Tag Archives: religion

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – Satan’s Strategy

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Charles Stanley

John 8:42-47

We who follow Jesus Christ have an enemy, and his name is Satan (Mark 1:13). A created being, Satan is loose in the world but limited in what he can carry out against us (Job 1:12). Many people consider him nothing more than a figment of the imagination, which allows him to work undetected. While he is a defeated foe (John 16:11), he pretends otherwise.

Let’s look at some of Satan’s objectives:

1. To draw us away from God through both direct and subtle means.

2. To thwart God’s purpose in our lives by getting us out of our Father’s will.

3. To deny God His rightful glory and honor, which results from our choosing to live obedient lives.

4. To destroy us in this world.

The Father of Lies (John 8:44) uses falsehood, deceit, and temptation as tools for achieving his goals—and he has chosen our minds as a battleground. Why? Because faulty thinking leads to disobedient behavior, which impedes God’s purposes for us. Erroneous ideas produce vulnerabilities like worry or fearfulness, which Satan can exploit to hinder our spiritual progress.

Although setbacks may occur, believers will not be overcome, because “greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world” (1 John 4:4). Scripture says, “Take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ” (2 Cor. 10:5 niv). Offer a prayer of surrender: “Lord, I offer You complete control over my mind. Reveal any thinking that does not agree with Your Word, and teach me Your truth. Amen.”

 

 

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — Seeing God In Familiar Places

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Our Daily Bread

Isaiah 6:1-6

The whole earth is full of His glory! —Isaiah 6:3

Because of where I live, I’m treated to spectacular displays of the magnificent, creative glory of God. Recently, on a drive through the woods, I was struck with a breath-taking display of deep rich reds and a variety of yellows that decorated the trees of autumn—all artfully arranged against the backdrop of a brilliant blue sky.

And soon, as the temperatures plummet and winter blows in, I’ll be reminded that no two snowflakes are ever the same as they pile on top of one another to create a rolling landscape of pristine white drifts. After that will come the miracle of spring, when that which seemed hopelessly dead bursts into life with buds and blossoms that will grace the meadows with a multiplicity of colors.

Wherever we look in the world around us, we see evidence that “the whole earth is full of His glory!” (Isa. 6:3). What is amazing is that the creation that surrounds us is damaged by sin (see Rom. 8:18-22), yet God has seen fit to grace our fallen landscape with these loving brushstrokes of His creative hand. It serves as a daily reminder that the beauty of His grace covers our sin and that His love for that which is fallen is always available to us. —Joe Stowell

Lord, may we be ever mindful of Your grace and love

in all that surrounds us. Thank You for making Yourself

visible through the beauty of Your creation. Teach us

to look beyond the beauty to see Your hand at work.

Never pass up an opportunity to enjoy nature’s beauty—it’s the handwriting of God.

Bible in a year: Proverbs 27-29; 2 Corinthians 10

 

Ravi Zacharias

Ravi Zacharias Ministry – Freedom to Love

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Ravi Z

An article in Christianity Today magazine caught my attention. Author Philip Yancey had recently completed a speaking and listening tour throughout several countries in the Middle East.(1) Part of his listening included hearing how the “Christian” West is viewed by those living in predominantly Islamic countries. Time and again, he heard a familiar refrain from this part of the world: freedom in the West was equated with decadence. Yancey writes, “Much of the misgiving…for the West stems from our strong emphasis on freedom…where freedom so often leads to decadence.”(2)

Of course, Yancey would quickly acknowledge that the freedom we enjoy in the West is often taken for granted. In general, we are free to do and to be whatever we want. We move unhindered towards the achievement of our own personal freedoms and objectives, without worrying about impediment or coercive control from outside forces. Certainly, we enjoy the privilege of the freedom to move about our country across state borders effortlessly. We have freedoms protected in the Bill of Rights—speech, privacy, worship, and assembly to name a few. Many of us who have financial abundance are able to access freedoms that only money can buy. We are free to think as we want, speak what we want, and do what we want. In comparison with people in other countries, we have freedom with seemingly endless possibilities. Freedom is like the air we breathe.

But what are we to make of this critique from those looking in from the outside? If we were able to see ourselves from their eyes, might we see the way in which freedom is exercised differently? Our association of freedom with doing, being, or saying whatever we want is often cut off from any sense of connection with a larger community. We isolate freedom to the realm of personal freedom, with little constraint or thoughtfulness to corporate consequences or responsibility. We do not often associate our gift of freedom with the opportunity to serve others, but rather understand it as a freedom from constraint.

