Tag Archives: religion

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – Jesus Came to Set Us Free

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Charles Stanley

Luke 4:14-19

On returning to His hometown, Jesus entered the synagogue and—to the amazement of all who were listening—read His job description from the book of Isaiah. Perhaps some people in that congregation were confused by His statement that He was sent to release captives and set the oppressed free (Luke 4:18). Who were those captives? Was He going to storm the prisons?

Jesus was talking about spiritual bonds, not physical ones. Everyone is born with a sinful nature, and we’re all enslaved to sin until that bondage gets broken by faith in the Savior. But even after salvation, Jesus is continually setting us free from things that entrap us, hindering our relationship with Him. He delivers us . . .

• From error: The Word of God protects us from the misconceptions and lies that Satan and his world system use to bombard us.

• From evil deeds: God’s indwelling Spirit empowers us to resist temptation and live a righteous lifestyle.

• From emotional bondage: The Lord doesn’t want us to be controlled by fear, guilt, jealousy, bitterness, unforgiveness, or inadequacy, which steal the peace and joy Christ promised. When we learn to trust Him in every situation, He’ll set us free from these negative emotions.

Many Christians live in bondage with-out realizing it. They know something is wrong but can’t straighten out their lives. Despite all their efforts to “be better,” they keep failing. No prisoner has the key to unlock the door, but Jesus is standing outside the cell, calling, “Trust Me, and I will set you free!”

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread – Eternal Eyesight

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Our Daily Bread

July 4, 2013 — by Anne Cetas

2 Corinthians 4:16–5:8

We do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. —2 Corinthians 4:18

Bible in a Year:

Job 28-29; Acts 13:1-25

I received good news at my eye checkup last month—my faraway vision has improved. Well, I thought it was good news until a friend informed me: “Faraway vision can improve as we age; close-up vision may diminish.”

The report made me think of another kind of improved faraway vision that I have observed in some Christians. Those who have known the Lord for a long time or who have gone through great trials seem to have a better heavenly vision than the rest of us. Their eternal eyesight has gotten better and their close-up “earthly” vision is diminishing.

Because the apostle Paul had that type of eternal vision, he encouraged the church in Corinth: “Our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory . . . . The things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal” (2 Cor. 4:17-18).

For now we struggle with our “eyesight.” There’s a tension between enjoying all that God has given us in this life, yet still believing what theologian Jonathan Edwards said about our future: “To go to heaven, fully to enjoy God, is infinitely better than the most pleasant accommodations here.” Seeing Him will bring perfect vision.

Lord, we know that our life on this earth is but

a moment compared to eternity. Help us to enjoy

the time we’ve been given, and use us to tell of Your

love and goodness until that day when we see You.

Keep your eyes fixed on the prize.

Ravi Zacharias

Ravi Zacharias Ministry – The God of Presence

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Was it only days ago or had years since slipped away? His rugged brother, Esau, could spend weeks in the wilderness hunting, but already he longs for the tents of home. Fearing retribution, Jacob is fleeing for his life, the distance increasing from his mother, father, brother—all that he has ever known. What he wrested with deceit—his brother’s blessing and inheritance—Esau intends to avenge with blood. Jacob’s destination, Haran, is more than a month away. Where is his blessing now?(1)

Deep into the hill country, the setting sun leaves shadows in the valleys darkening the calculations in his mind. If only his brother hadn’t offered him his birthright. If only he hadn’t listened to his mother. Running for days, Jacob soon succumbs to the weariness of night. Lying on his back, his head against a hard stone, he is vulnerable to attack from man and beast. Yet too tired to fight, his hypervigilant body slowly gives in to sleep.

Suddenly, a stairway from heaven touches earth. Angels ascend and descend. Above the stairway God stands and speaks: “I am the LORD, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your descendants the land on which you are lying. Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and to the east, to the north and to the south. All peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring. I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you” (Genesis 28:13-15).

Jacob’s heartbeat accelerates, adrenaline surging through him like a rush of desert wind. He cannot speak, he cannot move. His back against the cold earth, he is pinned by the weight of words, light, glory: fear. The LORD God is addressing him—blessing him!

Then he wakes up.

