Tag Archives: Joy

Ray Stedman

Ray Stedman – Restoration!

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Read: Acts 23:6-35

The following night the Lord stood near Paul and said, Take courage! As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome. Acts 23:11

Literally, what the Lord Jesus says as he appears to Paul is, Be of good cheer. Cheer up, Paul. That is certainly a revelation of the state of Paul’s heart at this time. He is anything but of good cheer. He is defeated and discouraged, wallowing in an awful sense of shame and failure, but he is not abandoned. Isn’t it wonderful that the Lord comes now to restore him to his ministry?

I am sure that Luke does not give us the full account of what transpired between Paul and his Lord on that night. But there is enough here that we can see what our Lord is after. He restores Paul to usefulness. He promises Paul success in the desire of his heart, which was second only to his desire to win his kinsmen, i.e., that he might bear witness for Christ at the heart of the empire, the capital of the Gentile world itself. You remember that Paul had announced that, after he went to Jerusalem, he must go to Rome. And his prayer as he wrote to the Roman Christians was that he might be allowed to come to them. The Lord Jesus now gives that back to him.

And yet the very form which he employs contains a hint of the limitation which Paul had made necessary when he disobeyed the Spirit of God. The Lord Jesus puts it this way: As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must bear witness also in Rome. In other words, the emphasis here is upon the manner in which this witness will go forth. In the way that you bore witness to me in Jerusalem, in that same way you must bear witness in Rome. And how had he testified in Jerusalem? It was as a prisoner — chained, bound, limited.

This encounter with the Lord Jesus must have been a wonderful moment in Paul’s experience. The Lord restored him to spiritual health, as he often must do with us. Have you ever been in this circumstance? Have you ever disobeyed God, knowing that you shouldn’t have but wanting something so badly that you’ve gone ahead anyway? How wonderful to have the Lord ready to restore us. I have been there too, so I know how God can tenderly deal with us and bring us back to a place of being yielded.

Continue reading Ray Stedman – Restoration! →

Words of Hope

Words of Hope – Daily Devotional – Jonah: Reluctant, Very Reluctant, Missionary

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Read: Jonah 3:1-3, Matthew 28:16-20

I don’t know where I am, but I can feel the bottom . . . and see the shore! I’m not walking too well, but I’ll make it. That sun feels so good. But, Lord, now what?

I don’t know where I am, but I can feel the bottom . . . and see the shore! I’m not walking too well, but I’ll make it. That sun feels so good. But, Lord, now what?

Yes, I’ll go to Nineveh. It’s a long walk. It’ll be suicide to preach there, but I’m out of options. I know I can’t run from God, plus I don’t want to see the inside of that fish again! So I’ll go, and say what I’m supposed to say. It’s a big city, but I can cover it in three days. Those wicked people won’t get any encouragement from me, nor any enthusiasm or extra effort, either. What does it matter? They’re Israel’s enemy! They’ll probably kill me on sight. Is that the Lord’s plan? Well, what-ever happens, Nineveh will be destroyed. At least I can enjoy telling them that.

God, I do not understand what you are doing. Have I not been zealous for your law? These people represent everything contrary to it. Have I not hated your enemies? Nineveh does not belong to your covenant; they are not your people. I am here, I have your message, but why, God? I don’t understand. I should be with Israel, not these idol worshippers.

Prayer:

Lord, help me to believe I am blessed to be a blessing to others, and that your salvation is for all people. May I always be willing to joyfully obey your command to tell others this good news. Amen.

Author: Doug VanBronkhorst

 

https://woh.org/

Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – A Lesson on Giving God the Glory from Billy Graham

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And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father. —Colossians 3:17

Years ago I had the privilege to be with Billy Graham at a crusade he was doing in Portland, Oregon. It was an amazing crusade, with an almost revival-like atmosphere in that very liberal city.

I remember one night in particular, when God seemed to really bless Billy’s message, with many people coming to Christ. We left the stadium together in a car, with Billy’s longtime friend T. W. Wilson driving, while I rode shotgun. Billy and his son Franklin were in the back seat.

As we were pulling out of the parking lot, I leaned over the back seat and said, “That was a great message tonight, Billy.”

Billy looked at me with those steely blue eyes and said, “It’s just gospel.”

I turned back around, feeling a little awkward. I was just trying to be friendly. I remember thinking to myself, That didn’t go very well. I will say something else. Turning back around again I said, “Billy, I love the point when you said Christ will re-sensitize your conscience. That was a great point.”

