Tag Archives: human-rights

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – Overcoming Giants

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1 Samuel 17:31-52

The well-known story of David and Goliath teaches believers that obstacles in our life are no match for God. Whether our Goliath is a relational challenge or an overwhelming situation, we must realize that the Lord is sovereign over everything in heaven and on earth, and He has the power to give us the victory.

David had unshakeable trust because past experience had proven that God was faithful. The young shepherd recalled how the Lord gave him the victory on two separate occasions, when a lion and a bear threatened his flock (1 Sam. 17:37).

Our faith is bolstered in a similar way by remembering God’s provision in our own life and by reading about His faithfulness to men and women in the Bible. This is why it’s helpful to keep a record of God’s faithfulness. Then when facing a trial, we can look back at what we’ve journaled and be strengthened, knowing that God has proven trustworthy in the past.

Trusting in the Lord gives us the courage to face our giants. Being so armed, we can respond to challenges on the basis of three important truths:

  • Who Christ is in us—our Savior and Provider.
    • Who we are in Christ—God’s adopted children, eternally secure and indwelt by the Holy Spirit.
    • What we have in Christ—the promise of access to almighty God.

Instead of fixing our attention on how big the obstacle is, let’s begin focusing on the greatness of our God. If we’ll trust and obey Him, His Spirit will equip us for the challenge, and our faith will glorify Him.

Bible in One Year: 1 Chronicles 19-21

 

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Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — The Fingerprint of God

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Read: Ephesians 2:1–10 | Bible in a Year: 2 Kings 1–3; Luke 24:1–35

For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Ephesians 2:10

Lygon Stevens loved to climb mountains with her brother Nick. They were experienced climbers and both had summitted Mt. McKinley (Denali), the highest point in North America. Then, in January 2008, they were swept off a Colorado mountain by an avalanche, injuring Nick and killing twenty-year-old Lygon. When Nick later discovered his sister’s journal in one of her satchels, he was deeply comforted by its contents. It was filled with reflections, prayers, and praise to God as seen in this entry: “I am a work of art, signed by God. But He’s not done; in fact, He has just begun. . . . I have on me the fingerprint of God. Never will there ever be another person like me. . . . I have a job to do in this life that no other can do.”

Although Lygon is no longer physically present on earth, through the legacy of her life and her journal she inspires and challenges those she left behind.

For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works. Ephesians 2:10

Because we are made in God’s image (Genesis 1:26), each person is a “work of art, signed by God.” As the apostle Paul says, “We are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” (Ephesians 2:10).

Praise God that He uses each of us, in His own time and way, to help others.

How would You like to use me, Lord? I am open and willing.

Each person is a unique expression of God’s loving design.

By Dennis Fisher

INSIGHT

Genesis 1:26–27 says we were created in God’s image. Similarly, Genesis 5:1 and James 3:9 tell us we were made in His “likeness.” What does it mean to be made in God’s image? We were created with characteristics that set us apart from other creatures. We have the capacity to reason, to make moral choices, and to be in relationship with others. We also have the capacity to do good works, and Jesus set the precedent: He “went around doing good” (Acts 10:38). Ephesians 2:10 tells us we were not only created “to do good works” but “God prepared in advance” the good works we would do. Our task is to stay near to God (Hebrews 10:22), be alert for opportunities, and rely on the Spirit for strength and help.

Alyson Kieda

 

http://www.odb.org

Ravi Zacharias

Ravi Zacharias Ministry – Faith as Faith

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In a 2002 article in The Guardian, author Salman Rushdie, inspired by bouts of violence in his native India, articulated a now-common view on religion. The article was titled, “Religion, as ever, is the poison in India’s blood.” In it, Rushdie outlined the familiar stance of the vociferous new atheists, bidding the world to stop speaking of religion in the fashionable language of “respect” and skating around the obvious conclusions about both God and religion. He writes:

“What is there to respect in any of this, or in any of the crimes now being committed almost daily around the world in religion’s dreaded name? How well, with what fatal results, religion erects totems, and how willing we are to kill for them! […] India’s problem turns out to be the world’s problem. What happened in India has happened in God’s name. The problem’s name is God.“(1)

