Tag Archives: religion

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Don’t Let the Devil Steal It

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For it is like a man who was about to take a long journey, and he called his servants together and entrusted them with his property…. He who had received one talent also came forward, saying, Master, I knew you to be a harsh and hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you had not winnowed [the grain]. So I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is your own.- Matthew 25:14, 24-25

Jesus often gave people illustrations containing life lessons that could be applied to common situations in which most anyone can find themselves at any given time. The -Parable of the Talents is such an illustration. A talent was the type of currency used in Jesus’ day. One talent is said to have been worth more than a thousand dollars. This par¬ticular parable describes a man who gave certain amounts of money to three of his servants with the instruction to invest it.

I find two very interesting points in this story. First, the landowner distributed the money according to each person’s ability. He didn’t try to burden his workers with more than they were capable of handling. The two men to whom he gave the most money invested wisely and doubled their investments. Upon the landowner’s return, they were made full partners in the business. The second thing I realized is that the two with the most ability used it wisely and were richly rewarded. The third man—the one with the least ability—failed.

Think about this. God didn’t ask the third man to invest five talents or even three. He knew this man wasn’t capable of handling such a task. He gave the third servant the least amount of responsibility, and that man still failed. Worse, he tried to justify his failure by blaming the master! But he also said something else—and that’s the secret to understanding this story: I was afraid and hid your talent in the ground (see v. 25).

He didn’t lose the money, but he did nothing with it. And the master responded, You wicked and lazy and idle servant! (v. 26). The spirit of fear had caused the man to do nothing.

Let’s turn that around. The owner said, Then you should have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received what was my own with interest (v. 27). Suppose the man had gone to the bank and invested as the owner suggested. He would never have made as much profit as the other two. And that would have been all right, because all that the owner asked was for him to do what he could—what was reasonably expected of him.

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Girlfriends in God

Girlfriends in God – The Art of Listening

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Today’s Truth

Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.

James 1:19

Friend to Friend

I graduated from college with a degree in elementary education. For the first two years of college, I took the basic courses in Math, English, History, and Science required for all degrees. I then began taking courses that I assumed would prepare me to teach elementary school. During my last year of school, I reached the required Student Teaching block.

The Student Teaching block was spent in an actual elementary classroom under the supervision of an experienced teacher. Mrs. Roberta McShan was my supervising teacher and a magician in the classroom. She taught third grade and soon became my role model as a teacher. I learned more about teaching in that one semester than I had learned in all of the education courses I had taken.

Every child in her classroom absolutely adored Mrs. McShan. I watched carefully and soon learned why. One of most important lessons I learned from Mrs. McShan was the importance of listening and how to make the person you are listening to feel important.

When a child came up to ask a question, Mrs. McShan stopped what she was doing and turned toward the child. She then gently placed the fingertips of her hand under the chin of the child and tilted that little face up toward hers. She looked the child in the eye and listened to every word the child said. Everyone in that classroom knew they were not to interrupt if Mrs. McShan was listening to one of their classmates.

When I pray, that is how I picture the Father responding to me. He stops … turns toward me … and listens.

Every relationship begins with listening. Listening is hard work and something we are not prone to do well.

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Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – True Spiritual Life

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“Only the Holy Spirit gives eternal life. Those born only once, with physical birth, will never receive this gift. But now I have told you how to get this true spiritual life” (John 6:63).

A businessman called to ask if he could bring one of his associates to talk to me about receiving Christ. As the three of us talked together, it became apparent that the businessman who arranged the meeting was not a Christian either. So after his friend had received Christ, I asked him if he believed that Jesus Christ was the Son of God.

“Yes,” he said.

“Do you believe that He died for your sins?”

“Of course.”

“Have you ever received Him into you life as your Savior and Lord?”

“No,” he said, “I haven’t.”

“Wouldn’t you like to do so?”

“Yes,” he said, “I would. But I have been waiting for that peculiar time when God would speak to me in a very emotional way.”

He explained that this was the way his mother had become a Christian, and he felt that this was the way he should become a Christian, too.

