Our Daily Bread – Blooming Deserts

 

Bible in a Year :

• 2 Kings 7-9
• John 1:1-28

The desert will bloom with flowers.

Isaiah 35:2 nirv

Today’s Scripture & Insight :

Isaiah 35:1-7

A century ago, lush forest covered roughly 40 percent of Ethiopia, but today it’s around 4 percent. Clearing acreage for crops while failing to protect the trees has led to an ecological crisis. The vast majority of the remaining small patches of green are protected by churches. For centuries, local Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahido churches have nurtured these oases in the midst of the barren desert. If you look at aerial images, you see verdant islands surrounded by brown sand. Church leaders insist that watching over the trees is part of their obedience to God as stewards of His creation.

The prophet Isaiah wrote to Israel, a people who lived in an arid land where bare desert and brutal droughts threatened. And Isaiah described the future God intended, where “the desert and the parched land will be glad; the wilderness will rejoice and blossom” (Isaiah 35:1). God intends to heal His people, but He intends to heal the earth too. He’ll “create new heavens and a new earth” (65:17). In God’s renewed world, “the desert will bloom with flowers” (35:2 nirv).

God’s care for creation—including people—motivates us to care for it too. We can live in sync with His ultimate plan for a healed and whole world—being caretakers of what He’s made. We can join God in making all kinds of deserts bloom with life and beauty.

By:  Winn Collier

Reflect & Pray

Where do you see some part of creation barren or suffering? How will you be part of seeing deserts bloom?

Creator God, please show me how to help heal and restore what’s broken in the world.

 

http://www.odb.org

Joyce Meyer – Don’t Let Dread Get a Hold on You

 

The Lord of hosts—regard Him as holy and honor His holy name [by regarding Him as your only hope of safety], and let Him be your fear and let Him be your dread [lest you offend Him by your fear of man and distrust of Him].

Isaiah 8:13 (AMPC)

Dread is a powerful, gripping fear. People dread many things, and most of them don’t even realize what dread does to them. It sucks the joy right out of the present moment. But Jesus set you free from the power of dread. The life God has provided for us through Jesus Christ is a precious gift, and we should enjoy every moment of it.

Pray and ask God to show you every time you begin to dread any task or something lurking in your future that you’re not quite sure of. Merely eliminating dread from your life will release more of your God-given confidence and help you experience more joy.

How often do you find yourself putting things off that you dread doing? Maybe it’s that uncomfortable conversation you know you need to have, or those bills that need to be paid, or worse, maybe it’s your annual taxes! Train yourself not to dread anything but to actually tackle it first. The sooner in the day you do the things you don’t prefer doing, the more energy you have to do them. If you wait until the end of the day when most of your energy is gone and then try to do something you really don’t like doing, it will be worse than doing it earlier. Dread causes us to procrastinate, but if you’re ever going to do something, now is the best time!

Putting something off does not make it go away; it only allows more time to torment you. You can dread or you can confidently take action. As Christians with the power of the Holy Spirit inside us, surely, we can manage to do an unpleasant task without dreading it and with a good attitude. God’s power is not available just to make unpleasant things in our lives go away; it is frequently available to walk us through them courageously.

Prayer of the Day: Father God, there are times that dread takes hold and keeps me from do the things I know I should do. Help me to do whatever I need to do today and get it over with. In the name of Jesus, I will do all things with joy and strength, trusting You more than my fear, amen.

 

 

 

http://www.joycemeyer.org

Denison Forum – What falling into a black hole is like

 

Black holes are objects in the universe with a gravitational pull so strong that not even light can escape from them. “Stellar” black holes are formed by the collapse of individual stars, while “supermassive” black holes are found at the centers of most galaxies. The one at the center of our Milky Way has a mass of around 4.3 million times that of our sun. Now NASA has produced a simulation in which the viewer begins around four hundred million miles from a supermassive black hole and rapidly falls toward it. Light and time both warp around you. Unfortunately, however, you have only 12.8 seconds before you die by what physicists call “spaghettification”—your body is pulled apart atom by atom.

There are days when it seems this is happening to our culture.

For example, I was shocked to read that pro-Palestinian protesters disrupted a solemn remembrance march to honor the victims of Nazi atrocities at Auschwitz. Some of the protesters even wore yellow badges resembling those forced on Jews by the Nazis.

This time last year, could you have imagined such a horrific scene?

One reason antisemitic protests persist is that there has typically been so little accountability for them. Many protesters even wear masks to hide their identities; others insist on amnesty for their actions. By contrast, where authorities have enforced their “time, place, and manner” restrictions, order has prevailed.

