Tag Archives: jesus christ

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – God Always Provides

Leave a comment

Joyce meyer

And the word of the Lord came to him, saying, Go from here and turn east and hide yourself by the brook Cherith, east of the Jordan. You shall drink of the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to feed you there—1 Kings 17:2–4

When God called me into the ministry, I spent every free hour I could find studying God’s Word and reading books that taught me biblical doctrine and principles. Many of my friends did not understand my new zeal, and some got angry and rejected me when I said no to their invitations to do things. It was hard for me emotionally to be so misunderstood. I later learned that God was calling me to separate myself as part of my preparation.

I taught home Bible studies for five years to groups that consisted of twenty-five or thirty people. I was faithful and received no financial benefits during that time. As part of my preparation, God led me to quit my job so I would have some time to prepare. It involved sacrificing the salary I made and being willing to trust God for our needs to be met. Learning to trust God in this way was part of my preparation for the ministry we now have, where we must trust God for literally everything. Trust doesn’t just appear in our lives, but it grows as we take steps of faith and experience God’s faithfulness.

Lord, guide me to take steps of genuine faith in You today. I rest in Your faithfulness and abundance of provision. Amen.

Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – How to Be Fearless

Leave a comment

dr_bright

“The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?” (Psalm 27:1).

The psalmist David did not choose words carelessly – but under divine inspiration – when he spoke of lightand salvation.

Of all the memorials in Westminster Abbey, not one has a nobler thought inscribed on it than the monument to Lord Lawrence – simply his name, with the date of his death, and these words:

“He feared man so little because he feared God so much.”

Charles H. Spurgeon gives some helpful insights into Psalm 27:1.

“In the New Testament, the idea which is hinted at in the language of David is expressly revealed as a truth. God does not merely give us His light. He is light, just as He is love in His own uncreated nature.

“God is light, ‘John writes in his epistle,’ and in Him is no darkness at all.’ When John sought to teach us our Lord’s Godhead as clearly and as sharply as possible, he calls Him the ‘light,’ meaning to teach us that as such He shares the essential nature of the Deity.”

How wonderful that we need not live in darkness – in any sense of the word – but that we immediately can have the Light of Life, God Himself, available to us in the person of His indwelling Holy Spirit as well as in His inspired Word. Every prerequisite for the abundant, supernatural life has been made available to us, and access is immediate if we come to Him immediately with our needs.

Bible Reading: Psalm 27:2-6

TODAY’S ACTION POINT: With God’s help, I will follow Him who is my light and my salvation. I will have no fear of men or circumstances.

Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – A Different Kind of Battle

Leave a comment

greglaurie

We do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. —Ephesians 6:12

Captain Scotty Smiley has served his country with great courage, but he also has had to face great adversity. A U.S. Army Ranger and a combat diver-qualified infantryman, Captain Smiley is also the Army’s first active-duty blind officer and its first blind company commander. In April, 2006, Captain Smiley lost both of his eyes when a suicide bomber blew himself up thirty meters away from his vehicle.

He has faced this adversity with great faith and courage, an example to anyone dealing with a disability. Since losing his eyesight, he has climbed Mount Rainier, completed a triathlon, skied, skydived, and earned an M.B.A. He was named Soldier of the Year in 2007 and has written his story in a book called Hope Unseen. Captain Smiley is a fantastic model of bravery and courage on the battlefield.

As Christians, we, too, are in a battle, but it’s a battle of a different kind. It is not a physical battle, but a spiritual one — and it is just as real. The Bible tells us that we are “fighting against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12). It would blow our minds if God were to pull back the curtain and enable us to see into the spiritual world — the world of God and Satan, the world of angels and demons, the world of heaven and hell.

So here is our choice: Either we are going to win or lose in this battle. Either we are going to gain ground or lose ground. Either we are going to advance or retreat.

Which will it be? It’s a decision we all need to make.

