Tag Archives: religion

Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright –Wonderful Friendship

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“God will surely do this for you, for He always does just what He says, and He is the one who invited you into this wonderful friendship with His Son, even Christ our Lord” (1 Corinthians 1:9).

You and I do not always prove faithful, but the apostle Paul wants us to know, by way of his letter to the believers in Corinth, that our God will surely do what He has promised; in this case, make us “blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ” (verse 8).

The apostle wants the Corinthians to know that they can depend upon the faithfulness of God, who had begun a good work among them, and certainly would see them through to the end. He did the inviting; He would do the keeping.

Christians are able to participate with Christ in several ways. First in His trials and sufferings, for we are subjected to temptations and trials similar to His: “But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings” (1 Peter 4:13, KJV).

Second, in His feelings and views (Romans 8:9).

Third, in His heirship to the inheritance and glory which awaits Him: “And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ” (Romans 8:17, KJV).

Fourth, in His triumph in the resurrection and future glory: “Ye which have followed Me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit on the throne of His glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel” (Matthew 19:28, KJV).

Are you not glad for that kind of friendship?

Bible Reading: 2 Thessalonians 3:3-5

TODAY’S ACTION POINT: When I look for a faithful friend, my first thought will be of Christ Himself, who truly qualifies as my very best friend

 

 

http://www.cru.org

Max Lucado

Max Lucado – Fill in the Blank

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How would you fill in this blank? A person is made right with God through… (what)? A person is made right with God through. . .being good. Pay your taxes. Give sandwiches to the poor. Don’t drink too much or drink at all. Christian conduct… that’s the secret! Suffering….there’s the answer. Or doctrine…that’s how to be made right with God.

No, no, no. All of the above are tried. All are taught. But none are from God. In fact, that’s the problem. None are from God. Who does the saving, you or Him? Romans 3:28 says, “A person is made right with God through faith.” Not through good works, suffering, or doctrine. Those may be the result of salvation, but they’re not the cause of it. Faith in God’s sacrifice, in the gift of His Son. It’s not what you do, it’s what He did.

Read more Lucado Inspirational Reader

For more inspirational messages please visit Max Lucado.

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Denison Forum

Denison Forum – Why did Hollywood ignore sexual abuse?

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The Harvey Weinstein scandal has ignited a bonfire of allegations in recent weeks. The problem is so acute that the Los Angeles County District Attorney is forming a task force to evaluate sexual assault cases in Hollywood.

Over the weekend, more names were added to the list.

Benny Medina is a music executive who has managed Jennifer Lopez, Will Smith, and Mariah Carey, among others. Now he’s been accused of attempted rape. His attorneys have categorically denied the allegation.

Actress Rebel Wilson has also claimed that a male costar sexually harassed her while his friends tried to tape the encounter on their phones. She also described an incident with a “top director” who invited her to his hotel room, but she was able to escape.

We now know that many of the accused had a prior reputation for sexual immorality. Why did their colleagues and industries tolerate their behavior?

“Art for art’s sake”

Writing for the New York Times, Amanda Hess offers an insightful answer: the “myth of artistic genius” has excused the abuse of women and other personal immorality. Hess cites a 2009 New York Times round table on the relation of artists and their work.

One artist wrote, “Being an artist has absolutely nothing—nothing—to do with one’s personal behavior.” Another responder: “Let the art stand for itself, and these men stand in judgment, and never the twain shall meet.”

Continue reading Denison Forum – Why did Hollywood ignore sexual abuse? →

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – Unveiling the Hidden

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Jeremiah 33:1-3

Every decade, it seems as though there’s a fresh crop of books on the topic of communication. We can walk down the aisle of any bookstore and take our pick from the many volumes dedicated to public speaking, preaching, and even interpersonal communication. Learning how to speak effectively is, without question, a big industry these days.

But even more important is learning how to communicate with the Lord. Too often, we take what we learn about mass communication and try to apply it to prayer. We carefully craft each word of our petitions, laboring over every phrase and peppering in some fancy biblical words like “thou” and “thee.” Sometimes, we seem to believe that it’s possible to unlock the mysteries of heaven if we just learn how to phrase our prayers.

