Tag Archives: nature

Charles Spurgeon

Charles Spurgeon – Lovest thou me?

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“So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs. He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep. He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep. John 21:15-17

Suggested Further Reading: 1 Corinthians 13

He did not say, “Simon, son of Jonas, fearest thou me.” He did not say, “Dost thou admire me? Dost thou adore me?” Nor was it even a question concerning his faith. He did not say, “Simon, son of Jonas, believest thou in me?” but he asked him another question, “Lovest thou me?” I take it, that is because love is the very best evidence of godliness. Love is the brightest of all the graces; and hence it becomes the best evidence. I do not believe love to be superior to faith; I believe faith to be the groundwork of our salvation; I think faith to be the mother grace, and love springs from it; faith I believe to be the root grace, and love grows from it. But then, faith is not an evidence for brightness equal to love. Faith, if we have it, is a sure and certain sign that we are God’s children; and so is every other grace a sure and certain one, but many of them cannot be seen by others. Love is a more sparkling one than any other. If I have a true fear of God in my heart, then I am God’s child; but since fear is a grace that is more dim and has not that halo of glory over it that love has, love becomes one of the very best evidences and one of the easiest signs of discerning whether we are alive to the Saviour. He that lacks love, must lack also every other grace in the proportion in which he lacks love. If love be little, I believe it is a sign that faith is little; for he that believes much loves much. If love be little, fear will be little, and courage for God will be little.

For meditation: The commandments of God can be headed and summarised by one word—love (Matthew 22:36-40; Romans 13:8-10).

Sermon no. 117

7 September (1856)

John MacArthur

John MacArthur – The Extent of Satanic Opposition

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“Stand firm against the schemes of the devil” (Eph. 6:11).

Satan opposes everything God does.

The believer’s conflict with the forces of darkness is rightly called spiritual warfare since Satan and his evil world system are hostile toward everything God does. By nature they are anti-God and anti-Christ.

Satan is the antithesis of every godly attribute. God is holy; Satan is evil. God is love; Satan is the embodiment of hatred. God redeems His children; Satan damns his. Jesus reveals grace and truth (John 1:17), but Satan “does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature; for he is a liar, and the father of lies” (John 8:44).

God gives life, whereas Satan breeds death (Heb. 2:14). God produces love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Gal. 5:22-23). Satan produces immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and the like (vv. 19-21).

God uses trials to prove the genuineness of your faith and increase your joy and spiritual endurance (James 1:3). Satan uses temptation in an attempt to destroy your faith and silence your testimony. God grants freedom from the bondage of sin, while Satan wants to enslave you to sin for all eternity (2 Tim. 2:26).

Jesus is your advocate, pleading your cause before the Father (1 John 2:1). Satan is your accuser, blaming you incessantly for things God has already forgiven (Rev. 12:10).

As Satan opposes everything God does, he’ll also oppose God’s children. When he does, don’t be overly concerned or think of it as odd or unfair. Expect trials, be prepared, and rejoice because they show you’re a threat to Satan’s system and an asset to Christ’s kingdom.

Suggestions for Prayer

  • Thank God for the joy of knowing Christ and being free from sin’s bondage.
  • Ask Him to use you today in a powerful way for His glory.

For Further Study

Read Romans 14:17 and 1 John 2:16-17. What characterizes the kingdom of God? The evil world system of Satan?

Presidential Prayer Team

Presidential Prayer Team; C.P. – Your Never Ending Journey

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Paul wrote to the Corinthians about his near-death experiences on his mission trip to Asia – and declared how God delivered him through their prayers. Prayer isn’t just something that helps you deal with your problems. It is necessary for God’s will to be manifested on Earth.

You also must help us by prayer.

II Corinthians 1:11

The New Testament takes you on a journey of commanded prayer. You are exhorted to “pray for those who persecute you” (Matthew 5:44), for God’s will to be done (Matthew 6:10), and for laborers to go into the harvest (Matthew 9:38). You are to pray in faith (Matthew 21:22) and not lose heart (Luke 18:1) while praying for strength to escape end-time persecution (Luke 21:36) and to not enter into temptation (Luke 22:40). You are to pray constantly (Romans 12:12) and with thanksgiving (Philippians 4:6) and steadfastness (Colossians 4:2), asking for gospel doors to be opened (Colossians 4:3). You are to pray without ceasing (I Thessalonians 5:17) and for those in the ministry (II Thessalonians 3:1) and for all people (I Timothy 2:1), lifting holy hands without anger or quarreling (I Timothy 2:8).

