Tag Archives: nature

Kids 4 Truth

Kids 4 Truth International – God’s “Suitcase” for the Journey of Life

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“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.” (II Timothy 3:16-17)

“You put your suitcase in the car. Right, honey?” TJ’s mom asked as she pulled out of the driveway.

TJ was going to camp for the first time, and he was excited. “Yes!” he called from the back seat.

“Okay, just checking.” She smiled as she said it. For about a week, she had been packing TJ’s suitcase for camp. She kept it open in his room so that she could add necessary items as she thought of them. TJ did not really know what all was in there, but he did know she had been to Wal-Mart four times just to buy things for his trip!

TJ enjoyed his week at camp. But when he got home, he admitted to his mom that parts of his week had not been the best. “I got really hungry in the afternoons, Mom. I wanted to buy some snacks and souvenirs but didn’t have any cash!”

“Oh, TJ,” his mom replied. “I put your wallet in your suitcase. It had $30 in it for you to spend. Did you eat all the snacks I sent you?”

“What snacks?” TJ asked.

“Oh, honey. It was all in your suitcase. Did you even open it up?”

“Not really, Mom,” replied TJ. “I didn’t want to take the time. Were there clean clothes in there too?”

You might be thinking, TJ wasn’t very smart to keep his suitcase shut all week long!

Continue reading Kids 4 Truth International – God’s “Suitcase” for the Journey of Life →

The Navigators

The Navigators – Jerry Bridges – Holiness Day by Day Devotional – All Hardship Is Discipline

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Today’s Scripture: Hebrews 12:7

“It is for discipline that you have to endure.”

All hardship of whatever kind has a disciplinary purpose for us. There’s no such thing as pain without a purpose in the life of a believer. Every expression of discipline has as its intended end conformity to the likeness of Christ.

Can we tell if a particular adversity is related to some specific sin in our lives? Not with certainty, but my belief is that the Holy Spirit will bring such a connection to our attention if we need to know in order to deal with a particular sin. If nothing comes to mind, we can ask God if there’s something he wants us to consciously learn. Beyond that, it’s vain to speculate as to why God has brought a particular hardship into our lives. Part of the sanctifying process of adversity is its mystery—our inability to make any sense out of it.

Although all pain has a purpose in the mind of God, that purpose is usually hidden from us. As Paul wrote, “how unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!” (Romans 11:33). The Williams New Testament expresses Paul’s thought in an even more forceful way: “how unsearchable his decisions, and how mysterious his methods!” God’s ways, being infinitely higher than our ways, will usually remain a mystery to us.

When we’re unable to make any sense of our circumstances, we need to come back to the assurance in Hebrews 12:7: “God is treating you as sons.” He is the one in charge of sanctification in our lives. He knows exactly what and how much adversity will develop more Christ-likeness in us and he will not bring, nor allow to come into our lives, any more than is needful for his purpose. (Excerpt taken from The Discipline of Grace)

 

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The Navigators

The Navigators – Leroy Eims – Daily Discipleship Devotional – Doing What Comes Naturally

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Today’s Scripture: Acts 8-9

Yet when I preach the gospel, I cannot boast, for I am compelled to preach. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel! – -1 Corinthians 9:16

There is a saying in management circles that “people do not do what you expect but what you inspect.” Today’s passage of Scripture indicates this is not true of the personal witness of a motivated Christian. For some Christians, witnessing is reserved for the one night a week when they go out calling in the visitation program. They talk to people about Christ, but that’s it for the week.

What a contrast with the report in Acts 8:4-5: “Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went. Philip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Christ there.”

We find Philip in the city of Samaria, apparently alone, with no apostle looking over his shoulder, witnessing to the entire city. Later, in Acts 8:26, we find Philip out in the desert, responding to the Lord’s prompting to catch up with an Ethiopian man in a chariot. The man was seeking the Lord, and Philip had the wonderful privilege of introducing him to Christ.

I believe the key to this kind of ongoing witness is found in the preceding chapters of Acts, where we see the apostles and other believers filled with the Holy Spirit, being unable to contain themselves when it came to talking about Christ. For them, witnessing was the natural thing to do.

