Tag Archives: love

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread – Blended Together

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We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works. —Ephesians 2:10

 

Read: Ephesians 4:5-16
Bible in a Year: Exodus 27-28; Matthew 21:1-22

My wife, Janet, bought me a new Dreadnought D-35 guitar for my 65th birthday. Originally developed in the early 1900s, the Dreadnought style is larger than most guitars designed during that time, and it’s known for its bold and loud tone. It was named after the large World War I British battleship the HMS Dreadnought. The back of the D-35 is unique. Because of the shortage of wide pieces of high quality rosewood, the craftsmen innovatively fit three smaller pieces of wood together, which resulted in a richer tone.

God’s workmanship is a lot like that innovative guitar design. Jesus takes fragments and blends them together to bring Him praise. He recruited tax collectors, Jewish revolutionaries, fishermen, and others to be His followers. And down through the centuries Christ continues to call out people from varied walks of life. The apostle Paul tells us, “He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love” (Eph. 4:16 nlt).

In the Master’s hand many kinds of people are fit together and are being built into something with great potential for praise to God and service for others.—Dennis Fisher

Thank You, Lord, that you have placed us
in Your family—that You are using us
individually and together to bring You
honor. Help us to live in Your power.

We can accomplish more together than we can alone.

INSIGHT: The unity of believers is an important topic for Paul. He spends a great deal of time in several different letters talking about the goal and the purpose of unity (1 Cor. 12; Eph. 4; Phil. 2). In Ephesians 4, Paul says the ultimate goal of all believers is to measure up “to the full and complete standard of Christ” (v.13 nlt).
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Ravi Zacharias Ministry –  Agnostics Welcome

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The beliefs we hold and our view of God seem to collide with life experiences, particularly events that cause pain. From my observations, one of the struggles we face during these times is having confidence in what we should think and feel. We ask questions like, “Is it okay for me to be questioning God?” or, “Is it okay for me to be uncertain of my faith?”

Uncertainty and doubt within belief are some of the most uncomfortable, and yet most common, issues of faith that Christians face. In his essay “The Agnostic,” the late author and preacher F.W. Boreham touches on this topic when he describes two conversations he had with fellow train passengers. During each stop the train would make, Boreham found enjoyment looking out onto the platform. He was intrigued to see who was departing from the train and who was entering. At one of the stops he was rudely interrupted by another passenger entering his compartment. The intruding passenger entered in “heavily laden with suitcase, rugs, books, papers, umbrella, overcoat, and other odds and ends.” Boreham had been taken by surprise by this as he did not see this man entering from the train platform. The man explained that the reason he was not seen on the platform was because he was already on the train and was simply now moving to another compartment.

As they rode, Boreham slowly began to recognize the man. He belonged to a church where Boreham had spoken. The man expressed to him why he wanted to move: he had been sitting next to an agnostic in another area of the train before the last stop. To make matters even more difficult for the Christian man, the agnostic had been reading The Life of Huxley, a book about the English biologist and revered agnostic of the nineteenth century, Thomas Henry Huxley. Huxley actually coined the word “agnostic” to describe his own beliefs. After listening to the agnostic and noticing what he was reading, the Christian man decided to move seats during the next train stop.

Boreham listened to the man’s story and was not sure how to respond. He continued to chat with his new friend for approximately one hour. While the train was slowing down for its next stop, Boreham began to gather his luggage. His friend inquired whether this was his stop. Boreham said, “Oh no…but I’m going into the next compartment for awhile. The fact is, I have a weakness for any man who is fond of Huxley.” He added playfully, “I’m a bit of an agnostic myself!”[1]

Boreham soon finds the agnostic whom his travel companion had grumpily left. He settles into a seat near the man. He soon discovers that the agnostic did in fact deduce why the other man had left but was uncertain whether he understood what he meant by agnostic. He started to explain this to Boreham.

But, of course, when I say that I’m an agnostic, I mean that I’m an agnostic. Like Huxley, I simply do not know. I was brought up in Church and Sunday school; but I’ve been very hard hit since then. I lost my wife; then I lost my money; and I’ve just been up to town to bury my only child. Somehow, the easy-going faith of my boyhood has fallen to pieces. It wouldn’t stand the strain.[2]

The man feels confused and is looking for anyone who can relate to these feelings of uncertainty and bewilderment. He was reading Huxley because Huxley, too, had experienced loss and pain.

 

I Simply Don’t Know

As I ponder this story, I think that many, if not all of us, have faced or will face a similar crisis that this man experienced. The beliefs we hold and our view of God seem to collide with life experiences, particularly events that cause pain. From my observations, one of the struggles we face during these times is having confidence in what we should think and feel. We ask questions like, “Is it okay for me to be questioning God?” Or, “Is it okay for me to be uncertain of my faith?” As believers, we tend to feel a strange discomfort and consternation when uncertainty becomes a lingering feeling in our faith.

The agnostic explains to Boreham that even though the word “agnostic” might be fraught with deeply negative feelings, the man is only saying that he does not know! For the person who believes in God or for the unbeliever who simply does not know, there is great encouragement to be taken from the Bible, particularly in how God, in Jesus Christ, relates to agnostics.

Jesus was always interacting with those who were not sure of him. In fact, he actually enjoyed engaging with those who doubted God. After hearing about Jesus Christ of Nazareth, a man named Nathanael quips, “Can anything good come from Nazareth?” (John 1:46). Nathanael was questioning—and in one sense—rejecting Jesus simply on the basis of where he was from. Nazareth was a small town of no more than 2,000 people. Soon after Nathanael makes these comments, Jesus speaks to Nathanael and reveals something of who he is. In this case, the key point to understand is not only what Jesus did in showing who he was, but the fact that he engaged with Nathanael in conversation despite Nathanael’s skepticism.[3] The skeptical lens through which Nathanael viewed Jesus did not provide a deterrent for Jesus to befriend him.