Stricken and dumb, minutes pass before words take shape: “Surely the LORD is in this place, and I was not aware of it.” With this recognition, newfound fear floods his soul and a hushed awe breathes in the stillness of night: “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God; this is the gate of heaven.” At the light of dawn he takes his stone pillow and sets it on its side. Pouring oil on it, he consecrates it as a marker to God. So Jacob calls this place “Bethel”: house of God.

While the “true ‘daybreak’ for his soul will not come until the end of his twenty-year exile [in Haran]… God’s revelation requires no scheming from Jacob…. In this unexpected event in a no-place, God, sovereignly and apart from Jacob’s schemes, reveals himself to Jacob.”(2) God reminds Jacob of his faithfulness, reassuring him, “I am the LORD, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac.” What was wrested through deception now pales to what God graciously gives: “I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.” What could not be earned has been freely given. Jacob, once asleep to the gracious God of his father and mother, now awakes to God’s presence. God will be with him and lead him to Haran. And The God of Promised Presence will bless him and his offspring and bring him home.

Although Jacob’s story is unique—he would wrestle with God and God would change Jacob’s name to symbolize a nation—his story reveals that God, in manifest humility, seeks us wherever we are. Whether in the wilderness in the dead of night or the seeming no-place of grief, compromise, or rebellion, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob declares that He is “the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth” (Exodus 34:6). God longs that we would surrender, like Jacob, for God desires to lead us home. And as we recognize this gracious presence and goodness, fear and wonder give way to worship, an overflow of awe and gratitude that cannot be contained: “Surely the LORD is in this place, and I was not aware of it.”

Danielle DuRant is director of research and writing at Ravi Zacharias International Ministries in Atlanta, Georgia.

(1) For the background to this story, see Genesis 25:19-34 and Genesis 27.

(2) Bruce Waltke, Genesis: A Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2001), 389.

Alistair Begg

Alistair Begg – The Tool of Sanctification

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Alistair Begg

Sanctify them in the truth.  John 17:17

Sanctification begins in regeneration. The Spirit of God implants in man that new living principle by which he becomes “a new creation”1 in Christ Jesus. This work, which begins in the new birth, is carried on in two ways-mortification, whereby the lusts of the flesh are subdued and kept under, and vivification, by which the life that God has put within us is made to be a well of water springing up unto everlasting life.

This is carried on every day in what is called perseverance, by which the Christian is preserved and continued in a gracious state and is made to abound in good works unto the praise and glory of God; and it culminates or comes to perfection in glory, when the soul, being thoroughly purged, is caught up to dwell with holy beings at the right hand of the Majesty on high.

But while the Spirit of God is thus the author of sanctification, yet there is a visible agency employed that must not be forgotten. “Sanctify them,” said Jesus, “in the truth; your word is truth.” The passages of Scripture that prove that the instrument of our sanctification is the Word of God are numerous. The Spirit of God brings to our minds the precepts and doctrines of truth and applies them with power. These are heard in the ear, and being received in the heart, they work in us to will and to do God’s good pleasure.

The truth is the sanctifier, and if we do not hear or read the truth, we shall not grow in sanctification. We only progress in sound living as we progress in sound understanding. “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”2 Do not say of any error, “It is a mere matter of opinion.” No man indulges an error of judgment without sooner or later tolerating an error in practice. Hold fast the truth, for by doing so you shall be sanctified by the Spirit of God.

1 – 2 Corinthians 5:17

2 – Psalm 119:105

Charles Spurgeon

Charles Spurgeon – The sympathy of the two worlds

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“There is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.” Luke 15:10

