Tag Archives: human-rights

Ray Stedman

Ray Stedman -Everlasting Love

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Read: Jeremiah 31:1-22

I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness… Is not Ephraim my dear son, the child in whom I delight? Though I often speak against him, I still remember him. Therefore my heart yearns for him; I have great compassion for him, declares the Lord. Jeremiah 31:3, 20

As a Father who cannot forget his son — no matter how sharply he must reprimand him, but whose heart is tender toward him — so God is tender toward his people. And behind the darkness and the distress is the everlasting love of God. This phrase, I have loved you with an everlasting love, is very beautiful. The word everlasting is one of those words which baffle us. Even in the original language it is difficult to define. Everlasting connotes more than duration, means more than merely eternal; it has in it an element of mystery. Let your mind run back into the past over all the years of history, and you come to a place where finally you just cannot think any further. Yet logic affirms that even beyond this point there has been existence and time. This is what everlasting means. Let your mind run into the future, and you come to the same kind of haziness, a place where you no longer can comprehend what the ages mean, where times and durations seem meaningless. That is the vanishing point in the future, beyond which lie experiences for God’s people, but which we are unable to grasp. That is the mystery of this word, everlasting. It is a word which means, beyond dimension,greater than we can think. This is what Paul is expressing in Ephesians: …that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have the power to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, (Ephesians 3:18-19a RSV).

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Words of Hope

Words of Hope – Daily Devotional – Singing for Joy

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Read: Psalm 96

Then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy. (v. 12)

The tall eastern white pine, a favorite home for bald eagles, whistles its familiar tune when the west wind blows through its bundles of long needles, singing praise to the God who made it. The smooth-barked American beech, whose nuts are sought after by grouse, raccoons, and bear, slowly bends in the breeze, bowing in reverence to the God who tends it.

The broad-crowned white oak, whose acorns are nourishment for famished turkeys, squirrels, and deer, turns red-brown each autumn as the days grow shorter, saying thank you to the God who nourishes it. The crooked crab apple, its white-pink flowers exploding with color each spring, hunkers down close to the ground, glorifying the God who rejuvenates it.

The giant sequoia, by volume the world’s largest living tree, whose bark is 20 inches thick, whose crown is more than 300 feet above the ground, who was an adult long before Jesus was born, in whose presence one can only gaze slack-jawed and stone silent—this Tree of trees sings for joy to God, the Maker and Sustainer and Redeemer of all.

All the trees of the forest shall sing for joy. In this hymn of praise to our Lord, Maker of heaven and earth, all creatures—human and nonhuman—worship God. So be it. Amen!

Prayer:

O Lord, help us, your human earthkeepers, to live in such a way that all the trees of the forest shall sing to you for joy.

Author: Steven Bouma-Prediger

 

https://woh.org/

Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – True Conversion

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“And when people escape from the wicked ways of the world by learning about our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and then get tangled up with sin and become its slave again, they are worse off than before.”—2 Peter 2:20

Sometimes we hear about well-known people who claim to have made a commitment to Jesus Christ. Often, it is around election time. When they address Christians, they speak of their great faith in God. After the elections, we seldom hear about it again.

Then there are people who say they are believers, but a month or two later, they go back to their old ways again. They say, “I tried Christianity, but it didn’t work for me.” But in reality, they never really found Christ.

Others will turn to God when they hit hard times. Awhile later, you see them going back to their old ways, and you wonder what happened. I would suggest that many of these people never were converted at all. They went through the motions, but Jesus Christ never became a part of their lives. Often, they end up worse than before.

When Jesus Christ truly comes into our lives, He takes up residence. And He doesn’t just do a basic housecleaning; He does a thorough one. There is real change. But when a house has only been swept, that is, when someone has made only moral changes, he or she is still vulnerable to the enemy. This is why we must recognize the futility of simply turning over a new leaf or making a few new resolutions. We must realize the problem is deeper than our moral sins. We must get to the heart of the matter and have Jesus Christ take residence in our lives and change us from the inside out.

 

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

 

Kids 4 Truth

Kids 4 Truth International – God Has Taken Away the Sting of Death

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“O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Corinthians 15:55-57)

Camille was riding in the car with her daddy. Since it was a beautiful summer day, the windows were partially down. All of a sudden a big bee came in through an open window. Camille immediately began to panic because she was very allergic to bee stings – she could die if the bee stung her!

