Tag Archives: religion

Moody Global Ministries

Moody Global Ministries – Today in the Word – GOD’S FAITHFUL PROVIDENCE

Leave a comment

Read GENESIS 24

Transitions can be difficult, whether it’s a move to a new home, life after the death of a loved one, or the transfer of the family business. Today’s Scripture presents a challenging transition for Abraham and Isaac.

In the previous chapter Abraham’s wife, Sarah, had died, and now the challenge was clear. Isaac needed a wife from his own people who would be willing to come to Canaan. Without a wife, the promise of descendants would fail. But if Isaac left Canaan to find a wife elsewhere, God’s promise of the land would be in jeopardy. Abraham understood the situation well, and commissioned his servant to travel back to Haran to find a wife for Isaac.

Details in the unfolding narrative highlight the faithfulness of those involved. Abraham held firm to the promise of both descendants and land. The servant demonstrated faithfulness to Abraham in carrying out his mission, and trust in God through prayer. The text also shows us the virtue of Rebekah through her service and hospitality to Abraham’s servant and her unhesitating obedience to God’s call upon her life.

But underlying the whole story is the faithfulness and providence of God. No amount of human ingenuity could orchestrate the outcome so perfectly. The servant ended up at just the right well, at just the right time. Rebekah appeared out of nowhere in answer to a prayer. Then we discover that she was actually related to the family of Abraham and Isaac! The providential experience of the servant was so remarkable that Scripture relays it twice in one chapter. The servant’s own words capture well the theological point of the chapter: “Praise be to the LORD . . . who has not abandoned His kindness and faithfulness to my master” (24:27).

APPLY THE WORD

What transitions do you or your church face? Is your focus on the coming problems or the faithful providence of the God who provides? In prayer today, hand over to God the fear and uncertainty of change. Ask for a stronger faith in God’s hand, using the words of Abraham’s servant: God does not withhold His love and faithfulness.

 

http://www.todayintheword.org

Denison Forum

Denison Forum – 11-YEAR-OLD BOY FROM TEXAS AMONG DEAD IN NICE      

Leave a comment

Brodie Copeland was an eleven-year-old Little League baseball player in Austin, Texas. He recently starred in a local production of Peter Pan. His family was in Nice, France, where they joined the Bastille Day celebration. They were waiting for fireworks to begin when a large truck rammed into the crowd. Brodie and his father were killed.

At least eighty-four died in the attack, including ten children.

This was clearly a terrorist assault. Al Qaeda and other jihadist groups have promoted such tactics, which have been used in Israel and elsewhere. ISIS recently boasted that its operatives killed or wounded 5,200 people during the most recent Ramadan. Clearly, jihadist attacks are part of our present and our future.

These are such difficult days. Bombings in Baghdad, Dhaka, and Istanbul were followed by shootings in Minnesota, Louisiana, and Dallas. And now this tragedy. In the face of such challenges, it is vital that God’s people gather to pray.

That’s just what Christians will do tomorrow in Washington, DC. “Together 2016” will meet at the National Mall from 9 AM to 9 PM and will feature more than forty Christian leaders. Pope Francis, Hillsong United, Tony Evans, Luis Palau, Josh McDowell, Francis Chan, Lecrae, and Kari Jobe are just some of those participating. More than a thousand churches nationwide have pledged to attend. There are 8,000 service opportunities within a 100-mile radius of Washington, DC during the week before and after the event.

Continue reading Denison Forum – 11-YEAR-OLD BOY FROM TEXAS AMONG DEAD IN NICE       →

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – Taking the Yoke of Jesus

Leave a comment

1 Peter 5:6-11

Giving our burden to the Lord in order to take His yoke may sound like a contradiction. But the yoke of Jesus Christ is not some new kind of weight. In fact, it is a symbol of the believer’s transformation: Submitting our burden to the Lord means submitting our very selves to Him as well.