When Christ fills our hearts and minds, we will naturally share Him. We don’t need an external manager to inspect us in order to get us to perform. The motivation comes from within, from Jesus.

Prayer

Lord, give me a vision for the lost so that my witness for You isn’t a duty but the natural product of my relationship with You. Amen.

To Ponder

True witness for Christ is not coerced or forced; it is the overflow of a life of fellowship with the Savior.

 

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BreakPoint

BreakPoint – We are Nature’s Caretakers, Not Her Undertakers

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Imagine a team of paleontologists eons from now, excavating the remains of ancient life. “Aha!,” says one, holding up a finger stained with petroleum grease. “Look here,” says another, brandishing a petrified Coca-Cola bottle. “Yes, this confirms it,” remarks a third, holding up a fossilized chicken bone. “This layer is Anthropocene.”

That’s precisely the scene one group of experts seemed to have in mind at this summer’s meeting of the International Geological Congress. The group’s chair, a professor at the University of Leicester, argued that human beings have so profoundly altered our planet that we have entered a new geologic era. The so-called “Anthropocene,” or “era of man,” will be easy to recognize in future rock layers by its distinctive strata of garbage, radioactive fallout, carbon pollution, and yes—chicken bones. At least, that’s what these scientists claim.

And there’s another marker of the Anthropocene: a so-called “Sixth Extinction.” The current die-off of species at the hands of human beings is so severe, say some scientists, that it’s comparable to the extinction of the dinosaurs and other major die-offs in Earth’s history.

“Nature is dead,” we might paraphrase Nietzsche, “and we have killed her.” But is this bleak picture of our relationship with all other life really accurate? Are we really entering the geologic era of man?

Let’s not flatter ourselves, says environmentalist and author Stewart Brand. In a recent essay at Aeon, Brand argues that notions like the “Anthropocene” and the “sixth extinction” aren’t just wrong. They’re a recipe for panic and paralysis when it comes to protecting our still-beautiful and wild Earth.

“Viewing every conservation issue through the lens of extinction threat is simplistic and usually irrelevant,” Brand writes. “Worse, it introduces an emotional charge that makes the problem seem cosmic and overwhelming rather than local and solvable.”

If doctors talked to their patients the way most environmentalists talk to the public, they’d begin every session by saying, “Well, you’re dying. Let’s see if we can do anything to slow that down a little.”

Continue reading BreakPoint – We are Nature’s Caretakers, Not Her Undertakers →

Today in the Word

Moody Global Ministries – Today in the Word – A HEARTFELT PLEA

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Read ESTHER 8:1–6

Thomas Cromwell was executed for treason on July 28, 1540. Before he met his fate, under the monarchy of Henry VIII, he wrote a letter to the king begging for mercy. Sent from his cell in the Tower of London, Cromwell pled: “Most gracious Prince, I cry for mercy, mercy, mercy!”

After reading of Haman’s punishment in Esther 7, we might assume that the edict targeting the Jewish people would be null and void. Certainly Esther and Mordecai were rejoicing! But in chapter 8, we again find Esther begging for mercy, asking the king to spare her life and the life of her people.

Before he responded, the king honored Mordecai by giving him the signet ring originally given to Haman. The ring bore the symbol of the king and was a representation of his power. Signet rings were pressed into clay to leave an impression and to authorize documents.

Giving the ring to Mordecai was another significant sign of recognition and respect. Echoing that action, Esther then appointed Mordecai over all of Haman’s estate. Clearly, his position in the kingdom had increased.

But Esther had a more consuming concern. Despite the punishment of Haman, the law which she protested was still in place. An edict, once signed and sealed by the king, would be considered final. The severity of the situation is clear from Esther’s actions: she wept and fell prostrate at the king’s feet. Her life and the lives of her people were hanging in the balance.

She asked the king to write another law which would save her people. “For how can I bear to see disaster fall on my people?” (v. 6). Would God work through this earthly king to deliver His people?

APPLY THE WORD

When subjects approached the king, they could never be certain of the response. No wonder Esther was nervous. We serve a merciful God, who invites us to bring our requests before Him. We can confess our sins, give Him praise, and share our needs with the Lord, knowing that He is loving and gracious to His people.

