Tag Archives: religion

BreakPoint

BreakPoint –  PRAY LOVE HEAL: a Global Community of Love

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BreakPoint regulars already know about my strong affection for William Wilberforce, whose tireless efforts to abolish the slave trade and end slavery in the British Empire led me to write his biography.

And as you know, Wilberforce did not act alone. The small group of Christians with which he planned and prayed, known as the Clapham Sect, took the long view of social change. To free slaves in an empire that depended on them must have seemed unthinkable to most. Yet, guided by God and devoting much of their lives to the task, they met their goals.

The Clapham Sect came to mind recently when I learned about a new outreach addressing sexual brokenness. PRAY LOVE HEAL presents itself as “a global community invested in the spiritual, sexual, and relational healing of the world.” Now there’s a challenge for you! To do this, they’ve launched a website featuring helpful resources and publish a daily email containing guided prayers, Scripture readings, and a brief devotion. Each month features a new prayer focus. March offers prayers for victims of pornography.

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Moody Global Ministries

Moody Global Ministries – Today in the Word – JESUS, THE SUFFERING SERVANT

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Read Luke 9:37-62

When the United States became a democratic republic, Vice President John Adams suggested a title for George Washington with pomp and circumstance: “His Highness, the President of the United States of America, and Protector of the Rights of the Same.” The U.S. Senate instead chose the more humble title, “President of the United States.”

The disciples also had grandiose notions for God’s kingdom, all of them mistaken. Despite having experienced the climactic moments of revelation described in the earlier portions of Luke 9, they continued to misunderstand the nature of God’s kingdom. Jesus called them an “unbelieving and perverse generation,” scolding them harshly for their spiritual obtuseness (v. 41).

Luke returns to themes of hiddenness in this narrative. Jesus’ identity had been revealed to the disciples, but a shroud of fog envelops them once again. What they had failed to understand, of course, is that Jesus is not only a prophet, priest and king—He is the suffering Servant of Isaiah’s prophecies, come to be delivered into the hands of men and die (v. 44; see Isaiah 53).

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Denison Forum

Denison Forum – ‘MIRACLES FROM HEAVEN’ AND JENNIFER GARNER’S FAITH

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Miracles From Heaven premieres this week. The movie tells the true story of a girl suffering from a rare digestive disorder that threatened her life. After she fell into the hollow of a tree, she was examined by doctors who could find no evidence of her terminal disease.

The girl’s mother is played by well-known actress Jennifer Garner. She told People magazine that her role helped her become reengaged with her faith. Her commitment to Christ “has always been quietly a part of me,” she said. Now she’s “getting used to the idea of talking about it.”

Every person the actress influences for Jesus will be grateful.

I bring you greetings today from Scotland, where my wife and I spent the last week. The history of this small nation is remarkable. We visited a chapel constructed in 1130. I spoke in another chapel built 600 years ago. We walked around a royal mansion begun in the 16th century and an abbey founded in 1128.

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Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – The Cup and the Covenant

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Matthew 26:26-30

Jesus’ last meal with His disciples took place during the celebration of Passover. Giving them bread, He said, “Take, eat; this is My body” (Matt. 26:26). Next, offering wine from a shared cup, He told them, “Drink from it, all of you; for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins” (Matt. 26:27-28). Believers today observe the Lord’s Supper as a symbol of cleansing, consecration, and communion.

Jesus’ blood cleanses us from sin. Starting with Adam and Eve, God required a blood sacrifice to cover transgressions (Gen. 3:21; Lev. 17:11). But this was just a temporary solution, as the next offense required yet another sacrifice. Jesus was God’s permanent answer to the problem: He took upon Himself all sin—past, present, and future—and died to pay the full penalty.

When people receive salvation, they are consecrated, or set apart to the Lord. Their sins are forgiven, and they receive eternal life as well as the indwelling Holy Spirit. At times they may forget they belong to the Lord and give in to temptation. The bread and the cup are an opportunity to remember what God expects of His children and to renew a commitment to obey.