Rushdie’s voice is merely one among many in the increasingly prevalent conversation about God, religion, and violence. Against Christianity, the critiques come quite specifically. Richard Dawkins describes the Christian story as vicious, sado-masochistic, and repellent, symptomatic of a violent God, a Bible full of violence, and followers willing to overlook that violence, or worse, to embrace it. For Dawkins and his conspirators, God is the problem that initiates the problem of violence: “The God of the Old Testament is arguably the most unpleasant character in all fiction: jealous and proud of it; a petty, unjust, unforgiving control-freak; a vindictive, blood-thirsty ethnic cleanser; a misogynist, homophobic, racist, infanticidal, genocidal, filicidal, pestilential, megalomaniacal, sado-masochistic, capriciously malevolent bully. Those of us schooled from infancy in his ways can be desensitized to their horror.”(2)

Continue reading Ravi Zacharias Ministry – Faith as Faith →

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Be Careful What You Think

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But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on His law [His precepts and teachings] he [habitually] meditates day and by night. And he will be like a tree firmly planted [and fed] by streams of water, which yields its fruit in its season; its leaf does not wither; and in whatever he does, he prospers [and comes to maturity]. — Psalm 1:2-3

In the early days of computers, they used to say, “Garbage in, garbage out.” That was a way of explaining that the computer only worked with the data put into the machine. If we wanted different results, we needed to put in different information.

With computers, most people have no trouble grasping that concept, but when it comes to their minds, they don’t seem to get it. Or perhaps they don’t want to get it. So many things demand their attention and beg for their focus. They’re not just sinful things. The apostle Paul said that although everything was lawful for him, not everything was helpful (see 1 Corinthians 6:12).

If you are going to win the battle of the mind and defeat your enemy, where you focus your attention is crucial. The more you meditate on God’s Word, the stronger you’ll become and the more easily you’ll win the victories.

Too many Christians don’t realize the difference between meditating on the Bible and reading the Bible. They like to think that whenever they read God’s Word, they’re absorbing the deep things of God. Too often people will read a chapter of the Bible, and when they get to the last verse, they have little idea of what they’ve read. Those who meditate on God’s Word are those who think—and think seriously—about what they’re reading.

Continue reading Joyce Meyer – Be Careful What You Think →

Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – Instruct, Teach, Guide

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“I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with Mine eye” (Psalm 32:8, KJV).

As an Eastern monarch, David was familiar with the thought behind this interesting expression: “guide thee with Mine eye.”

As he sat in state, David was surrounded by a number of servants who were eager to do his bidding. They constantly fixed their eyes on him, and when David wanted any service done, he rarely needed to speak. Each servant knew his post, and his eyes were dutifully fixed on his master. At a nod or a sign – a turn of the eye – he flew to complete the desired service.

How refreshing to know that our God keeps an eye on each one of us as His children. He knows the way we are going; He knows the way we should take – and with His watchful eye He promises to instruct us and to teach us.

When we become careless and stubborn, and thus are not observing the slightest indications of God’s will for us, we require the bit and bridle instead of the guiding eye. Great attentiveness and great desire are presupposed on the part of those who are led.

On some subjects, full directions and plain commands are not always given in the Word of God. In such cases, we must be especially sensitive to the guiding eye.

Similarly, we apply the truth of this passage to the truth of a particular providence. God’s guiding us with His eye often indicates to us His will by means of providential events. When we live and walk in the Spirit, by faith, we recognize His guiding eye.

Bible Reading:Proverbs 3:1-6

TODAY’S ACTION POINT: I will try to be more sensitive to God’s guiding eye, realizing that I will find proper direction in no other way.

 

http://www.cru.org

Today in the Word

Moody Global Ministries – Today in the Word – SPIRITUAL SLEEPWALKING

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Revelation 3:1–6

A man walking home at 2 a.m. in Dulwich, England, happened to notice a girl asleep at the top of an inactive crane. It turns out she was a sleepwalker and had climbed 130 feet up and 40 feet across to get there. Sleepwalking is more common than one might think. According to one recent study, 8.4 million Americans—nearly 4 percent of all adults—sleepwalk each year.