From the earliest writings of the apostle Paul to the young Christian communities, this question of how to understand freedom emerged. His letters to the Christians at Corinth and Galatia reveal this crucial discussion of personal freedom. He exhorted these early Christians that “all things are lawful, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful, but not all things edify. Let no one seek his or her own good, but that of his or her neighbor….” (1 Corinthians 10:23, 24). In his letter to the Galatians who were tempted to trade freedom for the grip of the law, Paul reminds, “[Y]ou were called to freedom; only do not turn your freedom into and opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself’” (Galatians 5:13-14).

Paul’s understanding of freedom for love and service seems to fly in the face of understanding freedom as doing whatever one wants to do. And while democratic systems rightly deplore the restriction or oppression of human freedom as evidenced in totalitarian regimes and systems, unrestricted freedom—unchecked, unthinking, and often self-centered expressions of freedom—should likewise be deplored. Those who claim to follow Jesus are called to freedom whether or not they live under democratic governments. But the apostle Paul’s wisdom is useful to remind all people that freedom need not simply be an expression of self-interest. Rather, it is a freedom grounded in love for the sake of another.

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

(1) Philip Yancey, “A Living Stream in the Desert” Christianity Today, November 2010, 30-34.

(2) Ibid., 32.

 

Alistair Begg

Alistair Begg – Bring Your Children Today

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Alistair Begg

‘Bring him to me.’

Mark 9:19

Despairingly the poor disappointed father turned away from the disciples to their Master. His son was in the worst possible condition, and all means had failed, but the miserable child was soon delivered from the evil one when the parent in faith obeyed the Lord Jesus’ word, “Bring him to me.”

Children are a precious gift from God, but much anxiety comes along with them. They may be a great joy or a great bitterness to their parents; they may be filled with the Spirit of God or possessed with the spirit of evil. In all cases, the Word of God gives us one prescription for the cure of all their ills: “Bring him to me.”

We need to engage in agonizing prayer on their behalf while they are still babies! Sin is there; so let our prayers begin to attack it. Our cries for our offspring should precede those cries that herald their arrival into a world of sin. In the days of their youth we will see sad evidences of that dumb and deaf spirit that will neither pray properly, nor hear the voice of God in the soul, but Jesus still commands, “Bring him to me.” When they are grown up, they may wallow in sin and foam with enmity against God; then when our hearts are breaking we should remember the Great Physician’s words, “Bring him to me.” We must never cease to pray until they cease to breathe. No case is hopeless while Jesus lives.

The Lord sometimes allows His people to be driven into a corner that they may learn how necessary He is to them. Ungodly children, when they show us our own powerlessness against the depravity of their hearts, drive us to the strong for strength, and this is a great blessing to us. Whatever our morning’s need may be, may it like a strong current carry us to the ocean of divine love. Jesus can soon remove our sorrow; He delights to comfort us. Let us hurry to Him while He waits to meet us.

 

Charles Spurgeon

Charles Spurgeon – A single eye and simple faith

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CharlesSpurgeon

“The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness.” Matthew 6:22,23

Suggested Further Reading: Philippians 3:17-21

God will say to thee, “Take no thought for the morrow, be careful for nothing;” Mammon will say to thee, “Look ahead, be careful for everything;” and when God says to thee, “Give of thy substance to the poor;” Mammon will say, “Hold it tight, it is that giving that spoils everything;” and when God will say unto thee, “Set not thy affections on the things of earth;” Mammon will say, “Get money, get money, get it anyhow;” and when God saith, “Be upright;” Mammon will say, “Cheat thy own father if thou canst win by it.” Mammon and God are at such extreme ends of the earth and so desperately opposed, that I trust, Christian, thou art not such a fool, as to attempt to serve them both. If thou dost thou hast the worldling’s eye, and thou art a worldling thyself. Remember, too, if thou triest to do this we may suspect thee of having the hypocrite’s eye. As Matthew Henry says, “The hypocrite is like the waterman; he pulls this way, but he looks that. He pretends to look to heaven, but he pulls towards his own interest. He says, ‘he looks to Christ,’ but he is always pulling towards his own private advantage. The true Christian, however, is like a traveller; he looks to the goal and then he walks straight on to it; he goes the way he is looking.” Be then not like the hypocrite, who hath this double eye, looking one way and going the other. An old Puritan said, “A hypocrite is like the hawk; the hawk flies upward, but he always keeps his eye down on the prey; let him get up as high as he will, he is always looking on the ground. Whereas, the Christian is like the lark, he turns his eye up to heaven, and as he mounts and sings he looks upward and he mounts upward.”

For meditation: Not looking where you ought to be going can have disastrous consequences (Luke 6:39-42).

Sermon no. 335

17 September (Preached 16 September 1860)

 

 

 

John MacArthur

John MacArthur – Selecting the Proper Shoes

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John MacArthur

“Stand firm . . . having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace” (Eph. 6:14- 15).

