Tag Archives: religion

Alistair Begg

Alistair Begg – Doubt and Unbelief

Leave a comment

Alistair Begg

How long will they not believe in me . . . ?

Numbers 14:11

Strive with all diligence to keep out the monster of unbelief. It is so dishonoring to Christ that He will withdraw His visible presence if we insult Him by tolerating it. It is true it is a weed that we can never entirely remove from the soil, but we must aim at its root with zeal and perseverance. Among hateful things it is the most to be defeated. Its hurtful nature is so poisonous that he that uses it and he upon whom it is used are both harmed by it. In your case, believer, it is most wicked, for the mercies of your Lord in the past increase your guilt in doubting Him now. When you distrust the Lord Jesus, He may well cry out, “Behold, I will press you down in your place, as a cart full of sheaves presses down.” To doubt is to crown His head with thorns of the sharpest kind.

It is very cruel for a well-beloved wife to mistrust a kind and faithful husband. The sin is needless, foolish, and unwarranted. Jesus has never given the slightest ground for suspicion, and it is hard to be doubted by those to whom our conduct is consistently affectionate and true. Jesus is the Son of the Highest and has unlimited wealth; it is shameful to doubt Omnipotence and distrust His sufficiency. The cattle on a thousand hills will be enough for our most hungry feeding, and the granaries of heaven are not likely to be emptied by our eating. If Christ were only a cistern, we might soon exhaust His fullness, but who can drain a fountain? Countless believers throughout the ages have drawn their supplies from Him, and not one of them has complained at the insufficiency of His resources.

Dispel this lying traitor unbelief, for his only errand is to cut the bonds of communion and make us mourn an absent Savior. Bunyan tells us that unbelief has “as many lives as a cat”; if so, let us kill one life now, and continue the work until the whole nine are gone. Down with you, traitor, my heart detests you.

Charles Spurgeon

Charles Spurgeon – Reigning grace

Leave a comment

CharlesSpurgeon

“That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 5:21

Suggested Further Reading: Romans 5:12-17

An awful contemplation is that of the reign of sin. Permitted to come into this world as a usurper—having mounted its throne upon the heart of man by flattering blandishments, and crafty pleasantries, it was not long before it fully developed itself. Its first act was to smite Eden with blast and mildew by its breath; its next act was to slay the second child of man and that by the hand of the eldest born. Since then, its reign has been scarlet with blood, black with iniquity, and fraught with everything that can make the heart of man sad and wretched. Oh sin, thou tyrant monster, all the demons that ever sat upon the throne of Rome, were never such as thou art; and all the men, who from the wild north, have come forth as the scourges of man, the destroying angels of our race, though they have waded up to their knees in the blood of mortals, have never been so terrible as thou art. Thou hast reigned unto death, and that a death eternal—a death from which there shall be no resurrection—a death which casts souls into an eternal grave—a grave of fire. Our apostle now changes the subject, and represents man under the gracious state, as rejoicing in another government, ruled by another king. Just as sin has reigned, and with despotic and irresistible power has ground his subjects in the very dust, and then cast them into the flames, so does grace with irresistible goodness, constrain the chosen multitude to yield obedience, and thus prepares them for eternal bliss. See, it lifts up the beggar from the dunghill, and makes him to sit among princes. Mark its shining course, and behold it blessing the sons of man wherever it stretches out its silver sceptre, chasing away the misery of night, and giving the joy of gospel day.

For meditation: Refugees from the dominion of darkness are accepted as citizens of the kingdom of God’s beloved Son (Colossians 1:13) and they will never be sent back to their former home.

Sermon no. 330

27 August (Preached 26 August 1860)

 

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Faith Energizes

Leave a comment

Joyce meyer

Trust in, lean on, rely on, and have confidence in Him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts before Him. God is a refuge for us (a fortress and a high tower). Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]!  —Psalm 62:8

You might ask, “Doesn’t a really confident person get involved in a lot of things?”