The Gospel accounts tell many stories in which Jesus’s closest friends doubted him and simply did not understand who he was even when he did extraordinary things. One instance is the story of Jesus calming a storm. Matthew 8:23-27 tells us that Jesus was with his disciples on the sea. While on the water, they encounter a tempestuous storm. The weather conditions were so severe that they did not think they would live through the event. And to make matters worse for these disciples, Jesus was sleeping through it all! The disciples wake him up. Jesus promptly calms the wind and the waves.

After having their lives saved by Jesus, the disciples talk amongst themselves saying, “Who is this man?” Jesus responds, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” The English term “little faith” is translated from the Greek term for “ineffective,” “defective,” or “deficient” faith. In other words, Jesus is telling his disciples that they do not really know who he is; in fact, they had a “deficient” knowledge of who he was. He instructs them to find out who he is.

Just by observing Jesus’s inner circle of friends, we see that agnostics are welcome in Christianity. Jesus did not simply invite people who understood who he was. When he invited people to follow him, many began a journey that would slowly reveal how little they actually knew about him and who God really was.

There is something beautiful about the way in which Jesus Christ interacts with agnostics. He does not condemn their state of belief or lack thereof. He simply invites them to continue on their journey. He says essentially, “Come a little further and find out who I am.” One of the remarkable points of the Christian faith is that discovering who God is does not depend upon our intellectual ability or our emotional strength and stamina. God has actually come to us. The many stories of Jesus in the Gospels show us myriad examples of Jesus initiating the conversation.

Yes, the invitation is for us to continue asking questions and seeking God, but while we do that, we have the assurance that He has pursued us first. The implicit message that Jesus gave to the crowds, his friends, and followers in first-century Palestine is the same message he gives to us today: “Agnostics Welcome.”

Nathan Betts is a graduate of the Oxford Centre for Christian Apologetics and a member of the speaking team at RZIM Canada.

 

[1] “The Agnostic” in F.W. Boreham, When the Swans Fly High, available online athttps://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?id=121475236386&story_fbid=10151536213416387(accessed on July 7, 2014).

[2] Ibid.

[3] See John 1:43-51.

Alistair Begg

Alistair Begg – The Forgiven Child of God

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They shall sing of the ways of the Lord.  Psalm 138:5

The time when Christians begin to sing in the ways of the Lord is when they first lose their burden at the foot of the cross. Not even the songs of the angels seem so sweet as the first song of rapture that gushes from the inmost soul of the forgiven child of God. You know how John Bunyan describes it. He says when poor Pilgrim lost his burden at the cross, he gave three great leaps and went on his way singing,

Blest Cross! blest Sepulchre! blest rather be
The Man that there was put to shame for me!

Believer, do you recollect the day when your fetters fell off? Do you remember the place when Jesus met you and said, “I have loved you with an everlasting love. I have blotted out your transgressions like a cloud and your sins like mist; none of them shall be remembered against you.”

Oh, what a sweet season it is when Jesus takes away the pain of sin. When the Lord first pardoned my sin, I was so joyful that I could barely refrain from dancing. I thought on my road home from the house where I had been set at liberty that I must tell the stones in the street the story of my deliverance. So full was my soul of joy that I wanted to tell every snowflake that was falling from heaven of the wondrous love of Jesus, who had blotted out the sins of one of the chief of rebels. But it is not only at the commencement of the Christian life that believers have reason for song; as long as they live they discover cause to sing in the ways of the Lord, and their experience of His constant loving-kindness leads them to say, “I will bless the LORD at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth.”1 See to it, Christian, that you magnify the Lord this day.

Long as we tread this desert land,
new mercies shall new songs demand.

1) Psalm 34:1

Today’s Bible Reading

The family reading plan for February 1, 2015
* Genesis 33
* Mark 4

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

Charles Spurgeon

Charles Spurgeon –  Why are men saved?

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“Nevertheless he saved them for his name’s sake.” Psalm 106:8

Suggested Further Reading: 1 Peter 1:1,2

Jesus Christ is the Saviour; but not more so than God the Father, or God the Holy Spirit. Some persons who are ignorant of the system of divine truth think of God the Father as being a great being full of wrath, and anger, and justice, but having no love, they think of God the Spirit perhaps as a mere influence proceeding from the Father and the Son. Now, nothing can be more incorrect than such opinions. It is true the Son redeems me, but then the Father gave the Son to die for me, and the Father chose me in the everlasting election of his grace. The Father blots out my sin; the Father accepts me and adopts me into his family through Christ. The Son could not save without the Father any more than the Father without the Son; and as for the Holy Spirit, if the Son redeems, do you not know that the Holy Spirit regenerates? It is he that makes us new creatures in Christ, who “begets us again unto a lively hope,” who purifies our soul, who sanctifies our spirit, and who, at last, presents us spotless and faultless before the throne of the Most High, accepted in the beloved. When you say, “Saviour,” remember there is a Trinity in that word—the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, this Saviour being three persons under one name. You cannot be saved by the Son without the Father, nor by the Father without the Son, nor by Father and Son without the Spirit. But as they are one in creation, so are they one in salvation, working together in one God for our salvation, and unto that God be glory everlasting, world without end. Amen.

