An Urgent Plea For Help Daily Manna | Thursday, March 31, 2016 By Deeper Christian Life Ministry
Read: PSALM 88:1-9
Key Verse:"Let my prayer come before thee: incline thine ear unto my cry; For my soul is full of troubles: and my life draweth nigh unto the grave" (Psalm 88:2, 3).
A Christian called Ivan endured all the horrors of a Soviet prison camp. One day he was praying with his eyes closed when a fellow prisoner noticed him and said with a ridicule, "Prayers won't help you get out of here any faster". Opening his eyes, Ivan answered, "I do not pray to get out of prison but to do the will of God".
The account in our text is about someone in desperate need of help. He addressed his prayers to the "God of my salvation" calling upon Him to deliver him urgently. He described vividly the situation he was in; his soul was full of trouble and his life draws near to the grave. As his condition worsens, his acquaintances were said to have abandoned him thinking the time of his death had arrived. Hern however, continued calling upon God believing that only Him could save him.
Although the psalmist did not mention particularly the nature of his affliction, it can be deduced that it must either have been a serious illness or some other grave danger that could lead to death. From his narrative, he seemed to have believed that his problems were caused by God's wrath which he said was hard upon him. It is likely that, like Job, he was in a situation that overwhelmed him and was therefore, wondering why God hasn't delivered him. We often feel the same way when we pass through similar trials and pains as believers. We wonder why God would allow his children go through those straits. Under those conditions, we may never find all the answers. But we can trust that for God to allow those trials, there certainly must be a purpose. That doesn't mean we should fold our hands and refuse to pray believing our situation is our fate or destiny.
Like the psalmist, we must continue praying to God until He intervenes.
Thought for the day: When other means fail, unceasing prayers will not.
Bible Reading in one Year: JOHN 4 - 5
Not Losing Our Way Our Daily Journey | Wednesday, March 30, 2016 By Mike Wittmer
Read: Judges 2:1-15
They went after other gods, worshiping the gods of the people around them (Judges 2:12).
A newly elected senator vows to be a new kind of politician, but by the time he runs again he’s in the pocket of special interest groups. An actress goes to Hollywood to star in wholesome movies, but soon she compromises. Both started out trying to reach the world, but instead they lost their way.
This was Israel’s problem during the time of the Judges. Israel entered the Promised Land from the mountains in the east. They could have remained in those mountains, safe and isolated from the cosmopolitan, advanced culture in the coastal plain. But an international trade route ran through the coastal plain. If God was going to reach the world with His message of salvation, His people would have to move into the land.
As the Israelites moved down and their enemies went up, they met in the central hill country, called the Shephalah. There the Israelites “failed to drive out the people living in the plains” (Judges 1:19). Instead, they were content to live among them (Judges 2:2). They “intermarried with them,” and “the Israelites [began to serve] their gods” (Judges 3:6). God sent His angel to pronounce judgment (Judges 2:4). Because Israel disobeyed and didn’t destroy the pagan altars, their neighbors’ idolatry would remain as “a constant temptation” and as a thorn in their side (Judges 2:2-3).
What’s your “Shephalah”? Who are you trying to reach for Jesus? It might seem easier to sit back in what you feel is a safe place, but God has called us to take His message to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8). And He is with us in our “Shephalah.” Bathe yourself in prayer. Be accountable to someone—making sure you’re bringing His light and love to the world, while not compromising or losing your way.
NLT 365-day reading plan passage for today: 1 Samuel 20:1-42
More: Read Judges 16:4-21 to learn of some temptations that can destroy us in the “Shephalah.”
God Knows Insight for Living Ministries | Tuesday, March 29, 2016 By Charles R. Swindoll
Scriptures: Exodus 1:1–22
The Egyptians' insecurity and abhorrence for their Jewish neighbors eventually led to savagery. I find that interesting. It strikes me that if you are prone to violent anger and brutality, it might be wise for you to back off and ask yourself what you're afraid of. Throughout my years of ministry, I have sadly noted how brutal people are often driven by fear. Fear of loss. Fear of humiliation. Fear of exposure. Fear of weakness. Fear of losing control.
The Egyptians wallowed in that kind of fear. Fear of losing their land drove them to ever more vicious acts of injustice. Once you've decided to starve or beat or mistreat one person, it becomes easy to persecute a whole population. Note what happened next: "The Egyptians compelled the sons of Israel to labor rigorously; and they made their lives bitter with hard labor in mortar and bricks and at all kinds of labor in the field, all their labors which they rigorously imposed on them" (vv. 13–14).
These people [the Hebrews] found themselves in terrible straits, but God had promised, "I'll send a deliverer." When times grow hard it is easy to leap to the conclusion that God has forgotten His promises. The Book of Exodus shows us that when God says, "I promise you something," He never forgets it. You may forget. I may forget. A whole nation may forget. But God cannot forget.
Do you ever imagine that your hard, harsh moments and tests escape God's notice? You may become so discouraged, so filled with acute pain, that you begin to think God couldn't be aware of your circumstances, or, if He is aware, then obviously He doesn't care.
God is always aware. And He cares very deeply. As we will see, He will do whatever it takes to rescue His people. It may be by calling someone home to Himself, or it may be by splitting an ocean right down the middle so you can walk through on dry ground. His deliverance may not arrive on your timetable or in the manner you expect it, but it will arrive at the best time, the right time. God will not abandon His own.
God’s deliverance may not come in your timing, but it will arrive at the best time.
(Charles R. Swindoll)
The Incense of Your Praise Truth For Life | Monday, March 28, 2016
The merits of our great Redeemer are as a pleasing aroma to the Most High. Whether we speak of the active or passive righteousness of Christ, there is an equal fragrance. There was a pleasing aroma in His active life by which He honored the law of God and made every precept to glitter like a precious jewel in the pure setting of His own person.
