"Do you esteem the pleasures of sin so sweet, so solid, so lasting—that it is your interest to run the risk of intolerable, eternal misery, rather than part with them? Can you form such an estimate as this while in your senses?
"No! he is a mad-man with whom fleshly pleasures for a little time, the sordid pleasures of sin—outweigh an eternity of perfect happiness. He is certainly not in his right mind—who would rather be tormented in hell forever—than lead a holy life, and labor to escape the wrath to come!" Samuel Davies
Luke 15:17 “But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!
Thursday, January 31, 2013
He can use Anyone
For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
–Philippians 1:21
Helen Keller, who is a classic example of handling life’s handicaps, said, “I thank God for my handicaps, for through them I have found myself, my work, and my God.” Some people with handicaps drown themselves in self-pity, and thus limit their usefulness and service to mankind and to God. The Apostle Paul knew the pangs of suffering. He used his infirmity rather than allowing his infirmity to use him, and he used it for the glory of God. He seized everything, even death, to glorify his Lord. No matter which way fate turned, he was one jump ahead of it, and using it to magnify his Savior.
PRAYER FOR THE DAY
Even my handicaps can be used by You, Lord Jesus. Like the Apostle Paul, let me rise above them for Your glory.
–Philippians 1:21
Helen Keller, who is a classic example of handling life’s handicaps, said, “I thank God for my handicaps, for through them I have found myself, my work, and my God.” Some people with handicaps drown themselves in self-pity, and thus limit their usefulness and service to mankind and to God. The Apostle Paul knew the pangs of suffering. He used his infirmity rather than allowing his infirmity to use him, and he used it for the glory of God. He seized everything, even death, to glorify his Lord. No matter which way fate turned, he was one jump ahead of it, and using it to magnify his Savior.
PRAYER FOR THE DAY
Even my handicaps can be used by You, Lord Jesus. Like the Apostle Paul, let me rise above them for Your glory.
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
Maintaining Joy
Read | Psalm 40:16
Though some people use the terms happiness and joy interchangeably, there is a vast difference in their meaning. Both cause a pleasant emotional response, but the former relies entirely upon circumstance. As soon as difficulty arises and pain intrudes, a person ceases to be happy. On the other hand, joy is a gift from God that enables believers to find hope and peace—even when life seemingly falls apart.
At times, however, even Christians live joylessly. Sinful behavior, of course, is one reason. But there can be other causes, too, including regret about past failures, fear of future mishaps, or a pattern of discontentment that’s ingrained in one’s personality.
If you are a follower of Jesus but lack gladness, take a moment to remember who Christ is—and who you are in Him. To begin with, you are saved eternally, and your name is written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. The love of almighty God is unconditional, and His indwelling Spirit will never abandon you. He understands everything that you face and promises to provide for your needs.
When you stop to consider the amazing blessings that are yours in Christ, gratitude will likely overwhelm you. Sadness concerning circumstances may still endure, but the joy of the Lord will carry you through even the deepest pain.
Through life’s good times and bad, does God’s joy sustain you? Or do trials leave you hopeless and discontented? Our Father offers a higher way of living—not without pain but with strength to endure. Continually remember the vast treasure you have in Him and His promises.
Though some people use the terms happiness and joy interchangeably, there is a vast difference in their meaning. Both cause a pleasant emotional response, but the former relies entirely upon circumstance. As soon as difficulty arises and pain intrudes, a person ceases to be happy. On the other hand, joy is a gift from God that enables believers to find hope and peace—even when life seemingly falls apart.
At times, however, even Christians live joylessly. Sinful behavior, of course, is one reason. But there can be other causes, too, including regret about past failures, fear of future mishaps, or a pattern of discontentment that’s ingrained in one’s personality.
If you are a follower of Jesus but lack gladness, take a moment to remember who Christ is—and who you are in Him. To begin with, you are saved eternally, and your name is written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. The love of almighty God is unconditional, and His indwelling Spirit will never abandon you. He understands everything that you face and promises to provide for your needs.
When you stop to consider the amazing blessings that are yours in Christ, gratitude will likely overwhelm you. Sadness concerning circumstances may still endure, but the joy of the Lord will carry you through even the deepest pain.
Through life’s good times and bad, does God’s joy sustain you? Or do trials leave you hopeless and discontented? Our Father offers a higher way of living—not without pain but with strength to endure. Continually remember the vast treasure you have in Him and His promises.
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
As Bad as it Gets
For believers, life here on earth is as bad it gets; for those who refuse Jesus as their Savior, life here on earth is as good as it gets.
“Has this world been so kind to you that you should leave with regret? There are better things ahead than any we leave behind.” C. S. Lewis
Matthew 25:46 And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.
“Has this world been so kind to you that you should leave with regret? There are better things ahead than any we leave behind.” C. S. Lewis
Matthew 25:46 And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.
Attitude
A little boy was overheard talking to himself as he strutted through the backyard, wearing his baseball cap and toting a ball and bat: “I’m the greatest hitter in the world,” he announced.
Then, he tossed the ball into the air, swung at it, and missed. “Strike One!” he yelled. Undaunted, he picked up the ball and said again, “I’m the greatest hitter in the world!”
He tossed the ball into the air. When it came down he swung again and missed, “Strike Two!” he cried. The boy then paused a moment to examine his bat and ball carefully. He spit on his hands and rubbed them together. He straightened his cap and said once more, “I’m the greatest hitter in the world!”
Again he tossed the ball up in the air and swung at it. He missed. “Strike Three!” “Wow!” he exclaimed. “I’m the greatest pitcher in the world!” Sometimes we are our own worst enemy.
Then, he tossed the ball into the air, swung at it, and missed. “Strike One!” he yelled. Undaunted, he picked up the ball and said again, “I’m the greatest hitter in the world!”
He tossed the ball into the air. When it came down he swung again and missed, “Strike Two!” he cried. The boy then paused a moment to examine his bat and ball carefully. He spit on his hands and rubbed them together. He straightened his cap and said once more, “I’m the greatest hitter in the world!”
Again he tossed the ball up in the air and swung at it. He missed. “Strike Three!” “Wow!” he exclaimed. “I’m the greatest pitcher in the world!” Sometimes we are our own worst enemy.
Share what He has done
I will declare thy name unto my brethren . . .
–Psalm 22:22
There are those near you in your own community who need the regenerating power of Christ. You can call them by name. I suggest that you make a list and begin by spending time in prayer for them. Ask God to show you how to witness to them and how to win them. Their lives can be transformed by the message you give them. You are to share this Gospel you have received. If Christ has done anything for you, then share it. In so doing, you are showing mercy! As you have received the mercy of God by the forgiveness of sin and the promise of eternal life—thus you are to show mercy! And in showing mercy you will not only receive mercy but you will find a stimulating happiness!
PRAYER FOR THE DAY
As I close my eyes in prayer, let me see the faces of those who need to know You, beloved Savior.
–Psalm 22:22
There are those near you in your own community who need the regenerating power of Christ. You can call them by name. I suggest that you make a list and begin by spending time in prayer for them. Ask God to show you how to witness to them and how to win them. Their lives can be transformed by the message you give them. You are to share this Gospel you have received. If Christ has done anything for you, then share it. In so doing, you are showing mercy! As you have received the mercy of God by the forgiveness of sin and the promise of eternal life—thus you are to show mercy! And in showing mercy you will not only receive mercy but you will find a stimulating happiness!
PRAYER FOR THE DAY
As I close my eyes in prayer, let me see the faces of those who need to know You, beloved Savior.
Monday, January 28, 2013
"Hilter was a Christian!"
Despite the fact that Adolf Hitler had a Roman Catholic background, he became adamantly anti-Christian and believed in evolution. As other dictators have done, he took over the churches and used their organizational structure to influence the citizens—though the teachings allowed were anything but biblical. William Shirer, who chronicled the Nazi regime, stated that “the Nazi regime intended eventually to destroy Christianity in Germany” and substitute paganism.
