Tag Archives: human-rights

Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – Satisfies God’s Requirements

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“Love does no wrong to anyone. That’s why it fully satisfies all of God’s requirements. It is the only law you need” (Romans 13:10).

Early in my Christian life, I was troubled over the command to love God so completely, as I mentioned in yesterday’s reading. How could I ever measure up to such a high standard? Then He showed me how to love by faith.

We are to love God. We are to love our neighbors. We are to love our enemies. We are to love our family members. And we are to love ourselves with God’s kind of love, by faith.

Since the greatest commandment is to love God, we are to give Him our first love, never allowing anyone or anything to come before Him. And supernaturally, we are to express the agape kind of love to others – a love no less in its quality and magnitude than that which we express toward God.

In the same way, God loves all His children perfectly. He loves you and me just as much as He loves His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ (John 17:23).

The person who has not yet learned to love God and to seek Him above all else and all others is to be pitied. Such a person is only denying himself the blessings that await all who love God with all their heart, soul and mind.

It is natural for us to fulfill the command to love our neighbors as ourselves if we truly love God in the way mentioned above. If we are properly related to God, vertically, we will be properly related to our fellow man, horizontally.

Bible Reading: 1 Corinthians 13

TODAY’S ACTION POINT: By faith I will claim God’s love – for Him, for my neighbors, for myself, for my enemies – and as a result do only good, which is a result of supernatural living

 

http://www.cru.org

Streams in the Desert

Streams in the Desert for Kids – Above the Clouds

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Job 37:21

When you read a verse like the one above from Job, you may begin to wonder what was going on with Job and his friends to bring up such a conversation.

These guys said to Job, “Do you know how God controls the clouds and makes his lightning flash? Do you know how the clouds hang poised?… Can you join him in spreading out the skies, hard as a mirror of cast bronze?… Now no one can look at the sun, bright as it is in the skies after the wind has swept them clean.” In other words, “Job, you don’t know enough to understand God’s ways.”

Then God answered Job (chapters 38–41; read it sometime—it’s beautiful). God said that he is the one who has created everything the way it is. God sees the sun even when to us it is covered by clouds. Now Job knows he can hear from God. He can understand what God is doing in the world when he learns to consider that God’s perspective is so different from ours.

Do you want to hear from God and see his bigger perspective? You can if you will pray with all your heart and ask God to show you his plan and his way.

Dear Lord, I know you made everything, understand everything, yet you want to talk with me. You give me understanding. Amen.

Wisdom Hunters

Wisdom Hunters – Trust God to Pay Back in His Timing 

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For we know him who said, “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” and again, “The Lord will judge his people.” It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. Hebrews 10:30-31

Someone may be in debt to you. They may owe you money, a reputation, an apology, a job, or a childhood. But God is asking you to let go and let Him. Let Him handle this. He has a payment plan for those who are in debt to his children. It may mean He wipes their slate clean with minimal repercussions. It may mean their stiff neck forces God to bring them to the end of themselves through trials and tribulations. Or, it may mean that what awaits them is an eternity of reaping in hell what has been sown on earth. But God’s position is one of judge and jury. You do not have to carry this burden or responsibility. Your role is to forgive and to trust God with the proper judgment and consequence.

Life gets complicated and draining when we take on the responsibility of making sure a person gets what he deserves. This is arrogant and unwise on our part. How can we know what others deserve for their injustices, neglect, and self-absorption? Our role is not to play God, but to serve God. Playing God is a never-ending disappointment. We were not made for that role. Only the Almighty can fill these shoes. And He does have it under control. There is no indiscretion or blatant injustice that is off His radar screen of sensitivity. He picks up on every “little” sin.

