Tag Archives: Prayer

Presidential Prayer Team

Presidential Prayer Team; J.K. – A Meaningful Privilege

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It’s hard work, this business of prayer! But the example was set. No matter how long of a day Jesus had, He arose in the morning while it was still dark and went to a quiet place to pray. You know the story. Today, Blessed One, this is your call to prayer…not the ten-minute ritual or the “gimme” prayer, but an actual sit-down-take-the-time-to-listen-to-God-thanksgiving-and-supplication prayer. Are you ready to commit to that?

While it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed.

Mark 1:35

Prayer takes time, energy and concentration, but the results can be amazing. Jesus gave His disciples the power to heal and cast out demons, and when they failed He told them it was because they had neglected prayer (Mark 9:29).

The need for the Christian to be dedicated to meaningful prayer cannot be overemphasized. Start today – the anniversary of a great tragedy in these United States. Make time to pray for your family, for the unsaved, for those suffering from illness or sorrow, and for this nation and its leaders who falter in making right decisions. It is your duty. It is your privilege…and it is for your joy and benefit.

Recommended Reading: Romans 12:9-21

Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – A “Mighty Man of Valor”

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Gideon said to Him, “O my lord, if the LORD is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all His miracles which our fathers told us about, saying, ‘Did not the LORD bring us up from Egypt?’ But now the LORD has forsaken us and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites.” —Judges 6:13

A mother was reading Bible stories to her little girl, telling her all about its great heroes like Moses, Joshua, Daniel, Esther, and Deborah.

The little girl looked up and said, “You know what, Mom? God was a lot more exciting back then.”

We might feel that way too sometimes. We hear of the way things were and think, It is not that way anymore. I wish it were like that again. That is how Gideon felt. He had heard of the days when God was ruling and protecting and providing for Israel. In Judges 6 we find him trying to prepare the small amount of wheat he had hidden behind the walls of a small winepress. Gideon was hungry, hurting, humiliated, and afraid, like the rest of Israel.

Then the Bible tells us the “Angel of the LORD appeared to him, and said to him, ‘The LORD is with you, you mighty man of valor!’ ” (Judges 6:12).

Surprisingly, Gideon began questioning him: “O my lord, if the LORD is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all His miracles which our fathers told us about, saying, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt?’ But now the Lord has forsaken us and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites” (verse 13).

God could have rebuked Gideon. After all, the Israelites were in this predicament because of their disobedience. Instead God said, “Go in this might of yours, and you shall save Israel from the hand of the Midianites. Have I not sent you?” (verse 14).

You see, God saw Gideon for what he could become: a “mighty man of valor”—and God would let him live up to that title. What is God calling you to do for Him today?

Max Lucado

Max Lucado – A Deposit of Power

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Many Christians view their conversion something like a car wash. You go in a filthy clunker, and you come out with your sins washed away—a cleansed clunker. But conversion is more than a removal of sin. It is a deposit of power! It is as if a brand-new Ferrari engine was mounted in your frame. God removed the old motor that was caked, cracked, and broken with rebellion and evil; and he replaced it with a humming, roaring version of himself.

The Apostle Paul described it as being “a new creation, old things have passed away; behold all things have become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17). You are fully equipped. Do you need more energy? You have it. More kindness? It’s yours.

Hebrews 13:21 promises that God will equip you with all you need for doing His will. Just press the gas pedal. God has given you everything you need for living a godly life!

From Glory Days

 

Night Light - James & Shirley Dobson

Night Light for Couples – Dream Lover

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by Patrick o’Neill

The clock radio was playing a gentle tune, and I woke up to another day of infinite wonder and promise. “Morning, sweetie,” I said, my head still snuggled in my pillow. “Who’s Angela?” my wife asked me in the tone Mike Wallace uses when cameras are chasing some poor jerk down a sidewalk in Newark, New Jersey.

Thousands of years of evolving and adapting have given married men a kind of sixth sense that tells them when to be absolutely truthful, answering all questions fully and without reservation.

“I don’t know any Angela,” I said.

“Oh, I know you don’t,” Kathleen said, sitting up and slamming her hand on the alarm button. “This is so ridiculous. It’s just that I had this dream last night, and in it you left me and the kids and ran off with some Angela woman. I’ve been awake for three hours getting madder and madder.”

“Silly girl,” I said, snuggling deeper into the blankets. “I promise I didn’t run off with anybody. Not last night or any other night. And especially not with any Angela.”

