Tag Archives: religion

Wisdom Hunters

Wisdom Hunters – Witnesses or Stargazers? 

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But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.” Acts 1:8-10

As we encounter the ascension of Jesus, we reach the fulfillment of his earthly mission. However, so often this portion of the life and ministry of Jesus is overlooked, relegated to the footnotes section of history or viewed as a simple way to wrap the story up. Yet nothing could be further from the truth!

For us to understand the mission of the church and God’s ongoing work in the world, we have to see the crucial importance of the ascension of Jesus Christ.

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Turning Point

Today’s Turning Point with David Jeremiah – Holy Matrimony

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The sons of Amram: Aaron and Moses; and Aaron was set apart, he and his sons forever, that he should sanctify the most holy things, to burn incense before the LORD, to minister to Him, and to give the blessing in His name forever.

1 Chronicles 23:13

Recommended Reading

1 Peter 1:13-16

It’s Saturday and you’re going to paint the bedroom. You choose your oldest pair of shorts, most faded T-shirt, and rattiest sneakers and dedicate them to painting; you set them apart forever, never to be nice clothes again. In biblical terms, you have made those clothes holy.

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Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Live One Day at a Time

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So do not worry or be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will have worries and anxieties of its own. Sufficient for each day is its own trouble. —Matthew 6:34

Most of us have enough to handle today without worrying about tomorrow. God will give you grace for today, but He will not give you grace for tomorrow until tomorrow arrives.

So often people worry about something that never happens. When you begin to think about the “what ifs,” the door opens for fear and worry. Some people worry so much that their worries become fear, and often the things people fear manifest in their life.

Do not allow yourself to dread tomorrow. Just know that God is faithful. It is comforting to know that whatever tomorrow may hold, He holds tomorrow. His grace is sufficient to meet the need. Do not waste today’s grace by worrying about tomorrow. Live one day at a time and you’ll be amazed at how much you can accomplish for Christ.

From the book Ending Your Day Right by Joyce Meyer.

 

http://www.joycemeyer.org

Girlfriends in God

Girlfriends in God – You’re Sitting on a Great Inheritance

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Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.

Ephesians 1:3

Friend to Friend

Unless you are a baseball fan, married to one, or mom to one, you probably haven’t heard of Matthew Joseph White. He signed with the Cleveland Indians in 1998, the Boston Red Sox in 2002, and the Colorado Rockies in 2003. But it is not his baseball career that captured my attention.

In 2003, Matt had an aunt who needed to go into a nursing home. She didn’t have the funds to make the move, but she did have a piece of land in his home state of Massachusetts. So Matt agreed to pay her $50,000 for the 45 acres of mountain real estate, which gave her enough to enter the nursing home and get the care she needed. (I love him already!)

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Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – How to Be Fearless

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“The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?” (Psalm 27:1).

The psalmist David did not choose words carelessly – but under divine inspiration – when he spoke of lightand salvation.

Of all the memorials in Westminster Abbey, not one has a nobler thought inscribed on it than the monument to Lord Lawrence – simply his name, with the date of his death, and these words:

“He feared man so little because he feared God so much.”

Charles H. Spurgeon gives some helpful insights into Psalm 27:1.

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Ray Stedman

Ray Stedman – Cut to the Heart

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Read: Acts 2:32-37

Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah. When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, Brothers, what shall we do? Acts 2:36, 37

As Peter preaches the Gospel at Pentecost, he proclaims the authority of the Lord Jesus based on his resurrection from the dead. Suddenly all this made perfect sense to this multitude. The full force of Peter’s arguments thudded home, and they realized that they were in a very precarious position. This One whom he had proven, by indisputable evidence, to be Lord, was the One they had crucified 50 days earlier.

Can you imagine how they felt? It would be very much as if you went down to apply for a job, and on the way you got into an automobile accident. And when the other driver got out, you started beating and cursing and kicking him in anger. Then you got into your car and drove off, and went on to apply for the job. When you were all cleaned up and ready, you were ushered into the presence of the man whom you had just beaten and cursed out in the street. That is what these people felt. No wonder they were cut to the heart and cried out, Brothers, what shall we do?

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Presidential Prayer Team

Presidential Prayer Team; A.W. – You Decide

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Have you ever wondered how many decisions you make per day? Researchers estimate that a person makes approximately 35,000 choices each day – both big and small. Life is full of choices, and while some don’t make a huge difference, many can greatly alter the course of your future as well as that of others. The ability to choose is a great power given by your Creator. Each choice has consequences…and sometimes rewards.

I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life.

