Tag Archives: Prayer

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Give Yourself a Break

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Joyce meyer

And I am convinced and sure of this very thing, that He Who began a good work in you will continue until the day of Jesus Christ [right up to the time of His return], developing [that good work] and perfecting and bringing it to full completion in you. —Philippians 1:6

If you find it difficult to like yourself, you are not alone. I struggled with self- rejection during much of my life and I have discovered many others also struggle with the same thing. But that is not God’s plan. He doesn’t want you to feel afraid and insecure . . . or to be consumed with achieving perfection in hopes of being considered valuable.

God is the only one who can perfect the good work He has started in your life, but it takes some time. And during the process He wants you to recognize you are making progress. So give yourself a break and say, “I’m okay and I’m on my way!”

Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – Mercy and Grace

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“Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16).

Though prayer has been a vital, integral part of my life since I became a Christian, I am always discovering new challenges and new facets of prayer. I find one of the most powerful, exciting and fulfilling privileges God has given to man to be that of prayer based on the authority of God’s Word.

Man instinctively prays, even if only to false gods built of sticks and stones. Whenever he is faced with tragedy, heartache, sorrow or danger, he prays.

There is a serious danger in this “ignorant” kind of praying, however. It is a well-established fact of philosophy and history that man always assimilates the moral character of the object he worships. People who have prayed to gods of blood, fire and war have become militaristic, ruthless and sadistic.

This same principle applies to the Christian, who can pray to the one true God. “As we behold His [Christ’s] face, we are changed into the same image from glory to glory.” This explains the scriptural emphasis of praying worshipfully to the only true, righteous, holy and loving God.

In spite of this potential metamorphosis, however, the lives of few Christians today are impotent and fruitless compared to those of the first century. This is because the average Christian spends so little time at the throne of grace, so little time beholding the face of our Lord. And, as a result, he does not really believe that mercy and grace are available to enable him to live a supernatural life.

Bible Reading: Hebrews 3:1-6

TODAY’S ACTION POINT: Knowing I can come boldly to the throne of grace and receive mercy, cleansing, forgiveness and help for my every need, challenge and opportunity – from my Lord Jesus Himself, our great high priest – I will spend more time in His presence and not be satisfied with an impotent, fruitless life.

Presidential Prayer Team

Presidential Prayer Team; J.K. – A Ready Heart

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For decades, TV programs have shown “man on the street” segments – interviews with regular people on the city sidewalks of America. At times they provoke laughter. But more recently, the responses invoke a sense of discouragement and disappointment, especially when the questions relate to the federal government and its duties. Most U.S. citizens on the street know little and understand even less.

My son, do not forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments.

Proverbs 3:1

So it is with some Christians. Professing to be religious, their perception of God’s Word and His desires for them falls far short. Proverbs 3 offers persuading arguments for following the will of God…all of them to make you both blessed and a blessing. The first verse underscores the need for you to acquaint yourself with His Word – memorizing portions of it so it will come to mind when needed. More importantly, prepare your heart to follow the Lord’s commandments. The result will be an intimate, personal, loving relationship with Him…one that produces devotion to His will.

Pray now that your heart will be ready to know God’s Word and His love for you. Then intercede for the leaders of this country – that they may understand God’s will for this nation and choose the best for America.

Recommended Reading: Psalm 119:9-16

Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – Divinely Redirected       

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The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. —Philippians 4:7

God sometimes will use different ways to show us when we are out of His will. One is by giving us His peace when we are in His will and removing it when we are outside of it. The Bible tells us, “Let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts” (Colossians 3:15 NLT). Another translation says, “And let the peace (soul harmony which comes) from Christ rule (act as umpire continually) in your hearts [deciding and settling with finality all questions that arise in your minds, in that peaceful state]” (AMP).

Umpires aren’t always the most popular people at baseball games because not everyone agrees with the calls they make. The umpire is there to say, “Safe!” and “Out!” The peace of God can act as a spiritual umpire. Perhaps you can think of certain situations, such as a party you went to, a relationship you were involved in, or a place you were going, and suddenly there was a lack of peace, almost like spiritual agitation deep inside. That might have been God saying no.

