Tag Archives: human-rights

Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – Rescue from Temptation

Leave a comment

“So also the Lord can rescue you and me from the temptations that surround us, and continue to punish the ungodly until the day of final judgement comes” (2 Peter 2:9).

Charles G. Finney was one of America’s most outstanding evangelists. One day while he was still a young lawyer, he sat in his village law office in the state of New York. It was early in the day, and the Lord began to deal with him.

“Finney,” an inner voice asked, “what are you going to do when you finish your course?”
“Put out a shingle and practice law.”
“Then what?” the voice persisted.
“Get rich.”
“Then what?”
“Retire.”
“Then what?”
“Die.”
“Then what?”
This time the words came tremblingly, “The judgement.”

Young Finney ran for the woods half a mile away. As he prayed, he vowed that he would not leave until he had made his peace with God. After a long struggle, he discovered that he could not resist God’s call, and he came out of the woods that evening with the high purpose of living the remainder of his life to the glory of God, enjoying Him forever.

Like that great preacher and evangelist you and I can be rescued from the temptations of the world so that we will not resist any clear call from God.

Bible Reading: II Peter 2:10-17

TODAY’S ACTION POINT: When the world tries to squeeze me into its mold, I’ll not resist the clear call from our Lord Jesus Christ to follow Him.

 

 

http://www.cru.org

Max Lucado

Max Lucado – Revenge Builds a Lonely House

Leave a comment

In 1882 in New York City, Joseph Richardson owned a narrow strip of land 5 feet wide and 104 feet long. Next door was a normal-sized lot owned by a man who wanted to erect an apartment building. He offered Richardson $1,000 for his plot. Deeply offended, Richardson demanded $5,000 which the builder refused to pay. The builder went on to build the apartment building, assuming the slender lot would remain vacant and the view exposed.

But Richardson built a house instead—blocking the view! Dubbed the “Spite House”, Richardson spent the last fourteen years of his life in the narrow residence that seemed to fit his narrow state of mind. Revenge builds a lonely, narrow house. Space enough for one person. No wonder God insists we “keep a sharp eye out for the weeds of bitter discontent!” (Hebrews 12:14-17).

From You’ll Get Through This

For more inspirational messages please visit Max Lucado.

Home

Denison Forum

Denison Forum – The profound reason we spent $7 billion on July 4

Leave a comment

More than 60,000 fireworks lit up the New York City sky for twenty-five minutes last night in the nation’s largest Fourth of July celebration. Seattle ranked second, with a show lasting twenty-one minutes; next came Boston, with a twenty-minute extravaganza.

Americans spent more than $7 billion on Independence Day celebrations, up from $6.8 billion last year. Of that, $947 million was spent on food ($37 million just on ketchup). And we bought more than $5 million worth of US flags imported into the country (ironically, most came from China).

The news was not all festive, however. North Korea successfully launched a missile capable of reaching Alaska. A tropical wave in the Atlantic could become a storm or depression today. And police issued a stern warning after another dog was rescued from a hot car. But the news did not deter the celebration of our country’s birthday.

Independence Day is not a uniquely American occurrence. According to A Global World, 161 countries around the world celebrate Independence Day, National Day, or a similar national holiday.

Why?

Despite the news, or rather because of it, we seek solidarity and community with each other. The reason is simple: we were made in the image of God (Genesis 1:26–27), and our Creator is one God in three Persons who relate intimately and eternally with each other.
Continue reading Denison Forum – The profound reason we spent $7 billion on July 4 →

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley –The Truth That Sets Us Free

Leave a comment

John 8:31-32

God desires the best for each of His children, but sometimes we become trapped in habits, thoughts, and negative emotions that interfere with His plans for us. Today’s passage, however, shows us the way out: If we continue in God’s Word, we’ll know the truth that sets us free from whatever is holding us in bondage.

To continue in the Word means to be consistently reading and applying it to our life. Then we’ll know what God says and be able to recognize the traps that threaten to ensnare us.

