Tag Archives: Jesus

Greg Laurie

Harvest Ministries; Greg Laurie – We Belong to the Day

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Because we belong to the day, we must live decent lives for all to see. Don’t participate in the darkness of wild parties and drunkenness, or in sexual promiscuity and immoral living, or in quarreling and jealousy. 

—Romans 13:13

Scripture:

Romans 13:13 

Shortly before he died, Freddie Mercury, the lead singer of Queen, recorded a song called “Party.” Here are some of the lyrics: “We were up all night, singing and giving a chase… the next morning everybody was hung over.”

In the refrain he repeatedly implores his party mates to “come back and play.”

Don’t be pulled into the illusion that drinking and partying will make you a happy person. Christians should live apart from that.

Romans 13 tells us, “This is all the more urgent, for you know how late it is; time is running out. Wake up, for our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. The night is almost gone; the day of salvation will soon be here. So remove your dark deeds like dirty clothes, and put on the shining armor of right living” (verses 11–12 NLT).

Here’s how the J. B. Phillips New Testament puts it: “The present time is of the highest importance—it is time to wake up to reality. Every day brings God’s salvation nearer. The night is nearly over, the day has almost dawned. Let us therefore fling away the things that men do in the dark, let us arm ourselves for the fight of the day!”

That is good advice. Don’t chase after those things. Proverbs 20:1 says, “Wine produces mockers; alcohol leads to brawls. Those led astray by drink cannot be wise” (NLT). Eventually the party will be over. Then where will you be?

I’m reminded of the great hymn of the church that says, “On Christ, the solid Rock I stand—all other ground is sinking sand.”

This world offers you cheap thrills that never will meet your deepest needs. In the Book of Ecclesiastes, Solomon arrived at the same conclusion: life is empty without God.

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie
Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — Places of the Heart

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Bible in a Year:

You shall not make for yourself an image.

Exodus 20:4

Today’s Scripture & Insight:

Exodus 20:1–6

Here are some vacation tips: The next time you’re traveling through Middleton, Wisconsin, you might want to visit the National Mustard Museum. For those of us who feel that one mustard is plenty, this place amazes, featuring 6,090 different mustards from around the world. In McLean, Texas, you might be surprised to run across the Barbed Wire Museum—or more surprised there is such a passion for, well . . . fencing.

It’s telling what kinds of things we choose to make important. One writer says you could do worse than spend an afternoon at the Banana Museum (though we beg to differ).

We laugh in fun, yet it’s sobering to admit we maintain our own museums—places of the heart where we celebrate certain idols of our own making. God instructs us, “You shall have no other gods before me” (Exodus 20:3) and “you shall not bow down to them or worship them” (v. 5). But we do anyway, creating our own graven gods, perhaps of wealth or lust or success—or of some other fill-in-the-blank “treasure” we worship in secret.

It’s easy to read this passage and miss the point. Yes, God holds us accountable for the museums of sin we create. But He also speaks of “showing love to a thousand generations of those who love [Him]” (v. 6). He knows how trivial our “museums” really are. He knows our true satisfaction lies only in our love for Him.

By:  Kenneth Petersen

Reflect & Pray

What is an area of sin that you keep secret? How will you give it to God?

Dear God, I want You to be at the center of my life. Help me rid myself of the idols I keep.

http://www.odb.org

John MacArthur

Grace to You; John MacArthur – Receiving the Word in Purity

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“Putting aside all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness . . . receive the word” (James 1:21).

You cannot receive God’s Word and harbor sin at the same time.

When the psalmist said, “I have restrained my feet from every evil way, that I may keep Thy word” (Ps. 119:101), he was acknowledging a key principle of spiritual growth: you must set aside sin if you expect to benefit from God’s Word. Peter was expressing the same thought when he said, “Putting aside all malice and all guile and hypocrisy and envy and all slander, like newborn babes, long for the pure milk of the word, that by it you may grow in respect to salvation” (1 Pet. 2:1-2). Likewise, James admonished us to put off sin and receive the Word (James 1:21).

Neither James nor Peter were addressing unbelievers, because without Christ, people have no capacity to set sin aside or receive God’s Word. But we as Christians are characterized by our ability to do both, and must continually purify our lives through confession of sin, repentance, and right choices. That’s why Paul said, “Just as you presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness, resulting in further lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness, resulting in sanctification” (Rom. 6:19).

The Greek word translated “putting aside” in James 1:21 originally meant taking off dirty, soiled clothes. “Filthiness” translates a Greek word that was used of moral vice as well as dirty clothes. Its root word was sometimes used of ear wax, which impedes a person’s hearing. Similarly, sin impedes reception of the Word. “Wickedness” speaks of any evil intent or desire. Together they stress the importance of setting aside all evil actions and intentions.