Suggested Further Reading: Luke 1:5-23

Our text tells us that the angels of God rejoice over repenting sinners. How is that? They are always as happy as they can be; how can they be any happier? The text does not say that they are any happier; but perhaps that they show their happiness more. A man may have a Sabbath every day, as he ought to if he is a Christian; and yet on the first day of the week he will let his Sabbatarianism come out plainly; for then the world shall see that he rests. “A merry heart hath a continual feast;” but then even the merry heart has some special days on which it feasts well. To the glorified, every day is a Sabbath, but of some it can be said, “and that Sabbath was an high day.” There are days when the angels sing more loudly than usual; they are always harping God’s praise, but sometimes the gathering hosts who have been flitting far through the universe, come home to their centre; and round the throne of God, standing in close ranks, marshalled not for battle but for music, on certain set and appointed days they chant the praises of the Son of God, “who loved us and gave himself for us.” And do you ask me when those days occur? I tell you, the birthday of every Christian is a sonnet day in heaven. There are Christmas days in paradise, where Christ’s high mass is kept, and Christ is glorified not because he was born in a manger, but because he is born in a broken heart. There are days—good days in heaven; days of poetry, red letter days, of overflowing adoration. And these are days when the shepherd brings home the lost sheep upon his shoulder, when the church has swept her house and found the lost piece of money.

For meditation: The Lord Jesus Christ keeps his angels informed about us (Luke 12:8,9). Have they received good news about you?

Sermon no. 203

4 July (1858)

John MacArthur

John MacArthur – Christ: The Precious Cornerstone

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“Coming to [Christ] as to a living stone, rejected by men, but choice and precious in the sight of God” (1 Pet. 2:4).

I once read about a conversation in the Louvre Museum in Paris. One of the curators of the museum, a man with great appreciation for art, overheard two men discussing a masterpiece. One man said to the other, “I don’t think much of that painting.” The curator, feeling obliged to reply to the man’s statement, said to him, “Dear sir, if I may interrupt, that painting is not on trial; you are. The quality of that painting has already been established. Your disapproval simply demonstrates the frailty of your measuring capability.”

Similarly, Jesus is not on trial before men; men are on trial before Him. He has already been approved by the Father. Those who arrogantly dismiss Him as unworthy of their devotion simply demonstrate their inability to recognize the most precious treasure of all.

Peter said,”This is contained in Scripture: ‘Behold I lay in Zion a choice stone, a precious corner stone, and he who believes in Him shall not be disappointed.’ This precious value, then, is for you who believe. But for those who disbelieve, ‘The stone which the builders rejected, this became the very corner stone,’ and, ‘a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense'” (1 Pet. 2:6- 8). By God’s standards, Jesus is the perfect cornerstone. But the leaders of Israel had faulty standards of measurement. They inspected Him closely but rejected Him because He didn’t fit their concept of a Savior. Sadly, millions of men and women throughout history have followed their lead.

As you tell others about Christ, many will evaluate Him by the wrong standard and reject Him. Others will evaluate Him according to God’s standard and find Him precious beyond measure. In either case be a faithful witness, knowing that someday His full value will be proclaimed by all (Phil. 2:10- 11).

Suggestions for Prayer:

Make a list of Christ’s attributes that are especially meaningful to you. Use each attribute as a focal point of prayer and worship.

For Further Study:

Read Acts 4:1-13, noting how Peter applied the principles found in 1 Peter 2:4-8 to the Jewish leaders.

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Confrontation Can Be Loving

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If your brother wrongs you, go and show him his fault, between you and him privately. If he listens to you, you have won back your brother. —Matthew 18:15 (AMP)

When Dave and I got married, I was a nightmare to get along with. I just wanted to stay in control because I thought that was the only way I could keep from being hurt. Plus I have a pretty aggressive personality to begin with, so that combined with a lot of dysfunction in my background did not make me a very nice woman.

Dave, on the other hand, is a real peace-lover and very easy to get along with. For a lot of years, he went about being happy and didn’t really say too much to me while I acted badly. I believe God gave him extra patience with me because He knew the hurt I had in my life. Sometimes God calls us to put up with some things for a while, while we are praying and waiting on Him. To be honest, if Dave had confronted me in the first month we were married I would have just left him because I didn’t know any better. So there was a purpose in God not asking him to confront me right away. But you need to confront when God tells you to.

After a few years, God showed Dave it was time to confront me. Dave explained to me, “God has dealt with me that I can no longer let you get by with talking to me the way you do and acting the way you do. You’re not going to get everything your way, and things must change.” And they did. It took time, but little by little, I changed.

