Chiristianity | Quotes, comments, questions, sharing, and other stuff - 22 views
started by Leo Monterroyo on 21 Sep 14
started by Leo Monterroyo on 21 Sep 14
started by Leo Monterroyo on 21 Sep 14
started by Leo Monterroyo on 21 Sep 14
We encourage people nowadays to 'come out of the closet.' Well, can I encourage...no, not just encourage, but CHALLENGE you guys to 'come out' and let the world know that Jesus is your Lord and Savior? What's the worst that can happen? You will lose so-called friends and loved ones that will reject you because of Christ. Well, the Bible says that those who reject you have rejected God also, and God will deal with them in time. Besides, if they reject you because you are trying to lead them to Christ and to salvation, believe it or not, they never loved you in the first place. Why? How can anyone claim they love you if they reject Christ, who happens to be LOVE incarnate? So let God deal with them.
What's the best that can happen? How's a 'well done, good and faithful servant' from the Lord, because you were fulfilling His great commission? How about seeing your friends and loved ones beside you when Christ returns, because you led them to Him and they were saved?
Or would you rather hear those dreaded four words from Christ Himself: 'I never knew you.'
The choice is yours.
Can we pray for you today? Again, just a YES will do. No need to give details if you do not want to.
God bless you all.
https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=518020651633955
Luke 14:25-14:33
Summary: To be a follower of Christ takes a supreme commitment.
Let's look at some truths that will help you determine your status as a Fan or Follower of Jesus Christ.
Football fans do crazy things. We will pack up our RV's and head to the parking lot of our favorite ball team so that we can gill out and watch the game on television when we could have done that same thing at home on our own patio.
Fans are finicky. When things are going good for the team we fill the stands and cheer them on. But, when the chips are down we criticize every play. We bad mouth the players and the coach. We talk about the way it used to be. Fans come in frenzies. They feed on the excitement and vanish when the difficult times come.
The sad truth is that many Christians today resemble football fans. They rally around the excitement and they run from the work. They encourage in the good times and criticize when things are not going so well. They fill the pew and wait to be entertained.
Jesus understood this. We find Him own His way to Jerusalem and a crowd has gathered around Him. In fact the Bible says that "great multitudes" were all around Him. When Jesus saw these multitudes He turned and said to them in essence, "I'm not looking for fans; I'm looking for followers."
Jesus is saying to us today what He said to those multitudes in His day. It's easy to be a fan. Fans are here today and gone tomorrow. Following takes commitment. Following takes sacrifice. Unfortunately the church today is filled with fans rather than followers. It is time for you to declare your loyalty. It is time for you to decide if you're going to be a fan or a follower of Jesus Christ.
First, we must realize that there is a cost to following Jesus Christ. This cost is two fold. It begins with a supreme commitment. Jesus said to these multitudes, "If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters yes, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple (Luke 14.26 NKJV)." We here these words and we say wait just one minute. Did I read that correctly? Did Jesus just tell me that if I wanted to follow Him that I had to hate those who were closest to me? This seems to be the complete opposite of what we know about God and His character. After all the Bible tells us the "God is Love." Jesus has told us in other places that we must love one another. In fact the Bible teaches that people will know that we are the children of God by the way we love each other. Yet, here we have Jesus telling us that we must hate in order to follow Him.
It gets even more confusing than that. Look at what Jesus said in Matthew 10.34-37; "Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. For I have come to 'set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law'; and a man's enemies will be those of his own household. He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me (NKJV)." We read that with a confused look on our faces. We say how can this be? What does He mean that we are "not worthy" of Him if we don't hate those who should be some of our closest relationship?
To understand this we must know that the Bible is not contradicting itself. These statements represent a comparative idea. Yes, God is love. Yes, we are to love one another. Jesus summed up the Ten Commandments with two statements about our love for God and our love for our neighbor. However, Jesus in our text here today is saying that if you come after Him; if you want to be His follower then you must love Him more than any thing or any body in this universe. He is saying that when you compare your love for Him and your love for every other relationship you have it should appear as though your love for Him so out shines your love for any thing or any body else that it seems that you hate them in comparison to Him.
For instance if some one asked you to gauge you love for you wife on a scale of 1 to 10 you would probably say 10 especially if she were present. If some one asked you to gauge your love for your children and a scale of 1 to 10 you would probably say 10. However, according to Jesus' statement in these passages if you are going to follow Him if someone asked you to gauge you love for Him on the same scale as your wife and children you would have to say 1 million and 10 because there is no comparison. In other words our love for Him compared to our love for our family and friends should be so much greater that it appears by comparison that we hate every body else and love Him. Quite frankly, we can not love any one else as we should unless we have a passionate love for our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Let me show you how serious God is about this issue. We know from the Old Testament that God is a jealous God. The Ten Commandments begin with the concept that we should not place any being or any thing before our relationship with God. Israel stayed in trouble because they constantly broke that commandment. Here how God addressed this issue with the Children of Israel:
"If your brother, the son of your mother, your son or your daughter, the wife of your bosom, or our friend who is as your own soul, secretly entices you, saying, 'Let us go and serve other gods', which you have not known, neither you nor your fathers, of the gods of the people which are all around you, near to you or far off from you, from one end of the earth to the other end of the earth, you shall not consent to him or listen to him, nor shall your eye pity him, nor shall you spare him or conceal him; but you shall surely kill him; your hand shall be first against him to put him to death, and afterward the hand of all the people. And you shall stone him with stones until he dies, because he sought to entice you away form the Lord your God (Deuteronomy 13.6-10 NKJV)."
