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Christ’s Priority for His Church – Charles Stanley

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John 17:1-26

Sin is a divider. That’s what separated mankind from the Lord in the garden, and it has been fracturing relationships ever since. It’s also the reason that God considers reconciliation so important. He wants to re-establish an intimate relationship with fallen humanity. But His desires for His children don’t end with their salvation experience. He also wants His church to be a shining example of unity for all to see.

The last time Christ prayed for His followers before going to the cross, He asked “that they may all be one” as the Father and Son are one (v. 21). Despite the fact that we cannot attain perfect unity with God until we reach heaven, we do have the capacity to walk in harmony with Him by living in obedience to His Holy Spirit within us.

The other aspect of oneness that God desires for us is unity with one another within His church. We will always have differences in what we prefer and how we interpret certain Bible passages, but our common identity as Christians is based on the essential truths of the faith as revealed in God’s Word. The unity Christ advocates is possible only when each member of His body walks in submission to the Spirit so that together they can achieve the purposes of God and reflect Christ’s character in their behavior.

Ask the Lord to produce a desire for unity within your heart. When you’re tempted to demand your own way, remember what’s at stake. Accord in a local church allows God to do His work effectively through that congregation, but it’s also an attractive witness that draws the lost world to Christ.

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Timeless News for the Time Bound – Ravi Zacharias

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Most of us, if we’re honest, live by the clock. The alarm sounds and we are off, watching the minutes slip by. Time-sensitive deadlines drive our days. We have appointments and meetings, we eat at a certain time, and the day ends by a certain time. Bound to our timepieces, it often seems our every moment is synchronized and controlled.

In contrast to the “objective” measures of time marking seconds, minutes, and hours, there is also a “subjective” experience of time being “fast or slow.” Another year has come and gone, and it seems for those of us who are growing older that our experience of time passes by more and more quickly. Most of us feel our vacation time as ephemeral and fleeting, while our work week plods slowly by—and yet both are marked by the same objective measurements of time. How is it that our subjective experience of time is so different from what our watches and clocks objectively mark out for us, second by second, hour by hour?

This question of our subjective experience of time is one that ancient philosophers and theologians pondered. Their philosophical and theological musings bequeathed to us many perplexities regarding the human experience of time. Saint Augustine, for example, wrestled with the fleeting character of our human temporal experience. He was rightly perplexed by the experience of apprehending the present at the moment it recedes into the past. He wrote, “We cannot rightly say what time is, except by reason of its impending state of not-being.”(1)

Regardless of the perceptual and philosophical difficulties with understanding the nature of time, what seems most crucial for human beings is the significance of events that happen in time, moment by moment, hour by hour, and day by day. Seeking to reclaim this emphasis, theologians have tried to understand the nature of time by what takes place in time—a narrative of unfolding events.(2) These theological discussions involve God’s engagement with time. Is God a wholly atemporal being, outside of time and history? Or is God genuinely engaged with time and revealed through an unfolding story of historical disclosure?

The biblical writers give witness to a God who progressively unfolds saving acts within history as they experienced them. The divine plan of salvation that Christians believe culminates in the life and ministry of Jesus Christ is called salvation history. Yet, God did not, for example, reveal every aspect of salvation to Abraham or to Moses. Instead, the biblical writers give witness to the God who works within and through the temporal events of history to reveal the plan of redemption. We see this unfolding in God’s commissioning of Moses prior to the Exodus:

“I appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as God Almighty (El Shaddai) but by my name ‘the Lord (YHWH)’ I did not make myself known.”(3)

Within the long ministry of the prophets as well, a God is revealed who gradually discloses what will take place. Isaiah presents the God who “proclaims to you new things from this time; even hidden things which you have not known. They are created now, and not long ago: and before today you have not heard them” (Isaiah 48:6-7).

For Christians, God’s decisive revelatory action in time is in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. While there are many glimpses, sign-markers, and hints pointing towards a messianic redeemer in the Old Testament, ultimately God chose to enter a particular time as a human being to live life among the time-bound.

The significance of those time-bound events continues into our time, and indeed into eternity. And through the unfolding of time, humans can grow in their understanding of who God is and what God has done through Jesus, the Messiah. Indeed, as Jesus spoke with his disciples, he suggested that there would be more to learn and more to reveal through the work of the Holy Spirit: “I have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.  But when the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth; for he will not speak on his own initiative, but whatever he hears he will speak; and he will disclose to you what is to come.“(4)

The witness of Scripture suggests that the events of our lives reveal this ongoing work of the Spirit. Sometimes, we apprehend the significance of those events in the present time. Other times, it is only through the lens of hindsight as events recede into times past that we understand God’s action. While time might move slowly for some or quickly for others, while minutes and seconds and hours are filled with appointments, meetings, and all the events that make up our time-bound existence, the Spirit invites us to look around to see how God is working through what might appear to be ordinary events in the march of time.

As another year recedes and a new year unfolds, those who follow Jesus declare that God entered time to enact the new creation in Christ’s life, death and resurrection. As we grow in our understanding of that timeless act, the events of our temporal lives act as sign-markers for eternity. And while we often see the significance of our time-bound events “through a mirror darkly,” Christians continue to live each day in hope of that time that will come when “all things are subjected to Him…that God may be all in all.”(5)

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

(1) Augustine, Confessions, XI, 14.

(2) Colin Gunton, cited in John Polkinghorne, Exploring Reality: The Intertwining of Science and Religion, (New Haven: Yale University Press, 2005), 120.

(3) Exodus 6:2-3, Italics mine.

(4) John 16:12-13, Italics mine.

(5) 1 Corinthians 15:28.

