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“No longer do I call you servants…; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.” --John 15:15 Friendship is so very important in life. Even if you have just a few friends, you are blessed beyond measure. But did you know you can be a friend of God as well? Well, you can, and that’s what Jesus is telling the disciples, as well as you and me, in today’s verse.  So if you can be a friend of God, what kind of friend are you to him? Are you an intimate friend of Jesus or are you just a casual acquaintance? Is Jesus just the kind of friend that you see every now and then, or do you really know him? If you and I are going to experience true friendship with God, we must be responsive to him. James put it this way when he said, “Draw near to God and he will draw near to you…” (James 4:8). Today, if God seems a long way away, if he seems like a distant deity, here is what you need to do. Draw near to God today by reading his Word… and you will find him welcoming you and receiving you as his friend. DRAW NEAR TO GOD AND HE WILL DRAW NEAR TO YOU… (JAMES 4:8). Avoiding Defections Wednesday, August 21, 2019 by Dr. Paul Chappell “Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood. For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them. Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears.” Acts 20:28–31 When Paul met with the elders of the church at Ephesus for the last time, it was a bittersweet moment. He had poured years of his life into this church, which had become one of the most important and influential churches in the world. The church had been built on evangelism, love, hard work, and a passion for others. But as good as it was, Paul knew the church would come under attack, both from without and from within. It is no different in our day. The truth is still under attack, but not just from the world around us; there are some people inside of churches who spread false doctrine. There are some churches today where many people go because they like what they hear, but what they are hearing is far from the truth. There is always a temptation to make the message more accepted by removing the “rough edges.” But that path leads to destruction. Paul did not tell the Ephesians to be popular or accepted by the world. He told them to be on guard for attacks against the truth. Maintaining a belief in the truth requires diligence, attention, and effort. “Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip” (Hebrews 12:1). No one remains in the truth accidentally. Today's Growth Principle:  We must remain alert to the dangers to truth no matter where their point of origin is.

 

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… bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing. --1 Peter 3:9 I want to share with you one of the greatest stories I’ve ever heard about the power of blessing another person.  A young professor was visiting Gatlinburg, Tennessee, and was in a cafe where a white-haired older man was pouring coffee for everyone. The old man told a story to a group of guests about a little boy who didn’t have a daddy. The old man said… “Some called him illegitimate. Some called him worse. And the boy was very ashamed and kept mostly to himself so no one would ask him about his father.  “Well, one day a new preacher came to his church and the little boy got caught in the preacher’s greeting line. When the preacher shook the boy’s hand he said, ‘Son, who’s boy are you?’ And a hush fell over the line. “Seeing the pain in the boy’s eyes, the preacher said, ‘Oh, I recognize you! You’re a child of God! And you have a great inheritance, son. Go out and claim it for yourself!’ “Well, that boy grew up and had a great life all because some preacher believed in him.” And after the old man walked away, the professor asked the waitress, “Who is that man?” The waitress said, “That’s Ben Hooper, the former governor of Tennessee, and he was that young boy without a father.” Ben Hooper said that he became the governor of Tennessee the day that preacher blessed him with those words. God is waiting for you to bless someone in your life. Will you start today? GOD IS WAITING FOR YOU TO BLESS SOMEONE IN YOUR LIFE. WHO WILL IT BE?

Hearing God’s Voice

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

by Dr. Paul Chappell

“And the child Samuel ministered unto the LORD before Eli. And the word of the LORD was precious in those days; there was no open vision. And it came to pass at that time, when Eli was laid down in his place, and his eyes began to wax dim, that he could not see; And ere the lamp of God went out in the temple of the LORD, where the ark of God was, and Samuel was laid down to sleep; That the LORD called Samuel: and he answered, Here am I.”