 

http://www.todayintheword.org

Denison Forum

Denison Forum – SISTINE CHAPEL FRESCOES ARE COMING TO DALLAS  

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I’ll never forget the first time I saw Michelangelo’s frescoes on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. They are more stunning than any movie or photograph can depict. Soon, however, you won’t have to go to Rome to view them. You will be able to see them in Dallas instead.

Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel: The Exhibition makes its first stop in the US at the State Fair of Texas, which opens in Dallas on September 30. The works will be displayed in their original size, reproduced as thirty-four photographs displayed on sixteen-foot panels.

In a way, it’s surprising that Michelangelo’s masterpiece will be displayed at this city-sponsored event. The frescoes are overtly religious, depicting God’s creation of Adam and Eve as well as a variety of biblical prophets and heroes. Given the rising tide against religious freedom, we can envision a day when such depictions will be allowed only inside church buildings.

Consider the frightening US Commission on Civil Rights report making headlines today. It states clearly that if someone alleges discrimination relative to their sexual orientation or gender identity, their claim takes precedence over religious freedom. The Commission’s chairman summarized the report: “The phrases ‘religious liberty’ and ‘religious freedom’ will stand for nothing except hypocrisy so long as they remain code words for discrimination, intolerance, racism, sexism, homophobia, Islamophobia, Christian supremacy or any form of intolerance” (my emphasis).

Here’s my question: If the Commission’s report becomes reality, will Christians be unable to engage in any public faith expression that someone considers intolerant? What would an atheist say about the Sistine Chapel display at the State Fair of Texas? What would a same-sex couple say about my refusal to perform their wedding?

Continue reading Denison Forum – SISTINE CHAPEL FRESCOES ARE COMING TO DALLAS   →

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – Christ: The Key to Contentment

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Philippians 4:6-7

While in prison, Paul penned precious words about the sufficiency of Christ. We tend to attach the idea of contentment to beach vacation spots and mountain retreats, but the apostle wrote that we are not to be anxious anywhere or at any time, because we have the Lord’s peace.

Contentment is the believer’s birthright. Peace is part of the spiritual fruit that’s ours when we trust in the Savior (Gal. 5:22); it is an inward serenity that passes all understanding (Phil. 4:7). Jesus lived through conflict with a sense of inner quiet, and because of His indwelling Spirit, that remarkable calm belongs to God’s children, too. That is important because there are times when we come across a problem that has no earthly solution. In situations like those, we learn that self-sufficiency is a lie. We cannot cope alone, but Christ is all we need.

Here is the flip side of the coin: “‘There is no peace for the wicked,’ says the Lord” (Isa. 48:22). Modern culture slaps the word wicked onto only the vilest of actions and people, but God’s definition is much broader. The wicked are those who willfully reject His right to forgive their sins and take Lordship over their life. If you are not a believer, you cannot experience true and lasting contentment.

When we are born again (John 3:3-8), we become children of the living God and rightful heirs to every good thing He has to offer. This includes the deep inner peace and joy that can withstand any trial. What can man do to the one who belongs to the Lord (Heb. 13:6)?

Bible in One Year: Amos 1-4

 

http://www.intouch.org/

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — Fiery Trials

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Read: James 1:2-12

Bible in a Year: Ecclesiastes 7-9; 2 Corinthians 13

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds.—James 1:2

Fire can be one of the worst enemies of trees. But it can also be helpful. Experts say that small, frequent fires called “cool” fires clean the forest floor of dead leaves and branches but don’t destroy the trees. They leave behind ashes, which are perfect for seeds to grow in. Surprisingly, low-intensity fires are necessary for healthy growth of trees.

Similarly, trials—pictured as fire in the Bible—are necessary for our spiritual health and growth (1 Peter 1:7; 4:12). James wrote, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything” (James 1:2-4).

It is in the season of trial that God’s purposes are often realized, for there the conditions are right for us to grow into spiritual maturity. This growth not only equips us for living, but it also enables us to more accurately reflect Jesus to a world that desperately needs Him.

In the hands of our Father, our trials can achieve His purposes for our good and for His honor. They can shape us into the likeness of His Son. —Bill Crowder

Father, teach me to trust You for the strength to endure difficulties and the faith to wait for Your good purposes to be accomplished in me.