Camille’s father knew what he needed to do. He watched the bee carefully. As the bee flew up near the windshield it landed on the dashboard for a brief second. With reflexes like lightning, Camille’s father cupped his hand right on top of that bee! And then he kept his hand there. Waiting. Waiting. Waiting. Until…ZING! “Ouch!” the father shouted as he lifted up his hand and let the bee go.

“Daddy, daddy!” screamed Camille. “The bee will sting me! Help!”

“No, honey,” replied her father. “He can’t sting you any longer. The bee only had one sting – and guess where it is?”

“Where?” asked Camille.

With that, her father reached out his hand with his palm up and allowed his daughter to inspect it. There, in the middle of his hand was a small stinger. Although the bee was still buzzing around, it could no longer sting Camille because that kind of bee had only one sting to give. Camille’s father took away the sting of the bee and rescued his little girl.

Camille was both happy and sad all at once. Can you guess why? She was happy because she realized that the bee was now powerless to hurt her. She was sad because she realized that her father had taken the painful sting for her.

“Do you know what the bee has done?” Camille’s dad asked.

“What?” asked Camille.

“The bee has stung himself to death!” Camille looked confused. Her father carefully explained to her that that kind of bee will die soon after it uses its stinger.

Just like the bee stung itself to death, so death itself has “stung itself to death” at the cross. That’s hard to understand, but it simply means we do not have to fear what happens after we die. We do not have to fear that death has power over us. Jesus has power over sin and death, and He proved it on the cross!

Jesus has taken away the sting of death by taking sin and death upon Himself, and then single-handedly beating them both. He proved His victory over them by rising from the grave! Christ is more powerful than sin and death. Because of Christ’s victory over death, we can be assured that if we have faith in Christ, we will also rise from the grave someday and share in eternal life with Him.

Because of Christ, death has no lasting power over the Christian.

My Response:

» How is what Camille’s father did for her much like what Christ did for us?

» How did Camille respond to her father’s sacrifice? How have I responded to Christ’s sacrifice for me?

 

http://kids4truth.com/home.aspx

The Navigators

The Navigators – Jerry Bridges – Holiness Day by Day Devotional – A Heart Warmed for Work

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Today’s Scripture: Psalm 119:32

“I will run in the way of your commandments when you enlarge my heart!”

We must keep going back to his grace. Only the grace of God revealed in the Gospel of Jesus Christ will give us the courage to get up again and keep on going even after we have failed for the umpteenth time. Only grace will allow us to be as honest about our sin as David was about his.

The desire to engage in the discipline of mortification comes only from the gratitude and joy of knowing that, however miserably I’ve failed, God’s grace is greater than my sin.

The godly Scottish pastor Horatius Bonar expressed it this way: “It is forgiveness that sets a man working for God. He does not work in order to be forgiven, but because he has been forgiven, and the consciousness of his sin being pardoned makes him long more for its entire removal than ever he did before. An unforgiven man cannot work. He has not the will, nor the power, nor the liberty. He is in chains. a forgiven man is the true worker, the true law-keeper. He can, he will, he must work for God. He has come into contact with that part of God’s character which warms his cold heart. Forgiving love constrains him. He cannot but work for him who has removed his sins from him as far as the east is from the west. Forgiveness has made him a free man, and given him a new and most loving Master. Forgiveness, received freely from the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, acts as a spring, an impulse, a stimulus of divine potency. It is more irresistible than law, or terror, or threat.”

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The Navigators

The Navigators – Leroy Eims – Daily Discipleship Devotional – Christ’s Death

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Today’s Scripture: John 19:1-37

He was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. – Isaiah 53:5

I’ve always enjoyed reading the history of the Old West. The days of Custer, Doc Holliday, and Wyatt Earp hold a special fascination for me. I’ve been to the site of the O.K. Corral, but there is one tragic story in Western history that I can’t forget.

It concerns a young woman from Boston who came west in a stagecoach to teach school in a frontier town. Out on the prairie, a gang of drunken outlaws intercepted the stage, killed the drivers, and took the young woman to an abandoned shack, where they raped and beat her throughout the night.

Can you possibly imagine the revulsion, the shame, the pain and agony she went through? Here was an innocent, refined, young woman suddenly thrust into a world so horrifying it defied description. That scene has helped me imagine just a fraction of the agony of Jesus on the cross, where on a tragic day He was made sin for us as He suffered and died for you and me.

