Tag Archives: theology

Alistair Begg

Alistair Begg – Our Shepherd-king

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Alistair Begg

He shall stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the Lord.

Micah 5:4

Christ’s reign in His Church is that of a shepherd-king. He has supremacy, but it is the superiority of a wise and tender shepherd over his needy and loving flock. He commands and receives obedience, but it is the willing obedience of the well-cared-for sheep, rendered joyfully to their beloved Shepherd, whose voice they know so well. He rules by the force of love and the energy of goodness.

His reign is practical in its character. It is said, “He shall stand and shepherd.” The great Head of the church is actively engaged in providing for His people. He does not sit down upon the throne in empty state or hold a scepter without wielding it in government. No; He stands and shepherds. The expression “shepherd” in the original is like an analogous one in the Greek that means to do everything expected of a shepherd: to guide, to watch, to preserve, to restore, to tend, as well as to feed.

His reign is continual in its duration. It is said, “He shall stand and shepherd”; not “He shall feed now and then and leave His position”; not “He shall one day grant a revival and then next day leave His Church to barrenness.” His eyes never slumber, and His hands never rest; His heart never ceases to beat with love, and His shoulders are never weary of carrying His people’s burdens.

His reign is effectually powerful in its action; “He shall . . . shepherd his flock in the strength of the LORD.” Wherever Christ is, there is God; and whatever Christ does is the act of the Most High. It is a joyful truth to consider that He who stands today representing the interests of His people is very God of very God, to whom every knee shall bow. We are happy to belong to such a shepherd, whose humanity communes with us and whose divinity protects us. Let us worship and bow down before Him as the people of His pasture.

John MacArthur

John MacArthur – The Generosity of Love

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“[John MacArthurLove] does not seek its own” (1 Cor. 13:5).

From the time of Adam and Eve, replacing God with self has been at the root of all sin. Our first parents had only one restriction: “From the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you shall surely die” (Gen. 2:17). But Eve believed the serpent’s lie that God was trying to keep her from realizing her full potential (Gen. 3:5). She ate the forbidden fruit, gave some to Adam, and together they plunged the human race into sin and death.

Christ changed all that when He came, not “to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many” (Matt. 20:28). Unlike Adam and Eve, He didn’t seek His own comfort or gain, but made whatever sacrifices were necessary to redeem lost sinners.

It is reported that the inscription on a tombstone in a small English cemetery reads,

Here lies a miser who lived for himself, And cared for nothing but gathering wealth. Now where he is or how he fares, Nobody knows and nobody cares.

How tragic to spend your entire life enslaved to your selfishness. In contrast, a tombstone in the courtyard of St. Paul’s Cathedral in London reads, “Sacred to the memory of General Charles George Gordon, who at all times and everywhere gave his strength to the weak, his substance to the poor, his sympathy to the suffering, his heart to God.” The first tombstone testifies to the futility of greed and selfishness; the second to the glory of generosity and self- sacrifice.

Christ is the perfect example of self-sacrifice. If you love Him, you should be characterized by the same quality. Then others will see your genuineness and commitment to them, and by God’s grace be drawn to your Lord.

What epitaph might your family and friends write about you? I pray it is one that glorifies God for the selfless love He demonstrated through you.

Suggestions for Prayer:

Thank God for those who have made significant sacrifices toward your spiritual growth. Seek to imitate their love.

For Further Study:

List the fifteen qualities of love from 1 Corinthians 13:4- 7, then determine how self-sacrifice relates to each one.

Presidential Prayer Team

Presidential Prayer Team; H.L.M. – Your Name Here

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Imagine you committed a crime. When you appear before a judge, you will need a lawyer. This attorney will represent you and help give you confidence to face the judge with boldness.

We have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him.  Ephesians 3:12

In the same way, Satan accuses you of all your sins to God. Yet the Bible says, “If anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” (I John 2:1) Jesus appears before God on your behalf and says, “Father, I know (your name) is a sinner, but repentance has been made and my blood has brought cleansing. (Your name) belongs to me.”

As a result of Christ’s death and resurrection, you have the authority to enter directly into God’s presence with freedom and confidence! He loves you completely – and is always waiting with open arms to welcome you as His child and not as a guilty slave.

The Lord knows you by name…so talk with Him about everything. Intercede for your family, friends and neighbors. Regularly pray that the nation’s leaders will make choices based upon godly principles. Expectedly ask that many of them who don’t have a personal relationship with Christ will turn their hearts toward God. Then thank Him for their changed lives!

Recommended Reading: Romans 8:31-39

 

Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – Entrusted with the Gospel

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But as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, even so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God who tests our hearts. —1 Thessalonians 2:4

As believers we have the sacred trust of the gospel message. Jesus has given us our command to “go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15). Everyone is called to do that. Everyone should get the gospel out.

