Tag Archives: jesus christ

Presidential Prayer Team

Presidential Prayer Team; – A.W. – Eyes Wide Open

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In 2001, Michael W. Smith released the song Open the Eyes of My Heart. The song, originally written by Paul Baloche, was inspired by Ephesians 1:18 in which the apostle Paul prayed for the Ephesians to have the eyes of their heart enlightened.

Then Elisha prayed and said, “O Lord, please open his eyes that he may see.” So the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw, and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.

II Kings 6:17

Today’s scripture also involves a prayer for eyes to be opened. The King of Syria sent an army to kill Elisha because, as a prophet, he was able to direct the King of Israel how to fight against them. As they surrounded the city of Dothan where Elisha was staying, his servant became frightened about what they would do. Elisha knew they were protected and prayed for his servant to see that those for them were greater than those against them.

Do you feel surrounded by the enemy? Know with God on your side, you are protected and need not fear. Pray for God to open your eyes to see and understand His Word and power. Pray also for the country and its leaders to do the same.

Recommended Reading: John 9:30-39  Click to Read or Listen

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — Think Of Them No More

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Our Daily Bread
Isaiah 43:22-28
I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake; and I will not remember your sins. —Isaiah 43:25
My early years as a believer in Christ were laden with foreboding. I had the impression that when Jesus comes back, all my sins will be portrayed on a giant screen for everyone to see.
I know now that God chooses not to remember against me a single one of my transgressions. Every sin has been buried in the deepest sea, never to be exhumed and examined again.
Amy Carmichael wrote, “A day or two ago I was thinking rather sadly of the past—so many sins and failures and lapses of every kind. I was reading Isaiah 43, and in verse 24 I saw myself: ‘You have wearied me with your iniquities.’ And then for the first time I noticed that there is no space between verse 24 and verse 25: ‘I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake; and I will not remember your sins.’”
Indeed, when our Lord comes back He will “bring to light the hidden things of darkness and reveal the counsels of the hearts. Then each one’s praise will come from God” (1 Cor. 4:5). On that day our works will be tried and we may suffer loss, but we will not be judged for sin (3:11-15). God will see what Christ has done for us. He “will not remember [our] sins.” —David Roper
Where no far-reaching tide with its powerful sweep
May stir the dark waves of forgetfulness deep,
I have buried them there where no mortal can see!
I’ve cast all thy sins in the depths of the sea. —Anon.
When God saves us, our sins are forgiven forever.
Bible in a year: Proverbs 16-18; 2 Corinthians 6
Insight
God’s people had been unfaithful and had stubbornly refused to repent and return to God (Isa. 43:22-24). Yet despite their sins and guilt, God in His mercy said He would forgive them (v.25), even though they were undeserving of His favor (v.26). From the time of “your first father and your mediators”—perhaps referring to Abraham and other covenantal leaders such as Moses—they were all sinners (v.27). Although their sins would be forgiven, they would still face the consequences of their actions and be disciplined through the exile (v.28).

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – Avoiding Shipwreck

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Charles Stanley
1 Timothy 1:18-20
The apostle Paul wanted his young charge Timothy to grasp the basics of keeping the faith. So he wrote about two men who ignored their conscience at great peril. Their example shows that without an understanding of what this gift from God is, we run the risk of capsizing our faith.
Many people mistakenly think of the conscience as God’s voice instead of God’s gift. We were created with an “inner monitor” that acts as a moral compass for life; it points to a standard of right and wrong that can guide our decisions. But the conscience, like everything else in us, is fallen and in need of redemption. Depending on how it has been programmed, our conscience can nudge us in the wrong direction.
Paul himself is an illustration of this. His formal education as a Pharisee had taught him that Christians were a threat to God and the Jewish faith. His conscience had been programmed to see killing them as service to the Lord. So he passionately hunted down believers without tripping an alarm on his moral compass. Only after the risen Christ met him on the way to Damascus was his conscience transformed and his life altered.
Unless we let the Lord redeem us fully, our decisions can prove as destructive as if we ignored our “monitoring system” altogether. By understanding the divine gift of conscience, we stand a better chance of staying on course and away from trouble. What’s more, if we submit our conscience to the Holy Spirit, we will find safe harbor when storms threaten our faith or future.

