Tag Archives: Jesus

Greg Laurie

Harvest Ministries; Greg Laurie – A Witness to a Divided World

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 Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace. 

—Ephesians 4:3

Scripture:

Ephesians 4:3 

Listen

One of the wonderful things about a healthy church is the diversity in it. That, in itself, is a witness to a divided world. It’s a powerful testimony when someone can come into an assembly of believers and see that we have set aside our differences and there is unity.

That doesn’t mean there is uniformity. It doesn’t mean that we all dress a certain way or wear the same hairstyle. That is not what the church is about. It is about unity, but it is also about a blessed diversity as each one of us discovers the gifts that God has put into our lives.

Christians are not supposed to be like assembly line products where each unit looks exactly like the others. God can take the same gift and place it into the lives of two people, yet it might manifest itself a little differently in each individual. They’ll have certain things in common, but they also will have unique traits as the Holy Spirit works through human personalities.

In chapter 4 of Ephesians, the apostle Paul wrote, among other things, about the various gifts God has placed in the church. This chapter shows us how important our individual place in the church is and the incredible gifts of the Holy Spirit that God has made available to us as believers today.

The gift that God gives to each believer is always the right one. We never should feel that we have to return it. It’s a perfect gift, and it’s always appropriate.

Sometimes, we may see the gift that another believer has received and feel envious. As a result, we’re not thankful for the gift that God has given to us. But we must realize that the gifts God has placed in our lives are always the best for us.

Sadly, many of us are not using these gifts. We don’t understand what our role in the church is, and we don’t even realize what we’re supposed to do when we come to church.

So, why does the church exist? The purpose of the church is threefold: the exaltation of God, the edification of the saints, and the evangelization of the world. We’re here to worship God, to build up one another, and to reach out to a lost world. We could sum it up in three words: upward, inward, and outward.

However, a lot of Christians drag their feet when it comes to going to church every week. The same excuses they make for skipping church don’t keep them from going to a movie or to the mall. Their excuses simply show their lack of desire to go.

The problem is that we think of church as something we attend merely as spectators. Yet Ephesians 4 shows us that God wants us to participate. He wants us to be involved in what He is doing, not just as observers but as laborers in the work that He has called us to do.

 

 

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

Days of Praise

Days of Praise – The Perfections of God

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by Henry M. Morris, Ph.D.

“Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.” (Matthew 5:48)

Since God is Creator of the universe, all that He does is right, and all He says is truth, by definition. The world He created was perfect; the Word He inscripturated is perfect; every work He accomplishes is perfect; all the ways He follows are perfect; and the will He reveals is perfect.

His perfect world: “And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good” (Genesis 1:31). Of course, because of sin, the creation is now groaning in pain, but it was perfect as it came from God in the beginning. It will again be perfect in the ages to come, when God makes “all things new” (Revelation 21:5).

His perfect Word: “The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul” (Psalm 19:7). God has given us His inspired Word, providing perfect guidance for every need, “that the man of God may be perfect” (2 Timothy 3:17).

His perfect works: “He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he” (Deuteronomy 32:4). Not only His work in creation but also His works of redemption and reconciliation—all His works throughout history.

His perfect ways: “As for God, his way is perfect: the word of the LORD is tried: he is a buckler to all those that trust in him” (Psalm 18:30). His ways may not be our ways (Isaiah 55:9), but always, they are the best ways.

His perfect will: “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that…perfect, will of God” (Romans 12:2). His will is invariably right.

Thus, God is our standard of perfection, and we must never set a lower standard for ourselves. “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect” (our text). HMM

 

 

 

https://www.icr.org/articles/type/6

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — Owner or Steward?

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Bible in a Year :

Every animal of the forest is mine.

Psalm 50:10

Today’s Scripture & Insight :

Psalm 50:7–15

“Am I an owner or a steward?” The CEO of a multibillion-dollar company asked himself that question as he weighed what was best for his family. Concerned about the temptations that can come with vast wealth, he didn’t want to burden his heirs with that challenge. So he gave up ownership of his company and placed 100 percent of the voting stock in a trust. Recognizing that everything he owns belongs to God helped him make the decision to allow his family to earn a living in exchange for work while also using future profits to fund Christian ministry.

In Psalm 50:10, God tells His people, “Every animal of the forest is mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills.” As the Creator of all things, God owes us nothing and needs nothing from us. “I have no need of a bull from your stall or of goats from your pens,” He says (v. 9). He generously provides everything that we have and use as well as the strength and the ability to earn a living. Because He does, as the psalm shows us, He’s worthy of our heartfelt worship.

God owns everything. But because of His goodness, He even chose to give Himself, entering into a relationship with any who turn to Him. Jesus “did not come to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45). When we value the Giver over the gifts and serve Him with them, we’re blessed to delight in Him forever.

By:  James Banks

Reflect & Pray

What has God given you that you’re grateful for? How can you serve Him with it?

You made everything, faithful Creator. Please help me to live my life as a gift from You today.

