Tag Archives: spirituality

Ravi Zacharias

Ravi Zacharias Ministry – An Incorruptible Power

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Power corrupts. Absolute power corrupts absolutely. This well-known quote from the 1st Baron Acton, or Lord Acton, was not a new insight when he penned those words in a letter to a colleague in the late 19th Century. In fact, other figures throughout history have identified the corrupting influence of power. The French republican poet and politician, Alphonse Marie Louis de Prat de Lamartine who witnessed the uprising of the French people against the ruling monarchy wrote:

“It is not only the slave or serf who is ameliorated in becoming free… the master himself did not gain less in every point of view… for absolute power corrupts the best natures.”(1)

Perhaps he had in mind the ironic result of the French Revolution which replaced the Monarchy with an Emperor named Napoleon Bonaparte.

Sadly, it does seem that power and corruption walk hand in hand. The news media around the world document scandal and abuse by the powerful with the oppression of the weak and the vulnerable a daily reality. Perhaps more tragic is the reality that there are those who hold sacred power, religious leaders of all faiths, who use the authority entrusted to them for malicious and evil purposes. While clergy sexual abuse scandals continue to emerge, stories of “spiritual abuse” and “authoritarian” leadership abound in houses of worship of every denomination and creed.

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Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Release Your Burdens & Trust Him

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One of the ways we can discern that we are truly trusting God, rather than merely trying to trust Him, is whether or not our souls are resting in God’s faithfulness. If I say I am trusting God, but I continue to carry the weight of the burden by worrying and being anxious, then I have not released the burden to the Lord. I may want to. I may be trying to. But I have not done it yet.

Understanding this has helped me to learn what real trust in God is. It is more than words—it is releasing the weight of my burden; a decisive action that brings rest to my soul (mind, will, emotions).

Just imagine that you are carrying a backpack filled with rocks everywhere you go. You take it to work, to the market, to church, and it is a heavy burden, but you continue to carry it. Now imagine that you decide to drop it—just think how much better you would feel and how much easier everything would be.

That’s the way it is when we worry and carry the weight of burdens with us instead of entrusting them to God. We continue functioning and doing what we need to do, but the weight of the burden places a great deal of stress on us and makes our life very difficult. You can decide to drop your burden today by trusting God, if you choose to, and you will be glad you did.

 

http://www.joycemeyer.org

 

Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – How to Test Your Experience: II

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“You wives must submit to your husbands’ leadership in the same way you submit to the Lord…And you husbands, show the same kind of love to your wives as Christ showed to the church when He died for her, to make her holy and clean, washed by baptism and God’s Word…
“Children, obey your parents; this is the right thing to do because God has placed them in authority over you. Honor your father and mother…
“And now a word to you parents. Don’t keep on scolding and nagging your children, making them angry and resentful. Rather, bring them up with the loving discipline the Lord Himself approves, with suggestions and godly advice” (Ephesians 5:22,25-26; 6:1-4).

When a dear Christian friend came to me for counsel one day, he and I agreed that something was obviously wrong in his relationship with Christ.

“Do you know for sure that you are filled with the Holy Spirit?” I asked.

“Yes, I know all about the Holy Spirit and I know that I am filled.”

“Here’s a good test,” I suggested. Then I read him the above passage from Ephesians, whereupon the Holy Spirit helped him to realize, as he compared to this passage the daily reality of his walk with Christ, that he was not truly filled with the Holy Spirit. He was honest and confessed that he did not even begin to love his wife as Christ loved the church, nor did he have a good relationship with his children, but he wanted to measure up to the scriptural standard in both cases.

As we bowed together in prayer, by faith he claimed the fullness of the Holy Spirit, and God gave to him a joyful new relationship with Christ and with his wife and children, as well as with everybody else around him.

Bible Reading: Colossians 3:18-25

TODAY’S ACTION POINT: I will meditate on this passage from Ephesians 5. If these experiences are not real in my life, I will claim by faith the fullness and control of God’s Holy Spirit and ask Him to make them a reality in my daily relationship with the Lord, with my loved ones and with all others.

 

http://www.cru.org

 

 

Max Lucado

Max Lucado – Don’t Get Lost in Your Troubles

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Our minds cannot be full of God at the same time they are full of fear! Don’t get lost in your troubles. Lift up your eyes! “He will keep in perfect peace all those who trust in him, whose thoughts turn often to the Lord! (Isaiah 26:3 TLB).