The physical agony was great, but it did not compare with the agony that was His when all the sin and moral filth of the world was laid on Him, and His spotless soul–which had known only the purity and glory of His home in heaven–was made sin on our behalf. He died that we might live.

Jesus took our sin and clothed us in the robes of His own eternal righteousness. We can echo the apostle Paul when He wrote, “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:1).

Prayer

Lord, You are my righteousness. Amen.

To Ponder

We cannot fully comprehend what it meant for Jesus Christ to be made sin for us–to be forsaken by God, when He took on all the filth of the world that ever was and ever would be. But now He is risen to His glory and is sitting at the right hand of the Father.

 

https://www.navigators.org/Home

BreakPoint

BreakPoint – Faith at the Olympics: Rio’s Best Kept Secret

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We’ve all heard the story of Eric Liddell, who turned down an opportunity for Olympic gold at the Paris Games in 1924 in order to honor His Savior. It was Liddell who famously said, “God made me fast. And when I run, I feel His pleasure.”

Well, this summer in Rio de Janeiro, there’s been a whole lot of running, jumping, swimming, and competing by athletes seeking to honor Jesus Christ. Not that you’ve heard much about it from the “mainstream” media. I spoke about this media blackout with my friend Terry Mattingly, who’s one of today’s foremost religion journalists. Terry told me, “If these athletes make faith a part of their story, how do you leave out faith when telling their story?” Come to BreakPoint.org for a link to the podcast.

Now, I’ve already told you the story of super-swimmer Michael Phelps, who reached the pinnacle of sports and found it hollow—and then contemplated suicide. But Phelps found a reason to live when Ray Lewis gave him a copy of “The Purpose-Driven Life,” by Rick Warren. Michael’s story reminds us of the role that God’s people have as bringers of hope and agents of restoration.

There have been many such reminders in Rio. Fiji dominated Great Britain, 43-7 in rugby, earning the island country’s first-ever gold medal. Then the winning players huddled and sang, both in English and Fijian: “We have overcome / We have overcome / By the blood of the Lamb / And the Word of the Lord / We have overcome.” Then they received their medals humbly—on their knees!

In the women’s 10,000 meters race, Almaz Ayana, from Ethiopia, obliterated the previous world record by 14 seconds. Responding to unfounded rumors about cheating, Almaz retorted, “My doping is my training and my doping is Jesus. Nothing otherwise —I am crystal clear.”

American swimmer Simone Manuel set an Olympic record in the 100-meter freestyle, becoming the first African-American woman to win gold as a swimmer, the first African-American woman to win a medal in an individual swimming event, and the first American to win the 100-meter since 1984. After the race she said, with tears rolling down her cheeks, “All I can say is all glory to God.”

Continue reading BreakPoint – Faith at the Olympics: Rio’s Best Kept Secret →

Moody Global Ministries

Moody Global Ministries – Today in the Word – THE TRINITY AND THE SENDING OF THE TWELVE

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Read MATTHEW 10:5–20

Believers around the world today are suffering for the sake of the gospel. The Spectator, a British publication, called it “the war on Christians.” They reported that the secular International Society for Human Rights estimates that 80 percent of all acts of religious discrimination globally are directed at Christians. Each year for the decade preceding 2013, an average of 100,000 Christians were martyred—that’s eleven Christians every hour of every day.

No wonder Jesus said He was sending His followers out as “sheep among wolves” (Matt. 10:16)! As in yesterday’s devotion, in today’s reading we see the entire Trinity involved in spreading the good news of the kingdom. The sending of the Twelve, unlike the sending of the 72, was limited to the Jews (vv. 5–8), not because God’s love excluded Gentiles (see v. 18) but simply because “the lost sheep of Israel” were to hear first (see Rom. 1:16).

The Father is involved because the “kingdom of heaven” is His kingdom. The promises being fulfilled are His promises. The day of judgment that awaits unbelievers is His day of judgment. The Spirit is involved because He was sent by the Father. He will give faithful believers wisdom about what to say when they are persecuted (vv. 16–20). And the Son is involved, of course, because He Himself is the promised Messiah. With this mission, He was training His twelve disciples in proclaiming the kingdom, trusting God and God’s people to provide, and facing opposition (vv. 9–15).

