Tag Archives: jesus christ

Presidential Prayer Team; C.P. – Beyond Reproach

August 17, 2014 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

Elizabeth bore reproach from her friends and relatives because she was barren. For many years, she endured criticism, accusations and shame, but God describes her as “walking blamelessly in all the commandments and statutes of the Lord.” (Luke 1:6)

Thus the Lord has done for me in the days when he looked on me, to take away my reproach among people.

Luke 1:25

The angel revealed heady stuff about Elizabeth’s son John. “Many will rejoice at his birth…He will be great before the Lord…He will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb…He will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord.” (Luke 1:14-16) Yet when Mary, three months along in her pregnancy, came to visit her, Elizabeth humbly asked, “And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me?” (Luke 1:43)

In her lifetime, Elizabeth had many reasons to be proud, bitter or depressed, but instead she walked humbly with God. The Father not only took reproach from Elizabeth – He also removes it from all who trust in Christ. Give thanks for this precious gift. Ask God to move the citizens and leaders of this country to humble themselves and pray.

Charles Stanley – Preparation for Greater Service

August 16, 2014 broboinhawaii 1 Comment

1 Kings 17:1-24

In Luke 17:5, the apostles asked Christ to increase their faith. The Lord told them that if they had faith as small as a mustard seed, they could do great things. God does not enlarge our faith instantly. He begins with what little we have and proceeds to grow it.

Elijah was in a faith-building program. The Lord gave him increasingly difficult challenges of reliance and obedience. At the brook Cherith, the prophet had to depend on God for his own survival. Then, at Zarephath, he trusted the Lord to provide for both himself and a widow. Finally, he served her in an even larger way by raising her dead son to life.

Each act of believing God and the ensuing step of obedience resulted in increased opportunities for Elijah to serve the Lord and others. Raising the dead may seem like the height of his ministry, but it was to be followed by an even greater opportunity to influence an entire nation for God. Elijah was about to face the biggest spiritual battle of his life (1 Kings 18)—all his previous demonstrations of faith and obedience were the Lord’s way of preparing him.

God wants each of us to be influential in His kingdom. He knows which faith challenges to present so that we can be entrusted with even greater tasks.

The Lord will provide occasions for you to believe Him and respond in obedience. These situations are what we call “problems.” Begin to look at each difficulty as an opportunity designed by God specifically for the purpose of increasing your faith so He can do great things in and through you.

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — Walking Billboards

August 16, 2014 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

2 Corinthians 5:16-21

We are ambassadors for Christ. —2 Corinthians 5:20

Pete Peterson’s first contact with Vietnam was in the Vietnam War. During a bombing raid in 1966, his plane was shot down and he was taken prisoner. Over 30 years later he returned as US Ambassador to Vietnam. One press article called him “a walking billboard for reconciliation.” He realized years ago that God had not saved his life for him to live in anger. Because he believed this, he used the rest of his life and his position to make a difference by pushing for better safety standards for children in Vietnam.

It is a great responsibility and honor to be appointed as a representative of your country to another. As followers of Christ we are “ambassadors for Christ” (2 Cor. 5:20). Just as God sent Christ to reconcile us to Himself (v.18), we now have the ministry of “reconciliation” (v.19). Our message is that all can be redeemed in Christ because God “made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (v.21).

In response to the reconciling love Jesus offers us, we can share that love with others. Let’s take our role seriously. Wherever God places us in this world, He can use us as walking billboards of reconciliation for Jesus Christ. —C. P. Hia

I am a stranger here, within a foreign land;

My home is far away, upon a golden strand,

Ambassador to be of realms beyond the sea,

I’m here on business for the King! —Cassel

Good news kept silent is no news at all.

Bible in a year: Psalms 94-96; Romans 15:14-33

Insight

The Christian life is one of transformation. This is described for us in verse 17 of today’s text. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” We are reconciled with God and have become new creatures—His ambassadors. As His ambassadors, we are called to present Christ to the world around us because of the wonder of what He did for us: “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us” (vv.20-21).

Ravi Zacharias

Ravi Zacharias Ministry – WHO’S DOING YOUR THINKING FOR YOU?