Such, too, was His passive obedience, when He endured with unmurmuring submission hunger and thirst, cold and nakedness, and at the end sweat as it were great drops of blood in Gethsemane. He gave His back to the smiters and His cheeks to them that plucked out the hair and was fastened to the cruel wood, that He might suffer the wrath of God in our behalf. These two things are sweet before the Most High; and for the sake of His doing and His dying, His substitutionary sufferings and His vicarious obedience, the Lord our God accepts us.
What a preciousness there must be in Him to overcome our lack of preciousness! What a pleasing aroma to put away our nasty odor! What a cleansing power in His blood to take away sin such as ours! And what glory in His righteousness to make such unacceptable creatures to be accepted in the Beloved!
Consider, believer, how sure and unchanging is our acceptance, since it is in Him! Take care that you never doubt your acceptance in Jesus. You cannot be accepted without Christ; but when you have received His merit, you cannot be unaccepted. Despite all your doubts and fears and sins, Jehovah's gracious eye never looks upon you in anger; though He sees sin in you, in yourself, yet when He looks at you through Christ, He sees no sin. You are always accepted in Christ, are always blessed and dear to the Father's heart. Therefore lift up a song, and as you see the smoking incense of the Savior's merit coming up this evening before the sapphire throne, let the incense of your praise go up also.
Family Bible reading plan : • Proverbs 15 • Philippians 2
You have Resurrection Power! Worthy Devotions | Friday, March 25, 2016 By George Whitten, Editor of Worthy Devotions
Acts 4:13 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.
Just a few weeks prior to this incident, the disciples were trembling for their lives as their Lord was arrested and then crucified. They had all fled in the Garden of Gethsemane and then Peter, whose boldness was legendary, had denied him three times. The fact that they had been serving with Yeshua (Jesus) for three years, witnessing many miracles, including Peter's amazing walk on the water, apparently did not inspire the necessary courage to watch for an hour or to stick with Him to the end. Perhaps the miraculous had become a bit commonplace for them, so that when the threat to Yeshua came full force, they floundered and failed miserably.
What happened that changed their state of being so dramatically in this encounter with the Jewish leaders? I believe it was two things: one, that they had seen their Lord resurrected from the dead, and two, that they were now filled with that resurrection life and power themselves, by the Holy Spirit. The power of the resurrection was within and upon them! The reality and security of God's indwelling Presence and power, and His words “Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do”, inspired a boldness far beyond any merely human courage.
This boldness amazed the Sadducees and Pharisees who despised Peter and John as "unlearned and ignorant"men. They marveled at the unabashed fearlessness of the apostles whose knowledge was of a different and superior kind: the knowledge of their RISEN and RESURRECTED Lord. And then they noted, that these men had been with Yeshua (Jesus)!
This power is yours, and it is mine, if we continue to be filled with the Holy Spirit, not quenching or grieving Him. We, too, will confound and amaze the "authorities" of our day with the holy boldness of resurrection life, and though they may despise our humble circumstances, they also will take note that, "we have been with Jesus".
The Olive Press Our Daily Bread | Thursday, March 24, 2016 By Bill Crowder
Read: Mark 14:32-39 | Bible in a Year: Joshua 16–18; Luke 2:1-24
They went to a place called Gethsemane. Mark 14:32
If you visit the village of Capernaum beside the Sea of Galilee, you will find an exhibit of ancient olive presses. Formed from basalt rock, the olive press consists of two parts: a base and a grinding wheel. The base is large, round, and has a trough carved out of it. The olives were placed in this trough, and then the wheel, also made from heavy stone, was rolled over the olives to extract the oil.
On the night before His death, Jesus went to the Mount of Olives overlooking the city of Jerusalem. There, in the garden called Gethsemane, He prayed to the Father, knowing what lay ahead of Him.
By His wounds we are healed.
The word Gethsemane means “place of the olive press”—and that perfectly describes those first crushing hours of Christ’s suffering on our behalf. There, “in anguish, he prayed . . . and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground” (Luke 22:44).
Jesus the Son suffered and died to take away “the sin of the world” (John 1:29) and restore our broken relationship with God the Father. “Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering . . . . He was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities, the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed” (Isa. 53:4-5).
Our hearts cry out in worship and gratitude.
Father, help me understand what Your Son endured for me.
Help me appreciate the depths of love that would allow my Lord < and Christ to be crushed for my wrongs and my rescue.
Gone my transgressions, and now I am free—all because Jesus was wounded for me. W. G. Ovens
INSIGHT:
On the night Jesus was betrayed, He took His disciples to a familiar quiet place to pray. Gethsemane was just east of Jerusalem beyond the Kidron Valley near the Mount of Olives (Matt. 26:36; Mark 14:32; John 18:1). One of His disciples, Judas Iscariot, was conspiring to have Jesus killed. It’s in this context that the prayer in today’s reading was uttered. But these words aren’t the sum total of Jesus’s prayer that night. John’s gospel tells us that He also prayed for His disciples and for those of us who will believe in Him through their message (John 17:16–25).
What is Man? Truth For Life | Tuesday, March 22, 2016 Posted 21-03-2016 By The Bible Teaching Ministry of Alistair Begg
Job 38:31
If we are inclined to boast of our abilities, the grandeur of nature will quickly show us how puny we are. We cannot move the least of all the twinkling stars or quench so much as one of the sunbeams of the morning. We speak of power, but the heavens laugh us to scorn. When the stars shine forth in spring-like joy, we cannot restrain their influences; and when Orion reigns above, and the year is bound in winter's chains, we cannot relax the icy grip. The seasons arrive by divine appointment, and it is impossible for men to change the cycle. Lord, what is man?
