ETERNITY

[Ranb2khz]

A Promise Kept

~ God has been transforming lives throughout history and will do the same today for anyone who trusts Him.

Scripture Reading: Matthew 1:1-17

The first chapter of Matthew’s gospel records the lineage of Jesus. Starting with Isaac, the miracle child born to Abraham, there are 42 generations until the universe-altering event of the Savior’s birth. Among the names listed, there are schemers, prostitutes, murderers, kings, and idol worshippers. Many of these men and women had their lives transformed by God and, by His miraculous workings, were given a place of honor in the ancestry of Christ.

The same God who orchestrated it all is the one who promises us eternal life through His Son Jesus Christ. The Bible records God’s faithfulness in keeping promises made to us, His children. He has reassured us that we who are born again have a place in His family (Romans 8:15). And the Holy Spirit has been given to us as a pledge, ensuring we will receive our eternal inheritance (2 Corinthians 1:21-22).

We need only enter into a personal relationship with Christ. There are no additional specifications to meet, and God’s blessings belong to us the instant we become His children. Our Father has promised, and we can count on Him.
_________________

~ published by: In Touch Ministries

https://www.intouch.org/read/daily-devotions/a-promise-kept






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Freedom in Spiritual Poverty

~ Abundant life is available to us now as we seek to live low and abide in Jesus.

There is abundant freedom from sin available to those who in humility and acknowledgement of their brokenness look to God for help. God’s heart is for freedom. He came, died, and rose again that we might no longer be entangled to the burdens of this world but be set free to experience the fullness of heaven on earth.

Isaiah 61:1 foretold of Jesus’ purposes on the earth in saying: “The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is upon Me, for the Lord has anointed Me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent Me to comfort the brokenhearted and to proclaim that captives will be released and prisoners will be freed.” Through the powerful sacrifice of Jesus in living and dying for us, we have been set free.

But the Bible is clear that walking in the freedom made available by the blood of Jesus only happens as we continually yield our lives to Him on a daily basis.

Romans 6:7 and 11 say: “For when we died with Christ, we were set free from the power of sin". . . "So, you also should consider yourselves to be dead to the power of sin and alive to God through Christ Jesus.”

1 Peter 2:16 says: “For you are free, yet you are God’s slaves, so don’t use your freedom as an excuse to do evil.”

And Galatians 5:13 says: “For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love.”

We experience continual freedom as we submit our lives to the purposes, presence, and plans of our heavenly Father.

There is freedom for you and me today if we will choose to live poor in spirit. Jesus set us free, not that we would continue to live for ourselves and the world, but that we would experience the abundant life that comes through humility and submission to our loving God. The Godhead continually models submission and humility. They continually serve one another in an irreconcilable paradox of being three and one. And God is calling us to follow His model.

• Where are you struggling with the bonds of sin today?
• Where does the world seem to have a hold on you?

Submit your life to the capable hands of your loving heavenly Father and ask Him to reveal to you the path to freedom. Look for any parts of your life in which you are still living for yourself and the things of the world. There is no freedom available to us in the pursuits of the world. The abundant life found in God is in direct opposition to the ways and cares of the earth. Choose today to pursue the life God has laid before you, find your enjoyment in His loving nearness, and receive the freedom that comes from abiding in the presence of the Holy Spirit.

May the words of Romans 8:1-4 fill you with faith to seek the total freedom from sin available to you in God. May your day today be marked by victory over the enemy and his schemes. And may your life be filled with the peace and joy that comes from experiencing freedom from the burdens and cares of sin:

“So, now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. And because you belong to Him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death. The law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature. So, God did what the law could not do. He sent His own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body God declared an end to sin’s control over us by giving His Son as a sacrifice for our sins. He did this so that the just requirement of the law would be fully satisfied for us, who no longer follow our sinful nature but instead follow the Spirit.”
______________

~ published by: First 15

https://www.first15.org/devotionals/freedom-in-spiritual-poverty-2023/






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Insights from Job Part Seven: Knowing God

~ One of the earliest stories in human history, The Book of Job is a foundational exploration of what it means to be human, how to relate to an Almighty God, and how to navigate the challenging (sometimes tragic) circumstances of daily life. This is the seventh of a seven part series that explores insights from The Book of Job and how to apply them to what we decide today.

Scripture Reading: Job 42:1-6

Job thought He knew God. He was a faithful servant (God Himself lauded him as so), trusted deeply in God, and cared about His Maker immensely.

Throughout the book of Job, his faithfulness never wavers. But his knowledge does. What he thinks he knows, he soon realizes, is not the full extent of who God is.

When Job realizes he does not know God as well as he thought, it initiates the end of his long trial.

In Chapter 40, verse 4 (two chapters before today’s verse), Job confesses “I am vile”, which could also be translated, “I am small”. Job went from thinking he could win an argument with God to just saying, in essence, you are too big for me. Now that Job understands how vast God is, how unable he is to fully know God, he relents. Job stops trying to question God’s ways.

Knowing God means realizing God is so far beyond us. We might not be able to recognize His benevolent intent through all the fog of difficult circumstances. But it is that very thing that makes difficulty so ripe with opportunity. It allows us to see that God is so beautiful, so wonderful, so vast. He transcends our reason and our circumstances. He is in both but contained by neither.

In order to live in the fullness of life, we have to acknowledge that God is God and we are not. We are not equals at a negotiating table. He does not owe us an explanation. He is up to “more than we can ask or imagine” (Ephesians 3:20). The true call in our lives to know God is not about figuring Him out – it is about trusting Him. To believe that He has our best interest at heart, even when that seems impossible to fathom.
_________________

~ published by: Yellow Balloons

https://yellowballoons.net/devotional/part-seven-knowing-god/






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[Ranb2khz]

The Daily Article – August 31, 2023

Hurricane Idalia slammed into Florida’s Big Bend area yesterday morning. Some residents who chose to ride out the storm at home had to “swim out of their windows” to escape waves of water crashing through their front doors. It then flooded parts of Georgia and the Carolinas before moving offshore this morning.

In other news, a fire ripped through a rundown five-story building in Johannesburg, South Africa, killing at least seventy-three people as of this morning. Several of the victims were children. And today is the anniversary of Princess Diana’s death in 1997 at the age of thirty-six.

I’ve written often over the years on the subject of innocent suffering and truly believe that God redeems all he allows, even disasters like those in today’s news. At the same time, I don’t want to sound a positive note that would be tone-deaf to those who are grieving. So instead, I’ll offer some very personal reflections that are different from any I’ve shared in the past.

My two great crises:

My father died of a heart attack in 1979 at the age of fifty-five. The shock was nearly overwhelming for me and my family. He had been in poor health since his first heart attack nineteen years earlier, but we did not expect his death to come so soon or abruptly. And I had no idea why God would allow such a tragedy.

The other great crisis of my life came ten years ago when our older son was diagnosed with cancer. He underwent surgery and six weeks of radiation treatments. The thought that he could die from this was more than I could contemplate. Watching our son go through surgery and radiation was more grievous for me than I can express in words. To this day, I try not to think about the pain of those months.

Here's my point: In both cases, I learned the truth of Robert Frost’s observation that there is “no way out but through.” Avoiding the realities we were facing did not make them any less real. Pretending that our pain was less painful did not make it so. Keeping up appearances with others did not change the condition of my heart.

And being anything less than honest and transparent with God only made things worse for my soul.

“O LORD, how many are my foes!”

Over these years as a “fellow struggler” (to use John Claypool’s poignant metaphor), both as a pastor and as a human, I have come to appreciate the honesty of God’s word. The so-called “psalms of lament” (nearly half of the Psalms) have become especially important for me.

The first is perhaps the most deeply personal for David. Psalm 3 was composed while he was fleeing for his life from his son Absalom (2 Samuel 15–18). Imagine what this aged king must have felt as his son usurped his throne, staged a national rebellion, and sought to kill him.

In response, David begins: O LORD, how many are my foes! Many are rising against me; many are saying of my soul, ‘There is no salvation for him in God’” (Psalm 3:1–2). I would have followed this very honest statement with a litany of complaints against the Lord, asking him to explain why he allowed this crisis in my life and nation.

David does not: “But you, O LORD, are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head. I cried aloud to the LORD, and he answered me from his holy hill” (vv. 3–4). He chooses to see God’s unseen presence and providential protection and to cry to him in faith.

Consequently, he can make a statement I find absolutely astounding: “I lay down and slept; I woke again, for the LORD sustained me” (v. 5). Even while fleeing from his son’s armies, David can sleep while trusting that God will protect him. As a result, he testifies, “I will not be afraid of many thousands of people who have set themselves against me all around” (v 6).

And he prays, “Arise, O LORD! Save me, O my God! For you strike all my enemies on the cheek; you break the teeth of the wicked” (v. 7). Then he extends his intercession to his divided nation: “Salvation belongs to the LORD; your blessing be on your people!” (v. 8).

Reflections for all who suffer:

I take from our psalm two life principles that are relevant for anyone facing life’s tragedies today.

One: David’s prayer invites us to be honest with God.

Psalm 3 and others like it are preserved in Holy Scripture as models of true transparency. They remind us of our Lord’s call to “reason together” (Isaiah 1:18); the Hebrew is literally translated as “argue it out.”

Do you need to argue with God today?

Two: David’s example invites us to be honest with ourselves.

My favorite part of Psalm 3 is verse 7, where David prays, “You strike all my enemies on the cheek; you break the teeth of the wicked.” This is not pious religiosity but personal transparency. David is honest with his emotions in the moment, secure in the knowledge that he can admit how he truly feels to himself and then to God.

After my father died, I began praying the words I felt I should say, telling God that I was grateful for my father’s life and that I trusted him with our family’s needs. But then, the Spirit somehow opened a door in my spirit to how I genuinely felt at that moment — angry, hurt, and frightened. I was mad at my father for dying and mad at my Father for allowing my father to die.

That evening, I went into our backyard, looked up into the night sky, and shook my fist at God. But he did not shake his fist at me.

He never does.
_________________

~ published by: Denison Ministries

https://www.denisonforum.org/daily-article/hurricane-idalia-fl-residents-swim-out-of-their-windows/






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Insights from Job Part Six: Perspective as Worship

Scripture Reading: Job 1:14-22

Key Verse: "Then Job stood up, tore his robe, and shaved his head. He fell to the ground and worshiped, saying: 'Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will leave this life. The Lord gives, and the Lord takes away. Praise the name of Yahweh.' Throughout all this Job did not sin or blame God for anything." ~ Job 1:20-22

There is perhaps nothing more powerful than the ability to worship in the face of suffering. The entire book of Job is an ode to the power of worship. We often talk about Job as a book of perseverance. We talk about it as an example of faith. All of these are a byproduct of Job’s commitment to worship.

In the face of unbearable tragedy, Job’s reaction is praise. He finds a way to be thankful, to celebrate who God is. He grieves. He asks questions. He struggles. But he holds true to a perspective that does not waiver based on these circumstances, no matter how horrendous.

We think of perspective as a way we view the world, something simple and easy that can be adjusted, blown around by the wind. But perspective is the choice we make about what we accept as true.

This is an act of worship.

Declaring truth, clinging to it, and trusting in the journey it takes us on is a difficult enterprise. It is much easier to focus on “fixing” our circumstances. It is much simpler to fight for control, to demand our own way. The mystery of the Kingdom is difficult. Trusting God in all circumstances is challenging. Like Job, we have the ability to choose a perspective of thankfulness and adoration.
_________________

~ published by: Yellow Balloons

https://yellowballoons.net/devotional/part-six-perspective-as-worship/






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Insights from Job Part Five: Closing Arguments

~ One of the earliest stories in human history, The Book of Job is a foundational exploration of what it means to be human, how to relate to an Almighty God, and how to navigate the challenging (sometimes tragic) circumstances of daily life. This is the fifth of a seven part series that explores insights from The Book of Job and how to apply them to what we decide today.

