Tag Archives: religion

Alistair Begg

Truth for Life; Alistair Begg – A Commitment to Prayer

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[Daniel] got down on his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as he had done previously.

Daniel 6:10

Short-term commitment is not too hard. It is disciplined consistency that comes harder to us—yet it is a key to spiritual growth.

The often sporadic nature of our commitment is seen in short-lived exercise programs, Bible memorization, reading plans, and New Year’s resolutions. How many of us start something well, only to later abandon it! But equally, you have probably encountered people who are incredibly consistent and disciplined. They walk their dog at the exact same time every day or collect their mail with such precise timing that you could set your watch by it; and when they set themselves to undertake a task or learn a new skill, they do so with a diligence that leaves you in no doubt that they will complete it.

Daniel was a man who exhibited such disciplined consistency when it came to prayer. His life was not marked by bursts of enthusiasm followed by chronic inertia. He clearly prayed whether he felt like it or not. There were probably times when he got up from his knees feeling really blessed and other times when he left feeling really flat, but he kept on. He prayed and he prayed and he prayed, no matter the circumstances. That’s discipline!

When a crisis hit, it didn’t create Daniel’s disciplined lifestyle; it revealed it. After King Darius issued an edict that made it illegal to pray to any god or man other than him for thirty days (Daniel 6:7), Daniel could have rationalized obedience to the king rather than to the Lord. He could have reasoned that because he’d stored up such phenomenal credit on the strength of all his years of prayer, he could be let off for a month. Apparently, though, such a thought never even crossed his mind. Instead, he continued in prayer just “as he had done previously.”

Surely there was a link between Daniel’s life of prayer and the bravery he showed in obeying the God of Israel rather than the most powerful king in the known world. Our Lord told us, too, that we “ought always to pray and not lose heart” (Luke 18:1). We are not to close prayer down for a while if we don’t feel like it or have little spare time for a season. If we want to live for Jesus when we’re under pressure, our prayer lives must be consistent. We must regard prayer as a fundamental element of our faith, not merely a nice supplement.

The door is wide open for you to demonstrate the same kind of consistent commitment to prayer as Daniel did. Through regular discipline, prayer can become your natural reaction to every situation in your life. Do you need to set aside a time each day when you will pray and give thanks to your God, come what may? Wherever God takes us, whatever we do, however His plan unfolds, may our prayers be unceasing.

Questions for Thought

How is God calling me to think differently?

How is God reordering my heart’s affections — what I love?

What is God calling me to do as I go about my day today?

Further Reading

Ephesians 3:14–21

Topics: Discipline Prayer

Devotional material is taken from the Truth For Life daily devotionals by Alistair Begg,

http://www.truthforlife.org

Kids 4 Truth

Kids4Truth Clubs Daily Devotional – God Is a Tenderhearted Father

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“Like as a father pitieth his children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear him.” (Psalm 103:13)

One day Laurie and her sister Caroline came home from school, and both of their parents met them at the door. Their dad never came home from work in the middle of the day. They knew something must be wrong.

“Girls,” said their dad without his usual smile, “I have some sad news. Your grandpa died this morning.”

They sat down on the couch, their daddy in the middle with an arm around each of them. And Laurie and Caroline cried. Caroline looked up finally and noticed a tear rolling down her daddy’s cheek. She could hardly believe her eyes! She had never seen her daddy cry before. “He must really miss Grandpa too,” she thought. Later she realized that her dad was crying, not just because he missed Grandpa. He was crying for his daughters because they were sad.

Did you know that God is just as tenderhearted as a loving father? He feels every painful thing that you feel. He wants you to draw near to Him and let Him comfort you.

Maybe you do not have an earthly father in your home protecting, providing, and tenderly caring for you. God wants you to enjoy that special father-child relationship with Him alone. He promises in His Word to be a Father to the fatherless child (Psalm 68:5).

God is a tenderhearted Father who shares His children’s griefs and longs to comfort them.

My Response:
» Have I become God’s child by faith in His Son, Jesus Christ?
» Do I go to my heavenly Father when I need comfort?

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Denison Forum

Denison Forum – How can so many Americans be so wrong on abortion?

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Since Roe v. Wade legalized abortion in America, more than sixty-three million babies have been aborted in our country.

This is a population four times the size of New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Houston—combined.

And yet, more Americans than ever before think abortion should be legal under any circumstances. More than two-thirds also believe it should be legal in the first three months of pregnancy.

If you believe as I do that life begins at conception, you might be asking yourself: How can so many people be so wrong on this crucial issue?

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“The real question today”

It’s not because pro-life supporters are not vocal and visible.

The National March for Life is tomorrow in Washington, DC. It will be followed by Sanctity of Life Sunday, both of which are timed to coincide with January 22, 1973, when the Supreme Court issued its ruling that discovered a “right” to abortion in the US Constitution.

It’s no longer because of Roe v. Wade. After the Supreme Court overturned this horrendous ruling in 2022, returning the issue to the states, abortions increased nationwide.