The only way that Christ can share our load is for Him to exercise control of our life. However, human beings are reluctant to give up authority over themselves. The illusion of having control of our circumstances gives us a false sense of security. But the truth is that until we allow the heavenly Father to manage our life, we will be managed by our problems—chasing after the quickest solution or the easiest escape from pain.

Sacrificing control means that we cannot continue to rely on our previous survival techniques. Instead, through prayer, meditation, and daily Bible reading, we must learn how to walk in the same way our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ did. As our steps begin to align with His, our new yoke shifts the weight of our problems onto His shoulders.

The most important concept we must learn is to trust God. If we’re certain He has a plan and purpose for our life, we can be confident that our burden—whether a troubled marriage, a child on drugs, or a harsh financial situation—will not drag us to the ground. Psalms 55:22 says, “He will never allow the righteous to be shaken,” which means He is faithful to carry the weight and show us how to care for those affected by our burden. Trusting Him lightens the load.

Bible in a Year: Proverbs 9-12

 

 

http://www.intouch.org/

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — Language of Love

Leave a comment

Read: James 3:1–12 | Bible in a Year: Job 41–42; Acts 16:22–40

With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. James 3:9

When my grandmother came to Mexico as a missionary, she had a hard time learning Spanish. One day she went to the market. She showed her shopping list to the girl helping her and said, “It’s in two tongues (lenguas).” But she meant to say that she had written it in two languages (idiomas). The butcher overheard them and assumed she wanted to purchase two cow tongues. My grandmother didn’t realize it until she got home. She had never cooked beef tongue before!

Mistakes are inevitable when we are learning a second language, including learning the new language of God’s love. At times our speech is contradictory because we praise the Lord but then speak badly of others. Our old sinful nature opposes our new life in Christ. What comes out of our mouths shows us how much we need God’s help.

May the words we speak point others to Jesus.

Our old “tongue” must go away. The only way to learn the new language of love is by making Jesus the Lord of our speech. When the Holy Spirit works in us, He gives us self-control to speak words that please the Father. May we surrender every word to Him! “Set a guard over my mouth, Lord; keep watch over the door of my lips” (Ps. 141:3).

Lord Jesus, take control of my mouth today. Forgive me for careless, thoughtless, and angry words. Let my words bless You and others.

May the words we speak point others to Jesus.

INSIGHT:

A horse, though a very powerful animal, comes under the rider’s control with a small piece of metal—a bit—in the animal’s mouth (James 3:3). By means of the reins and bridle, the rider pulls the bit, which presses against the horse’s mouth. This causes the horse to stop or move in the direction the rider dictates. In contrast, no human can tame the tongue—a very small part of the body. However, the Holy Spirit can help us control our speech as we yield to Him.

 

http://www.odb.org

John MacArthur

John MacArthur – Strength for Today – Fellowship with Christ

Leave a comment

“What we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, that you also may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ” (1 John 1:3).

Enjoying communion with both God and Jesus Christ is solid proof that one’s salvation is real.

When we hold baptisms in the church I pastor, invariably every person who gives their testimony will describe the overwhelming sense of forgiveness they now feel and the new purpose they have for their lives. They are expressing a wonderful result of salvation in Christ, of which Jesus said, “I came that they might have life, and might have it abundantly” (John 10:10). By saying that life could be abundant, Jesus was saying that salvation would result in more than a change of position—it is a change of experience! The Christian life is a rich life in which we are meant to experience joy, peace, love, and purpose.

The abundant life in Christ begins with a close communion and fellowship with the living God and the living Christ. The apostle Paul says, “God is faithful, through whom you were called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord” (1 Cor. 1:9). In Galatians 2:20 Paul describes what that fellowship meant to him personally: “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and delivered Himself up for me.” Great intimacy with Christ belongs to all genuine believers.

Have you experienced communion with God and Christ? Have you sensed Their presence? Does your love for Them draw you into Their presence? Have you experienced the exhilarating joy of talking in prayer to the living God? And have you experienced the thrill of discovering a new truth in His Word? If you have, then you have experienced the abundant life that Jesus promised to all who put their trust in Him.