So, rest in the assurance of knowing God will pay back in His good timing and in His good way. Give this person or issue over to God. Do not bear the responsibility of executing payback time. Your role is to forgive and let go. God’s role is to establish a payment plan of justice and judgment. Yes, your parents may have blown it through their own selfish tirades. Their immature choices may have built up over time and led to divorce. Because of their indiscretions and unwise decisions, you grew up in a less than favorable home environment. But look at their faces. The hurt and the consequences are etched in their countenances. The results of their wrongs have caught up with them. They need your grace and forgiveness. Be a good son or daughter, and by this you may facilitate healing for your parents’ soul. Sin has its own harvest of heartache, not to mention breaking the heart of the heavenly Father. Trust God with your parents. Let Him worry about what they deserve.

Continue reading Wisdom Hunters – Trust God to Pay Back in His Timing  →

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – Gratitude in Affliction

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Psalm 119:65-72

We typically express gratitude for God’s blessings, but did you ever consider thanking Him for something that doesn’t seem like a blessing—such as a trying circumstance you want Him to remove or change? A grateful heart is most precious to God when, humanly speaking, our situations don’t warrant giving thanks. By making four foundational decisions, we can begin to see the value of our adversities and respond with appreciation.

  1. Believe and trust God. Only by viewing life from a biblical perspective can we understand His purposes in our trials and trust His wisdom in allowing them.
  2. Accept the situation as coming from the Lord. If we truly believe He’s working for our good (Rom. 8:28-29), we can choose to receive each difficulty as from His loving hand, whether it was directly sent or permissively allowed. Then we can say “Thank You.”
  3. Submit to God in the circumstance. Although we may not like the situation, knowing that God is good and does good allows us to confidently place our life under His authority. (See Psalm 119:68.)
  4. Draw from Him the strength to endure. No one has the ability within himself to endure hardships with gratefulness. Only by relying on the Lord can believers go through adversity with an appreciative heart.

Now, think about that circumstance you would like changed, and with a new mindset, offer this prayer to God: “Lord, I accept this situation as coming from You. In faith and trust, I place myself under Your loving authority and draw from You the strength I need to endure with gratitude.”

Bible in One Year: Acts 5-7

 

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Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — The Good Earth

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Read: Genesis 1:1–10

Bible in a Year: Jeremiah 50; Hebrews 8

God said, “Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear.” And it was so. . . . And God saw that it was good.—Genesis 1:9–10

While orbiting the moon in 1968, Apollo 8 astronaut Bill Anders described the crew’s close-up view of the moonscape. He called it “a foreboding horizon . . . a stark and unappetizing-looking place.” Then the crew took turns reading to a watching world from Genesis 1:1-10. After Commander Frank Borman finished verse 10, “And God saw that it was good,” he signed off with, “God bless all of you, all of you on the good Earth.”

The opening chapter of the Bible insists on two facts:

Creation is God’s work. The phrase “and God said . . .” beats in cadence all the way through the chapter. The entire magnificent world we live in is the product of His creative work. All that follows in the Bible reinforces the message of Genesis 1: Behind all of history, there is God.

Creation is good. Another sentence tolls softly, like a bell, throughout this chapter. “And God saw that it was good.” Much has changed since that first moment of creation. Genesis 1 describes the world as God wanted it, before any spoiling. Whatever beauty we sense in nature today is a faint echo of the pristine state God created.

The Apollo 8 astronauts saw Earth as a brightly colored ball hanging alone in space. It looked at once awesomely beautiful and fragile. It looked like the view from Genesis 1. —Philip Yancey

O tell of His might, O sing of His grace, whose robe is the light, whose canopy space; His chariots of wrath the deep thunderclouds form, and dark is His path on the wings of the storm. Robert Grant

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Genesis 1:1

INSIGHT: Comparing Genesis 1 with John 1, we see all three members of the Godhead engaged in the work of creation. The Bible begins with a bold declaration in Genesis 1:1, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” In verse 2, the author continues to paint the picture of creation, telling us that the Spirit of God was “hovering over the waters.” John illuminates the involvement of Christ in creation: “Through [Christ] all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made” (John 1:3).

As you reflect on the beauty of creation, what does it tell you about God’s character?