Once again I reviewed very simply the plan of salvation, explaining that only the Holy Spirit gives eternal life and there may or may not be an emotional experience accompanying the moment of salvation. I explained that salvation is a gift of God, which we receive by faith on the basis of His promise.

So together we prayed, and though I had explained that he should not expect any emotional experience, God graciously touched him in a very dramatic way emotionally, contrary to my own experience and that of the majority of people with whom I counsel and pray.

Bible Reading: John 6:60-65

TODAY’S ACTION POINT: Realizing that no one can enter the kingdom of God apart from a spiritual birth, I will today pray for many opportunities to share the good news of God’s love and forgiveness in Christ with others.

 

http://www.cru.org

Ray Stedman

Ray Stedman – Our Protection is in God

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Read: Jeremiah 11:1-20

But, O LORD of hosts, who judges righteously, who tests the heart and the mind, let me see your vengeance upon them, for to you have I committed my cause. Jeremiah 11:20

Perhaps the central lesson of this book is what happened to Jeremiah as God prepared him to minister in a day of decay. He was called to a strange and difficult ministry. God gradually had to prepare him and toughen him increasingly for the assignments he was to be given in this nation. So Jeremiah was plunged into an even more difficult time than he had ever known before, a troubled time for the nation.

God sends young Jeremiah back to the nation with another word of warning and denunciation for the third time now in Jeremiah’s ministry, God tells him not to pray for this nation: Therefore do not pray for this people, or lift up a cry or prayer on their behalf, for I will not listen when they call to me in the time of their trouble (Jeremiah 11:14 RSV).

This was what had distressed Jeremiah so much — that God would not even let him pray for them. He had laid a vocal quarantine on Jeremiah and had said, I do not want you to pray, for prayer delays judgment. This had great effect upon Jeremiah. From here on we are going to see God’s toughening of this young man in preparation for what was coming.

Jeremiah found something happening which absolutely threw him into consternation. He learned that there was a plot against his life by his own neighbors and friends. He tells us about it, beginning in Verse 18: The Lord made it known to me and I knew; then thou didst show me their evil deeds. But I was like a gentle lamb led to the slaughter. (Jeremiah 11:18-19a RSV) Jeremiah realized how naive and blind he had been to trust these neighbors and friends. Now he understood that they had plotted against his life.

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Words of Hope

Words of Hope – Daily Devotional – God’s Call Transcends Time

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Read: 1 Corinthians 13:1-13

Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known. (v. 12)

In this great passage on love, Paul speaks of how dimly we see things now, but how clearly we will see them later.

One day, after another hard day of new home construction in Mexico, the mission office asked one member of our team to come to their office. A family had come to visit this team member, who had built a home for them 16 years earlier. The family had heard that he was in Mexico building another home and drove 100 miles, and then waited several hours, just to see him and thank him for his help in building their home so many years before.

His service 16 years ago had helped transform their lives from a desperate situation to one of hope. Not only had they put their faith in Jesus, but they had also been able to give their children an education. Their older daughter was now in university and the younger boy was getting ready to attend school in the fall.

While we may not always get the opportunity to see the fruit of our service in this life, we can take joy knowing that in heaven we will see the impact of our efforts. How exciting to know that our sacrifices can make an eternal difference.

Prayer:

Father, thank you for giving us small glimpses of the eternal picture we will enjoy in heaven with you. Give us the will to make an eternal difference in the lives of others.

Author: Rob Donoho

 

https://woh.org/

Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – A Revival in Nineveh

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The LORD gave this message to Jonah son of Amittai: “Get up and go to the great city of Nineveh. Announce my judgment against it because I have seen how wicked its people are.” —Jonah 1:1–2

You might say that Jonah was the original chicken of the sea. When God told him to go to Nineveh and preach, his response essentially was, “No way! These people are wicked. I don’t want to go.”

