Tag Archives: nature

Alistair Begg – A Hard Forehead and Stubborn Heart

April 28, 2014 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

All the house of Israel have a hard forehead and a stubborn heart.Ezekiel 3:7

Are there no exceptions? No, not one. Even God’s chosen are described in this way. If the best are so bad, then what must the worst be like? Come, my heart, consider to what extent you share in this universal accusation; as you think, prepare to be ashamed of those things of which you are guilty.

The first charge is impudence, or hardness of forehead, an absence of holy shame, an unholy boldness in evil. Before my conversion, I could sin and feel no regret, hear of my guilt and remain unhumbled, and even confess my iniquity without any accompanying humiliation. When a sinner goes to God’s house and pretends to pray to Him and praise Him, he displays a brazen-facedness of the worst kind! Sadly, since the day of my new birth I have doubted my Lord to His face, murmured unblushingly in His presence, worshiped Him in a slovenly manner, and sinned without bewailing myself on account of it. If my forehead were not like a diamond, harder than flint, I would display more holy fear and a far deeper contrition of spirit. Woe is me, for I am one of the impudent house of Israel.

The second charge is hard-heartedness, and I dare not attempt to plead innocent here. Once I had nothing but a heart of stone, and although through grace I now have a new and fleshy heart, much of my former stubbornness remains. I am not affected by the death of Jesus as I ought to be; neither am I moved as I should be by the lostness of my fellowmen, the wickedness of the times, the chastisement of my heavenly Father, and my own failures. O that my heart would melt at the recital of my Savior’s sufferings and death. Would to God I were rid of this dreadful burden within me, this hateful body of death.

Blessed be the name of the Lord, the disease is not incurable; the Savior’s precious blood is the universal remedy, and it will effectually soften me, even me, until my heart melts as wax before the fire.

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

The family reading plan for April 28, 2014 Song 3 | Hebrews 3

Charles Spurgeon

Charles Spurgeon – The desolations of the Lord, the consolations of his saints.

April 28, 2014 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

“Come, behold the works of the Lord, what desolations he hath made in the earth. He maketh wars to cease unto the end of the earth; he breaketh the bow, and cutteth the spear in sunder; he burneth the chariot in the fire.” Psalm 46:8-9

Suggested Further Reading: 1 Samuel 5:1-7

Jehovah still standeth, “the same yesterday, to-day, and for ever.” One generation of idols has passed away, and another comes, and the desolations stand—memorials of the might of God. Turn now your eyes to Assyria, that mighty empire. Did she not sit alone? She said she should see no sorrow. Remember Babylon, too, who boasted with her. But where are they, and where are now their gods? With ropes about their necks they have been dragged in triumph by our archaeologists; and now in the halls of our land, they stand as memorials of the ignorance of a race that is long since extinct. And then, turn to the fairer idolatries of Greece and Rome. Fine poetic conceptions were their gods! Theirs was a grand idolatry, one that never shall be forgotten. Despite all its vice and lust, there was such a high mixture of the purest poetry in it, that the mind of man, though it will ever recollect it with sorrow, will still think of it with respect. But where are their gods? Where are the names of their gods? Are not the stars the last memorials of Jupiter, Saturn, and Venus? As if God would make his universe the monument of his destroyed enemy! Where else are their names to be found? Where shall we find a worshipper who adores their false deity? They are past, they are gone! To the moles and to the bats are their images cast, while many an unroofed temple, many a dilapidated shrine, stand as memorials of that which was, but is not—and is passed away for ever. I suppose there is scarce a kingdom of the world where you do not see God’s handiwork in crushing his enemies.

For meditation: The gods created by man can be destroyed by man, but the Lord made the heavens (Psalm 96:5; Isaiah 37:15-20). The false religions of today become the museum pieces of tomorrow.

Sermon no. 190

28 April (1858)

John MacArthur

John MacArthur – Three Kinds of Persecution

April 28, 2014 broboinhawaii 1 Comment

“Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when men cast insults at you, and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely, on account of Me” (Matt. 5:10-11).

Jesus mentioned three broad categories of suffering that Christians will experience. The first is persecution. “Persecuted” (Matt. 5:10) and “persecute” (v. 11) both come from the same Greek root meaning “to pursue” or “chase away.” Over time it came to mean “to harass” or “treat in an evil manner.” Verse 10 literally reads, “Blessed are those who have been allowing themselves to be persecuted.” You are blessed when people harass you for your Christian stance and you willingly accept it for the sake of your Lord.