Are you troubled, restless, sleepless? Then rejoice in the Lord’s Sovereignty. I dare you. I double-dog dare you—to expose your worries to an hour of worship. Your concerns will melt like ice on an August sidewalk!

Jeremiah draws a direct connection between faith and peace. “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, and whose hope is in the Lord. For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, which spreads out its roots by the river, and will not fear when heat comes; but its leaf will be green, and will not be anxious in the year of drought (Jeremiah 17:7-8 NKJV).

Read more Anxious for Nothing

Anxious For Nothing by Max Lucado Cover Art

 

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Denison Forum

Denison Forum – Responding to Irma: Good news in the news

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As Hurricane Irma bore down on my brother and his family over the weekend, I was watching television coverage of the storm nonstop. I heard a commentator reporting from Florida make the perceptive statement, “The worst in Mother Nature often brings out the best in human nature.”

He was right.

The damage from this historic disaster is continuing. As of this morning, at least forty-two people have died because of the storm. Jacksonville, Florida, has experienced record floods. A flash flood emergency has been declared in Charleston, South Carolina. About 6.5 million people in Florida are without power.

But there is remarkable good news in the news.

The New York Times is reporting on sacrificial ways Christians are serving each other and their communities after Hurricane Harvey. One example is Rabbi Michael Vowell, a Messianic Jew (a Jew who accepts Jesus as his Messiah). According to the Times, he came to faith in Christ as a young man “as part of his escape from drug abuse and dealing.”

How does he deal with faith questions related to Hurricane Harvey? “My theology is that if I can see God moving through people, neighbors helping neighbors, I can shelve the bigger question of why is this happening,” he said. “That there are still people caring for each other is evidence enough that God is in this world.”

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Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – Freedom From Enslavement

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Colossians 3:5-10

Sin cannot dominate believers who throw themselves upon the Lord’s mercy—the Father is faithful to restore fellowship with His beloved children. He does this by breaking down walls that were built up through disobedience.

However, it is our job to confess the specific bondage that holds us, since denial blocks the healing and freedom God offers. Whatever the nature of our sin, the root of the problem is ultimately spiritual, not simply a weakness or social ill. Treatment meant to ease our emotional, mental, or physical discomfort will not be fully effective until we acknowledge the spiritual aspect of our difficulty.

Though sin is uniquely spiritual in nature, the reasons behind wrong behavior are often emotional. Emotions trapped deep within the believer—like insecurity, inadequacy, or lack of self-worth—drive the individual to search out ways to satisfy or escape the feelings. What results is often some form of unhealthy behavior. For instance, at one time in my own ministry experience, I allowed myself to be overextended. Out of a sense of inadequacy, I was driving myself to succeed in “God’s work,” which turned out to be the responsibilities He gave me plus anything else I thought needed doing for Him. I discovered that freedom from bondage is a choice.

As Paul explains, Jesus’ followers must lay aside their sin. For me, that meant putting away my misguided drive to succeed and taking a long rest. Through the Holy Spirit, we voluntarily surrender our chains in order to gain freedom in Christ.

Bible in One Year: Ezekiel 46-48

 

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Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — The One Who Understands

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Read: John 1:1–18

Bible in a Year: Proverbs 10–12; 2 Corinthians 4

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.—John 1:14

John Babler is the chaplain for the police and fire departments in his Texas community. During a twenty-two-week sabbatical from his job, he attended police academy training so that he could better understand the situations law enforcement officers face. Through spending time with the other cadets and learning about the intense challenges of the profession, Babler gained a new sense of humility and empathy. In the future, he hopes to be more effective as he counsels police officers who struggle with emotional stress, fatigue, and loss.

We know that God understands the situations we face because He made us and sees everything that happens to us. We also know He understands because He has been to earth and experienced life as a human being. He “became flesh and made his dwelling among us” as the person of Jesus Christ (John 1:14).

Jesus’s earthly life included a wide range of difficulty. He felt the searing heat of the sun, the pain of an empty stomach, and the uncertainty of homelessness. Emotionally, He endured the tension of disagreements, the burn of betrayal, and the ongoing threat of violence.

Jesus experienced the joys of friendship and family love, as well as the worst problems that we face here on earth. He provides hope. He is the Wonderful Counselor who patiently listens to our concerns with insight and care (Isa. 9:6). He is the One who can say, “I’ve been through that. I understand.” —Jennifer Benson Schuldt

Dear Lord, thank You for caring enough to humble Yourself and come to earth as a human being.