It’s true the Ninevites were very cruel people. They were known for their savagery. In fact, when they would conquer a nation, they often would torture their prisoners before executing them and were known to burn boys and girls alive. They tortured others by tearing the skin from their bodies and leaving them to die in the scorching sun. Rather than hide this depravity, they celebrated it and proclaimed it. They even built monuments to their own cruelty.

Another reason for Jonah’s reluctance was that Nineveh was the capital of Assyria, the enemy of Israel. Jonah, being a patriotic Israelite, thought this through and deduced that if he didn’t go and preach to the Ninevites, God would judge them—and that would be one less enemy Israel would have to deal with.

But with a little extra persuasion, Jonah finally went and preached to the Ninevites—and it resulted in the largest spiritual awakening in all the Bible.

Unbeknownst to the people of Nineveh, their days were numbered. Assyria was the reigning superpower on the planet at this time, having ruled for 200 years. It required three days to circle metropolitan Nineveh, which had a population of about one million. That was a very large city for ancient times. But it would not be all that long until Babylon would come and overtake her. God was giving Nineveh one last chance.

If God could use someone like Jonah to bring about a revival in Nineveh, then certainly He could use someone like you or me to bring about a revival in our nation.

 

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

Kids 4 Truth

Kids 4 Truth International – Jesus Deserves Your Best

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“Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair.” (John 12:3)

Imagine what would happen if your family were to invite the President of the United States over for dinner tonight. What would you do? Would you leave the house messy? Would your mom make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches? Would you set the table with paper plates and plastic forks? Of course not! You would clean your house until it was spotless. Your mom would cook her best meal and set the table with her finest dishes. You would give your best to the President of the United States.

Now imagine that Jesus were coming to your house for dinner. What would you do? In the Bible, Mary of Bethany knew what she would do. She bought a bottle of ointment, or perfume, just for Jesus. This ointment, called spikenard, had probably been imported all the way from India, and it was so expensive that, to afford it, a normal worker would have to save all of his money for a whole year!

Mary took the ointment to the room where Jesus sat. She opened the jar and poured it on His feet. Then, right in front of everyone, she began wiping Jesus’ feet with her hair. Some people thought she was crazy for spending that much money on Jesus, but Mary did not care. She knew how special Jesus was, and she wanted to give her best because He deserved it.

Jesus still deserves your best. You cannot pour expensive perfume on His feet today, but you can give to Him in many other ways. He deserves your time, so you can read the Bible and pray to Him. He deserves your money, so you can give some of your allowance in the offering at church. He deserves your best attitude, so you can joyfully obey Him. Sometimes, you may even find ways to make special sacrifices beyond your normal devotions and offerings and obedience. You, like Mary, can still give your best to God.

God deserves the best that you can give Him.

My Response:

» Am I giving my best to God today?

» What can I do to show Him how much I love Him?

 

http://kids4truth.com/home.aspx

The Navigators

The Navigators – Jerry Bridges – Holiness Day by Day Devotional – The Unworthy Apostle

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Today’s Scripture: Ephesians 3:8

“To me, though I am the very least of all the saints . . . grace was given.”

Paul freely acknowledged that he received his apostleship purely as a result of God’s undeserved favor. God used Paul’s testimony to encourage me at a time when I most keenly felt my complete unworthiness to write on the subject of personal holiness.

So is all ministry—whether teaching a children’s Sunday school class, witnessing to inmates at the local prison, or preaching to thousands of people each Sunday—performed by the grace of God by people who are unworthy to be doing it?

Harry Blamires had an incisive answer to that question: “In the upshot there is only one answer for the preacher who wonders whether he is worthy to preach the sermon he has composed or for the writer who wonders whether he is worthy to write the religious book he is working on. The answer is: of course not. To ask yourself: am I worthy to perform this Christian task? Is really the peak of pride and presumption. For the very question carries the implication that we spend most of our time doing things we are worthy to do. We simply do not have that kind of worth.”

