Tag Archives: spirituality

Alistair Begg

Alistair Begg – Sick with Sin

Leave a comment

Alistair Begg

‘I will; be clean.’  Mark 1:41

The primeval darkness heard God say, “Let there be light,” and immediately there was light. The word of the Lord Jesus is equal in majesty to that ancient word of power. Redemption, like creation, has its word of might. Jesus speaks, and it is done. Leprosy yielded to no human remedies, but it fled at once at the Lord’s “I will.” The disease exhibited no hopeful signs or tokens of recovery; nature contributed nothing to its own healing. But the unaided word effected the entire work on the spot and forever. The sinner is in a more miserable plight than the leper; let him imitate his example and go to Jesus, “imploring him and kneeling [say] to him . . .” Let him exercise what little faith he has, even though it should go no further than “If you will, you can make me clean.”

There need be no doubt as to the result of the application. Jesus heals all who come and casts out none. In reading the narrative in which our morning’s text occurs, it is worthy of careful consideration that Jesus touched the leper. This unclean person had broken through the regulations of the ceremonial law and pressed into the house, but Jesus, far from chiding him, broke through the law Himself in order to meet him. He made an interchange with the leper, for while He cleansed him, He contracted by that touch a Levitical defilement.

Even so Jesus Christ was made sin for us, although in Himself He knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him. If only poor sinners would go to Jesus, believing in the power of His blessed substitutionary work, they would soon learn the power of His gracious touch. The hand that multiplied the loaves, that saved sinking Peter, that upholds afflicted saints, that crowns believers-that same hand will touch every seeking sinner and in a moment make him clean. The love of Jesus is the source of salvation. He loves, He looks, He touches us, and we live.

 

 

John MacArthur

John MacArthur – The Balanced Approach to Spiritual Victory

1 Comment

John MacArthur

“Be strong in the Lord, and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God” (Eph. 6:10- 11).

When I was a child, my father and I watched a boxing match on television. After going through the ritual of punching the air, kicking his feet, and putting rosin on his shoes, one of the fighters knelt in the corner and crossed himself. I asked my dad if that helped. He said, “It does if he can punch. If he can’t punch, it doesn’t help at all.”

That illustrates a point we touched on yesterday and will explore further today: God’s part and our part in spiritual warfare. Many Christians believe that spiritual victory comes simply by surrendering more completely to God. They quote verses like 2 Chronicles 20:15 to support their view: “The battle is not yours but God’s.” “Stop struggling and striving,” they say. “Instead, yield and completely surrender yourself to God. He alone does the fighting and gives the victory.”

Such people are often called “Quietists” because they view the Christian’s role in spiritual warfare as passive or quiet. Their anthem is “Let go and let God.”

But Scripture gives a very different view of the believer’s role. It pictures the Christian life as a war, a race, and a fight. We depend on God’s energy, power, and strength, but are by no means passive. We’re commanded to apply ourselves to good deeds, resist the devil, bring our bodies under subjection, walk in wisdom, press toward the prize, cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of flesh and spirit, work out our salvation with fear and trembling, and perfect holiness in the fear of God. Those are calls to fervent action.

In Ephesians 6:10-11 Paul says, “Be strong in the . . . strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God.” That’s the balance. God supplies the resources; we supply the effort.

Suggestions for Prayer:

Thank God for the strength He gives for spiritual victory.

Ask for His wisdom in living a balanced Christian life.

For Further Study:

Read 2 Peter 1:3-7.

What does God supply for Christian living?

What must you as a believer supply?

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Light Up the Darkness

Leave a comment

Joyce meyer

Fear not [there is nothing to fear], for I am with you; do not look around you in terror and be dismayed, for I am your God.—Isaiah 41:10

God’s Word is clear on this point: We are not to fear. Notice that He doesn’t say that we are never to feel fear, but He does say we shouldn’t allow fear to control us and steal our destiny.

It’s important to remember that what we hide in the darkness has to be brought into the light if we’re going to get rid of it. Go into a completely dark room and switch on the light. What happens? The darkness is swallowed up. That is the way God and His Word work in our lives. When we do what God’s Word tells us to do, those fears that try to torment us are swallowed up. They’re gone, and they have no power over you.