God understands the struggles we face.

 

http://www.odb.org

 

 

Ravi Zacharias

Ravi Zacharias Ministry – Love Sought, Love Given

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How do you know that God exists? How do you know that God loves you? How do you know God is present versus absent? These questions, upon the hearts of so many, have answers as real as the formative moments in your life.

As I have aged I seem to grow more and more prone to nostalgia. Many of us do this instinctively, clinging to memories past, perhaps looking backwards with the hope of seeing a purpose for our lives. When I travel to India, I make it a point to revisit time and again those significant marking points of my own life. As I recall these moments past but not forgotten, I hear the gentle voice of the God very much in the present. And God says: I was there. When on you were on your bike contemplating suicide, I was there. When you were but nine years old and your grandmother died, I arranged for her gravestone to hold in time the very verse that would lead you to conversion. I was there.

It is often in these harrowing moments—your parents’ divorce, your child’s birth, the death of a loved one—where God leaves a defining mark. There is reason you remember such moments so vividly. We have a choice to hear or to ignore, but regardless his voice cries out in our memories, I was there. God has been in our past. God is here today. God will be there in our future. We have this promise in the flesh and blood of Jesus Christ.

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Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer –  “The Flesh Is Weak,” But You Don’t Have to Be

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All of you must keep awake (give strict attention, be cautious and active) and watch and pray, that you may not come into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. — Matthew 26:41

The night before Jesus was crucified, He gathered the disciples in the Garden of Gethsemane and made just one request: All of you must keep awake (give strict attention, be cautious and active) and watch and pray, that you may not come into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak (Matthew 26:41).

All the disciples had to do was stay awake and pray, but they kept falling asleep. Jesus, on the other hand, did pray, and an angel strengthened Him in spirit, enabling Him to endure the cross. The disciples didn’t pray—they slept—and proved that the flesh truly is weak.

To me, this story proves the critical importance of prayer. As Christians, we must realize that without daily prayer and interaction with God, we have nothing.

We all struggle with living according to our “weak flesh,” but when we make prayer a priority, God strengthens us in the spirit, allowing us to overcome the limitations of the flesh.

What are you relying on for strength today? Your flesh? Or are you experiencing the power that God so graciously gives us when we come to Him?

 

http://www.joycemeyer.org

 

Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – How to Test Your Experience: I

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“Talk with each other much about the Lord, quoting psalms and hymns and singing sacred songs, making music in your hearts to the Lord. Always giving thanks for everything to our God and Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ by submitting to each other” (Ephesians 5:19,20).

Mary was one of those ardent, faithful church members – a Sunday school teacher, choir member and active participant in a home Bible study – who just assume they are filled with the Holy Spirit because they do everything their pastor or Christian leader asks of them.

“Why has no one, up to now, ever told me that I needed to be filled with the Holy Spirit?” she asked me just after I had publicly suggested that very thing.

To help Mary better understand her own spiritual condition, I read to her the above passage from Ephesians. Then I asked her several questions relating to that portion of Scripture.

“Are you talking about Christ to others? Is your heart filled with melody to the Lord? Do you spend time in God’s Word daily? Do you have a thankful spirit? Do you submit to others in the Lord?”

Mary hesitated only a moment. “If these are evidence of a Spirit-filled life, I must not be controlled by the Holy Spirit. But I would like to be. What should I do?”

With great delight and joy I shared appropriate Scriptures with her, and together we bowed in prayer as she claimed by faith the fullness and control of the Holy Spirit in her life. Surrendering to the lordship of Christ, turning from all known sin, hungering and thirsting after righteousness, she now knew with certainty that she was filled with the Spirit. Being filled with the Spirit is not a once-and-for-all-decision, but a way of life in which we claim the fullness of the Spirit moment by moment, day by day, by faith.

Bible Reading: Colossians 3:12-17

TODAY’S ACTION POINT: I will honestly compare myself with the evidences of the supernatural, Spirit-filled life listed in the fifth chapter of Ephesians. If these are not true in my life, I will claim by faith the fullness and control of God’s Holy Spirit, and ask Him to make these qualities a reality in my daily relationships with the Lord, with my loved ones and with others.

 

http://www.cru.org

 

 

Max Lucado

Max Lucado – Rejoice in the Lord’s Sovereignty

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The next time you fear the future, rejoice in the Lord’s sovereignty. Rejoice in what he has accomplished. Rejoice that he is able to do what you cannot do. Fill your mind with thoughts of God.

