Sunday 31 January 2016
Don’t Miss the Point
Do not [earnestly] remember the former things; neither consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs forth; do you not perceive and know it and will you not give heed to it? I will even make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.
—Isaiah 43:18-19
I truly believe this moment can be life-changing for you—that it will help you step out onto the path of your true life. The life that has been waiting for you since the beginning of time—and the one you may have been missing due to fear and intimidation. Satan is the master of intimidation, but once you realize that he is the one behind all your hesitation, you can take authority over him by simply placing confidence in Jesus Christ and stepping out boldly to be all you can be. God told Joshua, “Fear not, for I am with you.” He is sending you that same message today: FEAR NOT! God is with you, and He will never leave you or forsake you.
Abraham was told, “God is with you in everything you do” (see Genesis 21:22). That sounds like large living to me. Are you ready for a larger life, one that leaves you feeling satisfied and fulfilled? I believe you are, and I want to do everything I can to help you on your journey.
Lord, I make my bold confession that I am thrilled to have You with me today and forever. Today is another step in my journey. Help me to live large. Amen.
PS https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ivesRYcIPsQ
Don’t Miss the Point
by Dr. Paul Chappell
“And Jesus answering them said, Have ye not read so much as this, what David did, when himself was an hungred, and they which were with him; How he went into the house of God, and did take and eat the shewbread, and gave also to them that were with him; which it is not lawful to eat but for the priests alone? And he said unto them, That the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath.”
Luke 6:3–5
The Pharisees knew the law inside and out. They memorized much of the writing of Moses, and in addition, they were experts in the volumes of commentary and teaching on the law that had been written by various rabbis and scholars over the years. Yet for all their knowledge, they missed the point of what God had in mind with His commands. The keeping of the Sabbath is a great illustration of this. For the Pharisees, enforcing not just God’s law but their additions to it had become the end rather than the means to something greater.
They kept the Sabbath, but they lost the value the day was meant to have. In The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah Alfred Edersheim wrote, “The Sabbath law was not one merely of rest, but of rest for worship. The service of the Lord was the object of the Sabbath.” God is not interested in just our outward conformity to His Word. He is looking for the heart to be in joyful and willing compliance with the command so that we can reap the blessings of obedience. Jesus pointed out the error of the Pharisees when it came to the Sabbath day: “And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath:” (Mark 2:27). The goal of God’s laws is not that we are devoted to them, but that we are devoted to Him above all else.
Luke 6:3–5
The Pharisees knew the law inside and out. They memorized much of the writing of Moses, and in addition, they were experts in the volumes of commentary and teaching on the law that had been written by various rabbis and scholars over the years. Yet for all their knowledge, they missed the point of what God had in mind with His commands. The keeping of the Sabbath is a great illustration of this. For the Pharisees, enforcing not just God’s law but their additions to it had become the end rather than the means to something greater.
They kept the Sabbath, but they lost the value the day was meant to have. In The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah Alfred Edersheim wrote, “The Sabbath law was not one merely of rest, but of rest for worship. The service of the Lord was the object of the Sabbath.” God is not interested in just our outward conformity to His Word. He is looking for the heart to be in joyful and willing compliance with the command so that we can reap the blessings of obedience. Jesus pointed out the error of the Pharisees when it came to the Sabbath day: “And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath:” (Mark 2:27). The goal of God’s laws is not that we are devoted to them, but that we are devoted to Him above all else.
Today’s Growth Principle:
Since all of God’s commands are given for our good, we should joyfully obey whatever He says.
Living Large
by Joyce Meyer - posted January 30, 2016Do not [earnestly] remember the former things; neither consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs forth; do you not perceive and know it and will you not give heed to it? I will even make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.