Friend, this is a misguided approach. We should never come before God’s throne with the presumption that we just have to find the right combination of words in order to get Him to speak. The power is not in what we say, but in what He says.

Our role in prayer is not to impress the Lord with our fine phrasing and fancy vocabulary. Rather, it is to cry out to Him, to express our needs, and then to listen. Sadly, we often miss out on what God wants to say because we’re too busy doing all the talking!

This week, take a different approach to prayer. Practice solitude and quiet meditation in your time with the Lord, and open yourself up to what He may be telling you.

Bible in One Year: Acts 8-9

 

http://www.intouch.org/

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — What’s the Best Gift?

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Read: 2 Chronicles 2:1–10

Bible in a Year: Jeremiah 51–52; Hebrews 9

The temple I am going to build will be great, because our God is greater than all other gods.—2 Chronicles 2:5

My husband recently celebrated a milestone birthday, the kind that ends in a zero. I thought hard about the best way to honor him on this important occasion. I discussed my many ideas with our children to help me home in on the best one. I wanted our celebration to reflect the significance of a new decade and how precious he is to our family. I wanted our gift to be in keeping with the importance of this milestone in his life.

King Solomon wanted to give to God a much greater gift than a “big birthday” would merit. He wished for the temple he built to be worthy of God’s presence in it. To secure raw materials, he messaged the king of Tyre. In his letter, he remarked that the temple would be great “because our God is greater than all other gods” (2 Chron. 2:5). He acknowledged that God’s vastness and goodness far exceeded what could ever be built with human hands, yet set about the task anyway out of love and worship.

Our God is indeed greater than all other gods. He has done wondrous things in our lives, prompting our hearts to bring Him a loving and precious offering, regardless of its external value. Solomon knew his gift wouldn’t match God’s worth, yet joyfully set his offering before Him; we can too. —Kirsten Holmberg

Lord, You are indeed a great God, matchless in worth. May my offerings be pleasing in Your sight.

The most treasured gift we can give to God is our love.

 

http://www.odb.org

Today in the Word

Moody Global Ministries – Today in the Word – WAITING FOR GOD’S JUSTICE

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Psalm 37:1–9

In a sermon titled “The Beauty of Biblical Justice,” pastor and author Tim Keller said: “In the West, when we think of justice, we think of individual rights. . . . Biblical justice has a different trajectory. Biblical justice means interwovenness, interdependence, bringing individuals to see that our stuff isn’t just ours. . . . [Justice] means taking the threads of your life—your emotions, your time, your body, your physical presence, your money—and plunging them into the lives of other people.”

To wait for God’s justice, then, is not primarily about punishment or even fairness. To wait for justice is to wait for shalom, a state of peace, blessedness, and wellbeing in which God is obeyed and worshiped. That day will come when sin and death are finally and fully vanquished.

Psalm 37 describes what waiting for justice feels like in everyday life. We are not to worry or become angry when it seems like sinners are rewarded for their wrong choices and actions. Instead, we are to be still and wait patiently for the Lord, because His justice is certain (v. 7; Isa. 30:18).

We shouldn’t fret over the apparent success of evil; it’s not real and won’t last (vv. 1–2). Instead, we should draw close to God and do as He leads. “He will give you the desires of your heart” because then your heart is in the right place (v. 4). To trust Him is to choose wisely, to see through the fraud of temptations to the truth of righteous obedience.

Those who do so will be vindicated and rewarded for their patience! As for people who choose and act otherwise, they will be destroyed. Only those who hope in the Lord “will inherit the land” (vv. 8–9).

APPLY THE WORD

Both fretting over the “success” of the wicked and worrying about everyday needs show a lack of faith (see Matt. 6:25–34). Instead of anxiety, we have the privilege of taking these needs to God in prayer (Phil. 4:6; 1 Peter 5:7). When you are tempted to complain or worry, take that as a cue to pray for faith to wait on the Lord.

