Tag Archives: religion

Ravi Zacharias

Ravi Zacharias Ministry – In Creation’s Praise

Leave a comment

Ravi Z

In a volume of world history authored by a team of forty professors at a respected university, one of the professors of geology flatly states, “We reject the miraculous.”(1)

Ravi Zacharias recalls a professor of his, a quantum physicist, describing what the first few microseconds of the creation of the universe would have looked like. He described in great detail the how contraction and expansion ratio had to be so precise and the margin of error so small. And he added that the exactness demanded of that moment was such that it would be the equivalent of taking aim at a one square inch object twenty billion light years away and hitting it bull’s eye.

What can we call this if not wondrous? Can we legitimately reject the miraculous in such a description?

There is a growing trend to view science on one side of reality and any matter of faith operating in another sphere, biased and unrelated. Science is seen as concerned with matter and reason, while faith appeals subjectively and only to the spirit. The divide is a wound felt on both sides.

To think about the fantastic glory of the universe at our front door is to confront the marvels of that creation. It is to ask questions that are both profoundly earth-bound and physical and deeply transcendent. We are far more than matter explained and demystified. There is a beauty in human relationships, wonder in the giftedness of the human mind, mystery in the movement of life and death. Yet somehow we have reduced the notion of mystery as a problem to be solved, and wonder has become something of a relic beside anything that can be explained.

In his autobiography, Charles Darwin alludes to the phenomenon of life when void of wonder. When his theories of evolution had become entrenched into his consciousness, consuming both his time and his thoughts, Darwin noted that he lost all interest in the arts and in music. When the focus of life became the mechanization of it all, the romance of life was drained of all usefulness. This seems to us at once a sad and dreary existence, but why?

Do our explanations of reality speak to the notion of beauty? Or value? Or meaning? If we simply hold onto the impersonal mechanics, why do we have any desire to be personal? To be loved? To be known? Beauty and wonder seem somehow built into life, and when we take them away, life becomes something less.

Few have captured the pull of a transcendent wonder more eloquently than Henry van Dyke, later put to the music of Beethoven. The lyric magnificently proclaims the God behind a creation that invites us to join in:

All Thy works with joy surround Thee,

earth and heaven reflect Thy rays;

stars and angels sing around Thee,

center of unbroken praise;

field and forest, vale and mountain,

flowery meadow, flashing sea,

singing bird and flowing fountain

call us to rejoice in Thee.(2)

Wonder surrounds us, calling us to join in creation’s praise.

The psalmist invites far more than a faith removed from the world of matter. We are invited to join it in mystery and beauty, in praise and wonder of God. “Open your mouth and taste, open your eyes and see—how good God is. Blessed are you who run to him.”(3) When you consider the earth and the heavens, wonder is not obscure or forgotten, mystery is not a problem to be solved. But beauty and splendor are crammed into everything God has brought into being, and the chorus of all creation’s praise is one in which we are right to run and join.

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

(1) John A. Garraty and Peter Gay, eds., The Columbia History of the World (New York:  Harper, 1972), 14.

(2) Joyful, Joyful We adore Thee, words by Henry Van Dyke, 1852-1933, music by Ludwig van Beethoven, 1770-1827.

(3) Cf. Psalm 34.

Alistair Begg

Alistair Begg – Objects of Divine Satisfaction

Leave a comment

Alistair Begg

He has blessed us in the beloved.  Ephesians 1:6

What a state of privilege! It includes our justification before God, but the term “blessed” in the Greek means more than that. It signifies that we are the objects of divine satisfaction, even of divine delight. How marvelous that we-worms, mortals, sinners-should be made the objects of divine love!

But it is only “in the Beloved.” Some Christians seem to be accepted in their own experience-at least that is their apprehension. When their spirit is lively and their hopes bright, they think God accepts them, for they feel so high, so heavenly-minded, so drawn above the earth! But when their souls cleave to the dust, they are the victims of the fear that they are no longer accepted. If they could only see that all their high joys do not exalt them, and all their low despondencies do not really depress them in their Father’s sight, but that they stand accepted in One who never alters. This One is always the beloved of God, always perfect, always without spot or wrinkle or any such thing. How much happier they would be, and how much more they would honor the Savior if they could grasp Him!