I was very angry when Dave confronted me. But by then I was loved by Jesus enough and I knew enough of His Word to know that Dave was right—I knew that my behavior was wrong—but if he would have never confronted me, even though I knew that it was wrong, I don’t know if I would have ever changed. So sometimes you are not doing somebody else a favor by not confronting them. It was the right thing for Dave to do for me. And even though I didn’t like it and I got mad, Dave was right to listen to God. And we are doing the work we do today because of it.

Trust in Him: Confrontation is usually not easy for the one doing the confronting, or the one being confronted, but it is an important part of spiritual growth. Follow God’s lead and confront when He shows you it is time, and do it in love!

Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – Peace of Heart and Mind

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“I am leaving you with a gift – peace of mind and heart! And the peace I give isn’t fragile like the peace the world gives. So don’t be troubled or afraid” (John 14:27).

A stricken widow stood beside the coffin of her husband. She said to a friend, “There lies my only earthly support, my most faithful human friend, one who has never failed me; but I must not forget there lies also the will of God, and that will is perfect love.”

By faith, she saw good and blessing, remembering the promise of God, “I know the plans that I have for you…plans for good…” (Jeremiah 29:11).

As the Prince of Peace, Jesus gives peace of heart and mind, truly one of the greatest and most remarkable gifts we can receive. In the midst of trial and testing, His perfect peace is a supernatural blessing far exceeding even such coveted gifts as good health, for with His inner peace we have everything we need.

How do we obtain that kind of peace? First, it is the fruit of the Spirit. “Love, joy, peace…” As we are yielding to Him and controlled by the Holy Spirit, the fruit of peace is being cultivated in our lives moment by moment, day by day.

Second, “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on Thee” (Isaiah 26:3, KJV); “As he thinketh in his heart so is he” (Proverbs 23:7, KJV). It is a fact of life that we become in our attitudes and actions like that which most dominates our thoughts. That explains the dramatic moral spiritual deterioration resulting from the influence of immoral television programming. When the Lord is given His proper priority in our lives, His perfect peace will reign in our hearts.

While it is true that all such blessings are a gift of God and cannot be earned or merited, it is equally true that we can deliberately choose to cooperate with God’s Holy Spirit by yielding ourselves to Him and thus cultivating the fruit of peace.

Bible Reading: Isaiah 26:1-5

TODAY’S ACTION POINT: By faith I shall claim God’s promised peace for today and every day. I shall ask the Holy Spirit to help me concentrate my heart’s gaze on the Lord Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace, and I will encourage someone else to do the same.

Presidential Prayer Team

Presidential Prayer Team; C.P. – Hope Remains

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Reconciliation. The very word is like a breath of fresh air. Once friends, Thomas Jefferson and John Adams became bitter enemies. After about a decade, their friend Dr. Benjamin Rush helped them reconcile. After enjoying a rekindled friendship for 15 years, Adams and Jefferson died on the same day, in their respective homes, on the fiftieth anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

They shall be my people, and I will be their God, in faithfulness and in righteousness.  Zechariah 8:8

Zechariah 8 is about reconciliation between God and the Jewish people. After a time of leaving the Israelites to fend for themselves because of their obstinacy toward Him, God promised to return to them in faithfulness and righteousness. In the same way, sin separates people from God today, but He provides reconciliation in His Son (Romans 5:10).

This nation, as a whole, is guilty of many offenses against God. But as Israel had and has hope in the Lord, so does the United States. This Independence Day, pray for God to open the eyes of the nation’s leaders to receive the gift of reconciliation in Christ and that He’d continue extending mercy and favor to the USA.

Recommended Reading: Romans 5:1-11  

Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – The Last Enemy

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The last enemy that will be destroyed is death. —1 Corinthians 15:26

When someone loses a loved one, there is a place for mourning. The depth of our sorrow is an indication of the depth of our love. But there is also a place for rejoicing if that loved one is a believer because we know we will see him or her again.

Even Jesus wept at the tomb of Lazarus as he saw the devastating power of death. Death is an enemy, and 1 Corinthians 15:26 tells us, “The last enemy that will be destroyed is death.”

No one wants to die. No one looks forward to death. But we all will die, and we want to have put our faith in Christ before we enter into eternity. However, there is something we need to remember about heaven.