The problem Jesus highlights in the church at Sardis could be characterized as spiritual sleepwalking. Sardis had once rivaled Smyrna and Ephesus, but its best days were now in the past. And the church in that city had a reputation for being alive, but was in fact dead (v. 1). It had the motions of a living church but lacked the vitality of the Spirit. This church had started well but had failed to follow through. As a result, Jesus found its deeds “unfinished” (v. 2).

Jesus commanded the church in Sardis to wake up and remember what they had “received and heard” (v. 3). This is the language of biblical tradition (see 1 Cor. 11:2, 23; 15:2–3). The way to break out of spiritual lethargy is to recall the truth of Scripture, hold fast to it, and repent.

Jesus promised to come to this church like a thief and catch those who were spiritually asleep (see Luke 12:39–40; 1 Thess. 5:2, 4; 2 Peter 3:10; Rev. 16:15). Despite some similarity in language, this warning likely does not refer to the Second Coming. It is a promise to discipline this church in a way that will be both certain and unexpected.

And those in Sardis who were spiritually alive need not be afraid. Jesus promised that they would be dressed in white, and their names would never be erased from the book of life (v. 5).

APPLY THE WORD

This is a sober warning for the church. Do we rely more on systems and structures than we do on God’s Spirit? Do you appreciate your church because it has exciting programs or because people are growing in the fruit of the Spirit (see Gal. 5:22–23)? It is possible to appear to be a “successful” church when we are really in spiritual decline.

 

http://www.todayintheword.org

Denison Forum

Denison Forum – What Hawaii volcano survivors can teach the world

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Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano is spewing lava more than three hundred feet into the air—higher than the Statue of Liberty. As the eruption proceeds, lava fountains could shoot even higher, reaching up to a thousand feet.

There is no indication how far the lava will spread or when it will stop. At least twenty-six homes were destroyed yesterday, forcing more than 1,700 residents to evacuate.

Those who left their homes are resolute, however.

One resident grew up in the area and has lived in her house for nine years. “The volcano and the lava—it’s always been a part of my life,” she said. “It’s devastating . . . but I’ve come to terms with it.”

Another woman told a reporter, “We’ll be fine. We’ll just rebuild. We’ll just start again.” Her daughter added, “This island is so crazy. You have death around every corner. You have flash floods, tsunamis. Now we have lava. But I love it. I wouldn’t change it for the world.”

A call to courage

Most of us cannot imagine choosing to live near the world’s most active volcano. We can shake our heads at the foolishness of such people.

Continue reading Denison Forum – What Hawaii volcano survivors can teach the world →

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – The Call for a Believer

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Ephesians 4:1

Years ago, God temporarily allowed me to have such physical ailments that I could do nothing but lie in bed. At first I felt frustrated, but eventually I began to realize His plan for this trial. Life had become too busy for me to hear something the Lord needed to tell me. He certainly managed to get my attention by stilling my physical body!

After leading us to salvation, God still has work to do in our life. If we listen carefully, we’ll be able to hear our Father directing us in three ways.

First, the Lord calls us to sanctification. This means being set apart by Him and for Him. Through His Spirit, He continually reminds us to use His power and resources so we can obey and live righteously.

Second, He calls us to service. The Lord has planned good works for us to accomplish (Eph. 2:10), and He gives us abilities, time, and resources for that purpose.

Third, He calls us to accountability. Romans 14:12 teaches that one day we all will give an account of how we used the resources God gave us to glorify Him. This report will be based on the truth we’ve heard and the opportunities that were available. So we should be sure to listen daily as our heavenly Father reminds us to utilize it all for His glory.

Has life become so hectic that God’s voice is inaudible? Foster your own ability to listen by spending time in the Word and waiting for answers when you pray. And teach your children to tune in so they can hear God, too. What a shame it would be to tackle life without guidance from above.

Bible in One Year: 1 Chronicles 16-18

 

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Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — Standing on the Promises

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Read: John 15:5–8 | Bible in a Year: 1 Kings 21–22; Luke 23:26–56

Ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. John 15:7

My friend’s brother (when they were both children) assured his sister an umbrella had enough lift to hold her up if she would only “believe.” So “by faith” she jumped off a barn roof and knocked herself out, suffering a minor concussion.