Bearing witness to the kingdom was and is more important than mere safety. The Good Shepherd sends us, too, out as faithful sheep among the wolves of the world. Thankfully, we, too, can rely upon the Spirit of our Father to speak through us!

APPLY THE WORD

As we pray for the persecuted church around the world, consider joining with a prayer partner to intercede for believers who are oppressed. Just as Jesus’ followers were sent out in pairs, praying with a partner can be encouraging and powerful. “For where two or three gather in my name,” Jesus said, “there am I with them” (Matt. 18:20).

 

http://www.todayintheword.org

Denison Forum

Denison Forum – WHY YOU SHOULD SEE ‘BEN-HUR’

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Ben-Hur opened in theaters last Friday. You probably know that the plot involves a chariot race and may wonder why you need to know more. You likely have not heard of any of the actors apart from Morgan Freeman. The film has generally not received positive reviews from critics.

So, why do you need to see the movie?

Let’s begin with some cultural snapshots. Only 35 percent of Americans believe that absolute moral truth even exists. As a result, we’re told that we should tolerate all behaviors that do not harm us personally. Of course, such tolerance does not extend to those who do believe in moral truth.

For instance, this morning’s Wall Street Journal reports that the Zika virus is renewing the debate over late-term abortions. Florida Sen. Marco Rubio said earlier this month that he opposed abortion for pregnant women infected with the virus. Pro-abortion advocates rebuked and ridiculed him, calling his position “outrageous.”

Maj. Steve Lewis is an officer at Colorado’s Peterson Air Force Base. He was recently forced to remove an open Bible on his desk after the Military Religious Freedom Foundation protested against his “around-the-clock Christian Bible Shrine.”

In a culture that rejects objective morality, we should not be surprised that our culture is becoming less moral all the time. CNN reports that Huntington, West Virginia has seen twenty-seven heroin overdoses in four hours this morning. Today’s New York Times has a review of Frank Ocean’s latest musical album and recent photography, noting that “sexual fluidity and ambiguity play key parts in the new projects” and that his magazine is filled with nudity.

In a culture which rejects moral truth, we can choose to be silent and let society reap what it sows. We can choose to be belligerent with our witness. Or we can find creative and persuasive ways to share God’s love.

My wife and I saw Ben-Hur Friday and were very impressed with the script, acting, and production. We were not surprised that Roma Downey and Mark Burnett helped produce the film. Having visited the Holy Land more than twenty times, I can tell you that Ben-Hur captures well the topography and culture of the New Testament era.

Here’s why I think critics have generally not been positive, and why it’s important that Christians see the movie: its underlying theme is reconciliation with God and with each other. And our conflicted and deceived culture needs that message more than it knows.

Critics who are callous to the gospel are not likely to welcome another film that presents the good news, even though the movie’s message is both subtle and realistic. As Paul observed, “The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned” (1 Corinthians 2:14).

That’s why it’s so important that believers find every way we can to share the good news effectively with our hopeless world. If they will not come to us, we must go to them. Mark Burnett and Roma Downey used their platform to show how God’s love can heal shattered lives and relationships. Their work is a clarion call for Christians to use our influence to do the same.

Lost people deserve to know the good news of God’s transforming love. “How are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard?” (Romans 10:14).

How, indeed?

Denison Forum

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – The Patience of God

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2 Peter 3:8-9

God’s seemingly slow reaction to sin is often puzzling to believers. Why doesn’t He immediately punish those who violate His principles? The answer is found in today’s passage—the Lord is patient so that all people have an opportunity to repent (2 Pet. 3:9).

In our humanness, we at times want people to suffer for wrongdoing. Jonah ran away from his duty to preach in Nineveh, because he expected that if the inhabitants repented, his gracious, compassionate God would relent about destroying the city. And that is precisely what came to pass. Instead of rejoicing in the Lord’s success, the prophet complained about His treating the Ninevites with patience and mercy (Jonah 4:2).

Jonah was angry at God despite the fact that he himself had received divine mercy. (Unpleasant though it was, there are worse forms of discipline than being swallowed and regurgitated by a fish.)

More often than not, believers have ample reason to be thankful that the Lord, unlike human beings, is slow to anger. When we are stubborn and unrepentant, He waits patiently for us to respond to conviction. Discipline is painful to both the recipient and the one carrying it out. God prefers that we see the error of our choices, stop thinking that we’re getting away with sin, and turn back to His righteous path.