Another way the Lord sometimes directs us is by closing a door. By that I mean, there are situations in our lives when circumstances just don’t work. Maybe you set out on a big trip, only to get three flat tires. You were trying to do a certain thing when something went wrong, rendering your plan impossible.

Sometimes God can even redirect us through sickness. It has stopped me on a few occasions. However it is that the Lord may direct you, remember that it may be in a different way than you wanted to go. But God has His will. And God has His timing.

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

Max Lucado

Max Lucado – God’s Not Finished With You

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Max Lucado

Pick up a high school yearbook and read the “What I want to do” sentence under each picture. You’ll get dizzy breathing the thin air of mountaintop visions. Ivy league school. Write books and live in Switzerland. Physician in a Third World country. Teach inner-city kids.

Yet, take the yearbook to a twentieth-year reunion and read the next chapter. Some dreams have come true, but many haven’t. Changing direction in life is not tragic. Losing passion in life is. Convictions to change the world downgrade to commitments to pay the bills. Rather than make a difference, we make a salary. Rather than look outward, we look inward. And we don’t like what we see.

Philippians 1:6 says, “God began doing a good work in you, and he will continue it until it is finished.” May I spell out the message? God isn’t finished with you yet!

From When God Whispers Your Name

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – Failure to Listen to God

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Charles Stanley

2 Timothy 4:1-4

In his second letter to Timothy, Paul solemnly charges him to preach the Word and to reprove and rebuke with great patience (2 Tim. 4:2). A pastor could hardly have a more difficult assignment than this, because few people respond well to correction. What you do when you are criticized is a good indication of the maturity of your faith. The Bible tells us that “he who neglects discipline despises himself” while “he who listens to reproof acquires understanding” and “will dwell among the wise” (Prov. 15:31-32).

Every time criticism comes our way, we stand at a crossroads of possibilities for good or evil. We can either embrace correction and grow up or reject it and start down the slippery slope described in 2 Timothy 4. In this passage, Paul outlines the behavior of those who become tired of reproof. He says they will reject sound doctrine and instead embrace the teaching of those who “tickle” their ears (v. 3). This means they’ll hunt for churches or religious teachers who fail to apply the whole counsel of God. Then they “will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths” (v. 4). Most people in this state probably couldn’t trace how they went from truth to myths, but it may have started when they rejected some hard saying from the Bible or ignored good advice from a critic.

We can’t afford to “turn away our ears”—not even from critics who are immature, ignorant, or evil. Remember, if God spoke through Balaam’s donkey (Num. 22:28), He can speak through anyone. Be mindful to keep your ears open to God’s voice, regardless of the form it may come in.

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — A Lesson In Worry

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Our Daily Bread

Psalm 3

LORD, how they have increased who trouble me! —Psalm 3:1

My friend handed me a tall glass of water and told me to hold it. The longer I held it, the heavier it felt. Finally my hand grew tired, and I had to put the glass down. “I’ve learned that worry can be like holding that glass,” she said. “The longer I worry about something, the more my fears weigh me down.”

King David knew about fear. His whole life had been turned upside down. His son Absalom had stolen the allegiance of the nation of Israel from him and was attempting to take the throne for himself. David didn’t know who was loyal to him and who was against him. His only option seemed to be to run. He said to his servants, “Make haste to depart, lest [Absalom] overtake us suddenly and bring disaster upon us” (2 Sam. 15:14).

In a psalm that David may have written while he was fleeing for his life, he wrote: “I cried to the LORD with my voice, and He heard me from His holy hill” (Ps. 3:4). In the midst of his fear, David looked to the Lord. God showed him grace and restored him to the throne.

There are plenty of worries that can weigh us down. But as we release them into God’s strong hands, He will help us through our trials. —Anne Cetas

Thank You, Lord, that we do not have to be

weighed down by worry. Help us to place our

concerns in Your care so that

we do not fear tomorrow.

