Wednesday, 5 July 2017

A Heritage of Faith

PowerPoint Today - Daily Devotional with Pastor Jack Graham

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So I exhort the leaders among you as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed….

--1 Peter 5:1

Since our nation’s founding, America has been distinguished and defined by spiritual leadership. Men like George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and Patrick Henry built our government upon the foundations of faith.

As Patrick Henry said, “It cannot be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great nation was founded not by religionists but by Christians, not on religions but on the Gospel of Jesus Christ.”

Nearly 100 years later, President Abraham Lincoln confirmed our nation’s Judeo-Christian foundation when he said, “… it is the duty of nations as well as of men to own their dependence upon the overruling power of God… and to recognize the sublime truth, announced in the Holy Scriptures and proven by all history that those nations only are blessed whose God is the Lord.”

Clearly our forefathers rose to the challenges of their day, and in the process they gave us a remarkable nation. So how shall you and I respond to the challenges of our day?

I believe the kind of strong spiritual leadership America needs today is not just found in our statehouses or in the White House. I believe it is found in our churches. There is no problem so big in America that it can’t be solved if America’s churches will rise to the challenge!

This 4^th of July, let’s not only pray for our government leaders, but let’s pray for the leadership in our churches across this great nation.

And let’s pray for and expect a wave of courage and boldness for America’s pastors and church leaders to stand upon God’s Word and the godly principles this nation was built on.

THERE IS NO PROBLEM SO BIG IN AMERICA THAT IT CAN’T BE SOLVED IF AMERICA’S CHURCHES WILL RISE TO THE CHALLENGE!

A Heritage of Faith

by Dr. Paul Chappell

“The counsel of the LORD standeth for ever, the thoughts of his heart to all generations. Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD; and the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance. The LORD looketh from heaven; he beholdeth all the sons of men. From the place of his habitation he looketh upon all the inhabitants of the earth.”
Psalm 33:11–14

There is no greater human blessing than to be privileged to live in a nation which from its founding acknowledged the role of God in the affairs of men and provided freedom to worship Him. The spirit that moved the early leaders of our nation is on full display in the poem Francis Scott Key wrote following the battle at Fort McHenry—especially in the verse of the national anthem that is seldom sung anymore.
Oh! thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand
Between their loved home and the war’s desolation!
Blest with victory and peace, may the heav’n rescued land
Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation.
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto: “In God is our trust.”
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave!
Our hope is not in a nation, but in the same God our nation once trusted. That same God still does work in the hearts of men and in the direction of countries. We cannot save our nation through political action. The need of our day is a revival that will see the lost converted and Christians renewed in their commitment to following the Word of God. And though our true and most important citizenship is in Heaven, we should be concerned and involved in the future of our earthly home.

Today’s Growth Principle:

Even as we give thanks for the blessings of freedom, we must also pray for a spiritual revival in our nation in which people turn back to God.

Tuesday, 4 July 2017

Praying for a Nation

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Now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own, but they had everything in common. And with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all. There was not a needy person among them, for as many as were owners of lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold and laid it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need.

Acts 4:32-35

Have you ever looked up in the sky and watched a flock of birds as they flew over you? The formation you see when you look up depends on how far the birds are traveling. Flocks that are only going a short distance appear as a mass of birds heading in the same general direction. But flocks that appear in that signature “V” formation are the ones making the long haul.

The reason for the “V” formation is that it reduces the amount of wind resistance on each bird except for the one at the front. So when the front bird becomes exhausted, he changes places with another bird to rest and the flock keeps moving. Over the journey, each bird in the flock will spend time in the front.

This is exactly what the early church looked like. Every time there was a need, the people of the church responded and that need was met by every person in the group. What a testimony to the unity of God’s people!

God wants you to have intentional relationships among the Body of Christ and to care for your brothers and sisters in the faith. Living a life in isolation is not just unhealthy, it’s unbiblical! So live your life in the Body and care for other believers.

Make every effort to stay connected with and care for other believers.

Praying for a Nation

by Dr. Paul Chappell

“I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.”
1 Timothy 2:1–4

On April 18, 1775, Paul Revere made his famous “midnight ride” to warn that the British troops were leaving Boston to try to confiscate the colonist’s weapons. His special purpose was to alert two men, Samuel Adams and John Hancock. These prominent leaders of the cause of American independence were special targets of the British raid, with soldiers purposing to bring back the bodies of Adams and Hancock. That night, Adams and Hancock had met, not to plan a political rally or write a treatise demanding independence, but to pray for God’s help and blessing. When Revere reached Lexington, he found them sleeping in the house of a local pastor, Reverend Clark, and alerted them to the danger in time to flee.
Many people find it easy to criticize presidents, politicians, and judges. Few take the time to pray for them, or seek God’s direction and guidance on those He has chosen to set in authority. In reality, no politicians of our day compare to the wickedness of the Emperor Nero—the ruler of the Roman Empire when Paul penned the instructions to pray for those in civil authority (1 Timothy 2). We must never forget that human government is instituted by God, and He has the ultimate say both over who leads nations and how they lead. Our assignment is to regularly and faithfully pray for those leaders, whether they are the ones we would prefer or not.

