Category Archives: Recommended Reading

03/15/16

Acts 17 NIV

We are to proclaim Christ and carry out the Great Commission. The title,”Unknown God”, was an indicator that these people were searching , as we all do, for their Maker and Redeemer.

 

In Thessalonica

 

17 When Paul and his companions had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue. 2 As was his custom, Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, 3 explaining and proving that the Messiah had to suffer and rise from the dead. “This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Messiah,” he said. 4 Some of the Jews were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a large number of God-fearing Greeks and quite a few prominent women.

 

 

5 But other Jews were jealous; so they rounded up some bad characters from the marketplace, formed a mob and started a riot in the city. They rushed to Jason’s house in search of Paul and Silas in order to bring them out to the crowd.[a] 6 But when they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some other believers before the city officials, shouting: “These men who have caused trouble all over the world have now come here, 7 and Jason has welcomed them into his house. They are all defying Caesar’s decrees, saying that there is another king, one called Jesus.” 8 When they heard this, the crowd and the city officials were thrown into turmoil. 9 Then they made Jason and the others post bond and let them go.

 

 

In Berea

 

 

10 As soon as it was night, the believers sent Paul and Silas away to Berea. On arriving there, they went to the Jewish synagogue. 11 Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true. 12 As a result, many of them believed, as did also a number of prominent Greek women and many Greek men.

13 But when the Jews in Thessalonica learned that Paul was preaching the word of God at Berea, some of them went there too, agitating the crowds and stirring them up. 14 The believers immediately sent Paul to the coast, but Silas and Timothy stayed at Berea. 15 Those who escorted Paul brought him to Athens and then left with instructions for Silas and Timothy to join him as soon as possible.

 

 

In Athens

 

 

16 While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols. 17 So he reasoned in the synagogue with both Jews and God-fearing Greeks, as well as in the marketplace day by day with those who happened to be there. 18 A group of Epicurean and Stoic philosophers began to debate with him. Some of them asked, “What is this babbler trying to say?” Others remarked, “He seems to be advocating foreign gods.” They said this because Paul was preaching the good news about Jesus and the resurrection. 19 Then they took him and brought him to a meeting of the Areopagus, where they said to him, “May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting? 20 You are bringing some strange ideas to our ears, and we would like to know what they mean.” 21 (All the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there spent their time doing nothing but talking about and listening to the latest ideas.)

 

 

22 Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: “People of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. 23 For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: to an unknown god. So you are ignorant of the very thing you worship—and this is what I am going to proclaim to you.

 

 

24 “The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. 25 And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else. 26 From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. 27 God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us. 28 ‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’[b] As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’[c]

 

 

29 “Therefore since we are God’s offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone—an image made by human design and skill. 30 In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. 31 For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead.”

 

 

32 When they heard about the resurrection of the dead, some of them sneered, but others said, “We want to hear you again on this subject.” 33 At that, Paul left the Council. 34 Some of the people became followers of Paul and believed. Among them was Dionysius, a member of the Areopagus, also a woman named Damaris, and a number of others.

 

 

Footnotes:

 

 

  1. Acts 17:5 Or the assembly of the people

  2. Acts 17:28 From the Cretan philosopher Epimenides

  3. Acts 17:28 From the Cilician Stoic philosopher Aratus

 

 

New International Version (NIV)Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

 

 

05/20/14

Israel’s Right to the Land Written by John Paul Jackson

 

Article adapted from his teaching at the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem
For Release: January 2014

 

I am intensely interested in what God is doing in Israel. I have visited the Holy Land more than 20 times. Recently, the Lord led me to study the life of Abraham. The Jews say Abraham was born 1,948 years after Adam was created. 1948 is an interesting number. Israel became a nation in 1948 – 1,948 years after the birth of Jesus, the second Adam.

 

 Another interesting parallel is that the Tower of Babel was built in 1996 – 1,996 years from the beginning of creation. In 1996 A.D., The European Union made the Tower of Babel its insignia. I don’t think that’s an accident.