1 Samuel 3:1–4

When Samuel went to live with the aged priest Eli at Shiloh, it was a low time in the life of Israel. The people had failed to drive out the inhabitants of the Promised Land as God instructed, and as a result they were constantly being tempted by the gods and idols worshiped by those around them. To make matters worse Eli’s wicked sons had made many people unwilling to come to the tabernacle and worship God there. They had only the five books of the law Moses had written, and there were few copies available for people to read and learn. It is little wonder that Samuel failed to recognize God’s voice when he first heard it. Soon, Samuel did learn that voice, however, and because he obeyed it he changed the destiny of Israel.

Today God no longer speaks to us audibly. But He has given us something even better—the completed Bible. “We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts” (2 Peter 1:19). Here in the United States, copies of the Word of God are not scarce, but sadly even those who are His children often ignore what He has said to us.

Today's Growth Principle: 

God speaks to us through His Word, and if we would hear Him, we must turn to the Bible.

How to bless your child

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… bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing. --1 Peter 3:9 As parents, we are to bless our children. We are called to it. Now, you and I may have all kinds of positive thoughts about our children, but a blessing isn’t a blessing until we speak it! So let me tell you some ways you can bless your child or children, starting today. Begin by speaking words of affection to your children. In fact, you should never stop telling your children that you love them! Every time my oldest son and I talk, I tell him I love him. And my son is in his mid-40s! This is a manly thing to do and it’s a tremendous blessing!   Other kinds of blessings that we can speak are words of forgiveness. We live in a cynical and judgmental world. And because of that, you and I need to teach our children the blessing of grace and forgiveness. In fact, some of the most powerful words that your child may ever hear you say are, “I’m sorry, I was wrong. Please forgive me.” We should also speak words of promise into the lives of our children. We help children understand and rise to their place in God’s Kingdom when we say, “You are a promise from God. You have amazing potential! You are God’s gift! And God is going to use you in an incredible way to advance his Kingdom.” As a parent, this is one of the most important callings you have. Take the time today to study and know your child. Look into your child’s eyes and seek your child’s heart. And don’t let the days and years get away from you without speaking words of blessing. SPEAK BLESSINGS TO YOUR CHILDREN ON A REGULAR BASIS—STARTING TODAY!

 

 

Almighty God

Monday, August 19, 2019

by Dr. Paul Chappell

“Hear, O my people, and I will testify unto thee: O Israel, if thou wilt hearken unto me; There shall no strange god be in thee; neither shalt thou worship any strange god. I am the LORD thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt: open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it. But my people would not hearken to my voice; and Israel would none of me.”

Psalm 81:8–11

When Jacob was at the lowest point of his life, running from Esau after Jacob stole the blessing that actually should have belonged to his older brother, he had an encounter with God. Though he undoubtedly knew about God, Jacob does not appear to have had a real relationship with Him. God introduced Himself to Jacob this way: “And God said unto him, I am God Almighty: be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall be of thee, and kings shall come out of thy loins” (Genesis 35:11).

God was telling Jacob that He was able to do whatever Jacob needed, even making a fugitive second son the father of a great nation. And He was faithful to that promise. Hundreds of years later, He moved to bring the Israelites out of Egypt. There was no human explanation or expectation for that deliverance, but God is able to do all that He has promised.

Dr. John Rice said, “God has more for us than we take. God has bigger plans for us than we make. God has more love for us than we know. God has more people for us to bless than we do. Oh, if we could know the breadth, the length, the width, the height of all things, and the love of God which passeth knowledge! He said He ‘is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think.’ Can you ask something big? God has something bigger than that!”

Today's Growth Principle: 

It is a tragedy for Christians to do without simply because they do not have faith in God’s ability to provide.

“The World Passeth Away”

Sunday, August 18, 2019

by Dr. Paul Chappell

“Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.”

1 John 2:15–17

One of the striking characteristics of the world around us is the desperate longing of people for acceptance and approval. There are many searching for genuine love through every means imaginable, but nothing apart from God can satisfy that desire. Every temporal pleasure is fleeting, as Solomon discovered when he attempted to find meaning in life from wealth and pleasure. Even with nearly unlimited power and resources, Solomon ended up feeling that life was worthless. “Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour that I had laboured to do: and, behold, all was vanity and vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 2:11).