Ravi Zacharias

Ravi Zachrious – THINK AGAIN – DEEP QUESTIONS

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Ravi Z
We are living in an era when apologetics is indispensable, but at the same time, we need a Christian apologetic that is not merely heard—it must also be seen. The field of apologetics deals with the hard questions posed to the Christian faith. Having had deep questions myself, I listen carefully to the questions raised. I always bear in mind that behind every question is a questioner. The convergence of intellectual and existential struggles drives a person to a brutal honesty in the questions they have.
The gospel of Jesus Christ is beautiful and true, yet oftentimes one will ask, “How can it be true that there is only one way?” Odd, isn’t it, that we don’t ask the same questions of the laws of nature or of any assertion that lays claim to truth. We are discomfited by the fact that truth, by definition, is exclusive. That is what truth claims are at their core. To make an assertion is to deny its opposite. Rather than complain that there is only one way, shouldn’t we be delighted that there is one way?
The question really is, how do we really know this is the truth?
Whether Hitler or Hugh Hefner, religious or irreligious, everyone has a worldview. A worldview basically offers answers to four necessary questions: origin, meaning, morality, and destiny. In turn, these answers must be correspondingly true on particular questions and, as a whole, all answers put together must be coherent.
Taking it a step further, the three tests for truth must be applied to any worldview: logical consistency, empirical adequacy, and experiential relevance. When submitted to these tests, the Christian message is utterly unique and meets the demand for truth.
Consider the empirical test of the person, teaching, and work of Jesus Christ. A look at human history shows why he was who he claimed to be and why millions follow him today. A comparison of Jesus’s teachings with any other claimant to divine or prophetic status quickly shows the profound differences in their claims and demonstrations. In fact, none except Jesus even claimed to be the divine Savior. His offer of grace and forgiveness by being the perfect sacrifice of our offense is profoundly unique.
I position the sequence of fact and deduction in the following way: Love is the supreme ethic. Where there is the possibility of love, there must be the reality of free will. Where there is the reality of free will, there will inevitably be the possibility of sin. Where there is sin, there is the need for a Savior. Where there is a Savior, there is the hope for redemption. Only in the Judeo-Christian worldview does this sequence find its total expression and answer. The story from sin to redemption is only in the gospel with the ultimate provision of a loving God.
But the question can be pushed back further. Does this not all assume that there is a God? Yes, it does, and there are four stages in the argument. The first is that no matter how we section physical concrete reality, we end up with a quantity that cannot explain its own existence. If all material quantities cannot explain their own existence, the only possibility for self-explanation would be something that is non-material.
Secondly, wherever we see intelligibility, we find intelligence behind it. Thirdly, we intuitively know that our moral reasoning points to a moral framework within the universe. The very fact that the problem of evil is raised either by people or about people intimates that human beings have intrinsic worth. Fourthly, the human experience in history and personal encounter sustains the reality of the supernatural.
There you have it. Who is God? He is the nonphysical, intelligent, moral first cause, who has given us intrinsic worth and who we can know by personal experience.
The verification of what Jesus taught and described and did make belief in Him a very rationally tenable and an existentially fulfilling reality. From cosmology to history to human experience, the Christian faith presents explanatory power in a way no other worldview does. Our faith and trust in Christ is reasonably grounded and experientially sustained.
I often put it this way: God has put enough into this world to make faith in Him a most reasonable thing. But He has left enough out to make it impossible to live by sheer reason alone. Faith and reason must always work together in that plausible blend.
Many of you may be familiar with my own story. I was born to Indian parents and raised in India. My ancestors were priests from the highest caste of Hinduism in India’s Deep South. But that was several generations ago. I came to Christ after a life of protracted failure and unable to face the consequences, sought to end it all. It was on a bed of suicide that a Bible was brought to me and in a cry of desperation, I invited Jesus Christ into my life. It was a prayer, a plea, a commitment, and a hope.
That was fifty years ago. I hardly knew what lay ahead of me, except that I was safe in Christ’s hands. Now as the years have gone by and in 2014 we celebrate thirty years of ministry at RZIM, I marvel at the grace and protection of God and the doors he has opened for our team. And more and more, I am convinced that Jesus Christ alone uniquely answers the deepest questions of our hearts and minds.