Again, Billy looked at me and said, “Well, He can.”

I didn’t turn around again on the ride back to the hotel! What I learned that night was that you couldn’t pin a compliment on Billy Graham. It was like water off a duck’s back, and he really didn’t want to hear it. His attitude was, “I just did my job. I’m a delivery boy, and I gave the message. Now the results are in the hands of God.”

As God’s spokespeople, we don’t take the credit and we don’t take the blame. We just deliver the goods.

 

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

Kids 4 Truth

Kids 4 Truth International – God Satisfies People

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“As the hart [deer] panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after Thee, O God. My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God.” (Psalm 42:1, 2)

When you’ve been playing outside on a hot day, what’s the first thing you want when you come in the house? You want a glass of ice water! You grab the biggest glass you can find and fill it with ice cubes. Then you turn on the faucet, let the water fill your glass to the brim, and drink. You drink until you feel satisfied. You drink until your thirst has been quenched.

Did you know that you have a greater thirst than the thirst you feel on a hot day? You have a thirst only God can satisfy. David talked about that kind of thirst. He wrote in Psalm 42 that his heart thirsted for God the way that a deer thirsts for a drink from a water brook. It was not David’s body that was thirsty; it was his soul. And God tells us that the only One Who could really satisfy that kind of thirst is Himself. God “satisfieth the longing soul,” Psalm 107 says. He “filleth the hungry soul with goodness.”

God created us to be satisfied by God. But when Adam and the rest of our ancestors sinned against God, they started trying to be satisfied with things other than God. We see so many things that we think will make us feel satisfied. We think that toys or video games or vacations or cool friends will satisfy us. But when we get what we want, we just want more – or we decide we want something else. Our hearts are never truly satisfied by the earthly things we have.

But we do not have to stay unsatisfied. God says that He will satisfy us. He will give us joy. He will give us peace. He will give us contentment. He will meet every need. In Psalm 145, He says “He will fulfill the desire of them that fear him: he also will hear their cry, and will save them.” Only God can quench the thirst our souls feel; only He can fulfill our longing for salvation. And He wants to do that! In fact, when Jesus was on earth, He offered living water to every thirsty soul. Here are Jesus’ words to you: “Whosoever drinketh of this [earthly] water shall thirst again: But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life” (John 4: 13-14).

Continue reading Kids 4 Truth International – God Satisfies People →

The Navigators

The Navigators – Jerry Bridges – Holiness Day by Day Devotional – With No Uncertainty

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Today’s Scripture: 2 Peter 1:10

“Be all the more diligent to make your calling and election sure.”

Life is filled with uncertainties, some major, some minor. But whether the issue is significant or trivial—waiting for the results of a cancer biopsy or wondering if you’ll make your connecting flight—no one likes uncertainty.

“How may we attain a right relationship with God?” is the most important question we can ever ask. That being true, it follows that uncertainty over whether that relationship is real has to be the greatest uncertainty of all. If a cancer biopsy rates an eight or nine on our stress scale, this question has to be off the chart.

God, however, doesn’t want us to be uncertain about it. As the apostle John said, “I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life” (1 John 5:13). God wants us to know we have eternal life. To some people the claim to know such a thing sounds presumptuous and arrogant. But if God wants us to know it, we’re only laying hold of what pleases him when we affirm our assurance of eternal life.

How then can I know that I have eternal life—that I’ve indeed come into a right relationship with God? The Scriptures show us three means by which God assures us that we do have eternal life: (1) the promises of his Word, (2) the witness of the Spirit in our hearts, and (3) the transforming work of the Spirit in our lives.

The unsearchable riches of Christ are a treasure trove of blessings given to us. Part of that treasure is the assurance God gives that we do have eternal life. Don’t stop short of availing yourself of his riches until you have that assurance.

 

https://www.navigators.org/Home

The Navigators

The Navigators – Leroy Eims – Daily Discipleship Devotional – An Unlikely Prospect

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Today’s Scripture: Acts 8:29-35

Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should. – Colossians 4:2-4

When I stepped out in the backyard, there was this big, tough, mean-looking guy working on his motorcycle. We were in Auckland, New Zealand, and he was something equivalent of a Hell’s Angel in the United States. I walked over to him and said, “What’s wrong with your bike?”