I’ll never forget a game that took place at the Rose Bowl during my college football days. Being winter time and late in the football season, the field was in bad shape from several days of rain and an entire season of wear and tear. However, the grounds crew painted the field green, so it looked much better than it actually was. I had two pairs of football shoes: one with long spikes for bad turf and one with short spikes for good turf. Thinking the field looked pretty good, I opted to wear the short spikes.

On the opening kick-off I caught the ball on the four- yard line, took two steps, and immediately landed on my backside. That’s not unusual after a tackle, but in this case there wasn’t an opponent in sight! I slipped in the mud–my shoes betrayed me.

Since proper shoes are important in athletics, how much more so are they when fighting for your life. Roman soldiers took great care in selecting just the right shoe. Typically they wore a thick-soled semi-boot with straps securing it to the leg. On the bottom of the soles were hobnails that protruded like the cleats of a track or baseball shoe. The thick soles protected the feet from injury; the hobnails provided traction when maneuvering on the soil.

The Christian’s spiritual footwear is the “gospel of peace” (Eph. 6:15). Romans 5:1 says, “Having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” God has reconciled you to Himself through the death of His Son (v. 10). Once you were His enemy; now you are His child. Once He opposed you; now He is on your side.

No matter how difficult your circumstances may be or how many opponents come against you, realize that the invincible God of the universe is on your side. He makes war against His enemies (Rev. 2:16), and against Him no one can stand. So stand firm in that confidence. Focus on your Great Ally rather than your feeble enemies.

Suggestions for Prayer:

Thank God for His peace, presence, and protection in your life.

For Further Study:

Read Judges 7. How did Gideon demonstrate his confidence that God was on his side?

 

 

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Timing Is Everything

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Joyce meyer

He who observes the wind [and waits for all conditions to be favorable] will not sow, and he who regards the clouds will not reap.—Ecclesiastes 11:4

Timing truly is everything. In 1984, I began Joyce Meyer Ministries. I labored faithfully and did what I believed God wanted me to do. I had a sense that God had bigger things for me, but for nine years, nothing happened to move me into those “bigger things.”

In 1993, the opportunity came for Dave and me to take Joyce Meyer Ministries onto television. That was exciting, but it was also frightening. If I had given in to my old way of thinking—the negative voices that once filled my mind—I would never have moved forward. I sensed that it was a now-or-never time with God.

As Dave and I prayed, God spoke to me and said He was the One who was opening the door for me. If you don’t take the opportunity now, it will never pass your way again. That same day Dave and I said yes.

Did the hindrances disappear? They did not. In fact, only after we said yes did we realize what a great responsibility we had taken on. For several days, every kind of problem hit my mind as if to taunt me and say, You’re going to fall flat on your face. I didn’t listen to those voices—as powerful as they were. I knew God’s will. I was going to do what the Lord told me to do—regardless of the results.

I share this story with you for two reasons. First, the writer of Ecclesiastes made the same point in a different way. He wrote that if we wait for perfect conditions, we’ll never do anything. We can always find reasons not to obey God.

In fact, sometimes when we say yes to God, the enemy attacks with power to make us change our minds, to arouse doubt and confusion, and to make us wonder, Did God really call me?

The second reason involves timing. When God says “Now!” that’s exactly what God means. There’s a powerful story in the Old Testament that illustrates this. Moses sent twelve spies into Canaan. Ten of the spies saw only obstacles, and the people didn’t want to go into the land. God became angry, and Moses pleaded for Him to forgive the people. He did, but He still said that none of them would go into the land. Instead, all would die in the wilderness. “Moses told [the Lord’s] words to all the Israelites, and [they] mourned greatly” (Numbers 14:39).

That’s not the end of the incident. Early the next morning, the Israelites “…went up to the top of the mountain, saying, Behold, we are here, and we intend to go up to the place which the Lord has promised, for we have sinned” (v. 40).

It was too late. The Lord had given them a chance, and they had turned Him down. It was no longer the right time.

Moses asked, “…Why now do you transgress the command of the Lord…? Go not up, for the Lord is not among you…For the Amalekites and the Canaanites are there before you, and you shall fall by the sword. Because you have turned away from following after the Lord, therefore the Lord will not be with you” (vs. 41–43).

That still wasn’t enough for them. They went anyway, intending to take over the land—the very land God had urged them to take in His time, but not in theirs. Here’s how the story ends: “Then the Amalekites came down and the Canaanites who dwelt in that hill country and smote the Israelites and beat them back, even as far as Hormah” (v. 45).

