The Gift of Repentance

​

Man Proposes, God Disposes

by Dr. Paul Chappell

“Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed.”
Luke 17:28–30
Walter Knight recounted the story of an old Scottish woman who made her living by going from house to house across the countryside selling thread, buttons, and shoestrings. It was her custom that, when she came to an unmarked crossroad, she would toss a stick into the air and go in the direction the stick pointed when it landed. One day a farmer standing nearby saw her throw a stick in the air numerous times. “Why do you toss the stick more than once?” he asked. “Because,” replied the woman, “it keeps pointing to the left, and I want to take the road on the right.” She kept throwing the stick into the air until it pointed the way she wanted to go!
Many times we are tempted to ignore what God has directed because it conflicts with our plans and desires. James issued this warning to those who make their plans for the future without considering God. “Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that” (James 4:14–15). Submission to God’s will is not demonstrated by saying, “Lord willing” at the end of every sentence, but by submitting our plans to His revealed will. Though the Bible does not specifically address every situation we will face, it does give principles we must follow if we want to do God’s will.

Today’s Growth Principle: 

Trusting God’s will for the future is evidenced when we obey His Word and base our decisions on it.

The Gift of Repentance

by Joyce Meyer - posted July 30, 2016

If My people, who are called by My name, shall humble themselves, pray, seek, crave, and require of necessity My face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land.
—2 Chronicles 7:14
When I am headed in the wrong direction, I thank God for the ability to turn around and go in the right direction. That is actually what true repentance is. It is not just a feeling of being sorry, but also a decision to turn and go in the right direction from now on.
We get into trouble through making a series of wrong decisions, and with God’s help, we will get our lives straightened out by a series of right decisions. It took more than a day to get into trouble, and it will take more than a day to get out.
Anyone who is ready and willing to make a real investment of time and right choices can see his or her life turn around for the better. God’s mercy is new every day. He is waiting to give you mercy, grace, favor, and help; all you have to do is be thankful for that mercy and say “yes” to whatever God is asking of you.
Prayer of Thanks: Thank You, Father, for the new starts You provide in my life. Help me realize when I do wrong, then help me repent and begin again. I am so grateful for Your mercies that are new every morning in my life.

Congratulations Jo =)

​

CURRENT RADIO SERIES Living in Hope   CURRENT TV SERIES Unchained

Behold, the LORD’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, or his ear dull, that it cannot hear; but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear.   --Isaiah 59:1-2 When Leonardo Da Vinci was painting the magnificent Lord’s Supper, he got into a bitter argument with a fellow painter. Feeling that he was mistreated, Da Vinci was determined to get back as this co-worker. So when it came time to paint the face of Judas Iscariot, Da Vinci painted the face of that painter on the face of the betrayer. Da Vinci was pretty proud of himself until it came time to paint the face of the Lord Jesus. Because when he tried to paint it, he had an artistic block. He couldn’t draw the face of Jesus! The great Da Vinci was so consumed by his hatred and revenge that it wasn’t until he erased the face of the painter in the face of Judas and asked God to forgive him that he was able to paint the face of Christ in the Last Supper. This is such a vivid picture of what bitterness will do to your relationship with Christ. It will color and contaminate it! You cannot have a growing relationship with Jesus Christ if you are in bondage spiritually to bitterness. It will be impossible to pray. It will be impossible to worship. It will be impossible to witness. And it will be impossible to serve God effectively. So if you have resentment in your heart today or are holding on to your hostilities, let them go. If you do, you will find your relationship with Christ will become deeper and sweeter than you have ever experienced before. Bitterness will color and contaminate your relationship with Christ. The Days of Noah by Dr. Paul Chappell “But first must he suffer many things, and be rejected of this generation. And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all.” Luke 17:25–27 The Flood that destroyed all of mankind, except for those in the ark, in Noah’s day remains a powerful reminder of the holy hatred God has for sin. The fact that when it occurred the Flood was completely unexpected says so much about human nature. Jesus tells us that people continued their routines right up to the very day that Noah went into the ark and the rain began. Yet we also know that for more than one hundred years Noah had proclaimed to those around him the warning that Divine judgment was coming. They received the warning. They simply refused to heed it. We are living in a similar day. The judgment of God came on the world not primarily because they were so wicked (there is plenty of wickedness in our day) but because they refused to repent. If the notably evil city of Nineveh was spared because they responded to Jonah’s warning and the city of Sodom would have been spared if there had been at least ten righteous people there, there is little doubt that if the people had responded to Noah, God’s hand of judgment would have been stayed. There are many lessons that could be drawn from this teaching, but one of the most important for us is the reality that it is a mistake to think that because God has not yet carried out judgment He will never do so. Instead of continuing on in our careless routines, we need to believe what He says. Today’s Growth Principle:  Let us be quick to heed warning from the Spirit of God and His Word and turn to Him for forgiveness.