—Isaiah 43:18-19
I truly believe this moment can be life-changing for you—that it will help you step out onto the path of your true life. The life that has been waiting for you since the beginning of time—and the one you may have been missing due to fear and intimidation. Satan is the master of intimidation, but once you realize that he is the one behind all your hesitation, you can take authority over him by simply placing confidence in Jesus Christ and stepping out boldly to be all you can be. God told Joshua, “Fear not, for I am with you.” He is sending you that same message today: FEAR NOT! God is with you, and He will never leave you or forsake you.
Abraham was told, “God is with you in everything you do” (see Genesis 21:22). That sounds like large living to me. Are you ready for a larger life, one that leaves you feeling satisfied and fulfilled? I believe you are, and I want to do everything I can to help you on your journey.
Lord, I make my bold confession that I am thrilled to have You with me today and forever. Today is another step in my journey. Help me to live large. Amen.
PS https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ivesRYcIPsQ
Saturday 30 January 2016
Don’t Add to God’s Commands
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Don’t Add to God’s Commands
by Dr. Paul Chappell
“And it came to pass on the second sabbath after the first, that he went through the corn fields; and his disciples plucked the ears of corn, and did eat, rubbing them in their hands. And certain of the Pharisees said unto them, Why do ye that which is not lawful to do on the sabbath days?”
Luke 6:1–2
The law that God gave to Moses for the observance of the Sabbath day instructed the Israelites very clearly that they were not to work, but to rest on that day. “But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates” (Exodus 20:10). Over the years, various rabbis and teachers added to the rules and regulations for keeping the Sabbath until by the time of Jesus there were are least thirty-nine different categories of activity that had been defined as work and forbidden—going far beyond what God had commanded.
When the Pharisees went to Jesus and condemned the disciples for gathering and eating food as they passed through a field on the Sabbath, they accused them of doing something that was unlawful. But in truth the disciples were not violating the law of Moses, only the regulations that had been added on top of the law.
There is a great danger when we go beyond what God has said. While we must apply the principles of the Bible to situations that are not directly addressed, we should never say that God has forbidden something that He has not in fact forbidden. We are responsible to obey what God has said, and part of that obedience is not adding additional rules and systems beyond what He has given. That path leads to prideful bondage and failure to receive God’s grace.
Luke 6:1–2
The law that God gave to Moses for the observance of the Sabbath day instructed the Israelites very clearly that they were not to work, but to rest on that day. “But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates” (Exodus 20:10). Over the years, various rabbis and teachers added to the rules and regulations for keeping the Sabbath until by the time of Jesus there were are least thirty-nine different categories of activity that had been defined as work and forbidden—going far beyond what God had commanded.
When the Pharisees went to Jesus and condemned the disciples for gathering and eating food as they passed through a field on the Sabbath, they accused them of doing something that was unlawful. But in truth the disciples were not violating the law of Moses, only the regulations that had been added on top of the law.
There is a great danger when we go beyond what God has said. While we must apply the principles of the Bible to situations that are not directly addressed, we should never say that God has forbidden something that He has not in fact forbidden. We are responsible to obey what God has said, and part of that obedience is not adding additional rules and systems beyond what He has given. That path leads to prideful bondage and failure to receive God’s grace.
Today’s Growth Principle:
Take God’s Word at face value, and do not attempt to add anything to it.
Friday 29 January 2016
Jesus and Nothing Else
Jesus and Nothing Else
by Dr. Paul Chappell
“And he spake also a parable unto them; No man putteth a piece of a new garment upon an old; if otherwise, then both the new maketh a rent, and the piece that was taken out of the new agreeth not with the old. And no man putteth new wine into old bottles; else the new wine will burst the bottles, and be spilled, and the bottles shall perish. But new wine must be put into new bottles; and both are preserved.”
Luke 5:36–38
In the time of Christ, it was common for people to adopt bits and pieces of other religions into their own. The Romans often took the gods of conquered lands and adapted them to their own pantheon of deities that they worshiped. We see the same trends in our day with the common teaching that all religious roads lead to the same destination. There is a popular bumper sticker featuring the symbols of a number of different religions to spell out the word “Coexist.”