In the spiritual, as in the natural, world, man's power is limited on all hands. When the Holy Spirit sheds abroad His delights in the soul, none can disturb; all the cunning and malice of men are unable to prevent the genial, quickening power of the Comforter. When He deigns to visit a church and revive it, the most inveterate enemies cannot resist the good work; they may ridicule it, but they can no more restrain it than they can push back the spring when the Pleiades rule the hour. God wills it, and so it must be.
On the other hand, if the Lord in sovereignty, or in justice, binds up a man so that his soul is in bondage, who can give him liberty? He alone can remove the winter of spiritual death from an individual or a people. He looses the bands of Orion, and none but He. What a blessing it is that He can do it. O that He would perform the wonder tonight. Lord, end my winter, and let my spring begin. I cannot with all my longings raise my soul out of her death and dullness, but all things are possible with You. I need heavenly influences, the clear shinings of Your love, the beams of Your grace, the light of Your countenance--these are as summer suns to me. I suffer greatly from sin and temptation; these are my terrible wintry signs. Lord, work wonders in me, and for me. Amen.
Family Bible reading plan
• Proverbs 8
• Ephesians 1
In the Shadow of the Cross CBN | Monday, March 21, 2016 By Kathy Thomas
How can a good and loving God allow all of this pain and suffering?
I stood silently, alone in the hospital room, watching my baby breathe with my hand carefully placed on his back, hoping to feel his heart still beating. His breathing was frighteningly shallow and his skin was an eerie bluish grey. He had been unconscious for what seemed like an eternity. My clothes were soaked with his blood and waste, and the smell was almost as overwhelming as the pain in my heart.
As the doctors prepared for emergency surgery, they placed him in my arms, and I cradled him close to my chest. He was filthy, but I didn’t care. He was my son. Nothing was going to keep me from holding him tight, as I sang over him in the suffering and waiting.
When the doctors took him from my arms, the reality struck me that I was spattered in his innocent blood. The full weight of Calvary hit me in that moment. It was both crushing and freeing at the same time. I had understood the facts of Jesus’ suffering and death on the cross, accepted His free gift of salvation, and surrendered my life to His Lordship years before.
But, today I was speechless as I endured the “privilege” that most people will never experience of literally being covered in the innocent blood of my beloved son. There is a depth of the gospel that is incomprehensible until you have experienced such a thing. It seared into my soul how great the Father’s love must be for us, that He would allow His beloved only Son to endure such undeserved suffering, spill His innocent blood to cover our filth and shame, and draw us near to Himself.
There was no person in this world for whom I would have even considered trading my son’s life. He is my Beloved. How great the Father’s love must be for us.
My son survived his brush with death. But, the experience awakened me to the reality that whenever tragedy strikes, we often forget the suffering Jesus endured for our sakes. We get angry when life is painful and forget that nothing we will ever endure could even begin to compare to His suffering on the cross of Calvary. We forget that God lovingly and willingly offered His Son to suffer the punishment for our sins, spill His precious innocent blood, and die in our place… and Jesus lovingly and willingly accepted the task.
We often forget that much of our pain comes from the consequences of our own sinful and rebellious choices, and all of our pain is the result of mankind’s rejection of God. It goes all the way back to the Garden of Eden, when God offered mankind a life free of pain and suffering, but mankind wanted a life free of God, instead. Mankind chose to rebel against God, and pain and suffering was the consequence.
“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23 NKJV).
But God, in His infinite mercy, had compassion on us and rescued us from our self condemnation:
“For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him” (Romans 5:6-9 NKJV).
In the shadow of the cross, it is hard to condemn God for allowing us to suffer. We come to Him covered in our own filth, and He cradles us to His chest, holds us tight, and sings over us in our suffering and waiting. In the light of our salvation, it is even harder for us to comprehend how great the Father’s love for us must truly be.
Can God change your life?
God has made it possible for you to know Him and experience an amazing change in your own life. Discover how you can find peace with God. You can also send us your prayer requests.
Impetuous Peter and Me CBN | Friday, March 18, 2016 By Gail Casteen
Imagine facing the worst event of your life, knowing exactly what is coming and how very difficult it will be. Now imagine, while struggling through that dark moment, helping a friend and a foe in one selfless move. It is hard to fathom, but it happened and is well documented.
It was in the Garden of Gethsemane. Jesus had been betrayed with a kiss and was being led away into the night to stand a mockery of a trial. In his best effort to protect his Messiah, Peter pulled his sword and severed an ear from the head of a soldier. Then Jesus made a highly unpredictable move. He touched and healed the man's ear!
When Jesus restored the ear of that soldier, He changed the lives of two men forever. Of course, being the man of compassion that He was, Jesus certainly saw this soldier suffering and in agony from such a brutal wound. Even though the soldier was a 'bad guy', the love and compassion of Jesus reached beyond what the man was doing to the fact that he was hurting and needed healing.
When I was a child, I could not understand why Jesus would help someone who was there with the intention of hurting Him. I knew I could never be as loving and forgiving as Jesus and was not certain I wanted to try. As an adult, I am thankful for the grace and mercy He extends to me when I am the bad guy.
Another man’s future was changed that night. Jesus courageously rescued Peter that night. There Peter stood, bloody weapon in his hand, somewhat frustrated that he had missed his mark … the soldier's head. Yet, his pride was perhaps somewhat pacified by the fact that he had made a notable statement of his allegiance to the Lord. He was more than willing to fight to protect Jesus.
In the moment between landing the blow and Jesus restoring the ear, Peter realized the consequences he would have to pay for that action. He probably saw what Jesus did for him the instant it happened. When Jesus healed the soldier's ear, the evidence that would have supported prosecution for the attempted murder of an officer of the law vanished. There would be no argument in court against Peter regarding that incident. He was acquitted before he was accused!
