teacher and pastor Charles Swindoll once said, “You and I can become so dedicated to the will of God, we can be so driven by a false sense of purpose, that we might inadvertently take matters into our own hands and leave God completely out of the loop.”

They attempted to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them.

Acts 16:7

In today’s verse, Paul, Silas and Timothy were following God and not a predetermined path. They had a thriving ministry and wanted to take it to Bithynia, but God prevented them from going. Thankfully, the disciples listened and moved on when they could’ve just as easily had said, “We’re doing a good thing and these people need to hear the Good News.” They could have left God out of the loop.

But they did not – and nor should you. Don’t get so focused on a good thing that you forget to ask if it’s a God thing. Ask your Heavenly Father to lead you and the leaders of this great nation in His will, and to seek His enlightening Word to illuminate the road ahead.

Recommended Reading: Psalm 119:105-112  Click to Read or Listen

http://www.presidentialprayerteam.com/index.php

Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – An Appointment with God

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“Then the Lord God called to the man, ‘Where are you?’ ” —Genesis 3:9

God wants to meet with you and me on a regular basis. Think of it, like having and keeping an appointment with God!

I wonder just how many times each day that God wants to speak to us and He can’t get a word in edgewise? The Lord might say, “I have wanted to talk to you for a long time, but you are too busy. This morning I wanted to talk to you, but you didn’t have any time for me. You read the newspapers and watched TV and talked on the phone. You never opened the Word. You never prayed. At lunch I tried to say something, but your prayer was so fast. Later I tried to talk with you. You have been so busy. You have an appointment with Me. Why don’t you keep it?”

Remember how Adam had an appointment with God every day in the Garden of Eden? He would hear the voice of the Lord in the garden in the cool of the evening. One day Adam missed that appointment because of sin. God said to Adam, “Where are you?”

I wonder if the Lord would say that to some of us each day: “Where are you? Where were you? I have been looking for you. I wanted to speak to you. I want you to walk with Me, and I want to walk with you.”

Just imagine, the Creator of the Universe wants to spend time with you. Is there any appointment that is worth keeping more than this one?

 

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

Kids 4 Truth

Kids 4 Truth International – God Wants to Be Your One Desire

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“Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee.” (Psalm 73:25)

Imagine that your grandmother has asked you to clean out her attic. You walk up to the top of the stairs and begin wading through old boxes and dusty furniture. You wonder what you should clean first.

Looking to your left, you see an antique trunk sitting in the corner. You walk over, lift the top, and peer inside. There, sitting on the bottom of the trunk, is an old brass oil lamp. You pick it up and gently rub the dust away.

POOF!!!!!

All of a sudden, a genie pops out of the lamp! With a deep, booming voice, he says, “Tell me your one wish and I shall make it come true!” What would you wish for? What one thing do you desire most? If you could have anything in the world, what would you ask for?

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The Navigators

The Navigators – Jerry Bridges – Holiness Day by Day Devotional – Any Room for Grace?

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Today’s Scripture: Romans 12:1

“By the mercies of God . . . present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God.”

Some may ask, “Who can possibly keep a commitment to pursue holiness without exception for even some ‘small’ sins? If there are no exceptions, is there any place for grace? Is God really this strict?”

Yes, God really is this strict because he cannot compromise his holiness the least bit. His goal is to conform us to the likeness of his Son, and Jesus was completely without sin, though tempted in every way that we are (Hebrews 4:15). No, we cannot, or perhaps will not, keep our commitments to God perfectly, but that should at least be our aim. In a battle, some soldiers will always be hit, but each one makes it his aim not to be hit. A lesser aim would be the height of folly for the soldier, and it’s just as dangerous for us in our battle with sin.

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The Navigators

The Navigators – Leroy Eims – Daily Discipleship Devotional – Spiritual Multiplication

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Today’s Scripture: Isaiah 58-66

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” – John 15:5

I heard a speaker at a national convention say that the church is losing ground today because we’re adding people to the kingdom of God while the population of the world is multiplying.

