Tag Archives: religion

Moody Global Ministries

Moody Global Ministries – Today in the Word – HANNAH: DEFINED BY SHAME

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Read 1 Samuel 1:1-18

Katherine seemed to have it all—at age 17, she was a successful student with a college scholarship to the school of her choice, plenty of friends, and a supportive family. But no one knew that Katherine was deliberately starving herself. “At first, I just wanted to feel prettier—which I thought meant being thinner,” Katherine said. “And then I was so ashamed that it felt like a good way to punish myself for any way I messed up.”

In our reading today, Hannah might have initially appeared to have it all together. She was happily married to a husband who adored her. But her inability to bear children caused her constant grief and shame. In her day, an infertile woman was considered as worthless as an infertile field.

Despite her husband’s assurances of love, Hannah felt like cursed ground, useless and barren. Her rival taunted her, further confirming her degraded status. Notice that Hannah had done nothing wrong, yet others believed she deserved shame.

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Denison Forum

Denison Forum – TWEETS WILL SOON BE 10,000 CHARACTERS    

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I hate Twitter. It’s a great tool for communicating, but it makes me limit myself to 140 characters. Being a perfectionist, I labor mightily over the best 140 characters to encapsulate the profound thought I think I’m thinking.

Twitter feels my pain. The company has announced that it will soon allow me to write as many as 10,000 characters in a tweet. You’ll get the first 140 characters, then have to click and expand to see the rest of my text. But I’ll be able to write as much as I want to say. My perfectionism is pleased.

We evaluate ourselves constantly, because we’re constantly being evaluated. Classes are beginning, with tests not far behind. The NFL playoffs start this weekend, with the most intense competition of the season. The People’s Choice Awards were last night (I’m glad The Martian won for Favorite Dramatic Movie), just one of many awards shows this time of year. And the political season is heating up, as the candidates tell us why they are better than their competitors.

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Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – Serving One Another

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1 Corinthians 12:12-13

Believers have two main responsibilities—to love God and to love people (Matt. 22:37-40). This is often done by serving. Where and how we serve is based upon our unique talents, skills, and calling, but the one place where we’re all expected to give of ourselves is the local church.

When you trusted Jesus as Savior, the Lord baptized you by the Holy Spirit into His church—the body of believers living all over the world but united by faith in Jesus Christ. You then chose, according to the will of God, to become part of a local, autonomous group of believers. He placed you there because He knows that you are needed (1 Cor. 12:18). You are significant to your home church.

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Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — Ringing Reminders

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Read: Psalm 37:21-31

Bible in a Year: Genesis 16-17; Matthew 5:27-48

Though he may stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with his hand. —Psalm 37:24

The clock tower at Westminster, which contains the bell known as Big Ben, is an iconic landmark in London, England. It is traditionally thought that the melody of the tower chimes was taken from the tune of “I Know That My Redeemer Liveth” from Handel’s Messiah. Words were eventually added and put on display in the clock room:

Lord, through this hour be Thou our guide;

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Ravi Zacharias

Ravi Zacharias Ministry – Leaving Christmas

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“Please stop Christmas from leaving,” my toddler pled as each box of Christmas was sent back to its post-season resting place. Despite our best protests, the Christmas season as most of us know it has drawn to a close. All the preparations and fanfare of Christmas fade into the calendar of another year.

But the church calendar, which quietly honors another rhythm within the time-crunching world around us, offers the strange suggestion that we actually can stop Christmas from leaving. Six days into our new calendars, after trees have come down, lights are put away, and the ambiance of Christmas has dimmed to a faint afterthought, Epiphany is celebrated. Hardly dim in significance, the feast of Epiphany commemorates all of the peculiar events that first revealed the identity of Jesus in the world: the magi’s adoration of the Christ child, the manifestation of Christ at his baptism, the first miracle at the wedding in Cana, among others.

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John MacArthur

John MacArthur – Strength for Today – The Passion Fueling the Worthy Walk

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“I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, entreat you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called” (Ephesians 4:1).

A passion for Christ is what compels us to live an exemplary life.

What do you think of when you hear the word beggar? You probably picture a haggard person in tattered clothes with an outstretched hand asking for money or food.

Would it surprise you to know that the apostle Paul was a beggar? He didn’t beg for money, though, but for people to follow Christ. The word translated “entreat” in this verse means “to call out to someone with intensity” or “to plead with someone.”

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Wisdom Hunters

Wisdom Hunters, Boyd Bailey – God’s Answer for Striving 

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His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness. 2 Peter 1:3

One thing I love about God’s Word is that it’s filled with treasures. A few months ago, I found a jewel. As I read Paul’s prayer for the Thessalonians in 2 Thessalonians 1:11, the following phrase grabbed me, “. . . and that by his power he may fulfill every good purpose of yours and every act prompted by faith.” I immediately thought about my purpose of sharing God-words through written and spoken communication.

