Tag Archives: religion

Wisdom Hunters

Wisdom Hunters – Discreet Deeds 

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Be careful not to do your ‘acts of righteousness’ before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.  Matthew 6:1

Discretion is the better part of doing good deeds. Why? One reason is that it does not bring attention to the giver but to the motive behind the gift. If I am the main attraction of a good act, then praise from men is my reward. But if I am serving others for an audience of One, then the Almighty’s pleasure is my reward. His smile is enough remuneration for my good works. If not, I fall prey to the need for people’s praise as fuel for my faith.

Hypocrites have to be stroked by someone other than their Savior Jesus. However, mature followers of Christ are satisfied to know their Lord is delighted with their discreet deeds. Jesus warns that our Christian duties of giving, praying, and fasting be done in secret so we do not become like those who wear their religion to impress others. Moreover, when your deeds are discreet, you do well for yourself, and you benefit. Your secret service serves your soul in prayer, your body in fasting, and your emotions in giving.

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Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – The Blame Game

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No temptation (no trial regarded as enticing to sin), [no matter how it comes or where it leads] has overtaken you and laid hold on you that is not common to man [that is, no temptation or trial has come to you that is beyond human resistance and that is not adjusted and adapted and belonging to human experience, and such as man can bear]. But God is faithful [to His Word and to His compassionate nature], and He [can be trusted] not to let you be tempted and tried and assayed beyond your ability and strength of resistance and power to endure, but with the temptation He will [always] also provide the way out (the means of escape to a landing place), that you may be capable and strong and powerful to bear up under it patiently. —1 Corinthians 10:13

Years ago, a comedian’s favorite punch line was, “The devil made me do it.” The audience roared. Why did people laugh so hard? Was it because they wanted it to be true? Did they want to absolve themselves of responsibility for their actions by pointing to an outside force?

It’s always easy to blame someone else or outside forces for our actions. We hear people all the time who tell us, “My father never said a kind word to me.” “My cousin abused me.” “People in our neighborhood shunned me because I wore old and patched clothes.” “I never had money when I was growing up, so now as soon as my paycheck comes, it’s gone.”

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Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – Christ Our Attorney

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“If anyone publicly acknowledges Me as his friend, I will openly acknowledge him as My friend before My Father in heaven. But if anyone publicly denies Me, I will openly deny him before My Father in heaven” (Matthew 10:32,33).

Some time ago, I challenged a famous and successful statesman to share his Christian faith.

“I believe that religion is personal and private, not something to wear on your sleeve,” he replied. “I am a Christian, but I don’t want to talk about it.”

I reminded him that Jesus loved him enough to die for him. His disciples were so convinced of the urgency of passing on to others the message of God’s love and forgiveness through Christ that they, and many thousands like them – though they died as martyrs – did not give up their efforts to get the message to us.

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Ray Stedman

Ray Stedman – True Freedom

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Read: John 8:31-59

To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. (John 8:31-32)

What a wonderful word! It constitutes a short course in discipleship. But it is more than that. It is a declaration that discipleship is the only true path to freedom, to being all that you were meant to be. If you want that, then Jesus says the way is to become his disciple. This is the path to freedom. It is the only way to be all that you want to be.

Here Jesus tells us in precise detail how to be free. It begins with belief: Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him. They had not yet trusted him, but they had believed him. They had been intellectually grasped by his arguments and his words, but they had not yet committed themselves to him. Discipleship begins with belief; even intellectual belief; they were there at the door, at the first step.

Then, he says, if you continue in my word. Listen to Jesus. Compare what he says with your own experience. Does what he says agree with what you have found to be true in living life? The test of any religion is not whether it is pleasing, or whether you enjoy it. The test is: Is it true? Does it accord with life? Does it fit what is happening? Does it explain what is going on? That is the test, and that you can only establish as you continue in his word, as you think long and deeply, read fully and frequently. Jesus suggests here that when you do that something will happen to you: If you continue in my word, you will truly be my disciple. If you read his word and you continue in it, somewhere along the line a crisis will occur. You will find that his words have grabbed you, and you will commit yourself to him, and then you are really a disciple.