Today’s Growth Principle:

If we are not praying for our nation and our leaders, we are failing our responsibility as Christians.

Monday, 3 July 2017

Captured Moment =)

A City on a Hill

by Dr. Paul Chappell

“Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”
Matthew 5:14–16

President Ronald Reagan was fond of quoting a statement of John Winthrop, an early leader of the Puritans in Massachusetts, about the way he viewed their role in the world. Winthrop said, “For we must consider that we shall be as a city upon a hill. The eyes of all people are upon us. So that if we shall deal falsely with our God in this work we have undertaken, and so cause Him to withdraw His present help from us, we shall be made a story and a by-word through the world. We shall shame the faces of many of God’s worthy servants, and cause their prayers to be turned into curses upon us till we be consumed out of the good land whither we are a going.”
Christians should be the best citizens in whatever country they call home. They should be obedient to civil authority, faithful to fulfill their civic duties, and diligent about improving their surroundings. We are to do this not because we have an earthly hope, but because we have an heavenly obligation. “And Jesus answering said unto them, Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s. And they marvelled at him” (Mark 12:17). We are examples to those around us, and our faith should impact how we live in a way that it is visible, including in the way we conduct ourselves as citizens of our earthly homeland.

Today’s Growth Principle:

When we live out our faith in daily life, we are an example that is fit for others to follow.

The Highest Position of All

by Joyce Meyer - posted July 02, 2017

He who is greatest among you shall be your servant. Whoever exalts himself [with haughtiness and empty pride] shall be humbled (brought low), and whoever humbles himself [whoever has a modest opinion of himself and behaves accordingly] shall be raised to honor.
—Matthew 23:11-12 AMPC

Jesus was able to wash His disciples' feet because He was free. Only a person who is truly free, one who is not insecure, can do menial tasks and not feel insignificant as a result.
So much of our worth and value is connected to what we do that it makes it very difficult for us to enjoy serving. Serving others is not viewed as a high position, and yet Jesus said it is the highest of all. Serving others also sets them free to love. It disarms even the most hateful individual. It is actually fun to watch that person's amazement when he realizes he is being served through love.
If someone knows full well he has done us wrong, and we return his evil with good, it begins to tear down the walls he has built around himself. Sooner or later he will begin to trust us and start learning from us what real love is. That is the whole purpose behind being a servant, to show others the love of God that He has shown us so that they too can share in it—and then pass it on.

Sunday, 2 July 2017

Psalm 47:1

O clap your hands, all peoples; Shout to God with the voice of joy.

What Really Matters

by Dr. Paul Chappell

“Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.”
1 Corinthians 13:1–3

Peter Drucker was one of the most profound and influential thinkers of the business world. He remained in demand as a consultant and speaker into his nineties. One of Drucker’s most profound observations was regarding the gap between what many people focus on and the most important priorities. He wrote, “Management is doing things right—improving operational performance, maximizing revenues, and reducing expenses while increasing artistic production values and audience appreciation. Leadership is doing the right things—setting organizational priorities and allocating human and fiscal resources to fulfill the organization’s vision.”
It is important for us to do what is right and it is important for us to do acts of kindness. But as Christians, it’s not enough to do the right things. The Bible tells us that our motives—the why behind what we do—matters.
Samuel told King Saul, “Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams” (1 Samuel 15:22). God calls us to live righteously, because He is infinitely holy. But outward forms do not suffice. We need to serve Him with the right motives, or all the right actions will not produce any profit for our eternal accounts.

Today’s Growth Principle:

Only faithful service motivated by love for God will give meaning and eternal value to service for Him.

Do You Like Yourself?

by Joyce Meyer - posted July 01, 2017

Let him search for peace…and seek it eagerly. [Do not merely desire peaceful relations with God, with your fellowmen, and with yourself, but pursue, go after them!]
—1 Peter 3:11

Have you ever thought about your relationship with yourself? For years, it never occurred to me that I had a relationship with myself. In fact, I never thought about it until God began to teach me how to improve it. Maybe the idea that you have a relationship with yourself has never entered your mind, either. But the truth is, you spend more time with yourself than with anyone else! So getting along well with yourself is vital to your well-being.
Do you like yourself? Many people don't. Self-rejection and even self-hatred contribute to many of the struggles we have in life. Think about it: Rejecting or holding hatred toward others causes all kinds of problems in relationships with them, so why wouldn't rejecting or hating or disliking yourself cause the same kind of problems in your relationship with yourself?
Today's scripture urges us to pursue and go after peaceful relations with God, others, and ourselves. I encourage you to embrace and accept yourself because God created you just the way He wants you to be and made every unique thing about you. He loves you tremendously, so let that truth empower you to not only like yourself, but also to love yourself. As you grow in this way, you'll notice that some of your problems will decrease and eventually go away.

Love Yourself Today: Make a list of your good qualities. Take a moment to think about how these positive attributes are a blessing to you and to others. Thank God for making so many good things about you!

Salt + Pepper

Wednesday, 5 July 2017