Our Daily Bread — Think Of Them No More
Isaiah 43:22-28
I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake; and I will not remember your sins. —Isaiah 43:25
My early years as a believer in Christ were laden with foreboding. I had the impression that when Jesus comes back, all my sins will be portrayed on a giant screen for everyone to see.
I know now that God chooses not to remember against me a single one of my transgressions. Every sin has been buried in the deepest sea, never to be exhumed and examined again.
Amy Carmichael wrote, “A day or two ago I was thinking rather sadly of the past—so many sins and failures and lapses of every kind. I was reading Isaiah 43, and in verse 24 I saw myself: ‘You have wearied me with your iniquities.’ And then for the first time I noticed that there is no space between verse 24 and verse 25: ‘I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake; and I will not remember your sins.’”
Indeed, when our Lord comes back He will “bring to light the hidden things of darkness and reveal the counsels of the hearts. Then each one’s praise will come from God” (1 Cor. 4:5). On that day our works will be tried and we may suffer loss, but we will not be judged for sin (3:11-15). God will see what Christ has done for us. He “will not remember [our] sins.” —David Roper
Where no far-reaching tide with its powerful sweep
May stir the dark waves of forgetfulness deep,
I have buried them there where no mortal can see!
I’ve cast all thy sins in the depths of the sea. —Anon.
When God saves us, our sins are forgiven forever.
Bible in a year: Proverbs 16-18; 2 Corinthians 6
Insight
God’s people had been unfaithful and had stubbornly refused to repent and return to God (Isa. 43:22-24). Yet despite their sins and guilt, God in His mercy said He would forgive them (v.25), even though they were undeserving of His favor (v.26). From the time of “your first father and your mediators”—perhaps referring to Abraham and other covenantal leaders such as Moses—they were all sinners (v.27). Although their sins would be forgiven, they would still face the consequences of their actions and be disciplined through the exile (v.28).

Alistair Begg

Alistair Begg – This Man

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Alistair Begg
This man receives sinners. Luke 15:2
Observe the condescension of this fact. Jesus, holy, harmless, undefiled, and separate from sinners, who towers above all other men—this Man receives sinners. This Man, who is no other than the eternal God, before whom angels veil their faces—this Man receives sinners. It requires an angel’s tongue to describe such a mighty stoop of love. That any of us would be willing to reach the lost is nothing wonderful—they are, after all, our own race; but that He, the offended God, against whom the transgression has been committed, should take upon Himself the form of a servant and bear the sin of many and be willing to receive the worst of sinners—this is marvelous.
“This man receives sinners”; not in order for them to remain sinners, but He receives them in order that He may pardon their sins, justify their persons, cleanse their hearts by His purifying word, preserve their souls by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, and enable them to serve Him, show forth His praise, and have communion with Him. Into His heart’s love He receives sinners; He takes them from the refuse pile and wears them as jewels in His crown; He snatches them like branches from the fire and preserves them as costly monuments to His mercy. None are so precious in Jesus’ sight as the sinners for whom He died.
When Jesus receives sinners, He does not have an outdoor reception, no public square where He charitably entertains them in the way men treat passing beggars, but He opens the golden gates of His royal heart and receives the sinner right into Himself. He admits the humble penitent into personal union and makes Him a member of His body, of His flesh, and of His bones. There was never such a reception as this! This fact is certain. Even this evening, He is still receiving sinners: It is our prayer that sinners will receive Him.

The family reading plan for September 13, 2014 * Ezekiel 16 * Psalm 58, 59
Devotional material is taken from “Morning and Evening,” written by C.H. Spurgeon, revised and updated by Alistair Begg.