Much in the same way Peter did that night, I commit a punishable offense, yet Jesus steps in and rescues me. It is after I have done the damage that I see His action on my behalf has removed the evidence against me. My slate has been cleared.
In Lamentations 3: 21-23, the Bible says, Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.<
I hear Jesus' voice ringing in my head and heart, "Father forgive them, they know not what they do." Here I stand, undeserving, wrong, yet loved completely. He reaches out with compassion and mercy to heal and deliver me. His acts of love and compassion effectively restore and renew me.
When I am called to step up to the Judge's bench, there will be no evidence to hold against me ... "Just as if I had never sinned." He declares me “NOT GUILTY!”
Can God change your life?
God has made it possible for you to know Him and experience an amazing change in your own life. Discover how you can find peace with God. You can also send us your prayer requests.
Abiding In God's Presence Heavens Inspirations | Thursday, March 17, 2016 By M.S.Lowndes
And it came to pass, when Moses entered the tabernacle, that the pillar of cloud descended and stood at the door of the tabernacle, and the LORD talked with Moses. All the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the tabernacle door, and all the people rose and worshiped, each man in his tent door. So the LORD spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. And he would return to the camp, but his servant Joshua the son of Nun, a young man, did not depart from the tabernacle.
- Exodus 33: 9-11 (NKJV)
It's in abiding in God's presence that God speaks to us. But how do we continually abide in God's presence? How do we take His presence into every area of our lives - our every day lives?
I believe it's as we spend time in God's presence that His character comes through in our attitudes, and in the way we think about things, and how we respond to people, and the way we handle situations. In this way we are being transformed, and as a result we are able to take His presence with us wherever we may go.
Above all other things in our lives, including service to the Lord, we need to be living in God's presence. Sometimes we can get so busy 'doing' that we neglect just 'being' in God's presence. For it's out of being in God's presence that we can hear God speak, and inspiration can flow, creativity can flow and service can flow. But it's firstly coming into God's presence, and daily walking in it, before we have this 'outflow'.
God longs to have this fellowship with us. But sometimes we feel ashamed or unworthy, so we hide from Him. We may feel as though we have no time in our busy schedule to spend time just basking in God's presence. But I believe God wants us to put off all these 'hindrances' and 'excuses' to just commune with Him.
I feel as though God has been speaking to me lately about 'abiding in His presence'. I need to learn to put this into practice daily - as I tend to allow other things to 'prioritise' my time.
So why don't you choose with me today, and every day, to abide in God's presence - despite how we feel. We will all be better off for it!
Lord, help me abide in your presence,
Each moment of every day,
To clearly hear your still small voice
And be inspired by what you say.
By M.S.Lowndes
About Forgiveness GodSpeaks | Wednesday, March 16, 2016 Posted on 14th March 2016 By Arwen McGilvra
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” – 1 John 1:9 (NIV)
You don’t have to live too long to get wounded—a bully pushing you around, a parent’s sharp word, a friend’s rejection or betrayal.
You hurt each other with emotional outbursts, unkind words, or thoughtless actions. It happens so often that the idea of my unconditional forgiveness may be beyond your ability to grasp. Yet my promise of forgiveness appears throughout my Word, the Bible, and not just in 1 John 1:9.
My son, Jesus taught constantly about forgiveness. One time He told people around Him, “Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.” (Luke 6:37, NIV). Years later, a close follower of Jesus named Paul spoke to a group of Jews. He said, “Therefore, my friends, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you.” (Acts 13:38, NIV). Jesus said it himself, “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.” (Matthew 26:28, NIV)
When religious leaders of Jesus’ time criticized him for allowing a prostitute to wash his feet, he pointed out how they didn’t properly greet him (which in their culture included washing of the feet), yet she had done so. Jesus concluded, “Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much” (Luke 7:44, NIV).
Jesus made the ultimate sacrifice so that you could be forgiven. This was also the ultimate act of love. His death on the cross made it possible for me to overlook a lifetime full of wrongdoings in your life. When my children ask for forgiveness I see not their wrongdoings but the righteousness of my son Jesus. Forgiveness is my gift to you.
I forgive. Just ask me.
3 for 3: 1 – Make a list of three people who have mistreated you. Next, make a list of three people that you have mistreated. Spend some time talking to God about those who hurt you and those you hurt. Ask Him to help you forgive and be forgiven.
2 - “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace” (Ephesians 1:7, NIV) What does this verse tell you about forgiveness? Whose sacrifice makes it possible for us to receive forgiveness from God?
3 - Read the story in Luke 7:36-50. Realize that there is no sin too big or life gone too wrong for God. His love covers a multitude of offensives, if you will just ask him for forgiveness.
Looking Up Our Daily Bread | Tuesday, March 15, 2016 By David McCasland
Read: Psalm 146:1-10 | Bible in a Year: Deuteronomy 26–27; Mark 14:27-53
The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down. Psalm 146:8
An article in the Surgical Technology International journal says that looking down at a smart phone with your head bent forward is the equivalent of having a 60-pound weight on your neck. When we consider that millions of people around the world spend an average of 2-4 hours daily reading and texting, the resulting damage to neck and spine becomes a growing health concern.
It is also easy to become spiritually bowed down by the burdens of life. How often we find ourselves discouraged by the problems we face and the needs of those we love. The psalmist understood this weight of concern yet saw hope as he wrote about “the Maker of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them—[who] remains faithful forever. He upholds the cause of the oppressed and gives food to the hungry. The Lord sets prisoners free, the Lord gives sight to the blind, the Lord lifts up those who are bowed down, the Lord loves the righteous” (Ps. 146:6-8).
We can walk through each day knowing that "the LORD reigns forever!
When we consider God’s care, His great power, and His loving heart, we can begin to look up and praise Him. We can walk through each day knowing that “the Lord reigns forever . . . for all generations” (v. 10).
He lifts us up when we are bowed down. Praise the Lord!