August 16, 2014 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

I was oddly paralyzed in a used bookstore the other day. A feeling of helplessness seized me as I surveyed the creased spines of the numerous books crowding the dusty shelves. Rifling through the faded paperbacks, I felt bored and listless, like I was rehearsing a tedious habit I’d long since outgrown. Usually, time stops the second I step into a bookshop. On this particular occasion, however, the exit exerted a near-magnetic pull. Like any self-respecting booklover, I wondered what was happening to me.

Setting aside my tendency to be overdramatic, a surprising thought occurred to me as I beat my hasty retreat. I’ve grown so used to retail websites like Amazon.com assembling lists of recommendations based on my ratings, interests, and shopping history that it now takes a concerted effort on my part to actually find something for myself, to actually think for myself.

The ingenious strategy of these sites is to use our choices to build a shopping experience that is uniquely tailored to fit our tastes and “preferences.” Each item you click helps to narrow the parameters of your search, and to customize the page so that you’re perusing a uniquely you-shaped store. Ironically, the more choices you make, the more customized your page becomes, and the less choices you actually have. Helpful as these lists are, they do have a tendency to paint us into our respective digital corners.

To be fair, some sites have sought to minimize this tendency by supplying “random” lists that contain items and titles that don’t conform to any of our established interests. Contrived as this might seem, it does manage to restore a modicum of spontaneity to a consumer experience that increasingly resembles a hall of mirrors. And, of course, there’s still the good old word-of-mouth tradition.

But, all qualifications aside, when I look at my own habits, the fact remains that I often prefer to have my mind made up for me. Not even a meal out is complete without a compulsive investigation of online reviews. Let me be clear, I am not saying that consulting online reviews is tantamount to surrendering all independent thought. If that were the case, I’d be an empty-eyed drone… What I am saying is that we often have a tendency to bypass the risks involved in forming our own thoughts in favor of the thoughts and opinions of others.

One of the more insidious aspects of current online culture is that so much of what crosses our screens tries to tell us what to think. Even the titles—50 Excellent Novels by Female Writers Under 50 That Everyone Should Read, for example—assume we’re passively waiting to be fed answers. This, I would argue, is one of the more shallow and lamentable trends in the age of instant information. Thinking for yourself is one of the most potent freedoms you can exercise; it also takes work. Though we certainly don’t abandon all free thought every time we take advantage of one of these many online conveniences, it’s also worth pausing to ask: Who’s doing my thinking for me?

Posted RZIM Blog – Cameron McAllister on August 12, 2014

Alistair Begg

Alistair Begg – Present Possession

August 16, 2014 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

…ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit.Romans 8:23

Present possession is declared. At this present moment we have the firstfruits of the Spirit. We have repentance, that gem of the first water; faith, that priceless pearl; hope, the heavenly emerald; and love, the glorious ruby. We are already made new creatures in Christ Jesus by the effectual working of God the Holy Spirit. This is called the firstfruit because it comes first. As the wave-sheaf was the first of the harvest, so the spiritual life, and all the graces that adorn that life, are the first operations of the Spirit of God in our souls.

The firstfruits were the pledge of the harvest. As soon as the Israelite had plucked the first handful of ripe ears, he looked forward with glad anticipation to the time when the wagon would creak beneath the sheaves. So, brethren, when God gives us things that are pure, lovely, and of good report, as the work of the Holy Spirit, these are to us the indications of the coming glory. The firstfruits were always holy to the Lord, and our new nature, with all its powers, is a consecrated thing. The new life is not ours that we should ascribe its excellence to our own merit; it is Christ’s image and creation and is ordained for His glory.

But the firstfruits were not the harvest, and the works of the Spirit in us at this moment are not the consummation—the perfection is still to come. We must not boast that we have attained, and so reckon the first sheaf to be all the produce of the year: We must hunger and thirst for righteousness and long for the day of full redemption. Dear reader, this evening open your mouth wide, and God will fill it. Let the blessing in present possession excite in you a sacred greed for more grace. Groan within yourself for higher degrees of consecration, and your Lord will grant them to you, for He is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think.

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The family reading plan for August 16, 2014 * Jeremiah 44 * Psalm 20, 21

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Devotional material is taken from “Morning and Evening,” written by C.H. Spurgeon, revised and updated by Alistair Begg.