 

The Tower of Babel was in Ur which is where Abraham is from.  God called him to the land of Canaan. Lot went with him and God blessed them. Their flocks multiplied. Soon, there wasn’t enough grassland to feed both of their families. So, they separated. Lot went to the valley of Sodom and Gomorrah. Abraham stayed in the northern part of Canaan.

 

During that time, God brought in four kings from the east to Israel. One was the king of Babel, which is modern day Iraq. Another was the king over Persia, which is modern day Iran. There were two other kings with them as well.

 

There were five other kings. These were vassal kings. They were the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah. There were three other kings with them as well. But, these five vassal kings stopped paying their taxes to the other four kings.

 

The four kings didn’t want to lose all that tax money. So, they came to Israel to fight the five kings who didn’t want to pay their taxes.

 

The four kings conquered the five vassal kings and seized everything in Sodom and Gomorrah including Lot and his family who were taken back to Ur the land they originally came from.

 

Abraham heard about it and took 318 men with him and conquered the four kings who overpowered the five kings that didn’t pay their taxes.  That was a staggering victory, not only by the numbers but by the right of conquest. Abraham now had the rights to all of the land of Israel.

 

After that, a strange individual visited Abraham. It was Melchizedek. If you really believe Melchizedek had no beginning and no end; then, you would have to admit, He wasn’t human. He’s without father, without mother, without beginning, without end.

 

And He was the King of Salem, the King of Righteousness. He’s described in many ways as Yeshua Himself. Whoever He was, He was very powerful. And, He blessed Abraham.

 

Right after that, Abraham had an encounter with God. God gave Abraham a vision of a burning oven. A torch passed between pieces of animals that were cut in half. And God made a covenant with Abraham. He told Abraham, “I will give you every place your foot has trod.” That, literally, goes back to where Abraham came from — the land of Ur.

 

Abraham has a right to the land because God gave it to him and because Abraham conquered it. Parallels also show how God has watched over Israel from the beginning. He is watching over them now.

 

credit: John Paul Jackson

Charlene’s Source: streamsministries.com

Share This

 

_____________________________________________________________________________________

I thought that it would help to include the scriptural reference. Charlene

 

Genesis 14 NIV

Abram Rescues Lot

 

 

14 At the time when Amraphel was king of Shinar,[a] Arioch king of Ellasar, Kedorlaomer king of Elam and Tidal king of Goyim, 2 these kings went to war against Bera king of Sodom, Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah, Shemeber king of Zeboyim, and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar). 3 All these latter kings joined forces in the Valley of Siddim (that is, the Dead Sea Valley). 4 For twelve years they had been subject to Kedorlaomer, but in the thirteenth year they rebelled.

 

5 In the fourteenth year, Kedorlaomer and the kings allied with him went out and defeated the Rephaites in Ashteroth Karnaim, the Zuzites in Ham, the Emites in Shaveh Kiriathaim 6 and the Horites in the hill country of Seir, as far as El Paran near the desert. 7 Then they turned back and went to En Mishpat (that is, Kadesh), and they conquered the whole territory of the Amalekites, as well as the Amorites who were living in Hazezon Tamar.

 

8 Then the king of Sodom, the king of Gomorrah, the king of Admah, the king of Zeboyim and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar) marched out and drew up their battle lines in the Valley of Siddim 9 against Kedorlaomer king of Elam, Tidal king of Goyim, Amraphel king of Shinar and Arioch king of Ellasar—four kings against five. 10 Now the Valley of Siddim was full of tar pits, and when the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, some of the men fell into them and the rest fled to the hills. 11 The four kings seized all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah and all their food; then they went away. 12 They also carried off Abram’s nephew Lot and his possessions, since he was living in Sodom.

 

13 A man who had escaped came and reported this to Abram the Hebrew. Now Abram was living near the great trees of Mamre the Amorite, a brother[b] of Eshkol and Aner, all of whom were allied with Abram. 14 When Abram heard that his relative had been taken captive, he called out the 318 trained men born in his household and went in pursuit as far as Dan. 15 During the night Abram divided his men to attack them and he routed them, pursuing them as far as Hobah, north of Damascus. 16 He recovered all the goods and brought back his relative Lot and his possessions, together with the women and the other people.