For further study on creation read The Genesis Account of Creation at discoveryseries.org/q1112. Bill Crowder

 

http://www.odb.org

Wisdom Hunters

Wisdom Hunters – How to Get the Most Out of Life 

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Train yourself to be godly. For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come. 1 Timothy 4:7b-8

Godly training is profitable now and for eternity. It does not mean you are some super spiritual person who cannot relate to others. On the contrary, godly means you have the character and sensitivity of Jesus. Thus, you understand and relate to people very effectively. It is not all about you, but about others and their needs. You encourage when there needs to be encouragement. You rebuke when you need to rebuke. You teach when there needs to be teaching. The godly know how to laugh, cry, pray, hope, work hard, and trust in God. Godliness comes in all forms.

Every temperament can express godliness. If you are an extrovert, your godly expression may come in the form of humor or encouragement. Your ability to make people laugh (not at the expense of someone else) is godly. Your passion to encourage and build up others is godly. Godliness is certainly expressed through your character. Your honesty is godly; your diligence is godly; your pure motive is godly; your generosity is godly; your compassion, boldness, and leadership are godly. All of these behaviors that reflect the way Christ would behave are godly. Godliness is behaving as Jesus would behave. It is not a certain voice inflection or body language because those can be pretentious and ungodly. It is having a heart and mind that express as Christ would.

True godliness points others to God. It provides value for all things: body, mind, soul, and spirit. Godliness, however, does not happen accidentally. There is intentionality to godliness. Just as the body benefits from physical training, so the mind, soul, and spirit benefit from training in godliness. The most effective training comes with consistency and repetition. It is not a complicated process, but it is exercising faith. The muscles of faith expand and contract when engaged in everyday life. Training involves prayer instead of worry. Praying works on your heart. It is your spiritual cardio workout. Worry works like plaque and cholesterol clogging the flow of God’s faithfulness to you. He is always faithful, but you must receive his faithfulness by faith. Prayer facilities this and provides a free flow of faith. In addition, fasting keeps your focus on the Lord.

Training in godliness means the word of God becomes your spiritual diet. If you replace the word with the world you will settle for spiritual junk food rather than Jesus. Snubbing God’s word is like substituting chips for chicken. This cheap imitation of spiritual nutrition eventually disables your godly maturity. Lastly, training in godliness requires service to others. You work out your faith in good deeds. You serve others for the glory of God. This is training in godliness. This has tremendous value now and forevermore. Therefore, train well and you will be transformed. Over time, when you look into the mirror of your soul you will see Jesus. There are benefits to training in godliness.

The Bible says, “Know that the LORD has set apart the godly for himself; the LORD will hear when I call to him” (Psalm 4:3).

Prayer: Heavenly Father, I want to grow in godliness so my life points people to Jesus.

Application: What area of my life does the Spirit need to grow in godliness?

Related Readings: 1 Corinthians 9:24; 1 Timothy 6:6; 2 Timothy 3:5, 12; 2 Peter 1:7

 

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Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Make God Your “One Thing”

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The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows).— John 10:10

Life isn’t supposed to be complicated. Jesus didn’t die so we could live complicated, frustrated, miserable lives. John 10:10 says He died for us so we could have and enjoy life. The minute everything gets complicated, it steals joy. We need to learn how to stop stressing and stop living an excessively busy lifestyle.

The opposite lifestyle is one of simplicity. Simplicity means “single, consisting of one thing, unmingled.” God has dealt with me about living a simpler life. He has shown me that the only way to do this is to just be about “one thing.”

God just wants us to be about Him. He tells us in His Word that we won’t inherit His kingdom if we don’t come to Him very simply as a little child and say, “I believe.”

That almost sounds too easy, and you might want to complicate it…but don’t! God’s plan for you is simple. It may not make sense to your mind, but there’s nothing complicated about God, and He doesn’t want you to be complicated. Come to Him today, saying, “I believe.” Make Him your “One Thing.”

 

http://www.joycemeyer.org

Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – Living the Godly Life

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“As God’s messenger I give each of you God’s warning: Be honest in your estimate of yourselves, measuring your value by how much faith God has given you” (Romans 12:3).