Charles Spurgeon

Charles Spurgeon – The good man’s life and death

August 16, 2014 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

“For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” Philippians 1:21

Suggested Further Reading: 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

Not the greatest master-minds of earth understand the millionth part of the mighty meanings which have been discovered by souls emancipated from clay. Yes, brethren, “To die is gain.” Take away, take away that hearse, remove that shroud; come, put white plumes upon the horses’ heads, and let gilded trappings hang around them. There, take away that fife, that shrill sounding music of the death march. Lend me the trumpet and the drum. O hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah; why do we weep the saints to heaven; why need we lament? They are not dead, they are gone before. Stop, stop that mourning, refrain your tears, clap your hands, clap your hands.

“They are supremely blest,

Have done with sin, and care, and woe,

And with their Saviour rest.”

What! Weep for heads that are crowned with garlands of heaven? Weep for hands that grasp the harps of gold? What, weep for eyes that see the Redeemer? What, weep for hearts that are washed from sin, and are throbbing with eternal bliss? What, weep for men that are in the Saviour’s bosom? No; weep for yourselves that you are here. Weep that the mandate has not come which bids you to die. Weep that you must tarry. But weep not for them. I see them turning back on you with loving wonder, and they exclaim “Why weepest thou?” What, weep for poverty that it is clothed in riches? What, weep for sickness, that it has inherited eternal health? What, weep for shame, that it is glorified; and weep for sinful mortality, that it has become immaculate? Oh, weep not, but rejoice. “If you knew what it was that I have said unto you, and where I have gone, you would rejoice with a joy that no man should take from you.” “To die is gain.”

For meditation: There is probably at least one Christian whom you miss terribly. The temporary loss and sorrow may be very hard for you (Philippians 2:27), but the dead in Christ enjoy eternal blessedness (Revelation 14:13).

Sermon no. 146

16 August (1857)

John MacArthur

John MacArthur – Exalting Others

August 16, 2014 broboinhawaii 1 Comment

“Love does not brag” (1 Cor. 13:4).

Love exalts others; pride exalts self.

Most of us shy away from people who have an inflated view of themselves or place themselves at the center of every conversation. Yet perhaps you too struggle with the temptation to spend most of your conversations talking about yourself. Even if you would never openly brag about yourself, might you at times secretly resent others for not acknowledging your accomplishments? That’s the subtlety of pride.

Boasting always violates love because it seeks to exalt itself at the expense of others—to make itself look good while making others look inferior. It incites jealousy and other sins. Sadly, boasting exists even in the church. That’s why Paul exhorted us not to think more highly of ourselves than we ought to think, “but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith” (Rom. 12:3). The context of that statement is spiritual gifts, which can lead to pride if not governed by humility and love.

The Corinthians were spiritual show-offs—each vying for attention and prominence. Consequently their worship services were chaotic. First Corinthians 14:26 says, “When you assemble, each one has a psalm, has a teaching, has a revelation, has a tongue, has an interpretation.” Apparently they all were expressing their spiritual gifts at the same time with no regard for anyone else. That’s why Paul concluded, “Let all things be done for edification.”

Their lack of love was obvious because people who truly love others don’t exalt themselves. They regard others as more important than themselves, just as Christ did when He humbled Himself and died for our sins (Phil. 2:3-8).

Boasting about our spiritual gifts is absurd because we did nothing to earn them. They don’t reflect our capabilities; they reflect God’s grace. That’s why Paul asked the Corinthians, “What do you have that you did not receive? But if you did receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?” (1 Cor. 4:7). That applies to physical capabilities as well as spiritual enablements. Everything you have is a gift from God. Therefore, “Let him who boasts, boast in the Lord” (1 Cor. 1:31).

Suggestions for Prayer

Each day acknowledge your total dependence on God’s grace.
Praise Him for the gifts He has entrusted to you.

For Further Study; Note what God has to say about haughtiness in Proverbs 6:16-17; 16:18; 18:12; 21:3-4; and 21:24.

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Appreciate Correction

August 16, 2014 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

Happy (blessed, fortunate, enviable) is the man who finds skillful and godly Wisdom, and the man who gets understanding [drawing it forth from God’s Word and life’s experiences], for the gaining of it is better than the gaining of silver, and the profit of it better than fine gold. —Proverbs 3:13–14

Ask God to reveal areas in which you need to apply self-control. You can even enjoy the journey to becoming all that He has in mind for you to be, if you learn to appreciate godly correction from others. Remember, God loves you just the way you are, but He corrects those He loves (See Proverbs 3:12).