 

http://www.todayintheword.org

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Simplify Your Prayers

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Confess to one another therefore your faults (your slips, your false steps, your offenses, your sins) and pray [also] for one another, that you may be healed and restored [to a spiritual tone of mind and heart]. The earnest (heartfelt, continued) prayer of a righteous man makes tremendous power available [dynamic in its working].— James 5:16

I’ve learned that simple, heartfelt, full-of-faith prayers always get God’s attention. Unfortunately, we often overlook this and turn our prayers into a big show when in reality, prayer is simply communication with God.

We have to beware of talking to impress ourselves when we’re praying. Sometimes I think we feel like we need to sound eloquent. We want to impress God with our phrases and sound holy. But God just wants to have a little chat with us.

He wants us to talk to Him like we would a friend—not with a different tone of voice. If we don’t speak Elizabethan English during the day, we don’t need to use it when we pray.

We also don’t have to pray for hours on end. It’s good to schedule prayer time, but we should just pray until we’re finished and then go about our business until the next time we feel the need to pray some more.

The only way prayer will ever be satisfying is if you simply use it as an opportunity to worship and thank God for all He does for you, to get His help, and involve Him in everything you do. He’s not here to be impressed…He’s here to live life with you. Don’t perform. Just invite Him in.

 

http://www.joycemeyer.org

Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – Satisfies God’s Requirements

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“Love does no wrong to anyone. That’s why it fully satisfies all of God’s requirements. It is the only law you need” (Romans 13:10).

Early in my Christian life, I was troubled over the command to love God so completely, as I mentioned in yesterday’s reading. How could I ever measure up to such a high standard? Then He showed me how to love by faith.

We are to love God. We are to love our neighbors. We are to love our enemies. We are to love our family members. And we are to love ourselves with God’s kind of love, by faith.

Since the greatest commandment is to love God, we are to give Him our first love, never allowing anyone or anything to come before Him. And supernaturally, we are to express the agape kind of love to others – a love no less in its quality and magnitude than that which we express toward God.

In the same way, God loves all His children perfectly. He loves you and me just as much as He loves His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ (John 17:23).

The person who has not yet learned to love God and to seek Him above all else and all others is to be pitied. Such a person is only denying himself the blessings that await all who love God with all their heart, soul and mind.

It is natural for us to fulfill the command to love our neighbors as ourselves if we truly love God in the way mentioned above. If we are properly related to God, vertically, we will be properly related to our fellow man, horizontally.

Bible Reading: 1 Corinthians 13

TODAY’S ACTION POINT: By faith I will claim God’s love – for Him, for my neighbors, for myself, for my enemies – and as a result do only good, which is a result of supernatural living

 

http://www.cru.org

Streams in the Desert

Streams in the Desert for Kids – Above the Clouds

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Job 37:21

When you read a verse like the one above from Job, you may begin to wonder what was going on with Job and his friends to bring up such a conversation.

These guys said to Job, “Do you know how God controls the clouds and makes his lightning flash? Do you know how the clouds hang poised?… Can you join him in spreading out the skies, hard as a mirror of cast bronze?… Now no one can look at the sun, bright as it is in the skies after the wind has swept them clean.” In other words, “Job, you don’t know enough to understand God’s ways.”

Then God answered Job (chapters 38–41; read it sometime—it’s beautiful). God said that he is the one who has created everything the way it is. God sees the sun even when to us it is covered by clouds. Now Job knows he can hear from God. He can understand what God is doing in the world when he learns to consider that God’s perspective is so different from ours.

Do you want to hear from God and see his bigger perspective? You can if you will pray with all your heart and ask God to show you his plan and his way.

Dear Lord, I know you made everything, understand everything, yet you want to talk with me. You give me understanding. Amen.