Charles Spurgeon

Charles Spurgeon – The condescension of Christ

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CharlesSpurgeon
“For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.” 2 Corinthians 8:9
Suggested Further Reading: Mark 15:16-39
Our Lord Jesus might have said in all his sorrows, “I have known better days than these.” When he was tempted of the devil in the wilderness, it must have been hard for him to have restrained himself from dashing the devil into pieces. If I had been the Son of God, feeling as I do now, if that devil had tempted me I should have dashed him into the nethermost hell, in the twinkling of an eye! And then conceive the patience our Lord must have had, standing on the pinnacle of the temple, when the devil said, “Fall down and worship me.” He would not touch him, the vile deceiver, but let him do what he pleased.Oh! What might of misery and love there must have been in the Saviour’s heart when he was spat upon by the men he had created; when the eyes he himself had filled with vision, looked on him with scorn, and when the tongues, to which he himself had given utterance, hissed and blasphemed him! Oh, my friends, if the Saviour had felt as we do, and I doubt not he did feel in some measure as we do—only by great patience he curbed himself—he might have swept them all away; and, as they said, he might have come down from the cross, and delivered himself, and destroyed them utterly. It was mighty patience that could bear to tread this world beneath his feet, and not to crush it, when it so ill-treated its Redeemer.You marvel at the patience which restrained him; you marvel also at the poverty he must have felt, the poverty of spirit, when they rebuked him and he reviled them not again; when they scoffed at him, and yet he said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” He had seen brighter days; that made his misery more bitter, and his poverty more poor.
For meditation: In the garden Jesus could have used his power to call twelve legions of angels to his rescue (Matthew 26:53), but instead he employed it to heal the ear of one of his enemies (Luke 22:51). On the cross he could have used his power to save himself, but instead he continued to employ it to save others—his enemies, including us (Romans 5:10).
Sermon no. 151
13 September (1857)

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Speak Words of Wisdom

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Joyce meyer
For out of the fullness (the overflow, the superabundance) of the heart the mouth speaks.
—Matthew 12:34
It is challenging to say right things when you feel totally wrong. When your emotions are running high or low, you are tempted to speak emotionally rather than sensibly. But you must allow wisdom to rise above emotion.
God spoke about nonexistent things as if they already existed, and He created the world with faith-filled words. You are created in His image, and you can also call things that are not as though they are. You can speak positive things about yourself into the atmosphere and thereby “prophesy your future.”
Think about the words you speak and you will learn a lot about yourself. As a Christian, you are God’s representative, and your words should reflect His character. Meditating on the goodness of God will fill your heart with joy, and the words you speak will glorify Him and be a testimony to others.

Presidential Prayer Team

Presidential Paryer Team – G.C. – Out to Sea

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Four-year-old Jemima Chambers was rescued recently off the Jersey shore after drifting half a mile out to sea on a body board. Her mother says she had a false sense of security while watching over Jemima because everyone was just paddling around in shallow water. But when she checked again, her daughter was a speck in the distance. Rescuers jumped on a jet ski and approached the little girl, finding her relaxed and unaware she was in great danger.
You also must help us by prayer, so that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us through the prayers of many.
II Corinthians 1:11
In II Corinthians, Paul exhorts his fellow Christians to pray for him and his mission to spread the gospel. As with little Jemima, Paul knows it’s easy to drift. Anyone might be pulled out into a sea of error without the watchful prayers of God’s people.
Today, pray for believers working in governmental leadership in Washington D.C. and in your community. Be a watcher in the water for those proclaiming the name of Christ on the public platform. Ask God to protect their character, keeping them safely close to His shore and away from the dangers of the deep.
Recommended Reading: Isaiah 43:1-7

Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – Break the Glass!

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You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book.—Psalm 56:8
When you’re hurting and no one else seems to understand, God understands. You can bring a burden before the Lord that may seem insignificant to someone else. Whatever weighs on your heart is a concern to Him, and He wants you to talk to Him about it. As it says in the J. B. Phillips version of 1 Peter 5:7, “You can throw the whole weight of your anxieties upon him, for you are his personal concern.”
David understood this when he wrote, “You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book,” (Psalm 56:8, NLT). That is a wonderful insight into the personal compassion that God has for each and every one of us.
We are prone to only pray about the “big things.” We tend to think of prayer as a last resort, like the fire alarms that say, “In case of emergency, break this glass.” If it’s a little fire, so to speak, we think, I can handle this, and we’ll put the fire out. But if half the building is burning, then we go ahead and break the glass.
What is God telling us?
Break the glass.
No matter what it may be, run to Him in prayer. Don’t wait for a small thing to become a big thing. Your heavenly Father is interested in every detail of your life. Don’t reduce the infinite to the finite by placing a limit on God, because He says, “Is anything too hard for the Lord?” (Genesis 18:14).
Philippians 4:6 tells us, “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything” (NLT). Note the word everything. It doesn’t say, “Pray about some things.” Nor does it say, “Pray about really big things.” I checked the original language, and guess what? It says “everything” in Greek and “everything” in English. And that is just what God intended. Pray about everything.