The Lord places a high value on repentance and maintaining fellowship. However, His justice demands a penalty. Do not wait for discipline. Instead, do what’s right, and turn your heart toward God.

Bible in One Year: Jeremiah 41-45

 

 

http://www.intouch.org/

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — Let Us

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Read: Hebrews 10:19–25 | Bible in a Year: Psalms 107–109; 1 Corinthians 4

Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Hebrews 10:24

While standing in line for a popular attraction at Disneyland, I noticed that most people were talking and smiling instead of complaining about the long wait. It made me ponder what made waiting in that line an enjoyable experience. The key seemed to be that very few people were there by themselves. Instead, friends, families, groups, and couples were sharing the experience, which was far different than standing in line alone.

The Christian life is meant to be lived in company with others, not alone. Hebrews 10:19–25 urges us to live in community with other followers of Jesus. “Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings . . . . Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together” (vv. 22–25). In community we reassure and reinforce each other, “encouraging one another” (v. 25).

The Christian life is meant to be lived in company with others, not alone.

Even our most difficult days can become a meaningful part of our journey of faith when others share them with us. Don’t face life alone. Let us travel together.

Lord, may we fulfill Your calling today by walking the road of faith and encouragement with others.

Life in Christ is meant to be a shared experience.

INSIGHT:

The Jewish temple represented God’s presence among His people. It was the center of religious life for the Jews. It was a place of corporate worship, the place where sacrifices were made, and the central structure around which yearly festivals and daily prayers took place. The temple construction and sacrificial system clearly meant to illustrate the separation sin had caused between the Creator and creation, but according to the writer of the book of Hebrews this temple and system were merely shadows (Heb. 10:1) of the reality that has come in Christ. Because of Christ the barriers no longer apply. God the Son has come near, and by His blood all believers regardless of gender, station, or nationality can come into the presence of almighty God.

 

http://www.odb.org

John MacArthur

John MacArthur – Strength for Today – A Little Piece of Bread

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“Let your character be free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for [the Lord] Himself has said, ‘I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you’” (Hebrews 13:5).

God promises to provide for all your needs.

In World War II the death of many adults left many orphans. At the close of the war, the Allies provided some camps to feed the orphans and to try and find a place to relocate them. The children began to develop and grow, receiving the finest food and care. But in one of the camps, the officials became perplexed because the children couldn’t sleep. They would eat three good meals, but at night they would lie awake. The camp authorities brought in some doctors to do a study of these orphans to find out why they couldn’t sleep.

The doctors came up with a solution. Every night when the little children were put to bed, someone would come down the row of beds and place in each little hand a piece of bread. So the last thing the children experienced at night was grasping a piece of bread. In a matter of days they were all sleeping through the night. Why? Even though they were fed to the full during the day, experience had taught them that there was no hope for tomorrow. When they had that bread tucked in their hands, they knew that at least they would have breakfast the next day.

Similarly, God has given you a piece of bread for your hand. That bread is this promise: “My God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:19). If you have that piece of bread in your hand, you can sleep.

You don’t need to stockpile for the future. God is the owner of everything in the world, and He controls all the assets to provide for you because you are His child. Life for the Christian consists not in the abundance of things he possesses (Luke 12:15), but in being content with the things that he has (Heb. 13:5).

Suggestions for Prayer

Thank God for His promise to provide for all your needs.

For Further Study

In Psalm 37:25, what was David’s testimony about the Lord?

 

http://www.gty.org

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – The Best Relationship You Can Have

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Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears and listens to and heeds My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will eat with him, and he [will eat] with Me.- Revelation 3:20

We have the great privilege of developing a relationship with God and inviting Him to be a vital part of everything we do, every day. That starts with simple prayer—just talking to Him and sharing your life with Him as you go about the things you have to do. Be thankful that His presence is with you, and include Him in your thoughts, in your conversations, and in all your everyday activities.

When you let God out of the Sunday-morning box that many people keep Him in, letting Him invade your Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and all day Sunday as well, you’ll be amazed at what a difference it will make. Don’t try to keep God in a religious compartment; He wants to have free access to every area of your life. He wants to be involved in every part of your life. He desires an intimate relationship with you.

Prayer of Thanks: I thank You, God, that You love me enough to want to be in relationship with me. I want to share every part of my life with You. Help me to remember that You are with me every minute of the day.