 

 

http://www.odb.org

John MacArthur

Grace to You; John MacArthur – Grace to the Humble

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 “He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says, ‘God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble’” (James 4:6).

A person cannot be saved unless he comes to God with a humble attitude.

Today’s verse is a challenge and a promise to anyone who is not sure about his salvation, or who thinks he is saved but does not measure up to the tests of faith in James’s letter. Even the worst sinful character traits—relying on worldly wisdom, having enmity against God, lusting after fleshly and selfish desires—are no match for God’s abundant grace.

The kind of grace James is referring to here is simply God’s saving grace—His undeserved favor of forgiveness and love bestowed on all sorts of sinners. Included within that favor is the Lord’s promise of the Holy Spirit, an understanding of God’s Word, Heaven, and all spiritual blessings. Such grace is available to all who will come in faith to Christ. Nothing in this universe can prevent the truly humble and repentant person from receiving grace—not the strength of sin and depravity, not the might of Satan, not the pull of the flesh, not even the power of death.

Scripture often links humility with saving faith. That’s why James quoted from Proverbs 3:34 (“God is opposed to the proud”) to support his point in verse 6. In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus tells us: “Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you shall not enter the kingdom of heaven” (18:3).

If you are confused or doubtful regarding your salvation, just ask yourself, “Have I humbly submitted myself to God in faith and repentance?” If you have humbled yourself before God, rejoice! You are by definition a believer, one of the humble. Otherwise, you need to pray with the attitude of the tax gatherer in Luke 18:13, “God, be merciful to me, the sinner!” and receive His abundant grace.

Suggestions for Prayer

Thank God for His continual grace, which He pours out to those who are humble before Him.

For Further Study

Read James 1—2.

  • What tests of true faith are discussed there?
  • How are we to respond to each of them?
  • Reflect on your response to these issues in the past. How could you improve?

From Strength for Today by John MacArthur

 

http://www.gty.org/

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Get Excited!

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I was glad when they said to me, Let us go to the house of the Lord!

— Psalm 122:1 (AMPC)

As Christians, we have so many blessings! We can know God, hear His voice, receive His love, trust Him to do what’s best for us, and rest in the fact that He has every aspect of our lives under control. We have lots of reasons to be excited! We get excited about all kinds of other things, so why shouldn’t we be excited about our relationship with God?

People often say that any visible display of enthusiasm in a spiritual setting is “emotionalism.” I finally realized that it was God Who gave us emotions and that although He does not want us to let them lead our lives, He does give them to us for a purpose, part of which is enjoyment. If we are truly enjoying God, how can we not show some emotion about it? Why must our spiritual experience be dry and boring, dull, and lifeless? Is Christianity supposed to be expressed by long faces, sad music, and somber rituals? Certainly not!

In today’s verse, David said he was glad to go to God’s house. In 2 Samuel 6:14, he danced before God “with all his might.” He also played his harp, sang to God, and rejoiced greatly. But David lived under the Old Covenant. Today we live under the New Covenant and under it, we who believe in Christ are full of hope, joy, and peace (see Romans 15:13). We no longer have to strive or struggle to be acceptable to God, but we rest in the grace that Jesus has made us acceptable. We no longer have to try to justify ourselves by our works, but we are justified by faith. We can hear His voice and enjoy His presence. We have been set free from every kind of bondage! These are great reasons to be excited!

Prayer Starter: Lord, thank You for my relationship with You. I’m excited that I can hear Your voice, receive Your love, and trust You to do what is best for me. I am excited to go deeper in my walk with You.

 

 

http://www.joycemeyer.org

Alistair Begg

Truth for Life; Alistair Begg – A Bastion for Our Souls

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Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ.

Ephesians 1:3–5

God has loved you for a long, long time.

Paul’s striking outpouring of praise at the beginning of his letter to the Ephesians announces to us the wonder of all that God has done for us in Christ. One of the features that makes it so striking is that it begins with God, reminding us that before we ever existed, He took the initiative to draw people to Himself. We may be tempted to believe we need to search for God through human effort; indeed, many world religions teach just that. But from its very beginning, the Bible teaches that it is actually God who reaches out to us.

Our election in Christ is not some kind of historical afterthought; it goes all the way back into eternity past, before creation. Yes, we do decide to follow Christ—but it is so humbling to recognize that we could never have chosen God if He had not chosen us before the creation of the world. You would not be capable of deciding to follow Him if He had not first decided to make you His child.

There is a delicate tension in reconciling the responsibility of man with the sovereignty of God. Many people believe they must choose between the two when, in fact, both ideas are biblical and connected. They are two truths that sit side by side, seemingly irreconcilable in our finite human minds yet both entirely true. We don’t need to worry away at them as an intellectual exercise. Instead, we are free to respond by bowing down in wonder over the kindness of Almighty God on our behalf.

