Tag Archives: Prayer

Girlfriends in God

Girlfriends in God – The Gift of Prayer

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Today’s Truth

Then people brought little children to Jesus for Him to place His hands on them and pray for them.

Matthew 19:13

Friend to Friend

Praying for the people we love is one of the greatest gifts we can give them. And letting those people know we are praying for them is an important part of that gift. I was recently reminded that this truth applies to children as well.

Two of our grandchildren live in Kansas City, so we get to seem them every few days. My husband and I love it and are always looking for opportunities to spend time with them.

We invited Justus and Hudson over to meet our new worship pastor and his wife who have a set of triplets and a little boy about the age of Hudson. We turned all of the kids loose in our fenced-in back yard. After a toddler version of soccer and several turns on the swing set, I called,

“Time for a break! I’ve got cookies!” Six sweaty little bodies came running. And that’s when I heard the scream!

Justus had fallen and and cut his leg. It wasn’t a deep cut, but it was a cut on my grandson’s leg, which meant it was a big deal to him and to me!

Scooping him up in my arms, we headed inside where I held him until he stopped crying. I cleaned the cut, covered it with an antiseptic cream, and carefully placed a Paw Patrol bandage on it. I then prayed for Jesus to heal the cut, a prayer that sealed the deal for our grandson. Justus smiled up at me and said, “Thanks, Mimi.”

I didn’t see Justus for several days, but when I showed up to baby-sit him and his little brother, the first thing Justus said was, “Mimi, He did it!” I had honestly forgotten all about the cut and my prayer for Jesus to make it well … but Justus hadn’t.

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Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – You Can Be Sure

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“And how can we be sure that we belong to Him? By looking within ourselves: are we really trying to do what He wants us to? Someone may say, ‘I am a Christian; I am on my way to heaven; I belong to Christ.’ But if he doesn’t do what Christ tells him to do, he is a liar. But those who do what Christ tells them to will learn to love God more and more. That is the way to know whether or not you are a Christian. Anyone who says He is a Christian should live as Christ did” (1 John 2:3-6).

I frequently counsel with people who assure me that they are Christians, but their life-styles betray their profession. In fact, Jesus refers to this kind of person in His parable of the wheat and tares (Matthew 13:24-30).

“I never knew you; depart from me,” He will say to people whose profession of Christian faith is insincere (Matthew 7:23, NAS). According to the Word of God, these people are confused, and we do them a great injustice if we do not hold before them the mirror of God’s Word. Our Scripture portion today is one of the most effective passages to help open their eyes.

If there has not been a difference in your life-style since you professed faith in Christ; if, even in your failure and sin – and we all fail and sin at times – you do not have a desire to obey God and live a life pleasing to Him, it is quite possible that the new birth has not taken place in your life. Test yourself if you are not sure; if you have not done so, you can experience the new birth simply by receiving Christ into your heart today. This applies more directly to carnal Christians.

Bible Reading: I John 3:18-24

TODAY’S ACTION POINT: To be absolutely certain of my relationship with Jesus Christ, I will take spiritual inventory of my life and seek to ascertain whether my life-style is consistent with that of the true believer and follower of Christ.

 

http://www.cru.org

Ray Stedman

Ray Stedman – Scandal in the Church

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Read: 1 Corinthians 5:1-13

I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people — not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world. But now I am writing to you that you must not associate with anyone who claims to be a brother or sister but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or slanderer, a drunkard or swindler. Do not even eat with such people. What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? God will judge those outside. Expel the wicked person from among you. I Corinthians 5:9-13

Paul refers to a letter that he had written to them, a letter that is lost to us. In it, Paul had evidently said something about not associating with immoral people, and the Corinthians had taken it to mean (as many Christians seem to feel today), that they were not to have anything to do with unbelievers who lived immoral lives.

I am amazed at how that very attitude which Paul was attempting to correct here in this letter has pervaded the evangelical world. I meet people who refuse to have anybody come into their homes who is not a Christian — people who want nothing to do with anybody who lives in a way that is offensive to the Lord. I remember in my early pastorate going to a couple and asking them to open their home for a Bible class. The lady looked horrified and said, Oh! I could never do that. I asked, Why not? Why, she said, people who smoke would come in. My home is dedicated to God and I am not going to have any smoking going on there.