Kathleen threw back the blankets with considerably more force than the circumstances required and got out of bed.

“It was just a dream,” I said, wishing desperately for two more minutes of unconsciousness. “I don’t know an Angela. I’m here with you and our children. I’m not leaving. Never, ever.”

The shower door banged shut, and I drifted off. Suddenly a wet towel hit me in the face.

“Sorry, hon, I was aiming for the hamper,” Kathleen said. “Anyway, you and Angela were living together in one of those luxury high‐rise condos downtown.”

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“Ha. See how crazy that is? Child support would wipe me out. I couldn’t afford to live under a bridge if I left you. Which I have no plans to do.”

“Angela’s a surgeon,” she said as if she were talking to a complete idiot. “With an international reputation. She’s filthy rich. Or don’t you realize that either? Oh, of course you don’t. Just a dream.”

“Listen, I know dreams can seem pretty realistic sometimes. But you’re the woman of my dreams. Okay? What kind of surgeon?”

From the bathroom came the unmistakable sound of toiletries being destroyed.

“You want to know what really got me?” she said. “The kids. The kids went to visit one weekend, and you know what that—you know— Angela did? She made teddy bear pancakes. With little raisin eyes. The children talked about those for days: ‘How come you never make us teddy bear pancakes, Mom?’”

“Teddy bear pancakes? That sounds kind of cute. They’d probably be pretty easy….”

“Oooooh,” Kathleen said. “This is so dumb. How can anybody get upset over a stupid dream about her husband running off with a world famous surgeon who can sit down at a piano with the kids and play all the television theme songs by ear and knows all the verses and can put your daughter’s hair up in a perfect French braid and show your boy how to play ‘stretch’ with a jackknife and teach aerobics?”

“Kathleen, I couldn’t love a surgeon. Surgeons are notoriously self‐centered and egotistical. But maybe Angela was different.”

“Angela works among the poor,” Kathleen said. “Here’s that tennis shoe you’ve been looking for…. Oops, are you all right? Anyway, the president gave her some kind of plaque. I saw it on TV. In my dream. There she was with those cheekbones and that mane of black hair. ‘Others deserve this far more than I do, Mr. President.’ I just about threw up.”

The tennis shoe bruise probably wouldn’t show unless I went swimming or something.

“What with teddy bear pancakes, humanitarianism, and piano lessons, Angela couldn’t have much time left over for a guy,” I said. “I mean, a guy like me.”

“Oh, no. The kids told me how she spent hours rubbing your shoulders, and sometimes she sat at your feet on that spotless white carpet— ‘It’s like snow, Mom’—and stared up at you, laughing at every stupid little thing you said. Darn! Your watch fell in the sink. Sorry, sweetie.”

“I think you’re being a little hard on Angela,” I said. “She sounds like a pretty nice person who’s only trying to make a life for herself.”

“She’s a vicious little home wrecker, and if you ever so much as look at her again, you’ll need more than a world‐renowned surgeon to put you back together again!”

Later that day, I sent flowers to Kathleen’s office. It’s just a start, of course. When somebody like Angela comes into your life, it takes a while to patch things up.

LOOKING AHEAD …

Most married partners can admit it: At one time or another we have felt some anxiety about our spouse’s commitment, whether because of a serious threat to the relationship or just a dream like Kathleen’s.

Underneath the humor of Kathleen’s “anxiety dream” is a very real issue—to trust or not to trust. The uncertainty many feel about trust is, unfortunately, a sign of the times. Infidelity and straying affections are far too common, and in some circles they are even accepted as inevitable. As Christians, we know that we can place unequivocal confidence in the Lord. But absolute, unquestioned trust in our spouse? That can be harder to bestow. The truth is, it must be earned over time—word by word, deed by deed.

Relationships dominated by fear and insecurity will never reach their potential, but marriages founded on trust and safety will flourish. You can see why it is so important for married couples to commit themselves to build trust together. In the week ahead we’ll help you understand how trust happens and how to make it the bedrock of a secure and growing relationship.

– James C Dobson

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

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – The Purpose of Our Trials

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1 Peter 4:12

Some believers like to portray their lives as ideal and carefree. But in reality, being a Christian isn’t always easy. In fact, sometimes we’ll experience trials that truly test our faith and ability to trust in God.