Encourage others! Go to odb.org and share what God taught you through a challenging time.

Faith is seeing God in the dark and in the light.

INSIGHT: James, the half-brother of Jesus, believed that Christ was the Messiah after witnessing His resurrection from the dead. James led the early church as a “Messianic Jew,” a term referring to someone who has been reared in the traditions of Judaism and who acknowledges Jesus as the Messiah. In today’s reading, James says that a positive attitude toward trials—“consider it pure joy . . . whenever you face trials of many kinds” (1:2)—is central to the Christian life. Trials are beneficial because they produce positive character change through the power of God.

 

http://www.odb.org

Ravi Zacharias

Ravi Zacharias Ministry – Ashes of Grief

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Psychologists use the term “cognitive dissonance” to describe the bothered, sometimes pained, state of mind that occurs when new evidence conflicts with a current belief or outlook. When such dissonance occurs, resolution is arrived at by discarding the new evidence, discarding the belief itself, or ideally, evaluating what is known to be true and integrating the new information.

If we closely examine the lives of certain biblical characters such dissonance is often and clearly evident. Abraham was devastated by the God he loved who asked him to trust, even as he led his young son to be sacrificed. Saul spent three days in blindness and without food trying to comprehend the presence of the Christ he once persecuted. Mary wept at the empty tomb, pleading with the gardener to show her the body of her friend and teacher. The instances where God’s plans conflicted with the understanding of God’s people are scattered throughout Scripture.

Even so, it is perhaps safe to say that Job suffered from the most significant case of cognitive dissonance known among humanity. Job’s understanding of a gracious and just God who rewards the righteous and punishes the unrighteous was shattered by new evidence. Grieving the loss of the God he loved, yet unable to discard the relationship, the question of divine justice tortured his mind. “As water wears away stones and torrents wash away the soil,” he cried, “so you destroy man’s hope.”(1) And yet, against the counsel of his wife, Job was unwilling to discard his belief and allow his hope to be washed away.

Job is the hopeful symbol of a steadfast mind amidst the ashes of our own questions. Why am I so troubled and afflicted? Why would a good God permit suffering? Why does God stand far off in times of trouble? Why is God so absent? The dung heap of life’s most plaguing questions is resistant to decomposition.

I remember the evening my mother had to call my grandparents and break the tragic news to them that their house was burning down. Fortunately, they were away for the weekend, and yet their home, which was literally built by their own hands, was at that very moment being consumed by fire and nothing would be salvaged. My grandmother’s response was calmly, but sorrowfully uttered: “The Lord works in mysterious ways.”

Continue reading Ravi Zacharias Ministry – Ashes of Grief →

John MacArthur

John MacArthur – Strength for Today – The Spirit and Assurance

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“You are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him” (Romans 8:9).

The indwelling Holy Spirit gives us an assurance of salvation.

Assurance of salvation is essential to our Christian lives, and I can’t imagine living without it. And we must have clarity about it from a truly biblical standpoint. This begins with realizing that a genuine believer is in the Spirit and has been given a new nature (see John 3:6). If the Holy Spirit lives in you, you are no longer controlled by the sinful tendencies of the flesh, as Paul suggests in Romans 8:9. The Greek term for “dwells” indicates that the Holy Spirit makes His home in you and in every believer.

But today’s verse also points out that if someone does not have the Holy Spirit within him, he doesn’t belong to Christ. From time to time—perhaps for you it’s the first time—we need to be warned about that. Being in the Spirit is not merely professing Jesus, having a pious appearance, or attending church. No matter what we claim, if we aren’t fulfilling God’s law, desiring to walk by the Spirit, and wholeheartedly seeking the things of the Spirit, He is not in us.

Second Corinthians 13:5 exhorts, “Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves!” You can do this by looking for evidences of the Holy Spirit in your life. Have you sensed the presence of the Spirit’s fruit in your life (Gal. 5:22-23)? Do you struggle with sin and have a desire to be free from all its influences (Rom. 7:14-25; Gal. 5:16-17)? Have you experienced the actions and attitudes the Holy Spirit brings to your daily life, as we studied earlier this month? Do you yearn for a closer communion with God and a deeper fellowship with other believers? If you can answer yes to these questions, you have solid reasons to be sure the Spirit lives in you and to know for certain that you belong to Jesus Christ.