God is serious about our commitment to Him. So much so that He commanded the children of Israel to "kill" any one who even tried to entice them away even if that someone was a family member or a close friend. Do not misunderstand. I am not suggesting that you should go around killing people. I am merely suggesting to you that God intends for our relationship with Him to be sacred and first in our lives. I want you to understand that you and I must be willing to forsake all and follow Him. If we want to be followers rather than fans we must make the supreme commitment to put Him first place in our live.
This cost of following Christ begins with a supreme commitment and continues with a supreme sacrifice. Jesus said to these multitudes, "Whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple (Luke 14.26 NKJV)." What does it mean to "bear his cross"? We often hear people talk about the problems of life and suggest that those or simply the crosses we have to bear. However, I believe that we are missing the greater truth of this concept.
The cross of Christ represents sacrifice. Jesus came to the cross because of sin. Paul tells us that the "wages of sin is death (Romans 6.23 NKJV)." So, because of sin someone had to die. That someone should have been you or me. However, because of our depravity even if we had die on the cross we would not have freed ourselves from sins penalty nor would we have appeased the wrath of God towards sin. This is true because we are tainted with the disease of sin and the sacrifice for sin must be perfect with out blemish. This is the picture painted for us in the Old Testament sacrificial system. The law required perfection. The sacrifices brought to the temple were to be as perfect as they could be. Yet, no human ever created since Adam and Eve is perfect because of our depraved nature. Therefore, Jesus had to come and live the perfect life we could not so that He could become the "propitiation" for our sin.
So, the cross points to the perfect sacrifice of Jesus Christ who became our payment for sin. Jesus died on the cross for our sin. Therefore, we must join Him in that death to sin so that we can live for Him. That's what carrying the cross is all about. Carrying the cross is to "reckon [yourself] to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 6.11 NKJV)." It is to know, "that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should not longer be slaves of sin (Romans 6.6NKJV)."
Carrying the cross is dedicating yourself to the Lord now and forever. It is when you determine that you will "not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God (Romans 12.2 NKJV)."
Being a follower comes with a cost. If we want to be followers rather than fans we must make the supreme commitment forsake all and the supreme sacrifice to turn from sin and self so that we can be fully committed to Him.
Secondly, there is a concern that must be expressed. An important word reoccurs through out this passage. It is the word "cannot". We see this word three times in this passage. It occurs in verses 26, 27, and 33. Jesus says to these multitudes that those who do not come after Him with this level of commitment "cannot be His disciples."
In other words Jesus is saying that those who try to come after Him with less that total commitment do not have the power or ability to become His followers or disciples.
Yet, we read in John 1.12 that, "as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name (NKJV)." The word "right" is a world in the Greek that literally means authority. So, the authority to become a child, a follower, a disciple of God is granted to those who receive Him and believe in His name, yet, those who come with less than total commitment do not have the ability or power to be His disciples. Therefore, it seems that God is saying to us that we cannot receive Him or believe in His name if we are unwilling to come to Him in total commitment.
Here is the danger. Jesus warned those multitudes to count the cost of discipleship. He used several illustrations of this in our text. It is important that those who would come to be followers of Christ understand the level of commitment that is required of them lest they enter only as a fan and fool themselves into thinking that they are followers. How blinded are those who sit in our pews Sunday after Sunday thinking that they are followers of Christ when there level of commitment reveals that they are nothing more than fans. How dangerous is this state of mind when you think you are eternally ready only to find out that you came up short because you were not willing forsake all and follow Him.
Jesus confirmed that there will be many who were merely fans rather than followers when He said, "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 7.21 NKJV)." He also confirmed that there will be many revealed as merely fans painted up in the tapestry of Christianity when He said, "many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name?' And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness' (Matthew 7.22-23 NKJV)?"
My friends it's easy to be a fan of Christ, but it takes total commitment to be a follower of Christ. Jesus is looking for followers not fans. Fans are lost and headed for eternal torment and separation from God in the lake of fire. Followers are God's children who are assured an eternal home in His Kingdom. Which are you today?
http://www.calvarychapelbhc.org/sermons/parable-of-the-sower/
The parable of the laborers in the vineyard is about the commandment about coveting. While "covet" may not seem the most obvious word to describe what is going on here, it does fit both the emphasis of Jesus' teaching and the overarching emphasis in Matthew on the Law and Jesus' representation of it in a way that transforms our thinking and doing. Coveting lies at the heart of this parable in a couple of ways.
We covet what God chooses to give to others.
The wages at stake (even at the moment of Jesus' first telling of the parable) are not actual daily wages for vineyard-laborers, but forgiveness, life, and salvation for believers. We need not literally be laborers in a vineyard, as we are all of us co-workers in the kingdom (1 Corinthians 3:9).
And in relationship, one believer to another, covetousness is a problem. The point here isn't necessarily that other folks receive blessings from God that we don't -- that they get more or better or lovelier gifts from God. The problem is that they get the same as us; and they don't deserve it, do they? They are less worthy, or later arrivals, or just plain worse sinners. They don't deserve the same as we get, do they? Not nothing maybe, but certainly not the same. The parable's day laborers parallel perfectly with today's forgiven-sinners in both our pews and pulpits.