17 After Abram returned from defeating Kedorlaomer and the kings allied with him, the king of Sodom came out to meet him in the Valley of Shaveh (that is, the King’s Valley).

 

18 Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. He was priest of God Most High, 19 and he blessed Abram, saying,

 

 

“Blessed be Abram by God Most High,
    Creator of heaven and earth.
20 And praise be to God Most High,
    who delivered your enemies into your hand.”

 

Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything.

 

21 The king of Sodom said to Abram, “Give me the people and keep the goods for yourself.”

 

22 But Abram said to the king of Sodom, “With raised hand I have sworn an oath to the Lord, God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth, 23 that I will accept nothing belonging to you, not even a thread or the strap of a sandal, so that you will never be able to say, ‘I made Abram rich.’ 24 I will accept nothing but what my men have eaten and the share that belongs to the men who went with me—to Aner, Eshkol and Mamre. Let them have their share.”

 

 

Footnotes:

  1. Genesis 14:1 That is, Babylonia; also in verse 9

  2. Genesis 14:13 Or a relative; or an ally

 

 

New International Version (NIV)Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

 

 

02/1/14

John 1: The WORD Revealed

John 1

New International Version (NIV)

The Word Became Flesh

 

 

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome[a] it.

6 There was a man sent from God whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. 8 He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light.

9 The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.

14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

15 (John testified concerning him. He cried out, saying, “This is the one I spoke about when I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’”) 16 Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and[b] is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.

 

 

 

John the Baptist Denies Being the Messiah

 

 

 

19 Now this was John’s testimony when the Jewish leaders[c] in Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him who he was. 20 He did not fail to confess, but confessed freely, “I am not the Messiah.”

21 They asked him, “Then who are you? Are you Elijah?”

He said, “I am not.”

“Are you the Prophet?”

He answered, “No.”

22 Finally they said, “Who are you? Give us an answer to take back to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?”

23 John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, “I am the voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way for the Lord.’”[d]

24 Now the Pharisees who had been sent 25 questioned him, “Why then do you baptize if you are not the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?”

26 “I baptize with[e] water,” John replied, “but among you stands one you do not know. 27 He is the one who comes after me, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.”

28 This all happened at Bethany on the other side of the Jordan, where John was baptizing.

 

 

 

John Testifies About Jesus

 

 

 

29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! 30 This is the one I meant when I said, ‘A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’ 31 I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to Israel.”

32 Then John gave this testimony: “I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him. 33 And I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’ 34 I have seen and I testify that this is God’s Chosen One.”[f]

 

 

 

John’s Disciples Follow Jesus

 

 

 

35 The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. 36 When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, “Look, the Lamb of God!”

37 When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus. 38 Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, “What do you want?”

They said, “Rabbi” (which means “Teacher”), “where are you staying?”

39 “Come,” he replied, “and you will see.”

So they went and saw where he was staying, and they spent that day with him. It was about four in the afternoon.

40 Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus. 41 The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, “We have found the Messiah” (that is, the Christ). 42 And he brought him to Jesus.

Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas” (which, when translated, is Peter[g]).

 

 

 

Jesus Calls Philip and Nathanael

 

 

 

43 The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Finding Philip, he said to him, “Follow me.”

44 Philip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethsaida. 45 Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”

46 “Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?” Nathanael asked.

“Come and see,” said Philip.

47 When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, “Here truly is an Israelite in whom there is no deceit.”

48 “How do you know me?” Nathanael asked.

Jesus answered, “I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you.”

49 Then Nathanael declared, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the king of Israel.”

50 Jesus said, “You believe[h] because I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You will see greater things than that.” 51 He then added, “Very truly I tell you,[i] you[j] will see ‘heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on’[k] the Son of Man.”

 

 

 

Footnotes:

 

 

 

  1. John 1:5 Or understood

  2. John 1:18 Some manuscripts but the only Son, who

  3. John 1:19 The Greek term traditionally translated the Jews (hoi Ioudaioi) refers here and elsewhere in John’s Gospel to those Jewish leaders who opposed Jesus; also in 5:10, 15, 16; 7:1, 11, 13; 9:22; 18:14, 28, 36; 19:7, 12, 31, 38; 20:19.