It’s not because the science is unclear. The Supreme Court claimed in its 1973 ruling:

We need not resolve the difficult question of when life begins. When those trained in the respective disciplines of medicine, philosophy, and theology are unable to arrive at any consensus, the judiciary, at this point in the development of man’s knowledge, is not in a position to speculate as to the answer.

But resolving “the difficult question of when life begins” is precisely the issue. If life begins at conception, our founding declaration that “all men are created equal” and endowed with the “unalienable” right to “life” should clearly apply to preborn babies. As should every legal protection that currently applies to babies from the moment they are born.

The science is clearer than ever. As Jan Langman writes in Medical Embryology, “The development of a human being begins with fertilization.” (For Princeton University’s large collection of scientific statements concurring with this assessment, click here.)

On the tenth anniversary of Roe v. Wade, Ronald Reagan wrote the only book ever published by a sitting US president. In Abortion and the Conscience of a Nation, he states:

The real question today is not when human life begins, but, What is the value of human life? The abortionist who reassembles the arms and legs of a tiny baby to make sure all its parts have been torn from its mother’s body can hardly doubt whether it is a human being. The real question for him and for all of us is whether the tiny human life has a God-given right to be protected by the law—the same right we have (his emphasis).

The foundational issue

Why, then, do so many Americans support the abortion of preborn children?

Some claim that abortion must be legal as an alternative for women who are victims of rape or incest. However, while such crimes are unspeakably horrific, only 1 percent of women who choose abortion do so for this reason.

Others cite the need to protect the health of the mother. However, only 3 percent of abortions are chosen for this reason.

In fact, the most popular motives for abortion are:

  • Unready for responsibility (21 percent)
  • Can’t afford baby now (21 percent)
  • Concerned about how having baby would change her life (16 percent)
  • Is too immature or young to have child (11 percent)
  • Has all the children she wanted or all children are grown (8 percent).

Here’s the foundational issue: most Americans want the right to determine what is right for themselves.

This is a major reason the majority of men in America want abortion to be legal under any circumstances: they want the state to have no authority over their personal decisions as well. And they want a woman who becomes pregnant with their unwanted child to be able to abort it.

This quest for personal autonomy extends to other moral issues. It helps explain LGBTQ advocacy by those who are not LGBTQ, for example. They not only see this as a civil right for others—they also want the right to live their lives however they wish.

How does God see America?

My purpose today is not to inflict guilt on those who have chosen abortion in the past. Nor is it to offer simple answers to such a divisive and complex issue.

Rather, it is to make this point:

Our democracy can function effectively only if it is practiced within the consensual morality its founders embraced.

As Benjamin Franklin noted, “Only a virtuous people are capable of freedom.”

When American culture decided that all truth is personal and all morality is subjective, our collective future became imperiled.

If we will not extend justice to the most innocent and vulnerable among us—our preborn babies—how can we claim to be a just society?

How does the God who cherishes children (Matthew 19:14), who fashioned us in our mother’s womb (Psalm 139:13–16; Jeremiah 1:5) and forbids the taking of innocent life (Proverbs 6:17), see our nation?

How is he calling you to love life as he does?

More resources on this topic from Denison Forum

Thursday news you need to know

Quotes for the day

  • “You shall not murder a child by abortion, nor again shalt thou kill it when it is born.” — Epistle of Barnabas 19:5, written between AD 70 and AD 132
  • “I will neither give a deadly drug to anybody if asked for it, nor will I make a suggestion to this effect. Similarly, I will not give to a woman an abortive remedy. In purity and holiness I will guard my life and my art.” — the original Hippocratic Oath

Denison Forum

John Hagee

Hagee Ministries; John Hagee –  Daily Devotion

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…You anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over.

Psalm 23:5

When the Lord anoints our heads with oil, our cups overflow with blessings. No need to tip them up to drain the bitter dregs at the bottom of our mugs. Our cups spill over with all the favor that He pours out!

We are vessels in the hands of a faithful Potter Who has plans to prosper us, to fill us with hope, to give us bright futures. He anoints us with the oil of gladness because we have loved Him and His righteous ways.

David assured us that goodness and mercy would follow us around all the days of our lives, that we would spend our days in the presence of the Lord where we will experience the fullest of joys. He pours out the anointing oil to the very brim – blessings that we cannot contain!

And when others jostle us, this mercy and goodness will splash over the rim with contagious joy. Our God-of-more-than-enough throws open the windows of heaven to rain down blessings that soak us, our children, our homes, our workplaces and communities. Dance in the downpour!

His anointing truly does lift the burdens off our bowed-down backs and destroy the yokes of bondage. Pressed down, shaken together – our cups run over!

Blessing

May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you and give you His peace. May your cup overflow with the anointing of the Holy One as He pours out a blessing that you cannot contain. May you experience the divine explosion of the presence and power of His anointing!