We have a tendency, as the parable aptly illustrates, to covet and to be resentful of what others receive from God. The owner of the vineyard asks those who have worked longest and (presumably) hardest for him, "Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or are you envious because I am generous?"
The point is that God's grace, mercy, and forgiveness are God's to give away as God sees fit.
As a direct result of this, we covet God's power to forgive and God's control over who is forgiven and how.
The parable of the laborers in the vineyard is about coveting, about our frustration with the grace of God as it applies not to us, but to others.
Second, the parable of the laborers in the vineyard is about the first and the last. The parable itself displays a reversal of expectations -- "the last will be first and the first will be last"; this is not only the summary of the parable (20:16), but a critical aspect of New Testament theology.
Notice the flow of the narrative as the workers are compensated for their labors:
When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his manager, "Call the laborers and give them their pay, beginning with the last and then going to the first. When those hired about five o'clock came, each of them received the usual daily wage. When the first came, they thought they would receive more; but each of them also received the usual daily wage. And when they received it, they grumbled against the landowner, saying, 'These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.'"
The last are literally first in that they are paid first. And the first, who have labored longest, must also wait the longest to get theirs. But notice as well that the first who are now last do not receive nothing or less, they receive the same, as the laborers themselves say, "you have made them equal to us...." So perhaps it should be said that the last shall be first, and the first shall be the same.
This element of the parable is taken up in the other Gospels and in Revelation; this scandalous reversal of expectation, of our sense of justice, and even of our hopes, is a central piece of the New Testament. Whoever wants to be first must be last, and servant of all (Mark 9:35); so much for human ideas of greatness. Who is worthy to climb the holy hill, and enter the gate of God's kingdom? Some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last (Luke 13:30). And it is Jesus, who is first and last (Revelation 1:17), who tells us that we need not fear; for in the one who is both first and last, the first and the last are brought together when we are called to lay down the burdens of our days and find our home with God.
The scandal of this parable is that we are all equal recipients of God's gifts. The scandal of our faith is that we are often covetous and jealous when God's gifts of forgiveness and life are given to other in equal measure.
My personal take on this?
God says: "If you go and serve me, I will give you what is right."
We say: "Seriously?! Why does she/he get that and I get only this?! Nagpapakahirap ako na [list all your accomplishments here], tapos sya ganito-ganon lang tapos sya pa ang nakatanggap ng ganyang blessing?! GIVE ME WHAT I DESERVE!!!"
God says: "So? It's MY grace to give. It's MY GIFT to give. You want me to give you what you deserve for doing all of that? Ok fine, sabi sa Bible, sa Romans 3:23: ALL OF YOU have sinned and fallen short of My glory. And so, sabi sa Romans 6:23, the wages of sin is death. You want Me to give you what you deserve? What you deserve is death, plain and simple. Now, do you still want it?"
Fairness, justice, goodness, and grace is not based on what we think, but on what God thinks. And salvation is FREE. So why are we complaining about something that is free?
Do you trust God enough that He will be fair with you and provide all your needs?
Because if we think we are perfect, justified, deserving, and worthy of God's grace for whatever reason we may have, God has news for us: WE ARE NOT. So how do we get that gift from God? There's only one way, sabi sa Bible: sabi ni Jesus sa John 14:6 "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me."
Take note, this is not about being Catholic, Adventist, Born again (as a 'religion,' not as a concept), Baptist, Evangelical, or whatever religion or church you may be a member of. This is all about salvation, and the Bible says there in only one way to obtain it. Sabi sa Romans 10:9-10, "That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved."
What about all the good that I have done? Sabi sa Isaiah 57:12, "I will expose your righteousness and your works, and they will not benefit you."
So, bottom line is, it's all up to you. I'll connect this dun sa post ko kanina. Would you rather be a Jesus fan or a Jesus follower? The choice is yours.
I want you all to see this video. Still building on the topic of what it means to be a Christian, this video will have a flood of scripture references. And I encourage all of you to be like the Bereans who did not just believe everything they saw and heard, but verified if it is true by checking God's word.
I also want to encourage each of us today, this week, make it a conscious effort in your mind...
In everything that we will do, for every word that comes out of our mouth, and for every thought that enters our head, let us ask ourselves this question from Galatians 1:10:
"Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ."
For Christians, there is no gray area. You are either for God, or against God.
Speak life, live love, start a new week with Christ in your heart.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LtHCUupufLc
True Colors
There is an old story that tells about a pig. . . . The farmer brought the pig into the house. He gave him a bath, polished his hooves, put some Chanel No. 5 on him, put a ribbon around his neck, and put him in the living room. The pig looked fine. He made a nice and companionable pet for a few minutes. But as soon as the door was opened, the pig left the living room and jumped into the first mud puddle that he could find. Why? Because he was still a pig at heart. His nature had not been changed. He had changed outwardly but not inwardly. . . .
You can take a man-dress him up, put him in the front row in church, and he almost looks like a saint. He may fool even his best friends for a while, but then put him in his office, or in the club on Saturday night, and you will see his true nature come out again. Why does he act that way? Because his nature has not been changed. He has not been born again.
