Tag Archives: The Bible

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – “God, This Is Just Not a Good Time!”

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. . . Felix became alarmed and terrified and said, Go away for the present; when I have a convenient opportunity, I will send for you. —Acts 24:25

The Bible tells a story about a man who did not follow God because doing so would have been inconvenient. This man, named Felix, asked Paul to come and preach the Gospel to him. But when Paul started talking to him about right living, purity of life, and controlling his passions, Felix became alarmed and frightened. He told Paul to go away and that he would call him at a more convenient time (see Acts 24:24–25).

I find this extremely amusing, not because it is really funny, but because it clearly depicts the way we are. We don’t mind hearing about how much God loves us and about the good plans He has for our lives, but when He begins to chastise us or correct us in any way, we try to tell Him that “now” is just not a good time. I doubt He ever chooses a time we would consider “a good time,” and I think He does that on purpose!

When the Israelites were traveling through the wilderness, they were led by a cloud during the day and a pillar of fire by night. When the cloud moved, they had to move. And when it hovered, they stayed where they were (see Num. 9:15–23). The Bible says that sometimes it moved during the day and sometimes it moved at night. Sometimes it rested for a few days and sometimes it rested for one day.

I seriously doubt that at night they all hung Do Not Disturb signs on the openings of their tents to let God know they did not want to be inconvenienced. When He decided it was time to go, they packed up and followed Him. And when He decides it is time for us to move to the next level of our journey in Him, we should never say, “This is just not a good time!”

God knows best, and His timing is always exactly right. The fact that I don’t feel ready to deal with something in my life doesn’t mean that I’m not ready. God’s timing is perfect, and His ways are not our ways, but they are higher and better than our ways (see Isa. 55:9).

Trust in Him Have you ever said to God, “This is not a good time”? Commit to following God’s will for your life in His timing. God’s timing may not be your timing, but you can trust Him because He knows best.

Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – Top Priority        

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“So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.” —Matthew 6:31–33

When Jesus told us not to worry about food and clothing, His emphasis was on the word worry. He didn’t say, “Don’t think about it.” Nor did He imply, “Don’t plan ahead for your needs.” He said, “Don’t worry.”

The fact of the matter is that the Bible criticizes the lazy person who lives off the generosity of others and refuses or neglects to work for a living. The Bible says that if you don’t work, you shouldn’t eat (2 Thessalonians 3:10). Go get a job. Provide for yourself. The Bible even encourages us to plan for the future and learn from the example of the ant, that tiny creature that is always planning ahead (see Proverbs 6:6-8).

But there is balance here. The Bible is saying to us, “Yes, do an honest day’s work and be financially responsible, but don’t be obsessed with these things. Jesus said that is how nonbelievers are: “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek” (Matthew 6:31-32).

Isn’t that the emphasis of so many people today—what to eat, what to wear? Their whole lives revolve around materialistic goals. Jesus said this won’t satisfy the deepest needs of your heart.

Don’t make these things your primary purpose in life. Rather, seek God first and foremost in your life, and everything that you need will be provided for you. God will take care of you. He cares about you. He will supply all of your needs.

Today’s devotional is an excerpt from Every Day with Jesus by Greg Laurie, 2013

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Bearing Fruit

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You have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you and I have appointed you [I have planted you], that you might go and bear fruit and keep on bearing, and that your fruit may be lasting [that it may remain, abide], so that whatever you ask the Father in My Name [as presenting all that I AM], He may give it to you. —John 15:16

The Bible says that we are blessed if our confidence is in the Lord. We will be like trees planted by the waters that continue to bear fruit (See Jeremiah 17:7–8).

I admit that sometimes, at the end of a day, we may feel that all of our fruit has been picked! But God will replenish us if we abide in Him. If we put our trust in God, we will bear all kinds of fruit, and will have new fruit to share with others every morning.

Max Lucado

Max Lucado – The Nail of God

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Max Lucado

God has penned a list of our faults. The list God has made, however, cannot be read. The words can’t be deciphered. The mistakes are covered. The sins are hidden. Those at the top are hidden by His hand; those down the list are covered by His blood. Your sins are blotted out by Jesus. The Bible says that He has forgiven you all your sins. He has utterly wiped out the written evidence of broken commandments which always hung over our heads, and has completely annulled it by nailing it to the cross.

He knew the source of those sins was you, and since He couldn’t bear the thought of eternity without you, Jesus Himself chose the nails. The hand is the hand of God. The nail is the nail of God. And as the hands of Jesus opened for the nail, the doors of heaven opened for you!