A newly appointed director of affairs for our ministry came to me for counsel after being given his assignment. “Tell me,” he inquired, “what are the biggest problems that I will encounter in my new area of responsibility?”

“Three major ones,” I responded. “First, pride, the problem that causes Satan to seek a place of authority over God Himself, resulting in his expulsion from the heavenly kingdom. Since creation, man’s greatest problem has been pride – thinking more highly of oneself than one ought to think.

“Your second problem will be materialism – the desire to accumulate wealth, to live the good life, to keep up with the Joneses with better houses, cars, clothes, and security.

“And the third problem will be sex, the temptation to immorality. Man’s second greatest drive after self-perservation is sex. In the marriage bond, sex is one of the most beautiful of the God-given privileges. But out of marriage, it results in grieving and quenching the Spirit and, ultimately, in the discipline of God. Therefore, be faithful to the wife that God has given you and love her as Christ loved the church (Ephesians 5:25).

“Keep yourself humble by God’s power. Seek the simple life and be motivated and constrained by the love of God for the souls of men, rather than for the good things of this world.”

This is my counsel to all of our staff. It is my message to all Christian leaders and to all who seek to live godly lives.

The highways and byways of the world are littered with men and women of great talent and ability who are no longer being used of God. The fire has gone out of their hearts; the smile is gone from their faces. They harvest no fruit for the kingdom. They have fallen, thinking more highly of themselves than they ought to think, after the example of Satan, the author of pride.

God’s Word admonishes us to think soberly, wisely, prudently and modestly. The faith which we each have is a gift from God, measure by Him. That fact alone should produce in you and me a true, humility, changing any feeling of pride to one of gratitude. The truly humble person regards God as the source of all blessings.

Bible Reading: Ephesians 4:1-6

TODAY’S ACTION POINT: When the temptation comes to think more highly of myself than I ought to think, with God’s help I will remember that everything I have is a gift of His grace. I will humble myself before God and man and, by faith, live a supernatural, godly life, dedicated to the extension of His kingdom

http://www.cru.org

Words of Hope

Words of Hope – Daily Devotional – Praying for Harmony

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Read: Romans 12:9-21

Be constant in prayer . . . Live in harmony with one another. (vv. 12, 16)

On average, pianos require being tuned two to three times a year. For centuries, the only surefire way to tell if a piano was in tune was by using a tuning fork. Simple to make and easy to use, tuning forks guaranteed pitch-perfect accuracy. Even in antique shops today, you can find 300-year-old tuning forks producing notes just as clear and crisp as the day they were made.

For the Christian, Jesus Christ is our tuning fork. He tells us if we are out of tune, but he also sets the standard to which we are to be tuned, over and over again. Pastor and author A. W. Tozer explains this phenomenon: “Has it ever occurred to you that one hundred pianos all tuned to the same fork are automatically tuned to each other? They are of one accord by being tuned, not to each other, but to another standard to which each one must individually bow. So one hundred worshippers met together, each one looking away to Christ, are in heart nearer to each other than they could possibly be were they to become ‘unity’ conscious and turn their eyes away from God to strive for closer fellowship” (The Pursuit of God, pp. 87-88).

When was the last time you found life in harmony with Jesus and others? Harmonious living requires constant prayer. Are you in need of retuning your heart to him? —Nathan Prairie

Prayer: Dear Jesus, may we live in harmony through the tuning of our hearts to you. Amen.

 

https://woh.org/

Today in the Word

Moody Global Ministries – Today in the Word – WAITING FOR GOD’S JUST WRATH

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Zephaniah 3:1–8

The expression “Wait for it!” can be used to build suspense before a verbal climax. One expects that what is said next will be surprising, humorous, or unexpectedly significant. According to one source, its increased “colloquial usage as a dramatic interjection” can be attributed to its frequent appearances in the popular American TV show How I Met Your Mother.

To those who think they have escaped divine justice, God says, “Wait for it!” Whereas in yesterday’s reading the purpose of waiting was to experience God’s deliverance, in today’s reading the purpose of waiting is to see His just wrath against sin and evil. The poetic and prophetic books of Scripture resound with cries for this: “Why does the way of the wicked prosper? Why do all the faithless live at ease”? (Jer. 12:1).