It’s all in God’s timing. God never says to you or to me, Here’s what I want. Do it when you’re ready. Part of listening to the guidance of the Holy Spirit is hearing the call to act when God wants you to act. The timing is everything, because it’s God’s timing that matters—not yours.

God, it’s so easy to miss Your will by not saying yes at the right time. Through Jesus Christ, I ask You to help me so that I’ll be quick to hear Your voice and just as quick to obey. Amen.

 

Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – The Church Will Prevail

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dr_bright

“You are Peter, a stone; and upon this rock I will build my church: and all the powers of hell shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18).

You and I can truly rejoice: no matter how weak and ineffective our church may seem to be at times, the fact remains that “all powers of hell shall not prevail against it.” Remarkably fulfilled to this date, this promise has the Word of God Himself to back it up.

Sometimes, we see the human frailties of one another in the church – which will always be there – and we forget for the moment the great strengths that are present: the Word of God; fellow believers who are fully committed to the Lord; genuine worship of our heavenly Father.

Primarily, we have the promise that the church is God’s instrument for worship and instruction of His children. It is a rallying place for believers; a powerhouse of prayer; a training school for sharing our faith.

A parallel to this promise has to do with the Word of God. Men have tried to destroy it down through the ages, but it remains the all-time best seller and so shall it ever be. Men have tried to count the church down and out many times, never with any degree of success whatsoever. And so shall that ever be, as well.

Rejoice: all the plots, stratagems and machinations of the enemy of the church shall never be able to overcome it. You and I, meanwhile, can do our part to help make the church all that God intends for it to be.

Bible Reading: Hebrews 12:21-24

TODAY’S ACTION POINT: I will praise God for His protecting hand over the church and do all in my power, the Holy Spirit enabling, to keep it strong and triumphant – the center of spiritual revolution.

 

Presidential Prayer Team

Presidential Prayer Team; J.K. – Devoted to God

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ppt_seal01

The Olympic Games reward the top three winners by positioning them on a platform of honor. But a fourth podium would have to be erected to give praise to King David’s warrior Abishai. His place came beside David’s “mighty three,” but was one earned because of his courage and loyalty to the king.

Now Abishai…wielded his spear against 300 men and killed them and won a name beside the three.

I Chronicles 11:20

David’s men differed from those who followed his predecessor Saul. Saul’s armies couldn’t be trusted and had to be bribed to do his bidding. Devoted men risked their lives for David because of his honest character and stature in leadership. They understood that the Lord’s hand was upon him and wanted to be a part of what God was doing.

David’s bravery, as well as his humanity, made him worthy of mention in the Bible over 1,000 times. His sinfulness is not hidden, but neither are his confessions and turning back to God.

And so it should be today. Be devoted to God…an example to those around you. Give testimony of the Lord’s goodness – His mercy and grace – in your life. Pray that those in leadership would turn from their sinful ways and look to God for guidance.

Recommended Reading: Isaiah 45:18-22

 

 

Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – No Worries!

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Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. —Philippians 4:6

I find it interesting that the word “worry” has its origins in a word that means “to choke.” That is exactly what worry does. It chokes us. It holds us back. Worry doesn’t help at all. It actually makes things worse. Worry adds to our problems.

“Don’t worry about anything,” the Bible says, “but pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done” (Philippians 4:6).

Ephesians 6:18 tells us to “pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.” Notice the use of “all” and “every”: All times . . . every occasion . . . for all believers everywhere. When we pile up these words, we get the idea that God is telling us to do this all the time about all things that concern us. Also, a literal translation of the word “pray” in this verse means “be sleepless to this end.” In other words, keep praying.

The Lord said to Solomon, “If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land” (2 Chronicles 7:14).

Let’s pray to that end, not only for our nation, but also for all things that concern us in life: our physical needs, our financial needs, our needs to be led, our needs for wisdom and protection—all the things we need in life. When we are in need, we need to pray.

What is bothering you right now? What is troubling you? What is concerning you? What is your need? Pray about those things. It is what the Scripture tells us to do.

 

 

 

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – Peace With One Another

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Charles Stanley

Romans 14:19

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus speaks of peacemakers (Matt. 5:9)—the passage almost sounds as if they are a special breed with unique abilities. Some people do have a way about them that brings peace wherever they go. All of us, however, can become peacemakers because, according to 1 Corinthians 7:15, “God has called us to peace.”

Unfortunately, though, success in this area oftentimes eludes us, and the reason is that we quit too soon. With certain people, it is necessary that we go the extra mile and not only seek peace but also pursue it (Ps. 34:14). Such a pursuit can be very costly at times, but apparently God expects some pretty heroic attempts in this area, because He tells us to “pursue peace with all men” (Heb. 12:14).