The problem is that the things of the world by their desire are alluring. It is easy for us to be drawn away from loving God as we should, and to try to replace His role in the center of our hearts with something else. That never works. No matter how attractive the present world may appear to be on the outside, it is a dead end road. “There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death” (Proverbs 14:12). This is just as true for a Christian as it is for an unbeliever. Though we do not face the ultimate penalty of Hell, the path of sin always brings destruction.

Today's Growth Principle: 

If our hearts are fixed on things that will perish, we will never find real meaning in life.

“No Condemnation”

Saturday, August 17, 2019

by Dr. Paul Chappell

“There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.”

Romans 8:1–4

In March of 2019, Harry Krame returned a book to the library in Fair Lawn, New Jersey. That is an occurrence that happens every day. But Krame had checked out The Family Book of Verse by Lewis Ganet when Lyndon Johnson was president—fifty-three years before. The book had been stacked with others and stored in his basement. When Krame found the book during a cleanup, he said he felt guilty for keeping it so long. Though the fine would have amounted to some $2,000, the library waived all the fees. They plan to use the book as part of an exhibit to stress the importance of returning library books on time.

There are things in the past of all of our lives that we look back on with regret. Poor decisions, harsh words, failed efforts, and especially sin (both of omission and commission). Yet while we should not ever take sin lightly, we should also not be bound by guilt over what is in the past. Once we have confessed a sin and forsaken, and done what we can to make things right with those we have hurt, the sin is gone. God does not bring them up again, and neither should we. “For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more” (Hebrews 8:12).

Today's Growth Principle: 

Salvation frees us from the guilt, shame, and condemnation of the past forever.

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My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. --John 10:29 The Christian life isn’t just a matter of you and me holding on and hoping for the best. No, the Christian life is actually about God holding you and me in his grip, and us trusting him to not let go. You see, as believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, you and I are still going to stumble and fall. God understands our humanity. And he knows our possibilities for greatness as well as our possibilities for failure.   Think about the apostle Peter and Jesus at the time just before the crucifixion. Peter told Jesus there was no way that he would ever deny him. And yet, he did just as Jesus said he would. Jesus knew in advance about the shame, regret, and the complete sense of failure that Peter would experience. He knew all about it! Yet God was holding onto Peter every step of the way, and restored him in a mighty and extraordinary way to build his church. A personal failure is a painful thing and it can send you reeling on a detour from the path that God has for you. It’s easy to feel so lost that you wonder if God even knows where you are. But I assure you that the Lord knows exactly where you are and he knows exactly what’s going on in your life.   So live your life with the great joy that comes with knowing Christ and the power of his redemption. When you fall, get back up and embrace his grace and forgiveness. And remember that he has you in his grip and nothing can take you out of his hand. THE CHRISTIAN LIFE IS ABOUT GOD HOLDING YOU IN HIS GRIP AND YOU TRUSTING HIM TO NOT LET GO. “Newness of Life” Friday, August 16, 2019 by Dr. Paul Chappell “Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.” Romans 6:4–6 When Paul wrote about the new life that comes after salvation, he was not speaking theoretically. His life story was a dramatic illustration of this truth. Paul went from leading in the persecution of Christians and attempting to stamp out Christianity in its infancy, to being one of the most powerful and effective voices of the gospel. Everything changed for Paul when he had his encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus. From that day forward, nothing was ever the same for him again. God saves us as we are, but He does not mean for us to stay that way. Peter wrote, “But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen” (2 Peter 3:18). The day will never come in this life when we have reached perfection. There is always more to learn about God and more to do to be like His Son. The old life must be left behind if this is to take place. We cannot be looking over our shoulders and longing for the old things if we are to truly experience the new life. “And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned” (Hebrews 11:15). Today's Growth Principle:  Rather than living in the past, we are to look to Jesus and follow Him.

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