Today’s Bible Reading: 

Old Testament

Genesis 37:1-38:30

New Testament 

Matthew 12:22-45

Psalms & Proverbs

Psalm 16:1-11

Proverbs 3:27-32

https://www.jhm.org

Turning Point

Turning Point; David Jeremiah – Power to Live

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His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue.
2 Peter 1:3

 Recommended Reading: Acts 1:8

Perhaps it happened to someone you know: a radical transformation after meeting Jesus Christ. Every life changes, but sometimes the change is so dramatic that it’s like the person was, well, born again—like the apostle Paul who went from murderous persecutor to missionary apostle. Nowhere was that change more evident than in the band of Christ’s disciples. Before Pentecost they were fearful; after Pentecost they were fearless.

What happened at Pentecost? The fulfillment of Jesus’ promise to them: “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me…to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8). The Holy Spirit filled the disciples and empowered them to live as bold witnesses for Christ. One of those disciples, Peter, later wrote that God’s “divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness” through Christ.

If you are Christ’s today, you have power by the Spirit. You can do all things through Him (Philippians 4:13).

Christianity is not merely a program of conduct; it is the power of a new life.
Benjamin B. Warfield

https://www.davidjeremiah.org

Greg Laurie

Harvest Ministries; Greg Laurie – Called from Obscurity

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Remember, dear brothers and sisters, that few of you were wise in the world’s eyes or powerful or wealthy when God called you. 

—1 Corinthians 1:26

Scripture:

1 Corinthians 1:26 

As Christians, we can get excited when a celebrity says they’ve become a follower of Jesus Christ. That is because we think we have someone cool on our side. That’s fine. Time will tell whether their conversion is genuine.

But it’s important for us to remember that God goes out of His way to use ordinary people. And the people God has used to touch the world often have been those you never would have expected to do great things with their lives.

It came as a surprise when God chose David, a shepherd boy, to become the next king of Israel. Yet David took it all in stride and wisely waited on the Lord for further direction.

In many ways, David was the very opposite of Saul, the first king of Israel. Saul came from a family who loved him, while David came from a family that neglected and even disliked him.

While Saul was the most handsome man in all of Israel, David was an ordinary man. While Saul was attractive on the outside, he was vain, shallow, and devoid of true integrity on the inside. In contrast, David had a deep commitment to God, even though he was very young.

This reminds us of the truth of Paul’s words: “Remember, dear brothers and sisters, that few of you were wise in the world’s eyes or powerful or wealthy when God called you. Instead, God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful” (1 Corinthians 1:26–27 NLT).

God uses ordinary people. For example, Dwight L. Moody, one of the greatest evangelists of his day, was a shoe salesman. When he heard the gospel and gave his life to Christ, he went from selling soles to saving souls.

One day he was having a conversation with another Christian, who said, “The world has yet to see what God can do with a man fully consecrated to Him.”

Moody determined to be that man.

And Billy Graham, before he began his ministry, was a dairy farmer in North Carolina. Everyone knew him as Billy Frank. And he would have been about the last person whom people expected to become the most effective evangelist in world history.

The Bible says, “The eyes of the Lord search the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him” (2 Chronicles 16:9 NLT).

Notice this doesn’t say that God is looking for strong people. Rather, it says that God is looking “to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.”

The Bible is replete with stories like that of David, an obscure shepherd boy who was taken out of the fields and raised up to be the greatest king in the history of Israel.

Would you like God to use you to touch the lives of others? Would you like God to lead you and speak through you?

God goes out of His way to use ordinary people to do extraordinary things.

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie
Days of Praise

Days of Praise – The Gods Shall Perish

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by Henry M. Morris, Ph.D.


“Thus shall ye say unto them, The gods that have not made the heavens and the earth, even they shall perish from the earth, and from under these heavens.” (Jeremiah 10:11)

This is a unique verse. Jeremiah, the second-longest book in the Bible, is written in Hebrew except for this one verse! Why would Jeremiah make this remarkable exception here?

This verse was written in Aramaic, which was the official language of the great Babylonian empire—the world’s chief nation at that time. The Babylonians, as prophesied by Jeremiah, were soon to be used as a weapon in God’s hand to punish His chosen people, carrying them into exile and captivity, and the main reason for such punishment was apostasy. God’s people had corrupted the worship of the true Creator God with the teachings and idols of the Babylonians and all the other nations around them who had rejected God.

Jeremiah had repeatedly condemned this apostasy, showing that God’s people were to be punished by the very nations whose religious philosophies had so attracted them.

But those nations needed also to understand that this was not because of their own strength nor the merits of their own gods. Thus, Jeremiah appropriately inserted a special word to be conveyed to the Babylonians in their own official tongue. Only the true God, who made the heavens and the earth, is in control of the heavens and the earth.

The same type of warning, delivered in the “official” language of the modern world (“science?”), is needed even more today than it was in Jeremiah’s day. Today’s “gods”—Marx, Darwin, etc.—are even less deserving of trust than Zeus or Baal, and yet professing Christians have gone after them in droves. It is urgent that we call them back to the true Creator and Savior, Jesus Christ, urging them—before God’s judgment falls once again—to repudiate every vestige of evolutionary humanism. HMM

https://www.icr.org/articles/type/6

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — Choosing to Follow God

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Bible in a Year :

Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve . . . . As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.