The doctrine of election is not a banner under which we march but a bastion for our souls.[1] It makes all the difference to our security and our joy. Once you humbly recognize that your identity in Christ was established the moment He first set His affection upon you, even before the dawn of time, you find freedom and you have confidence. You don’t need to seek to come up with some reason in yourself to understand why you have received His amazing grace; you can simply enjoy knowing that He chose you because He loves you. You don’t need to live burdened by your sin or crushed because you feel you are making little progress in your Christian life, for His love was never based on your performance or on your promise of doing better. You can walk through the peaks and valleys of this life with the assurance that you are loved by the one who made all things and directs all things—and that because you never had to win His love, you can never lose it.

Questions for Thought

How is God calling me to think differently?

How is God reordering my heart’s affections — what I love?

What is God calling me to do as I go about my day today?

Further Reading

John 6:35–51

Topics: Election Love of God

FOOTNOTES

1 Eric J. Alexander, “The Basis of Christian Salvation” (sermon, 1984).

Devotional material is taken from the Truth For Life daily devotionals by Alistair Begg

 

 

http://www.truthforlife.org

Kids 4 Truth

Kids4Truth Clubs Daily Devotional – God Is Always With Us

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Kids4Truth Clubs Daily Devotional – God Is Always With Us

“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.” (Psalm 23:4)

Have you ever been lost? Isn’t it a scary feeling?

When Philip was five, he lived on a ranch in California. Philip loved riding around the ranch with his dad, who oversaw the care of the cattle and sheep. He almost always had another companion with him–his dog, Rusty. Rusty was a German shepherd and a “working dog” on the ranch. Philip’s dad would give Rusty specific commands, and Rusty would help him herd the cattle and sheep. But whenever Rusty wasn’t needed on the ranch, he could always be found at Philip’s side. Rusty was very protective of the boy. If Rusty ever sensed that something was threatening Philip, he would get in front of him and not move until everything was ok.

One day, Philip was with his parents on a part of the ranch with which he was unfamiliar. Somehow, he wandered away from his parents, so far away that he finally couldn’t find the way back to the family car. Fortunately, Rusty was with Philip when he got lost. Although Philip didn’t realize it as he was trying to find his way back to his family, Rusty had been leading him in the right direction, almost like he was herding lost sheep or cattle. Eventually, Philip became very tired and had to sit down on the ground. When his parents found him, it was two hours later, and Rusty was almost covering Philip. Philip did not know where he was, but it was a comfort to be able to put his arms around his dog and know that Rusty would never leave him there alone.

Do you ever find yourself in situations that make you feel afraid or confused? Perhaps you have felt lonely, or even lost. Psalm 23:4 assures believers that no matter where they go or what they have to face, they can depend on God. God stays continually with those who trust Him and obey Him. He gives comfort and guidance. He is there anytime to hear those who call upon Him for help. Are you dealing with really hard things right now? You do not have to deal with them all by yourself. You can count on God, anytime and anywhere.

God is always present to help, guide, and protect me in any situation.

My Response:
» When I am in the middle of a difficult time, do I think biblically about God’s character and remember to call on Him for help?
» What other verses in God’s Word help me to know that I can turn to God at any time and anywhere?

 

 

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Denison Forum

Denison Forum – 70 million Christians in India under increasing threat of religious persecution

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More than one hundred Palestinians were killed, with hundreds more injured, after Israeli troops opened fire in a chaotic situation surrounding the disbursement of food in Gaza yesterday. It had grown increasingly unlikely that the ceasefire President Biden hoped to see this weekend was going to happen, but the chances are all but gone in the wake of this war’s latest tragedy.

While details are still emerging, Israeli officials have said the soldiers issued only warning shots and that the casualties were the result of the ensuing panic and looting. Conversely, Dr. Mohammed Salha, the acting director of the Al-Awda Hospital, said that most of the 161 wounded patients that his facility received “appeared to have been shot.”

As with most stories in this war, the truth is difficult to discern and, ultimately, of little consequence to the way nations will respond.

However, the Middle East is not the only place where the truth often falls victim to the narrative nations would prefer to believe.

Why haven’t we heard more about India’s religious persecution

As countries continue to group into what appears to be an increasingly clear separation between America and its allies on one side, with China, Russia, and those nations more sympathetic to their leadership on the other, India has thrived by maintaining some semblance of neutrality. While they are part of the BRICS group alongside China and Russia and have been among the largest buyers of Russian oil, India has also grown as one of America’s more important partners in the areas of technology and trade.

In the process, they have become a nation that developing countries look to—particularly in the global south—as an alternative model to what’s seen in the West or East.

Perhaps that’s why there has been relative silence from global leaders in the face of a dramatic increase in religious persecution throughout the nation.

India is a “restricted nation”

The Voice of the Martyrs (VOM) is an organization that tracks persecution faced by Christians around the world, placing nations that are antagonistic to the faith into one of three categories: area of concern, hostile, or restricted. India recently joined China, Iran, and others as a “restricted nation,” VOM’s most severe classification of persecution.

Among the reasons given were:

  • Policies that forbid the conversion of Hindus in several Indian states. These laws have been used to target pastors, church planters, and evangelists.
  • Reconversion ceremonies—sometimes forced—for Indians who have left the Hindu faith.
  • A growth in extremist groups that seek to “forcibly unite” and “purify” India under Hinduism.