The second form of suffering is “insults” (v. 11), which translates a Greek word that means “to reproach,” “revile,” or “heap insults upon.” It speaks of verbal abuse–attacking someone with vicious and mocking words. It is used in Matthew 27:44 of the mockery Christ endured at His crucifixion. It happened to Him and it will happen to His followers as well.

The final category Jesus mentioned is slander–people telling lies about you. That’s perhaps the hardest form of suffering to endure because our effectiveness for the Lord is directly related to our personal purity and integrity. Someone’s trying to destroy the reputation you worked a lifetime to establish is a difficult trial indeed!

If you’re going through a time of suffering for righteousness’ sake, take heart: the Lord went through it too and He understands how difficult it can be. He knows your heart and will minister His super-abounding grace to you. Rejoice that you are worthy of suffering for Him and that the kingdom of heaven is yours.

Suggestions for Prayer:

• Pray for those who treat you unkindly, asking God to forgive them and grant them His grace.

• Pray that you might always treat others with honesty and fairness.

For Further Study: Throughout history God Himself has endured much mocking and slander. Read 2 Peter 3:3-9, then answer these questions:

• What motivates mockers?

• What do they deny?

• Why doesn’t God judge them on the spot?

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Acceptable Words

April 28, 2014 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my [firm, impenetrable] Rock and my Redeemer. —Psalm 19:14

It is acceptable to God when we use our mouths to bring joy, love, and good to others. It is not acceptable to God when we use our mouths to bring hurt and destruction. We are still acceptable to Him, but our behavior isn’t because it will not produce the good results in our lives that God desires for us.

Ephesians 4:29 teaches us not to use our words to cause the Holy Spirit any grief and gives clear instructions concerning what grieves Him: “Let no foul or polluting language, nor evil word nor unwholesome or worthless talk [ever] come out of your mouth, but only such [speech] as is good and beneficial to the spiritual progress of others, as is fitting to the need and the occasion, that it may be a blessing and give grace (God’s favor) to those who hear it.”

Properly chosen words can actually change lives for the better. What you say can tear down or build up, so choose words that are agreeable with God’s will.

Power Thought: My words are wholesome and acceptable to God.

Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – Fullness of Joy

April 28, 2014 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

“Thou wilt show me the path of life; in thy presence is fullness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore” (Psalm 16:11, KJV).

“If you have lost the joy of the Lord in your life,” someone once observed, “who moved, you or God? For in His presence is fullness of joy.”

That saint and prophet of earlier years, A. W. Tozer, suggested several ways for the believer to achieve real joy:

Cultivate a genuine friendship with God. He is a Friend who sticks closer than a brother.

Take time to exercise yourself daily unto godliness. Vow never to be dishonest about sin in your life, never to defend yourself, never to own anything (or let anything own you), never to pass on anything hurtful about others, never to take any glory to yourself.

No known sin must be allowed to remain in your life. “Keep short accounts with God” – never allow unconfessed sins to pile up in your life.

Set out to build your own value system based on the Word of God. Meditate on the Word; practice the presence of God. Set priorities as you realize what is truly important. It will be reflected in the standard of values you set for yourself.

Share your spiritual discoveries with others.

Bible Reading: John 15:7-11

TODAY’S ACTION POINT: Knowing that the best witness in the world is a joyful, radiant Christian, I will try to be that kind of believer, trusting the indwelling Holy Spirit to thus empower me and radiate His love and joy through me. I will share my spiritual discoveries with others.

Presidential Prayer Team

Presidential Prayer Team; J.R. – Unwarranted Wrath

April 28, 2014 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

You probably think of George Washington as calm, steady and unflappable, even in his most desperate of times. In truth, the first president had a terrible temper and when under stress, according to one of his contemporaries, his face became “dark and lowering” and he was “most tremendous in his wrath.” Thomas Jefferson even once provided a firsthand account of an enraged Washington throwing his hat on the floor and stomping on it.

Gazing at him, all who sat in the council saw that his face was like the face of an angel.

Acts 6:15

Stephen, the first martyr of Christianity, was quite a contrast to that. Falsely accused and facing imminent death, his countenance conveyed an unearthly peace – like the “face of an angel.” Filled with the Holy Spirit, he was willing to accept any consequence for his testimony about Jesus.