“I dunno. I think the people down at the garage ruined it. I took it in to get it tuned up, but now it won’t even start.”

He asked what I was doing in New Zealand. I told him I was with a Christian group called The Navigators, and I was helping people grow in their knowledge of the Bible. “For instance,” I said, “do you know much about the Bible?”

“No,” he said, “but I’ve always wondered what it was all about.”

“I’ll mention that to the group that lives next door, and maybe one of them can sit down with you and help you get into a study of the Scriptures.”

“Man,” he said, “I’d like that.”

Continue reading The Navigators – Leroy Eims – Daily Discipleship Devotional – An Unlikely Prospect →

Streams in the Desert

Streams in the Desert for Kids – In the Storms

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Matthew 14:24

This wasn’t the first storm the disciples had been in. Jesus had stopped the wind and the waves before with just his word. But this time Jesus wasn’t with them. The disciples were struggling alone.

And then Jesus came. Walking on water he said, “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”

He says the same thing to us today when we are struggling during emotional storms of life. Jesus isn’t our security against the storms, commanding every cloud to go away. He is our security in them. It is when we are struggling that his comfort is the sweetest.

When Jesus climbed in the boat, the wind died down. He came alongside his disciples and they worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”

Dear Lord, Thank you for your sweet comfort in hard times. Thank you for the security of Jesus. Come close. Amen.

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley –Our Trials: Allowed by God

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1 Peter 1:3-9

Some people have the wrong idea about the Christian life. Once they become believers, they expect smooth sailing. Yet Jesus made it clear that troubles are inevitable for God’s children. His own life was no exception: He endured false accusations, rejection by His own people, and betrayal by a close friend—to name just a few.

As His followers, we can expect difficulty. The cause of tribulation differs with each circumstance. Some problems arise from the fallen nature of the world, while others result from satanic warfare. And we can cause our own heartache from ignorance, sin, and poor decisions. There’s also another possibility—sometimes God Himself brings trials. While this last option is difficult to accept during a painful time, the Lord never brings hardship unless He has a beautiful purpose. And He gives strength to endure.

Remember, God allows struggles—whatever their source—for our benefit. Perhaps they are to purify and grow us for greater service. Maybe He has in mind to test our endurance and devotion to Christ, thereby strengthening our trust. Or He might be revealing His sustaining power. This side of heaven, we may never know the cause of each challenge. But we can trust God’s ability to deliver and mature us.

What trials are you facing? Jesus understands your pain, and He longs to be the One you cling to through good times and bad. You can choose to look elsewhere for comfort, or you can use your hardship as a source of growth. No matter how painful the trial seems, don’t waste the opportunity.

Bible in a Year: Isaiah 1-3

 

http://www.intouch.org/

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — Human Race

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Read: Mark 6:7–13, 30–32 | Bible in a Year: Psalms 31–32; Acts 23:16–35

[Jesus] said to them, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.” Mark 6:31

The alarm clock goes off. Too early, it seems. But you have a long day ahead. You have work to do, appointments to keep, people to care for, or all this and more. Well, you are not alone. Each day, many of us rush from one matter to another. As someone has wittily suggested, “That’s why we are called the human race.”

When the apostles returned from their first mission trip, they had a lot to report. But Mark did not record Jesus’s evaluation of the disciples’ work; rather, he focused on His concern that they rest awhile. Jesus said, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest” (6:31).

Lord, I thank You today for all You have given me to do.

Ultimately, we find true rest through recognizing the presence of God and trusting Him. While we take our responsibilities seriously, we also recognize that we can relax our grip on our work and careers, our families and ministry, and give them over to God in faith. We can take time each day to tune out the distractions, put away the tense restlessness, and reflect in gratitude on the wonder of God’s love and faithfulness.

So feel free to stop and take a breath. Get some real rest.

Lord, I thank You today for all You have given me to do. Help me to truly rest in You—physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

We do not rest because our work is done; we rest because God commanded it and created us to have a need for it. Gordon MacDonald

INSIGHT:

When Jesus asked His disciples to go to a quiet place and rest (Mark 6:31), He was telling them to do something that He had often done with them. Jesus had withdrawn with His disciples to the lake (2:13; 3:7) or up on the mountain (3:13). Jesus was also in the habit of withdrawing from the crowds to a solitary place to rest and to spend time talking with His Father (Matt. 14:13,23; 26:36; Mark 1:35; 6:46; Luke 4:42; 6:12; John 6:15). The gospel of Luke tells us, “Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed” (5:16).