Only mature Christians enjoy the meat of God’s Word, and He has much to share with His grown-up sons and daughters. There will always be more to learn, so don’t make excuses for your weak points. Accepting the truth will set you free (See John 8:32), and God will give you strength to overcome in those areas in which you are weak.

Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – Perfect Healing

August 16, 2014 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

“Jesus’ name has healed this man – and you know how lame he was before. Faith in Jesus’ name – faith given us from God – has caused this perfect healing” (Acts 3:16).

This is another of the great “3:16” verses of the Bible – with a truth and a promise that you and I need probably every day of our lives. Jesus claimed “all authority in heaven and earth” (Matthew 28:18). “In Him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily” (Colossians 2:9, KJV; see also 1:15-19).

There is a great power in the name of Jesus. Throughout Scripture that fact is emphasized. And I have seen it illustrated in miraculous ways through the Jesus film, which has been used of God to introduce tens of millions of men, women, young people, and children to Christ in most countries of the world.

The promise, equally clear, is that if we exercise faith in that wonderful name of Jesus – faith that is a gift from God – we can see healing, both physical and spiritual.

I sit in astonishment often as I try to comprehend such great love that would give us the very gifts He requires of us – faith, in this instance. We need not conjure up such faith; it is made available on simple terms: Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.”

And we may appropriate this truth and this promise today.

Bible Reading: Acts 3:12-18

TODAY’S ACTION POINT: “Dear Lord, I dare to believe that You are still the same yesterday, today and forever, so I can trust you to heal, and to enable me to live a supernatural life.”

Presidential Prayer Team

Presidential Prayer Team; J.K. – No Questions Asked

August 16, 2014 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

Three words come to mind when speaking of God’s Old Testament military commander Joshua – courage, obedience and faith. His story should be your encouragement. Have courage when times get tough, stay obedient to the Lord when tempted to stray, and keep the faith in good times and bad.

Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.

Joshua 1:9

It took courage for Joshua and Caleb to encourage Israel to push forward into the Promised Land when the majority expressed fear (Numbers 14:6-9). Unshakable faith sustained Joshua as he wandered with Israel for 40 years because of their stubbornness. Moses knew of his faithfulness and kept him by his side (Exodus 33:7-11). Lastly, Joshua obeyed the Lord. At Moses death, God instructed Joshua, “Arise, go over this Jordan.” (Joshua 1:2) Immediately he commanded the people of Israel to prepare and go…no questions asked. His great leadership and mighty victories came because of his faith, courage and obedience.

How’s your spiritual life? Unmovable faith in God can give you courage to obey Him when those around you would have you falter. When the outlook for this country is dim, don’t be discouraged, for the Lord is with you.

Greg Laurie – “Someday” Is Today

August 16, 2014 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

Teach us to realize the brevity of life, so that we may grow in wisdom. . .You have made my life no longer than the width of my hand. My entire lifetime is just a moment to you; at best, each of us is but a breath. —Psalms 90:12; 39:5

When you’ve had an encounter with death — a near-death experience of your own or the sudden passing of a loved one — it inevitably leads to a few essential questions: What is life all about, anyway? Why am I alive . . . and what am I really living for?

In other words, what gets you out of bed in the morning? What gets your blood pumping? Is it an alarm clock or a calling that gets you up each and every day? Every one of us needs some motivating passion, some ideal, something that gives our lives purpose that drives us on. Unfortunately some people don’t know what they’re living for.

Many people are merely marking time instead of enjoying their lives. Their favorite day of the week is “someday.” Someday my ship will come in. Someday my prince (or princess) will come. Someday it’s all going to get better. Someday my life will change. A recent study revealed that 94 percent of the people surveyed were simply enduring the present while “waiting for something better to happen.”

But here is what people don’t plan on. They don’t plan on death. And they never expect it to come around the corner unexpectedly. When you’re young you tell yourself, “I don’t have to even think about that for another fifty or sixty years.” And that may true. But death knocks at every door. The Bible says that each of us has an appointment with death: “People are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment” (Hebrews 9:27, NIV).