Worry is a burden that God never meant for us to bear.

Bible in a year: Job 22-24; Acts 11

Insight

Sometimes Scripture teaches us directly. The Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5–7) is a great example of this. In other places we learn by example. Through the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, for instance, we learn to stand for God despite the consequences (Dan. 3). The New Testament teaches us through the words of Paul and Peter to be anxious about nothing but to pray and to cast our cares on Him (Phil. 4:6; 1 Peter 5:7). Today’s passage illustrates that principle by example. David, surrounded by trouble and enemies, prayed and then “lay down and slept.” Then he “awoke, for the LORD sustained [him]” (Ps. 3:5). By praying to God about his cares and concerns, David was able to proclaim, “Salvation belongs to the LORD. Your blessing is upon Your people” (v.8).

Ravi Zacharias

Ravi Zacharias Ministry – Becoming What We Worship

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Ravi Z

The book of Judges poses many interpretive challenges for any student of Scripture. Filled with stories of the grotesque and the tragic—the rape and subsequent division of the Levite’s concubine into twelve pieces in Judges 19, the undoing of mighty Samson, or the story of Jephthah and his vow to offer up one of his own children as a burnt offering in Judges 11—the contents challenge any contemporary reader’s sensibilities.

Despite these interpretive difficulties and challenges, the book of Judges reveals the all-too human story of our propensity towards fashioning gods to our liking, and the consequences that ensue from these misplaced affections.  Perhaps no story is more poignant, in this regard, than the story of Gideon. Born the youngest son of the smallest tribe of Israel, the half-tribe of Mannaseh, Gideon grew up in a land oppressed by the Midianites, the Amalekites and the “sons of the east” (Judges 6:3). The text tells us these enemies were so numerous that they “would come in like locusts…both they and their camels were innumerable; and they came into the land to devastate it” (6:5-6).

It is for this reason that we find Gideon threshing wheat in a wine press, hiding from his innumerable enemy. After all, he is the youngest son of the smallest tribe. Despite his youth and his seeming insignificance, Gideon is visited by an angelic visitor who addresses him as a “valiant warrior.” Gideon is to be the deliverer of Israel. Sure enough, as the text tells us, Gideon and a mere three hundred men defeat the innumerable armies of their enemies. Gideon is the unlikely hero and the Israelites are so impressed by his military leadership that they seek to make him king. “Rule over us, both you and your son, also your son’s son, for you have delivered us from the hand of Midian” (8:22). But Gideon rightly persuades the Israelites that God is their king and deliverer. Had the text ended there, we would never see the clay feet of our story’s hero.

The narrative doesn’t tell the reader why Gideon does what he does next, but rather than be rewarded by becoming king over Israel, he instead opts for a monetary remuneration and exacts a spoil from the men who came to make him their ruler: a gold earring from each one totaling 1,700 shekels of gold. Today, that amount is roughly the equivalent of three million dollars. But these earrings were in addition to all the spoils of war Gideon had already collected from the slain Midianites: crescent ornaments, pendants, purple robes, and even bands from the camels’ necks. And he used this gold to craft a monument of sorts to himself—a golden ephod or decorative vestment—which he then had placed in his home city, Ophrah. While the text is not explicit about the reasons for making this costly and precious vestment, the outcome was disastrous. “Gideon made an ephod, and placed it in his city, Ophrah, and all Israel played the harlot with it there, so that it became a snare to Gideon and his household” (8:27).

While there are many applications to be drawn out of the story of Gideon, one cannot help but see the warning about the perils of misplaced affections; a desire for honor became the snare for all of Israel and perpetuated their propensity towards giving worship and honor to that which was nothing more than an idol. Subtle and seemingly innocuous, human desires can quickly become entities we worship. It is a reminder to ask: What are our desires, and what do they tell us about what we love?

Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, “A person will worship something, have no doubt about that. We may think our tribute is paid in secret in the dark recesses of our hearts, but it will out. That which dominates our imaginations and our thoughts will determine our lives, and our character. Therefore, it behooves us to be careful what we worship, for what we are worshipping we are becoming.”  Human beings all have the potential to form ephods, just as Gideon did. But the things we worship and revere are far from innocuous, as Emerson warns. Indeed, long before Emerson, the prophet from Galilee warned that “where our treasure is, there will our hearts be also” (Matthew 6:21). Eventually, what dominates our innermost thoughts and imaginations comes forth as that to which we give our allegiance and devotion. Do we love what ensnares, or what liberates?

Margaret Manning is a member of the speaking and writing team at Ravi Zacharias International Ministries in Seattle, Washington.

Alistair Begg

Alistair Begg – Cry to the Lord

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Alistair Begg

To you, O Lord, I call; my rock, be not deaf to me, lest, if you be silent to me, I become like those who go down to the pit. Psalm 28:1

A cry is the natural expression of sorrow, and a suitable utterance when all other modes of appeal fail us; but the cry must be alone directed to the Lord, for to cry to man is to waste our entreaties upon the air. When we consider the readiness of the Lord to hear and His ability to aid, we shall see good reason for directing all our appeals at once to the God of our salvation. It will be in vain to call to the rocks in the day of judgment, but our Rock attends to our cries.

“Be not deaf to me.” Mere formalists may be content without answers to their prayers, but genuine suppliants cannot; they are not satisfied with the results of prayer itself in calming the mind and subduing the will—they must go further and obtain actual replies from heaven or they cannot rest; and those replies they long to receive at once—they dread even a little of God’s silence.

God’s voice is often so terrible that it shakes the wilderness; but His silence is equally full of awe to an eager suppliant. When God seems to close His ear, we must not therefore close our mouths but rather cry with more earnestness; for when our note grows shrill with eagerness and grief, He will not long deny us a hearing. What a dreadful case we would be in if the Lord should become forever deaf to our prayers. “Lest, if you be silent to me, I become like those who go down to the pit.” Deprived of the God who answers prayer, we would be in a more pitiable plight than the dead in the grave and would soon sink to the same level as the lost in hell. We must have answers to prayer: Ours is an urgent case of dire necessity; surely the Lord will speak peace to our agitated minds, for He never can find it in His heart to permit His own elect to perish.

 

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

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The family reading plan for July 2, 2014 * Isaiah 64 * Matthew 12

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Charles Spurgeon

Charles Spurgeon – Personal service

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“O Lord, truly I am thy servant; I am thy servant, and the son of thine handmaid: thou hast loosed my bonds.” Psalm 116:16

Suggested Further Reading: Romans 6:15-23

A liberty to be holy is a grander liberty than a licence to be sinful. A liberty to be conscientious; a liberty to know forgiven sin; a liberty to trample upon conquered lusts, this is an infinitely wider liberty than that which would permit me to be the comfortable slave of sin, and yet indulge the elusive hope that I may one day enter the kingdom of heaven. The largest expressions that can ever be used by the boldest minister of free grace, cannot here be exaggerations. Luther may exhaust his thunders, and Calvin may spend his logic, but after all the grand things that have been spoken about the liberty wherewith Christ has made us free, we are freer than those men knew. Free as the very air he breathes is the Christian, if he lives up to his privileges. If he is in bondage at all, it is because he has not as yet yielded his spirit fully to the redeeming and emancipating influence of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. In the fullest and widest sense therefore, the believer may cry, “Thou has loosed my bonds.” Nor is this liberty merely consistent with the profoundest and most reverent service, but the service is, indeed, a main characteristic of the exalted freedom. “Truly I am thy servant; I am thy servant and the son of thine handmaid.” This does not conflict with the sentence that follows it,—“Thou hast loosed my bonds.” This fact of my being God’s servant is to me a proof and evidence, and a delightful fruit and effect of my having had my bonds loosed by the great emancipator, the Lord Jesus Christ. Service then, as well as liberty!