O Lord, lift our eyes to see Your power and love today so we can raise our heads and our hearts in grateful praise to You.
Faith in God’s goodness puts a song in your heart.
INSIGHT:
In today’s psalm, the psalmist responds in grateful worship as he reflects on the greatness and grace of God. He invites us to trust the Lord, to look to Him for help, and to place our hope in Him. He is the omnipotent, eternal God, the Creator who is forever faithful (vv. 5–6), just, benevolent, gracious, compassionate, and loving (vv. 7–9). The psalmist’s message is a simple one: Trust in God, not in man, for only those who trust God can be truly blessed.
God is All Devotional Christian | Monday, March 14, 2016 By Patricia Day
Hearts can easily be broken, as life deals out blows and challenges. We feel lost, empty and hopeless, as we battle to overcome adversity and take a new direction.
God is all we need – spiritually. He can strengthen us and bring us hope, as we trust him more and more, in our daily lives.
Psalm 103 gives us strong reassurance of what He willingly does for each one of us, as we bring Him into our lives.
1. He forgives all our sins. 2. He heals all our diseases. 3. He redeems our lives from destruction. 4. He crowns us with loving kindness and tender mercies. 5. He satisfies our mouths with good things, so that our youth is renewed like the eagle’s. 6. He executes righteousness and judgment for us against oppression. He sets us free. 7. He makes known His ways to us. 8. He gives us His grace and mercy in times of need.
All these things can be available to us, but we have to claim them through accepting Him through Jesus Christ.
God is all-powerful and all-knowing. He is everything we need and we can tap into His unending power, any time, by taking a different direction in life, and including Him in all we think, say and do. His promises can be trusted.
Ephesians 21-10 And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others. But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is a gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. (NKJV)
–dead in trespasses, means, spiritually dead and lost.
–you once walked, it could be a path of moral carelessness or a dark alley of evil, believers should no longer live according to their past evil ways.
–prince of power, namely the adversarial spirit Satan. To continue to disobey God’s way of living, is to support the devil.
–we were dead, because of Adam’s sin, the entire human race is spiritually dead. Only God can grant new life and save us from our wrong choices. His mercy and kindness prevail forever through Jesus Christ, His Son.
–the gift of God, is something we cannot earn by any good works. We cannot earn our salvation. Everything is received from our merciful and gracious Father, once we have faith enough to trust Him and believe in Jesus Christ and His sacrifice, for us.
All that God is, we need. First we have to invite Him into our lives and accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour.
“Dear Lord, I want to know you personally. I know that I have done wrong and I am sorry. I am willing, with your help, to turn away from my sins and turn to You. I believe, Jesus, that You died and rose again for me. Please come into my life. I welcome you as my Saviour and Lord, as best as I know how. Right Now”.
Degraded By Envy Daily Manna| Friday, March 11, 2016 Deeper Christian Life Ministry
ACTS 7:9-16
John Mason, in his insightful book, "The Impossible Is Possible", observed that "when you make your mark in life, you will always attract erasers". This truth will remain applicable for as long as the fallen nature of man continues to reflect. Stephen had been spitefully accused by the Jews of blasphemy in speaking against Moses and the temple held as sacred among them. In his defence before the great council of the Jews, he showed his in-depth knowledge of the history of God's dealings with them, starting from Abraham to the gospel era.
By this, he not only aligned with the divine origin of Mosaic religion, but also brought to the foreground the meanness of their fore fathers which his present persecutors were re-enacting against Christ andHis disciples. In today's text, Stephen reminded his audience of the envy and hatred meted out by the patriarchs to Joseph, their favoured brother, who ended up as a slave in Egypt. Apart from the special favour Joseph enjoyed, he had a dream of being the greatest in the family. The dream was the main object of his brothers' hatred.
In spite of their malicious treatment, Joseph prospered and eventually became a Prime Minister in Egypt. He also became a saviour to both Egypt and Israel, as a type of Christ. Envy is such a mean feeling that leaves a terribly bitter taste. It made Cain the first murderer and fugitive in history. It led Korah, Dathan and Abiram into rebellion and sent all their families to a nearly grave. It turn ed Haman into a frustrated man and hauled him to the gallows. It made the Jewish leaders reject their Saviour. In all cases, the envied ones triumphed.
Pretence and religious activities cannot relieve anyone of this heart affliction. Sincerely pray for the love of God to saturate your heart this day.
Thought for the day: Envy kills its host before its target
Bible Reading in one Year: NUMBERS 14 - 15
Prayer: "And the patriarchs, moved with envy, sold Joseph into Egypt: but God was with him, And delivered him out of all his afflictions, and gave him favour and wisdom in the sight of Pharaoh king of Egypt; and he made him govern or overEgypt and all his house" (Acts7:9, 10).
A Just Recompense Daily Manna| Thursday, March 10, 2016 Deeper Christian Life Ministry
LAMENTATIONS 3:1-8
One of the terrible consequences of living in sin is loosing favour with God. Jeremiah was grieved at the sin of the nation and wanted them to repent. Retribution is a process of meting out merited requital - punishment for evil or reward for good. It involves the act of paying someone back according to their behaviour. Thus, many (incorrectly) think that "divine retribution" means only an expression of God's wrath. "Divine retribution, "however, involves reward and punishment, blessings and curses.The Bible depicts various characteristics of God. He is described as unlimited and boundless, merciful and forgiving.
Also, He is depicted as a relentless and fearful God. Those who do not fear Him and sin with impunity, risk His punishment. There were blood shedding,oppression, power corruption, abuse of slaves and the weak in Jerusalem before its fall. God had sent His prophets many times to His people to reveal their sins, demanding repentance. Those prophets were persecuted or even killed. The fall of Jerusalem came after numerous judgmental proclamations.