In addition to this, Romans 12:18 instructs us, “If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men.” Sometimes we try too hard to analyze the words “so far as it depends on you.” We can get bogged down trying to figure out whether we should take the initiative to be reconciled to someone or wait for the other person to approach us.

Jesus made it clear that unity within the church is a top priority. It doesn’t really matter whether we have offended others or they have offended us—in either case, we should take the initiative to be reconciled with our brothers. Even if a brother will not listen, we can still “pursue the things which make for peace and the building up of one another” (Rom. 14:19).

 

 

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — God’s Will

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Our Daily Bread

Psalm 37:23-40

The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD, and He delights in his way. —Psalm 37:23

We’re often looking for God’s will—especially when we’re in a difficult situation. We wonder, What will happen to me here? Should I stay or does God want me somewhere else? The only way to know for sure is to do what He asks you to do right now—the duty of the present moment—and wait for God to reveal the next step.

As you obey what you know, you will be strengthened to take the next step and the next. Step by step, one step at a time. That’s how we learn to walk with God.

But you say, “Suppose I take the first step. What will happen next?” That’s God’s business. Your task and mine is to obey this day and leave the future to Him. The psalmist says our steps are “ordered by the LORD” (37:23). This day’s direction is all we need. Tomorrow’s instruction is of no use to us at all. George MacDonald said, “We do not understand the next page of God’s lesson book; we see only the one before us. Nor shall we be allowed to turn the leaf until we have learned its lesson.”

If we concern ourselves with God’s will and obey each day the directions and warnings He gives, if we walk by faith and step out in the path of obedience, we will find that God will lead us through this day. As Jesus put it, “Tomorrow will worry about its own things” (Matt. 6:34). —David Roper

God knows each winding way I take,

And every sorrow, pain, and ache;

His children He will not forsake—

He knows and loves His own. —Bosch

Blessed is the person who finds out which way God is moving and then goes in that direction.

Bible in a year: Proverbs 25-26; 2 Corinthians 9

 

Ravi Zacharias

Ravi Zacharias Ministry – Of Kings and Kingdoms

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Ravi Z

It is interesting to note that narrative is the single most common type of literature found in the Bible. Perhaps as significant as the biblical stories themselves is the reality that we find God who chooses to communicate so much through story. There is much to see and hear if we will sit attentively before the Storyteller.

In the narratives of Daniel, we are introduced to a king in control and a kingdom in order. It is not insignificant that Daniel is introduced within this pleasingly ordered picture. As one of the three presidents serving just below the king, Daniel is a key player in the contented kingdom, and of this, the king is well aware. The narrative imparts, “Then this Daniel became distinguished above all the other presidents and satraps, because an excellent spirit was in him. And the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom” (6:3). Interestingly, the word for “distinguished” here hints of a bright and excelling person with an enduring character, while the word for “excellent” denotes a surpassing and extreme spirit. In light of all that Daniel endures, from exile to injustice to the den of lions, no doubt these words were very clearly and deliberately chosen.

Interestingly, King Darius was not the only king to note in Daniel these distinguishable qualities. Through each chapter of the book of Daniel we see his successful climbing of the political ladder from captive prisoner to sage to chief sage to administrator over the province to the king’s personal adviser to third ruler in the kingdom.(1)

Daniel’s great success may well incite our power-revering, name-making minds to curiosity. What is it that really distinguishes a person among others? And what was it that set Daniel apart in such a way that kings of a kingdom in which he was a mere foreigner desired him close by as they ruled?

No doubt, we find in Daniel a man hopeful in the face of exile, a person of integrity in the midst of conniving injustice, a figure of prayer though Jerusalem lies in ruins, and a creature of endurance—from serving within the royal courts to crouching within the lions’ den. Truly, there is much that readers could presume from his quiet spirit, intense faith, and radical obedience. Daniel was distinguished in character, excellent in spirit, set apart in life and practice.

But the story offers a less speculative insight into the excellent spirit of Daniel. Significantly, everything King Darius says to Daniel throughout the entire narrative is in direct reference to Daniel’s God. The story powerfully points to God as the reason for Daniel’s distinguishable spirit in the eyes of a powerful king. And as Daniel speaks from the darkness of the pit after a night among lions, all agree, having now seen a more powerful crown. Daniel is distinguished because Daniel’s God, the Most High King, is distinguished. In fact the very first words Daniel speaks in the story are a proclamation of what God has done, “My God sent his angel, and he shut the mouths of the lions.” The living God has accomplished what all others could not.

Though to many the divine throne appeared to be empty, Daniel stirred hopeful confidence in the redemptive plan of a powerful king who lovingly calls us into a bigger story.

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

(1) See D.N. Fewell, Circle of Sovereignty (Sheffield Academic Press, 1988).