 

http://www.odb.org

Ravi Zacharias

Ravi Zacharias Ministry – Dreams and Dreamers

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Dr. Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech, delivered at the March on Washington August 28, 1963, is one of the most important and well-known speeches in American history. Far less known is that the actual speech he had before him on the podium that day had no mention of a dream whatsoever.

For years, Dr. King had been writing and speaking about his dream. He dreamed that one day racial oppression would no longer threaten the American creed that all of humanity is created equal. He dreamed that every man, woman, and child would be seen as an heir to the legacy of worthiness, and he dreamed that the American people would learn to cultivate this worthy perspective. He spoke so often of having a dream, in fact, that his inner circle was afraid the phrase had become overused and trite. The night before the March on Washington, Dr. King and his closest advisors worked together to come up with an entirely new message. “I have a dream” did not appear in the manuscript at all.

The speech was titled “Normalcy—Never Again” and before a quarter of a million hearers the following day King began to outline the troublesome history of black men and women in America. But several minutes into this speech he paused and he turned the manuscript over. And then he launched into the words that were closest to his heart: “So I say to you today, my friends, that even though we must face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream.”

I am not sure how often the world is changed by a revision. But this one I cannot imagine the world without. The apostle Paul writes of seeing the kingdom of heaven as if through a glass darkly. From a bird’s eye view of this split decision in history, it seems for a moment that the glass was partly cleared. Dr. King’s decision to talk about the dream God had given him is wrought with the vision and wisdom of God. As a fellow Christian, it brings me to ask: How do I learn to live with such a sensitivity to the Holy Spirit that I could completely shift gears against the advice of all the experts and before a crowd of 250,000 onlookers? But it also brings me to wonder at the God who is near us in the very making of history, the Father who sees our need, the Spirit who moves us, and the Son who makes all things new.

Continue reading Ravi Zacharias Ministry – Dreams and Dreamers →

John MacArthur

John MacArthur – Strength for Today – Diligence and Excellence

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“Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence” (2 Peter 1:5).

God’s provision does not preclude our responsibility.

There are some who believe that since God has provided everything needed for the Christian life, believers should expect Him to do everything for them. Their motto is, “Let go and let God!” If Peter had a motto for the Christian life, it would have been more along the lines of the popular World War II song, “Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition!” Peter knew the Christian life is a struggle in which believers need to expend the maximum effort to equip themselves with godly virtues—the virtues that, when present in our lives, produce assurance of salvation. He therefore prefaces the list of those virtues in verse 5 by saying, “Now for this very reason also,” thus pointing us back to God’s provision of salvation in verses 1-4. That provision is not meant to eliminate our efforts in living the Christian life but to enable and encourage them. We must, says Peter, live our Christian lives by “applying all diligence” to develop godly virtues.

Heading the list of virtues that should characterize our lives is “moral excellence.” The Greek term arete can also be translated “virtue.” In classical Greek literature, it often referred to the ability to perform heroic deeds. It refers to the quality that makes someone or something stand out as excellent. An arete knife was one that was sharp and cut well; an arete horse was one with speed and endurance; an arete singer was one who sang well.

“Moral excellence,” it should be noted, is not an attitude but an action. In fact, some suggest the meaning “moral energy” for it—the moral energy that gives us the power to do excellent deeds. Our model for that kind of active excellence is Jesus Christ, who “went about doing good” (Acts 10:38).

Never waver in your pursuit of excellence. In the words of Paul to the Thessalonians, “Excel still more” (1 Thess. 4:1).

Suggestions for Prayer

  • Thank God for supplying everything you need to live the Christian life.
  • Ask Him to help you to be diligent to develop godly virtues in your life.

For Further Study

Read Proverbs 4:23; 8:17; 12:27; 13:4; 21:5. What do those passages teach about the importance of diligence?

 

http://www.gty.org

Wisdom Hunters

Wisdom Hunters – Be Cautious of Over Collaboration

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Instead, I devoted myself to the work on this wall. All my men were assembled there for the work; we did not acquire any land. Furthermore, a hundred and fifty Jews and officials ate at my table, as well as those who came to us from the surrounding nations. Nehemiah 5:16-17

Sometimes at work we can spend too much time in meetings and not enough time in doing what we decided to do in the meeting! I struggle with this—I want to get good input from as many smart people as possible, but at times it is just not practical to prolong a decision. I am learning to gather data and people’s opinions, but then trust the Lord, test what I’ve learned and adjust as I go. If I wait beyond a window of opportunity, I may miss out on the momentum gained from a compelling, collaborative meeting. Fewer meetings and more follow through inspires the team!