Hitler’s vision for Germany was defined in a thirty-point program for the “National Reich Church,” which “categorically claims the exclusive right and the exclusive power to control all churches within the borders of the Reich.” Some of the points of the program include the following: The National Church is “determined to exterminate irrevocably the Christian faith”; churches have no pastors or chaplains but only National Reich orators may speak in them; publishing and dissemination of the Bible must immediate cease in Germany. The National Church declared that “the Fuehrer's Mein Kampf is the greatest of all documents” and “embodies the purest and truest ethics for the present and future life of our nation.” Therefore, churches will remove all Bibles and crucifixes, only Mein Kampf may be on the altar, and all crosses must be replaced by “the only unconquerable symbol, the swastika” (W. L. Shirer, The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich, p. 240).
The following quotes by Hitler reveal his true personal views (taken from Hitler’s Table Talk):
National Socialism and religion cannot exist together...The heaviest blow that ever struck humanity was the coming of Christianity. Bolshevism is Christianity’s illegitimate child. Both are inventions of the Jew. The deliberate lie in the matter of religion was introduced into the world by Christianity...Let it not be said that Christianity brought man the life of the soul, for that evolution was in the natural order of things. (pp. 6–7)
The reason why the ancient world was so pure, light and serene was that it knew nothing of the two great scourges: the pox and Christianity. (p. 75)
Christianity is an invention of sick brains: one could imagine nothing more senseless, nor any more indecent way of turning the idea of the Godhead into a mockery... Let’s be the only people who are immunized against the disease. (pp. 118–119)
There is something very unhealthy about Christianity. (p. 339)
I realize that man, in his imperfection, can commit innumerable errors—but to devote myself deliberately to errors, that is something I cannot do. I shall never come personally to terms with the Christian lie. Our epoch in the next 200 years will certainly see the end of the disease of Christianity...My regret will have been that I couldn’t...behold [its demise]. (p. 278)
Psalm 144:8 Whose mouth speaks lying words, And whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood.
Hitler’s vision for Germany was defined in a thirty-point program for the “National Reich Church,” which “categorically claims the exclusive right and the exclusive power to control all churches within the borders of the Reich.” Some of the points of the program include the following: The National Church is “determined to exterminate irrevocably the Christian faith”; churches have no pastors or chaplains but only National Reich orators may speak in them; publishing and dissemination of the Bible must immediate cease in Germany. The National Church declared that “the Fuehrer's Mein Kampf is the greatest of all documents” and “embodies the purest and truest ethics for the present and future life of our nation.” Therefore, churches will remove all Bibles and crucifixes, only Mein Kampf may be on the altar, and all crosses must be replaced by “the only unconquerable symbol, the swastika” (W. L. Shirer, The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich, p. 240).
The following quotes by Hitler reveal his true personal views (taken from Hitler’s Table Talk):
National Socialism and religion cannot exist together...The heaviest blow that ever struck humanity was the coming of Christianity. Bolshevism is Christianity’s illegitimate child. Both are inventions of the Jew. The deliberate lie in the matter of religion was introduced into the world by Christianity...Let it not be said that Christianity brought man the life of the soul, for that evolution was in the natural order of things. (pp. 6–7)
The reason why the ancient world was so pure, light and serene was that it knew nothing of the two great scourges: the pox and Christianity. (p. 75)
Christianity is an invention of sick brains: one could imagine nothing more senseless, nor any more indecent way of turning the idea of the Godhead into a mockery... Let’s be the only people who are immunized against the disease. (pp. 118–119)
There is something very unhealthy about Christianity. (p. 339)
I realize that man, in his imperfection, can commit innumerable errors—but to devote myself deliberately to errors, that is something I cannot do. I shall never come personally to terms with the Christian lie. Our epoch in the next 200 years will certainly see the end of the disease of Christianity...My regret will have been that I couldn’t...behold [its demise]. (p. 278)
Psalm 144:8 Whose mouth speaks lying words, And whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood.
Shatter fear with truth
Read | Joshua 1:6-8
Fear enslaves us. Anxiety can color our entire perspective until we live with a constant sense of unease. But fear does not fit who we are as believers. We are children of the living God, who has promised to care for us and work all things for our good. If we choose to live in tense apprehension, then at the end of our life, we’ll look back and wish we had trusted God more. But instead of living in a way that leads to regret, we can be freed from our fear now.
Identify your specific worries and be willing to deal with them. We cannot begin to understand our anxieties until we recognize the basic root of all fear. Certainly, there are numerous causes of fearful concern—ignorance, an inherited mindset, an overactive imagination—but ultimately the root of all our worry is doubt regarding divine sovereignty. God is in control of all things. We are under His power, provision, and protection every single moment of our life. Fear is shattered on the foundational truth of the Lord’s omnipotent control.
Focus on the Lord instead of on fear. When we understand that we are in the hand of our almighty, all-knowing, loving Father, the choice to refocus on Him becomes easier. But we must make this courageous decision every time we face anxiety.
By far the most powerful way to overcome fear is to meditate on the Word of God. In times of trouble, we must hold fast to the truths of Scripture. The Bible is intended to be an immovable anchor for your life. As God’s thoughts become part of your own thinking, fear will fade and faith will grow.
Fear enslaves us. Anxiety can color our entire perspective until we live with a constant sense of unease. But fear does not fit who we are as believers. We are children of the living God, who has promised to care for us and work all things for our good. If we choose to live in tense apprehension, then at the end of our life, we’ll look back and wish we had trusted God more. But instead of living in a way that leads to regret, we can be freed from our fear now.
Identify your specific worries and be willing to deal with them. We cannot begin to understand our anxieties until we recognize the basic root of all fear. Certainly, there are numerous causes of fearful concern—ignorance, an inherited mindset, an overactive imagination—but ultimately the root of all our worry is doubt regarding divine sovereignty. God is in control of all things. We are under His power, provision, and protection every single moment of our life. Fear is shattered on the foundational truth of the Lord’s omnipotent control.
Focus on the Lord instead of on fear. When we understand that we are in the hand of our almighty, all-knowing, loving Father, the choice to refocus on Him becomes easier. But we must make this courageous decision every time we face anxiety.
By far the most powerful way to overcome fear is to meditate on the Word of God. In times of trouble, we must hold fast to the truths of Scripture. The Bible is intended to be an immovable anchor for your life. As God’s thoughts become part of your own thinking, fear will fade and faith will grow.
Sunday, January 27, 2013
Do You Bear Fruit? - Paul Washer (John 15)
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Are You Doing God's Will or Your Own? - Paul Washer
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Saturday, January 26, 2013
Zealous
“A zealous man feels that, like a lamp, he is made to burn; and if consumed in burning, he has but done the work for which God appointed him. Such a one will always find a sphere for his zeal. If he cannot preach and work and give money, he will cry and sigh and pray.” John C. Ryle
Psalm 119:139 My zeal has consumed me,
Because my enemies have forgotten Your words.
Psalm 119:139 My zeal has consumed me,
Because my enemies have forgotten Your words.
Friday, January 25, 2013
In Times of Temptation
Read | 1 Corinthians 10:13
Many people mistake temptation for the actual act of sin, yet these two things are not the same. If we are to achieve victory in the Christian life, we must learn to distinguish between them.
For example, it is important to understand that the enticement to sin does not necessarily mean that the act of sin must follow. Rather, temptation involves a process through which our hearts, minds, and bodies are preparing for the sinful behavior to take place. Interrupting this process can stop the growing temptation dead in its tracks.
Let me describe the progression for you. It begins with something as simple as a glance. Isn’t this how David’s sin with Bathsheba all started in 2 Samuel 11:1-5? The enticement entered his thinking by way of the eyes, and then he began to nurse his desire.