How I wish I had a magic wand I could wave or a prayer I could say that would end fear in your life once and for all. Unfortunately, that’s not going to happen. Prayer does give us the strength to stand against fear, but for us to overcome and be conquerors as God intends us to be, we must realize that we can “feel the fear and do it anyway,” and then we’ll be free.

Lord, may the power of Your Word be effective in dealing with the fears I bring to You now. Show me the truths that set my soul free. Amen.

Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – Blessed are the Humble

Leave a comment

dr_bright

“Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:3).

A young Christian leader, who was probably more impressed with himself than he should have been, shared with me one day how he had difficulty in being humble about all of his talent. He was a better than average speaker and a reasonably gifted singer, he had a good mind and personality, and in his heart of hearts he knew that as a Christian he should be humble.

He said, “I spend many hours on my knees asking God to make me humble.” I responded, “I can save you a lot of prayer time in that regard if you are interested.” He assured me that he was. Whereupon I explained to him that every gift he possessed – personality, good mind, his ability to sing, speak, and other qualities – were all gifts of God and could be taken from him at any moment by a brain tumor or a car accident or plane crash or any of a thousand different things. Furthermore I reminded him that Scripture admonishes us to humble ourselves.

“Humility is perfect quietness of heart,” Andrew Murray said. “It is to have no trouble. It is never to be fretted or irritated or sore or disappointed. It is to expect nothing, to wonder at nothing that is done to me. It is to be at rest when nobody praises me and when I am blamed or despised. It is to have a blessed hope in the Lord, where I can go in and shut the door and kneel to my Father in secret, and am at peace as in a deep sea of calmness when all around and above is trouble.”

Few Christians achieve such high standards, nevertheless it is an objective toward which we all should strive as long as we live, following the example of our Lord recorded in Philippians, chapter 2.

To be poor in spirit implies not only that we have a humble opinion of ourselves, but also that we recognize that we are sinners and have no righteousness of our own; that we are willing to be saved only by the grace and mercy of God; that we are willing to serve where God places us, to bear the burdens He allows and to stay in His hands and admit that we deserve no favor from Him.

As commonly interpreted, the word “blessed” means “happy.” You and I are assured of happiness when we are making conscious strides toward humility. All of this becomes possible as we yield to God’s indwelling Holy Spirit.

Bible Reading: Matthew 5:17-20

TODAY’S ACTION POINT: With the help of the Holy Spirit I will consciously humble myself, asking Him to enable me to love God with all my heart, soul, mind and strength and my neighbor as myself as an act of humility and as a major factor in achieving the supernatural life.

 

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – We Can Make a Difference

Leave a comment

Joyce meyer

The Lord turned from the evil which He had thought to do to His people. —Exodus 32:14

Do you know that prayer can change God’s mind? As a result of someone who will simply take time to talk to Him and listen to Him, God can actually reconsider something He had planned to do.

When Moses went up Mount Sinai to get the Ten Commandments, he was gone longer than the people wanted him to be. In the absence of their leader, they forgot the Lord, gave in to their fleshly desires and decided to melt all their jewelry, make a golden calf, and worship it. God spoke to Moses on the mountain and said, essentially, “You better get back down there, because the people have really gotten themselves in a mess. And I’m angry about it.” (Thank God, Psalm 30:5 says that His anger lasts only a moment, but His mercy is forever!)

Moses began to intercede for the people because he cared so much about them. God had already said to him, “Leave Me alone, for these people are stiff-necked and stubborn” (see Exodus 32:9–10). But Moses refused to give up because the issue was not settled in his heart. He loved the people, he knew the nature of God, and he knew the character of God. On top of that, he knew that God really loved the people and did not really want to leave them stranded.

Moses asked God to change His mind (see Exodus 32:12) and according to today’s verse, God did. We can make a difference when we pray!

God’s word for you today: When you pray, God hears and answers!