That is a misunderstanding of the very thing Paul is talking about. We cannot avoid the world — we were sent into it. The Lord Jesus said to his disciples, Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves, (Matthew 10:16 KJV). That is where we belong. Their habits may be offensive to us, but that is understandable. We do not have to pronounce judgment on them; God will do that. We are to love them and understand that they do not have any basis of knowledge for a change. We are not to demand it of them before we begin to show friendship and love and reach out to them to help them to see their need, to see the One who can answer the hunger of their hearts. What we offer the world is the gospel, not condemnation but the good news.

Continue reading Ray Stedman – Scandal in the Church →

Words of Hope

Words of Hope – Daily Devotional – Transferral

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Read: Colossians 1:15-23

For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities . . . (v. 16)

I have always loved Colossians, a book of great grandeur and hope. Yet this book is a prison epistle, written—like Ephesians, Philippians, and Philemon—by a man under house arrest.

House arrest is still common in the United States. As I reread today’s passage, I thought immediately of my friend Tom, a Christian who struggled with addiction and did time on a nonviolent offense. After parole, Tom was on a “tether”—under house arrest with electronic monitoring.

Although it may be better than living in prison, prisoners under house arrest, like all prisoners, still carry a heavy load of fear. The consequences of this fear can be disastrous. One night my friend Tom’s tether malfunctioned. His fear of going back to prison for violating his parole—a very legitimate fear, as parole officers often refuse to accept a prisoner’s word when these devices break—was so extreme that he took his life.

Life can be exceedingly cruel, and I don’t judge Christians who temporarily forget where their true home is. But that home is real nonetheless. When he wrote these words, Paul’s body was considered the property of the state, and he had been locked up in a “domain of darkness.” But he knows himself to be transferred already to Jesus’ kingdom. Such confidence is already a miracle, and the God who gave it can give you, and me, and Tom, so much more.

Prayer:

Lord, make us mindful of our true home.

Author: Phil Christman

 

https://woh.org/

Kids 4 Truth

Kids 4 Truth International – Jesus Justifies

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“Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.” (Isaiah 53:10-11)

Highlights magazine has a sort of comic strip storyline with two characters, brothers named “Goofus” and “Gallant.” In the story, Goofus and Gallant are always faced with choices about things – things like helping their mother, obeying a “No Swimming” sign, or what to do on a test when they do not know the correct answer.

Somehow, Gallant always chooses to do the noble, wise, and good thing. He helps his mom with a sweet attitude. He does not go swimming in the wrong zones. And he would never cheat on a test.

But Goofus always manages to get himself in trouble. How? Well, he always chooses the easy, fun, and foolish way out of any situation. If he has an opportunity to cheat on his test, he probably will think, “It’s just for this one time” or maybe “I already know the right answer; I just forget!” If he sees a “No Swimming” sign, he will tell himself that the sign is for little kids, or for really bad swimmers, or just against swimming at certain times of the day. Goofus is quick to think of reasons why what he wants to choose is also what he should choose. Then he goes swimming, against the sign, and gets hurt, or he cheats on his test and gets suspended from school.

When we are tempted to think like Goofus does about sin, it is called “rationalizing” or “justifying” ourselves. We want our decisions to be rational (to make sense), and we want them to be just (right and good). But we also want what we want! So we fool ourselves into thinking that sin is reasonable and makes sense. We talk ourselves into calling sin something other than “sin.” We want a way to make our wrong decisions be right!

Continue reading Kids 4 Truth International – Jesus Justifies →

The Navigators

The Navigators – Jerry Bridges – Holiness Day by Day Devotional – Deeper Longing

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Today’s Scripture: Philippians 3:10

“That I may know him and the power of his resurrection.”