In today’s passage, Peter refers to times of testing as “fiery ordeals.” He says we shouldn’t be surprised when adversity comes our way. It’s important to remember that God has a purpose for our trials and will see us through each step of the way. But what purpose does God have for the hardships we face?

First, the heavenly Father will sometimes use painful experiences to cleanse and purify His children’s lives. Trials drive us to the Lord. Then, as we begin to focus on Him, we’re increasingly able to see things from His perspective and often become more aware of our sin.

Second, the Lord at times allows difficulty in our lives as a way of testing us—He might be trying our faith, endurance, or devotion to Him. He uses such experiences to reveal something about our spiritual development and to strengthen our faith.

Third, God uses suffering to demonstrate His power to sustain us. When He brings us through difficult times, He glorifies Himself. In turn, this encourages others when they experience trials, because they have witnessed God’s sustaining power in our lives.

Ultimately, hardships strengthen our testimony. In the midst of our struggles, we might feel overwhelmed. But once the storm has passed, we can often look back and see the Lord’s providential hand carrying us through.

Bible in One Year: Ezekiel 43-45

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — Holding Me Up

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Read: Psalm 34:1-7

Bible in a Year: Proverbs 8-9; 2 Corinthians 3

I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you. —Isaiah 41:13

After I no longer went on family road trips with my parents, it became a rare occasion to visit my grandparents who lived hundreds of miles away from us. So one year, I decided to fly to visit them in the small town of Land O’Lakes, Wisconsin, for a long weekend. As we drove to the airport for my return flight, Grandma, who had never flown, began to express her fears to me: “That was such a small plane you flew on . . . . There’s nothing really holding you up there, is there? . . . I would be so afraid to go up that high.”

By the time I boarded the small aircraft, I was as fearful as the first time I had flown. What exactly is holding up this plane, anyway?

Irrational fears, or even legitimate ones, don’t need to terrify us. David lived as a fugitive, afraid of King Saul who relentlessly pursued him because he was jealous of David’s popularity with the people. David found true solace and comfort only in his relationship with God. In Psalm 34 he wrote: “I sought the LORD, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears” (v. 4).

Our Father in heaven is all-wise and all-loving. When fear starts to overwhelm us, we need to stop and remember that He is our God and He will always hold us up. —Cindy Hess Kasper

My fears sometimes overwhelm me, Father. Yet I know that You are here with me. May Your perfect love cast out my fear and still my troubled heart!

When we believe that God is good, we can learn to release our fears.

INSIGHT: The superscription to Psalm 34 gives the occasion for David writing this song of deliverance. While a fugitive from the jealous King Saul, David foolishly took refuge in the Philistine territory of Gath (1 Sam. 21:10-15). This was a dangerous thing to do because Gath was the hometown of Goliath (17:23). When the Philistines realized that David was the Jew who had slain their champion Goliath, they captured him (21:11,13). Aware that his life was now in danger, David feigned insanity and the ploy succeeded for he was released and made his escape. In response to God’s deliverance, David wrote, “I sought the Lord, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears. 5 Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame. 6 This poor man called, and the Lord heard him; he saved him out of all his troubles. 7 The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them.

Ravi Zacharias

Ravi Zacharias Ministry – Giving and Receiving

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At an open lecture in a leading software company, I made the comment: “Love is seeking the highest best of the other person; it is not about your own interests.” An employee caught up with me at the end and inquired: “Is that kind of love possible?” I gave her an illustration of a mother who takes care of an ailing child—sacrificing her own comforts and well-being to ensure that the child is comfortable. This young lady thought for a moment and quipped: “Perhaps the mother does it because it is her own child.” She was actually suggesting that the reason for her selflessness is self-centeredness! A few years ago, a leading magazine in India carried a cover page article titled, “Twenty-five ways to be happy” written by a well-known columnist. Her very first point was similar: “Be selfish.”

Khaled Hosseini, award-winning author of The Kite Runner, presents a darkly selfish story about a man who found a magic cup and discovered that if he wept into the cup, his tears turned into pearls. But even though he had always been poor, he was a happy man and hardly shed a tear. So he found ways to make himself sad so that his tears could make him rich. As the pearls heaped up, so did his greed grow. The story ended with the man sitting on a mountain of pearls, knife in hand, weeping helplessly into the cup with his beloved wife’s slain body in his arms.