What God has promised, He will do. But we must be sure we stand on God’s actual word when we claim a promise, for only then do we have the assurance that God will do or give what He’s promised. Faith has no power in itself. It only counts when it’s based on a clear and unambiguous promise from God. Anything else is just wishful thinking.

This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit. John 15:8

Here’s a case in point: God has promised, “Ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit” (John 15:7–8). These verses are not a promise that God will answer every prayer we utter, but rather a promise that He will respond to every longing for personal righteousness, what Paul calls “the fruit of the Spirit” (Galatians 5:22–23). If we hunger and thirst for holiness and ask God for it, He will begin to satisfy us. It will take time; for spiritual growth, like human growth, is gradual. Don’t give up. Keep asking God to make you holy. In His time and at His pace “it will be done for you.” God doesn’t make promises He doesn’t keep.

Dear Lord, thank You for Your many promises to us in Your Word. And thank You for sending Your Holy Spirit who gives discernment.

Read about the promises of God at discoveryseries.org/q0105.

We have a promise-keeping God.

By David H. Roper

INSIGHT

The context of abiding in the vine (John 15:1–8) is vital to understanding this passage, but it’s even more helpful to take a step back and look at the entire scene. It’s the night before Christ will be crucified. Judas has already gone to betray Jesus (John 13:30). Jesus and His disciples have just departed the upper room where they shared the Last Supper. As they walk, the Lord refers to two metaphorical groups: branches that bear fruit and those that don’t. The good branches abide in the vine and are pruned (disciplined). Unfruitful branches don’t abide and are cut off.

 

Bible scholar William Hendriksen points out the significance of Judas’s recent departure in light of Jesus’s words here. Judas did not abide in the vine. Jesus encouraged the remaining disciples to abide and “bear much fruit” (v. 8). Significantly, the eleven who remained were all persecuted for defending the faith. Ten of them died for it (tradition says John died peacefully in his old age after returning from Patmos). Yet God kept His promise to them. Although He did not deliver them from physical attacks, He gave them boldness to proclaim the truth.

We who “abide in the vine” will be “pruned.” What might that mean for us?

Tim Gustafson

 

http://www.odb.org

Wisdom Hunters

Wisdom Hunters – Christ’s Second Coming 

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For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what he has done.   Matthew 16:27

Jesus came the first time in a modest manger to save the people from their sin. He was not the King, but He threatened the King. Jesus is coming soon a second time with a grand entrance as King of Kings to judge the people for their sin and dead works. He rode the first time on a humble donkey, but He will ride this second time on a brazen horse.

Christ’s second coming must matter most to the church because we are His bride, the Body of Christ. How can the church be ready to greet its Godly groom Jesus? Like any faithful wife whose husband is away traveling for work, or waging war overseas, we want to greet Him with a holy kiss. A faithful church is not conformed by the culture, rather it conforms the culture. The faithful Bride of Christ is ready to rejoice at His glorious sight!

“Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.” And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints” (Revelation 19:7-8).

When Christ comes back He wants to catch the church evangelizing the lost and making disciples. He hungers for her disputes to be with the devil and not with each other. A humble church does not use finances to build man’s kingdom, but instead deploys resources to advance the Kingdom of God. The church is ready for Christ’s return when she serves the poor, ministers to the Body, prays for the sick and preaches the gospel!

“May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you. May he strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all his holy ones” (1 Thessalonians 3:12-13).

Christ’s coming is also compelling for individual Christians. We want to be about our Lord’s business and not preoccupied with activities and assets that will burn up one day. The Judgment Seat of Christ is for Christians to not be judged for salvation, but to be judged for the quality of their works. You are wise when you invest in eternal matters with your time and money. Christ-like character, missions, prayer, Bible teaching, corporate and individual worship and service in the community all make Jesus smile. When Christ comes make sure He catches you about your Father’s business:

“And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God” (Philippians 1:9-11).

Prayer: Heavenly Father, I wait on Your Son’s second return with active love and obedience to Your commands.

Application: Are my priorities a reflection of my anticipation of  Christ’s Second Coming?