 

 

Alistair Begg

Alistair Begg – What Does Partake Mean?

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Alistair Begg

Partakers of the divine nature.

2 Peter 1:4

To be a partaker of the divine nature is not, of course, to become God. That cannot be. The essence of Deity is not to be participated in by the creature. Between the creature and the Creator there will always be a fixed gulf in terms of essence; but as the first man Adam was made in the image of God, so we, by the renewal of the Holy Spirit, are in a diviner sense made in the image of the Most High and are “partakers of the divine nature.”

We are, by grace, made like God. “God is love”;1 we become love-“whoever loves has been born of God.”2 God is truth; we become true, and we love what is true. God is good, and He makes us good by His grace, so that we become the pure in heart who will see God.

Moreover, we become partakers of the divine nature in an even higher sense than this-in fact, in as lofty a sense as can be conceived, short of our being absolutely divine. Do we not become members of the body of the divine person of Christ? Yes, the same blood that flows in the head flows in the hand: And the same life that quickens Christ quickens His people, for “You have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.”3 As if this were not enough, we are married to Christ. He has betrothed us to Himself in righteousness and in faithfulness, and he who is joined to the Lord is one with Him.

Marvelous mystery! We look into it, but who will understand it? One with Jesus-so much so that the branch is not more one with the vine than we are a part of the Lord, our Savior and our Redeemer! While we rejoice in this, let us remember that those who are made “partakers of the divine nature” will display this high and holy relationship in their relationships with others and will make it evident in their daily walk and conversation that they have escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. O for more divine holiness of life!

1John 4:8

21 John 4:7

3Colossians 3:3

 

 

Charles Spurgeon

Charles Spurgeon – Storming the battlements

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CharlesSpurgeon

“Go ye up upon her walls, and destroy; but make not a full end; take away her battlements; for they are not the Lord’s.” Jeremiah 5:10

Suggested Further Reading: Galatians 5:25-6: 5

We sometimes trust too much in evidences and good works. Ralph Erskine did not say amiss when he remarked, “I have got more hurt by my good works than my bad ones.” That seems something like Antinomianism, but it is true; we find it so by experience. “My bad works,” said Erskine, “Always drove me to the Saviour for mercy; my good works often kept me from him, and I began to trust in myself.” Is it not so with us? We often get a pleasing opinion of ourselves; we are preaching so many times a week; we attend so many prayer meetings; we are doing good in the Sabbath-school; we are valuable deacons; important members of the church; we are giving away so much in charity; and we say, “Surely I am a child of God—I must be. I am an heir of heaven. Look at me! See what robes I wear. Have I not indeed a righteousness about me that proves me to be a child of God?” Then we begin to trust in ourselves, and say, “Surely I cannot be moved; my mountain stands firm and fast.” Do you know what is the usual rule of heaven when we boast? Why the command is given to the foe—“Go up against him; take away his battlements; for they are not the Lord’s.” And what is the consequence? Why, perhaps God suffers us to fall into sin, and down goes self-sufficiency. Many a Christian owes his falls to a presumptuous confidence in his graces. I conceive that outward sin is not more abhorred by our God than this most wicked sin of reliance on ourselves. May none of you ever learn your own weakness by reading a black book of your own backslidings.

For meditation: If pride and boasting are listed as sins of the unbeliever (Romans 1:30; 2 Timothy 3:2), they are just as much sins when the believer falls into them. Our good works should lead others to glorify God (Matthew 5:16) and should surely have the same effect upon us.

Sermon no. 38

16 September (1855)

 

John MacArthur

John MacArthur – A Righteousness That Glorifies God

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John MacArthur

“Stand firm therefore . . . having put on the breastplate of righteousness” (Eph. 6:14).

We’ve seen the importance of donning the breastplate of righteousness, but Scripture also discusses the consequences of failing to do so. These consequences serve as warnings to anyone who is prone to neglect righteousness.

If you’re not committed to righteousness, you not only make yourself spiritually vulnerable, but also forfeit some of God’s wonderful blessings. David prayed, “Restore to me the joy of Thy salvation” (Ps. 51:13). His sin had robbed him of his joy and assurance. That’s true of us as well because joy is directly proportional to obedience. If you’re pursuing greater righteousness, you’ll know greater joy.

You might also forfeit some of your heavenly reward. John said, “Watch yourselves, that you might not lose what we have accomplished, but that you may receive a full reward” (1 John 8). I believe that New Testament rewards are various capacities for service in heaven. The greater your reward, the greater your capacity to serve God. Somehow your current righteousness and faithfulness to God affect what you will do for all eternity. Don’t allow sin and negligence to diminish your reward!

