Tag Archives: Jesus

The Navigators

The Navigators – Leroy Eims – Daily Discipleship Devotional – Today’s Walk

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Today’s Scripture: Deuteronomy 8-11

“Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.” – John 15:4

The key to making it over the long haul in the Christian life is to make it over the short haul. Today is all we have. Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow never comes. When you go to bed tonight and then wake up, what day will it be? Not tomorrow, but today.

In 1 Corinthians 10:12, Paul says, “If you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall!” That’s a warning about not walking with God today.

Some time ago, I was speaking at a Christian college and a student asked me if working too hard was the cause of burnout. My response was that hard work is not the cause of burnout. Burnout occurs when we become so occupied with our work that we don’t have time for God.

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Turning Point

Today’s Turning Point with David Jeremiah – Strength in Numbers: Gideon

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When the three hundred blew the trumpets, the Lord set every man’s sword against his companion throughout the whole camp; and the army fled….

Judges 7:22

Recommended Reading

Judges 7:1-9

Today’s world is run by numbers. Television shows are produced or cancelled depending on ratings. Politicians rise or fall depending on polls. If we’re not careful, we can evaluate God’s work the same way. Numbers, in their proper place, aren’t wrong. After all, an entire book of the Bible is named Numbers.

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Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – The Supernatural Power of Praise

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“With Jesus’ help we will continually offer our sacrifice of praise to God by telling others of the glory of His name. Don’t forget to do good and to share what you have with those in need, for such sacrifices are very pleasing to Him” (Hebrews 13:15,16).

Sometimes, in my busy schedule which takes me from country to country and continent to continent, my body is weary, my mind is fatigued, and if I am not careful, my heart will grow cold. I have learned to meditate on the many blessings of God and to praise Him as an act of the will. As I do so, my heart begins to warm and I sense the presence of God.

The psalmist often catalogued the blessings of God and found new reason to praise Him. I would like to share with you several reasons why I believe praise of God is so important in the life of the believer.

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Ray Stedman

Ray Stedman – The New Resource

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Read: John 6:16-21

A strong wind was blowing and the waters grew rough. When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus approaching the boat, walking on the water; and they were frightened. But he said to them, It is I; don’t be afraid. (John 6:18-20)

Those are very wonderful words for us, because our Lord is saying these same things for our benefit. This whole incident of the storm and their precarious condition in their boat is designed to teach his disciples the resources they have in their risen Lord. This is why John follows immediately by saying, they were glad to take him into the boat. Their fear was immediately relieved when they realized it was indeed Jesus who was walking on the water, and he was in control of all events, so they willingly received him into the boat. Immediately there was further demonstration of the power of Jesus, for they were instantly on the other side of the lake, to where they were going. The three or four remaining miles of the journey was suddenly accomplished, and they found themselves at the dock in Capernaum.

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Words of Hope

Words of Hope – Daily Devotional – Humility and Knowing Christ

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Read: Luke 18:9-14

God, have mercy on me, a sinner. (v. 13 NIV)

We’ve now come to the second preliminary to knowing Christ, namely, humility. That, in fact, is really the first and most important preliminary, because at the root of our unwillingness is pride. From that first sin in the garden, pride has been the chief barrier between us and the God we used to know face to face. “You will be like God,” hissed the serpent. The self-centeredness of that lie is the deep cause of our less than intimate knowledge of Christ.

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Presidential Prayer Team

Presidential Prayer Team; J.K.- Guarding Character

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One Bible commentary states that “many hidden beauties burst into view upon the pages of the Bible, when faith’s open eye looks through it on the face of Jesus.” Today’s verse talks of the love and faithfulness of God who supplied the person who paid the price for your sin…that man, Jesus. “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:13) That is exactly what Christ did. Sin is forgiven. The wise man, as a result, will fear the Lord, having great awe and reverence for the One who provided the way for salvation.

By steadfast love and faithfulness iniquity is atoned for…by the fear of the Lord one turns away from evil.

Proverbs 16:6

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Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – What’s Your Story?

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“My mouth shall tell of Your righteousness and Your salvation all the day, for I do not know their limits.”—Psalm 71:15

How did you come to know Jesus Christ?

That is your testimony, and every Christian has one. Some stories are more radical than others, but every testimony is significant.

Perhaps you have heard the testimony of some person who came from an extreme background tell of how they were delivered from drugs or alcoholism. They were a gang member or a prostitute. They served time in prison.

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Kids 4 Truth

Kids 4 Truth International – God Wants You To Know You’re Saved

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“These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life…” (1 John 5:13)

Have you asked Jesus to be your Savior from sin? Do you ever wonder whether you have really believed on Him? Do you know that you have eternal life with Him in heaven when you die someday? Some people spend a large part of their lives doubting and wondering whether they are really saved.

God does not want you to live in doubt. One of the books in His Word is written just so that true believers can know that they are saved. The book of 1 John gives us some tests to see whether we have really come to know God. Here are some questions you can ask yourself: Do I obey God’s Word? (1 John 2:3). Do I love other Christians? (1 John 2:9-10). Do I have a hatred for worldly things – wrong desires, pride, selfish pleasure? (1 John 2:15). Do I believe that Jesus is the Son of God? (1 John 2:22-23). Do I have consistent habits of sin in my life, or do I give up sin with God’s help? (1 John 2:29, 1 John 3:9).