Related Readings: Ecclesiastes 12:14; Matthew 23:13; 1 Corinthians 3:9-15; 4:5

Worship Resource: 5-minute music video- Jamie Wilson: Ain’t Grave

Taken from Seeking Daily the Heart of God v.2

 

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Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – You Could Use a Blessing

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See that no one repays another with evil for evil, but always seek that which is good for one another and for all people. — 1 Thessalonians 5:15

This Scripture in 1 Thessalonians tells us to always show kindness. Living in this generous kind of way is pleasing to God. There are many other scriptures that also tell us to be good to everybody, not just those we consider to be like-minded with or who are in our church.

Even if someone is your employee and they serve you, you should think of ways that you can serve them also. When you get your morning coffee, bring one for them. Pick up after yourself and don’t make extra work for them. The people who help us in our lives should always be shown appreciation.

My daughter once wrote a note of appreciation to her garbage collectors and gave them a gift card to get lunch. I think these things not only bless people, but can often be shocking because they almost never happen. The world is filled with people who work hard doing jobs that are not very pleasant, and yet nobody notices.

I once saw a woman cleaning the bathroom at a department store where I shop, and I gave her some money and said, “You look like you work hard and I thought you could use a blessing.” I smiled and quickly left. A few minutes later, she found me in the shoe department and expressed her gratitude and told me how this act of kindness lifted her up. She told me that she did indeed work hard and felt nobody paid much attention to that fact.

You’ll be amazed at how your joy will increase if you make a habit of noticing those who usually aren’t noticed. God watches out for them, and He will be delighted to have you make yourself available as His partner in this endeavor.

Prayer Starter: Father, help me to be a blessing to everyone I come in contact with today. Please lead and guide me by Your Spirit and show me practical ways I can encourage those who aren’t often recognized. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

 

http://www.joycemeyer.org

Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – Christ Lives in Me

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“I have been crucified with Christ: and I myself no longer live, but Christ lives in me. And the real life I now have within this body is a result of my trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me (Galatians 2:20).

After many years of working with thousands of Christians, I am convinced that a person cannot enjoy the supernatural life – which is a believer’s heritage in Christ – apart from the proper balance between Bible study, prayer and sharing Christ with others out of the overflow of an obedient, Spirit-filled life.

We need to be able not only to experience this great adventure with Christ ourselves, but also to share this good news with others.

A word of caution and reminder is in order at this point. We become spiritual and experience power from God and become fruitful in our witness as a result of faithand faith alone.

The Bible clearly teaches that “the just shall live by faith” Romans 1:17. However, it is equally important to know that good works are the result of faith – “trusting in the Son of God” – and unless there are “good works” there is not faith, for “faith without works is dead” (James 2:17).

Many Christians are confused on this point. They think of works (Bible study, prayer and other spiritual disciplines) as the meansto, rather than the resultsof, the life of faith. They spend much time in these activities, seeking God’s favor and blessing.

They may even attempt to witness for Christ and to obey the various commands of God, thinking that by these means they will achieve supernatural living. But they remain defeated, frustrated, powerless and fruitless.

As you are filled with the Holy Spirit – “Christ living in me” – and walk in His power by faith, the Bible becomes alive, prayer becomes vital, your witness becomes effective and obedience becomes a joy.

Bible Reading:Galatians 2:15-19

TODAY’S ACTION POINT: I will seek to remember that Christ lives in me, in the person of His indwelling Holy Spirit, and thus I have all I need for supernatural living, for victory and joy and peace.

 

http://www.cru.org

Words of Hope

Words of Hope – Daily Devotional – An Empty or Full Name?

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Read: Philippians 2:5-11

God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name. (v. 9)

What does it mean to “take the name of the Lord your God in vain?” (Exod. 20:7). In the ancient world, a person’s name was a core part of who they were, as real as the color of their eyes, or the sound of their voice. A name was more than a placeholder or an empty sign. The name of “the Lord” (Yahweh) was linked in a deep way to God’s presence (Exod. 3:13-15). From this perspective, taking the Lord’s name “in vain,” or “as vanity,” is treating the Lord’s name as if it is empty, hollow, nothing. It is speaking as if God does not exist, treating him like an imaginary friend.