In his letter to Timothy, the apostle Paul mentioned “the glorious gospel of the blessed God which was committed to [his] trust” (1 Timothy 1:11). Again emphasizing the sacred trust of the gospel, Paul wrote in 1 Thessalonians 2 that “we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, even so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God who tests our hearts” (verse 4).

Here is what it means. As Christians we all have the same gospel. And we each have to ask ourselves the question, “How am I getting the gospel out?” It is not about how someone else is getting the gospel out. How are we doing it? That is our call as followers of Jesus. We need to think about our family, friends, coworkers, neighbors, and our sphere of influence and ask, “Am I getting the gospel out?”

Jesus said, “And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work” (Revelation 22:12).

That reward will be directly connected to how faithful we were in this life. We place far too much stock in this life alone. We act as though everything that is going to happen happens here. A lot of significant things do happen here. The most important decision we ever will make happens in this life: the decision about what we do with Jesus Christ.

Our faithfulness here will result in rewards there—in heaven and when heaven comes to earth, when we go home.

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – Responding to Stress

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Charles Stanley

We become steadfast Christians, able to endure and overcome, through the power of Jesus Christ. Job stress has become such a universal problem that many medical professionals now classify it as an occupationally related disease, precipitating numerous other serious problems such as ulcers, depression, and even suicide.

Causes of Stress

In our complex environment, however, pressure on the job is just one of many causes of high tension and anxiety. Family trouble, financial difficulty, and other factors induce a great deal of turmoil. In fact, there is even a detailed list that assigns points to the various sources of stress. For example, the most stressful of events is the death of a spouse, divorce, marital separation, a jail term, death of another family member, and illness or injury. Still, the strains of work account for many of the stress-producing agents, including dismissal, retirement, business readjustment, change to a different kind of work, change in work responsibilities, trouble with supervision, and change in work hours or conditions.

Common Reactions to Stress

There are several common reactions to stress. Many try to flee the problem—changing jobs, bosses, or environment—in the hopes that the irritation will go away. Some internalize their duress, seeking to suppress it. However, it usually spills over into some other area, most often into the family life. Still others crumble emotionally, giving way to despair and depression.

The Christian’s Responses to Stress

The believer’s response to such adversity is critical if he is to emerge successfully. The Word of God reveals several fundamental principles that can bring us through tough times and even positively benefit our spiritual and emotional well-being in the process.

First, we should look at our situation as with a telescope, not under a microscope. All too often, we magnify our troubles beyond their significance and in so doing increase their pressure. Instead, remember that God is the author and finisher of our faith, knowing the end from the beginning and providing all of our necessities for the present. Concentrate on today’s problems, not tomorrow’s, and thank God for His daily grace to sustain you.

Second, rely on God’s strength, not yours. Satan deceives us into thinking we can handle our strains in our own cleverness and abilities—until we are almost at the breaking point. The key is to lean on His indwelling might at the initial stage of the problem. God’s strength comes as He stabilizes our emotions with His peace, infuses our hearts with His joy, and provides us with His all-sufficient wisdom to deal with any hardship in life. “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might” (Ephesians 6:10). “He gives power to the weak, and to those who have no might He increases strength” (Isaiah 40.29).

Third, thank God that He is at work producing some positive results from your stressful circumstances. Trials always turn us toward the Lord, seeking and trusting Him with new fervor. Trials also are working in us to create sturdier Christian character and the ability to persevere under the load. “And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope” (Romans 5:3, 4). As we turn to the sufficiency of Christ and trust in His power and wisdom, we gain new spiritual maturity and hardiness of spirit.

How God Uses Our Stressful Times

God is never out to break us or shatter us. He knows our frame and will not overload us in times of stress. Rather, He seeks to use our stressful times as cleverly disguised opportunities for us to gain His perspective, lean on His strength, and develop steadfastness with which we can run life’s course.

God may not change the circumstance that is pressing so grievously on you. He may not remove that person who vexes you so greatly. He may not heal that affliction that daily grates away at your body and soul. But He will dramatically alter your own emotions and responses as you turn to Him instead of running or exploding.

Over time, you truly will find His strength, wisdom, and presence sufficient for the fray. Your stress will become a catalyst for spiritual stability instead of an agent of destruction and despair. The pressure will reinforce your faith, not weaken it. We became steadfast Christians, able to endure and overcome through the power of Jesus Christ.

“Cast your burden on the LORD, and He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved” (Psalm 55:22).

For further insights, read the following passages:

Isaiah 30:15
Matthew 5:11-12
Matthew 6:25-34
Luke 12:22-34
Acts 5:40-41

Adapted from “Priority Profiles for Today’s Workplace” by Charles F. Stanley.