The Sudden Return of Jesus

​

CURRENT RADIO SERIES Living in Hope   CURRENT TV SERIES Unchained

Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!   --Psalm 139:23-24 Yesterday, we looked at one reason we should dig the root of bitterness out of our lives; bitterness chains us to the past. Another reason we should remove bitterness from our lives is it contaminates our personalities. Bitterness will make you negative, hard, brittle, critical, and caustic. I don’t know about you, but I never want those things to be how people describe me! But bitterness isn’t happy with just affecting you. It spills out on to others. Which is why we have so many families torn apart because of bitterness, resentment, and unresolved conflict in the home. It’s why so many churches have been divided and destroyed…and why so many businesses have been soured and their effectiveness destroyed. Bitterness can’t help but contaminate everyone and everything it touches! If you’re struggling with bitterness today…if you have yet to deal with it…then I urge you to do so just as quickly as possible. It’s time to take those feelings to the Lord Jesus. As you do, use today’s verse as your prayer to ask God to show you the way forward. Bitterness can’t help but contaminate everyone and everything it touches. The Sudden Return of Jesus by Dr. Paul Chappell “And he said unto the disciples, The days will come, when ye shall desire to see one of the days of the Son of man, and ye shall not see it. And they shall say to you, See here; or, see there: go not after them, nor follow them. For as the lightning, that lighteneth out of the one part under heaven, shineth unto the other part under heaven; so shall also the Son of man be in his day.” Luke 17:22–24 The timing of the first coming of Jesus was laid out in detail by the prophet Daniel. The decree by the Persian ruler Cyrus to rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem started the clock ticking, and Jesus entered Jerusalem on what we commonly call Palm Sunday right on the schedule God had revealed to the prophet hundreds of years before. The return of Jesus is just as certain and sure as His first coming, but we are not given a time line for this event. Instead we are commanded to be ready for Him to return at any moment so that we will not be ashamed. John Henry Jowett wrote, “Said a mother to me one day concerning her long-absent boy: ‘I lay a place for him at every meal! His seat is always ready!’ May I not do this for my Lord? May I not make a place for Him in all my affairs—my choices, my pleasures, my times of business, my season of rest? He may come just now; let His place be ready!” Those who are eagerly anticipating the return of Jesus will receive a special reward from Him when He appears. “Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing” (2 Timothy 4:8). Today’s Growth Principle:  Every day should be lived with both an awareness that Jesus could return and a longing in our hearts that it will be today.

