Tag Archives: theology

Words of Hope

Words of Hope – Daily Devotional – Try the Other Side of the Boat

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Read: John 21:1-14

Children, do you have any fish? (v. 5)

“Children, do you have any fish?” I think a lot of us, like the disciples, would answer: “No. I’ve been fishing all night, but I don’t have anything to show for it.” Some of us have been plodding along in our jobs, year after year, with no sense of reward, and no feeling that we are getting anywhere, or getting anything, except a paycheck. Some of us have been coming up with empty nets in our personal relationships, or in our spiritual efforts. “Children, do you have any fish?” No.

“Cast your net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” Whatever side we’ve been fishing on, Jesus invites us to try the other side. Which is what the disciples do, and they are swamped with fish. It’s a miracle!

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Presidential Prayer Team

Presidential Prayer Team; H.L.M. – Love Crowds Evil

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Seventeen-year-old Ryan had recently graduated from high school and planned to enter college in the fall. He was a handsome, loving and talented young man. But one day Ryan became the fatal victim of a robbery. Ryan’s grandfather believed this senseless murder was not part of God’s plan.

The woman whose son was alive said to the king…“Oh, my lord, give her the living child.”

I Kings 3:26

As he tried to process Ryan’s death, he asked, “What led the killers to tear a hole in the glory of God’s world? The only answer that came to me was that evil had taken root in their lives because love was not there to crowd it out. Many people who commit crimes against their neighbors have not experienced God’s love through their interactions with others. Much of the violence in life can be prevented if we Christians extend love to all people.”

If people never experience the love of a parent, a kind neighbor, a loving church family, or even the kindness of a stranger, it’s difficult for them to understand the Lord’s love. Take opportunities to reach out and be the hands and feet of Jesus to others. Pray that Christians also demonstrate God’s love to America’s leaders through their words, actions and prayers.

Recommended Reading: Romans 13:8-14

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Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – New Life for Us All

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Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. —1 Peter 1:3

A couple from Chicago was planning a vacation to a warmer climate, but the wife couldn’t join her husband until the next day, because she was on a business trip. Her husband scribbled down her e-mail address on a little scrap of paper, but upon his arrival, he discovered that he had lost it. He wanted to send off a quick e-mail to let her know he had arrived safely. So trying his best to remember her e-mail address, he composed a brief message and sent it off.

Unfortunately, his e-mail did not reach his wife. Instead, it went to a grieving widow who had just lost her husband, a preacher, the day before. She had gone to her computer and was checking her e-mail when she let out a loud shriek and fainted on the spot. Her family came rushing in to see what was on the screen: “Dearest wife, I just checked in. Everything is prepared for your arrival tomorrow. P. S.: It sure is hot down here!”

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The Navigators

The Navigators – Jerry Bridges – Holiness Day by Day Devotional – The First Last, the Last First

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Today’s Scripture: Matthew 20:13

“Friend, I am doing you no wrong.”

The parable of the generous landowner in Matthew 20 is sandwiched between two almost identical statements from Jesus: “But many who are first will be last, and the last first” (Matthew 19:30). “So the last will be first, and the first last” (Matthew 20:16). How should we understand these words?

I believe Jesus is asserting the sovereign prerogative of God to dispense his favors as he pleases. I don’t think his words are meant to be taken in an absolute sense, as if this would always be the case; rather, there’s often no apparent correlation between what one seemingly deserves and what he or she receives. The whole point of the parable was to respond to the attitude Peter expressed to Jesus in Matthew 19:27: “see, we have left everything and followed you. What then will we have?” R. C. H. Lenski summarized Peter’s assumption with this statement: “The more we do, the more we earn, and the more God owes us.”

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The Navigators

The Navigators – Leroy Eims – Daily Discipleship Devotional – Faith That Defies Reason

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Today’s Scripture: Joshua 6-8

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. – Proverbs 3:5-6

It may often appear to us that God is leading in a direction that doesn’t make any sense at all. But God is not a combination of theology and logic. He is God.