Jesus did not come to add a little bit to what had gone before. He certainly did not come to simply put a patch on the Old Testament sacrifice system (which was never meant to be a substitute for the ultimate sacrifice Christ Himself would provide). Instead He came with a radically transforming message of salvation—a salvation that did not depend on national identity, religious regulations, or a system of sacrifices and offerings. He came to provide the single, only hope of salvation through His own death, burial, and resurrection.
“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (John 14:6). Anyone who wants to add to or take away from that message is teaching false doctrine. There are no other options for salvation. People who sincerely follow other doctrines are lost, despite the depth of their conviction. Jesus is and always will be the only hope of salvation.
Luke 5:36–38
In the time of Christ, it was common for people to adopt bits and pieces of other religions into their own. The Romans often took the gods of conquered lands and adapted them to their own pantheon of deities that they worshiped. We see the same trends in our day with the common teaching that all religious roads lead to the same destination. There is a popular bumper sticker featuring the symbols of a number of different religions to spell out the word “Coexist.”
Jesus did not come to add a little bit to what had gone before. He certainly did not come to simply put a patch on the Old Testament sacrifice system (which was never meant to be a substitute for the ultimate sacrifice Christ Himself would provide). Instead He came with a radically transforming message of salvation—a salvation that did not depend on national identity, religious regulations, or a system of sacrifices and offerings. He came to provide the single, only hope of salvation through His own death, burial, and resurrection.
“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (John 14:6). Anyone who wants to add to or take away from that message is teaching false doctrine. There are no other options for salvation. People who sincerely follow other doctrines are lost, despite the depth of their conviction. Jesus is and always will be the only hope of salvation.
Today’s Growth Principle:
Hold to the truth that Jesus is the only way to Heaven and share that same truth with others.
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Thursday 28 January 2016
Qualities of a Godly Servant of God
deacon
before
900; Middle English deken, Old English diacon < Late Latin diāconus <
Greek diā́konos servant, minister, deacon, equivalent to diā- dia- + -konos
service
n.
Old English deacon, diacon, from Late Latin diaconus, from Greek diakonos
"servant of the church, religious official," literally
"servant," from dia- "thoroughly" + PIE *kon-o-, from root
*ken- "to set oneself in motion."
-
an appointed or elected officer having
variously defined duties.
Deciding
I have 3 more days to decide whether to:-
a. Stay here on site
b. Work on a new project as
requested by the higher management
c. Accept a new job offer from other company
Help me God.
Lifespan of the Biblical Patriarchs
While waiting for the report to come and analyze,
I am fond of spending my time
searching an article like this. =)
A Time to Fast and Pray
A Time to Fast and Pray
by Dr. Paul Chappell
“And they said unto him, Why do the disciples of John fast often, and make prayers, and likewise the disciples of the Pharisees; but thine eat and drink? And he said unto them, Can ye make the children of the bridechamber fast, while the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them, and then shall they fast in those days.”
Luke 5:33–35
The enemies of Jesus were constantly looking for accusations they could make against Him and His followers. Here they complained that Jesus’ disciples did not fast regularly like they did and as the early followers of John the Baptist had done. This accusation was not made in good faith. The fasting of the Pharisees was not a heartfelt, serious attempt to seek God’s face. Instead they had turned it into an outward show to impress others.
The kind of fasting to which God responds is the kind that is an expression of a sincere desire for His work in our lives that takes precedence over anything else. Dr. John Rice said, “Fasting is really putting God first when one prays, wanting God more than one wants food, more than one wants sleep, more than one wants fellowship with others, more than one wants to attend to business.” Jesus told the Pharisees that in the future, once He was no longer with them, His disciples would indeed fast.
There are some situations that are so serious they require more than just regular prayers on our part. Jesus told His disciples this after he cast a demon out of a boy when they had not been able to do so. “And he said unto them, This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting” (Mark 9:29). We do not earn favor with God by fasting, but it does focus our hearts and minds on Him, and it does produce results in our lives.