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

Max Lucado

Max Lucado – God—Our Shepherd

Leave a comment

Max Lucado

God, our Shepherd, doesn’t check the weather—He makes it! He doesn’t defy gravity—He created it. Jesus said, “God is Spirit.”  He has no limitations. Unchanging. Uncaused. Ungoverned. Don’t we need this kind of shepherd?

You don’t need to carry the burden of a lesser god. A god on a shelf, a god in a box, or a god in a bottle. No, you need a God who can place 100-billion stars in our galaxy, and 100-billion galaxies in the universe. A God who can shape two fists of flesh into 75 to 100 billion nerve cells, each with as many as 10,000 connections to other nerve cells, place it in a skull, and call it a brain. And you have one.  He is your shepherd!

From Traveling Light

 

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – Teaching Children to Serve the Lord

1 Comment

Charles Stanley

God wants us to live strong lives of serving others for Him while we live on this earth. How can your family show love to people in your neighborhood? Children enjoy sharing happiness with others and including them in your plans for ministry is a sure way to ramp up their excitement about serving God.

Here are a few simple ideas to get you started:

  • Bake and take cookies to new neighbors you notice have recently moved in nearby.
  • Share a pot full of warm soup (and all the fixings) with an elderly neighbor who has a difficult time getting out of her home.
  • Offer to pick up pinecones or leaves from the yard of a single mother who lives near you.
  • Babysit free of charge for a young couple this week who may not have the financial ability to go out very often. If your children are close in age, this could naturally become a play date for the kids.

Psalm 100:2 reminds us to, “Serve the Lord with gladness.” That’s a Bible verse that your children can easily remember as you guide them in serving God in fun ways this week.

 

Related Resources

What are the top four things Dr. Stanley’s son Andy learned from him?

How can I pass on my faith?

What is the best way to train my children?

How can I leave a godly legacy?

How do I influence my children in a way that honors God?

More Resources About Servanthood

 

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — Tears Of Gratitude

Leave a comment

Our Daily Bread

1 Corinthians 11:23-32

You proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes. —1 Corinthians 11:26

At a communion service my wife and I attended, the congregation was invited to come forward to receive the bread and cup from one of the pastors or elders. They told each one personally of Jesus’ sacrifice for him or her. It was an especially moving experience during what can often become just routine. After we returned to our seats, I watched as others slowly and quietly filed past. It was striking to see how many had tears in their eyes. For me, and for others I talked with later, they were tears of gratitude.

The reason for tears of gratitude is seen in the reason for the communion table itself. Paul, after instructing the church at Corinth about the meaning of the memorial supper, punctuated his comments with these powerful words: “For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes” (1 Cor. 11:26). With the elements of communion pointing directly to the cross and the sacrifice of Christ on our behalf, that service was about so much more than ritual—it was about Christ. His love. His sacrifice. His cross. For us.

How inadequate words are to convey the extraordinary worth of Christ! Sometimes tears of gratitude speak what words can’t fully express. —Bill Crowder

Were the whole realm of nature mine,

That were a present far too small;

Love so amazing, so divine,

Demands my soul, my life, my all. —Watts

The love Christ showed for us on the cross is greater than words could ever express.

Bible in a year: 1 Kings 16-18; Luke 22:47-71

Insight

For centuries, the Jewish community of faith had called to memory God’s provision of their deliverance out of bondage in Egypt. This memorial was celebrated through the Passover meal (Ex. 12:1-28). A roasted lamb, unleavened bread, wine, bitter herbs, and other items helped them remember their salvation from slavery. In our reading today, we see how our Lord took that sacred feast and transformed it into a memorial of His own sacrificial death (see Luke 22:19).