Scripture Verses:

"Listen closely to what I am about to say. Hear me out. I have prepared my case; I will be proved innocent." ~ Job 13:17-18

When difficult circumstances find their way into our lives, we often react the way Job has in these verses. We petition for a trial. If God could just hear our case. If he would listen to our perspective on the matter…

It’s a tempting course. Our perspective on justice is inevitably biased and we are very likely to begin with the case already decided in our favor. We believe if we could just explain our situation to God, he would surely change things.

But God does not need more of our perspective. We need more of His. Even if our evidence makes a certain amount of sense, as it does with Job, the Lord understands what is going on at a deeper level than we do. He eventually tells Job as much in the verbal perspective-overhaul that closes the book.

A secret to living above our circumstances is to understand that God knows where we are coming from. He understands. He knows what we think and what we want even better than we do.

The circumstances of life are not accusations. They are simply the arena in which we must make our choices.

Job’s circumstances are tough. Really tough. So are many of ours. Like Job, we cannot wish away circumstances. And demanding our own verdict won’t work out the way we hope.

But we can always know that our Creator is present with us to teach and guide us through every circumstance. It is natural to seek comfortable circumstances, but the Eternal Judge offers us a better deal: we can seek our comfort in Him.
________________

~ published by: Yellow Balloons

https://yellowballoons.net/devotional/part-five-closing-arguments/






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Insights from Job Part Four: Job’s Choices

"Throughout all this Job did not sin or blame God for anything." ~ Job 1:22

No matter how bad things get for Job, there is one thing Satan cannot take away. His choices. Health and circumstances decline, to tragic degrees. But Job still exercises his ability to choose. No matter how bad it gets, he keeps deciding.

Satan’s bet is basically this: if circumstances get bad enough, either Job will make radically different choices that mirror his circumstances or forget he has choices and flow with the tide of tragedy.

Job’s friends try to lead him to this conclusion. The common sense of worldly wisdom would lead him there.

But Job makes another decision. He chooses faith in God. He chooses to trust his Creator. His circumstances don’t determine his decisions. Importantly, neither do his decisions determine his circumstances. Job’s choices transcend his circumstances. And this is the magic of obedience to God. It is bigger than the events, the arenas in which we decide. It doesn’t play by their rules.

We each have the same opportunity as Job. We cannot control circumstances by our decisions, but we can choose our perspective. And we can make decisions out of a place of trust.

Circumstances are a necessary setting for life to play out. But each day is about the choices we make in the drama we call “life.” Nothing is more important than the choices before us. And nothing in life negates those choices and their cosmic implications. The only way we lose our choice is by forfeit, which is in itself a choice.
_______________

~ published by: Yellow Balloons

https://yellowballoons.net/devotional/part-four-jobs-choices/






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Insights from Job Part Three: Adversity

"You speak as a foolish woman speaks,” he told her. “Should we accept only good from God and not adversity?” Throughout all this Job did not sin in what he said." ~ Job 2:10

Life is full of adversity. We lose loved ones, get fired from jobs, suffer miscarriages, and experience rejection. The story of Job is famous in part because of the extremity of the main character’s adversity. It is this very thing that makes Job so relatable. And it is Job’s response that makes the story inspirational.

Adversities are a constant ingredient of life. We would prefer to have only easy situations, perfect settings, and good circumstances. But the fall of man has made it so that this existence, in some way or another, is going to be like Job’s.

There are times when it feels like we are brimming with adversity. When we “can’t find a win”. Life is tough. Being human is not for the faint of heart.

Just as we relate to Job’s situation, we have an opportunity to replicate his response.

Job “accepts” adversity as an opportunity to trust God. He did not go looking for adversity. But he acknowledges the reality of it and the choice he has in its midst. And he chose to live righteously.

Nothing about adversity is easy. We cannot completely avoid it. We cannot control it. What we can do is follow the example of Job and not let adversity define us. Not allow it to lead us into sin. We can see it as an opportunity for worship. A chance to trust. An invitation to be an example. A catalyst to know God by faith.
________________

~ published by: Yellow Balloons

https://yellowballoons.net/devotional/part-three-adversity/






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Insights from Job Part Two: The Arena of Circumstance

"You clothed me with skin and flesh, and wove me together with bones and tendons." ~ Job 10:11

Many scholars believe Job is the most ancient of Biblical texts. If this is true, the story of Job serves as a kind of preface to the rest of the text. It sets the stage, as it were, for creation and the prophets and the nation of Israel and the life/death/resurrection of Jesus Christ.

It seems a poetic possibility. Because Job addresses some fundamentally tough questions:

• Why does God allow bad things to happen?
• Why do the innocent suffer?
• What benefit is there in all this for humanity?

When reading Job, it is hard not to feel a cringe of familiarity when Satan is allowed to play a part in the circumstances. His allowance to alter Job’s settings feels very close to home.

Perhaps the reason for all of this is that God wants to communicate in this preface that the battle for humanity will play out in the arena of circumstance. Satan and his dominions will be there, including the inclinations of the flesh. So will the Spirit. And the mysterious Creator of all things. But central casting in the drama is humanity. And the drama’s tension is this question: “What choices will they make?”

It is a question as relevant for us as it was for Job. The world has been created. The board has been set and the players are in position. What choices will we make in the midst of the arena, in the world of opportunity set before us?
_______________

~ published by: Yellow Balloons

https://yellowballoons.net/devotional/part-two-the-arena-of-circumstance/






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Restoration of Authority

~ May we be positioned to work with God in bringing His powerful love to earth all around us as the result of our time in His presence today.

One day as I spent time with the Lord, I felt Him speak to me, “Come follow Me and I’ll give you the keys to the kingdom.” I stood still in awe and wonder at a God who would break through the natural and speak straight to my heart. At this point I had yet to read a Scripture that I believe was meant to define the lives of all believers. Once I came across this verse, I felt the purpose for my life was changed forever.

In Matthew 16:19 Jesus tells Peter, “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth is already bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth is already loosed in heaven.” And later in Matthew 18:18 He tells the rest of the disciples, “I assure you: Whatever you bind on earth is already bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth is already loosed in heaven.” You and I are called to live with the authority of our Savior. When we became Christians, we were brought into a restoration of authority only available to those transformed by His powerful sacrifice. We have been given dominion over the powers of darkness that we might spread the truth of God’s authority over the works of the enemy. God has chosen to use us as beacons of His holy light that the world would see us and know of the power and love of our heavenly Father.

In the story of the prodigal son, the father immediately restores the authority of his child upon his return. When the father gives his ring to his son, we see a symbol of authority being transferred back to the son. No matter how terrible the sin, no matter how long the rebellion, our Father will always give us authority to do His work when we return to Him.

No sin disqualifies us from living a life of eternal impact. No length of time outside of the church, the Bible, prayer, or worship keeps us from being ministers of God’s grace. In His grace, He’s chosen to use us. Each one of us has been appointed, not by our own merit, but by His love and divine wisdom to live a life of eternal significance only we can live.

Jesus is saying to you today, “Come follow Me and I’ll give you the keys to my kingdom.” He’s given you authority to bind and loose things on heaven and earth. You have the authority to lead others to freedom from the terrible schemes of the enemy on their lives. You have the ability to love and minister to others by the Spirit of God. You can shine the light of God’s love into the darkest places and claim what was the enemy’s for the one true God.

Take time to meditate on the authority given to you by Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. Allow the Holy Spirit to fill you afresh and declare to you the purposes He has for you today. Commit yourself to being a minister of the Lord in every circumstance today and discover the incredible life available to you in the restoration of authority given to you by your heavenly Father.



How abundant is our God’s grace that He would choose to use us to advance His kingdom. How near is He to us that He longs to help us be reflections of His love in every circumstance. There is no greater life than one lived in pursuit of bringing God’s kingdom to earth in all we do. There is no greater purpose than being used by the Holy Spirit to accomplish works of eternal significance. May you live today in light of the authority restored to you by the powerful sacrifice of Jesus.
________________

~ published by: First 15

https://www.first15.org/devotionals/restoration-of-authority-2023/






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Amen Brother, and thank you for the post! God bless!






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[Bigfootbud]

Lord bless all that truly Love Jesus, and believe that He is STILL alive for all ETERNITY!!! Amen

[Ranb2khz]

Insights from Job Part One: Dance

"There once was a man named Job who lived in the land of Uz. He was blameless — a man of complete integrity. He feared God and stayed away from evil." ~ Job 1:1

The story of Job begins with Job’s faithfulness. It ends with the faithfulness of God. Everything in between is about this difficult, but beautiful dance between creature and Creator. Job and God are in this together. They are not adversaries, though at times it may feel that way.

Intimacy is not predicated on things going our way. Any married person can testify to that. It is a central theme to traditional vows. An intimate relationship is about personal togetherness.

Job and God experience this dance of togetherness throughout the difficult story of Job. His friends tempt him to abandon the relationship. They question its nature and the pain it causes. In the end, Job discovers the truth. He discovers oneness. And the Lord demonstrates His faithfulness to His servant.

Life is hard. Things rarely go the way we expect. Sadness and difficulty and disappointment are a ready part of each day.

Through it all, the Lord is faithful. And He calls us to be faithful. The reward is not an ease of circumstance but a relationship of intimacy. A unified relationship filled with communication, perseverance, and perspective.

We are dance partners with God, just like Job. We have the opportunity to explore the difficult challenge of intimacy alongside the Creator of the cosmos.
________________

~ published by: Yellow Balloons

https://yellowballoons.net/devotional/part-one-dance/






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Losing By Intimidation

Just over 80 years ago, as Notre Dame was preparing to play USC in college football, Fighting Irish coach Knute Rockne was aware that his opponent had a far better team, so he devised a plan to intimidate the Trojan players. Rockne scoured the city of South Bend and hand-picked 100 of the largest men he could find - each at least six-foot-five and three hundred pounds. He put them in Fighting Irish uniforms and at game time marched them onto the field ahead of the real team. (Obviously, this was before the days of limited rosters and eligibility restrictions.)

As USC watched these giants line up on the sidelines, they forgot about their talent and their undefeated record, and they began mentally preparing themselves for a beating. Though none of the specially recruited men played during the game, their presence on the sidelines was enough to knock Southern Cal's game off balance. Knute Rockne's trick had worked; he had intimidated the Trojan players into giving up before the game even started, and Notre Dame won.

Our 'opponent' tries a similar trick. He tries to intimidate us by appearing larger than life - but we must remember that he, too, has been sidelined.

John said: "Greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world" (1 John 4:4)

Don't let your problems intimidate you. No matter how big the enemy may seem to be, remember that you have God's power on your side. And he is greater than any enemy you face.
_______________

~ Author Unknown

~ To receive The Daily Encourager FREE each weekday, click on the following link: http://go.netatlantic.com/read/all_forums/subscribe?name=thedailyencourager






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Signs of the Times



“You can expect to be persecuted, even killed; for you will be hated by all the nations because of your love for me. Then many will stop following me and fall away, and they will betray one another and hate one another. And many lying prophets will arise, deceiving multitudes and leading them away from the path of truth. There will be such an increase of sin and lawlessness that those whose hearts once burned with passion for God and others will grow cold.” ~ Matthew 24:9-12

“Then Jesus said to them: “Don’t you understand this parable?”…”Other seed is sown among thorns; these are the ones who hear the word, but the worries of this age, the pleasure and deceitfulness of riches, and the desire for other things enter in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.” ~ Mark 4:13, 18-19

All of these passages are similar in the way that they speak about receivers and believers of the gospel in the “end times”. We are seeing examples of these today in an increasing occurrence.

Persecution of Christ followers is not new to the world, but it is new to America, and other countries of the world where it is beginning to rear its evil head. This persecution will serve the Lord’s purpose in separating the “wheat” from the “chaff”. Those that do not have a strong relationship and walk with the Lord may very-well be counted amongst the “chaff”.

Additionally, people are being deceived by ministers and teachers that have been deceived by the evil one into believing partial truths of the living Word of God. A classic example of the “blind leading the blind” straight into hell.