Once the image is set in our mind, we make a choice: Am I going to continue with this desire or not? As these thoughts tumble through our minds, we begin to fantasize and then develop a great desire for the object.
After that come decision and pursuit, through which we do whatever is necessary to achieve our goal. Finally, this process culminates with the sinful action.
Sin doesn’t happen immediately; it’s the result of a process. What this means is, you have ability to stop the momentum at any time. Ask the Lord for the awareness to perceive these steps as they happen, so that you might put an end to the sinful chain of events before it’s too late.
Many people mistake temptation for the actual act of sin, yet these two things are not the same. If we are to achieve victory in the Christian life, we must learn to distinguish between them.
For example, it is important to understand that the enticement to sin does not necessarily mean that the act of sin must follow. Rather, temptation involves a process through which our hearts, minds, and bodies are preparing for the sinful behavior to take place. Interrupting this process can stop the growing temptation dead in its tracks.
Let me describe the progression for you. It begins with something as simple as a glance. Isn’t this how David’s sin with Bathsheba all started in 2 Samuel 11:1-5? The enticement entered his thinking by way of the eyes, and then he began to nurse his desire.
Once the image is set in our mind, we make a choice: Am I going to continue with this desire or not? As these thoughts tumble through our minds, we begin to fantasize and then develop a great desire for the object.
After that come decision and pursuit, through which we do whatever is necessary to achieve our goal. Finally, this process culminates with the sinful action.
Sin doesn’t happen immediately; it’s the result of a process. What this means is, you have ability to stop the momentum at any time. Ask the Lord for the awareness to perceive these steps as they happen, so that you might put an end to the sinful chain of events before it’s too late.
Thursday, January 24, 2013
Wait upon The Lord
Glory in the Lord; O worshipers of God, rejoice. Search for him and for his strength, and keep on searching!
–Psalm 105:3,4 (TLB)
Jerome, one of the early Christians, said, “Ignorance of the Bible means ignorance of Christ.” Job once said, “I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food.” Jeremiah said, “Thy words were found and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart.” To read the Bible one needs a “quiet time.” Christian students often ask, “How do you maintain your spiritual high? What do you do on a daily basis?” I tell them about my “quiet time.” Some days it is in the early—sometimes late—morning, sometimes evening. Without it, my Christian life would be a wilderness. Isaiah said, “They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles, they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint” (Isaiah 40:31). So gain the strength of eagles, as the prophet suggested. Set a time each day when you can spend a few minutes alone with God.
PRAYER FOR THE DAY
Dear Lord, teach us to wait upon You, that
we may know Your strength.
–Psalm 105:3,4 (TLB)
Jerome, one of the early Christians, said, “Ignorance of the Bible means ignorance of Christ.” Job once said, “I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food.” Jeremiah said, “Thy words were found and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart.” To read the Bible one needs a “quiet time.” Christian students often ask, “How do you maintain your spiritual high? What do you do on a daily basis?” I tell them about my “quiet time.” Some days it is in the early—sometimes late—morning, sometimes evening. Without it, my Christian life would be a wilderness. Isaiah said, “They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles, they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint” (Isaiah 40:31). So gain the strength of eagles, as the prophet suggested. Set a time each day when you can spend a few minutes alone with God.
PRAYER FOR THE DAY
Dear Lord, teach us to wait upon You, that
we may know Your strength.
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
"The Bible says children were stoned to death."
This refers not to a young child but to a youth who was a continual drunkard and was persistently rebellious, stubborn, gluttonous, and disobedient (which describes many contemporary teenagers). If a son consistently refused to abide by his parents’ authority, the men of the city were to enforce swift capital punishment.
However, there is no record in Scripture of even one rebellious youth in Israel being put to death by stoning. The Law of Moses was read to all of Israel, so no doubt all children were made aware of this law’s terrifying threat before they reached their teenage years. (That it was an effective deterrent shows God’s wisdom in setting such a harsh penalty.) In contrast, each year in the U.S. thousands of youths die through drunk driving, violence, alcohol poisoning, drug abuse, etc., as a tragic result of their rebellious lifestyles.
That same merciless Law of Moses will judge all of humanity on the Day of Judgment. However, Jesus took our capital punishment upon Himself so that we could leave the courtroom without suffering the consequences of our sins. All that God requires of us is that we repent of our stubborn, rebellious, and disobedient lifestyle and trust in the Savior before the great stone of God’s Law falls on us and grinds us “to powder” (see Luke 20:18).
Deuteronomy 21:18 “If a man has a stubborn and rebellious son who will not obey the voice of his father or the voice of his mother, and who, when they have chastened him, will not heed them, 19then his father and his mother shall take hold of him and bring him out to the elders of his city, to the gate of his city. 20And they shall say to the elders of his city, ‘This son of ours is stubborn and rebellious; he will not obey our voice; he is a glutton and a drunkard.’ 21Then all the men of his city shall stone him to death with stones; so you shall put away the evil from among you,and all Israel shall hear and fear.
However, there is no record in Scripture of even one rebellious youth in Israel being put to death by stoning. The Law of Moses was read to all of Israel, so no doubt all children were made aware of this law’s terrifying threat before they reached their teenage years. (That it was an effective deterrent shows God’s wisdom in setting such a harsh penalty.) In contrast, each year in the U.S. thousands of youths die through drunk driving, violence, alcohol poisoning, drug abuse, etc., as a tragic result of their rebellious lifestyles.
That same merciless Law of Moses will judge all of humanity on the Day of Judgment. However, Jesus took our capital punishment upon Himself so that we could leave the courtroom without suffering the consequences of our sins. All that God requires of us is that we repent of our stubborn, rebellious, and disobedient lifestyle and trust in the Savior before the great stone of God’s Law falls on us and grinds us “to powder” (see Luke 20:18).
Deuteronomy 21:18 “If a man has a stubborn and rebellious son who will not obey the voice of his father or the voice of his mother, and who, when they have chastened him, will not heed them, 19then his father and his mother shall take hold of him and bring him out to the elders of his city, to the gate of his city. 20And they shall say to the elders of his city, ‘This son of ours is stubborn and rebellious; he will not obey our voice; he is a glutton and a drunkard.’ 21Then all the men of his city shall stone him to death with stones; so you shall put away the evil from among you,and all Israel shall hear and fear.
Grace alone
Partake regularly in communion, and as you eat the bread and drink of the cup, remember your past sins. God has forgotten them, but it is good for us to remember them for a moment to recall that we were once children of wrath wandering in the wilderness of sin. Such thoughts keep us at the foot of the cross, crying, “Grace alone!”
Deuteronomy 9:7 “Remember! Do not forget how you provoked the Lord your God to wrath in the wilderness. From the day that you departed from the land of Egypt until you came to this place, you have been rebellious against the Lord.
Deuteronomy 9:7 “Remember! Do not forget how you provoked the Lord your God to wrath in the wilderness. From the day that you departed from the land of Egypt until you came to this place, you have been rebellious against the Lord.
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
"180" Movie
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Monday, January 21, 2013
Victory over Death
O death, where is thy sting? . . .
–1 Corinthians 15:55
Death is the most democratic experience in life for we all participate in it. We think of its happening only to other people. We don’t like to grow old and we don’t like to die. The Bible teaches that death is an enemy of man and God. But it also teaches that this enemy, death, will ultimately be destroyed forever; that in fact it has already been defeated at the cross and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Death, for a Christian, brings permanent freedom from evil. It also means the believer will be like Jesus. We shall be like Christ in love. So much of self is involved in what we do here; but one day, in Christ, we will have perfect love. What a glorious time it will be when we get to heaven!
PRAYER FOR THE DAY
Jesus, Your victory over death comforts my heart and fills me with hope.