What’s more, we’ll better understand the benefits that accompany our salvation and enable us to stand firm without being led astray. These benefits include our …

Position. Through faith in Jesus Christ, we’ve entered into a personal relationship with God. Now, as His children, we have ready access to His throne, along with the assurance that He’ll hear our prayers.

Provision. God gave us His Word to guide and encourage us.

Promises. By relying on the magnificent promises He has given us, we’ll “become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world” (2 Peter 1:4).

Protection. As we walk obediently with Christ, He strengthens and protects us so we won’t fall into Satan’s traps (2 Thess. 3:3).

The first step toward living in freedom is to recognize any sins, attitudes, or negative emotions that are dominating your life. Then ground yourself in the truth of Scripture and claim God’s promises and provisions by faith. He’s ready to help the moment you cry out to Him.

Bible In One Year: Psalm 120-131

 

http://www.intouch.org/

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — Celebrate Freedom

Leave a comment

Read: Romans 6:15–23

Bible in a Year: Job 28–29; Acts 13:1–25

The law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.—Romans 8:2

After being kidnapped, held hostage for thirteen days, and released, New Zealand news cameraman Olaf Wiig, with a broad smile on his face, announced, “I feel more alive now than I have in my entire life.”

For reasons difficult to understand, being freed is more exhilarating than being free.

For those who enjoy freedom every day, Olaf’s joy was a good reminder of how easily we forget how blessed we are. This is also true spiritually. Those of us who have been Christians for a long time often forget what it’s like to be held hostage by sin. We can become complacent and even ungrateful. But then God sends a reminder in the form of a new believer who gives an exuberant testimony of what God has done in his or her life, and once again we see the joy that is ours when we are “free from the law of sin and death” (Rom. 8:2).

If freedom has become boring to you, or if you tend to focus on what you can’t do, consider this: Not only are you no longer a slave to sin, but you are freed to be holy and to enjoy eternal life with Christ Jesus! (6:22).

Celebrate your freedom in Christ by taking the time to thank God for the things you are able and free to do as His servant. —Julie Ackerman Link

What are you thankful for?

Living for Christ brings true freedom.

INSIGHT: Some of the spiritual giants of the church were profoundly changed by Paul’s Spirit-inspired words in Romans. One of those was Martin Luther (1483-1546), a German theologian, writer, and reformer of the church. As a monk, Luther struggled with the impossible task of trying to be righteous on his own merits or works. The words of Romans 1:17, “The righteous will live by faith,” led Luther to realize that justification (being made holy) is through faith by God’s grace alone. God through His Word lifts the burden of sin and sets us free.Who can you share the freeing words of Romans with today? Alyson Kieda

 

http://www.odb.org

Ravi Zacharias

Ravi Zacharias Ministry – Longing for More

Leave a comment

Experts mark the absence of desire as a sign of dis-ease. I know this to be true, personally, when it comes to the desire for food. There have been times in my life when I was so upset and so distressed that I could not eat. My normal desire for preparing and eating food disappeared as more pressing concerns occupied my heart and mind. During those times, I had all means to satisfy my hunger, but no desire to do anything about it.

Of course, there are other times where out of a matter of principle, for special focus or discipline, one might routinely abstain from food. Ironically, the desire to eat becomes more pressing and more overt when one willingly chooses to forego meals. And perhaps this heightened focus on food hints at the experience of those who deal with deprivation and near-starvation. Despite not having any means to satisfy hunger, the gnawing pangs for food grow louder and louder.

The experience of hunger and its absence serves to illustrate the complicated nature of human desire—desire that is often unwieldy and seemingly beyond one’s control. Coping with our innate desires is hard enough, but then there are societal values and pressures that blur the line between genuine need and want. Regardless, desire reminds us of the deep hunger or dissatisfaction that resides at the core of our being. These longings speak of a restless hunger for something more, even when we have abundance and are seemingly well-fed.

Continue reading Ravi Zacharias Ministry – Longing for More →

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Confrontation Can Be Loving

Leave a comment

If your brother wrongs you, go and show him his fault, between you and him privately. If he listens to you, you have won back your brother. —Matthew 18:15

When Dave and I got married, I was a nightmare to get along with. I just wanted to stay in control because I thought that was the only way I could keep from being hurt. Plus I have a pretty aggressive personality to begin with, so that combined with a lot of dysfunction in my background did not make me a very nice woman.