For meditation: We are to be baptised in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19) in acknowledgement of the fact that all three persons of the Trinity have accomplished our salvation.

Sermon no. 115

1 February (1857)

John MacArthur

John MacArthur – Joy and Godliness

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“I rejoice and share my joy with you” (Phil. 2:17).

True joy is directly related to godly living.

Philippians is often called the epistle of joy—and rightly so because the believer’s joy is its major theme. Paul loved the Philippian Christians and they loved Him. When they learned that he had been imprisoned for preaching the gospel, they were deeply concerned.

Paul wrote to alleviate their fears and encourage their joy. Of his own circumstances he said, “Even if I am being poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I rejoice and share my joy with you all. And you too, I urge you, rejoice in the same way and share your joy with me” (Phil. 2:17- 18).

Often a Jewish animal sacrifice was accompanied by a libation or drink offering (e.g., Num. 15:1-10). The animal was the greater sacrifice; the libation the lesser. Drawing from that picture, Paul placed greater significance on the faith and spiritual well-being of his readers than on his own life. To suffer for Christ’s sake brought him joy, and he wanted the Philippians to understand that perspective and rejoice with him.

He also wanted them to understand that joy doesn’t operate in a vacuum. It’s directly related to godly living. Christ is its source; obedience is its sustenance. We see that in David’s cry of repentance: “Restore to me the joy of Thy salvation” (Ps. 51:12). Paul knew the joy of the Lord because he trusted Christ and obeyed His will.

The scarcity of joy and godliness in the world today makes it imperative that Christians manifest those characteristics. As we do, others will see our good works and glorify our Father in heaven (Matt. 5:16).

This month we will highlight various aspects of joy and godliness from Philippians 1:1-11 and Colossians 1:9-12. I pray you will be eager to learn from God’s Word, and willingly obey what you learn, for therein is “joy inexpressible and full of glory” (1 Pet. 1:8).

Suggestions for Prayer

  • Ask the Holy Spirit to use our daily studies to strengthen your joy and increase your godliness.
  • Seek to emulate Paul’s attitude of preferring others to yourself—a key element in joyful living.

For Further Study

Read the book of Philippians, noting each reference to joy.

  • What brought joy to Paul?
  • On what or whom do you rely for joy?
Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – He Will Tell You What’s Ahead

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He will announce and declare to you the things that are to come [that will happen in the future]. – John 16:13

One of the many benefits of hearing from God is that listening to His voice helps us prepare for the future. The Holy Spirit gives to us the messages the Father gives to Him, and He often tells us things that will happen in the future.

We find many instances in the Bible in which God spoke to people and gave them information about the future. He told Noah to prepare for a flood that would come to destroy the people of the earth (see Genesis 6:13–17). He told Moses to go to Pharaoh and ask for the release of the Israelites and that Pharaoh would not grant this request (see Exodus 7). Obviously, God does not tell us everything that will happen in the future, but His Word promises He will tell us some things.

There are times when I sense that something good, or perhaps something challenging, is going to happen. When a challenge awaits me and I have some prior knowledge of it, that knowledge helps to cushion the blow when the difficult situation comes. If an automobile with good shock absorbers hits a pothole, those absorbers protect passengers in the car from the jarring impact that would result and no one gets hurt. God’s giving us information ahead of time works the same way.

Part of the Holy Spirit’s ministry is to tell us things to come. He knows the mind of God and He knows God’s individual plans for our lives. He will reveal what we need to know when we need to know it in order to fulfill the good plans God has for us.

God’s word for you today: Trust the Holy Spirit to tell you what you need to know about the future.

Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – How to Assure Success

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“Early the next morning the army of Judah went out into the wilderness of Tekoa. On the way, Jehoshaphat stopped and called them to attention. ‘Listen to me, O people of Judah and Jerusalem,’he said. ‘Believe in the Lord your God, and you shall have success! Believe His prophets, and everything will be all right!”‘ (2 Chronicles 20:20).

God does the same things for us in our time that He did so often in the Old and New Testament accounts of His power and grace.

I remember an eventful week at the University of California in Berkeley in 1966 when the president of the university was fired by the board of regents during the turbulent days of student revolution. Campuses throughout California erupted in anger and violence.

On the Berkeley campus, however, about 600 Campus Crusade staff members and students had gathered from across America to present the claims of Jesus Christ to more than 27,000 students. During the week, through some 80 meetings in dormitories, fraternity and sorority houses, international groups, at athletic banquets and faculty breakfasts and luncheons, in personal appointments and finally at a great meeting of some 8,000 gathered in the Greek theater, almost every student had an opportunity to hear the good news of God’s love through Christ. Literally thousands responded.

When the camera crews from the local television stations rushed out to film the predicted violence, they were amazed to find that the Berkeley campus, fountainhead of the radical student revolution, was remarkably quiet. Music, singing and sharing the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ prevailed. Many point to that week as a turning point in the direction of a world-famous university.

Light is more powerful than darkness. Believing God and obeying His commands assure eternal dividends.

Bible Reading: Joshua 1:5-9

TODAY’S ACTION POINT: Today I resolve to believe God and do those things He directs me to do, regardless of the consequences. Then I am assured of success as, by faith, I live the supernatural life in the power of the Holy Spirit.

Presidential Prayer Team

Presidential Prayer Team; P.G. – Worship’s Wonder

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Two contradictory attitudes can claim your morning. You can awake and say, “Good morning, Lord,” or you could say, “Good Lord, it’s morning!” The choice is yours. The same is true with the way in which you spend your earliest part of the day. In Psalm 5, David knew the importance of beginning his day with intentional worship.