–1 Corinthians 15:55
Death is the most democratic experience in life for we all participate in it. We think of its happening only to other people. We don’t like to grow old and we don’t like to die. The Bible teaches that death is an enemy of man and God. But it also teaches that this enemy, death, will ultimately be destroyed forever; that in fact it has already been defeated at the cross and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Death, for a Christian, brings permanent freedom from evil. It also means the believer will be like Jesus. We shall be like Christ in love. So much of self is involved in what we do here; but one day, in Christ, we will have perfect love. What a glorious time it will be when we get to heaven!
PRAYER FOR THE DAY
Jesus, Your victory over death comforts my heart and fills me with hope.
How to pray for a President
Read | Deuteronomy 17:14-20
As Christians, we have a responsibility to pray for those in authority over us—fathers, pastors, and leaders. When you talk to God about the President, ask that he will . . .
1. Realize his personal sinfulness and daily need of God’s cleansing power.
2. Recognize his personal inadequacy for the task and therefore depend upon the Lord.
3. Reject all counsel that violates spiritual principles and then trust the Lord to validate him.
4. Resist pressure from individuals or special interest groups that would have him act in violation of his conscience or godly principles.
5. Work at reversing our country’s trends toward socialism and humanism, both of which dethrone the Lord and deify man.
6. Be ready to forsake his political career and personal ambition for the best interest of the nation.
7. Rely upon the Word of God as his source of strength and key to success.
8. Bring dignity, honor, trustworthiness, and righteousness to the office of the presidency.
9. Be a good example, especially to the fathers and sons of the nation.
10. Be reminded daily that he is accountable to Almighty God for his attitudes, actions, and motivations while in office.
Leading a country is a very important, demanding job. The President and other elected officials need our prayers. But to be effective, our requests must be more specific than “Lord, bless the President” or “God, help our leaders do a good job.” The above list is a good way to start.
As Christians, we have a responsibility to pray for those in authority over us—fathers, pastors, and leaders. When you talk to God about the President, ask that he will . . .
1. Realize his personal sinfulness and daily need of God’s cleansing power.
2. Recognize his personal inadequacy for the task and therefore depend upon the Lord.
3. Reject all counsel that violates spiritual principles and then trust the Lord to validate him.
4. Resist pressure from individuals or special interest groups that would have him act in violation of his conscience or godly principles.
5. Work at reversing our country’s trends toward socialism and humanism, both of which dethrone the Lord and deify man.
6. Be ready to forsake his political career and personal ambition for the best interest of the nation.
7. Rely upon the Word of God as his source of strength and key to success.
8. Bring dignity, honor, trustworthiness, and righteousness to the office of the presidency.
9. Be a good example, especially to the fathers and sons of the nation.
10. Be reminded daily that he is accountable to Almighty God for his attitudes, actions, and motivations while in office.
Leading a country is a very important, demanding job. The President and other elected officials need our prayers. But to be effective, our requests must be more specific than “Lord, bless the President” or “God, help our leaders do a good job.” The above list is a good way to start.
Unexpected
"If someone had told the king an hour before that the time had come when he must step into the balances and be weighed, he would have laughed at the thought. But the vital hour had come...That night the king’s blood mingled with the wine of the banquet hall. Judgment came upon him unexpectedly, suddenly: and probably ninety-nine out of every hundred judgments come in this way. Death comes upon us unexpectedly; it comes upon us suddenly.” D. L. Moody
Daniel 5:30 That very night Belshazzar, king of the Chaldeans, was slain.
Daniel 5:30 That very night Belshazzar, king of the Chaldeans, was slain.
Friday, January 18, 2013
How do you listen to God's Word?
Read | Matthew 13:1-9
Though it contains essential information for every human life, people approach the Bible very differently. Today’s passage identifies four types of listeners:
• Closed mind. This does not exclusively describe unbelievers. Christians, too, can listen passively, without intending to apply what they hear. The seed can’t germinate because the soil’s surface is too hard. Such believers remain shallow until they decide to pay attention to God and obey.
• Clouded mind. Represented by rocky soil, the clouded mind will hear God’s Word and get excited. But then the person doesn’t take time to study, grow roots, and let the truth sink into his heart. With little doctrinal foundation or knowledge of God’s promises, he has difficulty withstanding the harshness of life.
• Cluttered mind. The worries of life are to the Christian heart what briers, thorns, and thickets are to a garden. A preoccupied mind has little or no room for God’s Word to sprout and thrive.
• Committed mind. God can do great things through someone whose mind is like fertile soil. The most intellectual person in the world, if not teachable, will miss the truth of the gospel, whereas even a young child who is willing to listen and learn will be transformed.
All of us would like to have the blessing described in today’s reading—a huge return for what is sown. For that to be true of our life, we need to take an honest look to see if we approach biblical principles with a teachable Spirit. As Jesus said, “He who has ears, let him hear.”
Though it contains essential information for every human life, people approach the Bible very differently. Today’s passage identifies four types of listeners:
• Closed mind. This does not exclusively describe unbelievers. Christians, too, can listen passively, without intending to apply what they hear. The seed can’t germinate because the soil’s surface is too hard. Such believers remain shallow until they decide to pay attention to God and obey.
• Clouded mind. Represented by rocky soil, the clouded mind will hear God’s Word and get excited. But then the person doesn’t take time to study, grow roots, and let the truth sink into his heart. With little doctrinal foundation or knowledge of God’s promises, he has difficulty withstanding the harshness of life.
• Cluttered mind. The worries of life are to the Christian heart what briers, thorns, and thickets are to a garden. A preoccupied mind has little or no room for God’s Word to sprout and thrive.
• Committed mind. God can do great things through someone whose mind is like fertile soil. The most intellectual person in the world, if not teachable, will miss the truth of the gospel, whereas even a young child who is willing to listen and learn will be transformed.
All of us would like to have the blessing described in today’s reading—a huge return for what is sown. For that to be true of our life, we need to take an honest look to see if we approach biblical principles with a teachable Spirit. As Jesus said, “He who has ears, let him hear.”
Thursday, January 17, 2013
No Peace
Although this passage speaks of prophets who have visions of peace for Jerusalem when there was no peace (see v. 10), these verses should make us tremble. The modern message of evangelism is too quick to say that a sinner has peace with God merely because he has recited a “sinner’s prayer.” If there is no genuine repentance, there is no peace. The sinner is still under the wrath of God.
Ezekiel 13:15 “Thus will I accomplish My wrath on the wall and on those who have plastered it with untempered mortar; and I will say to you, ‘The wall is no more, nor those who plastered it, 16that is, the prophets of Israel who prophesy concerning Jerusalem, and who see visions of peace for her when there is no peace,’ ” says the Lord God.
Ezekiel 13:15 “Thus will I accomplish My wrath on the wall and on those who have plastered it with untempered mortar; and I will say to you, ‘The wall is no more, nor those who plastered it, 16that is, the prophets of Israel who prophesy concerning Jerusalem, and who see visions of peace for her when there is no peace,’ ” says the Lord God.
Image and likeness
Adam was uniquely created in the “image and likeness” of God (see Gen. 1:26). But after he sinned and died spiritually (see Gen. 2:17 comment), his offspring were made in his fallen image. Since everything reproduces “after its own kind,” all of Adam’s offspring (all mankind) are born spiritually dead—separated from God. It is because we are born spiritually dead that Jesus came to give us spiritual life (John 5:40; 10:10; 14:6; etc.). This is why Jesus said that we must be born again (John 3:3).
Genesis 5:1 This is the book of the genealogy of Adam. In the day that God created man, He made him in the likeness of God. 2He created themmale and female, and blessed them and called them Mankind in the day they were created. 3And Adam lived one hundred and thirty years, and begot a son in his own likeness, after his image, and named him Seth.
Genesis 5:1 This is the book of the genealogy of Adam. In the day that God created man, He made him in the likeness of God. 2He created themmale and female, and blessed them and called them Mankind in the day they were created. 3And Adam lived one hundred and thirty years, and begot a son in his own likeness, after his image, and named him Seth.