“He is the Creator, who is blessed forever” (Romans 1:25).

“He is the same yesterday, today, and forever” (Hebrews 13:8).

“His years will never end” (Psalm 102:27 NIV).

He is king, supreme ruler, absolute monarch, and overlord of all history. An arch of his eyebrow and a million angels will pivot and salute! Every throne is a footstool to his. Every crown is papier-mache next to his. He consults no advisers. He needs no congress. He reports to no one. He is in charge.

Sovereignty gives the saint the inside track to peace. Others see the problems of the world and wring their hands. We see the problems of the world and bend our knees!

 

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Denison Forum

Denison Forum – Hurricane Irma attacked my family

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Hurricane Irma is personal for me in a way no other storm has been. The reason: it targeted my family.

My brother and his wife live in the Tampa area. My wife’s older sister and her husband live in Orlando. Last night, they were directly impacted by the largest storm ever recorded in the Atlantic. All four survived, but we do not yet know the damage to their homes.

Irma has already devastated Cuba, becoming the first Category 5 hurricane to hit the island since 1924. Havana has experienced unprecedented flooding; homes and towns across the north of Cuba are destroyed.

Then the hurricane turned its wrath on Florida. As of this morning, 6.5 million people have been evacuated. Four million Floridians are without power, more than 40 percent of all customers in the state. Five have died, in addition to twenty-seven deaths in the Caribbean.

I prayed for the Lord to push this storm away from land and out into the sea. Instead, it attacked Cuban Christians, brothers and sisters I dearly love and have visited many times over the years. Then it turned and targeted my family.

I pray each day for God’s protection for my family and nation. I’m sure you do the same. When our prayers seem unanswered, how can we continue trusting the One to whom we pray?

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Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – Avoiding Enslavement

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Romans 6:16-19

A physical prison is built brick by brick. Similarly, a spiritual prison can be erected one sin at a time without a believer noticing. Ensnarement happens slowly, beginning with a thought. Over time, unless the thought is eradicated, contemplation turns to action. With Satan falsely promising happiness as the reward for giving in to temptation, sin gains strength through repetition until our conscience is finally overpowered. One day we discover the devil holds our will in bondage.

But we can avoid spiritual chains. Our first step is to acknowledge two basic truths: All sin enslaves, and bondage begins in the mind. We cannot maintain a healthy relationship with the Lord while indulging sin. When a wrong thought creeps into our consciousness, we have the choice to expel it or to entertain it. Through the strength of the Holy Spirit, every believer possesses power to change his or her mind.

A strong antidote to temptation is a long-term view of disobedient behavior. A second step, then, is to ask ourselves, Is the pleasure of this sin worth the consequences of enslavement? Inevitably, the answer is no. What alcoholic would claim that his next drink is worth the powerlessness he feels against the bottle?

Third, we order our life according to Scripture. That is, we make the choice to place ourselves in bondage to the Father because we find true freedom in Him. His Word trains us to recognize sin and excises wrongdoing from our heart. Ask God to speak through the Bible today, and see what He reveals about your life.

Bible in One Year: Ezekiel 43-45

 

 

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Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — Writing Letters

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Read: 2 Corinthians 3:1–6

Bible in a Year: Proverbs 8–9; 2 Corinthians 3

You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everyone. —2 Corinthians 3:2

My mother and her sisters engage in what is increasingly becoming a lost art form—writing letters. Each week they pen personal words to each other with such consistency that one of their mail-carriers worries when he doesn’t have something to deliver! Their letters brim with the stuff of life, the joys and heartaches along with the daily happenings of friends and family.

I love to reflect on this weekly exercise of the women in my family. It helps me appreciate even more the apostle Paul’s words that those who follow Jesus are “a letter from Christ,” who were “written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God” (2 Cor. 3:3). In response to false teachers who wanted to discredit his message (see 2 Cor. 11), Paul encouraged the church in Corinth to keep on following the true and living God as he had previously taught. In doing so, he memorably described the believers as Christ’s letter, with their transformed lives a more powerful witness to the Spirit working through Paul’s ministry than any written letter could be.

How wonderful that God’s Spirit in us writes a story of grace and redemption! For as meaningful as written words can be, it is our lives that are the best witness to the truth of the gospel, for they speak volumes through our compassion, service, gratitude, and joy. Through our words and actions, the Lord spreads His life-giving love. What message might you send today? —Amy Boucher Pye

Lord God, write the story of my life so that I might reflect Your love and goodness to those I encounter today.