Suggestions for Prayer

Much like God asked Israel to recount the great works He had done for them, meditate on the many ways God has made your life richer as a result of knowing Him.

For Further Study

Read Romans 8:15; 2 Corinthians 1:3; Ephesians 5:19; Philippians 4:19; Hebrews 4:16; and 1 Peter 5:10.

  • What does each verse teach about your relationship with God?
  • In what ways is your life abundant as a result?

 

http://www.gty.org

Wisdom Hunters

Wisdom Hunters – Divine Direction 

Leave a comment

I know, O LORD, that a man’s life is not his own; it is not for man to direct his steps.  Jeremiah 10:23

We do not own our lives.  We have been bought with a price (1 Corinthians 6:20).  Jesus’ sacrificial blood purchased our freedom from the fire of hell, sin, and death.  By faith, He owns us.  A great exchange took place when you first believed in Jesus.  What’s yours became His, and what’s His became yours.  The life of Christ became your life. It is not your life to define, but His.  He has wrapped a wonderful definition around whose you are in Him.  You are a child of God.  You are secure because your Savior keeps you.  You are valuable because the Lord values you.  You are protected because the Almighty owns you.

The Bible is God’s glossary of how to define yourself.  Scripture gives you a family tree of faith for you to trace your religious roots.  It is a mirror of how God sees you.  He sees you as accepted in His Son, though you suffer rejection from others.  Cherish and enjoy daily the acceptance of Jesus. Moreover, your mistakes are His opportunity to affirm His acceptance.  There are still consequences to your sin, but He is always available to receive you back because you are His.  He accepts and receives back His own.

Furthermore, He directs His own (Isaiah 48:17).  God wants you to understand and follow His plan for your life.  Praise God it’s a step-by-step process and He directs your steps!  Some days you may feel like it’s three steps forward and two steps back, but do not be discouraged or dismayed.  God is still directing your steps, though at times they seem tedious and laborious.  The Lord leads you in lockstep with His steps.  In His steps is the wise way to walk.  Do not run ahead, thinking you have to set a record for speed or quickness.

Continue reading Wisdom Hunters – Divine Direction  →

Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – We Are Held Securely

Leave a comment

“No one who has become part of God’s family makes a practice of sinning, for Christ, God’s Son, holds him securely and the devil cannot get his hands on him” (1 John 5:18).

“I am enjoying my new-found liberty. I know that I am a Christian. I know that I am going to heaven, but for the moment I want to do my own thing. I recognize that the Lord may discipline me for the things that I am doing which the Bible says are wrong. I was reared in a very strict, legalistic Christian family and church and I have never enjoyed life before, but now I am having a ball. I don’t see anything wrong with drinking and sex and the other so-called sins that I have been told all my life were so terribly wrong.”

Do you believe that person is a Christian? Of course I have no way of judging, but according to the Word of God it is quite likely that this person has never really experienced a new birth. Can you imagine a beautiful butterfly going back to crawl in the dirt as it did as a caterpillar?

It is possible of course, for a Christian, one who has experienced new life in Christ, to sin, and even to continue in sin for a period of time, but never with a casual, flippant indifference to God’s way as this person expressed.

In the second chapter of the same epistle, the writer says the same thing in different words: “How can we be sure that we belong to Him? By looking within ourselves: are we really trying to do what He wants us to? Someone may say, ‘I am a Christian; I am on my way to heaven; I belong to Christ.’ But if he doesn’t do what Christ tells him to do, he is a liar. But those who do what Christ tells them to will learn to love God more and more. That is the way to know whether or not you are a Christian. Anyone who says he is a Christian should live as Christ did” (1 John 2:3-6).

Though it is not possible for us in this life to know the perfection that our Lord experienced, there will be that heartfelt desire to do what He wants us to do. Therefore, anyone who is a child of God will not make a practice of sinning. Those who are inclined should consider the possibility that they could be forever separated from God on judgement day.