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Charles Spurgeon’s Morning and Evening

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Morning   “Do as thou hast said.” / 2 Samuel 7:25

God’s promises were never meant to be thrown aside as waste paper; he intended

that they should be used. God’s gold is not miser’s money, but is minted to be

traded with. Nothing pleases our Lord better than to see his promises put in

circulation; he loves to see his children bring them up to him, and say,

“Lord, do as thou hast said.” We glorify God when we plead his promises. Do

you think that God will be any the poorer for giving you the riches he has

promised? Do you dream that he will be any the less holy for giving holiness

to you? Do you imagine he will be any the less pure for washing you from your

sins? He has said “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord:

though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be

red like crimson, they shall be as wool.” Faith lays hold upon the promise of

pardon, and it does not delay, saying, “This is a precious promise, I wonder

if it be true?” but it goes straight to the throne with it, and pleads, “Lord,

here is the promise, Do as thou hast said.'” Our Lord replies, “Be it unto

thee even as thou wilt.” When a Christian grasps a promise, if he does not

take it to God, he dishonours him; but when he hastens to the throne of grace,

and cries, “Lord, I have nothing to recommend me but this, Thou hast said

it;'” then his desire shall be granted. Our heavenly Banker delights to cash

his own notes. Never let the promise rust. Draw the sword of promise out of

its scabbard, and use it with holy violence. Think not that God will be

troubled by your importunately reminding him of his promises. He loves to hear

the loud outcries of needy souls. It is his delight to bestow favours. He is

more ready to hear than you are to ask. The sun is not weary of shining, nor

the fountain of flowing. It is God’s nature to keep his promises; therefore go

at once to the throne with “Do as thou hast said.”

 

Evening  “But I give myself unto prayer.” / Psalm 109:4

Lying tongues were busy against the reputation of David, but he did not defend

himself; he moved the case into a higher court, and pleaded before the great

King himself. Prayer is the safest method of replying to words of hatred. The

Psalmist prayed in no cold-hearted manner, he gave himself to the

exercise–threw his whole soul and heart into it–straining every sinew and

muscle, as Jacob did when wrestling with the angel. Thus, and thus only, shall

any of us speed at the throne of grace. As a shadow has no power because there

is no substance in it, even so that supplication, in which a man’s proper self

is not thoroughly present in agonizing earnestness and vehement desire, is

utterly ineffectual, for it lacks that which would give it force. “Fervent

prayer,” says an old divine, “like a cannon planted at the gates of heaven,

makes them fly open.” The common fault with the most of us is our readiness to

yield to distractions. Our thoughts go roving hither and thither, and we make

little progress towards our desired end. Like quicksilver our mind will not

hold together, but rolls off this way and that. How great an evil this is! It

injures us, and what is worse, it insults our God. What should we think of a

petitioner, if, while having an audience with a prince, he should be playing

with a feather or catching a fly?

Continuance and perseverance are intended in the expression of our text. David

did not cry once, and then relapse into silence; his holy clamour was

continued till it brought down the blessing. Prayer must not be our chance

work, but our daily business, our habit and vocation. As artists give

themselves to their models, and poets to their classical pursuits, so must we

addict ourselves to prayer. We must be immersed in prayer as in our element,

and so pray without ceasing. Lord, teach us so to pray that we may be more and

more prevalent in supplication.

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Resting in God’s Sovereignty – John MacArthur

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God made known the mystery of His will “according to His kind intention which He purposed in [Christ] with a view to an administration suitable to the fulness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things upon the earth” (Eph. 1:9-10).

For centuries men of various philosophical schools have debated the cause, course, and climax of human history. Some deny God and therefore deny any divine involvement in history. Others believe that God set everything in motion, then withdrew to let it progress on its own. Still others believe that God is intimately involved in the flow of human history and is directing its course toward a specific, predetermined climax.

In Ephesians 1:9-10 Paul settles that debate by reminding us that Jesus Himself is the goal of human history. In Him all things will be summed up–all human history will be resolved and united to the Father through the work of the Son.

As Paul said elsewhere, “It was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fulness [of deity] to dwell in [Christ], and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross” (Col. 1:19-20). The culmination of Christ’s reconciling work will come during His millennial kingdom (Rev. 20). Following that, He will usher in the eternal state with a new heaven and earth (Rev. 21).

Despite the political uncertainty and military unrest in the world today, be assured that God is in control. He governs the world (Isa. 40:22-24), the nations (Isa. 40:15- 17), and individuals as well (Prov. 16:9). God’s timetable is right on schedule. Nothing takes Him by surprise and nothing thwarts His purposes. Ultimately He will vanquish evil and make everything right in Christ.

Suggestions for Prayer:     Thank God for the wisdom and insight He gives you to see beyond your temporal circumstances to His eternal purposes.

Live today with that perspective in mind.

For Further Study: Read Revelation 20

What happens to Satan prior to the millennial kingdom?

How does Satan meet his final doom?

What happens at the great white throne judgment?

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The Impact of One – Greg Laurie

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Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other—Romans 12:4–5

When it comes to contemporary heroes of the Christian faith, we are familiar with names like Billy Graham. But what about Edward Kimble or Mordecai Ham?

Edward Kimble was a shoe salesman who worked alongside a guy named Dwight. Edward shared the gospel with Dwight, and Dwight accepted Christ. It was 1858, and Dwight’s last name was Moody. We know him as D. L. Moody, who was one of the greatest evangelists in history.

Years later when Moody was preaching, a pastor named Frederick D. Meyer was deeply stirred, and as a result, he went into his own nationwide preaching ministry. On one occasion when Meyer was preaching, a college student named J. Wilbur Chapman heard him and accepted Christ. He went out and began to share the gospel, and he employed a young baseball player named Billy Sunday. Billy Sunday ended up being the greatest evangelist of his generation.

When Billy Sunday preached the gospel in Charlotte, North Carolina, it was such a great meeting that he was invited back. But when he couldn’t be there, Sunday recommended a preacher named Mordecai Ham. Ham went to Charlotte and preached, but not many people responded to his invitation to accept Christ. But on one of the last nights, a tall, lanky boy who worked on the local dairy farm walked forward. Everyone knew him as Billy Frank, and we know him today as Billy Graham.