Simply stated, you should never presume on God’s grace by approaching His Word with unconfessed sin. David prayed, “Keep back Thy servant from presumptuous [deliberate] sins; let them not rule over me; then I shall be blameless” (Ps. 19:13). He wanted to be pure before the Lord. I pray that you share his desire and will always receive the Word in purity.

Suggestions for Prayer

Memorize Psalm 19:14. Make it your prayer as you study God’s Word.

For Further Study

Read Colossians 3:5-17.

  • What does Paul admonish you to put off? Put on?
  • Why is it important to heed his admonitions?

From Drawing Near by John MacArthur 

http://www.gty.org/

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Faith and Positivity

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For this very reason, adding your diligence [to the divine promises], employ every effort] in exercising your faith to develop virtue (excellence, resolution, Christian energy), and in [exercising] virtue [develop] knowledge (intelligence).

— 2 Peter 1:5 (AMPC)

Adapted from the resource Starting Your Day Right – by Joyce Meyer1 MIN READ

Sometimes we have to make a few adjustments in our lifestyle to follow wisdom. We may have to say no to too much activity. Hebrews 11:1 teaches that faith is the assurance of things we do not see now. But, like God, we can call “those things that be not, as though they are” (see Romans 4:17). This spiritual principle applies in the negative realm as well as in the positive realm. So, we may need to make some adjustments to the things we say.

If you feel that it is hard to get up in the morning, don’t say, “I am too tired.” Get all of that weak, tired, wimpy, quitter, give-up talk out of your vocabulary. Instead, say, “Because the Lord is my strength, I can do whatever I need to do today.”

Prayer of the Day: Lord, help me to follow wisdom and make whatever adjustments to my lifestyle that need to be made. Help me to speak words of faith and trust in Your strength to overcome any challenges that come my way, amen.

http://www.joycemeyer.org

Kids 4 Truth

Kids4Truth Clubs Daily Devotional – God Is King

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“The LORD is King for ever and ever: the heathen are perished out of his land.” (Psalm 10:16)

“I’m king of the mountain!” shouted Sammy, as his younger siblings scrambled up the huge mound of dirt to dethrone him. The Rettus children were spending an afternoon playing King of the Mountain. To be king of the mountain, one person had to stand on the top of a designated mountain (a pile of snow, a sand dune, or a mound of dirt) without letting his siblings push him down. Whoever was the lone person on top of the mountain was king, ruling over all the others.

Scripture tells us that God is King. He is King of all the earth (Psalm 47:7); He is King above all gods (Psalm 95:5); He is King forever (Psalm 10:16); He is King of Kings and Lord of Lords (Revelation 19:16). God reigns over all, and no man can overthrown His rule.

When playing King of the Mountain, the younger Rettus children would plot to overthrow Sammy. Danny and Joey would use dirt bombs and large reeds to distract him, while the Jon would charge up to overthrow the king. But no matter how hard they tried, Sammy usually ended up on the top of the mound shouting, “I’m king of the mountain!”

Wicked men live their lives as though God could be overthrown. It’s like they’re throwing dirt bombs and using sticks to try to defeat God – the King over all. They attempt to fight against God. But in the end, God will always be king, and the wicked will perish for eternity.

Do you serve God as your King? Or do you live in rebellion under His rule? Do you humbly follow His commands in Scripture to obey your parents (Ephesians 6:1), to love your enemies (Matthew 5:44), and to submit to authority (Hebrews 13:17), or do you ignore His Word? Each day you have a choice: you can live in submission to God your King, or you can live in rebellion against the King of all the earth.

Because God is king, you must submit to His rule.

My Response:
» Do I obey God as my King? Do I follow all of His commandments?

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John Hagee

Hagee Ministries; John Hagee –  Daily Devotion

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Psalm 103:17-18

But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him, and His righteousness to children’s children, to such as keep His covenant, and to those who remember His commandments to do them.

God has given us the gift of borders. As long as we live within the boundaries He has designated in His Word, we receive His blessings, His provision, and protection. The moment that we step across and outside of those borders, we stand against His will and undefended.

Before a mother even knows that she is pregnant, the child has blood. God told Jeremiah, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you” (Jeremiah 1:5). Before the man and woman ever conceived a child, before the mother even knew that she was carrying a baby, God knew that child.