Don't let bitterness take root

​

CURRENT RADIO SERIES Living in Hope   CURRENT TV SERIES Unchained

See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no “root of bitterness” springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled.   --Hebrews 12:15 I’ve never claimed to be the world’s best gardener. But I do know that if you let weeds go, they can take over an entire garden. But to get rid of weeds, you have to do more than clip them off at the top. You have to dig them out by the root. The same is true for weed of bitterness. Today’s verse points us to the need to deal with bitterness. And for good reason. It’s a root that can easily take hold in any one of our hearts. What does a root of bitterness look like? It’s holding on to an offense, either large or small. It’s determining to hold hostility in your heart towards someone who’s hurt you. It’s anger towards another person that’s not dealt with appropriately. What happens is this offense, hostility, or anger festers and grows. And eventually, it can take over your life! It’s a like a cancer that metastasizes in the human soul. Over the new several days, we’re going to be taking a closer look at bitterness and why you shouldn’t allow it to have any place in your heart or life. In preparation for that, I want to encourage you to ask the Lord Jesus to prepare your heart. Ask Him if there is any root of bitterness in your soul right now. And commit to digging up the weed of bitterness from the garden of your life! If left to fester, bitterness will take root and destroy your life.

Missing the Kingdom of God

by Dr. Paul Chappell

“And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.”
Luke 17:20–21
The Jewish people of Jesus’ time wanted one thing more than almost anything else—freedom from the occupying Roman Empire. They viewed all of the prophecies of the coming of the Messiah through the lens of a political leader who would bring about a restoration of the freedom and prominence that Israel had enjoyed under David and Solomon nearly one thousand years earlier. They were not focused on the spiritual teaching of Jesus and His emphasis on the things of God. They were looking for outward physical deliverance rather than inward spiritual salvation. As a result, many of those who had the greatest opportunity for accepting Jesus completely missed it. The Kingdom of God was offered to them, but they rejected it.
Often even those of us who have trusted Christ as Saviour fail to grasp the full impact of what the Bible tells us about the Kingdom of God. We easily fall into the trap of focusing on the temporal, not realizing that the things God values are not the things the world around us holds dear. Obedience to Scripture requires that we give up what the world treasures to grasp the things God values. F. B. Meyer wrote, “Earthly thrones are generally built with steps up to them; the remarkable thing about the thrones of the eternal kingdom is that the steps are all down to them. We must descend if we would reign, stoop if we would rise, gird ourselves to wash the feet of the disciples as a common slave in order to share the royalty of our Divine Master.”

Today’s Growth Principle: 

If we do not have Christ reigning as King in our hearts, we will miss out on being part of His Kingdom work.

God will give you the power to forgive

​

CURRENT RADIO SERIES Living in Hope   CURRENT TV SERIES Unchained

And Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph! Is my father still alive?” But his brothers could not answer him, for they were dismayed at his presence. So Joseph said to his brothers, “Come near to me, please.” And they came near. And he said, “I am your brother, Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. And now do not be distressed or angry with yourselves because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life. And he kissed all his brothers and wept upon them. After that his brothers talked with him.   --Genesis 45:3-5, 15 In today’s passage, we see a wonderful biblical picture about the power of forgiveness. Imagine, if you will, that you were one of Joseph’s brothers…one of the brothers who had sold him into slavery. If it were me, I’d think I was done for! Joseph was now in an incredibly high position of power in Egypt. He could have done anything to these guys! He could have put them in jail or executed them on the spot. But look at what Joseph says to his brothers: “Do not be distressed or angry with yourselves because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life” (v. 5). And then, look at what happens in Verse 15: “And he kissed all his brothers and wept upon them. After that his brothers talked with him.” What a reunion! What a restoration! Joseph embraces these brothers who betrayed him and welcomes them into his presence. He gives them the kiss of love and the kiss of life. Joseph’s example serves as a testimony to the power of God to forgive and the power that God gives us to enable us to forgive. So I’d like to ask you, is there someone in your life who you need to extend forgiveness to today? Because if Joseph can forgive his brothers for what they did to him, you can also forgive…with God’s help! God will give you the power to forgive. “Where Are the Nine?” by Dr. Paul Chappell “And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine? There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger. And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole.” Luke 17:17–19 Dr. H. A. Ironside recounted the story that once when he was about to begin his meal in a restaurant, a man approached and asked if he could join him. Ironside invited him to sit down, and then bowed his head in prayer. When he was finished praying and opened his eyes, the other man asked, “Do you have a headache?” Ironside replied, “No, I don’t.” The man then asked, “Well, is there something wrong with your food?” Ironside said, “No, I was simply thanking God as I always do before I eat.” The man said with some contempt, “Oh, you’re one of those, are you? Well, I want you to know I never give thanks. I earn my money by the sweat of my brow and I don’t have to give thanks to anybody when I eat. I just start right in!” Ironside replied, “Yes, you’re just like my dog. That’s what he does too!” Though all sin is wrong and bears consequences, there are few sins more damaging to our lives than ingratitude. Romans 1:21 places it at the beginning of the downward slope away from God: “Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.” If we think that we have little or nothing for which to be thankful, we have a skewed view of the world. All that we have is a result of God’s goodness and grace. Nothing that we have is truly our own, and without Him, we would have no help or hope for the future. Today’s Growth Principle:  It is impossible to be an obedient and fruitful Christian without being a thankful Christian.