So Edward Kimble reached D. L. Moody, who touched Frederick Meyer, who reached Wilbur Chapman, who helped Billy Sunday, who reached businessmen in Charlotte, who invited Mordecai Ham, who ultimately reached Billy Graham. And it all began with the simple witness of Edward Kimble.

Every one of us can make a difference for the kingdom of God. What is He calling you to do?

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Look to Jesus and Live – Charles Stanley

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John 3:7-15

Jesus’ conversation with Nicodemus was packed with symbolism. He compared salvation to a second birth and likened the Holy Spirit’s work to the wind. But then the Lord used an Old Testament illustration that might seem odd to modern readers— He said the Son of Man must be lifted up, just as Moses lifted the bronze serpent (Num. 21:1-9).

Nicodemus would have been familiar with the story: en route to the Promised Land, the Israelites once complained about going the long way around enemy territory. God responded by sending poisonous snakes into their midst. A bite victim would die unless he or she looked at the bronze serpent hanging from a pole in the camp. The statue was a symbolic representation of God’s presence among the Israelites as well as a reminder that He was their deliverer.

While we might not mix spiritual birth and a snake on a pole in one testimony, Jesus did so for a good reason. These metaphors describe related events. The Messiah was explaining that He must be lifted onto the cross as a sacrifice for all of mankind’s wrongs. A new birth is impossible unless somebody pays the price for our sinful condition. Those who look to Jesus and believe will be forgiven, saved, and born again.

Jesus’ message to Nicodemus becomes clear when we understand how the pieces fit together. The Savior is saying that He must die on the cross so that sinful human beings can be born again. Have you looked to Jesus Christ for salvation? He is the only way to new life.

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Creaturely Gifts – Ravi Zacharias

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At the very first “show and tell” of my kindergarten career, I was faced with a moment of decision. We were seated in a circle, one by one offering the class our name and our favorite color. Oddly, it seemed as though there was an unwritten rule emerging around that circle. All of the girls, without exception, were declaring unanimously that “pink” and/or “purple” was their favorite. I was new to the idea of classmates and wanted these people beside me to be my friends. But I didn’t like either of these colors. Getting more and more anxious with each passing declaration, I decided to tell the truth. “Orange and green,” I avowed incompatibly. My response was met with giggles from boys and girls alike. Yet somehow this embarrassing spectacle only sealed my affection for the obviously unloved, underdog colors.

So when I found the pitiable orange plastic day lilies in the tiny green velvet flowerpot, I knew I had to buy them. My five-year-old eyes saw the beauty in the rejected knickknack, lost on a table full of junk, bearing a tag marked twenty-five cents at a garage sale. When I got them home, I dusted off the crispy petals, proudly wrapped a ribbon around the pot, and presented the flowers triumphantly as a gift to my dad.

Twenty years later, cleaning out the belongings of my father after he had passed away, I found the unsightly plastic flora still perched upon his desk. Looking at the tacky flowers, covered again with dust, still bearing the small ribbon, I recalled the joy of finding the orange treasure, the excitement in handing over twenty-five cents to claim it as my own, and the hard decision I made to give it away. Brushing my fingers over the green velvet pot, I recalled the pleased expression on my dad’s face as he placed it on his desk and told me he would keep it there always. And then I remembered a detail in adulthood that the eyes of the child overlooked: The quarter that purchased these flowers was his own.

Christianity is often thought of as a set of principles that people struggle to follow, earning their way into God’s favor with self-denial and obedience. But this is looking at God as we might look at a gumball machine or a bank. We cannot earn our way to whatever prize we have our eye on—even if the prize we seek is God. The shiny quarters we proudly offer, belong, in fact, to God.

Indeed, in the Christian imagination every faculty we have—from our ability to think or move to our ability to praise or seek Father, Son, and Spirit—is given to us by God Himself. As the apostle Paul declared among the idols of Mars Hill, “The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands. And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else” (Acts 17:24-25). We are embedded in God’s creation; we are creatures within it. We cannot escape our creaturely vocation or our creaturely end. Everything we do is fixed within this drama of creation.

As such, we cannot possibly earn our way into God’s presence, for we cannot give the maker of heaven and earth anything that is not in a sense already God’s own. “It is because of [God] that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption.  Therefore, as it is written: ‘Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.’” The tattered gifts of faith and obedience we offer were purchased with God’s own flesh and blood. As hymnist Stuart Townend has written:

How deep the Father’s love for us,

how vast beyond all measure

That He should give His only Son

to make a wretch His treasure!

How great the pain of searing loss;

the Father turns His face away,

As wounds which mar the Chosen One

bring many sons to glory.

At the time, the thought didn’t strike me at all: I borrowed a quarter from my dad to by him a present. Technically, he bought himself an ugly dust-collector. But it was nonetheless a five year-old’s sacrifice of love, and one he held onto all his life. How much more so God the Father treasures his children’s sacrifice of praise.

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

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Charles Spurgeon’s Morning and Evening

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Morning  “Mighty to save.” / Isaiah 63:1

By the words “to save” we understand the whole of the great work of salvation,

from the first holy desire onward to complete sanctification. The words are

multum in parro: indeed, here is all mercy in one word. Christ is not only

“mighty to save” those who repent, but he is able to make men repent. He will

carry those to heaven who believe; but he is, moreover, mighty to give men new

hearts and to work faith in them. He is mighty to make the man who hates

holiness love it, and to constrain the despiser of his name to bend the knee

before him. Nay, this is not all the meaning, for the divine power is equally

seen in the after-work. The life of a believer is a series of miracles wrought

by “the Mighty God.” The bush burns, but is not consumed. He is mighty to keep

his people holy after he has made them so, and to preserve them in his fear

and love until he consummates their spiritual existence in heaven. Christ’s

might doth not lie in making a believer and then leaving him to shift for

himself; but he who begins the good work carries it on; he who imparts the

first germ of life in the dead soul, prolongs the divine existence, and

strengthens it until it bursts asunder every bond of sin, and the soul leaps

from earth, perfected in glory. Believer, here is encouragement. Art thou

praying for some beloved one? Oh, give not up thy prayers, for Christ is

“mighty to save.” You are powerless to reclaim the rebel, but your Lord is

Almighty. Lay hold on that mighty arm, and rouse it to put forth its strength.