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Words of Hope

Words of Hope – Daily Devotional – Practicing Your Serve

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Read: Mark 1:14-20

“Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men.” (v. 17)

Various other practices have helped Christ’s disciples grow closer to him over the centuries, but I’ll offer just one more. We see it in Mark 1 at the very beginning of Jesus ministry. When he called his first disciples, Jesus immediately told them that following him involves service: “I will make you become fishers of men.” We also heard that in Mark 3, where Jesus called his apostles to be with him “that he might send them out to preach and . . . drive out demons” (vv. 14-15 NIV).

I’m talking now about the discipline of service. For the apostles, fishing for lost sinners involved the service of preaching and exorcising demons. For us, fishing might require the service of visiting the sick, working for justice, teaching a class, sending out cards, or caring for children.

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Presidential Prayer Team

Presidential Prayer Team; J.R. – Perilous Paybacks

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If you happen to kill someone – either by malice or by accident – New Guinea is definitely not the place to do it. Although the practice of “payback killings” has been illegal for a century, many of the Pacific island’s inhabitants continue to adhere to the ancient tribal code. It works like this: if a relative of yours is killed, you have a right to personally kill the offender. However, retribution must be delivered on the same day as the original offense. If for some reason that isn’t possible, the families of the victim and the perpetrator must arrange for monetary compensation instead. Then, if the payment demand isn’t met, the “payback killing” becomes permissible again.

Do not say, “I will do to him as he has done to me; I will pay the man back for what he has done.”

Proverbs 24:29

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The Navigators

The Navigators – Jerry Bridges – Holiness Day by Day Devotional – Taking Sin Seriously

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Today’s Scripture: Romans 6:23

“The wages of sin is death.”

Yet another reason we don’t experience more holiness in our daily lives is that we don’t take some sin seriously. We’ve mentally categorized sins into that which is unacceptable and that which may be tolerated a bit.

In commenting on some of the more minute Old Testament dietary laws God gave to the children of Israel, Andrew Bonar said, “It is not the importance of the thing, but the majesty of the lawgiver, that is to be the standard of obedience. Some, indeed, might reckon such minute and arbitrary rules as these as trifling. But the principle involved in obedience or disobedience was none other than the same principle which was tried in Eden at the foot of the forbidden tree. It is really this: Is the Lord to be obeyed in all things whatsoever he commands? Is he a holy lawgiver? Are his creatures bound to give implicit assent to his will?”

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The Navigators

The Navigators – Leroy Eims – Daily Discipleship Devotional – Grace for Today

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Today’s Scripture: Psalms 78-83

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” – Jeremiah 29:11

One of the greatest hindrances to the people of God is longing for “the good old days.” Why? Because in the midst of a faith journey, whenever we look back and long for the comfort and security of things gone by, we limit God. We see this in Psalm 78 where we read that in the desert the children of Israel “turned back and tempted [tested] God, and limited the Holy One of Israel” (78:41, KJV).

How on earth could someone limit an all-powerful God? Could a person stand on a railroad track and limit the progress of an oncoming freight train by holding out his hand to stop it? Yet the psalmist tells us these people whom God was leading through the wilderness were actually able to limit Him.

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Today in the Word

Moody Global Ministries – Today in the Word –LOCATING SHAME

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Read Psalm 44; Romans 8:18-39

A story map is a tool that teachers use to help students understand the overall direction of a story. The map provides a context for interpreting the significance of the various events involved at different points in the narrative. Knowing where the story is coming from and where it is going keeps a reader from getting lost in the middle.

In a way, Psalm 44 and Romans 8 provide us with a story map to understand where we are in the biblical story about shame. Psalm 44 starts by looking back and recalling what God has done in the past. It can be read from different perspectives: that of the Jews in exile, that of Jesus on the cross, and that of people trying to make sense of the degrading experiences God has allowed into their lives.

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Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – The Lord’s Great Power

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Proverbs 19:21

I was signing books one day when a young man came forward and told me a story as I autographed his copy. “I put a gun to my chest and was going to kill myself,” he began. “For some reason, I turned on the television, and there you were, talking about suicide. After listening for a while, I knew the Lord was speaking to me, so I laid the gun down and gave my life to Jesus Christ.”