There may be moments when a little “righteous indignation” is called for, but much more often, you will do damage when you become “most tremendous” in your wrath. Today, ask God to give you the wisdom and discipline to respond appropriately to whatever, or whoever, is making your life difficult today. And may He grant the same to President Obama and America’s leaders.

Greg Laurie – Our Duty to Disciple

April 28, 2014 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations.” —Matthew 28:18–19

After I became a Christian, I wasn’t really sure of what to do next. I was seventeen years old and in high school. No one told me that I needed to read the Bible, pray, or go to church. No one gave me any materials to read, much less a Bible.

So for a few days, I was in sort of a spiritual no-man’s-land. I didn’t really feel comfortable with my old friends that I had been hanging around with, but I didn’t feel comfortable with the Christians, either. One reason was that I could hardly understand what they were talking about as they spoke to each other in their cryptic, “Christianese” type of language.

Thankfully, a young man named Mark took me under his wing. He invited me to come to church with him and began to help me grow spiritually. He taught me how to read the Bible, and he prayed with me. He was the first actual Christian I knew who modeled for me what it meant to be a follower of Jesus. He wasn’t a Bible scholar, but he was a real believer. He made an impact on my life and put me on the path of spiritual growth. In short, what Mark did was disciple me.

What he did for me is what we need to do for others — to not only seek to win men and women to Jesus Christ, but also to disciple them. Anything less than this is falling short of the Great Commission.

Today’s devotional is an excerpt from Every Day with Jesus by Greg Laurie, 2013

Max Lucado

Max Lucado – The Symbol of Christianity

April 28, 2014 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

The cross is the universal symbol of Christianity. An odd choice, don’t you think? Strange that a tool of torture would come to embody a movement of hope. It’s design couldn’t be simpler. One beam horizontal—the other vertical. One reaches out like God’s love. The other reaches up, as does God’s holiness. One represents the width of His love; the other the height of His holiness. The cross is the intersection. The cross is where God forgave His children without lowering His standards. God treated His Son as a sinner, so that Christ could make us acceptable to God. Why would He do it?

John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world.” Aren’t you glad the verse doesn’t read: For God so loved the rich?. . .the famous? Or the sober or successful? No, it simply reads: “For God so loved the world!”

From He Chose the Nails

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – Doubting Thomas

April 27, 2014 broboinhawaii 1 Comment

Bible Study: John 20:25-29

Thomas is an everyman. He hadn’t yet seen the resurrected Jesus, though he’d heard, as you and I have heard, that Jesus had risen from the dead. Angry, hurt, and confused, he resisted believing the bewildering accounts of resurrection—accounts that came from trusted friends he had lived with for three years.

Thomas was no stranger to resurrection. With his own eyes, he’d seen Jesus raise Lazarus from the dead—and he had believed. But he had also personally seen Jesus crucified, and that’s when his dream of the kingdom died. Crucifixion seemed more powerful than resurrection, more final. Faith crumbled; hope was crushed.

Then Jesus appeared alive, and gently said, “Peace be with you,” offering Thomas all the proof he needed. The proof he personally needed. Resurrection, it turns out, was more permanent than death.

Face it: Believing in resurrection isn’t easy no matter how many people tell you it happened. Jesus still has to bring us to belief, to give our hearts and minds and souls peace in faith. Without appearing physically to us, He gives us what we need in order to believe—what we ourselves need. And as He did with Thomas, Jesus seeks us out.

REFLECTION QUESTIONS

1. Think back to the first time you were told that Jesus had risen from the dead. What was your reaction? Did you find that information easy to believe or terribly difficult? Why?

2. Thomas had seen miracles; he’d witnessed many demonstrations of Jesus’ supernatural power. Yet the crucifixion shook his faith badly. Has anything ever shaken your faith to the core, even though you may previously have seen numerous works of God? What can you learn from Thomas’s experience?

3. In order to believe, Thomas needed something tangible—something special for him. The vast majority of Christians have never seen the resurrected Jesus, yet God gives us what we each need in order to believe. What did (or do) you need for faith to become real? How has Jesus revealed Himself to you? How do you still need Him to do so?