 

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — Always An Upgrade

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Our Daily Bread

Colossians 3:12-17

Put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; . . . but above all these things put on love. —Colossians 3:12,14

When I’m about to leave the house, sometimes my wife, Martie, stops me and says, “You can’t go to the office dressed like that!” It’s usually something about the tie not matching the jacket or the color of the slacks being out of sync with the sportcoat. Though being questioned about my fashion choices may feel like an affront to my good taste, I have realized that her correcting influence is always an upgrade.

Scripture often calls us to “put on” attitudes and actions that match our identity in Christ. Sometimes we are known by the clothes we wear, but we can make Jesus known by wearing attitudes and actions that reveal His presence in our lives. The apostle Paul advised us to set the fashion standard by modeling the wardrobe of Jesus’ compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, patience, and forgiveness (Col. 3:12). And, he added, “above all these things put on love . . . . And let the peace of God rule in your hearts” (vv.14-15).

Clothing ourselves in Jesus’ likeness begins with spending time with Him. If you hear Him say, “You can’t go out like that!” let Him lovingly take you back to the closet so He can clothe you with His likeness. It’s always an upgrade! —Joe Stowell

Lord, help us to see ourselves the way You see us. By

Your Spirit teach us to adorn our lives with the

attitudes and actions You have designed for us as a

public statement about our identity with You.

Clothing ourselves with Jesus’ attitudes and actions shows His presence in our lives.

Bible in a year: Psalms 100-102; 1 Corinthians 1

 

Alistair Begg

Alistair Begg – Foreigners in The Lord’s House

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Alistair Begg

Foreigners have come into the holy places of the Lord’s house.

Jeremiah 51:51

In this account the faces of the Lord’s people were covered with shame, for it was a terrible thing for men to intrude upon the Holy Place that was reserved exclusively for the priests. Everywhere around us we see similar cause for sorrow. How many ungodly men are now studying with a view to entering the ministry! What a crying sin is that solemn lie by which our whole population is nominally part of a National Church! How fearful it is that ordinances should be pressed upon the unconverted, and that among the more enlightened churches of our land there should be such laxity of discipline. If the thousands who will read this portion will take this matter before the Lord Jesus today, He will interfere and avert the evil that otherwise will come upon His Church. To adulterate the church is to pollute a well, to pour water upon fire, to sow a fertile field with stones. May we all have grace to maintain in our own proper way the purity of the Church as being an assembly of believers and not a nation, an unsaved community of unconverted men.

Our zeal must, however, begin at home. Let us examine ourselves as to our right to eat at the Lord’s Table. Let us see to it that we are wearing our wedding garment, lest we ourselves should be regarded as foreigners in the Lord’s holy place. Many are called, but few are chosen; the way is narrow, and the gate is strait. O for grace to come to Jesus aright, with the faith of God’s elect. He who smote Uzzah for touching the ark is very jealous of His two ordinances. As a true believer I may approach them freely; as a foreigner I must not touch them in case I die. Heart-searching is the duty of all who are baptized or come to the Lord’s Table. “Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts!”

1Psalm 139:23

Charles Spurgeon

Charles Spurgeon – Making light of Christ

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“But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise.” Matthew 22:5

Suggested Further Reading: Matthew 13:9-17

It is making light of the gospel and of the whole of God’s glorious things, when men go to hear and yet do not pay attention. How many who frequent churches and chapels to indulge in a comfortable nap! Think what a fearful insult that is to the King of heaven. Would they enter into Her Majesty’s palace, ask an audience, and then go to sleep before her face? And yet the sin of sleeping in Her Majesty’s presence, would not be so great, even though against her laws, as the sin of wilfully slumbering in God’s sanctuary. How many go to our houses of worship who do not sleep, but who sit with vacant stare, listening as they would to a man who could not play a lively tune upon a good instrument. What goes in at one ear goes out at the other. Whatever enters the brain goes out without affecting the heart. Ah, my hearers, you are guilty of making light of God’s gospel, when you sit under a sermon without paying attention to it! Oh! What would lost souls give to hear another sermon! What would yonder dying wretch who is just now nearing the grave, give for another Sabbath! And what will you give, one of these days, when you shall be close to Jordan’s brink, that you might have one more warning, and listen once more to the wooing voice of God’s minister! We make light of the gospel when we hear it, without solemn and awful attention to it.

For meditation: Hear—listen—remember—obey (James 1:25). A sleeping congregation is no more use than a sleeping preacher.

Sermon no. 98

18 August (Preached 17 August 1856)

Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – Subduing the Enemy

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“At that time Samuel said to [the Israelites], ‘If you are really serious about wanting to return to the Lord, get rid of your foreign gods and your Ashtaroth idols. Determine to obey only the Lord; then He will rescue you from the Philistines'” (1 Samuel 7:3).