Before a child ever draws a breath, God sees in them his image. God has chosen us to be the light of the world, to be the salt of the earth, right here and right now. The King of Glory has forgiven us, the debt of our sin. He paid the price to set us free when we had no ability to do so ourselves. Choose to live within the border of blessing. Tear down the barricade between yourself and God to restore His ultimate purpose in your life.

Blessing: 

May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make His face to shine upon you and give you His peace. May God take you through the problem to the provision. May you, with bold relentless faith, go straight through the problem and receive the promise of God. Let this day and the days that follow be days of triumph and victory because God is a faithful God who will never fail you. In Jesus’ name, we receive the answer, Amen.

Today’s Bible Reading: 

Old Testament

1 Kings 1:1-53

New Testament 

Acts 4:1-37

Psalms & Proverbs

Psalm 124:1-8

Proverbs 16:24

https://www.jhm.org

Turning Point

Turning Point; David Jeremiah – Thoroughly Equipped

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Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed [David] in the midst of his brothers; and the Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward.
1 Samuel 16:13

 Recommended Reading: 2 Timothy 3:16-17

On the day of His ascension to heaven, Jesus prepared His disciples for the task that was before them. He explained the Old Testament Scriptures to them (Luke 24:45), He outlined their mission (Luke 24:47), and He told them they would receive “power from on high” (Luke 24:49) from the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:8). Thus, He revealed the two dynamics that would equip all who would follow Him: Word and Spirit.

The equipping of believers by the Word of God and the Holy Spirit became the hallmarks of Christian discipleship. By the Spirit, we are given gifts, abilities, and traits to manifest the ministry of Christ in the world (Romans 12; 1 Corinthians 12; Galatians 5). And by the Word of God we are taught, challenged, corrected, and trained so we “may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17). 

Do you want to be useful to God in ministry? Yield to the Spirit of God and live in the Word of God, and you will be thoroughly equipped.

Every man who is divinely called to the ministry is divinely equipped.
A. W. Pink

https://www.davidjeremiah.org

Greg Laurie

Harvest Ministries; Greg Laurie – Designed to Know God

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I observed everything going on under the sun, and really, it is all meaningless—like chasing the wind. 

—Ecclesiastes 1:14

Scripture:

Ecclesiastes 1:14 

It isn’t that unusual anymore to hear about another rock star who overdosed or another Hollywood celebrity who has checked into a drug rehab unit—or, tragically, has committed suicide.

It’s hard for us to understand how people living in a Tinseltown world could be miserable. But they have the same problems we have. The difference is they have a lot of the things that we dream of, yet they see the emptiness and futility of it all.

Solomon saw this as well. He wrote, “Everything is wearisome beyond description. No matter how much we see, we are never satisfied. No matter how much we hear, we are not content. History merely repeats itself. It has all been done before. Nothing under the sun is truly new” (Ecclesiastes 1:8–9 NLT).

It’s the conclusion that everyone will come to eventually. Of course, we can discover it the hard way, or we can discover it the easy way. We can take God’s word for it, or we can foolishly chase after all the things that, in the end, will leave us empty.

And some people who go down that road will lose their lives in the process.

You don’t have to find out the hard way. You can come to God, and He will fill the void in your life. We all were born with an emptiness inside. No earthly relationship will fill it. No amount of sex or possessions will fill it. Nor will knowledge or morality or even good, clean living.

We were designed to know God. And until you come into a relationship with Him, you will keep coming up empty, time and again, just as Solomon did.

When you turn to God in faith and let Him forgive your sins, He will fill the void in your life—a void that only He can fill.

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie
Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — Seasons

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Bible in a Year:

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens.

Ecclesiastes 3:1

Today’s Scripture & Insight:

Ecclesiastes 3:1–14

I recently came across a helpful word: wintering. Just as winter is a time of slowing down in much of the natural world, author Katherine May uses this word to describe our need to rest and recuperate during life’s “cold” seasons. I found the analogy helpful after losing my father to cancer, which sapped me of energy for months. Resentful of this forced slowing down, I fought against my winter, praying summer’s life would return. But I had much to learn.

Ecclesiastes famously says there’s “a season for every activity under the heavens”—a time to plant and to harvest, to weep and to laugh, to mourn and to dance (3:1–4). I had read these words for years but only started to understand them in my wintering season. For though we have little control over them, each season is finite and will pass when its work is done. And while we can’t always fathom what it is, God is doing something significant in us through them (v. 11). My time of mourning wasn’t over. When it was, dancing would return. Just as plants and animals don’t fight winter, I needed to rest and let it do its renewing work.

“Lord,” a friend prayed, “would You do Your good work in Sheridan during this difficult season.” It was a better prayer than mine. For in God’s hands, seasons are purposeful things. Let’s submit to His renewing work in each one.