Likewise, due to the rampant sin and lawlessness, our love and desire to be true disciples of Christ to the world around us is being replaced with fear and apathy. This same apathy occurs when we are too busy with the cares of our daily lives to even take 30 minutes of time to spend with the Lord in the morning – let alone, to engage those outside of our inner-circle with the care and love that God requires of us to have for others.

Folks, time is short – Jesus said: “But when these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is near!” (Luke 21:28)

There are millions of people that are lost, dying, and on their way to eternal damnation. God will hold each of us accountable for what we have done during our brief and fleeting moment in this earthly life. Please don’t waste it on non-eternal actions.

“But the one who endures to the end will be saved [delivered].” ~ Matthew 24:13






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Seeing the Kingdom

~ Truly understanding that Jesus is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords changes everything.

Scripture Reading:

"I assure you: There are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom." ~ Matthew 16:28

"After six days Jesus took Peter, James, and his brother John and led them up on a high mountain by themselves. He was transformed [transfigured] in front of them, and His face shone like the sun. Even His clothes became as white as the light." ~ Matthew 17:1-2

Jesus’ words in today’s passage sound too good to believe. He said the kingdom of heaven was at hand and promised that “some of those who are standing here” would see it. But the next day — and the five after that — were just normal days in the same dark world.

On the sixth day, however, Peter, James, and John were with Jesus for what we now call the Transfiguration. And what an amazing thing they witnessed! As their Master’s appearance changed, they saw His face shining “like the sun” and His clothes a luminous white.

The next day the three disciples awoke as usual in the world they had always known — but they were different. They had seen the promised kingdom. And they carried that hopeful memory for the rest of their days, living in the light of the kingdom Jesus had revealed.

In his epistles, Peter wrote about that hope in the King and His coming kingdom. He said that he, James, and John were “eyewitnesses of His majesty” (2 Peter 1:16). He believed what he saw and trusted that Jesus’ promises were “a lamp shining in a dark place” (2 Peter 1:19).

The Transfiguration offers us the same hope today. Since the King’s majesty has been revealed to us as well, we can endure our dark places by living in the light of the coming kingdom.
___________________

~ published by: In Touch Ministries

https://www.intouch.org/read/daily-devotions/seeing-the-kingdom






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Relying on the Spirit in Our Work

~ Obstacles will come; we can choose to focus on them or trust the Lord for direction.

Scripture Reading: Ezra 4:1-5

The Israelites had returned to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple. But many opposed their efforts, and were, in fact, quite clever. First, they offered to help. What better way to cause things to go wrong than to get involved in the work? When their aid was rejected, the enemies set out to discourage and scare the Israelites. They were successful in stopping the work — temporarily.

But “the eye of their God was on the elders of the Jews,” and the work was finally able to proceed. The Lord took care of the mountain of opposition before them. What that means is, sometimes He will remove the problem; at other times He’ll walk with us through it. But either way, He wants us to depend on Him.

This means choosing to ...

• Patiently love friends and family.

• Wisely guide others toward godliness.

• Follow scriptural principles about finances.

• Have divine contentment in our current circumstances.

• Do God’s work His way.

Our work should be characterized by dependence on the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:16). While that mindset is countercultural, it’s the only way to live as a child of God. Seek out others who regularly try to follow the Spirit’s leading, and spur each other on to live it out.
_________________

~ published by: In Touch Ministries

https://www.intouch.org/read/daily-devotions/relying-on-the-spirit-in-our-work






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A Bitter Root

~ Ask God to remove anything in your heart that keeps you trapped in darkness.

Scripture Reading:

"Work at living in peace with everyone, and work at living a holy life, for those who are not holy will not see the Lord. Look after each other so that none of you fails to receive the grace of God. Watch out that no poisonous root of bitterness grows up to trouble you, corrupting many." ~ Hebrews 12:14-15

Yesterday, we examined a scene in which bitterness was a poison. Today, let’s consider another useful illustration that will help us understand the effects of resentment.

Hebrews 12:15 describes bitterness as a root. Where do you find roots? They are underground, gathering water and nutrients from the soil around them. Without the root, the vegetation would collapse and die.

Can you see how this image parallels your spiritual life? Perhaps you have a root of bitterness in the soil of your heart. Does the fact that it’s unseen mean that it is inert and harmless? Absolutely not! The root is doing its job — sucking the life from you to strengthen a cynical and hateful weed.

Thankfully, there’s a solution to the problem. “Once you were full of darkness,” the apostle Paul tells us, “but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light! For this light within you produces only what is good and right and true” (Ephesians 5:8-9). To kill a weed, you need to dig it up by the root. Pull the source of your resentment out of its hiding place. Bring it into the light and then throw it away for good.
_________________

~ published by: In Touch Ministries

https://www.intouch.org/read/daily-devotions/a-bitter-root






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A Bitter Poison

~ Has the pain of your past become a prison in your present?

Scripture Reading:

"Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you." ~ Ephesians 4:31-32

Picture a man hunched over a chemistry set, adding a pinch of this and a dash of that to the unpleasant green fluid before him. He is thinking of someone who harmed him, replaying all the perceived slights and hurts, and is concocting a poison to repay the offender.

His work finished, he breathes a sigh of relief and takes the beaker in his hands, marveling at what’s been created. “This will show him,” the man says, and then drinks the bitter brew himself.

That’s a surprising twist, to be sure. Yet there is a good chance you’ve essentially done this very thing at one time or another.

Bitterness is a poison that we prepare for someone else but then drink ourselves. It is something we often carefully nurture and grow over the years. If someone hurts us — whether intentionally or unintentionally — and we begin to fantasize of a thousand and one ways to get payback, all we are doing is destroying our own heart and mind. Thankfully, our faith presents a better way to live. Rather than nurture hate, we can “turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it” (Psalm 34:14).
__________________

~ published by: In Touch Ministries

https://www.intouch.org/read/daily-devotions/a-bitter-poison






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The Daily Article – August 17, 2023

~ High school math teacher donates a kidney to his student: The urgency and power of moral formation...

“It will be pretty crazy when I watch him walk by. I’ll be able to say, ‘There goes my kidney.’” This is what Eddie McCarthy, a high school math teacher in Toledo, Ohio, told a Washington Post reporter after donating a kidney to Roman McCormick, who was one of his geometry students. The teacher and student are doing well following the transplant surgery.

Stories like this illustrate Albert Einstein’s observation, “Only a life lived for others is a life worth living.” And they are especially notable in a day when such altruism seems so rare.

Maui residents say they are being looted and robbed at gunpoint following catastrophic wildfires on the island. On the mainland, retail theft is up 26.5 percent across the US. A recent video showed more than thirty people stealing $300,000 worth of items from Nordstrom in Los Angeles. A few days earlier, the same thing happened at a Yves Saint Laurent store in the LA area.

“A society that’s terrible at moral formation”

“How America Got Mean” is New York Times columnist David Brooks’ latest in-depth article for The Atlantic. The subtitle explains his premise: “In a culture devoid of moral education, generations are growing up in a morally inarticulate, self-referential world.”

As examples, Brooks documents the rise of hate crimes and murder and the decline of social trust. He writes that “the words that define our age reek of menace: conspiracy, polarization, mass shootings, trauma, safe spaces” (his italics). In his view, “We’re enmeshed in some sort of emotional, relational, and spiritual crisis, and it undergirds our political dysfunction and the general crisis of our democracy.”

His explanation is simple: “We inhabit a society in which people are no longer trained in how to treat others with kindness and consideration.” Said differently, “We live in a society that’s terrible at moral formation.”

He notes that America’s Founders had “a low view of human nature, and designed the Constitution to mitigate it.” Consequently, for the first 150 years of our history, teaching virtue was central to society’s endeavors. Foundational was the conviction that “concepts like justice and right and wrong are not matters of personal taste: An objective moral order exists, and human beings are creatures who habitually sin against that order.”

“Whatever feels good to me is moral”

What changed? Brooks reports that humanists responded to the horrors of World War II by claiming that “the existence of rigid power hierarchies led to oppression in many spheres of life.” In their view, “We need to liberate individuals from these authority structures” since “people are naturally good and can be trusted to do their own self-actualization.”

The result was the abandonment of moral formation in schools and society. Psychology, especially emphases on self-help and self-esteem, replaced philosophy and theology. The consequence is what philosopher Alasdair MacIntyre called “emotivism”: “Whatever feels good to me is moral.”

However, as Brooks perceptively notes, “Expecting people to build a satisfying moral and spiritual life on their own by looking within themselves is asking too much. A culture that leaves people morally naked and alone leaves them without the skills to be decent to one another.”

Brooks quotes Duke Divinity School theologian Luke Bretherton: “The breakdown of an enduring moral framework will always produce disconnection, alienation, and an estrangement from those around you.”

A sobering conversation with a cashier:

This is where the Christian faith becomes relevant, or at least it should. Christians are called to imitate Jesus (Romans 8:29) and manifest virtues vital to flourishing such as “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, [and] self-control” (Galatians 5:22–23). However, Brooks mentions churches only twice in his lengthy article. In his prescriptions for a more moral society, he nowhere includes religion or faith (even though he converted to Christianity a few years ago).

Why is this? My answer is that Christianity is not obviously producing culture-changing Christians. Too many of us act too much like the world when we’re not in church.

This fact was driven home for me yesterday when I was checking out from a store and struck up a conversation with the cashier. When our discussion turned to faith, she said that she was a Christian but she had to work on Sunday mornings, so she attended services on Sunday night. She added that she was hoping to change her hours to be off on Sunday mornings, but not for the reason I expected.

She explained that so many Christians come into her store after church services and treat her so rudely that she would rather not work the Sunday morning shift. I’ve heard similar stories from waiters and waitresses who say the after-church shift is their hardest all week — church attenders are the most demanding and tip the least.

“May all who come behind us find us faithful”

I say all of that to say this: the moral crisis David Brooks analyzes so perceptively is a historic opportunity for our faith to impact our culture. People are dying—some literally through “deaths of despair” such as suicide and drug addictions, the rest spiritually—to experience God’s life-giving love and grace.

But they understandably judge Christianity by Christians. When I was lost, I did the same thing. It was the vibrant joy and peace I witnessed in Christians I met that drew me to their faith. I wanted what they had. Nearly fifty years later, I’m so glad I saw Jesus in them.

Now it’s my turn and yours. Let’s ask the Holy Spirit to fill and control us today so fully that we exhibit the compassion and character of Jesus to everyone we meet. Let us measure success by the degree to which people see Christ in us (Colossians 1:27). And let’s settle for nothing less than a movement of culture-changing Christians whose love for their Lord and their neighbor transforms those they influence (Mark 12:30–31).

In the words of Steve Green:

"O may all who come behind us find us faithful,
May the fire of our devotion light their way.
May the footprints that we leave, lead them to believe,
And the lives we live inspire them to obey.
O may all who come behind us find us faithful."
_________________

~ published by: Denison Ministries

https://www.denisonforum.org/daily-article/high-school-math-teacher-donates-kidney-to-his-student/






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Created to Do His Will

"LORD, you are our Father. We are the clay, and you are the potter. We all are formed by your hand." ~ Isaiah 64:8

We are the clay being molded by the loving hands of the Potter. Our Father is shaping us into the likeness of His Son; but what is our purpose during this shaping process?

Our transformation begins the moment we trust in Jesus, and we soon learn that our Salvation is never earned by "doing" anything; "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith" (Ephesians 2:8). But we also learn that eternal life is for those who do God's will; following Him is not an optional part of the Christian walk. We cannot truly accept Jesus as Savior without also beginning a journey of trust while walking in His steps. Faith means trusting Him enough to follow!

"And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever." ~ 1 John 2:17

We generally like the idea of "new birth" when we think of being born into God's Kingdom as His child. But we become uncomfortable when we hear, "You are not your own; you were bought at a price" (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). We get uneasy when we read, "You have been set free from sin and have become bondservants to God." (Romans 6:22). There is no Salvation without a willful transfer of ownership; and we need to face the difficult truth that this means a transfer of control.