As we concentrate on growing in our reverence and awe for God and in our understanding of his love for us, we will find that our desire for him will grow. As we gaze upon his beauty, we’ll desire to seek him even more. And as we become progressively more aware of his redeeming love, we’ll want to know him in a progressively deeper way. But we can also pray that God will deepen our desire for him. I recall reading Philippians 3:10 a number of years ago and realizing a little bit of the depth of Paul’s desire to know Christ more intimately. As I read I prayed, “O God, I cannot identify with Paul’s longing, but I would like to.” Over the years God has begun to answer that prayer. By his grace I know experientially to some degree Isaiah’s words, “My soul yearns for you in the night; in the morning my spirit longs for you” (Isaiah 26:9, NIV). I’m grateful for what God has done, but I pray I will continue to grow in this desire for him.

In his book Desiring God, John Piper wrote, “[God] loves us and seeks the fullness of our joy that can be found only in knowing and praising him, the most magnificent of all Beings.” One of the wonderful things about God is that he’s infinite in all his glorious attributes, so never in our desire for him will we exhaust the revelation of his person to us. The more we come to know him, the more we’ll desire him. And the more we desire him, the more we’ll want to fellowship with him and experience his presence. And the more we desire him and his fellowship, the more we’ll desire to be like him. (Excerpt taken from The Fruitful Life)

 

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Uncategorized

The Navigators – Leroy Eims – Daily Discipleship Devotional – Salt-Block Christians

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Today’s Scripture: Revelation 20-22

““In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” – Matthew 5:16

In the final paragraph of Revelation, John records these words of Jesus Christ: “The Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come!’ And let him who hears say, ‘Come!’ Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life” (22:17). Here is a threefold invitation given by the Holy Spirit speaking through the Word of God; by the bride of Christ, His church; and by those who have already responded to Christ. To whom is this invitation given? To all who are thirsty.

When I was a kid growing up in Iowa, my dad would scatter large blocks of salt in the pasture where the milk cows grazed. Apparently, these cows needed salt that was not in their grain and hay. Shortly after the cow went to the salt lick, she would head for the water tank. And that is exactly what Jesus Christ wants for His people. If we are salt in the world, the way we live and the words we say should make the nonChristians around us thirsty for God.

I recall a family who wanted to lead one of their friends to Christ. They did all the usual things, even taking him to hear the gospel preached. One week they invited the guy over for dinner. The family did nothing special, just went about as they normally did. The kids were friendly and talkative at the meal, the father led in a prayer of thanksgiving for the food, the kids helped with the dishes, did their homework, and scurried off to bed.

Later that week, the man called and said he had become a Christian. The way the family lived had convinced him of his need for Christ.

Prayer

Lord, help me to be salt in the world, creating thirst for the Living Water. Amen.

To Ponder

My home, my lifestyle, and my responses to the difficulties of life affect how nonChristians perceive their need for Christ.

 

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BreakPoint

BreakPoint – How to Help Others Say ‘No’ to Assisted Suicide

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Yesterday on BreakPoint, I told you about the dangers of physician-assisted suicide laws: How they inevitably turn the “right to die” into the “duty to die,” how these laws lead to the deaths of non-terminally ill patients, and how they threaten the lives of the disabled and the most vulnerable among us.

We must be prepared to talk about these deadly laws with friends and neighbors and persuade them to oppose physician-assisted suicide.

A great place to start is to focus on the definition of words, especially “dignity” and “compassion.” These words are used to great effect by pro-euthanasia forces, but they’ve been redefined. “Dignity” went from meaning worthy of honor and respect to meaning little more than fully affirming one’s lifestyle choices.

But now let’s look at the word “choice.” In the Netherlands last spring, doctors euthanized a young sexual assault victim who suffered from depression and anorexia. Did she “choose” to die, or did her mental state prevent her from choosing to live? According to LifeNews.com, in Oregon, only 5.3 percent of those who request suicide are referred for a psychiatric evaluation—“despite studies showing prevalence of depression in such patients.” In fact, most patients in Oregon who were assisted in their suicide did not list physical pain as the primary reason. A far greater number listed depression instead.

Thus it should alarm all of us that Colorado’s Proposition 106 does not require psychiatric evaluation for patients requesting suicide.

How is it compassionate, we should ask, to refuse to help those whose depression is crippling their ability to face severe physical problems?