Plead with confidence for God’s purposes to be accomplished in your life, in your town, and in this nation. Pray! Pray! Pray!

Recommended Reading: I Timothy 2:1-6

Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – From Head to Foot

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But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts. —Romans 13:14

When we put on our clothes, we expect them to do what we do and to go where we go. But do you ever see people who, instead of wearing an outfit, the outfit is wearing them? We don’t want clothes like that. We need practical clothes.

The Bible tells us “to put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts” (Romans 13:14). I like how the J. B. Phillips New Testament puts it: “Let us be Christ’s men from head to foot, and give no chances to the flesh to have its fling.”

Putting on the Lord Jesus Christ is making Him a part of everything we do. It means that He goes with us where we go. He is not just Sunday Jesus; He is also Monday Jesus, Tuesday Jesus, Wednesday Jesus, and Thursday, Friday, and Saturday Jesus.

It’s a practical, day-by-day, repeated process of putting on Christ. We embrace Him again and again. It means that He is Lord every day of our lives. Yes, He is Lord when we go to church. But He is also Lord when we go out to dinner, when we go to the movies, and when we go to work. He is Lord of our decision-making processes. And if He is not Lord of all, then He is not Lord at all.

A good thing to ask ourselves periodically is, “Would I be embarrassed or ashamed to be in this place that I’m about to go or to do this thing that I’m about to do if Jesus were to come back?” If the answer is yes, then don’t do it.

Put on the Lord Jesus Christ—that is what we need to focus on. Let’s focus our energies on becoming like Jesus.

Max Lucado

Max Lucado – Our Best Days Are Ahead

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Perhaps you can relate to the deflated little fellow I saw in an airport terminal. Everything about the dad’s expression said, Hurry up! We have to run if we’re going to make the connection. Can the little fellow keep up? Mom could. The big brothers could. But the little guy? He tried to match his parents’ pace, but he just couldn’t. Can you relate? Sometimes the challenge is just too much. It’s not that you don’t try. You just run out of fight.

The story of Joshua in the Bible dares us to believe our best days are ahead of us. A life in which the Bible says we are anxious for nothing, we are praying always; a life in which Paul says, we are giving thanks to God the Father through Him. (Philippians 4:6). We may stumble but we don’t collapse. God has a promised land for us to take!

From Glory Days

 

Night Light - James & Shirley Dobson

Night Light for Couples – Twelve-step Bonding

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“Above all, love each other deeply.” 1 Peter 4:8

Do you feel “bonded” to your mate? Bonding refers to the emotional connectedness that links a man and woman together for life and makes them irreplaceable to each other. It is God’s gift of closest companionship to those who have experienced it.

According to Drs. Donald Joy and Desmond Morris, bonding is most likely to occur between those who have moved systematically and slowly through the following twelve steps during their courtship and marriage:

Eye to body. 2) Eye to eye. 3) Voice to voice. 4) Hand to hand. 5) Hand to shoulder. 6) Hand to waist. 7) Face to face. 8) Hand to head. 9) Hand to body. 10) Mouth to breast. 11) Touching below the waist. 12) Intercourse.

The final acts of physical contact should, of course, be reserved for the marital relationship. In the most successful unions, husbands and wives journey through each of the twelve steps regularly. Touching, talking, holding hands, and gazing into one another’s eyes are as important to partners in their midlife years as to twenty‐year‐olds. Indeed, the best way to reinvigorate a tired sex life is to walk through the twelve steps of courtship frequently and with gusto!

Just between us…

  • During our courtship, did we follow this progression of bonding steps?
  • Are we regularly experiencing each level of bonding now?
  • How can we strengthen our physical and emotional bonding in our relationship?

Dear Father, if we have been careless in the different kinds of relational bonding, forgive us. Help us to become one in body and soul. Amen.

From Night Light For Couples, by Dr. James & Shirley Dobson

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – The Way to Finish Well

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2 Timothy 4:6-8

Many people think about the last years of life as an opportunity to relax. But this does not fit with God’s purpose for us; He wants us to serve Him all the days of our lives.