Dave, on the other hand, is a real peace-lover and very easy to get along with. For a lot of years, he went about being happy and didn’t really say too much to me while I acted badly. I believe God gave him extra patience with me because He knew the hurt I had in my life. Sometimes God calls us to put up with some things for a while, while we are praying and waiting on Him. To be honest, if Dave had confronted me in the first month we were married I would have just left him because I didn’t know any better. So there was a purpose in God not asking him to confront me right away. But you need to confront when God tells you to.

After a few years, God showed Dave it was time to confront me. Dave explained to me, “God has dealt with me that I can no longer let you get by with talking to me the way you do and acting the way you do. You’re not going to get everything your way, and things must change.” And they did. It took time, but little by little, I changed.

I was very angry when Dave confronted me. But by then I was loved by Jesus enough and I knew enough of His Word to know that Dave was right—I knew that my behavior was wrong—but if he would have never confronted me, even though I knew that it was wrong, I don’t know if I would have ever changed. So sometimes you are not doing somebody else a favor by not confronting them. It was the right thing for Dave to do for me. And even though I didn’t like it and I got mad, Dave was right to listen to God. And we are doing the work we do today because of it.

Trust in Him: Confrontation is usually not easy for the one doing the confronting, or the one being confronted, but it is an important part of spiritual growth. Follow God’s lead and confront when He shows you it is time, and do it in love!

From the book Trusting God Day by Day by Joyce Meyer

 

http://www.joycemeyer.org

Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – Mercy and Grace

Leave a comment

“Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16).

Though prayer has been a vital, integral part of my life since I became a Christian, I am always discovering new challenges and new facets of prayer. I find one of the most powerful, exciting and fulfilling privileges God has given to man to be that of prayer based on the authority of God’s Word.

Man instinctively prays, even if only to false gods built of sticks and stones. Whenever he is faced with tragedy, heartache, sorrow or danger, he prays.

There is a serious danger in this “ignorant” kind of praying, however. It is a well-established fact of philosophy and history that man always assimilates the moral character of the object he worships. People who have prayed to gods of blood, fire and war have become militaristic, ruthless and sadistic.

This same principle applies to the Christian, who can pray to the one true God. “As we behold His [Christ’s] face, we are changed into the same image from glory to glory.” This explains the scriptural emphasis of praying worshipfully to the only true, righteous, holy and loving God.

In spite of this potential metamorphosis, however, the lives of few Christians today are impotent and fruitless compared to those of the first century. This is because the average Christian spends so little time at the throne of grace, so little time beholding the face of our Lord. And, as a result, he does not really believe that mercy and grace are available to enable him to live a supernatural life.

Bible Reading: Hebrews 3:1-6

TODAY’S ACTION POINT: Knowing I can come boldly to the throne of grace and receive mercy, cleansing, forgiveness and help for my every need, challenge and opportunity – from my Lord Jesus Himself, our great high priest – I will spend more time in His presence and not be satisfied with an impotent, fruitless life.

 

http://www.cru.org

Wisdom Hunters

Wisdom Hunters – A Pluralistic Nation United by Faith in God

Leave a comment

Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. Hebrews 13:7-8

Will we follow the faith of our nation’s founding fathers or will we cower to the smug elites who delight in satirizing our faith in Christ? Better to become like our leaders who made America great by their goodness, great by their gumption and great by their love of country—than be shamed by those who deride religion as a sham. Our pluralistic society can experience a unified spirit with humility, respect for one another and faith in Holy God.

Our nation’s soul is experiencing a crisis of faith in God. Once a God-fearing country, we have traded our faith in the Almighty for faith in ourselves. Once a country of engaging neighbors, we have isolated our homes from human contact and snuggled up by ourselves with our phones. When we do interact with people, we talk about the nasty other people. Can we let go of the need to feel superior and instead respect those different from ourselves? The Lord’s love is long-suffering toward all, so can we give up the self-serving sport of cowardly name calling? Love is patient.