O Lord, in the morning you hear my voice.

Psalm 5:3

God is worshipped because He is God. Period. When you begin your day acknowledging that, then each action and each thought more readily becomes part of adoring Him the whole day long. You find yourself thankful for each cup of coffee. You sing praise as you drive your car to work or run your errands. You’re awake, alert – yes, alive – to wonders around you. Ongoing communication with the Lord happens without having to think about it. You are chosen, loved and favored by the One who matters most! And you respond, humbled in awe and reverence. That’s worship’s wonder.

Make your commitment to please God, glorify Him, and live devoted to worship – beginning first thing in the morning. Pray for America’s leaders to find that same awesome wonder starting with a personal saving relationship with Jesus Christ.

Recommended Reading: Ephesians 3:14-21

Streams in the Desert

Streams in the Desert – When Life Gets Tough—Hang On!

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Mark 4:37

Storms are scary. They are destructive and they can threaten life. When a huge hurricane named Katrina swept ashore in New Orleans, it just about ruined the city. Jesus’ disciples knew all about storms, so when they got caught in a furious squall on the Sea of Galilee, they were sure they were about to die. They expected their boat to be demolished by the storm. Jesus was asleep in their boat, so they woke him up and asked him to save them. And that’s what Jesus did. He spoke to the storm and told it to be quiet.

Tough times come to everyone. Sometimes someone we love gets sick. Sometimes a friend betrays us. Sometimes there are real storms like hurricane Katrina. There are lots of scary things that can happen, but just like the disciples, we have Jesus in the boat of our life. We just have to call out to him. He will help us find a way through the worst problems we could ever have.

Dear Lord, Thank you for being there through the good times as well as the bad. I know that with your help I can overcome anything that comes into my life. Help me trust you more. Amen.

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – Reasons We Fail

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Read | John 14:15

When parents ask why their son or daughter didn’t do what was asked, the response is often an excuse. “I didn’t hear you,” “I didn’t have time,” and “I didn’t realize you wanted it done right away” are familiar statements to moms and dads.

In a similar way, we tend to offer a wide variety of justifications to the Father; “excusitis” is all too common an ailment. Excuses are an attempt to shift responsibility for what we’ve done (or failed to do) to something or someone besides our self.

We may fail to achieve God’s plans for another reason: greed. Selfishness won’t help us succeed in His kingdom. But generosity—giving as the Lord commands, taking the opportunity to speak words of encouragement, or using our time to help others—brings blessing.

Acting against our conscience is another hindrance. It makes us double-minded: We feel guilty over our action but want to continue anyway. In this condition, we find our concentration diminishes, preventing us from putting our wealth of experience, ability, and talent into the work God has assigned us.

One last obstacle is laziness, which is often accompanied by many excuses and yields the same result: disobedience to God. For example, the Lord commands all of us to practice the “one another” (Rom. 12:9-16), but frequently His instruction goes ignored because it takes too much effort.

With the Holy Spirit’s help, we can overcome these common negative tendencies. Which one is He prompting you to work on?

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread – A Closing Door

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Now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation. —2 Corinthians 6:2

 

Read: 2 Corinthians 5:18-6:2
Bible in a Year: Exodus 25-26; Matthew 20:17-34

Beep, beep, beep, beep. The warning sound and flashing lights alerted commuters that the train door was about to close. Yet a few tardy individuals still made a frenzied scramble across the platform and onto the train. The door closed on one of them. Thankfully, it rebounded and the passenger boarded the train safely. I wondered why people took such risks when the next train would arrive in a mere 4 minutes.

There is a far more important door that we must enter before it closes. It is the door of God’s mercy. The apostle Paul tells us, “Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation” (2 Cor. 6:2). Christ has come, died for our sins, and has risen from the grave. He has opened the way for us to be reconciled to God and has proclaimed for us the day of salvation.

Today is that day. But one day the door of mercy will close. To those who received and served Christ, He will say, “Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you” (Matt. 25:34). But those who don’t know Him will be turned away (v.46).

Our response to Jesus Christ determines our destiny. Today Jesus invites, “I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved” (John 10:9). —Poh Fang Chia

Today Thy gate is open,
And all who enter in
Shall find a Father’s welcome,
And pardon for their sin. —Allen

There’s no better day than today to enter into God’s family.

INSIGHT: One of the great biblical texts on salvation is 2 Corinthians 5:21. There we see the partnership of the Father and Son producing our rescue. First, all of our sins were placed on Christ, who bore them on the cross on our behalf (1 Peter 2:24). Then, Christ’s right standing with the Father is given to those who trust Him by faith (John 1:12). Now we are no longer enemies of God, for we have been brought to the Father by the Son’s work for us. God demonstrated His love for us when He gave up His one and only Son.
Ravi Zacharias

Ravi Zacharias Ministry –   THINK AGAIN: LIGHT IN THE DARKNESS

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+ Light in the Darkness

The story is told of a cynic sitting under a nut tree, carrying on a jesting monologue with God. His grounds for complaint lay in what he considered to be an obvious failure on the part of God to go by the book on structural design. “Lord,” he said, “How is it that you made such a large and sturdy tree to hold such tiny, almost weightless nuts? And yet, you made small, tender plants to hold such large and weighty watermelons!”

As he chuckled at the folly of such disproportion in God’s mindless universe, a nut suddenly fell on his head. After a stunned pause, he muttered, “Thank God that wasn’t a watermelon!”

Even atheist Aldous Huxley acknowledged years ago, “Science has ‘explained’ nothing; the more we know, the more fantastic the world becomes, and the profounder the surrounding darkness.”