Suggestions for Prayer

Thank God for the reminders His Spirit gives you that you belong to Christ.

For Further Study

Read 1 John 5:1-12.

  • What indicators does John give us that would also provide us with an assurance of salvation?
  • What role does the Holy Spirit have in this passage?

 

http://www.gty.org

Wisdom Hunters

Wisdom Hunters – Prayer for God’s Purposes 

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The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of God’s people, went up before God from the angel’s hand. Revelation 8:4

Prayer is not meant to be perfunctory, but powered by the Holy Spirit. When I am preoccupied and attempt to pray, I short circuit the Spirit’s work. However, when I pray in the Spirit with my mind engaged and my heart fully focused, there is full contact with Christ. The flesh seeks a quick fix, but the Spirit desires deep affection that develops over time. Spiritual prayers flow from praise and worship to Almighty God. He receives the prayer aroma of His daughters and sons as the sweet aroma of a holy sacrifice to Him alone. The Holy Spirit is our prayer whisperer.

Prayers for justice in this life may not be answered until the next life. Like the distinct aroma of incense, the prayers of God’s people flow up into the nostrils of God. The altar normally designed for mercy is repurposed for justice. As the prayers of the saints in heaven ascend to the Lord, the Lord’s judgment descends on the earth and its inhabitants. Without consequences for evil, grace and mercy lose their luster.  Yes, prayer and faith facilitate God’s purposes into action.

“And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests” (Ephesians 6:18).

Pray on all occasions. With bowed head recognize Jesus as the provider of a delicious meal. Before you partake of the tasty morsels, taste His grace. Pray and prepare your heart prior to a hard conversation, so any anger or harshness is replaced by patience and compassion. Pray as you think about a big decision; ask questions like, “Is my motive to glorify God?” “What counsel would I give to someone else in a similar situation?” Spiritual prayers have the Spirit’s leading.

Variety is the spice of an effective prayer life. Employ a plethora of prayers that protect you from familiarity that can breed boredom. Pray for patience, so you are slow to anger. Pray for the sick, so they might be healed. Pray for opportunities to share the gospel, so the seeds of salvation will grow in the hearts of lost souls. Pray for those who suffer, so their comfort comes from Christ. Pray for forgiveness, so your heart is healed and filled with the Holy Spirit!

Continue reading Wisdom Hunters – Prayer for God’s Purposes  →

Turning Point

Today’s Turning Point with David Jeremiah – A True Friend

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A man of too many friends comes to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

Proverbs 18:24, NASB

Recommended Reading

2 Timothy 4:9-18

Social media has redefined the concept of a “friend.” In the early days of the most prominent social media platform, people accumulated “friends” by the hundreds. Often those “friends” were people they barely knew—an acquaintance of an actual friend or a long-lost childhood playmate. Yet they were called “friends.” Participants soon realized what psychologists have said: No one can manage more than a half-dozen actual friendships.

True friendships take time, part of which is spent recovering from the disappointments that come with all human relationships. Maybe that’s why Solomon wrote that having lots of friends is dangerous but having “a friend who sticks closer than a brother” is a good thing. Note, “friend” (singular), not “friends.” It’s rare to find a friend who is there through thick and thin and who will encourage us in our walk with Christ. That is, a friend like Jesus who was a friend to His disciples (John 15:14-15).

First, invest in your friendship with Jesus. Second, if you have a friend like Jesus, invest in that friendship as well. The best way to find such a friend is to be that kind of friend yourself.

Jesus takes to heart the sufferings of His friends.