The writer of Hebrews gives us a solution to those who seek our culture’s systemic extermination of faith in God. Consider the outcomes of the lives of the faithful who went before us; faith that took the gospel of Jesus Christ all across this great land, so love of God and love of fellow man became as common as a chicken in every pot. Faith that fought for freedom at home and abroad. Faith that pioneered space exploration, railroads, interstates and air travel. Faith that survived a depression and multiple recessions. Faith that embraced religious liberty and racial equality.

Continue reading Wisdom Hunters – A Pluralistic Nation United by Faith in God →

Denison Forum

Denison Forum – How America can remain ‘the land of the free’

Leave a comment

Thank a soldier for your freedom. That’s how a highway sign I saw recently encouraged us to celebrate Independence Day. The sign is right: More than 1.2 million Americans have died in defense of the freedoms we cherish today. Every soldier serving our nation is someone to whom we owe more than we can pay.

But the courage America requires began before there was an America.

In preparation for Independence Day, I have been reading John B. Boles’s magnificent biography, Jefferson: Architect of American Liberty. Boles reminds us that the act which created America was high treason against the British. When delegates to the Second Continental Congress met in Philadelphia 241 years ago to adopt the Declaration of Independence, they knew they could pay for their patriotism with their lives.

According to Boles, “By the second week of June, [the delegates] were aware that a British flotilla of 132 ships was headed for New York City. On July 1––just before beginning to consider the final draft of the declaration––Congress learned that a squadron of fifty-three British ships had arrived off the coast of Charleston.”

When the delegates declared our nation’s independence, Britain had the strongest military in the world. Their navy dominated the world’s oceans. Most Indian tribes sided with the British, who promised to protect their tribal lands.

Continue reading Denison Forum – How America can remain ‘the land of the free’ →

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley –Confidence in Times of Distress

Leave a comment

Psalm 46:1-11

“I’m out of here!” Most of us will feel like crying out this way at some point in life. When a demanding circumstance feels overwhelming, or when the pressure of the daily routine seems unbearable, a common reaction is the desire to escape. Whether the stress is related to a job, relationship, or other situation that seems too hard to handle, we want relief. So we decide we are walking out. Moving on. Heading for anywhere but where we are now.

The Father has a powerful truth for us: The way to handle stressful situations is to cease fighting against them and instead be at rest. To the psalmist, this meant being still and knowing God is truly God (Psalm 46:10 NIV). Jesus promises peace in the midst of trials when we let go of troubles and entrust them to His care. (See Matt. 11:28-30; John 16:33.) So, while human instinct clamors for escape, God calls us to draw near to Him. Then we can discover calmness of spirit as we absorb the truth of His Word.

Most of all, the Lord wants us to know who He is. As we believe the truth of His sovereignty (1 Chronicles 29:11) and accept both the absolute goodness of His plans (Jer. 29:11) and His deep, abiding love for us (Eph. 3:17-19), we will grow in our trust of Him. Then we will find it easier to be still and truly know He is God.

Our stress need not become distress. The better we understand our heavenly Father, the more we’ll be able to walk through circumstances with calmness (Phil. 4:7) and confidence (Jer. 17:7 NIV). This is our privilege as God’s children.

Bible In One Year: Psalm 119

 

http://www.intouch.org/

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — Destroying the Divides

Leave a comment

Read: Joshua 7:1–12

Bible in a Year: Job 25–27; Acts 12

I will not be with you anymore unless you destroy whatever among you is devoted to destruction.—Joshua 7:12

A writing deadline loomed over me, while the argument I had with my husband earlier that morning swirled through my mind. I stared at the blinking cursor, fingertips resting on the keyboard. He was wrong too, Lord.

When the computer screen went black, my reflection scowled. My unacknowledged wrongs were doing more than hindering the work before me. They were straining my relationship with my husband and my God.

I grabbed my cell phone, swallowed my pride, and asked for forgiveness. Savoring the peace of reconciliation when my spouse apologized as well, I thanked God and finished my article on time.