Wisdom Hunters

Wisdom Hunters – Trust God to Pay Back in His Timing 

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For we know him who said, “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” and again, “The Lord will judge his people.” It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. Hebrews 10:30-31

Someone may be in debt to you. They may owe you money, a reputation, an apology, a job, or a childhood. But God is asking you to let go and let Him. Let Him handle this. He has a payment plan for those who are in debt to his children. It may mean He wipes their slate clean with minimal repercussions. It may mean their stiff neck forces God to bring them to the end of themselves through trials and tribulations. Or, it may mean that what awaits them is an eternity of reaping in hell what has been sown on earth. But God’s position is one of judge and jury. You do not have to carry this burden or responsibility. Your role is to forgive and to trust God with the proper judgment and consequence.

Life gets complicated and draining when we take on the responsibility of making sure a person gets what he deserves. This is arrogant and unwise on our part. How can we know what others deserve for their injustices, neglect, and self-absorption? Our role is not to play God, but to serve God. Playing God is a never-ending disappointment. We were not made for that role. Only the Almighty can fill these shoes. And He does have it under control. There is no indiscretion or blatant injustice that is off His radar screen of sensitivity. He picks up on every “little” sin.

So, rest in the assurance of knowing God will pay back in His good timing and in His good way. Give this person or issue over to God. Do not bear the responsibility of executing payback time. Your role is to forgive and let go. God’s role is to establish a payment plan of justice and judgment. Yes, your parents may have blown it through their own selfish tirades. Their immature choices may have built up over time and led to divorce. Because of their indiscretions and unwise decisions, you grew up in a less than favorable home environment. But look at their faces. The hurt and the consequences are etched in their countenances. The results of their wrongs have caught up with them. They need your grace and forgiveness. Be a good son or daughter, and by this you may facilitate healing for your parents’ soul. Sin has its own harvest of heartache, not to mention breaking the heart of the heavenly Father. Trust God with your parents. Let Him worry about what they deserve.

Continue reading Wisdom Hunters – Trust God to Pay Back in His Timing  →

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – Gratitude in Affliction

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Psalm 119:65-72

We typically express gratitude for God’s blessings, but did you ever consider thanking Him for something that doesn’t seem like a blessing—such as a trying circumstance you want Him to remove or change? A grateful heart is most precious to God when, humanly speaking, our situations don’t warrant giving thanks. By making four foundational decisions, we can begin to see the value of our adversities and respond with appreciation.

  1. Believe and trust God. Only by viewing life from a biblical perspective can we understand His purposes in our trials and trust His wisdom in allowing them.
  2. Accept the situation as coming from the Lord. If we truly believe He’s working for our good (Rom. 8:28-29), we can choose to receive each difficulty as from His loving hand, whether it was directly sent or permissively allowed. Then we can say “Thank You.”
  3. Submit to God in the circumstance. Although we may not like the situation, knowing that God is good and does good allows us to confidently place our life under His authority. (See Psalm 119:68.)
  4. Draw from Him the strength to endure. No one has the ability within himself to endure hardships with gratefulness. Only by relying on the Lord can believers go through adversity with an appreciative heart.

Now, think about that circumstance you would like changed, and with a new mindset, offer this prayer to God: “Lord, I accept this situation as coming from You. In faith and trust, I place myself under Your loving authority and draw from You the strength I need to endure with gratitude.”

Bible in One Year: Acts 5-7

 

http://www.intouch.org/

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — The Good Earth

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Read: Genesis 1:1–10

Bible in a Year: Jeremiah 50; Hebrews 8

God said, “Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear.” And it was so. . . . And God saw that it was good.—Genesis 1:9–10

While orbiting the moon in 1968, Apollo 8 astronaut Bill Anders described the crew’s close-up view of the moonscape. He called it “a foreboding horizon . . . a stark and unappetizing-looking place.” Then the crew took turns reading to a watching world from Genesis 1:1-10. After Commander Frank Borman finished verse 10, “And God saw that it was good,” he signed off with, “God bless all of you, all of you on the good Earth.”

The opening chapter of the Bible insists on two facts:

Creation is God’s work. The phrase “and God said . . .” beats in cadence all the way through the chapter. The entire magnificent world we live in is the product of His creative work. All that follows in the Bible reinforces the message of Genesis 1: Behind all of history, there is God.