Bible Reading: I John 5:1-21

TODAY’S ACTION POINT: I am assured of my own salvation through faith in Christ which is demonstrated by the transformation of my attitudes and actions. I will encourage professing Christians, whose lives do not reflect God’s desires, to appropriate by faith the fullness of the Holy Spirit and His power in their daily walk so that they, too, can have the assurance of their salvation and their place in God’s special kingdom.

 

http://www.cru.org

Ray Stedman

Ray Stedman – More Noble

Leave a comment

Read: Acts 17:1-15

The brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, and when they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews. Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so. Acts 17:10-11

Luke carefully draws a sharp contrast here between the rabble in Thessalonica, whom Paul and his friends had encountered earlier in chapter 17, and these Jews in Berea, who were more noble. In what did their nobility consist? Well, not merely in receiving the word, but also in checking it out with the Scriptures. A noble person is one who has not only an open mind but also a cautious heart. He will not accept a teaching unless he checks it with the Scriptures.

That is what the Scriptures are for. They are your guide so that you can tell what is true and what is false, what is right and what is wrong. And unless a Christian does this, he is lost in a sea of relativism, where he does not know what is right or what is wrong. Your mind becomes confused and blinded and you can be misled and manipulated, as the rabble in Thessalonica manipulated the crowd there — unless you have the nobility to check things out according to the Scriptures. That is what these Jews did, and it was a tremendous help. They checked up on the Apostle Paul.

The value of this story to us, and the reason Luke includes it, is that by it we might learn the necessity of testing any man’s word. Do not listen to just one man’s tapes, or read only one man’s books or messages. It is a very dangerous practice. You will be misled by his errors and you will not know how to recognize them. Never give yourself to following a single man. Check whatever you read with what is in the Scriptures and with other teachers. Establish what the Word of God says. That is the authority. How delighted Luke is to commend these Bereans for their nobility in doing this very thing!

Thank you for your word, Lord. I ask that you give me a noble heart to study your word and take it and it alone as my guide and my authority.

Life Application

What characterized the nobility of the Berean Christians? Is it safe and/or prudent to follow one man’s teaching exclusively? What is a certain safeguard against possible confusion from teachings contrary to the Word of God?

 

http://www.raystedman.org/

Words of Hope

Words of Hope – Daily Devotional – Children of God

Leave a comment

Read: 1 John 2:28-3:10

See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. (v. 1)

When you reach your fifties and sixties, you start to do some reflecting on your life. I remember a significant conversation I had with my mother somewhere in those years. She confided to me that if she would die then, she would have no regrets because she had been so richly blessed by God. She spoke of her family, her multitude of friends, her church, and most of all, the God who had lavished so many blessings on her. I know I agreed with her, because the truth of what she spoke was so evident. She was truly a joyful and grateful person.

This incident came back to me as I read the words of our key verse, 1 John 3:1. The word “given” or “lavished” (NIV) is the one that stands out in this verse. It means “to bestow something in generous or extravagant quantities.”

Looking back on my mother’s life, I know she wasn’t talking about wealth or great prosperity. My parents weren’t rich, but they had enough. And what we had went far beyond material things. It was the spiritual dimension of life—our relationship to Jesus and gratitude to God for what we had—that made life fulfilling. Indeed, it is a privilege and responsibility to be children of God.

Prayer:

Thank you, Lord, for the wonderful love you lavish upon us. Help us to respond in gratitude and service. Amen.

Author: John Koedyker

 

https://woh.org/

Kids 4 Truth

Kids 4 Truth International – God Desires You To Pray

Leave a comment

“Pray without ceasing.” (1 Thessalonians 5:17)

What are some of the things that you have been told to do this week? Maybe someone told you to clean up your room, or to look both ways before crossing the street. Maybe your mom told you to be nice to your siblings, or to help with the dishes after supper. You have probably been told by many people to do many things this week. But have you ever stopped to think about some of the things God wants you to do?

God tells you in 1 Thessalonians 5:17 that He wants you to “pray without ceasing.” What does that mean? To “pray” is to talk to God. But what does it mean to pray without ceasing? “Ceasing” means stopping. So, you are supposed to pray without stopping.