Yes, she probably does, but it isn’t because of fear. Whatever she is involved in, she is confident about being involved in. When we do things out of desire and confidence, they affect us in a totally different way than when we do them out of wrong motives and fear. God will not energize our fears, but He does energize us if we have faith that we are doing the right thing and approach a project with confidence in Him.

Fear drains you of whatever energy you might have had and leaves you feeling stressed to the max, but confidence and faith actually energize you. A confident person can do more with less stress because they live with an ease that fearful people never experience.

I don’t believe that what we do creates stress nearly as much as how we do it. If we do something fearfully and under pressure with no real desire to do it, then stress and no joy is the result. We’re miserable. Fortunately, just the opposite can be true.

Lord, help me to do what I’m doing with desire and confidence. I pour out my heart to You and ask You to energize my faith. Amen.

Presidential Prayer Team

Presidential Prayer Team; G.C. – Rockslide

Leave a comment

ppt_seal01

Have you ever encountered a rockslide across the road while driving? It’s a travel frustration requiring hours of waiting and possibly a complete rerouting of your trip. Rockslides are triggered when rock, earth, plants and other debris lose their hold on each other and slide down to the lowest point.

Teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness and without hindrance.  Acts 28:31

The Bible talks about two things that can cause a spiritual rockslide, greatly hindering your spiritual journey. In essence, these things block your effectiveness as a Christian. They don’t annul your salvation; they deter the results God may be working to accomplish through your prayers and efforts. The two issues are: personal sin in your life, and unforgiveness toward another person.

Are you missing passion, power and effectiveness in your prayers or in your relationship with Christ? Maybe there has been a rockslide in your heart. Ask God to reveal any sin in your life, and humbly request and accept His forgiveness. Then have an attitude of forgiveness toward the person who has sinned against you. Once the road is clear, you can get back on your way; teaching, leading and praying with boldness for others and for America.

Recommended Reading: Colossians 3:12-17

Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – An Inescapable Reality

Leave a comment

greglaurie

“Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels.’ ” —Matthew 25:41

Often whenever the subject of judgment and hell comes up, so does this question: If God is all-loving, then why would He send people to hell?

Answer: because He is a God of love and justice. Hell was invented, if you will, for the devil and his angels. Do you think the devil deserves to go to hell? Of course he does.

And if a person ends up in hell, it is because they have rejected, through their lifetime, the offer of forgiveness through Jesus Christ that required the death of the Son of God on the cross. They rejected it again and again. It is not that God sends them to hell as much as they go there voluntarily.

J. I. Packer said, “Scripture sees hell as self-chosen. . . . Hell appears as God’s gesture of respect for human choice. All receive what they actually chose, either to be with God forever, worshiping Him, or without God forever, worshiping themselves.”

Also, C. S. Lewis wrote, “There are only two kinds of people in the end: Those who say to God, ‘Thy will be done,’ and those to whom God says, in the end, ‘Thy will be done.’ All that are in hell, choose it. Without that self-choice, there could be no hell.”

Heaven and hell do exist. And in that final day, if you are a believer, God will say, “Well done, good and faithful servant. Enter into the joy of your Lord” (see Matthew 25:21, 23).

But if you are not a believer, God will say, “I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!” (Matthew 7:23).

Everyone will meet Jesus Christ one day. It is inescapable and unavoidable. And if you don’t meet Him as Savior, then you ultimately will meet Him as Judge.

 

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – Confronting Closed Doors

1 Comment

Charles Stanley

Acts 16:6-10

God has the power to open any closed door. And yet He may decide to let things that seem important to us remain blocked. Why does the Lord allow doors to stay shut?

• Protection. He might be trying to keep us from making a mistake. On our own, we may not have adequate knowledge to make right choices.