Creation is good. Another sentence tolls softly, like a bell, throughout this chapter. “And God saw that it was good.” Much has changed since that first moment of creation. Genesis 1 describes the world as God wanted it, before any spoiling. Whatever beauty we sense in nature today is a faint echo of the pristine state God created.

The Apollo 8 astronauts saw Earth as a brightly colored ball hanging alone in space. It looked at once awesomely beautiful and fragile. It looked like the view from Genesis 1. —Philip Yancey

O tell of His might, O sing of His grace, whose robe is the light, whose canopy space; His chariots of wrath the deep thunderclouds form, and dark is His path on the wings of the storm. Robert Grant

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Genesis 1:1

INSIGHT: Comparing Genesis 1 with John 1, we see all three members of the Godhead engaged in the work of creation. The Bible begins with a bold declaration in Genesis 1:1, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” In verse 2, the author continues to paint the picture of creation, telling us that the Spirit of God was “hovering over the waters.” John illuminates the involvement of Christ in creation: “Through [Christ] all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made” (John 1:3).

As you reflect on the beauty of creation, what does it tell you about God’s character?

For further study on creation read The Genesis Account of Creation at discoveryseries.org/q1112. Bill Crowder

 

http://www.odb.org

Wisdom Hunters

Wisdom Hunters – How to Get the Most Out of Life 

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Train yourself to be godly. For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come. 1 Timothy 4:7b-8

Godly training is profitable now and for eternity. It does not mean you are some super spiritual person who cannot relate to others. On the contrary, godly means you have the character and sensitivity of Jesus. Thus, you understand and relate to people very effectively. It is not all about you, but about others and their needs. You encourage when there needs to be encouragement. You rebuke when you need to rebuke. You teach when there needs to be teaching. The godly know how to laugh, cry, pray, hope, work hard, and trust in God. Godliness comes in all forms.

Every temperament can express godliness. If you are an extrovert, your godly expression may come in the form of humor or encouragement. Your ability to make people laugh (not at the expense of someone else) is godly. Your passion to encourage and build up others is godly. Godliness is certainly expressed through your character. Your honesty is godly; your diligence is godly; your pure motive is godly; your generosity is godly; your compassion, boldness, and leadership are godly. All of these behaviors that reflect the way Christ would behave are godly. Godliness is behaving as Jesus would behave. It is not a certain voice inflection or body language because those can be pretentious and ungodly. It is having a heart and mind that express as Christ would.

True godliness points others to God. It provides value for all things: body, mind, soul, and spirit. Godliness, however, does not happen accidentally. There is intentionality to godliness. Just as the body benefits from physical training, so the mind, soul, and spirit benefit from training in godliness. The most effective training comes with consistency and repetition. It is not a complicated process, but it is exercising faith. The muscles of faith expand and contract when engaged in everyday life. Training involves prayer instead of worry. Praying works on your heart. It is your spiritual cardio workout. Worry works like plaque and cholesterol clogging the flow of God’s faithfulness to you. He is always faithful, but you must receive his faithfulness by faith. Prayer facilities this and provides a free flow of faith. In addition, fasting keeps your focus on the Lord.

Training in godliness means the word of God becomes your spiritual diet. If you replace the word with the world you will settle for spiritual junk food rather than Jesus. Snubbing God’s word is like substituting chips for chicken. This cheap imitation of spiritual nutrition eventually disables your godly maturity. Lastly, training in godliness requires service to others. You work out your faith in good deeds. You serve others for the glory of God. This is training in godliness. This has tremendous value now and forevermore. Therefore, train well and you will be transformed. Over time, when you look into the mirror of your soul you will see Jesus. There are benefits to training in godliness.

The Bible says, “Know that the LORD has set apart the godly for himself; the LORD will hear when I call to him” (Psalm 4:3).

Prayer: Heavenly Father, I want to grow in godliness so my life points people to Jesus.

Application: What area of my life does the Spirit need to grow in godliness?