Alistair Begg

Alistair Begg  – Our Royal Nature

Leave a comment

Alistair Begg

You have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable. 1 Peter 1:23

Peter earnestly exhorted the scattered saints to love each other “earnestly from a pure heart” (verse 22), and he did so not on the basis of the law or human nature or philosophy, but from that high and divine nature that God has implanted in His people. In the same way that a sensible tutor of princes might seek to foster in them a kingly spirit and dignified behavior, finding arguments in their position and pedigree, so, looking upon God’s people as heirs of glory, princes of royal blood, descendants of the King of kings, earth’s truest and oldest aristocracy, Peter said to them in essence, “See that you love one another because of your noble birth, being born of imperishable seed, because of your pedigree, being descended from God, the Creator of all things, and because of your immortal destiny, for you shall never pass away, though the glory of the flesh shall fade and even its existence shall cease.”

We would do well if, in the spirit of humility, we recognized the true dignity of our regenerated nature and lived up to it. What is a Christian? If you compare him with a king, he adds priestly sanctity to royal dignity. The king’s royalty often lies only in his crown, but with a Christian it is infused into his inmost nature. He is as much above his fellows through his new birth as a man is above the beast that perishes. Surely he shall conduct himself in all his dealings as one who is different from the crowd, chosen out of the world, distinguished by sovereign grace, part of God’s “peculiar people.”1

Such trophies of God’s grace cannot grovel in the dust like some, nor live in the fashion of the world’s citizens. Let the dignity of your nature and the brightness of your prospects, O believers in Christ, constrain you to hold fast to holiness and to avoid the very appearance of evil.

1Titus 2:14, KJV

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

Today’s Bible Reading The family reading plan for May 4, 2014 * Isaiah 1 * Hebrews 9

 

John MacArthur

John MacArthur – Chosen to be Sent

1 Comment

John MacArthur

“Having summoned His twelve disciples, [Jesus] gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every kind of disease and every kind of sickness. Now the names of the twelve apostles were these” (Matt. 10:1-2).

Have you ever met someone who constantly absorbs what the church has to offer, yet never seems to plug into a ministry where he can give to others? I’ve met many people like that. Some have attended church for many years, and have even taken evangelism and other special training classes. But they never quite feel qualified to minister to others or even to share their testimony. Eventually that has a crippling effect on their spiritual lives and on the life of the church in general.

When Jesus called the disciples to Himself, He did so to train them for ministry. We see that in Matthew 10:1-2. The Greek word translated “disciples” means “learners.” “Apostles” translates a Greek word meaning “to dispatch away from” or “send.” In classical Greek it refers to a naval expedition dispatched to serve a foreign city or country. Disciples are learners; apostles are emissaries. Jesus called untrained disciples, but dispatched trained apostles. That’s the normal training process.

In Matthew 28:18-20 Jesus says, “Go . . . and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you.” Paul said to Timothy, “The things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, these entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also” (2 Tim. 2:2).

As wonderful and important as it is to learn of Christ, you must never be content to be a disciple only. You must also be a discipler!

Suggestions for Prayer: Memorize Matthew 28:18-20. If you aren’t currently discipling someone, ask the Lord for an opportunity to do so.

For Further Study: An important part of discipleship is spending time with Christ. One way to do that is to read through the gospels on a regular basis. You might want to obtain a harmony of the gospels to help in your study. Tell a friend of your plan so he or she can encourage you and hold you accountable.

 

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Crisis Management

Leave a comment

Joyce meyer

Surely I know that it will be well with those who [reverently] fear God, who revere and worship Him, realizing His continual presence. —Ecclesiastes 8:12

God has taught me some valuable lessons about crisis management. Jesus said, “Come to Me” (Matthew 11:28); He didn’t say run to the phone and call three friends when we face an emergency. I am not against asking people to pray for us, but if we run to people, we won’t find a cure; we will find only a bandage.

We face many challenges and crises in life. Sometimes the crises are major; sometimes they are minor. To avoid living in a constant state of emergency, the Lord impressed on me to seek Him continuously, or diligently. I used to seek time with God once in a while or when my life was in big trouble. Eventually, I learned that if I ever wanted to get out of crisis mode, I needed to seek God as if I were in desperate need of Him all the time—during hard times and during seasons of great blessing.