There’s a lesson here Christians can especially embrace and offer our broken culture.

“The most civilizing force in all of human history”

Criminology experts tell us that deterrence measures discourage people from committing crimes to the degree they guarantee swift punishment with a severity proportional to the crime committed. The certainty of being caught has proven to be an even more powerful deterrent than the punishment that follows.

Here’s one reason our post-Christian society is breaking apart: when we no longer consider God to be relevant to our lives or even to exist, we ignore the moral accountability such faith brings to our lives and our world.

Cultural commentator Jonah Goldberg wrote in Suicide of the West: “The notion that God is watching you even when others are not is probably the most powerful civilizing force in all of human history.” He adds:

WHO DEFINES SEXUALITY?

In our book, Sacred Sexuality: Reclaiming God’s Design, we look at God’s intentions for our flourishing.

GET MY COPY NOW

If you think God is watching and speaking to you through conscience—or through what Adam Smith called ‘the impartial spectator’ within us—you’re going to think twice about your actions. Or at least it will give you a strong incentive to think twice.
Believing there is something outside of you, judging you by an external ethical or moral standard, gives you a standard to think about yourself that is outside yourself.

This is why “the fear of the Lᴏʀᴅ is the beginning of wisdom” (Proverbs 9:10). Scripture is clear: “We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil” (2 Corinthians 5:10). On that day:

Each one’s work will become manifest, for the [Judgment] Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. If the work that anyone has built on the foundation [of Christ] survives, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire (1 Corinthians 3:13–15).

If Jesus is your Savior and Lord, your eternal salvation is assured (cf. John 10:28), but your eternal rewards or loss of rewards are not. Even when we confess our sins and are forgiven for them (1 John 1:9), we lose the rewards we would have received had we chosen obedience rather than disobedience.

“In this Little Thing I saw three properties”

My purpose today is not to evoke a “sinners in the hands of an angry God” reaction (though Jonathan Edwards’ homiletical masterpiece should be required reading for us all). Rather, it is to suggest that God’s warning of judgment to come is not only a necessary expression of his holy nature (Isaiah 6:3; Revelation 4:8), but also a great gift from the One who “is” love (1 John 4:8).

Like any good father, it is because God loves us that he warns us away from all that is not best for us. Because he loves us, we can always know that his will for us is “perfect” (Romans 12:2) and that violating his will is therefore harmful for us.

If your doctor was omniscient and omnibenevolent, would you not obey her medical directions whether you understood their purpose or not?

In Revelations of Divine Love, Julian of Norwich (1342–c. 1416) records a vision in which she saw “a little thing, the quantity of a hazel-nut, in the palm of my hand.” It seemed small and fragile, but she came to understand that it was the entire universe, “all that is made.”

Then she reported:

“In this Little Thing I saw three properties. The first is that God made it, the second is that God loveth it, the third, that God keepeth it.”

All three “properties” are completely true of you.

How obediently will you respond to such grace today?

Thursday news to know:

• Biden says US won’t transfer offensive weapons if Israel invades Rafah
• Mike Johnson easily survives ouster attempt from Marjorie Taylor Greene
• Federal judge indefinitely postpones Trump classified documents trial
• 3 dead from severe storms, tornadoes in Tennessee, North Carolina
• On this day in 1960: FDA approves “the pill”

Quote for the day:

“The whole duty of man is summed up in obedience to God’s will.” —George Washington

 

Denison Forum

Days of Praise – Sitting at the Right Hand of God

 

“The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.” (Psalm 110:1)

The 110th Psalm is one of the most significant of the so-called Messianic Psalms, prophesying of Christ a thousand years before He came. Its very first verse should completely settle the question as to whether or not the Old Testament teaches that there is only one Person in the Godhead since it recounts an actual conversation between at least two Persons of the Godhead. This first verse is quoted, in whole or in part, at least five times in the New Testament and was even used by Christ Himself (Matthew 22:41-46) to prove His own deity.

Two of the Hebrew names for God are used: “Jehovah said unto Adonai…” The name Jehovah is used again in verses 2-4, and Adonai in verse 5. God, in the person of Adonai, has gone to Earth on a divine mission to save His people but has been repudiated by His enemies on Earth. Accordingly, God, in the person of Jehovah, invites Him back to heaven for a time, where He will be at His right hand until it is time for Him to return to Earth to rule, striking through all opposing “kings in the day of his wrath” (v. 5).