Luke 5:33–35
The enemies of Jesus were constantly looking for accusations they could make against Him and His followers. Here they complained that Jesus’ disciples did not fast regularly like they did and as the early followers of John the Baptist had done. This accusation was not made in good faith. The fasting of the Pharisees was not a heartfelt, serious attempt to seek God’s face. Instead they had turned it into an outward show to impress others.
The kind of fasting to which God responds is the kind that is an expression of a sincere desire for His work in our lives that takes precedence over anything else. Dr. John Rice said, “Fasting is really putting God first when one prays, wanting God more than one wants food, more than one wants sleep, more than one wants fellowship with others, more than one wants to attend to business.” Jesus told the Pharisees that in the future, once He was no longer with them, His disciples would indeed fast.
There are some situations that are so serious they require more than just regular prayers on our part. Jesus told His disciples this after he cast a demon out of a boy when they had not been able to do so. “And he said unto them, This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting” (Mark 9:29). We do not earn favor with God by fasting, but it does focus our hearts and minds on Him, and it does produce results in our lives.
Today’s Growth Principle:
When we are serious enough about our praying to fast, we can see God work in powerful ways in our lives.
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Wednesday 27 January 2016
You shall not
adultery
əˈdʌlt(ə)ri/
noun
voluntary sexual intercourse between a married person and a person who is not their spouse.
"she was committing adultery with a much younger man"
| synonyms: | unfaithfulness, infidelity, falseness, disloyalty, unchastity, cuckoldry, extramarital sex, extramarital relations; |
Who Is Salvation Meant For?
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Tuesday 26 January 2016
Are you living "inside out"?
Jesus Looking for Sinners
by Dr. Paul Chappell
“And after these things he went forth, and saw a publican, named Levi, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he said unto him, Follow me. And he left all, rose up, and followed him.”
Luke 5:27–28
In the time of Christ, Israel was under the control of the Roman Empire. As was the custom in those days, much of the expense of keeping a military occupation force in a conquered land was expected to be borne by the residents of that land. The Romans had devised an ingenious system for their tax collection. They would contract with local citizens of the country who would be responsible for meeting a certain quota of taxes. As an incentive to them, these men, known as publicans, were allowed to keep everything they collected above that amount.
Of course this system was rife with corruption. The publicans could charge whatever taxes they felt like charging, with the military might of Rome available to back up their assessments. The Jews who collaborated with the Romans in this way were hated by their countrymen. Though they were often very wealthy, they were despised, even barred from entering the synagogues for prayer and worship.
Yet when Jesus saw a publican named Levi hard at work lining his own pockets and funding the Roman occupation of Israel in the process, He did not shame or condemn him. Instead Jesus called Levi to leave his old life behind to follow Him. It is tempting after we have been saved for a while to forget how desperately lost and wicked we were before we met Jesus. Even those of us who were saved as children had a corrupt sin nature and no hope without Him. The grace and mercy of God sent Jesus into the world to look for lost sinners. This truth is our hope of salvation and our source of joy.
Luke 5:27–28
In the time of Christ, Israel was under the control of the Roman Empire. As was the custom in those days, much of the expense of keeping a military occupation force in a conquered land was expected to be borne by the residents of that land. The Romans had devised an ingenious system for their tax collection. They would contract with local citizens of the country who would be responsible for meeting a certain quota of taxes. As an incentive to them, these men, known as publicans, were allowed to keep everything they collected above that amount.
Of course this system was rife with corruption. The publicans could charge whatever taxes they felt like charging, with the military might of Rome available to back up their assessments. The Jews who collaborated with the Romans in this way were hated by their countrymen. Though they were often very wealthy, they were despised, even barred from entering the synagogues for prayer and worship.