Rejoice then, believer, in this: You are blessed “in the Beloved.” You look within, and you say, “There is nothing acceptable here!” But look at Christ, and see if everything is not acceptable there. Your sins trouble you; but God has cast your sins behind His back, and you are accepted and blessed in the Righteous One. You have to fight with corruption and wrestle with temptation, but you are already accepted in Him who has overcome the powers of evil. The devil tempts you, but be of good cheer-he cannot destroy you, for you are accepted in Him who has broken Satan’s head.

Know by full assurance your glorious standing. Even glorified souls are not more accepted than you are. They are only blessed in heaven “in the Beloved,” and you are even now blessed in Christ after the same manner.

 

 

Charles Spurgeon

Charles Spurgeon – Struggles of conscience

1 Comment

CharlesSpurgeon

“How many are mine iniquities and sins? Make me to know my transgression and my sin.” Job 13:23

Suggested Further Reading: John 8:21-47

“Tell me how I can feel the need of my Saviour.” The first advice I give you is this: Particularise your sins. Do not say “I am a sinner;” it means nothing; everybody says that. But say this, “Am I a liar? Am I a thief? Am I a drunkard? Have I had impure thoughts? Have I committed unclean acts? Have I in my soul often rebelled against God? Am I often angry without a cause? Have I a bad temper? Am I covetous? Do I love this world better than the world to come? Do I neglect prayer? Do I neglect the great salvation?” Put these questions and you will soon convict yourself much more readily as being a sinner. I have heard of a hypocritical old monk who used to whine out, while he whipped his back as softly as he could, “Lord, I am a great sinner, as big a sinner as Judas;” and when someone said, “Yes that you are—you are like Judas, a vile old hypocrite,” then he would say, “No I am not.” Then he would go on again, “I am a great sinner.” Some one would say, “You are a great sinner, you broke the first commandment;” and then he would say, “No I have not.” Then when he would go on and say, “I am a great sinner,” some one would say, “Yes, you have broken the second commandment,” and he would say, “No I have not;” and the same with the third and the fourth, and so on right through. So it came to pass he had kept the whole ten according to his own account, and yet he went on crying he was a great sinner. The man was a hypocrite, for if he had not broken the commandments, how could he be a sinner at all? You will find it better not to dwell on your sins as a whole, but to pen them, count them over, and look at them individually, one by one.

For meditation: Christ did not die for a theoretical concept of sin, but for actual sins committed by practising sinners (Matthew 1:21; 26:28; 1 Corinthians 15:3; Galatians1:4; Hebrews 1:3; 9:28; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 2:2; Revelation 1:5).

Sermon no. 336

23 September (1860)

 

 

John MacArthur

John MacArthur – Taking the Offensive

1 Comment

John MacArthur

“Take . . . the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Eph. 6:17).

All the armor Paul lists in Ephesians 6 is defensive, with one exception: the sword of the Spirit. That’s your offensive weapon for defeating Satan.

We’ve seen that Roman soldiers carried two swords: the large broadsword and the small dagger. The Greek word translated “sword” in verse 17 refers to the dagger, which was anywhere from six to eighteen inches in length and was carried in a sheath or scabbard at the soldier’s side.

The dagger was a common weapon. The Roman soldiers who arrested Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane were each armed with one (Matt. 26:47). Peter used one to cut off the ear of the high priest’s servant (Matt. 26:51). A dagger was used to kill James, the brother of John (Acts. 12:2). Hebrews 11:37 tells us that such a weapon was used against the heroes of the faith.

“The sword of the Spirit” isn’t a direct reference to the Holy Spirit as such. The implications is that since our enemy is spiritual, our weapons also must be spiritual (2 Cor. 10:4). Our sword is spiritual because it is the Word given by the Holy Spirit. He inspired its writing and through it convicts and redeems sinners (John 16:8; Heb. 4:12-13). The Word abides in you and transforms you. It supplies everything you need for a godly, victorious life. It builds you up and produces holiness (Acts 20:32). And it equips you for good works by teaching, reproving, correcting, and training you in righteousness (2 Tim. 3:16).

The Bible is a powerful and effective weapon. The question is, Do you know how to use it? Do you diligently study it and apply its principles to your life? Do you have a storehouse of biblical truth to draw from in the heat of battle?