We often give God low priority when things are going well for us. But I have observed that if the only time we seek God is when we are desperate, He often keeps us in desperate circumstances in order to keep us in fellowship with Him.

God will always rescue and help us when we come to Him. But if we want to stay in a place of constant peace and victory, we must diligently seek Him at all times, as the verse for today urges us to do.

ou today: Practice good crisis management by staying in fellowship with God at all times.

Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – Ways That Are Right and Best

Leave a comment

dr_bright

“He will teach the ways that are right and best to those who humbly turn to Him” (Psalm 25:9).

A guide, taking some tourists through Mammoth Cave, reached a place called “The Cathedral.”

Mounting a rock called “The Pulpit,” he said he wanted to preach a sermon, and it would be short.

“Keep close to your guide,” he said.

The tourists soon found it was a good sermon. If they did not keep close to the guide, they would be lost in the midst of pits, precipices and caverns.

It is hard to find one’s way through Mammoth Cave without a guide. It is harder to find one’s way through the world without the lamp of God’s Word.

“Keep your eye on the Light of the World (Jesus) and use the Lamp of God’s Word” is a good motto for the Christian to follow.

Humbly turning to God is one of the most meaningful exercises a person can take. We come in touch with divine sovereignty, and we become instant candidates to discern God’s will for our lives.

Humbling ourselves is clearly in line with God’s formula for revival:

“If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land” (2 Chronicles 7:14, KJV).

Bible Reading: Psalm 25:1-8

TODAY’S ACTION POINT: With the enabling of the Holy Spirit, I will fix my heart and mind on Jesus first and others second, which is true humility.

 

Presidential Prayer Team

Presidential Prayer Team; C.P. – Look Up

Leave a comment

ppt_seal01

It’s easy to get down in the dumps these days. Experts estimate that depression effects one out of 10 Americans, and the number grows by 20 percent each year. There are about 40,000 suicides committed annually in the United States. How can you protect yourself from the despair?

Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God.

Psalm 43:5

It helps, as David did, to focus on the Lord. It changes your perspective as you begin to think hopeful thoughts like, “God is real. He loves me. He takes care of me. He uses the bad things in my life for the good.” Plus, God really does intervene. He does help. He does make things better. It may take longer than you would like, but you can count on the Lord.

“Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” (Hebrews 4:16) In these troubled times, remind yourself to put your trust in Jesus. Regardless of how you feel, spend time praising your Heavenly Father for answered prayer and showing Himself strong in your life. Ask the Holy Spirit to use this country’s problems to turn hearts heavenward.

Recommended Reading: Psalm 34:1-14

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – When You Feel Helpless

1 Comment

Charles Stanley

2 Chronicles 20:5-12

Yesterday, we saw what Jehoshaphat did when he found himself in a seemingly hopeless situation. Today, let’s extract another principle from the story as we learn how to handle helplessness.

In verses 5-12, Jehoshaphat is still focused on the Lord, which should also be our first response to fear. Yet notice what he does in this prayer. He is not looking forward, stating his fears of what might happen. Instead, he is remembering the past, recounting the times in the nation’s history when God brought Israel through similar “helpless” situations.

How often has the Lord done a mighty work on your behalf when all seemed lost? He is actively involved in our lives today. Sadly, we often thank Him in the moment but then forget what He’s done for us. Later, when we are fearful again, it’s far too easy to forget how He has already proven Himself in our lives.

We all need encouragement when we feel powerless. At such times, it helps to be mindful of what the sovereign Lord has achieved throughout history and in the world today. Not only that, but it’s also extremely valuable to recall the ways our loving Father has worked in our own lives.

God knows our faith is strengthened when we take His track record into account. That’s why the Bible so often instructs us to remember what the Lord has done—and to share that information with our family members.

In thinking about His many blessings, you view God’s work from a new perspective. You’ll start to see how He’s weaving the individual threads of your life to create a beautiful tapestry—for His glory.