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — Learning To Love

April 27, 2014 broboinhawaii 1 Comment

1 Corinthians 13:4-13

Love suffers long and is kind. —1 Corinthians 13:4

When Hans Egede went to Greenland as a missionary in 1721, he didn’t know the Inuit language. His temperament was often overbearing, and he struggled to be kind to the people.

In 1733, a smallpox epidemic swept through Greenland, wiping out almost two-thirds of the Inuit people—and claiming Egede’s wife as well. This shared suffering melted Egede’s harsh demeanor, and he began to tirelessly labor to care for the people physically and spiritually. Because his life now better represented the stories he told them of God’s love, the Inuits could at last grasp His desire to love them too. Even in suffering, their hearts turned to God.

Perhaps you are like the Inuits in this story, and you are unable to see God in the people around you. Or perhaps you are like Hans Egede, who struggled to express love in a way that taught people about God. Knowing we are weak and needy people, God showed us what love is like. He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to die for our sins (John 3:16). That’s how much God loves you and me.

Jesus is the perfect example of the love that is described in 1 Corinthians 13. As we look to Him, we learn that we are loved and we learn how to love in turn. —Randy Kilgore

Jesus, let me find in You a sense that I am

loved. And may my heart not grow cold and

cluttered by anger and wounds from the past so

that others can see Your reflection in me.

May I never be the barrier that blocks one’s view of God.

Bible in a year: 1 Kings 1-2; Luke 19:28-48

Insight

This passage on love, a favorite at weddings, is probably the most quoted of all Bible texts. Here Paul describes what love looks like. Jesus summed up the duties and imperatives of the Christian faith with the duty to love God and to love others (Matt. 22:36-40). Calling it a new commandment, Jesus said love was the distinctive mark of a true follower (John 13:34-35). Building on the original standard of “lov[ing] your neighbor as yourself” (Matt. 22:39), Jesus set a new, higher standard based on His sacrificial love. He wants us to “love . . . as I have loved you” (John 13:34).

Alistair Begg

Alistair Begg – Long Live the King!

April 27, 2014 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

The Lord is king forever and ever.

Psalms 10:16

Jesus Christ is not a tyrant claiming divine right, but He is really and truly the Lord’s anointed! “For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell.”1 God has given to Him all power and all authority.

As the Son of man, He is now head over all things in His church, and He reigns over heaven and earth and hell with the keys of life and death at His belt. Certain princes have been glad to call themselves kings by the popular will, and certainly our Lord Jesus Christ is such in His church. If it could be put to the vote whether He should be King in the church, every believing heart would crown Him. We ought to crown Him more gloriously than we do! We would regard no expense too great if we could glorify Christ. Suffering would be pleasure, and loss would be gain, if through that we could surround His brow with brighter crowns and make Him more glorious in the eyes of men and angels. Yes, He shall reign. Long live the King! All hail to You, King Jesus! Go on, you virgin souls who love your Lord. Bow at His feet; cover His path with the lilies of your love and the roses of your gratitude: “Bring forth the royal diadem, and crown Him Lord of all.”

Our Lord Jesus is King in Zion by right of conquest: He has taken the hearts of His people by storm and has defeated their enemies who held them in cruel bondage. In the Red Sea of His own blood, our Redeemer has drowned the Pharaoh of our sins: Shall He not be Lord and King? He has delivered us from sin’s dominion and from the heavy curse of the law: Shall not the Liberator be crowned? We are His portion, whom He has taken out of the hand of the enemy with His sword and with His bow: Who will snatch His conquest from His hand? All hail, King Jesus! We gladly own Your gentle sway! Rule in our hearts forever, You lovely Prince of Peace.