From the book The Power of Being Thankful by Joyce Meyer.

 

http://www.joycemeyer.org

Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – His Ways Will Satisfy 

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“Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but be a new and different person with a fresh newness in all you do and think. Then you will learn from your own experience how His ways will really satisfy you” (Romans 12:2).

“The trouble with living sacrifices,” someone has well said, “is that they keep crawling off the altar.” That may be true. We “crawl off the altar” when we sin, and the only way to put ourselves back on the altar is to breathe spiritually – confess our known sins in accordance with the promise of 1 John 1:9 and appropriate the fullness of the Holy Spirit as we are commanded to do by faith (Ephesians 5:18).

When we do this, we will be living supernaturally and our lives will produce the fruit of the Spirit in great abundance.

Only by being filled with the Spirit, and thus realizing the fruit of the Spirit, can spiritual gifts be effectively utilized in witnessing and building up the Body of Christ.

We begin by totally yielding ourselves by faith to Christ in a full irrevocable surrender to His lordship.

“He died once for all to end sin’s power, but now He lives forever in unbroken fellowship with God. So look upon your old sin-nature as dead and unresponsive to sin, and instead be alive to God, alert to Him, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

“Do not let sin control your puny body any longer; do not give in to its sinful desires. Do not let any part of your bodies become tools of wickedness, to be used for sinning; but give yourselves completely to God – every part of you -for you are back from death and you want to be tools in the hands of God, to be used for His good purposes” (Romans 6:10-13).

Bible Reading: Romans 12:3-18

TODAY’S ACTION POINT: Knowing that God’s ways will really satisfy me, I will seek first His kingdom, resist the devil at his every appearance and watch with joy as he flees.

 

http://www.cru.org

Ray Stedman

Ray Stedman – The Pain that has no Cure

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Read: Jeremiah 30:1-24

Why do you cry out over your wound, your pain that has no cure? Because of your great guilt and many sins I have done these things to you. Jeremiah 30:15

God takes the full responsibility for what happens to Israel. He says, I have done these things to you. It is as though he stands with his hands on his hips and says to them, Look, I’m responsible. Any questions? He says that it is because of their sins, their flagrant sins.

We do not want to read this as though it is something remote from us. If you are inclined to say only, Oh, it’s such a pity what’s going to happen to Israel, remember that this is your story, too. This is the way God works. He deals with Israel this way because this is the way he deals with everybody. There is a scriptural principle reflected here which all too often we forget. Just because judgment does not fall immediately upon people, they think they have gotten by. But Paul says, Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction… (Galatians 6:7-8a). That is inevitable. God does not cancel that out by the forgiveness of sin. That is part of what we call the natural consequences of evil, the temporal judgment of God. It is never canceled out, any more than the rest of what Paul says is canceled out: …whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. (Galatians 6:8b) This is God’s promise for now — not just in heaven some day but now. The joy and glory of life will come to us if we walk in the Spirit, and that is inevitable. But so is the judgment for our sin, the inevitable consequences of our own selfish choices.

This means, of course, that ultimately a recompense comes to us in life now for the evil in which we have indulged our flesh — whether it is blatant, open, sensual evil, or whether it is inward — spiritual pride, bitterness, and all the other sins of the spirit. It makes no difference. Evil brings its own results. As someone has well said, You can pull out the nail driven into the wall, but you can’t pull out the nail hole.

God reminds us here that there will be pain and heartache and trouble because of the evil of our past. The sins of our youth will catch up to us — usually in middle age! And there is no escape. As Kipling has said, The sins that they did two by two, they pay for one by one. God says this is inevitable. It is inevitable for his people Israel; it is inevitable for us as well. Yet even in that trial, God is present in His mercy and grace.

Thank you, Lord, for the lesson I learn as I sometimes must walk through the consequences of my own poor choices. But thank you that your grace is still sufficient even for these things.

Life Application

Are we surprised by the inevitable consequences of our sins? Are we also surprised by joy when the Spirit produces good fruit through our walk with Christ? Do we recognize both as aspects of God’s sovereign initiative?

 

 

http://www.raystedman.org/

Words of Hope

Words of Hope – Daily Devotional – The Palm and the Cedar of Lebanon

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Read: Psalm 92

The righteous flourish like the palm tree and grow like a cedar in Lebanon. (v. 12)

When was the last time you ate a date? What do you recall about the taste, smell, and texture? Do you know where that delicacy came from?