By:  Sheridan Voysey

Reflect & Pray

When have you wanted a season to end before its time? What do you think God wants to do in you this season?

Father God, thank You for using every season for Your glory and my good.

http://www.odb.org

John MacArthur

Grace to You; John MacArthur – Be Slow to Anger

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“Let everyone be . . . slow to anger; for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God” (James 1:19-20).

If you resent God’s Word, you cannot grow in righteousness.

Have you ever started reading your Bible, thinking everything was fine between you and the Lord, only to have the Word suddenly cut deep into your soul to expose some sin you had neglected or tried to hide? That commonly happens because God seeks to purge sin in His children. The Holy Spirit uses the Word to penetrate the hidden recesses of the heart to do His convicting and purifying work. How you respond to that process is an indicator of the genuineness of your faith.

“Anger” in James 1:19-20 refers to a negative response to that process. It is a deep internal resentment accompanied by an attitude of rejection. Sometimes that resentment can be subtle. Paul described those who “will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires” (2 Tim. 4:3). They’re the people who drift from church to church in search of someone who will tell them what they want to hear—or a congregation that wants a pastor who will make them feel good about themselves instead of preaching the Word and setting a high standard of holiness.

Sometimes resentment toward the Word ceases to be subtle and turns to open hostility. That happened when the crowd Stephen confronted covered their ears, drove him out of the city, and stoned him to death (Acts 7:57-60). Countless others throughout history have felt the fatal blows of those whose resentment of God’s truth turned to hatred for His people.

Receiving the Word includes being quick to hear what it says and slow to anger when it disagrees with your opinions or confronts your sin. Is that your attitude? Do you welcome its reproof and heed its warnings, or do you secretly resent it? When a Christian brother or sister confronts a sin in your life, do you accept or reject their counsel?

Suggestions for Prayer

Thank God for the power of His Word to convict you and drive you to repentance. Welcome its correction with humility and thanksgiving.

For Further Study

Read 2 Timothy 4:1-5, noting the charge Paul gave to Timothy and his reason for giving it.

From Drawing Near by John MacArthur

http://www.gty.org/

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Understanding True Faith

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For I am not ashamed of the Gospel (good news) of Christ, for it is God’s power working unto salvation [for deliverance from eternal death] to everyone who believes with a personal trust and a confident surrender and firm reliance. . .. For in the Gospel, a righteousness that God ascribes is revealed, both springing from faith and leading to faith [disclosed through the way of faith that arouses to more faith]. As it is written, the man who through faith is just and upright shall live and shall live by faith.

— Romans 1:16-17 (AMPC)

Faith is a word the apostle Paul used often in his writing. When writing to the Thessalonians, he wanted to know about their faith. While the word faith means belief or absolute trust, it’s more than that—the word also implies loyalty and commitment.

Faith means being convinced that something is true. In 1 Corinthians 15:17, the apostle told the Corinthians that if Jesus did not rise from the dead, their faith was meaningless. He was saying that all they believed was utterly useless. True faith acknowledges that the message of Jesus’ death and resurrection is true.

True faith begins when we’re receptive—when we’re willing to listen. It starts with a kind of mental assent—it seems reasonable that it’s true. But that’s not true faith. True faith happens when we say, “Not only does it make sense to me, but I’m willing to stake my life on it.”

Paul taught from Habakkuk 2:4, saying that the just—the righteous—shall live by faith. One way to think of the just is to think of those who were “justified,” or made right, by the death of Jesus Christ on the cross. If we are justified, it means that God treats us as though we are not and have never been sinners. He treats us as His own—His beloved children. Instead of being God’s enemies, we’re His friends. Instead of fighting Him, we serve Him.

When God calls us just, or righteous, we enter into a relationship of love, confidence, and friendship. We need not fear or worry because there is no punishment for us.

When Paul says in Romans 1:17 (AMPC), the man who through faith is just and upright shall live and shall live by faith, he means that those of us who have been made right with God live by our faith. That is, we live by our trust in the God who reaches out to us.

This is where many must fight the wiles of Satan. Instead of focusing on all God has done for us, they listen to the devil whisper, “Do you remember when you lost your temper?” “You’re worried about paying your bills, and if you worry, you don’t have faith, right?” “If you’re supposed to be a Christian, how could you have said what you did?”

The torments are there, and the devil never passes up the opportunity to remind us of past failures. All have failed, and we will continue to fail, but when we do, we can repent and move on.