Joshua 24:15

Today’s Scripture & Insight :

Joshua 24:14–18

“The average person will make 773,618 decisions over a lifetime,” claims the Daily Mirror. The British newspaper goes on to assert that we “will come to regret 143,262 of them.” I have no idea how the paper arrived at these numbers, but it’s clear that we face countless decisions throughout our lifetime. The sheer quantity of them might become paralyzing, especially when we consider that all our choices have consequences, some far more momentous than others.

After forty years wandering in the wilderness, the children of Israel stood at the threshold of their new homeland. Later, after entering the land, Joshua, their leader, issued to them a challenging choice: “Fear the Lord and serve him with all faithfulness,” he said. “Throw away the gods your ancestors worshiped” (Joshua 24:14). Joshua told them, “If serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve . . . . But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord” (v. 15).

As we begin each new day, possibilities stretch before us, leading to scores of decisions. Taking the time to ask God to guide us will influence the choices we make. By the power of the Spirit, we can choose to follow Him every day.

By:  Bill Crowder

Reflect & Pray

What choices have you regretted making? How might you have handled those situations more wisely?

Father, sometimes life can feel overwhelming—and so can the many choices that confront me. Please guide my steps and my decision-making so that I honor You in the choices I make.

http://www.odb.org

John MacArthur

Grace to You; John MacArthur – Gentleness: Power Under Control

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 “Walk . . . with all . . . gentleness” (Ephesians 4:1-2).

The antidote to our vengeful, violent society is biblical gentleness.

A popular bumper sticker says, “Don’t Get Mad—Get Even.” People demand what they perceive to be their rights, no matter how the demand harms others. Some go to court to squeeze every last cent out of those who hurt them. More and more violent crimes are committed each year. We need a strong dose of biblical truth to cure these attitudes. The biblical solution is gentleness.

The world might interpret gentleness or meekness as cowardice, timidity, or lack of strength. But the Bible describes it as not being vengeful, bitter, or unforgiving. It is a quiet, willing submission to God and others without the rebellious, vengeful self-assertion that characterizes human nature.

The Greek word translated “gentleness” was used to speak of a soothing medicine. It was used of a light, cool breeze and of a colt that had been broken and tamed, whose energy could be channeled for useful purposes. It also descrbes one who is tenderhearted, pleasant, and mild.

Gentleness is not wimpiness though. It is power under control. The circus lion has the same strength as a lion running free in Africa, but it has been tamed. All its energy is under the control of its master. In the same way, the lion residing in the gentle person no longer seeks its own prey or its own ends; it is submissive to its Master. That lion has not been destroyed, just tempered. Gentleness is one facet of the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:23). It is also a key to wisdom. James asks, “Who among you is wise and understanding? Let him show by his good behavior his deeds in the gentleness of wisdom” (3:13). Verse 17 says, “The wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy.”

Even if gentleness is not valued in our society, it is crucial to our godliness. Seek it diligently and prayerfully.

Suggestions for Prayer

If you tend to be at all vengeful or unforgiving, ask God’s forgiveness and His help to forgive those who hurt you. Seek to be gentle with them instead.

For Further Study

Throughout most of 1 Samuel, King Saul repeatedly tries to capture David and kill him. Read 1 Samuel 24. How did David demonstrate his gentleness in the face of his hostile enemy?

From Strength for Today by John MacArthur 

http://www.gty.org/

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Practice Makes Perfect

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You shall walk after the Lord your God and [reverently] fear Him, and keep His commandments and obey His voice, and you shall serve Him and cling to Him.

— Deuteronomy 13:4 (AMPC)

Once we begin listening to and hearing from God, it is important to obey whatever we hear Him say. Obedience increases our quality of fellowship with Him and strengthens our faith. We might say, “Practice makes perfect” when it comes to hearing and obeying Him. In other words, we become more and more confident as we gain experience. It takes a lot of practice to reach the point of complete submission to God’s leading. Even knowing that God’s ways are perfect and that His plans always work, we still feign ignorance sometimes when He asks us to do something that requires personal sacrifice, or we might even be afraid that we are not hearing clearly and therefore too cautious to take action.

Don’t be fearful of sacrifice or of making a mistake. There are many things in life that are worse than being wrong. Jesus said, “Follow Me.” I firmly believe that when we have done our best to hear from God, then we must “step out and find out,” if we truly are hearing His voice or not. Shrinking back in fear all of our lives will never allow us to make progress in our ability to hear from God.

He did not say, “You take the lead, and I will follow you.” I have learned that we may as well do quickly whatever God says, because if we don’t, I can guarantee that we will be miserable.

When our children are learning how to walk, we don’t get angry when they fall down. We realize they are learning, and we work with them. God is the same way, and He will teach you how to hear from Him if you walk in faith and not fear.