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Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — Self-Care

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Read: Exodus 18:14-24

Bible in a Year: Deuteronomy 20-22; Mark 13:21-37

Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest. —Mark 6:31

After my husband underwent heart surgery, I spent an anxious night by his hospital bed. Mid-morning, I remembered a scheduled haircut. “I’ll have to cancel,” I said, raking my fingers distractedly through my straggly hair.

“Mom, just wash your face and go to your appointment,” my daughter said.

“No, no,” I insisted. “It doesn’t matter. I need to be here.”

“I’ll stay,” Rosie said. “Self-care, Mom. . . . Self-care. You’re of more use to Dad if you take care of yourself.”

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John MacArthur

John MacArthur – Strength for Today – Understanding Who God Is

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

The more we comprehend the greatness of God, the more humble we will become.

God is not given proper respect today. He is often flippantly referred to as “the man upstairs”—more of a buddy than the eternal God. Many see Him as nothing more than a cosmic Santa Claus or an absent-minded grandfather who winks at sin.

Unfortunately, even Christians can be affected by these views. Such sin dishonors God and undermines the next step to humility: God-awareness. Instead of getting our ideas of God from the world, let’s look at what the biblical writers say about Him.

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Wisdom Hunters

Wisdom Hunters – God Enables 

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The Sovereign LORD is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, He enables me to go on the heights.  Habakkuk 3:19

God is your enabler for there is nothing you cannot do that He has destined you to accomplish. It is His eternal enablement that carries you forward. The next phase of your character growth may be painful. The development of your business or ministry to the next level could be daunting. The skills you need as a parent are scary, and it seems impossible to balance work, home, and hobbies. But God is bigger than your frailties, fears, and family. He will enable you if you let Him, so do not carry this burden of becoming better alone. Your Savior is your enabler of bigger and better things. In your own strength you will remain frustrated, frazzled, and stuck. There is no amount of self-discipline that by itself can accomplish God’s results.

It is through the empowering of the Holy Spirit that you are able to endure and execute the will of the Lord (Isaiah 63:11). As a child of God, you can offload your fatigue to your heavenly Father and rest in Him. You can outsource your anxieties to the One who can enable you to execute eternity’s agenda. His grace qualifies you to carry out this life’s assignment. You have been crucified with Christ (Galatians 2:20) and sealed by His spirit (Ephesians 4:30). You are a valued member of Christ’s community. Others have traveled this road of trust and did much more than survive. They thrived because the Lord enabled them with His wisdom and grace.

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Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – Truly Rich

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“Do you want to be truly rich? You already are if you are happy and good. After all, we didn’t bring any money with us when we came into the world, and we can’t carry away a single penny when we die” (1 Timothy 6:6,7).

If you had the choice of choosing between great wealth and good health and a happy, joyful relationship with our Lord, which would you choose? Though many would choose wealth, I am sure that if you are a Christian, you would gladly choose to live modestly the rest of your life if necessary in order to experience daily the joy of your salvation.

During all of my career, I, an agnostic, had worked hard to successfully develop my business interests. Then, in the providence of God, I was brought face to face with Christ and His Word. “What does it profit a man if he gain the whole world and lose his own soul?”

It was as though God touched my mind to enable me to understand that I could eat only one meal at a time, wear one suit of clothes at a time and take nothing with me when I die. I understood for the first time that being truly rich does not involve the accumulation of vast wealth, but it involves knowing and doing the will of God – in walking in intimate, vital, personal fellowship with Him daily as a way of life.