For meditation: The Christian has been freed from being a slave of sin in order to become a servant of God. Does your lifestyle illustrate this (Galatians 5:13)?

Sermon no. 312

2 July (Preached 3 May 1860)

John MacArthur

John MacArthur – Coming to Christ

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John MacArthur

“Coming to [Christ] as to a living stone” (1 Pet. 2:4).

Often Christians speak of salvation as “coming to Christ.” That’s an accurate, biblical description, for Jesus Himself said, “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest” (Matt. 11:28); “I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me shall not hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst” (John 6:35); “If any man is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink” (John 7:37). Those are metaphors for salvation.

Coming to Christ initiates all your spiritual privileges because in Him God “granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness” (2 Pet. 1:3). Paul said, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ” (Eph. 1:3).

The Greek word translated “coming” in 1 Peter 2:4 conveys more than initially turning to Christ for salvation. It implies remaining with Him. In the Greek translation of the Old Testament it was used of those who drew near to God for ongoing worship. It was also used of Gentile proselytes—those who chose to identify themselves with God’s people.

When you came to Christ, a permanent relationship of intimate personal communion was established. Before that, you were rebellious toward God, without hope, and alienated from God’s promises. Now you’ve been born again to a living hope, you abide in Him and in His Word, and you have wonderful spiritual privileges.

Indeed, you are a privileged person, and the greatest of those privileges is your personal relationship with Christ Himself. Continue to draw near to Him today through prayer and worship.

Suggestions for Prayer: Tell Jesus how much you love Him and how you want your relationship with Him to be all it should be.

For Further Study: Read Ephesians 2:1-22.

•             How did Paul describe our spiritual condition before salvation?

•             How are sinners reconciled to God?

•             What analogy did Paul use to describe our relationship as Christians to Jesus Christ?

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Follow God’s Priorities

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Joyce meyer

The sheep that are My own hear and are listening to My voice; and I know them, and they follow Me. —John 10:27

Many people try to feel spiritual by obeying religious laws. But they never get around to feeling good, because there is always one more law to follow. That is why God does not define our righteousness by our works, but by our faith in Jesus. We feel inner peace when we obey the voice of the Holy Spirit.

God may tell you that it is more important to give away your favorite personal possession, than to try to please Him by reading the Bible through in a year. He may say that it is more important to just remain silent, if He tells you to, than to volunteer for every activity at church. His ways are not our ways (See Isaiah 55:8–9), so learn to listen for His direction each day.

 

Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – Finished with Sin

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“He personally carried the load of our sins in His own body when He died on the cross, so that we can be finished with sin and live a good life from now on. For his wounds have healed ours!” (1 Peter 2:24).

Following one of my messages a young woman in her early 20’s asked for counsel. She was weighted down with her guilt and sin. In fact, she was so distraught that she would not look me in the eye. All the while I was counseling her she was under such deep conviction that all I could see was the top of her head.

I asked, “Do you believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God?” She nodded in the affirmative. “Do you believe that He died on the cross for your sins?” Again she responded affirmatively. “Would you like to invite Him into your life and ask Him to cleanse you with His precious blood, which He shed on the cross for your sins, and make you a new creature in Christ?” Again, she nodded. Together we knelt in prayer and through her sobs she surrendered to Christ, acknowledging the wickedness and filth of a life of gross immorality. She confessed to God her disobedience of her father and mother whose hearts had been broken by her prodigal ways.

After some time on our knees it was obvious that God had touched her, had forgiven and cleansed her. The sobbing had passed and now she was at peace. The Spirit within me bore witness that she had become a new creature in Christ. As we stood to our feet, she looked at me with her eyes still glistening with tears and her face radiant with joy. She now knew the reality of our promise for today. Jesus had taken the load of her sins on His own body and she was cleansed. With His wounds He had healed her and now she could live a life for the glory of God.