Let’s look at the apostle Paul’s journey and explore what it?means to finish well. He spent time pouring into others until the very end of his life. Consider the letters he wrote to Timothy from prison prior to being executed. In every season of life, God calls us to serve others.

And notice how, when writing about his life, Paul chose words descriptive of a battle. He understood the human struggle against sin as well as the challenges of pain and persecution in the trials we all face—even in doing kingdom work like preaching Christ to a fiercely resistant society.

This godly servant’s life was also marked by surrender. His mindset is obvious in these words: “Present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship” (Rom. 12:1). He was not afraid of the Roman emperor Nero, nor was he struggling to stay alive. Paul trusted God to determine everything about his life, including where he would go, what he would do, and when he would die. Death did not scare him, because he knew he would dwell with Jesus forever.

God doesn’t require us to have perfect lives in order to finish strong. We can live abundantly and be ready to meet our Maker by surrendering, walking victoriously with Christ, and serving others. The question is, if Jesus called you home today, would you—like Paul—be confident that you lived well until the end?

Bible in One Year: Ezekiel 32-33

 

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — To Be Continued . . .

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Read: 1 Corinthians 15:50-58

Bible in a Year: Psalms 148-150; 1 Corinthians 15:29-58

Death has been swallowed up in victory. —1 Corinthians 15:54

Growing up in the 1950s, I often attended the Saturday matinee at a local movie theater. Along with cartoons and a feature film, there was an adventure serial that always ended with the hero or heroine facing an impossible situation. There seemed to be no way out, but each episode concluded with the words “To Be Continued . . . ”

The apostle Paul was no stranger to life-threatening situations. He was imprisoned, beaten, stoned, and shipwrecked as he sought to take the good news of Jesus Christ to people. He knew that someday he would die, but he never considered that to be the end of the story. Paul wrote to the followers of Jesus in Corinth, “When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: ‘Death has been swallowed up in victory’ ” (1 Cor. 15:54). The passion of Paul’s life was telling others that Jesus our Savior gave His life on the cross so that through faith in Him we can receive forgiveness for all our sins and have eternal life.

We are not like the movie hero who always escapes certain death. The day will come when our earthly lives will end either by death or Christ’s return. But by God’s grace and mercy, the story of your life and mine is “to be continued.” —David McCasland

Father, we praise You for Your gift of eternal life and say with Paul, “Thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Cor. 15:57).

In life and death, Christ is our hope.

INSIGHT: Paul wrote chapter 15 of 1 Corinthians in response to those in the church at Corinth who denied that Jesus rose bodily from the dead. This chapter is divided into two sections. In verses 1-34, Paul discusses the reasons to believe that Jesus did in fact walk out of His tomb. In verses 35-57, Paul talks about the need for and the nature of our resurrected bodies. These verses lead to Paul’s concluding point in verse 58. While waiting for our resurrection, “give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.” J.R. Hudberg

Alistair Begg

Alistair Begg – Living as Lights

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…in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world. Philippians 2:15

We use lights for display. A Christian should so shine in his life that a person could not live with him a week without knowing the Gospel. His conversation should be such that all who spend time with him would understand clearly to whom he belongs and who it is he serves and would see the image of Jesus displayed in his daily actions. Lights are intended for guidance. We are to help those around us who are in the dark. We are to declare to them the Word of life. We are to point sinners to the Savior and the weary to a divine resting-place. Sometimes men read their Bibles and fail to understand them; we should be ready, like Philip, to instruct the inquirer in the meaning of God’s Word, the way of salvation, and the life of godliness.

Lights are also used for warning. On our rocks and sandbanks a lighthouse is sure to be erected. Christians should know that there are many false lights everywhere in the world, and therefore the right light is needed. The wreckers of Satan are always abroad, tempting the ungodly to sin under the name of pleasure as they hoist the wrong light. It is our responsibility to set the true light upon every dangerous rock, to point out every sin and tell what it leads to, so that we may be clear of the blood of all men, shining as lights in the world. Lights also have a very cheering influence, and so have Christians. A Christian ought to be a comforter, with kind words on his lips and sympathy in his heart; he should carry sunshine wherever he goes and diffuse happiness around him.