• Redirection. God could be sending us on a new path. His plan might include bigger opportunities, deeper satisfaction, more productivity, a season of suffering, or an opportunity to glorify His name. The Lord closed doors in Asia so that the apostle Paul would minister on the continent of Europe. His obedience led to increased fruitfulness—the churches at Philippi, Thessalonica, and Corinth—and to more knowledge for us through his letters to them. Though Paul experienced much suffering, he also knew the joy of participating in God’s work.

• Testing. When God says “No,” our faith is tested, and we discover what we really believe about Him and His plans.

• Perseverance. When our path is blocked, we have opportunity to develop steadfastness. Romans 5:3-5 tells us that we should actually “exult in our tribulations,” because of the positive results the Lord will cause through them.

• Timing. Sometimes our Father places stop signs in our way to work out the right timing for His will.

• Disobedience. Past waywardness can affect future experiences and blessings.

When your way is stopped, look to God and seek His purpose for the interruption. How do you respond to “no”?

Alistair Begg

Alistair Begg – Delighting in The Covenant

Leave a comment

Alistair Begg

He has commanded his covenant forever.

Psalms 111:9

The Lord’s people delight in the covenant itself. It is an unfailing source of comfort to them as often as the Holy Spirit leads them into the banqueting house and waves the banner of love. They delight to contemplate the antiquity of that covenant, remembering that before the daystar knew its place or planets ran their course, the interests of the saints were made secure in Christ Jesus. It is peculiarly pleasing to them to remember the certainty of the covenant while meditating upon God’s “steadfast, sure love David.”1 They delight to celebrate it as signed, sealed, and delivered! Their hearts often overflow with joy to think of its immutability, as a covenant that neither time nor eternity, life nor death will ever be able to break-a covenant as old as eternity and as everlasting as the Rock of Ages.

They rejoice also to dine upon the fullness of this covenant, for in it they see all things provided for them. God is their portion, Christ their companion, the Spirit their Comforter, earth their lodge, and heaven their home. They see in it an inheritance that is reserved for every soul possessing an interest in its ancient and eternal gift. Their eyes sparkled when they saw it as a treasure-trove in the Bible; but how their souls were gladdened when they saw in the last will and testament of their Christ that it was bequeathed to them!

More especially it is the pleasure of God’s people to contemplate the graciousness of this covenant. They see that the law was made void because it was a covenant of works and depended upon merit, but they perceive this to be enduring because grace is the basis, grace the condition, grace the bulwark, grace the foundation, grace the capstone. The covenant is a treasury of wealth, a granary of food, a fountain of life, a storehouse of salvation, a charter of peace, and a haven of joy.

1Isaiah 55:3

Charles Spurgeon

Charles Spurgeon – Law and grace

Leave a comment

CharlesSpurgeon

“Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound.” Romans 5:20

Suggested Further Reading: 2 Peter 3:10-14

There has always been the salt of grace in the world to counteract the power of sin. The clouds have never been so universal as to hide the day. But the time is fast approaching when grace shall extend all over our poor world and be universal. According to the Bible testimony, we look for the great day when the dark cloud which has swathed this world in darkness shall be removed, and it shall shine once more like all its sister planets. It has been for many a long year clouded and veiled by sin and corruption; but the last fire shall consume its rags and sackcloth. After that fire, the world in righteousness shall shine. The huge molten mass now slumbering in the bowels of our common mother shall furnish the means of purity. Palaces, and crowns, and peoples, and empires, are all to be melted down; and after, like a plague-house, the present creation has been burned up entirely, God will breathe upon the heated mass, and it will cool down again. He will smile on it as he did when he first created it, and the rivers will run down the new made hills, the oceans will float in new-made channels; and the world will be again the abode of the righteous for ever and for ever. This fallen world will be restored to its orbit; that gem which was lost from the sceptre of God shall be set again, yea, he shall wear it as a signet about his arm. Christ died for the world; and what he died for, he will have. He died for the whole world, and the whole world he will have, when he has purified and cleansed it, and fitted it for himself. “Where sin abounded, grace did much more abound;” for grace shall be universal, whereas sin will be destroyed.