Let go of Bitterness

​

CURRENT RADIO SERIES Living in Hope   CURRENT TV SERIES Unchained

Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.   --Ephesians 4:31 One of God’s clear commands is to put away any bitterness from our lives. Why is this so important? Bitterness and resentment chain us to the past. Bitterness produces an emotional and spiritual bondage that will keep you from moving forward in your life. It’s like carrying around excess baggage! The emotional baggage of bitterness will slow you down and keep you from becoming the person that God intends for you to be. And yet so many people are chained to the past…they’re slaves to something that happened many years ago. And as a result, they can’t get past it and they can’t get on with their lives. Now, I’m not saying that we all don’t have things in our past that still hurt…wounds that take a long time to heal. But what I am saying is that we don’t have to let those dark spaces in the past determine how we act, think, and feel now and in the future! As a believer, you can tap into God’s power to leave what happened in your past…in the past. And through His power, you can cut those chains of bitterness that keep you in bondage. If bitterness has a hold on your heart today, ask God to help you put it away…for good. Bitterness is emotional baggage that will keep you from becoming the person God intends you to be. Grateful Sinners by Dr. Paul Chappell “And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God, And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan.” Luke 17:15–16 Animosity between the Jews and Samaritans at the time of Christ was a deep-seated contempt bordering on hatred that stretched back hundreds of years. The Samaritans resented the way the Jews viewed them, and the Jews looked down on the Samaritans because of their heritage. Jewish people would walk miles out of their way to avoid going through a Samaritan town. Yet when Jesus healed the ten lepers, the one who returned to give thanks was a member of this despised group. This man had no hesitation about bowing down before a Jewish rabbi named Jesus and expressing his gratitude for the life-saving healing he had received. He didn’t care about the divisions or the ancient arguments over where and how to worship God—he was just grateful for what had happened to him. Too many times we forget that before our salvation, we were the enemies of God. We tend to be pretty impressed by ourselves, but God is not. The very best that we are able to do on our own is disgustingly filthy in His eyes because it is measured against His perfect holiness. “But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away” (Isaiah 64:6). In order to have the proper gratitude to God for His salvation, we must never forget that we were once wretched sinners with no hope apart from His grace. Today’s Growth Principle:  If we forget where we were and where we were headed before God saved us, we will not be as grateful as we should be.

Pray About Everything

​

Healed on the Way

by Dr. Paul Chappell

“And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off: And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us. And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed.”
Luke 17:12–14
Jesus has all power and authority, and He often demonstrated that during His ministry by healing those who were sick beyond the power of medicine. Few things were more dreaded than leprosy both because of the terrible impact it had on the person’s life, and even more so because it was so contagious. Once they were identified, lepers were cut off and cast out from society unless they were carefully examined by a priest and certified to be healed.
Normally when Jesus healed people it happened instantaneously. Usually He would either speak to the sufferer or sometimes touch them and they would be healed. In this case, however, He took a different approach. Jesus told these ten men to go to the priests for examination. He did not command them to be healed. He did not lay His hands on them and pronounce them cured. Instead He told them to do what they would do if they had already been healed—and it was only as they went in obedience that they were cleansed of their leprosy.
Many times we want God to lay out every step of His plan in detail and make sure we understand it before obeying. But God normally only lays out one step at a time. Psalm 119:105 says, “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” Faith is not revealed when we see the entire picture, but when we act on what we have been told.