Prayer of the Day: Father, I come to You today in the name of Jesus, and I thank You for this day, I ask that You help me to always recognize and listen to Your leading guidance. I ask You to help me walk in faith, rather than fear, and to help me grow in confidence as I fellowship with You, amen.

http://www.joycemeyer.org

Alistair Begg

Truth for Life; Alistair Begg – There Can Be Hope in Grief

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We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep.

1 Thessalonians 4:13–14

Sooner or later, you will face grief as a loved one leaves this life. The question is not whether you will grieve; the question is how.

Some of the Thessalonians were confused about the return of Jesus Christ and the resurrection of the dead. Their lack of understanding was causing distress. How were they supposed to think about fellow Christians who had died before Jesus returned? Where were these Christians now, and what would become of them?

Paul begins by reminding believers of the distinction between God’s people and the rest of mankind, “who have no hope.” We were once like everyone else; we should “remember that [we] were at that time separated from Christ … having no hope and without God in the world” (Ephesians 2:12). Now, though, we have been redeemed and transformed. We have been brought from hopelessness to hope. This change ought to be a great encouragement to us. It is this living personal faith that distinguishes us from the “others.”

Additionally, in referring to “those who are asleep,” Paul emphasizes the temporary nature of death for the believer; it is not a permanent condition. Yet while the metaphor of sleep helps us to grapple with what will happen to our bodies in the moment of death, it does not explain the totality of what happens to the soul. It is not intended to convey the idea that the soul is unconscious in the interim period between death and resurrection. Jesus plainly taught that after death there would be an instantaneous awareness of happiness or pain (see, for instance, Luke 16:22-24). It is clear in Scripture that death brings the believer immediately into a closer, richer, fuller experience of Jesus (23:42-43; Philippians 1:21-24).

This focus on death’s temporary nature informs our understanding of Christian grief. For the grieving unbeliever, death brings only the dreary wail of despair and a deep emptiness that no amount of wishful thinking or resorting to cliché can fill. For the believer, there is genuine, tearful sorrow, but it should always be accompanied by an exalting psalm of hope, for when the Lord returns, He will “bring with him those who have fallen asleep.” A Christian’s funeral is not a time to say goodbye forever but to say, “See you again.” The absence of your loved one is temporary; the reunion will be permanent.

When life’s most puzzling questions tempt us to despair, we can find comfort in knowing that God’s word is sufficient for all things, including our understanding of death. Take these verses to heart and imprint them on your memory, for the day will come when you need to cling to them. And make this your prayer: “Lord Jesus, help me to become a student of the Book, to no longer live with confusion or uneasiness but to be filled with Your knowledge as one who resides in Your company, that I might live and grieve with hope.”

Questions for Thought

How is God calling me to think differently?

How is God reordering my heart’s affections — what I love?

What is God calling me to do as I go about my day today?

Further Reading

1 Thessalonians 4:13–18

Topics: Death Grief Hope Sorrow

Devotional material is taken from the Truth For Life daily devotionals by Alistair Begg

http://www.truthforlife.org

Kids 4 Truth

Kids4Truth Clubs Daily Devotional – God Is Angry with Sin

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Psalm 7:11b ” …God is angry with the wicked every day”

Is God angry with my sin right now?

When you hear Bible stories, do you ever wonder why God sometimes sends terrible judgments on people who sin? He is holy, and sin displeases Him so much that He is angry with sin. Is it right for God to be angry?

When we get angry about something, our anger is usually not right. We get angry because someone hurts our feelings or keeps us from getting our way. But God’s anger is never this selfish kind of anger. His anger is righteous. God would not be perfectly holy if He were not angry with sin.

But everyone sins. Does this mean that God is angry with everyone all the time?

The anger that God has toward sin is often called wrath in the Bible. But God does not have this wrath toward everyone. Ephesians 2:1-9 tells us that people who have never put their faith in Jesus Christ for salvation are “children of wrath.” But people who have been saved by grace through faith in Christ receive mercy, grace, and kindness from God.

Which kind of person are you? Even if you are a “child of wrath,” God still loves you. He is waiting for you to accept the grace and forgiveness He offers you in Christ.

God is angry with the sin of people who have never put their faith in His Son, Jesus Christ.

My Response: Is God angry with my sin right now? Or have I received His merciful forgiveness through faith in Christ?

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Denison Forum

Denison Forum – Elton John joins the elite EGOT club: Why “that’s no sign of greatness”

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What do Elton John, Jonathan Tunick, Mike Nichols, Scott Rudin, Robert Lopez, and Alan Menken have in common? They’re all EGOTs—winners of an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony Award.

Elton John joined their club Monday night when he received an Emmy for his Disney+ live performance from Dodger Stadium. Some of its members are icons: Audrey Hepburn, Mel Brooks, Jennifer Hudson, and Viola Davis. Others among the nineteen EGOTs are much less known to the public, however.

As a result, a Telegraph headline announced that the singer “has joined the elite club of EGOTs—but that’s no sign of greatness.”