How can you pray without stopping? Does that mean you have to be praying to God every second of every minute of every hour of every day? No. This verse is saying that you always should be ready and willing to talk to God. Prayer to God should be natural, just like talking to someone who is in the room with you. When you have a friend over to your house to play, you do not have to spend every second of the day talking to them. You spend a lot of time talking to them because you are ready and willing to talk to them at anytime.

How can you “pray without ceasing”? Well, when you wake up in the morning, you could pray and thank God for the day. When you are ready to study for school, pray and ask God to help you concentrate. When you are going to get together with friends, pray that God will help you honor Him in your words and your behavior. When you hear a police car or ambulance go racing by, pray for them as they go to help someone in need. See? There are many ways that you can constantly be talking to God.

Some people think that when they pray, they must have long prayers using big words. Those prayers don’t impress God. God desires you to talk to Him throughout the day, even if each prayer is short.

God desires you to pray without ceasing.

My Response:

» How many times throughout the day do I think of praying to God?

» What do I pray about the most?

» How can I get in the habit of praying without ceasing?

 

http://kids4truth.com/home.aspx

The Navigators

The Navigators – Jerry Bridges – Holiness Day by Day Devotional – Differing Opinions

Leave a comment

Today’s Scripture: Romans 14:1

“As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions.”

The issue of differing opinions about certain practices has been around at least since the days of the apostle Paul. He devoted an entire chapter of the book Romans to this brand of legalism.

The crux of the problem is stated well by Paul in Romans 14:5: “one person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind.” People simply have different opinions about various issues. One person sees no problem in a certain practice; another person considers that practice to be sinful.

As Christians we can’t seem to accept the clear biblical teaching in Romans 14 that God allows equally godly people to have differing opinions on certain matters. We universalize what we think is God’s particular leading in our lives and apply it to everyone else.

When we think like that we are putting God in a box, so to speak. We’re insisting that he must surely lead everyone as we believe he has led us. We refuse to allow God the freedom to deal with each of us as individuals. When we think like that, we are legalists.

We must not seek to bind the consciences of other believers with the private convictions that arise out of our personal walk with God. Even if you believe God has led you in developing those convictions, you still must not elevate them to the level of spiritual principles for everyone else to follow. The respected Puritan theologian John Owen taught that “only what God has commanded in his Word should be regarded as binding; in all else there may be liberty of actions.” (Excerpt taken from Transforming Grace)

 

https://www.navigators.org/Home

The Navigators

The Navigators – Leroy Eims – Daily Discipleship Devotional – Living for the Goal

Leave a comment

Today’s Scripture: John 1-2

We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. – 1 John 1:3

I always enjoy traveling with someone who knows where they’re going, don’t you?

John the Baptist knew exactly where he was going. He had a definite purpose in mind and knew exactly how to reach his goal. The message in the book of John is that he wants you and me to find life in Jesus Christ. Everything in his gospel points us to the saving grace of the Lord Jesus.

In John 1:7, we are introduced to John the Baptist and told that “he came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe.” The focus is not on the baptismal ministry of John the Baptist or his call to the nation of Israel to repent. He is presented primarily as a witness to Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God who would take away the sin of the world.

Christian, when people observe your life, what do they see? A person frantically busy doing Christian activities? A person who says one thing and does another? Or do they see a person who knows where he’s going? Make it your goal today to point people to the Savior.

Prayer

Lord, today I need You to refocus my sight on the task You’ve given me to do. Amen.

To Ponder

Witnessing involves all that we are and all that we do.

 

https://www.navigators.org/Home

Moody Global Ministries

Moody Global Ministries – Today in the Word – SIGN OF THE COVENANT

Leave a comment

Read GENESIS 17

As an author said, “Impossible odds set the stage for amazing miracles.” By Genesis 17, Abram and Sarai surely felt the seemingly impossible odds against the fulfillment of God’s promises to them. Dare they hope for a miracle?