In this coming “day of thy power” (v. 3), “thy people shall be willing.” The word here is actually the word for “free will offerings.” They will be as priests offering their own lives to Him as freewill offerings when they finally recognize Him as their Messiah/King and eternal High Priest (v. 4).

Now, although this prophecy applies specifically to the second coming and the future conversion of Israel, there is a beautiful secondary application used in Scripture for His people right now. “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service” (Romans 12:1). “Seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God” (Colossians 3:1). HMM

 

 

 

 

https://www.icr.org/articles/type/6

My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers – Grasp without Reach

 

Where there is no vision, the people perish. — Proverbs 29:18

There is a difference between an ideal and a vision. An ideal has no moral inspiration; a vision does. People who give themselves over to ideals rarely do anything. People who have vision are constantly inspired to go above and beyond.

Ah, but a man’s reach should exceed his grasp,

Or what’s a heaven for?

—Robert Browning

An idealistic notion of God may be used to justify a neglect of duty. Jonah argued that because God was a God of justice and mercy, everything would be all right, no matter what Jonah did (Jonah 4). Jonah’s idea about God was correct—God is just and merciful—yet this was the very idea that stopped Jonah from doing his duty.

If we have a vision of God, we will lead a life of virtue, because the vision brings with it a moral incentive. Ideals, on the other hand, may lull us into ruin by causing us to lose sight of God. When we lose sight of God, we begin to be reckless. We stop exercising self-control; we stop praying; we no longer look for God in the little things. If we are eating out of our own hand—doing things on our own initiative, never expecting God to come in—we have lost vision and are on a downward path.

Is your attitude today one that springs from a vision of God? Are you expecting him to do greater things than he has ever done? Is there freshness and energy in your spiritual outlook? Take stock of yourself spiritually and see whether you have vision or merely ideals.

2 Kings 7-9; John 1:1-28

 

 

https://utmost.org/

Billy Graham – New Heaven, New Earth

Billy Graham – New Heaven, New Earth

The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.
—Revelation 11:15

Christianity is a Gospel of crisis. It proclaims unmistakably that this world’s days are numbered. Every graveyard and every cemetery testify that the Bible is true. Our days on this planet are numbered. The Apostle James says that life is only a vapor that appears for a moment and then vanishes (James 4:14). The prophet Isaiah says that our life is like the grass that withers and the flower that fades (Isaiah 40:6,7).

There is no doubt that nations also come to an end when they have ceased to fulfill the function that God meant for them. The end will come with the return of Jesus Christ. He will set up a kingdom of righteousness and social justice where hatred, greed, jealousy, and death will no longer be known. That is why a Christian can be an optimist. That is why a Christian can smile in the midst of all that is happening. We know what will come. We know what the end will be: the triumph of the Lord Jesus Christ!

Prayer for the day

While the world around me is in such turmoil, Your peace lives in my heart, as I look for Your triumphant return!

 

 

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Guideposts – Devotions for Women – Tune in to God’s Gifts

 

Ears that hear and eyes that see—the Lord has made them both.—Proverbs 20:12 (NIV)

God sends small miracles to brighten every day. Do you notice them? The next time you experience a little blessing—a parking spot that opens up, a beautiful dragonfly that lands on your window, or a meaningful song that pops up on the radio just as you tune the dial—thank Him for shining His light on your life.

Dear Lord, Your fingerprints are all around me. Give me ears that hear and eyes that see Your many wondrous blessings.

 

 

https://guideposts.org/daily-devotions/devotions-for-women/devotions-for-faith-prayer-devotions-for-women/

 

Every Man Ministry – Kenny Luck – Kick Your Captivity

 

 “But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength, they will soar on the wings of eagles, they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint” ––Isaiah 40:31

That passage from Isaiah is a picture of trust and elevation in the spiritual life. But, you need guts to go higher—spiritual guts, where you give up trusting self and you start trusting the Lord and rising above the circumstances.

That passage was written to people who had no reason to trust the Lord. The Israelites were in Babylon under the thumb of the Babylonians—conquered and broken and in captivity. The prophet Isaiah turns around and says, “It doesn’t matter what’s going on in your life because you can rise in a different dimension in the midst of the stuff that’s going on.” You may think, “That was a couple thousand years ago—how does it relate to me?”

Captivity has different faces. It could be that you are trapped in a terrible financial situation you don’t know how to get out of. Captivity could mean your spouse deserts you for someone else, you lose your job of twenty years, your teenager gets picked up for drugs, when someone you love dies, when the doctor tells you that the cancer in your brain is inoperable, or when you just don’t know what to do. Have you ever had your back to the wall? Felt trapped?