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Ray Stedman

Ray Stedman – How to Shine

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Read: Philippians 2:14-15

Do everything without grumbling or arguing… Phil 2:14

That is trustful obedience. Perhaps some of you remember an old radio show character named Lightning. He would always do what he was told, but he kept up a continuing undercurrent of mumbling comments which became quite hilarious. It reminds me of many Christians who claim to reckon on the indwelling God but at the same time mumble and complain. That reveals a basic unbelief. It shows they don’t really believe the trials of their life are sent of the Lord, and they don’t really believe that he is adequate to meet every situation. They are not really expecting him to work, otherwise they wouldn’t be murmuring, grumbling and disputing with one another.

What happens when a Christian behaves in unbelief? As Paul points out, the world around cannot see Christ, so there is no light in their darkness. In other words, if the life your neighbors see in you is explainable only in terms of your human personality and background, what do you have to say to your neighbors that will awaken them to their need of Christ? If the situations you face cause you to react with the same murmuring and discontent and bitterness they have, what’s the difference between your quality of life and theirs? They will simply say, my life is explained in terms of my personality. I like certain sports and entertainment, and certain kinds of music and you like religion — that’s all. Unless there is a quality of life that can be explained only in terms of God there is nothing to challenge the world around. The world waits to see God, and they will as Christians stop their mumbling and complaining and disputing.

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Words of Hope

Words of Hope – Daily Devotional – No More of This!

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Read: Luke 22:47-53

Lord, shall we strike with the sword? (v. 49)

Why is it that the worst things always happen at night? The worst phone calls always seem to come when it is dark. Our biggest fears and worries always seem to come calling when we are lying in bed, in the darkness. Even when bad things happen during the day, in our memory of them there is no light.

We remember the Garden of Gethsemane as the place where, in the darkness, Jesus was betrayed and arrested. We forget that the Lord also performed there a fascinating miracle. It is the only recorded instance in which Jesus healed someone who had been hurt in an act of violence. Mark says an unnamed disciple cut off the ear of an unnamed slave of the high priest. Matthew adds that Jesus rebuked the disciple. In John the disciple becomes Simon Peter, the slave Malchus, and the severed ear is the right one. But only Dr. Luke tells us that Jesus touched the ear and healed the man. Imagine Jesus looking in the grass for that missing ear and then putting it back where it belonged.

“No more of this!” Jesus says. In Matthew, Jesus adds: “Put your sword back into its place. For all who take the sword will perish by the sword” (26:52).

Some measure of defense is necessary in a fallen world. But Jesus died for the sins of the world, which includes the sins of our enemies, and we betray him when we try to defend him with violence. “No more of this!”

Prayer:

Lord, fill me with your peace.

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Presidential Prayer Team

Presidential Prayer Team; C.H.- Prepping

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Did you know around 3.7 million Americans consider themselves preppers? Preppers are people who believe a catastrophic event is likely to happen in the future and prepare for it. These survivalists spend thousands of dollars on food, clothing, shelter and water readying for the end of times.

Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them…to meet the Lord.

I Thessalonians 4:17

Today’s passage also speaks of the end of times. The apostle Paul wrote of a day when Christ will return, starting what some call the Apocalypse. Paul tells the church at Thessalonica, “The Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.” (I Thessalonians 4:16) He goes on to describe how those believers alive on the Earth will rise to meet Jesus in the clouds.

Christ will return. How are you prepping for His arrival? Are you sharing His love with others? Pray for God to “prep” the hearts of your fellow Americans and your national leaders to proclaim Him the one true God.

Recommended Reading: I Thessalonians 5:1-11

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Kids 4 Truth

Kids 4 Truth International – God Makes Each of Us Unique

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“And the LORD God formed man out of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living soul.” (Genesis 2:7)

Mrs. Gillen watched her sixth-grade students go through a fingerprinting procedure at the school safety fair. A very tall police officer was helping the children place each fingertip in ink, and then carefully press their fingers, one by one, on their papers. As the students compared their fingerprints, they realized that none were alike, not even the fingerprints of the identical twin boys in the class!