Nehemiah knew the need for convening a diverse team of gifted leaders for the sole purpose of completing a massive project. He was a project manager worth emulating! Yes, over 150 workers representing various stratus of society and nations gathered—uniquely skilled to complete the momental task of rebuilding the wall around Jerusalem. Nehemiah gave a stirring motivational speech, organized the team around specific tasks and made sure each one did their part. Even as the enemy attempted to disrupt the work, the workers were equipped to beat back their attackers.

“Wherever you hear the sound of the trumpet, join us there. Our God will fight for us!” So we continued the work with half the men holding spears, from the first light of dawn till the stars came out” (Nehemiah 4:20-21).

Are you “intoxicated” by too many meetings? “To do list” overload—unsure how to prioritize? Why not quit trying to do everything—give your ego a break—and trust the Lord to get the things done that you don’t have time to do with excellence. Delegate, so others can grow in their abilities to manage and lead. Make room for margin to allow for mistakes, improvements and interruptions. Better to have fewer meetings with quality outcomes than more meetings with inferior results. Try focusing 20% on collaboration and 80% on execution—not the reverse.

Continue reading Wisdom Hunters – Be Cautious of Over Collaboration →

Turning Point

Today’s Turning Point with David Jeremiah – Loving His Appearing

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Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.

2 Timothy 4:8

Recommended Reading

1 Timothy 6:13-14

Picture a fourth grade boy sitting in the principal’s office, waiting for the appearing of the principal. Now picture the same boy at noon on a Friday, anxiously waiting for his mom to pick him up early from school to begin a long family vacation weekend. He is waiting for the appearing of his mother. Which “appearing” does the lad love? Obviously, the appearing that will precede a weekend of fun and excitement.

There is a difference between waiting and waiting-with-excitement-and- anticipation. Or so the apostle Paul seems to suggest in 2 Timothy 4:8. There he mentions the “crown of righteousness” that awaits all who “love” the appearing of Christ at His Second Coming. It’s one thing to wait for Christ’s return; it’s another to wait with love and anticipation. Those who love the idea of seeing Christ face to face will live in such a way as to welcome His appearing—not shy away like the boy waiting in the principal’s office.

If Christ appears today, will He find you loving His appearing?

The subject of the second coming of Christ has never been popular to any but the true believer.

Billy Graham

Read-Thru-the-Bible

Isaiah 29 – 31

http://www.davidjeremiah.org/

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – It’s Like Going to the Bank

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… Because of our faith in Him, we dare to have the boldness (courage and confidence) of free access (an unreserved approach to God with freedom and without fear).—Ephesians 3:12

We should never feel insecure when we approach God in prayer. He knows all of our weaknesses and loves us anyway. God wants to give us more than enough, not barely enough, and we need to ask boldly.

Approaching God boldly in prayer can be likened to going to a bank to make a withdrawal. If I know I have fifty dollars in the bank because I deposited it there last week, I will not hesitate to pull up to the drive-through window and cash a fifty-dollar check. I know I have the money; it’s mine, and I can get it out of the bank if I want to. When I present my check, I fully expect to get my fifty dollars.

We need to approach God with that same kind of boldness, not because of our own righteousness, but because of the privilege of being joint heirs with Jesus. We need to understand what is available to us because of Jesus and we need to pray confidently, with full expectation that we will receive what belongs to us. God has made incredible provision available to us in Christ and we simply need to ask in Jesus’ name for the blessings He has already purchased for us.

When we struggle with feelings of unworthiness, we should go to God’s Word and let it remind us of our privileges as children of God. Ask the Holy Spirit to help us enter boldly into God’s presence and receive the help we need because, the Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ (Romans 8:16-17 NKJV). He will speak to us and remind us that we belong to God!

God’s word for you today: You are God’s child and He is looking and longing to be good to you.

 

From the book Hearing from God Each Morning: 365 Daily Devotions by Joyce Meyer.

 

http://www.joycemeyer.org

Girlfriends in God

Girlfriends in God – Worry Wastes Life

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There is no fear in love [dread does not exist], but full-grown (complete, perfect) love turns fear out of doors and expels every trace of terror! For fear brings with it the thought of punishment, and [so] he who is afraid has not reached the full maturity of love [is not yet grown into love’s complete perfection].