For meditation: The believer’s sure and certain hope of being freed completely from the presence of sin then, is a strong motive for seeking to be as free as possible from it now (1 John 3:2,3).

Sermon no. 37

26 August (1855)

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – The Inner Life

Leave a comment

Joyce meyer

The Holy Spirit points out that the way into the [true Holy of] Holies is not yet thrown open as long as the former [the outer portion of the] tabernacle remains a recognized institution and is still standing.

—Hebrews 9:8

The Old Testament tabernacle had three compartments. It consisted of an outer court, a second compartment called the Holy Place, and the Holy of Holies, which was the interior chamber. Only the high priest could go into the Holy of Holies, for it contained the presence of God.

As humans we are tri-part beings with three compartments. We have a body, we have a soul, and we have a spirit. The verse for today states that as long as we continue recognizing the outer portion, which is an analogy of our body and soul, then the way into the Holy of Holies, an analogy of our spirit, is not opened. In simple terms, this means that if we obey and cater to our flesh we will never enjoy and dwell in the presence of God. For example, if I am angry I will not enjoy the presence of God.

Our fleshly parts will always make demands because the flesh is selfish and wants its own way, but we do not have to give in to those demands. We can simply say, “I do not recognize you any longer; you have no authority over me.” As we take this stand against giving in to the demands of the fleshly life, we are honoring God and made able to enjoy His presence. The message for today is easy: “Say no to self and yes to God.” The Bible says that we are dead to sin. Sin is not dead; it will always try to draw us in, but we can say no!

God’s word for you today: Don’t live the life of the flesh by catering to the appetites and impulses of your carnal nature.

 

Presidential Prayer Team

Presidential Prayer Team; G.C. – Rockslide

Leave a comment

ppt_seal01

Have you ever encountered a rockslide across the road while driving? It’s a travel frustration requiring hours of waiting and possibly a complete rerouting of your trip. Rockslides are triggered when rock, earth, plants and other debris lose their hold on each other and slide down to the lowest point.

Teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness and without hindrance. Acts 28:31

The Bible talks about two things that can cause a spiritual rockslide, greatly hindering your spiritual journey. In essence, these things block your effectiveness as a Christian. They don’t annul your salvation; they deter the results God may be working to accomplish through your prayers and efforts. The two issues are: personal sin in your life, and unforgiveness toward another person.

Are you missing passion, power and effectiveness in your prayers or in your relationship with Christ? Maybe there has been a rockslide in your heart. Ask God to reveal any sin in your life, and humbly request and accept His forgiveness. Then have an attitude of forgiveness toward the person who has sinned against you. Once the road is clear, you can get back on your way; teaching, leading and praying with boldness for others and for America.

Recommended Reading: Colossians 3:12-17

Max Lucado

Max Lucado – You Have a Bible?

Leave a comment

Max Lucado

Do you have a Bible?  Read it!

Has any other book ever been described like it?  Hebrews 4:12 says, “For the Word of God is living 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.”

The words of the Bible have life. Life-giving words! Nouns with pulse rates. The Bible is to God what a surgical glove is to the surgeon. He reaches through them to touch deep within you. Haven’t you felt His touch? In a late, lonely hour you read, “I will never leave you.  I will never forsake you.” The sentences comfort like a hand on your shoulder.

Don’t make a decision without sitting before God with open Bible, open heart, open ears. Let the words of Christ live in your heart and make you wise.

You have a Bible?  Read it.

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — The Next Chapter

Leave a comment

Our Daily Bread

Hebrews 12:1-11

Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. —Hebrews 12:1-2

Steve was almost 5 when his father, missionary pilot Nate Saint, was killed in 1956, along with four other men, by the Waodani tribe in Ecuador. But as a result of the love and forgiveness demonstrated by the families of the martyred men, there is now a growing community of believers among the Waodani.