Although God is merciful, He also punishes those who disobey Him. He does not spare the rod. On several occasions, He turned His back against Israel and they suffered defeat in the hands of their enemies. The frequent disobedience of the children of Israel and their habitual murmuring against God, resulted in the death of many of those who joyfully left Egypt for Canaan. Our relationship with God can be restored today through prayer of repentance. Though individuals and nations act as if there is no more punishment for sins here and hereafter, God is immutable and will not alter His word and consequences for sin.
Thought for the day: Sin makes the cup of affliction a bitter one.
Bible Reading in one Year: NUMBERS 11 - 13
The Battle Is The Lord's Heavensinspirations.com| Wednesday, March 9, 2016 By M.S.Lowndes
And he said, "Listen, all you of Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem, and you, King Jehoshaphat! Thus says the LORD to you: 'Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God's ... You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the LORD, who is with you, O Judah and Jerusalem!' Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them, for the LORD is with you." ~ 2 Chronicles 20: 15 & 17 (NKJV)
This scripture here is a promise we can hold on to when going through difficult circumstances that seem out of our control and overwhelming. There are some battles that we simply can't fight - and shouldn't fight in our own strength. Sometimes God tells us to take our positions, stand still and see His deliverance. Sometimes we need to take our hands off, stand back and let God fight for us.
We needn't fear what comes against us, but to stand firm in our faith. God knows the whole situation. Though we feel overwhelmed when we look at our circumstances, the Lord sees the whole picture and sees the way out for us. We need to let God have control and fight the battle we're facing. He has promised that He is with us and that He will bring us through.
If you are facing a battle today that seems overwhelming, give it over to God and let Him fight for you. He will work it all out, and make a way where it seems there is no way.
Be Strong in Faith Walk By Faith Ministry| Tuesday, March 8, 2016 By Laralove
“Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men [act manly per the concordance], be strong.” 1 Corinthians 16:13
“I don’t trust you!” I cried out to the Lord in the thick of yet another deplorable two-year-old temper tantrum at the ripe old age of 48. “How can I trust you? You don’t care about me!” I continued. “You don’t answer any of my prayers the way that I want!” As soon as I spat out the words toward the heavens, I heard the sickening words I had spewed echo in my heart. God’s Spirit moved to make me hear the atrocity I had just cried.
“What do you want to tell your people?” I asked the Lord as I began to work on this devotional less than 24 hours later.
“Tell them to be strong in faith,” His Spirit spoke quickly to my heart. Clearly the message was just as much for me as for anyone else!
That very morning, I had stumbled upon some “random” words a “random” person had written me. A contractor who had graciously offered to drive hours to come help me with a project if I couldn’t find anyone else had replied to my letting him know God had sent help with these words:
“May your faith in the Lord be strong even when He answers our requests in a way we don’t understand,” the “random” man wrote “randomly.” Obviously there was nothing random about the message of encouragement the Lord had used this man to send me.
And there it was. In my tantrum, I had railed at God that I couldn’t trust Him because He hadn’t answered all my prayers affirmatively. The truth is He had answered plenty of them affirmatively through the years. And in His infinite wisdom, He had at times refused to give me what I had prayed for because He ALWAYS knows what’s best. More importantly, how dare I have the audacity to make demands of God and to be angry with Him when He doesn’t give me what I want. He is Lord! Sickening sin! Most importantly, genuine trust and faith in God are NOT based on our circumstances nor on how God chooses to answer the cries of our hearts.
Like a spoiled child, I had pride-fully, selfishly, been bitter toward God because He wasn’t answering me when I waved the magic wand I thought I had long since tossed away and had blatantly clutched back into my chubby little spoiled child’s hands. Clearly I had resorted to being greedy and hurt when I wasn’t getting what I wanted. It was high time to repent!
The “random” person had encouraged me to be STRONG in my FAITH like the apostle Paul told the Corinthians to be steadfast in theirs. True trust in Christ is NOT about our circumstances nor about what God does and doesn’t do in our lives. Genuine faith is about loving, revering, worshiping, obeying, and choosing to trust God no matter what because He is God! Trust is a choice.
Be strong in faith! Trust the Lord!
It All Matters to God CBN Spiritual Life| Tuesday, March 8, 2016 By Lori Stewart - Producer
Remember in The Karate Kid movie, “Wax on-wax off?” The future karate champion had no idea why he had to wax cars using a certain hand motion. He just knew he was wasting valuable time when he could be in training for the big competition. As viewers, we were also baffled, until the last scene of the movie, when all those hand motions finally made sense.
Have you ever found yourself repeating the same tasks day after day? Did you ever ask God, "Why am I wasting time here God? What does this have to do with your destiny for my life?"
I’m sure young David asked these questions. Day after day he sat and watched sheep. This bored teenager found two ways to pass the time—practice with his slingshot and write music.
How could he have known those dull, lonely years of shepherding would be the very thing to prepare him for his destiny?
God used David’s skill with a slingshot to launch him to fame and fortune when he killed Goliath. His reward was to marry the king’s daughter and never again pay taxes. From then on, everyone knew his name—he was elevated to our century’s status as a “rock star.”
God also used music to position David in the king’s court. His music career began in the palace, singing songs before a mentally troubled King Saul. His passion for worship would inspire him to one day bring the Arc back to Jerusalem and set up a Tabernacle of 24/7 worship. Finally those songs and poems would one day fill the book of Psalms, the finest poetic literature ever written, inspiring countless millions of people to worship God and know Him intimately.
God will use our skills, even the menial and tedious ones, to position us one day in our place of destiny. I remember for 10 years, I ran our church’s nursery. I’ve worked in just about every area of church ministry, but this happened to be my least favorite. I never imagined God would use changing diapers and disinfecting toys for anything special.