Without righteousness you will also suffer loss of opportunity to glorify God. When thinking or behaving unrighteously, you violate your reason for existence, which is to glorify God in everything (1 Cor. 10:31). Instead of exalting Him, you bring reproach on His name. Instead of causing others to see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven (Matt. 5:16), you breed confusion and mockery.

Peter says to us, “Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts, which wage war against the soul. Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that . . . they may on account of your good deeds, as they observe them, glorify God in the day of visitation” (1 Pet. 2:11). When unbelievers scrutinize your life, what do they see? Does your righteousness testify of God’s saving and sanctifying grace?

Suggestions for Prayer:

Ask God to give you an increased hunger and thirst for righteousness as you seek to live to His glory today.

For Further Study:

Memorize 2 Corinthians 5:21 as a reminder of God’s marvelous grace to you.

 

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Pray About Everything

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Joyce meyer

The earnest (heartfelt, continued) prayer of a righteous man makes tremendous power available [dynamic in its working]. —James 5:16

Driving down the road one day, pondering an upcoming change in my life, I found that I was afraid. It really wasn’t a major thing, but it felt like it to me.

God spoke to me that day and simply said, “Pray about everything. Fear nothing.” He showed me He couldn’t work through my fear, but if I would give Him my faith, He would help me in my situation. I needed it that day for something seemingly minor, but I have used it many times since for all types of situations.

Isn’t it good to know that God cares about everything that concerns you—even the little things you’re afraid of? Your part is to pray and have faith, and God’s part is to provide the power to meet your need. What do you need to pray about tonight?

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – Defending Your Family against Spiritual Attack

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Charles Stanley

God works powerfully through strong Christian families. But the enemy of our souls does not want to see parents and their children loving, supporting, respecting, and enjoying each other. Satan works to destroy healthy families and trap people in habitual sin. He especially targets children and young people. That’s why Christian parents needs to learn how to wage spiritual warfare on behalf of their children.

Spiritual Warfare in the Home

The enemy is constantly working to bring anxiety, frustration, compulsions, and fear into the home. When home life is miserable, kids grow up wounded and often rebellious. A family that is constantly feuding cannot minister to anyone else or actively serve the body of Christ. So if the devil can succeed in destroying a family, he can usually count on weakening the church as well.

Spiritual problems can manifest in your children as rebellion, depression, addictions, and a host of other sins. Our tendency is to address the outward symptoms of the problem, rather than the root. But these battles will not be won by common sense, worldly solutions, or harsh restrictions. Instead, we need to resist the devil’s plans with spiritual tools. Second Corinthians 10:3-4 says, “Though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses.”

Waging spiritual warfare includes living godly lives, discerning what is going on within our families, and praying in the power of the blood of Jesus and with the authority of the Word of God.

How you live as a parent is extremely important to the spiritual success of your kids. When parents are living righteously before the Lord, there is a hedge of protection that surrounds that family. In the spiritual realm, you offer shelter as a parent when you seek after God, are just and fair in your dealings, and lead your family in worshipping God and learning about Him. But when mom or dad is living in willful disobedience to the Lord, the children will suffer. No one can live a worldly life and expect to raise godly kids.

Maybe Satan has trapped one of your children either as a result of your sin or because of outside influences. He might have that child bound in a stronghold, which is an area of a person’s life that is spiritually weak.Because Satan can easily get a victory by attacking there, he will hit that person again and again in the vulnerable spot. He might tempt one person to feel unworthy, another to escape with alcohol, and a third to burst out in anger too easily.

The good news is that as a parent, you are in a position to see the Lord move on behalf of your child and free him or her from strongholds. First John 4:4 says, “You are of God … and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than He who is in the world.” This means the Holy Spirit, Who is in us, is greater than Satan and can lead us to spiritual victory.

How do you limit the activity of the enemy in your child’s life?

First, clean up your own life. Spend some time alone with God and confess all known sin. Come to a point of complete surrender again. If you try to fight a spiritual battle while living in outright rebellion against God—even in a private area of your life—you will fail.

Second, identify the root problem. The symptom may be your child’s rebellion against authority, drug abuse, or some other addiction. But the root of the problem might be your child’s bitterness caused by parental neglect or another issue from the past.

Third, find scriptural authority for confronting the problem. When Satan attacked Jesus, our Lord countered the enemy’s lies with Scripture. We need to do the same. For example, in dealing with a bitter child, we could use Hebrews 12:15, which says, “See to it that no one comes short of the grace of God; that no root of bitterness springing up causes trouble, and by it many be defiled.”

Fourth, pray in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.  This means you ask the same thing He would in your place and do it by His powerful authority. Praying in the name of Jesus puts the emphasis on His supernatural power and the authority He has delegated to His followers (John 14:13-14).