  4. John 1:23 Isaiah 40:3

  5. John 1:26 Or in; also in verses 31 and 33 (twice)

  6. John 1:34 See Isaiah 42:1; many manuscripts is the Son of God.

  7. John 1:42 Cephas (Aramaic) and Peter (Greek) both mean rock.

  8. John 1:50 Or Do you believe … ?

  9. John 1:51 The Greek is plural.

  10. John 1:51 The Greek is plural.

  11. John 1:51 Gen. 28:12

 

 


New International Version (NIV)Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

01/17/14

Philippians 2 (New International Version)


Imitating Christ’s Humility

 

 

2 Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, 2 then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. 3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.

5 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:

6 Who, being in very nature[a] God,
    did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
7 rather, he made himself nothing
    by taking the very nature[b] of a servant,
    being made in human likeness.
8 And being found in appearance as a man,
    he humbled himself
    by becoming obedient to death—
        even death on a cross!

9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
    and gave him the name that is above every name,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
    in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,
    to the glory of God the Father.

 

 

Do Everything Without Grumbling

 

 

12 Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.

14 Do everything without grumbling or arguing, 15 so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.”[c] Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky 16 as you hold firmly to the word of life. And then I will be able to boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor in vain. 17 But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service coming from your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you. 18 So you too should be glad and rejoice with me.

 

 

Timothy and Epaphroditus

 

 

19 I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, that I also may be cheered when I receive news about you. 20 I have no one else like him, who will show genuine concern for your welfare. 21 For everyone looks out for their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ. 22 But you know that Timothy has proved himself, because as a son with his father he has served with me in the work of the gospel. 23 I hope, therefore, to send him as soon as I see how things go with me. 24 And I am confident in the Lord that I myself will come soon.

25 But I think it is necessary to send back to you Epaphroditus, my brother, co-worker and fellow soldier, who is also your messenger, whom you sent to take care of my needs. 26 For he longs for all of you and is distressed because you heard he was ill. 27 Indeed he was ill, and almost died. But God had mercy on him, and not on him only but also on me, to spare me sorrow upon sorrow. 28 Therefore I am all the more eager to send him, so that when you see him again you may be glad and I may have less anxiety. 29 So then, welcome him in the Lord with great joy, and honor people like him, 30 because he almost died for the work of Christ. He risked his life to make up for the help you yourselves could not give me.

 

 

Footnotes:

 

  1. Philippians 2:6 Or in the form of

  2. Philippians 2:7 Or the form

  3. Philippians 2:15 Deut. 32:5

New International Version (NIV)

Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

 

 

06/22/13

Deuteronomy 6 (New International Version)

The beauty of God’s Word is His timelessness. The Lord is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Therefore, we can be assured of a firm foundation for our own lives.      Charlene

 

 

Love the Lord Your God

6 These are the commands, decrees and laws the Lord your God directed me to teach you to observe in the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess, 2 so that you, your children and their children after them may fear the Lord your God as long as you live by keeping all his decrees and commands that I give you, and so that you may enjoy long life. 3 Hear, Israel, and be careful to obey so that it may go well with you and that you may increase greatly in a land flowing with milk and honey, just as the Lord, the God of your ancestors, promised you.

 

4 Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.[a] 5 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. 6 These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. 7 Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 8 Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 9 Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.

 

10 When the Lord your God brings you into the land he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, to give you—a land with large, flourishing cities you did not build, 11 houses filled with all kinds of good things you did not provide, wells you did not dig, and vineyards and olive groves you did not plant—then when you eat and are satisfied, 12 be careful that you do not forget the Lord, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.

 

13 Fear the Lord your God, serve him only and take your oaths in his name. 14 Do not follow other gods, the gods of the peoples around you; 15 for the Lord your God, who is among you, is a jealous God and his anger will burn against you, and he will destroy you from the face of the land. 16 Do not put the Lord your God to the test as you did at Massah. 17 Be sure to keep the commands of the Lord your God and the stipulations and decrees he has given you. 18 Do what is right and good in the Lord’s sight, so that it may go well with you and you may go in and take over the good land the Lord promised on oath to your ancestors, 19 thrusting out all your enemies before you, as the Lord said.