I went through a particularly difficult time several years ago when there was absolutely no joy or peace in my life. Unhappiness filled most of my days. I repeatedly asked the Lord what was wrong with me, really wanting to know what my problem was . . . no kidding around. I was working so hard to please the Lord and trying to be the kind of Christian I thought I should be, but I certainly didn’t feel like any progress was being made.

Then one day, I came across Romans 15:13 (AMPC) in a box of scripture cards: May the God of your hope so fill you with all joy and peace in believing [through the experience of your faith] that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound and be overflowing (bubbling over) with hope. That was it! I got it!

I had plunged into doubt and unbelief, allowing the devil to torment me with his evil lies. As a result, I had become negative, grouchy, short-tempered, and impatient. I was making myself miserable, and the devil was thrilled at the stronghold he had over me!

This scripture changed all of that old thinking! I knew the answer. Jesus loved me so much that He not only forgave all my sins of the past, but He also looked ahead and forgave me for those moments of weakness when I’d fail in the future. I’m not referring to deliberate sin, but to human weaknesses, those times when I just don’t live up to all the truth I know.

“Just think,” I told my husband, “2000 years ago Jesus not only died on the cross for all my sins before I even knew Him, but for all of my sins and failures until the day I meet Him face to face.” That was such a powerful thought to me.

Then I pondered the words of Paul quoted at the beginning of this devotion: For in the gospel, a righteousness which God ascribes is revealed, both springing from faith and leading to faith [disclosed through the way of faith that arouses to more faith] (Romans 1:17 AMPC). I finally understood the concept of living from faith to faith. I don’t have to allow Satan to sneak in with questions or unbelief. I can live every moment moving from faith to more faith to more faith.

Prayer of the Day: Lord Jesus, I am in awe of Your love for me, which is so great and so powerful that You not only died for all my sins before I was born, but You’ve provided for all my weak moments in the future. I am so thankful to You for Your love, and I rejoice in Your holy name, amen.

http://www.joycemeyer.org

Alistair Begg

Truth for Life; Alistair Begg –Our Greatest Motivation to Pray

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… Praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication.

Ephesians 6:18

The Bible is replete with commands like this, urging us to pray without pause. This might sound like an overwhelming expectation, and we may wonder whether we could ever meet it, or even desire to. But perhaps if we see our need more clearly, we will be motivated to pray more consistently.

Our need for prayer becomes most obvious when we understand that our Lord Jesus Christ Himself believed in the absolute necessity of prayer. At the beginning of Mark’s Gospel, we have this account of Jesus: “Rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed” (Mark 1:35). Even for the Son of God, prayer was important enough business to attend to early and not to allow the demands of the day to intrude upon.

Jesus knew that “he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed” (Matthew 16:21). Even so, in the Garden of Gethsemane we overhear Him praying for the cup of God’s wrath to pass from Him if it is His Father’s will (Matthew 26:39; Mark 14:36; Luke 22:42). The Son of God clearly knew that He needed to go before His Father. The writer to the Hebrews summarizes it perfectly for us: “In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence” (Hebrews 5:7).

Surely it cannot be that prayer was a necessity for Jesus and yet is simply optional for us. If anything, it must be the very reverse! If the Son of God Himself needed to spend time concentrated on prayer to His Father, then how much more does the one who follows after Christ! Prayer is simply too great a privilege for any Christian to ignore and too great a necessity for any of us to neglect. So, ask His Spirit to show you the wonder of prayer and to help you enter into it. When you recognize that there is no end to God’s capacity to help or His willingness to do so, and that there is no moment in which you do not need His help, you will find yourself “praying at all times.”

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

Ephesians 3:14-21

Topics: Christian Living Prayer Son of God

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 Wants You To Use His Power

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“And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry; Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.” (1 Timothy 1:12-13)

In this verse, you see Paul speaking about how God granted him mercy for his past sins because he did them “ignorantly in unbelief.” This is a miracle God does for each new believer. All past sins are forgiven by the Lord and that person is now guilt-free. The new follower now has power through the Holy Spirit to pray and hear God, to read the Bible and understand what it says! This great power was unavailable before the person accepted Christ as his Savior. What an advantage a believer and follower of Christ has over those who do not believe! When a believer acts upon what the Lord has taught, that follower has perfect power from God.

These verses are also a warning for those who have this power – for those who are not “ignorant or unbelieving.” When a believer sins, he has failed to use the power he was free to access. When an unbeliever sins, he doesn’t have access to this power. God’s mercy is great enough to forgive and wipe away the sins of both believers and unbelievers, but the believer’s sin was done in knowledge, and it etches a deeper wound. The believer’s sin can sever the trust of other believers, leaving the person with less responsibility, respect, and influence in God’s work on earth. More importantly, if the sin done in knowledge continues, the believer starts to loose contact with God and God’s work in his heart.