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The Navigators

The Navigators – Jerry Bridges – Holiness Day by Day Devotional – Amazing for All

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Today’s Scripture: Revelation 22:21

“The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen.”

John Newton, the debauched and dissolute slave trader, after his conversion, wrote the wonderful old hymn “Amazing Grace.” He never tired of contemplating with awed amazement the wonder of a grace that would reach even to him. But the person who grew up in a godly Christian family, who trusted Christ at an early age, and who never indulged in any so-called “gross” sins should be just as amazed at the grace of God as was John Newton.

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Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – The Blessing of Giving

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1 Timothy 6:17-19

The more skilled you are at a task, the more you enjoy it. When an orchestra adeptly plays a masterpiece, an accomplished musician will derive greater pleasure from listening than would a person with an untrained ear. You might be surprised to learn the same is true of giving.

God has many reasons for us to give. First, returning a portion of our wealth to the Lord acknowledges that everything actually belongs to Him (Ps. 50:10). Second, giving is a way to demonstrate that we are obeying Him (Deut. 16:17). Third, contributing to a ministry or helping the needy is participation in kingdom work, which brings us deep joy. Fourth, our offerings are an opportunity for God to reveal His character to us and those around us; as we demonstrate generosity, He faithfully provides for our needs and blesses us abundantly (2 Cor. 9:8). Over and over again, the saying “You can’t outgive God” proves true.

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Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — What’s in the Bank?

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Read: Ephesians 2:4-7

Bible in a Year: Genesis 36-38; Matthew 10:21-42

Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. —Hebrews 4:16

In the winter of 2009, a large passenger plane made an emergency landing in New York’s Hudson River. The pilot, Captain Chesley Sullenberger, who landed the plane safely with no casualties, was later asked about those moments in the air when he was faced with a life-or-death decision. “One way of looking at this,” he said, “might be that for 42 years I’ve been making small, regular deposits in this bank of experience, education, and training. And on [that day] the balance was sufficient so that I could make a very large withdrawal.”

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John MacArthur

John MacArthur – Strength for Today – Contentment: How to Enjoy it

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“Let your way of life be free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, ‘I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you,’ so that we confidently say, ‘The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid. What shall man do to me?’” (Hebrews 13:5-6).

Your relationship with God allows you to enjoy genuine contentment.

In view of yesterday’s lesson, you may be asking, “But how can I enjoy contentment and be satisfied with what I have?” You can begin by realizing God’s goodness and believing that He will take care of you since you are one of His children. You can claim again the promise in Romans 8: “God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose” (v. 28).

Second, you should truly realize that God is omniscient—He knows all things and all your personal needs. He recognizes your individual needs long before you do and even before you pray about them. Jesus affirms, “Your Father knows that you need these things” (Luke 12:30).

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Wisdom Hunters

Wisdom Hunters – Culture of Candor  

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But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ For whatever is more than these is from the evil one. Matthew 5:37, NKJV

From time to time I play mind games that become mentally exhausting and relationally unhealthy. Because of my need for approval and my fear of rejection—I can choose the path of least resistance—harmony—over a vulnerable course of action: healthy conflict. A short term false humility only masks my pride—instead of revealing my scared soul to those who can help me and learning to rest in a long term reliance on the Lord. A person with humble candor frees others to be real, while those who cover up their true feelings create a culture of false security.

Jesus addresses the wisdom of sincere conversations, which then become seeds that grow into authentic living. Truth spoken in love makes the recipient of what can be cold, hard facts—feel the relational warmth of feeling understood and valued. Wise and gracious words promote instruction. Prayerful directness addresses the real issues, while offering ways to help solve the problem. Jesus’ words—full of the Spirit—spoke to the heart and mind with life-giving clarity.

“The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I [Jesus] have spoken to you—they are full of the Spirit and life” (John 6:63).

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Girlfriends in God

Girlfriends in God – The View from Here

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Today’s Truth

How Awesome is the Lord Most High, the great King over all the earth.

Psalm 47:2

Friend to Friend

A few years back, my husband, Brad, and I celebrated 20 years of marriage by taking a trip to several cities, far away. We planned our days and painstakingly plotted touring strategies in order to see the sites, view the views, eat the foods, experience the local charms and soak in the unfamiliar cultures as best we could. Each city boasted different personalities and attractions, but one thing was consistent about our approach in every location: we climbed to high places.

And. We. Climbed.

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Ray Stedman

Ray Stedman – The Testing of Faith

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Read: John 6:1-15

When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat? He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do. (John 6:5-6)

Examination time has come. We are not sure why Jesus chose Philip. It may be that Philip was the one whom he thought to be most advanced in the lessons of faith. These disciples all had unique personalities. Peter was loud and brassy. He had his foot in his mouth most of the time. James and John were ambitious and fiery. They lost their tempers easily. Philip was quiet and deep, he seemed to hang around in the background all the time. Yet I am sure Jesus saw in him a man of deep perception. The quiet kind are often the deep thinkers. Perhaps he chose Philip because he was the one who would most likely understand all that was underneath the very dramatic surface phenomena which the disciples were witnessing.