Abram was now ninety-nine years old and still without a child. In the previous chapter he and Sarai had tried to have an heir through her maid, Hagar. But the resulting child, Ishmael, produced strife, not family blessing. Now in today’s reading, twenty-three years after Abram first entered Canaan, God reaffirmed His covenant promises to Abram and Sarai. His word was clear: “I will make nations of you, and kings will come from you” (v. 6). The whole land of Canaan would be their possession, and the covenant would be “an everlasting covenant” (v. 7).

From a human perspective, things seemed impossible. But God’s promises never fail, and now God called Abram to prove his trust in two important ways. First, there would be a name change. Childless Abram would now be called “Abraham” (meaning “father of a multitude”), and Sarai would be called “Sarah” (meaning “princess”—a mother of kings). A change in name meant a change in reality, even if Abraham could not yet see it.

Second, God called Abraham to seal the covenant through the act of circumcision. All males under Abraham’s authority were to receive this sign, for “My covenant in your flesh is to be an everlasting covenant” (v. 13). Circumcision signified that any who broke the covenant would be “cut off” from God’s blessing. In the end, Abraham’s laughter indicated his doubts. But notice his implicit faith as well: he called Sarah by her new name (v. 17) and then circumcised all males in his household as God commanded.

APPLY THE WORD

Like Abraham’s story, the Christian life is often a journey of faith mixed with doubt. What are the difficulties in your life that threaten your faith? Spend time in prayer today, lifting up those challenges to God. Then ask the Lord to strengthen your faith in His promise of provision and care, even in the face of “impossible odds.”

 

http://www.todayintheword.org

Streams in the Desert

Streams in the Desert for Kids – How to Please God

Leave a comment

Hebrews 11:6

When we are facing a tough, extreme, or tragic situation, our faith is either strengthened or destroyed. Consider the intensity of a fire. Most things can’t withstand its heat, as it can consume entire forests and neighborhoods in a matter of days. But the same fire doesn’t burn up gold. Instead, it purifies it.

When Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego faced the furnace, they confirmed they would praise only the living God. It was a death sentence. They could have decided to save themselves by doing what the king wanted, but their faith would have been unreliable—burned up in the midst of danger. Instead they went against the king by keeping their loyalty to the Lord. Their faith was purified. Whether God saved them or decided not to, their faith didn’t waver because the holy object of their faith never wavers. (And God did save them in the most dramatic way: after they were thrown into the fire, they walked out unharmed!)

In an impossible situation, faith recognizes that the only hope is in God. If you are facing a desperate time, remember that your faith is being purified. If you don’t know all the answers, your faith is being developed. You may be overwhelmed by uncertainty and doubt, but your faith is being strengthened.

Dear Lord, Because you are trustworthy, I have faith in you. When I am desperate, I will turn to you. Amen.

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – Clearing Up Conversion Confusion

Leave a comment

1 John 5:10-15

God gave us the Bible so we could know Him and live in a way that pleases Him. He desires that we truly understand His teachings and how they apply to our life. Simply put, the Lord wants us to trust in Him with complete confidence.

We have an enemy, however, who attempts to undermine that confidence at every turn. We’ve all been there—joyfully moving along through life, sure of our salvation, and then, BAM! We stumble into sin, and our feelings take over. The devil uses our remorse and conflicting emotions to eat away at our confidence. We think, There’s no way I can be saved. If I were truly saved, I would never have done such a thing. Overwhelmed by feelings of regret and shame, we find our faith coming under fire.

It’s amazing how effectively our fleeting emotions can undermine assurance in God’s promises. But we shouldn’t really be surprised. After all, we’ve been conditioned to let our feelings lead us through life. “If it feels good, do it”—a popular saying from the ’60s—is still an all-too-common idea today.

Yet the Lord does not speak in feelings; He speaks in truth. Whenever your emotions contradict the Bible, you can be sure that the Scriptures are reliable. For a believer, “feeling saved” is as irrelevant as a husband or wife “feeling married.” You either are or you’re not; feelings simply do not make it so.