Truth
And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
–John 8:32
Ours is an age of philosophical uncertainty, and we no longer know what we believe. We stand uncommitted. Everywhere I go, I ask students, “What is controlling you?” When I was a student, I had to face Christ. Who was He? He had made the astounding claim, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man cometh unto the Father but by me.” I wrestled with the inescapable fact that either Jesus Christ was who He claimed to be, or He was the biggest liar, fraud, and charlatan in history. Which was it? Buddha said toward the end of his life, “I am still searching for the truth.” But here was Jesus who appeared and said, “I am the embodiment of all truth. All truth is centered in me.” -Billy Graham
PRAYER FOR THE DAY
Thank You, Jesus, for my freedom—because You are the Truth!
–John 8:32
Ours is an age of philosophical uncertainty, and we no longer know what we believe. We stand uncommitted. Everywhere I go, I ask students, “What is controlling you?” When I was a student, I had to face Christ. Who was He? He had made the astounding claim, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man cometh unto the Father but by me.” I wrestled with the inescapable fact that either Jesus Christ was who He claimed to be, or He was the biggest liar, fraud, and charlatan in history. Which was it? Buddha said toward the end of his life, “I am still searching for the truth.” But here was Jesus who appeared and said, “I am the embodiment of all truth. All truth is centered in me.” -Billy Graham
PRAYER FOR THE DAY
Thank You, Jesus, for my freedom—because You are the Truth!
The Basic Principles of Prosperity
Read | Psalm 24:1-2
The basic principle of real prosperity is elementary. In fact, it boils down to four simple words: God owns it all.
Even for mature Christians, this truth can be difficult to grasp fully and put into practice. After all, it runs counter to the thinking of modern culture. However, Scripture repeatedly reminds us that God is the Creator and therefore the one who rightfully holds the deed to everything in creation.
According to Haggai 2:8, the Lord also lays claim to the silver and gold—in other words, all currency is His. Psalm 50:10 puts it a different way, telling us that He owns “the cattle on a thousand hills.”
Since God consistently reiterates that He is the exclusive owner of all creation, we should respond appropriately when using His resources—including money. In other words, we should have exactly the same response as when using something that belongs to our neighbors: ask permission to use it; honor the owner’s instructions and do just as he has designated; take no unnecessary risks; handle it the way we would want others to handle one of our possessions; and return it in a timely manner, preferably in better condition or more plentiful than before.
And then say “Thank You.”
First Timothy 6:10 says that the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. Understanding that God is the rightful owner and we are simply managers of His resources will help us have the proper attitude about wealth—namely, gratefulness rather than entitlement.
The basic principle of real prosperity is elementary. In fact, it boils down to four simple words: God owns it all.
Even for mature Christians, this truth can be difficult to grasp fully and put into practice. After all, it runs counter to the thinking of modern culture. However, Scripture repeatedly reminds us that God is the Creator and therefore the one who rightfully holds the deed to everything in creation.
According to Haggai 2:8, the Lord also lays claim to the silver and gold—in other words, all currency is His. Psalm 50:10 puts it a different way, telling us that He owns “the cattle on a thousand hills.”
Since God consistently reiterates that He is the exclusive owner of all creation, we should respond appropriately when using His resources—including money. In other words, we should have exactly the same response as when using something that belongs to our neighbors: ask permission to use it; honor the owner’s instructions and do just as he has designated; take no unnecessary risks; handle it the way we would want others to handle one of our possessions; and return it in a timely manner, preferably in better condition or more plentiful than before.
And then say “Thank You.”
First Timothy 6:10 says that the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. Understanding that God is the rightful owner and we are simply managers of His resources will help us have the proper attitude about wealth—namely, gratefulness rather than entitlement.
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Rejoice in Him
I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation.
–Habakkuk 3:18
Christians are supposed to be happy persons! Our generation has become well versed in Christian terminology, but is remiss in the actual practice of Christ’s principles and teachings. Hence, our greatest need today is not more Christianity but more true Christians. The world can argue against Christianity as an institution, but there is no convincing argument against a person who, through the Spirit of God, has been made Christlike. Such a person is a living rebuke to the selfishness, rationalism, and materialism of the day. Jesus said to the woman at Jacob’s well, “Whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst.” This sin-sick, disillusioned woman was the symbol of the whole race. Her longings were our longings! Her heart-cry was our heart-cry! Her disillusionment was our disillusionment! Her sin was our sin! But her Savior can be our Savior! Her forgiveness can be our forgiveness! Her joy can be our joy!
PRAYER FOR THE DAY
My soul delights in You, my God, and my Redeemer.
–Habakkuk 3:18
Christians are supposed to be happy persons! Our generation has become well versed in Christian terminology, but is remiss in the actual practice of Christ’s principles and teachings. Hence, our greatest need today is not more Christianity but more true Christians. The world can argue against Christianity as an institution, but there is no convincing argument against a person who, through the Spirit of God, has been made Christlike. Such a person is a living rebuke to the selfishness, rationalism, and materialism of the day. Jesus said to the woman at Jacob’s well, “Whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst.” This sin-sick, disillusioned woman was the symbol of the whole race. Her longings were our longings! Her heart-cry was our heart-cry! Her disillusionment was our disillusionment! Her sin was our sin! But her Savior can be our Savior! Her forgiveness can be our forgiveness! Her joy can be our joy!
PRAYER FOR THE DAY
My soul delights in You, my God, and my Redeemer.
Monday, January 14, 2013
Nature of God
We have so very little understanding of the nature of God. Scripture puts us in the shallowest of shores on the very edge of the deepest of oceans. It will take all of eternity for us to explore His amazing attributes.
“If God were small enough to be understood, He would not be big enough to be worshiped.” Evelyn Underhill
“If God were small enough to be understood, He would not be big enough to be worshiped.” Evelyn Underhill
Sunday, January 13, 2013
"The Faith of an Atheist" by Living Waters
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Friday, January 11, 2013
Uploaded videos (playlist)
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Eternity
What we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will give us later.
–Romans 8:18 (TLB)
Nowhere does the Bible teach that Christians are to be exempt from the tribulations and natural disasters that come upon the world. It does teach that the Christian can face tribulation, crisis, calamity, and personal suffering with a supernatural power that is not available to the person outside Christ. The early Christians were able to experience joy in their hearts in the midst of trials, troubles, and depression. They counted suffering for Christ not as a burden or misfortune, but as a great honor, as evidence that Christ counted them worthy to witness to Him through suffering. They never forgot what Christ Himself had gone through for their salvation; and to suffer for His name’s sake was regarded as a gift rather than a cross. Christians can rejoice in tribulation because they have eternity’s values in view. When the pressures are on, they look beyond their present predicaments to the glories of heaven. The thought of the future life with its prerogatives and joys helps to make the trials of the present seem light and transient.
PRAYER FOR THE DAY
Father, help me to go beyond the afflictions and tribulations of our age, and to look toward the inheritance reserved for us in heaven.
–Romans 8:18 (TLB)
Nowhere does the Bible teach that Christians are to be exempt from the tribulations and natural disasters that come upon the world. It does teach that the Christian can face tribulation, crisis, calamity, and personal suffering with a supernatural power that is not available to the person outside Christ. The early Christians were able to experience joy in their hearts in the midst of trials, troubles, and depression. They counted suffering for Christ not as a burden or misfortune, but as a great honor, as evidence that Christ counted them worthy to witness to Him through suffering. They never forgot what Christ Himself had gone through for their salvation; and to suffer for His name’s sake was regarded as a gift rather than a cross. Christians can rejoice in tribulation because they have eternity’s values in view. When the pressures are on, they look beyond their present predicaments to the glories of heaven. The thought of the future life with its prerogatives and joys helps to make the trials of the present seem light and transient.