Yet when Jesus saw a publican named Levi hard at work lining his own pockets and funding the Roman occupation of Israel in the process, He did not shame or condemn him. Instead Jesus called Levi to leave his old life behind to follow Him. It is tempting after we have been saved for a while to forget how desperately lost and wicked we were before we met Jesus. Even those of us who were saved as children had a corrupt sin nature and no hope without Him. The grace and mercy of God sent Jesus into the world to look for lost sinners. This truth is our hope of salvation and our source of joy.
Today’s Growth Principle:
Give thanks today that even while you were a sinner far from Him, Jesus came in love to save you.
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Monday 25 January 2016
Transformed Lives
No temptation (no trial regarded as enticing to sin), [no matter how it comes or where it leads] has overtaken you and laid hold on you that is not common to man [that is, no temptation or trial has come to you that is beyond human resistance and that is not adjusted and adapted and belonging to human experience, and such as man can bear]. But God is faithful [to His Word and to His compassionate nature], and He [can be trusted] not to let you be tempted and tried and assayed beyond your ability and strength of resistance and power to endure, but with the temptation He will [always] also provide the way out (the means of escape to a landing place), that you may be capable and strong and powerful to bear up under it patiently.
—1 Corinthians 10:13
Years ago, a comedian’s favorite punch line was, “The devil made me do it.” The audience roared. Why did people laugh so hard? Was it because they wanted it to be true? Did they want to absolve themselves of responsibility for their actions by pointing to an outside force?
It’s always easy to blame someone else or outside forces for our actions. We hear people all the time who tell us, “My father never said a kind word to me.” “My cousin abused me.” “People in our neighborhood shunned me because I wore old and patched clothes.” “I never had money when I was growing up, so now as soon as my paycheck comes, it’s gone.”
Those statements are probably true, and they may explain why we suffer. Those are terrible situations, and it’s sad that people should have to go through such pain in their lives.
Yet we don’t have the right to blame other people or circumstances for our behavior. We can’t use them as an excuse to stay in bondage. Christ came to set us free. In the opening verse, Paul makes it clear that all of us have our own set of temptations, and for each of us, the circumstances may be different. But the promise God gives is the certainty of a way to escape, regardless of our circumstances. The escape is provided, but we must make use of it.
On the morning news, the reporter showed a restaurant that had caught on fire. One woman stood within sight of the back exit but she didn’t move. She stood twenty feet away and screamed. A coworker rushed back inside and grabbed her. She fought him, but he finally managed to drag her out.
Isn’t that sometimes how it works with God’s people? We know the way of escape, but we seem paralyzed. Or we blame someone or something for our inability to move. Or we think, Here it is again. I know I should learn how to deal with these situations, but I’ll give in just as I’ve always given in. I’m too weak to deal with this right now.
Our weakness is one of our greatest excuses. We may be weak, but God is strong, and He is willing to be our strength. If we will trust Him and take the necessary steps of faith, He will help us break free from our bondages.
What we need to understand is that Satan takes our circumstances—no matter what they are—and uses them to build strongholds in our lives. He’ll use whatever he can—our sense of weakness, our problems from childhood, or the wrong things we did when we were twelve years old. If the devil can darken our minds—make us think we can’t possibly win—we’ve lost. We need to keep reminding ourselves that we serve a victorious God who has provided the spiritual weapons we need to tear down the devil’s strongholds.
One more thing: When we give in to the temptation, aren’t we subtly saying that God is not able to help us? We don’t enjoy taking full responsibility for our actions—or, in many cases, our inaction—but we need to. We need to stop feeling sorry for ourselves, shifting blame, and ignoring situations. We need to believe the promise of God that declares He is faithful and will always deliver us in plenty of time. We don’t need to live in fear, always feeling that our problems are too much for us to handle. We must have a “can-do” attitude. One that says, “I can do whatever I need to do whenever I need to do it.” Sometimes we are even tempted to blame God for our troubles, but we must remember the words previously quoted: >“. . . but God is faithful . . . and He [can be trusted] not to let you be tempted . . . beyond your ability and strength of resistance . . .”