Continue reading BreakPoint – How to Help Others Say ‘No’ to Assisted Suicide →

Today in the Word

Moody Global Ministries – Today in the Word – SALVATION LIVING: HUMILITY IN THE HOME

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Read 1 PETER 3:1–7

Contestants from Venezuela have won more international beauty pageants than those from any other country. And beauty pageants have become a big business: some pay more than half their monthly salaries to send their daughters to one of the numerous beauty academies. As one young woman said, “Every girl here dreams of being a ‘Miss.’ . . . When you live in a country where a beautiful woman has greater career prospects than someone with a strong work ethic and first-class education, you are forced into the mindset that there is nothing more important than beauty.”

Peter’s words in today’s reading offer freedom and consolation to all who feel trapped by cultural notions of value and worth. But wait, we might say. How can there be freedom in this exhortation to submit?

Unlike any of the Greek or Roman household codes, Scripture addresses wives directly, affirming their dignity. But Peter does not instruct Christian wives to ignore or undermine their unbelieving husbands. Instead, Peter calls for a humility that follows the example of Christ to inform domestic relationships. Wives were free to choose submission, rather than forced to follow a cultural mandate, as a way to make their Christian faith attractive to their husbands. Peter also notes that the worth and value of wives—and truly, all of us—is found in God, not in the cultural burdens of outward perfection.

Finally, Peter addresses husbands, who held the power and authority in Roman culture. They too are called to humility: they should not abuse their power, but rather treat their wives with respect and kindness (v. 7). Though according to the household codes they had all the privilege, in God’s sight their wives were also heirs of the eternal inheritance (see 1:4).

APPLY THE WORD

Beauty, fame, wealth, power, fashion—these oppress us if we use them to measure our worth. How much better to have the beauty of godly character that will never fade (v. 4), an inheritance in heaven that will never spoil (1:4), and the power of God that guarantees our salvation (1:5). Find freedom from the world’s burdens in Jesus (2:21).

 

http://www.todayintheword.org

Denison Forum

Denison Forum – ‘NATIONAL COMING OUT DAY’—4 WAYS TO RESPOND

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Yesterday was National Coming Out Day. The “Human Rights Campaign” has published a “resource guide to coming out” as well as ways straight people can “demonstrate your support for LGBTQ people and equality worldwide.”

As I have discussed often, the Bible consistently forbids homosexual activity. Not because God hates gay people, but because he loves them. Their Creator wants what is best for them and knows that all sexual relationships outside of heterosexual marriage are damaging to those who engage in them.

My point this morning is not to revisit this issue, but to think with you about ways to relate biblically to LGBTQ people. God’s word has much to say not only about homosexual relationships but also about how best to relate to those who engage in them.

One: Agree with Scripture.

Whenever biblical truth is rejected by society, it is tempting to side with society. As I noted yesterday, only 52 percent of self-identified evangelicals agree strongly with the statement, “Sex outside of traditional marriage is a sin.” As our culture has decided that truth is personal and subjective, many have been persuaded that they can do with their bodies whatever they wish. This ethic affects abortion, sexual activity, euthanasia, and a host of other issues.

But it is still true that “all Scripture is breathed out by God” (2 Timothy 3:16). Neither God’s nature nor his truth have changed. What was wrong when the Bible was inspired is still wrong today. There’s an old saying, “God said it, I believe it, and that settles it.” Actually, we should say, “God said it and that settles it, whether I believe it or not.”

Two: Understand the issue.

Continue reading Denison Forum – ‘NATIONAL COMING OUT DAY’—4 WAYS TO RESPOND →

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – The Meaning of the Cross

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Matthew 27:11-26

The cross—the symbol of Christianity—has great meaning to God. First of all, through Jesus’ death, the Father proclaimed the value of every single human being: He offers forgiveness and eternal life to anyone who places faith in Jesus (Rom. 6:23). Second, it meant a great cost. Holy God separated Himself from His beloved Son while Jesus bore the weight of mankind’s sin. (See Matt. 27:46.) Third, the redemption of man was accomplished. Jesus’ shed blood purchased us from slavery to sin and reconciled us to God (1 Peter 1:18-19).

What’s more, divine justice was carried out on the cross. Scripture tells us that death is the debt owed for sin (Ezek. 18:20). However, God requires an unblemished sacrifice (Deut. 17:1). We could not adequately pay our own penalty because we would only die in our sin. For holy God to forgive us, a sufficient substitute had to be found—one who qualified to pay for our disobedience. Jesus, the only one who was without sin, willingly took our place and assumed responsibility for our debt. All our iniquity—past, present, and future—was placed on Christ, and God’s judgment upon us was carried out against Him.