William Hendriksen

Read-Thru-the-Bible

Jonah 1 – 4

 

http://www.davidjeremiah.org/

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – A Gift for Others and for Yourself

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Forgive, and you will be forgiven. – Luke 6:37 NKJV

Do you hold unforgiveness toward anyone for any reason? If so, it needs to be eliminated from your heart and mind right away because it’s keeping you in bondage. You may be thinking, Well, Joyce, that’s easy for you to say. You haven’t been hurt like I have. That is true, but I have been hurt in life to a very deep degree. I was abused, abandoned, rejected, blamed, lied about, misunderstood, and betrayed by family and friends, and I allowed the enemy to fill my heart with hatred for those who hurt me. But when I began to learn about love, I moved from hatred to bitterness to mild resentment and finally to freedom, which only comes through forgiveness. The Lord graciously brought restitution into my life.

God promises to bring justice into our lives and to give us a double reward for our former shame, pain, and unfair treatment (see Isaiah 61:7). When we try to bring justice ourselves through vengeful acts, we only prevent God from working on our behalf.

The absolute key to unlocking the recompense of God for past hurts, however, is to do things His way and not our own. We are to love our enemies, pray for them, and bless them. If you have been hurt, God knows all about it, and He has a plan for your vindication. He, and He alone, is the vindicator (Hebrews 10:30).

Love Others Today: Do you need to extend forgiveness to someone? Make the choice to do so right now. It will be a gift to that person and a gift to you.

From the book Love Out Loud by Joyce Meyer.

 

http://www.joycemeyer.org

Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – If Two Agree 

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“I also tell you this – if two of you agree down here on earth concerning anything you ask for, My Father in heaven will do it for you” (Matthew 18:19).

Some of the richest experiences of my life have occurred in the practice of meeting with one or two individuals to pray specifically for definite things. The Scripture promises that one person can defeat 1000 but two can defeat 10,000 (Deuteronomy 32:30).

I believe that same principle holds in prayer. When individuals pray together, agreeing concerning a certain matter – assuming, of course, that they are praying according to the Word and will of God – the mighty sources of deity are released in their behalf.

Some interpret this verse to refer to church discipline, rejecting the claim that I am making in principle that there is great power, supernatural power, released when God’s children unite together in prayer. We have not because we ask not (James 4:2). Whatsoever we shall ask in prayer, believing, we shall receive (Matthew 21:22). If we ask anything according to God’s will, He hears and answers us (1 John 5:14). If we ask anything in Christ’s name, He will do it (John 14:14).

When two or more individuals unite and together claim these promises concerning a certain matter whatever it may be, they should expect answers. That is in accordance with God’s promise and God does not lie.

Bible Reading: Matthew 18:15-20

TODAY’S ACTION POINT: I will seek opportunities to unite with others to pray specifically concerning the needs of individual believers or my church or missions around the world, and we will expect answers in accordance with God’s promise.

 

http://www.cru.org

Ray Stedman

Ray Stedman – Good News

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Read: Romans 8:3-4

For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by our sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in the sinful man, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to our sinful nature but according to the Spirit. Romans 8:3-4

This is a beautiful description of the good news in Jesus Christ. Paul says the Law is powerless to produce righteousness. It cannot do it. It cannot make us good — no way. It can demand and demand and demand, but it cannot enable and it never will. This, by the way, is why nagging somebody never helps. Nagging is a form of law, and God will not let the Law nag us because it doesn’t help. It only makes it worse. If you try to nag your husband or wife or child, you will find that the same thing happens there. Nagging only makes them worse. Why? The reason, Paul says, is because the Law only stirs up the power of sin. It releases this force, this beast within us, this powerful engine that takes over and carries us where we don’t want to go. That is why nagging, or any form of the Law, will never work. It is not because there is anything wrong with what is being said — it is because of the weakness of the flesh that it cannot work. Paul says in First Corinthians 15, The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law, (1 Corinthians 15:56). The Law keeps sin going, it stirs it up.

To break through this vicious circle, Paul says, God sent forth his own son. There is a beautiful tenderness about this. He sent his own Son. He did not send an angel, he did not send a man — he sent his own Son as a man, in the likeness of sinful flesh. Notice that. He did not send him just in the likeness of flesh, but in the likeness of sinful flesh. Jesus had a real body, a body like yours and mine. Since sin has been done in the body, it has to be judged and broken in the body. Therefore, Jesus had a body. But it was not just a body of sinful flesh, it was the likeness of sinful flesh. It was like our sinful bodies, in that it was subject to infirmities (Jesus was weak and tired and hungry and weary), but there was no sin in him. Paul preserves that very carefully here.