Today’s Growth Principle: 

If we do not obey what God has already said, we have no reason to expect Him to give us further direction.

Pray About Everything

by Joyce Meyer - posted July 24, 2016

So do not worry or be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will have worries and anxieties of its own. Sufficient for each day is its own trouble.
—Matthew 6:34 Someone once said that “Worry is interest paid on trouble before it falls due.” Trying to solve tomorrow’s problems today only steals the energy God has prearranged for you to enjoy today. Don’t waste your time worrying! It is vain and useless. Don’t be like the bassoon player who went up to his conductor and nervously said that he could not reach the high E-flat. His conductor just smiled and replied, “Don’t worry. There is no E-flat in your music tonight.” Many of our worries are like that—unfounded and unnecessary.
Worry is the end of faith, and faith is the end of worry. You can only be a confident woman once you remove fear and worry from your life, and it starts with prayer. Prayer opens the door for God to get involved and meet our needs. The apostle Paul said we are to be anxious for nothing, but in all things, by praying, we will experience the peace of God (see Philippians 4:6-7). He didn’t say in “some” things; he didn’t say in “one” thing, but he said in “everything.” Prayer must replace our worry.
Lord, I open the door and invite You into all the affairs of my life. I have needs that only You can meet, and I know it’s useless to worry about them. Today I commit my needs to You and will rest my faith in You. Amen.

What Makes You Happy? =)

​

Reasonable Service

by Dr. Paul Chappell

“Doth he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I trow not. So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do.”
Luke 17:9–10
Throughout Scripture we see God commanding people to do things that seem foolish, unhelpful, or difficult. Yet in each case those who did as He instructed were rewarded for their faithful obedience. Noah built a large boat to prepare for a flood that had never happened before. Abraham bound his son Isaac to an altar, preparing to offer him as a sacrifice. Joshua commanded the priests carrying the ark to walk into the flooded Jordan River. At the instruction of Jesus, Peter got out of the boat and walked on the Sea of Galilee during a storm. None of these things makes sense to our reasoning, but when God speaks, we should obey without question or hesitation. (Of course this does not apply to people claiming God has told them to do things that are not in His Word.)
To our reasoning, it does not make sense to completely yield our lives to God and obey Him, even as we understand that doing everything He says is the bare minimum that is expected—our simple duty. Paul wrote, “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). Because of the great sacrifice with which our salvation was purchased, it is completely reasonable for us to give God total control of our lives. No sacrifice that we could ever make compares to the death of Jesus on the cross for our redemption. Nothing that God commands us to do as His servants is unreasonable, because we belong completely to Him.

Today’s Growth Principle: 

Rather than being impressed with how much we have done for God, we need to keep our focus on how much He has done for us.

Need Some Help?

by Joyce Meyer - posted July 23, 2016

Behold, God is my helper and ally; the Lord is my upholder and is with them who uphold my life.
—Psalm 54:4
There are many people who have received Jesus as their Savior and Lord who will live their Christian lives and go to heaven without ever drawing on the power of the Holy Spirit available to them, never experiencing the true success God intends for them. People can be on their way to heaven, yet not enjoying the trip.
We often look at people who have wealth, position, power, fame, and consider them to be totally successful. But many people who are viewed as successful still lack good relationships, peace, joy, contentment, and other true blessings that are available only in the context of a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ.
Self-sufficient people often think it is a sign of weakness to depend on God. But by drawing on the ability of the Holy Spirit, they could accomplish more in their lives than they could by working in their own strength.
There are countless things we struggle with when we could be receiving help from the Holy Spirit. Many people never find the right answers to their problems because they seek out the wrong sources for advice and counsel instead of asking the Divine Counselor who lives within them for guidance.
I encourage you to lean on God for everything, and that means little things as well as big things.
Love God Today: The only way to experience the success God intends for you is to become totally dependent on the Holy Spirit.