Deuteronomy 30:19

In today’s verse, Moses offers the Israelites a choice given by God. He promised that if they obeyed Him, He would bless and prosper them while defeating their enemies. However, if they turned away from Him and worshiped other gods, they would be cursed and perish.

God offers the same choice today to His followers. Pray that the citizens of the country and its leaders will return to the Lord and choose life – so that He may once again pour His blessings out upon the nation.

Recommended Reading: Deuteronomy 28:1-7, 15-20

http://www.presidentialprayerteam.com/index.php

Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – Simple Obedience

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“Go, for Saul is my chosen instrument to take my message to the Gentiles and to kings, as well as to the people of Israel.” —Acts 9:15

Prior to his conversion, Saul was a leading Pharisee and possibly even a member of the Jewish Sanhedrin. He presided over the death of Stephen, the first martyr of the Christian church. After his encounter with Jesus on the Damascus Road resulted in his conversion, the Christians of Saul’s day were initially suspicious of his conversion, and understandably so.

When God directed a believer in Damascus named Ananias to seek out Saul and pray for him, Ananias was reluctant, of course. But Ananias did what God told him to do. He found Saul in the place where God said he would be. He prayed that the Lord would restore Saul’s sight (he had been blinded by the light as Jesus spoke to him on the Damascus Road), which the Lord did.

It is interesting that when God wanted to use someone to minister to Saul, He didn’t call an apostle like Peter or John. He called an ordinary man. Ananias didn’t write any book of the New Testament, raise a dead person back to life, or give a notable sermon that we know of. But he did, by faith, take a man under his wing who would do all of the above and far more. Ananias discipled the newly converted Saul who, in time, became the legendary apostle Paul and probably the greatest preacher in the history of the church.

Thank God for the Ananiases of the kingdom, those who faithfully work behind the scenes to make such a difference in our lives. They may be

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

Kids 4 Truth

Kids 4 Truth International – God Gives Direction

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“And he sent Peter and John, saying, Go and prepare us the passover, that we may eat. And they said unto him, Where wilt thou that we prepare? And he said unto them, Behold, when ye are entered into the city, there shall a man meet you, bearing a pitcher of water; follow him into the house where he entereth in. And ye shall say unto the goodman of the house, The Master saith unto thee, Where is the guestchamber, where I shall eat the passover with my disciples? And he shall shew you a large upper room furnished: there make ready. And they went, and found as he had said unto them: and they made ready the passover.” (Luke 22:8-13)

If you look at verse 8 above, you see that Jesus asked Peter and John to go prepare a place where they could celebrate the Passover feast. This was the last meal Jesus would share with his twelve disciples, and it needed to be very special. He did not want a crowded place, but somewhere perfect for the occasion. On top of that, it was the day of the feast itself! Have you ever gone out to eat on an Easter Sunday or on Thanksgiving Day, only to find all the restaurant lobbies filled with people waiting to be seated?

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The Navigators

The Navigators – Jerry Bridges – Holiness Day by Day Devotional – Only Two Options

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Today’s Scripture: Psalm 119:104

“Through your precepts I get understanding; therefore I hate every false way.”

In Romans 12:1, Paul made a strong appeal for us to commit ourselves to live holy lives pleasing to God. In the following verse, he begins telling us how to carry this out: “do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect” (Romans 12:2).

Paul established a contrast between conforming (or being conformed) to the pattern of this world and being transformed by the renewal of one’s mind. He assumed only two alternatives. Our convictions and values will come either from society around us (the world), or as our minds are renewed by the Word of God. There is no third option.

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The Navigators

The Navigators – Leroy Eims – Daily Discipleship Devotional – The Imperishable Word

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Today’s Scripture: Jeremiah 21-25

See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ. For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form. – Colossians 2:8-9

When I was growing up on the farm, we ran grain through a threshing machine. I can remember watching the wind carry the chaff away, and no one cared. Why? Because chaff is worthless.

God says that human opinion is like chaff, while His Word is like grain. The Lord said this because there were false prophets who claimed to have a message from God. In reality, what they spoke was nothing more than their own foolish dreams.

Sounds like today, doesn’t it? People speaking visions from their own minds, not from the mouth of the Lord. In Jeremiah 23:28, we find these words from God: “‘Let the prophet who Continue reading The Navigators – Leroy Eims – Daily Discipleship Devotional – The Imperishable Word →

BreakPoint

BreakPoint –  How to Pray for Our Nation: Today and Every Day

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Let’s face it, as Thomas Paine once said, these are the times that try men’s souls. America is in crisis, from within and without. We face new threats of terrorism on our shores, millions of angry and disenfranchised citizens, a reduction in moral standards, a contentious and unpredictable election, and a secular elite intent on restricting foundational principles such as religious liberty and freedom of speech.