You are not adrift on wild oceans, you are not lost in a trackless desert of needs, you are not abandoned and you’re not in exile. That’s not what’s going on; that’s not what’s happening. It may seem terrifying and overwhelming, but the reality is that from a spiritual vantage point, you can rise above. What’s really going on is that God is up to something and just because he’s not speeding to your rescue doesn’t mean that He’s unloving, disinterested, or incapable.

The world still sits three spots from the sun. It is perfectly tilted, perfectly acclimatized so that your heart can beat and you can breathe oxygen. The same One who reigns over the world reigns over your life. When the walls of whatever “captivity” are closing in, look up. There He is.

Thank you Father for reigning over my life, even when I feel like a captive.

 

 

Every Man Ministries

Our Daily Bread – Eyes to See

Bible in a Year :

• 2 Kings 4-6
• Luke 24:36-53

Elisha prayed, “Open his eyes, Lord, so that he may see.”

2 Kings 6:17

Today’s Scripture & Insight :

2 Kings 6:15-23

Joy was concerned for her relative Sandy, who for years had struggled with alcoholism and mental-health issues. When she went to Sandy’s apartment, the doors were locked, and it appeared vacant. As she and others planned their search for Sandy, Joy prayed, “God, help me to see what I’m not seeing.” As they were leaving, Joy looked back at Sandy’s apartment and saw the tiniest movement of a curtain. In that moment, she knew that Sandy was alive. Although it took emergency assistance to reach her, Joy rejoiced in this answered prayer.

The prophet Elisha knew the power of asking God to reveal to him His reality. When the Syrian army surrounded their city, Elisha’s servant shivered in fear. Not the man of God, however, for with God’s help he glimpsed the unseen. Elisha prayed that the servant too would see, and “the Lord opened the servant’s eyes” to see “the hills full of horses and chariots of fire” (2 Kings 6:17).

God lifted the veil between the spiritual and physical worlds for Elisha and his servant. Joy believes God helped her see the tiny flicker of the curtain, giving her hope. We too can ask Him to give us the spiritual vision to understand what’s happening around us, whether with our loved ones or in our communities. And we too can be agents of His love, truth, and compassion.

By:  Amy Boucher Pye

Reflect & Pray

How could you ask God to open your eyes to His truth concerning situations that weigh you down? How has He revealed His reality to you previously?

Father of all mercies, please open my eyes to see Your love and grace that I might share it with others.

 

 

 

http://www.odb.org

Joyce Meyer – The Spirit of a Conqueror

 

Yet amid all these things we are more than conquerors and gain a surpassing victory through Him Who loved us.

Romans 8:37 (AMPC)

Are you living a victorious life in Christ? If you aren’t, maybe today is the day for you to begin seeing yourself differently than you have in the past, to see yourself as one who overcomes adversities, not as someone who shrinks back in fear or feels overwhelmed every time a trial comes along.

You see, adversities are not optional, they are part of life, and it takes a conqueror to overcome them. Jesus Himself said that we would face trouble in this world (see John 16:33). Paul understood that obstacles were unavoidable and wrote in Romans 8:37 that we are “more than conquerors” and that we would “gain a surpassing victory.”

To be more than a conqueror means that before you ever face adversity, before the battle against you even begins, you already know you will win as long as you trust God and don’t give up. That’s a promise to be grateful for—you are more than a conqueror in Christ Jesus!

Prayer of the Day: Father, when I am in a situation that threatens to overwhelm or intimidate me, I will stand on Your Word that says I am more than a conqueror in You. Thank You that I will not be defeated because You are with me, and You are protecting me.

 

 

 

http://www.joycemeyer.org

Denison Forum – President Biden condemns a “ferocious surge of antisemitism”

 

Nearly every headline in the news today is about something we wish was different but feel powerless to change. For example:

• During a Holocaust memorial ceremony at the US Capitol yesterday, President Biden condemned a “ferocious surge of antisemitism in America and around the world” and pointed to “vicious propaganda on social media.” He’s tragically right, but what can be done about this?
• Miss USA gave up her crown, citing a need to protect her mental health. One in five Americans lives with a mental illness, but 60 percent give a poor or failing grade to how such conditions are treated in our country. As loneliness and depression continue to escalate, what can be done?
• Ukraine says it foiled an alleged Russian plot to assassinate President Volodymyr Zelensky. As Russia intensifies its attacks on Ukraine’s energy grid, what can be done to halt its offensive?