For example, if you were to lead one person to Christ every day for the next thirty-two years, by the end of that period there would be 11,680 people in the kingdom of God as a result of your witness. But, let’s say you led one person to Christ and then spent an entire year helping that person grow to maturity. You showed the person how to walk with Christ each day and to lead others to Him. By the end of year one, there would be two of you.

Continue reading The Navigators – Leroy Eims – Daily Discipleship Devotional – Spiritual Multiplication →

BreakPoint

BreakPoint – Pornography: Media Finally Waking up to What Christians Have Warned about for Years

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Could I be dreaming? For decades the media has been a staunch defender of pornography—freedom of speech, freedom to choose, sexual liberation and all that, don’t ’ya know.

But now, wonder of wonders, America’s leading news sources seem to have awakened from their long slumber. They’re finally recognizing pornography for what it is: an unprecedented public health crisis.

TIME magazine, for example, just ran a cover story about the grassroots backlash against internet erotica. Belinda Luscombe documents a movement of former porn addicts helping their peers find ways to break the grip of online voyeurism. Guys like Gabe Deem, the 28-year-old founder of Reboot Nation, offer “advice and support for [fellow] young people who believe they are addicted to pornography…”

The reason some are swearing off smut, Luscombe explains, is simple: These mostly non-religious twenty-somethings who’ve been guzzling porn since puberty are realizing that porn has rewired their sexuality, leaving them crippled in real-life relationships.

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Moody Global Ministries

Moody Global Ministries – Today in the Word – COWORKERS IN CHRIST

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Read Romans 16

Recent research has found that relationships with coworkers are the most significant predictor of job satisfaction. A study from Tel Aviv University found the level of support from coworkers affected employees’ health more than any other factor in the workplace.

When we are in Christ, part of our identity is “coworker.” We don’t have to be in full-time vocational ministry to be coworkers in Christ; we are spiritual colleagues with other believers based on our shared commitment to Jesus and His gospel. Our passage today provides a snapshot on the importance of being spiritual coworkers.

Paul asked the Christians in Rome to extend his greetings to dozens of his fellow laborers. Some names are familiar: many of us know Priscilla and Aquila, who worked with Paul and tutored Apollos (v. 3; see Acts 18), and Timothy was one of Paul’s most faithful companions (v. 21). But most of the rest of these names appear only here. Why would Scripture devote so many verses to naming obscure people?

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Denison Forum

Denison Forum – THE VACATION SPOT FOR FRENCH FRIES LOVERS

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Now is the time when many of us are deciding where to go on summer vacation. Ads are playing on television and the Internet espousing attractions around the world. Here’s one destination you may not have considered: St. Joseph, Missouri.

Famous as the starting point of the Pony Express and the dying place of Jesse James, the town now has a new claim to fame: a McDonalds restaurant will open there this summer. Why is that news? Because it will offer all-you-can-eat fries.

They’re not the only culinary option in today’s news. The co-founders of Ben and Jerry’s ice cream were arrested this week at the U.S. Capitol. Not for making a product with too many calories, but for taking part in a protest intended to make sure “power in this country is returned to the people.”

There’s even more gastronomic news: Time magazine has notified us that “Hillary Clinton carries Ninja Squirrel hot sauce everywhere.” The presidential candidate says she has been eating chilies regularly since 1992. They do have significant health benefits: the Time article tells us that chilies “are absolutely crammed with nutrients,” including folic acid and vitamins A, E, and C. A 2015 study showed that adults in China who ate spicy food regularly had a fourteen percent decrease in mortality.

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Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – Thoughtful Living

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Psalm 25:8-15

Are you living thoughtfully and intentionally—or are you living automatically? It’s so easy to get up each morning, do our work, enjoy some relaxation or entertainment, and fall into bed each night without giving any thought to God’s involvement in our everyday life. But to be ignorant of how He has blessed, guided, protected, and warned us is a foolish way to live. Just consider the benefits of keeping our spiritual eyes and ears open throughout the day.