As an adult, Steve moved back to Ecuador and became friends with Mincaye, one of the men who killed his father. Steve’s motto is: “Let God Write Your Story.” He says, “You have a lot of people . . . who want to write their own story and have God be their editor when [it] goes wrong. I decided long ago to let God write my story.” When Steve suffered a serious accident in 2012, he reassured his family: “Let’s let God write this chapter too.” His faith continues to carry him toward recovery.

The story continues to unfold for all followers of Jesus Christ. None of us knows how the next chapter of our life will read. But as we look to Jesus and “run with endurance the race that is set before us,” we can trust Him—the author and finisher of our faith (Heb. 12:1-2). Jesus wrote the beginning of our story, and He’ll write the next chapter and the ending as well. —Cindy Hess Kasper

When we stand with Christ in glory,

Looking o’er life’s finished story,

Then, Lord, shall I fully know—

Not till then—how much I owe. —McCheyne

Let your life tell the story of Christ’s love and mercy to the world around you.

Bible in a year: Psalm 119:1-88; 1 Corinthians 7:20-40

Alistair Begg

Alistair Begg – Faith in Every Sense

Leave a comment

Alistair Begg

His fruit was sweet to my taste.

Song of Songs 2:3

Faith is described in a variety of ways in the Bible. It is sight: “Turn to me and be saved.”1 It is hearing: “Hear, that your soul shall live.”2 Faith is smelling: “Your robes are all fragrant with myrrh and aloes and cassia”;3 “your name is oil poured out.”4 Faith is spiritual touch. By this faith the woman came behind and touched the hem of Christ’s garment, and by this we handle the things of the good word of life. Faith is equally the spirit’s taste. “How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth.”5 “Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life.”6

One of the first performances of faith is hearing. We hear the voice of God not only with the physical ear, but with the spiritual ear; we hear it as God’s Word, and we believe it as such; that is the hearing of faith. Then our mind looks upon the truth as it is presented to us; that is to say, we understand it, we perceive its meaning; that is the seeing of faith. Next we discover its preciousness; we begin to admire it and find how fragrant it is; that is faith in its smell. Then we appropriate the mercies that are prepared for us in Christ; that is faith in its touch. Then follow the enjoyments, peace, delight, communion, which are faith in its taste. Any one of these acts of faith is saving. To hear Christ’s voice as the sure voice of God in the soul will save us; but that which gives true enjoyment is the aspect of faith whereby we taste and see that the Lord is good. In this way we receive Christ, and He becomes, by inward and spiritual apprehension, to be the precious food for our souls. Here we learn to sit under His shadow “with great delight”7 and find His fruit sweet to our taste.

1Isaiah 45:22

2Isaiah 55:3

3Psalm 45:8

4Song of Solomon 1:3

5Psalm 119:103

6John 6:54

7Song of Solomon 2:3

Charles Spurgeon

Charles Spurgeon – Tomorrow

Leave a comment

CharlesSpurgeon

“Boast not thyself of tomorrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.” Proverbs 27:1

Suggested Further Reading: Proverbs 31:10-25

On one occasion I pleaded for a friendly society, and not knowing a more appropriate text, I selected this, “Take no thought for the morrow, for tomorrow shall take thought for the things of itself.” Some of my hearers, when I announced my text, feared the principle of it was altogether hostile to anything like an insurance, or providing for the future, but I just showed them that it was not, as I looked upon it. It is a positive command that we are to take no anxious thought concerning tomorrow. Now, how can I do that? How can I put myself into such a position that I can carry out this commandment of taking no thought for the morrow? If I were a man struggling in life, and had it in my power to insure for something which would take care of wife and family in after days, if I did not do it, you might preach to me for all eternity about not taking thought for the morrow; but I could not help doing it, when I saw those I loved around me unprovided for. Let it be in God’s word, I could not practise it; I should still be at some time or other taking thought for the morrow. But let me go to one of the many excellent institutions which exist, and let me see that all is provided for, I come home and say, “Now, I know how to practise Christ’s command of taking no thought for the morrow; I pay the policy-money once a year, and I take no further thought about it, for I have no occasion to do so now, and have obeyed the very spirit and letter of Christ’s command.” Our Lord meant that we were to get rid of cares.