Who, but Jesus, could work such a miracle? Is it any wonder that those who know Him in this way want, like apostle Paul, to tell everyone who will listen about Him? He alone can forgive our sin and liberate us from the darkness and gloom of Satan’s kingdom.

Bible Reading: I Peter 2:21-25

TODAY’S ACTION POINT: With great joy and deep gratitude I will praise the Lord that He has taken upon Himself the load of my sin and through His death on the cross has paid the penalty which I could never have paid through my own effort. As an expression of my gratitude and through the enabling of the Holy Spirit, I commit myself to live a good life, a supernatural life that will glorify my God and Savior.

Presidential Prayer Team

Presidential Prayer Team; C.P. – Go to the Source

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When a disease shows up, investigators immediately set about their detective work to find the source. Until then, everything else they learn about the disease is secondary. This is the information age. Do you have a question? Google it. An incredible amount of knowledge is at people’s fingertips. But for true insight, you must still first find the source.

For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.

Proverbs 2:6

Today’s verse says God is the source of wisdom, knowledge and understanding. Consider these verses. “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.” (Colossians 3:16) “For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.” (Hosea 6:6) “Think over what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything.” (II Timothy 2:7)

When you have a question about life, before Googling, read the Bible and pray. God’s wisdom surpasses human knowledge. Pray for Americans to return to the source of all understanding. Pray, too, for the leaders who still cling to the Bible, that they will stand strong to the Lord’s glory.

Recommended Reading: Colossians 1:3-14

Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – Heavenly Dispatches        

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When they had gone through Phrygia and the region of Galatia, they were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to preach the word in Asia. —Acts 16:6

I find it somewhat comforting that at times in his life, even the great apostle Paul could be moving in the wrong direction to the point that the Lord had to redirect him. After his first missionary journey, Paul was concerned for the churches that were left behind in the area known as Asia Minor. He wanted to revisit them and check on their progress. But there was one small problem: God had a different plan. Paul made every attempt to go to Asia Minor, but he was forbidden by the Holy Spirit.

Have you ever been determined to do a certain thing? Maybe you were determined to undertake a certain project or marry a certain person or pursue a certain career, but God redirected you.

Wouldn’t it be nice if we could wake up every morning with a little heavenly dispatch at our door with the itinerary for the day? Wouldn’t it be great if He could just map out our entire day, telling us what challenges we would face so we could be prepared and ready and know everything that was about to happen?

But the Lord has never led me in such a way. I have never received a heavenly dispatch. Rather, I have found that divine guidance often comes as a result of taking steps of faith. And God not only has His will, but He also has His timing for each and every situation. The Bible tells us, “He has made everything beautiful in its time” (Ecclesiastes 3:11). Therefore, we want to make sure we are in the will of God and are moving according to the timing of God.

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

Max Lucado

Max Lucado – Your Name on God’s Hand

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Max Lucado

When I see a flock of sheep I see exactly that, a flock. A rabble of wool. I don’t see a sheep. I see sheep. All alike. None different. But not so with the Shepherd. To him every sheep is different. Every face has a story.  John 10:3 says, “The sheep listen to the voice of the shepherd. He calls his own sheep by name.”

When we see a crowd, we see exactly that, a crowd. We see people, not persons. A herd of humans. But not so with the Shepherd. To him every face is different. Every face is a story. The Shepherd knows you. He knows your name. And he will never forget it.

God said in Isaiah 49:16, “I have written your name on my hand.” Quite a thought isn’t it? Your name on God’s lips. My… could it be?

From When God Whispers Your Name

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – Filling God’s Gaps

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Charles Stanley

Genesis 16:1-6

Has God given you a vision that is as yet unfulfilled? Has He assigned you a task that remains incomplete, though you’ve done everything you know to do?

When the Lord creates “gaps” in our life, such waiting periods are designed for His specific purposes. Sometimes they are meant to prepare us for His pre-ordained answer. He may be waiting to fulfill His plan, because in the meantime there is something He needs to take care of—perhaps a rough edge that must be smoothed or a relationship that must be restored—before He will fully accomplish His purposes. He may also be testing our faith by plumbing its depths and expanding its borders so He can prove Himself faithful. Or He may be using a dry period as an occasion for correction: God will not reward a saint who is living in rebellion.