When Jesus Christ became human and died on the cross, he conquered this vanity in a surprising way. He made himself nothing for us. Paul writes that he “emptied himself,” sinking into the nothingness of death itself. But after he rose from the dead and ascended on high, Jesus’ name was not empty anymore. No, quite the opposite: as the ascended Lord, he “fills all in all” (Eph. 1:23), and the whole world will one day bow to worship not an empty name but the One whose name is above every name, Jesus Christ.

One way that we can fulfill the third commandment is by always and everywhere speaking and acting as if Jesus is Lord of all. God doesn’t want us to treat his name like it’s nothing. It’s everything. —Steven Rodriguez

Prayer: Lord, help me to pray like you’re actually there.

 

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Today in the Word

Moody Global Ministries – Today in the Word – THE TROUBLE WITH TOLERANCE

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Revelation 2:18–29

In recent years, debates have flared up over the limits of free speech. Should anyone be given a platform, no matter his views? Can someone attempt to silence a person whom she finds dangerous or threatening? Some observers condemn the students for their intellectual intolerance, while others argue that reprehensible ideas should not be tolerated.

Are there limits to tolerance? The Bible’s answer is yes. When it comes to the church, some practices should not be tolerated. The same is true for doctrine. False teaching should not be tolerated but must be rooted out. The church in Thyatira had permitted a false teacher who claimed to possess the gift of prophecy to mislead others. This had opened the door to both sinful practices and false teaching. Jesus nicknamed this false teacher “Jezebel,” after the wicked queen who killed the true prophets of Israel and enticed God’s people to worship Baal (v. 20; see 1 Kings 19).

The nature of Jezebel’s teaching was what Jesus had condemned in Pergamum. She claimed to reveal secret truth, enticing her followers to eat meat sacrificed to idols and to commit sexual immorality. God had “tolerated” her ministry for a time, but only in order to give her a chance to repent (v. 21). Now the time for patience was over.

Jesus promised to “cast her on a bed of suffering” and “strike her children dead” (vv. 22–23). To a culture that values tolerance, this response seems harsh. But Jesus understood the destructive nature of her teaching and the vulnerability of this church. The cultural environment in Thyatira was so toxic that the only command Jesus gave to those who had not yet succumbed to Jezebel’s false teaching was to “hold on” until His return (v. 25).

APPLY THE WORD

False teaching opens the door to immoral practice, and moral compromise is frequently justified by modifying biblical doctrine. Consider what beliefs or practices you have been willing to tolerate that might lead you away from the truth. Take the opportunity from God that Jezebel refused: repent from sin and hold on to Jesus.

 

http://www.todayintheword.org

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – The Call of God

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1 Samuel 3:2-18

As a young child, Samuel lived in the temple with his mentor, Eli the priest. One night, after hearing his name called, the boy ran to ask Eli what he wanted. The priest, however, hadn’t spoken, so he sent the child back to bed. This happened two more times before Eli realized that the Lord was the one calling the boy. Then he instructed Samuel to respond by asking the Lord what He wanted to say.

Almighty God still speaks to us today. For example, we start hearing Him when He calls us to salvation. The Holy Spirit makes us aware that something is missing in our life, and then He points us to Jesus Christ as the answer.

Without the Savior, we are lost and hopeless. Everyone is born with a sinful nature that’s bent away from God. The Father, who is holy and perfect, requires holiness in His presence. Therefore, the penalty for sin is death—eternal separation from Him. But God loves us, so to correct that situation, Jesus came to earth, lived the perfect life, and died as a substitute for mankind. He took the penalty for our sin.

Salvation is the greatest gift. To receive it, all we have to do is trust in Jesus as our Lord and Savior. Then, He abides with us and continues to speak, gently guiding and encouraging us toward righteousness.

Have you sensed the heavenly Father speaking to you? If so, don’t delay. Ask Him to forgive your sin; then accept Christ’s substitutionary sacrifice on your behalf, and choose to follow Him. Share your decision with a pastor or trusted Christian friend so that you can have guidance on this beautiful new journey.

Bible in One Year: 1 Chronicles 13-15

 

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Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — Keeping Close

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Read: Deuteronomy 6:1–9 | Bible in a Year: 1 Kings 19–20; Luke 23:1–25

Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Deuteronomy 6:8

My mile-long walk home from dropping off my daughter at her school gives me the opportunity to memorize some verses from the Bible—if I’m intentional about doing so. When I take those minutes to turn over God’s Word in my mind, I often find them coming back to me later in the day, bringing me comfort and wisdom.