We who are aware of God’s presence during daily activities enjoy the peace of knowing He’s always in control and working to achieve His good purposes. Day-to-day experiences with Him teach us to know and love Him more.

When we learn to see God’s footprints throughout each week, we will become aware of the scope of His involvement in His children’s lives. Maybe He strengthened us for a task or opened a door of opportunity. Perhaps He guided our decisions or helped us respond in a godly way to a difficult person or a challenging situation.

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Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — The God Who Paints

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Read: Psalm 42

Bible in a Year: 2 Samuel 6-8; Luke 15:1-10

My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. —Psalm 42:2

Nezahualcoyotl (1402-1472) may have had a difficult name to pronounce, but his name is full of significance. It means “Hungry Coyote,” and this man’s writings show a spiritual hunger. As a poet and ruler in Mexico before the arrival of the Europeans, he wrote, “Truly the gods, which I worship, are idols of stone that do not speak nor feel. . . . Some very powerful, hidden and unknown god is the creator of the entire universe. He is the only one that can console me in my affliction and help me in such anguish as my heart feels; I want him to be my helper and protection.”

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Ravi Zacharias

Ravi Zacharias Ministry – Solidarity

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In 1943, two hundred and thirty women were arrested as members of the French Resistance and sent to Birkenau. Only 49 survived, but this in itself is remarkable. These women were as diverse a group as could be imagined. They were Jews and Christians, aristocrats and working class, young and old. Yet they were united by their commitment to the French Resistance and to one another.(1) In her book A Train in Winter, Caroline Moorhead reconstructs the story of these women through the journals and memoirs of survivors. Noting the mutual dependence that made the difference between living and dying, Moorhead highlights how the solidarity of these women to one another and to their mutual survival sustained them through unspeakable horror and torture.

In many accounts of Holocaust survivors, the hellish conditions of extreme deprivation and torture drove many to hoard whatever meager resources they could save for themselves. And how could they be blamed? Survival became the only goal—no matter what the cost, even to others. Yet, in most of the cases with these French women in Birkenau, their solidarity toward each other trumped the selfishness that engulfed so many others. As Moorhead writes, “Knowing that the fate of each depended on the others… egotism seemed to vanish and that, stripped back to the bare edge of survival, each rose to behavior few would have believed themselves capable of.”(2) Moorhead recounts that when unrelieved thirst threatened to engulf one of their members in utter madness, the women pooled together their own meager rations to get her a whole bucket of water.

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John MacArthur

John MacArthur – Strength for Today – The Soldiers’ Saving Response

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“Now the centurion, and those who were with him . . . became very frightened and said, ‘Truly this was the Son of God!’” (Matthew 27:54).

The testimony of the soldiers after Jesus’ crucifixion demonstrates the sufficiency of His death for all sinners.

Most of the time our daily activities are dictated by the routine responsibilities of our jobs. That’s how it was for the Roman soldiers who stood at the foot of the cross when Jesus gave up His life. They were there simply out of duty, to make sure the crucifixion was carried out properly and without interference.

The soldiers probably had little knowledge of Judaism and had not heard of Jesus before, unless it was by hearsay. Therefore, they really had no idea why the Jewish leaders and most of the crowd were so intent on killing Him. To these anonymous soldiers, Christ’s claims to be the Son of God and a king seemed equally ludicrous and harmless.

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Wisdom Hunters

Wisdom Hunters – Spring Cleaning for Our Messy Hearts

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Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. James 5:16

I don’t know about you but I am rejoicing that spring is finally here. It’s the time of year when creation renews in the flowers, fields, and trees. It’s also the time of year when people get out their brooms, mops and sponges to clean the nooks, crannies and hard-to-get-to spots in their homes that have accumulated dirt and grime during the winter.