As my colleague and friend John Stonestreet says, “If there’s ever been a time to drop to our knees and pray for our nation, this is it.” Indeed.

And we’ll be in good company. Abraham Lincoln once said, “I have been driven many times upon my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go. My own wisdom and that of all about me seemed insufficient for that day.”

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Moody Global Ministries

Moody Global Ministries – Today in the Word – THE CHURCH MUST DECLARE THE WISDOM OF GOD

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Read 1 Corinthians 2:6-16

A typical first-century Greek or Roman person regarded the gospel with contempt. Commentator Leon Morris described an ancient picture of an early Christian standing before a crucified man who was represented with a human body but a donkey’s head. The inscription read, “Alexamenos worships his god.”

The message of the Cross is nonsense to unbelievers, both in the days of the Corinthians and now. Thankfully, we know the wisdom of God transcends human wisdom (see Prov. 9:10). We cannot grasp Him on our own any more than we can save ourselves from sin. He has revealed Himself most perfectly in His Son, who has accomplished our redemption. This is the good news that is the church’s mission and privilege to declare! But even when we faithfully declare it, we shouldn’t expect success by human means or standards. Gospel wisdom, as Paul wrote here, is qualitatively different.

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Denison Forum

Denison Forum – A TALE OF TWO HOLIDAYS

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Today is Cinco de Mayo, a Mexican holiday that commemorates the Mexican army’s 1862 defeat of France at the Battle of Puebla. This victory, where a rag-tag force of 2,000 overcame 6,000 well-trained French troops, bolstered the Mexican people in their resistance against the French. Six years later, French forces withdrew. Cinco de Mayo remains a symbol of the Mexican people’s struggle against imperialistic forces.

Celebrations will be held in Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, and other cities with large Mexican-American populations. Today’s festivities will include parades, mariachi music performances, and street festivals.

Contrast today in Mexico and the U.S. with May 5 in Israel. Holocaust Memorial Day, known as Yom HaShoah, begins each year with sundown on May 4 and concludes at sundown on May 5. I have been in Israel on this day several times over the years. It is always one of the most solemn experiences of my year (For more on Tom HaShoah, see Nick Pitt’s article Why it’s so important to take time out to remember the Holocaust).

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Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – A Caring Church

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Luke 10:25-37

Do you realize that for believers, many types of needs should be met without going outside the church? We are meant to be a self-sustaining body. After several decades in ministry, I have seen only one way for the church to function as it should: Christians must commit to give of themselves on behalf of others.

For example, a man determines to pray and struggle alongside a hurting brother until a burdensome situation is resolved or peace returns. Or a woman makes herself available to answer a new Christian’s questions about the weekly sermon—the two ladies search the Bible and fill their minds with Scripture. And there are countless other ways to serve, such as driving an elderly member to the service, teaching a Sunday school class, or visiting a weary single mom and listening to her concerns.

Before you become overwhelmed by the variety of needs in your church, let me remind you that loving each other is meant to be a body-wide effort. One person cannot meet every need. But suppose you commit to serving a small group of folks whom God brings into your sphere of influence. If, in order to care for them, you surrender self-focused preferences about resources and time, the Lord will bless you with more joy and contentment than you’ve ever known.

To serve others before serving yourself is to practice authentic Christianity. I’m certain that if believers commit to meeting as many needs as the Lord brings to their attention, then a lethargic church can be transformed, becoming a true body of believers who function together for the glory of God.

Bible in a Year: 1 Chronicles 10-12

 

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Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — Out of the Ruins

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Read: Lamentations 5:8-22

Bible in a Year: 1 Kings 16-18; Luke 22:47-71

He has granted us new life to rebuild the house of our God and repair its ruins. —Ezra 9:9

In the Jewish Quarter of Jerusalem you’ll find Tiferet Yisrael Synagogue. Built in the 19th century, the synagogue was dynamited by commandos during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War.

For years the site lay in ruins. Then, in 2014, rebuilding began. As city officials set a piece of rubble as the cornerstone, one of them quoted from Lamentations: “Restore us to yourself, Lord, that we may return; renew our days as of old” (5:21).

Lamentations is Jeremiah’s funeral song for Jerusalem. With graphic imagery the prophet describes the impact of war on his city. Verse 21 is his heartfelt prayer for God to intervene. Still, the prophet wonders if that is even possible. He concludes his anguished song with this fearful caveat: “unless you have utterly rejected us and are angry with us beyond measure” (v. 22). Decades later, God did answer that prayer as the exiles returned to Jerusalem.