The Roman dagger was a precision weapon aimed at a specific spot to produce a specific result. Similarly, the sword of the Spirit is most effective when you apply specific biblical principles to specific situations in your life. Do you do that?

Suggestions for Prayer:

Ask God to increase your desire to know His Word.

Ask for wisdom in applying what you already know to the decisions and situations you’ll face today.

For Further Study:

Read 1 Peter 1:22–2:3. How are believers to approach the Word?

 

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Enjoy the Power to Love Others

Leave a comment

Joyce meyer

So speak and so act as [people should] who are to be judged under the law of liberty [the moral instruction given by Christ, especially about love].—James 2:12

It can be difficult to grasp the idea of the “law of liberty,” because law and liberty seem to be worlds apart: A law says one thing, while liberty says another. I believe the law of liberty spoken of in James 1:25 refers to the freedom of self control, because God puts a new heart in us that wants to obey His law of love.

5r4With this new heart that Jesus gave you, you have the ability to be led of the Spirit, who gives you the power and freedom to love others. Enjoy your day by allowing the Lord to love others through you.

 

Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – He’s in the Midst

Leave a comment

dr_bright

“For where two or three gather together because they are Mine, I will be right there among them” (Matthew 18:20).

What better proof is there of the fact that Jesus is God, that He is omnipresent? As you and I gather with our little groups – whether two or three, or 200 – Jesus is there in the midst. And at the same time that wonderful promise applies to similar groups in Africa, Israel, China and anywhere else!

This general assertion is made to support the particular promise made to his apostles in verse 19. Those who meet in His name can be sure He is among them.

An omniscient, omnipotent God – and His Son Jesus Christ – are omnipresent (everywhere present at the same time)! What a glorious truth! Let your imagination soar: among the Masai tribe in Kenya, Africa, or the Quechua Indians in Ecuador – if they are meeting in that name which is above every name, even Jesus Christ our Lord, He is right there meeting with them.

Equally important, you and one or two friends meeting together in His name can have the assurance that He is right there meeting with you as well. And you can feel His presence – especially as you acknowledge the fact that He is there and begin to worship Him for who and what He is.

Joy of joys, God and Jesus Christ who meet with missionaries and national believers on the field and with church leaders in their councils also meet with you and me today.

Bible Reading: Acts 20:32-28

TODAY’S ACTION POINT: I will look for new opportunities to invoke His presence in my midst by fellowshipping with other believers in His name.

 

Presidential Prayer Team

Presidential Prayer Team; J.R.- Model Citizens

Leave a comment

ppt_seal01

“Children observe and learn from how you operate with boundaries in your own world,” say Henry Cloud and John Townsend in their book, Boundaries with Kids. “They watch how you treat them, your spouse, and your work. And they emulate you, for good or for bad.” The prophet Jeremiah was saying much the same thing to the Nation of Israel. The children observed and remembered their parents’ worship of idols such as the Asherim– and the children later emulated the blasphemous practice.

Their children remember their altars and their Asherim, beside every green tree and on the high hills.

Jeremiah 17:2

“We may not be able to prepare the future for our children,” President Franklin D. Roosevelt once said, “but we can at least prepare our children for the future.” What will the younger generation learn from watching your actions? What are you doing to prepare them for the future?

The most important thing you can do is model for them a life of prayer, Godly devotion and sacrifice. As you pray for America’s leaders today, be sure to also pray for tomorrow’s leaders, asking God to give you opportunities to come beside them also, to demonstrate a living example of faithfulness.

Recommended Reading: Psalm 145:1-9

Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – Keep Praying!

Leave a comment

greglaurie

“And so I tell you, keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.” —Luke 11:9–10

Part of the problem with our prayers is that we give up too soon. We simply assume that it must not be God’s will: “I prayed four times for an awakening to come to America, and it didn’t happen, so it must not be God’s will.”

The early church prayed—and then kept on praying. They continued to bring their need before the Lord. This is one reason their prayer for Peter’s release from prison was answered.

But what about those times when our prayers are not answered? Sometimes we will pray for something and God won’t give us what we want. We will say, “God didn’t answer my prayer.” Actually, He did. He said no. And no is an answer.

Sometimes God says no. Sometimes God says slow. Sometimes God says go. And sometimes God says grow.