In Romans 12:6, Paul described us as “having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us.” He was referring to spiritual gifts enabling believers to fulfill God-appointed ministry or service in the body of Christ. But note that Paul said these spiritual gifts are given according to God’s grace, not according to what we deserve. The Greek word for a spiritual gift is charisma, which means “a gift of God’s grace,” whether it is the gift of eternal life as in Romans 6:23 or the gift of a spiritual ability for use in the body. (Excerpt taken from Transforming Grace)

 

https://www.navigators.org/Home

The Navigators

The Navigators – Leroy Eims – Daily Discipleship Devotional – God, Our Refuge

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Today’s Scripture: Obadiah

He will be like a bush in the wastelands; he will not see prosperity when it comes. He will dwell in the parched places of the desert, in a salt land where no one lives. – Jeremiah 17:6

When I was a kid back in Iowa, we played a game called “King of the Mountain.” Someone would get up on a mound of dirt, and everyone else would try to get him off. There was one big kid we could never get off the hill. And he stayed on top until he was ready to come down.

In the book of Obadiah, we encounter the Edomites, who thought they were king of the mountain. But God saw things differently. “See,” [the Lord said], “I will make you small among the nations; you will be utterly despised. The pride of your heart has deceived you, you who live in the clefts of the rocks and make your home on the heights, you who say to yourself, ‘Who can bring me down to the ground?’ Though you soar like the eagle and make your nest among the stars, from there I will bring you down,” declares the Lord. (Obadiah 2-4).

I recall standing at the foot of the ancient Edomite capitol city of Petra, the stronghold from which the Edomites launched their raids. They thought they could get away with anything, but their invasion of Judah in 587 b.c. brought God’s judgment.

You don’t have to be an arrogant Edomite to trust in the wrong thing. Even Christians can make the mistake of trusting in hard work, physical appearance, finances. But all those sources of security and pride can be gone in an instant. We must keep our eyes on the Lord and trust in Him as our Rock and high tower.

Prayer

Lord, when I put my security in a fortress of my own making, bring me back to the shelter of God Most High. Amen.

To Ponder

Blessed is the man or woman who boasts in the Lord’s strength.

 

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BreakPoint

BreakPoint – The Election and the Judgment of God: ‘And God Gave Them Over’

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So, have you heard this one? Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton are stranded at sea on a life boat. Who survives? Ha! America does!

Ok, now that I’ve offended everyone: What a bizarre election year this has been. As my BreakPoint this Week co-host Ed Stetzer has said quite a few times, “When political historians look back on the early 21st century, the phrase we’ll hear the most is, ‘except for 2016’.”

Now, despite the dire warnings from both candidates about the consequences of electing their opponent, the most important thing about this election is not who becomes president. The most important thing about this election is what it reveals about us as a society.

Nearly 40 years ago, in a famous speech at Harvard University, the great Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn said: “There are meaningful warnings which history gives a threatened or perishing society. Such are, for instance, the decadence of art, or a lack of great statesmen.”

Talk about prophetic!

Folks, I might as well just say it: I am convinced that this election is an indication that God is judging America.

Now claiming to know God’s mind both for what and with what He is bringing judgment is theologically indefensible and only makes us look silly. (You may recall a few notable Christians who stuck their foot in their mouths after 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina). And yet, as Stephen Keillor argued in his book “God’s Judgments,” it is also theologically indefensible to not acknowledge God’s working in history, including through acts of judgment.

And in this case, I am ready to say, God is judging our country. Why? As my colleague Roberto Rivera often says, “The five scariest words in the Bible are, ‘…and God gave them over’.”

Continue reading BreakPoint – The Election and the Judgment of God: ‘And God Gave Them Over’ →

Moody Global Ministries

Moody Global Ministries – Today in the Word – THE TRINITY AND THE FULFILLMENT OF PROPHECY

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Read LUKE 4:14–21

The entire Trinity is involved in the work of salvation. As Philip Graham Ryken and Michael LeFebvre explain in Our Triune God: Living in the Love of the Three-in-One: “God plays the symphony of our salvation in three movements. Each movement is associated with a different Person of the Trinity: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. First, there is the work of God the Father in administering our salvation. The Father is the one who organizes and oversees the plan of salvation. Second, there is the work of God the Son in accomplishing our salvation. Jesus is the one who died on the cross for our sins and rose again to give us eternal life. Third, there is the work of God the Holy Spirit in applying our salvation. The Spirit is the one who takes what Jesus Christ has done and makes it ours. This is the plan, and the triune God has been working it out since before the beginning of time.”