Giving up control is never easy. It can be extra scary to face the unknown from the passenger seat; and it can be an offense to our pride to allow someone else (even God!) to take the lead. The roots of "self" go very deep! But as we learn to completely trust, God brings us to that wonderful place of peace where we can say, "Who do I have in heaven but You? And I desire nothing on earth but You." (Psalm 73:25). Though sometimes difficult, there is great joy in a complete surrender to the will of our Heavenly Father.

As we give Him control over every area of our life, He will show us how to use ALL for His glory; "For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works" (Ephesians 2:10). He will give us the tools to accomplish His will, and in the process meet every need and fulfill our deepest desires.

He is the Potter and we are the clay. He is the Creator and we are definitely "the created." But we have been created with an awesome purpose. We have been given gifts, talents, and abilities, which when given back to God are used to bring Him glory and honor. This IS our purpose! We have been created to glorify His Name as we love Him and trust Him with all our heart. Let's bring Him glory and honor as we walk in the understanding that we have been created to do His will.
_______________

~ Author Unknown

~ To receive The Daily Encourager FREE each weekday, click on the following link: http://go.netatlantic.com/read/all_forums/subscribe?name=thedailyencourager






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Handling Praise

~ Do you feel awkward when someone compliments you?

Scripture Reading:

"Let another praise you, and not your own mouth — a stranger, even, and not your own lips." ~ Proverbs 27:2

Think about a time when you received praise from a parent, a teacher, or an employer. How did you feel? Did it make you glad or uncomfortable? For many people, praise is nearly as difficult to handle as criticism. Because God’s Word instructs us to be humble (Matthew 18:4; Philippians 2:3), we may sometimes feel confused about how to receive compliments. Here are three ways to respond:

1. Acknowledge the comment by thanking the person. Don’t explain why you are unworthy of praise or try to deflect such kindness. The Lord is using that person to bless you!

2. Identify and acknowledge the character quality that led the other person to commend you. Perhaps he or she sees something you’ve missed (and that God wants you to be aware of). Remember, believers are called to “encourage one another and build one another up” in the Lord (1 Thessalonians 5:11).

3. Share what the encouragement means to you personally. Scripture says that “pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones” (Proverbs 16:24). Tell the other person how much you’ve been blessed by his or her attention and care. After all, praise can go both ways.
____________________

~ published by: In Touch Ministries

https://www.intouch.org/read/daily-devotions/handling-praise






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The Importance of Accepting Criticism

~ Others can make us better and help us avoid pain, but only if we're willing to consider their point of view.

Scripture Reading: Proverbs 10:8-18

Key Verse: "People who accept discipline are on the pathway to life, but those who ignore correction will go astray." ~ Proverbs 10:17

Nobody likes criticism, but we should remember that God can use it to tell us something important. We are wise to pay attention when people critique us. Their words — whether invited or not — should encourage us to examine ourselves and discover who we really are. If we fail to listen, we might miss out on something essential.

That’s why it’s important to respond well and evaluate criticism correctly. Instead of immediately becoming defensive or assuming you’re without fault, ask yourself, Is the Lord trying to teach me something in this moment? It’s wise not to automatically reject the comment, blame the person who made it, or defend yourself. Instead, consider what was said and ask God to continue revealing His will for your life. Then thank the person and explain that you’ll reflect on his or her observation.

Today’s passage reminds us: “The wise of heart will receive commands” and the “one who is on the path of life follows instruction” (vv. 8, 17). If we wish to continue growing in Christlikeness, we must leave ourselves open to receive the Lord’s teachings via whatever or whomever He chooses.
__________________

~ published by: In Touch Ministries

https://www.intouch.org/read/daily-devotions/the-importance-of-accepting-criticism






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In Grace God Teaches Us

~ May we approach God with a humble and teachable heart. And may we learn whatever lesson we need from the Spirit today, as God teaches us in His grace.

By God’s grace we have been given an entire book of His teaching. The Bible offers you practical wisdom, insight, and revelation that has the power to transform your life. Its very pages are miraculous, the voice of God breaking supernaturally into the physical world — paper and ink in your own language.

Matthew 24:35 says: “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My Words will never pass away.”

The Bible holds the perfect and eternal words of the Creator of heaven and earth. Even more, as believers we’ve been filled with the very Author of the Bible, the Holy Spirit. We have available to us by God’s grace both the Word and its Author, capable together of leading us to the abundant life God desires for us. Today as we look at all that God desires to accomplish in us through His Word, may your heart be filled with the longing to engage in the process of transformation that comes through the teaching of Scripture.

Psalm 19:7-11 says: “The instruction of the LORD is perfect, renewing one’s life; the testimony of the LORD is trustworthy, making the inexperienced wise. The precepts of the Lord are right, making the heart glad; the command of the LORD is radiant, making the eyes light up. The fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever; the ordinances of the LORD are reliable and altogether righteous. They are more desirable than gold — than an abundance of pure gold; and sweeter than honey, which comes from the honeycomb. In addition, Your servant is warned by them; there is great reward in keeping them.”

David understood the incredible value of the Word he’d been given. God’s Word revives the soul, brings wisdom, rejoices the heart, and enlightens those who read it.

• How greatly do you need what God’s Word gives you?
• Where do you need to be revived?
• Where do you need wisdom, rejoicing, and enlightenment?

Psalm 1:1-3 says: “Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers. But they delight in the law of the LORD, meditating on it day and night. They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do.”

Those who make God’s Word their foundation and delight are immovable, fruitful, and prosperous. It has the power to lead you away from a life of sin and worldly counsel to a life of abundance and prosperity in the counsel of the Spirit.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 says: “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip His people to do every good work.”

The Bible is capable of taking a broken and weak person and teaching, correcting, and training them in righteousness that they may be equipped for incredible works. God desires to take any area of your life that isn’t yielding the fruit of righteousness or accomplishing good works and revive them through His Word into areas of strength and life.

Because your heavenly Father loves you, He will always lead you through the Spirit and His Word into better and more fruitful living. God has incredible plans in store for you as you grow in your relationship with Him, and He desires to use His Word to both equip you for and guide you to the abundant life He has for you. Meditate on His Word day and night. Read it with the guidance of the Spirit. Receive the revelation, wisdom, and insight He longs to share with you. And choose to live your life in response to Scripture, living in obedience to all that you read.



Meditate on all that God wants to do in you through His Word. Allow desire for His teaching to be stirred as you think about the abundant life He wants to lead you to through Scripture. Think of areas in which you need restoration and wisdom. And commit to engaging in the process of incredible transformation God has in store for you.
________________

~ published by: First 15

https://www.first15.org/devotionals/in-grace-god-teaches-us-2023/






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No One Is Too Far Gone

~ God's grace is available to all who want it — no one has sinned beyond His ability to love, forgive, and heal.

Scripture Reading: Acts 9:1-31

Imagine what the apostle Paul must have felt at the time of his conversion. Before then, he was known as Saul, a notorious persecutor of the Christian church. Saul even went so far as to track down believers and approve their execution!

• Do you think people trusted him immediately after his experience with Jesus?

• What must the reaction have been from the believers who knew him only as a murderer?

Surely Paul was forced to suffer their harsh stares and questions. And yet God moved in a mighty way through this former persecutor. Despite Paul’s past, God had a specific plan for him, and in the power of the Holy Spirit, the apostle was used mightily to spread the gospel.

Perhaps you know someone who is hostile to the faith. Can you “preach” to him or her through kind and loving actions? Perhaps the Lord is planning to use you as He once did Ananias. Or perhaps you’re the one who’s hesitating, thinking you’re too far gone to save. Beloved, there is no one beyond God’s loving grace. Ask Him to speak to your heart today, and follow Him. You’ll be so glad you did.
________________

~ published by: In Touch Ministries

https://www.intouch.org/read/daily-devotions/no-one-is-too-far-gone






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God's Grace Brings Purpose

~ May God fill us all with a deeper sense of purpose today, and may our days be more fulfilling and more impactful as we experience God’s grace right now.

One of the greatest gifts we’ve been given by God is purpose. From the time of Adam, God has always made clear the purposes we were created for.

In Genesis 1:28 God says: “Then God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth and govern it. Reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, and all the animals that scurry along the ground.”

Throughout time our purposes have changed, but God has made it clear that we all are to have lives that are valuable and effective. Have you lived days where you’re simply going through the motions? Have you had days where you feel as if what you do doesn’t matter? Those days in my life are my absolute worst. I would rather go through trial and persecution with purpose than live a meaningless day. It’s in purpose we find satisfaction. In purpose we find out our lives matter. And in purpose we discover the reason we were created.

2 Timothy 1:9 says: “For God saved us and called us to live a holy life. He did this, not because we deserved it, but because that was His plan from before the beginning of time — to show us His grace through Christ Jesus.”

Because of God’s grace and purpose, we have been called to a life of wonderful and satisfying works. The Bible teaches us a truth in opposition to the teachings of the world. The world says to work enough to live a life of comfort and ease. Work is done for the purpose of relaxation and comfort. God says that we are created for a life of eternal value in which everything we do is to have purpose higher than our own comfort and relaxation. God has placed value and worth on your life to an extent you have yet to discover. He has a plan and purpose for your life that He’s assigned to no one else. Your life is meant to make an eternal impact for His kingdom which will reign for all time. But in His grace, He has also given you control of your own life. You can choose to live your life according to His purposes or your own. And you can choose to pursue comfort and meaningless relaxation or a life of true rest and satisfaction that comes only from living entirely for God. My hope is that in looking at two purposes God has for your life; you will choose to live your life completely with, and for, your heavenly Father. And in doing so, you will discover the incredible joy and passion the Spirit longs to birth in you.

The first purpose for which you were created is relationship with God.

Jesus says in Mark 12:30: “And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.”

The Westminster Shorter Catechism says it this way: “The chief end of man is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever.”

Loving God is your highest calling, and in loving God you will experience the fullest joy and satisfaction available. When you stand before God in judgment, He will not look for possessions, promotions, or social status, but rather at the fervor with which you loved Him. You will be rewarded for acts of love, not self-seeking glorification. And this chief purpose of loving God is the only path to the abundant life He has in store for you here.

The second purpose for which you were created is loving others in response to your love for God.

Mark 12:31 says: “The second [commandment] is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these.”

Ephesians 5:1-2 says: “Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are His dear children. Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered Himself as a sacrifice for us – a pleasing aroma to God.”

Acts 26:16 says: “But get up and stand on your feet. For I have appeared to you for this purpose, to appoint you as a servant and a witness of what you have seen and of what I will reveal to you.”

We are called to love others out of the amazing love we’ve been shown. As our hearts are filled with love for God through encountering Him in the secret place, we will be filled with a longing to see His desires for others around us come to fruition. God’s greatest longing is for relationship with His crown of creation, and He wants to use us to guide others to Himself. In loving others, we will discover the incredible satisfaction of seeing the lost and hurting be found and healed. Incredible passion and joy comes from seeing a life transformed through the Spirit working in us.

How incredible is the grace of our God that His purposes would be entirely rooted in love. We are called to simply love Him and others with the very love we’ve been shown. He’s like a father who gives His children money to buy Him a present. He fills us with the love and enjoyment He feels for us, and then in response we can love Him and others. He fills you with the breath of life and then patiently waits for you to live your life as a beautiful song of worship to Him. May you experience today all that God’s grace has afforded you. May you choose to live your life with purpose and passion that only comes from loving Him and others.