​

CURRENT RADIO SERIES Living in Hope   CURRENT TV SERIES Unchained

Calling ten of his servants, he gave them ten minas, and said to them, ‘Engage in business until I come.’    --Luke 19:13 The great evangelist and preacher John Wesley once said, “Do all the good you can, to as many people as you can, for as long as you can.” Now more than ever, we as Christians need to heed Wesley’s words and do good to others as well as each other. Believers in this generation should be in the business of encouraging and equipping one another for ministry to those in need. In light of that truth, I have a question for you today; what is God calling you to do? I believe that Christ calls every believer to something great and something specific, which makes our assignment to discover what He has called and gifted us to do. If you aren’t sure what your gifts and calling are, start by serving Christ right where you are and ask Him to make it clear what it is that you can do most effectively for His kingdom. He will make it clear to you! But getting started means you need to listen for God’s call—which often comes as a quiet voice amid all of the loud distractions that the world throws your way. God has given you talents and abilities to serve Him. Like the servants to whom the master entrusted his wealth, let’s get on with the Lord’s business until He returns! God calls every believer to do something unique and wonderful for Him.  Understanding a Servant’s Role by Dr. Paul Chappell “But which of you, having a servant plowing or feeding cattle, will say unto him by and by, when he is come from the field, Go and sit down to meat? And will not rather say unto him, Make ready wherewith I may sup, and gird thyself, and serve me, till I have eaten and drunken; and afterward thou shalt eat and drink?” Luke 17:7–8 Our modern view of Christianity has been affected by society so that we often find ourselves thinking of our service to God as a buffet where we pick and choose what we do. That is not the biblical model of servanthood. In Jesus’ day a servant was expected to do what he was told without exception. There was no choice in the matter or consideration for the preferences of the servant. The tasks were assigned, and they were expected to be carried out in full. God is not just our friend, but also our Lord and Master, and He has the right to full and complete obedience from us. Someone illustrated this truth by drawing a contrast between two ship captains. If you have ever been on a cruise ship, you know that the captain and crew are dedicated to providing whatever is necessary for the passengers to have a pleasant experience. They are there to serve the passengers. Anyone who has been in the Navy, however, knows the captain in a very different role. The captain of a battleship expects every order to be carried out to the letter by those under his command. The great missionary David Livingstone wrote, “God, send me anywhere, only go with me. Lay any burden on me, only sustain me. And sever any tie in my heart except the tie that binds my heart to Yours.” Rather than insisting on getting our way and avoiding anything that might be unpleasant, we must yield ourselves fully to God’s control. Today’s Growth Principle:  Unless we are willing and ready to do everything that God commands, we cannot truly call ourselves His servants.