When Moses prepared the Israelites to enter the Promised Land, he urged them to hold close to God’s commands and decrees (Deuteronomy 6:1–2). Wanting them to flourish, he said they should turn these instructions over in their minds and discuss them with their children (vv. 6–7). He even said to tie them to their wrists and bind them to their foreheads (v. 8). He didn’t want them to forget God’s instructions to live as people who honored the Lord and enjoyed His blessings.

Surround yourself with God’s Word.

How might you consider God’s words today? One idea is to write out a verse from Scripture, and every time you wash your hands or take a drink, read the words and turn them over in your mind. Or before you go to sleep, consider a short passage from the Bible as the last act of the day. Many are the ways of keeping God’s Word close to our hearts!

Lord God, thank You for giving us the Bible, which is a wellspring for life. Help us to read and digest it today.

Surround yourself with God’s Word.

By Amy Boucher Pye

INSIGHT

Today’s reading contains the Shema—the centerpiece of Israel’s belief in one God. It’s based on the Hebrew word for hear: “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one” (Deuteronomy 6:4). Verses 6–9 emphasize how we are to make the Scriptures a vital part of our lives so they will affect what we do and what we think about. It’s the meditation of the mind and application of the heart that translates divine truth into transformed living.

Dennis Fisher

 

http://www.odb.org

Wisdom Hunters

Wisdom Hunters – Raising Teenagers

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Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.  Ephesians 6:4

It’s hard not to be exasperated by a teenager and hard not to exasperate a teenager. For those who think they know everything, it seems impossible to tell them anything.Yet, God gives parents teenagers so they can learn laughter, wisdom, forgiveness, trust and the grace of imposing guidelines. After all, the older a teenager becomes the less a parent can control them—and more is their felt need to give them over to the Lord’s accountability.

Indeed, tension arises in the transition from immaturity to maturity. It’s during this avalanche of emotions that someone has to act like the adult. The parent is positioned by the Lord to be this voice of reason, as the transitioning teenager has yet to qualify. So, persistent prayer, patience and pardon go a long way in promoting peace in the home.

“Joseph, a young man of seventeen, was tending the flocks with his brothers, the sons of Bilhah and the sons of Zilpah, his father’s wives, and he brought their father a bad report about them. Now Israel loved Joseph more than any of his other sons, because he had been born to him in his old age; and he made an ornate robe for him” (Genesis 37:2-3).

Fathers, these passionate pre-adults need your firm and loving leadership as they learn how to manage their freedoms. Mom is the gentle nurturer when they are in grade school, but as they acquire acne you protect your wife from being taken advantage of with your wise and caring leadership. Most of all, remember to be intentional in your relational investment with your young person, as rules without relationship leads to rebellion.

Do you feel taken advantage of, lied to and manipulated? Is so, welcome to the world of hormones hijacking the heart of some self absorbed teens. On the other hand, thank the Lord for those young people who, because of God’s grace, have grown in character and their care for others. Make sure to give these models of faithfulness positive feedback. It’s easy to only give attention to the troublemakers and take for granted the good kids.

Above all else, pray together as husband and wife for your teenagers to fear God, love Him and obey Christ’s commands. Ask the Lord to fill you with the Holy Spirit, so you can model for them what it means to be a loving disciple of Jesus. Confess your faults to the Lord and your child—and ask for their forgiveness. Teenagers trust transparency. Train and instruct them in worship, Bible study, service, faith, love and grace based living.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, give me grace and patience to lead and love my teenager in a manner he or she feels loved and respected, in Jesus’ name, amen.

Application: How can I model for my teenager trust in the Lord with my decision-making?

Related Readings: Psalm 89:19; Proverbs 23:22;Lamentations 3:26-28; Matthew 18:21-22

Worship Resource: 3-minute music video- Courtney Patton: Take Your Shoes Off Moses

Taken from Seeking Daily the Heart of God v.2

 

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Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – You Could Use a Blessing

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See that no one repays another with evil for evil, but always seek that which is good for one another and for all people. — 1 Thessalonians 5:15

This Scripture in 1 Thessalonians tells us to always show kindness. Living in this generous kind of way is pleasing to God. There are many other scriptures that also tell us to be good to everybody, not just those we consider to be like-minded with or who are in our church.