That appointment may come later than you expected. On the other hand, it may come much, much sooner. Statisticians tell us that three people die every second, 180 die every minute, and 11,000 people die every hour. This means that every day, 250,000 people enter into eternity.

What’s the bottom line? Live every day as though you may never have another one. Live ready to step into God’s presence at any moment.

Today’s devotional is an excerpt from Every Day with Jesus by Greg Laurie, 2013

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — Is There Hope?

August 15, 2014 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

Matthew 28:1-10

“He is not here; for He is risen, as He said.” —Matthew 28:6

I sat quietly at the graveside of my father, waiting for the private family burial of my mother to begin. The funeral director carried the urn that held her ashes. My heart felt numb and my head was in a fog. How can I handle losing them both within just 3 months? In my grief I felt loss and loneliness and a little hopeless facing a future without them.

Then the pastor read about another graveside. On the first day of the week, early in the morning, women went to Jesus’ tomb, carrying spices for His body (Matt. 28:1; Luke 24:1). There they were startled to find an open and empty tomb—and an angel. “Do not be afraid,” he said to them (Matt. 28:5). They didn’t need to be afraid of the empty tomb or of the angel, because he had good news for them.

Hope stirred when I heard the next words: “He is not here; for He is risen, as He said” (v.6). Because Jesus had come back to life, death had been conquered! Jesus reminded His followers just a few days before His death: “Because I live, you will live also” (John 14:19).

Even though we grieve at the loss of our loved ones, we find hope through the resurrection of Jesus and His promise that there is life after death. —Anne Cetas

Thank You, Lord, for comfort and hope.

What would we do without You? Your death

and resurrection provide all we need for

this life and the next.

Because He lives, we live.

Bible in a year: Psalms 91-93; Romans 15:1-13

Insight

The “other Mary” (Matt. 28:1) in today’s account is apparently the same woman described as “Mary the wife of Clopas” who was at the cross and burial of Jesus (27:61; John 19:25). It appears she was the mother of James “the Less” and Joses (Mark 15:40), and despite sharing the same name, she was a sister of Mary, Jesus’ mother (John 19:25).

Ravi Zacharias

Ravi Zacharias Ministry – Sledgehammers and Other Good News

August 15, 2014 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

I found myself sighing with something like relief one day after reading a comment made by C.S. Lewis. He was responding to a statement made by a scholar who noted that he didn’t “care for” the Sermon on the Mount but “preferred” the Pauline ethics. Lewis was of course bothered at the suggestion of Scripture alternatives between which we may freely pick and choose, and it was this that he addressed first. But his response also included a striking remark about the Sermon on the Mount itself, and this is what caught my attention. Said Lewis, “As to ‘caring for’ the Sermon on the Mount, if ‘caring for’ here means liking or enjoying, I suppose no one cares for it. Who can like being knocked flat on his face by a sledgehammer? I can hardly imagine a more deadly spiritual condition than that of the man who can read that passage with tranquil pleasure. This is indeed to be ‘at ease in Zion.’”(1)

To be “at ease in Zion” was the deplorable state of existence the prophet Amos spoke of in his harsh words to the Israelites.(2) Reeling in false security and erroneous confidence from their economic affluence and self-indulgent lifestyles, the Israelites, Amos warned, would be the first God would send into exile if they failed to heed his words.

The Sermon on the Mount was likely as alarming to those who first heard it as the thought of exile for those whose homeland is far more than an identity. Lewis’s comparison of Christ’s words to a sledgehammer is not far off. Those potent chapters are not unlike the electric paddles used to shock the heart back to life, back to the rhythm it was intended to have all along.

The Sermon on the Mount is like the keynote address for the kingdom Christ came to introduce and to gather us together like a hen gathers her chicks. On that mountainside, Jesus points out many of the mountains that blur vision of this kingdom. He repeatedly notes that we are not quite seeing as he sees, not grasping reality as it really is. “You have heard that it was so…” he says again and again, “but I tell you…” His words are hard and thorough, and even the simplest of phrases is permeated with the profound glory of a kingdom we far too easily settle for only seeing in part:

Blessed are the poor in spirit…

Blessed are those who mourn…

Blessed are the meek…

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness…

Blessed are the merciful…

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.(3)

Perhaps I have become at ease in Zion if I can read these words without wondering if I am among the blessed, if I am one seeing God or missing it. When I lose sight of the kingdom behind the haze of selfish ambition, guilt, or fear, Christ’s words become like a foghorn calling me to set my eyes on the one I follow and live up to the hope I embody: “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again?” When I find myself making demands of God, I am shown again just how much God demands of me. “You’ve heard it said, ‘You shall not murder. But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister’ is guilty of the same.