Related Readings: 1 Corinthians 9:24; 1 Timothy 6:6; 2 Timothy 3:5, 12; 2 Peter 1:7

 

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Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Make God Your “One Thing”

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The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows).— John 10:10

Life isn’t supposed to be complicated. Jesus didn’t die so we could live complicated, frustrated, miserable lives. John 10:10 says He died for us so we could have and enjoy life. The minute everything gets complicated, it steals joy. We need to learn how to stop stressing and stop living an excessively busy lifestyle.

The opposite lifestyle is one of simplicity. Simplicity means “single, consisting of one thing, unmingled.” God has dealt with me about living a simpler life. He has shown me that the only way to do this is to just be about “one thing.”

God just wants us to be about Him. He tells us in His Word that we won’t inherit His kingdom if we don’t come to Him very simply as a little child and say, “I believe.”

That almost sounds too easy, and you might want to complicate it…but don’t! God’s plan for you is simple. It may not make sense to your mind, but there’s nothing complicated about God, and He doesn’t want you to be complicated. Come to Him today, saying, “I believe.” Make Him your “One Thing.”

 

http://www.joycemeyer.org

Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – Living the Godly Life

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“As God’s messenger I give each of you God’s warning: Be honest in your estimate of yourselves, measuring your value by how much faith God has given you” (Romans 12:3).

A newly appointed director of affairs for our ministry came to me for counsel after being given his assignment. “Tell me,” he inquired, “what are the biggest problems that I will encounter in my new area of responsibility?”

“Three major ones,” I responded. “First, pride, the problem that causes Satan to seek a place of authority over God Himself, resulting in his expulsion from the heavenly kingdom. Since creation, man’s greatest problem has been pride – thinking more highly of oneself than one ought to think.

“Your second problem will be materialism – the desire to accumulate wealth, to live the good life, to keep up with the Joneses with better houses, cars, clothes, and security.

“And the third problem will be sex, the temptation to immorality. Man’s second greatest drive after self-perservation is sex. In the marriage bond, sex is one of the most beautiful of the God-given privileges. But out of marriage, it results in grieving and quenching the Spirit and, ultimately, in the discipline of God. Therefore, be faithful to the wife that God has given you and love her as Christ loved the church (Ephesians 5:25).

“Keep yourself humble by God’s power. Seek the simple life and be motivated and constrained by the love of God for the souls of men, rather than for the good things of this world.”

This is my counsel to all of our staff. It is my message to all Christian leaders and to all who seek to live godly lives.

The highways and byways of the world are littered with men and women of great talent and ability who are no longer being used of God. The fire has gone out of their hearts; the smile is gone from their faces. They harvest no fruit for the kingdom. They have fallen, thinking more highly of themselves than they ought to think, after the example of Satan, the author of pride.

God’s Word admonishes us to think soberly, wisely, prudently and modestly. The faith which we each have is a gift from God, measure by Him. That fact alone should produce in you and me a true, humility, changing any feeling of pride to one of gratitude. The truly humble person regards God as the source of all blessings.

Bible Reading: Ephesians 4:1-6

TODAY’S ACTION POINT: When the temptation comes to think more highly of myself than I ought to think, with God’s help I will remember that everything I have is a gift of His grace. I will humble myself before God and man and, by faith, live a supernatural, godly life, dedicated to the extension of His kingdom

http://www.cru.org

Words of Hope

Words of Hope – Daily Devotional – Praying for Harmony

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Read: Romans 12:9-21

Be constant in prayer . . . Live in harmony with one another. (vv. 12, 16)

On average, pianos require being tuned two to three times a year. For centuries, the only surefire way to tell if a piano was in tune was by using a tuning fork. Simple to make and easy to use, tuning forks guaranteed pitch-perfect accuracy. Even in antique shops today, you can find 300-year-old tuning forks producing notes just as clear and crisp as the day they were made.