Gracious Spirit dwell with me;

I myself would gracious be,

And with words that help and heal

Would Thy life in mine reveal,

And with actions bold and meek

Would for Christ my Savior speak.

The Family Bible Reading Plan

  • 1 Samuel 31
  • 1 Corinthians 11

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

Charles Spurgeon

Charles Spurgeon – England’s ills and sorrows

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“Oh that my head were waters, and mine eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people!” Jeremiah 9:1

Suggested Further Reading: Luke 19:37-44

As ye stand on any of the hills around, and behold this monstrous city lying in the valley, say, “O London, London! how great thy guilt. Oh! that the Master would gather thee under his wing, and make thee his city, the joy of the whole earth! O London, London! Full of privileges, and full of sin; exalted to heaven by the gospel, thou shalt be cast down to hell by thy rejection of it!” And then, when ye have wept over London, go and weep over the street in which you live, as you see the sabbath broken, and God’s laws trampled upon, and men’s bodies profaned—go and weep! Weep, for the court in which you live in your humble property; weep for the square in which you live in your magnificent wealth; weep for your neighbours and your friends, lest any of them, having lived godless, may die godless! Then go to your house, weep for your family, for your servants, for your husband, for your wife, for your children. Weep, weep; cease not weeping, till God has renewed them by his Spirit. And if you have any friends with whom you sinned in your past life, be earnest for their salvation. George Whitefield said there were many young men with whom he played at cards, and spent hours wasting his time when he should have been about other business. When he was converted, his first thought was, “I must by God’s grace have these converted too.” And he never rested, till he could say, that he did not know of one of them, a companion of his guilt, who was not now a companion with him in the tribulation of the gospel. Oh, let it be so with you!

For meditation: “Jesus wept” for others; “How he loved” (John 11:35,36). What message do your tears or lack of tears convey about you?

Sermon no. 150

6 September (1857)

John MacArthur

John MacArthur – Standing Firm

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“Stand firm against the schemes of the devil” (Eph. 6:11).

Keep your spiritual armor on at all times.

Every battle has an offensive and defensive strategy. Paul outlines the Christian’s offensive strategy in 2 Corinthians 10:3-5: “Though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.”

Our defensive strategy is to rely on Christ’s strength and put on our spiritual armor (Eph. 6:10-11). Paul was probably chained to a Roman soldier when he wrote to the Ephesians, so he had a ready illustration of spiritual armament at hand. But unlike Roman soldiers, who removed their armor when off duty, Christians must remain fully protected at all times. That thought is captured in the Greek word translated “put on” in Ephesians 6:11, which carries the idea of permanence—putting it on once and for all.

“Stand firm” in verse 12 translates a military term that speaks of holding your ground while under attack. When properly employed, your spiritual armor serves as a lifelong companion that enables you to fight against the forces of evil and do so without retreat. Just as Jesus personally instructed the churches in Thyatira and Philadelphia to hold fast until He returns (Rev. 2:25; 3:11), so He also instructs us to stand our ground without wavering.

Similar New Testament exhortations call us to hold fast to biblical truth (1 Cor. 15:2), to that which is good (1 Thess. 5:21), to our confidence in Christ (Heb. 4:6), and to our confession of faith (Heb. 4:14). Those are marks of a strong and stable believer against whom the schemes of Satan have little effect.

Suggestions for Prayer

Is there an area of your Christian life in which you’re not standing as firm as you should—perhaps prayer, Bible study, or personal ministry? If so, confess it to the Lord and begin to strengthen that area today. Don’t give Satan a weakness to attack.

For Further Study

Memorize 1 John 4:4 as a reminder of God’s power in your life.

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Life-Energizing Thoughts

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Strip yourselves of your former nature [put off and discard your old unrenewed self] which characterized your previous manner of life and becomes corrupt through lusts and desires that spring from delusion; and be constantly renewed in the spirit of your mind [having a fresh mental and spiritual attitude], and put on the new nature (the regenerate self) created in God’s image, [Godlike] in true righteousness and holiness. – Ephesians 4:22-24

The way to put off your old life and put on the new, enjoyable life that God offers us is by renewing your mind and attitude daily. “Daily” sounds daunting, doesn’t it? Don’t you wish scripture said, “Do this once and you will enjoy victory the rest of your life”? However, it doesn’t say that, and if we truly want to live life to the fullest and enjoy each moment of it, we will need to form a habit of thinking life-energizing thoughts instead of life-draining ones.