On the contrary, it is heartening to read of many leading billionaires in the world who are setting a remarkable model on giving. Warren Buffett and Bill and Melinda Gates unveiled the largest philanthropic drive ever. They started a campaign to get the richest men and women in the world to give away fifty percent of the wealth to charity during their lifetime or after their death. Buffett has pledged to give away an unbelievable ninety-nine percent of his wealth.

With a similar altruism, the heroes and heroines of the terrorist attack at the Taj hotel in Mumbai were its employees. Putting their lives on the line, these men and women braved the attack, and although they knew where the exit points were in the hotel, they stayed back to rescue as many guests as possible. In the process, eleven of them paid with their lives. No wonder Professor Rohit Deshpande at Harvard Business School has made this example a case study on customer-centric leadership

It appears that one camp seeks to be at the giving side and another prefers to be stay put at the receiving end.

The Bible says, “Greater love has no man (or woman) than that he (or she) lay down their life for their friends.” Jesus died on the cross in a supreme example of love for his friends, even friends who turned away from him, and ‘friends’ who had no awareness of what he was doing. He commanded his disciples to love their enemies and at a climactic moment near death, looked at his tormentors who crucified him and prayed; “Father forgive them.”

While we may all be guilty of self-centeredness, Jesus can make a change in our lives. Opening our hearts, he pours his love into our lives.(1) Jesus gave himself up for you and me and the best response we could exhibit is to give back our lives to him in gratitude, for it is far more blessed to give than to receive.

Neil Vimalkumar Boniface is a member of the speaking and writing team at Ravi Zacharias International Ministries in Chennai, India.

(1) See Romans 5:1-5.

Alistair Begg

Alistair Begg – Communion with God on the Mountain

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And he went up on the mountains and called to him those whom he desired, and they came to him. Mark 3:13

Here was sovereignty. Impatient spirits may fret and fume because they are not called to the highest places in ministry; but, reader, learn to rejoice that Jesus calls those He desires. If He leaves me as a doorkeeper in His house, I will cheerfully bless Him for His grace in allowing me to do anything in His service. The call of Christ’s servants comes from above. Jesus stands on the mountain, forever above the world in holiness, zeal, love, and power. Those whom He calls must go up the mountain to Him; they must seek to rise to His level by living in constant communion with Him. They may not be able to achieve classic honors or attain scholastic eminence, but they must, like Moses, go up to the mountain of God and experience intimate communion with the unseen God if they are ever to be fit to proclaim the Gospel of peace.

Jesus went away to hold high fellowship with the Father, and we must enter into the same divine companionship if we want to bless our fellowmen. No wonder that the apostles were clothed with power when they came down fresh from the mountain where Jesus was. This morning we must endeavor to ascend the mount of communion, so that we may be ordained to the lifework for which we are set apart. Let us not see the face of man today until we have met with Jesus. Time spent with Him is time well spent. We will cast out devils and work wonders if we go down into the world clothed with that divine energy that only Christ can give. It is no use going to the Lord’s battle until we are armed with heavenly weapons. We must see Jesus; this is essential. At the mercy-seat we will linger until He makes Himself known to us and until we can truthfully say, “We were with Him on the Holy Mountain.”

The Family Bible Reading Plan

  • 2 Samuel 4, 5
  • 1 Corinthians 15

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

Charles Spurgeon

Charles Spurgeon – Man’s weakness, and God’s anointing

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“I am this day weak, though anointed king; and these men the sons of Zeruiah be too hard for me.” 2 Samuel 3:39

Suggested Further Reading: 1 Kings 3:3-9

David had been an adventurer in the cave, so long that he had grown used to it, and you never find him saying when he hid himself in Engedi, “I am this day weak.” No; after the first season of bitterness I believe he came to love Adullam’s dreary shelter; and the bleak mountains were dear to him. Now he has come into a new place, nations are at his feet, men bow before him. It is a new position, and he says “I am this day weak, though anointed king.” Whenever you make a change in life; whenever God calls you to another set of duties, you will surely find out what perhaps you do not now believe—that you are weak, though anointed king. Here, too, David had come into new temptations. The arrows had been shot at him before, from one direction alone, now the storm ceases on one side, and begins on the other. If men knew that the storm would always come to one side of the house they would repair and strengthen it, and then they would not fear the blast; but if suddenly it whirled round and took the other corner, how would they be prepared for that? Take care, Christian men and women, how you change your position; for often it is a change for the worse. The arrows may not fly on the right, but they will meet you on the left, and perhaps that may be your weakest side, and there you will be smitten in the tenderest part. David had now no more the temptations which beset a venturer, but those which cluster thick around the throne; for where there is the honey of royalty, there will surely be the wasps of temptations. High places and God’s praise do seldom agree; a full cup is not easily carried without spilling, and he that stands on a pinnacle needs a clear head and much grace.