We are Christ’s letters.

INSIGHT: Our Lord Jesus said we are the salt and light of the world (Matt. 5:13-14) to illustrate the impact believers have in their community (v. 16). We are not saved by our good works (Eph. 2:8-9), but once saved what we do and how we live are a witness to the power of Christ to change lives. Sim Kay Tee

 

http://www.odb.org

 

 

Today in the Word

Moody Global Ministries – Today in the Word – WHEN THEY FOUND HIM

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John 6:25–71

Author Flannery O’Connor wrote stories set in the South about odd characters facing spiritual choices. “I think there is no suffering greater than what is caused by the doubts of those who want to believe,” she said. Today’s passage appears to be a disagreement about bread, but it is really about the difficult choice between belief and disbelief.

To both His disciples and to the crowd in the synagogue, Jesus claimed to be the living “bread that came down from heaven” (v. 58). This conversation clearly reveals the confused state of mind of His followers. First, they were looking for a direct solution to their physical needs. They wanted Him to be the bread that satisfied their physical cravings. Notice how they compared him to manna (v. 31). They even phrased it as a demand: “Always give us this bread” (v. 34).

They did not understand that Jesus Himself was the only bread that would satisfy their deepest spiritual longings. They wanted Jesus for what He could give them—physical healing, miraculous provisions, or political freedom. They saw a man whose parents they knew, and they resisted His claim of divinity (v. 42).

Jesus redirected the conversation to His identity as the Son of God. He referred back to the Scriptures and attempted to explain to them that He is the “bread of life” (v. 48). But even after several lengthy explanations, they continued to misunderstand His message: “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” (v. 52).

The religious skeptics were not the only ones confused. Even His disciples struggled to believe. In fact, many turned away from Jesus and quit following at this point. This was the fork in the road, the dividing point. Would they believe or would they walk away?

APPLY THE WORD

Each of us comes to a crossroads where we must either choose to believe or walk away. What is your choice? Do you believe that Jesus is indeed the Son of God, the bread of life? Do you trust His claims rather than demand that He conform to your own expectations? Through Jesus we can find life, but only if we follow Him.

 

http://www.todayintheword.org

 

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – confession

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Is not My word like fire [that consumes all that cannot endure the test]? says the Lord, and like a hammer that breaks in pieces the rock [of most stubborn resistance]?— Jeremiah 23:29

What do you usually think of when you hear the word “confession”? Many people think first of the definition that has a negative connotation—being forced to admit you have done something wrong. But when we agree with God’s Word by “confessing” it out loud, the result is always positive.

An acquaintance of mine says we cannot defeat Goliath with our mouths shut. When David was preparing to do battle with the giant Goliath, he ran toward him, confessing out loud what he believed the end result of the battle would be: “This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand… “(1 Sam. 17:46 AMP).

This is a good example of how we should approach the enemies in our own lives. We must open our mouths and speak the Word of God.

I strongly encourage you to confess the Word of God out loud daily. Each time a thought comes to your mind that does not agree with God’s Word, confess the truth of His Word out loud, and you will find that the power of the Word will overcome the lie.

 

http://www.joycemeyer.org

 

Campus Crusade for Christ

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

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“Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy” (Matthew 5:7, KJV).

If you and I have a desire to imitate God, seldom do we accomplish that purpose more than in the practice of showing mercy.

God delights in nothing more than in the exercise of showing mercy. One of the clear prerequisites to real happiness is this display of genuine mercy. Surely God has given us the supreme example, by giving His only Son to die in our place. That is mercy beyond comprehension, beyond description.

The world speaks often of having someone at its mercy. In a very real sense, God has us at His mercy – but He chose to be merciful and make a way of escape for us. The decision to take that way is ours.

To the degree that we show mercy to the poor, the wretched, the guilty – to that degree we are like God. And if He keeps us here on earth to be conformed more and more to His image, how important it is that we trust Him – by His indwelling Holy Spirit – to make us merciful.

When we do something to glorify God, like giving a cup of cold water in His name, in obedience to His commandments, and with a desire that He should be honored, He will consider it as done unto Him and reward us accordingly.

The lesson is clear: the merciful shall obtain mercy. And who among us is not a candidate for more of God’s mercy?

Bible Reading: Luke 6:31-36

TODAY’S ACTION POINT: “Dear Lord, with Your great mercy as the supreme example, I resolve to allow your Holy Spirit to show mercy through me.”