But one year, God opened a door for my husband and I to go to Israel to work at the Feast of Tabernacles, an international Christian Convention in Jerusalem. The leaders of the convention needed someone to run the youth program and someone to run the nursery. I had always dreamed of going to Israel, and now God was using my experience in the nursery to fulfill my hearts desire! Since then, we’ve returned to Israel 10 times to help with ministry, but not to work in the nursery.
Oswald Chambers says, “When the Spirit of God comes, He does not give us visions, He tells us to do the most ordinary things conceivable...the ordinary commonplace things…the most natural simple things—the things we would never have imagined God was in, and as we do them we find He is there.”
So, the next time you feel like banging your head against the wall because the daily grind of life has become routine, say a prayer of thanks. God doesn’t waste our time. He is the master Karate teacher, preparing us for battle. He knows what skill we will need to fulfill our role in building His kingdom.
"How can we understand the road we travel? It is the Lord who directs our steps.” (Proverbs 20:24)
To those sitting at a computer all day, mowing lawns, studying in school, washing dishes, or practicing the piano—rejoice. It all matters.
God has made it possible for you to know Him and experience an amazing change in your own life. Discover how you can find peace with God. You can also send us your prayer requests.
Abide Upon the Rock of Ages Truth For Life| Monday, March 7, 2016 The Bible Teaching Ministry Of Alistair Begg
Psalms 118:8
No doubt the reader has been tempted to rely upon the things that are seen instead of resting alone upon the invisible God. Christians often look to man for help and advice, and so spoil the noble simplicity of their reliance upon God.
Does this evening's passage meet the eye of a child of God who is filled with anxiety? Then let us reason with you. You trust in Jesus, and only in Jesus, for your salvation; then why are you troubled? "Because of my great care." Is it not written, "Cast your burden upon the Lord"? "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God."
Can you trust God for your physical needs? "Ah! I wish I could." If you cannot trust God with the physical, how dare you trust Him with the spiritual? Can you trust Him for your soul's redemption, and yet not rely upon Him for a few lesser mercies? Is God not enough for your need, or is His all-sufficiency too narrow for your wants? Do you need another to watch for you when you have Him who sees every secret thing? Is His heart faint? Is His arm weary? If so, seek another God; but if He is infinite, omnipotent, faithful, true, and all-wise, why do you run around seeking another confidence? Why do you scour the earth to find another foundation when this is strong enough to bear all the weight that you can ever build on it?
Christian, do not mix your wine with water; do not tarnish the gold of faith with the dross of human confidence. Wait only upon God, and let your expectation be from Him. Do not covet Jonah's gourd but rest in Jonah's God. Let the sandy, shaky foundations be the choice of fools; but you, like one who sees the approaching storm, build for yourself an abiding place upon the Rock of Ages.
All I Ever Did Our Daily Journey| Saturday, March 5, 2016 By Remi Oyedele
Read: John 4:1-30 - Come and see a man who told me everything I ever did! Could he possibly be the Messiah? (John 4:29).
I sat in church with my head bowed and eyes lowered. I’ve failed God so, I thought. He must be very disappointed. Then my pastor said, “Look into Jesus’ eyes. See how He looks at you, how He sees you.” So I did. And in that moment, I wore the Samaritan woman’s shoes . . .
I imagine the Samaritan woman in John 4 looking into Jesus’ eyes and thinking, There’s something different about this man. She thought she knew about men and their thoughts. But He was different. “Go and get your husband,” Jesus said. She hesitated, eyes lowered. “I don’t have a husband.” He nodded. “You’re right! . . . You have had five husbands, and you aren’t even married to the man you’re living with now” (John 4:16-18).
Her body tensed. “Sir,” the woman said, “you must bea prophet. So tell me, why is it that you Jews insist that Jerusalem is the only place of worship?” (John 4:19-20). Her eyes flashed up to meet His, ready to tackle the awaiting judgment. Instead, the look on His face left her breathless. He said, “True worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship him that way” (John 4:23).
She heard, The Father is seeking you.
The woman’s subsequent joyous words still ring true: “He told me everything I ever did!” (John 4:39). God knows our past, and still He offers us a future. Chris Tomlin, in his song Jesus Loves Me, describes how Jesus loves us and is for us. We may wonder how this can be—but it’s true by His grace.
Jesus died on the cross so that we might receive real life from Him. Freely given, His love can’t be earned—only accepted in gratitude. Come meet the One who knows everything you’ve done, but still calls to you in love.
NLT 365-day reading plan passage for today: Joshua 23:1-16
More: Read John 3:16 and 15:13 and meditate on what Jesus did for us on the cross.
Next: How might the words or actions of others shape the way you view yourself? Do you believe that the way God views you trumps all other views—including your own? Why is this so important?
For His Time Our Daily Bread| Friday, March 4, 2016 By David Roper
Read: James 1:2-4 | Bible in a Year: Numbers 31–33; Mark 9:1-29
My times are in your hands. Psalm 31:15
When South African pastor Andrew Murray was visiting England in 1895, he began to suffer pain from a previous back injury. While he was recuperating, his hostess told him of a woman who was in great trouble and wanted to know if he had any counsel for her. Murray said, “Give her this paper which I have been writing for my own [encouragement]. It may be that she will find it helpful.” This is what Murray wrote:
God will keep us by His love. By His grace, we can rest in Him.
“In time of trouble say:
First — God brought me here. It is by His will I am in this strait place. In that I will rest.
Next — He will keep me in His love and give me grace in this trial to behave as His child.
Then — He will make the trial a blessing, teaching me lessons He intends me to learn, and working in me the grace He means to bestow.
Last — In His good time He can bring me out again—how and when He knows.
I am here — by God’s appointment, in His keeping, under His training, for His time.”
We want the instant solution, the quick fix, but some things cannot be disposed of so readily; they can only be accepted. God will keep us by His love. By His grace, we can rest in Him.