A case in point is the crossing of the Jordan River, recorded in today’s passage. To the mortal mind, God’s timing was all wrong. Actually, it was the perfect time. If they had crossed when the river was normal, the landing probably would have been opposed. Crossing at harvest time, there was plenty of food for the millions of Israelites. And the miracle of crossing a flooded river would cause the enemy to tremble at God’s power.

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BreakPoint

BreakPoint –  Social Media and Original Sin: The Temptation of Anonymity

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Chances are, you’ve never heard of Pfeiffer syndrome. It’s a rare genetic disorder that’s characterized by the “premature fusion of certain bones of the skull.” This fusion “prevents further growth of the skull and affects the shape of the head and face.”

This rare condition was the subject of a recent episode that raised important questions about our fallen human nature and how social media can be the occasion for sin.

AliceAnn Meyer’s four-year-old son Jameson was born with Pfeiffer syndrome. For the past several years Meyer has been chronicling her experience with Jameson in a blog entitled “Jameson’s Journey.”

Two years ago she posted a photo of a happy Jameson with his face smeared with the remains of s’mores. To Meyer’s horror, people posted the picture on sites such as Instagram, Tumblr, and Facebook with the caption “Your pug . . . is amazing.” Almost as bad as that were the thousands of “likes” the picture and the caption received.

Meyer asked the social media sites to remove the picture and caption and they complied. But like a demonic whack-a-mole, no sooner would one site remove the picture than it would appear somewhere else.

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Moody Global Ministries

Moody Global Ministries – Today in the Word – JESUS, THE GREAT PHYSICIAN

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Read Luke 5

General George Washington was not keen on becoming the first American president. Just as he served his new country militarily in the Revolutionary War, however, he also chose to serve politically. Nevertheless, after two presidential terms, Washington humbly retired to his country estate, refusing what could have easily become unilateral power.

Jesus was a humble man, living among common people. In a single chapter of Luke’s Gospel, we see the variety of settings for His ministry and the diversity of people with whom He interacted. From a boat, He taught a gathered crowd on the shore of the Lake of Gennesaret. He helped a group of fishermen make a surprise catch. He attended a banquet hosted by an unseemly group of tax collectors. Jesus’ good-news campaign wasn’t launched from afar. He walked among people and touched even the most untouchable.

The crowds continued to flock to hear Jesus’ authoritative teaching and be healed, and Jesus, eager to perform physical and spiritual miracles, did both—albeit in unexpected ways. For example, when a paralyzed man was lowered from the roof by faithful friends, Jesus first pronounced the forgiveness of his sins. Then, when the Pharisees accused Him of blasphemy, He demonstrated His authority to forgive sin by exercising His power to heal.

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Denison Forum

Denison Forum – WOMEN’S DAY, NANCY REAGAN AND THE POWER OF GRACE

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“We still think of a powerful man as a born leader and a powerful woman as an anomaly.” So said acclaimed novelist Margaret Atwood back in 1939. But is this true today?

Today is International Women’s Day. On this day, we collectively look back on the contributions of women in the past. We also set our hopes on creating a brighter and more equitable tomorrow. For me, I would not be half the man I am today were it not for the women in my life.

Looking back, it is quite clear: we are better today because of their contributions from yesterday and their visions for tomorrow. Whitney Houston may have sung she is every woman, but it took a variety of women—young and old, single and married—to bring us to this point.

Rosa Parks courageously refused to move to the back of the bus and in turn moved the civil rights movement forward. Two-time Nobel Prize winner Marie Curie laid the groundwork for the development of the X-ray, among many other contributions. Nancy Reagan redefined the role of First Lady because of her advocacy work (for more, see my article Nancy Reagan: President’s Wife, King’s Daughter). And Mary Magdalene was first entrusted with the greatest message of all: He is risen.