​

CURRENT RADIO SERIES Living in Hope   CURRENT TV SERIES Unchained

As were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.                                        --Matthew 24:37-39 In the days of Noah, people were evil…pure and simple. They didn’t obey or respect God, and sin saturated society until things became more and more corrupt and God finally said, “Enough!” Many people wonder what our world today is coming to. Well, as believers in Christ we don’t have to wonder, because the Bible tells us that this world is coming the end and ultimately to God’s judgment. Society is becoming so tolerant of sin and evil that it’s become frightening. People live in fear, wondering whether rogue nations will use chemical or nuclear weapons to fulfill violent and evil intentions. There doesn’t seem to be a lot of hope as we look out at the world scene. But we need to remember Jesus said that just before He returns, the world will get worse and worse, as it did in the days of Noah. And that’s our hope! Jesus is coming back to set things right in this world and redeem those who are His own.  So don’t be afraid of what may lie ahead for this world. God is in control, and nothing can remove His hand from His own! The Request Jesus Refused to Answer by Dr. Paul Chappell “And the apostles said unto the Lord, Increase our faith. And the Lord said, If ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye might say unto this sycamine tree, Be thou plucked up by the root, and be thou planted in the sea; and it should obey you.” Luke 17:5–6 Often during the three years Jesus spent teaching and training His disciples, Jesus was asked to do different things for them. His normal response was to meet their need, whether it was teaching on a particular topic or working a miracle like calming a storm on the Sea of Galilee. But in one instance, Jesus refused to answer the request of the disciples. When they asked for their faith to be increased, Jesus did not lay hands on them and impart faith to them. Instead He told them that a tiny bit of faith—not even the size of a mustard seed, which is quite small, was enough to see a great miracle worked. You see, the problem is not that we need more faith, but that we need to use the faith that we have. If you read the stories of Hebrews 11, you will see imperfect people. Noah, Abraham, Moses, and David all had times of significant sin failures in their lives. Why are these people honored for their faith? Because although they did have times of failure which they confessed to God and repented of, they also faced choices when they believed God and acted in obedience to what He told them to do. We sometimes make the mistake of thinking we must be giants of faith before we can see God work. Instead we simply need enough faith to take the next step in obedience. It is only through action that we receive the benefits of a growing faith. If you have enough faith to pray, you have enough faith to see God work. Today’s Growth Principle:  If you put the faith you have into action today, it will be enough to equip and enable you to honor and serve God.

God calls us to live a life of complete faith in and obedience to Christ

​

CURRENT RADIO SERIES Living in Hope   CURRENT TV SERIES Unchained

Noah…did all that God commanded him.   --Genesis 6:22 Noah certainly lived a life of faith in the Lord. The earth had never seen rain before, so the idea of water falling from the sky was a ridiculous and silly notion in those days. But that didn’t stop Noah from announcing the fact that God was going to send rain. Noah believed God so much that he built an ark right in the middle in his own front yard. What would you or I do if God commanded us to do something like that?  Maybe we would just laugh and say, “Lord, You must be joking.” But as our society moves further and further away from God, we as Christians may find ourselves being called by God to do things that seem pointless to others. That’s when we need to remember that Christ has a bigger and better plan than we do. In Luke 19:13, the Lord says to take care of His business until He comes back. God’s business is establishing His kingdom on earth, and it’s our responsibility to be salt and light in this dark world. These are desperate times of sin and unfaithfulness, and you and I have a message of hope that we are to be spreading like wildfire! The only way to leave a lasting impression for Christ and ultimately change the world is to live a life of complete faith and obedience. That’s something you can do today.  And as you are faithful each day, God will use you to do something world-changing! God calls us to live a life of complete faith in and obedience to Christ. Repeat Offenders by Dr. Paul Chappell “Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him. And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him.” Luke 17:3–4 Henry Earl of Kentucky holds the dubious distinction of being the most arrested man in the world. According to news reports, he has been arrested more than 1,500 times. Since the courts consider most of the charges minor, many of them related to public intoxication or disorderly conduct, Earl has rarely been sentenced to more than a few days in jail for each offense. Yet because of the massive number of arrests, Henry Earl has spent more than sixteen years of his life in confinement. All of us have people in our lives who hurt us and do things to us that are wrong. God calls us and commands us to forgive them—not just the first time they do it, but over and over again. The pattern and model for forgiveness, even toward repeat offenders, is set by the way God treats us: “And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you” (Ephesians 4:32). While we don’t like to admit it, the truth is that we ourselves are in constant need of God’s mercy and forgiveness. Because we need forgiveness on an ongoing basis, often for the same offense against God, we must not fail to extend forgiveness to others. Of course this does not mean that we allow ourselves to suffer repeated injury, but we cannot obey God and refuse to forgive those who harm us, even if they are repeat offenders. While it is easier to cut people off and hold what they have done against them, in the end, it harms us far more than it impacts the offender. Today’s Growth Principle:  God’s forgiveness and patience toward us is the example we are meant to follow with others.