Justifiable worldviews must have explanatory power of the undeniable realities of life. As Christians who affirm the existence of a loving and all wise God, we long to push back the darkness in our world and to see the light of God’s Word soften the cynic and atheist alike. Yet if we are honest, sometimes we, too, struggle to come to terms with God’s world and his sovereign design; this is especially true in seasons of suffering and confusion.

Remember Job? He had become weary of his pain and sought a just answer for it. He built his argument to God on the fact that he needed to know what was going on, because only on the basis of that knowledge could his confusion and suffering be dissipated. But God then broke his silence, challenging Job’s very assumptions and reminding him that there was an awful lot he did not know but had just accepted and believed by inference. Notwithstanding the proverbial cynic under a nut tree, the argument from design is the very approach God used with Job. He reminded Job as a first step, and only that, that there were a thousand and one things he did not fully understand but had just taken for granted. In the light of God’s presence, Job was dumbfounded and confessed, “I am unworthy—how can I reply to you? … Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know” (Job 40:4; 42:3).

Gaining a small glimpse of the majesty and holiness of God is light in a dark world. The prophet Isaiah described his awe-stricken state when God revealed Himself to him. Isaiah, a morally good man, nevertheless fell on his face and immediately sensed that he was unfit to be in God’s presence. He was not just in the presence of someone better than he was. He was in the presence of the One by whom and because of whom all purity finds its point of reference. That is why he was speechless.

God is not merely good. God is holy. He is the transcendent source of goodness: not merely “better” in a hierarchy of choices but rather the very basis from which all differences are made. He dwells in ineffable light. Moral categories, for us, often move in comparisons and hierarchies. We talk in terms of judging or feeling that one thing is better than another. Our culture is more advanced morally than someone else’s culture, at least so we may think. However, God’s existence changes those categories and moves us to recognize the very essence of what the word “goodness” is based upon.

This difference is what makes the argument almost impossible for a skeptic to grasp. Holiness is not merely goodness. “Why did God not create us to choose only good?” “Why do bad things happen to good people?” The reality is that the opposite of evil, in degree, may be goodness. But the opposite of absolute evil, in kind, is absolute holiness. In the biblical context, the idea of holiness is the tremendous “otherness” of God Himself. God does not just reveal Himself as good; He reveals Himself as holy.

There is no contradiction in Him. He can never self-destruct. He can never “not be.” He exists eternally and in a sublime purity that transcends a hierarchy of categories. As human beings we love the concept of holiness when we are in the right, but we are often reticent to apply it when we are wrong and brought under the stark scrutiny of its light. I recall talking to a very successful businessman who throughout our conversation repeatedly asked, “But what about all the evil in this world?” Finally, a friend sitting next to me said to him, “I hear you constantly expressing a desire to see a solution to the problem of evil around you. Are you as troubled by the problem of evil within you?” In the pin-drop silence that followed, the man’s face showed his duplicity.

The longer I have encountered this question about evil, the more convinced I am of the disingenuousness of many a questioner. The darkness of evil is more than an exterior reality that engenders suffering in our world; it is, at its core, an internal reality that systemically builds us for autonomy and destruction, blinds us, and from which only God is big enough to rescue us. You see, the problem of evil begins with me. The darkness is within.

Yet Jesus’s answer to the question of the blind man in John 9 brings us extraordinary power and hope. There is an illustration and explanation for us in his story. Here was a man living in physical darkness. There was no light that he could see. People wanted to know, why was he born this way? They were the ones who could see, so they asked about the one who could not. Jesus responded that the man’s blindness was due neither to the sin of the man nor of his parents, but so that the glory of God might be displayed. The lesson is drastic; the message profound.

Physical darkness has physical consequences and leaves a person bereft of seeing physical reality. It is a tragedy—but nowhere near the tragic devastation of spiritual blindness. The healing of that man’s blindness by Jesus was intended to draw those spiritually blind to seek his healing of their souls. When Beethoven, though deaf, could see the exhilarating response of the people to his composition, he outwardly resonated with what his inner being prompted. He could not hear his music but he sensed the harmony for which he longed in expression. So it is with us. We know on the inside how impoverished we are and for what we long. That ought to prompt us to the riches that only God in Christ is able to give to us.

Only when we surrender to the light of God’s truth in our own lives are we enabled to truly seeand then be a beacon of hope and healing in our dark world. Truthfulness in the heart, said Jesus, precedes truth in the objective realm. The problem of evil has ultimately one source: it is the resistance to God’s holiness that enshrouds all of creation. And there is ultimately only one hope for life: that is through the glorious display of God at work within a human soul, bringing about his work of pushing away the darkness. That transformation tenderizes the heart to become part of the solution and not part of the problem. Such a transformation begins at the Cross.

The day when Christ was crucified and darkness engulfed the scene was symbolic of the soul in rebellion. Then came the possibility of hope when the Son rose, with life made possible for all of us. The simple verse, John 3:16, says it all: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” “For God”: the starting point is filial. “So loved”: his reach is relational. “That he gave his only begotten Son”: sacrificial. “That whosoever believes in Him”: confessional. “Should not perish”: judicial. “But have everlasting life”: eternal.

There is a law unto death. The violation of law brings that within us. Our holy God deals with evil in us to transform us and draw us into his life and embrace. What a glorious gospel this is.

The songwriter Tim Hughes says it beautifully:

Light of the world, You stepped down into darkness

opened my eyes, let me see.

Beauty that made this heart adore you

hope of a life spent with you.