The good news is that no matter how hopeless we may feel in these chaotic days, Christians can embrace and share a hope the world can neither recreate nor destroy.

Let’s take a two-step journey into such hope today.

What do you hope “for”?

Research correlates hope with positive emotions, a stronger sense of purpose and meaning, lower levels of depression, and less loneliness. High-hope people experience better physical health and a reduced risk of mortality, chronic illness, cancer, and sleep problems.

Who wouldn’t want more hope?

However, hope has no independent status or reality. It is not a thing like a desk or a chair. We either hope “for” something or we hope “in” something.

Both are vital to being people of hope.

• French President Emmanuel Macron is warning that if Russia wins in Ukraine, European security will lie in ruins. I am therefore hoping for Ukraine’s success in the war.
• A Foreign Affairs article reports that America’s adversaries are uniting to overturn the global order. For example, Russia’s offensive is employing weapons fitted with technology from China, missiles from North Korea, and drones from Iran. I am therefore hoping for a future that does not include World War III.
• Another Foreign Policy article explains that America’s superpower status is difficult to project to areas where our adversaries are neighbors to our allies (Russia with Ukraine, China with Taiwan, North Korea with South Korea). I am therefore hoping for means of deterring them that, once again, do not include World War III.

For what do you hope most today?

What do you hope “in”?

But hoping “for” is of no practical benefit unless whatever we hope “in” can do what we hope it can do. Here is one way the gospel lives up to its definition as “good news.”

WHO DEFINES SEXUALITY?

In our book, Sacred Sexuality: Reclaiming God’s Design, we look at God’s intentions for our flourishing.

The eminent psychologist and Pulitzer Prize winner Erik Erikson believed hope to be a foundational virtue for the best kind of life. He also linked it to the “major creedal values” of religion. Extensive research now supports this connection, demonstrating that religious beliefs, practices, and communities clearly and powerfully inspire hope.

Christians can take a step further: we have historical, evidential, empirical reasons for placing our hope where we do. As St. Augustine reminded us, we are post-Easter people.

Unlike any other religious figure, our risen Lord defeated death and the grave. He promises to do the same for all who place their hope in him (John 11:25–26). And we know that he will come again for us individually (John 14:3) or collectively (Hebrews 9:28) to take us to “a new heaven and a new earth” (Revelation 21:1) where we will “rest from [our] labors” (Revelation 14:13) in a paradise beyond our imagining (1 Corinthians 2:9).

These are promises no other figure in human history has been able to make. And, as Dwight Moody noted:

“God never made a promise that was too good to be true.”

My college advisor died this week

In the meantime, we can remember all God has done as we trust him for all he will do.

Today is V-E Day, celebrated by Great Britain and the United States as the end of World War II in Europe. But before there could be V-E Day, there had to be D-Day nearly a year earlier. The Allied invasion at Normandy, France, marked the beginning of the end for Hitler’s forces. Between D-Day and V-E Day, the war still raged but its outcome was determined.

You and I live between D-Day, when our Lord invaded our fallen planet, and V-Day, when he will return. Spiritual conflict still rages (Ephesians 6:12), but its outcome is sure (cf. Matthew 25:31).

This fact became especially personal for me this week when I learned that my college faculty advisor had died.

Dr. Gene Wofford was a gracious educator and a wise mentor. I will always remember the time in a Christian doctrine class when he claimed he could summarize the Book of Revelation in two words. Seeing the surprised looks on our faces, he smiled and said, “We win.”

Now, in the very presence of his Savior, Dr. Wofford knows he was right. If Christ is your Lord, so will you one day.

Why do you need this hope today?

Wednesday news to know:

• Biden administration halted bomb shipments to Israel over Rafah invasion concerns, reports say
• Testifying in hush money trial, porn actor Stormy Daniels describes first meeting Trump
• New US strategy looks to blunt Russian and Chinese influence in cyberspace
• Boy Scouts rebrands as Scouting America, dropping gendered name
• On this day in 1884: Harry S. Truman is born

Quote for the day:

“However many blessings we expect from God, his infinite liberality will always exceed all our wishes and our thoughts.” —John Calvin

 

Denison Forum

Days of Praise – Ungodly Deeds and Hard Speeches

 

by Henry M. Morris III, D.Min.

“…to execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.” (Jude 1:15)

Jude is referencing the preaching of pre-Flood Enoch, who warned about God’s coming judgment when the Lord returns “with ten thousands of his saints” (v. 14). Jude identifies two ungodly traits that bring about this judgment.