The passion and purpose God has for you never ceases. There will be days or seasons He leads you to rest for the purpose of renewing, loving, and filling you. There will be times of work and striving in which He purposes to mold, shape, and use you. Wherever God is leading you today, trust that He absolutely has the best plan for you. Choose to live your life with His purposes in your heart and experience the passion that can only be found in living for God.
_________________

~ published by: First 15

https://www.first15.org/devotionals/gods-grace-brings-purpose-2023/






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The Lost Painting Found

"Restore the joy of Your salvation to me, and give me a willing spirit.." ~ Psalm 51:12

Historian Patricia Millen was working on a book about images depicting Washington’s crossing of the Delaware when she saw a reference to a lost painting. George Harding’s mural had once hung in Trenton’s opera house, which was torn down in 1969. Millen finally found the huge painting stored in the basement of another building. A conservator carefully unrolled the painting. It showed signs of damage and mold, but it’s not only salvageable — it can also be restored and proudly displayed.

Many people feel forgotten, as if the painting of their life is rolled up and wasting away in a basement somewhere. Not true! Perhaps you’ve had a rough patch, or maybe you feel you’ve committed sins God cannot forgive. Don’t underestimate His grace. He is the divine Conservator and Restorer. The blood of Christ will dissolve the mold, restore the colors, and make your life beautiful.

No matter the sins of the past or the sins we will commit in the future, we can rejoice because God’s grace covers all our sin.
__________________

~ Author Unknown

~ To receive The Daily Encourager FREE each weekday, click on the following link: http://go.netatlantic.com/read/all_forums/subscribe?name=thedailyencourager






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Rediscover God’s Love

"I brought you from the ends of the earth and called you from its farthest corners. I said to you: You are My servant; I have chosen you and not rejected you. Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you; I will help you; I will hold on to you with My righteous right hand." ~ Isaiah 41:9-10

Rejection is a punch in the stomach. We all know the feeling, and some rejections can impact our mental health. Being rejected by a parent is hurtful beyond description. Imagine the pain of a young man whose marriage proposal is rejected. We can fall into depression when a college rejects our application or an employer hires someone else for the job we wanted.

The Lord will never reject us when we come to Him needing His grace. Even when we sin, God’s love for us remains. Thank Him that His love doesn’t stop even when we fail Him.

Maybe you’ve done something that makes you feel so unworthy or guilty you think the Lord cannot or will not forgive you. He is more willing to forgive you than you are to seek His forgiveness! Come to Him in humble repentance, confess your sin, trust His grace, and rediscover His love.

Jesus was despised and rejected by men (Isaiah 53:3) that you might be accepted and embraced by God.
_________________

~ by David Jeremiah (www.davidjeremiah.org)

~ To receive The Daily Encourager FREE each weekday, click on the following link: http://go.netatlantic.com/read/all_forums/subscribe?name=thedailyencourager






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Washing Toilets

"He honored [exalted] those He wanted to honor and humbled those He wanted to humble." ~ Daniel 5:19

A young graduate - Paul - desired a career in the building industry. Early in his career, he was working with a large ministry to help direct several of their construction projects.

As the projects were completed, Paul was asked to stay on for future projects. To keep him busy he was given a number of jobs - one of which was cleaning toilets. He recalls getting down on his knees each day and complaining to the Lord, "I’m a college graduate!"

Discouraged, Paul told the Lord, "I will not leave here until You promote me. Please give me contentment with my circumstance."

Paul felt totally forgotten by God. A few months later, Paul received a phone call from a man in the Midwest who owned five successful businesses who wanted to interview Paul for a job. This came as a total surprise to Paul. As he drove to the interview, he told the Lord, "I only want your will in my life, nothing else. I am content to remain obscure for the rest of my life if I have You. You must override my lack of experience for me to get this job."

The owner of the company asked Paul a surprising question: "If I asked you to clean a toilet, what would you do?" Paul sat there, stunned. He wanted to burst out laughing. Paul assured him that he would simply pick up a sponge and start cleaning.

Amazingly, Paul was hired even though other candidates were more qualified. After several months of success Paul asked his boss why he hired him. His boss replied, "Paul, I still have a large stack of applications from people who wanted this job. Do you remember the first question I asked you in the interview? I asked each one the same question. You were the only one who said he would clean the toilet. Paul, I am a wealthy man, but I grew up dirt poor. I clean my own toilets at home. I can’t have people running my businesses who are too proud to clean a toilet."

Sometimes God places us in situations to see if we will be faithful in those before He is willing to promote us to greater things.
________________

~ Os Hillman TGIF - "Today God Is First"

~ To receive The Daily Encourager FREE each weekday, click on the following link: http://go.netatlantic.com/read/all_forums/subscribe?name=thedailyencourager






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The Daily Article – August 7, 2023

Marjorie Perkins, an eighty-seven-year-old woman in Maine, awoke at 2 a.m. on July 26 to find a man standing over her bed. He told her he was going to cut her, but she fought back, putting a chair between them as he struck her on the cheek and forehead.

Then the teenager headed for the kitchen, telling her he was “awfully hungry.” So she gave him a box of peanut butter and honey crackers, two protein drinks, and two tangerines. She then called 911 on her rotary phone as the intruder left. Police quickly found the man and charged him with several crimes. According to Associated Press, her story has made her “a bit of an international celebrity.”

Shifting gears: Richard L. Hasen claims in Slate that last week’s federal indictment of former President Donald Trump is “perhaps the most important indictment ever handed down to safeguard American democracy and the rule of law in any US court against anyone.” By contrast, Kimberley A. Strassel writes in the Wall Street Journal that “if lying politicians can be prosecuted for ‘fraud,’ as [the prosecutor] proposes in the Trump indictment, we’ll need a lot of new prisons.” She cites numerous examples of politicians engaged in actions that were, in her view, the same behavior for which the former president was indicted.

Your view of the indictment will likely be determined by the story you believe: Mr. Trump is a deceitful threat to American democracy or he is the victim of legal overreach and political animosity.

“Powerful technologies of the heart”

Simeon Zahl is a Harvard and Cambridge graduate who serves as Professor of Christian Theology at Cambridge. His recent article in Mockingbird, titled “The Cure of Souls: Theory of Change in Christian Ministry,” explores the ways people experience genuine transformation in Christ.

After describing various approaches, he focuses on St. Augustine’s observation that “the human will is helped to achieve righteousness in this way: [human beings] receive the Holy Spirit so that there arises in their minds a delight in and a love for that highest and immutable good that is God” and thus are “set afire with the desire to cling to the Creator.”

From this insight, Dr. Zahl states that “the heart of Christian ministry is the facilitation of an emotional encounter with the God revealed in Jesus.” Knowledge, even from Scripture, is not enough by itself. Nor is participation in various spiritual disciplines or practical ministries. Humans are so fallen and resistant to change that only the Holy Spirit can change us. And he does this by speaking to our heart.

Consequently, “the experience of being helped by God in your place of felt need is the heart of Christianity.” In this context, according to Dr. Zahl, stories and illustrations are “powerful technologies of the heart, much more powerful than mere words and ideas” because “they know how to speak the strange electric language of the heart.”

“Though I was blind, now I see”

What does this emphasis on Spirit-led storytelling mean for those of us committed to seeing our culture experience genuine moral and spiritual transformation? Let’s consider three responses.

• First, experience the change we want others to experience. We must have a story before we can tell it. Our Lord promises: “You will seek Me and find Me, when you seek Me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:13).

When last did time with God change your life?

• Second, stay so surrendered to the Spirit that he can lead us to tell stories people need to hear. He knows the hearts we are called to influence and will prompt in our minds and hearts the stories he wants us to share (Luke 12:12). But we must be able to hear his voice before we can follow it.

According to Oswald Chambers, “We must never allow anything to injure our relationship with God; if it does get injured, we must take time and get it put right. The main thing about Christianity is not the work we do, but the relationship we maintain and the atmosphere produced by that relationship. That is all God asks us to look after, and it is the one thing that is being continually assailed.”

Will you ask the Spirit to guide your thoughts and prompt your words today?

• Third, be courageous in telling your story and trust the results to God. Like the man born blind who told the skeptical religious authorities, “One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see” (John 9:25), you have a story to tell that is uniquely yours. Others may reject what you share (John 9:26–34), but Jesus will make your story eternally significant (John 9:35–41).

In his 2005 Stanford commencement address, Steve Jobs advised the graduates: “Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life.” He was convinced that “the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do.”

Do you truly believe God can use your life and story to change your culture?

“Go home to your friends and tell them”

Yesterday was “Transfiguration Sunday” in much of the Christian world. We know the story of Jesus’ transfiguration experience with Moses and Elijah not only because Matthew, Mark, and Luke recorded it in their Gospels but also because Peter retold his eyewitness account in his second letter (2 Peter 1:16–18).

Paul never tired of telling his conversion story on the road to Damascus (John 4:28–30) and “many Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony” (John 4:39).

Now it’s our turn to tell our “town” our story.

Why not today?
___________________

~ published Denison Ministries

https://www.denisonforum.org/daily-article/87-year-old-marjorie-perkins-fights-off-intruder-then-feeds-him/






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Mountain Moving Faith

"...Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” ~ Matthew 17:20

Many years ago, a small congregation in the foothills of the Great Smokies built a new sanctuary on a piece of land willed to them by a church member. Ten days before the new church was to open, the local building inspector informed the pastor that the parking lot was inadequate for the size of the building. Until the church doubled the size of the parking lot, they would not be able to use the new sanctuary.

Unfortunately, the church with its undersized lot had used every inch of their land except for the mountain against which it had been built. In order to build more parking spaces, they would have to move the mountain out of the back yard.

Undaunted, the pastor announced the next Sunday morning that he would meet that evening with all members who had "mountain moving faith." They would hold a prayer session asking God to remove the mountain from the back yard and to somehow provide enough money to have it paved and painted before the scheduled opening dedication service the following week.

At the appointed time, 24 of the congregation's 300 members assembled for prayer. They prayed for nearly three hours. At ten o'clock the pastor said the final "Amen." "We'll open next Sunday as scheduled," he assured everyone. "God has never let us down before, and I believe He will be faithful this time too."

The next morning as he was working in his study there came a loud knock at his door. When he called "come in," a rough looking construction foreman appeared, removing his hard hat as he entered. "Excuse me, Reverend, I'm from a Construction Company over in the next county. We're building a huge new shopping mall over there and we need some fill dirt. Would you be willing to sell us a chunk of that mountain behind the church? We'll pay you for the dirt we remove and pave all the exposed area free of charge, if we can have it right away. We can't do anything else until we get the dirt in and allow it to settle properly."
___________________

~ Author Unknown

~ To receive The Daily Encourager FREE each weekday, click on the following link: http://go.netatlantic.com/read/all_forums/subscribe?name=thedailyencourager






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The Blessings of Our Father

~ May we taste and see God’s goodness today as we open our hands and hearts to receive the gifts of His love.

Our Father loves to bless His children. All that we have has been given to us because our Father loves us unconditionally.

In Matthew 7:7-11 Jesus says,

“Ask, and keep asking, and it will be given to you. Search, and keep searching, and you will find. Knock, and keep knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who searches finds, and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. What man among you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!”

One of the most important spiritual principles for Christians is that God is good and He gives His children good gifts. With all the depravity, pain, suffering, and wrong in the world, we must establish the unshakable goodness of our heavenly Father as our foundation. The blessings of our Father are vast and numerous. Oftentimes He blesses us in ways that go unnoticed. From a light rain or a cool breeze to an unexpected gift or miraculous healing, our God is constantly working to turn the evil in this world for our good.

James 1:17 says,

“Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow.”

The world will try to tell you that God plays favorites. It will look at the life of one and compare it to another as if it were every person’s destiny to be the wealthiest and most successful person in the world’s eyes. God blesses us in far greater ways than worldly success and wealth. He is concerned with that which is eternal and will actually produce the abundant life your heart truly desires. And while provision in this world is most definitely important and God promises to provide everything we need physically, He has not promised to make you a success in the eyes of the world. He has only promised that if you follow Him, He will guide you to the best possible life filled with the fullness of relationship with Him, purpose, and every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places (Ephesians 1:3).