 

20 In the future, when your son asks you, “What is the meaning of the stipulations, decrees and laws the Lord our God has commanded you?” 21 tell him: “We were slaves of Pharaoh in Egypt, but the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand. 22 Before our eyes the Lord sent signs and wonders—great and terrible—on Egypt and Pharaoh and his whole household. 23 But he brought us out from there to bring us in and give us the land he promised on oath to our ancestors. 24 The Lord commanded us to obey all these decrees and to fear the Lord our God, so that we might always prosper and be kept alive, as is the case today. 25 And if we are careful to obey all this law before the Lord our God, as he has commanded us, that will be our righteousness.”

 

Footnotes:

 

Deuteronomy 6:4 Or The Lord our God is one Lord; or The Lord is our God, the Lord is one; or The Lord is our God, the Lord alone

 

New International Version (NIV)

 

Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

05/23/13

Demolishing Doubt by Randy Robison

We all doubt God at some point. In his brilliant apologetic book How Can I Know? Dr. Robert Jeffress tackles the five basic forms of doubt: natural, philosophical, experiential, spiritual, and empirical. He exposes the most common reasons for doubt, including suffering, betrayal, human intellect, and fear, then offers evidence that God exists and that Jesus Christ is who He claimed to be.

 

It’s easy to condemn the doubt of others or feel guilt about our own questions. But the Bible offers some encouragement on these two points. First, in the brief epistle of Jude, it says “have mercy on some, who are doubting” (verse 22). There is a difference between those who are hostile towards God and those who are struggling to believe. Certainly there are those who will never believe, but part of discipleship is encouraging those who are weak in their faith. We do not determine who will and will not come to Christ, so we should all maintain the attitude of 2 Peter 3:9, “not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.” This is not a position of passivity or weakness. It is a reminder that people are to be saved while ungodly ideas are to be demolished. Paul said, “We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God” (2 Corinthians 10:5a). We rescue the lost by shining the light of God’s truth through our words and actions.

 

 

When it comes to our own doubt, we must realize that it does take some faith on our part to really know God. It may be as tiny as a “mustard seed,” but at some point we must make the choice to believe the fundamental truths in Scripture. One such truth is this: “But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind” (James 1:5-6).

 

 

This is not a contradiction. We don’t overcome our doubt by pretending it does not exist. Instead, this is a promise. When we take the initiative to believe God’s word and ask Him for wisdom, He promises to show up in our lives. It’s a bit like stepping onto a frozen pond, believing that it will hold you. Until you actually do it, you will never believe that you can skate.

 

So if you are struggling with doubt, ask God to show up in your life. Pester Him to show you His will. Read the Bible and implore the Holy Spirit to make it come alive. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Then your doubts will fade away as your faith becomes strong.

 

 

Dr. Robert Jeffress appears on LIFE TODAY May, 23, 2013, with Randy and James Robison.

 

Charlene’s Source:

LIFE Outreach International | P.O. Box 982000 | Fort Worth, TX 76182-8000

1-800-947-LIFE (5433) | WWW.LIFETODAY.ORG

04/29/13

For Love of the King

For Love of the King by Daniel Kolenda

 

God is not looking for spiritual “gold diggers” who use Him and His kingdom to get rich, or to become popular or powerful. On the contrary, God is looking for people whose eyes are so fastened on Him and Him alone that none of the peripheral attractions are even in view. It is those with consecrated hearts to whom He says, “Don’t worry. I’ll take care of everything else you need.”

 

Although seeking God’s kingdom first will give us fulfillment and purpose in life, we do not seek God’s kingdom primarily for the sake of becoming self-actualized or having a sense of accomplishment. It’s true that as we seek God’s kingdom, our material and financial needs will be met, but we do not seek God’s kingdom primarily because of the monetary benefits. It is obvious that seeking God’s kingdom results in eternal rewards that are very literally “out of this world.” But we do not seek God’s kingdom primarily to win an eternal prize. We do not seek the kingdom because we love its benefits – we seek the kingdom because we love its King! When our love for the King becomes our paramount incentive, then and only then do we have things in the right order.