PRAYER FOR THE DAY
Father, help me to go beyond the afflictions and tribulations of our age, and to look toward the inheritance reserved for us in heaven.
Thursday, January 10, 2013
Unchanging God
From everlasting to everlasting, thou art God.
–Psalm 90:2
Have you ever thought about the collapse of time? From the days of the Lord Jesus Christ until about 1830, man could not travel any faster than a horse. In 1960, a man went into space and traveled at a speed of 18,000 miles an hour. Look how far we have come in so short a time! Sometimes when I read the papers, I think we are trying to run the Space Age with horse-and-buggy moral and spiritual equipment. Technology, you see, has no morals; and with no moral restraints man will destroy himself ecologically, militarily, or in some other way. Only God can give a person moral restraints and spiritual strength. While our world is shaking and crumbling, we need to realize that one thing will never change, and that is God. He is the same today as He was ten million years ago, and He will be the same ten million years from today. We are like grasshoppers; we appear and hop around a bit on the earth, and then we are gone.
PRAYER FOR THE DAY
Almighty God, to know You are unchanging gives me peace in a frighteningly changing world.
–Psalm 90:2
Have you ever thought about the collapse of time? From the days of the Lord Jesus Christ until about 1830, man could not travel any faster than a horse. In 1960, a man went into space and traveled at a speed of 18,000 miles an hour. Look how far we have come in so short a time! Sometimes when I read the papers, I think we are trying to run the Space Age with horse-and-buggy moral and spiritual equipment. Technology, you see, has no morals; and with no moral restraints man will destroy himself ecologically, militarily, or in some other way. Only God can give a person moral restraints and spiritual strength. While our world is shaking and crumbling, we need to realize that one thing will never change, and that is God. He is the same today as He was ten million years ago, and He will be the same ten million years from today. We are like grasshoppers; we appear and hop around a bit on the earth, and then we are gone.
PRAYER FOR THE DAY
Almighty God, to know You are unchanging gives me peace in a frighteningly changing world.
Wednesday, January 9, 2013
Bonus
2 Timothy 1:9 NLT
Most people I know look forward to payday. You do too, right? For a week, or perhaps a two-week period, you give time and effort to your job. When payday arrives, you receive a hard-earned, well-deserved paycheck. I have never met anyone who bows and scrapes before his boss, saying, "Thank you. Oh, thank you for this wonderful, undeserved gift. How can I possibly thank you enough for my paycheck?" If we did, he would probably faint. Certainly, he would think, What is wrong with this guy? Why? Because your paycheck is not a gift. You've earned it. You deserve it. Cash it! Spend it! Save it! Invest it! Give it! After all, you had it coming. In the workplace, where wages are negotiated and agreed upon, there is no such thing as grace. We earn what we receive; we work for it. The wage "is not reckoned as a favor but as what is due."
But with God the economy is altogether different. There is no wage relationship with God. Spiritually speaking, you and I haven't earned anything but death. Like it or not, we are absolutely bankrupt, without eternal hope, without spiritual merit; we have nothing in ourselves that gives us favor in the eyes of our holy and righteous heavenly Father. So there's nothing we can earn that would cause Him to raise His eyebrows and say, "Now maybe you deserve eternal life with Me." No way. In fact, the individual whose track record is morally pure has no better chance at earning God's favor than the individual who has made a wreck and waste of his life and is currently living in unrestrained disobedience. Everyone who hopes to be eternally justified must come to God the same way: on the basis of grace; it is a gift. And that gift comes to us absolutely free. Any other view of salvation is heresy, plain and simple.
God's Perspective on our Troubles
Read | James 1:2-4
Today’s passage seems to make an impossible demand: how on earth can we “consider it all joy” when we face terrible hardships? Doesn’t this admonition belittle our honest troubles and concerns?
Scripture never instructs us to ignore situations that cause us heartaches, doubt, fear, or worry. In fact, the Bible is quite honest about what we as Christians can expect from a life devoted to Christ. Jesus proclaimed, “In this world you will have trouble” (John 16:33 niv). Because we seek to live by biblical values, the world does not understand our motivation and will therefore often stand against us.
How, then, can we rejoice when we face trouble? It is through our hardships that Christ often makes Himself known in our lives. If we lived trouble-free lives, what need would we have for a Savior? Rather, it is because we live fragile lives that we can see Jesus clearly.
When we face a problem head-on with the certainty that God will provide a solution and the strength to endure, we gain spiritual stamina. It is similar to training our physical bodies. Only through the resistance of an opposing force, such as a barbell, do our muscles grow. Likewise, our faith develops as a result of dealing with spiritual resistance.
Through the indwelling Holy Spirit, we can find the faith to rejoice in our pain. This is possible because we not only have the assurance that God will provide, but we also can trust that when we walk with Him, we will be better prepared to face the next obstacle.
Today’s passage seems to make an impossible demand: how on earth can we “consider it all joy” when we face terrible hardships? Doesn’t this admonition belittle our honest troubles and concerns?
Scripture never instructs us to ignore situations that cause us heartaches, doubt, fear, or worry. In fact, the Bible is quite honest about what we as Christians can expect from a life devoted to Christ. Jesus proclaimed, “In this world you will have trouble” (John 16:33 niv). Because we seek to live by biblical values, the world does not understand our motivation and will therefore often stand against us.
How, then, can we rejoice when we face trouble? It is through our hardships that Christ often makes Himself known in our lives. If we lived trouble-free lives, what need would we have for a Savior? Rather, it is because we live fragile lives that we can see Jesus clearly.
When we face a problem head-on with the certainty that God will provide a solution and the strength to endure, we gain spiritual stamina. It is similar to training our physical bodies. Only through the resistance of an opposing force, such as a barbell, do our muscles grow. Likewise, our faith develops as a result of dealing with spiritual resistance.
Through the indwelling Holy Spirit, we can find the faith to rejoice in our pain. This is possible because we not only have the assurance that God will provide, but we also can trust that when we walk with Him, we will be better prepared to face the next obstacle.
Get in the Word
Despise God’s Word and find yourself in trouble. Obey it and succeed.
–Proverbs 13:13 (TLB)
As Christians, we have the Spirit of God in us. But ours is the responsibility to keep sin out of our lives so that the Spirit can produce His fruit in us. Become grounded in the Bible. As Christians, we have only one authority, one compass: the Word of God. Abraham Lincoln in a letter to a friend said, “I am profitably engaged in reading the Bible. Take all of this Book upon reason that you can, and the balance upon faith. You will live and die a better man.” Begin the day with the Book; and as the day comes to a close, let the Word speak its wisdom to your soul. Let it be the firm foundation upon which your hope is built. Let it be the Staff of Life upon which your spirit is nourished. Let it be the Sword of the Spirit which cuts away the evil of your life and fashions you in His image and likeness.
PRAYER FOR THE DAY
Almighty God, Your Word nourishes my whole being and I praise Your holy name!
–Proverbs 13:13 (TLB)
As Christians, we have the Spirit of God in us. But ours is the responsibility to keep sin out of our lives so that the Spirit can produce His fruit in us. Become grounded in the Bible. As Christians, we have only one authority, one compass: the Word of God. Abraham Lincoln in a letter to a friend said, “I am profitably engaged in reading the Bible. Take all of this Book upon reason that you can, and the balance upon faith. You will live and die a better man.” Begin the day with the Book; and as the day comes to a close, let the Word speak its wisdom to your soul. Let it be the firm foundation upon which your hope is built. Let it be the Staff of Life upon which your spirit is nourished. Let it be the Sword of the Spirit which cuts away the evil of your life and fashions you in His image and likeness.
PRAYER FOR THE DAY
Almighty God, Your Word nourishes my whole being and I praise Your holy name!