 

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — He Changed My Life

Leave a comment

Our Daily Bread

Psalm 107:1-16

Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom He has redeemed from the hand of the enemy. —Psalm 107:2

Following the death of computer pioneer Steve Jobs in 2011, more than one million people from around the world posted tributes to him online. The common theme was how Jobs had changed their lives. They said they lived differently because of his creative innovations, and they wanted to express their appreciation and their sorrow. The screen of one tablet computer said in large letters: iSad.

Gratitude fuels expression, which is exactly what Psalm 107 describes: “Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom He has redeemed from the hand of the enemy” (v.2). The theme of this psalm is people in great trouble who were delivered by the Lord. Some were homeless and in need (vv.4-5); some had rebelled against God’s Word (vv.10-11); others were at their wits’ end when they cried out to God (vv.26-27). All were rescued by God. “Oh, that men would give thanks to the LORD for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men!” (vv.8,15,21,31).

When we consider the greatness of God’s love, His grace in sending Jesus Christ to die for us and rise again, and what He has delivered us from, we cannot keep from praising Him and wanting to tell others how He changed our lives! —David McCasland

O God, my heart is filled with praise for all that You

have done for me. You have changed the focus

and purpose of my life because You sent Your Son.

Thank You.

Our gratitude to God for salvation fuels our witness to others.

Bible in a year: 1 Kings 14-15; Luke 22:21-46

Alistair Begg

Alistair Begg – Go to Jesus

Leave a comment

Alistair Begg

A very present help. Psalms 46:1

Covenant blessings are not meant only to be observed but to be appropriated. Even our Lord Jesus is given to us for our present use. Believer, you do not make use of Christ as you ought to do. When you are in trouble, why do you not tell Him all your grief? Does He not have a sympathizing heart, and can He not comfort and relieve you? No, you are going to all your friends, except your best Friend, and telling your story everywhere, except into the heart of your Lord.

Are you burdened with this day’s sins? Here is a fountain filled with blood: Use it, saint, use it. Has a sense of guilt returned upon you? The pardoning grace of Jesus may be proved again and again. Come to Him at once for cleansing. Do you deplore your weakness? He is your strength: Why not lean upon Him? Do you feel naked? Come here, soul; put on the robe of Jesus’ righteousness. Do not stand looking at it, but wear it. Strip off your own righteousness, and your own fears too: Put on the fair white linen, for it was meant to be worn.

Do you feel yourself sick? Call upon the Beloved Physician, and He will give the medicine that will revive you. You are poor, but remember you have a kinsman, who is incredibly wealthy. What! Will you not go to Him and ask Him to give you from His abundance when He has promised that you will be joint heir with Him and has credited all that He is and all that He has to your account? There is nothing Christ dislikes more than for His people to make a show of coming to Him and yet not to use Him. He loves to be employed by us. The more burdens we put on His shoulders, the more precious He will be to us.

Let us be simple with Him, then,

Not backward, stiff, or cold,

As though our Bethlehem could be

What Sinai was of old.

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

Today’s Bible Reading The family reading plan for May 3, 2014 * Song 8 * Hebrews 8

 

Charles Spurgeon

Charles Spurgeon – Regeneration

Leave a comment

CharlesSpurgeon

“Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” John 3:3

Suggested Further Reading: Luke 13:22-30

“Angels, principalities, and powers, would you be willing that men who love not God, who believe not in Christ, who have not been born again, should dwell here?” I see them, as they look down upon us, and hear them answering, “No! Once we fought the dragon, and expelled him, because he tempted us to sin! We must not, and we will not, have the wicked here. These alabaster walls must not be soiled with black and lustful fingers; the white pavement of heaven must not be stained and rendered filthy by the unholy feet of ungodly men. No!” I see a thousand spears bristling, and the fiery faces of a myriad seraphs thrust over the walls of paradise. “No, while these arms have strength, and these wings have power, no sin shall ever enter here.” I address myself moreover to the saints of heaven, redeemed by sovereign grace: “Children of God, are you willing that the wicked should enter heaven as they are, without being born again? You say you love men, but are you willing that they should be admitted as they are?” I see Lot rise up, and he cries, “Admit them into heaven! No! What! Must I be vexed by the conversation of Sodomites again, as once I was!” I see Abraham; and he comes forward, and he says, “No; I cannot have them here. I had enough of them whilst I was with them on earth—their jests and jeers, their silly talkings, their vain conversation, vexed and grieved us. We want them not here.” And, heavenly though they be, and loving as their spirits are, yet there is not a saint in heaven who would not resent, with the utmost indignation, the approach of any one of you to the gates of paradise, if you are still unholy, and have not been born again.