The Israelites experienced the pain of personal sin and joy of restoration. Joshua warned God’s people not to enrich themselves in the battle for Jericho (Josh. 6:18), but Achan stole captured items and hid them in his tent (7:1). Only after his sin was exposed and dealt with (vv. 4-12) did the nation enjoy reconciliation with their God.

Like Achan, we don’t always consider how “tucking sin into our tents” turns our hearts from God and impacts those around us. Acknowledging Jesus as Lord, admitting our sin, and seeking forgiveness provides the foundation for healthy and faithful relationships with God and others. By submitting to our loving Creator and Sustainer daily, we can serve Him and enjoy His presence—together. —Xochitl Dixon

Lord, please help us recognize, confess, and turn away from our sin, so that we can nurture loving relationships with You and others.

God can purge our hearts of the sin that destroys our intimacy with Him and others.

 

http://www.odb.org

Ravi Zacharias

Ravi Zacharias Ministry – The Labor of Sight

Leave a comment

Levi Yitzchok of Berditchev was a nineteenth-century rabbi known for his mastery of an unwieldy Mishnaic teaching. To carry one’s self with the ayin tovah, or the “good eye,” is to see in a certain light the world and everyone in it. One scholar describes it as the choice “to intentionally focus on what is most pure in each person—to see their highest and holiest potential.”(1) Rabbi Yitzchok was beloved for his good eye, utilized even in cases where virtue seemed entirely wanting and holiness altogether deficient. As one author describes, “He’d roust the local drunk from his stupor on High Holy Days, seat him at the head of the table, and respectfully ask for his wisdom… He extended his caring to all, whether powerful or impoverished, scholarly or simple, righteous or reprobate.”(2) In minds often besieged by warring sides, opinions ad nauseam, and defensive or disparaging thoughts, the good eye is indeed a shift of perception.

I appreciate stories that remind me to keep my eyes opened for all that can be seen but can just as easily be missed. How we learn to see the world, how we labor to see and know the world, is profoundly important. Despite the perseverance of goodness, beauty, and truth around us, the collective wisdom of sociologists, philosophers, historians, and artists all indicates that contemporary culture is structurally estranged from the transcendent. Learning to see with the good eye may well be a difficult feat without mindful effort and practice. But could it not be an entirely transformative art for both the seer and the world being seen?

Continue reading Ravi Zacharias Ministry – The Labor of Sight →

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – His Peace, My Responsibility

Leave a comment

Peace I leave with you; My [own] peace I now give and bequeath to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. [Stop allowing yourselves to be agitated and disturbed; and do not permit yourselves to be fearful and intimidated and cowardly and unsettled.] —John 14:27

Perhaps you have never thought about how important it is to manage your emotions. I imagine we all think, I can’t help how I act when I am having a hard time. That is a normal human reaction, but with God on your side helping you, you don’t have to behave the way a “normal” person would.

It is obvious from Jesus’ words in John 14:27 that He desires for you to have wonderful peace, but please notice He is also giving you a responsibility. He wants you to choose to control the negative emotions that can steal your peace. You cannot always control your circumstances, but you can control yourself with God’s help.

Power Thought: God has given me His peace, and I will walk in it.

From the book the book Power Thoughts Devotional by Joyce Meyer.

 

http://www.joycemeyer.org

Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – Mercy and Grace

Leave a comment

“Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16).

Though prayer has been a vital, integral part of my life since I became a Christian, I am always discovering new challenges and new facets of prayer. I find one of the most powerful, exciting and fulfilling privileges God has given to man to be that of prayer based on the authority of God’s Word.

Man instinctively prays, even if only to false gods built of sticks and stones. Whenever he is faced with tragedy, heartache, sorrow or danger, he prays.

There is a serious danger in this “ignorant” kind of praying, however. It is a well-established fact of philosophy and history that man always assimilates the moral character of the object he worships. People who have prayed to gods of blood, fire and war have become militaristic, ruthless and sadistic.

This same principle applies to the Christian, who can pray to the one true God. “As we behold His [Christ’s] face, we are changed into the same image from glory to glory.” This explains the scriptural emphasis of praying worshipfully to the only true, righteous, holy and loving God.