Oswald Chambers advises us to wait upon the Lord while He prepares us for His answers. It is imperative that we pray and trust God during these periods. We should not act until we’re certain that we have heard from Him. In fact, it can be dangerous to listen to others instead of the Lord. Even people with godly intentions can be wrong—look at Abram’s poor decisions after listening to the seemingly solid logic of his wife. The result was that Sarai’s handmaiden Hagar conceived Abram’s child, which certainly was not part of the Lord’s preferred plan.

Anything other than God’s plan carried out God’s way and in God’s timing amounts to self-reliance. Depend on His Spirit when deciding how to proceed; any other course of action can lead to serious and lasting repercussions.

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — Who Is This Man?

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Our Daily Bread

Matthew 27:32-44

Our Lord . . . was . . . declared to be the Son of God . . . by the resurrection from the dead. —Romans 1:3-4

When Kelly Steinhaus visited Harvard Square to ask college students what they thought of Jesus, the answers were respectful of Him. One said He was “a person who took care of people.” Another said, “He sounds like a cool guy.” Others rejected Him outright: “He was just a guy. I don’t think He was the Savior.” And “I do not accept any faith system that says, ‘I am the only way to God.’” Some people thoughtfully question who Jesus is and some reject Him.

As Jesus faced death 2,000 years ago, many people mocked the idea that He was anyone special. “They put up over His head the accusation written against Him: ‘THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS’ ” (Matt. 27:37). Those who said, “You who destroy the temple and build it in three days, save Yourself!” (v.40) were doubting His power. The religious people even said, “He saved others; Himself He cannot save” (v.42).

In His death, Jesus may have seemed powerless. But when we read the whole story, we see that He gave His life willingly. He proved Himself to be the Son of God and limitless in power as He burst forth from the tomb. Grasp the value of His death and behold the power of His resurrection. He’s the Savior of the world! —Dave Branon

Up from the grave He arose,

With a mighty triumph o’er His foes;

He arose a Victor from the dark domain,

And He lives forever with His saints to reign. —Lowry

Jesus’ resurrection spelled the death of death.

Bible in a year: Job 20-21; Acts 10:24-28

Insight

In Mark 15:21, Simon of Cyrene (see Matt. 27:32) is described as the “father of Alexander and Rufus.” Some scholars believe this otherwise unnecessary detail strongly implies that both Rufus and Alexander had come to faith in Christ (perhaps due to their father’s testimony) and, as a result, were well known among the early followers of Christ.

 

Ravi Zacharias

Ravi Zacharias Ministry – Real World Why

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Ravi Z

It was the intention of my high school math teacher to demonstrate exactly what every student wonders when drudging through exercises that challenge motivation and patience to the highest degree: Why on earth is this important for the real world? Interspersed throughout his lessons were statistics that were intended to spur us on to greatness: “Life and trigonometry are in the details,” he would say, followed up by statements like: “Had the position for one of the bases of the St. Louis arch been miscalculated by only a few centimeters, the two arms of the arch would have missed one another completely.” Or, “A 1.3 millimeter spacing error in the assembly of a mirror within the Hubble Telescope, in effect, put blinders on the most powerful telescope ever made (and embarrassed a few former math students).”

There was something freeing about his vow to reveal the significance of the tedious coursework he readily assigned. He didn’t see us as indolent students asking “why bother” in harmonized whines (though our motives were undoubtedly mixed and laziness was easily one of the factors). Instead, he made it okay to ask why—even mandatory. We did well to ask what on earth trigonometry had to do with reality because however the question was asked, there really was an answer. And if we would hear the answer, we would find that trigonometry wasn’t nearly as meaningless as we expected.