The apostle Paul had what he described as a “thorn in the flesh,” some kind of a physical infirmity. He prayed three times for God to take it away. But essentially God’s answer to Paul was grow. He was saying, “I’m leaving it in your life because it will cause you to grow spiritually.”

Then there was Moses, who wanted to deliver the Israelites out of the bondage of Egypt. Let’s just say he was a little early. He took matters into his own hands and made a mess of things. God said to him, in effect, slow. He sent him out to the wilderness to whip him into shape. God made him into the man He wanted him to be.

But sometimes God says go. You will pray about it, and God says yes, let’s go now. You pray, and it’s done. Sometimes that happens.

So keep praying. Keep seeking. Keep asking. That is what the Bible tells us to do.

 

Max Lucado

Max Lucado – Trust His Training

Leave a comment

Max Lucado

Each day has a pop quiz!  And some seasons are like final exams. Brutal, sudden pitfalls of stress, sickness, or sadness. What’s the purpose of the test?  James 1:3-4 says, “For when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow.  So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be strong in character and ready for anything.”

Test, test, test! This chapter in your life may look like rehab, smell like unemployment, sound like a hospital, but you’re in training. God hasn’t forgotten you, just the opposite. He has chosen to train you. Forget the notion that God doesn’t see your struggle. Quite the contrary. God is fully engaged. He is the Potter, we are the clay.  He’s the Shepherd, we’re the sheep.  He’s the Teacher, we’re the students. Trust His training. You’ll get through this!

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – A Strong Servant of God, Part I

1 Comment

Charles Stanley

How do you know if you are a strong believer? Among other things, you willingly serve God and other people. In other words, you are obedient to the Father’s commands, and—following His leading—you respond to people in need. Although this description will characterize strong believers, God desires for all of His children to be His servants.

As Christians, we are called to a life of serving God and others.

Most people are more than willing to let others do dirty, uncomfortable, and difficult tasks. Those without Christ may at times manipulate circumstances and hurt other people to get the positions they desire and avoid having to serve anyone.

But as followers of Jesus, we are called to be different from the world. Our Lord said, “Whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave; just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve” (Matt. 20:27-28). These were shocking words to people oppressed by Rome, and they are no less surprising today. Human nature wants to be first, not last. We enjoy being in control.

Consider the powerful example our Lord set for us while He walked this earth. At the Last Supper, He willingly washed the disciples’ feet—something usually done by the lowest servant in the household—to demonstrate how they should treat each other. Even more significantly, He laid down His life in the ultimate act of service so that you and I can have fellowship with the Father (Matt. 20:28).

Following Jesus’ example, Paul, Timothy, James, and Peter—leaders of the early church—referred to themselves as bondservants or slaves of Christ. In their letters to the churches, they chose not to emphasize their leadership positions, but focused instead on humility and service to the Lord.

What does all this mean for today’s believer? As God’s people, we no longer have the right to live our lives as we please. We were saved, in part, to become servants of the one true God (Heb. 9:14). You and I are called to serve the Lord in whatever ways He leads us. Thankfully, Christ does not expect us to serve Him in our own strength.

Jesus, who lives within us, wants to empower us to serve God.  

Have you ever felt too weak to serve God? Maybe you feel needy or inadequate, and wonder how you could possibly be a blessing to someone else. It might surprise you to learn that you don’t have to feel strong to be a good servant of the Lord. No one is strong enough to serve God in his own ability.

The Holy Spirit wants to equip you to be an excellent servant of God. Whatever the Lord calls you to do, He will enable you to do it. He will provide for you, energize you, strengthen you, direct you, and give you wisdom and guidance. In the following verses, notice the emphasis on God working through us: “It is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure” (Phil. 2:13) and “Faithful is He who calls you…He also will bring it to pass” (1Thess. 5:24).

Another way to say this is Jesus wants to live His life through you. In His power, you and I are strong enough to serve the Lord. When He tells you to do something difficult, ask Him to enable you to make the right decision and to strengthen you as you follow His instructions. Christ will be faithful to provide all that you need to be obedient.

Our real master (or boss) is God, no matter whom we are serving humanly speaking.

Paul encouraged us, “Do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve” (Col. 3:23-24). When you trust God to reward you for your service to an earthly boss, your perspective on work will be transformed.