Fifth, pray to your Heavenly Father rather than talking to Satan. Keep in mind that you have no power on your own to bind Satan, but are simply declaring what has already happened in the spirit realm through the cross.

Sixth, it’s not enough to restrict Satan from using the stronghold—ask God to release your child from it. Putting this all together, your prayer might be:

Heavenly Father, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by His precious blood, I ask You to bind Satan away from the life of my son/daughter and to remove his/her bitterness. Father, You said we are to see to it that no one comes short of the grace of God, and that no root of bitterness should be allowed to spring up and cause trouble and defile many people. On the authority of Your Word, Lord Jesus Christ, and by Your blood, I want to pronounce Satan defeated—no longer able to hold my son/daughter captive to the sin of bitterness. Father, please release my son/daughter from the stronghold of bitterness. Liberate him/her from the unhealthy patterns that have him/her bound and free him/her to serve and obey You. Thank You, Father for saving and healing him/her. Amen.

Last, if you pray for a while and nothing changes, get some godly friends involved. Confess to them you need help. Admit that you have failed somewhere as a father or mother. Ask them to pray that God would reveal any area of sin in your life that you have previously been blinded to. Confess any sins this process uncovers and take any actions you need to. Then pray again in agreement with those friends that God would cause Satan to release your child from the stronghold and restore him or her to oneness with the family. Even gathering with one or two other friends greatly increases the ultimate success of your prayers (Matt.18:19-20).

You might not see results right away. What I’ve noticed is that the longer people have been bound in sin, the longer it usually takes to free them. But don’t give up. Keep walking in complete surrender to God and continue interceding for your child. The heart of the Father is turned toward your son or daughter, and He desires to bring freedom and restoration.

 

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Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — A Life That Shined

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Our Daily Bread

Matthew 5:3-16

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. —Matthew 5:16

According to the International Basketball Federation, basketball is the world’s second-most popular sport, with an estimated 450 million followers in countries around the globe. In the US, the annual NCAA tournament in March often brings mention of legendary coach John Wooden. During his 27 years at UCLA, Wooden’s teams won an unprecedented 10 National Championship titles. Yet, today, John Wooden, who died in 2010, is remembered not just for what he accomplished but for the person he was.

Wooden lived out his Christian faith and his genuine concern for others in an environment often obsessed with winning. In his autobiography, They Call Me Coach, he wrote, “I always tried to make it clear that basketball is not the ultimate. It is of small importance in comparison to the total life we live. There is only one kind of life that truly wins, and that is the one that places faith in the hands of the Savior. Until that is done, we are on an aimless course that runs in circles and goes nowhere.”

John Wooden honored God in all he did, and his example challenges us to do the same. Jesus said, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matt. 5:16). —David McCasland

Show me the way, Lord, let my light shine

As an example of good to mankind;

Help them to see the patterns of Thee,

Shining in beauty, lived out in me. —Neuer

Let your light shine—whether you’re a candle in a corner or a lighthouse on a hill.

Bible in a year: Proverbs 22-24; 2 Corinthians 8

 

Charles Spurgeon

Charles Spurgeon – Adoption

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CharlesSpurgeon

“Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will.” Ephesians 1:5

Suggested Further Reading: Romans 9:10-24

It is at once a doctrine of Scripture and of common sense, that whatever God does in time he predestined to do in eternity. Some men find fault with divine predestination, and challenge the justice of eternal decrees. Now, if they will please remember that predestination is the counterpart of history, as an architectural plan, the carrying out of which we read in the facts that happen, they may perhaps obtain a slight clue to the unreasonableness of their hostility. I never heard any one among professors wantonly and wilfully find fault with God’s dealings, yet I have heard some who would even dare to call in question the equity of his counsels. If the thing itself be right, it must be right that God intended to do the thing; if you find no fault with facts, as you see them in providence, you have no grounds to complain of decrees, as you find them in predestination, for the decrees and the facts are just the counterpart one of the other. Have you any reason to find fault with God, that he has been pleased to save you, and save me? Then why should you find fault because Scripture says he pre-determined that he would save us? I cannot see, if the fact itself is agreeable, why the decree should be objectionable. I can see no reason why you should find fault with God’s foreordination, if you do not find fault with what does actually happen as the effect of it. Let a man but agree to acknowledge an act of providence, and I want to know how he can, except he runs in the very teeth of providence, find any fault with the predestination or intention that God made concerning that providence.

For meditation: Some talk as if the doctrine of predestination is the enemy of the Christian. Scripture lists it as one of the “all things” that work together for good to them that love God and which prove that God is for us (Romans 8:28-31).

Sermon no. 360

15 September (Undated Sermon)