One of the simplest ways to practice this is by thinking about what you do have instead of what you don’t have. Be grateful for every blessing, no matter how tiny and insignificant it may seem.

God loves you so much and He has an amazing plan for your life! He does not play favorites, doing good things for one person and not another. No matter how bad life has been until now, it can change. Always remember you can overcome evil with good (see Romans 12:21). The darkness cannot overtake the light as long as we keep the light on.

Turn the light on in your mind by filling it with positive, hope-filled, thankful, thoughts based on God’s Word. As you do this, you will experience godly energy filling your soul. It will be in your words, your attitudes, and your actions. Everything in life is connected to the mind, and it is there that you win or lose the battle for having the life you always wanted

Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – Happy Are the Mourners

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“Blessed are they that mourn for they shall be comforted” (Matthew 5:4).

During my days of agnosticism and early inquiry into the Christian faith, I was not aware of my sin. I had come to believe that Jesus Christ was the Son of God, that He died on the cross for the sins of man but somehow it had not dawned on me that I was that bad. My life-style was not much different from that of the average church member. And, though my life was far from exemplary, in my own estimation I was a pretty decent fellow. As a matter of fact, I had some problems with all the talk about the cross and the shedding of blood. It seemed offensive to my aesthetic nature.

I was willing to believe that Jesus was the greatest influence, the greatest teacher, the greatest leader, the greatest example that man had ever known. And if He had to die on the cross to make a point, I did not think it was important enough to be made an issue. In fact, the thing that was really important to me was the fact that according to the Bible and the historical evidence, Jesus lived a very wonderful life dedicated to helping others. Then one day – I shall never forget the time and place, though I have forgotten the exact passage – as I read the Bible I was suddenly gripped with the necessity of Christ dying on the cross for my sins. I finally realized that without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sin, that I had fallen short of the glory of God and that I deserved death. I realized that there is nothing in me that merited His love, His grace, His forgiveness, His cleansing. I found myself on my knees in tears, deeply conscious of my unworthiness and, for the first time in my life, understood the true meaning of the cross and the reason He shed His blood for me.

Soon after I was elected to the board of deacons of my church and was called upon to serve communion. I shall never forget that experience. I found myself weeping as I served the wafers representing His broken body and the grape juice representing His blood that was shed for the sins of all men, for my sins, because now his death on the cross meant everything to me. A hymn, which had once been offensive to me, now became one of my favorites: “what can wash away my sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus.” I believe that this is what Jesus had in mind when He said, “Blessed are they that mourn for they shall be comforted.”

Bible Reading: Jeremiah 31:10-14

TODAY’S ACTION POINT: I will not ignore my sins but will mourn over them by confessing, repenting, and, through the discipline of spiritual breathing, walking constantly in the light as a model of the supernatural life.

Presidential Prayer Team

Presidential Prayer Team; G.C. – Tree Talk

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Trees tell you a lovely story of how faith is passed from generation to generation through prayer. In the life cycle of a tree, a seed falls to the ground. When nourished with water and sunshine, it sprouts into a sapling that eventually matures and produces seeds of its own. In time, that same tree declines and dies, falling to the ground and creating a cushion of compost for new seeds. On and on the cycle goes – much like the one in today’s verse.

Faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you.

II Timothy 1:5

Timothy was charged with taking the apostle Paul’s letters from place to place, establishing God’s church of believers on Earth. Training for this important service didn’t come from a degree in ministry. His character was formed in his family tree. His mother and grandmother lived lives of faith and their prayers flew to God’s heart, providing nourishment for their little man to root and grow.

Today, take your place in the life cycle of faith. Pray for tomorrow’s believers in your family and in America, and live a life worthy to be emulated. Then you will offer the branch of faith in God to the next generation.

Recommended Reading: Psalm 78:1-7

Night Light - James & Shirley Dobson

Night Light for Couples – Two Sides of Passion

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The wife’s body does not belong to her alone but also to her husband. In the same way, her husband’s body does not belong to him alone but also to his wife. 1 Corinthians 7:4

T here’s a basic difference between women and men that marriage partners need to understand: Women tend to give sex to get intimacy, while men tend to give intimacy to get sex.