 

Building the kingdom of God must be our primary objective in life, but the underlying motivation must be love for the King. The only way a person can be truly committed to the kingdom of God is to be consumed with love for Christ. If we are driven by a philosophy or an ideology, a desire to make the world a better place or to see a new order established, then our ambition falls into the same category as communism, Marxism, socialism, and all the other “-isms.” Seeking the kingdom of God is in a category all by itself because it stems from a fountain deeper than any motive in this world – divine, supernatural love of the King. This love is the foundation and the driving force behind the kingdom that will endure long after all others have crumbled to dust.

 

Excerpted from Live Before You Die by Daniel Kolenda. Copyright © 2013 by Daniel Kolenda. Published by Passio (Charisma Media/Charisma House Book Group.) Used by permission

 

Charlene’s Source: LifeToday

Share This

04/8/13

Psalm 40 A Psalm of David

My Help and My Deliverer

 

Psalm 40

 

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.

 

1 I waited patiently for the LORD;
he inclined to me and heard my cry.
2 He drew me up from the pit of destruction,
out of the miry bog,
and set my feet upon a rock,
making my steps secure.
3 He put a new song in my mouth,
a song of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear,
and put their trust in the LORD.
4 Blessed is the man who makes
the LORD his trust,
who does not turn to the proud,
to those who go astray after a lie!
5 You have multiplied, O LORD my God,
your wondrous deeds and your thoughts toward us;
none can compare with you!
I will proclaim and tell of them,
yet they are more than can be told.
6 In sacrifice and offering you have not delighted,
but you have given me an open ear.1
Burnt offering and sin offering
you have not required.
7 Then I said, “Behold, I have come;
in the scroll of the book it is written of me:
8 I delight to do your will, O my God;
your law is within my heart.”
9 I have told the glad news of deliverance2
in the great congregation;
behold, I have not restrained my lips,
as you know, O LORD.
10 I have not hidden your deliverance within my heart;
I have spoken of your faithfulness and your salvation;
I have not concealed your steadfast love and your faithfulness
from the great congregation.
11 As for you, O LORD, you will not restrain
your mercy from me;
your steadfast love and your faithfulness will
ever preserve me!
12 For evils have encompassed me
beyond number;
my iniquities have overtaken me,
and I cannot see;
they are more than the hairs of my head;
my heart fails me.
13 Be pleased, O LORD, to deliver me!
O LORD, make haste to help me!
14 Let those be put to shame and disappointed altogether
who seek to snatch away my life;
let those be turned back and brought to dishonor
who delight in my hurt!
15 Let those be appalled because of their shame
who say to me, “Aha, Aha!”
16 But may all who seek you
rejoice and be glad in you;
may those who love your salvation
say continually, “Great is the LORD!”
17 As for me, I am poor and needy,
but the Lord takes thought for me.
You are my help and my deliverer;
do not delay, O my God!

 

 

Charlene’s Source: The Word/WLC Word Bible Software Vs 3.2.1

Digiprove sealCopyright secured by Digiprove © 2013 Charlene Kirst
03/20/13

1 Peter 2 (Easy-to-Read Version)

1 Peter 2

 

Easy-to-Read Version (ERV)

 

The Living Stone and the Holy Nation

 

2 So then, stop doing anything to hurt others. Don’t lie anymore, and stop trying to fool people. Don’t be jealous or say bad things about others. 2 Like newborn babies hungry for milk, you should want the pure teaching that feeds your spirit. With it you can grow up and be saved. 3 You have already tasted the goodness of the Lord.

4 The Lord Jesus is the living stone.[a] The people of the world decided that they did not want this stone. But he is the one God chose as one of great value. So come to him. 5 You also are like living stones, and God is using you to build a spiritual house.[b] You are to serve God in this house as holy priests, offering him spiritual sacrifices that he will accept because of Jesus Christ. 6 The Scriptures say,

“Look, I have chosen a cornerstone of great value,
and I put that stone in Zion.
Anyone who trusts in him will never be disappointed.”

7 So, that stone brings honor for you who believe. But for those who don’t believe he is

“the stone that the builders refused to accept,
which became the most important stone.”

8 For them he is also

“a stone that makes people stumble,
a rock that makes people fall.”