Have you ever look closely at your own fingerprints? Have you ever compared them to the fingerprints of your friends or siblings? No one else has your fingerprints. They are uniquely your own. How can this be possible?

Genesis 2:7 shows that God is the One Who created human beings and gave them life. Psalm 139 is another passage that gives a picture of how closely God pays attention in His creative work. David, the writer of this Psalm, describes this kind of special attention to detail way in verses 13-16: “Thou hast covered me in my mother’s womb…. My substance was not hid from thee….thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect…and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.” God knows everyone this closely–each and every single person who has ever lived, who is living now, and who ever will live one day in the future. No wonder David declares in verse 14, “I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.”

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The Navigators

The Navigators – Jerry Bridges – Holiness Day by Day Devotional – Atonement Day

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Today’s Scripture: Psalm 32:5

“I will confess my transgressions to the Lord. ”

Put yourself in the shoes of a devout Jew on the Day of Atonement. He sees the high priest slay a goat as a propitiatory sacrifice. He watches as the priest disappears into the Tent of Meeting, to enter the Most Holy Place and to sprinkle the blood of the slain goat on and before the Mercy Seat. Only the high priest is allowed to enter that room (after ceremonial cleansing), and even then only once a year and only with the blood of the sacrificial animal.

The devout Jew waits with some degree of anxiety for the high priest to return, very conscious that atonement for his sins is conditioned on God’s acceptance of the high priest’s ministry.

Finally, the high priest comes out. He lays his hands on a live goat’s head and confesses over it all the sins of the people, symbolically transferring those sins to the goat. He solemnly confesses, perhaps with weeping, the people’s wickedness and rebellion. Then the goat is led away, bearing their sins into the desert.

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The Navigators

The Navigators – Leroy Eims – Daily Discipleship Devotional – The Power of Intercessory Prayer

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Today’s Scripture: Job 40-42

And he saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor. – Isaiah 59:16 (KJV)

All of us like to see people get along, and a public quarrel is especially embarrassing. I must confess that I was a bit uneasy at times as Job’s story unfolded. It bothered me to hear him utter words he would regret later on. It also bothered me to hear Job and his friends quarreling. And I must admit it bothered me to see that good man in such agony of body, mind, and spirit. But in the end, all things worked together for good.

Two major lessons stand out in these final chapters. One is found in Job 42:5-6, where Job says, “My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you. Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes.” This is the response of those to whom God makes a deeper revelation of Himself.

If pride is a troublesome problem for you, spend some time in the presence of Jesus Christ, God’s perfect revelation of Himself. Read the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Ask God to help you see the greatness of the majesty of Christ and the ugliness of sin. When we see God as He is, and we see ourselves as we are, we will fall before Him in repentance.

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Our Daily Bread

Charles Stanley – Expressions of Praise

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Psalm 34:1-3

Glorifying the Lord is not limited to worshipping in church. In fact, praise should permeate the believer’s life.

One obvious way that we praise the Lord is with our voice. We can either speak or sing our worship. The psalmists put adoration into words and set their love to music. True worship also flows from the mouths of believers who are focused upon God’s attributes. They desire to honor Him because of who He is, what He has done, and what He has promised for the future.

Genuine worship allows the Lord to fill our hearts and minds with His presence. But praising the Lord with wrong motives is an empty act. For example, if we’re lifting our hands and singing loud only because doing so feels good, then what we’re after is an emotional high. That kind of selfish “praise” falls short of heaven.

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Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — Abigail’s Reminder

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Read: 1 Samuel 25:14-33

Bible in a Year: Deuteronomy 17-19; Mark 13:1-20

When the Lord takes pleasure in anyone’s way, he causes their enemies to make peace with them. —Proverbs 16:7

David and 400 of his warriors thundered through the countryside in search of Nabal, a prosperous brute who had harshly refused to lend them help. David would have murdered him if he hadn’t first encountered Abigail, Nabal’s wife. She had packed up enough food to feed an army and traveled out to meet the troops, hoping to head off disaster. She respectfully reminded David that guilt would haunt him if he followed through with his vengeful plan (1 Sam. 25:31). David realized she was right and blessed her for her good judgment.