God loves all people, but He cannot give His power to those who are not willing to follow. Have you noticed a loss in power? Even a small loss is big – get back to learning and understanding right away. God wants you using His power for all good things in your life and in the lives of those around you. No sin is worth missing out on God’s power in your life.

God makes His power available to those who are right with Him.

My Response:
» Am I failing to make use of God’s power by refusing to acknowledge my sins to God?
» Are there sins I need to confess and forsake so that the Spirit can enable me to do His work?

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Denison Forum

Denison Forum – Why China’s present may be our future: A reflection on apocalyptic danger and transforming hope

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I remember my visit to Beijing’s massive Tiananmen Square some years ago as if it were yesterday. The area is named for a gate in the wall of the Imperial City built in 1417; the square was built in 1651 and enlarged fourfold in the 1950s. It is intended to impress visitors with its size (it measures more than fifty-three acres) and thus with the grandeur and power of the Chinese ruling dynasty.

Its political purpose was tested as never before, however, when nearly a million protesters crowded into central Beijing in May 1989 to call for greater democracy. Yesterday marked the anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre, the day when Chinese troops and security police stormed through the square, firing into the crowds. Perhaps thousands were killed; as many as ten thousand were arrested.

What kind of government fires on its own citizens?

The kind that violated maritime laws in the Taiwan Strait two days ago in what US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin called an act of “coercion and bullying.” The incident marked the second major provocation by China’s military in the span of a week.

The kind that props up North Korea as it continues to develop nuclear warheads that, according to its latest claims, could be capable of striking South Korea and Japan. The kind that supports Russia’s immoral war in Ukraine with economic aid and military technology. And the kind that serves as Iran’s largest trade partner as the latter moves closer to obtaining nuclear weapons than ever before.

“You are not destined to live in quiet times”

Imagine a future in which three nuclear-armed powers (along with a fourth if Iran fulfills its nuclear ambitions) are aligned against the West. Add the warning last week from technology experts that artificial intelligence could lead to the extinction of humanity. And the partisan political divisions that are deeper and more vitriolic than they have been in decades.

The fact is, as Walter Russell Mead recently noted, “You are not destined to live in quiet times.”

Mead is the Global View Columnist at The Wall Street Journal, a Strategy and Statesmanship fellow at Hudson Institute, and a foreign affairs and humanities professor at Bard College. In my view, he is one of the most perceptive geopolitical analysts working today.

One factor he identifies in “making sense of our times” is the widening gap between technological advances and cultural values. Mead writes: “Our political parties and institutions took shape long before the internet and social media existed. Our government bureaucracies, our schools, and our legal system were all built for conditions that no longer exist. . . . Many of our political ideas and ideological assumptions also reflect the conditions of an earlier era.

“If society’s operating system is running on the equivalent of a long-outdated version of Windows, that makes real reform difficult to imagine, and harder still to carry out.”

Mead concludes: “While the ever-accelerating and ascending wave of human progress has brought us to peaks of achievement and affluence that our ancestors could scarcely imagine, it has both failed to keep us safe from the most dangerous predators of all and—to the degree that the rate of progress has become a major force of destabilization—progress itself may now be the greatest source of danger humans face.”

A culture at a crossroads

As China’s autocratic dictatorship widens its influence and enforces its will on more and more of the world, we are seeing Mead’s thesis in action. A government bereft of biblical or even objective morality, one that exists solely to protect its leaders and advance its national interests even at the expense of its own citizens, shows us what happens when technological progress outstrips moral boundaries.

As America moves further and further from biblical morality and objective truth, we are illustrating the same warning culturally and spiritually: “Progress itself may now be the greatest source of danger humans face.”

Our “progress” with human sexuality is destroying families through adultery, damaging minds through pornography, and deceiving generations of impressionable children and teens through LGBTQ ideology. Our “progress” with artificial intelligence is, in the view of many experts, threatening our future as a civilization. Our “progress” with information technology is enabling us to consume only the political perspectives with which we agree while demonizing our political opponents.

At such a crossroads, you and I hold the only hope for a flourishing and redemptive future.

The choice that defines our future

Perhaps Tim Keller’s most famous quote was his observation, “The gospel is this: We are more sinful and flawed in ourselves than we ever dared believe, yet at the very same time we are more loved and accepted in Jesus Christ than we ever dared hope.”

I invite you to embrace and proclaim the two biblical facts Dr. Keller noted.

