What God Can Do with a Surrendered Life

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…And what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? --Micah 6:8 A person who’s serious about prayer is also serious about his walk with the Lord. This verse in Micah reminds us that as we walk with God, we must walk humbly. Why? Because the Bible makes it clear that God resists the proud and the arrogant. This often happens in our lives when things are going well. It’s very easy to begin to think more highly of ourselves during these times than we ought. But instead of being filled with our own self-worth, we need to be full of our God-worth! What’s important in life isn’t who we are in ourselves, but who we are in God. As a believer, where would you be today without the Lord Jesus Christ in your life? A major part of walking humbly with God is being honest and sincere in all areas of life as well. And this includes our prayer lives. You know, Jesus hated hypocrisy in prayer more than anything. He talked about those who just said words and whose hearts were far from God. In the reality of an experience with God, we can’t fake it anymore! Friend, I pray that you will walk humbly with the Lord today!   PRAY WITH HUMILITY AND HONESTY. What God Can Do with a Surrendered Life Wednesday, July 15, 2020 by Dr. Paul Chappell "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. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." Romans 12:1-2 When D.L. Moody was just starting in the ministry he heard a preacher say, "The world has yet to see what God can do with a man fully surrendered to Him." Moody that night said, "By God’s grace I’ll be that man!" It is said that Moody shook two continents for God and over a million souls came to Christ under his preaching and ministry. Moody had little formal education, and he was not a polished speaker. But God greatly used his life. At a memorial service some years after Moody’s death, Evangelist R.A. Torrey who had been one of his closest friends said, "The first thing that accounts for God’s using D.L. Moody so mightily was that he was a fully surrendered man. Every ounce of that two-hundred-and-eighty-pound body of his belonged to God; everything he was and everything he had, belonged wholly to God." When we surrender our purpose and will to God and allow Him to use us as He sees fit, amazing things happen. The world is shaken not by the wise, the mighty, the intelligent, or the skilled, but by those who have yielded to God. Paul said it was "reasonable" for us to surrender our lives, but many today seem to think that it is too much to ask. Instead of surrendering, they cling tightly to their own desires and interests. How much better it is both for us and for a world in need if we surrender and let God choose our path! Today's Growth Principle: A surrendered and empowered life can shake the world. Are you willing to be that fully surrendered person for God?

Gold Rush

Tuesday, July 14, 2020

by Dr. Paul Chappell

"The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. Moreover by them is thy servant warned: and in keeping of them there is great reward."

Psalm 19:8-11

In 1848 James Marshall’s discovery of gold at Sutter’s Mill in northern California sparked one of the greatest migrations in human history. News travelled slowly at first, but by 1849 tens of thousands of people were on their way to California. During the gold rush, some 300,000 people flocked to the area hoping for riches. The journey itself posed significant dangers. A trip across America required facing hostile Indians, wild animals, mountain snows, and desert heat. Sailing around the tip of South America took months and was quite dangerous as well. Yet people willingly took on the challenges and threats in hope of what might lie in store for them.

There are many things that people desire and are willing to sacrifice to attain. However there is no treasure that can be compared to that found in the pages of the Bible. God’s eternal truth is readily available to us, and yet we allow other interests and pursuits to fill our time. The wisdom and strength and power that we need for successful and blessed living is there, like the gold nuggets that were found resting on the surface in the creeks of California. But so often, we allow those truths to remain undiscovered and unsought while we settle for the trinkets of the world. Many, and in fact most, of the "forty-niners" went home empty-handed, never having found treasure. Yet those who seek the unsearchable riches of Scripture are never disappointed.

Today's Growth Principle: 

When you treasure and desire the Word of God rightly, you will seek to learn and apply its truths to your life.