We can see this beautiful truth in the fulfillment of messianic prophecy. Near the start of His public ministry, Jesus taught one Sabbath in His hometown synagogue in Nazareth. For the Scripture reading, He chose verses from Isaiah that described the Messiah as anointed by God, filled with the Spirit, and bringing good news of healing and freedom (vv. 18–19; Isa. 61:1–2). Stunningly, He then proclaimed, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing” (v. 21).

Jesus was filled with the Spirit (v. 14). He had been anointed by His Father and sent to bring the good news of salvation to a spiritually dead world. Miracles such as healing the blind helped validate His claims. He Himself was the fulfillment of the Father’s plan of redemption, and His arrival indeed heralded “the year of the Lord’s favor”!

APPLY THE WORD

Today, thank God—the Three-in-One—for the symphony of your salvation. Include thanks for His love that is the foundation for the work of salvation, the sovereign plan of the Father, the person and work of the Son, and the indwelling of the Spirit. Also ask God to show you how to live today in a way that reveals His love and salvation to others.

 

http://www.todayintheword.org

Denison Forum

Denison Forum – MARTHA STEWART AND SNOOP DOGG TO HOST TV SHOW

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Martha Stewart is the bestselling author of more than eighty-five books and an Emmy-winning television show host. She reaches 100 million consumers each month across her media and merchandising platforms as well as her branded products. Snoop Dogg recently released his fourteenth album. He is active in music, film, television, and his YouTube channel.

The two just announced that they will host “Martha and Snoop’s Dinner Party” on VH1 this fall. According to Yahoo!, they will “invite celebrity friends over for a half-baked evening of cocktails, cooking, conversation, and fun where nothing is off limits.”

Their collaboration is an odd pairing, and not just because they’re three decades apart in age.

In 2004, Martha Stewart was convicted of felony charges for insider trading and served five months in a federal prison. She then served five months in home confinement as part of a two-year term of supervised release.

Snoop Dogg, born Cordozar Calvin Broadus, Jr., was arrested after high school for possession of cocaine. He has had numerous drug arrests in the years since. He has also been arrested several times for illegal possession of handguns and other weapons. He was banned from Australia in 2007 and Norway in 2012. Last year he was arrested in Sweden for illegal drug use.

My point is not that the two should not be able to host a television show together. It’s actually the opposite: there’s something in human nature that applauds redemption. When athletes overcome grave challenges to compete in the Olympics, we cheer especially hard for them. When politicians come back from defeat to achieve success, we often admire them. When celebrities are released from prison, many become even more popular.

Consider Suicide Squad, a movie in which supervillains save the world in exchange for more lenient prison sentences. Critics panned the film, but audiences have made it the highest-grossing August movie release in history. Will Smith, one of the actors in the film, explained its success: “There’s something about bad guys being given an opportunity at redemption that people can really respond to. . . . All of our characters have this slight tether back to our humanity.”

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Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – Praying for a Change

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James 5:16

Hanging above the door in our house, my mother’s favorite plaque constantly reminded us, “Prayer changes things.” From an early age, I witnessed this powerful truth through her example. She’d tell me about some difficulties she was facing and then have me pray about them with her. And later, she’d always be sure to give God the glory when sharing the awesome news that He had answered those prayers.

Indeed, this is our confidence: Anything we pray for that aligns with the Father’s plan will be granted. And the more time we spend with Him, the more we’ll come to understand His will and how to pray for it.

Remember, prayer doesn’t change God’s mind, but it does transform the believer’s heart. Some requests are granted immediately, simply because our Father is good and He loves to give His children gifts. Other requests may require time or certain divine preparations before they can be given. We, meanwhile, must simply persevere in prayer.