Knowing you are working for the Lord should affect…

  • Your attitude toward authority. Regardless of how your supervisors treat you, you should respect them, obey them, and act righteously. (Of course, if they ask you to do something unethical, illegal, or immoral, you must instead follow what God teaches in His Word.)
  • The quality of your service. If you knew Jesus was going to be at your office tomorrow morning, you would probably not show up late, groan about your assignments, or put off your workload. Instead of complaining, you would tackle your tasks energetically and with excellence. As servants of the living God, we need to strive to do our best on every assignment. 
  • Your motivation. We should never take a job without first confirming it is God’s perfect will for us at that time. When you are sure the Lord has called you to do a certain job, you will have an easier time doing it with all your heart. Think of your work as an opportunity to show your love for God. This will motivate you to do your best out of love for Him, rather than duty or the desire to get ahead.

As believers, we are called to serve the Most High God. So try to find opportunities in your everyday life to serve Him. You can serve Him as a mother or grandmother, raising children to love the Lord. You can serve as a sanitation worker or a restaurant employee. You can serve him as a CEO or president of a company. When we stand before Jesus one day, it will not matter if we impressed other people. What will matter is whether we did our tasks as unto the Lord. So, whatever He asks you to do, be obedient, serving Him in the power of the Holy Spirit.

 

Continue this study with “A Strong Servant of God, Part II.”

 

 

 

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — The Good And The Bad

Leave a comment

Our Daily Bread

1 Kings 14:7-16

My servant David . . . followed Me with all his heart. —1 Kings 14:8

Recently, I began studying the kings of the Old Testament with some friends. I noticed on the chart that we were using that a few of the leaders of the kingdoms of Israel and Judah are labeled good, but most of them are labeled bad, mostly bad, extra bad, and the worst.

King David is described as a good king who “followed [God] with all his heart” (1 Kings 14:8) and is an example to follow (3:14; 11:38). The bad kings are noted for their willful rejection of God and for leading their subjects into idolatry. King Jeroboam, the first king to rule Israel after the kingdom was divided, has the legacy of being remembered as one of the worst kings—“who sinned and who made Israel sin” (14:16). Because of his bad example, many kings who came after him are compared to him and are described as being as evil as he was (16:2,19,26,31; 22:52).

Each of us has a unique sphere of influence, and that influence can be used for evil or for good. An unfettered faithfulness to God is a light that will shine brightly and leave a legacy of good.

It’s our privilege to bring glory to the Lord. May others see His light shining through us and be drawn to His goodness. —Cindy Hess Kasper

Oh, make me, Lord, so much like Thee,

My life controlled by power divine,

That I a shining light may be

From which Thy grace may ever shine. —Robertson

The smallest light still shines in the darkest night.

Bible in a year: Ecclesiastes 10-12; Galatians 1

Alistair Begg

Alistair Begg – Rejoice in God’s Attributes

Leave a comment

Alistair Begg

Let Israel be glad in his maker.

Psalms 149:2

Rejoice, believer, but take care that your gladness has its spring in the Lord. You have much cause for gladness in God, for you can sing with David, “God my exceeding joy.”1 Be glad that the Lord reigns, that Jehovah is King! Rejoice that He sits on the throne and rules all things!

Every attribute of God should become a fresh ray in the sunlight of our gladness. The fact that He is wise should make us glad, knowing as we do our own foolishness. That He is mighty should cause us who tremble in our weakness to rejoice. That He is everlasting should always be a theme of joy when we know that we wither like grass. That He is unchanging should provide a perpetual song, for we change every hour. That He is full of grace, that He is overflowing with it, and that this grace in covenant He has given to us, that it is ours to cleanse us, ours to keep us, ours to sanctify us, ours to perfect us, ours to bring us to glory-all this should serve to make us glad in Him.

This gladness in God is like a deep river. So far we have only touched its edge; we know a little of its clear sweet, heavenly streams, but further on the depth is greater, and the current more powerful in its joy.

The Christian feels that he may delight himself not only in what God is, but also in all that God has done in the past. The Psalms show us that God’s people in olden times were keen to make much of God’s actions and to have a song concerning each of them. So let God’s people now rehearse the deeds of the Lord! Let them tell of His mighty acts and “sing to the LORD, for he has triumphed gloriously.”2 Let them never cease to sing, for as new mercies flow to them day by day, so their gladness in the Lord’s loving acts of providence and grace should display itself in continued thanksgiving.