Charles Spurgeon

Charles Spurgeon – Three homilies from one text

Leave a comment

CharlesSpurgeon

“And Jesus went about all Galilee, … healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people. And his fame went throughout all Syria: and they brought unto him all sick people that were taken with divers diseases and torments, …and he healed them. ” Matthew 4:23-25

Suggested Further Reading: 2 Kings 6:11-23

Take care that you bring your relatives to Christ on the arms of your faith. Faith is that which puts strength into prayer. The reason why we do not receive the answer to our supplications is, because we do not believe we shall be heard. You remember my sermon the other sabbath morning from the text, “Whatsoever things ye shall desire when ye pray, believe that ye receive them and ye shall have them.” (See August 13) If you can exercise faith for a dead soul, that dead soul shall be quickened and receive faith itself. If you can look to Christ with the eye of faith for a blind soul, that blind soul shall have sight given it and it shall see. There is a wonderful power in vicarious faith—faith for another. Not that any one of you can be saved without faith yourself; but that when another believes for you and on your account, and quotes the promise before God for you, you may be unconscious of it, but God hears and answers that faith, and breathes on your soul, and gives you faith to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. I do not think Christians exercise enough of this power. They are so busy with faith about their troubles, faith about their sins, faith about their personal experience, that they have not time to exercise that faith for another. Oh but surely that gift was never bestowed upon us for our own use merely, but for other people. Try it, Christian man; try it, Christian woman; see whether God is not as good as your faith when your faith is exercised concerning the soul of your poor neighbour, of your poor drunken kinsman, or of some poor soul who thus far has defied every effort to reclaim him from the error of his ways.

For meditation: Sometimes Jesus healed the sick as the result of the faith of others (Matthew 8:10,13; 15:28; Mark 2:5; 9:23,24; Luke 8:50; John 4:50). Are you praying like this for the conversion of some who at present can’t and won’t pray for themselves?

Sermon no. 333

2 September (1860)

Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – None of These Diseases

Leave a comment

dr_bright

“And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the Lord thy God, and wilt do that which is right in His sight, and wilt give ear to His commandments, and keep all His statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the Lord that healeth thee” (Exodus 15:26, KJV).

Prior to a recent minor operation the surgeon came to my hospital room for prayer and to explain the nature of the hernia correction. He explained, “It is God alone who heals. It is my responsibility, along with my staff, to treat and care for you.”

In his excellent book, None of These Diseases, Dr. S.I. McMillen abundantly amplifies and proves the point of this promise: that if we always do that which is right in God’s sight, at the very least our health will be greatly improved.

This highly qualified physician contends that most of our physical problems are caused by stress, but the person who is doing that which is right in God’s sight is not likely to be continually under stress – at least not the kind of stress that impairs one physically.

“I am the Lord that healeth thee.” And He is the same yesterday, today and forever. That would indicate that His healing is available for all today – which of course brings up that sticky question of method and means.

Whatever our persuasion about this, the fact remains that if we really do believe that it is God who heals, then it should follow that He would be our first resource in time of physical need. And it may well be that His direction would take us to the physician. But He alone would be the healer.

Bible Reading: Exodus 15:22-26

TODAY’S ACTION POINT: As I approach each task today, I will make a conscious effort to be concerned about doing that which is right in God’s sight.

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – The Blessings of Meditation

Leave a comment

Joyce meyer

My son, attend to my words; consent and submit to my sayings. Let them not depart from your sight; keep them in the center of your heart. For they are life to those who find them, healing and health to all their flesh. —Proverbs 4:20-22

In these verses, the writer used the words, attend to my words, which is another way of exhorting us to meditate. I love the fact that God not only frequently tells us to meditate—to ponder seriously—His Word, but He frequently promises results. It’s as if God says, “Okay, Joyce, if you meditate, here’s what I’m going to do for you.” In this passage, the promise is life and health. Isn’t that amazing? It’s even a promise that when you contemplate and brood over the Bible, it will affect your physical body.

We’ve known for a long time that when we fill our minds with healthy, positive thoughts, it affects our body and improves our health. This is just another way of repeating this truth. Or take the opposite viewpoint: Suppose we fill our minds with negative thoughts and remind ourselves how frail we are or how sick we were the day before. We soon become so filled with self-pity and self-defeating thoughts that we get even sicker.