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Ravi Zacharias

Ravi Zacharias Ministry – Accounting for Beauty

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Dale Henderson gives cello concerts in New York City subway stations because he fears the day when classical music will be no more. He plays for free, focusing primarily on Bach Solo Cello Suites because their “power and beauty unfailingly inspire great appreciation, joy and deep emotion in those who hear them.”(1) Some commuters stop and stare, curious or captivated, many having never heard a cello or Bach concerto before. For Henderson, the music is an offering of something meaningful, seeds for future generations of classical music admirers who would not otherwise know it, beauty well worth lugging his heavy cello down into the subways to protect.

It is not always easy to talk about beauty without a minefield of objections or at best complicating list of qualifiers. Its modern place in the “eye of the beholder” gives it a tenuous feel at best. It’s ancient place as a perfect and ancient ideal is equally abstract. While Henderson describes a world without classical music as soul-less, others may not miss it so much. And the contrast of beauty in a broken and breaking world makes its distinctive encounters increasingly stand out.

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John MacArthur

John MacArthur – Strength for Today – Trials’ Lessons: Faith

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“By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac; and he who had received the promises was offering up his only begotten son” (Hebrews 11:17).

The main reason God allows trials in the lives of Christians is to test the strength of their faith.

The memorable example in Genesis 22 of Abraham’s testing is perhaps the severest trial any human being has ever faced. When God told Abraham to offer his only son Isaac as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of Moriah (Gen. 22:1-2), Abraham no doubt was stunned. In terms of God’s nature, His plan of redemption, His promise to Abraham, and His love for Isaac, the entire concept was utterly inconceivable and unprecedented.

But in the face of all that, Abraham showed remarkable faith in dealing with this trial (Gen. 22:3-8). He did not second-guess God, as many of us would, but rather obeyed immediately (v. 3) and displayed the confidence that he and Isaac would return (v. 5) and that God would supply a lamb for the offering (v. 8). Then Abraham showed he was ready to obey completely. Genesis 22 tells us he “bound his son Isaac, and laid him on the altar on top of the wood. And Abraham stretched out his hand, and took the knife to slay his son” (vv. 9-10). What unbelievable faith, and what a dramatic moment when God spared Abraham from the full cost of obedience (vv. 11-12)! The story clearly shows us the nature of true faith (Gen. 15:6) and why Abraham was later called the father of the faithful (Rom. 4:11-12; Gal. 3:6-7).

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Wisdom Hunters

Wisdom Hunters – Character and Credibility Gain Access 

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Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city. Revelation 22:14

Years ago as a young minister my friend Andy Stanley came by my office at his Dad’s church and asked if I wanted to meet Billy Graham. Taken back and totally humbled, I stammered out a whispered “yes”, quickly followed by an exuberant “absolutely”! The occasion was a Pastor’s reception prior to Dr. Graham’s Sunday night crusade. When we arrived at the Georgia Dome, buzzing with activity—a team member took us to meet Billy along with other ministry leaders. I had access to a moment with Mr. Graham, because of Dr. Stanley’s character and credibility.

John describes the last beatitude given by Jesus. Those whose character is cleansed by Christ are qualified to access God’s presence here and in heaven. Blackened garments soiled by sin, but washed in the sanitizing salvation of Jesus’ blood creates a new and beautiful creation, radiant white, purified by the grace of God. With eternal life the tree of life is accessible—with blessings unknown to earthly pilgrims still on their journey of faith. The two bookends of the Garden of God in Genesis to the City of God in Revelation are encapsulated for all the redeemed to worship the Alpha and the Omega forever! Character and credibility from Christ gain access to Christ!

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Girlfriends in God

Girlfriends in God – Small Adjustments Can Make a Big Difference

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Are you [actually] unaware or ignorant [of the fact] that God’s kindness leads you to repentance [that is, to change your inner self, your old way of thinking—seek His purpose for your life]?

Romans 2:4

Friend to Friend

I was speaking in Georgia that particular weekend. On day two of the retreat I woke up early and turned on the water in the beautiful tiled shower. As it heated up I noticed that the showerhead was mounted on an off-centered pole. It seemed very low, and was spraying straight along the plane of the wall.

I’m a tall chick, so as I stepped in and positioned myself under the showerhead I had to squat and stand very close to the wall. {Awesome. A quad workout! Shower bonus.}

As I shampooed my hair, my legs were on fire from squatting. And then a thought crossed my mind… MAYBE the showerhead can be raised!

I turned around and tried to lift it higher. It went higher! YES!

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