1Colossians 1:19

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

The family reading plan for April 27, 2014 Song 2 | Hebrews 2

Charles Spurgeon

Charles Spurgeon – Gospel missions

April 27, 2014 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

“And the word of the Lord was published throughout all the region.” Acts 13:49

Suggested Further Reading: Matthew 28:16-20

The claim of authority ensures a degree of progress. How did Mohammed come to have so strong a religion in his time? He was all alone, and he went into the market-place and said, “I have received a revelation from heaven.” He persuaded men to believe it. He said, “I have a revelation from heaven.” People looked at his face; they saw that he looked upon them earnestly as believing what he said, and some five or six of them joined him. Did he prove what he said? Not he. “You must,” he said, “believe what I say, or there is no Paradise for you.” There is a power in that kind of thing, and wherever he went his statement was believed, not on the ground of reasoning, but on his authority, which he declared to be from Allah; and a century later, a thousand sabres had flashed from a thousand sheaths, and his word had been proclaimed through Africa, Turkey, Asia, and even in Spain. The man claimed authority—he claimed divinity; therefore he had power. Take again the increase of Mormonism. What has been its strength? Simply this—the assertion of power from heaven. That claim is made, and the people believe it, and now they have missionaries in almost every country of the habitable globe, and the book of Mormon is translated into many languages. Though there never could be a delusion more transparent, or a counterfeit less skilful, and more lying upon the very surface, yet this simple pretension to power has been the means of carrying power with it. Now, my brethren, we have power; we are God’s ministers; we preach God’s truth; the great Judge of heaven and earth has told us the truth.

For meditation: Christ preached with authority which made men sit up and take notice (Luke 4:31-37). His power has not weakened, but are we limiting him in any way (1 Corinthians 1:17; 2:4,5)?

Sermon no. 76

27 April (1856)

John MacArthur

John MacArthur – Are You Avoiding Persecution?

April 27, 2014 broboinhawaii 1 Comment

“Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness” (Matt. 5:10).

I heard of a man who was fearful because he was starting a new job with a group of unbelievers whom he thought might give him a bad time if they found out he was a Christian. After his first day at work his wife asked him how he got along with them. “We got along just fine,” he said. “They never found out I’m a Christian.”

Silence is one way to avoid persecution. Some other ways are to approve of the world’s standards, laugh at its jokes, enjoy its entertainment, and smile when it mocks God. If you never confront sin or tell people Jesus is the only way to heaven, or if your behavior is so worldly no one can distinguish you from unbelievers, you will probably be accepted and won’t feel the heat of persecution. But beware!

Jesus said, “Woe to you when all men speak well of you. . . . Whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed when He comes in His glory” (Luke 6:26; 9:26). The last thing anyone should want is for Christ to pronounce a curse on them or be ashamed of them. That’s an enormous price to pay for popularity!

If you take a stand for Christ and manifest Beatitude attitudes, you will be in direct opposition to Satan and the evil world system. Eventually you will experience some form of persecution. That has been true from the very beginning of human history, when Abel was murdered by his brother Cain because Cain couldn’t tolerate his righteousness.

You should never fear persecution. God will grant you grace and will never test you beyond what He enables you to endure (1 Cor. 10:13). Nor should you ever compromise biblical truth to avoid persecution. In Philippians 1:29 Paul says that persecution is as much a gift of God as salvation itself. Both identify you as a true believer!

Suggestions for Prayer: Memorize 1 Peter 2:20-21. Ask God to continually grant you the grace to follow Christ’s example when difficulties come your way.

For Further Study: Read 2 Corinthians 11:23-33, noting the severe persecution Paul endured for Christ’s sake.

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Make Yourself Happy

April 27, 2014 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

So then, as occasion and opportunity open up to us, let us do good [morally] to all people . . . . Be mindful to be a blessing, especially to those of the household of faith [hose who belong to God’s family with you, the believers.] —Galatians 6:10

Selfish people are the unhappiest people on the face of the earth. They suppose that joy is found in owning things and getting their way, yet they are deceived and do not know the truth. Real life does not exist in what we own but in what we give.

Selfishness is the most natural thing in the world to the human being. We don’t have to even learn it: we’re born with it. If you don’t agree, just watch how newborn babies act when you don’t give them what they want when they want it. That type of behavior may be acceptable for babies, but it is not appropriate for grown men and women who are Christians.

Jesus teaches we must die to ourselves, to all of our own interests, ways and plans if we intend to be His disciples and truly live. Dying to them doesn’t necessarily mean we will never have them, it just means they will come in God’s way and timing if they are the will of God. Yes, there is a wonderful life available to every person willing to follow God fully, and it is provided through Jesus Christ and released through receiving and giving love.

The best decision anyone, especially an unhappy, unfulfilled person, can make is to live a lifestyle that is filled with loving thoughts, words and actions. When we reach out in love to others joy is released in our lives. God has not called us to “in-reach;” He has called us to “out-reach.” Don’t wait until you feel like doing something loving; start doing it on purpose.

Love Others Today: Reach out today and do something for somebody else, expecting nothing in return.

Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – Cleansed From Sin

April 27, 2014 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

“But if we are living in the light of God’s presence, just as Christ does, then we have wonderful fellowship and joy with each other, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from every sin” (1 John 1:7).

A pastor I know had once delighted in studying and preaching the Word of God. In his earlier days, he had been a real soul-winner, but the time came when he no longer spent time reading and studying the Scriptures. He became critical, discouraged and pessimistic. Finally, his personal life and his family fell apart.

At one point, he told me, he was thinking about committing suicide. He could have been spared all of this heartache, tragedy and sorrow if only he had continued to study the Word of God, to meditate on its truths and to obey its commands.

As someone wisely said, “Sin will keep you from God’s Word, or God’s Word will keep you from sin.”

Many of the problems we experience in the Christian life are self-imposed. They are the result of carelessness in the way we walk. The promises of God are true; you can stake your life on them. The way to supernatural living is to walk with God in the light of His presence.

“God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. So if we say we are His friends, but go on living in spiritual darkness and sin, we are lying. But if we are living in the light of God’s presence…then we have wonderful fellowship and joy…” (1 John 1:5-7, LB).

Bible Reading: I John 2:1-6

TODAY’S ACTION POINT: Claiming the power of the Holy Spirit, I will continue to live in the light of God’s presence and explain to those who walk in darkness how they too can walk in the light of God’s presence and in joyful fellowship with our risen Savior.

Presidential Prayer Team

Presidential Prayer Team; J.K. – Need a Miracle?

April 27, 2014 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

It was the ninth hour, the time Jews flocked to the temple for the evening sacrifice. Peter and John headed there for prayer. And then there was the beggar – lame in both feet since birth, carried everywhere he needed to go, never having walked or leaped or even stood – there he was soliciting alms just to live. In need of miraculous assistance, he could symbolize fallen man…born by nature into sin and in need of a miracle.

Peter said, “I have no silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!”

Acts 3:6

Peter gave him what he needed – healing in the name of Jesus Christ. The power of God through signs performed by the apostles was meant to present the message of His grace, to communicate the person and the work of the Lord Jesus. The healing of the lame beggar gave them a chance to do just that.

What opportunities do you have to tell of God’s goodness, His grace, and His saving love in your life? There is power in the Word. Be willing to share it. Intercede for President Obama and other leaders that they may realize their fallen nature and seek the miracle of Christ.

Charles Stanley – The Truth That Sets Us Free

April 26, 2014 broboinhawaii 1 Comment

John 8:25-32

God desires the best for each of His children, but sometimes we become trapped in habits, thoughts, and negative emotions that interfere with His plans for us. However, Jesus offers us a way out. If we’ll continue in His Word, we’ll know the truth that sets us free from whatever is holding us in bondage.

To “continue” in the Word means to be consistently reading and applying it to our lives. Then we’ll know what God says and be able to recognize the traps that threaten to ensnare us. What’s more, we’ll understand the benefits accompanying our salvation that enable us to stand firm in truth without being led astray. Those benefits include . . .

• Our position: Through faith in Christ, we’ve entered into a personal relationship with God. Now, as His children, we have ready access to His throne along with the assurance that He’ll hear our prayers.

• Our provision: God gave the Bible to guide and encourage us in all situations.

• Our promises: By relying on the promises He has given us, we’ll become partakers of God’s nature and escape the world’s corrupting influence (2 Pet. 1:4).

• Our protection: As we walk obediently with Christ, He strengthens and protects us so we won’t fall into the traps of the evil One (2 Thess. 3:3).

The first step to living in freedom is to recognize any sins, attitudes, or negative emotions that are dominating your life. Then get grounded in the truth of Scripture and claim God’s promises and provisions by faith. He’s ready to deal with any type of bondage the moment you cry out to Him for help.

Alistair Begg

Alistair Begg – Dangers of Our Day

April 26, 2014 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

Blessed is the one who stays awake.

Revelation 16:15

“I die every day,”1 said the apostle. This was the life of the early Christians; they went everywhere with their lives in their hands. We are not at this time being called to pass through the same fearful persecutions: if we were, the Lord would give us grace to bear the test. But the tests of Christian life, at the present moment, though outwardly not so terrible, are still more likely to overcome us than even those of the fiery age.