Be glad, children of Zion, and rejoice in the Lord your God.

1Psalm 43:4

2Exodus 15:1

 

Charles Spurgeon

Charles Spurgeon – Repentance unto life

Leave a comment

CharlesSpurgeon

“Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life.” Acts 11:18

Suggested Further Reading: Luke 3:1-14

Can they be sincerely penitent, and then go and transgress again immediately, in the same way as they did before? How can we believe you if you transgress again and again, and do not forsake your sin? We know a tree by its fruit; and you who are penitent will bring forth works of repentance. I have often thought it was a very beautiful instance, showing the power of penitence which a pious minister once related. He had been preaching on penitence, and had in the course of his sermon spoken of the sin of stealing. On his way home a labourer came alongside of him, and the minister observed that he had something under his smock-frock. He told him he need not accompany him farther; but the man persisted. At last he said, “I have a spade under my arm which I stole up at that farm; I heard you preaching about the sin of stealing, and I must go and put it there again.” That was sincere penitence which caused him to go back and replace the stolen article. It was like those South Sea Islanders, of whom we read, who stole the missionaries’ articles of apparel and furniture, and everything out of their houses; but when they were savingly converted they brought them all back. But many of you say you repent, yet nothing comes of it; it is not worth the snap of the finger. People sincerely repent, they say, that they should have committed a robbery, or that they have kept a gambling-house; but they are very careful that all the proceeds shall be laid out to their hearts’ best comfort. True repentance will yield “works meet for repentance;” it will be practical repentance. Yet farther. You may know whether your repentance is practical by this test. Does it last or does it not?

For meditation: As with faith, repentance without works is dead. Jesus could tell that the repentance of Zacchaeus was practical and real (Luke 19:8-9).

Sermon no. 44

22 September (Preached 23 September 1855)

John MacArthur

John MacArthur – Dealing with Despair

1 Comment

John MacArthur

“Take the helmet of salvation” (Eph. 6:17).

We’ve seen how Satan attacks believers with his two-edged sword of doubt and discouragement. But he doesn’t stop there. He tries to take you beyond discouragement to despair by robbing you of hope. Unless you’re careful, his attacks will be successful when you’re battle-weary.

The prophet Elijah is an illustration of that truth. The highlight of his ministry came atop Mount Carmel, where he slew 450 prophets of Baal (1 Kings 18:40). Yet immediately after that great victory, he fled for his life because Queen Jezebel threatened to kill him (1 Kings 19:1- 3).

He ran from Mount Carmel into the wilderness of Beersheba, where he “sat down under a juniper tree; and he requested for himself that he might die, and said, ‘It is enough; now, O Lord, take my life, for I am not better than my fathers'” (v. 4). He went on to moan, “I have been very zealous for the Lord, the God of hosts; for the sons of Israel have forsaken Thy covenant, torn down Thine altars and killed Thy prophets with the sword. And I alone am left; and they seek my life, to take it away” (v. 10).

Elijah lost hope because he failed to see his circumstances through the eyes of faith; he was attempting to fight the battle on his own. He allowed himself to become emotionally, physically, and spiritually spent, and became overwhelmed with self-pity. He felt utterly alone.

But God hadn’t abandoned Elijah. He was still in control and His people were numerous (v. 18). But Elijah had, in effect, removed his helmet of salvation and received a near-fatal blow to his confidence in God’s blessing on his life.

There may be times when, like Elijah, you lose your confidence and doubt God’s faithfulness. At such times, putting on the helmet of salvation means taking your eyes off your circumstances and trusting in God’s promises. You may not always sense His presence or understand what He’s doing, but be assured He will never leave you or forsake you (Heb. 13:5) and His purposes will always be accomplished Rom. 8:28).

Suggestions for Prayer:

Praise God for His unchanging character and irrevocable promises.

For Further Study:

Read Isaiah 40:29-31 and Galatians 6:9.

What promises are given in those passages?

In what specific ways do they apply to your life?