Many men, for example, can separate the act of intercourse from the relationship and feel some measure of physical satisfaction. Not so for most women. More relationally inclined, they often feel exploited when sexual relations are not accompanied by tenderness, caring, and romantic love.

Solutions? The man who wants an exciting sexual experience with his wife should focus on the other twenty‐three and a half hours in the day. He should compliment her, tell her that he cares, and make her feel special in a hundred different ways. Turning the coin over, the wife must understand that her husband is more visually oriented and easily stimulated than she is. She should make herself as attractive to him as she can.

With a little unselfish forethought, each can learn to satisfy the other. In our experience, responding to these basic differences opens the door for genuine passion in marriage.

Just between us…

  • Do you agree that men and women approach sex differently?
  • Do we understand each other’s feelings about sex and intimacy?
  • Why do you think God created these differences in men and women?
  • What can I do specifically to make sex more appealing to you?

Lord, help us to hold our differences about sexual attraction in high regard— never hindering where we could help, never ignoring or criticizing where we could cherish and honor. Thank You that we can give ourselves to each other so completely. Amen.

From Night Light For Couples, by Dr. James & Shirley Dobson

C.S. Lewis

C.S. Lewis Daily – Today’s Reading

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There are three ways of taking the command to turn the other cheek. One is the Pacifist interpretation; it means what it says and imposes a duty of nonresistance on all men in all circumstances. Another is the minimising interpretation; it does not mean what it says but is merely an orientally hyperbolical way of saying that you should put up with a lot and be placable. Both you and I agree in rejecting this view. The conflict is therefore between the Pacifist interpretation and a third one which I am now going to propound. I think the text means exactly what it says, but with an understood reservation in favour of those obviously exceptional cases which every hearer would naturally assume to be exceptions without being told. . . . . That is, insofar as the only relevant factors in the case are an injury to me by my neighbour and a desire on my part to retaliate, then I hold that Christianity commands the absolute mortification of that desire. No quarter whatever is given to the voice within us which says, “He’s done it to me, so I’ll do the same to him.”

From The Weight of Glory

Compiled in A Year with C.S. Lewis

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – Speaking Through Disappointments

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Numbers 14:17-24

Often we become so focused on something or someone that we’re unable to hear the Lord. In those times, one of God’s most effective yet painful methods of getting our attention is through disappointments. But oh, how we dislike this approach!

Disappointment is one of the ways God spoke dramatically to the nation of Israel. In Numbers 14, He directed His people into the Promised Land. However, fear invaded their hearts and they were scared of the inhabitants, so they refused to enter. As a result, the Lord told the Israelites they’d “by no means see the land” for 40 years, until after the death of the generation that had been too fearful to enter (Numbers 14:23).

The postponement was so disheartening that they decided to change their minds. Sadly, though, it was too late; God had already settled the issue. And the people were distraught with grief because of what they had missed.

At that moment, when they were in the throes of their disappointment, do you think God had their attention? Absolutely. The next time He gave Israel a command, don’t you imagine they listened a bit more intently?

Tragically, failure is rather common in such situations. Instead of looking to God when disappointments occur, we are quick to blame circumstances, other people, fate, or even the enemy.

We are hesitant to believe that our loving Father could be responsible for our frustrations. Yet He is willing to use disappointments to realign our thoughts and plans with His. Consider the difficulties you have faced—might the Lord have been trying to say something in the midst of them?

Bible in One Year: Ezekiel 29-31

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — Love Locks

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Read: Ephesians 4:29-5:2

Bible in a Year: Psalms 146-147; 1 Corinthians 15:1-28

Walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us. —Ephesians 5:2

“Love Locks” is a growing phenomenon. Thousands of people in love have attached these love padlocks to bridges, gates, and fences around the world, including France, China, Austria, Czech Republic, Serbia, Spain, Mexico, and Northern Ireland. Couples engrave their names on a padlock and then attach it in a public place to symbolize their everlasting love. Authorities of some landmarks frown upon them because of the danger they can cause if too many are attached. Some think they are acts of vandalism, while others view them as beautiful art and a picture of committed love.