If we truly take stock of our lives compared to what we deserve, we will begin to better see the incredible blessings given to us by our loving heavenly Father. Allow God to guide you away from the pursuit of that which is fleeting so that you might be filled with greater depths of joy at the abundance of eternal life and blessings which are yours in Christ Jesus.

Take time today to reflect on the blessings you’ve been given by your Father. Allow Him to shift your pursuits away from earthly wealth and success toward that which will actually satisfy you for all of eternity. May you be filled with joy and thanksgiving in light of the wonderful gifts you’ve been given by your good and loving Father.

When we allow God to free us from pursuing worldly success and pleasing others, we experience to greater depths the joy of relational living. When relationship with our Father is our chief goal and sole desire, we position ourselves to live joyfully and satisfied in every season and circumstance. May you follow the Lord’s leadership into a life of greater joy and peace. And may your eyes be opened to the blessings given you by your loving, near, and good Father.
____________________

~ published by: First 15

https://www.first15.org/devotionals/the-blessings-of-our-father-2023/






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Fear Is Your Cue

~ What scares you? God invites you to bring it to Him and receive His peace and courage.



Scripture Reading: Numbers 13:1-33; Numbers 14:1-45

You’ve probably heard that the Israelites wandered in the wilderness for 40 years, but do you know why? Because in their fear, they doubted God’s call. He had intended for the Israelites to finally inhabit the Promised Land, but when Moses sent spies to scope it out, they reported, “The people who live in the land are strong, and the cities are fortified and very large” (Numbers 13:28). The Israelites became afraid and mistrusted what the Lord had said. As a result, they didn’t reach the land of milk and honey.

One of the reasons we, like the Israelites, often question what we’ve heard from God is the fear of failure. Feeling afraid is a normal, human response, but it’s also an internal cue that it’s time to do two things:

1. Investigate what is going on inside:

What is scaring you? How do you think God views this situation? How do you believe He’ll respond to your feelings?

2. Connect with the Father:

You are always safe to share your fears with God — He wants to know about them.

It’s the Lord’s desire that we move through life with confidence and assurance in Him (2 Timothy 1:7). Whenever fear tempts you to change course, take a moment to pause, look inward, and talk to God.
______________________

~ published by: In Touch Ministries

https://www.intouch.org/read/daily-devotions/fear-is-your-cue






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From the Pastor’s Heart – August 2023

~ The true purpose of your prayer time is to become like Christ.

In a healthy spiritual life, self-evaluation is important. It can even be exciting, if we’re willing to be honest with ourselves and welcome the tender, compassionate guidance of the Holy Spirit. Our prayer life is a good opportunity for this.

Dr. Stanley believed loving and serving God well are possible only if we’re growing in prayer. Let’s hear from him as he explains the essential elements of a serious and fulfilling prayer life.
__________________________________________________

Friend, how would you describe your personal prayer life?

For some, the answer is short and simple: “Nonexistent.” Sadly, a lot of believers don’t spend much time, if any, talking with God. I don’t mean praying on the run. Offering up quick requests as you go about your day is part of a serious prayer life, but far from all it is meant to be.

The kind of prayer I’m talking about is an uninterrupted period of time together, just you and the Lord. No distractions, no other people. And not because you need something, but because you love Him and want to be with Him. Do you have that with God? And if so, how often?

What I’d like to impress on you today is that Jesus, when He was here on earth, placed enormous importance on this kind of prayer. Scripture indicates He often went off alone somewhere to talk to His Father. He prayed when He had decisions to make, when He was tired, and when He was anguished. If prayer was this vital to Jesus, who was God, imagine how important it is for us.

The time you spend in private with the Lord will refresh and empower you supernaturally: “Those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary” (Isaiah 40:31).

I can assure you that I’ve seen this happen many times in my own life. I’d like to share with you here four basic, but essential, steps for a personal prayer life that will be indescribably rewarding.

First, make time for God:

If you want to develop a relationship with someone, you need to spend time with that person. Be deliberate and committed. Get alone with God and refuse to be interrupted. If necessary, start with 15 minutes. Just talk with Him as you would with a friend. You’ll soon find yourself jealously guarding that time because it’s so restoring and precious to you.

Second, choose a place:

Growing up, sometimes the bathroom was the only place I could be alone to pray. But if possible, find a corner you can set aside just for this. When you do nothing in that spot but talk with God, here’s what will happen: It will become sacred to you. And as soon as you enter, God will prepare you for His presence. That’s a wonderful way to begin.

Third, understand the purpose:

Are our needs important to God? Yes. But the true purpose of prayer is to commune with the God of our souls, to be enclosed with Him, adoring Him, and — don’t miss this — conformed to His likeness.

Paul said, “Looking as in a mirror at the glory of the Lord, [we] are being transformed into the same image” (2 Corinthians 3:18). As you sit with the Lord, fully focused on His Person, you’ll start to resemble Him in your thoughts and actions, and His glory will begin to shine on your countenance.

The true purpose of your prayer time is to become like Christ.

Fourth, keep a prayer pad:

Let God tell you what to pray about. Record the day you start and the date you see Him act. Over time, this list will give you confidence. Just remember the true purpose of prayer; His greatest works may be the things no one sees but God and you. Yet, your faith will still be a blessing to others. When God’s people are strong, “each will be like a refuge from the wind and a shelter from the storm, like streams of water in a dry country” (Isaiah 32:2).

My friend, understand this: Your prayer life will, to a very great extent, determine everything else about you.

You will live no better than you pray, work no better than you pray, sing and teach no better than you pray. But be prepared! The enemy will fight you for it, because he knows the potential of a serious prayer life. Through it, God will turn your human power into supernatural power. And that is well worth the battle. Let this awesome privilege begin to change everything for you — today.
__________________________________________________

Dr. Stanley’s encouragement toward a serious prayer life is an inspiration to us here at In Touch, and we hope it is to you, too. There’s no doubt that as we continue on this journey, we’ll see true growth — in heart, mind, and soul, not to mention our circumstances. Enjoy the days of devotion ahead, and let us know how we can help. God bless you, till next time.

For His Glory,
Your Friends at In Touch Ministries

https://www.intouch.org/read/from-pastors-heart/august-2023






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Childlike Faith

~ May you experience peace and courage today as you allow God to take burdens off of your shoulders, and live with childlike faith.

To have faith like a child is to blindly trust the goodness, care, leadership, and provision of a father. Jesus continually called His disciples to a lifestyle of surrender and trust in Him, but never so simply as in Mark 10:13-16. Scripture says,

"One day some parents brought their children to Jesus so He could touch and bless them. But the disciples scolded the parents for bothering Him. When Jesus saw what was happening, He was angry with His disciples. He said to them, “Let the children come to Me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these children. I tell you the truth, anyone who doesn’t receive the Kingdom of God like a child will never enter it.” Then He took the children in His arms and placed His hands on their heads and blessed them."

Mark 10 teaches that it’s in having childlike faith that we will receive the kingdom of God. Childlike faith is what fills us with the unshakable hope that we will one day dwell in heaven with our Father for all of eternity. As Christians, we’ve placed all our hope in the truth that Jesus came, died, and rose again, and that if we place our trust in Him, we will have a resurrection like His. We succeed in having childlike faith when it comes to salvation, but often we fail in placing our trust in our heavenly Father on a daily basis.

Being the child of God affords us the opportunity to live under His constant provision and leadership. As our good Father, He longs to provide for us a wonderfully abundant life full of joy, peace, purpose, laughter, friends, and unconditional love. But so often we go our own way and live our lives apart from all that’s available to us in God. Whether it be by a lack of revelation, impatience, fear, wrong teaching, or past experiences, we so often fail to have faith that God will shepherd us to His perfect plans.

God is calling you to a greater lifestyle of childlike faith. He is calling you to place your trust in Him alone for your finances, relationships, future, past, and present. Hebrews 11:6 says, “And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who seek Him.” What brings our Father pleasure is unadulterated, unveiled, and glorious relationship with His children. He longs for us to draw near to Him with full assurance that He is good, real, and that He longs to bless us.

Take time to place your full trust in your heavenly Father. Confess to Him any ways in which you have been living in your own strength. Ask Him to show you the root of your lack of faith. And receive His help in pursuing a lifestyle of childlike faith. May you experience the transcendent peace and joy that only comes through living by faith.

In speaking of Abraham, Romans 4:20-21 says, “Abraham never wavered in believing God’s promise. In fact, his faith grew stronger, and in this he brought glory to God. He was fully convinced that God is able to do whatever He promises.” May we be children as faithful to our good and loving heavenly Father as Abraham was. May we pursue wholeheartedly the abundant life that comes from trusting in God’s reality and nearness. And may we be greater reflections of God’s unconditional love and purpose for all those weary and burdened by the stress of doing life apart from the help of the Father.
____________________

~ published by: First 15

https://www.first15.org/devotionals/childlike-faith-2023/






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The Daily Article – August 2, 2023

~ Will World War III be fought with biological and computer viruses?

As COVID-19 cases have been rising in recent weeks, experts continue to debate the origin of the pandemic. But there’s no debating the origin of this frightening story: authorities have been investigating an unlicensed laboratory in Fresno County, California, where the CDC found at least twenty potentially infectious agents, including coronavirus, HIV, hepatitis, and herpes.

Making the story even more disturbing: the biotech company reportedly has ties to China. Officials would not have known about the lab but for a code enforcement officer who was driving down the street and noticed a garden hose protruding from a building where it should not have been. So we are left to wonder if similar labs are in operation around the country.

To place this threat in context: a combined biological and cyber attack could be the weapon of choice in the next world war. This according to Richard A. Muller, professor of physics emeritus at the University of California, Berkeley, whose article in the Wall Street Journal is alarmingly titled “World War III Will Be Fought With Viruses.” In it he explains how a nation could weaponize and covertly release a deadly virus, then release covert cyberattacks on hospitals and other infrastructure to maximize the damage of the spreading disease.

Dr. Muller published his article on July 6, three weeks before we learned that China has hidden malicious computer code inside networks controlling America’s power grids, communication systems, and water supplies. Then comes news of an unlicensed biotech lab with infectious agents and reported ties to China.

Given the dangers posed by the rise of Chinese aggression, the threat of Russian nuclear weapons in Ukraine, the growing risk of cyberattacks, and the possibility of another pandemic or terror attack, it is unsurprising that counselors say we are “living through one of the most stressful periods in American history.” In fact, a poll conducted by the American Psychiatric Association showed that 70 percent of US adults feel anxious or extremely anxious about keeping themselves or their families safe today.

In such anxious times, why are so many Americans opting out of church?

Jake Meador, editor in chief of the online magazine Mere Orthodoxy, reports in the Atlantic: “Participation in a religious community generally correlates with better health outcomes and longer life, higher financial generosity, and more stable families — all of which are desperately needed in a nation with rising rates of loneliness, mental illness, and alcohol and drug dependency.”

And yet, he notes, forty million Americans have stopped attending church in the last twenty-five years, representing the largest concentrated change in church attendance in American history. Part of the reason is tragic: clergy abuse scandals have driven many victims away from the church.

But Meador, citing research in The Great Dechurching by pastor Jim Davis and writer Michael Graham, observes: “The defining problem driving out most people who leave is just how American life works in the twenty-first century. Contemporary America simply isn’t set up to promote mutuality, care, or common life. Rather, it is designed to maximize individual accomplishment as defined by professional and financial success.”

As a result, Meador writes: “Such a system leaves precious little time or energy for forms of community that don’t contribute to one’s own professional life or, as one ages, the professional prospects of one’s children. Workism reigns in America, and because of it, community in America, religious community included, is a math problem that doesn’t add up.”

“Glad and Generous Hearts”

The first Christians modeled the kind of community Americans desperately need: “Day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved” (Acts 2:46–47).

I have witnessed similar community in Cuba, where church members depend on each other for food, medicine, and other basic necessities and for support and solidarity in their daily lives. I saw the same in East Malaysia, where I served one summer as a missionary, and in other locales I have visited in the Muslim world.