The meaning of the cross was experienced firsthand by Barabbas, the notorious prisoner who was condemned to die. God’s innocent Son was substituted for him, giving the criminal freedom. Like Barabbas, we’ve had our death sentence commuted, and, though unworthy, we have been set free in Jesus. Today, the cross continues to offer life and freedom to the undeserving.

Bible in One Year: Matthew 25-26

 

 

http://www.intouch.org/

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — Changing Hearts

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Read: Luke 6:27-36

Bible in a Year: Isaiah 37-38; Colossians 3

Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.—Luke 6:36

On the last day of the US Civil War, officer Joshua Chamberlain was in command of the Union army. His soldiers lined up on both sides of the road that the Confederate army had to march down in surrender. One wrong word or one belligerent act and the longed-for peace could be turned to slaughter. In an act as brilliant as it was moving, Chamberlain ordered his troops to salute their foe! No taunting here, no vicious words—only guns in salute and swords raised to honor.

When Jesus offered His words about forgiveness in Luke 6, He was helping us understand the difference between people of grace and people without grace. Those who know His forgiveness are to be strikingly unlike everyone else. We must do what others think impossible: Forgive and love our enemies. Jesus said, “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful” (v. 36).

Imagine the impact in our workplaces and on our families if we were to embrace this principle. If a salute can make armies whole again, what power there must be in Christ’s grace reflected through us! Scripture gives evidence of this in Esau’s embrace of his deceitful brother (Gen. 33:4), in Zacchaeus’s joyful penance (Luke 19:1-10), and in the picture of a father racing to greet his prodigal son (Luke 15).

With the grace of Christ, may we let this be the final day of bitterness and dispute between our enemies and us. —Randy Kilgore

Lord, we know how the gentle power of forgiveness can bring healing in relationships. Grant us the courage to end our conflicts by Your grace.

Anger almost always vanishes in the face of grace.

INSIGHT: We often think of forgiving someone as no longer holding resentment for a past wrong. This is a central definition of forgiveness in the New Testament. However, Luke 6:34-35 records a different meaning, that of forgiving business loans. The understanding we gain from the Old Testament about forgiveness becomes central to the context for Jesus’s audience. Yahweh, Jehovah God, had mandated the Year of Jubilee, a seventh-year fiscal readjustment. During this time, indebted workers found financial relief. “In this Year of Jubilee everyone is to return to their own property” (Lev. 25:13). Scholars believe the Year of Jubilee had an impact on lending to needy farmers. When this time of forgiveness of loans became imminent, those with the means to lend money were reluctant to do so because they feared not receiving repayment. Dennis Fisher

 

http://www.odb.org

Ravi Zacharias

Ravi Zacharias Ministry – Who Is Blessed

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Early in his ministry, according to Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus preached a very public sermon. This sermon, unlike any other, has not only been a great treasure of literature, but also stands as the foundation of Jesus’s teaching ministry. The introductory illustration of this famous sermon given on a mountainside is a collection of sayings by Jesus about who is blessed in the kingdom of God. They are called the “Beatitudes.”

These beatitudes spoken by Jesus have been widely admired across religious, political, and social realms. Persons as diverse as Jimmy Carter, Gandhi, and the rock musician, Sting, have all quoted these sayings of Jesus. Indeed, Dallas Willard notes, “[A]long with the Ten Commandments, the twenty-third psalm, and the Lord’s prayer…[the Beatitudes] are acknowledged by almost everyone to be among the highest expressions of religious insight and moral inspiration.”(1)

The exact nature of this religious insight and moral inspiration has been the subject of numerous biblical commentaries and writings.  Biblical commentator, Craig Keener notes that there are more than 36 discrete views about the sermon’s message.(2) Perhaps the difficulties in interpretation lie with the implications of the Beatitudes themselves. As one author notes, the Beatitudes are “a statement of the world turned upside down, where those who mourn are comforted rather than abandoned or merely pitied, where those who hunger and thirst for righteousness are satisfied, not ignored or shouted down, where the meek inherit the earth rather than being ground into dust.”(3) In other words, much is at stake. A world “turned upside down” serves as inspiration to some and bad news for others. Indeed, Luke’s account of the sermon adds a series of four-fold “woes” for those who have contributed to mourning, humiliation, and injustice (Luke 6:17-26).