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Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – Building a Life Message

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Read | Matthew 5:13-16

What statement is your life making? Every person testifies to personal beliefs and priorities by the way he or she lives. Jesus said that to the watching world, believers should be like salt and light, which simply cannot be ignored. If we add salt to soup, the improved taste is obvious, and when we bring light into a room, darkness flees. Our character, conduct, and conversation should make a loud and clear statement about the importance of God, the necessity of Jesus Christ, and the power of the Holy Spirit.

To live a life of significance that brings glory to the Lord, believers must begin by reading and studying the Scriptures. As we meditate on His Word, God reveals Himself, and we gradually absorb His principles into our daily living. This enables us to make a greater impact on the world.

One good way to learn Scripture’s lessons is by researching the lives of great saints like Abraham, Moses, Daniel, David, Esther, Mary, and Paul. A person could spend many weeks studying each one’s life message, as revealed in the Bible. Their stories have much to teach us about the way they coped, what they discovered from mistakes, and how they interacted with God.

From these biblical accounts as well as other passages, we learn that our heavenly Father has a goal for our lives. He desires to conform us to the image of His Son Jesus Christ. Recognizing this, we can set an example of successful godly living for others to follow: “Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ” (1 Cor. 11:1).

Bible in a Year: Joshua 7-9

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Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — With Respect

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Read: Ezra 5:6-17

Bible in a Year: Deuteronomy 3-4; Mark 10:32-52

If it pleases the king, let a search be made in the royal archives of Babylon to see if King Cyrus . . . issue[d] a decree. —Ezra 5:17

The citizens of Israel were having some trouble with the government. It was the late 500s bc, and the Jewish people were eager to complete their temple that had been destroyed in 586 bc by Babylon. However, the governor of their region was not sure they should be doing that, so he sent a note to King Darius (Ezra 5:6-17).

In the letter, the governor says he found the Jews working on the temple and asks the king if they had permission to do so. The letter also records the Jews’ respectful response that they had indeed been given permission by an earlier king (Cyrus) to rebuild. When the king checked out their story, he found it to be true: King Cyrus had said they could build the temple. So Darius not only gave them permission to rebuild, but he also paid for it! (see 6:1-12). After the Jews finished building the temple, they “celebrated with joy” because they knew God had “[changed] the attitude of the king” (6:22).

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Ravi Zacharias

Ravi Zacharias Ministry – The Trouble With the Present

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Despite our coping mechanisms of choice, fear and weariness are often common sentiments across much of the globe, laden with a sense of uncertainty. People deal en mass with losses of all kinds and the turbulent emotions that come with losing ground. For many in the affluent West who have lived with mindsets of comfort and feasts of resources, economic downturn is a sudden and disorienting shift. For others, hard times simply get much harder.

Writing in a century with its own fears and famines, Blaise Pascal took note of the human capacity for a dangerous kind of escapism when fears loom large and hope remains distant. He saw a general disassociation with the present, a perpetual anticipation of the future or recollection of the past, which kept life itself at bay. “So imprudent are we that we wander in the times which are not ours and do not think of the only one which belongs to us,” he wrote. “And so idle are we that we dream of those times which are no more and thoughtlessly overlook that which alone exists. For the present is generally painful to us. We conceal it from our sight, because it troubles us… So we never live, but we hope to live.”(1)

Of course, whether in times of scarcity or in times of plenty, the temptation to mentally dismiss ourselves from the present moment is quite real. It is always possible to live with eyes intent on something better in the future or with a nostalgic gaze on the past and all that once was. But in times of discomfort, crisis, or shortage, the choice to wander in times other than the present strikes us more as self-preservation or necessity than temptation, an essential coping mechanism in the midst of pain—and so we dismiss ourselves from the present all the more freely. Whether to daydream of better times or to look fearfully into the future, we leave the harrowing realities of the present to hope for something more, to escape from the weariness of now, to remember something better. But no matter our reason, when the future alone is our end and life is preoccupied with what once was or what might be, it is something less than living.