Even if someone is your employee and they serve you, you should think of ways that you can serve them also. When you get your morning coffee, bring one for them. Pick up after yourself and don’t make extra work for them. The people who help us in our lives should always be shown appreciation.

My daughter once wrote a note of appreciation to her garbage collectors and gave them a gift card to get lunch. I think these things not only bless people, but can often be shocking because they almost never happen. The world is filled with people who work hard doing jobs that are not very pleasant, and yet nobody notices.

I once saw a woman cleaning the bathroom at a department store where I shop, and I gave her some money and said, “You look like you work hard and I thought you could use a blessing.” I smiled and quickly left. A few minutes later, she found me in the shoe department and expressed her gratitude and told me how this act of kindness lifted her up. She told me that she did indeed work hard and felt nobody paid much attention to that fact.

You’ll be amazed at how your joy will increase if you make a habit of noticing those who usually aren’t noticed. God watches out for them, and He will be delighted to have you make yourself available as His partner in this endeavor.

Prayer Starter: Father, help me to be a blessing to everyone I come in contact with today. Please lead and guide me by Your Spirit and show me practical ways I can encourage those who aren’t often recognized. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

 

http://www.joycemeyer.org

Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – How to Be Fearless

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“The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?” (Psalm 27:1).

The psalmist David did not choose words carelessly – but under divine inspiration – when he spoke of lightand salvation.

Of all the memorials in Westminster Abbey, not one has a nobler thought inscribed on it than the monument to Lord Lawrence – simply his name, with the date of his death, and these words:

“He feared man so little because he feared God so much.”

Charles H. Spurgeon gives some helpful insights into Psalm 27:1.

“In the New Testament, the idea which is hinted at in the language of David is expressly revealed as a truth. God does not merely give us His light. He is light, just as He is love in His own uncreated nature.

“God is light, ‘John writes in his epistle,’ and in Him is no darkness at all.’ When John sought to teach us our Lord’s Godhead as clearly and as sharply as possible, he calls Him the ‘light,’ meaning to teach us that as such He shares the essential nature of the Deity.”

How wonderful that we need not live in darkness – in any sense of the word – but that we immediately can have the Light of Life, God Himself, available to us in the person of His indwelling Holy Spirit as well as in His inspired Word. Every prerequisite for the abundant, supernatural life has been made available to us, and access is immediate if we come to Him immediately with our needs.

Bible Reading:Psalm 27:2-6

TODAY’S ACTION POINT: With God’s help, I will follow Him who is my light and my salvation. I will have no fear of men or circumstances.

 

http://www.cru.org

Words of Hope

Words of Hope – Daily Devotional – Reserving the Empty Space in Your Heart

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Read: Exodus 32:1-14

The people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain. (v. 1)

What is it about long-distance relationships that makes them so hard? Whenever someone moves, they quickly discover which friendships have deep enough roots to survive the arid conditions of occasional phone calls, letters, and visits. It is so much harder to stay friends with someone without the help of embodied, face-to-face fellowship. And yet that is exactly what God calls us to do when he commands us, “You shall not make for yourself an idol” (Exod. 20:4 NRSV).

In today’s passage, the people of Israel are impatient with God’s absence. Moses is taking forever to come back down the mountain, and they grow restless with God’s silence. They would rather worship a hunk of gold than wait and face the emptiness of the silence of God. In this way, their idolatry is a failure of patience. For us too it is so hard to wait in this in-between time between Jesus’ first and second coming. While we wait, God calls us to keep the house of our hearts clear of cluttering idols. There’s a deep longing inside us that will only be satisfied by Jesus Christ, when he returns. If idolatry is a failure of patience, then the opposite of idolatry is Christian hope, the conviction of things that we cannot yet see (Rom. 8:24-25; Heb. 11:1). Can you be vigilant, saying no to any idol that tries to fill the empty space of your heart? —Steven Rodriguez

Prayer: Lord, only you can satisfy my deepest longings. Fill me with holy, hopeful patience.

 

https://woh.org/