Whatever the Lord’s response or timing, we trust that He has only the very best in store for His children. That means we might not receive exactly what we’re asking for, but something even better. Such is God’s great pleasure, for He alone perfectly knows each heart’s desire and wishes to fulfill it.

Our most powerful tool for shaping the world and lives around us is always available. Prayer lets us witness God’s hand in any situation. And as we give attention, time, and perseverance to conversation with Him, we find there’s no limit to what He can achieve in people’s hearts and circumstances.

Bible in One Year: Jeremiah 1-3

 

http://www.intouch.org/

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — Because I Love Him

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Read: Revelation 22:12–21 | Bible in a Year: Psalms 74–76; Romans 9:16–33

“Yes, I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. Revelation 22:20

The day before my husband was to return home from a business trip my son said, “Mom! I want Daddy to come home.” I asked him why, expecting him to say something about the presents his daddy usually brings back or that he missed playing ball with him. But with solemn seriousness he answered, “I want him to come back because I love him!”

His answer made me think about our Lord and His promise to come back. “I am coming soon,” Jesus says (Rev. 22:20). I long for His return, but why do I want Him to come back? Is it because I will be in His presence, away from sickness and death? Is it because I am tired of living in a difficult world? Or is it because when you’ve loved Him so much of your life, when He has shared your tears and your laughter, when He has been more real than anybody else, you want to be with Him forever?

“Yes, I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. Revelation 22:20

I’m glad my son misses his daddy when he’s away. It would be terrible if he didn’t care at all about his return or if he thought it would interfere with his plans. How do we feel about our Lord’s return? Let us long for that day passionately, and earnestly say, “Lord, come back! We love You.”

Lord, please come back soon!

Look forward eagerly for the Lord’s appearing.

INSIGHT:

Jesus tells us that He is soon to return and will bring with Him a reward for each believer who faithfully waits for Him. We are also told that those who have “washed their robes” have the right to partake of the tree of life. Does this mean that they are meriting a place in heaven through good works? Most certainly not. The New Testament clearly declares: “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast” (Eph. 2:8–9).

 

http://www.odb.org

Ravi Zacharias

Ravi Zacharias Ministry – The Pendulum and the Cross

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The average cell phone user would likely now claim that life without one would be more than inconvenient. Upon its invention, in more ways than one, we became untethered. There are entire generations that cannot remember getting tangled up in phone cords while trying to make dinner or reach for the passing toddler, while finishing that conversation with the loquacious neighbor. The thought of dashing home from work in order to make that important phone call now seems ridiculous. We make it on the way, sitting in traffic, driving to the next appointment, making a stop at the grocery store, or all three. For those who remember that phones used to have cords, it is with great appreciation that we are no longer operating with a five-foot radius. Yet, this is not to say that we don’t feel a tethering of a different sort. Owning a cell phone can foster the attitude that its owner is always available, always working, always obtainable. While there is no cord to which we are confined, the phone itself can seem the tether.

Ironically, these kinds of shifting dilemmas are not all that uncommon. Just as the pendulum swings in one direction offering some kind of correction, so we often find that the other side introduces a new set of problems or the same problem in a new form. Major and minor movements of history possess a similar, corrective rhythm, swinging from one extreme to another and finding trouble with both. The pendulum swings from one direction, often to an opposite error, or at best, to a new set of challenges.

Within and without the walls of religious institutions, people of faith, too, are continually responding to what we perceive needs correction. When the need to get away from dead, religious worship initiated certain shifts, it was an observation wisely discerned. But what this meant for many was unfortunately a shifting away from history, shared liturgies, and our own past—in many cases contributing to a different set of problems. While breaking away from the “religiosity” of history, many now find themselves tethered in a sense to all things contemporary and individual, unable to draw on the riches of the history from which we have isolated ourselves. While the intent may have been good, and in the case of the church, the shifts did separate us from certain problems within church history, it also seems to have separated us from all of history. As a result, many Christians now seem more divorced from history than ever, having swung so far in one direction that we can no longer see from whence we have come. Coupled with our culture’s general devaluing of anything that is “outdated,” the risk of seeing the church’s identity more in terms of today’s form than its enduring essence seems both high and hazardous.