Daily Prayer
Almighty God, there are times when I debase my Christian walk and slip again into the mire. Cleanse and strengthen me, for Jesus' sake.
Ephesians 4:15
Jesus Gives Honest Counsel
Jesus shows us that real friends care enough to confront. Even when it's painful, they'll tell you the truth. They won't let you waste your life in silence.
I've found that correcting another person in a loving way is powerful. Done the right way, it builds people up. The difference between the right and the wrong way is your attitude.
If all you're doing is pointing out faults, then stop. The purpose has to be to correct, not to condemn. You need to ask, "What's my motive in this? Am I correcting him for my benefit or for his benefit?"
A lot of times we want to correct people just because they're being jerks and they're hassling us. We think, "If they would stop being such a jerk, my life would be easier."
That's the wrong motive.
Instead, follow Ephesians 4:15, which says, "Speak the truth in love." So the key to proper correction: Affirm the person; then correct the behavior.
He Knows My Name
by Francesca Battistelli
Spent today in a conversation
In the mirror face to face with
Somebody less than perfect
I wouldn't choose me first if
I was looking for a champion
In fact I'd understand if
You picked everyone before me
But that's just not my story
True to who You are
You saw my heart
And made
Something out of nothing
I don't need my name in lights
I'm famous in my Father's eyes
Make no mistake
He knows my name
I'm not living for applause
I'm already so adored
It's all His stage
He knows my name oh, oh,
He knows my name oh, oh
I'm not meant to just stay quiet
I'm meant to be a lion
I'll roar beyond a song
With every moment that I've got
He calls me chosen, free, forgiven, wanted, child of the King,
His forever, held in treasure
I am loved
http://youtu.be/V7fL0CbXK3o
By David C. McCasland
Read: 2 Samuel 1:17-27
David lamented with this lamentation over Saul and over Jonathan his son. -2 Samuel 1:17
In March 2011, a devastating tsunami struck Japan, taking nearly 16,000 lives as it obliterated towns and villages along the coast. Writer and poet Gretel Erlich visited Japan to witness and document the destruction. When she felt inadequate to report what she was seeing, she wrote a poem about it. In a PBS NewsHour interview she said, "My old friend William Stafford, a poet now gone, said, 'A poem is an emergency of the spirit.'"
We find poetry used throughout the Bible to express deep emotion, ranging from joyful praise to anguished loss. When King Saul and his son Jonathan were killed in battle, David was overwhelmed with grief (2 Sam. 1:1-12). He poured out his soul in a poem he called "the Song of the Bow": "Saul and Jonathan were beloved and pleasant in their lives, and in their death they were not divided. . . . How the mighty have fallen in the midst of the battle! . . . I am distressed for you, my brother Jonathan; you have been very pleasant to me" (vv.23-26).
When we face "an emergency of the spirit"-whether glad or sad-our prayers can be a poem to the Lord. While we may stumble to articulate what we feel, our heavenly Father hears our words as a true expression of our hearts.
Sometimes I do not pray in words-
I take my heart in my two hands
And hold it up before the Lord-
I am so glad He understands. -Nicholson
God does more than hear words; He reads hearts.
Insight
Although Saul had treated David as his enemy, David did not treat Saul as his. When Saul and his son Jonathan died in battle, David honored them in the song in today's passage, which opens and closes with the refrain "How the mighty have fallen!" (vv.19,27).
Genuine Love
Thousands of young couples go through with a loveless marriage because no one ever told them what genuine love is. I believe we need to read the 13th chapter of First Corinthians, in which the Apostle Paul gives us a definition of love. He says, "Love is patient and kind; love is not jealous or boastful; it is not arrogant or rude. Love does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrong, but rejoices in the right. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends." If people today knew that kind of love, the divorce rate would be sharply reduced.
Daily Prayer
Lord Jesus, we need Your love and forgiveness in our hearts, if we are to love unselfishly.
Building People Requires Unselfishness
Being a people-builder requires unselfishness.
I want to give you an objective -- be a people-builder for the rest of your life. Begin by writing down the name of one person you want to help build up, then stop and pray.
Ask God to show you that person's strengths. We always build on our strengths, not on our weaknesses. Write down whatever strengths you've seen in him or her in the past.
Then tell that person, "I've been thinking about you because I really care about you. I wanted to share with you - from my viewpoint - the strengths I see in your life because those strengths determine what God wants us to do in our lives."
Imagine the impact you could have if you would commit yourself to being a people-builder; if you determined to bring out the best in everyone you know; to help people grow and to become what God made them to be.
Is there anybody who would refuse a miracle from the Lord? Would you like to experience a miracle in your life? If so, would you be willing to follow God's leading even if it seems that where He is leading you is in the exact opposite direction of where He would like you to go? Would you still say YES even if it hurts? Would you still say YES if it seems that the world you live in is starting to crumble and fall apart at the seams ever since you decided to follow Christ with all your heart?
Or would you rather hold on to what you have, even though God is promising to give you so much more?
But then again, the question usually is this: how do I even know what God's plan for me is? How does He tell me? Am I going to hear a voice from heaven speak to me? Is He going to send me a letter, or maybe even a text message? How in the world will I know what His will is?
The answer is simple. God's will is in His word.
Have you taken the time to read it, understand it, and apply it in your life today?