The context for Zephaniah 3 is Judah’s sinfulness and unwillingness to repent. The nation was being chronically rebellious, disobedient, and prideful (vv. 1–2). Leaders exploited others, prophets lied, and priests profaned worship (vv. 3–4). God, who is perfectly righteous, had been more than patient, waiting for the nation to accept correction. The fact that He hadn’t punished them yet did not mean they had gotten away with their wickedness, as they seemed to think. They should have already known this from His past judgments on other nations (vv. 5–7).

When God said, “Wait for me,” then, it was a severe and perhaps sarcastic warning (v. 8). They didn’t think He was actually coming. They didn’t want Him to show up and “testify” about their evil deeds. They disregarded and disrespected His righteous wrath and judgment. But His arrival and His justice are as certain for judgment as they are for the salvation of the faithful remnant who waits in hope (see vv. 9–20).

APPLY THE WORD

Can we really give “shouts of joy” when the wicked perish (Prov. 11:10)? That doesn’t seem very “nice.” But the answer is yes, if our desire is for God’s plan to be accomplished and His name to be honored. If, however, our feelings are fueled by hatred or revenge, that is not godly waiting. For a vital lesson on this topic, read Jonah 4.

 

http://www.todayintheword.org

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – Three Ways to Think Right

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Philippians 4:4-9

We all want to experience joy and peace in difficult times—to have a sense of security and the confidence that the heavenly Father loves us. Yet we are oftentimes held back by worries and other pressures.

There are three ways we can govern our thoughts:

  1. Screen them. Imagine there’s a grid protecting your mind, and whatever you think about must first pass through it. If you have built your filter upon the Word of God, any unscriptural ideas that try to get through will set off a warning alarm. You can check each thought by asking yourself a series of questions: What’s the source? Where will it lead me? Is this scripturally sound? Is this going to build me up or tear me down? Can I share this with someone else? Does it make me feel guilty? Does it fit who I am as a follower of Jesus Christ?
  2. Select them. God has given you the right and the power to decide whether or not you will accept a thought. Every time an opinion or teaching hits your screen, you can choose to either let it through or discard it. Since the idea itself may not be wrong or right, those same screening questions can help you know what to do next.
  3. Cultivate them. Accepting godly thoughts (and rejecting evil ones) is not enough. You need to dwell on the ideas that align with God’s Word and then start practicing them.

Allow God to pour Himself into your life and to reign in your mind. In doing so, you will see awesome changes take place.

Bible in One Year: Acts 3-4

 

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Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — The Hand of Comfort

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Read: 2 Corinthians 1:3–7

Bible in a Year: Jeremiah 48–49; Hebrews 7

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, . . . who comforts us in all our troubles.—2 Corinthians 1:3-4

“Patient is combative,” the nurse’s notes read.

What she didn’t realize until later was that I was having an allergic reaction as I awakened after a complicated open-heart surgery. I was a mess, with a tube down my throat. My body began shaking violently, straining against the straps on my arms, which were there to keep me from suddenly pulling out my breathing tube. It was a frightening and painful episode. At one point, a nurse’s assistant to the right side of my bed reached down and simply held my hand. It was an unexpected move, and it struck me as especially gentle. I began to relax, which caused my body to stop shaking so badly.

Having experienced this with other patients, the nurse’s assistant knew that a hand of comfort could minister to me as well. It was a vivid example of how God uses comfort when His children suffer.

Comfort is a powerful and memorable tool for any caregiver, and Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 it’s an important part of God’s toolbox. Not only that, but God also multiplies the impact of His comfort by calling us to use the memory of the comfort He gives us to comfort others in similar situations (vv. 4-7). It is but another sign of His great love; and one we can share with others—sometimes in the simplest of gestures. —Randy Kilgore

Thank You, Father, for the comfort You provide to us, either directly or through the acts of Your children. Help us to see where we can apply that same comfort to others in and for Your name.

Simple gestures can bring powerful comfort.