Does your own case trouble you? Fear not, for his strength is sufficient for

you. Whether to begin with others, or to carry on the work in you, Jesus is

“mighty to save;” the best proof of which lies in the fact that he has saved

you. What a thousand mercies that you have not found him mighty to destroy!

 

Evening   “Beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me.” / Matthew 14:30

Sinking times are praying times with the Lord’s servants. Peter neglected

prayer at starting upon his venturous journey, but when he began to sink his

danger made him a suppliant, and his cry though late was not too late. In our

hours of bodily pain and mental anguish, we find ourselves as naturally driven

to prayer as the wreck is driven upon the shore by the waves. The fox hies to

its hole for protection; the bird flies to the wood for shelter; and even so

the tried believer hastens to the mercy seat for safety. Heaven’s great

harbour of refuge is All-prayer; thousands of weather-beaten vessels have

found a haven there, and the moment a storm comes on, it is wise for us to

make for it with all sail.

Short prayers are long enough. There were but three words in the petition

which Peter gasped out, but they were sufficient for his purpose. Not length

but strength is desirable. A sense of need is a mighty teacher of brevity. If

our prayers had less of the tail feathers of pride and more wing they would be

all the better. Verbiage is to devotion as chaff to the wheat. Precious things

lie in small compass, and all that is real prayer in many a long address might

have been uttered in a petition as short as that of Peter.

Our extremities are the Lord’s opportunities. Immediately a keen sense of

danger forces an anxious cry from us the ear of Jesus hears, and with him ear

and heart go together, and the hand does not long linger. At the last moment

we appeal to our Master, but his swift hand makes up for our delays by instant

and effectual action. Are we nearly engulfed by the boisterous waters of

affliction? Let us then lift up our souls unto our Saviour, and we may rest

assured that he will not suffer us to perish. When we can do nothing Jesus can

do all things; let us enlist his powerful aid upon our side, and all will be

well.

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Pursuing God’s Will – John MacArthur

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“In all wisdom and insight [God] made known to us the mystery of His will” (Eph. 1:8-9).

When God redeemed you, He not only forgave your trespasses and removed the guilt and penalty of sin, but He also gave you spiritual wisdom and insight–two essential elements for godly living. Together they speak of the ability to understand God’s will and apply it to your life in practical ways.

As a believer you understand the most sublime truths of all. For example, you know that God created the world and controls the course of history. You know that mankind’s reason for existence is to know and glorify Him. You have goals and priorities that transcend earthly circumstances and limitations.

Such wisdom and insight escapes unbelievers because they tend to view the things of God with disdain (1 Cor. 2:14). But you “have the mind of Christ” (v. 16). His Word reveals His will and His spirit gives you the desire and ability to understand and obey it.

Today is another opportunity to cultivate that desire through diligent prayer and Bible study. Let the psalmist’s commitment be yours: “O how I love Thy law! It is my meditation all the day. Thy commandments make me wiser than my enemies. . . . I have more insight than all my teachers. . . . I understand more than the aged . . . I have restrained my feet from every evil way, that I may keep Thy word” (Ps. 119:97-101).

Suggestions for Prayer:  Thank God for the wisdom and insight He gives you through His Word.

If you have neglected the Word, ask His forgiveness and begin once again to refresh your spirit with its truths.

Ask for wisdom to respond biblically to every situation you face today.

For Further Study: Many Christians think God’s will is vague or hidden from them. But Scripture mentions several specific aspects of His will. Once you align yourself with those specifics, the Spirit will direct you in the other areas of your life.

List six elements of God’s will from these passages: 2 Peter 3:9; Ephesians 5:17-18; 1 Thessalonians 4:3; 1 Peter 2:13-15; 1 Peter 3:17; 1 Thessalonians 5:18.

Are you following God’s will in those areas? If not, what steps can you take today to do so?

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Be a Hero – Greg Laurie

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Through their faith, the people in days of old earned a good reputation —Hebrews 11:2

We throw the word “hero” around a lot today. If a basketball player is adept at sinking the ball in the basket, we say that he or she is a sports hero. A musician who is really good on a guitar is called a guitar hero. But do we actually know what a hero is anymore?

I think we are living in a time in which we are more obsessed with celebrities and have fewer heroes. In the age of Paris Hilton and the Kardashians, we have people who are famous for being famous.

Someone who compared celebrity with true heroism said that time makes heroes but dissolves celebrities. Well said.

Then there are the unsung heroes, those who often work behind the scenes but don’t get the credit. Sometimes we don’t even know that person is a hero until much later. Perhaps they made an unpopular stand or did something that was not politically correct or simply did the right thing. And with the passing of time, we realize they were right.

In the Bible, we find a lot of unsung heroes. We think of Moses and Joshua as heroes, but what about Caleb? Along with Joshua, he endured the ridicule of the Israelites when they told the people they should enter the Promised Land. But in the end, it was Caleb who said, “Give me the hill country that the Lord promised me” (Joshua 14:12), and then he took possession of his inheritance.

Andrew originally followed John the Baptist, who pointed him to Christ. And when Andrew found Jesus, the first thing he did was find his brother Peter and tell him. In fact, every time we read about Andrew in the Bible, he is bringing someone to Jesus.