India is roughly 80 percent Hindu, 10 percent Muslim, and 5 percent Christian. With a population of 1.4 billion people, that still amounts to roughly 70 million Christians within the nation’s borders.

So, given the difficulties they face, how have the local Christians reacted to their country’s new designation?

4 matters of concern in India

In a recent article for Christianity Today, Surinder Kaur interviewed six religious freedom advocates, four of whom minister in India, “to learn if this label helps or hinders outsiders in their understanding of the situation in India,” as well as to what degree it impacts the church and Christians in the country. And while their responses varied to a degree, a few themes kept coming back up:

  • The situation is more complex and varied by region than a national designation represents.
  • The government has enabled, though not necessarily sanctioned, many of the most troubling trends over recent years.
  • Due to India’s geopolitical position, the recent designation is unlikely to alter the government’s approach to religious minorities.
  • Because of these factors, they must look to God and one another if they are to find the hope and strength to endure well the suffering they face.

That last point in particular is relevant to Christians far beyond India’s borders.

Our ultimate source of hope

This week we have been exploring ways to find hope in the midst of difficult times. We’ve discussed how to find hope in God rather than ourselves and the impact of truly understanding that his love is not based on our accomplishments or circumstances. We then saw how God’s redemption enables us to find hope in the midst of pain and how our job is to then share that hope with others.

Today I’d like to conclude that discussion with this reminder:

Our ultimate source of hope in this world is the fact that something far better awaits us on the other side of it.

Now, that hope is not intended to devalue the importance of this life or to minimize the trials we face as we navigate it. But it can put those troubles in perspective and give us the strength we need to persevere in spite of them.

The apostle Paul put it this way: “For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21).

You see, Paul worked to support himself, invested in relationships with those around him, and genuinely appreciated the opportunities that God brought his way. But none of that became his source of hope, identity, or purpose. Those he kept securely fixed in the life to come.

As a result, God was able to do truly remarkable things through him and help others experience the power and presence of Christ in ways that drew them to the Lord.

The question we have to ask ourselves—and I mean truly wrestle with—is to what degree can we say the same? Are your hopes and dreams more at home in heaven or on earth?

If we want to know the peace of God and learn how to embrace the hope that only he can provide, then we have to remember that such hope is not at home in this world. But, then again, we shouldn’t be either.

Where do you feel most at home today?

 

Denison Forum

John Hagee

Hagee Ministries; John Hagee –  Daily Devotion

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This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast…

1 Samuel 30:8

Hope is the confident assurance that anchors our souls so they do not wander off course or shatter under life’s pressures.

Hope sees the invisible, feels the intangible, and achieves the impossible. The word “impossible” can be translated as “unwilling to try.” Impossible becomes possible when someone accomplishes it!

Consider Abraham’s impossible situation. He is almost 100 years old; his barren wife is 90 years old. God tells Abraham that he and Sarah will have a son of their own, that his seed will be as numerous as the stars in the sky and the grains of sand along the seashore. Impossible!

Yet, Abraham’s hope was unwaveringly placed in God’s ability and faithfulness. God quickened two elderly bodies, and Isaac—the son of laughter—was born. In time, Jacob was born to Isaac. From Jacob came 12 sons who produced the tribes that became the nation of Israel.

That nation produced the prophets, kings, and Jesus of Nazareth. Today, Abraham’s offspring are too numerous to count. Every nation on earth has been blessed because Abraham’s hope was securely placed in a God Who keeps His word.

Hope brings the brightest presence of God into our darkest day. When doubt might be easier, hope puts faith to work and anchors our souls until the answer arrives.

Blessing

May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you and give you His peace. May your soul be anchored in the Rock that is Christ Jesus. May you stand certain and immovable until you see the impossible become possible…in His mighty name!

Today’s Bible Reading:

Old Testament

Leviticus 24:1-25:46

New Testament

Mark 10:13-31

Psalms & Proverbs

Psalm 44:17-26

Proverbs 10:21

 

https://www.jhm.org

Turning Point

Turning Point; David Jeremiah –Sacrifice of Praise

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I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
Psalm 34:1

Recommended Reading: Psalm 34:1-3

In Romans 12:1, the apostle Paul exhorted his readers to present themselves as “a living sacrifice” to God. But someone has observed that living sacrifices keep trying to crawl off the altar! At no time is that more likely to happen than during times of trouble when we are tempted to resent our circumstances.

But David, the psalmist, wrote that God’s praise “shall continually be in my mouth”—words he wrote during a time of trouble. And the writer to the Hebrews combined the ideas of sacrifice and continual praise: “Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name” (Hebrews 13:15). Why is praise considered a sacrifice, especially in times of trouble? First, sacrifice involves giving up something. Second, the sacrifice of praise in times of trouble means giving up fear, resentment, anger, and self-centeredness (“Why me, Lord?”). To praise God means to trust His plans and provision and protection at all times—“continually.”

If you are in a challenging season of life, purposefully choose to praise God sacrificially for what He is doing in your life.