I once considered that spring is not only a good time to clean the dust bunnies from the top of my curtain rods, but to do a “spring cleaning of the heart” by confessing my sins to God and others. Sure, this can be uncomfortable. But if I follow God’s command in I John 1:9 (If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.), that can bless me in ways I never imagined. It can bless you, too.

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Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Avoid Worldly Competition

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Let us not become vainglorious and self-conceited, competitive and challenging and provoking and irritating to one another, envying and being jealous of one another. —Galatians 5:26

According to the world’s system, the best place to be is ahead of everyone else. Popular thinking would say that we should try to get to the top no matter who we have to hurt on the way up. But the Bible teaches us that there is no such thing as real peace until we are delivered from the need to compete with others.

Even in what is supposed to be considered “fun games,” we often see competition get so out of balance that people end up arguing and hating one another rather than simply relaxing and having a good time together. Naturally, human beings don’t play games to lose; everyone is going to do his best. But when a person cannot enjoy a game unless he is winning, he definitely has a problem—possibly a deep-rooted one that is causing other problems in many areas of his life.

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Girlfriends in God

Girlfriends in God – Winning Over Worry

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Always give thanks to God the Father for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Ephesians 5:20

Friend to Friend

When we lived in South Florida, the grass in our yard grew year round. So did the weeds. We soon learned that the best way to deal with weeds was simply to take really good care of the grass. When the grass was healthy, it was thick and lush – leaving little room for weeds to grow.

When our hearts and lives are filled with praise, worry is a weed that will die from lack of attention. When we choose to continually give God thanks, there will be little room in our hearts for fear.

Why?

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Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – He Prays for You

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“Likewise, the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities; for we know not what we should pray for as we ought; but the Spirit itself [Himself] maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered” (Romans 8:26, KJV).

Prayer is our mighty force for supernatural living and the most personal, intimate approach to and relationship with God. Through the instrumentality of God’s Holy Spirit, we have access to the Almighty, leading the way to supernatural living.

In some theological circles there is much skepticism and hesitancy about the Holy Spirit. We must not forget, however, that Jesus Himself had much to say about the Holy Spirit.

In John’s gospel, for instance, Jesus explained to the disciples that it was necessary for Him to leave them in order that the Holy Spirit should come to them. “He shall guide you into all truth…He shall praise Me and bring Me great honor by showing you My glory” (John 16:13,14 LB).

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Ray Stedman

Ray Stedman – Handling Life

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Read: Leviticus 17

This is so the Israelites will bring to the Lord the sacrifices they are now making in the open fields. They must bring them to the priest, that is, to the Lord, at the entrance to the tent of meeting and sacrifice them as fellowship offerings…. They must no longer offer any of their sacrifices to the goat idols to whom they prostitute themselves. This is to be a lasting ordinance for them and for the generations to come. Lev 17:5, 7

The object of this whole requirement is to teach that all life belongs to God and that he alone is capable of handling it rightly. Only God understands life. That is the basis for all proper behavior. If you don’t understand this fact you are not going to behave properly. You can’t. You must understand that your life belongs to God, and that all other life around you, even animal life, must be brought before God and related to him, with the understanding that life is a mystery which we cannot handle ourselves, in which man is incapable of properly directing his own affairs.

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Words of Hope

Words of Hope – Daily Devotional – Just Do It!

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Read: James 1:22-27

But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. (v. 22)

Early in the 20th century, evangelist Billy Sunday said, “Going to church doesn’t make you a Christian any more than standing in a garage makes you an automobile.” In other words, saying so doesn’t make it so. James says the same. People can listen to sermons or Christian music all day long, and memorize the entire Bible; but until the Word of God gets into their hearts and changes them, they are kidding themselves. Just hearing God’s Word isn’t enough—we must act on it!

James spells out specific ways to act on the Word of God. He insists that believers must watch what they say! Talking just to hear your own voice is foolishness. Our words should have substance and truth in them. We must choose our words carefully and use them wisely, remembering that words spoken in a fit of anger can do a lot of damage, and even render our faith “worthless.”

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