 

Here I am to worship, here I am to bow down,

here I am to say that you’re my God.

You’re altogether lovely, altogether worthy,

altogether wonderful to me.

 

In a unique way, seeing is believing. Believing in God is surrendering. Surrendering to God is worshiping. To worship opens up vistas to see even more. Darkness is then vanquished.

In a dark world, we have the offer of Light through Jesus Christ.

Alistair Begg

Alistair Begg – The Value of Righteousness

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The Lord is our righteousness.  Jeremiah 23:6

 

It will always give a Christian the greatest calm, quiet, ease, and peace to think of the perfect righteousness of Christ.

How often are the saints of God downcast and sad! I do not think they ought to be. I do not think they would be if they could always see their perfection in Christ. There are some who are always talking about corruption and the depravity of the heart and the innate evil of the soul. This is quite true, but why not go a little further and remember that we are perfect in Christ Jesus.

It is no wonder that those who are dwelling upon their own corruption should wear such downcast looks; but surely if we call to mind “Christ Jesus, whom God made . . . our righteousness,”1 we shall be of good cheer. What though distresses afflict me, though Satan assault me, though there may be many things to be experienced before I get to heaven, those are done for me in the covenant of divine grace; there is nothing wanting in my Lord–Christ has done it all. On the cross He said, “It is finished!” and if it be finished, then am I complete in Him and can rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory, “not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith.”2

You will not find on this side of heaven a holier people than those who receive into their hearts the doctrine of Christ’s righteousness. When the believer says, “I live on Christ alone; I rest on Him solely for salvation; and I believe that, however unworthy, I am still saved in Jesus,” then there rises up as a motive of gratitude this thought: “Shall I not live to Christ? Shall I not love Him and serve Him, seeing that I am saved by His merits?” “The love of Christ controls us,”3 “that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.”4 If saved by imputed righteousness, we shall greatly value imparted righteousness.

Only be sure you have the sail up. Do not miss the gale for want of preparation for it. Seek help from God, that you may be more earnest in duty when made more strong in faith, that you may be more constant in prayer when you have more liberty at the throne, that you may be more holy in your conversation while you live more closely with Christ.

1) 1 Corinthians 1:30   2) Philippians 3:9    3) 2 Corinthians 5:14    4) 2 Corinthians 5:15

Today’s Bible Reading

The family reading plan for January 31, 2015
* Genesis 32
* Mark 3

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

Charles Spurgeon

Charles Spurgeon – The shameful sufferer

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“Who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Hebrews 12:2

Suggested Further Reading: Luke 9:18-22, 51-53

You have an enemy who all his life long has been your enemy. His father was your enemy, and he is your enemy too. There is never a day passes but you try to win his friendship; but he spits upon your kindness, and curses your name. He does injury to your friends, and there is not a stone he leaves unturned to do you damage. As you are going home to-day, you see a house on fire; the flames are raging, and the smoke is ascending up in one black column to heaven. Crowds gather in the street, and you are told there is a man in the upper chamber who must be burnt to death. No one can save him. You say, “Why that is my enemy’s house;” and you see him at the window. It is your own enemy—the very man; he is about to be burnt. Full of lovingkindness, you say, “I will save that man if I can.” He sees you approach the house; he puts his head from the window and curses you. “An everlasting blast upon you!” he says; “I would rather perish than that you should save me.” Do you imagine yourself, then, dashing through the smoke, and climbing the blazing staircase to save him; and can you conceive that when you get near him he struggles with you, and tries to roll you in the flames? Can you conceive your love to be so potent, that you can perish in the flames rather than leave him to be burned? You say, “I could not do it; it is above flesh and blood to do it.” But Jesus did it. We hated him, we despised him, and, when he came to save us, we rejected him. When his Holy Spirit comes into our hearts to strive with us, we resist him; but he will save us; nay, he himself braved the fire that he might snatch us as brands from eternal burning.

For meditation: The wonderful determination of Christ and his insistence on carrying out his Father’s will despite all the attempts to distract him (Matthew 16:21-23; 26:51-54; Luke 13:31-33).

Sermon no. 236

30 January (1859)

John MacArthur

John MacArthur –Complementing Christ

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God exalted Christ “and gave Him as head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fulness of Him who fills all in all” (Eph. 1:22-23).

The church was designed to complement Christ.

Here Paul uses a graphic analogy to illustrate the relationship of Christ to the church: He is the head; believers are His body. Paul elaborates that we’re to hold “fast to the head [Christ], from whom the entire body, being supplied and held together by the joints and ligaments, grows with a growth which is from God” (Col. 2:19; cf. Eph. 4:15-16).

Just as the head controls the human body, so Christ governs His Body, the church (cf. 1 Cor. 12:12-31). By His Spirit and His Word He supplies all the resources the church needs to function to His glory. In that way He guarantees that His purposes will be fulfilled.

The church is in fact “the fulness of Him who fills all in all” (Eph. 1:23). The implication is that the incomprehensible, all-sufficient, all-powerful, and utterly supreme Christ is in a sense incomplete—not in His nature, but in the degree to which His glory is seen in the world.

A synonym for “fulness” is “complement.” The church was designed to complement Christ. He is the One who fills all in all”—the fullness of deity in bodily form (Col. 2:9) and the giver of truth and grace (John 1:16). Yet He chooses to reveal His glory in and through the church. Therefore, until the church is fully glorified, Christ will not be fully complemented.

Does your life complement Christ? Do you “adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in every respect” (Titus 2:10)? Do you “let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven” (Matt. 5:16)? You have every spiritual resource to do so, so don’t let anything hold you back (Heb. 12:1-2)!