By mart de haan
Read: Zechariah 10:1-8
I will whistle for them and gather them, for I will redeem them. -Zechariah 10:8
On La Gomera, one of the smallest of the Canary Islands, a language that sounds like a bird song is being revived. In a land of deep valleys and steep ravines, schoolchildren and tourists are learning how whistling was once used to communicate for distances up to 2 miles. One goat herder who is using this ancient language once again to communicate with his flock said, "They recognize my whistle as they recognize my voice."
The practice of whistling also shows up in the Bible, where God is described as a shepherd whistling for His sheep. This image could be what the prophet had in mind when he described how God will one day whistle to bring a wandering and scattered people back to Himself (Zech. 10:8).
Many years later Jesus said, "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me" (John 10:27). That may be the whistle of a shepherd. Sheep don't understand words, but they know the sound that signals the shepherd's presence.
Misleading voices and distracting noises still compete for our attention (cf. Zech. 10:2). Yet God has ways of signaling us, even without words. By events that can be alarming or encouraging, He reminds us of His guiding, protecting, and reassuring presence.
Father, it is a noisy world. Thank You for
always calling to us above the din and
ruckus that distracts us. Help us to recognize
Your voice and follow Your leading.
The call of God can always be heard.
For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother's womb. I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, And that my soul knows very well. (Psalms 139:13-14 NKJV)
Each and every one of us is fearfully and wonderfully made. That makes each and every one of us special in the eyes of the Lord.
Battle of the Spirit
When we examine the problems that confront us in our world today, we find that every one of them resolves into a problem of "inner space," a problem of the dark side of the human spirit. From thousands of letters we receive, it is evident that a large proportion of the population is facing deep personal problems. They vary from person to person, but they do exist, and they are all problems of "inner space."
Yes, we are the people who have been conquering outer space, but are in danger of losing the battle of the spirit. But there is a solution-for millions it has already been reached-and that solution is in Jesus Christ. He said, "My peace"-my liberty, my freedom-"I give unto you" (John 14:27).
Today if we will turn the searchlight of truth on the dark side of our human spirits and let Jesus Christ become the Master Control of our lives, a new day will dawn for us. Submit the "inner space" of your life to Him.
Daily Prayer
How often I hurt deep down inside me, Lord, but the knowledge of Your love and compassion brings me hope and peace.
Jeremiah 32:27
Ephesians 3:20
God Is A Capable Father
God can handle any situation you give Him. No problem is too tough for Him. Nothing is beyond His ability. But the first thing you've got to do is bring it to Him.
What's the decision you're facing this week? What's the mountain that needs to be moved? Cancer? Bankruptcy? Your kids are having problems? Can't break a bad habit? "Nothing is impossible with God."
In Jeremiah 32:27 God says, "I am the Lord, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me?" (NIV) It's almost like God laying down the gauntlet saying, "I dare you. Think up a problem that I couldn't solve. Is anything to hard for me?"
Most of us, growing up, have said, "My daddy can do anything! My daddy can beat your daddy!" I really thought that. As I grew up I began to have my eyes opened. I realized that when it came to my allowance, my dad had limited resources. When it came to advice, sometimes he was just guessing too. My guess was as good as his, because he's an imperfect father.
Yet, Ephesians 3:20 says, "God is able to do far more than we would ever dare to ask or even dream of infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, or hopes!" (LB)
I have a pretty vivid imagination. I can think up some pretty big dreams. I can set some high goals. God says, "My son, you think up the greatest thing you think I could do in your life and I can beat that. I can top that."
By Jennifer Benson Schuldt
Read: Proverbs 10:17-21
He who restrains his lips is wise. -Proverbs 10:19
Years ago an anonymous writer penned a short poem about the merits of measuring our words.
A wise old owl sat in an oak;
The more he saw the less he spoke;
The less he spoke the more he heard;
Why can't we all be like that wise old bird?
There is a connection between wisdom and limiting what we say. Proverbs 10:19 says, "In the multitude of words sin is not lacking, but he who restrains his lips is wise."
We are wise to be careful about what we say or how much we say in certain situations. It makes sense to guard our words when we are angry. James urged his fellow believers, "Be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath" (James 1:19). Restraining our words can also show reverence for God. Solomon said, "God is in heaven, and you on earth; therefore let your words be few" (Eccl. 5:2). When others are grieving, our silent presence may help more than abundant expressions of sympathy: "No one spoke a word to him, for they saw that his grief was very great" (Job 2:13).
Although there is a time to be quiet and a time to speak (Eccl. 3:7), choosing to speak less allows us to hear more.
Dear Lord, please grant me wisdom to
know when to speak and when to listen.
I want to encourage others and to care
for them as You have cared for me.
Let your speech be better than silence; otherwise be silent.
Insight
Today's reading focuses on how we use the words we speak. In verse 17, the emphasis is on the instruction and correction we receive; lying lips and slanderous words are the focus of verse 18. The point of verse 19 is that words can be so dangerous that we're wiser to not speak than to speak too much, while verse 20 contrasts the speech of those with a right heart (which is like silver) against those whose heart is far from God (worthless). Finally, verse 21 describes how proper speech can be like food to the soul. In all of these sayings, we are challenged to carefully consider how we speak.
God is Love!