First, there are ungodly deeds that were committed in an ungodly way. Perhaps the best commentary on this deep sin is the Lord Jesus’ description of the unbelief of those who reject the gospel of salvation: “This is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil” (John 3:19). Their actions were not mere misdeeds; these deeds were committed with full knowledge of the “light”—and their perpetrators consciously ran away from that light to hide in the “darkness.”

Then there are hard speeches that have been spoken by ungodly sinners against the Lord Jesus. Perhaps these fierce words were uttered as diatribes against the authority of Christ to judge. Peter alludes to these kinds of sinners as “scoffers, walking after their own lusts, and saying, Where is the promise of his coming?” (2 Peter 3:3-4). Paul comments that these kinds of people “changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator” (Romans 1:25).

And that appears to coincide with the nature of the word “ungodly.” All three forms that appear in Jude 1:15 are negative forms of the word for worship. The “un” part of the word stresses the lack of honor and deference that are due the Creator of the universe. These ungodly sinners will be condemned by their own deeds and fierce words. HMM III

 

 

 

 

https://www.icr.org/articles/type/6

My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers – The Patience of Faith

 

We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised. — Hebrews 6:12

Patience is more than endurance. Our lives are in the hands of God like a bow and arrow in the hands of an archer. God is aiming at something we cannot see. He stretches and strains, and every now and again we say, “I can’t take it anymore.” God doesn’t waver. He goes on stretching until his purpose is in sight. Then he lets the arrow fly.

“Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him” (Job 13:15). Trust yourself in God’s hands. Maintain your relationship to Jesus Christ through the patience of faith. Faith is not a pathetic sentiment. It is vigorous confidence built on the fact that God is holy love. It is the heroic effort of your life.

A mental poise comes from being established on the eternal truth that God is holy love. Is there something you need patience for just now? Maybe you can’t see God, can’t understand what he’s doing. But you know him. God has given everything in Jesus Christ to save you. Now he wants you to give everything for his sake. He wants you to fling yourself out in reckless abandonment to him.

There are parts of us that this kind of abandoned faith hasn’t reached yet, places that remain untouched by the life of God. There were no such places in Jesus’s life, and there must be none in ours. “Now this is eternal life: that they know you” (John 17:3). The real meaning of eternal life is a life that can face anything without wavering. If we take this view, life becomes a great romance, an opportunity for seeing marvelous things all the time. God is disciplining us to bring us to this central place of power.

2 Kings 4-6; Luke 24:36-53

 

 

https://utmost.org/

Billy Graham – The Influence of a Mother

 

Her children arise up, and call her blessed…
— Proverbs 31:28

Only God Himself fully appreciates the influence of a Christian mother in the molding of character in her children. Someone has said, “Like mother, like children.” Most of the noble characters and fine leaders of history have had good, God-fearing mothers. We are told that George Washington’s mother was pious, and that Sir Walter Scott’s mother was a lover of poetry and music. On the other hand, we are told that Nero’s mother was a murderess and that the dissolute Lord Byron’s mother was a proud and violent woman. The influence of a mother upon the lives of her children cannot be measured. They know and absorb her example and attitudes when it comes to questions of honesty, temperance, kindness, and industry.

Prayer for the day

Thank You, Lord, for mothers who love You. Their influence is felt around the world.

 

 

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Guideposts – Devotions for Women – Shake the Dust Off

 

If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, leave that home or town and shake the dust off your feet.—Matthew 10:14 (NIV)

When Jesus sent the disciples to spread the Gospel, He knew that they would not always be welcome. His advice when this happened was to move on and keep going. Is there something in your life that you are clinging to that may just be a waste of time? Reflect on what is blocking you from moving forward. Shake the dust off your feet.

Lord, help me discern what I should let go of. Guide me forward on my faith journey.

 

https://guideposts.org/daily-devotions/devotions-for-women/devotions-for-faith-prayer-devotions-for-women/

Every Man Ministry – Kenny Luck – Satan Exposed

 

Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. ––1 Peter 5:8

Satan leaves the clean prints of his character and presence everywhere he’s been. So why, after the powerful work of Jesus on the cross, the sending and indwelling of his Holy Spirit, the clear teaching about him by Jesus in Scripture, and the rapid spread of the gospel worldwide, have Satan’s victories over God’s people enjoyed such an incredible run?

The first part of the answer has to do with Satan’s powerful skills. He’s the master of redirecting suspicions about the points of origin and the person of origin, away from himself and onto others, onto circumstances, onto organizations, churches, bad doctrine—anything else but the real source.