“Preparing for Disease X”

Here’s another story that could warrant a similar headline: world leaders gathering in Davos this week for the World Economic Forum will discuss the potential for a future pandemic that could cause twenty times more casualties than COVID-19. The session, titled “Preparing for Disease X,” will focus on efforts needed to “prepare healthcare systems for the multiple challenges ahead.”

Davos attendees this year include French President Emmanuel Macron, China’s second-in-command Li Qiang, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, along with other global leaders and some of the world’s wealthiest people.

But none of them knows if—or when—Disease X will strike and how many it will kill. When it comes to forecasting the future, “greatness” is available to no one.

How to defeat the devil

This week, we’ve been exploring reasons God allows our world to be so chaotic. Today we’ll add another fact:

Admitting we cannot predict the challenges we face is the best way to prepare for them.

Why is this?

James, the half-brother of Jesus, asked: “What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you?” (James 4:1).

I think we would all agree. What is the answer?

[God] gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you (vv. 6–8, my emphases).

Note the three imperatives in our text. In the original Greek they mean:

  • Submit: voluntarily subordinate ourselves to our superior.
  • Resist: stand up against our enemy.
  • Draw near: continually strive to be close to God.

Now note their order: when we submit to God, we are then empowered to defeat our Enemy so that we can experience transformational intimacy with Jesus.

The next time you face temptations or challenges, take these steps in this order. Don’t try to defeat your Enemy before you first submit to your Lord. Then resist temptation as a means to experiencing intimacy with Christ. Only when you draw close to Jesus are you safe from the snares of the Evil One.

“Have you had your ‘white funeral’”?

This is one reason God allows our world to be so chaotic and unpredictable: so we will learn to depend on his Spirit to prepare, lead, and empower us. He knows that the “will to power” is within us all, that we struggle constantly against the temptation to “be like God” (Genesis 3:5) as the king of our own kingdom.

As a result, Jesus said, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me” (Luke 9:23). Such a death to self is the indispensable first step into the abundant life of Christ. Our hands must be empty before he can fill them with his best for us.

In describing a daughter’s decision to leave her mother for her spouse, Tennyson wrote of “that white funeral of the single life.” This is to choose the death of what was so we can step into the life of what is.

Oswald Chambers used this image in spiritual context: “No one enters into the experience of entire sanctification without going through a ‘white funeral’—the burial of the old life.” Then he asked:

Do you agree with God that you stop being the striving, earnest kind of Christian you have been? We skirt the cemetery and all the time refuse to go to death. It is not striving to go to death, it is dying—”baptized into his death.”

He added: “Have you had your ‘white funeral,’ or are you sacredly playing the fool with your soul?”

If not, why not today?

“Christ Jesus, bend me to thy will”

The poet Donogh Mór O’Daly died in 1244 and was buried in the abbey at Boyle, Ireland. The Gaelic scholar Eleanor H. Hull translated this poem from his inspired pen, giving us a prayer I encourage you to offer to your Father today:

How great the tale, that there should be,
In God’s Son’s heart, a place for me!
That on a sinner’s lips like mine
The cross of Jesus Christ should shine!

Christ Jesus, bend me to thy will,
My feet to urge, my griefs to still;
That e’en my flesh and blood may be
A temple sanctified to thee. 

No rest, no calm my soul may win,
Because my body craves to sin;
Till thou, dear Lord, thyself impart
Peace on my head, light in my heart. 

May consecration come from far,
Soft shining like the evening star;
My toilsome path make plain to me,
Until I come to rest in thee.

Can Jesus “bend” you to his will today?

Wednesday news you need to know

Quote for the day

“Jesus is not our life coach. He is our Lord.” —Michael Koulianos

Denison Forum

John Hagee

Hagee Ministries; John Hagee –  Daily Devotion

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But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you know all things.

1 John 2:20

Our natural minds are at war with the will of God. We often experience carnal thoughts in our new creation bodies.

Paul begged us to stop being conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of our minds instead (Romans 12:2). Don’t be squeezed into the mold of this world; let’s fix our minds on Christ Who remakes and remolds—transforms—our way of thinking to be in alignment with God’s.

We are not left to figure out this metamorphosis on our own. We have an anointing from the Holy One! We can discern the lies of the enemy because the Holy Spirit teaches us and reminds us of all the things that Jesus taught us.

This anointing guards against error. The Holy Spirit will whisper the way that we should believe, helping us take every thought captive to make it obedient to Christ. He shows us the way to walk in order to live the life that God wants us to live.

He sets our pace and leads us in right paths. If we run ahead, just the sound of His voice will cause us to stop and turn around. He convicts us of sin and convinces us of God’s righteousness. He leads us into all truth (John 16:13). We are renewed day by day!

Blessing

May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you and give you His peace. May you experience the transforming power of the anointing as He leads you into all truth. May your mind be renewed day by day!