The first beatitude of Jesus concerns those “poor in spirit.” I remember thinking when I was younger whether being a follower of Jesus, as one ‘poor in spirit’ included depression or a perpetual frown. In fact, the poor in spirit, according to various commentators, includes the dispossessed, depressed and abandoned ones. In Jesus’s society, these were the persons without hope in this world, persons who believed they were forgotten and left behind. In every way, these were the ones who recognized that they had nothing to offer God in terms of the spiritual requirements of their religious traditions. They were the spiritually destitute. In the ancient world, poverty was often viewed as a spiritual curse whereas riches and prosperity were seen as divine blessing. Poverty and calamity were understood as the results of wrong behavior, as we see in the story of Job. Job’s friends assumed he had done something wrong to bring on his suffering.

Continue reading Ravi Zacharias Ministry – Who Is Blessed →

John MacArthur

John MacArthur – Strength for Today – Dead to Sin

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“How shall we who died to sin still live in it?” (Romans 6:2).

In Christ, believers are dead to sin.

As a pastor, I frequently encounter people who profess to be believers, yet are living in all kinds of vile sins. The incongruity of people claiming to be believers while living in constant, unrepentant sin was not lost on the apostle Paul. In Romans 6:1 he asked the rhetorical question, “Are we to continue in sin that grace might increase?” In verse 2 he answered his own question by exclaiming “May it never be!”—the strongest, most emphatic negation in the Greek language. It expressed Paul’s horror and outrage at the thought that a true Christian could remain in a constant state of sinfulness. For a person to claim to be a Christian while continuing in habitual sin is absurd and impossible.

Paul goes on in verse 2 to explain why believers cannot continue to live in sin, asking, “How shall we who died to sin still live in it?” His point is that believers, at salvation, died to sin. Therefore, they cannot live in a constant state of sinfulness, because it is impossible to be both dead and alive at the same time. Those who continue in unrepentant sin thereby give evidence that they are spiritually dead, no matter what they may claim.

Unbelievers are “dead in [their] trespasses and sins” (Eph. 2:1), walking “according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience” (v. 2). Believers, on the other hand, have been “delivered . . . from the domain of darkness, and transferred . . . to the kingdom of His beloved Son” (Col. 1:13).

Christians no longer live in the realm of sin, though they still commit sins.

Having a proper understanding of the believer’s relationship to sin is foundational to progressing in holiness. Take comfort today in the reality that sin, though still dangerous, is a defeated foe.

Suggestions for Prayer

  • Praise God who, because of His mercy and love, made us alive together with Christ (Eph. 2:4-5).
  • Ask Him to help you walk worthy of that high calling (Eph. 4:1).

For Further Study

Read the following passages: John 8:31; 2 Cor. 13:5; James 2:14-26. Is every profession of faith in Jesus Christ genuine? Explain.

 

http://www.gty.org

Wisdom Hunters

Wisdom Hunters – When You Know There Has to Be Something More

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The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life and have it to the full.   John 10:10

Many of us go through times when bible reading seems dry and we may think, “There has got to be something more.” At these times, one reason we may have parched souls is because we have been gathering biblical information rather than communing with the Savior. Perhaps, as G.K. Chesterton said, our religion has become more about theology, and less about a love affair with Jesus.

When we consistently reduce time in the Word to instructional sessions, rather than a way to experience Christ, a dryness will settle into our souls. Christianity is not meant to be a self-improvement program; it’s about an intimate relationship with the Savior—the God who loves you, made you, knows the thoughts and attitudes of your heart, and desires to intimately commune with you. Abundant life is found in living life with Him, not just knowing about Him.

“For the Word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12).

