Wednesday, July 31, 2019

Becoming Entirely His by Oswald Chambers

Becoming Entirely His
Let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.  JAMES 1:4
Many of us appear to be all right in general, but there are still some areas in which we are careless and lazy; it is not a matter of sin, but the remnants of our carnal life that tend to make us careless. Carelessness is an insult to the Holy Spirit. We should have no carelessness about us either in the way we worship God, or even in the way we eat and drink.
Not only must our relationship to God be right, but the outward expression of that relationship must also be right. Ultimately, God will allow nothing to escape; every detail of our lives is under His scrutiny. God will bring us back in countless ways to the same point over and over again. And He never tires of bringing us back to that one point until we learn the lesson, because His purpose is to produce the finished product. It may be a problem arising from our impulsive nature, but again and again, with the most persistent patience, God has brought us back to that one particular point. Or the problem may be our idle and wandering thinking, or our independent nature and self-interest. Through this process, God is trying to impress upon us the one thing that is not entirely right in our lives.
We have been having a wonderful time in our studies over the revealed truth of God’s redemption, and our hearts are perfect toward Him. And His wonderful work in us makes us know that overall we are right with Him. “Let patience have its perfect work….” The Holy Spirit speaking through James said, “Now let your patience become a finished product.” Beware of becoming careless over the small details of life and saying, “Oh, that will have to do for now.” Whatever it may be, God will point it out with persistence until we become entirely His. From My Utmost for His Highest Updated Edition
WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS
Always keep in contact with those books and those people that enlarge your horizon and make it possible for you to stretch yourself mentally.

God’s Loving Outreach by Charles Stanley

The story of the Lord’s encounter with a Samaritan woman is a wonderful example of His loving response to those who hurt. Jesus is always reaching out in love, even when we do not recognize His extended hand. 
Although this meeting may have appeared accidental, it was really a providential appointment with the Messiah. As the woman reached the well, Jesus initiated conversation by asking for a drink of water. His direct approach surprised her and opened the door for a dialogue that would change her life forever. 
Throughout the exchange, Jesus’ goal was to help the woman recognize her greatest need so He could supply the only gift that would meet it: salvation and the forgiveness of her sins. She had spent her life trying to find love and acceptance in all the wrong places. The Lord offered her the living water of the Holy Spirit—the one thing that would quench her spiritual and emotional thirst. 
Like the Samaritan woman, we can at times be so intent on getting our immediate needs met that we fail to see God’s hand reaching out to us in love, offering what will truly satisfy. Only Christ can eternally fill our empty souls and provide for our essential emotional needs now. 
This world is filled with “wells” that promise to provide love, acceptance, and self-worth but never fully satisfy. When your soul is empty and the well runs dry, look for Jesus. He has a divine appointment scheduled with you, and He will quench your thirst with His Spirit—if you let Him.

Who We Are by Peter Chin

Who We Are

Peter Chin

This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name. Acts 9:15


I’ll never forget the time I took my future wife to meet my family. With a twinkle in their eyes, my two elder siblings asked her, “What exactly do you see in this guy?” She smiled and assured them that by God’s grace I had grown to be the man she loved.

I loved that clever reply because it also reflects how, in Christ, the Lord sees more than our past. In Acts 9, He directed Ananias to heal Saul, a known persecutor of the church whom God had blinded. Ananias was incredulous at receiving this mission, stating that Saul had been rounding up believers in Jesus for persecution and even execution. God told Ananias not to focus on who Saul had been but on who he had become: an evangelist who would bring the good news to all the known world, including to the gentiles (those who weren’t Jews) and to kings (v. 15). Ananias saw Saul the Pharisee and persecutor, but God saw Paul the apostle and evangelist.

We can sometimes view ourselves only as we have been—with all of our failures and shortcomings. But God sees us as new creations, not who we were but who we are in Jesus and who we’re becoming through the power of the Holy Spirit. O God, teach us to view ourselves and others in this way!
How can you begin to better view yourself and others in light of who you are in Christ today? How does it encourage you to know God isn’t through growing and refining you?

Heavenly Father, help me to find my full identity in You. Allow me to humbly see others through Your eyes of grace!

A Covenant With Eyes by Billy Graham

A Covenant With Eyes

Someone has said, “You cannot help the first look, but the second is sin.” Jesus indicated that you can engage in immorality by a look. The Bible places the “lust of the eye” right along with other major sins. Listen: “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.” Peter spoke of having “eyes full of adultery.” No wonder Job said, “I have made a covenant with my eyes; why then should I think upon a maid?” Your eyes see only what your soul allows them to see.