You can stand as an example of what it is to be a true believer. You may never be famous, but you can be a hero to others as you faithfully walk with Christ.

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Created to Love – Charles Stanley

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Have you ever wondered if your life has a purpose? The Word of God says it does—one that is both noble and desirable: Every believer was created by God to love and be loved.

God loves you personally and individually, without limit or qualification. He desires to shower you with His affection and kindness. Let me assure you of several things:

God’s love is the most important thing we can know about Him.

The very essence of God’s being—in other words, His personality and nature—is love (1 John 4:8). It is the reason Jesus came to earth, lived a victorious life, and then died to restore man’s relationship with the Father (John 3:16). The most important decision we can ever make is to receive this gift of God.

The Lord’s affection is absolute, unwavering, and sacrificial. Moreover, God’s love is not subject to favoritism. He cares for the sinner as much as He does for the saint. In our human pride or our desire to be “somebody special,” we may find that fact difficult to swallow. But God grants love to each person.

The Bible tells us that the rain falls on the just and the unjust, and the sun shines on the righteous and the wicked (Matt. 5:45). This means that with or without faith in God, everyone experiences certain benefits and blessings from Him. But the person who receives Jesus as Savior is in a position to reap the blessings that accompany an outpouring of love into his or her life.

The Lord’s love is not based upon what we do, what we have, or what we achieve. He freely gives it to us simply because we are His creation. You cannot win or earn more of God’s favor—it has nothing to do with performance. Accept and delight in that truth.

The most important response we can make is to reciprocate God’s love.

John said it simply and eloquently: “We love Him because He first loved us” (1 John 4:19, NKJV). And Jesus said the first and foremost commandment was this: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind” (Matt. 22:37). The only acceptable response to God’s great outpouring of love toward you is to love Him back.

We can choose to rebel. And while this doesn’t affect God’s nature, it will change us. Those who refuse to acknowledge and receive divine love cut themselves off from great blessing. Not only that, but such individuals typically yield to anger, hatred, and bitterness. To harden one’s heart toward God is the supreme act of rebellion—in doing so, a person hurts himself far more than he hurts others. Humbly receiving God, on the other hand, brings good into one’s life.

Satan constantly tries to convince us that if we follow Jesus, we will have to give up personal freedom, identity, and pleasure. But those who live apart from God’s love inevitably discover their rebellion did not make them any freer. They may not go to jail, but they end up in emotional or psychological prisons—caught in addiction or trapped by feelings of resentment. The longer they live separated from the Lord’s love and mercy, the less pleasure they find in life. In that situation, it is easy to become cynical, jaded, critical, and in the end, apathetic to nearly everything.

But those who embrace and reciprocate God’s love enjoy inner freedom they never imagined. They develop as individuals, discovering hidden talents and abilities. They experience true delight in God’s creation and know the joy of perpetual discovery.

When we choose to love and obey God, we can be sure He will guide us toward doing what will bring about the greatest fulfillment in life.

God’s love is our ultimate reason to hope.

If we know with certainty that God loves us and desires good for our lives, what is there to fear? Hope in Christ is for everyone. It compels us not to remain in a state of dread, doubt, or worry but to seek transformation by the Holy Spirit’s power. Trust encourages us to anticipate God’s best and look for the dawning of a new day.

Our heavenly Father is generous—even extravagant—in His love. Open your heart and let the Lord shower more of His good gifts upon you. You won’t regret yielding your life to Him.

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Charles Spurgeon’s Morning and Evening

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Morning  “Jehoshaphat made ships of Tharshish to go to Ophir for gold: but they went

not; for the ships were broken at Ezion-geber” / 1 Kings 22:48

Solomon’s ships had returned in safety, but Jehoshaphat’s vessels never

reached the land of gold. Providence prospers one, and frustrates the desires

of another, in the same business and at the same spot, yet the Great Ruler is

as good and wise at one time as another. May we have grace today, in the

remembrance of this text, to bless the Lord for ships broken at Ezion-geber,

as well as for vessels freighted with temporal blessings; let us not envy the

more successful, nor murmur at our losses as though we were singularly and

specially tried. Like Jehoshaphat, we may be precious in the Lord’s sight,

although our schemes end in disappointment.

The secret cause of Jehoshaphat’s loss is well worthy of notice, for it is the

root of very much of the suffering of the Lord’s people; it was his alliance

with a sinful family, his fellowship with sinners. In 2 Ch. 20:37, we are told

that the Lord sent a prophet to declare, “Because thou hast joined thyself

with Ahaziah, the Lord hath broken thy works.” This was a fatherly

chastisement, which appears to have been blest to him; for in the verse which

succeeds our morning’s text we find him refusing to allow his servants to sail

in the same vessels with those of the wicked king. Would to God that

Jehoshaphat’s experience might be a warning to the rest of the Lord’s people,

to avoid being unequally yoked together with unbelievers! A life of misery is

usually the lot of those who are united in marriage, or in any other way of

their own choosing, with the men of the world. O for such love to Jesus that,

like him, we may be holy, harmless, undefiled, and separate from sinners; for

if it be not so with us, we may expect to hear it often said, “The Lord hath

broken thy works.”

 

Evening   “The iron did swim.” / 2 Kings 6:6

The axe-head seemed hopelessly lost, and as it was borrowed, the honour of the

prophetic band was likely to be imperilled, and so the name of their God to be

compromised. Contrary to all expectation, the iron was made to mount from the

depth of the stream and to swim; for things impossible with man are possible

with God. I knew a man in Christ but a few years ago who was called to

undertake a work far exceeding his strength. It appeared so difficult as to

involve absurdity in the bare idea of attempting it. Yet he was called

thereto, and his faith rose with the occasion; God honoured his faith,

unlooked-for aid was sent, and the iron did swim. Another of the Lord’s family

was in grievous financial straits, he was able to meet all claims, and much

more if he could have realized a certain portion of his estate, but he was

overtaken with a sudden pressure; he sought for friends in vain, but faith led

him to the unfailing Helper, and lo, the trouble was averted, his footsteps

were enlarged, and the iron did swim. A third had a sorrowful case of

depravity to deal with. He had taught, reproved, warned, invited, and

interceded, but all in vain. Old Adam was too strong for young Melancthon, the

stubborn spirit would not relent. Then came an agony of prayer, and before

long a blessed answer was sent from heaven. The hard heart was broken, the

iron did swim.