The devil wants to drive a wedge in Christ’s love relationship with you. Others will tell you that you cannot experience intimacy with Him. They may not know Him, or they may profess to know Him, but only live by religion and false intimacy. They will have a form of godliness but deny its power (2 Timothy 3:5). They will tell you God no longer speaks to His people, or they will try to draw you away from Him through worldly lusts so that you start living like an orphan and become just like them. But God has called you to intimacy.

The world wants to put God in a box they can understand. The worldly mind cannot understand what the spiritual mind understands (1 Corinthians 2:14). Others will deny the intimacy you can have with God because they have not experienced it themselves. Living by religious rules without knowing Christ is easier because they can put Him in a box.

Continue reading Wisdom Hunters – When You Know There Has to Be Something More →

Turning Point

Today’s Turning Point with David Jeremiah – Remnants

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And the remnant who have escaped of the house of Judah shall again take root downward, and bear fruit upward.

2 Kings 19:30

Recommended Reading

Isaiah 10:20-23

Remnant stores are almost a thing of the past. These are shops that specialize in bits of cloth helpful to those who make their own clothes or need patchwork pieces for quilts. The word “remnant” has to do with bits, pieces, and fragments that are left over. A good seamstress can do a lot with remnants.

God can do a lot with remnants, too. In the Bible, the word “remnant” often referred to what was left of a community following a catastrophe. After the Babylonian captivity, for example, a remnant of Jewish people returned to the Promised Land. There by God’s grace, they took root downward and bore fruit upward.

In our world today, Christians often feel they represent the remnants of godliness in our communities. But by God’s grace we can take root downward and bear fruit upward. Wherever there is a remnant that serves the Lord, there is hope.

Remnant stores may be few and far between, but remnant stories are abundant among God’s people. Don’t worry if you’re in the majority or minority, if you’re popular or alone. Just take root downward and God will make you fruitful where you are.

No matter how wicked the world scene may appear, God always has a remnant that is faithful to Him. Sometimes that remnant is small, but God is always great.

Warren Wiersbe, in The Wiersbe Bible Commentary

Read-Thru-the-Bible

Matthew 25 – 26

 

http://www.davidjeremiah.org/

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Do What You Can Do

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And there was a man called Zacchaeus, a chief tax collector, and [he was] rich. And he was trying to see Jesus, which One He was, but he could not on account of the crowd, because he was small in stature. —Luke 19:2-3

You can’t add anything to your life by worrying. I enjoy people who don’t worry but are confident and really know who they are in Christ. That is why Zacchaeus is one of my favorite people in the Bible (see Luke 19).

Jesus was coming to town, and Zacchaeus wanted to see Jesus, but he was so short he couldn’t see over all the people in the huge crowd. I love what he did. He didn’t go sit down and have a pity party. Instead, he ran up ahead and climbed up in a sycamore tree. When Jesus came by He said, “Zacchaeus, come on down here. I’m going to your house for dinner!”

Instead of whining about what he thought was a problem in his life, Zacchaeus had a positive attitude about it. Instead of worrying about what he couldn’t do, he found something he could do. And God so loved that spirit of determination that He said, “Of all these people, I am going to go home with you!”

Stop worrying about what you can’t do. Stop comparing yourself to everybody else and wishing you were them and being jealous and envious of them. Whatever your inabilities are, say to them, “It is what it is. And I’m going to deal with it. Whatever I don’t have, God is going to make it up to me in another way.”

I like to talk; I am a good communicator and it is working out really well. I’ve got a lot of good common sense and some business sense and I’m good at managing people, but mainly I talk. I encourage you to start using the abilities that you do have, and don’t be concerned about the ones you don’t have.

Trust in Him: If you’ve already wasted much of your life worrying or comparing or complaining, make a decision today that you are going to trust God instead. Do what you can do and trust Him to do the rest.

 

From the book Trusting God Day by Day by Joyce Meyer.

 

http://www.joycemeyer.org

Girlfriends in God

Girlfriends in God – When God Calls Your Name

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Today’s Truth

But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.

1 Corinthians 1:27

Friend to Friend

What are you going to do when God calls your name?

When He taps you on the shoulder and says, “Hey girl, now’s the time”?

There was a kid in the Bible who had the right idea. Let me introduce you to him.