Building Your Life to Last

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“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.” --Matthew 7:7 Years ago I read about a lady in Miami, Florida who wrote the editor of the Miami Herald because it had printed the results of an academic study on how prayer helped heal sickness. In her letter, she talked about a hurricane that hit Miami. She had gotten word that the hurricane was coming and so, though she wasn’t a praying person, she tried prayer, asking God to keep the storm from hitting her home. The clouds rolled in and the storm raged. And when it was over, it destroyed her house despite her prayers. So she asked the editor, “What do you think about that? What about this God who Christians say answers prayer? I prayed and He did nothing!” The editor responded in his editorial, “Madam, I don’t know much about prayer either. And to tell you the truth, I’m not much of a praying man so I don’t know why God didn’t answer your prayer. But I’m wondering… could it be that He was spending time with some of His regular customers?!”   Many times, I find out that when people say, “I’ve been praying about this,” what they really mean is “I prayed once about this.” But God wants more than simply our lip service. He wants our trust and our lives. So pray often, talking to God about your needs on a regular basis and most importantly, giving Him control by submitting to His will. PRAY OFTEN AND SUBMIT TO GOD. The Cost of Love Monday, July 13, 2020 by Dr. Paul Chappell "These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full. This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you." John 15:11-14 Former Congressman J.C. Watts from Oklahoma once said, "Compassion can’t be measured in dollars and cents. It does come with a price tag, but the price tag isn’t the amount of money spent. The price tag is love." Love is anything but free. The nature of godly love is that it is willing to make sacrifices for the good of the other rather than being focused on protecting itself or getting its own way. Of course the ultimate example of this love is found in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. He willingly came "to give his life a ransom for many" (Matthew 20:28). This is a different kind of love from the kind our world knows today. Most of what is called love would more properly be called attraction, and in many cases simply lust. This kind of self-focused behavior is far short of what God has in mind. It is no surprise that the world falls short when it comes to love, but that should never be true for us. Each of our relationships—with family members, friends, fellow church members and the lost—should be characterized by this divine love that "seeketh not her own" (1 Corinthians 13:5). As we evaluate our love for others, we should not measure our feelings or our words, but our actions. Are we loving as Christ did, willing to give up that which we have every right to claim in order that someone else may benefit? Truly loving another is never an inexpensive proposition. Today's Growth Principle:  It is impossible to truly love people without being willing to sacrificially give to them.

And All the Promises of God

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But now, O God, strengthen my hands. --Nehemiah 6:9 You have to give Nehemiah’s enemies an “E” for effort. When their threats of violence didn’t stop Nehemiah from rebuilding Jerusalem’s walls, they resorted to lies in an attempt to slander Nehemiah. They were simply doing the bidding of a greater enemy of God’s people, the devil himself, who according to Jesus Christ is “the father of lies” (John 8:44). The lie they used to slander Nehemiah was a big one: “Nehemiah, everyone knows you want to be king of Judah. The reason you’re rebuilding this wall is because you’re an egomaniac. You’re in this for yourself, and we’re going to tell the king of Persia on you!” Nehemiah’s enemies couldn’t break his will by threats. So they sought to break his spirit by spreading rumors about him. And they used the devil’s oldest attack of all – full-blown, blatant, bold-faced lies! The rumor mill was working full time, but Nehemiah simply denied the charge. “No such things as you say have been done, for you are inventing them out of your own mind” (Nehemiah 6:8). And then Nehemiah prayed for the strength to finish his work. At some point or another, someone has probably lied about you or spread rumors to hurt you. Have you forgiven them? Do you harbor bitterness towards them? If you have been slandered, ask God for the grace to forgive. Then pray that God would strengthen your hands to finish the work He has given you to do without any bitterness in your heart.   ASK GOD TO GIVE YOU THE STRENGTH TO FORGIVE TODAY. And All the Promises of God Sunday, July 12, 2020 by Dr. Paul Chappell "Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord, According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust." 2 Peter 1:2-4 The great missionary Hudson Taylor personally baptized more than 35,000 converts during decades of service in China. He brought hundreds of missionaries to what had previously been a closed mission field and established hundreds of churches. Over those many years, God worked miraculously to supply his needs, but there were many times when the money did not arrive until the very last moment. Though those times could have shaken Taylor’s faith, he retained his confidence in God. At one point he wrote to a friend, “We have left eighty-seven cents and all the promises of God.” If we have the promises of God—and we do—then there is nothing to fear. Even if we cannot see how the answer could possibly come, He is not limited by our resources or lack of them. The most overwhelming problem you will ever face does not tax His abilities or power in any way. We see this truth beautifully expressed in the story of Jonathan and his armor bearer going out alone to attack a garrison of Philistine soldiers. Jonathan was not the least bit worried about being outnumbered. He said, "there is no restraint to the LORD to save by many or by few" (1 Samuel 14:6). When God is on your side, nothing else matters. Simply claim His promises in faith, knowing that not one has ever failed, and you will not be overtaken with fear. Today's Growth Principle:  Trust God in faith even if you cannot see the answer. All of His promises are faithful and true.