1 John 4:18

Friend to Friend

Not all fear is bad. It is good to be afraid of sticking your hand in a fire, crossing a busy street with your eyes closed, or jumping off a cliff. That is good healthy fear.

Bad fear is fear of present circumstances and future events that may or may never happen. Being too afraid to step out and do what God has called you to do. Being so worried about the consequences that you throw trusting God out the window. That’s an unhealthy fear.

The Holy Spirit will warn you with a healthy sense of fear to protect you, but He will never stir up worry to stymie your faith. I’ve often heard it said that worry is a down payment on a problem you may never have. And it’s true! Rehearsing your troubles before they even happen causes you to experience them many times, whereas you were not meant to experience them but once—when or if they actually occur.

Most of the biggest challenges you will ever face will be the result of things you never even thought to worry about or even crossed your mind. They will blindside you on a Thursday afternoon at 2:00, when you never saw it coming. You will not even have known that you should have worried about the possibility! (Now, don’t let that get you worried.)

Continue reading Girlfriends in God – Worry Wastes Life →

Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – Glorious Future

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“As for the one who conquers, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God; he will be secure, and will go out no more; and I will write my God’s Name on him, and he will be a citizen in the city of my God – the New Jerusalem, coming down from heaven from my God; and he will have my new Name inscribed upon him” (Revelation 3:12).

You and I shall some day be in that beautiful temple in Jerusalem – to rule and reign with the King of kings and Lord of lords forever and forever.

Can you see it now? While we do not know – and need not know – all the incidental details and circumstances, we know enough from God’s holy Word to know that some day we shall be with Him, never to be separated. That is the cause for shouting and rejoicing.

And we need not be terrified by the condition that we must be conquerors before we qualify for any of these promised blessings. Has He not told us that we are already “more than conquerors?”

Here again we have that promise of the new name, thought by some to be the very name of Christ Himself – certainly worthy of attainment, whatever its true meaning.

To be “heirs with God and joint-heirs with Christ” holds all the wonderful promise that the human mind can imagine. Just to be with Him is enough; to know that He adds blessing upon blessing as we rule and reign with Him – that is unparalleled joy indeed.

Bible Reading: Revelation 3:7-13

TODAY’S ACTION POINT: With a quick look at the future, I’ll do my best to make this day all that God intends for me, especially in my outreach to others.

 

http://www.cru.org

Ray Stedman

Ray Stedman – When the Flesh Rules

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Read: Acts 23:1-5

Paul looked straight at the Sanhedrin and said, My brothers, I have fulfilled my duty to God in all good conscience to this day. At this the high priest Ananias ordered those standing near Paul to strike him on the mouth. Then Paul said to him, God will strike you, you whitewashed wall! You sit there to judge me according to the law, yet you yourself violate the law by commanding that I be struck! Those who were standing near Paul said, How dare you insult God’s high priest! Paul replied, Brothers, I did not realize that he was the high priest; for it is written: Do not speak evil about the ruler of your people. Acts 23:1-5

What a left-footed beginning! There is a noticeable kind of reckless audacity about the apostle in his introduction. He seems to be careless, almost, of the consequences of what he says — like a man burning his bridges behind him. I rather suspect that he is aware, by now, that he has blundered into a very untenable situation and so he is trying to bull his way through, no matter what.

He does not begin with his usual courtesy. The customary address to the Sanhedrin was a standardized form which began, Rulers of Israel, and elders of the people… Paul does not employ that, but instead puts himself right on a level with these rulers, and he addresses them simply with the familiar term, Brothers. That was an offense to these Jews. He also implies that there is no possible ground of complaint against him. This was certainly true. Yet it seemed to imply that there was no reason for this meeting at all, that it was absurd to have called this council together.

So, for this seeming impudence and impertinence, the high priest commands that he be slapped across the mouth. That was an unusually degrading form of insult to an Israelite and Paul’s anger flashes out at this offense. He whips back this sharp, caustic retort: God shall strike you, you whitewashed wall! That was a typically Judaistic way of calling him a bloody hypocrite. It certainly is not the most tactful way for a prisoner to address a judge. It is very likely that Paul recognized who Ananias was, but what he did not know was that Ananias had recently been appointed high priest. The moment it is pointed out to him that Ananias is indeed the high priest, Paul is instantly repentant, for he recognizes that he is in the wrong. He apologizes, for the law says that the office deserves respect, even if the man does not.