For the crowds that gathered that day on the hillside, Jesus’s words were likely quite troubling. If God’s commandments were difficult to follow before this sermon, they were now entirely terrifying. Who can stand in this kingdom Jesus describes? And how is this good news? How could we ever be gathered into this communion? And yet, in all of his wisdom, in his unfathomable love, in the middle of his sermon Jesus proclaims gently but confidently: Do not worry. It is as if he says to those rightly awake and trembling with the fear of certain failure, “I am not only the fulfillment of all the law and the prophets, but the embodiment of these good things and the one who makes all things possible for you.” This, he also says repeatedly. In his humanity, Jesus vicariously approaches our own, lifting us to possibilities we can only imagine.

The Sermon on the Mount is a concentrated example of how Jesus came to fulfill in us dynamically everything the law meant to show us. Like a sledgehammer to a frozen heart, his life cries out to all who are at ease in Zion, whether cold from self-indulgence or unaware of God’s life-giving pursuit of our affection. In this, Christ’s role is uncompromisable. He is both the human Son of God who is embodiment of all we are meant to be in the fellowship of the Father and our mediator who bestows us the very possibility.

Jill Carattini is managing editor of A Slice of Infinity at Ravi Zacharias International Ministries in Atlanta, Georgia.

(1) C.S. Lewis, God in the Dock (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1970), 181.

(2) Amos 6:1.

(3) Matthew 5:3-9.

Alistair Begg

Alistair Begg – Stone or Flesh?

August 15, 2014 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

And I will give you a new heart…a heart of flesh. Ezekiel 36:26

A “heart of flesh” is known by its tenderness concerning sin. To have indulged a foul imagination or to have allowed a wild desire to linger even for a moment is quite enough to make a heart of flesh grieve before the Lord. The heart of stone calls a great iniquity nothing, but not so the heart of flesh.

If to the right or left I stray,

That moment, Lord, reprove;

And let me weep my life away,

For having grieved Thy love.

The heart of flesh is tender to God’s will. Unlike a strong heart that refuses to bow before God’s dictates, when the heart of flesh is given, the will quivers like an aspen leaf in every breath of heaven and bows like a willow in every breeze of God’s Spirit. The natural will is cold, hard iron, which refuses to be hammered into form, but the renewed will, like molten metal, is quickly molded by the hand of grace. In the fleshy heart there is a tenderness of the affections. The hard heart does not love the Redeemer, but the renewed heart burns with affection toward Him.

The hard heart is selfish and coldly demands, “Why should I weep for sin? Why should I love the Lord?” But the heart of flesh says, “Lord, You know that I love You; help me to love You more!” There are many privileges of this renewed heart. It is here the Spirit dwells; it is here that Jesus lives. It is fitted to receive every spiritual blessing, and every blessing comes to it. It is prepared to yield every heavenly fruit to the honor and praise of God, and therefore the Lord delights in it. A tender heart is the best defense against sin and the best preparation for heaven. A renewed heart stands on its watchtower looking for the coming of the Lord Jesus. Do you have this heart of flesh?

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The family reading plan for August 15, 2014 * Jeremiah 43 * Psalm 19

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Devotional material is taken from “Morning and Evening,” written by C.H. Spurgeon, revised and updated by Alistair Begg.

Charles Spurgeon

Charles Spurgeon – The way of salvation

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“Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” Acts 4:12

John MacArthur – Overcoming Jealousy

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“Love . . . is not jealous” (1 Cor. 13:4).

Jealousy thrives in a climate of selfish ambition.

Jealousy is an insidious sin that cries out, “I want what you have, and furthermore, I don’t want you to have it.” It replaces contentment with resentment and spawns a myriad of other sins.

The Corinthians, in truth, were jealous of one another’s spiritual gifts. First Corinthians 12:31 literally says, “You are earnestly desiring the showy gifts, but I show you a more excellent way.” The word translated “earnestly desiring” is translated “jealous” in 1 Corinthians 13:4. It means “to boil” and speaks of the inner seething that comes from wanting something that someone else has. In 1 Corinthians 3:3 Paul rebukes them for the jealousy and strife that existed among them.