The second part of the answer lies with us and our indifference toward his person, abilities, and designs upon us. Indifference is synonymous with ignorance, and ignorance is synonymous with defeat. Neither Pearl Harbor nor D-Day would have been possible if not for ignorance. God himself says that ruin closely follows a lack of awareness. “My people are destroyed from lack of knowledge” (Hosea 4:6). Satan likes it that way.

In contrast, God’s man in the character of his Lord is called to see what others cannot. Where others see only circumstances or people, we’re called to deploy our spiritual intuition, dust for prints, look at things from a different angle, shine the light in unusual places and ask deeper questions based on our knowledge of God’s Word.

We need to see the devil’s character leaking into everyday situations. We might not see him strike the match but we know the fires he likes to set, how he likes to set them, what he uses to set them, and even how he entices us to hold and strike the match.

Father, keep me knowledgeable, prepared, and diligent in your Word. 

 

Every Man Ministries

Our Daily Bread – God-Given Gifts

 

Bible in a Year :

• 2 Kings 1-3
• Luke 24:1-35

We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us.

Romans 12:6

Today’s Scripture & Insight :

Romans 12:4-8

Decades ago, I went to a college retreat where everyone was talking about a personality test. “I’m an ISTJ!” one said. “I’m an ENFP,” another chirped. I was mystified. “I’m an ABCXYZ,” I joked.

Since then, I’ve learned a lot about that test (the Myers-Briggs) and others such as the DiSC assessment. I find them fascinating because they can help us understand ourselves and others in helpful, revealing ways—shedding light on our preferences, strengths, and weaknesses. Provided we don’t overuse them, they can be a useful tool God uses to help us grow.

Scripture doesn’t offer us personality tests. But it does affirm each person’s uniqueness in God’s eyes (see Psalm 139:14-16; Jeremiah 1:5), and it shows us how God equips all of us with a unique personality and unique gifts to serve others in His kingdom. In Romans 12:6, Paul begins to unpack this idea, when he says, “We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us.”

Those gifts, Paul explains, are not for us alone but for the purpose of serving God’s people, Christ’s body (v. 5). They’re an expression of His grace and goodness, working in and through all of us. They invite each of us to be a unique vessel in God’s service.

By:  Adam Holz

Reflect & Pray

What gifts has God given you to serve others? If you’re not sure what your gifts are, who might help you get a better sense of those God-given gifts?

Father, thank You for the gifts You’ve given me. Please help me to embrace the ways You’ve equipped me to love and serve others in Your kingdom.

 

 

 

http://www.odb.org

Joyce Meyer – Let God Be Exalted

 

The proud looks of man shall be brought low, and the haughtiness of men shall be humbled; and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day.

Isaiah 2:11 (AMPC)

None of us are where we need to be, but thank God, we are not where we used to be. Don’t look at what you are going through right now; look at the person you are becoming. We are always in the process of becoming like Christ (See 2 Corinthians 3:18).

Brokenness hurts, but the alternative is much worse. The Word says, “Haughtiness comes before disaster, but humility before honor” (Proverbs 18:12). Pray to be bendable, pliable, and moldable so that you will be more like Christ in all that you do today. Pray to be broken so that the Lord may be exalted in your life.

Prayer of the Day: Father God, I come to You in the name of Jesus and ask that You mold me to reflect Christ, and ask that through my brokenness, that I grow into the person You want me to me, amen.

 

 

 

http://www.joycemeyer.org

Denison Forum – Israeli forces enter Rafah amid cease-fire negotiations with Hamas

An Israeli tank brigade took control of the Gaza Strip side of the Rafah border crossing with Egypt this morning. However, the overnight incursion appears to be short of the full-fledged offensive Israel has planned into Rafah.

It comes after Hamas announced yesterday that it had accepted a cease-fire proposal to halt the war. Prime Minister Netanyahu’s office responded that the truce proposal fell short of Israel’s demands, but Israel will send a delegation to meet with negotiators to try to reach an agreement.

If you support Israel as I do, you’re hopeful that negotiations lead to long-term peace for the Jewish state. But you’re concerned that if Hamas survives in Gaza, it will make good on its promise to invade Israel again with the same brutality it unleashed on October 7.

Also, if you’re like me, you didn’t reflect immediately on what today’s news could mean for the 1.4 million Palestinian civilians in Rafah. You know that God loves Arabs as much as he loves Jews (Galatians 3:28), but it is human nature to respond most deeply to news that affects us most personally.