The Peril of Prosperity

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A Life that Pleases God

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Life in the Shadows



Put not your trust in princes,
            in a son of man, in whom there is no salvation.
When his breath departs, he returns to the earth;
            on that very day his plans perish.

--Psalm 146:3-4

I once had the opportunity to meet the late Dr. Bill Bright, who was the founder of Campus Crusade for Christ and a real patriot for our nation. Dr. Bright told me about a time when he was visiting with a man who was wondering about America and asking questions like, “Who do we need to elect to get us out of the mess we’re in as a nation?”

Dr. Bright said it seemed that God gave him an answer so quickly. So he said to that man, “There is nobody to elect to get us out of the mess we’re in. What is it going to take for our nation to get right with God?”

One of the saddest things, I believe, about many in the Church today is that they’re putting their faith in the people and politics of our nation and setting up an idol for themselves. They believe everything will be okay as long as we get this or that person elected. But the reality is that there’s no one person who can transform a nation – only Jesus can.

Jesus is the hope for America and the world. He is what our country really needs. So while it’s good to be involved politically, remember that only Christ can truly transform our nation!

FIND YOUR HOPE IN JESUS, NOT IN THE LEADERS OF THE WORLD. HE’S THE ONLY ONE WHO CAN TRULY TRANSFORM OUR NATION!

The Peril of Prosperity
Wednesday, April 01, 2020
by Dr. Paul Chappell

But Jeshurun waxed fat, and kicked: thou art waxen fat, thou art grown thick, thou art covered with fatness; then he forsook God which made him, and lightly esteemed the Rock of his salvation. They provoked him to jealousy with strange gods, with abominations provoked they him to anger. They sacrificed unto devils, not to God; to gods whom they knew not, to new gods that came newly up, whom your fathers feared not.

Deuteronomy 32:15-17

In his final address to the people of Israel, knowing that they would be going into the Promised Land without him, Moses gave them warning about the dangers they would face. One of the threats he highlighted was the peril of prosperity. When we are greatly blessed and have good things to enjoy provided by God's grace, we can quickly take them granted, giving ourselves the credit instead of glorifying and thanking God. “Then beware lest thou forget the LORD, which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage” (Deuteronomy 6:12).

In her book Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness, Peggy Noonan talked about the decline in religious commitment among successive generations of immigrants to the United States. The first waves tended to be very religious, while their descendants were less and less involved in their churches. She speculated that the prosperity of America explained the change, asking “Who needs God when you have America?”

But material blessings will never substitute for what only God can provide. And the more we are focused on material things, the more likely we are to take God's blessings for granted and forget that we owe everything to Him. There aren't very many people who would wish for a harder life with restricted finances. Yet there are many people who left those days behind, only to look back later and realize that they left God behind as well.

Today's Growth Principle:
When we are greatly blessed by God, we must be on guard against forgetting Him.

Give Up or Get Up?