Continue reading Ray Stedman – Good News →

Words of Hope

Words of Hope – Daily Devotional – Exalted Manna

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Read: Exodus 16:1-4, 13-18

A day’s portion every day. (v. 4)

Alongside yesterday’s theme, the “bliss” of knowing that there is not a single thing we cannot bring to God in prayer, the reference to “manna” in the next line of the poem gives us the confidence that there will not be a single day when he will fail to meet our needs. Throughout the forty years of Israel’s travels in Sinai the nation was physically nourished by that remarkable “bread from heaven.” This too is a lesson in praying, as morning by morning we can say to our heavenly Father, “Here is yet another day in which you will be working out your plans for me, and I know that in the process you will be supplying all I need.”

And why is prayer here described as “exalted” manna? Surely this has to do with the relationship between the Old Testament and the New. So much of what God taught his people in that earlier time was a preview of much greater things yet to come, a series of models or patterns of the realities that were to be unveiled in the Christian era. Manna, that curious edible substance settling like frost during the night all around the encampments of the travelling Israelites, could feed people’s bodies. But the corresponding gift from God to us is his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, the true Bread from heaven that nourishes hearts and minds as well as bodies. Our prayer must be the response of his hearers in John 6:34: “Lord, give us this bread always.”

 

Here is the poem in its entirety:

Continue reading Words of Hope – Daily Devotional – Exalted Manna →

Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – People Reaching People

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“So faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing the Good News about Christ.”—Romans 10:17

It is worth noting that no person in the New Testament came to faith apart from the agency of a human being. Have you ever stopped and thought about that? We can find example after example of God using people to reach people.

There was the Ethiopian (see Acts 8:26–39). There are many ways that God could have reached this man from a distant country. He could have sent an angel to meet him. Instead, the Lord sent an angel to Philip and told him to go. So Philip went and proclaimed the gospel to that man, and he believed.

Then there was the Philippian jailer in Acts 16:27–34. God could have reached him in many ways. Instead, He allowed Paul and Silas to be incarcerated and to ultimately proclaim the gospel, bringing that man and his family to faith.

We can think of Cornelius, a man who was searching for God (see Acts 10). An angel spoke to him and told him he needed to meet a man named Simon Peter. The angel explained where to find him. The angel could have given him the gospel. But God chose to use Simon Peter.

What about Saul? While it is true that he was converted through an encounter with Christ on the Damascus Road, his conversion was sandwiched between experiences with two people who influenced him. First, it was the witness of Stephen that softened Saul’s heart and made it receptive to the seed of the Word when he was confronted by Jesus Christ. Afterward, God sent Ananias to follow up on Saul and pray for him to receive the power of the Holy Spirit.

So you see, God used people. And He wants to use you.

 

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

Kids 4 Truth

Kids 4 Truth International – The LORD Is Slow to Anger

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“They shall abundantly utter the memory of thy great goodness, and shall sing of thy righteousness. The LORD is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy. The LORD is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works.” (Psalm 145:7-9)

“Hey, watch it, Blaine!” Justin grabbed his forehead where Blaine had elbowed him. Ouch! he thought. Why does Blaine always have to muscle his way all over the court? What a ball hog!

“Sorry, Justin. Are you OK?” Blaine stopped dribbling the basketball and came over to where Justin was standing under the net. “It was an accident.”

“Accident, my foot! You just think this game is all about Blaine, don’t you?!” Justin kept dabbing at his forehead, half-hoping there would be blood there – maybe that would teach ol’ Blaine the Ball Hog a lesson. “Blaine, Blaine, it’s all about Blaine. You’ve got a great two-step strategy, you know – hog the ball and knock everyone else off the court!”

“Justin, really. It wasn’t on purpose – I’m just a clutz.” With a shake of his head, Blaine handed Justin the ball and walked off the court to the locker room.

Justin opened his mouth to shout something after him, but he stopped when he realized all the other boys at practice were staring at him. “Well, what?” he asked them, as the locker room door shut behind Blaine. “It’s about time someone told him off.”