Paul the apostle, when he went to heaven and came back to earth, tried to put his experience into words. He could find only one word that helped him describe it, and that was “paradise” (see 2 Corinthians 12:4). It is an interesting Greek word that actually refers to the royal garden of a king. Think about the most beautiful garden you have ever seen or the most amazing sight you have ever laid eyes on. That was the depiction of heaven Paul gave. He was saying, “I don’t really have the words, but it was like a paradise.”

As Pastor Adrian Rogers put it, “The God who sculpted the wings of the butterfly, blended the hues of the rainbow, and painted the meadows with daffodils is the same One who made heaven.”

In heaven all questions are answered, all tears are dried, and all pain is gone. Heaven is pure bliss. That is why Paul said that he longed to be there. Heaven is far, far better than earth.

Max Lucado

Max Lucado – Have a Joyful 4th of July!

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Max Lucado

As we celebrate our country’s freedom on this 4th of July, may you be encouraged by this level-headed instruction from the Bible:

The Apostle Paul wants young Timothy to lead the church in a godly fashion. His first command? “pray for all people.” The flagship assignment of the church is prayer. Feed the hungry? Counsel the confused? Teach the lost? Absolutely. But first, we pray. The primary activity of a local church is intercession and worship.

Specifically, we “pray for rulers and for all who have authority….” This includes our president, vice-president, all elected and appointed officials.  We ask God to use them to facilitate a haven of quiet and peace where worship can abound.  We pray so that “…we can have quiet and peaceful lives full of worship and respect for God.”

Remarkable. A peaceful society depends upon the prayers of the church. If we do not have a peaceful society–where worship and respect for God can flourish–what is the solution? Better government policy? A different president? New Congress? No, the first solution is a praying church.

“If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray…then I will hear from heaven.” (II Chron. 7:14 NIV)

Alistair Begg

Alistair Begg – A Living Nightmare

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Alistair Begg

The ugly, thin cows ate up the seven attractive, plump cows.  Genesis 41:4

Pharaoh’s dream has too often been my waking experience. My days of laziness have ruinously destroyed all that I had achieved in times of zealous endeavor; my seasons of coldness have frozen all the genial glow of my periods of fervency and enthusiasm; and my fits of worldliness have thrown me back from my advances in the divine life. I had need to beware of lean prayers, lean praises, lean duties, and lean experiences, for these will eat up the fat of my comfort and peace.

If I neglect prayer for never so short a time, I lose all the spirituality to which I had attained; if I draw no fresh supplies from heaven, the old corn in my granary is soon consumed by the famine that rages in my soul. When the caterpillars of indifference, the worms of worldliness, and the snares of self-indulgence lay my heart completely desolate and make my soul languish, all my former fruitfulness and growth in grace avails me nothing whatever.

How anxious should I be to have no lean-fleshed days, no ill-favored hours! If every day I journeyed toward the goal of my desires I would soon reach it, but backsliding leaves me still far from the prize of my high calling and robs me of the advances that I had so strenuously made.

The only way in which all my days can be like the fat cows is to feed them in the right meadow, to spend them with the Lord, in His service, in His company, in His fear, and in His way. Why should not every year be richer than the past, in love and usefulness and joy? I am nearer the celestial hills; I have had more experience of my Lord and should be more like Him.

O Lord, keep far from me the curse of leanness of soul; let me not have to bemoan such leanness, but may I be well-fed and nourished in Your house, that I may praise Your name.

 

Charles Spurgeon

Charles Spurgeon – An earnest invitation

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“Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him.” Psalm 2:12

Suggested Further Reading: Psalm 1

Those that trust in him are blessed; and I would observe, first, that they are really blessed. It is no fiction, no imaginary blessing; it is a real blessedness which belongs to those who trust in God: a blessedness that will stand the test of consideration, the test of life, and the trial of death; a blessedness into which we cannot plunge too deeply, for none of it is a dream, but all a reality. Again, those that trust in him have not only a real blessedness, but they oftentimes have a conscious blessedness. They know what it is to be blest in their troubles, for they are in their trials comforted, and they are blest in their joys, for their joys are sanctified. They are blest and they know it, they sing about it and they rejoice in it. It is their joy to know that God’s blessing is come to them not in word only but in very deed. They are blessed men and blessed women.