In spite of this potential metamorphosis, however, the lives of few Christians today are impotent and fruitless compared to those of the first century. This is because the average Christian spends so little time at the throne of grace, so little time beholding the face of our Lord. And, as a result, he does not really believe that mercy and grace are available to enable him to live a supernatural life.

Bible Reading: Hebrews 3:1-6

TODAY’S ACTION POINT: Knowing I can come boldly to the throne of grace and receive mercy, cleansing, forgiveness and help for my every need, challenge and opportunity – from my Lord Jesus Himself, our great high priest – I will spend more time in His presence and not be satisfied with an impotent, fruitless life.

 

http://www.cru.org

Max Lucado

Max Lucado – Give God Your Whole Heart

Leave a comment

God gives us more by going deeper than we ask. He not only wants your whole heart—He wants your heart whole. Why? Hurt people hurt people. Think about it. Why do you fly off the handle? Why do you avoid conflict? Why do you seek to please everyone? Might your tendencies have something to do with an unhealed hurt in your heart? God wants to help you for your sake.

Your family history has some sad chapters. But your history doesn’t have to be your future. The generational garbage can stop here and now. You don’t have to give your kids what your ancestors gave you. Talk to God about the scandals and scoundrels. Invite Him to relive the betrayal with you. The process may take a long time. It may take a lifetime. It may be difficult, for certain. But let God do His work!

From You’ll Get Through This

For more inspirational messages please visit Max Lucado.

Home

Denison Forum

Denison Forum – New mother’s death leads to amazing generosity

Leave a comment

Megan Johnson received a heart transplant at the age of twenty-three. The next year, she married a Christian musician named Nathan Johnson and moved to Nashville.

Last week, she gave birth to a girl named Eilee Kate. She and her husband were ecstatic, posting pictures of their baby online. Later that morning, Megan died. The cause of her death has not yet been determined.

Josh Wilson, leader of the Christian band in which Nathan plays, told reporters: “We have grieved in hope, but we believe Meg is with Jesus and one day we will be too, so that is how we grieve with hope.” He started a GoFundMe account to help Nathan with expenses and give him some time at home.

As of this morning, the fund has raised $401,500.

On the eve of our nation’s Independence Day, there are many reasons why I am thankful for the United States of America. Our historic commitment to religious liberty, our passion for individual freedom, and our natural beauty and resources are gifts to Americans and the world.

But I am especially grateful for the benevolence of our people.

Continue reading Denison Forum – New mother’s death leads to amazing generosity →

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – A Mighty Servant of God

Leave a comment

 

Ephesians 4:17-24

To become God’s mighty servants, we must decide whether we will base our life on His priorities or the world’s. The two are incompatible.

Before salvation, people typically live according to whatever the flesh desires, indulging themselves with food, entertainment, and material goods. Promoting self-gratification, our culture maintains that everyone is the center of his own universe and can decide what is right for himself.

Scripture teaches the opposite: to put God above all else and “regard one another as more important than yourselves” (Matt. 6:33; Phil. 2:3). So how do we give God top priority? Jesus says it means loving Him wholeheartedly, denying ourselves, and following Him (Matt. 16:24; Matt. 22:37-39). That includes generosity. Instead of encouraging us to acquire money and possessions, He teaches that giving brings far more blessings than receiving (Acts 20:35).

How can we know we are becoming spiritually stronger? First, we’ll be less attracted to the ungodly practices of our world and will yearn to be more like Jesus. Next, we will start replacing ungodly habits with activities that please the Lord. Then, we’ll begin to comprehend some of the deeper biblical truths and apply them in our life. Finally, our spiritual discernment will improve. With the Spirit’s help, we will more easily recognize unrighteous ideas and behavior.

Do you want to become mighty in spirit? If so, spend time in the Scriptures learning what is important to God. Then ask Him to transform you into the person He has designed you to be.

Bible In One Year: Psalm 112-118

 

http://www.intouch.org/

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — Taking Shortcuts

Leave a comment

Read: Luke 9:57–62

Bible in a Year: Job 22–24; Acts 11

Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.—Luke 9:23

Sipping her tea, Nancy gazed out her friend’s window and sighed. Spring rains and sunshine had coaxed a riotous expanse of color from a well-groomed flowerbed of lilies, phlox, irises, and evening primrose.