Max Lucado

Max Lucado – We Don’t Know Enough · September 12

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Max Lucado
God is the One who judges. We don’t know enough! We condemn a man for stumbling this morning, but we didn’t see the blows he took yesterday. We judge a woman for the limp in her walk but cannot see the tack in her shoe. Only one who has followed yesterday’s steps can be their judge. Not only are we ignorant about yesterday, we are ignorant about tomorrow. How can you dismiss a soul until God’s work is complete? Philippians 1:6 says, “God began doing a good work in you, and I am sure he will continue it until it is finished when Jesus Christ comes again.”
Be careful! A stammering shepherd in this generation may be the mighty Moses of the next. Don’t call Noah a fool. You may be asking him for a lift. Paul said in 1 Corinthians 4:5, “Do not judge before the right time; wait until the Lord comes.”
From In the Grip of Grace

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — The Small Giant

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Our Daily Bread

1 Samuel 17:32-37

The LORD . . . will deliver me. —1 Samuel 17:37

The towering enemy strides into the Valley of Elah. He stands 9 feet tall, and his coat of armor, made of many small bronze plates, glimmers in the sunlight. The shaft of his spear is wrapped with cords so it can spin through the air and be thrown with greater distance and accuracy. Goliath looks invincible.

But David knows better. While Goliath may look like a giant and act like a giant, in contrast to the living God he is small. David has a right view of God and therefore a right view of the circumstances. He sees Goliath as one who is defying the armies of the living God (1 Sam. 17:26). He confidently appears before Goliath in his shepherd’s clothes, armed with only his staff, five stones, and a sling. His confidence is not in what he has but in who is with him (v.45).

What “Goliath” are you facing right now? It may be an impossible situation at work, a financial difficulty, or a broken relationship. With God all things are small in comparison. Nothing is too big for Him. The words of the hymnwriter Charles Wesley remind us: “Faith, mighty faith, the promise sees, and looks to that alone; laughs at impossibilities, and cries it shall be done.” God is able to deliver you if that’s His desire, and He may do so in ways you don’t expect. —Poh Fang Chia

Not to the strong is the battle,

Not to the swift is the race;

Yet to the true and the faithful

Victory is promised through grace. —Crosby

Don’t tell God how big your giants are. Tell your giants how big your God is.

Bible in a year: Proverbs 13-15; 2 Corinthians 5

Insight

David was young at the time he faced Goliath, so his courage in confronting the giant is impressive. His confidence was in God and was based on His actions in the past. David considered the heroic actions of his shepherding days (17:34-35) as victories of the Lord (v.37). His boldness was encouraged by the faithful strength of God.

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – Jesus—God’s Perfect Gift

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Charles Stanley

Romans 5:6-21

Jesus is God’s precious and perfect gift to us. Heaven sent, the present was willingly given at great cost because we were in desperate need. This remarkable gift from God is . . .

Universal and Personal. Through Jesus, the Father offers salvation to the entire world, one person at a time (John 3:16). Whoever receives the Son discovers His unlimited worth.

Preventive. When Jesus becomes our personal Savior, we are granted forgiveness and are set free from condemnation for our sin (Rom. 8:1). This divine gift prevents us from having to face eternal death, which would mean permanent separation from God.

Eternal. What Jesus brings us lasts forever. From the day of salvation, Christ’s Spirit indwells us and remains with us. As permanent members of God’s family, we have an inheritance in heaven that can neither spoil nor perish (1 Pet. 1:3-5).

Full of Love. Unconditional love is what motivated the Father to sacrifice His Son in our place. None of us deserved it. At some point, we’ve all sinned (Rom. 3:10)—we have turned away from God to follow our own desires. In spite of who we are, God set His affection on us and proved it through the life and death of His Son. By His love, we’ve been rescued from bondage to sin and are being transformed into the people He designed us to be.

If you haven’t accepted God’s offer of salvation, today can become your spiritual birthday. If you already belong to God’s family, you know the value of the gift. Won’t you tell someone today about this marvelous present.