In any event Jesus said to Philip How are we to buy bread so that these people may eat? He did not really expect to buy bread. In fact Jesus knew that Philip could not possibly answer his question. There was no village and no store nearby, and they had very little money besides. His question is clearly designed to set before Philip a predicament that had no human solution.

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Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – Choose to Forget

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This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!—2 Corinthians 5:17

As believers, we can put our past in the rearview mirror. We can put it behind us. Romans 6:14 says, “Sin is no longer your master, for you no longer live under the requirements of the law. Instead, you live under the freedom of God’s grace.” We are free by God’s grace.

I like what Corrie ten Boom said about her sins: “They are now cast into the deepest sea and a sign is put up that says NO FISHING ALLOWED.” We often want to dredge up our sins, but we should not choose to remember what God has chosen to forget.

When I first heard the gospel on my high school campus, I thought, This won’t work for me because I am not the Christian type. In my estimation at the time, Christians were really lame people that I didn’t want to hang around. I thought, There is no way I could be one of those people. I don’t have faith like that.

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Kids 4 Truth

Kids 4 Truth International – God Wants You To Love Him Most

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“Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment.” (Matthew 23:37-38)

What is an idol? You have probably heard about them in missionary stories, and you’ve read about them in the Bible. An idol is a piece of wood or stone shaped like a person or an animal, and people worship it. Right?

That is one kind of idol. But there are other kinds, too. An idol is anything that we love more than God. An idol could be a person, an object, a hobby, a goal, or a desire. God commands us to love Him first. And first means most. God wants to be our highest love.

If we really knew and understood our God, we would have no trouble loving Him most. He is so worthy of our love. He is mightier, wiser, kinder, and more beautiful than any being we can imagine. His love for us is deeper and stronger than we can even begin to understand. He is perfectly holy, and yet He is merciful and forgiving. No one else could ever come close to being like Him. He is, as His Word says, “altogether lovely.”

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The Navigators

The Navigators – Leroy Eims – Daily Discipleship Devotional – Out of the Ordinary

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Today’s Scripture: Genesis 12-14

Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. – Exodus 19:5

Abraham was a most remarkable man. From Genesis 12 to the end of the Bible, he and his descendants are almost the only subject of the divinely inspired Word of God.

Here is a man whom both Christian and Jew claim as the father of their faith. He is even mentioned in the Koran, the holy book of the Muslim religion, in 188 verses. What was it that made Abraham so remarkable? He simply did what God said to do.

As Hebrews 11:8 says, “By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going.” Abraham’s willingness to pack up his family and all his belongings to move to an unknown land is one of the first indications of his commitment to the Lord.

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BreakPoint

BreakPoint – Christian Health-Sharing: Putting ‘Affordable’ in Health Care

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It’s been nearly six years since the “Affordable Care Act” became law, and for millions, the law mandating that we buy health insurance has made it anything but “affordable.” No wonder Congress recently passed yet another bill to repeal the ACA, though of course, the President vetoed it.

According to the annual Kaiser Family Foundation report, average annual family premiums for employer-based health insurance have risen by $4,865 since 2008. That’s a tough pill for many of us to swallow, especially given that when President Obama sold us the Affordable Care Act, he repeatedly promised to lower premiums by $2,500. And no, many folks didn’t get to keep their doctor either.

This year’s premium increases are even worse. The organization Freedom Partners notes, “In most states, health insurance premiums on the individual marketplace are rising by double digits.”

Now some people, particularly the poor, have benefited from Obamacare coverage, primarily by the expansion of Medicaid and guaranteed coverage for pre-existing conditions; but many other folks have been hurt badly by skyrocketing costs and broken promises. So where is that good news that I mentioned at the beginning of this commentary?

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Moody Global Ministries, Today in the Word

Moody Global Ministries – Today in the Word –JESUS: RESURRECTION FROM SHAME

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Read Matthew 28:1-15; Psalm 30

Every story needs conflict. In the best stories, the conflict increases the tension and complexity, causing a reader to wonder how any happy resolution could be possible. Often, when all hope is lost, something amazing happens.

For the next nine days, we’ll study biblical examples of how God heals us from shame, and we’ll begin with the greatest example of all. Jesus’ story is packed with edge-of-your-seat conflict, superseded only by its out-of-this-world ending. The depths of suffering that He experienced on the cross provide a fitting contrast for the glorious ending God has for Him.

God allowed Jesus’ enemies to succeed in their evil plan—for a time. But in the end, God was victorious. He not only raised Jesus’ body from death, He also took care to restore Jesus’ wounded honor. The crowd, soldiers, and religious leaders mocked Jesus on the cross—but when Sunday dawned it was a different story! Now the Roman soldiers were the victims of terror, and the religious leaders’ lack of integrity was exposed.

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