From He Chose the Nails

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – Our Forgiving Father

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Charles Stanley

Luke 15:11-24

If we have an unforgiving spirit toward another person, we ourselves experience a form of bondage. An even worse type of emotional imprisonment can result from guilt over wrongdoing and the belief that God must condemn us for our sin. If that’s your situation, you don’t understand divine pardon.

The Bible teaches that forgiveness belongs to God. Today’s reading drives the point home with the parable of the prodigal son. In this story, the younger of two brothers took an early inheritance and wasted it foolishly. Eventually, he had nothing left and had to work among pigs, a despicable job for a Jewish man. When he returned home in despair, his father welcomed him with open arms and a celebration. The son had done nothing to earn his father’s pardon or joyful greeting.

If we are to understand forgiveness, we must realize that God’s motivation for pardoning sins is found only in Himself and His love. Like the prodigal son, we can do nothing to earn it.

The wayward son “came to his senses” (v. 17); that is to say, he began to think the truth about himself and the situation he’d created. We do the same when we repent—we agree that our wrongdoing was sin and decide to turn away from it.

Our forgiveness was fully taken care of at the cross, and it was applied to each of us personally when we received Jesus as Savior. But our fleshly patterns aren’t extinguished all at once. So anytime you sin, confess that your behavior was wrong (1 John 1:9). Then you won’t be burdened by guilt, and you can enjoy fellowship with your heavenly Father.

 

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – How to Win the Battle

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Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. —Ephesians 6:14–15 NIV

The Bible says that if we meet our battles with peace and respond to the upsets in life with peace, we will experience victory. It’s a paradox; it doesn’t make any sense. How can we win if we stop fighting?

My husband used to make me mad because he would not fight with me. I was upset and angry, and I wanted him to say just one thing so I could rail on and on. But when Dave saw that I was just looking for an argument, he would be quiet and tell me, “I am not going to fight with you.” Sometimes he would even get in the car and leave for a while, infuriating me even more, but I could not fight with someone who would not fight back.

Moses told the Israelites not to fight when they found the Red Sea facing them on one side and the Egyptian army chasing them on the other. They became frightened, and he told them, “Fear not; stand still (firm, confident, undismayed) and see the salvation of the Lord which He will work for you today. For the Egyptians you have seen today you shall never see again. The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace and remain at rest” (Exod. 14:13–14).

Notice that Moses told the Israelites to “hold [their] peace and remain at rest.” Why? They were at war, and it was necessary for them to respond with peace in order to win the battle. God would fight for them if they would show their confidence in Him by being peaceful. If you hold on to your peace, He will do the same for you.

Trust in Him Are you fighting a battle when you should be holding your peace? Choose to stop fighting and trust God to fight for you. That is how to win a battle.

 

 

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — Empty Fort Strategy

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Our Daily Bread

Judges 7:2-8

Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh. Is there anything too hard for Me? —Jeremiah 32:27

In the Chinese historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms, author Luo Guanzhong describes the “Empty Fort Strategy,” a use of reverse psychology to deceive the enemy. When 150,000 troops from the Wei Kingdom reached Xicheng, which had less than 2,500 soldiers, they found the city gate wide open and the famous military tactician Zhuge Liang calmly playing the zither with two children beside him. The Wei general, baffled by the scene and believing it was an ambush, ordered a full retreat.

The Bible offers another example of a bewildering battle strategy. In Judges 7, God had Gideon use 300 men, horns, jars, and blazing torches against armies that were “as numerous as locusts; and their camels were without number” (v.12).

Could Israel defeat such a formidable foe? It was humanly impossible! They had neither the manpower nor the military hardware. But they had one thing that worked for them and that was all they needed. They had God’s promise: “With these 300 men I will rescue you and give you victory” (v.7 NLT). The result? Victory!

Are you facing a formidable challenge? The Lord has said, “Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh. Is there anything too hard for Me?” (Jer. 32:27). —Poh Fang Chia

Be strong in the Lord and be of good courage;

Your mighty Defender is always the same.

Mount up with wings, as the eagle ascending;

Victory is sure when you call on His name. —Johnson

With God, all things are possible.

Bible in a year: Numbers 9-11; Mark 5:1-20

Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – A Wing or a Weight?

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Since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. —Hebrews 12:1

I heard about a great concert violinist who was asked about the secret to her great performances. She answered, “Planned neglect. Anything that would keep me from practicing and playing well must be neglected.”