Continue reading Ravi Zacharias Ministry – The Pendulum and the Cross →

John MacArthur

John MacArthur – Strength for Today – Proof of Greed’s Dangers

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“For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith, and pierced themselves with many a pang” (1 Timothy 6:10).

There’s no doubt that the sinful effects of loving money actually occur in some people.

It is hard to imagine a sin that has not been committed for the sake of greed. It can lead to self-indulgence, flaunting of possessions, lying, stealing, murder, distortion of justice, and abusing the poor.

Today we return to 1 Timothy 6:10 to note how the apostle Paul proves that loving money is indeed dangerous. He knew that some were actually “longing for it [money]” or reaching after it as far as they could figuratively stretch their arms and hands. That means such people would have been passionately pursuing money. Paul does not give any names, but it is reasonable to think he was referring to ones such as Demas, who was perhaps beginning to pursue worldly things even as Paul wrote this letter (see 2 Tim. 4:10).

Such people “wandered away from the faith” or departed from the body of Christian truth (see Jude 3). Like Demas, they were exposed to truth, but they eventually chose material goods and comforts in preference to God. Those apostates were in effect proving what we noted earlier this month: you can’t serve both God and money (Matt. 6:24).

Such lovers of the temporal and the material also “pierced themselves with many a pang.” The word “pierced” originally referred to running a skewer through an animal as it was placed on a spit. Those who love money more than God impale their own souls and end up experiencing much grief—a condemning conscience, an unfulfilled heart, and complete disillusionment with life (see Ps. 32:10).

Continue reading John MacArthur – Strength for Today – Proof of Greed’s Dangers →

Wisdom Hunters

Wisdom Hunters – Remember to Ignite Your Gift From God 

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For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline. 2 Timothy 1:6-7

Sometimes at the inception of salvation the fire of God’s Spirit burns the brightest, but then life happens—faith loses its fuel—smothered, lacking hope’s oxygen. Bustling activities tend to push Christ to an “as needed role”—as a spiritual EMT. “Jesus, I’ll involve you in my life when I can’t control it.” Instead of enjoying a blazing bonfire of belief, a distracted Christian falls into a routine that doesn’t rock the boat of status quo, and forgets to stoke the fire of God’s gift, as it turns cool and stale within their soul. Luke warm is not an acceptable option to our Lord!

With his authority from God, and his affection for Timothy, Paul reminded his mentee to fan into flame God’s gift of evangelism—which laid dormant in his heart. Like a campfire’s smoldering embers, Timothy needed to take a stick of faith and stir Christ’s simmering coals in his being, so the gospel flame would erupt in a life engulfed for the Lord. Every Christian has received the Spirit of God, who bestows on every believer, unique gifts from God. The warm gray ashes of an ignored gift—must be replaced by the orange-hot flame of an unleashed gift.

“Do not neglect your gift, which was given you through prophecy when the body of elders laid their hands on you. Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress” (1 Timothy 4:14-15).

Humility is a good attitude to employ when we focus on kindling into fire the gift God has given us. Whatever our gift: service, administration, teaching, giving, leading, encouraging, hospitality, wisdom or mercy—make sure to exercise it with dependence on Christ and in deference to others. The Spirit gives us the resolve, the love and the self-discipline to see us through the process of growing our gifts. As with sports, we—practice, practice, practice—until we feel comfortable and at our best. Ongoing improvement helps a gift reach its capacity.

Develop your gift’s potential by learning from other gifted individuals—so, remain a student of seasoned practitioners. Apprentice, ask questions—as you concurrently apply what you learn. When you fail—adjust, and keep moving forward by using your gifts for the good of the Body of Christ. Rest in your unique gifting from God and resist wishing you had another’s giftedness. Ask the Holy Spirit’s fire to ignite your gifts for God’s glory and to strengthen the church. An under utilized gift fades away, but an enflamed gift delights heaven and disgusts hell.