See, there was this prophet named Samuel, and God told him to go to Jesse’s house to appoint the next King of Israel. So, “Samuel did what the Lord said” (1 Sam. 1:4). (By the way, that’s always a great way to start your day!)

He traveled to Jesse’s house in Bethlehem and asked to see his sons. When they paraded by for inspection, Samuel was very impressed with the eldest right away. Eliab was tall, dark, and handsome.

But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart” (1 Sam. 16:7).

Then Jesse called Abinadab and had him pass in front of Samuel. But Samuel said, “The Lord has not chosen this one either.” Seven sons. Seven rejections. I’m sure Samuel was scratching his head about this time. Confused, he turned to Jesse and asked, “Is this all your sons?”

Then, as if it were an after thought, Jesse mutters, “Oh yeah, I do have another son. I forgot all about him. His name is David—my youngest. He’s out taking care of the sheep.”

Samuel then said, “Send for him; we will not sit down until he arrives.” They didn’t take a knee, take a seat, or take a break. They stood and waited with the Jeopardy theme song playing in the background.

And in walks young David—a smelly, inexperienced, unqualified kid who was probably around thirteen years old.

Continue reading Girlfriends in God – When God Calls Your Name →

Ray Stedman

Ray Stedman – Complacency

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Read: 1 Corinthians 4:8-21

Already you have all you want! Already you have become rich! You have begun to reign — and that without us! How I wish that you really had begun to reign so that we also might reign with you! 1 Corinthians 4:8

The seat of the problem at Corinth was their love of human wisdom, their hunger for the approval of the world, and the pride they took in their own accomplishments that they felt merited that approval. There were several things Paul saw in Corinth that told the story for him: He had seen the divisions among them. Here was a congregation split up into little cliques gathering around certain teachers. Then they were telling everyone how great a church they were, how tremendous were their meetings, and taking credit for it themselves as though it were something they had thought of and planned and worked out. There was jealous strife and infighting in the congregation and the leadership, and finally, there was this complacent spirit. There were a lot of exciting things going on, but they had a complacency and smug satisfaction with being the way they were.

What do complacent Christians look like? Paul indicates it is a sense that they have arrived. You meet people like that today. There are some who seem to feel as though they have it made; they have learned the whole truth; there is nothing you can tell them that they have not already learned; they think of themselves as rich.

There are a lot of things that can give a Christian a sense of being rich and make him complacent. At Laodicea it was because of material possessions. We are increased with goods, they said, and have need of nothing. We have a tremendous budget; we have plenty of money; we can do what we want; we do not even need God any more, (Revelation 3:17). They were priding themselves on how affluent they were and that gave them a sense of complacency so that the Lord had to say to them, You have no idea what you are really like — you are poor and blind, pitiable and naked, and spiritually poverty-stricken. Affluence can do that to a church.

Continue reading Ray Stedman – Complacency →

Words of Hope

Words of Hope – Daily Devotional – Stigma Isn’t Guilt

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Read: Acts 28

They said to one another, “No doubt this man is a murderer.” (v. 4)

Paul showed up in Rome after many adventures, only to find that local religious authorities hadn’t even heard of the controversy surrounding him. Acts closes with Paul under house arrest. But first, a short episode (vv. 1-11) shows us a deep-seated pattern in human behavior, and also the Bible’s characteristic response to that pattern.

The kindly Maltese were probably already inclined to believe that Paul, like the other prisoners who had washed ashore with him, was potentially dangerous. When a snake attacked Paul, it seemed to confirm their suspicions. We want to believe that “bad” people “get what they deserve.” Then when Paul shook off any fatal effect, the islanders deified him. This is the other side of the coin: we are always quick to believe in the supernatural goodness of those who defy misfortune. Both responses come from our desire to think both good and bad outcomes can be controlled by our behavior. By showing these assumptions being applied to a man who had constantly flung attention away from himself and onto his Lord, and who once called himself the “chief of sinners” (1 Tim. 1:15), the text points up their absurdity.

Like the islanders, we tend to view prisoners either as threatening evildoers or mistreated innocents. What they are is people, windblown and beaten by life, whom God has called us to visit in their distress.

Prayer:

Lord, make us willing to befriend the needy, even when they bear the stigma of guilt.

Author: Phil Christman

 

https://woh.org/