“I want that look,” she said wistfully, “without all the work.”

Some shortcuts are fine—even practical. Others short-circuit our spirit and deaden our lives. We want romance without the difficulties and messiness of committing to someone so different from ourselves. We want “greatness” without the risks and failures necessary in the adventure of real life. We desire to please God, but not when it inconveniences us.

Jesus made clear to His followers that there is no shortcut that avoids the hard choice of surrendering our lives to Him. He warned a prospective disciple, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God” (Luke 9:62). To follow Christ requires a radical altering of our loyalties.

When we turn in faith to Jesus, the work just begins. But it is oh-so-worth-it, for He also told us that no one who sacrifices “for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age . . . and in the age to come eternal life” (Mark 10:29-30). The work of following Christ is difficult, but He’s given us His Spirit and the reward is a full, joyful life now and forever. —Tim Gustafson

Father, I will find the strength to do the work You have for me to do, only as I rely on Your Holy Spirit. Help me, please, to be sensitive to that today.

Most things worth doing are difficult.

INSIGHT: Although the Holy Spirit is spoken of throughout the Bible, two particular portions of Scripture offer us a wealth of insight about this wonderful Person—John 14-16 and Romans 8. In His Upper Room Discourse with His disciples (John 14-16), Jesus says the Spirit is a gift from the Father who has come to be our Comforter/Advocate (14:16-17). This Helper is also described as the “Spirit of truth” who takes up residence within each of God’s children so that we are never abandoned (vv. 17-18). In John 16, our Lord adds that the Spirit will convict the world and point us to the Savior, while guiding us into truth (vv. 7-14). In Romans 8, Paul reinforces these ideas by saying that the Spirit is the source of our life (vv. 2, 11), the evidence of our new relationship with our Father (vv. 9, 14-16), and One who intercedes for us when we pray so that our prayers line up with the Father’s purposes (vv. 26-27).In what area of your life do you need the Spirit’s presence and guidance? Bill Crowder

 

http://www.odb.org

Kids 4 Truth

Kids 4 Truth International – God Deserves Praise for His Works

Leave a comment

“My mouth shall speak the praise of the LORD: and let all flesh bless his holy name for ever and ever.” (Psalm 145:21)

As part of their aquarium tour, Maria and her dad had watched a video presentation about deep sea life. Maria loved seeing all the pictures of the colorful fish that swim around coral reefs. She loved seeing the dolphins leap above the waves in pairs and hearing the strange songs that the whales sing deep in the sea.

But she began to notice that the narrator of the presentation never said anything about God. He talked about how amazing the sea creatures were. He talked about how mysterious their habits and lifestyles were. But he never once talked about the God who created them. Instead, he said they had formed all by themselves over billions of years and that “Mother Nature” had given them certain abilities.

When the video was over, Dad looked at Maria. “What did you think of that?” he asked.

“I liked seeing all the animals, but I don’t think that man on the video knew God,” she said.

“You’re right. He didn’t give God any praise for all of the wonderful undersea life He created,” said Dad. “The sad thing is, there are thousands of people in the world today who would agree with him – people who don’t believe that there could be a real God.”

They walked out to the large “touch tank” where people could pick up sea urchins and crabs and hold them in their hands. The lady at the tank asked Maria if she wanted to hold a sea urchin. Maria held out her hand, and the lady placed a round, spiny creature in her palm. The sea urchin moved his spines gently back and forth, and they tickled her fingers. “What do you think of him?” the lady asked.

“He’s wonderful,” said Maria. “God did a great job of creating him!”

God deserves praise from us for all of His works, and for Who He is. Psalm 145 tells us it is right for us to speak to others about our wonderful God and the things He does. When we are careful to praise Him and give Him credit for what He does, we honor His name.

God deserves to be praised by all creatures, especially those who know Him.

My Response:

» Am I careful to give God praise and credit for His works?

» Am I ever ashamed to speak about Him when I’m around unbelievers?

 

http://kids4truth.com/home.aspx