For meditation: Change may be what we desired or totally did not want; new circumstances may make us feel humble or proud. Always remember your weakness and God’s strength, which is the answer to the honest “I am” of man (Exodus 4:10-12; Judges 6:14-16; Jeremiah 1:6-8; Romans 7:24,25; 1 Corinthians 15:9,10; 2 Corinthians 12:9,10).

Sermon no. 334

10 September (Preached 9 September 1860)

John MacArthur

John MacArthur – Maintaining Spiritual Effectiveness

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

Satan wants to render you ineffective for Christ.

In 1 Corinthians 16:9 Paul says, “A wide door for effective service has opened to me, and there are many adversaries.” That’s typical of spiritual warfare. The more opportunities you have to serve Christ, the more adversaries you’ll face. That’s because Satan seeks to hinder your spiritual service.

Often seminary students ask me if ministry becomes easier over the years. In one sense it does because you learn better study skills, time management, and the like. But in a greater sense it becomes more difficult because as you labor in the Word, contend for souls, and struggle against your own weaknesses, Satan opposes you at every turn.

You can sense something of the difficulty of ministry in Paul’s words to the Thessalonians: “Having thus a fond affection for you, we were well-pleased to impart to you not only the gospel of God but also our own lives, because you had become very dear to us. For you recall, brethren, our labor and hardship, how working night and day so as not to be a burden to any of you, we proclaimed to you the gospel of God” (1 Thess. 2:8-9). To the Ephesian elders he said, “Be on the alert, remembering that night and day for a period of three years I did not cease to admonish each one with tears” (Acts 20:31).

Every sphere of ministry is important—whether you’re a pastor, homemaker, factory worker, or student. Consequently, every ministry encounters opposition as Satan attempts to cause friction and discouragement within families, churches, and work places. Thus, believers must be humble and gentle toward one another, “being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Eph. 4:3). When we do that, the Body of Christ is strengthened and Satan can’t gain a foothold.

Ministry is hard work and the obstacles are great, but the victories are even greater. So be faithful, knowing that God will reward you richly.

Suggestions for Prayer

  • Thank God for the privilege of serving Him—even during the hard times.
  • Thank Him for the encouragement you receive from His Spirit, His Word, and your fellow believers.

For Further Study

According to Romans 8:18, what was Paul’s perspective on difficulties?

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Brighter and Clearer

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But the path of the [uncompromisingly] just and righteous is like the light of dawn, that shines more and more (brighter and clearer) until [it reaches its full strength and glory in] the perfect day [to be prepared]. The way of the wicked is like deep darkness; they do not know over what they stumble. – Proverbs 4:18-19

Maybe you’re still thinking to yourself, Joyce, I’m a timid and shy person, that’s just my nature. I don’t think I can change. You may feel timid and shy, but you can choose to walk boldly through life. The main thing I want you to remember is that you can feel afraid, you can feel timid, you can feel downright cowardly, and yet you can make the choice to walk boldly and as if fear did not exist! Your free will is stronger than your feelings if you will exercise it.

You may be like thousands of others who have catered to their fearful feelings for so long that the fear has taken control. Your will, like a muscle, becomes weak if not exercised. As you begin to ask God to help you and exercise your willpower against your feelings, it will get easier and easier to be the person you truly want to be, the person God has designed you to be.

Lord, there are certain feelings that control my life and tear down my confidence. I trust that as I exercise my willpower, You will strengthen me and make my path brighter and clearer and easier to walk. Amen.

Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – Blessed are the Merciful

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“Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy” (Matthew 5:7, KJV).

If you and I have a desire to imitate God, seldom do we accomplish that purpose more than in the practice of showing mercy.

God delights in nothing more than in the exercise of showing mercy. One of the clear prerequisites to real happiness is this display of genuine mercy. Surely God has given us the supreme example, by giving His only Son to die in our place. That is mercy beyond comprehension, beyond description.

The world speaks often of having someone at its mercy. In a very real sense, God has us at His mercy – but He chose to be merciful and make a way of escape for us. The decision to take that way is ours.