Tuesday, January 8, 2013
Ups and downs
Read | Philippians 4:10-13
Have you ever heard a testimony from someone who has been through a horrible tragedy? We tend to pay very close attention to such accounts because the person involved has witnessed firsthand God’s faithfulness and power to restore a broken life.
Of all the witnesses to God’s grace in times of trouble, none is more compelling than the apostle Paul. He was certainly no stranger to hardship. Throughout his ministry, he was chased, beaten, stoned, arrested, shipwrecked, and accused of heresy by both the Jewish leaders and the Roman government. This was certainly a stark contrast to his early life, in which he enjoyed the luxuries and opportunities that his Roman citizenship and Jewish education provided.
There were amazing ups and downs in Paul’s life. As a result, he earned the right to make the proclamation found in Philippians 4:12: “I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity.”
And what was the lesson the apostle came away with as a result of these experiences? He tells us in verse 12: “In any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need.”
Paul’s “secret” is really not a secret al all, for he reveals the source of his strength in the following verse: “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.” Faith in Jesus Christ and an increasing reliance on Him will make this limitless power source a reality in your life.
Have you ever heard a testimony from someone who has been through a horrible tragedy? We tend to pay very close attention to such accounts because the person involved has witnessed firsthand God’s faithfulness and power to restore a broken life.
Of all the witnesses to God’s grace in times of trouble, none is more compelling than the apostle Paul. He was certainly no stranger to hardship. Throughout his ministry, he was chased, beaten, stoned, arrested, shipwrecked, and accused of heresy by both the Jewish leaders and the Roman government. This was certainly a stark contrast to his early life, in which he enjoyed the luxuries and opportunities that his Roman citizenship and Jewish education provided.
There were amazing ups and downs in Paul’s life. As a result, he earned the right to make the proclamation found in Philippians 4:12: “I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity.”
And what was the lesson the apostle came away with as a result of these experiences? He tells us in verse 12: “In any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need.”
Paul’s “secret” is really not a secret al all, for he reveals the source of his strength in the following verse: “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.” Faith in Jesus Christ and an increasing reliance on Him will make this limitless power source a reality in your life.
God is witness between you and me
The words “God is witness between you and me” should not be taken lightly. God is the omniscient witness. He is ever-present and sees all—all thoughts, all actions, all intent, and all desire. Even the darkness is pure light to Him. Nothing is hidden from His holy eyes, and we should therefore live in the light of such a fearful truth.
Genesis 31:50 If you afflict my daughters, or if you take other wives besides my daughters,although no man is with us—see, God is witness between you and me!”
Genesis 31:50 If you afflict my daughters, or if you take other wives besides my daughters,although no man is with us—see, God is witness between you and me!”
Monday, January 7, 2013
Are You Clothed With Power? - Paul Washer
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God's Loving Desire
Read | 1 Timothy 2:1-6
Throughout the New Testament, we see God’s universal call to salvation repeated a number of times (John 1:12; 3:16; 6:40; 2 Peter 3:9). But each of us must make a personal decision about answering Him.
God wants mankind saved for several reasons. First, He loves us (Eph. 2:4). Divine love isn’t based on any worthiness in us; rather, care for His creation is part of God’s nature. Second, the Lord’s grace is made evident through His followers (v. 7). Believers were once rebellious beings, whom God transformed into obedient servants—that’s a change He wants to celebrate for eternity. What’s more, our good works glorify the Lord (Matt. 5:16). Everything we do in His name increases other people’s awareness of Him.
Salvation is possible only through Christ, who reconciles sinful people to holy God. Isaiah 53:6 teaches that every one of us is a sinner, and Romans 6:23 adds, “The wages of sin is death.” Without a divine solution, we’d be indebted and hopeless. But the Savior’s death on the cross paid the penalty for all humanity so anyone who wants a relationship with the Father can have one. Believing Jesus died for our sins and submitting to the Lord’s will are all that’s necessary for us to enter into eternal fellowship with Him.
Our heavenly father loves us and wants to be with us forever. The only thing that can separate us from Him is a decision to reject His invitation. Once we receive His Son as Savior, we are God’s, and no human action or character flaw can sever our eternal relationship with Him.
Throughout the New Testament, we see God’s universal call to salvation repeated a number of times (John 1:12; 3:16; 6:40; 2 Peter 3:9). But each of us must make a personal decision about answering Him.
God wants mankind saved for several reasons. First, He loves us (Eph. 2:4). Divine love isn’t based on any worthiness in us; rather, care for His creation is part of God’s nature. Second, the Lord’s grace is made evident through His followers (v. 7). Believers were once rebellious beings, whom God transformed into obedient servants—that’s a change He wants to celebrate for eternity. What’s more, our good works glorify the Lord (Matt. 5:16). Everything we do in His name increases other people’s awareness of Him.
Salvation is possible only through Christ, who reconciles sinful people to holy God. Isaiah 53:6 teaches that every one of us is a sinner, and Romans 6:23 adds, “The wages of sin is death.” Without a divine solution, we’d be indebted and hopeless. But the Savior’s death on the cross paid the penalty for all humanity so anyone who wants a relationship with the Father can have one. Believing Jesus died for our sins and submitting to the Lord’s will are all that’s necessary for us to enter into eternal fellowship with Him.
Our heavenly father loves us and wants to be with us forever. The only thing that can separate us from Him is a decision to reject His invitation. Once we receive His Son as Savior, we are God’s, and no human action or character flaw can sever our eternal relationship with Him.
Sunday, January 6, 2013
He is coming back
Keep as sharp lookout! For you do not know when I will come. . . Watch for my return!
–Mark 13:35, 36 (TLB)
The great Dwight L. Moody used to say, “I never preached a sermon without thinking that possibility the Lord may come before I preach another.” Dr. G. Campbell Morgan, the distinguished British clergy-man, said, “I never begin my work in the morning without thinking that perhaps he may interrupt my work and begin His own. I am not looking for death. I am looking for Him.” That is the way a Christian should live his life – in the constant anticipation of the return of Jesus Christ! If we could live every day as though it may the very last one before the final judgment, what a difference it would make here on earth! But we don’t like to think that way. We don’t like to think that our carefully made plans, our long range schemes may be interrupted by the trumpet of God. Too many people would rather say, “Oh, well, the end of the world hasn’t come yet, so why think about it – it’s probably a thousand years away.”
PRAYER FOR THE DAY
Today might be the last day when Jesus returns. Cleanse me, Father.
–Mark 13:35, 36 (TLB)
The great Dwight L. Moody used to say, “I never preached a sermon without thinking that possibility the Lord may come before I preach another.” Dr. G. Campbell Morgan, the distinguished British clergy-man, said, “I never begin my work in the morning without thinking that perhaps he may interrupt my work and begin His own. I am not looking for death. I am looking for Him.” That is the way a Christian should live his life – in the constant anticipation of the return of Jesus Christ! If we could live every day as though it may the very last one before the final judgment, what a difference it would make here on earth! But we don’t like to think that way. We don’t like to think that our carefully made plans, our long range schemes may be interrupted by the trumpet of God. Too many people would rather say, “Oh, well, the end of the world hasn’t come yet, so why think about it – it’s probably a thousand years away.”
PRAYER FOR THE DAY
Today might be the last day when Jesus returns. Cleanse me, Father.
Saturday, January 5, 2013
To Forgive or to Blame
Read | Colossians 3:12-17
"It's not my fault" is a prevalent attitude in our culture. To avoid responsibility for their own actions, people blame others: "I wouldn't yell at my kids so much if my own mother had loved me more" or "I wouldn't speak unkindly about my boss if he showed me some respect." Resentment wells up until the victim is blind to everything except how his life is impacted by someone else's hurtful deeds. Then casting blame is easy. But God has a challenge for believers: Forgive those who wound you.