For the Christian, Jesus Christ is our tuning fork. He tells us if we are out of tune, but he also sets the standard to which we are to be tuned, over and over again. Pastor and author A. W. Tozer explains this phenomenon: “Has it ever occurred to you that one hundred pianos all tuned to the same fork are automatically tuned to each other? They are of one accord by being tuned, not to each other, but to another standard to which each one must individually bow. So one hundred worshippers met together, each one looking away to Christ, are in heart nearer to each other than they could possibly be were they to become ‘unity’ conscious and turn their eyes away from God to strive for closer fellowship” (The Pursuit of God, pp. 87-88).

When was the last time you found life in harmony with Jesus and others? Harmonious living requires constant prayer. Are you in need of retuning your heart to him? —Nathan Prairie

Prayer: Dear Jesus, may we live in harmony through the tuning of our hearts to you. Amen.

 

https://woh.org/

Today in the Word

Moody Global Ministries – Today in the Word – WAITING FOR GOD’S JUST WRATH

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Zephaniah 3:1–8

The expression “Wait for it!” can be used to build suspense before a verbal climax. One expects that what is said next will be surprising, humorous, or unexpectedly significant. According to one source, its increased “colloquial usage as a dramatic interjection” can be attributed to its frequent appearances in the popular American TV show How I Met Your Mother.

To those who think they have escaped divine justice, God says, “Wait for it!” Whereas in yesterday’s reading the purpose of waiting was to experience God’s deliverance, in today’s reading the purpose of waiting is to see His just wrath against sin and evil. The poetic and prophetic books of Scripture resound with cries for this: “Why does the way of the wicked prosper? Why do all the faithless live at ease”? (Jer. 12:1).

The context for Zephaniah 3 is Judah’s sinfulness and unwillingness to repent. The nation was being chronically rebellious, disobedient, and prideful (vv. 1–2). Leaders exploited others, prophets lied, and priests profaned worship (vv. 3–4). God, who is perfectly righteous, had been more than patient, waiting for the nation to accept correction. The fact that He hadn’t punished them yet did not mean they had gotten away with their wickedness, as they seemed to think. They should have already known this from His past judgments on other nations (vv. 5–7).

When God said, “Wait for me,” then, it was a severe and perhaps sarcastic warning (v. 8). They didn’t think He was actually coming. They didn’t want Him to show up and “testify” about their evil deeds. They disregarded and disrespected His righteous wrath and judgment. But His arrival and His justice are as certain for judgment as they are for the salvation of the faithful remnant who waits in hope (see vv. 9–20).

APPLY THE WORD

Can we really give “shouts of joy” when the wicked perish (Prov. 11:10)? That doesn’t seem very “nice.” But the answer is yes, if our desire is for God’s plan to be accomplished and His name to be honored. If, however, our feelings are fueled by hatred or revenge, that is not godly waiting. For a vital lesson on this topic, read Jonah 4.

 

http://www.todayintheword.org

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – Three Ways to Think Right

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Philippians 4:4-9

We all want to experience joy and peace in difficult times—to have a sense of security and the confidence that the heavenly Father loves us. Yet we are oftentimes held back by worries and other pressures.

There are three ways we can govern our thoughts:

  1. Screen them. Imagine there’s a grid protecting your mind, and whatever you think about must first pass through it. If you have built your filter upon the Word of God, any unscriptural ideas that try to get through will set off a warning alarm. You can check each thought by asking yourself a series of questions: What’s the source? Where will it lead me? Is this scripturally sound? Is this going to build me up or tear me down? Can I share this with someone else? Does it make me feel guilty? Does it fit who I am as a follower of Jesus Christ?
  2. Select them. God has given you the right and the power to decide whether or not you will accept a thought. Every time an opinion or teaching hits your screen, you can choose to either let it through or discard it. Since the idea itself may not be wrong or right, those same screening questions can help you know what to do next.
  3. Cultivate them. Accepting godly thoughts (and rejecting evil ones) is not enough. You need to dwell on the ideas that align with God’s Word and then start practicing them.

Allow God to pour Himself into your life and to reign in your mind. In doing so, you will see awesome changes take place.