That’s God’s promise, and He lays His reputation on the line with that promise. God never abandons us or leaves us helpless. We can be like the woman who screamed but wouldn’t move. Or we can choose to say, “Look! There’s the door of escape! Thanks for providing it!”
Our problems are personal and they are often internal. They involve our thoughts and our attitudes. The results—the outward behavior—flow from those thoughts and attitudes. If we keep our mind turned toward Jesus, and if we listen to His voice, we know there is an escape route for us—always.
Father God, forgive me for blaming You, my circumstances, or other people for my failures. You are the Way-Maker for me in every temptation. I’m going to trust You to tear down the devil’s strongholds in my mind, in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Transformed Lives
by Dr. Paul Chappell
“And immediately he rose up before them, and took up that whereon he lay, and departed to his own house, glorifying God. And they were all amazed, and they glorified God, and were filled with fear, saying, We have seen strange things today.”
Luke 5:25–26
When people truly meet Jesus, it is a transforming experience. The man who had been paralyzed and unable to walk immediately got up when Jesus told him to do so. This is such a wonderful picture of our salvation. Prior to coming to Christ, we had no power or ability to do what was right. We were crippled by sin, and unable to help ourselves in any way. But the power of Jesus to save changes everything.
We see another great illustration of this truth in the life of Lazarus. Jesus waited until His friend was dead and buried before traveling to Bethany. When He went to the grave, Jesus wept for the sorrow and grief of His friends and their loss. Then He commanded Lazarus to rise from the dead—and he did! The resurrection of Lazarus was a miracle that the enemies of Jesus could not explain. “But the chief priests consulted that they might put Lazarus also to death; Because that by reason of him many of the Jews went away, and believed on Jesus” (Luke 12:10–11).
Our lives are meant to be testimonies to the power and grace of God. There should be evidence that is clear to everyone around us that we are no longer the same as we were before we met Jesus. Too often, Christians settle into a pattern of living just like the world around them rather than walking in the new life they have been given. If we are going to have an impact on the world, there must be clear evidence that we have been given a life-changing gift that can only be attributed to Divine power.
Luke 5:25–26
When people truly meet Jesus, it is a transforming experience. The man who had been paralyzed and unable to walk immediately got up when Jesus told him to do so. This is such a wonderful picture of our salvation. Prior to coming to Christ, we had no power or ability to do what was right. We were crippled by sin, and unable to help ourselves in any way. But the power of Jesus to save changes everything.
We see another great illustration of this truth in the life of Lazarus. Jesus waited until His friend was dead and buried before traveling to Bethany. When He went to the grave, Jesus wept for the sorrow and grief of His friends and their loss. Then He commanded Lazarus to rise from the dead—and he did! The resurrection of Lazarus was a miracle that the enemies of Jesus could not explain. “But the chief priests consulted that they might put Lazarus also to death; Because that by reason of him many of the Jews went away, and believed on Jesus” (Luke 12:10–11).
Our lives are meant to be testimonies to the power and grace of God. There should be evidence that is clear to everyone around us that we are no longer the same as we were before we met Jesus. Too often, Christians settle into a pattern of living just like the world around them rather than walking in the new life they have been given. If we are going to have an impact on the world, there must be clear evidence that we have been given a life-changing gift that can only be attributed to Divine power.
Today’s Growth Principle:
The way we live each day should be irrefutable evidence of God’s power to change lives forever.
The Blame Game
by Joyce Meyer - posted January 24, 2016No temptation (no trial regarded as enticing to sin), [no matter how it comes or where it leads] has overtaken you and laid hold on you that is not common to man [that is, no temptation or trial has come to you that is beyond human resistance and that is not adjusted and adapted and belonging to human experience, and such as man can bear]. But God is faithful [to His Word and to His compassionate nature], and He [can be trusted] not to let you be tempted and tried and assayed beyond your ability and strength of resistance and power to endure, but with the temptation He will [always] also provide the way out (the means of escape to a landing place), that you may be capable and strong and powerful to bear up under it patiently.