INSIGHT: This passage demonstrates how our personal pain can help others who suffer. Paul uses the word comfort both vertically and horizontally. God extends comfort to us, then we can offer comfort to others. In this way, our pain can become a conduit of care for those in distress and lead to gratitude in the midst of pain. “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort” (2 Cor. 1:3).

Can you think of a time when God used others to encourage and comfort you? Dennis Fisher

 

http://www.odb.org

Ravi Zacharias

Ravi Zacharias Ministry – A Mysterious Safety

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Someone told me recently that he wondered if humans only truly ever pray when we are in the midst of despair. Despite creed or confession, is it only when we have no other excuses to offer, no other comfort to hide behind, no more façades to uphold, that we are most likely to bow in exhaustion and be real with God and ourselves? “For most of us,” writes C.S. Lewis, “the prayer in Gethsemane is the only model.” In our distress, we stand before God as we truly are—creatures in need hope and mercy.

The words within the ancient Hebrew story of Jonah that are of most interest to me are words that in some ways seem not to fit in the story at all.(1) Interrupting a narrative that quickly draws in its hearers, a narrative about Jonah, the text very fleetingly pauses to bring us the voice of Jonah himself before returning again to the narrative. The eight lines come in the form of a distraught and despairing, though poetic prayer. And while it is true that the poem could be omitted without affecting the coherence of the story, the deliberate jaunt in the narrative text seems to provide a moment of significant commentary to the whole. The eight verses of poetry not only mark an abrupt shift in the tone of the text, but also in the attitude of its main character. The poetic words of the prophet, spoken as a cry of deliverance, arise from the belly of the great fish—a stirring image reminiscent of another despairing soul’s question: Where can I flee from your presence? If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there. If I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me.

Jonah’s eloquent prayer for deliverance stands out in a book that is detailed with his egotistic mantras and glaring self-deceptions. By his own actions, Jonah finds himself in darkness, and yet it is in the dark that he speaks most honestly to God. The story is vaguely familiar to many hearers, and yet memory often seems to minimize the distress that broke Jonah’s silence with God. The popular notion that Jonah went straight from the side of the ship into the mouth of the fish is not supported by either the narrative as a whole or Jonah’s prayer. As one suggests, “[Jonah] was half drowned before he was swallowed. If he was still conscious, sheer dread would have caused him to faint—notice that there is no mention of the fish in his prayer. He can hardly have known what caused the change from wet darkness to an even greater dry darkness. When he did regain consciousness, it would have taken some time to realize that the all-enveloping darkness was not that of Sheol but of a mysterious safety.”(2)

Continue reading Ravi Zacharias Ministry – A Mysterious Safety →

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Face the Truth About Yourself

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And not a creature exists that is concealed from His sight, but all things are open and exposed, naked and defenseless to the eyes of Him with Whom we have to do.— Hebrews 4:13

Someone once asked how I live free from my oppressive past. My answer is very simple: God has given me the grace and the willingness to face the truth about myself.

I grew up in an angry, unstable atmosphere. Because of my quick temper, I was upset most of the time. Because of being upset, I grew up depressed, disappointed and discouraged. I wished I could have a better life, but my wishing didn’t solve anything. It wasted my time as I kept blaming my problems on my bad family background.

Finally, God helped me realize that while I wasn’t responsible for what had happened to me and I couldn’t change my past, I had to stop wishing and start taking responsibility for the way I lived moving forward. I had to stop blaming other people and my circumstances, and stop making excuses for myself. As I did this, and put my trust in God to heal and restore my life, I changed. Now I have peace and enjoy my life.

You might be in a similar situation. Facing the truth about yourself is scary, but you don’t have to do it alone. All your flaws are exposed to God, and if you ask Him for His perspective, He will help you pick yourself up, take responsibility, and live a peaceful life. Today, don’t be scared to face the truth about yourself, but let God guide you into a new tomorrow.

 

http://www.joycemeyer.org

Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – Before We Even Call

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“I will answer them before they even call to Me. While they are still talking to Me about their needs, I will go ahead and answer their prayers!” (Isaiah 65:24).