 

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Renew Your Mind

Leave a comment

Joyce meyer

Do not be conformed to this world (this age), [fashioned after and adapted to its external, superficial customs], but be transformed (changed) by the [entire] renewal of your mind [by its new ideals and its new attitude], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God, even the thing which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His sight for you].—Romans 12:2

Renewing your mind is not like renewing your driver’s license or library card, which can be done quickly and doesn’t have to be repeated for months or years. Renewing your mind is more like undertaking the job of renewing and refurbishing an old house. It doesn’t happen quickly; it takes time, energy, and effort, and there is always something that needs attention.

Don’t fall into the trap of believing you can renew your mind by thinking right thoughts one time. To get the mind renewed, you will have to think right thoughts over and over again, until they become rooted in your thinking—until right thoughts come to you more easily and naturally than wrong thoughts.

You will have to discipline yourself to think properly, and you will have to guard against falling into old thought patterns, which can happen very easily. When it does, don’t feel bad—just start thinking rightly again. You will eventually come to the place where wrong thoughts make you uncomfortable and they just don’t fit right into your thinking processes any longer.

Let me be quick to say that you should not feel condemned if you are struggling with your thought life right now or if you face struggles in the days to come. Condemnation only weakens you; it never helps you make progress. Anytime we recognize that we are allowing wrong thoughts into our minds, we should ask God to forgive us and continue pressing on toward our goal.

Celebrate every victory because it helps you to not feel overwhelmed by what still remains to be conquered, and remember that God is very patient and long-suffering. He is understanding and will never give up on you.

Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – Power to Witness

Leave a comment

dr_bright

“But ye shall receive power, after the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto Me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth” (Acts 1:8, KJV).

While I was speaking to a group of theological students in Australia, one young man became very angry and argumentative when I emphasized the importance of witnessing for Christ daily as a way of life and explained that disobedient Christians cannot be Spirit-filled. Not to witness for Christ is to disobey our Lord’s specific command. Therefore, any Christian who does not regularly share his faith in Christ cannot walk in the fullness of the Holy Spirit.

“I work day and night to maintain good grades,” he declared, “I don’t have time to witness while in seminary. I can witness after I become a pastor.”

Many Christians make similar excuses for their lack of witness, but none are valid. Some say they do not have the gift of evangelism. Others say they are still preparing for the day when they will be witnesses. Some pastors believe it is the responsibility of their members to witness, and they are to preach and teach the Word. Yet the Bible clearly teaches that all believers are to be witnesses with their lives and with their lips. It is a command of God.

On thousands of occasions we have found that pastors, students and laymen who have never introduced anyone to our Lord become fruitful witnesses when they learn how to live a Spirit-filled life and are taught how to share their faith in Christ with others. The apostle Paul, who was a Spirit-filled witness, shares in Colossians 1:28 how everywhere we go we are to tell everyone who will listen about Christ.

Bible Reading: Luke 24:45-49

TODAY’S ACTION POINT: Today – and every day – I will ask the Holy Spirit to direct me to those whose hearts He has prepared, and to anoint and empower me to speak convincingly, lovingly and effectively of our Savior.

Presidential Prayer Team

Presidential Prayer Team; P.G. – Living in Righteousness

Leave a comment

ppt_seal01

In Isaiah 32, the prophet draws a clear distinction between living with eyes on the Lord and living in complacency. Someone once said that Christians need to live more righteousness-conscious and less sin-conscious; less by focusing on the pathetic sinner you are in your natural state, and more by knowing who you are through Jesus Christ.

Happy are you who sow beside all waters, who let the feet of the ox and the donkey range free.

Isaiah 32:20

Abraham lived some 400 years before the giving of the law, but he focused his life on believing in God and God accounted it to him for righteousness. Call it faith living, not fear living; a grace-focused life instead of a groveling one. Yet faith and grace are not a license to ignore God’s commands and live in disobedience. No! It is the experience of true freedom in Christ Jesus, blessings and liberty, where your desire to please Him keeps you from doing wrong.

How different America would be if more people were to, as Galatians 2:20 instructs, die to self and live by faith. Pray today for the nation’s leaders to find salvation, and then live according to the grace they are given.

Recommended Reading: Isaiah 32:9-20

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – The Purpose of Pain

2 Comments

Charles Stanley

Matthew 16:24-27

“God, if You love me, then why must I endure pain?” This question preoccupies many believers in their darkest hours of need. While pain takes different forms and has different durations, suffering always comes with an objective greater than our comfort, pleasure, or personal goals. If we seek the Lord’s purpose for grief, we will find both His peace and His deep love for us.