Beloved reader, what is thy desperate case? What heavy matter hast thou in

hand this evening? Bring it hither. The God of the prophets lives, and lives

to help his saints. He will not suffer thee to lack any good thing. Believe

thou in the Lord of hosts! Approach him pleading the name of Jesus, and the

iron shall swim; thou too shalt see the finger of God working marvels for his

people. According to thy faith be it unto thee, and yet again the iron shall

swim.

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Enjoying God’s Forgiveness – John MacArthur

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In Christ we have “the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of [God’s] grace, which He lavished upon us” (Eph. 1:7-8).

On Israel’s Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) the high priest selected two goats. One was sacrificed; the other set free. Before releasing the second goat, the high priest symbolically placed the sins of the people on it by laying his hands on its head. This “scapegoat” was then taken a great distance from camp and released–never to return again (Lev. 16:7-10).

The Greek word translated “forgiveness” in Ephesians 1:7 means “to send away.” It speaks of cancelling a debt or granting a pardon. Like the scapegoat, Christ carried away our sins on the cross.

In Christ, God cancelled your debt and pardoned your transgressions, and He did so “according to the riches of His grace, which He lavished upon [you]” (v. 8). That means you have infinite forgiveness because God’s grace is infinite. You cannot sin beyond God’s grace because where sin abounds, grace super-abounds (Rom. 5:20).

God delights in lavishing His grace upon you. Such grace is overflowing and cannot be contained. You are forgiven for every sin–past, present, and future. You will never be condemned by God or separated from Him (Rom. 8:1-2, 31-39). Even when you fail, God doesn’t hold your sins against you. Christ bore them all so that you might know the joy and peace that freedom from sin and guilt brings.

Let the reality of God’s grace fill your heart with joy and assurance. Let the responsibility of glorifying Him fill you with awe and reverence. Let this day be a sacrifice of praise and service to Him.

Suggestions for Prayer:

Thank God for His infinite grace and forgiveness.

Look for opportunities to extend forgiveness to others.

 

For Further Study: Read Matthew 18:21-35

What characteristic marked the wicked slave?

What was the king’s response to the wicked slave’s actions?

What point was Jesus making? How does it apply to you?

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A reminder about America – Bro Bo in Hawaii

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– a small history lesson
Talk about the United States today and bring up Christianity and the first thing that pops up is The Separation of Church and State. Do you believe this is truly what was intended by the people that wrote the Constitution?  Maybe, only for the Fact that they did not want a powerful “Church of England” in charge of the New Country.  Their plan was to leave the idea of churches for the people, with the people. The people of each State would decide what church is best for them. The federal government would have no control in this area.

That was the plan, but plans can change and The State Governments today all dance from the money strings attached to the Federal Government rules. It is not for me to call out or say what is right or wrong in the Government today. I am just one person, all I can do is ask you to think for yourself and trust God, not government.

You can make up your own mind as to what the Government is doing and not doing, how much control they have over your life. Then think about how much, if any; is God part of what the Government is doing. You can decide to follow what God teaches you in the Bible and grow and learn to be the Person God hopes you will be.

Take the time to ask questions and seek answers. Start with…Who do you trust with your Life?

Proverbs 1:7 KJ21 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

Psalm 127:1 KJ21 Except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it. Except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain.

Proverbs 8:10 KJ21 Receive my instruction and not silver, and knowledge rather than choice gold;

2 Corinthians 4:6 KJ21 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

Philippians 3:7 KJ21 But what things were gain to me, those I counted as loss for Christ. 8 Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things and count them but dung, that I may win Christ

Remember to be Wise men who know the times and to know where the Wisdom comes from…God.

Peace be to you all from Bro Bo in Hawaii

– Life is a long journey but we all end up before the same God in Heaven, What will He say to you?

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Charles Spurgeon’s Morning and Evening

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Morning  “Ye are Christ’s.” / 1 Corinthians 3:23

“Ye are Christ’s.” You are his by donation, for the Father gave you to the

Son; his by his bloody purchase, for he counted down the price for your

redemption; his by dedication, for you have consecrated yourself to him; his

by relation, for you are named by his name, and made one of his brethren and

joint-heirs. Labour practically to show the world that you are the servant,

the friend, the bride of Jesus. When tempted to sin, reply, “I cannot do this

great wickedness, for I am Christ’s.” Immortal principles forbid the friend of

Christ to sin. When wealth is before you to be won by sin, say that you are

Christ’s, and touch it not. Are you exposed to difficulties and dangers? Stand

fast in the evil day, remembering that you are Christ’s. Are you placed where

others are sitting down idly, doing nothing? Rise to the work with all your

powers; and when the sweat stands upon your brow, and you are tempted to

loiter, cry, “No, I cannot stop, for I am Christ’s. If I were not purchased by

blood, I might be like Issachar, crouching between two burdens; but I am

Christ’s, and cannot loiter.” When the siren song of pleasure would tempt you

from the path of right, reply, “Thy music cannot charm me; I am Christ’s.”

When the cause of God invites thee, give thy goods and thyself away, for thou

art Christ’s. Never belie thy profession. Be thou ever one of those whose

manners are Christian, whose speech is like the Nazarene, whose conduct and

conversation are so redolent of heaven, that all who see you may know that you

are the Saviour’s, recognizing in you his features of love and his countenance

of holiness. “I am a Roman!” was of old a reason for integrity; far more,

then, let it be your argument for holiness, “I am Christ’s!”