In the previous pages, I’ve already mentioned the idea of prosperity (see Psalm 1 and Joshua 1:8). I believe that by “prosperity,” God means that we’ll be enriched and prosper in every part of our lives. It’s not a promise of more material wealth, but an assurance of being able to enjoy all the wonderful blessings we have.

Recently when I meditated on several passages in the Bible, I realized God was showing me that the Word has hidden treasures in it—powerful, life-giving secrets—which God wants to reveal to us. They are there for those who muse, ponder, and contemplate the Word of God.

What we often forget is that God wants our fellowship, our company, and our time with Him. If we want a deep relationship with our heavenly Father, we have to make quality time for God. I recently heard someone say, “Quality time comes out of quantity times.” In other words, it’s only as we spend time with God on a regular, daily basis that we have those special, life-changing moments. We can’t program them to happen, but if we’re there on a daily basis, God will cause some of those times to be quality times of special blessing.

D. L. Moody once said that the Bible would keep us from sin, or sin would keep us from the Bible. That’s the principle here. As we concentrate on God’s Word and allow it to fill our thoughts, we will push away all desire to sin or to displease God in any way. We become more deeply rooted in Him. Again, think of it in the negative. When our mind remains focused on our problems all the time, we become consumed with them. If we meditate on what’s wrong with others, we see even more flaws and faults. But when we concentrate on God’s Word, light comes into our souls.

I want to go back one more time to that powerful statement in Philippians 4:8. No matter which translation or paraphrase we read it in, the message is powerful and exactly what we need to do to condition our minds for victory.

Here’s Eugene Peterson’s paraphrase in The Message: “Summing it all up, friends, I’d say you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse.”

Dear Father in heaven, teach me the blessings of pondering Your Word, of filling my heart and mind with Your spiritual manna. May I grow into maturity and become more and more like Your Son, Jesus. It’s in His name that I pray. Amen.

 

Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – He Gives Us a New Song to Sing

1 Comment

dr_bright

“He has given me a new song to sing, of praise to our God. Now many will hear of the glorious things He did for me, and stand in awe before the Lord, and put their trust in Him” (Psalm 40:3).

Jim was big man on campus, president of his fraternity and an atheist. He ridiculed all those who professed faith in God, especially the Christians in his fraternity house.

I was invited, over his objections, to speak at one of their weekly meetings. A number of fraternity brothers were active in Campus Crusade and insisted that I come even though Jim resented the idea. Yet, upon completion of my message, he was one of the very first to respond and, after further counsel, received Christ. He became one of the most joyful, radiant, contagious, fruitful witnesses for Christ on the entire campus.

He had a new song to sing, a song of praise to God who had liberated him from a life of decadence and deceit. Now his heart fairly burst with joy as he developed a strategy to help reach every key student for Christ on a great university campus.

There is no greater joy in life than that of sharing Christ with others, and there is no greater joy that comes to another than that which comes with the assurance of salvation when one receives Christ into his life.

Would you like to be an instrument of God to cause others to sing praises to Him? Then tell them the glorious things He has done for you and for them, and encourage them to place their trust in Christ.

Bible Reading: Psalm 40:4-8

TODAY’S ACTION POINT: Today I will seek every opportunity to encourage others to receive Christ so that they can join with me in singing a new song of praise to our God, and together we will share the glorious things He does for us when we place our trust in Him.

 

 

Alistair Begg

Alistair Begg – Patience in Affliction

Leave a comment

Alistair Begg

Wait for the Lord.   Psalms 27:14

It may seem an easy thing to wait, but it is one of the postures that a Christian soldier cannot learn without years of teaching. Marching and quick-marching are much easier for God’s warriors than standing still. There are hours of perplexity when the most willing spirit, anxiously desiring to serve the Lord, does not know what role to play. Then what shall it do? Vex itself by despair? Retreat back in cowardice, turn to the right hand in fear, or rush forward in presumption? No, simply wait. Wait in prayer, however. Call upon God, and spread the matter before Him; tell Him your difficulty, and plead His promise of help.