Praise is the best of all sacrifices and the true evidence of godliness.
John Calvin

 

https://www.davidjeremiah.org

Greg Laurie

Harvest Ministries; Greg Laurie – Practical Living

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We love each other because he loved us first. 

—1 John 4:19

Scripture:

1 John 4:19 

Listen

Often, we hear preaching that only emphasizes what we’re supposed to do for God. So, when we go to church, we start feeling guilty because we don’t measure up. We’re not giving enough, or praying enough, or evangelizing enough.

We need to learn more about what God has done for us. In doing so, we’ll gain a greater appreciation for Him, and we’ll want to do more for Him. As 1 John 4:19 reminds us, “We love each other because he loved us first” (NLT).

As we read the Bible, we will find that the primary emphasis is not what we should do for God but what God has done for us. Now, that is not to say that the Bible doesn’t have plenty to tell us about how we are to live and behave as believers. But we need to pay closest attention to Scripture’s emphasis on what God has done for us.

In the first three chapters of Ephesians, the apostle Paul lays out what God has done for us. He’s essentially saying, “Here’s what God has done for you. In light of this, it’s time for you to walk spiritually. It’s time for you to use what God has given to you.”

We could compare the first three chapters of Ephesians to being on a mountaintop. When Jesus was transfigured on a mountain, Peter, James, and John had the privilege of seeing it. And Peter, overwhelmed by what he saw, said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it’s wonderful for us to be here! Let’s make three shelters as memorials—one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah” (Mark 9:5 NLT).

In essence, Peter was saying, “Let’s never leave this spot. Forget about the troubles down the mountain. Let’s just set up camp and stay here.”

In the same way, we could read the first three chapters of Ephesians and say, “Forget about the next section. I like hearing about what God has done for me. Let’s not go any further.”

But we have to move on. And as we transition from chapter 3 to chapter 4, an important division takes place. Ephesians 4 begins, “Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God” (NLT).

Notice that Paul begins with the word “therefore.” As I’ve often said, whenever you see the word “therefore” in the Bible, find out what it’s there for. It is always drawing on what has been previously said.

While they were on the mountain with Jesus, Peter, James, and John didn’t know there was a man waiting with a very real need. He had a child who was possessed by demons and needed a touch from Jesus.

Sometimes, we wish that the Christian life could be a constant state of euphoria in which we’re always experiencing God in some wonderful way. But we cannot live on the mountaintop. We need to come back to the valleys, to the real world of practical living.

 

 

https://harvest.org

Days of Praise

Days of Praise – The Good Pleasure of God

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by Henry M. Morris III, D.Min.

“Wherefore also we pray always for you, that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfill all the good pleasure of his goodness, and the work of faith with power.” (2 Thessalonians 1:11)

God’s good pleasure withholds judgment! “It is of the LORD’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness” (Lamentations 3:22-23). “The LORD is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy. The LORD is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works” (Psalm 145:8-9).

God’s good pleasure is to do good to His people! “The LORD will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly” (Psalm 84:11). “Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed. Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart” (Psalm 37:3-4).

God’s good pleasure forgives us! “Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? he retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy. He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea” (Micah 7:18-19).

God’s good pleasure is to bring about His will! “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts….So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it” (Isaiah 55:9-11). “The Lord…is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). When we live in God’s good pleasure, we are able to “delight” in Him. HMM III

 

 

 

https://www.icr.org/articles/type/6

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — Even Leviticus

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You are to be holy to me because I, the Lord, am holy.

Leviticus 20:26

Today’s Scripture & Insight :

Leviticus 13:1–8

The topic was Leviticus, and I had a confession to make. “I skipped a lot of the reading,” I told my Bible study group. “I’m not reading about skin diseases again.”

That’s when my friend Dave spoke up. “I know a guy who believed in Jesus because of that passage,” he said. Dave explained that his friend—a doctor—had been an atheist. He decided that before he completely rejected the Bible, he’d better read it for himself. The section on skin diseases in Leviticus fascinated him. It contained surprising details about contagious and noncontagious sores (13:1–46) and how to treat them (14:8–9). He knew this far surpassed the medical knowledge of that day—yet there it was in Leviticus. There’s no way Moses could have known all this, he thought. The doctor began to consider that Moses really did receive his information from God. Eventually he put his faith in Jesus.  

If parts of the Bible bore you, well, I’m with you. But everything it says is there for a reason. Leviticus was written so the Israelites would know how to live for and with God. As we learn more about this relationship between God and His people, we learn about God Himself.

“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,” wrote the apostle Paul (2 Timothy 3:16). Let’s read on. Even Leviticus.

By:  Tim Gustafson

Reflect & Pray

What sections of the Bible bore you or seem irrelevant? How can you learn to recognize their value?

Father, teach me how to appreciate the Bible. Let every part speak to me.

http://www.odb.org

John MacArthur

Grace to You; John MacArthur – Sharing in an Eternal Inheritance

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The Father “has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in light” (Col. 1:12).

You are the recipient of a very special inheritance.