I think that some of us could use some planned neglect in our lives because there is a lot more junk in them than we may realize. If you don’t believe me, then try moving from one house to another. Isn’t it amazing how much junk you have collected? The same is true in our lives. We take on things we don’t need. Periodically, we needed to jettison this excess weight and let it go.

When the race of life gets difficult, we like to blame circumstances, other people, or sometimes even God. But we need to remember that if we stumble or fall, it’s our own fault. The Bible says that God, by His divine power, “has given us everything we need for living a godly life” (2 Peter 1:3 NLT).

The Bible also tells us to lay aside the weight and the sin that hinders our progress (see Hebrews 12:1). Notice the distinction: we aren’t just to lay aside the sin; we also are to lay aside the weight. Earlier in this book, I suggested asking yourself this question: Is this preoccupation or activity in my life a wing or a weight? In other words, does it speed me on my way in this race I am running? Or is it a weight — something that slows me down?

David had the right idea when he prayed, “Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting” (Psalm 139:23-24, NIV).

Presidential Prayer Team

Presidential Prayer Team; G.C. – Identify

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Several years ago Christina FourHorn was preparing to pick up her daughter from school when three Denver police cars pulled into her front yard. The officers had a warrant for her arrest in relation to a robbery and swiftly put her in handcuffs and took her to jail. Christina was held for five days, all the while insisting they had the wrong person. And they did…but there were enough similarities between her and the real criminal they could not tell them apart until she was officially identified with state records.

There is no God like you…showing steadfast love to your servants who walk before you.

I Kings 8:23

The Bible says there is no one like God. He has the power to create anything with merely a spoken word. He is the sustainer of life and the defeater of death. And He gladly offers a magnificent love to resurrect broken human lives, turning them into cherished beauty.

Can people quickly identify you as part of God’s work in America today? Are you an active force for hope and restoration in your community and in the lives of others? Pray that God-followers across the land will represent His love so well, others won’t require an official identification to know they work for Him.

Recommended Reading: John 13:31-35

 

 

Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – Like Sheep

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Once you were like sheep who wandered away. But now you have turned to your Shepherd, the Guardian of your souls. —1 Peter 2:25

On more than one occasion, the Bible compares Christians to sheep. I don’t know if I’m really happy about that because sheep aren’t the most intelligent animals on earth. It would have been nice if God had compared us to dolphins. Now, there’s an intelligent animal. I once had the opportunity to talk to a man who trained dolphins. I asked him, “Are dolphins really as intelligent as they seem?”

He said, “In some ways, yes, and in some ways, no. They are very intelligent in many ways because a dolphin can read a symbol and understand what it means.” That is amazing to me.

But Jesus didn’t compare us to dolphins. He compared us to sheep. And sheep are some of the stupidest animals around. They are vulnerable, easily spooked, can’t run very fast, and lack any means of defending themselves. What’s more, they are in constant need of care and attention. Sheep are known to follow each other even to their own death. It has been documented that if one sheep walks off a cliff, the others will follow.

The Bible says, “All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God’s paths to follow our own” (Isaiah 53:6, NLT). Think about how many people have bought into the same lies, generation after generation. They fall into the same junk, the same addictions, and the same traps again and again.

We are like sheep. That is a fact. The question is, are you going to be a smart sheep or a dumb one? Smart sheep stay close to the Shepherd, and that is where we all need to be.

 

Max Lucado

Max Lucado – The Prison of Pride

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Max Lucado

The prison of pride. You’ve seen the prisoners—the alcoholic who won’t admit his drinking problem; the woman who refuses to talk to anyone about her fears. Perhaps to see such a prisoner all you have to do is look in the mirror!

The Bible says, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us” (I John 1:9). The biggest word in Scripture just might be that two-letter one, if.

Confessing sins, admitting failure, is exactly what prisoners of pride refuse to do. They say, “Listen, I’m just as good as the next guy.”  “I pay my taxes.” Justification. Rationalization. Comparison. These are the tools of the jailbird. But in the kingdom of God they sound hollow. Many know they’re wrong, yet pretend they are right. As a result they never taste the exquisite sorrow of repentance.

Blessed are those who know they’re in trouble and have enough sense to admit it!

From The Applause of Heaven

Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – By Faith We walk by faith, not by sight. —2 Corinthians 5:7

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The inspired writers of Scripture did not use the phrase walk by faith in a random way. Those three words are there for a purpose. Notice that the Bible doesn’t tell us to sprint by faith; it tells us to walk by faith. To walk speaks of continual, regulated motion. The Bible says Enoch walked with God. Many believers have their bursts of energy. For a few months, they run. Then they collapse for a while. They need to learn what it is to walk with God.