The palm tree mentioned in this psalm is the date palm, one of the most important trees in ancient Israel, for its fruit was high in sugar and very nutritious, its leaves were used for roofing, and its trunk supplied timber. The date palm is 40 to 60 feet tall, with a thick, unbranched trunk and pinnate or feather-like leaves 4 to 6 feet long clustered at the top. It looks similar to the kind of palm trees you may have seen in Florida or Southern California.

The cedar of Lebanon, described two readings ago, was tall, wide, and old. This giant had mythic status for the Israelites as the Tree of trees.

The righteous, says the psalmist, flourish like the palm tree and grow like the cedar of Lebanon. In old age those who embody what is good and right and just still produce fruit and are always green and full of sap. In short, those who walk in the way of the Lord are full of life and are life-giving. Those who embody steadfast love and faithfulness (v. 2) live well. Trees are powerful metaphors for living a godly life.

Prayer:

God of steadfast love and faithfulness, the Righteous One, strengthen us that we may flourish like the palm tree and grow like the cedar of Lebanon.

Author: Steven Bouma-Prediger

 

https://woh.org/

Kids 4 Truth

Kids 4 Truth International – God’s Plans Cannot Be Thwarted

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“Then Job answered the LORD, and said, I know that thou canst do every thing, and that no thought can be withholden from thee.” (Job 42:1-2)

When Job said to God, “I know that thou canst do everything, and that no thought can be withholden from thee,” he was not trying to say that God knows everyone’s thoughts. Of course, God does know every thought we could possibly think, but this verse is teaching us something else about God. It is teaching us about God’s sovereignty, His absolute rule and total control over everything. Anything that God thinks up is His idea, and He can do whatever He pleases. None of us are able to hold God back if He has made up His mind to do something. That is what Job meant when he said, “No thought can be withholden from thee.”

None of God’s purposes can be thwarted. Do you know what thwarted means? It means to be twisted or wrenched around or messed up or squashed. God’s plans cannot fail, and nobody can stop Him from accomplishing His will.

Have you ever been watching a football game and heard someone shout “Interference!”? If the quarterback is throwing the football to the receiver, and somebody from the other team grabs onto the receiver or knocks him over before he can catch the ball, that is called “interference.” The catch is never completed like it was supposed to be because the receiver was “interfered with.” Human beings interfere in each others’ lives all the time, and everyday circumstances can thwart our plans, too. Our plans get changed all the time. Our picnics get rained out. Our favorite sports teams do not make it to the playoffs. Your parents’ car might break down during your vacation. Maybe your best friend’s family has to move 800 miles away.

As human beings, we have to get used to interference and thwarted plans. We aren’t able to make everything go the way we plan. We are not all-powerful and all-knowing. But we can be glad that God is. We can rejoice that God is sovereign and that He does whatever He pleases. He is in control of what happens in our lives – and not only that, but He cares about what happens in our lives. There are many promises in the Bible that speak of how God intends to do things for His glory and for our good. He knows the plans that He has, and we can know for sure that no one and nothing can hold Him back from carrying them out.

God’s purposes can never be messed up, and we can trust Him to do whatever He sets out to do.

My Response:

» Since I know that God can do everything and none of His plans can be messed up, how should that change my attitude when my own plans get messed up?

» Is there ever any cause for me to worry, fear, or get angry if I really believe God is sovereign?

 

http://kids4truth.com/home.aspx

The Navigators

The Navigators – Jerry Bridges – Holiness Day by Day Devotional – Enlarging Our Horizons

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Today’s Scripture: Daniel 4:35

“He does according to his will . . . among the inhabitants of the earth.”

Most Christians tend to think of the sovereignty of God only in terms of its immediate effect upon us, or our families or friends. We’re not too interested in the sovereignty of God over the nations and over history unless we’re consciously and personally affected by that history.

But we must remember that God promised to Abraham and to his seed that all nations will be blessed through Christ (see Genesis 12:3; 22:18; Galatians 3:8). Someday that promise will be fulfilled for, as recorded in Revelation 7:9, John saw “a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the lamb” (NIV). God has a plan to redeem people from all nations and to bless all nations through Christ.