Have your feelings of regret stolen your confidence in eternal salvation? Lay them before the Lord today, and embrace the certainty that comes only with His truth.

Bible in a Year: Proverbs 5-8

 

 

http://www.intouch.org/

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — Everything We Need and More

Leave a comment

Everything We Need and More

Read: 2 Peter 1:1–10 | Bible in a Year: Job 38–40; Acts 16:1–21

[God’s] divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life. 2 Peter 1:3

In a field on the English countryside, G. K. Chesterton stood up from where he had been sitting and exploded with laughter. His outburst was so sudden and so loud that the cows could not take their eyes off him.

Just minutes before, the Christian writer and apologist had been miserable. That afternoon he had been wandering the hills, sketching pictures on brown paper using colored chalks. But he was dismayed to discover he had no white chalk, which he considered to be essential to his artwork. Soon, though, he began to laugh when he realized that the ground beneath him was porous limestone—the earth’s equivalent of white chalk. He broke off a piece and resumed drawing.

God has unlimited power.

Like Chesterton, who realized he “was sitting on an immense warehouse of white chalk,” believers have God’s unlimited spiritual resources within reach at all times. “His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him” (2 Peter 1:3).

Maybe you feel you are lacking some important element necessary for godliness such as faith, grace, or wisdom. If you know Christ, you have everything you need and more. Through Jesus, you have access to the Father—the one who graciously provides believers with all things.

Dear Lord, forgive me for overlooking Your power and trying to live in my own strength. I can’t do it. Thank You for providing everything I need.

God has unlimited power.

INSIGHT:

Today’s passage reminds us that it is God who provides the power we need to live the Christian life (v. 3). One of the ways He does this is by giving us the Holy Spirit. The characteristics we display—the fruit of the indwelling Spirit—have strong implications for the way we live (vv. 5–9; see Gal. 5:22–23). But whose fruit is it? It is the Spirit’s. The Holy Spirit is the agent, the source, and the power that produces that fruit.

 

http://www.odb.org

John MacArthur

John MacArthur – Strength for Today – In Order That You May Know

Leave a comment

“These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, in order that you may know that you have eternal life” (1 John 5:13).

The apostle John presents eleven objective and subjective tests for assurance of salvation.

The New Testament epistles are filled with enough material on assurance to fill volumes of commentaries. Yet there is one small epistle, 1 John, that was written to deal exclusively with the issue of assurance. The apostle John states his reason for writing this letter in our verse for today: “These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, in order that you may know that you have eternal life” (emphasis added). John did not want his readers to doubt their salvation; he wanted them to have full assurance of it.

Certainly what John wrote in this epistle will not disturb genuine believers, but it will alarm anyone who has a false sense of assurance. In fact, he directed his letter to those who have placed their faith in Christ, which is the bedrock of all assurance: “I have written to you who believe.” There is no place for self-examination outside of faith in Christ. That’s why everything John says about assurance is predicated on faith in Christ and the promises of Scripture.

Throughout his epistle, John maintains a delicate balance between the objective and subjective grounds of assurance. The objective evidence makes up a doctrinal test, while the subjective evidence provides a moral test. John moves in and out between the two kinds of tests as he presents a total of eleven criteria that will indicate whether one possesses eternal life.

As you study through these tests for the next eleven days, they will confirm for you, if you are a genuine believer, the reality of your salvation. But if you have been given a false assurance, you will know where you stand and what you need to do.

Suggestions for Prayer

If you are a true believer, ask God to use these upcoming days to give you a greater love for Him. If you’re not sure if you truly know our great Lord and Savior, ask Him to reveal Himself to you so that these next few days will be life-changing ones.

For Further Study

Read John 20:31. How would reading through the Gospel of John also provide assurance of salvation? Begin such a reading plan.