As I was reading and meditating upon the Word of God this morning, the thought struck me forcefully that this passage relates to multitudes of defeated, frustrated Christians today who feel that they have lost contact with God. They are puzzled as to why He has withdrawn His blessing from them, but the reason, in most cases, is very simple.

Throughout the history of Israel, the people alternately obeyed God and disobeyed Him. When they obeyed, He blessed, and when they disobeyed, He disciplined. At this particular time the Lord seemingly had abandoned them. It was because, as Samuel explained, they were worshiping foreign gods and idols. “If you will only obey God,” he counseled, “He will rescue you from the Philistines.”

So they destroyed their idols and worshiped the Lord, and then a miracle happened. Samuel invited all of Israel to come to Mispah and said, “I will pray to the Lord for you.” As they gathered there, the Philistine leaders heard about it and mobilized their army to attack. Of course, the Israelites were terribly frightened, but God spoke with a mighty thunder from heaven, and the Philistines were thrown into terrible confusion. Israel surrounded them, and subdued them, and the Philistines did not invade Israel again for the remainder of Samuel’s life.

Enemies can take many forms, but their intent is always to destroy. What are the Philistines in your life? Lust, pride, jealousy, materialism, financial indebtedness, physical illness, resentments, antagonism, criticism, discrimination? Do you feel that God has forsaken you?

Why not look into the mirror of God’s Word? Ask the Lord to reveal the idols of your life, then turn away from them. Confess your sins and claim God’s victory over those areas of life that are destroying you.

Bible Reading: I Samuel 7:1-12

TODAY’S ACTION POINT: I will carefully examine my life to see if I am harboring any idols that would cause the Spirit of God to be grieved and quenched. I will destroy any that I find, and will confess my sins and appropriate God’s fullness to live a supernatural life for His glory.

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – The Pain of Bitterness

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Charles Stanley

1 Samuel 13:5-14

Bitterness is never a proper response for a child of God. It poisons the mind, emotions, and spirit. When did this resentful attitude take root in Saul? Let’s look at two events in his life for clues.

Saul couldn’t go to battle until Samuel arrived to offer the burnt sacrifice as God had commanded. Before the prophet arrived, though, Saul’s men became scared of the enemy and started to leave, so the king took action and made the sacred offering himself. He may have thought, This has to be done right away. Why shouldn’t I do it? He failed to see the necessity of obeying divine commands to the letter. God saw this as a serious act of rebellion, which brought judgment: Saul’s kingdom wouldn’t endure. God would one day appoint someone else to take over as ruler instead of Saul’s descendants. Imagine Saul’s reaction to hearing the kingdom would not belong to his family.

During the war against the Amalekites, King Saul once again failed to follow the Lord’s instructions fully. When Samuel confronted him about his misdeed, he lied and claimed that he had obeyed. Later, however, Saul attempted to justify his disobedience. His unrepentant heart grieved the Lord and resulted in further judgment: he, the king, was now rejected by God (1 Sam. 15:10-11, 26).

I believe Saul’s descent into bitterness began with the news that his disobedience would cost him the kingdom. Be sure to take your disappointments and anger immediately to the Lord. Pour them out before Him, and ask that He help you let them go. Your spiritual health depends on it.

 

Alistair Begg

Alistair Begg – God’s Steadfast Love

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Alistair Begg

The steadfast love of God.   Psalms 52:8

Meditate a little on this steadfast love of the Lord. It is tender love. With gentle, loving touch, He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. He is as gracious in the manner of His steadfast love as in the matter of it. It is great steadfast love. There is nothing little in God; His steadfast love is like Himself-it is infinite. You cannot measure it. His mercy is so great that it forgives great sins to great sinners after great lengths of time and then gives great favors and great privileges and raises us up to great enjoyments in the great heaven of the great God.

It is undeserved steadfast love, as indeed all true mercy must be, for deserved mercy is only a misnomer for justice. There was no right on the sinner’s part to the kind consideration of the Most High; had the rebel been doomed at once to eternal fire he would have richly merited the doom, and if delivered from wrath, sovereign love alone has found a cause, for there was none in the sinner himself. It is rich steadfast love. Some things are great but have little efficacy in them, but this steadfast love is a tonic to your drooping spirits, a golden ointment to your bleeding wounds, a heavenly bandage to your broken bones, a royal chariot for your weary feet, a bosom of love for your trembling heart.