 

http://www.cru.org

 

 

Wisdom Hunters

Wisdom Hunters – Confront with Truth

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Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ.   Ephesians 4:15

You confront because you care about the circumstance, the person, and/or the organization. Non-confronters are driven by fear, not care. They are fearful of rejection, of hurting someone’s feelings, of losing their position, even their job. Fear drives out care and replaces it with delayed dysfunction. A non-confronting culture is filled with fear, gossip, and resentment. A confronting culture, on the other hand, is safe, secure, and rewarding. You are praised for speaking your mind. Authenticity is encouraged, and you speak up because you strongly believe in the values of the organization. You are compelled not to compromise excellence by expedience, or value results over relationships.

So you take the time to speak your mind with respect. You say what you mean and you mean what you say. Your clarity in communication means you want to resolve any relational rubs with a better process or program. You confront because you care, so confront often. This keeps any wrongs from turning into resentments. Confront caringly, for this shows respect and that you want what’s best for everyone. Confront calmly and attack the issue, not the individual; this invites dialogue. The spirit of confrontation defines its effectiveness.

It is also important to get the facts before you confront. Take the time to understand the situation and the people involved. Clarification around the truth avoids misunderstandings and many times prevents major blow-ups. Without confrontation we assume inaccuracies that come back to bite us; phrases like, “I didn’t know you meant that,” or, “I didn’t understand, so I assumed…” Fact-finding keeps us from wrongly accusing, or at the very least, wrongly assuming. Teachable hearts accept truthful speech when it’s delivered in love.  So, honor the person, as this increases their receptivity. Apologize for your insensitive or inappropriate actions, for this disarms the other person and promotes trust. In the same way, receive those who confront you.

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Words of Hope

Words of Hope – Daily Devotional – Worry or Wonder?

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Read: Luke 1:26-38

Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. (v. 30)

In Luke 1, both Zechariah and Mary are surprised by angels who tell them not to fear. Zechariah says, “How shall I know this?” (v. 18). Mary says, “How will this be?” (v. 34). After all, the fulfillment of both promises will require a miracle. Zechariah’s wife is too old to conceive a child, and Mary is still a virgin.

Both receive comfort and encouragement from the angels who tell them about each of their promised sons. While Zechariah desperately wants a son to preserve his reputation and legacy, Mary knows that the timing of this birth could ruin her reputation. Zechariah’s and Mary’s attitudes and heart responses are also different. Zechariah’s fear causes him to be skeptical and he wants proof. Mary’s fear turns to curiosity, wonderment, and then acceptance. She replies, “I am the Lord’s servant . . . may your word to me be fulfilled” (Luke 1:38 NIV).

It is human nature to want a guarantee that when God promises something spectacular yet humanly impossible, it will happen. When God says, “Do not be afraid . . . your prayer has been heard,” or “You have found favor with God,” what will my response be? I would like to follow Mary’s example by humbly asking God how something will happen rather than following Zechariah and expecting proof. —Denise Vredevoogd

Prayer: Dear God, help us to surrender our fears and say, like Mary, “May your word to me be fulfilled.”

 

https://woh.org/

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – What’s Required for Salvation?

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Ephesians 2:1-9

Is it possible to know beyond a shadow of a doubt that you are saved? That’s a question I often hear from people who have professed that they trust in Jesus Christ but just aren’t sure if their faith is adequate. The good news is that God wants us to have unquestionable assurance of our salvation (1 John 5:13). And there are three words that will help us determine whether our faith is genuine.

Knowledge. First, we must know that we are sinners and our sins have alienated us from God. Since we are helpless to remedy this situation, He is our only hope for salvation. Second, we need to know that Jesus is deity and He came as the God-man to die in our place and thereby pay the penalty for our sins. His resurrection proves that His sacrifice was sufficient for our salvation.

Conviction. According to John 16:8, one of the Holy Spirit’s jobs is to convict us of sin so we can see our need for a Savior. But that alone is not enough. God’s Spirit also convinces us the message of salvation in Christ is true and we must respond.

Trust. Being fully persuaded of our sin and the sufficiency of Christ’s provision for our forgiveness and salvation, we believe and place trust in Jesus as our Savior and Lord.

The entire Trinity is involved in our salvation. The Son provided the perfect sacrifice for sin, the Father draws us to Christ, and the Spirit convicts and convinces us to believe in Jesus and receive Him as our Savior. We are saved because of God’s amazing grace and limitless love.

Bible in One Year: Ezekiel 40-42

 

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