Perhaps you’ve had the disappointing and annoying experience of receiving in the mail an envelope that identifies you as the winner of a large sum of money or some other fantastic prize, only to open it and discover you hadn’t won anything at all. It was simply a ploy to get you to enter a contest or purchase a product.

In a world filled with deception and unfulfilled expectations, it’s wonderful to know that God’s truthfulness and integrity never waver. Not only has He promised you an eternal inheritance, but He also has qualified you to share in it.

The Greek word translated “qualified” in Colossians 1:12 means “to make sufficient,” or “authorize.” “Share” speaks of receiving an allotted portion. The idea is that God has authorized you to receive a portion of the blessings that belong to all who love Him.

In Ephesians 1 Paul says that your inheritance consists of every spiritual blessing in heaven (v. 3). It is a glorious inheritance of which the Holy Spirit Himself is the pledge (vv. 14, 18). In Colossians 3:24 Paul calls it an inheritance from the Lord.

In Colossians 1:12 he further describes it as an inheritance “in light,” which refers to its overall character or quality. In the New Testament, “light” is often used metaphorically of truth and purity. First John 1:6 says, “God is light, and in Him there is no darkness at all.” Believers are those who walk in the light (v. 7). So an inheritance in light is a godly, true, and pure inheritance—one that is reserved in heaven, where dwells He who is the Light (1 Pet. 1:4; Rev. 21:23).

Your eternal inheritance is no empty promise. God has secured it by delivering you from the domain of darkness, and transferring you to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom you have redemption, the forgiveness of sin (Col. 1:13- 14). Rejoice in God’s grace and live today as a child of light!

Suggestions for Prayer

  • Thank God for the grace of salvation and the glory of your inheritance.
  • Ask Him to use you today as a light to those who walk in darkness.

For Further Study

Using Ephesians 5:6-16 as your guide, contrast the characteristics of darkness and light.

From Drawing Near by John MacArthur

http://www.gty.org/

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – A Spiritual Sabbath

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Let us therefore be zealous and exert ourselves and strive diligently to enter that rest [of God, to know and experience it for ourselves], that no one may fall or perish by the same kind of unbelief and disobedience [into which those in the wilderness fell].

— Hebrews 4:11 (AMPC)

If you read the entire fourth chapter of the book of Hebrews, you will find it speaking about a Sabbath rest that is available to God’s people. Under the Old Covenant, the Sabbath was observed as a day of rest. Under the New Covenant, this Sabbath rest spoken of is a spiritual place of rest. It is the privilege of every believer to refuse to worry or have anxiety. As a believer, you can enter the rest of God.

The only way to enter that rest is through believing. You will forfeit it through unbelief and disobedience. Unbelief will keep you in the wilderness, but Jesus has provided a permanent place of rest that can be inhabited exclusively through living by faith.

Prayer of the Day: Lord, I really want to enter Your Sabbath rest by faith. I surrender my worries and all my anxieties to You, and I choose to trust in Your provision. Help to live in a place of rest, amen.

http://www.joycemeyer.org

Alistair Begg

Truth for Life; Alistair Begg – Enjoying Life Under the Sun

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There is a vanity that takes place on earth, that there are righteous people to whom it happens according to the deeds of the wicked, and there are wicked people to whom it happens according to the deeds of the righteous. I said that this also is vanity. And I commend joy, for man has nothing better under the sun but to eat and drink and be joyful, for this will go with him in his toil through the days of his life that God has given him under the sun.

Ecclesiastes 8:14–15

None of us, of course, are guaranteed to know the date of our death. But we know something just as certain: unless Christ returns first, that day will come. Until then, Scripture says, we will inhabit a creation that is subject to futility, with evil around us, sin within us, and chaos seeming to prevail more often than not. We will see the wicked prosper and the godly struggle. These truths are poignantly expressed in the words of the Preacher of Ecclesiastes: “There is a vanity that takes place on earth.”

By itself, that observation could send us into a spiral of sorrow, sullenness, and despair. But the writer of Ecclesiastes does not leave us there. Instead, he makes a rather surprising recommendation: “I commend joy … to eat and drink and be joyful.” Observation: life is unmanageable. Recommendation: enjoy life’s simple pleasures!

How can anyone know genuine enjoyment of such pleasures when life is futile and unjust and comes with an expiration date? This is something that is only possible for those who know the truth. We can freely and guiltlessly enjoy the pleasures God gives because we know God; indeed, it honors the Giver of such gifts to enjoy what He gives. The apostle Paul describes God as the one “who richly provides us with everything to enjoy” (1 Timothy 6:17). The fact that simple pleasures offer no ultimate satisfaction does not mean they offer no satisfaction. It is knowing that there is life beyond the sun that frees us to enjoy our life “under the sun.” As the hymn writer puts it:

Heav’n above is softer blue,
Earth around is sweeter green;
Something lives in every hue
Christless eyes have never seen.[1]

When was the last time you asked someone, “Are you enjoying yourself?” When did you last ask yourself that question? It is a good, Christian thing to ask! We know both that the world is broken and that every good gift comes from God. So honor Him by enjoying your next cup of coffee, your next day with your spouse, your next day at work, the next thing that makes you smile, as a gift from Him. He’s given these blessings to you for your God-honoring enjoyment, so that you can say with the psalmist, “This is the day that the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it” (Psalm 118:24).