Ravi Zacharias

Ravi Zacharias Ministry –   The Sounds of Hope

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Ravi Z

Not long ago, I was listening to a collection of interviews and commentaries on the subject of spirituality in the West. Some of those interviewed were authors of best-selling books on various topics of religion and spirituality; others were interviewed simply as passersby on the street. “Who is God?” the interviewers asked repeatedly. “What does it mean to be a spiritual person?” The answers were as diverse as the notes in a concerto, but the composition was at best one of chaos and contradiction, perhaps more accurately described as a “symphony” in which everyone is encouraged to play privately, but in the same place, at the same time, the sounds or noise of their own choosing. I came to the end and could only sigh: “How can anyone muddle through such a racket?”

The current state and practice of popular spirituality in West at times brings to mind words spoken by the prophet Jeremiah. It is a “discipline of delusion” to chase after spiritually as if it were a matter of preference and not a matter pertaining to what is real. “They are altogether stupid and foolish,” writes Jeremiah, “In their discipline of delusion—their idol is wood” (10:8).

Millions and millions of people confess to believe in God, to know God, to consider God in some way. But does our confession of God in these moments pertain to what is real or true? Can the starting point of such knowledge begin anywhere else? In the book of Romans, Paul writes of those who follow God not as God but as something less—something corrupted at their own hands—and so end up chasing darkness. He writes, “For even though they knew God… they became futile in their speculations… They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator.”(1)

Who is it we say that we know? Do our speculations lead us astray or lead us closer to the truth of God? Are they the sort of speculations we can hold before scenes of life and death? The apostle Paul describes the God he knows as one “who gives life to the dead and calls things that are not as though they were” (Romans 4:17). This is not his way of relegating our knowledge of God as something important only for the next life. On the contrary, the apostle wants us to see the resounding hope of a God who can hold life and death in a way that our delusional speculations of God cannot.

Death indeed has a way of questioning our knowledge of God. In death we are reminded—or startled to the memory—of God’s status in life. Is it sovereignty or simply therapeutic? We are reminded similarly of life’s most significant answers. Why do I believe this? Who is this I say I believe in and what does that mean? In the midst of such questions we are alert to the richest sounds of belief: Do I believe because I have encountered the goodness of God or because I want God to bring me good things? “God is convenient,” or “God wants me to be happy” are very different songs than “God has come near” or “God has become one of us.” As good theology is the best answer to life’s crises, death is a plea to the importance of sound hope. In the words of the prophet Isaiah: “You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you” (Isaiah 26:3). When life is shaken, when the misleading sounds of our own preferences fall flat, we find that our knowledge of God is either a resounding consolation or a blaring delusion.

I attended an Easter morning service more than a decade ago that continues to resonate in mind. It was held in a cemetery. Surrounded by silent stones, each one marking a life put to rest, with the sting of a loved one’s death still fresh in my mind, we sang:

Lives again our glorious King,

Where, O death, is now thy sting?

Once He died our souls to save,

Where thy victory, O grave?

Soar we now where Christ hath led,

Following our exalted Head,

Made like Him, like Him we rise,

Ours the cross, the grave, the skies.

In the vicarious humanity of the risen Christ, death and is swallowed up in victory for life. Our human mediator has won, and humanity shall win. The resounding consolation of knowing Christ is one that can hold the world in hope and make us long for the kingdom to come.

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

Alistair Begg

Alistair Begg – Big with Mercy

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Alistair Begg

I will sing of steadfast love and justice.  Psalm 101:1

Faith is triumphant in trial. When reason has her feet fastened in the stocks of the inner prison, faith makes the dungeon walls ring with her happy notes as she cries, “I will sing of steadfast love and justice; to you, O LORD, I will make music.” Faith pulls the dark mask from the face of trouble and discovers the angel beneath. Faith looks up at the cloud and sees that

“It is big with mercy and will break

In blessings on her head.”