Suggestions for Prayer; Read Psalm 139:23-24 and pray with David that God will search your heart and reveal any sin that might hinder you from complementing Christ today.

For Further Study; Read 1 Corinthians 12:1-30.

  • What spiritual gifts are mentioned in this passage?
  • How does Paul deal with the misconception that some gifts are more important than others (see vv. 14-30)?
  • As a member of Christ’s Body, you are gifted by the Spirit to minister to others. Are you doing so?
Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Faith vs. Feelings

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How long will you halt and limp between two opinions? —1 Kings 18:21

God has blessings and new opportunities in store for us. To receive them we must take steps of faith. That often means doing things we don’t feel like doing or in our own minds don’t even think will work, but our trust and reverence for God must be greater than what we personally want, think, or feel. We see a perfect example of this in Luke 5. Peter and some of the other disciples of Jesus had been fishing all night; they hadn’t caught anything. They were tired and exhausted, and they needed sleep. I am sure they were hungry. They had just finished washing and storing their nets, which was a big job.

Jesus appeared on the bank of the lake and told them if they wanted to catch a haul of fish, they should cast their nets again, only this time in deeper water. Peter explained to the Lord that they were exhausted. They hadn’t caught anything all night, but he said, On the ground of Your word, I will lower the nets [again]. (Luke 5:5) This is the kind of attitude the Lord wants us to have. We may not feel like doing something, we may not think it is a good idea, or we may feel fearful that none of it will work, but we should be willing to obey God rather than our fears or feelings.

The devil tries to use fear in its many different forms to keep us in shallow water. But even though we may feel fear, we need to focus our attention on God and at His word we should launch out into the deep to receive the blessings God has for us.

Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – God’s Secret Plan for You

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“God has told us His secret reason for sending Christ, a plan He decided on in mercy long ago; and this was His purpose: that when the time is ripe He will gather us together from wherever we are – in heaven or on earth – to be with Him in Christ, forever” (Ephesians 1:9,10).

One day a distinguished scientist questioned Michael Faraday, chemist, electrician and philosopher.

“Have you conceived to yourself what will be your occupation in the next world?” he asked.

Hesitating a moment or two, Faraday replied, “Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things that God hath prepared for them that love Him.” And then he added, in his own words, “I shall be with Christ, and that is enough.”

Although nearly two thousand years have passed since He walked this earth, Jesus still stands as the ultimate expression of ethics and morality. Whatever one might think about Christians or the church, he will find no blemishes in the character of Jesus.

Perhaps the greatest testimony that can be given regarding the character of Jesus’ teachings is that they are still changing men and nations throughout the world today. Now, as before, those who listen to Him inevitably say “No man ever spoke like this man!” (John 7:46, RSV).

God’s Word tells us that Jesus had the same temptations we do, though He never once gave way to them and sinned (Hebrews 4:15). Our Lord thus stands out as the supreme example of one who practiced the things that He taught to others and that He expects of His followers.

We still stand today in the shadow of God’s sure promise: “For God has allowed us to know the secret of His plan, and it is this: He purposes in His sovereign will that all human history shall be consummated in Christ, that everything that exists in heaven or earth shall find its perfection and fulfillment in Him. And here is the staggering thing that in all which will belong to Christ we have been promised a share” (Ephesians 1:9-11, Phillips).

Bible Reading: Ephesians 1:11-14

TODAY’S ACTION POINT: Today I will meditate upon the fact that I am a child of God, and heir of God and joint-heir with Christ; and upon the startling, incredible fact that I am related to Him and share with Him in all of this indescribable privilege and blessing. As a result I will claim His supernatural love and power and will speak more freely to others of my relationship with Him.

Presidential Prayer Team

Presidential Prayer Team; C.P.- Kid Contribution

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Philosopher and theologian William Temple once said, “The most influential of all educational factors is the conversation in a child’s home.” Parents who seek and serve the Lord have a rock-solid foundation to build on for their children. Knowing, loving and serving God is of utmost importance; everything thereafter is incidental.

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.

Proverbs 9:10

Adults must be careful to not let the importance of church services and programs for them distract from prioritizing ministry to kids, from nursery to Sunday school, and following this admonition of Jesus, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 19:14) In fact, God places priority on training children (from sunrise to sunset) to seek and serve Him (Deuteronomy 6:7). God desires children as well as adults to worship Him. “Out of the mouth of infants and nursing babies you have prepared praise” (Matthew 21:16)

What are your children and grandchildren learning these days? What can you do to contribute to the godly education of these precious ones? Pray that this nation’s schools or churches will not hinder children from coming to Jesus.

Recommended Reading: Matthew 18:1-6, 10-14

Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – Contentment Is a State of the Heart

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The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want —Psalm 23:1

I heard a story about a wealthy employer who overheard one of his employees remark, “You know what? If I had $1,000, I would be perfectly content.” Knowing that wealth had never brought him contentment, he walked over to that employee and said, “You know, I have always wanted to meet someone who is perfectly content. So I am going to grant your desire.” He pulled out his checkbook, wrote a check for $1,000 and gave it to her. As he walked away, he overheard her say rather bitterly, “Why didn’t I ask for $2,000?”

That is the way it works. It’s called human nature.

Getting more stuff does not bring happiness or contentment. One psychologist who has conducted research on what brings contentment said, “If people strive for a certain level of affluence, thinking it will make them happy, they find that in reaching it, they quickly become habituated to it and are at a point when they are hankering for the next level of income, property, or good health.”