For meditation: Matthew 13:41-43; Luke 16:23-26 — at best the unsaved will have a distant view of heaven which will only add to their torment.

Sermon no. 130

3 May (1857)

 

John MacArthur

John MacArthur – Overcoming Spiritual Inadequacies

1 Comment

John MacArthur

“Having summoned His twelve disciples” (Matt. 10:1).

Most people think of the disciples as stained-glass saints who didn’t have to struggle with the faults and frailties of normal people. But they had inadequacies just like we all do. Seeing how Jesus dealt with them gives us hope that He can use us too.

One inadequacy common to all the disciples was their lack of understanding. For example, Luke 18 tells us Jesus gave them details about His future suffering, death, and resurrection, but they didn’t understand anything He said (vv. 31-34). Jesus overcame their lack of understanding by constantly teaching them until they got it right.

Another inadequacy was their lack of humility. More than once they argued among themselves about who would be the greatest in the kingdom of heaven (e.g., Mark 9:33-37). Jesus dealt with their lack of humility by His own example. He likened Himself to a servant, and even washed their dirty feet.

In addition to their lack of understanding and humility, they also lacked faith. Jesus often said to them, “O men of little faith.” In Mark 16:14 He rebuked them for not even believing the reports of His resurrection.

They also lacked commitment. Just prior to Christ’s death Judas betrayed Him, Peter denied Him, and the others deserted Him. Jesus dealt with their lack of commitment by praying for them (e.g., John 17:15; Luke 22:31-32).

Finally, they lacked spiritual power, which Christ overcame by giving them the Holy Spirit.

Those are significant inadequacies, but despite all that, the book of Acts records that the disciples turned the world upside down with their powerful preaching and miraculous deeds. They were so much like Christ that people started calling them Christians, which means “Little Christs.”

Jesus still transforms inadequacies into victories. He does it through the Spirit, the Word, and prayer. Don’t be victimized by your inadequacies. Make those spiritual resources the continual focus of your life.

Suggestions for Prayer:

•             Thank the Lord for your inadequacies because they help you realize your dependence on Him.

•             Ask for grace always to rely on your spiritual resources rather than human abilities.

For Further Study: Read Matthew 20:20-28.

•             Who spoke to Jesus on behalf of James and John?

•             What was His response?

•             How did the other disciples respond?

•             What was Jesus’ concluding principle?

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Crisis Management

Leave a comment

Joyce meyer

Surely I know that it will be well with those who [reverently] fear God, who revere and worship Him, realizing His continual presence. —Ecclesiastes 8:12

God has taught me some valuable lessons about crisis management. Jesus said, “Come to Me” (Matthew 11:28); He didn’t say run to the phone and call three friends when we face an emergency. I am not against asking people to pray for us, but if we run to people, we won’t find a cure; we will find only a bandage.

We face many challenges and crises in life. Sometimes the crises are major; sometimes they are minor. To avoid living in a constant state of emergency, the Lord impressed on me to seek Him continuously, or diligently. I used to seek time with God once in a while or when my life was in big trouble. Eventually, I learned that if I ever wanted to get out of crisis mode, I needed to seek God as if I were in desperate need of Him all the time—during hard times and during seasons of great blessing.

We often give God low priority when things are going well for us. But I have observed that if the only time we seek God is when we are desperate, He often keeps us in desperate circumstances in order to keep us in fellowship with Him.