Allenby’s Bridge, which spans the Jordan River, was built to honor the man whom God used to lead the miraculous conquest of Jerusalem with the firing of a single gun.

Allenby recalled how, as a little boy when he use to lisp his evening prayers, he was taught to repeat after his mother the closing part of the prayer:

“And, O Lord, we will not forget They ancient people, Israel. Lord, hasten the day when Israel truly shall be thy people and shall be restored to They favor and to their land.”

“I never knew then,” Allenby said at a reception in London, “that God would give me the privilege of helping to answer my own childhood prayers.”

Even more wonderful than that kind of divine providence is the truth expressed in Isaiah 65:24 (KJV): “Before they call I will answer.” I have seen this promise fulfilled many times in the global program of Campus Crusade for Christ. Even during the time we have prayed for desperate needs – financial and otherwise – God was already laying it upon the hearts of His faithful people to respond.

What a great comfort to know that we serve that kind of God!

Bible Reading: Isaiah 65:18-25

TODAY’S ACTION POINT: Even as I pray for the needs of others and myself today, I will remember the power and faithfulness of God who has already begun to answer even before I ask

 

http://www.cru.org

Max Lucado

Max Lucado – Where is God When I Hurt?

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The Bible says in Romans 8:28 that “in everything God works for the good of those who love Him.” Do this simple exercise. Remove the word “everything” and replace it with the symbol of your tragedy. How would Romans 8:28 read in your life? In hospital stays God works for the good. In divorce papers God works for the good.

As hard as it may be to believe, you could be only a Saturday away from a resurrection. Hours from that precious prayer of a changed heart…God, you did this for me?

Everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, Paul said, The Scriptures give us patience and encouragement so that we can have hope. These are not somewhere-over-the-rainbow illusions. They are historic moments in which a real God met real pain so we could answer the question, “where is God when I hurt?”

From Lucado Inspirational Reader

For more inspirational messages please visit Max Lucado.

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Denison Forum

Denison Forum – NFL players urged to observe moment of silence

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The National Football League Players Association (NFLPA) has unanimously passed a resolution calling on all players to honor the Veterans Day Moment of Silence Act during Sunday’s games.

What is this Act? Why is it so significant?

An Act with a noble history

The Act was passed unanimously by both houses of Congress and signed into law by President Obama on October 7, 2016. It calls on all Americans to observe a two-minute moment of silence on Veterans Day.

The Act follows a long tradition in the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth countries in which a two-minute silence is observed each year on Armistice Day, November 11, at 11 a.m. The silence coincides with the time in 1918 when the First World War came to an end. A two-minute silence is also observed on Remembrance Sunday, the Sunday closest to November 11 each year.

This tradition originated in Cape Town, South Africa, where the mayor suggested one minute of thanksgiving for those who returned alive from the war, followed by another minute to remember the fallen.

A South African author named James Percy FitzPatrick proposed that this silence become an official part of the annual Armistice Day service. He explained his reasoning:

It is due to the women, who have lost and suffered and borne so much, with whom the thought is ever present.
It is due to the children that they know to whom they owe their dear fought freedom.
It is due to the men, and from them, as men.
But far and away, above all else, it is due to those who gave their all, sought no recompense, and with whom we can never repay—our Glorious and Immortal Dead.

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Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – Our Thoughts: Who’s in Control?

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Colossians 3:1-3

Do you ever struggle with thoughts that you know you shouldn’t have? Perhaps you sometimes allow your mind to drift over into unforgiveness, pride, lust, or anger—attitudes and feelings that you know are not good. How do you tend to respond when this happens?

We live in a time and culture that continuously bombard our mind with information through radio and TV broadcasts, movies, newspapers, and the internet. Sometimes the message is good, but often it isn’t. And the truth is that our thinking affects us more than we may realize, shaping us into who we are becoming. Thoughts reap actions, actions reap habits, habits reap character, and our character reaps our destiny.