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John MacArthur

John MacArthur – Strength for Today – Having True Sorrow for Sin

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“Be miserable and mourn and weep” (James 4:9a).

Spiritual humility will be marked by a true sorrow over sin.

Modern culture does everything possible to avoid pain, to put off thinking about unpleasant subjects, to maximize comfort, and to feel good about circumstances.

That philosophy is the reflection of a proud and self-centered attitude, not the humble and God-centered attitude we have been examining during the past week. Today we continue our look at humility in the Epistle of James. The apostle urges people to “be miserable” concerning their sin. The demands of the gospel begin at this point. James is not denying the joy that will come when the gospel is sincerely received. He is simply saying that sinners have to feel bad before they can feel good. The word misery in this sense refers to the inner feelings of shame over sin, the deep sorrow it causes, and the spirit of penitence the humbled sinner will have as a result.

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Wisdom Hunters

Wisdom Hunters – Hot Hearted for God

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I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other!…Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent. Revelation 3:15, 19

As a young dad, I couldn’t wait to bring my wife and our first newborn home from the hospital. Damp, dreary and chilly outside, I built a roaring fire in our new Ashley wood burning stove to assure our 1,200 sq. ft. ranch home was warm and toasty. Our precious baby girl’s little pink fingers and toes never felt a tinge of coolness, because I kept feeding the fire with dried logs from a cord of wood just outside the back door. In preparation for the dark, cold night I filled the furnace and barely opened the flue. Like a hot fire, a hot heart for God needs its faith fueled.

The Lord looks displeasingly on a lukewarm life or on the institutional church that has lost its fiery faith for Christ. A mediocre church or Christian who coasts through life are unacceptable to God. In Revelation Jesus calls out the church for blending in with the world. He would rather the church be totally dead and cold than a spiritual zombie, acting as if it were alive. Death knows it is dead, but being alive and going through the motions is deadly. But God’s great desire is for His bride the church and each disciple to burn brightly for the faith.

“You are the light of [Christ to] the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house” (Matthew 5:14-15, AMP).

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Turning Point

Today’s Turning Point with David Jeremiah – Pilgrim’s Progress

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These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.

Hebrews 11:13

Recommended Reading

1 Peter 2:11-12

What’s your favorite road trip? The Pacific Coast Highway is one of America’s best drives. Ditto the Blue Ridge Parkway. Even old Route 66 has its charms. In Germany, try Route 500 through the Black Forest. Travelers in England enjoy trekking through the Cotswolds. There’s a carefree feeling to spending a day on the road, finding overnight accommodations, and continuing the excursion the next day.

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Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Worship with Your Whole Hear

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I will cry to God Most High, Who performs on my behalf and rewards me [Who brings to pass His purposes for me and surely completes them]! —Psalm 57:2

Great worship leaders know to come into the presence of God with their entire being, prepared to give thanks and praise (see Deuteronomy 10:12). They don’t just roll out of bed, throw water on their face, and run a comb through their hair before church. They know that the anointing comes from a sincere pursuit of loving God with their whole heart.

Likewise, as you approach God in the morning, come to Him with a heart full of worship, expressing your awe of Him for His faithfulness toward you. He promises that He will never forsake you, but will be with you all day long (see Joshua 1:5).

From the book Starting Your Day Right by Joyce Meyer.

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Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – Share His Treasures

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“For His Holy Spirit speaks to us deep in our hearts, and tells us that we really are God’s children. And since we are His children, we will share His treasures – for all God gives to His Son Jesus is now ours too. But if we are to share His glory, we must also share His suffering” (Romans 8:16,17).

You may cringe, as I do, at the thought of suffering for Jesus. As He reminds us in Mark 10, anything we ever give up for Him will be given to us a hundred times over, with persecution. Quite frankly, I have never relished the thought of being persecuted. Yet, again and again, in my own experience I have known the reality of that supernatural presence of God, that peace that passes all understanding, during times of suffering and persecution.