 

Evening “I have yet to speak on God’s behalf.” / Job 36:2

We ought not to court publicity for our virtue, or notoriety for our zeal;

but, at the same time, it is a sin to be always seeking to hide that which God

has bestowed upon us for the good of others. A Christian is not to be a

village in a valley, but “a city set upon a hill;” he is not to be a candle

under a bushel, but a candle in a candlestick, giving light to all. Retirement

may be lovely in its season, and to hide one’s self is doubtless modest, but

the hiding of Christ in us can never be justified, and the keeping back of

truth which is precious to ourselves is a sin against others and an offence

against God. If you are of a nervous temperament and of retiring disposition,

take care that you do not too much indulge this trembling propensity, lest you

should be useless to the church. Seek in the name of him who was not ashamed

of you to do some little violence to your feelings, and tell to others what

Christ has told to you. If thou canst not speak with trumpet tongue, use the

still small voice. If the pulpit must not be thy tribune, if the press may not

carry on its wings thy words, yet say with Peter and John, “Silver and gold

have I none; but such as I have give I thee.” By Sychar’s well talk to the

Samaritan woman, if thou canst not on the mountain preach a sermon; utter the

praises of Jesus in the house, if not in the temple; in the field, if not upon

the exchange; in the midst of thine own household, if thou canst not in the

midst of the great family of man. From the hidden springs within let sweetly

flowing rivulets of testimony flow forth, giving drink to every passer-by.

Hide not thy talent; trade with it; and thou shalt bring in good interest to

thy Lord and Master. To speak for God will be refreshing to ourselves,

cheering to saints, useful to sinners, and honouring to the Saviour. Dumb

children are an affliction to their parents. Lord, unloose all thy children’s

tongue.

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The High Cost of Free Grace – John MacArthur

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“In [Christ] we have redemption through His blood” (Eph. 1:7, emphasis added).

Sin is not a serious issue to most people. Our culture flaunts and peddles it in countless forms. Even Christians who would never think of committing certain sins will often allow themselves to be entertained by them through television, movies, music, and other media.

We might flirt with sin but God hates it. The price He paid to redeem us from it speaks of the seriousness with which He views it. After all, we “were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold . . . but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ” (1 Pet. 1:18-19). In Scripture the shedding of blood refers to violent physical death–whether of a sacrificial animal or of Christ Himself. Sin is so serious that without bloodshed, there is no forgiveness of sin in God’s sight (Heb. 9:22).

The sacrificial animals in the Old Testament pictured Christ’s sacrifice on the cross. That’s why John the Baptist called Jesus “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). The Old Testament sacrifices were necessary but incomplete. Christ’s sacrifice was perfect, complete, and once for all (Heb. 10:10). No further sacrifices are needed other than the “sacrifice of praise to God” for what He has done (Heb. 13:15) and our very lives in service to Him as “a living and holy sacrifice” (Rom. 12:1). By His sacrifice Christ demonstrated not only God’s hatred for sin, but also His great love for sinners. You could never redeem yourself, but Christ willingly paid the price with His own precious blood. He “gave Himself up for [you], an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma” (Eph. 5:2). His sacrifice was acceptable to the Father, so your redemption was paid in full. What magnanimous love and incredible grace!

Suggestions for Prayer:

Worship God for His wonderful plan of salvation.

Worship Christ for the enormous sacrifice He made on your behalf.

Worship the Holy Spirit for applying Christ’s sacrifice to your life and drawing you to Christ in saving faith.

Ask God to help you guard your heart from flirting with sin.

For Further Study: Read 2 Samuel 11

What circumstances led to David’s sin with Bathsheba?

How did David attempt to cover his sin?

How did David finally deal with his sin (see Ps. 51)?

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Big Dreams? Be Faithful – Greg Laurie

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Do you have big dreams to accomplish something great for God?

I have some advice for you: Be faithful in the little things and God will give you more to do.

When David was called by God to be king, he was out watching sheep, just being faithful. The day David killed Goliath, he didn’t wake up that morning and hear God say, “David, today you are going to the valley of Elah. There will be a giant Philistine named Goliath, and you will kill him with a stone.” No, at his dad’s request, David was taking some cheese sandwiches to his brothers out on the front line. . .just being faithful on an errand for his dad.

What was Gideon doing when God called him? He was hiding from his enemies. He was terrified. But God saw his potential, and the next thing Gideon knew, he was leading troops into battle.

And what was Elisha doing when Elijah called him to carry on the work? He was out plowing in the field. Moses was watching a bunch of sheep in the desert when God called him to deliver the Israelites. Then there was Daniel, who was so faithful to the Lord that his enemies couldn’t find one thing wrong with him. They had to make up lies about him so that he would be sentenced to death. And how about that teenage girl named Mary living in Nazareth who had a visit from one of God’s most powerful angels, with a message about a Child, who would be called the Son of the Most High?

My point is this: They were faithfully doing what God had set before them. They weren’t running around, looking for big, important things to accomplish. They didn’t have public relations consultants or agents. They were simply doing the little things, waiting on God.

Sometimes, we have great ideas of what God will do. But we have to wait on Him. What are your dreams right now? Maybe you want to do something for God, but you think it will never happen. Then again. . .maybe it will. Maybe it even will surpass your wildest dreams. Just be faithful to do what God has set before you right now.

Your future is safe in His hands.

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Whom is the Wisest – Bro Bo in Hawaii

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Psalm 19:1 (KJ21) The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament showeth His handiwork.

Romans 11:33 (KJ21) O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments, and His ways past finding out!

Just as God is the all knowing, the creator of everything. We, ones who were created by the creator know nothing, in comparison.

It is hard to admit, our pride is such that we feel we are the smartest, but when you stop to really think about it; you know the scriptures are right.