Bible in One Year: Acts 3-4

 

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Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — The Hand of Comfort

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Read: 2 Corinthians 1:3–7

Bible in a Year: Jeremiah 48–49; Hebrews 7

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, . . . who comforts us in all our troubles.—2 Corinthians 1:3-4

“Patient is combative,” the nurse’s notes read.

What she didn’t realize until later was that I was having an allergic reaction as I awakened after a complicated open-heart surgery. I was a mess, with a tube down my throat. My body began shaking violently, straining against the straps on my arms, which were there to keep me from suddenly pulling out my breathing tube. It was a frightening and painful episode. At one point, a nurse’s assistant to the right side of my bed reached down and simply held my hand. It was an unexpected move, and it struck me as especially gentle. I began to relax, which caused my body to stop shaking so badly.

Having experienced this with other patients, the nurse’s assistant knew that a hand of comfort could minister to me as well. It was a vivid example of how God uses comfort when His children suffer.

Comfort is a powerful and memorable tool for any caregiver, and Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 it’s an important part of God’s toolbox. Not only that, but God also multiplies the impact of His comfort by calling us to use the memory of the comfort He gives us to comfort others in similar situations (vv. 4-7). It is but another sign of His great love; and one we can share with others—sometimes in the simplest of gestures. —Randy Kilgore

Thank You, Father, for the comfort You provide to us, either directly or through the acts of Your children. Help us to see where we can apply that same comfort to others in and for Your name.

Simple gestures can bring powerful comfort.

INSIGHT: This passage demonstrates how our personal pain can help others who suffer. Paul uses the word comfort both vertically and horizontally. God extends comfort to us, then we can offer comfort to others. In this way, our pain can become a conduit of care for those in distress and lead to gratitude in the midst of pain. “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort” (2 Cor. 1:3).

Can you think of a time when God used others to encourage and comfort you? Dennis Fisher

 

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Ravi Zacharias

Ravi Zacharias Ministry – A Mysterious Safety

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Someone told me recently that he wondered if humans only truly ever pray when we are in the midst of despair. Despite creed or confession, is it only when we have no other excuses to offer, no other comfort to hide behind, no more façades to uphold, that we are most likely to bow in exhaustion and be real with God and ourselves? “For most of us,” writes C.S. Lewis, “the prayer in Gethsemane is the only model.” In our distress, we stand before God as we truly are—creatures in need hope and mercy.

The words within the ancient Hebrew story of Jonah that are of most interest to me are words that in some ways seem not to fit in the story at all.(1) Interrupting a narrative that quickly draws in its hearers, a narrative about Jonah, the text very fleetingly pauses to bring us the voice of Jonah himself before returning again to the narrative. The eight lines come in the form of a distraught and despairing, though poetic prayer. And while it is true that the poem could be omitted without affecting the coherence of the story, the deliberate jaunt in the narrative text seems to provide a moment of significant commentary to the whole. The eight verses of poetry not only mark an abrupt shift in the tone of the text, but also in the attitude of its main character. The poetic words of the prophet, spoken as a cry of deliverance, arise from the belly of the great fish—a stirring image reminiscent of another despairing soul’s question: Where can I flee from your presence? If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there. If I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me.

Jonah’s eloquent prayer for deliverance stands out in a book that is detailed with his egotistic mantras and glaring self-deceptions. By his own actions, Jonah finds himself in darkness, and yet it is in the dark that he speaks most honestly to God. The story is vaguely familiar to many hearers, and yet memory often seems to minimize the distress that broke Jonah’s silence with God. The popular notion that Jonah went straight from the side of the ship into the mouth of the fish is not supported by either the narrative as a whole or Jonah’s prayer. As one suggests, “[Jonah] was half drowned before he was swallowed. If he was still conscious, sheer dread would have caused him to faint—notice that there is no mention of the fish in his prayer. He can hardly have known what caused the change from wet darkness to an even greater dry darkness. When he did regain consciousness, it would have taken some time to realize that the all-enveloping darkness was not that of Sheol but of a mysterious safety.”(2)

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