Daily Prayer

May my eyes be on You, Lord Jesus, for I need Your purity and love to fill my heart and mind.
“Lay hands suddenly on no man, neither be partaker of other men's sins: keep thyself pure.”
‭‭1 Timothy‬ ‭5:22‬ ‭KJV‬‬

How can you get more light? by Adrian Rogers

How can you get more light?                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         July 31
For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith; as it is written: “The just shall live by faith.”  Romans 1:17One of God’s most prominent character traits is His righteousness. How is His righteousness revealed to us? Romans 1:17 tells us: “…from faith to faith… the just shall live by faith.”
What does that mean? How does it work? Here’s how:  As God gives you truth…and you believe that truth…God gives you more truth. Step by step, you grow from faith to faith. The more you walk toward Him, the more light you receive.
The more you obey the light, the more light you get. And forward it goes.
The reason some of us don’t understand the Bible more than we do is because we haven’t been living up to the light God has already given us.
If you want to understand parts of the Bible you don’t understand, begin to obey the part you dounderstand. Then you’ll understand what you didn’t understand. Understand?
Meditate on 1 Corinthians 2:7—“But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory:” Ask God for faith that will reveal to you the hidden truths of His Word that are hard for you to understand right now.

July 31 / Streams in the Desert

David cared for them with pure motives; he led them with skill.  Ps 78:72
When you are doubtful as to your course, submit your judgment absolutely to the Spirit of God, and ask Him to shut against you every door but the right one…Meanwhile keep on as you are, and consider the absence of indication to be the indication of God’s will that you are on His track…As you go down the long corridor, you will find that He has preceded you, and locked many doors which you would fain have entered; but be sure that beyond these there is one which He has left unlocked. Open it and enter, and you will find yourself face to face with a bend of the river of opportunity, broader and deeper than anything you had dared to imagine in your sunniest dreams. Launch forth upon it; it conducts to the open sea.
God guides us, often by circumstances. At one moment the way may seem utterly blocked; and then shortly afterward some trivial incident occurs, which might not seem much to others, but which to the keen eye of faith speaks volumes. Sometimes these things are repeated in various ways, in answer to prayer. They are not haphazard results of chance, but the opening up of circumstances in the direction in which we would walk. And they begin to multiply as we advance toward our goal, just as the lights do as we near a populous town, when darting through the land by night express.
—F. B. Meyer
If you go to Him to be guided, He will guide you; but He will not comfort your distrust or half-trust of Him by showing you the chart of all His purposes concerning you. He will show you only into a way where, if you go cheerfully and trustfully forward, He will show you on still farther.
—Horace Bushnell
As moves my fragile bark across the storm-swept sea,
Great waves beat o’er her side, as north wind blows;
Deep in the darkness hid lie threat’ning rocks and shoals;
But all of these, and more, my Pilot knows.
Sometimes when dark the night, and every light gone out,
I wonder to what port my frail ship goes;
Still though the night be long, and restless all my hours,
My distant goal, I’m sure, my Pilot knows.
—Thomas Curtis Clark

Patience is Virtue by Stephen Davey

Patience is Virtue
Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
Trials are not given to make us weak, but to make us learn to wait. Jesus Christ wants to develop our faith, and He rarely develops it in the normal circumstances of life. It is most often through the interruptions, the heartbreaks, and the discouragements that our faith progresses.
A young black girl living in poverty in Philadelphia enjoyed singing in her Union Baptist Church choir. The adults noticed latent talent in her voice and began "The Fund for Marian Anderson's Future." They raised one hundred twenty-six dollars in pennies, nickels, and dimes, and she began taking singing lessons.  
When she was eighteen she auditioned with a famous instructor, but was rejected. Those who continued to believe in her planned a concert in a town hall in New York City. However, the critics were brutal in their reviews. While on a European concert tour, she was well-received, but in Washington, D.C., she was not allowed to sing in Constitution Hall because of her race.
For many years, Marian Anderson wallowed in self-pity. Her mother finally said, "Marian, I want you to think about your troubles and your failures a little—and pray a lot." Then her mother said something that Marian never forgot: "Marian, you must learn that grace comes before greatness."
Marian Anderson became a well-known opera singer, performing for the Eisenhowers and their guests in the White House, being appointed a delegate to the United Nations, and winning a Medal of Freedom. All of this came only after learning the valuable lesson that her mother had taught her.
This is the same lesson delivered throughout Scripture. Learning to fail, yet to persevere, comes as we learn to live a life of faith. Times of trial are not only necessary to teach us humility, but they remind us where our true possessions lie—in Christ.
What better example than Christ—the Model—who shows us that grace comes before greatness... humility before honor.
Prayer Point: Take time to do the unthinkable: thank God for something painful in your life, whether a broken relationship, the death of a loved one, a failing grade, an illness, or a difficult circumstance. Pray that God will give you strength to persevere during the test, no matter how long it takes—even a lifetime. Remember that trials are given for your good, and even the painful times are a gift from God.
Extra Refreshment: Read Philippians 2 and James 1. Notice what these Apostles had to say about the purpose of trials in the lives of believers and the necessity of humility.