As I read the Bible, I find love to be the supreme and dominant attribute of God. The promises of God's love and forgiveness are as real, as sure, as positive, as human words can make them. But the total beauty of the ocean cannot be understood until it is seen, and it is the same with God's love. Until you actually experience it, until you actually possess it, no one can describe its wonders to you.
Never question God's great love, for it is as unchangeable a part of God as His holiness. Were it not for the love of God, none of us would ever have a chance in the future life. But God is love! And His love for us is everlasting.
Daily Prayer
Knowing myself as I do, Lord, the knowledge of Your love and forgiveness never ceases to amaze me. In the knowledge of this, help me to communicate to others that this love is theirs too, if they will only reach out for it.
What to Expect From God
What can I expect from my Father in heaven? The Bible teaches that God has unlimited resources, unlimited energy, unlimited knowledge, unlimited time. He can supply all of your needs: "My God shall supply all of your needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:19 NIV)
The Lord's Prayer, found in Matthew 6, gives us an example of that. It says, God, as our Father, provides three things:
Provision for today -- "Give us this day our daily bread." Pardon for yesterday - "Forgive us our debts as we have forgiven our debtors." Protection for tomorrow -- "Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from the evil one."
God says "I've got all the bases covered: present, future, past. Your past? You blew it. It's OK. It's forgiven. Your present? I'll provide. Your future? Don't worry. Don't fear.
I'll take care of yesterday's failures, today's frustrations, tomorrow's fears because I am a capable Father."
By Bill Crowder
Read: Psalm 5
Let all those rejoice who put their trust in You; let them ever shout for joy, because You defend them. -Psalm 5:11
A news item from Australia told the story of Pascale Honore, a paraplegic woman who, after 18 years of being confined to a wheelchair, has taken up surfing. How?
Ty Swan, a young surfer, straps her to his back with duct tape. After getting the balance perfect, Ty paddles out into the ocean so they can catch a wave and Pascale can experience the exhilaration of surfing. This requires a tremendous amount of trust; so many things could go wrong. Yet her confidence in Ty is enough to enable her to enjoy a dream come true, in spite of the danger.
Life is like that for the follower of Christ. We live in a dangerous world, filled with unpredictable challenges and unseen perils. Yet, we have joy because we know Someone who is strong enough to carry us through the churning waves of life that threaten to overwhelm us. The psalmist wrote, "Let all those rejoice who put their trust in You; let them ever shout for joy, because You defend them; let those also who love Your name be joyful in You" (Ps. 5:11).
In the face of life's great dangers and challenges, we can know a joy borne out of our trust in God. His strength is more than enough!
I'm so glad I learned to trust Thee,
Precious Jesus, Savior, Friend;
And I know that Thou art with me,
Wilt be with me to the end. -Stead
Our faith is stretched by exchanging our weakness for God's strength.
Insight
In Psalm 5, David celebrates the nearness of God. Though He is Lord, God, and King, He is near to those who love and trust Him. God defends those who trust in Him (v.11), blesses the righteous, and surrounds them with a shield (v.12).
Hope For the Future
If you are moving to a new home, you want to know all about the community to which you are going. And since we will spend eternity some place, we ought to know something about it. The information concerning heaven is found in the Bible. When we talk about heaven, earth grows shabby by comparison. Our sorrows and problems here seem so much less, when we have keen anticipation of the future.
In a certain sense the Christian has heaven here on earth. He has peace of soul, peace of conscience, and peace with God. In the midst of troubles and difficulties he can smile. He has a spring in his step, a joy in his soul, a smile on his face. But the Bible also promises the Christian a heaven in the life hereafter.
Daily Prayer
Father, as I face whatever trials come my way, I will take heart in the glorious promise of heaven-knowing I shall be with You!
Mark 4:38
Matthew 6:31-32
God Is A Caring Father
At one time or another, you've probably been in a situation where you've asked, "Doesn't God care?" The disciples asked this very question in Mark 4.
They were out in a boat on the lake when the winds and the waves came up. The water started sloshing over the boat and it began to fill with water. Jesus was sleeping. The disciples woke Him up and asked the most important question you can ever ask, "Jesus, don't you care that we're drowning?" (Mark 4:38 NLT)
What about you? Does God care about your house payment, your health, whether you are a success or failure in life, your children and the education they get, whether you ever get married or not, about the argument you had with your boyfriend, or about how you feel this morning? God says, "You bet I care! I am a caring Father."
Matthew 6:31-32 says, "So do not worry saying, "What shall we eat? ... or what shall we wear? ... Your heavenly Father knows that you need these things." The next verse goes on to say, "But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things will be added unto you." (NIV)
By Joe Stowell
Read: 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
We who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them. -1 Thessalonians 4:17
I'll never forget the vigil of sitting by my dad's bed as he spent his last few days with us before slipping into eternity. To this day the moment of his passing continues to have a profound effect on me. My dad was always there for me. I could call him whenever I needed counsel. I have great memories of our days fishing together; we would talk about God and the Bible, and I would prompt him to tell those fun stories from his youth on the farm.
But when Dad took his last breath, I became aware of the irreversible finality of death. He was gone from this world. And my heart had a vacancy sign hung on its door.