It is manifold steadfast love. As Bunyan says, “All the flowers in God’s garden are double.” There is no single steadfast love. You may think you have only one steadfast love, but you will find it to be a whole cluster of mercies. It is abounding steadfast love. Millions have received it, but far from its being exhausted, it is as fresh, as full, and as free as ever. It is unfailing steadfast love. It will never leave you. If mercy is your friend, mercy will be with you in temptation to keep you from yielding, with you in trouble to prevent you from sinking, with you in living to be the light and life of your countenance, and with you in dying to be the joy of your soul when earthly comfort is ebbing fast.

Charles Spurgeon

Charles Spurgeon – Pride and humility

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“Before destruction the heart of man is haughty, and before honour is humility.” Proverbs 18:12

Suggested Further Reading: Romans 12:3-6

What is humility? The best definition I have ever met with is, “to think rightly of ourselves.” Humility is to make a right estimate of one’s self. It is no humility for a man to think less of himself than he ought, though it might rather puzzle him to do that. Some persons, when they know they can do a thing, tell you they cannot; but you do not call that humility. A man is asked to take part in some meeting. “No,” he says, “I have no ability”; yet if you were to say so yourself, he would be offended at you. It is not humility for a man to stand up and depreciate himself and say he cannot do this, that, or the other, when he knows that he is lying. If God gives a man a talent, do you think the man does not know it? If a man has ten talents he has no right to be dishonest to his Maker, and to say, “Lord, thou hast only given me five.” It is not humility to underrate yourself. Humility is to think of yourself, if you can, as God thinks of you. It is to feel that if we have talents, God has given them to us, and let it be seen that, like freight in a vessel, they tend to sink us low. The more we have, the lower we ought to lie. Humility is not to say, “I have not this gift,” but it is to say, “I have the gift, and I must use it for my Master’s glory. I must never seek any honour for myself, for what have I that I have not received?”

For meditation: Pride can lead us to misuse God’s gifts for selfish ends. A false humility can lead to laziness and disobedience which causes someone else to have to do what we should be doing ourselves. The right balance is to serve the Lord with all humility as the apostle Paul could truthfully claim to have done (Acts 20:19).

Sermon no. 97

17 August (1856)

John MacArthur

John MacArthur – Becoming an Effective Minister

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John MacArthur

“Love . . . is not arrogant” (1 Cor. 13:4).

In 1 Corinthians 13:4 Paul says, “Love does not brag and is not arrogant.” We often equate bragging and arrogance, but in this passage there is a subtle difference. The Greek word translated “brag” emphasizes prideful speech or actions; “arrogant” emphasizes the attitude of pride motivating those actions.

The prideful attitudes of the Corinthians were evident in several areas. In 1 Corinthians 4:18-21 Paul says, “Some have become arrogant, as though I were not coming to you. But I will come to you soon, if the Lord wills, and I shall find out, not the words of those who are arrogant, but their power. . . . What do you desire? Shall I come to you with a rod or with love and a spirit of gentleness?” (1 Cor. 4:18- 21). Apparently, some thought they no longer needed his instruction. “After all,” they reasoned, “we’ve had the best teachers–Apollos, Peter, and even Paul himself (1 Cor. 1:12)–so what need do we have for more instruction?” The fact was, they had just enough knowledge to inflate their egos, but they were woefully ignorant of love (1 Cor. 8:1).

It was arrogance that led the Corinthian church to condone gross immorality: “It is actually reported that there is immorality among you, and immorality of such a kind as does not exist even among the Gentiles, that someone has his father’s wife [incest]. And you have become arrogant, and have not mourned instead, in order that the one who had done this deed might be removed from your midst” (1 Cor. 5:1- 2). They were too prideful to confront and correct that situation, so they bragged about it instead. Even pagans wouldn’t tolerate that kind of behavior!

That’s a tragic picture of people so blinded by pride that they refused to discern between good and evil. Consequently, all their spiritual activities were counterproductive. They were gifted by the Spirit and even flaunted their gifts, but lacked the love that transforms a gifted person into an effective minister.

Learn from the Corinthians’ mistakes. Never settle for mere spiritual activities. Let love motivate everything you do. Then God can honor your ministries and make them truly effective for His purposes.

Suggestions for Prayer:

Ask God to make you a more effective minister and to protect you from the blindness of arrogance.

For Further Study:

What do the following proverbs say about pride: Proverbs 8:13; 11:2; and 29:23?

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – The Danger of Bitterness

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Charles Stanley

1 Samuel 18:1-30

King Saul had it all: God’s anointing on him as ruler; the prophet Samuel to guide him; the power and wealth of the kingdom of Israel; the applause of the people. Yet he died a bitter man. What steps led to his downfall?

• Anger. When Goliath was defeated, the crowds praised Saul as a killer of thousands but David as a slayer of tens of thousands. Instead of rejoicing that God had raised up someone to slay the giant, Saul grew angry with David for receiving more praise than he did.