All the best minds Mankind has produced has just left us falling way short of God’s level. The Fredrich Nietzches and Michel Foucaults of the world have no real answers. Nietzsche ended his life in a mental ward and Foucault ended his life in misery and disgrace. Before dying of AIDS, he knowingly gave all his partners the disease so they too could experience his answer to life.  Which I will quote here – “ Every trace of ourselves that is shaped by others must be destroyed: our political, cultural, and sexual identities, our notion of right and wrong, sanity and madness, even what is true and false, all must vanish.” 1

When highly educated men can provide  no satisfactory answers to life’s fundamental questions, those that learn from them are severely handicapped in trying to be educated.
Because when you have a populace educated on a diet of Secularism they are not prepared for life and certainly not ready to teach their children. Still to this day some of the bestsellers at bookstores at major campuses across the country are by Nietzches and Foucaults.
Paul addressed the great Greek thinkers of His day;
1st Cor 1:20 Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this world? Hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? 21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save those who believe.

Our challenge is to seek out God’s Wisdom that is in this world and learn from it. Use the tools of the times; The Internet with our Blogs and WEBsites. Identify the truth and question everything; test what you read with the fiery furnace of the Bible. We must also be aware of the worldly wisdom that is in opposition to us today, to combat it and stand against it.

Remember to be Wise men who know the times  (Jan 10 Dev.) and to know where the Wisdom comes from…God.

Peace be to you all from Bro Bo in Hawaii

– Life is a long journey but we all end up before the same God in Heaven, What will He say to you?

1.) Arthur Herman, The Idea of Decline in western history New York – Free Press 1997

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Walking Away from God – Charles Stanley

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Luke 15:20-32

Like the father of the prodigal son, our heavenly Father will not force us to remain with Him. If we ignore His guiding Holy Spirit and insist on following an ungodly path, He’ll let us go our own way. Examining the parable, we learn what happens if we move outside of God’s plan.

• Our fellowship with the Father is significantly affected. The wayward son was no longer in close contact with his dad; their relationship was not as important to him as it had been. If we wander and make ourselves higher priority than the Lord, we will also experience a disconnect with our heavenly Father. As Christians, we cannot move off God’s chosen path without first closing our mind and heart to His truth and His call on our lives.

• Our resources—time, talent, and treasure—are wasted. The son squandered his money on frivolous things and ended up worse off than the laborers at his father’s house. God has bestowed spiritual gifts and material resources to build His kingdom, and He’s also provided His Spirit to offer guidance. Pursuing our own plan wastes what He has given us.

• Our deepest needs go unmet. Chasing after dreams that are outside of the Lord’s purposes will lead to discontent. Only in Christ can we find true fulfillment.

A great weariness will overtake us if we live apart from God. Poor choices can result in lifelong regrets, but they don’t have to dictate our future. The heavenly Father will welcome us with great joy and love when we repent and turn back to Him. Have you wandered away? He’s waiting for you.

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The Best Intentions – Ravi Zacharias Ministries

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How far can we get on good intentions? According to one survey conducted among a diverse group of men and women, thirty percent of those who make New Year’s resolutions admit not keeping them into February. Just one in five continues his or her resolution for six months or more. Apparently, we don’t get very far.

We meet life with intentions to succeed, intentions to be a good person, intentions to live life to the fullest. Yet however many ways we might interpret success, goodness, or full-living, our good intentions have certain aspects in common: the hope to improve, the idea of becoming something more than what we are at the moment, the expectation that one should reach his or her potential. It is as if there is an image implanted in our minds that upholds the idea of something we could be or might be—some even use the language of even being meant to be. But there is all too often a tragic side to best intentions. When they are not fully realized, there is usually a sense that it is we who have gotten in the way.

Great minds from Augustine to G.K. Chesterton saw clearly that the most verifiable truth of the Christian worldview is certainly the depravity of humanity. It can be observed across countries and languages, at any time and within every decade, from barbaric accounts of depravity in far away places to more accepted forms of depravity close at home. We close our eyes to reality where we refuse to see the same story repeating itself again and again. We might euphemize the thought of sin into neurotic myth, outdated opinion, or church propaganda, but it has not been euthanized. Observe for a short time at any playground and you will note quickly amongst even the youngest that something is amiss. If we were to truly observe our hearts, motives, and wills, we would hardly find them good and consistent leaders to follow.

The Christian worldview recognizes the recurring story of a disappointed and disappointing humanity. Not only do we miss our own intentions, we miss the intention of one we faintly recognize within us; we sense in our createdness the greater mark and glory of the creator disappointingly out of reach. The one who spoke to the dejected Eve in the Garden of Eden and to the defiant David through the prophet Nathan is the present one beside whom we, too, stand in contrast. We can step no closer to that standard by our own intentions than a foolish king can order the stars to bow before him. To look at the Son is to find that even our best intentions are made of straw.

Yet looking at Christ, we not only see our humanity beside a perfect human, we find this perfect human moving toward us in mercy, giving us a bigger picture of the good and the fullest, and ushering us into the possibility of holding more than we ever imagined. Where we are honest about our limits and shortfalls, we can truly grasp the beauty of Jesus and the unimaginable depth of a Father’s love. It is in Christ where we find that God moves the blur of sin to give us the picture of all God intended. And here, we find the Christian worldview not only coherently offers the diagnosis, but also the cure.

The late Christian songwriter Rich Mullins alluded to the bigger pictures of God when he observed of his own life: “What I’d have settled for/ You’ve blown so far away/ What You brought me to/ I thought I could not reach.” In the intentions of God, we find that where we would have settled, where we would have been content with success or goodness, the Father moves us far beyond. Where we would have fallen beyond reach, the Son took our place. “God who is mighty,” proclaims the psalmist, “has done great things for me.” In the coming of this New Year, might we recognize a similar story in our own lives.

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