Today’s Bible Reading: 

Old Testament

Genesis 35:1-36:43

New Testament 

Matthew 12:1-21

Psalms & Proverbs

Psalm 15:1-5

Proverbs 3:21-26

https://www.jhm.org

Turning Point

Turning Point; David Jeremiah – Total Obedience

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So Samuel said: “Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed than the fat of rams.”
1 Samuel 15:22

 Recommended Reading: Jeremiah 7:22-23

Sovereign authority is not an easy concept to grasp immediately. From a young age, children find creative ways not to obey a parent’s instructions, complete with rationalizations. Adults can do the same—like explaining to a police officer why we were exceeding the speed limit. But sovereign means sovereign, even when we don’t agree or understand.

Israel’s first king, Saul, learned obedience the hard way—twice. Once he performed sacrificial offerings instead of waiting for Samuel as he had been instructed and lost the promise of his kingship as a result (1 Samuel 13:8-14). Then he failed to totally destroy the Amalekites as he had been instructed and was removed as king (1 Samuel 15:12-34). In both cases, Saul had excuses and reasons for his disobedience. He learned that “to obey is better” when it comes to honoring God. Sadly, Saul learned that man’s ways are not God’s ways. He learned that God desires obedience above all.

Settle in your heart today that you will obey our sovereign God in all things, big or small.

Let us beware of being wiser than God.
John Blanchard

https://www.davidjeremiah.org

Greg Laurie

Harvest Ministries; Greg Laurie – An Inside Look

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But the LORD said to Samuel, “Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The LORD doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” 

—1 Samuel 16:7

Scripture:

1 Samuel 16:7 

Our culture today is enamored with beauty. We elevate attractive people in our culture and give them a lot of attention. If God has given you natural good looks, that is a wonderful thing. Just be sure that you don’t neglect what’s on the inside.

When God sent the prophet Samuel to Bethlehem, Samuel knew the next king of Israel was among Jesse’s sons. And when he saw Jesse’s sons, and Eliab in particular, he thought he knew which one it would be.

But God told him, “Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7 NLT)

God was saying that for Him, motive and intent are everything. He was looking on the inside. Meanwhile, Samuel was missing it.

Finally, Samuel said to Jesse, “Are these all the sons you have?” (verse 11 NLT).

“ ‘There is still the youngest,’ Jesse replied, ‘but he’s out in the fields watching the sheep and goats’ ” (verse 11 NLT).

In other words, “We have one other kid. He’s a shepherd. I don’t know if you want to talk to him.”

It’s important to understand that in ancient Israel, a shepherd was not a great position in life. We have romanticized the idea of shepherds because they were watching their flocks on the night the angels came to them and announced the birth of Jesus.

But a shepherd in those days was pretty low on the socioeconomic ladder. In fact, the testimony of the shepherd wasn’t even allowed in a court of law.

Jesse was saying, “He’s just a shepherd.” But Samuel wanted to see him. In walked David, probably smelling like sheep. And God said, “This is the one; anoint him” (verse 12 NLT). Then Samuel took out his flask of oil and anointed David with it.

No doubt David’s brothers were watching this and thinking that Samuel had lost his mind. There is no way this could be true. As for his father, Jesse, it doesn’t appear that he had a lot of love for David. When he told Samuel, “There is still the youngest,” he was speaking of him in a derogatory manner.

David later wrote in one of the psalms, “Even if my father and mother abandon me, the Lord will hold me close” (Psalm 27:10 NLT).

Those who are rejected by their parents often become beloved of God.

Maybe you’ve come from a home where you were unappreciated by your parents. Maybe they never expressed their love toward you or even told you they were proud of you. Or maybe they showered their affection on an older or younger sister and forgot about you. And that has always hurt you through life.

I came from a broken home. So, when I gave my life to Jesus Christ, it was amazing to realize that I had a heavenly Father who loved me. And He loves you as well.

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie
Days of Praise

Days of Praise – A No-Name Sandwich

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by Brian Thomas, Ph.D.

“And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name.” (Genesis 11:4)

According to Genesis, people after the Flood built the Tower of Babel to make themselves a name. This theme runs through the Scriptures and our lives. We sinners exalt our own names. We want credit! This self-centeredness might drive us to outpace others in a career or to offer words that make us look wise. But at Babel, they took this desire to its extreme by collaborating on a monument of self-exaltation.

One snag with self-made names is that they rob God of the glory He deserves. After all, the Lord gave us any knowledge, intellectual ability, or physical prowess we may have. It is also idolatry since it implies we believe we can save ourselves. “Thus saith the LORD; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD” (Jeremiah 17:5).

The brief account of Babel in Genesis 11 is sandwiched between “name” passages. Genesis 10 names Noah’s major descendants, and Genesis 11:10-28 names the generations from Shem to Abram. In contrast, God chose not to honor the names of the wicked Babel builders. In other words, even the literary structure in Genesis emphasizes the futility of trying to make a name for oneself.

What should we then do? “Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up” (James 4:10). “So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen” (Matthew 20:16). Magnify the Lord’s great name and receive in the end “a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it” (Revelation 2:17). BDT

https://www.icr.org/articles/type/6

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — Learning from Mistakes

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Bible in a Year :

These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us.