• Wrong thinking. Saul’s flaring temper affected his mind, and he became suspicious of David’s motives. He started thinking that since the Lord was with David, the young man would want to take over the kingdom right away.

• Fear. Saul’s fear led to plotting against David and throwing spears at him.

• Rejection. The king sent David away from his presence.

• Dread. Saul’s fear grew stronger with David’s military success and the people’s growing love for the younger man.

• Deceitful action. Twice the king tried to manipulate David by offering one of his daughters in marriage. Both times he plotted to get David killed by the Philistines, and each attempt failed. Saul’s response was to become David’s enemy for the rest of his days. From then on, bitterness reigned.

Although the details of our lives differ from Saul’s, the steps to bitterness and ruin are the same. What unresolved anger do you allow to fester? Whom do you avoid because of ill will? Won’t you confess your sin, turn to God, and be set free?

 

 

Ravi Zacharias

Ravi Zacharias Ministry – Yesterday’s News

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Ravi Z

Some years ago, we saw, almost hourly, pictures of the rocky surface of Mars flashing across our television screens, upfront and in color.  With the aid of the robotic “Spirit Rover,” a combination microscope and camera, scientists were in awe of their recent successes and the media saw fit to thoroughly cover it.

As NASA searched for signs that told of water and life on Mars, questions began to emerge in editorials and intellects: “What is life?” “What if we find it?” “Where did it come from?” and “Where did it go?” It was a news story that seemed to dredge up interest not only from scientists, but philosophers, anthropologists, ethicists, and educators. Carried within these age-old questions was a new sense of excitement.

Even ancient observations also seemed to take on new meaning. It was modern technology that was making it possible that along with the scientists themselves, we were looking at things never before seen. But the sentiment was similar. “Lift your eyes,” cried the ancient prophet, “and look to the heavens: Who created all these?”(1) There was the common sense that we were beholding in some of these images, things more wonderful than we could get our minds around. ”When I consider your heavens,” proclaimed another, “the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him?”(2) There was a contagious sense of awe. “We hit the sweet spot,” exclaimed scientist Steven W. Squyres of NASA’s successful landing in a crater on the surface of Mars.

But for some, there was also a sense, even in the midst of bright pictures and brimming scientists, that it was all, already, yesterday’s news.

“Unlike the scientists behind the Mars mission,” proclaimed one editorialist, “I feel neither shocked nor awed.” The article was a lament over what often seems the growing dullness of life because of the ease of the instantaneous, because we have been awed into boredom, and lulled into indifference. Mourning a handful of instant gratifiers within our consumer-driven, resource-abounding culture, the writer argued, “What used to seem out of reach is now within easy reach… the world offers too much, too easily, and demands too little.” It was a certain expression of what C.S. Lewis would have called “our horror of the Same Old Thing.” But the most fascinating thing about this lament was the author’s conclusion. “I want to go deep, not far,” she concluded. And she hastened back to a day spent on the beach with two children, examining sand in awe.

Ancient writers of Scripture seem to describe the awe of a child as vital to life in all stages. “Did I not tell you,” said Jesus beside the tomb of Lazarus, “that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?”(3) In his words to the mourning Mary and Martha, Jesus equates the glory of God to the shock and awe of life and new life where death threatens. Jesus calls their brother Lazarus out of the tomb and says as the dead man steps forward, “Take off the grave clothes and let him go.’” The glory of the one who created life is shown in life all around us and in his jarring triumph over death.

Whether still looking at Mars and marveling at the sight or glancing away at the unimpressive flow of perpetually yesterday’s news, life begs for another glance. In John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress, Christian and the Interpreter along their journey come across a man with a muck rake in his hand. Steadily raking filth from the floor, the man “could look no way but downwards” and so, could not see the celestial crown being offered him from above.

“Lift your eyes,” cried the ancient, “and look to the heavens: Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one, and calls them each by name.”(4) God, the prophets of old insist, is worthy of our wonder—yesterday, today, and forever.

Jill Carattini is managing editor of A Slice of Infinity at Ravi Zacharias Ministries in Atlanta, Georgia.

(1) Isaiah 40:26.

(2) Psalm 8:3.

(3) John 11:40-44.

(4) Isaiah 40:26.

Alistair Begg

Alistair Begg – Response to God’s Glory

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Alistair Begg

Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name.  Psalms 29:2

God’s glory is the result of His nature and acts. He is glorious in His character, for there is such a store of everything that is holy and good and lovely in God that He must be glorious. The actions that flow from His character are also glorious; but while He intends that they should display to His creatures His goodness and mercy and justice, He is equally concerned that the glory associated with them should be given only to Himself. Not that there is anything in ourselves in which we may glory; for who makes us different from another? And what do we have that we did not receive from the God of all grace? Then how careful we ought to be to walk humbly before the Lord!