The Lord’s Prayer mentions several of God’s duties but lists only one for believers: to forgive debtors (Matt. 6:12). The metaphor of debt describes sin well. A wronged person often feels that the responsible party owes something, such as an apology or compensation. But by showing mercy to one who has sinned, you stamp his or her obligation to you “paid in full.” Reparations and retribution are no longer required.
Sometimes our wounds are so deep that forgiveness does not come easily. Remember that Jesus bears the scars of others’ sins, too, and His Holy Spirit enables believers to carry out this difficult task. While your debtor may have done nothing to deserve grace, choose to give it anyway, just as Jesus did for you.
When God forgives, He remembers wrongs no more (Jer. 31:34). This doesn’t mean that transgressions magically ceases to have happened. Instead, the Lord refuses to use past wrongs as a reason to punish His people. He set the pattern of debt cancellation, and we are to follow His example (Matt 6:15).
"It's not my fault" is a prevalent attitude in our culture. To avoid responsibility for their own actions, people blame others: "I wouldn't yell at my kids so much if my own mother had loved me more" or "I wouldn't speak unkindly about my boss if he showed me some respect." Resentment wells up until the victim is blind to everything except how his life is impacted by someone else's hurtful deeds. Then casting blame is easy. But God has a challenge for believers: Forgive those who wound you.
The Lord’s Prayer mentions several of God’s duties but lists only one for believers: to forgive debtors (Matt. 6:12). The metaphor of debt describes sin well. A wronged person often feels that the responsible party owes something, such as an apology or compensation. But by showing mercy to one who has sinned, you stamp his or her obligation to you “paid in full.” Reparations and retribution are no longer required.
Sometimes our wounds are so deep that forgiveness does not come easily. Remember that Jesus bears the scars of others’ sins, too, and His Holy Spirit enables believers to carry out this difficult task. While your debtor may have done nothing to deserve grace, choose to give it anyway, just as Jesus did for you.
When God forgives, He remembers wrongs no more (Jer. 31:34). This doesn’t mean that transgressions magically ceases to have happened. Instead, the Lord refuses to use past wrongs as a reason to punish His people. He set the pattern of debt cancellation, and we are to follow His example (Matt 6:15).
Friday, January 4, 2013
Assurance of His Love
The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?
–Psalm 27:1
Today many people are living in the bondage of fear. In a recent study a psychiatrist said that the greatest problem facing his patients was fear. Fear of going insane, committing suicide, being alone, or fear of heart disease, cancer, disaster, or death. We are becoming a nation of fearful people. Down through the centuries in times of trouble, temptation, trial, bereavement, and crisis, God has brought courage to the hearts of those who love Him. The Bible is crowded with assurances of God’s help and comfort in every kind of trouble which might cause fears to arise in the human heart. Today the Christian can come to the Scriptures with full assurance that God is going to deliver the person who puts his trust and confidence in God. Christians can look into the future with promise, hope, and joy, and without fear, discouragement, or despondency.
PRAYER FOR THE DAY
Your assurances of love still the fears of my heart, Lord.
–Psalm 27:1
Today many people are living in the bondage of fear. In a recent study a psychiatrist said that the greatest problem facing his patients was fear. Fear of going insane, committing suicide, being alone, or fear of heart disease, cancer, disaster, or death. We are becoming a nation of fearful people. Down through the centuries in times of trouble, temptation, trial, bereavement, and crisis, God has brought courage to the hearts of those who love Him. The Bible is crowded with assurances of God’s help and comfort in every kind of trouble which might cause fears to arise in the human heart. Today the Christian can come to the Scriptures with full assurance that God is going to deliver the person who puts his trust and confidence in God. Christians can look into the future with promise, hope, and joy, and without fear, discouragement, or despondency.
PRAYER FOR THE DAY
Your assurances of love still the fears of my heart, Lord.
Wednesday, January 2, 2013
Why would the Bible compare us to a worm?
Perhaps it is because, compared to the greatness of Almighty God, we are small, insignificant, and helpless. A lowly, crawling worm epitomizes blind helplessness. If you wanted to stomp on a worm crawling across your driveway, it could offer no resistance. It has no legs to be able to run; no claws to fend you off; no hiss, growl, or bite to scare you. It just lies there awaiting the fate of your big foot. Squish, and it is gone.
That is how we are when it comes to death. It hovers over us like a huge foot. It is so close that the Bible says we live in “the shadow of death,” and we are helpless to change it.
However, when Jesus was born, we are told that upon those who sat “in the shadow of death, light has dawned” (Matt. 4:16). The Light of the World, Jesus Christ, has abolished death through His suffering death and resurrection.
Job 25:6 How much less man, who is a maggot, And a son of man, who is a worm?”
That is how we are when it comes to death. It hovers over us like a huge foot. It is so close that the Bible says we live in “the shadow of death,” and we are helpless to change it.
However, when Jesus was born, we are told that upon those who sat “in the shadow of death, light has dawned” (Matt. 4:16). The Light of the World, Jesus Christ, has abolished death through His suffering death and resurrection.
Job 25:6 How much less man, who is a maggot, And a son of man, who is a worm?”
The Secret of Real Living
O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee; my soul thirsteth for thee . . .
–Psalm 63:1
Some Christians have learned little of a daily devotional life. Some time ago a policeman asked me what the secret of victorious living was. I told him that there is no magic formula that can be pronounced. If any word could describe it, I would say surrender. The second word I would say would be devotion. Nothing can take the place of a daily devotional life with Christ. Your quiet time, your prayer time, the time you spend in the Word, is absolutely essential for a happy Christian life. You cannot possibly be a happy, dynamic, and powerful Christian apart from a daily walk with Christ. Christis calling Christians today to cleansing, to dedication, to consecration, and to full surrender. It will make the difference between success and failure in your spiritual life. It will make the difference between being helped and helping others. It will make a difference in your habits, in your prayer life, in your Bible reading, in your giving, in your testimony, and in your church membership. This is the Christian hour of decision!
PRAYER FOR THE DAY
I long for a deeper devotional life, living Lord. May I consecrate myself completely to You.
–Psalm 63:1
Some Christians have learned little of a daily devotional life. Some time ago a policeman asked me what the secret of victorious living was. I told him that there is no magic formula that can be pronounced. If any word could describe it, I would say surrender. The second word I would say would be devotion. Nothing can take the place of a daily devotional life with Christ. Your quiet time, your prayer time, the time you spend in the Word, is absolutely essential for a happy Christian life. You cannot possibly be a happy, dynamic, and powerful Christian apart from a daily walk with Christ. Christis calling Christians today to cleansing, to dedication, to consecration, and to full surrender. It will make the difference between success and failure in your spiritual life. It will make the difference between being helped and helping others. It will make a difference in your habits, in your prayer life, in your Bible reading, in your giving, in your testimony, and in your church membership. This is the Christian hour of decision!
PRAYER FOR THE DAY
I long for a deeper devotional life, living Lord. May I consecrate myself completely to You.
Tuesday, January 1, 2013
Distant starlight?
“We should also remember that God is not limited to natural methods as we are. Ironically, the leading secular alternative to the Bible (the big bang) has a light-travel time problem of its own. Known as the ‘horizon problem,’ the big bang is unable to get light from one side of the universe to the other within its own billions-of-years timeframe. Yet such transport is necessary within the big bang model in order to cause the uniform heat that we find today in the universe’s cosmic microwave background. To alleviate this problem, big bang supporters must arbitrarily add another hypothesis like ‘inflation’ (which has problems of its own).” Dr. Jason Lisle, Answers in Genesis
Psalm 136:7 To Him who made great lights, For His mercy endures forever— 8The sun to rule by day, For His mercy endures forever; 9The moon and stars to rule by night, For His mercy endures forever.
Psalm 136:7 To Him who made great lights, For His mercy endures forever— 8The sun to rule by day, For His mercy endures forever; 9The moon and stars to rule by night, For His mercy endures forever.
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