One: Humans are so “sinful and flawed” that we have no assurance of a better future of our own making. Left to our own devices, we invent nuclear technology that powers cities but also destroys them. We create innovations that improve our lives immeasurably but also threaten our survival as a species. And, whatever our particular experiences with these realities, we will all die one day (if the Lord tarries) and face eternity.

Two: Humans are so “loved and accepted in Jesus Christ” that, when we put our hope in him, he is “able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us” (Ephesians 3:20). When we make Christ the king of our lives and encourage everyone we know to do the same, our future is as bright as his omnipotent love.

Our choice between these two realities defines our future as a nation and as individuals.

Choose wisely today.

Denison Forum

John Hagee

Hagee Ministries; John Hagee –  Daily Devotion

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Genesis 1:27

So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.

God created us in His image. You are an expression of the manifested genius of God. He looked at this world and thought that this planet would be better off with you in it. He divinely designed you. Before He even formed you in the womb, He knew you (Jeremiah 1:5).

The book of Acts declares that God determined the seasons of our existence, that He set the boundaries of our lives so that we might seek Him and find Him because He is never far from us (Acts 17:26-27). He chose you. He appointed you for a purpose. He placed you on this earth for this specific time. God made a choice when He created you!

God’s heart is towards people. He sent His Son to redeem all of us. Jesus died to save us, to bring us into right relationship with God, into the parameters of the borders that God has established. It is time to point back to the unchanging borders that God has created. Let us fulfill His expectations of us!

Blessing: 

Heavenly Father, I acknowledge You as my Creator. Please forgive me for all the places that I have fallen short of Your expectations, where I have sinned. Please wash me clean and re-establish Your borders in my life. Empower me to live according to Your will…not mine. In the name of Jesus… Amen.

Today’s Bible Reading: 

Old Testament

2 Samuel 23:24-24:25

New Testament 

Acts 3:1-26

Psalms & Proverbs

Psalm 123:1-4

Proverbs 16:21-23

https://www.jhm.org

Turning Point

Turning Point; David Jeremiah – The Heart Above All

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But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”
1 Samuel 16:7

 Recommended Reading: Acts 13:22

On August 28, 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. In his speech, he said, “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”1

That dream has not yet been realized. But God does not see people based on their race, nationality, or social background. When Samuel was choosing Israel’s next king from among Jesse’s sons, God specifically told him not to look at external qualities. Instead, he was to choose as God chooses—on the basis of the heart (1 Samuel 16:1-13).

When we look at people, let us view them as God does, not as the world does. Let us appreciate their heart above all. 

When we begin to see people through God’s eyes, our focus will change from looks to life. 
David C. McCasland

1 “Martin Luther King Jr.: I Have a Dream,” American Rhetoric.

https://www.davidjeremiah.org

Greg Laurie

Harvest Ministries; Greg Laurie – Is There More to Life?

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Yes, joyful are those who live like this! Joyful indeed are those whose God is the LORD. 

—Psalm 144:15

Scripture:

Psalm 144:15 

Before I became a Christian at age seventeen, I was sick and tired of this world. I had been raised in a home without God. I didn’t have anything to overcome as far as obstacles to the Christian faith because I knew nothing about it.

I had been to church a few times with my grandmother, but what I heard never really penetrated for the most part. I was truly godless.

As I watched the adults in my world, I saw affluence and all the world had to offer. But I also saw how miserable they were. So, I went out on my own path and experienced enough to see the emptiness of it. And by the time I was seventeen, I knew that life as this world offers it is empty. Coming from a broken home and a disillusioned generation, I was searching for meaning.

My question was not so much whether there was life after death. It was whether there was life during life. Was there more to life?

Then I heard about Jesus Christ. I heard one of His statements in which He said, “My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life” (John 10:10 NLT). Jesus not only offers life after death; He offers life during life. And that got my attention.

I noticed that Christians seemed to have found meaning. They weren’t doing the things I had been doing, and they had contentment. And when I became a Christian myself and started reading the Bible, it came alive to me. It was the user’s manual for life that I’d been searching for.

The world offers a fleeting happiness that comes and goes. But God offers a happiness that will be there despite our circumstances. This happiness doesn’t come from what you have; it comes from who you know.

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie
Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — Uniting Nations

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Bible in a Year:

He will judge between the nations.

Isaiah 2:4

Today’s Scripture & Insight:

Isaiah 2:1–5

The longest international border in the world is shared by the United States and Canada, covering an incredible 5,525 miles of land and water. Workers regularly cut down ten feet of trees on both sides of the boundary to make the border line unmistakable. This lengthy ribbon of cleared land, called “the Slash,” is dotted by more than eight thousand stone markers so visitors always know where the dividing line falls.