To the degree that we show mercy to the poor, the wretched, the guilty – to that degree we are like God. And if He keeps us here on earth to be conformed more and more to His image, how important it is that we trust Him – by His indwelling Holy Spirit – to make us merciful.

When we do something to glorify God, like giving a cup of cold water in His name, in obedience to His commandments, and with a desire that He should be honored, He will consider it as done unto Him and reward us accordingly.

The lesson is clear: the merciful shall obtain mercy. And who among us is not a candidate for more of God’s mercy?

Bible Reading: Luke 6:31-36

TODAY’S ACTION POINT: “Dear Lord, with Your great mercy as the supreme example, I resolve to allow your Holy Spirit to show mercy through me.”

Presidential Prayer Team

Presidential Prayer Team; C.H. – Big Requests

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“Give an inch, they’ll take a mile,” is an idiom meaning, “Do something for someone, they’ll often ask for more.” An actual inch is one-twelfth of a foot, and there are 5,280 feet in a mile – so a person who requests that much is quite bold.

“Suppose ten are found there.” He answered, “For the sake of ten I will not destroy it.”

Genesis 18:32

Abraham used that level of boldness to request mercy for Sodom when God planned to destroy it. He pleaded, “What if there are fifty righteous people there?” God agreed to withhold judgment for fifty. Abraham was persistent. “Suppose five of the fifty righteous are lacking. Will you destroy the whole city for lack of five?” (Genesis 18:28) As God agreed to spare them, Abraham continued dropping the number until he got to ten.

God wants us to be bold in our prayers. “Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” (Hebrews 4:16) Take your big requests to God, for yourself and especially for the rescue and salvation of others. Then boldly pray for President Obama to be courageous in his own prayer life.

Recommended Reading: Genesis 18:22-33

Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – Good Despite the Bad

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Then the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord. So the Lord delivered them into the hand of Midian for seven years. —Judges 6:1

Can God ever use a nonbelieving nation to overtake a believing nation as a form of punishment? The answer is yes. We should never think that we could not be overtaken by another nation if we continue to thumb our noses at God, persist in breaking His laws left and right, and insist on going out of our way to remove Him from our culture in every way. A chapter in Israel’s history should stand as a warning to us today.

As Judges 6 opens, we see the Israelites living under the power of the Midianites. This was a result of God’s disciplining them because of their disobedience. Interestingly, the Midianites were the first in history to domesticate the camel, which gave them a huge advantage militarily. Imagine being an Israelite who has engaged solely in battles of hand-to-hand combat when suddenly your enemy comes riding over the hills on camels. That is what the Israelites were dealing with.

Then there was the Midianites’ invasion of the land. They would sweep in on their camels, destroy the Israelites’ crops, and ravage their land. Israel was in despair, so they cried out to God for His help and deliverance. The Lord decided to answer their prayers through the most unexpected person possible, a man named Gideon.

Many times in life when things aren’t going well, it is because of bad decisions we’ve made. We disobey the Lord, and then we have the audacity to blame Him for the way things turn out. That is essentially what happened to Israel. They were wondering why things had turned out the way they did. But they brought it on themselves.

The good news is that even when we have made mistakes, God can intervene and bring redemption. God can bring good despite the bad.

Max Lucado

Max Lucado – Promised-Land Property

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Most babies cry, “Mama!” I cried, “Mustang!” I had asked my dad for a car every day of my life! My father’s stock reply was, “You’ll have a car once you earn it, save for it, & pay for it.” But then came that glorious night when dad handed me keys. Not payment vouchers or requirements, but keys! He said, “Take the car I’m giving you.” I had a new car because he declared it.

In Joshua’s day, the Hebrews had a new land because their Father did the same. “Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given you.” So Joshua let the people depart, each to their own inheritance.

You have an inheritance! If you’ve given your heart to Christ, the Bible says “God has blessed you with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ” (Ephesians 1:3). Promised Land property—placed in your name!

From Glory Days

Night Light - James & Shirley Dobson

Night Light for Couples –God’s Recipe For Sex

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“Let my lover come into his garden and taste its choice fruits.” Song of Songs 4:16

Someone once said that in matters of sex, men are like microwaves and women are like crockpots. There is certainly some truth to that cooking analogy—husbands can reach their “boiling point” before many wives have even decided what’s on the menu! Why would God make men and women this way? Don’t our different makeups set us up for conflict when our attention turns to physical intimacy?