Yet, even in the midst of such loss and grief, God's Word speaks encouragingly into the emptiness. The apostle Paul teaches us that at the coming of the Lord Jesus, those who have gone on before will rise first and we "shall be caught up together with them . . . . And thus we shall always be with the Lord" (1 Thess. 4:17). Now that's a reunion I'm really looking forward to! Not only to be reunited with my dad, but to be with Jesus forever.
C. S. Lewis said, "Christians never say goodbye." I'm eagerly awaiting that ultimate reunion!
Lord, in the midst of our sorrow and loss, remind
us of the glorious eternal reunion that is waiting
for us. Comfort us in our grief and fill our hearts
with joyful anticipation of the day You will return!
O Death, where is your sting? -1 Corinthians 15:55
Insight
In the Bible, sleep is a euphemism for physical death (Ps. 13:3; Matt. 9:24; 27:52; John 11:11-13; Acts 7:60). Daniel 12:2 says, "Those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, some to shame and everlasting contempt." Jesus affirmed that "the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth-those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation" (John 5:28-29). On that day when Jesus returns, believers, "those who sleep in Jesus" (1 Thess. 4:14), will be resurrected first (v.16). Then the believers who are still alive will be "caught up" or "raptured" to meet Christ in the air (v.17).
Triumph in Affliction
May I remind you that physical illness is not the worst thing that can happen to you? Some of the most twisted, miserable people I have ever met had no physical handicap. Some of the world's greatest and most useful people have been handicapped.
"The Messiah" was composed by Handel, who was suffering from a paralyzed right side and arm. Catherine Booth, in the last year of her life, said that she could not remember one day free from pain.
Helen Keller has written, "I thank God for my handicaps, for through them I have found myself, my work, and God." Some of the most radiant Christians I have ever met were "wheelchair" saints. May God give you grace to "triumph in affliction."
Daily Prayer
When physical afflictions come into my life, may they draw me closer to You, my beloved Lord Jesus Christ.
Love is Always a Response to Love
God is concerned about every little detail in your life.
A while back, a man came into my office and said, "I'm a Christian but I don't feel like I'm going anywhere in my Christian life. I'm kind of stuck in neutral."
I said, "What do you think the problem is?"
He said, "I think my problem is I just don't love God enough."
I said, "That's not your problem. Your problem is not that you don't love God enough. Your problem is that you don't understand how much He loves you."
Love is always a response to love. The Bible says, "We love because He first loved us." (1 John 4:19 NIV) When you say, "I don't love God," it's because you don't understand just how much He really loves you. God is a compassionate, caring Father.
By Julie Ackerman Link
Read: 2 Corinthians 12:7-10
My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness. -2 Corinthians 12:9
Like many towns, Enterprise, Alabama, has a prominent monument. But the monument in Enterprise is unlike any other. The statue doesn't recognize a leading citizen; it celebrates the work of a beetle. In the early 1900s, this boll weevil made its way from Mexico to the southern US. Within a few years it had destroyed entire crops of cotton, the primary source of revenue. In desperation, farmers started growing another crop-peanuts. Realizing they had been dependent on one crop for too long, they credited the beetle with forcing them to diversify, which led to increased prosperity.
The boll weevil is like things that come into our lives and destroy what we have worked hard to accomplish. Devastation results-sometimes financial, emotional, or physical-and it is frightening. We witness the end of life as we know it. But as the people of Enterprise learned, the loss of what is old is an opportunity to discover something new. God may use hardship to get us to give up a bad habit or learn a new virtue. He used a thorn in Paul's flesh to teach him about grace (2 Cor. 12:7-9).
Instead of striving to preserve old habits that are no longer effective, we can view every hardship as an opportunity for God to cultivate a new virtue in us.
O much-tried saint, with fainting heart,
The thorn with its abiding pain,
With all its wearing, ceaseless ache,
Can be the means of priceless gain. -Anon.
God often uses bitter experiences to make us better.
Insight
In Paul's letter of 2 Corinthians, he repeatedly bares his soul. In the early portions of the letter, he is forced to defend his role as an apostle, while later he shares the heartaches of all he suffered for Christ. Paul concludes by describing how a painful condition (an undefined "thorn") is being used as God's instrument to teach him lessons about grace (12:7-10). This is indeed a very transparent and pain-filled epistle.
God With Us
How many lonely people there are today! God did not create man to live in miserable inner loneliness. In that first Eden, God Himself came down to keep the man He had made from being lonely.
One of the most heartening things Jesus said to His disciples was, "Lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world" (Matthew 28:20). He came to restore fellowship between man and God, and to take away human loneliness. Jesus Christ will take away loneliness from your soul. He will be your companion and friend.
Daily Prayer
You want to fill all the lonely moments, Lord, and turn them into times of incredible delight. May I never fear loneliness again.
John 16:24
God Provides; Ask for Help
There is an amazing, incredible and all-encompassing promise in Philippians 4:19 (NIV) regarding provision: "... God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus."
Note the first two words: "God will ." It doesn't say, "He might meet your needs," it says, "He will meet your needs." It's written as a fact; God is staking his character and his reputation on it.
Then the Bible says, "God will meet all. ..." It doesn't say, "I'll meet some of your needs." It says all.
He won't give us everything we want, but he will give us what we need. Then why do you have financial needs? Did God fail? Did he lie? Exaggerate?