 

http://www.gty.org

Wisdom Hunters

Wisdom Hunters – The Right Thing 

Leave a comment

This is what the Lord says: Maintain justice and do what is right, for my salvation is close at hand and my righteousness will soon be revealed.  Isaiah 56:1

Do the right thing; because you can’t go wrong by doing what’s right. The right choice may not be the easiest choice, but it will result in what’s best. It is tempting to bypass what’s right,  what’s convenient or expedient. However, convenience and expedience can get you into trouble if they become an excuse for not doing the right thing. The right thing may ruffle some feathers and cause you short-term suffering. Some people may reject you for doing what’s right. Some people may avoid you because your right choices are a reminder of their wrong ones. When you choose to do the right thing, you eliminate other unseemly options. This protects you from a series of unwise relationships. If you choose to hang out with those who have no spiritual aspirations, then you will find yourself indifferent to the things of God.

If your most influential relationship is bored with God, then boredom will seduce you over time as well. Investing in unhealthy relationships is not the right thing to do. Your parents and your friends have warned you not to go down this road of relational recklessness. You can still do the right thing by breaking off the relationship and seeking God for His best. His best is a hundred times better than settling for someone who makes you “feel alive,” yet has no firm foundation of faith. Be careful with whom you entrust your emotions. Your affections are not to be given away indiscriminately. The right thing is to first set your affections above, where Christ sits at the right hand of God (Colossians 3:1-2). Then trust Him as you dispense your desires to those who are worthy and have your best interests in mind.

Continue reading Wisdom Hunters – The Right Thing  →

Turning Point

Today’s Turning Point with David Jeremiah – Summer Getaways: Living Waters

Leave a comment

As the deer pants for the water brooks, so pants my soul for You, O God. My soul thirsts for God….

Psalm 42:1-2

According to travel experts, the most beautiful river in the world is the Caño Cristales in Northern Colombia. Though only sixty miles long and sixty feet wide, its colors are kaleidoscopic, created by pockets of algae that bloom during the summer. Nicknamed the “Liquid Rainbow,” the Caño is enhanced by pools, rapids, and waterfalls. The only problem is reaching it. It’s in the Colombian jungle, far from easy transportation sources.

Recommended Reading: Psalm 42

The Bible speaks of a river more beautiful than any on earth and easily accessed by the Christian—the inner flow of the Holy Spirit. Jesus said, “He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” He was speaking of the Holy Spirit (John 7:38-39). While we’d love to travel to earth’s most beautiful spots, how much better to develop an inner thirst for the fullness of the Holy Spirit.

Believe in Jesus and let the Spirit flow through you, until that day when we’ll meet on the banks of the most beautiful river of all—the Crystal River that flows by the throne of God (Revelation 22:1, NIV).

Oh, that we all may drink of these life-giving heavenly streams, drink again and again, drink deeply and really satisfyingly!

  1. Sidlow Baxter

Read-Thru-the-Bible: Proverbs 30 – Ecclesiastes 4

 

http://www.davidjeremiah.org/

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – The Spirit of Adoption

Leave a comment

For [the Spirit which] you have now received [is] not a spirit of slavery to put you once more in bondage to fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption [the Spirit producing sonship] in [the bliss of] which we cry, Abba (Father)! Father! —Romans 8:15

The apostle Paul teaches us that the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of adoption. The word adoption means that we are brought into the family of God, even though we were previously outsiders, unrelated to God in any way. We were sinners and separated from God, but God in His great mercy redeemed us, purchased us, and brought us close to Him once again through the blood of His own Son.

We understand adoption in the natural sense. We know that some children without parents are adopted by people who purposely choose them and take them as their own. What an honor to be chosen on purpose by those who want to pour out their love on them.

This is exactly what God did for us as believers in Christ. Because of what Jesus did for us on the cross, we are now eternally part of His family, and His Spirit dwells in our spirit and cries out to the Father. God the Father decided before the foundation of the world was laid that anyone who loved Christ would be loved and accepted by Him as His child. He decided He would adopt all those who accepted Jesus as their Savior. We become heirs of God and joint heirs with His Son, Jesus Christ.

It is the knowledge of our family relationship to God that gives us boldness to go before His throne and let our requests be made known.

From the book Closer to God Each Day by Joyce Meyer.

 

http://www.joycemeyer.org