There is a subject for song even in the judgments of God toward us. For, first, the trial is not as difficult as it might have been; next, the trouble is not as severe as we deserved; and our affliction is not as crushing as the burden that others have to carry. Faith sees that in her deepest sorrow there is no punishment. There is not a drop of God’s wrath in it; it is all sent in love. Faith finds love gleaming like a jewel on the breast of an angry God. Faith wears her grief “like a badge of honor” and sings of the sweet result of her sorrows, because they work for her spiritual good. Faith says, “For this slight momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison.”1 So faith rides out in victory, trampling down earthly wisdom and carnal knowledge, and singing songs of triumph where the battle rages.

All I meet I find assists me

In my path to heavenly joy:

Where, though trials now attend me,

Trials never more annoy

Blest there with a weight of glory,

Still the path I’ll not forget,

But, exulting, cry, it led me

To my blessed Savior’s seat.

1)  2 Corinthians 4:17

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The family reading plan for September 12, 2014 * Ezekiel 15 * Psalm 56, 57

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

John MacArthur

John MacArthur – Resisting the Devil

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John MacArthur

“Take up the full armor of God, that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm” (Eph. 6:13).

Spiritual warfare isn’t as much a frontal attack on Satan’s domain as it is the ability to resist his advances.

Spiritual warfare has become a popular topic in recent years. Books, tapes, and seminars on the subject abound, but there is still much confusion. Some say we must rebuke and bind Satan to thwart his power and influence. Others say we must expel demonic spirits through “deliverance ministries.” Still others encourage us to band together to aggressively assault the strongholds of supposed territorial demons.

But spiritual warfare isn’t an outright frontal attack on the forces of darkness. Scripture says, “Submit . . . to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you” (James 4:7); “Be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls about like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. But resist him, firm in your faith” (1 Pet. 5:8-9). The idea that Christians have the authority to rebuke or bind Satan is foreign to Scripture. Even Michael the archangel treated him with more respect than that (Jude 9).

Spiritual victory involves submitting to God, pursuing His will, keeping your spiritual armor on, being on the alert for Satan’s attacks, and then standing firm and resisting him “in the evil day” (Eph. 6:13).

“Evil day” is a general reference to the sin that exists in this world. As the “god of this world” (2 Cor. 4:4), Satan will continue to produce evil until he and his forces are cast into the lake of fire (Rev. 20:10-15). Then the evil day will give way to an eternal age of righteousness.

Countless people have pastored churches, taught Sunday School classes, led Bible studies, sung in choirs, and been involved in every conceivable area of ministry only to one day abandon their ministries and embrace the world. Somehow they stopped resisting the devil and lost the courage to stand firm.

How about you? Is your commitment strong? Are you willing to stand firm for the Lord today?

Suggestions for Prayer

Ask God for the grace to boldly resist whatever might challenge your faith today.

For Further Study

Read 1 Corinthians 9:23-27.

  • What was Paul’s great fear?
  • What measures did he take to insure spiritual victory?
  • Are you taking the same measures?
Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Control Your Temper

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He who is slow to anger has great understanding. —Proverbs 14:29

It is uncomfortable for others to be around us if we are easily angered. We need to learn how to respond to life instead of react to it, so that we can enjoy God’s power in our lives. God says that a person who can control his or her anger is better and mightier than an individual who can take a whole city (See Proverbs 16:32).

God’s Word says, “Understand [this],my beloved brethren. Let every man be quick to hear [a ready listener], slow to speak, slow to take offense and to get angry. For man’s anger does not promote the righteousness God [wishes and requires]” (James 1:19– 20). Be a ready listener, and enjoy the freedom from anger that God offers you.

Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – Covered With His Love

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“Long ago, even before He made the world, God chose us to be His very own, through what Christ would do for us; He decided then to make us holy in His eyes, without a single fault – we who stand before Him covered with His love” (Ephesians 1:4).

On every continent and in scores of countries, I have asked thousands of people, including Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, communists and atheists: “Who is the greatest person who ever lived? Who has done more good for mankind than anyone else?”

Among knowledgeable people, the answer is always the same, “Jesus of Nazareth.”

Born nearly 2,000 years ago, His coming had been foretold for centuries by the great prophets of Israel. The Old Testament, written by many individuals over a period of 1,500 years, contains more than 300 references concerning the promised Messiah. All of these prophecies have been fulfilled in the birth, life, ministry, death and resurrection of Jesus. They could not have referred to anyone else.