I believe the Lord knew just what He was doing when He established these fundamental differences between us. After all, if women were more like men, we’d all probably spend so much time in the bedroom that we’d never get anything else done. And if men were more like women, we’d enjoy many more meaningful conversations—but the species might just disappear!

Our differences are what make life so interesting and invigorating. They force us to reach out, to grow, to appreciate our partner. When a husband is extroverted and the wife is introverted, the husband draws out the wife, while the wife helps the husband take time to reflect. When a wife is spontaneous and her husband is a planner, she brings energy and excitement to his life, while he adds stability to hers.

So it is with sex. Emotional and physical differences create interest and excitement. We encourage you to celebrate them! After all, when marital partners are joined as “one flesh,” it is more than a physical union. We are merging our whole beings—body, mind, and spirit—in a wonderful and sacred encounter. This is just what your loving God intended. You can enjoy the variety that each of you brings to your marriage—no matter what you’re cooking.

– Shirley M Dobson

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

C.S. Lewis

C.S. Lewis Daily – Today’s Reading

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Good things as well as bad, you know, are caught by a kind of infection. If you want to get warm you must stand near the fire: if you want to be wet you must get into the water. If you want joy, power, peace, eternal life, you must get close to, or even into, the thing that has them. They are not a sort of prize which God could, if He chose, just hand out to anyone. They are a great fountain of energy and beauty spurting up at the very centre of reality. If you are close to it, the spray will wet you: if you are not, you will remain dry. Once a man is united to God, how could he not live forever?

From Mere Christianity

Compiled in Words to Live By

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – Salvation: The Work of Our Sovereign God

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Ephesians 2:1-10

Salvation refers to the freedom gained when God rescues someone from slavery to sin and makes that person part of His family. This deliverance is accomplished only through His Son Jesus, who died in our place so we might be reconciled to the Father (Col. 1:22). This statement often evokes questions:

What if I try to live morally right, working hard at my job and being good to my family—won’t God accept me? Such questions assume that the Lord saves us on the basis of the way we live. But Romans 3:10 says, “There is none righteous, not even one.” In God’s sight, even our virtuous acts are like dirty rags (Isa. 64:6). Holy God will not have dealings with unrighteous people except through the Savior, Jesus Christ.

Won’t the Lord accept us because of His goodness? God is loving and good, but He is also just. He won’t overlook sin, no matter how small we think it is. Pride makes us reject the idea that we need forgiveness or cleansing from sin.

If we serve in our church or help the poor in God’s name, aren’t we part of His family? Good works do not solve our sin problem or reconcile us to God. Only Jesus does (Rom. 5:1). Good works are an important result of salvation, as opposed to a basis for it.

Salvation is a work of God’s grace, not the product of man’s effort. When we respond to the Spirit’s prompting, believe in Jesus, and are born again as God’s children (John 3:3), we can be assured of our place in heaven. How sure are you?

Bible in One Year: Ezekiel 40-42

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — A Fragrance and a Letter

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Read: 2 Corinthians 2:14-3:3

Bible in a Year: Proverbs 6-7; 2 Corinthians 2

We are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ. —2 Corinthians 2:15

Every time I get close to a rosebush or a bouquet of flowers, I’m unable to resist the temptation to pull a flower toward my nose to savor the fragrance. The sweet aroma lifts up my heart and triggers good feelings within me.

Writing to the Christians in Corinth centuries ago, the apostle Paul says that because we belong to Christ, God “uses us to spread the aroma of the knowledge of him everywhere” (2 Cor. 2:14). Through His strength we can live a victorious life, exchanging our selfishness for His love and kindness and proclaiming the goodness of His salvation. When we do this, we are indeed a sweet fragrance to God.

Paul then switches to a second image, describing Christians as a “letter from Christ” (3:3). The letter of our lives is not written with ordinary ink, but by the Spirit of God. God changes us by writing His Word on our hearts for others to read.

Both word pictures encourage us to allow the beauty of Christ to be seen in us so we can point people to Him. He is the One who, as Paul wrote in Ephesians 5:2, “loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” —Lawrence Darmani

Lord, let Your splendor fill my life, that I may draw people to You. Help me walk in the way that spreads the fragrance of Your love to others.

Our actions speak louder than our words.