Are You Taking Advantage of Him? by Alistair Begg

I in them.
John 17:23
If this is the union between our souls and the person of our Lord, how deep and broad is the channel of our communion! This is no narrow channel through which a threadlike stream may wind its way; it is a river of amazing depth and breadth, along whose glorious length a ponderous volume of living water may roll its floods. Consider how He has set before us an open door; let us not be slow to enter.
This city of communion has many pearly gates, every gate is made of one pearl, and each gate is thrown open wide so that we may enter, assured of welcome. If there were but one small loophole through which to talk with Jesus, it would be a high privilege to thrust a word of fellowship through the narrow door; how much we are blessed in having so large an entrance! If the Lord Jesus were far away from us, with many a stormy sea between, we would long to send a messenger to Him to carry Him our love and bring us tidings from His Father's house; but consider His kindness-He has built His house next-door to ours. More than that, He lives with us and makes His home in our poor humble hearts, so He may have continual fellowship with us.
O how foolish must we be if we do not live in constant communion with Him. When the road is long and dangerous and difficult, it is no surprise that friends seldom meet each other; but when they live together, shall Jonathan forget his David? A wife may, when her husband is on a journey, spend many days without conversing with him, but she could never endure to be separated from him if she knew him to be in one of the rooms of her own house. Why, believer, do you not sit at His banquet of wine? Seek your Lord, for He is near; embrace Him, for He is your Brother. Hold Him fast, for He is your Husband; and press Him to your heart, for He is your kith and kin.

How Jesus became “real” / Senior Living

How Jesus became “real”
But we do see Jesus, who was made lower than the angels for a little while, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone. - Hebrews 2:9
A young boy who grew up in England during the dark years of World War II had a picture of his father on the kitchen table. His dad had gone off to fight in the war when the boy was very young. And years later, the boy couldn’t even remember him in the flesh. All he knew was the picture.
One morning over breakfast, the boy’s mother caught him staring at the photo of his father. She asked him what he was thinking about, and he said, “I wish daddy could step out of that picture and be real.”
When Jesus Christ was born in Bethlehem more than 2,000 years ago, God Himself stepped off the pages of Scripture and became “real” to the world. What had only been written about and experienced by the prophets of old was now a reality for all people – the Messiah had come in the flesh!
We don’t serve a God who exists only in the mystery of the heavenlies. Our God stepped out of the shadows, came to earth, lived, and died so that we could know Him. So as you reflect on Jesus this Christmas, give thanks that He’s not some far-off God who couldn’t relate to us. He’s a real Savior who loved you enough to become real!
Prayer Challenge:
Praise God that Jesus is real – not some far-off deity, but God Himself in the flesh!
Questions for Thought:
Christianity is unlike any other religion in that we have a God who came to earth, lived, and died so we could know Him. How does that make our faith different than all the others?
What does Christ’s coming to earth say about God’s love for you?

Famous Last Words by David Jeremiah

Famous Last Words

I have fought the good fight.
2 Timothy 4:7
Due to modern medicine and hospice care, fewer people die now with “famous last words” on their lips. But in days past, friends would sit with pen and paper to record the final statements of dying Christians. Evangelist D. L. Moody said, “This is my coronation day! It is glorious!” John Nelson Darby, a British evangelist, said, “Beyond the grave comes heaven. Well, it will be strange to find myself in Heaven, but it won’t be a strange Christ. One I’ve known these many years. I am glad He knows me. I have a deep peace, which you know.”

Recommended Reading:
2 Timothy 4:6-8
Contrast those with the last words of French writer Francois Rabelais: “Bring down the curtain—the farce is played out.”

The reality is Jesus Christ gives us a merry heart in life and a contented heart in death. His grace is sufficient for every hour, and for the believer death is but the moment we pass from the land of the dying to the land of the living. Henceforth there is laid up for us the crown of righteousness.

Jesus, Himself, has swallowed up death with victory.