“The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him—the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of might, the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the Lord” (Isaiah 11:2).

Prayer: Heavenly Father, give me the discipline to grow to capacity the gifts You have given me.

Application: What gift do I need to regularly exercise and develop for God’s glory?

Related Readings: Romans 12:6-8; 1 Corinthians 12:8-10, 28-30; Ephesians 4:11; 1 Peter 4:9-11

 

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Turning Point

Today’s Turning Point with David Jeremiah – Bridge Between God and Man

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For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus.

1 Timothy 2:5

Recommended Reading

Job 9:32-35

Labor unions began forming in the United States in the middle of the nineteenth century. The demands of workers concerning wages and working conditions often brought them into conflict with employers. Those conflicts gave rise to the roles of arbitrators and mediators—third parties who helped settle labor-management disputes.

The role of mediators is not a modern one. Job lamented that there was no one to mediate between him and God (Job 9:32-35). But the absence of a divine mediator was solved with the coming of Jesus Christ, the “one Mediator between God and men.” The presence of a mediator implies a conflict between two parties. In the case of God and mankind, the problem was sin manifested in rebellion and disobedience; we were the “enemies” of God as a result (Romans 5:10). But God reached out and “reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ” our Mediator (2 Corinthians 5:18). Christ was the bridge between God and man.

If you have not taken advantage of Christ’s mediation, you should today. Be reconciled to God by accepting the agreed-upon settlement of salvation by grace through faith.

The saved are singled out not by their own merits, but by the grace of the Mediator.

Martin Luther

Read-Thru-the-Bible

Jeremiah 15 – 17

 

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Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Keep Alert

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Blessed (happy, fortunate, and to be envied) are those servants whom the master finds awake and alert and watching when he comes. Truly I say to you, he will gird himself and have them recline at table and will come and serve them! – Luke 12:37

In Ephesians 6:10 God’s word teaches, Be strong in the Lord [be empowered through your union with Him]; draw your strength from Him [that strength which His boundless might provides]. We are to put on God’s armor so we won’t be deceived by the devil. Verse 16 says, Lift up over all the [covering] shield of saving faith, upon which you can quench all the flaming missiles of the wicked [one].

In verse 18 we are also told to pray at all times (on every occasion, in every season) in the Spirit, with all [manner of] prayer and entreaty. To that end keep alert and watch with strong purpose and perseverance, interceding in behalf of all the saints (God’s consecrated people) (emphasis mine).

From the book Starting Your Day Right by Joyce Meyer.

 

http://www.joycemeyer.org

Girlfriends in God

Girlfriends in God – You Are Reflection of God’s Glory?

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Today’s Truth

The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.

Psalm 19:1

Friend to Friend

My friends Gwen, Lisa, and Bill joined Steve and I for a shrimp boil at my home. We spread out the steamed shrimp and then made a glorious mess as we shucked and ate one tasty morsel after another.

After dinner, Gwen and I challenged Bill and Lisa to a paddleboat race across the lake. “Oh, we’ll cream you guys,” Bill boasted as he and his paddling partner accepted the challenge. He puffed up, knowing that victory was eminent. He was pumped.

I pointed Bill to one of our two vessels. “Here, you take this one.”

“Fine with me,” he said, self-assured.

My husband, with a knowing smile, signaled for the race to begin. Off we went. Bill and Lisa paddled furiously and pulled out ahead. While Bill had his eye on the finish line across the lake, I turned around in my seat and lowered our secret weapon. Unbeknownst to Bill, our boat had a silent, hidden, battery-powered bass motor. I dropped the motor, flipped the switch, and in no time we passed our competitors and left them in our tiny wake. While Bill and Lisa paddled frantically like milkmaids churning butter, Gwen and I sliced through the water like a hot knife through cream.

Bill was confused. We were tickled.

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