“They would not change their blest estate

For all the world calls good and great.”

Then, further, they are not only really blessed, and consciously blessed, but they are increasingly blessed. Their blessedness grows. They do not go downhill, as the wicked do, from bright hope to black despair. They do not diminish in their delights, the river deepens as they wade into it. They are blessed when the first ray of heavenly light streams on their eyeballs; they are blessed when their eyes are opened wider still, to see more of the love of Christ; they are blessed the more their experience widens, and their knowledge deepens, and their love increases. They are blessed in the hour of death, and, best of all, their blessedness increases to eternal blessedness,—the perfection of the saints at the right hand of God. “Blessed are all they that put their trust in him.”

For meditation: How often do you take time to count your blessings in Christ?

Sermon no. 260

3 July (1859)

John MacArthur

John MacArthur – Christ: The Living Stone

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John MacArthur

“Coming to [Christ] as to a living stone” (1 Pet. 2:4).

Peter’s description of Christ as “a living stone” is paradoxical because stones aren’t alive. In fact, we sometimes speak of something being “stone dead.” Yet Peter’s symbolism is profound because it beautifully incorporates three realities about Christ.

First, Jesus is the long-awaited Jewish Messiah. The Old Testament referred to the Messiah as a stone, and Peter incorporated those texts into His description of Jesus in 1 Peter 2:6-8: “Behold I lay in Zion a choice stone, a precious corner stone, and he who believes in Him shall not be disappointed” (Isa. 28:16); “The stone which the builders rejected, this became the very cornerstone” (Ps. 118:22); and “A stone of stumbling and a rock of offense” (Isa. 8:14). The parallel is obvious and would be especially meaningful to Peter’s Jewish readers. The expectations of pious Jews throughout history were realized in Christ. God had kept His promise to send the Messiah!

Second, Jesus is a stone in that He is the focal point of His spiritual house, the church. The Greek word translated “stone” in verse 4 sometimes referred to the stones used in building projects. They were cut and chiseled to fit perfectly into a specific location, and were practically immovable. Not only is Jesus a stone; He is the cornerstone, which is the most important stone in the entire building. From Him the church draws its spiritual symmetry.

Finally, Jesus is living. That’s an appropriate description because everything Peter said in this epistle is based on the fact that Jesus is alive. That’s the believer’s hope and the basis for every spiritual privilege you have. You “have been born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” (1 Pet. 1:3, emphasis added).

Interestingly, the literal rendering of 1 Peter 2:4 is, “Coming to Him as to living stone.” Christ is a unique stone–the stone that possesses life. All who come to Him receive eternal life (cf. 1 John 5:11).

Suggestions for Prayer:

Praise the Lord for His unchangeable character and irrevocable promises.

For Further Study:

Read Acts 2:22-47.

What was the central point in Peter’s sermon?

How did the people respond to his preaching?

How many people were baptized?

What were some of the activities of the early church?

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Things Unseen

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Since we consider and look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen; for the things that are visible are temporal (brief and fleeting), but the things that are invisible are deathless and everlasting. —2 Corinthians 4:18

As believers, we know the spiritual realm exists and that what happens there affects what happens on earth. We know that there is more to life than meets the eye, and as we grow spiritually, we come to value the things that are invisible more than the things we can see. When we understand that there are invisible, everlasting spiritual realities that affect our earthly lives, we begin to perceive that God is inviting us to interact with Him, to perceive things spiritually, and to partner with Him to accomplish them on earth—and that only happens through prayer.

As we partner with God through prayer, we bring things out of the spiritual realm into our lives. These gifts of God that come from heaven are already stored up for us, but we will never have them unless we pray and ask God for them. He is doing such wonderful things for us, and we receive and enjoy those things through the power and the privilege of prayer.

The Lord’s Prayer says, “Your will be done on earth even as it is in heaven.” When we pray that way we are partnering with God through prayer so that the purposes and plans He has in the spiritual realm will come to pass on earth—in our lives and in the lives of those around us.  Through prayer we have the privilege of bringing heaven to earth!