God will always rescue and help us when we come to Him. But if we want to stay in a place of constant peace and victory, we must diligently seek Him at all times, as the verse for today urges us to do.

God’s word for you today: Practice good crisis management by staying in fellowship with God at all times.

Presidential Prayer Team

Presidential Prayer Team;  J.K. – New Life Offer

Leave a comment

ppt_seal01

The promise is eternal life. Repeated often in Scripture, the complete gospel message was in the Divine mind before the ages began. The all-knowing, loving God knew what mankind, straying from Him, would need.

Eternal life, which God, who never lies, promised before the ages began.

Titus 1:2

Eternal life is yours. Your only requirement is faith in the One who sent His Son to pay for all your wrongdoings. Bought with a huge price, you need only to believe. God’s offer of eternal life is nothing less than His offer to share in the life He Himself lives. Commentator William Barclay writes, “It is the offer of God’s power for our frustration, of God’s serenity for our dispeace, of God’s truth for our guessing, of God’s goodness for our moral failure, of God’s joy for our sorrow. The Christian gospel does not in the first place offer men an intellectual creed or a moral code; it offers them life, the very life of God.”

So what are you waiting for? How can you pass up an offer this good? It is a newness in your life that you can experience right now…unsurpassable joy! Pray for God to give it to you and the people of the United States.

Recommended Reading: Romans 6:1-11

Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – The Lasting Effects of Sin  

Leave a comment

greglaurie

Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul. —1 Peter 2:11

I once read a strange story in the news about a plumber who was called in to unclog a drain. He had one of those snakelike devices that runs down into a drain and keeps running until the drain is cleaned out. But this time, the “snake” did a strange thing. It went outside of the house through an open vent and into the house next door. Then it went down through a vent, came out, and grabbed a ten-year-old girl who was playing in her backyard.

Fortunately her little brother cried out, and they stopped. The fire department had to use cable cutters to set the girl free.

After reading that story, I thought about how sin can be that way. You never know where it’s going to go. When we commit a sinful act, we don’t realize the repercussions that can take place and the other lives that can be impacted by it. Billy Graham once said that immorality is an epidemic in our churches just as it is in the secular world at large. No wonder the world is in crisis.

God has a lot to say about immorality, and specifically about adultery, in Scripture. It made His Top Ten list, the Ten Commandments. It was, in some cases, punishable by death. And we see it addressed in the New Testament as well.

God has told us not to commit adultery for good reason. When you cross that line of protection that God has placed around your life and your spouse’s life, you do so at your own peril. And the repercussions of that sin can last for months, years, and yes, even a lifetime.

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

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – Handling Helplessness

1 Comment

Charles Stanley

2 Chronicles 20:1-4

Have you ever felt totally helpless? Can you remember facing a situation or emergency in which you were completely powerless? It’s a sobering experience for anyone. Even people who claim to be wholly dependent on God still like to feel as if they have some control over their circumstances.

Jehoshaphat faced a moment like that. In today’s verses, the good king was confronted with dangerous news: Three different armies had joined forces to destroy Israel. As he listened to the report, “a great multitude” of attackers were already on their way (v. 2).

What was the king’s response? Verse 3 tells us he was “afraid”. That makes perfect sense—he no doubt felt utterly powerless. However, even in that moment of helplessness, he knew exactly what to do. Scripture doesn’t say, “Jehoshaphat was afraid and ran away” or “Jehoshaphat was afraid but charged headlong into battle.” Instead, the Bible tells us that “Jehoshaphat was afraid and turned his attention to seek the LORD” (emphasis added).

That was the perfect response to a helpless situation. The king knew that this was neither the time to give up nor the time to take action motivated by fear. Instead, he did the only wise thing he could—he prayed. More than that, he asked others to pray. And suddenly, the whole situation changed because God had been brought into a hopeless situation.

When we feel helpless, the first word out of our mouth should be “Father”. From then on, helplessness isn’t an issue, because God will provide what we need.