I have heard similar stories too many times to count—someone in despair turns on the TV or radio and hears a sermon speaking directly to his or her need. I don’t believe for one second that I’m responsible. Our all-powerful Lord intercedes in people’s lives. Sometimes He does this by leading them to turn on a program that can help. What’s more, only a God who can control all things could change a lost and scared young man into a willing and excited servant—exactly the kind of person standing in front of me that day at the book table.

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Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — Lessons for Little Ones

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Read: Proverbs 22:1-16

Bible in a Year: Exodus 7-8; Matthew 15:1-20

Start children off on the way they should go. —Proverbs 22:6

When my daughter described a problem she was having in the school lunchroom, I immediately wondered how I could fix the issue for her. But then another thought occurred. Maybe God had allowed the problem so she could see Him at work and get to know Him better. Instead of running to the rescue, I decided to pray with her. The trouble cleared up without any help from me!

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John MacArthur

John MacArthur – Strength for Today – The Effect of Patience

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

Patience is crucial to our testimony.

The virtues of Ephesians 4:2-3 enable the church of Jesus Christ to have a powerful witness. Many think the key to evangelism is following a specific course or method, but according to Jesus, the greatest way to get people to believe the gospel is through our love and unity (John 17:21). Though evangelistic methods are important, often they aren’t as effective as they could be because of the church’s poor reputation among unbelievers. If the church were full of people who had genuine humility, gentleness, and patience, others would be more inclined to listen to what we say.

Sir Henry Stanley traveled to Africa in 1872 to find Dr. David Livingstone, the famous missionary and explorer, who had lost contact with the European community. After finding him, Stanley spent several months with Livingstone, who by that time was an old man. Apparently Livingstone didn’t say much to Stanley about spiritual things—he just continued about his business with the Africans. Stanley observed that throughout the months he watched him, Livingstone’s habits, especially his patience, were beyond his comprehension. Stanley could not understand Livingstone’s sympathy for the pagan Africans, who had wronged Livingstone many times. For the sake of Christ and His gospel David Livingstone was patient, untiring, and eager. He spent himself for his Master.

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Wisdom Hunters

Wisdom Hunters – Built to Last 

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Woe to him who builds his palace by unrighteousness, his upper rooms by injustice, making his countrymen work for nothing, not paying them for their labor. Jeremiah 22:13

Anything worth doing is worth doing well. If you are building a family, frame it well. Furnish it with faith, love, hope, and the fear of God. If you are building a business or ministry, grow it relationally and systematically. Pour a foundation of honesty, trust, and excellent work. If you are building a life, develop it with discipline, forgiveness, humility, grace, service, and obedience to God. Spend your time building people, processes, projects, and enterprises that are sustainable and eternal. Seek to focus on endeavors that contribute to and facilitate faith-based initiatives. Indeed, build people who will improve on your accomplishments. Above all else, dedicate your building to God (Nehemiah 3:1).

You are now positioned as a leader of leaders, so lead leaders well. At this stage of life, you have the stewardship to mentor mentors, so pour yourself into those who will mentor others. Build spiritual discipline into faithful followers of Christ. Do not neglect developing disciples.  Disciples of Jesus need a firm foundation of faith. It is imperative to model for them mastery of the Master’s words. Let the Word of God flow freely from your speech. Speak it and live it on behalf of your Savior. You build lives that last when you ground them in the Good Book. The legacy you leave is predicated on the people in whom you invest.

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Turning Point

Today’s Turning Point with David Jeremiah – Strength in Numbers: The Twelve

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Then He appointed twelve, that they might be with Him and that He might send them out to preach.

Mark 3:14

Recommended Reading

Acts 4:5-13

In 1957, Henry Fonda and Lee J. Cobb starred in a movie called 12 Angry Men. It’s an unusual film because it’s almost exclusively set in one room, the jury room of a courthouse. For an hour and a half, the cameras pan from face to face as the jurors debate the guilt or innocence of an eighteen-year-old accused of murder. Today 12 Angry Men is considered a classic, and is rated as one of the most inspiring films ever made.

The twelve men who really changed the world weren’t angry, and they didn’t stay in one room—not even the Upper Room. Filled with the Spirit, they took the Gospel to the ends of the earth. When their critics saw them they “perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men …. And they realized they had been with Jesus” (Acts 4:13).