Continue reading Ray Stedman – When the Flesh Rules →

Words of Hope

Words of Hope – Daily Devotional – God: Creator of All—and Author of Our Salvation

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Read: Jonah 2:1-10, Job 38:1-8

Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? (Job 38:4)

This story isn’t about a fish or Jonah. It’s about me. What kind of fish? How could Jonah get inside and survive? What, you think I couldn’t do this? If I made the earth with all its oceans and creatures, could I not make a fish swallow a man? I arranged the stars in the universe, could I not arrange for Jonah to live for a few days in a fish? Who are you to get so worked up about the fish? Do you know me? Do you believe I am?

I told Jonah to take a message to Nineveh about their sin. I can still forgive them. Jonah knows this. That’s why he doesn’t obey me. Well, now he’s rethinking his ideas about crime and punishment. He’s uncomfortable and afraid, but praising my name. My grace—that’s what this is about, not the fish. That monster is just a small part of the story. It amused me to use a fish; seemed to fit Jonah’s personality. There’s more to come as Jonah responds to his deliverance. This will also be a great illustration for a future grace story I have in mind—one that includes a cross and empty tomb.

Prayer:

Lord, help me, a sinner, to see the miracle of your gracious salvation so rich and free. I believe you can create anything, even a new heart in me. Amen.

Author: Doug VanBronkhorst

 

https://woh.org/

Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – It Starts with God’s People

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If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.—2 Chronicles 7:14

We want God to heal our land, and we want our nation to change. But as we look at the problems in our country, we want to point at someone else a lot of times. We say the problems are due to Washington, DC, or Hollywood or the White House. But God says the source of the problems is His house, the church.

God lays out His prescription in 2 Chronicles 7:14: “If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”

Notice God says, “If My people who are called by My name . . .” He doesn’t say a thing about secular culture. He talks to His own people. That is you. That is me. “If My people . . .”

I think one of the problems in our nation today is there are a lot of people running around who think they are Christians, but they really are not. In fact the Bible says, “Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you are disqualified” (2 Corinthians 13:5). Or, as the J. B. Phillips New Testament puts it, “You should be looking at yourselves to make sure that you are really Christ’s.”

Then there are those who are living a double life. They put on a good performance at church. They say all the right things. But they are living a life that is completely contradictory to what the Bible says about how a Christian ought to live.

A spiritual awakening starts with God’s people. It starts with you and me.

 

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

Kids 4 Truth

Kids 4 Truth International – God’s Teaching Is Best

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“For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.” (2 Timothy 4:3-4)

Little Annie was three years old, and it was time for her to go for a routine check-up at the doctor’s office. As the doctor checked her ears, he found “something blue” in one. Annie’s mom was a little surprised to hear that! Annie had not said her ear was hurting, nor had she seem bothered by it. Annie’s mom started wondering how long this “something blue” had been in Annie’s ear! The doctor left the room and came back with an assistant and some tools to try to remove the blue object. As they tried to take it out, Annie screamed, fought, and cried. Her ear was really starting to hurt now! Finally, the doctor pulled out a rather large blue bead!

Then Annie’s mom remembered that several months before, Annie had come to her with a broken necklace, saying something about putting a bead in her ear. Annie’s mom saw how big the other necklace beads were, and she doubted that anything so big could even fit in Annie’s ear! She looked and looked, but she could not see any bead in there, and Annie never complained about her ear hurting. So they both forgot about it.

Wow! Little Annie had stuck that big blue bead into her ear, and she did not even know it was going to hurt her. We might never stick beads in our ears, but sometimes we let other things into our ears without thinking first. What about wrong teaching? God wants us to test everything we hear before we just believe it. He wants us to read His Word and use its truth to make sure things we hear are true. If we listen to teaching just because it makes us feel good about ourselves or about what we want to do, it will be bad for us in the future.

Remember, Annie hardly noticed she had the bead in her ear, and it did not seem like a problem because it was not hurting her. It did not hurt her at first, but it could have done a lot of damage in the future! The doctor explained that the bead had been hard to take out because it was so large and was resting right on Annie’s eardrum. The bead had bruised and torn Annie’s ear canal on its way out, but the doctor said it should heal and not cause any hearing loss.

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