I began my calling with faith but later allowed fear and pride to take over. So I tightened my hands on the reigns of my life, and I tried to control outcomes. Instead of trusting God for the results as I worked, I trusted in myself. I forgot that it was my job to act “by faith” but God’s job to fulfill those actions by “his power.” Indeed, we fulfill all of our “good purposes” by His power, and every act prompted by our faith is fulfilled by God. We take the first steps but the fulfillment and completion of those steps belong to Him. The good works assigned to us originated with Him (Ephesians 2:10) and they will be completed by Him.

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Turning Point

Today’s Turning Point with David Jeremiah – The One to Please

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Do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ.

Galatians 1:10

Recommended Reading

Galatians 1:6-10

Andrew Garfield, who played Spider-Man on the big screen, recently spoke of the frustration of trying to please everyone connected with his movies. “The pressure to get it right, to please everyone…You end up pleasing no one, or everyone just a little bit.”

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Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – God Wants to Take You to a New Level

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Give instruction to a wise man and he will be yet wiser; teach a righteous man (one upright and in right standing with God) and he will increase in learning. —Proverbs 9:9

Even though God wants us to live joyful, contented lives, He sometimes causes a discontent or a feeling that something is not right because He does not want us to continue doing the same old things anymore. He wants to prod us to seek Him so He can take us to new levels.

God always wants us to grow stronger, to go deeper, and to increase in intimacy with Him. Most of the time, He leads us into that process of maturity by leading us out of places where we have been comfortable in the past. Too much comfort for too long can mean that we are not growing. If you feel something stirring in your heart that you don’t quite understand, just ask God what is happening and take time to wait on Him to answer.

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Girlfriends in God

Girlfriends in God – Trusting God Right Where You Are

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Today’s Truth

But when I am afraid, I will put my trust in you.

Psalm 56:3

Friend to Friend

Every New Year brings fresh possibilities and opportunities for us to trust God. As I think of all that lies ahead I’m reminded of a trust lesson God taught me long ago…

Our arms were braided across each other’s and our hands were locked tightly. As the young girl stood on the tall tree stump above us she looked over her shoulder and saw with her eyes that our formation was tight…that we were ready for her. She heard with her ears that we would catch her…that we would not let her get hurt. Yet the fear that screamed in her head told her not to do it. Not to fall backwards.

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Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – Strong Love Is the Proof

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“And so I am giving a new commandment to you now – love each other just as much as I love you. Your strong love for each other will prove to the world that you are My disciples” (John 13:34,35).

A Navajo Indian woman who had been healed of a serious ailment by a missionary doctor was greatly impressed by the love he manifested.

“If Jesus is anything like the doctor,” she said, “I can trust Him forever.”

The doctor was a living example of the above promise. When Jesus spoke these words, the entire known world was filled with hate, war and fear. The Jews and the Gentiles hated each other. The Greeks and the Romans hated each other.

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Ray Stedman

Ray Stedman – Water to Wine  

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Read: John 2:1-11

Jesus said to the servants, Fill the jars with water; so they filled them to the brim. Then he told them, Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet. They did so, (John 2:7-8)

Notice the simplicity of this account, how easily, how quietly, with such dignity this was done. He says simply, Fill the jars with water. And they filled them to the brim—not with decaffeinated coffee, but with 120 to 180 gallons of plain, pure water. Then Jesus said, Now draw some out, and take it to the steward of the feast. There was no prayer, no word of command, no hysterical shouting, no pleading with a screwed-up face, no laying on of hands, no binding of Satan, no hocus-pocus or mumbo-jumbo—nothing. He did not even touch the water. He did not even taste it afterward to see if it had happened. He simply said, Take it to the governor of the feast. What a beautiful, simple dignity!

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Words of Hope

Words of Hope – Daily Devotional – A Parked Christian

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Read: 2 Peter 3:14-18

Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. (v. 18 NIV)

I’ve been urging you to become passionate about knowing Christ. Perhaps you’ve been wondering if it is even possible to know Christ more. So I want to spend a week focusing on the possibilities of knowing Christ better. We begin with the last words of the apostle Peter.

Not only is it possible to grow in our knowledge of Christ; Peter says it’s our duty. Here’s what John Calvin said about Peter’s words: “Keep moving, because the only way to persevere is to continually go forward and not stop and sit down in the middle of the journey.” Have we stopped and sat down? Have you become a parked Christian? Peter calls us to move, to grow in the grace of Christ.

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Presidential Prayer Team

Presidential Prayer Team; C.H. – Wee Examples

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Ants are tiny but interesting beings. They are found almost everywhere on Earth. They work together in colonies to accomplish more and are one of the strongest creatures in relation to their size. Don’t let their wee stature fool you. These miniature insects work hard.

Go to the ant, O sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise.

Proverbs 6:6

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Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – The Call to Discipleship

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So he departed from there, and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and he was with the twelfth. Then Elijah passed by him and threw his mantle on him. —1 Kings 19:19

The ministry of the great prophet Elijah was coming to an end. God had directed him to pass his mantle on, which meant the calling that God placed on Elijah’s life was about to be placed on Elijah’s successor. It would be symbolized by Elijah’s pulling off his mantle and giving it to someone else in a symbolic way.