Questions for Thought

How is God calling me to think differently?

How is God reordering my heart’s affections — what I love?

What is God calling me to do as I go about my day today?

Further Reading

1 Timothy 4:1–5

Topics: Contentment Giving Joy

FOOTNOTES

1 Wade Robinson, “I Am His, and He Is Mine” (1876).

Devotional material is taken from the Truth For Life daily devotionals by Alistair Begg

http://www.truthforlife.org

Kids 4 Truth

Kids4Truth Clubs Daily Devotional – God Requires Perfection

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“Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.” (Matthew 5:48)

What if your teacher told you that you could not move up to the next grade unless your work in her class was absolutely perfect? You would not be allowed to miss a single math problem or misspell one word on a spelling test. You would not be allowed to forget a single fact from your history book or even make one small slip-up when reading out loud. No mistakes allowed! Even your handwriting would have to be perfect!

This sounds impossible to you, doesn’t it? And it is. But in Matthew 5, Jesus tells the people of Israel that this same kind of perfection is required in keeping the law if they are to enter the kingdom of heaven. Not only does God require them not to murder; they are not even allowed to be angry with someone else without a cause! Not only are they to stay true to the man or woman they marry; they are not to even look at another man or woman with sinful ideas in their minds. Not only are they to love their neighbors; they are even to love and pray for their enemies! This is the kind of righteousness that characterizes God. He is absolutely perfect and holy. And we are to be like Him.

Impossible, you say? Have you already “blown it”? Of course you have. We all have! We can be thankful though, that there is One Who has already fulfilled God’s holy law perfectly. He has also died in our place, paying the penalty for all the times we have broken God’s law. Jesus Christ is God’s perfect solution to the problem of our sin. He alone is perfect, and only through Him can we have the perfect righteousness before God that He requires. What a wonderful Savior we have in Jesus Christ!

Only in Jesus can we be perfectly righteous as God requires.

My Response:
» Have I accepted Jesus’ gift of salvation?
» How am I showing my gratitude to Him for what He has done?
» Am I as a Christian trying, with His help, to live a righteous life?

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Denison Forum

Denison Forum – How Krispy Kreme is honoring Leap Day birthdays

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In honor of Leap Day, Krispy Kreme is giving a free dozen original glazed donuts to anyone who has a February 29 birthday. This news caused me to wonder: How many donuts could the company potentially give away? It turns out, the odds of a Leap Day birthday are 1 in 1,461, equaling about five million people in the world.

I also learned that people with Leap Year birthdays are called “Leaplings,” which doesn’t seem like an altogether flattering title. And that they can have problems with health systems, insurance policies, and other organizations that require a birthday but don’t have February 29 built in.

Whether your birthday is today or not, you should be grateful for Leap Day. As one physics instructor notes, “Without the leap years, after a few hundred years we will have summer in November. Christmas will be in summer. There will be no snow. There will be no feeling of Christmas.”

Accordingly, we should be thankful for Leap Day when it occurs again in 2028. That is, if we make it to 2028.

Wildfire shuts down nuclear weapons facility

This week, we’ve been exploring ways to find optimism in pessimistic times. Today’s news demonstrates the relevance of our theme:

  • A cyberattack shut down a pharmacy system that handles fifteen billion healthcare transactions annually.
  • The co-director of Stanford’s Human-Centered AI Institute told MIT Technology Review that AI poses “catastrophic risks to society.”
  • The founder of Anthropic, who has raised $7.3 billion for his AI start-up, says there’s a 10 percent to 25 percent chance AI technology could destroy humanity.
  • Demonstrating how difficult it will be for Israel to eradicate Hamas, the terror group’s Lebanon branch fired forty rockets into Israel yesterday morning.
  • Scientists are warning that ancient viruses frozen in the Arctic permafrost could be released by Earth’s warming climate and unleash a major disease outbreak.
  • A wildfire in the Texas panhandle forced a temporary shutdown of the nation’s primary nuclear weapons facility. The blaze is only 3 percent contained as of this morning and is now the second-largest in state history. At least one person has died in the wildfire.

David could have been reading today’s Daily Article with his observation:

Surely all mankind stands as a mere breath! Surely a man goes about as a shadow! Surely for nothing they are in turmoil; man heaps up wealth and does not know who will gather! (Psalm 39:5–6).

However, his response is the path to encouragement we need: “Now, O Lord, for what do I wait? My hope is in you” (v. 7).

What are some practical ways to share this hope with our broken culture?

Stay right with God so you can partner with him

The ancient Greek playwright Aeschylus claimed, “God always strives together with those who strive.” To partner with a holy God, however, we must first strive to be a holy people.