The apostle Paul was someone who found satisfaction, who found inner contentment. And in the book of Philippians, he reveals the secret of happiness and contentment.

Circumstantially, Paul had nothing to be happy about. He wasn’t writing from the luxury of some pleasant surroundings. He probably was writing his epistle to the believers in Philippi as he was chained to a Roman guard. He was under house arrest. He had lost his ability to move about. Yet Paul was an active kind of guy. He was an outdoorsman. He worked with his hands and was someone who liked to get things done. For him to be cooped up in one place would have been very, very difficult. Plus, his future was uncertain. He had appealed to Caesar as a Roman citizen, and he was waiting for the time when he actually would be able to see the emperor. He didn’t know what would happen in his future.

To make matters worse, he was a very controversial figure. Even in the church, some believers were against him. Despite all of these difficult circumstances, however, Paul wrote these words: “Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!” (Philippians 4:8 NKJV). Paul wasn’t speaking on the subject of contentment from some ivory tower or mere theory. He was speaking from the school of life, from the school of hard knocks. Paul had experienced pain and pleasure, health and sickness, weakness and strength, and highs and lows. He was a hero to some and a villain to others. Yet he was saying, “I have found that you can be content.

I read about a man who was very proud of his beautifully groomed lawn. It was absolute perfection. But one year a heavy crop of dandelions came in, and he couldn’t figure out how to get rid of them. He tried everything he knew and still they kept growing and destroying his pristine lawn. So finally he wrote to the school of agriculture at a local university, telling them about all the things he had tried and asking if they had any suggestions. In response, he received a very short reply, which read, “We suggest that you learn how to love them.”

Sometimes we find ourselves asking, “How can I get this problem to go away?” “How can I get this irritating person out of my life?” “How can I change my circumstances?” And sometimes God will get us out of that problem. Sometimes he will take the problem away. But sometimes God will say, “You just have to learn how to love them.”

So what was the secret to Paul’s joy? What was the secret of his contentment? Paul found the secret of contentment is not in what you have; it is in whom you know. And the “whom” to which I am referring is Jesus. Hebrews 13:5 says, “Don’t love money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, ‘I will never fail you. I will never abandon you'” (NLT). It is because God is with us always that we can say, “I have found contentment.” No matter what happens, no one can take that from you. No one can take God’s presence from you. And knowing that, you can face whatever comes your way in life. Maybe it will be the greatest challenge ever that will be difficult and hard. And maybe it will be untold blessings that would turn many a head. But you will be able to keep your balance in all of that, because you recognize that God is the provider.

Happiness and contentment do not come from stuff; they come from a relationship with God.

As David said, “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want” (Psalm 23:1 NKJV). When the Lord is your shepherd, you won’t be in want. And if you are in want, one might ask whether the Lord really is your shepherd.

Contentment is not the state of your accounts; it is a state of heart. Contentment is found in making the most of the least. That is what the apostle Paul was saying.

So despite what adverse circumstances you may be facing, you can have joy and contentment in the midst of a troubled world.

Discovering God’s Design

Discovering God’s Design – Stewards of Eternal Life

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1 John 2:24–25

It is important to address the theology tied to the phrase “eternal life” (1Jn 2:25; cf. 3:15; 5:11–13,20). In Scripture, eternal life has the connotation of future reward, to be sure, but it also has a present sense of the type of life that comes when we remain in Christ here and now. This Biblical concept should not be understood in exclusively physical or spiritual terms. Easton’s Bible Dictionary gives us this definition of eternal life:

[The expression “eternal life”] occurs frequently in the New Testament. It comprises the whole future of the redeemed (Lk 16:9), and is opposed to “eternal punishment” (Mt 25:46). It is the final reward and glory into which the children of God enter (1Ti 6:12); their Sabbath of rest (Heb 4:9). The newness of life which the believer derives from Christ (Ro 6:4) is the very essence of salvation, and hence the life of glory or the eternal life must also be theirs (Ro 6:8). It is the “gift of God … in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Ro 6:23). The life the faithful have here on earth (Jn 3:36; 5:24) is inseparably connected with the eternal life beyond, the endless life of the future, the happy future of the saints in heaven (Mt 19:16,29).

Eternal life and Christian stewardship are intimately connected in the administration of the new life in Christ we currently participate in. Evangelical theologian R. Scott Rodin explores the idea that eternal life is not only a future reality but a present reality of a life lived in Christ.

We live in a kingdom that is both “now” and “not yet.” This provisional nature provides us with the opportunity to live as children in God’s kingdom and thereby to announce the grace of God to all of the world. If we hear the “not yet” nature of the kingdom in Hebrews 2:8, “Yet at present we do not see everything subject to them,” we must also hear the very certain “now” reality of the kingdom in the words of Jesus in Matthew 28:18, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.” It is this kingdom into which we are called to be stewards.

Rodin describes the life of a steward who lives in the awareness of the fullness of eternal life.

Imagine what life would be like if every day was seen as an incredible gift in a life that was guaranteed to last forever. Imagine what it would be like to be so certain about tomorrow that you could be free to invest every hour of today doing whatever was most pleasing to God. Imagine being so certain about who you were in the eyes of God that you could give yourself away in service to others with real joy. This is not only possible; it is our calling as stewards in the kingdom of the triune God who has freed us for just this kind of rich and abundant life.

Think About It

  • In what ways does eternal life have a component that is lived out in the present?
  • How does the perspective of eternity influence the way you live?
  • How do you steward eternal life?

Act on It

Spend some time imagining the scenarios described by Rodin. How does this exercise affect your perspectives on stewardship and eternity?