—1 Corinthians 10:13
Years ago, a comedian’s favorite punch line was, “The devil made me do it.” The audience roared. Why did people laugh so hard? Was it because they wanted it to be true? Did they want to absolve themselves of responsibility for their actions by pointing to an outside force?
It’s always easy to blame someone else or outside forces for our actions. We hear people all the time who tell us, “My father never said a kind word to me.” “My cousin abused me.” “People in our neighborhood shunned me because I wore old and patched clothes.” “I never had money when I was growing up, so now as soon as my paycheck comes, it’s gone.”
Those statements are probably true, and they may explain why we suffer. Those are terrible situations, and it’s sad that people should have to go through such pain in their lives.
Yet we don’t have the right to blame other people or circumstances for our behavior. We can’t use them as an excuse to stay in bondage. Christ came to set us free. In the opening verse, Paul makes it clear that all of us have our own set of temptations, and for each of us, the circumstances may be different. But the promise God gives is the certainty of a way to escape, regardless of our circumstances. The escape is provided, but we must make use of it.
On the morning news, the reporter showed a restaurant that had caught on fire. One woman stood within sight of the back exit but she didn’t move. She stood twenty feet away and screamed. A coworker rushed back inside and grabbed her. She fought him, but he finally managed to drag her out.
Isn’t that sometimes how it works with God’s people? We know the way of escape, but we seem paralyzed. Or we blame someone or something for our inability to move. Or we think, Here it is again. I know I should learn how to deal with these situations, but I’ll give in just as I’ve always given in. I’m too weak to deal with this right now.
Our weakness is one of our greatest excuses. We may be weak, but God is strong, and He is willing to be our strength. If we will trust Him and take the necessary steps of faith, He will help us break free from our bondages.
What we need to understand is that Satan takes our circumstances—no matter what they are—and uses them to build strongholds in our lives. He’ll use whatever he can—our sense of weakness, our problems from childhood, or the wrong things we did when we were twelve years old. If the devil can darken our minds—make us think we can’t possibly win—we’ve lost. We need to keep reminding ourselves that we serve a victorious God who has provided the spiritual weapons we need to tear down the devil’s strongholds.
One more thing: When we give in to the temptation, aren’t we subtly saying that God is not able to help us? We don’t enjoy taking full responsibility for our actions—or, in many cases, our inaction—but we need to. We need to stop feeling sorry for ourselves, shifting blame, and ignoring situations. We need to believe the promise of God that declares He is faithful and will always deliver us in plenty of time. We don’t need to live in fear, always feeling that our problems are too much for us to handle. We must have a “can-do” attitude. One that says, “I can do whatever I need to do whenever I need to do it.” Sometimes we are even tempted to blame God for our troubles, but we must remember the words previously quoted: >“. . . but God is faithful . . . and He [can be trusted] not to let you be tempted . . . beyond your ability and strength of resistance . . .”
That’s God’s promise, and He lays His reputation on the line with that promise. God never abandons us or leaves us helpless. We can be like the woman who screamed but wouldn’t move. Or we can choose to say, “Look! There’s the door of escape! Thanks for providing it!”
Our problems are personal and they are often internal. They involve our thoughts and our attitudes. The results—the outward behavior—flow from those thoughts and attitudes. If we keep our mind turned toward Jesus, and if we listen to His voice, we know there is an escape route for us—always.
Father God, forgive me for blaming You, my circumstances, or other people for my failures. You are the Way-Maker for me in every temptation. I’m going to trust You to tear down the devil’s strongholds in my mind, in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Sunday 24 January 2016
This Kingdom
Matthew 16
18"I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it. 19"I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven."…
A Demonstration of Divine Power
A Demonstration of Divine Power
by Dr. Paul Chappell
“But when Jesus perceived their thoughts, he answering said unto them, What reason ye in your hearts? Whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Rise up and walk? But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power upon earth to forgive sins, (he said unto the sick of the palsy,) I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy couch, and go into thine house.”