Thus, “let us test and examine our ways, and return to the Lᴏʀᴅ!” (Lamentations 3:40). To do this, ask the Spirit to reveal anything in your life that displeases your holy God, then confess what comes to mind and claim your Father’s forgiveness. Then spend time in Scripture and worship, seeking to think biblically so you can act redemptively.

Now you can claim Jesus’ promise: “Everyone when he is fully trained will be like his teacher” (Luke 6:40). Measure your time with God by the Christlike character it is intended to produce (Romans 8:29), knowing that “out of the abundance of the heart [the] mouth speaks” (Luke 6:45).

Trust God to send you where he can best use you

Joseph left Canaan for Egypt as a slave with nothing, but he later returned with “both chariots and horsemen” in a “very great company” (Genesis 50:9). God redeems all he allows, as Joseph told his brothers: “You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today” (v. 20).

Like Joseph, we can trust God’s perfect will, knowing that he will only lead us where he can best use us. Then we can seek his will for each day, knowing that his plan yesterday may not be his plan today. He led Israel to march into the flooded Jordan River, then he led them to march around the fortified city of Jericho. If they had reversed the two, they would never have conquered their promised land or established the nation through whom our Messiah would come one day.

You are God’s ambassador (2 Corinthians 5:20), his missionary not only to where you are but also to when you are. Be faithful in this day because this is the only day there is. As I often say, all of God there is, is in this moment.

“The place God calls you to”

St. Cyprian (200–258) advised: “Before, we wandered in the darkness of death, aimlessly and blindly. Now we are enlightened by the light of grace and are to keep to the highway of life, with the Lord to precede and direct us.”

Dietrich Bonhoeffer said of this “highway of life”: “God does not give us everything we want, but he does fulfill his promises, leading us along the best and straightest paths to himself.”

In describing such “paths,” the theologian and novelist Frederick Buechner famously noted:

The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet.

Where is that “place” for you today?

NOTE: Are you in the midst of sickness, hurt, heartbreak, depression, anxiety, fear, or grief? When you’re in the middle of an overwhelming storm in life, how do you find peace? A Great Calm is a book of devotionals to help you draw near to the One who can increase your faith and calm your soul, even if the storms continue. I encourage you to pick up a copy of A Great Calm today so that you or a loved one can experience the great calm of Christ and be strengthened for any storm that comes your way.

Thursday news to know

Quote for the day

“The greatest roadblock to Satan’s work is the Christian who, above all else, lives for God, walks with integrity, is filled with the Spirit, and is obedient to God’s truth.” —Billy Graham

Denison Forum

John Hagee

Hagee Ministries; John Hagee –  Daily Devotion

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And He answered him, ‘Pursue, for you shall surely overtake them and without fail recover all.’

1 Samuel 30:8

When our hearts are shattered by circumstances beyond our control, we have blessed hope through our Savior, Jesus Christ.

David helps us navigate the business of brokenness and the road to restoration. After David took time for tears, strengthened himself in the Lord, and inquired for God’s will in his particular situation, he had one more thing to do.

When he asked the Lord if he should chase down the enemy, God responded that David and his men should pursue them. Not only would they overtake the enemy, but they would, without fail, recover everything that had been stolen from them!

David had to act on the instruction of the Lord. That word was good for nothing unless David was willing to move out in faith to pursue, overtake, and recover all. There is a moment when we wait quietly, in faith, to receive the strength of the Lord. But there is another moment where we hang back disobediently, in fear, because we are too afraid to fight.

Perhaps, the broken pieces of our hearts are still shattered and scattered because we have not taken the action that God is prompting. We must take an active role in our healing. Faith without action is dead. David pursued, overtook, recovered all, and returned rejoicing. God’s Word had already decided the outcome.

Blessing

May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you and give you His peace. Because of Christ’s victory at Calvary, He makes all things new. He will redeem and restore and cause you to hope again!

Today’s Bible Reading: 

Old Testament

Leviticus 23:9-44

New Testament 

Mark 10:1-12

Psalms & Proverbs

Psalm 44:8-16

Proverbs 10:20

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Turning Point

Turning Point; David Jeremiah – A Useful Invention

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And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.
Romans 8:28

 Recommended Reading: Romans 8:28-30

Geng Shuai is called China’s “Useless Edison” because of his impractical inventions, such as a sword that doubles as a backscrubber and a meat cleaver that also serves as a cell phone case. His useless inventions have made him a social media star.

God never invented any useless thing! He has a purpose for all He has made, including you! Peter wrote that because of God’s promises and His power, we can participate in the divine nature (2 Peter 1:4). That is, we can become more and more like Christ, serving Jesus just as our Lord served His Father. That’s what it means to be “called according to His purpose.”

When we lean on the power and the promises of God, we become more like Jesus and less like the world. We who were useless in ourselves find our purpose in Him. We become vessels fit for the Master’s use.

Draw from His power and live on His promises. He will increasingly fulfill His purpose in you.

We exist to exhibit God, to display his glory. We serve as canvases for his brush stroke, papers for his pen, soil for his seeds, glimpses of his image.
Max Lucado

https://www.davidjeremiah.org