Our Lord Himself, knowing that He was on His way to the cross, spoke of peace, love and joy more than at any other time in His ministry. The apostle Paul knew all kinds of suffering. He was in prison frequently; he was beaten, and he finally died as a martyr for his faith. Yet, even while in prison, he wrote of joy and peace – “Count it all joy,” he said. “Rejoice ever more.”

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Night Light - James & Shirley Dobson, Ray Stedman

Ray Stedman – Citizens of Heaven

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Read: Philippians 1:27

Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Phil 1:27a

Paul uses an interesting word here, translated conduct in the NIV. It is a word from which we get our English word politics, or politician. The Greek word is politeuma, a word that means your conduct as a citizen or a colony. This is the first indication in this letter of a unique condition in the city of Philippi. Everyone in that city was aware that its citizens were citizens of Rome even though they were a thousand miles away. This was because of the great battle that had been won by the Roman Emperor, and in gratitude to the residents they were made citizens of Rome.

Paul builds on this idea and says to them, in effect, you Christians in Philippi are members of another government. You cannot have the same attitude to the rest of the citizens of Philippi. You belong to a colony of heaven; therefore you must behave like citizens of heaven. You must let your manner of conduct be worthy of the government to which you belong, the kingdom of God and the gospel of Christ.

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Words of Hope

Words of Hope – Daily Devotional – Who Is to Blame?

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Read: Mark 5:1-20

. . . there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit. (v. 2)

Who is to blame for this poor man’s problems? When you are possessed, and you keep hurting yourself and hurting others, whose fault is that? Is the Gerasene demoniac himself to blame, or is he at the mercy of external forces that make him do hurtful things that he doesn’t want to do?

A young boy watches, daily, as his mother is abused by his drunken father. The boy grows up, becomes a man, begins to drink, and now he abuses his wife. Whose fault is that? Whose sin is to blame?

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Presidential Prayer Team

Presidential Prayer Team; A.W- The Elected

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The 2016 presidential election campaign season is in full swing, and already many hopefuls have been left wanting. The Democratic Party began with six potential candidates; the Republican Party with 17, the largest presidential field in American history. Now, fewer remain and the attrition will continue until only one from each party are left alive in the race for the White House.

In the whole land…two thirds shall be cut off and perish, and one third shall be left alive.

Zechariah 13:8

In the verses preceding today’s scripture, the Lord promised to eradicate idolatry and those who honored them, leading to most of the people perishing. Those remaining would be tested and refined. Many believe these verses reference the Jewish nation during the Roman wars, or the yet-to-be-fulfilled prophecy of Christ’s return when only an elected, faithful few will remain.

Only two presidential candidates will make it through the campaign process. Those remaining will undergo testing, perhaps proving their worthiness for future political races. As you pray today, ask God to intervene by refining the candidates. Pray that the next president will be one who honors Jesus, and that the Lord will aid you by guiding your vote.

Recommended Reading: I Timothy 2:1-8

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Kids 4 Truth

Kids 4 Truth International – God Created Languages

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Therefore is the name of it called Babel; because the LORD did there confound the language of all the earth: and from thence did the LORD scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth.” ( Genesis 11:9)

Wouldn’t it be easier if everyone spoke the same language? Then we could all understand one another! Missionaries wouldn’t have to learn a foreign language when they left for the mission field, businessmen wouldn’t have to use interpreters when they had a business meeting overseas, and we could travel the world and be able to talk to anyone we wanted!

That may sound like a great plan to us, but God had even better plans. It was God Who created languages, and He did it for a purpose. For hundreds of years after God first created the world, everyone spoke the same language, and everyone could understand everyone else. The people became very wicked, though, and did what was right in their own eyes instead of loving and obeying God. To judge them, God sent a great flood to destroy the whole world. After God rescued Noah and his family from the flood, God gave them a command. They were supposed to multiply (grow the family) and spread out all over the world. In other words, they were supposed to scatter around and fill up the world with their children and grandchildren. Earth would be filled again with people who would know and worship the one true God.

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