In dilemmas between one duty and another, it is best to be humble as a child and wait with simplicity of soul upon the Lord. It is sure to be well with us when we feel and know our own folly and are genuinely willing to be guided by the will of God. But wait in faith. Express your unstaggering confidence in Him; for unfaithful, untrusting waiting is just an insult to the Lord. Believe that if He keeps you waiting even until midnight, He will still come at the right time; the vision will come and not delay. Wait in quiet patience, not rebelling because things are difficult, but blessing your God for the privilege of affliction.

Never grumble against the second cause, as the children of Israel did against Moses; never wish you could go back to the world again, but accept the circumstance as it is, and put it as it stands, simply and with your whole heart, without any selfish agenda, into the hand of your covenant God, saying, “Now, Lord, not my will, but Yours be done. I do not know what to do. I am at an end of myself, but I will wait until You part the floods or drive back my enemies. I will wait, even if You test me for a while, for my heart is fixed upon You alone, O God, and my spirit waits for You in the deep conviction that You will still be my joy and my salvation, my refuge and my strong tower.”

 

Charles Spurgeon

Charles Spurgeon – Independence of Christianity

Leave a comment

CharlesSpurgeon

“Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord of Hosts.” Zechariah 4:6

Suggested Further Reading: 2 Corinthians 3:17-4: 7

The grand thing the church wants in this time, is God’s Holy Spirit. You all get up plans and say, “Now, if the church were altered a little bit, it would go better.” You think if there were different ministers, or different church order, or something different, then all would be well. No, dear friends, it is not there the mistake lies; it is that we want more of the Spirit. It is as if you saw a locomotive engine upon a railway, and it would not go, and they put up a driver, and they said, “Now, that driver will just do.” They try another and another. One proposes that such-and-such a wheel should be altered, but still it will not go. Some one then bursts in amongst those who are conversing and says, “No, friends; but the reason why it will not move, is because there is no steam. You have no fire, you have no water in the boiler: that’s why it will not go. There may be some faults about it; it may want a bit of paint here and there, but it will go well enough with all those faults if you do but get the steam up.” But now people are saying, “This must be altered, and that must be altered;” but it would go no better unless God the Spirit should come to bless us. You may have the same ministers, and they shall be a thousand times more useful for God, if God is pleased to bless them. You shall have the same deacons, they shall be a thousand times more influential than they are now, when the Spirit is poured down upon them from on high. That is the church’s great want, and until that want be supplied, we may reform, and reform, and still be just the same. We want the Holy Spirit.

For meditation: God doesn’t come to us in the most spectacular ways possible (1 Kings 19:11-12). For his idea of power-evangelism see 1 Corinthians 1:17,18,23,24; 2:1-5, also Romans 1:16.

Sermon no. 149

30 August (1857)

 

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – Eternal Life: Do You Want It?

3 Comments

Charles Stanley

1 John 5:3-12

Good health, it seems, is on everyone’s mind these days. Books about the latest, greatest fad diets top the bestseller list. Nutrition stores and health clubs pop up all over town—at times right next door to fast food restaurants. And late-night television is constantly unveiling a flood of gadgets and gizmos, all designed to get you into “the best shape of your life” (and with the promise of minimal effort and commitment).

Why is the health industry such a booming business? It’s because longevity is a major concern: most people have an innate desire to live as long as they can. But in addition to wanting quantity of years, people also want the highest quality life possible. Yet this emotional need for a long, robust life is most frequently centered around the physical world. What about life after death?

Scripture makes it absolutely clear that eternal life is available to every person on earth (Rom. 10:13). Sickness, disease, and death are all bound to life on this planet; however, everyone in Christ has already overcome the worst this world has to offer—namely, death (1 John 5:4-5). Despite their emotional appeal, television infomercials cannot offer anything to compare with the promise of eternal life.

As believers, we should be shouting this message from the rooftops. The people around us are yearning for a word of life, but too many Christians have remained silent. Why? How can we keep secret what God went to such great lengths to reveal? We can live forever! Who in your life needs to hear this amazing truth today?