Paul knew what it meant to be victimized by jealous people. During one of his imprisonments he candidly wrote, “Some, to be sure, are preaching Christ even from envy and strife, but some also from good will; the latter do it out of love, knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the gospel; the former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition, rather than from pure motives, thinking to cause me distress in my imprisonment” (Phil. 1:15-17).

Paul’s attitude toward those who envied him was exemplary: “Whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed; and in this I rejoice, yes, and I will rejoice” (v. 18). He wasn’t motivated by personal comfort or selfish ambition. He loved Christ deeply and wanted as many people as possible to hear the gospel. As long as Christ was being proclaimed, Paul was happy—regardless of his own circumstances or the motives of others. That should be your perspective too.

Love is the antidote for jealousy. When godly love governs your heart, you can rejoice in the spiritual successes of others, even when you know their motives are wrong. But if you seek prominence and selfish gain, you become an easy target for jealousy and resentment.

Suggestions for Prayer

Confess any jealousy you might be harboring toward others.
Ask God to deepen your love for Christ so jealousy can’t gain a foothold in your heart in the future.

For Further Study; Read 2 Corinthians 11:2. Is there such a thing as godly jealousy? Explain.

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – “God, This Is Just Not a Good Time!”

August 15, 2014 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

. . . Felix became alarmed and terrified and said, Go away for the present; when I have a convenient opportunity, I will send for you. —Acts 24:25

The Bible tells a story about a man who did not follow God because doing so would have been inconvenient. This man, named Felix, asked Paul to come and preach the Gospel to him. But when Paul started talking to him about right living, purity of life, and controlling his passions, Felix became alarmed and frightened. He told Paul to go away and that he would call him at a more convenient time (see Acts 24:24–25).

I find this extremely amusing, not because it is really funny, but because it clearly depicts the way we are. We don’t mind hearing about how much God loves us and about the good plans He has for our lives, but when He begins to chastise us or correct us in any way, we try to tell Him that “now” is just not a good time. I doubt He ever chooses a time we would consider “a good time,” and I think He does that on purpose!

When the Israelites were traveling through the wilderness, they were led by a cloud during the day and a pillar of fire by night. When the cloud moved, they had to move. And when it hovered, they stayed where they were (see Num. 9:15–23). The Bible says that sometimes it moved during the day and sometimes it moved at night. Sometimes it rested for a few days and sometimes it rested for one day.

I seriously doubt that at night they all hung Do Not Disturb signs on the openings of their tents to let God know they did not want to be inconvenienced. When He decided it was time to go, they packed up and followed Him. And when He decides it is time for us to move to the next level of our journey in Him, we should never say, “This is just not a good time!”

God knows best, and His timing is always exactly right. The fact that I don’t feel ready to deal with something in my life doesn’t mean that I’m not ready. God’s timing is perfect, and His ways are not our ways, but they are higher and better than our ways (see Isa. 55:9).

Trust in Him Have you ever said to God, “This is not a good time”? Commit to following God’s will for your life in His timing. God’s timing may not be your timing, but you can trust Him because He knows best.

Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – Shine Like the Sun

August 15, 2014 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

“And those who are wise – the people of God – shall shine as brightly as the sun’s brilliance, and those who turn many to righteousness will glitter like stars forever” (Daniel 12:3).

Did it ever occur to you that as a child of God you are to radiate in your countenance the beauty and glory of God? Have you ever considered the inconsistency of having a glum expression while professing that the Son of God, the light of the world, dwells within you?

Proverbs 15:13 reminds us that a happy face means a glad heart; a sad face means a breaking heart.

When missionary Adoniram Judson was home on furlough many years ago, he passed through the city of Stonington, Connecticut. A young boy, playing about the wharves at the time of Judson’s arrival, was struck by the missionary’s appearance. He had never before seen such a light on a man’s face.

Curious, he ran up the street to a ministers’s home to ask if he knew who the stranger was. Following the boy back, the minister became so engaged in conversation with Judson that he forgot all about the lad standing nearby.