And as followers of a Jewish Savior, we tend to view the Middle East through the lens of the Jewish people.

“A handle for what is nearest”

This personal filter is essential for navigating the deluge of news in our digital culture. If we became viscerally involved with every story, the cognitive and emotional overload would be debilitating.

Consider these headlines in today’s news:

• Triumphal Putin is inaugurated for fifth term as Russian president
• Met Gala 2024: Zendaya, Tyla and Sabrina Carpenter lead eye-catching looks
• Columbia University cancels main commencement ceremony after protests
• South Africa: Deadly building collapse leaves dozens trapped
• Starliner launch delayed after issue identified with rocket valve

You likely care about these stories to the degree that they do or do not affect you personally. You’re not alone: in The Crisis of Narration, philosopher Byung-Chul Han quotes the cultural critic Walter Benjamin: “What gets the readiest hearing is no longer intelligence coming from afar, but the information which supplies a handle for what is nearest.”

While personalizing the world is understandable, there’s a better way.

“When you know how much God is in love with you”

Paul had “great sorrow and unceasing anguish” in his heart for Jews who had not yet accepted their Messiah (Romans 9:2). Given his previous life as a Pharisee trained by Gamaliel, such passion is to be expected.

However, the apostle was deeply concerned for Gentiles as well, most of whom he had not yet met but all of whom he sought to bring to Christ (Romans 15:15–21). He risked and ultimately gave his life to reach them. The reason was simple: Paul had experienced the transforming love of Christ and now, he testified, “the love of Christ compels us” to share that love with the world (2 Corinthians 5:14; NKJV).

Mother Teresa was right:

“When you know how much God is in love with you, then you can only live your life radiating that love.”

It’s been said that a true test of a person’s character is how they treat people they don’t have to treat well. Similarly, we can measure the depth of our love for our Lord by our compassion for those whom our circumstances would not compel us to love.

When we love such people, we offer the world something it can find nowhere else. We demonstrate the power and relevance of the faith we profess. Such unconditional love answers our skeptics (1 Peter 3:16) and changes our culture, one person at a time.

These facts apply to this morning’s news and to every person you meet today.

“This grace is for all the world”

Julian of Norwich (1342–c. 1416), whose deeply personal encounters with the love of Christ have inspired generations, wrote:

God protects us as tenderly and as sweetly when we are in greatest need;
he raises us in spirit
and turns everything to glory and joy without ending.
God is the ground and the substance, the very essence of nature;
God is the true father and mother of natures.
We are all bound to God by nature,
and we are all bound to God by grace.
And this grace is for all the world (my emphasis).

When last did you experience such grace?

With whom will you share it today?

NOTE: In today’s world, society often contradicts biblical truth, especially regarding sexuality. So how do we guide our loved ones rightly? Our latest book, Sacred Sexuality: Reclaiming God’s Design, offers answers and aims to equip you with wisdom and compassion to navigate these challenges. Request your copy today and join us in reclaiming biblical principles for our families and future generations.

Tuesday news to know:

• 3 bodies found in Mexican well identified as Australian, American surfers killed for truck’s tires
• US jobs growth set to slow, conference board says
• China’s Xi shouldn’t expect an easy ride in Europe this time
• Russia to carry out exercises for tactical nuclear weapons
• On this day in 1945: Germany surrenders unconditionally to the Allies at Reims

Quote for the day:

“God’s love is like an ocean. You can see its beginning, but not its end.” —Rick Warren

 

Denison Forum

Days of Praise – Christ Will Come Again

 

by Henry M. Morris, Ph.D.

“In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.” (John 14:2-3)

The world has not seen the last of Jesus Christ! He was in the world once, but the world would not have Him, even though He had created it (John 1:10). While He was on Earth, He made it clear that He would be returning some day to judge the world.

But here in the upper room, just before His arrest and crucifixion, He told His disciples, for the very first time, that He would be coming for them personally, not to judge them with the world but to “receive you unto myself.” In the first epistle written by the apostle Paul, this wonderful promise was repeated and amplified: “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven…and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord” (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17).

When He comes again, we shall be where He is forever! In the meantime, the “dead in Christ” are already with Him. At that time, “we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye….For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality” (1 Corinthians 15:51-53).

During this present time, He is preparing a place for us in the New Jerusalem that, like Christ Himself, will be “coming down from God out of heaven” (Revelation 21:2). All of this is exactly what we might expect from such a gracious and loving Savior, and He assures us that “if it were not so, I would have told you.” HMM

 

 

 

 

https://www.icr.org/articles/type/6