People stumble because they don’t obey what God says. This is what God planned to happen to those people.

9 But you are his chosen people, the King’s priests. You are a holy nation, people who belong to God. He chose you to tell about the wonderful things he has done. He brought you out of the darkness of sin into his wonderful light.

10 In the past you were not a special people,
but now you are God’s people.
Once you had not received mercy,
but now God has given you his mercy.[c]

 

Live for God

 

11 Dear friends, you are like visitors and strangers in this world. So I beg you to keep your lives free from the evil things you want to do, those desires that fight against your true selves. 12 People who don’t believe are living all around you. They may say that you are doing wrong. So live such good lives that they will see the good you do, and they will give glory to God on the day he comes.

 

Obey Every Human Authority

 

13 Be willing to serve the people who have authority[d] in this world. Do this for the Lord. Obey the king, the highest authority. 14 And obey the leaders who are sent by the king. They are sent to punish those who do wrong and to praise those who do good. 15 When you do good, you stop ignorant people from saying foolish things about you. This is what God wants. 16 Live like free people, but don’t use your freedom as an excuse to do evil. Live as those who are serving God. 17 Show respect for all people. Love your brothers and sisters in God’s family. Respect God, and honor the king.

 

The Example of Christ’s Suffering

 

18 Slaves, be willing to serve your masters. Do this with all respect. You should obey the masters who are good and kind, and you should obey the masters who are bad. 19 One of you might have to suffer even when you have done nothing wrong. If you think of God and bear the pain, this pleases God. 20 But if you are punished for doing wrong, there is no reason to praise you for bearing that punishment. But if you suffer for doing good and you are patient, this pleases God. 21 This is what you were chosen to do. Christ gave you an example to follow. He suffered for you. So you should do the same as he did:

22 “He never sinned,
and he never told a lie.”

23 People insulted him, but he did not insult them back. He suffered, but he did not threaten anyone. No, he let God take care of him. God is the one who judges rightly. 24 Christ carried our sins in his body on the cross. He did this so that we would stop living for sin and live for what is right. By his wounds you were healed. 25 You were like sheep that went the wrong way. But now you have come back to the Shepherd and Protector of your lives.

 

Footnotes:

  1. 1 Peter 2:4stone The most important stone in God’s spiritual temple or house (his people).
  2. 1 Peter 2:5house God’s house—the place where God’s people worship him. Here, it means that believers are the spiritual building where God lives.
  3. 1 Peter 2:10In the past … his mercy See Hos. 2:23.
  4. 1 Peter 2:13people … authority Literally, “every human creation,” meaning rulers, governors, presidents, or other government leaders.

Copyright © 2006 by World Bible Translation Center

02/19/13

Words of Life

The State of the Kingdom

 

by Randy Robison

 

Ladies and gentlemen, the state of the kingdom is strong. Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, still sits at the right hand of God. He still holds all of creation in His hands. He still moves in the lives of His people, fulfilling His word and making Himself known.

 

 

Our God does not make promises He cannot keep. Broken lives are healing, fractured families are being restored, and renewed souls are prospering.

 

 

Yes, we face challenges. Diabolical forces war against righteousness. Sin seeks to destroy that which is good. Darkness prevails in those who do not know His light. And the corruption of this world reminds us every day that this place is but a temporary home. But the gates of hell will not prevail. We have seen the final outcome and it is victory!

 

 

Every day, we should ask ourselves two questions about His kingdom: Is it reigning in me? And how can I reveal it to others? It is our unfinished task to make sure that His kingdom appears to the many, and not just the few.

 

 

The Gospel foretold since the beginning of time and fulfilled over 2,000 years ago continues to proclaim the truth of the Promised One. The defining issue of our time is how to keep that promise alive in each of us. No challenge is more urgent. No debate is more important. We can either settle for a church where the presence of the Holy Spirit is quenched or we can allow His Spirit to unleash the wonders of heaven. We must say each day, “Not my will, but Yours.” For it is not by our might and not by our power, but by His Spirit that we will overcome.