The moment we glorify ourselves, since there is room for one glory only in the universe, we set ourselves up as rivals to the Most High. Shall an insect that’s been around for only an hour glorify itself against the sun that warmed it into life? Shall the clay pot exalt itself above the man who fashioned it upon the wheel? Shall the dust of the desert strive with the whirlwind? Or the drops of the ocean struggle with the storm? Give to the Lord, all you righteous, give to the Lord glory and strength; give to Him the honor that is due His name.

It is, perhaps, one of the hardest struggles of the Christian life to learn this sentence-“Not to us, O LORD, not unto us, but to your name give glory.”1 It is a lesson that God is always teaching us, and teaching us sometimes by the most painful discipline. Let a Christian begin to boast, “I can do all things,” without adding “through Christ who strengthens me,” and before long he will have to groan, “I can do nothing” and bemoan himself in the dust. When we do anything for the Lord, and He is pleased to accept our doings, let us lay our crown at His feet and exclaim, “Not I, but the grace of God that is with me.”2

1Psalm 115:1

21 Corinthians 15:10

Charles Spurgeon

Charles Spurgeon – The good man’s life and death

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CharlesSpurgeon

“For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” Philippians 1:21

Suggested Further Reading: 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

Not the greatest master-minds of earth understand the millionth part of the mighty meanings which have been discovered by souls emancipated from clay. Yes, brethren, “To die is gain.” Take away, take away that hearse, remove that shroud; come, put white plumes upon the horses’ heads, and let gilded trappings hang around them. There, take away that fife, that shrill sounding music of the death march. Lend me the trumpet and the drum. O hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah; why do we weep the saints to heaven; why need we lament? They are not dead, they are gone before. Stop, stop that mourning, refrain your tears, clap your hands, clap your hands.

“They are supremely blest,

Have done with sin, and care, and woe,

And with their Saviour rest.”

What! Weep for heads that are crowned with garlands of heaven? Weep for hands that grasp the harps of gold? What, weep for eyes that see the Redeemer? What, weep for hearts that are washed from sin, and are throbbing with eternal bliss? What, weep for men that are in the Saviour’s bosom? No; weep for yourselves that you are here. Weep that the mandate has not come which bids you to die. Weep that you must tarry. But weep not for them. I see them turning back on you with loving wonder, and they exclaim “Why weepest thou?” What, weep for poverty that it is clothed in riches? What, weep for sickness, that it has inherited eternal health? What, weep for shame, that it is glorified; and weep for sinful mortality, that it has become immaculate? Oh, weep not, but rejoice. “If you knew what it was that I have said unto you, and where I have gone, you would rejoice with a joy that no man should take from you.” “To die is gain.”

For meditation: There is probably at least one Christian whom you miss terribly. The temporary loss and sorrow may be very hard for you (Philippians 2:27), but the dead in Christ enjoy eternal blessedness (Revelation 14:13).

Sermon no. 146

16 August (1857)

John MacArthur

John MacArthur – Exalting Others

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John MacArthur

“Love does not brag” (1 Cor. 13:4).

Most of us shy away from people who have an inflated view of themselves or place themselves at the center of every conversation. Yet perhaps you too struggle with the temptation to spend most of your conversations talking about yourself. Even if you would never openly brag about yourself, might you at times secretly resent others for not acknowledging your accomplishments? That’s the subtlety of pride.

Boasting always violates love because it seeks to exalt itself at the expense of others–to make itself look good while making others look inferior. It incites jealousy and other sins. Sadly, boasting exists even in the church. That’s why Paul exhorted us not to think more highly of ourselves than we ought to think, “but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith” (Rom. 12:3). The context of that statement is spiritual gifts, which can lead to pride if not governed by humility and love.

The Corinthians were spiritual show-offs–each vying for attention and prominence. Consequently their worship services were chaotic. First Corinthians 14:26 says, “When you assemble, each one has a psalm, has a teaching, has a revelation, has a tongue, has an interpretation.” Apparently they all were expressing their spiritual gifts at the same time with no regard for anyone else. That’s why Paul concluded, “Let all things be done for edification.”

Their lack of love was obvious because people who truly love others don’t exalt themselves. They regard others as more important than themselves, just as Christ did when He humbled Himself and died for our sins (Phil. 2:3-8).

Boasting about our spiritual gifts is absurd because we did nothing to earn them. They don’t reflect our capabilities; they reflect God’s grace. That’s why Paul asked the Corinthians, “What do you have that you did not receive? But if you did receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?” (1 Cor. 4:7). That applies to physical capabilities as well as spiritual enablements. Everything you have is a gift from God. Therefore, “Let him who boasts, boast in the Lord” (1 Cor. 1:31).