Give Up or Get Up?
Tuesday, March 31, 2020
by Dr. Paul Chappell

“Then said I unto them, Ye see the distress that we are in, how Jerusalem lieth waste, and the gates thereof are burned with fire: come, and let us build up the wall of Jerusalem, that we be no more a reproach. Then I told them of the hand of my God which was good upon me; as also the king’s words that he had spoken unto me. And they said, Let us rise up and build. So they strengthened their hands for this good work.”

Nehemiah 2:17–18

When Nehemiah got to Jerusalem, the city was in dire straits. The lack of a wall around Jerusalem meant a complete inability of the people to defend against marauders who came to attack. Nehemiah’s first step was to make a survey of the situation, and when he had a grasp on the problem, he immediately launched a plan to solve it. He challenged the people, describing the need and then offering a solution. They caught his vision and together built the wall in just a few weeks.

Every time we face a crisis in any area of life, we have two basic choices. We can sit around feeling sorry for ourselves, wondering why things like that keep happening to us and blaming others for the trouble we’re in. Or we can evaluate the situation, determine the best solution, and get up and do what is necessary to resolve it. The more time we spend reviewing our troubles, the more discouraged we will become, and the less likely we will be to do anything to make a change.

If we want to accomplish great things, we must be willing to “rise up and build.” There will always be obstacles we can use as excuses to avoid moving ahead, but if we take that route, we will never get anything meaningful done. Once we have prayed and planned, we should get up and get busy.

Today's Growth Principle:
When we attack our problems head on, we often find them smaller than we had feared.

Time for God

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For all that is in the world – the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life – is not from the Father but is from the world. --1 John 2:16 I’ll never forget one Christmas Day many years ago when one of my children, after opening up all of his presents, came to me and said, “Daddy, I’m bored!” There we were, wrapping paper everywhere, brand new toys all over the floor, and he played with them for about 30 minutes before he was bored! Were living in a time when more is less. We have more to live with and less to live for than any other generation! One man said, “If I have everything, why is it that I’m so empty?” We have more than we’ve ever had, and yet people are restless, empty, always on the move, and always wanting more! My son on Christmas morning is really no different than many adults with their toys today. They’ve got all their toys, but they’re ultimately feeling empty because they’ll never find true contentment in the things of the world. Materialism can never satisfy! Don’t look for your joy in the things of the world. Instead, find your joy in Christ, because while the things of the world may gratify for a short time, Jesus is the only one who can truly satisfy. INSTEAD OF FINDING YOUR HAPPINESS IN MATERIAL THINGS, FIND JOY IN CHRIST, WHO TRULY SATISFIES! Time for God Monday, March 30, 2020 by Dr. Paul Chappell “And he healed many that were sick of divers diseases, and cast out many devils; and suffered not the devils to speak, because they knew him. And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed. And Simon and they that were with him followed after him. And when they had found him, they said unto him, All men seek for thee.” Mark 1:34–37 In her book Jonathan and Sarah: An Uncommon Union, Edna Gertsner described the habit that helped Jonathan Edwards accomplish so much with his life. “He frequently spent thirteen hours a day studying. He managed this amazing amount of time by husbanding every hour of the day. He usually arose at four in the morning, indulging himself in the later rising time of five in the winter. In this way he was far along in his studies while the household slept.” The pace of modern life is more hectic and frantic than ever before. It is tempting to use that as an excuse for ignoring time spent with God and in His Word, but it is not valid. We have the time to do what He commands, but we have to be willing to make other sacrifices to ensure God is not crowded out. The best way to measure true priorities is to evaluate how we are spending our time and our money. More than anything else, how we spend these reveals what matters to our hearts. In the midst of a very busy time of ministry, after a long day healing the sick and preaching the gospel, Jesus could have said He was tired and stayed in bed. He was fully man as well as fully God, and He got tired just like we do. But instead of resting, Jesus did what was most important–getting up early to spend time with His Father. Today's Growth Principle: No matter how busy we are, we always make time for the things that are most important to us.