The Lord showed us true “everlasting love” in a public place. He displayed His love on the cross when He gave His life to provide forgiveness of sin. And He continues to show us His love on a daily basis. Salvation is not only a promise that we’ll have eternity with God, but it is also a daily experience of forgiveness, assurance, provision, and grace in our relationship with Him. Jesus’ love for us is the basis of Paul’s challenge to “walk in the way of love” toward others (Eph. 5:2).

The love of our Father enables us to be patient and kind. In His Son He has given us the ultimate example and means of loving one another—forever. —Anne Cetas

In what ways have you learned to love others? What action could you take today to grow in love?

Jesus shows us how to love.

INSIGHT: The church at Ephesus was blessed with strong leadership. It was founded by the apostle Paul (Acts 18-19), who spent no less than 3 years there teaching those who came to Christ and reaching out with the gospel to those who did not know the Savior (20:20,31). He also provided direction and instruction to the elders of that church when he returned to Jerusalem following his third missionary journey (vv. 18-35). Additionally, Paul sent Timothy to Ephesus to instruct them concerning false teachers and to keep them from stumbling spiritually (1 Tim. 1:3-4). Finally, tradition says that the apostle John spent his final years serving in the church at Ephesus. What a rich tradition of leadership for this church. Bill Crowder

Alistair Begg

Alistair Begg – Being Consistent and Useful To God

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Woe to me, that I sojourn in Meshech, that I dwell among the tents of Kedar! Psalm 120:5

As a Christian you have to live in the middle of an ungodly world, and it is of little use for you to cry, “Woe to me.” Jesus did not pray that you should be taken out of the world, and what He did not pray for, you need not desire. It is far better to meet the difficulty in the Lord’s strength and by doing so to glorify Him. The enemy is always watching for inconsistency in your conduct; therefore be very holy. Remember that the eyes of all are on you, and that more is expected from you than from other men. Strive to give no occasion for blame. Let your goodness be the only fault they can discover in you. Like Daniel, compel them to say of you, “We shall not find any ground for complaint against this Daniel unless we find it in connection with the law of his God.”1

Seek to be useful as well as consistent. Perhaps you think, “If I were in a more favorable position I could serve the Lord’s cause, but I cannot do any good where I am.” The worse the people are among whom you live, the more they need your exertions; if they are crooked, all the more need for you to set them straight; and if they are perverse, they need you to turn their proud hearts to the truth. Where should the doctor spend his time if not among the sick? Where is honor to be won by the soldier but in the center of the battle? And when you are weary of the strife and sin that meets you on every hand, consider that all the saints have endured the same trial. They were not carried on couches to heaven, and you should not expect to travel more easily than they. They had to risk their lives on the battlefield, and you will not be crowned until you also have endured hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. Therefore, stand firm in the faith, be courageous, be strong!

1) Daniel 6:5

The Family Bible Reading Plan

  • 1 Samuel 29, 30
  • 1 Corinthians 10

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

Charles Spurgeon

Charles Spurgeon – The new heart

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“A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.” Ezekiel 36:26

Suggested Further Reading: Matthew 9:10-17

The promise is that he will give us new hearts and right spirits. Human nature is too far gone ever to be mended. It is not a house that is a little out of repair, with here and there a slate blown from the roof, and here and there a piece of plaster broken down from the ceiling. No, it is rotten throughout, the very foundations have been eroded; there is not a single timber in it which has not been eaten by the worm, from its uppermost roof to its lowest foundation; there is no soundness in it; it is all rottenness and ready to fall. God does not attempt to mend; he does not shore up the walls, and repaint the door; he does not garnish and beautify, but he determines that the old house shall be entirely swept away, and that he will build a new one. It is too far gone, I say, to be mended. If it were only a little out of repair, it might be mended. If only a wheel or two of that great thing called “manhood” were out of repair, then he who made man might put the whole to rights; he might put a new cog where it had been broken off, and another wheel where it had gone to ruin and the machine might work anew. But no, the whole of it is out of repair; there is not one lever which is not broken; not one axle which is not disturbed; not one of the wheels which act upon the others. The whole head is sick, and the whole heart is faint. From the sole of the foot, to the crown of the head, it is all wounds and bruises and putrefying sores. The Lord, therefore, does not attempt the repairing of this thing.

For meditation: The only cure for man’s sinful condition is a heart transplant carried out by the Great Physician (Romans 2:28,29).

Sermon no. 212

5 September (1858)