We have to bear the sneer of the world—that is small; its flatteries, its soft words, its oily speeches, its fawning, its hypocrisy are far worse. Our danger is that we might grow rich and become proud; we might give ourselves up to the fashions of this present evil world and lose our faith. Or if wealth does not test us, worldly care is quite as mischievous. If we cannot be torn in pieces by the roaring lion, we may be hugged to death by the bear.

The devil cares very little which it is, as long as he destroys our love for Christ and our confidence in Him. I am afraid that the Christian church is far more likely to lose her integrity in these soft and easy days than in those rougher times. We must stay awake now, for we are crossing enchanted ground and are most likely to fall asleep to our own ruin, unless our faith in Jesus is a reality and our love for Jesus an ardent flame. Many in these days of easy-believism are likely to prove to be tares, and not wheat; hypocrites with attractive masks on their faces, but not the true-born children of the living God.

Christian, do not think that these are times in which you can dispense with watchfulness or with holy ardor; you need these things more than ever, and may God the eternal Spirit display His omnipotence in you, that you may be able to say, in all these softer things as well as in the rougher, “We are more than conquerors through him who loved us.”2

11 Corinthians 15:31 2Romans 8:37

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

The family reading plan for April 26, 2014 Song 1 | Hebrews 1

Charles Spurgeon

Charles Spurgeon – David’s dying prayer

April 26, 2014 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

“Let the whole earth be filled with his glory; Amen, and Amen.” Psalm 72:19

John MacArthur – Paying the Price of Righteousness

April 26, 2014 broboinhawaii 1 Comment

“Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness” (Matt. 5:10).

Unlike many today who try to make the gospel palatable for reluctant sinners, Jesus made it clear that following Him had its price. Rather than acceptance, fame, prestige, and prosperity, you can expect rejection and persecution. That’s not a popular approach to evangelism, but it’s honest. Also it insures that no one will try to enter the kingdom on the wrong basis.

Jesus wanted His hearers to count the cost of discipleship. He knew that many of them would be disowned by their families and excommunicated from the Jewish synagogues. Many would suffer persecution or martyrdom at the hands of the Roman government. They needed to count the cost!

Persecution did come to those early Christians. The Emperor Nero smeared many of them with pitch, crucified them, and then burned them to light his garden parties. He condemned Christians for refusing to worship him as a god, and blamed them for the burning of Rome in [sc]A.D. 64. Christians were accused of cannibalism because Jesus said, “He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him” (John 6:56). They were said to be revolutionaries because they believed that God would one day destroy the earth.

The world’s animosity toward Christians hasn’t changed. You might not face the severe persecutions the first-century believers faced, but you will be persecuted (Phil. 1:29). Even new Christians often face difficulties. If they refuse to join their former friends in sinful activities, they might be rejected. If they work for a dishonest boss who expects them to participate in or condone his evil practices, they might be fired or have to quit their jobs. That might bring extreme financial hardship to their families.

God won’t always shield you from persecution, but He will honor your integrity and give you strength to endure any trial that comes your way. Praise Him for His all-sufficient grace!

Suggestions for Prayer:

• Pray for those you know who are suffering hardship for Christ’s sake.

• Ask God for the wisdom and strength to face persecution with integrity and unwavering faith.

For Further Study:Read James 1:2-4 and 1 Peter 5:10.

• What purpose does suffering serve?

• How should you respond to suffering?

DAILY DEVOTIONS, NEWS AND INFORMATION

Tag Archives: nature

Alistair Begg – A Hard Forehead and Stubborn Heart

Charles Spurgeon – The desolations of the Lord, the consolations of his saints.

John MacArthur – Three Kinds of Persecution

Joyce Meyer – Acceptable Words

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – Fullness of Joy

Presidential Prayer Team; J.R. – Unwarranted Wrath

Greg Laurie – Our Duty to Disciple

Max Lucado – The Symbol of Christianity

Charles Stanley – Doubting Thomas

Our Daily Bread — Learning To Love

Alistair Begg – Long Live the King!

Charles Spurgeon – Gospel missions

John MacArthur – Are You Avoiding Persecution?

Joyce Meyer – Make Yourself Happy

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – Cleansed From Sin

Presidential Prayer Team; J.K. – Need a Miracle?

Charles Stanley – The Truth That Sets Us Free

Alistair Begg – Dangers of Our Day

Charles Spurgeon – David’s dying prayer

John MacArthur – Paying the Price of Righteousness

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