Suggestions for Prayer:

Each day acknowledge your total dependence on God’s grace.

Praise Him for the gifts He has entrusted to you.

For Further Study:

Note what God has to say about haughtiness in Proverbs 6:16- 17; 16:18; 18:12; 21:3-4; and 21:24.

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – No More Excuses

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Therefore if any person is [ingrafted] in Christ (the Messiah) he is a new creation (a new creature altogether); the old [previous moral and spiritual condition] has passed away. Behold, the fresh and new has come! —2 Corinthians 5:17

“I’ve always had a bad temper. That’s just the way I am.”

“I’m a straightforward person. That’s who I am, and that’s how people need to accept me.”

“I call things as I see them. I don’t sugarcoat anything.”

This list could go on endlessly, but the one thing these excuses have in common is that each is meant to justify the people being the way they are. It’s a way of resisting change.

It’s also a way for Satan to creep into our minds. The great deceiver tells us that we’re not rude—we are just being honest, and people need to respect that quality in us. We think we speak the truth as we see it, and we’re not cowards or hypocrites. If the devil can convince us that we don’t have to change—that we’re fine exactly the way we are—he has won a serious battle in our lives.

In fact, the devil can give us a lot of excuses for not changing. That may be the problem. If he convinces us that other people are at fault because “they are just too sensitive” or “they don’t want to hear the truth and face reality,” we don’t feel responsible, and we think we’re all right.

Another thing is that no matter how negative we may be in our thinking, most of us wouldn’t call ourselves “negative.” We prefer words like logical, realistic, forthright, or candid. Not facing the truth about ourselves is part of Satan’s deceptive work.

When I went through a period of extreme negativity, I wouldn’t have thought of myself as being negative. I was just being honest. If I saw something wrong, I spoke up. I offered my counsel on ways for people to change. I could see the weaknesses and problems of others, and I was quite happy to show them how they could overcome.

On my worst days, I found things wrong with all my friends and everything they did. I didn’t have to look for things to criticize—I did it without effort. I didn’t consider it negative because I thought I was merely trying to be helpful. It never occurred to me in my prideful state that people didn’t really want my help. They wanted acceptance and encouragement, not judgment and criticism.

As I said, I never thought of myself as being negative—that is, until God dealt with me and convicted me. I’m not trying to condemn anyone for being negative, frank, blunt, candid, or whatever term you may use for it, because condemning is in itself being negative. Instead, I want to help believers recognize their attitude problems and help them realize that God is able to deliver them.

We start the Christian life as new creations of God. Our past is wiped away. The Christian life is one of change—of growth—of moving onward.

The pathway to freedom begins when we face our problems, and face them without excuses. “Yes, I’m negative, but if you had come from the kind of family, I did, you’d—” Stop! No excuses. We know what we were in the past, but we also know that we don’t have to remain that way now or in the future. With the help of Jesus Christ, we can have our minds renewed according to the Word of God.

The most difficult part may be to say to God, “I’m a negative person, but I want to change.” Remember that a negative mind produces a negative life. You’ve probably tried to change yourself many times in the past, but it didn’t work. Now you can begin to win the battle over Satan’s stronghold by admitting who you are and acknowledging that you must depend on God to change you.

Holy and positive God, forgive me for all my negative thinking. You want me to be loving and filled with Your joy. Help me so that Satan has no stronghold over my mind. Please destroy every negative aspect of my thinking, through Jesus my Lord. Amen.

 

Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – Perfect Healing

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“Jesus’ name has healed this man – and you know how lame he was before. Faith in Jesus’ name – faith given us from God – has caused this perfect healing” (Acts 3:16).

This is another of the great “3:16” verses of the Bible – with a truth and a promise that you and I need probably every day of our lives. Jesus claimed “all authority in heaven and earth” (Matthew 28:18). “In Him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily” (Colossians 2:9, KJV; see also 1:15-19).

There is a great power in the name of Jesus. Throughout Scripture that fact is emphasized. And I have seen it illustrated in miraculous ways through the Jesus film, which has been used of God to introduce tens of millions of men, women, young people, and children to Christ in most countries of the world.

The promise, equally clear, is that if we exercise faith in that wonderful name of Jesus – faith that is a gift from God – we can see healing, both physical and spiritual.

I sit in astonishment often as I try to comprehend such great love that would give us the very gifts He requires of us – faith, in this instance. We need not conjure up such faith; it is made available on simple terms: Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.”

And we may appropriate this truth and this promise today.

Bible Reading: Acts 3:12-18

TODAY’S ACTION POINT: “Dear Lord, I dare to believe that You are still the same yesterday, today and forever, so I can trust you to heal, and to enable me to live a supernatural life.”