Luke 5:22–24
The message of Jesus was not well received by many of the religious leaders of His day. Despite the testimony of John the Baptist and the clear teaching of Jesus Himself, they did not accept the truth that Jesus was the Messiah and the Son of God. Just as the Pharisees did not go to Bethlehem to see the Messiah—even though they knew and were able to tell Herod that Jesus would be born there—so when He began His public ministry, they did not welcome or receive Him.
When the paralyzed man was let down through the roof to see Jesus, the Lord declared that he was forgiven. Yet that claim seemed outrageous to the Pharisees who were gathered to hear Jesus. They realized that only God has the power to forgive sins, and so they knew Jesus was claiming to be God. To drive home the point He was making, Jesus asked a rhetorical question. Those who opposed Him knew it was easy to say that sins were forgiven, because there is no outward way to confirm that had happened. But to say “Arise” to a paralyzed man gives an immediate evidence of power that cannot be ignored.
The God we serve has all power, and He has offered to us something far more valuable and important than physical healing. Jesus came not primarily to raise up the sick, but to heal the wounds of sin and offer us forgiveness through His blood. That is Divine power on display.
Luke 5:22–24
The message of Jesus was not well received by many of the religious leaders of His day. Despite the testimony of John the Baptist and the clear teaching of Jesus Himself, they did not accept the truth that Jesus was the Messiah and the Son of God. Just as the Pharisees did not go to Bethlehem to see the Messiah—even though they knew and were able to tell Herod that Jesus would be born there—so when He began His public ministry, they did not welcome or receive Him.
When the paralyzed man was let down through the roof to see Jesus, the Lord declared that he was forgiven. Yet that claim seemed outrageous to the Pharisees who were gathered to hear Jesus. They realized that only God has the power to forgive sins, and so they knew Jesus was claiming to be God. To drive home the point He was making, Jesus asked a rhetorical question. Those who opposed Him knew it was easy to say that sins were forgiven, because there is no outward way to confirm that had happened. But to say “Arise” to a paralyzed man gives an immediate evidence of power that cannot be ignored.
The God we serve has all power, and He has offered to us something far more valuable and important than physical healing. Jesus came not primarily to raise up the sick, but to heal the wounds of sin and offer us forgiveness through His blood. That is Divine power on display.
Today’s Growth Principle:
There is nothing that better demonstrates God’s love and power than His forgiveness of our sins.
| Today’s Scripture | |||||||||||||
| “...Mercy triumphs over judgment.” (James 2:13, NIV) | |||||||||||||
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| Receive His Mercy | |||||||||||||
We’ve all made mistakes. We’ve all made wrong choices, but as believers in Jesus, that doesn’t change our heritage. God doesn’t kick us out of the kingdom because we’re not perfect. Maybe you don’t feel like you deserve God’s goodness, or you think you’re supposed to suffer through life and just endure that problem. But this is what mercy is all about. His mercy will renew and restore you!
No matter what you may have done wrong, you are still the apple of God’s eye. You are still His most prized possession. You can still access God’s promises by faith today. Why don’t you shake off the guilt and condemnation? Put your shoulders back and say, “I may not be perfect, but I am forgiven. I may have made mistakes, but God knows my heart is to please Him, and I am changing my ways. Even though I may have brought this trouble on myself, I’m going to stay in faith and expect God to turn it around.” Access His mercy today and let Him empower you to move forward in every area of your life!
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| A Prayer for Today | |||||||||||||
| “Father, thank You for Your love and mercy. Thank You for receiving me, cleansing me and changing me. I dedicate every area of my life to You and invite You to have Your way in me as I shake off guilt and condemnation in Jesus’ name. Amen.” PS https://www.youtube.com/watch? |
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