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — Overwhelming Concern

Leave a comment

Our Daily Bread

John 13:31-35

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another. —John 13:34

A while ago, I wrote an article about my wife, Marlene, and her struggles with vertigo. When the article appeared, I was unprepared for the tidal wave of response from readers offering encouragement, help, suggestions and, mostly, concern for her well-being. These messages came from all over the world, from people in all walks of life. Expressions of loving concern for my wife poured in to the point where we could not even begin to answer them all. It was overwhelming in the best kind of way to see the body of Christ respond to Marlene’s struggle. We were, and remain, deeply grateful.

At its core, this is how the body is supposed to work. Loving concern for our brothers and sisters in Christ becomes the evidence that we have experienced His love. While addressing the disciples at the Last Supper, Jesus said, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples” (John 13:34-35).

Marlene and I experienced a sampling of Christlike love and concern in those letters we received. With the help of our Savior and as a way of praising Him, may we show others that kind of love as well. —Bill Crowder

Bearing people’s heavy burdens,

Shouldering their pain and grief,

Shows the love of Christ to others,

Bringing them His sure relief. —Anon.

The height of our love for God is indicated by the depth of our love for one another. —Morley

Bible in a year: Psalms 126-128; 1 Corinthians 10:19-33

Max Lucado

Max Lucado – Turn a Deaf Ear

Leave a comment

Max Lucado

Two kinds of voices vie for our attention.  One says, “God will help you.”  The other says, “God has left you!”

And here’s the great news:  you select the voices you hear.  Why give ear to pea-brains and scoffers when you can, with the same ear, listen to the voice of God?  I had a friend who battled alcohol.  He tried a fresh tactic.  He gave me and a few others permission to slug him in the nose if we ever saw him drinking. If the wall is too tall, try the tunnel!  Try something different… God will help you!

Ephesians 1:19-20 says, “God’s power is very great for those who believe.  That power is the same as the great strength God used to raise Christ from the dead and put Him at His right side in the heavenly world.”

Turn to God and he will give you what you need.  Turn a deaf ear to the old voices. Open a wide eye to the new choices!

from Facing Your Giants

Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – To Be Approved

Leave a comment

dr_bright

“Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15, KJV).

Most of all of my adult life has been centered around the university world – as a student, a teacher, and one who works with students, professors and administrators in the intellectual realm. I count many of the leading scholars of our time as beloved friends, yet if I had to choose between a Ph.D. from the most prestigious university in the world and a thorough knowledge of and comprehension of the Word of God, I would gladly choose the latter. Fortunately, it is not necessary to choose because one can have both academic training and a knowledge of God’s Word.

A recommendation which I have made to our two sons and to thousands of our staff and students with whom we work is that degrees are very important in today’s world, but they will not only be meaningless and worthless in terms of eternity, but can contribute to one’s moral and spiritual disintegration unless at the same time one is studying to show himself approved unto God. In all of our academic pursuits and in our commitment to excellence in the business and professional realms, we must be careful to give God and His Holy inspired Word their rightful place in our daily schedule. Ultimately, it is our knowledge of God learned through the study of Scripture and our response to Him that makes all the difference in our life-style. It makes the difference in the choosing of our mate, in the rearing of our children, in the choosing of our friends, our business or professional career, in all of our attitudes and actions and in the contribution which we make to society. Let us give priority to priorities, the highest of which is to seek after God through the diligent study of His holy revelation to man and to encourage others to join with us in rightly dividing the word of truth.

Bible Reading: II Timothy 2:19-25

TODAY’S ACTION POINT: With God’s help I will seek not only to be a student of God’s Word but also to acquire the ability to teach His word to others.

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Faith Energizes

Leave a comment

Joyce meyer

Trust in, lean on, rely on, and have confidence in Him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts before Him. God is a refuge for us (a fortress and a high tower). Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]!  —Psalm 62:8

You might ask, “Doesn’t a really confident person get involved in a lot of things?”

Yes, she probably does, but it isn’t because of fear. Whatever she is involved in, she is confident about being involved in. When we do things out of desire and confidence, they affect us in a totally different way than when we do them out of wrong motives and fear. God will not energize our fears, but He does energize us if we have faith that we are doing the right thing and approach a project with confidence in Him.