That in itself is conclusive evidence of God’s personal and supernatural intervention in history. Jesus’ coming into this world was no accident, and we who trust Him are covered by His love.

What a beautiful picture – covered with His love!

“All the armies that ever marched and all the navies that were ever built, and all the parliaments that ever sat, and all the kings that ever reigned, put together have not affected the life of man upon this earth as has that one solitary life,” declared an anonymous observer in reflecting upon the life of Jesus Christ.

Bible Reading: Ephesians 1:5-14

TODAY’S ACTION POINT: Throughout this day I will picture myself embraced by the arms of the Almighty, His love covering and comforting me. I will share His love and faithfulness with others.

Presidential Prayer Team

Presidential Prayer Team;  C.H. – Praise Him, Praise Him

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A study from the Center for Disease Control shows 1.5 million women in the U.S. are infertile. Americans spend three to five billion dollars a year on this ancient problem. In the Bible, Sarah didn’t give birth until she was ninety. Jacob’s wife Rachel also struggled with the inability to conceive. Another biblical account of barrenness was Hannah’s.

And Hannah prayed and said, “My heart exults in the Lord; my horn is exalted in the Lord. My mouth derides my enemies, because I rejoice in your salvation.”

I Samuel 2:1

Her prayers for a child were so desperate, the priest Eli thought she was drunk. Hannah promised if God granted her wish, she would give the child back to Him in service. There’s a lesson in Hannah’s prayer after the birth of her son Samuel. First, she followed through with her promise to God and dedicated her son to the Lord. And, as today’s verse shows, she offers praise for an answered prayer.

Christians never hesitate to “take it to the Lord in prayer.” But have you praised Him lately for answering your requests? Take some time today just to thank God for all He has done, both in your life and in your nation. He is still in control.

Recommended Reading: I Samuel 2:1-11

Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – Shipwrecks   

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Three times I was shipwrecked. Once I spent a whole night and a day adrift at sea. —2 Corinthians 11:25

Writing to the church in Corinth, the apostle Paul said, in effect, “Trust me. I’ve been through it. I know more than I ever wanted to know about shipwrecks.”

I have never been literally shipwrecked, but I have been through some pretty rough seas. I remember being on one of those Bible study cruises years ago with a group of people from our church. We were trying to have an evening service as the ship bounced and rocked on the choppy waves. People were getting sick and lurching out of the room. Let’s just say the pastor gave an early benediction and ended the service before it ever really got started. But that wasn’t a shipwreck; it was only rough seas.

We’ve all had our share of rough seas, haven’t we? I’ve had my share of hardships in life. More than many? Perhaps. But not as many as some. I remember thinking not that long ago that maybe the days of big shipwrecks in my life were over. Oh, I know there always will be some difficulties, challenges, and trials in the Christian life. But I’d found myself hoping that I might somehow escape any big, traumatic events through my remaining years. You know . . . relatively smooth sailing the rest of the way to heaven. But of course, that was not to be with the unexpected death of our oldest son Christopher in July of 2008.

Anyone who has ever done any sailing can tell you how rapidly the weather can change—how quickly you can find yourself facing stiff winds and rising seas. The fact is, we can’t know what’s ahead of us in life. We can’t see the storms that may be churning just over the horizon. But God can!

And what was true for the psalmist in a time of uncertainty and great storms is true for you and me as well: “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake. . . . The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress” (Psalm 46:1-3, 7, NIV).

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

Max Lucado

Max Lucado – We Don’t Know Enough

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Max Lucado

God is the One who judges. We don’t know enough! We condemn a man for stumbling this morning, but we didn’t see the blows he took yesterday. We judge a woman for the limp in her walk but cannot see the tack in her shoe. Only one who has followed yesterday’s steps can be their judge. Not only are we ignorant about yesterday, we are ignorant about tomorrow. How can you dismiss a soul until God’s work is complete? Philippians 1:6 says, “God began doing a good work in you, and I am sure he will continue it until it is finished when Jesus Christ comes again.”

Be careful! A stammering shepherd in this generation may be the mighty Moses of the next.  Don’t call Noah a fool. You may be asking him for a lift. Paul said in 1 Corinthians 4:5, “Do not judge before the right time; wait until the Lord comes.”

From In the Grip of Grace