1 Corinthians 10:11

Today’s Scripture & Insight :

1 Corinthians 10:1–11

To help avoid future financial mistakes, such as those in 1929 and 2008 that brought down the world’s economy, the Library of Mistakes was founded in Edinburgh, Scotland. It features a collection of more than two thousand books that can help educate the next generation of economists. And it serves as a perfect example of how, according to the library’s curators, “smart people keep doing stupid things.” The curators believe that the only way to build a strong economy is to learn from prior mistakes.

Paul reminded the Corinthians that one way to avoid yielding to temptation and to have a strong spiritual life is to learn from the mistakes of God’s people in the past. So to make sure they wouldn’t become overconfident with their spiritual privilege, the apostle used ancient Israel’s failures as an example from which to gain wisdom. The Israelites engaged in idolatry, chose to “commit sexual immorality,” grumbled about the plans and purposes of God, and rebelled against His leaders. Due to their sin, they experienced His discipline (1 Corinthians 10:7–10). Paul presented these historical “examples” from Scripture to help believers in Jesus avoid repeating Israel’s mistakes (v. 11).

As God helps us, let’s learn from our mistakes and those made by others so that we might gain a heart of obedience for Him.

By:  Marvin Williams

Reflect & Pray

What warning should we recall when tempted to sin? How can we learn from our mistakes as well as the mistakes of others?

Dear God, please help me learn from failures so that I might be more obedient to You.

http://www.odb.org

John MacArthur

Grace to You; John MacArthur – Contentment: How to Enjoy it

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 “Let your way of life be free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, ‘I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you,’ so that we confidently say, ‘The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid. What shall man do to me?’” (Hebrews 13:5-6).

Your relationship with God allows you to enjoy genuine contentment.

In view of yesterday’s lesson, you may be asking, “But how can I enjoy contentment and be satisfied with what I have?” You can begin by realizing God’s goodness and believing that He will take care of you since you are one of His children. You can claim again the promise in Romans 8: “God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose” (v. 28).

Second, you should truly realize that God is omniscient—He knows all things and all your personal needs. He recognizes your individual needs long before you do and even before you pray about them. Jesus affirms, “Your Father knows that you need these things” (Luke 12:30).

You can also enjoy contentment by remembering that what you want or need is one thing; what you deserve is another. The patriarch Jacob confessed, “I am unworthy of all the lovingkindness and of all the faithfulness which Thou hast shown to Thy servant” (Gen. 32:10). Contentment will more likely be yours if you consider that God’s smallest favor or blessing to you is more than you deserve.

Ultimately, however, real contentment will be yours if you have vital communion with God through Jesus Christ. Then, like the apostle Paul, temporal things will not matter so much: “I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish in order that I may gain Christ” (Phil. 3:8).

Suggestions for Prayer

God may or may not grant you some new blessing today or this week. In any case, pray that you would be content.

For Further Study

From Strength for Today by John MacArthur

http://www.gty.org/

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Setting Boundaries

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The fear of man lays a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is safe.

— Proverbs 29:25 (ESV)

It is wrong for anyone to try to control us, but it is equally wrong for us to allow it. We must stand up for ourselves and be determined to please God rather than other people. My mother allowed my father to control her out of fear, and everyone in the family paid the price for her refusal to stand up for herself and us. Fear is a real thing, but it has no power over us except what we give it. Author and psychologist Henry Cloud says that we get what we tolerate.

The best thing is never to start a relationship by letting yourself be controlled and manipulated. But if you are already in that situation, it is not too late to stand up for yourself. It will be more difficult to do than it would have been had you had boundaries from the beginning of the relationship, but it can still be done. Let the person who is controlling you know that you realize you have been allowing them to control you and that you will no longer let it continue. They may react in an angry and even a violent manner, but in the end, they will respect you for it.

It is God’s will for us to follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and in order to do that, we will find that we must often say no to the demands of people. People who will only stay in relationship with you if they are allowed to control you don’t really love you. They are simply using you to help them get what they want. You deserve better than that and are far too valuable to let anyone abuse or misuse you.

If you have a history of not speaking up or just “going along to get along,” taking the first step toward freedom will be the most difficult. Satan is delighted to rob you of your God-ordained destiny, and he can easily do it through the fear of other people. The apostle Paul said that had he been trying to be popular with people, he would not have become an apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ (Gal. 1:10). Think seriously about that for a moment, and then take a look at your own life and make sure you are not missing God’s will by being overly concerned about keeping people happy. We should want to please and make people happy, but not if the price of doing so is disobeying God. The Word of God tells us to follow peace and I want to strongly recommend that you begin doing that. Anyone who truly cares about you will want you to follow God even if it means you can’t give them what they want. God is always with you to help you do what you need to do.

Prayer of the Day: Father, give me the courage to stand up for myself to those who try to control me. Help me to always follow Your will and value my worth the way You value me. In the name of Jesus, I choose to follow Your guidance rather than the approval of other people, amen.

http://www.joycemeyer.org