Pain instructs. Christ’s sufficiency is more apparent during times of suffering than in the midst of blessing. Discovering God’s faithful provision strengthens our resolve to endure.

Pain purifies. Counterfeit faith cannot withstand hardship’s flames. Like gold in a refiner’s fire, suffering believers experience the burning away of impurities until only things of value remain. Trials bring into focus the truth about the world we live in, the nature of people we meet, and the incomparable worth of our Father.

Pain motivates. Pain drives us to God. How often do we hear testimony from people who discovered Him during their worst trial? In His wisdom, the Lord knows whether we require motivation from blessing or from distress.

Pain opens us to intimacy with God. At the end of our own resources is the Lord’s boundless strength. Running into His arms guarantees us the comfort and energy that is available only through an intimate relationship with the Father.

Living an easy life doesn’t earn rewards. Though our instinct is to sidestep pain, suffering helps us to find intimacy with God and the great purpose He sets for our life.

 

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — A Prize For Peace

Leave a comment

Our Daily Bread

Ephesians 2:11-18

These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. —John 16:33

Alfred Nobel made a fortune from the invention of dynamite, which changed the course of warfare. Perhaps because of the horrors that wars inflicted with the use of dynamite, he made a provision in his will for a prize to be given annually to those who work to promote peace. Today it’s called the Nobel Peace Prize.

God’s expression of peace to the world was His Son. When Jesus was born, the angels’ clear, unmistakable message to the shepherds was “on earth peace, goodwill toward men” (Luke 2:14).

The biblical definition of peace is, first of all, peace with God (Rom. 5:1). Sin makes us enemies with God (v.10), but Jesus’ coming to this earth and dying on the cross turned away God’s wrath. We can now be reconciled with Him. Having put right our relationship with God, Jesus now enables us to work at breaking down the barriers between us and others.

Another kind of peace is having the peace of God (Phil. 4:7). There is no need to be anxious about anything, for we are told that we can make our requests known to Him.

Having brought peace, Jesus is now seated at the right hand of the Father (Heb. 12:2). Today, we can have peace with God and the peace of God. —C. P. Hia

Hark! The herald angels sing,

“Glory to the newborn King;

Peace on earth, and mercy mild—;

God and sinners reconciled!” —Wesley

True peace is not the absence of war; it is the presence of God. —Loveless

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

 

 

Alistair Begg

Alistair Begg – God’s Delight

Leave a comment

Alistair Begg

I will rejoice in doing them good. Jeremiah 32:41

How heartwarming to the believer is the delight that God takes in His saints! We cannot see any reason in ourselves why the Lord should take pleasure in us; we do not even take delight in ourselves, for we often have to groan, being burdened, conscious of our sinfulness and deploring our unfaithfulness. We are fearful that God’s people cannot take much encouragement from us, for they surely can see our many imperfections and our follies, and so be caused to lament our infirmities rather than admire our graces. But we love to dwell upon this transcendent truth, this glorious mystery: As the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so the Lord rejoices over us.

We do not read anywhere that God delights in the cloud-capped mountains or the sparkling stars, but we do read that He delights in the habitable parts of the earth, and that His delights are with the sons of men. We do not even find it written that angels give His soul delight; nor does He say, concerning cherubim and seraphim, “Thou shalt be called Hephzibah . . . for the LORD delighted in thee.”1 But He does say all that to poor fallen creatures like ourselves-debased and depraved by sin, but saved, exalted, and glorified by His grace.

In what strong language He expresses His delight in His people! Who could have conceived of the Eternal One bursting into a song? Yet it is written, “He will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.”2 As He looked upon the world He had made, He said, “It is very good”; but when He looked on those who are the purchase of Jesus’ blood, His own chosen ones, it seemed as if the great heart of the Infinite could restrain itself no longer but overflowed in divine exclamations of joy.

Should we not utter our grateful response to such a marvelous declaration of His love and sing, “I will rejoice in the LORD; I will take joy in the God of my salvation?”3

1Isaiah 62:4 KJV

2Zephaniah 3:17

3Habakkuk 3:18