Here’s what these churches, ancient and contemporary, had in common: they knew they needed each other. Facing a Roman Empire bent on exterminating their movement, a Communist government antagonistic to their faith, or religious authorities seeking to oppress their beliefs and people, they knew that they could depend only on their Lord and each other.

Given the materialistic success of American society, as Jake Meador notes, many of us don’t believe we need what Christian community offers. We are not willing to make the investment of time and passion such community requires.

And so we feel isolated and lonely, because we are.

“The Invisible Made Visible”

Let me be blunt: Western culture, with its insistence on individual status and achievement, is lying to you. Its roots lie in ancient Greek philosophy, not biblical revelation. In the words of the atheist Jean-Paul Sartre, one of existentialism’s most famous proponents: “Things are entirely what they appear to be — and behind them . . . there is nothing.” (We should not be surprised that the novel in which these words appear is titled Nausea).

The biblical truth is, you were not created to do life on your own. You were designed to need an intimate daily relationship with your Designer and the community he designed for you. Chuck Colson was right: “The life function of [the local church] is to love the God who created it — to care for others out of obedience to Christ, to heal those who hurt, to take away fear, to restore community, to belong to one another, to proclaim the Good News while living it out. The church is the invisible made visible.”

G. K. Chesterton noted: “We do not want a church that will move with the world. We want a church that will move the world.”

Which “church” will you join today?
___________________

~ by Jim Denison

https://www.denisonforum.org/daily-article/unlicensed-lab-in-california/






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Got Disunity? Get Into God's Word

There’s a simple solution to all our disunity, and it’s a truth found in the absolute truth of God’s Word. We can return to the Almighty and understand how He’s created us to be unified under His message. What is that message? That all of us are created in the image of God, and so He loves us all without distinction.

Jesus came preaching the unifying love of God. But He didn’t just preach it. He embodied it. He spent time with men and women, rich and poor, sick and healthy, and Jews and Gentiles. He asked a Roman employee — Matthew the tax collector — to become His disciple. He also asked a Jewish zealot who would have hated that Roman tax collector — Peter — to follow along. He touched the lepers (Matthew 8:2–3). He spent time with the hated Samaritans, including a second-class, outcast, divorced-five-times-over Samaritan woman (John 4:1–42). Jesus came, and He showed no favoritism, only love for all.

The good news of the gospel is that it frees us from the lies (and possession) of the enemy. It can bring ultimate unity, if only we believe it. The gospel turns conservative redneck duck hunters and hate-filled rehab patients into family. It brings together folks of every ethnicity, nationality, economic class, and gender. It heals the division in our country.

We have the Word of Truth (Bible). . . . It’s the tool that might make a family of us again. So, let’s get back to it. When we gather on Sunday mornings, let’s model a love for our neighbors that shows no favoritism based upon class, color, or nationality. But let’s not stop there. Let’s be examples to the rest of the world. Let’s carry the truth of Christ’s unity out into the workplace, into public schools, into the rehab centers. Let’s carry it into the political process, into the voter booth. Let’s share it with those who are possessed by their father, the evil one, and let’s watch deliverance happen.
_________________

~ excerpt from: "The Theft of America’s Soul:", by Phil Robertson

https://www.amazon.com/Theft-Americas-Soul-Blowing-Destroying/dp/1400210046/






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The Chief and the Thief

I heard the touching story of an Indian chief who had a reputation for being a really great leader. In fact, it was said that he was always just, but he was also always loving.

There had been some theft in his tribe and he needed to get to the bottom of it. So he set a trap with some goods that were left out, and he hoped that those would trap the thief. He only told two braves, and then those two braves waited. At dawn, they came to the chief's teepee. One brave entered, and said, "We have caught the thief." The chief said, "Good! We will sentence him to 20 lashes with the whip. Bring him in."

To the shock and horror of the chief, when the braves brought in the thief, they brought in the chief's mother! Word spread very quickly through the tribe, because there was to be a punishment of 20 lashes with the whip. And the people began to say, "Well, now we'll find out which is greater, his justice or his love."

At noon his mother was tied to a stake in the middle of the encampment, her garment was loosened to expose her back, and a warrior drew back his arm with the whip. And suddenly there was an order that came from the chief, "Stop!"

The people began to talk to each other and say, "Well, he's setting aside his justice for his love, isn't he? His love is greater than his justice." And that's when something happened that no one there would ever forget. The chief took off his robe, so that his back was exposed, placed his body between his mother and the whip and gave a two-word order, "The whip!" And that day, the punishment fell - 20 lashes, not on the one who deserved it, but on one who loved her enough to take the punishment that she deserved. That is what God's one and only Son did for you and for me.

1 Peter 2:24 says, "He himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By His wounds you have been healed."

We've all broken God's laws; we've all broken God's heart by ruining the life He gave us to live for Him. There's a death penalty for that. I deserve the whip of God and so do you. But He said, "Take Me instead." When Jesus went to the cross, the punishment of God fell not on the one who deserved it (that's me and you), but on the one who loved you and loved me enough to take the punishment we deserved. God's love sent His one and only Son to die in your place.

John 3:16 says, "For God loved the world in this way: He gave His One and Only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life."

Have you ever done that? Have you ever believed - in the sense of like grabbing Jesus consciously like a drowning person would grab a lifeguard? If you're not sure you've done that with Jesus, make sure today. Tell Him, "Lord, I believe some of those sins You died for were mine. I'm putting all my trust in You today."

The Son of God has stood between you and the punishment of God. Now He stands in front of you with outstretched, nail-pierced hands. He's waiting for you to respond to His love. Please don't wait another day.

"But to all who did receive Him, He gave them the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name" ~ John 1:12

_________________

~ by Ron Hutchcraft - A Word With You (www.hutchcraft.com)

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Jesus, Our Rock

~ Our compassionate Savior offers spiritual, physical, and emotional refuge for the hurting.

Scripture Reading:

"I am Yahweh - the Lord, and I do not change." ~ Malachi 3:6

God’s character never changes — Jesus Christ always remains the same. What a comfort for believers! And the better we know Him, the easier it will be to turn to Him for refuge. So today, let’s learn more about His nature:

Jesus ...

• Forgave others. He showed mercy, not judgment, to those who recognized their sin.

• Comforted the hurting. He visited Mary and Martha, who were mourning the loss of their brother Lazarus (John 11:1-45).

• Provided for needs. After spending three days healing, He was concerned that the large crowd hadn’t eaten. He could have sent all 4,000 away to find their own food, but He provided more than enough to satisfy their hunger (Mark 8:1-9).

• Interceded for His disciples. Just before He was crucified, Jesus asked the Father to protect and sanctify His followers, including you and me (John 17:15-20).

• Strengthened believers, and gave them power to do God’s work. In Acts 1:8, the Lord sent His disciples out to share the gospel, assuring them, “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you.”

Jesus still forgives, still comforts, still provides, still intercedes, and still empowers. What a blessing that we can find refuge in our amazing Lord!
________________

~ published by: In Touch Ministries

https://www.intouch.org/read/daily-devotions/jesus-our-rock






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[Ranb2khz]

A Foundation of Affection

~ God is such a good, loving Father that He wants us to live with a foundational understanding of His affection toward us.

One of the most wonderful results of knowing the heart of God is living with a foundation of affection. Often we spend too much of our daily time and energy working for the affections of others. From trying to earn the respect and admiration of friends and family to vying for approval from a complete stranger, we are in constant need of affection.

But as believers we’ve been given a wellspring of love and affection in communion with our heavenly Father. There’s nothing we have to do or could ever do to earn the love of God. His love is the beginning. His affection is meant to be the catalyst for our emotions, thoughts, and actions rather than the result. It’s for this reason God calls us to be rooted and grounded in His love.

Ephesians 3:17-19 says, "So that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith — that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God."

When we seek a fresh revelation of God’s unconditional love we naturally become secure and unshakable. When we discover the unfathomable depths of God’s affection for us we naturally stop vying for love from others. And as we daily access the heart of God we become filled with all His fullness, richly satisfied with a love far greater than we could ever earn.

1 John 4:16 says, “Whoever abides in love abides in God.” Take time to abide in the love of your heavenly Father. Let Him surround you with His transcendent peace. Let Him reveal His vast and overwhelming affection for you. And live today in light of God’s glorious grace that you might devote your time and energy to responding to love rather than earning it. May God’s affection be your foundation today.

Ephesians 5:2 says, “And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.”

Live today as an act of worship to a God who’s loved you to greater depths than you could ever repay. Seek to love God in all you do, think, feel, and say. Whether interacting with a stranger, eating a meal with a friend, working, walking, or breathing, do it all for the glory of your loving Father. Allow God’s affection to be the foundation for your own. May your life satisfy the heart of God and stir up others around you to greater levels of devotion to our worthy King.
________________

~ published by: First 15

https://www.first15.org/devotionals/a-foundation-of-affection-2023/






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[Ranb2khz]

If You Say So

The year was 1997. I'd just finished my homework and downed a peanut butter sandwich made with Eggo waffles, and the burning desire for milk kicked in. I hopped over the back of my sofa at the commercial break of Saved by the Bell, flung open the fridge and began gulping down cold milk straight out of the carton. I was satisfied for about 0.3 seconds until I realized...this milk had turned, this milk was not my friend. It wasn’t a day or two old, it was over a week old. Needless to say, I puked so hard I dislodged gum that had been in my small intestine since the second grade, and I learned on that day what Matthew speaks of in Matthew 15:10. The gospel of Matthew tells us that there is something more dangerous than taking in something bad, and that is speaking out something that is bad.

When God hears you speak about your meeting as terrible, your car as crappy, your kids as ungrateful, your husband as lazy, your town as small, your house as cramped...His response is: If you say so. You will feel how you speak and find what you seek.

Likewise, there is power in speaking out something that is good.

At creation, God spoke the world to life. At the incarnation, God spoke Jesus into our world. That tells you something about the weight of words. And it should humble you to know that God has given you the same power of speech. That is part of the terrible privilege of being made in His image. You have great power in your speech that can unleash a forceful fury that can create, tear down, build, heal, or hurt.

One of my favorite stories in Scripture shows what I am trying to communicate. It is from Matthew 8, when a centurion came to Jesus for help because his servant was seriously ill. In response to this man’s plea, Jesus immediately agrees to come to the man’s home and treat the boy. This is where it gets really interesting. The centurion protests that there is no need for Jesus to enter his home. For one, it would be inconvenient for Jesus to have to travel, and secondly, if He entered the house of a Gentile He would be ceremonially defiled and have to go through a cleansing ritual before His daily life could continue. Translation: He would get Gentile cooties. He didn’t want Jesus to be put out while doing him a favor. When Jesus heard this He marveled, because the centurion’s faith was noteworthy. Jesus then turned and spoke 3 incredible words of wisdom that were original to Him long before they were sung by Paul McCartney and John Lennon: Let it be. Matthew 8:13 “as you have believed, so let it be done for you.” This is actually where we get our word AMEN. Amen translated directly into our language means “let it be.” When we say amen we are saying, “may what I have prayed come to pass.” But in light of the response of what happened in this interaction between the centurion and Jesus, our goal should be to pray such a gutsy prayer that with raised eyebrows God would say to you: Amen, let it be.

It is up to you whether the self-fulfilling prophecies you articulate become a delight or a dungeon. God’s response to the way you speak is: If you say so.

Questions to Ask Yourself:

1. How do I speak to myself and others?
2. In what way is my speech positive?
3. In what ways do I have a hard time controlling my tongue?

Think of an area of your life you tend to complain about or speak negatively of. Challenge yourself this week, every time you are tempted to complain, to find a way to thank God instead.
_____________________

~ by Levi Lusko

https://my.bible.com/reading-plans/15075-i-declare-war-4-keys-to-winning-the-battle-with






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[Ranb2khz]

The Word

~ May we begin to turn to the Bible as our source of truth and direction first and foremost, rather than the world around us.