The physical deforestation of “the Slash” represents a separation of government and cultures. As believers in Jesus, we look forward to a time when God will reverse that and unite all nations across the world under His rule. The prophet Isaiah spoke of a future where His temple will be firmly established and exalted (Isaiah 2:2). People from all nations will gather to learn God’s ways and “walk in his paths” (v. 3). No longer will we rely on human efforts that fail to maintain peace. As our true King, God will judge between nations and settle all disputes (v. 4).

Can you imagine a world without division and conflict? That’s what God promises to bring! Regardless of the disunity around us, we can “walk in the light of the Lord” (v. 5) and choose to give Him our allegiance now. We know that God rules over all, and He will someday unite His people under one banner.

By:  Karen Pimpo

Reflect & Pray

What disunity in the world is heavy on your heart today? How does looking forward to God’s eternal kingdom give you strength?

Dear God, I acknowledge Your sovereignty over every power in the world today! You reign above it all.

http://www.odb.org

John MacArthur

Grace to You; John MacArthur – Receiving the Word

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“This you know, my beloved brethren. But let everyone be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger; for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God. Therefore putting aside all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness, in humility receive the word implanted, which is able to save your souls” (James 1:19-21).

True believers receive God’s Word.

The key word in today’s passage is “receive” (James 1:21). Believers are to receive God’s Word. That’s what distinguishes them from unbelievers. Jesus said to a group of religious unbelievers, “Why do you not understand what I am saying? It is because you cannot hear My word. . . . He who is of God hears the words of God; for this reason you do not hear them, because you are not of God” (John 8:43, 47).

“Hear” in those verses doesn’t refer to hearing with the ear only. Jesus’ audience heard in that sense—even to the point of wanting to kill Him for what He said (v. 59)—but they didn’t receive and obey His words. By rejecting the truth, they proved themselves to be children of the devil, who is the father of lies (v. 44).

Peter called God’s Word the imperishable, living, and abiding seed that brings salvation (1 Peter 1:23). But receiving God’s Word isn’t limited to salvation alone. As a Christian, you have the Word implanted within you. Now you must nurture it by removing the weeds of filthiness and wickedness so it can produce the fruit of righteousness. That isn’t a one-time effort, but a lifestyle of confession, looking into God’s Word, desiring His message, and longing to obey it. That doesn’t mean you’ll be sinlessly perfect, but your life will be marked by ever-increasing spiritual maturity and obedience to the Word. When you are disobedient, you should feel an enormous tension in your spirit until you repent and make things right.

Are you hearing and receiving God’s Word in that way? Do those who know you best see you as a person whose life is governed by biblical principles? Jesus said, “If you abide in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine” (John 8:31). Receive His truth and abide in it continually!

Suggestions for Prayer

Ask the Lord to keep you sensitive to His Word in every situation you face today.

For Further Study

Read 1 Thessalonians 2:13-14, noting the Thessalonians’ response to God’s Word.

From Drawing Near by John MacArthur 

http://www.gty.org/

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Divine Opportunities

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A man’s mind plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps and makes them sure.

— Proverbs 16:9 (AMPC)

When your day doesn’t go as planned, do you get irritated because someone or something has interrupted you? I know I do at times. What if we would see these changes in our plans as divine opportunities rather than interruptions that irritate us? Could that last-minute request from a friend for help be an opportunity to serve Christ that would produce more good fruit in our lives than our original plan? Would a one or two-hour delay perhaps end up putting us in the right place at the right time for an opportunity we would have missed had we refused to change our plan?

There is nothing wrong with having a plan—as a matter of fact, I think it is wise to do so—but we should be ready at any time to drop our plans and follow God. He often gives us opportunities to help someone or to follow Him in an adventure that will bring blessings into our lives, but we can easily miss out on His better plan if we are not willing to “let go and let God lead.”

There are also times when what seems like an interruption is God’s protection from some unseen danger we would encounter if we continued in the path we had planned. Can heavy traffic that disrupts our plan save us from being in an accident? Could the airport delay be a blessing in disguise? The answer to these examples is yes, and if we will trust God with things like this and believe that our times are in His hands (see Psalm 31:15), we will enjoy more peace and have less stress.

Prayer of the Day: Father, help me follow Your lead at all times. I want Your will to be done in my life, and I want to always be available for You anytime You need to use me to further Your will. Help me to never miss a divine opportunity with You!

http://www.joycemeyer.org