In today’s reading, the apostle Paul urges believers to “keep seeking.” In other words, we need to habitually seek Christ and continually set our mind on things above. Scripture reassures us that we can control our thoughts by relying on the Lord. (See 2 Corinthians 10:5.) If we continually look to God for help with how we think, He will mold our heart and shift our attention from materialistic, ungodly priorities to more wholesome, spiritual values (Phil. 4:8).

The moment we place our trust in Jesus, we become brand-new people. That is the basis for our capacity to think correctly (that is, to think more like Christ) and therefore make wise decisions in life. This doesn’t mean we will always think right thoughts, but we now have the responsibility—and power through the Holy Spirit—to steer our mind in a heavenly direction.

Bible in One Year: Acts 1-2

 

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Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — A Good Ending

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Read: Revelation 22:1–5

Bible in a Year: Jeremiah 46–47; Hebrews 6

The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. They will see his face.—Revelation 22:3–4

As the lights dimmed and we prepared to watch Apollo 13, my friend said under his breath, “Shame they all died.” I watched the movie about the 1970 spaceflight with apprehension, waiting for tragedy to strike, and only near the closing credits did I realize I’d been duped. I hadn’t known or remembered the end of the true story—that although the astronauts faced many hardships, they made it home alive.

In Christ, we can know the end of the story—that we too will make it home alive. By that I mean we will live forever with our heavenly Father, as we see in the book of Revelation. The Lord will create a “new heaven and a new earth” as He makes all things new (21:1, 5). In the new city, the Lord God will welcome His people to live with Him, without fear and without the night. We have hope in knowing the end of the story.

What difference does this make? It can transform times of extreme difficulty, such as when people face the loss of a loved one or even their own death. Though we recoil at the thought of dying, yet we can embrace the joy of the promise of eternity. We long for the city where no longer will there be any curse, where we’ll live forever by God’s light (22:5). —Amy Boucher Pye

Lord Jesus Christ, give me unfailing hope, that I might rest in Your promises and welcome Your life eternal.

God promises His people a good end to the story.

INSIGHT: In Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible, he writes about Revelation 22:1-5: “The presence of God in heaven is the health and happiness of the saints. . . . The devil has no power there . . . . There will be no night; no affliction or dejection, no pause in service or enjoyment: no diversions or pleasures of man’s inventing will be desired there.” In this “new heaven and earth,” Jesus will wipe away our tears and “there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain” (21:4). The promise of an end to our suffering can bring a glimmer of hope and joy to our life when we face difficulties, but the brightest hope comes in the knowledge that one day we as His followers will be in the presence of our Lord who loves us. Free from temptation, free from sin, and free from pain and sadness and death, we’ll have only joy in the service of the King!

How does the promise of this bright future help you today when you face troubles and trials? What about heaven do you most anticipate? Alyson Kieda

 

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Ravi Zacharias

Ravi Zacharias Ministry – Disappointment and God

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I struggled as a teenager growing up in Delhi. Failure was writ large on my life. My dad basically looked at me and said, “You know, you’re going to be a huge embarrassment to the family—one failure after another.” And he was right given the way I was headed. I wanted to get out of everything I was setting my hand to, and I lacked discipline.

During this time, India was at war and the defense academy was looking for general duties pilots to be trained. So I applied and I went to be interviewed, which involved an overnight train journey from the city of Delhi. It was wintertime and we were outside freezing for about five days as we went through physical endurance and other tests. There were three hundred applicants; they were going to select ten. On the last day they put their selection of names out on the board, and I was positioned number three.

I phoned my family and said, “You aren’t going to believe this. I’m going to make it. I’m number three. The only thing that’s left is the interview. The psychological testing is tomorrow, and I’ll be home.”

The next morning I began my interview with the chief commanding officer, who looked to me like Churchill sitting across the table. He asked me question after question. Then he said, “Son, I’m going to break your heart today.” He continued, “I’m going to reject you. I’m not going to pass you in this test.”

“May I ask you why, sir?” I replied.

“Yes. Psychologically, you’re not wired to kill. And this job is about killing.”

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