I have often wondered what went through the minds of the disciples as Jesus spoke of mustard seeds, wine skins, and thieves in the night. In their three years with Jesus, I am sure the question crossed their minds: “What on earth does this parable have to do with the real world?” More than once the gospels impart the disciples questioning amongst one another, “What is he talking about?” Imagine their excitement when Jesus promised that a time was coming soon when he would “speak plainly”!

As humans we are inclined to ask why. It becomes our favorite question as toddlers and something may well be lost when we forget it. The desire to know simply for the sake of knowing is what separates humans from animals, said C.S. Lewis. We are inclined to ask, inasmuch as we must ask, because there is an answer. As T.S. Eliot penned:

We shall not cease from exploration,

And the end of all our exploring

Will be to arrive where we started

And know the place for the first time.

As the disciples watched and listened, Jesus told a crowd of people a story about seeds and soil. When he finished, they took him aside and asked what on earth he was talking about and why he just couldn’t say it more clearly. “Why do you speak to the people in parables?”

Jesus replied, “I speak to them in parables because ‘though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand.’ In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah: ‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.’ For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes…But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear.”(1)

I’m not sure he answered the question they thought they were asking. It reminds me of the circular discussions we had as children and the why-halting words of a parent, “Because I said so.” In effect, Jesus seems to have said, “I speak to them in stories they don’t understand because they don’t understand.” Yet even after calling the disciples blessed because their eyes and ears were getting it, he still explains the parable to them in detail.

What seed had to do with the real world, I’m not sure the disciples saw clearly before it was explained to them. But that the man before them had something more wonderful to do with reality than they could yet grasp was a mystery that opened their eyes along the journey and made them blessed whether they fully comprehended it or not. It seemed to matter more that they were with him—in body, in will, in spirit—than in complete comprehension. And yet he gave them permission—even incentive—to ask why, again and again.

As my math teacher urged us to see that it was our vision of the “real world” that needed revising, so Jesus compels the world to look again. His parables speak into a world that has somehow grown lackluster and leave us asking not only, “What does this have to do with reality?” but more invasively, “What IS reality?” Or, in fact: Who is reality? However the question is asked—with ears hardly hearing, with eyes opened or closed—there is an answer. The vicarious humanity of the Son suggests he indeed has something to do with it.

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

(1) Matthew 13:13-16.

Alistair Begg

Alistair Begg – In the Cool of the Day

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Alistair Begg

…the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day. Genesis 3:8

My soul, now that the cool of the day has come, retire awhile and hearken to the voice of God. He is always ready to speak with you when you are prepared to hear. If there is any slowness to commune, it is not on His part, but altogether on yours, for He stands at the door and knocks, and if His people will but open, He rejoices to enter. But in what state is my heart, which is my Lord’s garden? May I venture to hope that it is well trimmed and watered and is bringing forth fruit fit for Him? If not, He will have much to reprove, but still I pray Him to come to me, for nothing can so certainly bring my heart into a right condition as the presence of the Sun of Righteousness, who brings healing in His wings.

Come, therefore, O Lord, my God, my soul invites You earnestly and waits for You eagerly. Come to me, O Jesus, my well-beloved, and plant fresh flowers in my garden, such as I see blooming in such perfection in Your matchless character! Come, O my Father, who is the Gardener, and deal with me in Your tenderness and prudence! Come, O Holy Spirit, and saturate my whole nature, as the herbs are now moistened with the evening dews. O that God would speak to me. Speak, Lord, for Your servant hears! O that He would walk with me; I am ready to give up my whole heart and mind to Him, and every other thought is hushed.

I am only asking what He delights to give. I am sure that He will condescend to have fellowship with me, for He has given me His Holy Spirit to abide with me forever. Sweet is the cool twilight, when every star seems like the eye of heaven and the cool wind is as the breath of celestial love. My Father, my elder Brother, my sweet Comforter, speak now in loving-kindness, for You have opened my ear and I am not rebellious.

 

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

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The family reading plan for July 1, 2014 * Isaiah 63 * Matthew 11

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