For meditation: Are you playing your part to provide practically for the members of your family? (1 Timothy 3:4-5, 12; 5:4,16). If not, perhaps you should start getting anxious (1 Timothy 5:8).

Sermon no. 94

25 August (1856)

John MacArthur

John MacArthur – Expecting the Best

1 Comment

John MacArthur

“[Love] believes all things” (1 Cor. 13:7).

In Luke 15 Jesus tells a parable about a father who had two sons. The younger son asked for his share of the family inheritance, then left home and squandered it on sinful pursuits. When he realized his folly, he decided to return home and ask his father’s forgiveness. So “he got up and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him, and felt compassion for him, and ran and embraced him, and kissed him. And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ But the father said to his slaves, ‘Quickly bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet; and bring the fattened calf, kill it, and let us eat and be merry'” (vv. 20-23).

That’s a beautiful illustration of love’s eagerness to forgive, but it also implies another characteristic of love. While the son was still far away, the father saw him coming. How could that be? Because he was watching for his son– anticipating and longing for his return. Love forgives when wrongs are committed against it, but it also expects the best of others. That’s what it means to believe all things (1 Cor. 13:7). That son had hurt his father deeply, but his father never lost hope that his son would return.

I know a Christian woman who has been married to an unbelieving husband for thirty years. Yet she continues to say, “He will come to Christ someday.” She isn’t blind to the situation, but her love for her husband has transformed her earnest desire into an expectation. She believes he will turn to Christ because love always expects the best.

Perhaps you have a spouse or child who is an unbeliever or has drifted away from the Lord. Don’t lose heart! Expect the best and let that expectation motivate you to pray more fervently and set a godly example for your loved ones to follow.

Suggestions for Prayer:

Ask God to guard your heart from cynical and suspicious attitudes toward others.

For Further Study:

Read Matthew 9:1-13, noting the attitudes of the Jewish scribes and Pharisees toward Jesus.

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Meditating on the Right Things

Leave a comment

Joyce meyer

I will meditate also upon all Your works and consider all Your [mighty] deeds.—Psalm 77:12

The psalmist David spoke frequently about meditating on God, His goodness, works, and ways. It is tremendously uplifting to think on the goodness of God and all the marvelous works of His hands. I enjoy watching television shows about nature, animals, ocean life, etc., because they depict the greatness, the awesomeness of God, His infinite creativity and how He is upholding all things by the might of His power (See Hebrews 1:3). Meditating on God and His ways and works will need to become a regular part of your thought life if you want to experience victory.

One of my favorite verses of Scripture is Psalm 17:15 in which the psalmist says of the Lord, I shall be fully satisfied, when I awake [to find myself] beholding Your form [and having sweet communion with You]. I spent a lot of unhappy days because I started thinking about all the wrong things the minute I awoke each morning. In contrast, I’ve found that choosing to think about the Lord and fellowshipping with Him early in the morning is one sure way to start my day right and enjoy my life. I can truly say that I have been fully satisfied since the Holy Spirit has helped me operate out of the mind of Christ (the mind of the Spirit) that is within me.

Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – Free Gift

Leave a comment

dr_bright

“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23).

One night I was speaking to several hundred men gathered in a skid row mission for an evangelistic meeting. I had been invited to bring the address and as always my heart was deeply stirred when I realized that these men needed the Lord so very much. In the spiritual sense, though, their lot was no worse than the leaders of the city, for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God, and the wages of sin is death whether one is rich or poor, old or young, sick or well. It makes no difference. The wages of sin is death.