INSIGHT: Paul had a strained relationship with the church in Corinth. Within this troubled church were those who undermined unity, holy living, and sound doctrine. The Corinthian church was the recipient of three visits and multiple letters from the apostle Paul. Yet despite all the problems the church was facing—doubting Paul’s authority, allowing and perhaps bragging about sin, suggesting there is no resurrection—Paul continually reassured them of both his own affection and God’s affection for them. Paul’s message is clear—for Corinth and for us. Yes, we will experience problems that need to be corrected, but our position in Christ is secure. J.R. Hudberg

Ravi Zacharias

Ravi Zacharias Ministry – The Gift of Ordinary

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On the occasion of summer’s demise and the return of school year schedules, a thought of Oscar Wilde’s crosses my mind. Wilde thoroughly resented the power of modern calendars to remind us that, though full of activity, “each day that passes is the anniversary of some perfectly uninteresting event.” My own calendar’s declaration that yesterday was World Salami Day and today is Iguana Awareness Day seems to prove Mr. Wilde’s point. He would no doubt be further troubled to know that we are currently in a season that the Christian calendar calls “Ordinary Time.”

There are actually two intervals of Ordinary Time within the Christian church year, unbeknownst to most modern calendars. The first interval begins after Epiphany (the remembrance of the arrival of the wise men to the birthplace of Jesus) and continues until Lent (the forty days of remembrance leading up to the crucifixion of Jesus). The second interval of Ordinary Time begins at the conclusion of Pentecost (the celebration of the coming of the Holy Spirit) and continues until Advent (the celebration of the coming of the Christ child). We are currently living within this second interlude of Ordinary Time, waiting for the approach of Advent. But this is hardly the Church’s way of saying that the day before us is actually ordinary.

Far from announcing days that are commonplace or mundane, Ordinary Time is meant to be a season of anticipated living. The term actually comes from the word “ordinal,” which means that it is time “counted” or “numbered.” Though the Church’s festive banners may have come down after the celebrations of Lent and Easter have ended, the startling realities of life under the banners of a crucified King and the vicarious presence of a resurrected savior have begun. The Church attempts to remind the world to live expectantly between the mystery of the cross and the assurance of the living one within our midst.

Though Jewish feasts and holy days were a major part of the lives of Jesus and his disciples, the same was true for them as it is for the church: the majority of their time together was the time spent between holy days. Yet far from being described as the lull between holidays, the disciples’ “ordinary time” was spent healing and feeding crowds, proclaiming the kingdom, raising the dead, learning at the feet of Jesus, finding themselves in the mystery of the Son. More often than not, they were genuinely surprised by the one in their midst, no matter how ordinary the day.

In the everyday lives of Christ’s followers today there is a similar expectant quality within each moment, time that is shared with the world as a divine invitation. This is time counted; time that matters. Time in the presence of one who neither slumbers nor sleeps.

It is appropriate that the first signs of Jesus’s identity were displayed not to Jerusalem’s religious leaders or in the pious celebrations of a chosen nation. The first bold signs of the startling work of God came to foreigners, people who had to journey a great distance to see what the heavens were revealing. In the form of a great star to foreign astrologers, the God of Israel chose to reveal the birth of Jesus to nations far beyond the religious activities of Jerusalem.

Later revelations of the child’s identity were similarly filled with ordinary time and people. After the hype of Passover had settled in Jerusalem and the last of the festivities were waning, long after the villagers who had traveled far were on their way home, twelve year-old Jesus had stayed behind, though his parents were unaware of it. Three days later they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. And “everyone who heard him was amazed” (Luke 2:47). Likewise, the first miracle Jesus performed was not in the temple or as a religious leader but at a wedding as a wedding guest. Quietly and discreetly for a party that was running short on wine, Jesus used the symbols and waters of purification, and he created enough wine to bless the bride and groom and all their guests long after the wedding was finished—a sign of both his coming hour of a life poured out and the coming feast of one at work gathering nations to his table. And once more, ordinary time was marked by the extraordinary.

While the calendar may seem to set us up to live from one major holiday to the next, what if there is far more to expect from the rest of our days? While holy days mark events that dramatically shape both religious and secular worldviews, our ordinary days give us the space to live these events out. In the repetitive rhythm of the church calendar, human hearts are invited to beat expectantly of a greater kingdom. Ordinary time is never ordinary, for God’s presence always involves the unexpected.

Jill Carattini is managing editor of A Slice of Infinity at Ravi Zacharias International Ministries in Atlanta, Georgia.