Many years later that boy – unable to get away from the influence of what he had seen on the man’s face – became the famous preacher, Henry Clay Trumbull. One chapter in his book of memoirs is entitled, “What a Boy Saw in the Face of Adoniram Judson.”

A shining face – radiant with the love and joy of Jesus Christ – had changed a life. Just as flowers thrive when they bend toward the light of the sun, so shining, radiant faces are the result of those who concentrate their gaze upon the Lord Jesus Christ.

May we never underestimate the power of a glowing face that stems from time spent with God. Even as Moses’ countenance shone, may your face and mine reveal time spent alone with God and in His Word.

Bible Reading: Matthew 5:13-16

TODAY’S ACTION POINT: I will spend sufficient time with the Lord each day to insure a radiant countenance for the glory of God and as a witness to those with whom I have contact each day.

Presidential Prayer Team

Presidential Prayer Team; G.C. – No Winner

August 15, 2014 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

Have you ever won the battle, only to lose the war? Rachel and Leah, two sisters married to the same man, engaged in a perpetual competition that neither one could truly win. Their complicated relationship detailed in Genesis 29-35 is an appropriate picture of today’s political landscape: two major parties vying for power over control of one government, yet battling in such as way that no one really wins in the end.

Then Rachel said, “With mighty wrestlings I have wrestled with my sister and have prevailed.”

Genesis 30:8

Election season is heating up again. Before you put up the yard signs and post your political fireballs on Facebook, take a moment and consider your unbelieving neighbors and friends. Ask yourself if your communications are creating opportunities to share your hope in Jesus Christ and bring about healing – or merely drawing battle lines for ongoing disagreement and hurt.

Like living in the tent with Rachel and Leah, the conflict going on mainly damages those that would otherwise benefit immensely from working together. Start praying today for believers seeking office in the next term. Pray they will handle members of the opposite party thoughtfully and maintain an effective witness for Christ. There’s no reason to win the election but lose the race.

Greg Laurie – Top Priority

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“So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.” —Matthew 6:31–33

When Jesus told us not to worry about food and clothing, His emphasis was on the word worry. He didn’t say, “Don’t think about it.” Nor did He imply, “Don’t plan ahead for your needs.” He said, “Don’t worry.”

The fact of the matter is that the Bible criticizes the lazy person who lives off the generosity of others and refuses or neglects to work for a living. The Bible says that if you don’t work, you shouldn’t eat (2 Thessalonians 3:10). Go get a job. Provide for yourself. The Bible even encourages us to plan for the future and learn from the example of the ant, that tiny creature that is always planning ahead (see Proverbs 6:6-8).

But there is balance here. The Bible is saying to us, “Yes, do an honest day’s work and be financially responsible, but don’t be obsessed with these things. Jesus said that is how nonbelievers are: “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek” (Matthew 6:31-32).

Isn’t that the emphasis of so many people today—what to eat, what to wear? Their whole lives revolve around materialistic goals. Jesus said this won’t satisfy the deepest needs of your heart.

Don’t make these things your primary purpose in life. Rather, seek God first and foremost in your life, and everything that you need will be provided for you. God will take care of you. He cares about you. He will supply all of your needs.

Today’s devotional is an excerpt from Every Day with Jesus by Greg Laurie, 2013

DAILY DEVOTIONS, NEWS AND INFORMATION

Tag Archives: jesus christ

Presidential Prayer Team; C.P. – Beyond Reproach

Charles Stanley – Preparation for Greater Service

Our Daily Bread — Walking Billboards

Ravi Zacharias Ministry – WHO’S DOING YOUR THINKING FOR YOU?

Alistair Begg – Present Possession

Charles Spurgeon – The good man’s life and death

John MacArthur – Exalting Others

Joyce Meyer – Appreciate Correction

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – Perfect Healing

Presidential Prayer Team; J.K. – No Questions Asked

Greg Laurie – “Someday” Is Today

Our Daily Bread — Is There Hope?

Ravi Zacharias Ministry – Sledgehammers and Other Good News

Alistair Begg – Stone or Flesh?

Charles Spurgeon – The way of salvation

John MacArthur – Overcoming Jealousy

Joyce Meyer – “God, This Is Just Not a Good Time!”

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – Shine Like the Sun

Presidential Prayer Team; G.C. – No Winner

Greg Laurie – Top Priority

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