No! With every promise, there is a premise; there are conditions and requirements. When God makes a promise, he says, "I'll do my part and you do your part."
Ask for his help - Jesus says, "Ask, using my name, and you will receive, and you will have abundant joy." (John 16:24 NLT)
Why does God want me to ask? So he can give. Why does he want to give? So I can receive. Why does he want me to receive? So I'll be full of joy. Why does he want me to be full of joy? Joyful Christians are a positive testimony about the love of God.
By Philip Yancey
Read: Ephesians 2:1-10
For by grace you have been saved through faith. -Ephesians 2:8
Pressed into service in the Royal Navy, John Newton was dismissed for insubordination and turned to a career trafficking in slaves. Notorious for cursing and blasphemy, Newton served on a slave ship during the cruelest days of trans-Atlantic slavery, finally working his way up to captain.
A dramatic conversion on the high seas set him on the path to grace. He always felt a sense of undeservedness for his new life. He became a rousing evangelical preacher and eventually a leader in the abolitionist movement. Newton appeared before Parliament, giving irrefutable eyewitness testimony to the horror and immorality of the slave trade. We also know him as the author of the lyrics of perhaps the best-loved hymn of all time, "Amazing Grace."
Newton described any good in himself as an outworking of God's grace. In doing so, he stands with these great heroes-a murderer and adulterer (King David), a coward (the apostle Peter), and a persecutor of Christians (the apostle Paul).
This same grace is available to all who call upon God, for "in Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace" (Eph. 1:7).
Amazing grace-how sweet the sound-
That saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost but now am found,
Was blind but now I see. -Newton
Lives rooted in God's unchanging grace can never be uprooted.
Insight
Here in Ephesians 2, Paul contrasts a person's life before being saved by the grace of God to life after salvation by grace through faith. The first contrast is in verse 1: We were once "dead in trespasses" but have been made alive. Another contrast is in our behavior. We once "walked according to the course of this world" (v.2). Now, as believers, we walk according to good works prepared by God (v.10).
The Love of God
The Bible is a revelation of the fact that God is love. Many people misunderstand the attribute of God's nature which is love. "God is love" does not mean that everything is sweet, beautiful, and happy, and that God's love could not possibly allow punishment for sin.
When we preach justice, it is justice tempered with love. When we preach righteousness, it is righteousness founded on love. When we preach atonement, it is atonement planned by love, provided by love, given by love, finished by love, necessitated because of love. When we preach the resurrection of Christ, we are preaching the miracle of love. When we preach the return of Christ, we are preaching the fulfillment of love.
No matter what sin you have committed, or how terrible, dirty, or shameful it may be, God loves you. This love of God is immeasurable, unmistakable, and unending!
Daily Prayer
My heartfelt gratitude to You, Father, for Your forgiveness and love. I must be acutely aware that in all my dealing with others the only yardstick I have is Your immeasurable love.
Content With God's Provision
But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. 1 Timothy 6:6-7 (NIV)
God promises to meet all your financial needs, if you (1) ask him for help and (2) learn to be content --
If you've ever seen a baby born, you know they don't come into the world with anything but a little umbilical cord and that quickly gets cut.
And then, at your funeral, you don't take anything with you. The Bible teaches that we should learn to be content.
What is contentment? Contentment means my happiness is not dependent upon circumstances. Most people get caught into "when" thinking: "When I get a certain job ... When I can retire ... When I get the house paid off ... When I get the bills paid off ... then I'll be happy!"
God says, "No, once you get there, you'll always want something else." If you don't learn contentment, you'll never be happy. You'll always want more.
"Yet true godliness with contentment is itself great wealth. After all, we brought nothing with us when we came into the world, and we can't take anything with us when we leave it. So if we have enough food and clothing, let us be content." (1 Timothy 6:6-8 NLT)
By David C. McCasland
Read: Luke 5:17-26
Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. -Luke 5:31
In many countries, health laws prohibit reselling or reusing old mattresses. Only landfills will take them. Tim Keenan tackled the problem and today his business employs a dozen people to extract the individual components of metal, fabric, and foam in old mattresses for recycling. But that's only part of the story. Journalist Bill Vogrin wrote, "Of all the items Keenan recycles . . . it's the people that may be his biggest success" (The Gazette, Colorado Springs). Keenan hires men from halfway houses and homeless shelters, giving them a job and a second chance. He says, "We take guys nobody else wants."
Luke 5:17-26 tells how Jesus healed the body and the soul of a paralyzed man. Following that miraculous event, Levi answered Jesus' call to follow Him and then invited his fellow tax collectors and friends to a banquet in honor of the Lord (vv.27-29). When some people accused Jesus of associating with undesirables (v.30), He reminded them that healthy people don't need a doctor-adding, "I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance" (v.32).
To everyone who feels like a "throwaway" headed for the landfill of life, Jesus opens His arms of love and offers a fresh beginning. That's why He came!
The power of God can turn a heart
From evil and the power of sin;
The love of God can change a life
And make it new and cleansed within. -Fasick
Salvation is receiving a new life.
Insight
The religious leaders accused Jesus of blasphemy for claiming divine attributes for Himself (Luke 5:21). Blasphemy is showing contempt or a lack of reverence for God or something sacred (v.20). A violation of the third commandment, it was punishable by death (Lev. 24:15-16).