In an effort to communicate to these men the love of God and His free gift of eternal life through faith in Jesus Christ our Lord, I pulled a ten-dollar bill from my pocket and said, “The first person who comes to take this from my hand, can have it as a free gift.” This was my way of illustrating God’s gift of grace. Out of the hundreds of people seated before me, not a single person moved as I extended the bill, repeating several times, “The first one who will come and take this bill from my hand can have it.”

Finally, a middle-aged man, shabbily dressed like the rest, stood timidly to his feet and with an inquiring expression said, “Do you really mean it?” I said, “Sure, come and get it; it is yours.” He almost ran to grasp it and he thanked me. The rest of the crowd began mumbling, as if to say, “Why didn’t I have the faith to go and accept the gift?”

This gave me a marvelous opportunity to emphasize that we do not earn God’s love. He loves us unconditionally – not because of who we are, but because of who He is. God proved His love for us in that while we were all wretched sinners, He sent His only begotten Son to die on the cross for us and give to all men who will receive Him the gift of eternal life. Oh, what an attractive gift. Who could refuse to accept such a wonderful gift?

Bible Reading: Romans 6:17-22

TODAY’S ACTION POINT: I will trust the Lord to help me make His offer of this marvelous free gift, the gift of His only begotten Son who is eternal life, so attractive that no one can refuse to accept it.

Presidential Prayer Team

Presidential Prayer Team; C.P. – As the Day Nears…Love

Leave a comment

ppt_seal01

In his ministry, Paul was stoned, whipped and shipwrecked, among other unpleasant experiences. But there was one thing he couldn’t bear – not seeing the people he ministered to and fearing they may have been discouraged in their faith (I Thessalonians 3:1).

For now we live, if you are standing fast in the Lord.   I Thessalonians 3:8

After suffering persecution, he thought the Thessalonians may have become so discouraged that they’d depart from the truth. So he sent Timothy to check up on them. How he rejoiced when he heard that their faith was as strong as ever.

The second greatest commandment is to love people; their salvation, their faith, and their relationships are what matter most. In today’s driven society, you may be tempted to care more about what you have or what you’ve accomplished each day, than about where other people are in their faith. Examine your heart. Have you become distracted by the cares of the world? If so, renew your commitment to pray for the faith of your friends, family and fellow citizens of America. Plus, don’t neglect to meet together, but encourage one another…“and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” (Hebrews 10:25)

Recommended Reading: Ephesians 1:15-23

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – An Example of Service

1 Comment

Charles Stanley

Philippians 2:1-7

Jesus defied the world’s expectations regarding a divine being. Many Jewish people of that day were looking for a powerful king to liberate them from the Romans—they were prepared to serve and worship that kind of messiah. Instead, the Savior was a humble man who didn’t think twice about washing dirty feet. While Jesus Christ could have banished the Roman presence from the region and then been glorified as an earthly ruler, He was very clear about His reason for being here: He came to serve, not to be served (Matt. 20:28).

In fact, Paul refers to Jesus as the lowest form of worker—a bondservant. This type of laborer was responsible for the menial household tasks, including foot washings. Christ came into the world prepared to do whatever work was necessary to move men toward a saving knowledge of Himself. He values every soul. Zacchaeus, a despised tax collector, received His attention and love just as the Pharisee Nicodemus and the rich young ruler did (Luke 19:1-10; 18:18-25; John 3:1-8). Jesus also spent time with people on the lowest rung of the social ladder, healing the sick and afflicted, and speaking with children.

A servant’s life is not self-centered but rather is focused on God and His work. The Bible calls us to serve the Father by following in the Son’s footsteps. Believers would never refer to Jesus as weak, but those who chase after the world’s version of success probably would. Are you prepared to challenge our culture’s idea of power by accepting the humble position of servant?