Loving God Today: Remember that the spiritual realm is real and that what happens there affects your life on earth.

Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – Mercy and Grace

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“Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16).

Though prayer has been a vital, integral part of my life since I became a Christian, I am always discovering new challenges and new facets of prayer. I find one of the most powerful, exciting and fulfilling privileges God has given to man to be that of prayer based on the authority of God’s Word.

Man instinctively prays, even if only to false gods built of sticks and stones. Whenever he is faced with tragedy, heartache, sorrow or danger, he prays.

There is a serious danger in this “ignorant” kind of praying, however. It is a well-established fact of philosophy and history that man always assimilates the moral character of the object he worships. People who have prayed to gods of blood, fire and war have become militaristic, ruthless and sadistic.

This same principle applies to the Christian, who can pray to the one true God. “As we behold His [Christ’s] face, we are changed into the same image from glory to glory.” This explains the scriptural emphasis of praying worshipfully to the only true, righteous, holy and loving God.

In spite of this potential metamorphosis, however, the lives of few Christians today are impotent and fruitless compared to those of the first century. This is because the average Christian spends so little time at the throne of grace, so little time beholding the face of our Lord. And, as a result, he does not really believe that mercy and grace are available to enable him to live a supernatural life.

Bible Reading: Hebrews 3:1-6

TODAY’S ACTION POINT: Knowing I can come boldly to the throne of grace and receive mercy, cleansing, forgiveness and help for my every need, challenge and opportunity – from my Lord Jesus Himself, our great high priest – I will spend more time in His presence and not be satisfied with an impotent, fruitless life.

Presidential Prayer Team

Presidential Prayer Team; J.R. – Check Your Alignment

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Companies selling automobile tires love to boast about the mileage you can get out of their products – something they call “tread life warranties.” But warranties can be voided if customers fail to recognize they have responsibilities, too. If your car is out of alignment, for example, tires will wear unevenly and the guarantee will not apply. Warranty agreements caution that the tire manufacturer will not cover “irregular wear due to mechanical condition of the vehicle.”

He who blesses himself in the land shall bless himself by the God of truth. Isaiah 65:16

At first glance, today’s scripture reference looks like a guarantee of an unlimited blessings bonanza: anything you desire, God will provide. But the surrounding passages specify an obligation on your part, too. You must first be “in alignment” with God’s purpose for you…understanding and doing His will.

Before asking God for His blessings today, check the condition of your heart. And as you pray for your nation’s leaders, ask the Lord to help each of them to recognize and remember that America’s greatness is God-given, made possible only because many of our Founders and other Godly leaders through the years have been aligned with the truth of God’s Word.

Recommended Reading: Proverbs 3:1-12 

Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – God’s Heart toward the Lost

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There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of what was called the Italian Regiment, a devout man and one who feared God with all his household, who gave alms generously to the people, and prayed to God always. —Acts 10:1–2

In Acts 10, we are introduced to Cornelius, a Roman centurion living in Caesarea. As a military man, he would swear allegiance to Caesar not only as his leader, but also as his deity, which was required. But Cornelius did not go the way of other Romans. He was exposed to the faith of the Jewish people and was drawn to it. So Cornelius began to call not on the gods of Rome, but on the God—singular—of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He wanted to know this God.

God heard the prayers of this pagan man and sent an angel to him, who told Cornelius that he needed to talk with someone named Simon Peter. Then the Lord directed Simon Peter to go to the house of Cornelius and share the gospel with him, which Peter did. The result was that Cornelius believed.

As I have said before, there will be surprises when we get to heaven. One of them will be that some of the people whom we never thought would be there will be there.

The gospel is universal in scope. It isn’t for one group or one race or one nation. It is for everyone. That is why Jesus tells us to “go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15).

C. S. Lewis said, “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.”

God wants to save people. It is His heart to bring people to faith. He will more than reach out to them. He will more than reach them halfway

 

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – The Divine Power That Is in the Believer

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Charles Stanley

John 16:5-15

In Matthew 13:11, Jesus told the disciples, “To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to [the crowd] it has not been granted.” As followers of Christ, we, too, have the privilege to know all of the truths God has chosen to reveal in Scripture.