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Uncategorized

John MacArthur – Strength for Today – Understanding Who Christ Is

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

We are to walk as Christ walked. Our lack of conformity to His standard ought to make us humble.

What was your most humiliating experience? Life is full of embarrassing moments, but the most truly humbling experience I ever had was preaching through the Gospel of John. For two years—eighty-eight sermons, about one hundred hours of preaching, between two and three thousand hours of study—I was constantly faced with the deity of Jesus Christ. Living with the deity of Christ day after day and comparing yourself continually to Him is one of the healthiest—and most humbling—things you can ever do.

That brings us to another step toward humility: Christ-awareness. When we compare ourselves with ourselves, we get proud. But “the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked” (1 John 2:6). When you can say, “I’m happy to announce that I now walk as Jesus walked,” then you’ll have a right to be proud. But no one will believe you.

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Wisdom Hunters

Wisdom Hunters – Hopeful Waiting 

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But as for me, I watch in hope for the LORD, I wait for my Savior; my God will hear me. Micah 7:7

Hope allows you to wait patiently on the Lord. It is hope in Him that is heaven’s guarantee of grace. Because of the things that are out of your control, it is wise to practice hopeful waiting. Otherwise, you will live in frustration and fear over matters you cannot mandate or manipulate. This is where hopeful waiting pays great dividends. You choose to hope in Christ rather than place your trust in ever-changing circumstances. This is a wise bet. If, however, your hope is in an organization or institution, all bets are off. Both can and will fail to meet your expectations, but hopeful waiting trumps the company’s broken promises. It gets you to place your trust and hope in God’s provision rather than in the corporation’s ever-changing commitments.

The same can be said of what we should expect from people. They can be fickle and undependable. Indeed, some people hurry away when things get tough. They make excuses or excuse themselves from responsibilities. Difficult times raise up heroes and bring down imposters. Therefore, patient people learn hopeful waiting in their dealings with others. They wait on people, not in a naïve or irresponsible way, but in a way that honors them and Christ.

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Turning Point

Today’s Turning Point with David Jeremiah – Important Church Celebrations: Baptism

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“I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.” So he commanded the chariot to stand still. And both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and he baptized him.

Acts 8:37-38

Recommended Reading

Acts 8:26-40

Just before Jesus returned to heaven, He told His disciples to preach His message to all the nations, “baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19). A few weeks later, thousands of people heard Peter’s sermon about Jesus on the Day of Pentecost, and “those who gladly received his word were baptized” (Acts 2:41). When Philip took the Gospel to Samaria, those who responded, “both men and women were baptized” (Acts 8:12). When he explained the Gospel to the Ethiopian eunuch, the man said, “What hinders me from being baptized?” (Acts 8:36). When Saul of Tarsus was saved, he was baptized as a public demonstration of his private decision (Acts 9:18). Throughout the book of Acts, the new Christians gave public testimony of their faith through the act of baptism.

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Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – The Spirit vs the Flesh

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But I say, walk and live [habitually] in the [Holy] Spirit [responsive to and controlled and guided by the Spirit]; then you will certainly not gratify the cravings and desires of the flesh (of human nature without God). —Galatians 5:16

Like a horse that has been trained to keep his ear always tuned to the voice of its master, we must be willing to follow the Lord in all His leadings, not just those we feel good about or happen to agree with. We won’t always like what we hear Him tell us to do.

We must realize that in order to follow God, the flesh must be told no at times, and when that happens, the flesh suffers. There are times when we are galloping full speed ahead in one direction when suddenly the Master tells us to stop and instructs us to go in another direction. It is painful to us when we don’t get our way, but ultimately we understand that God’s ways are always best.

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