Dear Lord, it’s hard to endure times of illness and suffering. Comfort me and help me to trust You.
When God permits suffering, He also provides comfort.
INSIGHT:
James saw himself as a servant of Christ (James 1:1), even though he was Christ’s half-brother (Matt. 13:55). He did not come to faith until after Jesus’s resurrection (John 7:3–5; Acts 1:14; 1 Cor. 15:7) and eventually became a leader in the church at Jerusalem (Acts 15:13). In writing this letter to Jewish believers who had been scattered because of persecution, he focuses on Jewish thinking and values: It is highly practical, intensely candid, and wisdom-oriented. Because of its practical application, it has been referred to as the “Proverbs” of the New Testament.
Whose Voice Are You Listening to? Walk By Faith Ministries| Thursday, March 3, 2016 By Laralove
Whose Voice Are You Listening to?
“The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” John 10:10
“God doesn’t want you,” the voice says. “Who would want someone like you?” “God will never forgive you,” the voice chides. “Think about the horrible stuff you did.” “God’s given up on you. You keep messing up, and He wants someone who is perfect,” the voice plows on. “Don’t bother going back to Him for forgiveness. There are better people out there. He doesn’t want someone like you.” The voice goes on and on. The voice is Satan’s, our arch enemy, the accuser of the brethren (Rev. 12:10), the father of lies (John 8:44), the ultimate deceiver, the one who will do anything and play as dirty as it gets to get us to never come to God in the first place or to get those who have come to God and placed our faith in Him to fall away from Him. Satan’s mission is to destroy us. He knows his final destination is the lake of fire to be tormented forever (Rev. 20:10), and he wants to take everyone he possibly can with him. And if we’re listening to and following his voice instead of God’s voice, we’re headed for hell forever apart from God unless we repent, believe in Christ, and learn to follow the voice and ways of the Lord.
How many of us are listening to and falling for Satan’s lies? His lies never sound like lies. They sound like truth. But they are deadly lies because if we believe them, we are missing the voice and will of God which is a relationship with Him now and forever. The Truth is God does love us, does want us, will forgive us if we repent, believe in Christ and turn to Him, and doesn’t expect us to be perfect but will perfect His love in us as He teaches us His ways. How do I know? The Bible says so!
How can we tell the difference between God’s Truth and Satan’s lies? By being able to recognize God’s voice and Truth. His Word, His will, His ways. But how? Not by relying solely on others to preach sermons to us, though there is a time and place to hear God’s Word being taught by sound biblical teachers. Do we learn about people we know and love only from others speaking about them? No! We learn most of all by spending time in fellowship with them, right? We learn to recognize God’s voice and Truth and to discern and rebuke Satan’s lies by spending time alone in fellowship with God, loving and worshiping Him, seeking His face in prayer, studying His Word with hungry hearts, sitting at Jesus’ feet, growing in our own personal relationship with God as He teaches us by His Spirit to walk in His ways. We need to cleave steadfastly to the Lord and His Word as we learn to listen to and follow the voice of the Lord.
Are you listening to and following God’s voice?
The Privilege to Speak of Christ Truth For Life| Wednesday, March 2, 2016 The Bible Teaching Ministry of Alistair Begg
Ephesians 3:8
The apostle Paul felt it a great privilege to be allowed to preach the Gospel. He did not look upon his calling as a drudgery, but he entered upon it with intense delight. Although Paul was thankful for his calling, his success in it greatly humbled him.
The fuller a ship becomes, the deeper it sinks in the water. Idlers may indulge a fond conceit of their abilities, because they are untried; but the earnest worker soon learns his own weakness. If you seek humility, try hard work; if you would know your nothingness, attempt some great thing for Jesus. If you want to feel how utterly powerless you are apart from the living God, attempt especially the great work of proclaiming the unsearchable riches of Christ, and you will know, as you never knew before, what a weak, unworthy thing you are
Although the apostle thus knew and confessed his weakness, he was never perplexed as to the subject of his ministry. From his first sermon to his last, Paul preached Christ, and nothing but Christ. He lifted up the cross and extolled the Son of God who bled on it. Follow his example in all your personal efforts to spread the glad tidings of salvation, and let "Christ and him crucified" be your ever-recurring theme.
The Christian should be like those lovely spring flowers that, when the sun is shining, open their golden cups, as if saying, "Fill us with your beams!" But when the sun is hidden behind a cloud, they close their cups and droop their heads. So should the Christian feel the sweet influence of Jesus. Jesus must be his sun, and He must be the flower that yields itself to the Sun of Righteousness.
Oh, to speak of Christ alone--this is the subject that is both "seed to the sower and bread to the eater."1 This is the live coal for the lip of the speaker, and the master-key to the heart of the hearer.
Isaiah 55:10
Family Bible reading plan • Job 31 • 2 Corinthians 1
Are You On Empty? Worthy Devotions| Tuesday, March 1, 2016 By George Whitten, Editor of Worthy Devotions
Isaiah 57:15 For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.
I've heard so many believers ask, "How can I get more of the Holy Spirit?" As if the Holy Spirit is some kind of power or force that we can control or weild. What we should really be asking is, "How can the Holy Spirit have more of me?"
We cannot control this power from on high. If we could, then we could be led to pride and strut around as if we're some kind of "Super Christian".
But if we recognize that the Holy Spirit is a Divine Person -- and that this Person is actually willing to live in us, we'd greatly be humbled! We must be very honored that the Spirit of God would inhabit these these corrupt vessels of ours and more importantly that He would even consider using us!
It's only when we empty ourselves that we truly become filled! Let's empty ourselves of our selfish ambitions and desires today and allow ourselves to become broken before the Lord. We need to be truly filled with God's Power if we're going to impact the world for Him! There's SOOOOOO much work to be done!!