Of course, most of us like things fast. We have microwave dinners, e-mail, cell phones, and instant messaging. We have so much technology to make our lives a little easier and, most importantly, faster. Then, when we come to the Christian life, we say, “All right, what’s the angle? What’s the shortcut?”

Here it is: “The just shall live by faith” (Romans 1:17). It’s a day-by-day process.

We are always looking for the angle, for the inside track. But it’s very simple. The Bible declares that the just shall live by faith — not by feeling, not by emotion, not by fear, not by worries — by faith.

I know sometimes that it seems like nothing is happening in terms of our spiritual growth. There are times when we don’t really feel like we are changing, because as we look at ourselves every day, we don’t necessarily see any changes. But as we are walking by faith day by day, month by month, and year by year, we are being transformed.

Colossians 2:6 tells us, “As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving.”

 

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – The God Who Reveals Himself

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Charles Stanley

Hebrews 1:1-4

People have all kinds of distorted impressions of God. As a result, their view of life is awry—for example, they may think life is just a matter of fate. But the Lord of the universe leaves nothing to chance.

Because God wants us to approach life correctly, His Word gives us a clear picture of what He is like. One way He reveals Himself is through the material world. The Bible says that the heavens “declare the glory of God” and “pour forth speech” about the Author of creation (Ps. 19:1-2 niv). They are telling of His strength and magnificence. Likewise, the wind, waves, and natural disasters show forth the power of our awesome God. And in a similar way, all the cycles of nature, with their vivid colors and changing patterns, tell of our Maker’s creative genius.

Another way God chooses to reveal Himself is through man’s conscience. Even people who have never heard of God’s laws instinctively know what is right and what is wrong (Rom. 2:11-15). There are atheists who would never lie, steal, or kill. This standard comes from God, who has impressed a moral sense on every person’s conscience.

Many people obey their conscience yet fail to believe in God or recognize that they are accountable to Him. The fact is that unbelief doesn’t cancel your accountability to the Lord. The evidence for His existence is undeniable, but He will not force anyone to believe. Everybody has a choice to make: Will I worship a god of my own creation, or will I worship the One who created me?

 

Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – The Antidote to Wandering

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Remembering to Say Thanks

All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his own way . . . — Isaiah 53:6

King David stands as the prime example of someone who lost their first love. We remember him rightfully as the man after God’s own heart—but we also remember David as a murderer and an adulterer.

We may ask the question, how could one who was known for his devotion to God fall so horribly? What were the steps that led to his demise?

David’s steps to losing his first love were subtle—but very real. When David sat on his rooftop watching Bathsheba bathe on that fateful night, he was not walking with the Lord as he once had.

We read earlier in the psalms how David possessed this great devotion and passion for God. But at this particular point in his life, we don’t read of him worshipping or singing love songs to God. David was spiritually idle.

The Bible says that “at the time when kings go out to battle” (2 Samuel 11:1), King David was sitting on his housetop. He was resting on his laurels.

When you stop progressing spiritually, you will soon be a train wreck waiting to happen. We must recognize that deep in our nature we all have a natural tendency to wander.

It is no coincidence that God compares us to wandering sheep. That is our natural tendency. And as an old hymn says, “Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, prone to leave the God I love.” We are prone to wander.

So the first love Jesus speaks of in Revelation 2:5 is the very thing that will counteract our wandering. Our first love exists as the antidote to the wandering spirit we have. That passion is what keeps us engaged in our relationship with God.

If you make Jesus your first love, everything else will fall into its proper balance.

 

 

Max Lucado

Max Lucado – Heaven’s Throne Room

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Max Lucado

You sleep alone in a double bed. You walk the hallways of a silent house. You catch yourself calling out his name or reaching for her hand. Good-bye is the challenge of your life! To get through this is to get through this raging loneliness, this strength-draining grief.  Just the separation has exhausted your spirit. You feel quarantined, isolated.

May I give you some hope?  If heaven’s throne room has a calendar, one day is circled in red and highlighted in yellow. The Bible says that the The Master himself will give the command. Archangel thunder!  God’s trumpet blast! He will come down from heaven and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then the rest of us who are still alive will be caught up with them into the clouds to meet the Master. (I Thessalonians 4:15-17).

Oh, what a day that will be! We’ll be walking on air! And there will be one huge family reunion. I leave you with this reminder: You will get through this!

From You’ll Get Through This