Fear drains you of whatever energy you might have had and leaves you feeling stressed to the max, but confidence and faith actually energize you. A confident person can do more with less stress because they live with an ease that fearful people never experience.

I don’t believe that what we do creates stress nearly as much as how we do it. If we do something fearfully and under pressure with no real desire to do it, then stress and no joy is the result. We’re miserable. Fortunately, just the opposite can be true.

Lord, help me to do what I’m doing with desire and confidence. I pour out my heart to You and ask You to energize my faith. Amen.

Presidential Prayer Team

Presidential Prayer Team; G.C. – Rockslide

Leave a comment

ppt_seal01

Have you ever encountered a rockslide across the road while driving? It’s a travel frustration requiring hours of waiting and possibly a complete rerouting of your trip. Rockslides are triggered when rock, earth, plants and other debris lose their hold on each other and slide down to the lowest point.

Teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness and without hindrance.  Acts 28:31

The Bible talks about two things that can cause a spiritual rockslide, greatly hindering your spiritual journey. In essence, these things block your effectiveness as a Christian. They don’t annul your salvation; they deter the results God may be working to accomplish through your prayers and efforts. The two issues are: personal sin in your life, and unforgiveness toward another person.

Are you missing passion, power and effectiveness in your prayers or in your relationship with Christ? Maybe there has been a rockslide in your heart. Ask God to reveal any sin in your life, and humbly request and accept His forgiveness. Then have an attitude of forgiveness toward the person who has sinned against you. Once the road is clear, you can get back on your way; teaching, leading and praying with boldness for others and for America.

Recommended Reading: Colossians 3:12-17

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – The Inner Life

Leave a comment

Joyce meyer

The Holy Spirit points out that the way into the [true Holy of] Holies is not yet thrown open as long as the former [the outer portion of the] tabernacle remains a recognized institution and is still standing.

—Hebrews 9:8

The Old Testament tabernacle had three compartments. It consisted of an outer court, a second compartment called the Holy Place, and the Holy of Holies, which was the interior chamber. Only the high priest could go into the Holy of Holies, for it contained the presence of God.

As humans we are tri-part beings with three compartments. We have a body, we have a soul, and we have a spirit. The verse for today states that as long as we continue recognizing the outer portion, which is an analogy of our body and soul, then the way into the Holy of Holies, an analogy of our spirit, is not opened. In simple terms, this means that if we obey and cater to our flesh we will never enjoy and dwell in the presence of God. For example, if I am angry I will not enjoy the presence of God.

Our fleshly parts will always make demands because the flesh is selfish and wants its own way, but we do not have to give in to those demands. We can simply say, “I do not recognize you any longer; you have no authority over me.” As we take this stand against giving in to the demands of the fleshly life, we are honoring God and made able to enjoy His presence. The message for today is easy: “Say no to self and yes to God.” The Bible says that we are dead to sin. Sin is not dead; it will always try to draw us in, but we can say no!

God’s word for you today: Don’t live the life of the flesh by catering to the appetites and impulses of your carnal nature.

 

Presidential Prayer Team

Presidential Prayer Team; G.C. – Rockslide

Leave a comment

ppt_seal01

Have you ever encountered a rockslide across the road while driving? It’s a travel frustration requiring hours of waiting and possibly a complete rerouting of your trip. Rockslides are triggered when rock, earth, plants and other debris lose their hold on each other and slide down to the lowest point.

Teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness and without hindrance. Acts 28:31

The Bible talks about two things that can cause a spiritual rockslide, greatly hindering your spiritual journey. In essence, these things block your effectiveness as a Christian. They don’t annul your salvation; they deter the results God may be working to accomplish through your prayers and efforts. The two issues are: personal sin in your life, and unforgiveness toward another person.

Are you missing passion, power and effectiveness in your prayers or in your relationship with Christ? Maybe there has been a rockslide in your heart. Ask God to reveal any sin in your life, and humbly request and accept His forgiveness. Then have an attitude of forgiveness toward the person who has sinned against you. Once the road is clear, you can get back on your way; teaching, leading and praying with boldness for others and for America.

Recommended Reading: Colossians 3:12-17