Interestingly, the man to whom Elijah passed his calling had a similar name: Elisha. Elisha didn’t have to take up the calling to be the prophet to the nation of Israel. He had a choice in the matter. He could have said, “That’s okay. I’m out. This is too much for me.” But he didn’t. He accepted it.

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Kids 4 Truth

Kids 4 Truth International – God Loves for You To Pray

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“Let my prayer be set forth before thee as incense” (Psalm 141:2a).

Are there certain smells that you like? Some people love to smell pine trees or old books. Others like to smell cookies baking or different kinds of flowers – roses, lilacs, hyacinths, gardenias. People like pleasant smells, smells that remind them of loved ones or favorite places.

Prayer can be like a sweet, pleasant smell to God. The Bible compares prayer to incense, a very pleasing fragrance. Did you know that your prayer is like the act of offering up a sweet perfume to God? God loves for you to pray. He wants you to bring all of your concerns to Him – big and small. When you pray, you are showing God that you trust Him and need Him to help you. You are showing Him that you love Him enough to spend time talking to Him.

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The Navigators

The Navigators – Jerry Bridges – Holiness Day by Day Devotional – Making Up Our Deficiencies?

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Today’s Scripture: Luke 18:13

“God, be merciful to me, a sinner!”

Sin is more than actions; it’s an attitude that ignores God’s law. It’s more than a rebellious attitude; sin is a state of corruption in our inmost being, of vileness, even of filthiness in God’s sight. For this reason the Bible never speaks of God’s grace as simply making up our deficiencies—as if salvation consists in so much good works plus so much of God’s grace. Rather the Bible speaks of a God “who justifies the ungodly” (Romans 4:5), who is found by those who do not seek him, who reveals himself to those who do not ask for him (Romans 10:20).

In Jesus’ parable in Luke 18:9-14, the tax collector did not ask God to simply make up his deficiencies. Rather, he beat his breast—a sign of his deep anguish—and said, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner!” (verse 13). He declared total spiritual bankruptcy, and on that basis, he experienced the grace of God. Jesus said the man went home justified—declared righteous by God.

Like the tax collector, we don’t just need God’s grace to make up for our deficiencies; we need his grace to provide a remedy for our guilt, a cleansing for our pollution. We need his grace to provide a satisfaction of his justice, to cancel a debt we cannot pay.

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The Navigators

The Navigators – Leroy Eims – Daily Discipleship Devotional – God’s Deliverers

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Today’s Scripture: Psalm 34

Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared and a light shone in the cell. – Acts 12:7

Do you remember the television series “Hogan’s Heroes”–the wild episodes of American soldiers supposedly locked in a Nazi prison? They were always breaking out of jail, but they usually did it quietly. No noise allowed.

The apostle Peter’s jailbreak was quite different. Acts 12 says that King Herod threw Peter into prison with four squads of soldiers guarding him. Imagine that! Four squads of soldiers to guard one man!

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BreakPoint

BreakPoint – Praying for Life: Invoking God’s Mercy to End Abortion

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January 22nd is the 43rd anniversary of the worst Supreme Court decision in our nation’s history. With Roe v. Wade, seven robed men gave America some of the most permissive abortion-on-demand laws in the world. Since that time, nearly 60 million unborn children have been killed in the womb.

This month, January, is the month so many American Christians memorialize the unborn through Sanctity of Life Sunday (this year on January 17), and the March for Life on the National Mall in Washington DC on January 22nd. And the day before the March, John Stonestreet and I will be speaking at two events: the Anglicans for Life conference and the Evangelicals for Life conference, co-hosted by Focus on the Family and the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission. As you may know, John and I are very passionate about this issue. My wife runs a pregnancy care center here in New York City, and John’s mother ran one in Virginia.

Now, if you can join us in Washington DC, please do! But if you can’t, you can still be a part of the most significant cause of our day: the cause for life. How? Well, The Colson Center has prepared a free downloadable booklet called: 21 Days of Prayer for Life. We want to see millions of Christians appeal together to heaven to end this grave evil.

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Moody Global Ministries, Today in the Word

Moody Global Ministries – Today in the Word – THE LAW: SHAME ENACTED

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Read Leviticus 13:40-46; 14:1-20

To our modern Western sensibilities, the treatment of lepers prescribed in the Old Testament law can seem harsh. But in ancient times, such illnesses were a deep cause for shame. People born with deformities or afflicted with certain diseases were thought to have been cursed by the gods, and they endured lifelong public shame.

As painful as it seems, the treatment prescribed in the Law (13:45) would be an external enactment of the internal shame that a leper already felt. Though everyone might know he was without guilt, his shame was unavoidable. His status had been redefined by a condition outside his control, rendering him unfit for the company of normal people and excluded from the public worship of God.

Such ostracism might be shocking to us, but in the context of the ancient Near East, the Law’s provision for a shamed person’s restoration was merciful in comparison. The Mosaic Law instructed priests—those closest to the worship and holiness of God—to examine the leprous person outside the camp (14:3). Hope remained that if their disease had cleared, their shame could be dealt with, too.

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