But do you ever feel as if other believers are somehow in on a secret that you don’t know? Do you ever have the sense that they have managed to solve the mystery of how to rejoice in suffering, conquer sin, forgive the unforgivable, or live a life of love in ways you haven’t yet discovered?

If that’s your situation, then I have good news for you. So draw near to hear, and open your eyes to see the truth: The secret to living the Christian life is to become best friends with the Holy Spirit. He has all the right qualities for that role and will not disappoint you—the Bible teaches us that the Spirit of God is someone we can lean on, who helps us make the right decisions, and with whom we can share our deepest feelings (John 14:17; 16:13; 2 Cor. 13:14).

And the Holy Spirit offers believers much more. He loves us, protects us, and assists when we pray. He also works in and through us with divine power, and helps us to become like Jesus.

God’s Spirit is a person with whom we can have a close personal relationship—and He has our best interest at heart. Ask Him to reveal Himself to you through the Scriptures, and then be prepared to have a friend unlike any earthly companion—one who is with you constantly, whispering of your heavenly Father’s mercy and your Savior’s love.

Ravi Zacharias

Ravi Zacharias Ministry – Lived Experience

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Traveling by airplane, though routine for many people, is still one of the most jarring and disruptive experiences for me. It’s not the fact that I am squeezed into the tiniest space where my knees hit my shoulders, or that I am breathing in recycled air in a confined space filled with the germs of 220 other passengers, or that I am shocked by the generous offer of both peanuts and pretzels by a sympathetic flight attendant. No, flight is disruptive to me because one minute I can be in one geographic space and within a few hours land on the other side of the country or the world. Airplane flight is jarring because it suddenly drops one into an entirely different location with unfamiliar people, geography, and experiences in just a few hours.

This kind of dislocation is not just physical, but emotional and psychological as well. To be sure, there are always similarities even between different cultures and regions because humans are humans. But when traveling and visiting a place only for a period of time, and when one has arrived halfway around the world in just a few hours, the disruption of difference is experienced keenly. What for me are entirely foreign sights, smells, tastes, customs and tones are the everyday reality of those who inhabit that space. I feel my own strangeness, my own difference, even as I try to connect to those whose lands I temporarily inhabit.

Of course, one doesn’t have to be traveling by airplane to be assaulted by the dramatic differences in the lived experience of human beings. My interactions with a next-door neighbor, good friend or total stranger seated next to me on the bus or train could be as different with regards to our life experience as circles are to squares. The differences can be subtle or shocking. Yet, reality takes on shapes and contours uniquely defined and depicted by those experiences, and they are as real for the person who lives within them as the atmosphere that surrounds them.

Travel exposes the diversity of human experience and the power those lived experiences. Travel can also disrupt those lived experiences I might be tempted to assume are universal. One is challenged by encounters with those who have different experiences and as such reality can seem to be disrupted. These encounters can be so disruptive that we are often tempted to dismiss one another’s experiences without really giving a hearing.

One of the most compelling aspects of the Christian narrative is the assertion that God inhabited human experience in Jesus. That habitation had a context: ancient Palestine, Jewish male, poor family, religiously observant, Roman occupied. Given this assertion at the heart of Christian faith, isn’t something profound being said about God’s value of lived human experience? In all its complexity and diversity, in all its foibles and folly, in all its weakness and brokenness, Jesus takes on human experience by becoming one of us, by living in a time and a culture and a place that shaped his own experience of the world.

Christians believe that in addition to giving human beings a picture of the nature of God in his very person, Jesus also paints a picture of what it means to be human. He shows us what it means to inhabit human experience while depending on a God who loves him. Perhaps this understanding is behind what is expressed in the biblical writings that Jesus “learned obedience,” that “he grew in stature and in favor with God and man” that he grew tired thirsty, and weary, and that he wept tears mixed with bloody sweat because his soul was troubled to the point of death.

In every important way, Jesus shared our experience; and in his humanity tabernacled in human likeness, God dwelt alongside humanity. Not removed from us or a distant outsider, God took on lived experience in the man from Nazareth. Rather than dismissing human experience, God took an inside look through Jesus.

 

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