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Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Be Renewed

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God selected . . . what the world calls weak to put the strong to shame. And God also selected (deliberately chose) what in the world is lowborn and insignificant and branded and treated with contempt, even the things that are nothing, that He might depose and bring to nothing the things that are, so that no mortal man should [have pretense for glorying and] boast in the presence of God. —1 Corinthians 1:27-29

If you are weak in faith, in mind, in body, in discipline, in self-control, or in determination, simply wait on God. He will be strong through your weakness.

Isaiah 40:31 teaches that if you expect God, look for Him, and hope in Him, you will change and renew your strength and power; you will run, and not faint or become tired. The Bible doesn’t say “hope so, it could be, or it may be”; it declares that you will be renewed.

From the book Starting Your Day Right by Joyce Meyer.

http://www.joycemeyer.org

Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – When You Open the Door

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“Look! I have been standing at the door and I am constantly knocking. If anyone hears Me calling him and opens the door, I will come in and fellowship with him and he with Me” (Revelation 3:20).

“One morning I wanted to feed the birds,” a saint once said. “It was gray and cold, and the ground was covered with snow. I stepped out on the porch and flung them handfuls of crumbs and called to them. But there they sat, cold and hungry and afraid. They did not trust me.

“As I sat and watched and waited, it seemed to me I could get God’s view-point more clearly than ever before. He offers, plans, waits, hopes, longs for all things for our good. But He has to watch and wait as I did for my timid friends.”

What a simple thing it is to open a door!

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Ray Stedman

Ray Stedman – The Light of the World

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Read: John 8:12-30

When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life. (John 8:12)

These marvelously gracious words are a reflection on the ceremony that took place each evening in the temple courts, when two giant candelabra (two Menorahs, the many-branched candlesticks used by the Jews), were lighted and they illuminated the whole temple court. It is in reference to this that Jesus declares, I am the light of the world [not merely Israel but the world; to anybody, anywhere]; he who follows me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.

We must take seriously these beautiful words because Jesus means them. These are not a politician’s promise that can completely be forgotten after the election. Our Lord means to fulfill these words in any human life: I am the light of the world; he who follows me [not just knows about me], he who walks with me, obeys me and stays with me will have light in his pathway.

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Words of Hope

Words of Hope – Daily Devotional – Just a Little Talk with Jesus?

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Read: Mark 4:1-20

When he was alone, the Twelve and the others around him asked him about the parables. (v. 10 NIV)

Sometimes we miss important lessons because they are so obvious. Like the lesson in our text for today. Jesus is talking and his disciples are listening. When he is done talking, they ask him a hard question. And he answers. Here’s the great lesson for us. In order to know Jesus better, we must have an ongoing conversation with him in which we talk and listen.

Prayer is often an occasional thing for us. We pray upon arising, or upon retiring. We do it at meals, or at a sickbed. We talk to God once in a while. We seldom think of prayer as listening to Christ all the time. We’re afraid of ignoring the inspired Word of God in favor of some imagined communication from God.

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Presidential Prayer Team

Presidential Prayer Team; J.K. – More Than a Trace

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A minister preached a sermon on the topic of the Day of Judgment. The congregation, struck by the devastating truths of Scripture, was greatly alarmed, but the preacher told them there was something even more alarming; in two hours, he said, they would likely be little affected with these things, almost as if they had never heard them at all.

Apply your heart to instruction and your ear to words of knowledge.

Proverbs 23:12

It is one thing to hear God’s Word, but if there is no action that follows – no application to how you live – nothing comes of it. You must receive His words with meekness, delight in them, and bow your will to the authority of them. Be determined to pursue wisdom. Commentator Matthew Henry says, “The heart is then applied to the instruction when the instruction is applied to the heart.”

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Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – What is Revival?

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Some have defined revival as a community saturated with God or an invasion from heaven.

Richard Owen Roberts said, “Revival is an extraordinary movement of the Holy Spirit producing extraordinary results.” And A.W. Tozer defined revival as “that which changes the moral climate of a community.”

Listen, revival is nothing more or less than a new beginning of obedience to God.

It’s a church word, revival. It is not for the nonbeliever. Revival starts with the church and then affects the world. The world does not need revival; the church does. The world needs evangelism.

Evangelism does not bring revival, but revival always brings evangelism.

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