 

 

What’s at stake aren’t Democratic values, Republican values, or even American values, but the values established before the creation of heaven and earth: The truth of a Creator invested in His creation. A holy and perfect Father cut off from His children by their imperfect choices, yet able to be restored through His one and only perfect Son.

 

 

If we hold fast to that truth, in this moment of trial, there is no challenge too great, no mission too hard. As long as we’re joined in His common purpose, as long as we maintain our Godly resolve, our journey moves forward, and our future is hopeful, and the state of the church will always be strong.

 

 

Thank you, God bless you, and may His kingdom reign for now and evermore.

 

 

Randy Robison hosts the LIFE TODAY PLUS channel on YouTube and Lightsource. He is the author of the book God Wants You To Be Happy

01/16/13

Words Of Life Mind Renovation

Mind Renovation by Christa Black

 

 

You are a house.

 

 

You live in this house; you move in this house; you exist in this house.

 

 

The foundation of your house is your belief system, and the bricks laid are thoughts that you allow inside your head.

 

 

Some houses are strong and large. Some are beautiful and always expanding. But others are unstable and crumbling or small and falling apart. Some have pristine yards, but others look like they might be in the jungle.

 

 

The entire structure of your life is built upon what you believe, so everything that’s happened to you has helped lay a foundation that determines the structure of your whole life. Bricks that are damaged, crumbling, or out of place compromise the entire house, just as my first memory [of abuse] compromised my entire belief system. The lie that I was unworthy, unlovable, tarnished, and dirty crippled me for years, even though it wasn’t remotely true. The structure of my house suffered the consequences until the lies were removed.

 

 

A lot of you have beautiful houses on the outside. This is normal in our appearance-obsessed culture. You work overtime to make sure the hedges are trimmed, the shutters are painted, and onlookers admire your immaculate appearance. You might even have a living room for entertaining or a deck for parties, where people can see just enough of the inside to think that everything is spotless, happy, and perfect. But heaven forbid your guests look in the basement. There are locks on secret vaults and forgotten dungeons inside your heart. You believe if you can keep up the perception of perfection, no one will see the shameful disasters inside.

 

You think that if the exterior of the house is shiny and new, constantly upgraded and improved, maybe the neighbors won’t notice the stench coming from the trash piling up inside. Maybe people walking by won’t be able to see the disaster zone that you’d rather not face and clean up. If you can just cover it up, why put in the sweat and tears to remove the junk?

 

 

I knew all about this way of living. It was the way I coped with pain for the majority of my life. If I could make my exterior as perfect as possible and win awards for how powerful and successful my house was, I hoped no one would ever have to see the filthy interior, with its shameful rooms, black holes, and secretive garbage. In fact, keeping myself preoccupied with the appearance of my house was an attempt to try to make up for all the problems inside. I prayed that if I just kept applying a new coat of paint, no one would find out that the plumbing was shot and that termites were eating me alive.

 

 

The problem with this approach to life is that the house of your heart can never be a home. If you have rooms inside your heart that you are ashamed of or embarrassed by or that you simply want to avoid, then you will never fully be at rest within yourself and the home of your soul. You’ll never know the peace of true contentment – the deep sighs that release life.

 

 

One of the most important things I’ve ever done, and that you could ever do, is to begin to replace the lies, represented by the faulty bricks, one by one, with the real truth. You might have to face ugly monsters that you’ve fought to ignore. You might have to clean out dirty black rooms that you’ve been petrified to remember, but your house will never be free and whole until you do.

 

 

It’s time to barge into every corridor in the house of your heart and find out if what you’re allowing to live under your roof deserves to live there. You’re the only landlord you’re ever going to have. You’re the only one who can kick out unwanted squatters. You’re the only one who can give the green light to repaint, remodel, and restore. And your heart is the only home you’re ever going to have any real control over.

 

 

Taking on the project of heart renovation isn’t an easy task. In fact, it takes a lot of hard work. But I promise, being at peace and at rest inside your heart is worth the work. It changes everything about everything.

 

And it starts in the place you know all too well. Your head.

 

This is an excerpt from GOD LOVES UGLY: & love makes beautiful by Christa Black. Copyright @2012 by Christa Black. Reprinted by permission of FaithWords/Hachette Book Group. All rights reserved.