As we look around the world today, we see over half of the world’s population living in countries whose governments are hostile to the Gospel, where missionaries are not allowed, and where national Christians are hindered from proclaiming Christ. How do we trust God for the fulfillment of his promises when the current events and conditions of the day seem so directly contrary to their fulfillment?

We must also look at the sovereignty of God and at his promises. He has promised to redeem people from every nation, and he has commanded us to make disciples of all nations. We must trust God by praying. We must learn to trust God for the spread of the Gospel, even in those areas where it is severely restricted.

God is sovereign over the nations. He is sovereign even where every attempt is made to stamp out true Christianity. In all of these areas, we can and must trust God. (Excerpt taken from Trusting God)

 

https://www.navigators.org/Home

The Navigators

The Navigators – Leroy Eims – Daily Discipleship Devotional – The Incarnation

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Today’s Scripture: John 3:16-17, 1 Corinthians 15:1-4

He appeared in a body, was vindicated by the Spirit, was seen by angels, was preached among the nations, was believed on in the world, was taken up in glory. – 1 Timothy 3:16

One holiday season my wife and I were in Tokyo, Japan. We had been in that city quite a few times over the years, but traffic was never like this! Always bad, but not this bad! So I finally asked the cab driver why there was such a horrendous traffic jam. He smiled and said, “It’s the Christmas rush. Christmas is one of the most celebrated holidays in our country.”

Later I thought about what he’d said. Had the Asians begun to honor and worship Jesus Christ? No, Christ had very little to do with it. This was simply a nice time to give gifts to people you like. It was good for business and made a happy, festive occasion.

If that’s why Jesus Christ came, He could have done it much more easily without going to the cross. You and I both know He didn’t come just to create a happy holiday. The only begotten Son of God was given by His loving Father to a world lost in sin and spiritual darkness, that we might have everlasting life in Him.

The Asian culture hadn’t caught it, and friend, our culture has almost lost it. Although America grew out of deep, religious roots, there’s no question that today the majority of our population knows little or nothing about the Bible or Christianity. In some areas, Christians have even had to defend the use of manger scenes and sacred carols in the celebration of Christ’s birthday.

Why not resolve that this year someone in your family, someone in your neighborhood, someone where you work will hear the truth of why Jesus came…from your mouth. The message is simple: God gives eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Let’s tell it.

Prayer

Lord, until You return, help us in our homes and in our churches to proclaim and teach why You came. Amen.

To Ponder

How can you be a light in this dark world?

 

https://www.navigators.org/Home

Moody Global Ministries

Moody Global Ministries – Today in the Word – THE TRINITY AND THE SENDING OF THE 72

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Read LUKE 10:1–24

In recent years, Middle Eastern Chris- tians have suffered intense persecution. The Week reported that in Egypt, Syria, Iraq, and elsewhere, believers “are murdered in mob violence or by militant groups. Their churches are bombed, their shops destroyed, and their homes looted. Laws are passed making them second-class citizens, and the majority of them eventually leave.”

Christ told His followers to expect persecution (see John 15:20). Suffering is part of being entrusted with the gospel. In today’s reading, Jesus sent out seventy-two of His followers with the good news of the kingdom. Since the table of nations in Genesis 10 lists seventy-two entries, some scholars think this number might symbolize the global scope of God’s plan. Jesus warned these followers that they were going out as sheep among wolves, and some people would greet them with hostility (vv. 3–12).

Despite any opposition they had faced, the seventy-two had returned with a successful ministry report. In the name and with the power of Jesus, they had cast out demons and done other miracles (vv. 17–19). They were not to take pride in this, because it was all the work of God, but rather to rejoice with eyes of faith (vv. 23–24).

The Son set the example for them by praising the Father in the joy of the Spirit (v. 21). The message had gone out and God had been glorified! Eternal life (having one’s name written in heaven) cannot be gained through human wisdom or power but only through the Son and His perfect revelation of His sovereign Father. As two Persons but one in essence, the Father and the Son have perfect knowledge of one another and the perfect plan to show God’s love to the nations (v. 22).

APPLY THE WORD

Faced with the power of God, Satan is helpless. In this spirit—in the Spirit—pray for the persecuted church around the world. Ask that these believers would be given “authority to trample on snakes and scorpions” (figures of speech for demons and evil spirits) and opportunities to continue to spread the good news of the kingdom.

 

http://www.todayintheword.org