Coach Mark walked over and put his hands on Justin’s shoulders. “Justin, take a step back and look at yourself and your reactions. The only one in this gym acting like the game is all about him is you, Justin, acting like it’s all about you.” Coach took the ball out of Justin’s hands and motioned for him to leave. “I think you have some business in the locker room, young man. Namely, an apology for being quick to jump to angry conclusions.”

Like Justin, have you ever struggled with a quick temper? Often, an angry reaction is wrong in several ways. Justin assumed that Blaine was wronging him, when really Blaine had elbowed him accidentally. But through his anger, Justin could not see the truth. So he got a false understanding of Blaine and ended up hurting everyone. Justin would have been wise to first check his own attitude and goals. Maybe Coach was right; maybe Justin was playing like a ball hog and Blaine just got in his way. There can be more than one side to any story.

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The Navigators

The Navigators – Jerry Bridges – Holiness Day by Day Devotional – The Secret

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Today’s Scripture: 2 Corinthians 5:14

“The love of Christ controls us.”

We must always keep focused on the Gospel. Horatius Bonar, nineteenth-century Scottish pastor and author, wrote: “The secret of a believer’s holy walk is his continual recurrence to the blood of the surety, and his daily [communion] with a crucified and risen Lord. All divine life, and all precious fruits of it, pardon, peace, and holiness, spring from the cross. All fancied sanctification which does not arise wholly from the blood of the cross is nothing better than Pharisaism. If we would be holy, we must get to the cross, and dwell there; else, notwithstanding all our labour, diligence, fasting, praying and good works, we shall be yet void of real sanctification, destitute of those humble, gracious tempers which accompany a clear view of the cross.

False ideas of holiness are common, not only among those who profess false religions, but among those who profess the true. The love of God to us, and our love to him, work together for producing holiness. Terror accomplishes no real obedience. Suspense brings forth no fruit unto holiness. No gloomy uncertainty as to God’s favour can subdue one lust, or correct our crookedness of will. But the free pardon of the cross uproots sin, and withers all its branches. Only the certainty of love, forgiving love, can do this.

Free and warm reception into the divine favour is the strongest of all motives in leading a man to seek conformity to him who has thus freely forgiven him all trespasses.”

Paul said the same thing very succinctly: “For Christ’s love compels us” (2 Corinthians 5:14, NIV). To be compelled is to be highly motivated. We’re to be motivated by Christ’s love for us. And where do we learn of his love? Where do we hear him say, “I love you”? In the Gospel.

 

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The Navigators

The Navigators – Leroy Eims – Daily Discipleship Devotional – The Cost of Commitment

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Today’s Scripture: John 13-21

Jesus took the Twelve aside and told them what was going to happen to him. “We are going up to Jerusalem,” he said, “and the Son of Man will be betrayed… They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the Gentiles, who will mock him and spit on him, flog him and kill him. Three days later he will rise.” – Mark 10:32-34

A number of years ago, a young farmer in South Dakota felt God’s call to help people in the Third World. He believed his skill in agriculture could improve their lives and open doors to share his faith in Christ with them.

So God sent him into a very difficult and dangerous part of the world. From the time he arrived, he identified himself with the people, often living among them for months at a time in order to teach them better techniques of farming and caring for their animals. He would return from the bush sick and emaciated, but fulfilled in the knowledge that he was doing what God had called him to do. Over the years, he has become something of a legend among the people he serves.

I thought of him as I studied the twentieth chapter of John. After Jesus was raised from the dead, He appeared to His disciples. And on one occasion, as His disciples were gripped by doubt and fear–the two great enemies of witness–Jesus did a strange thing. He showed them His hands and His side, and spoke these words in John 20:21: “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.”

What was Jesus trying to get across by showing them His scars from the cross? In effect, He was saying, “Men, this ministry is no bed of roses. This is no stroll in the park. Following me may cost you your life.” To the apostles’ credit, they did not turn back. They were captured by the vision of taking the good news of Jesus Christ to all the world. I want to be that kind of person. Do you?

Prayer

Lord, free me from my fear and doubt as I see Your vision for the world, and work with You in fulfilling it. Amen.

To Ponder

There is personal cost for all who will follow Christ in daily discipleship.

 

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