Scripture is one of the best indications we have of God’s intense longing to be known by His people. Every time we open up the Bible, we are looking at a miracle. God has revealed Himself to us in a way that is beyond dispute and beyond anything we could ask or imagine. Within the pages of Scripture, we see countless examples of God’s grace, love, presence, power, and unfathomable desire to have a restored relationship with us.

Oftentimes I take for granted how amazing it is to have the Bible. Because I grew up knowing Scripture to be God’s Word, it was always normal to me. Never before had I looked at it and realized what a powerful declaration it was of God’s desire to be known by me. And our Father didn’t just leave us with some words he spoke thousands of years ago, but gave us the Holy Spirit to help us understand and receive revelation from the Word.

In reading Scripture with the Holy Spirit, we can come to a real, transformative understanding of God’s heart. There is no refuting what God says in the Bible. There is no questioning whether the words we’re reading are true, important, or applicable.

Hebrews 4:12 says:

“For the Word of God is living and effective and sharper than any double-edged sword, penetrating as far as the separation of soul and spirit, joints and marrow. It is able to judge the ideas and thoughts of the heart.”

2 Timothy 3:16-17 says:

“All Scripture is inspired by God [breathed out by God] and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness, so that the man, and woman, of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”

And Romans 15:4 says:

“For whatever was written in the past was written for our instruction, so that we may have hope through endurance and through the encouragement from the Scriptures.”

If you’re longing to know the heart of God today, search His Word. God has preserved the Bible you have today for the purpose of revealing Himself. When you seek Him out through the reading of Scripture with the help of the Holy Spirit, you will find Him. May your time of prayer be filled with revelation and transformation as God’s heart is revealed.



Reading Scripture with the Holy Spirit brings God’s Word to life. The Bible isn’t just a book of rules. It’s not just a list of do’s and don’ts. It’s meant to be read with the understanding that its words were inspired by the One who dwells within you. May your heart be stirred to meditate on God’s Word that it might produce peace and joy in your life today.
_________________

~ published by: First 15

https://www.first15.org/devotionals/the-word-2023/






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[Ranb2khz]

Playing God

"The Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore." ~ Psalm 121:8

One of my church members told about the time she was trying to put her three-year-old son to bed for a nap.

When she was unsuccessful, she put him in her bed and laid down with him to encourage him to rest. She fell asleep, but he didn't. When she woke up, she saw him sitting on a chair at the end of the bed, and asked, "Luke, what are you doing?"

"I'm playing God," he replied.

"Playing God?" she asked.

"Yes," he said. "I'm watching over you while you sleep."

Children understand more than we do sometimes. God IS watching over us. Jesus gave that promise here in talking about the coming of the Holy Spirit. Not only will God watch over us but through the presence and reminder of the Holy Spirit, we will be reminded of what it means to "Love Jesus and keep His commands." And God will help us to create the environment of love, grace, faith and security that we need for our homes today.

Our challenge is to listen to the Holy Spirit and to trust Christ.
_______________

~ by Billy D. Strayhorn, "If You Love Me...."

To receive The Daily Encourager FREE each weekday, click on the following link: http://go.netatlantic.com/read/all_forums/subscribe?name=thedailyencourager






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[Ranb2khz]

You Can Know God

~ May your relationship with God go deeper and become freer as you build trust and learn how to have God’s heart this week.

Scripture Reading:

“Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” ~ Psalm 46:10

God longs to be known by you. He longs for you to make time to simply seek His face and get to know His personality, the nature of His love, and the availability of His presence. You don’t have to live without a real, revelatory knowledge of God’s heart. You don’t have to live with the uncertainty of whether you are cared for, provided for, and loved.

In the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, God proved His longing to be known by us. Jesus took on flesh not just so He could save and redeem us, but so He could usher in a better, truer revelation of who the Father is. In John 17:3 Jesus says, “Now this is eternal life: that they know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent.” And later in verse 26 Jesus prays to the Father, “I have made You known to them, and will continue to make You known in order that the love You have for me may be in them and that I Myself may be in them.” Jesus came that we might know the love of the Father. He came that we might have communion — unhindered relationship with our Creator.

Through Jesus you’ve been granted eternal, real access to your heavenly Father. And in the Holy Spirit you can search the deep places of God’s heart and grow in restored relationship with Him. 1 Corinthians 2:10-12 says:

"Now God has revealed these things to us by the Spirit, for the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. For who among men knows the thoughts [or, things] of a man except the spirit of the man that is in him? In the same way, no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have not received the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who comes from God, so that we may understand what has been freely given to us by God."

God has made the way for you to know His heart. You can know Him in infinitely deeper and more transformative ways than you can know even your best friend or spouse. The Holy Spirit, God Himself, dwells within you and longs to reveal the “deep things of God” to you.

All that’s left for you to do is have faith in God’s ability to reveal Himself when you seek Him and set aside time to know the heart of your heavenly Father. May you make time to do exactly that today as you enter into guided prayer.



What a tragedy it is to not take full advantage of what Jesus paid so high a price to accomplish. What a waste to live this life as if God isn’t fully with us, fully for us, and fully available to us. He couldn’t make the way to His heart any clearer. The Holy Spirit dwells within you as close to your heart as He could possibly be. Knowing God is as simple as acknowledging how close and available He already is. May your life be changed in light of the knowability of your perfect, loving heavenly Father.
_________________

~ published by: First 15

https://www.first15.org/devotionals/you-can-know-god-2023/






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[Ranb2khz]

Seeing Adversity From God’s Viewpoint

~ God is perfect in knowledge, wisdom, and power. You can safely trust Him in whatever you face today.

Scripture Reading:

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, and your ways are not My ways.” This is the Lord’s declaration. “For as heaven is higher than earth, so My ways are higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts." ~ Isaiah 55:8-9

We all will face hardship at some point. Let’s look at how our Father sees the trials He allows in a believer’s life.

God’s purpose isn’t to destroy us; rather, it’s to stimulate our spiritual growth. In His great wisdom, He knows how to take an awful situation and use it to transform us into the image of Christ and equip us to carry out His will.

Every adversity that comes into our life is sifted through the Father’s permissive will. That doesn’t mean the difficulty itself is His perfect will, but He’s allowed the trial to touch us so that He can use it to accomplish His wonderful purposes for our life.

Since our human eyes can’t always see what the Lord is doing, we won’t always understand everything we face. God’s plans involve far more than each individual life; they include all of creation and reach from the beginning of time to eternity. Though we’ll never grasp the infinite mind of God, we can know His faithfulness and love.

When you can’t understand God’s ways, choose to focus on His perfect knowledge, wisdom, and power. Remember, He sees the entire picture and loves you more than you can imagine. This is a time to walk by faith, as perfect understanding comes only in heaven.
_______________

~ published by: In Touch Ministries

https://www.intouch.org/read/daily-devotions/seeing-adversity-from-god-s-viewpoint






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[Ranb2khz]

Sermon on the Mount Part Seven: The Golden Rule

“Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you. This is the essence of all that is taught in the Law and the Prophets [Old Testament]." ~ Matthew 7:12

As Jesus begins to close the Sermon on The Mount, He sums up His teaching (and indeed “all the Law and The Prophets”) by setting forth what has come to be known as The Golden Rule.

Jesus assumes (rightly, of course) everyone wants to be treated with fairness, kindness, and mercy. Since righteousness is social harmony, it makes sense that the key to achieving it is to treat others as you desire to be treated. It is quite practical. Any group that expends all its resources on activities that create mutual benefit is going to be amazingly successful.

Jesus acknowledges the reality that we as humans pursue self-interest. That is presumed in His admonition. But also presumed is the reality that we often mis-perceive our own self-interest. Selfishness is self-destructive. Righteousness is about serving God in community, treating other humans as we would like to be treated, no matter their station.

Jesus concludes The Sermon on the Mount with a warning: don’t let false teachers distract you from God’s Kingdom. Follow the voice of the True Master. Seek His Kingdom. Pursue righteousness. Love and serve one another as co-laborers in Christ. And unite under Jesus who has spoken all of these things from His Own Authority. The false teachers are out to distract you, to feed the dangerously insatiable desires of the flesh. To be self-focused rather than others-focused.

The sum of the entire Bible is to treat others as we desire to be treated. Nested within this advice for living is the key to finding true success. Jesus called choosing this perspective a narrow gate, a path that is sometimes hard to see. It requires effort to see but guarantees success if followed. Not success we can demand, but success we can trust will be ours in due time.
_________________

~ published by: Yellow Balloons

https://yellowballoons.net/devotional/part-seven-the-golden-rule/






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[Ranb2khz]

Sermon on the Mount Part Six: Side Streets

“But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you.” ~ Matthew 6:33

It is difficult to fathom, but the divine Jesus was actually human. So, He can identify with the daily difficulties of His followers. He knows the disciples to whom He addresses the Sermon on the Mount have dally concerns – getting clothed, fed and housed. And He knows those things tend to create worry. Anxiety. Angst.

Jesus makes a provocative statement: “Seek God’s kingdom first, and all the other things you are concerned about will be added”.

Since Kingdom righteousness is a condition of the heart, it really begins with gaining a proper perspective. God made us and has our best interest at heart. He gave us the gift of making choices, the power and knowledge to make good decisions. He gave us a “narrow gate” through which we can find the fulfillment for which our heart yearns.

If we seek, we will find. If we knock, the door of opportunity will be opened to us. God is our good Father and He desires what is best for us. Keeping our focus on him is the only way to righteousness.

One aspect seems apparent, if we seek Jesus’ kingdom and His righteousness as our first priority, it will most certainly affect our perspective on life’s daily necessities. Worry about what we do not have can be replaced with gratitude for what we do have.

Kingdom living is a more productive way of living. Living in integrity, serving others, setting aside addictions to pleasure and fame all naturally lead to having more capacity to meet our daily needs.

The Sermon on the Mount is much more than a spiritual guide. It is an imminently practical means to meet our deepest longings. But the route to get there will not be as broad, obvious, and instantly-gratifying as sin, which is why not many find it.
_________________

~ published by: Yellow Balloons

https://yellowballoons.net/devotional/part-six-side-streets/






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[Ranb2khz]

Lord Jesus guide us all!

Amen!






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[Bigfootbud]

Lord Jesus guide us all! Thank You! :)

[Ranb2khz]

Sermon on the Mount Part Five: Two Masters

“No one can be a slave of two masters, since either he will hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other." ~ Matthew 6:24

Jesus has said much in The Sermon on the Mount about how His disciples can thrive in His Kingdom. He has taught it is in our best interest to pursue His righteousness and rewards rather than the empty promises of the world. He emphasizes that serving God is a heart condition – not just an external to-do list.

Here Jesus emphasizes the binary nature of our most fundamental choices: who we serve. We like the idea of getting God’s reward. But we often think we can do that by making our devotional life merely one of the things we do. Perhaps we compartmentalize our Sunday self, keeping him a safe distance from our Friday night self. In doing this we seek to harvest the best of both worlds. Meanwhile we also maintain a Monday self; looking out for Number One in the dog-eat-dog business world.

Jesus is clear we can’t have it both ways. The rewards of Kingdom living are not available if we only pursue it during some segment of our lives. Kingdom living is being devoted to seeking God’s righteousness in a manner that is merciful toward others in all aspects of our lives.

We cannot truly serve God and material prosperity. If wealth is our master, we will be devoted to its insatiable demands. We will be consumed by the pursuit of the unachievable goal of “more”. We will seek and find the treasures of the world, which moth and rust will destroy.

If Jesus is our master, He must necessarily transform all other selves. Our work self must serve Him and His Kingdom. Our social self too. Each of these selves is a necessary participant in seeking His kingdom and His righteousness.

There may be two (or more) masters barking out commands, but the servant can only choose to follow one of them.

The heart will follow the one it loves. Which master will we choose?

The world promises everything and delivers nothing. Jesus asks us to lay our lives down for others and promises we gain all in return.
_________________

~ published by: Yellow Balloons

https://yellowballoons.net/devotional/part-five-two-masters/





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