A life spent in the service of God and in communion with Him is the most comfortable and pleasant life that anyone can live in this present world.
Last words of commentator Matthew Henry

Tuesday, July 30, 2019

The Teaching of Disillusionment by Oswald Chambers

The Teaching of Disillusionment
Jesus did not commit Himself to them…, for He knew what was in man.  JOHN 2:24-25
Disillusionment means having no more misconceptions, false impressions, and false judgments in life; it means being free from these deceptions. However, though no longer deceived, our experience of disillusionment may actually leave us cynical and overly critical in our judgment of others. But the disillusionment that comes from God brings us to the point where we see people as they really are, yet without any cynicism or any stinging and bitter criticism. Many of the things in life that inflict the greatest injury, grief, or pain, stem from the fact that we suffer from illusions. We are not true to one another as facts, seeing each other as we really are; we are only true to our misconceived ideas of one another. According to our thinking, everything is either delightful and good, or it is evil, malicious, and cowardly.
Refusing to be disillusioned is the cause of much of the suffering of human life. And this is how that suffering happens— if we love someone, but do not love God, we demand total perfection and righteousness from that person, and when we do not get it we become cruel and vindictive; yet we are demanding of a human being something which he or she cannot possibly give. There is only one Being who can completely satisfy to the absolute depth of the hurting human heart, and that is the Lord Jesus Christ. Our Lord is so obviously uncompromising with regard to every human relationship because He knows that every relationship that is not based on faithfulness to Himself will end in disaster. Our Lord trusted no one, and never placed His faith in people, yet He was never suspicious or bitter. Our Lord’s confidence in God, and in what God’s grace could do for anyone, was so perfect that He never despaired, never giving up hope for any person. If our trust is placed in human beings, we will end up despairing of everyone. From My Utmost for His Highest Updated Edition
WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS
We should always choose our books as God chooses our friends, just a bit beyond us, so that we have to do our level best to keep up with them.
from Shade of His Hand, 1216 L

Essential Truths of the Faith by Charles Stanley

It’s fairly easy to coast through the Christian life without thinking too deeply about the essentials of our faith. Every child of God knows the basics of the gospel, since they are necessary for salvation. But once we are saved, we need to grow in our understanding of the doctrines that are foundational for Christianity. 
We must believe that the Bible is true. Scripture is the heavenly Father’s self-revelation about His nature, plan of salvation, and dealings with mankind. It’s the final authority on life, faith, salvation, and conduct (2 Peter 1:3), and we can trust that it’s without error because God inspired its writers and protected its transmission throughout history (2 Timothy 3:16). 
There is only one God who expresses Himself in three persons—Father, Son, and Spirit. The concept of the Trinity is supported in numerous Scriptures, including Jesus’ baptism when all three were present and the Great Commission in which we are told to make disciples and baptize them in one name—that of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Matt. 3:16-17Matt. 28:19). 
The Lord is the Creator of all things. As His creatures, we exist for Him and through Him, and He has authority and power over us (1 Corinthians 8:6). God is not simply a greater version of us; He is in a totally different category because He is self-existent and the source of life. We, on the other hand, are dependent upon Him for our next breath. 
These three essentials keep us grounded in the truth. If we doubt them, we will find ourselves deceived by other doctrines (Eph. 4:14).

Ready for Restoration by Arthur Jackson

Ready for Restoration

Arthur Jackson

Will you not revive us again, that your people may rejoice in you? Psalm 85:6


While stationed in Germany in the army I purchased a brand-new 1969 Volkswagen Beetle. The car was a beauty! The dark green exterior complemented the brown leatherette interior. But as the years took their toll, stuff began to happen, including an accident that ruined the running board and destroyed one of the doors. With more imagination, I could have thought, “My classic car was a perfect candidate for restoration!” And with more money, I could have pulled it off. But that didn’t happen.

Thankfully the God of perfect vision and unlimited resources doesn’t give up so easily on battered and broken people. Psalm 85 describes people who were perfect candidates for restoration and the God who is able to restore. The setting is likely after the Israelites had returned from seventy years of exile (their punishment for rebellion against God). Looking back, they were able to see His favor—including His forgiveness (vv. 1–3). They were motivated to ask God for His help (vv. 4–7) and to expect good things from Him (vv. 8–13).

Who among us doesn’t occasionally feel battered, bruised, broken? And sometimes it’s because of something we’ve done to ourselves. But because the Lord is the God of restoration and forgiveness, those who humbly come to Him are never without hope. With open arms He welcomes those who turn to Him; and those who do, find safety in His arms.
Are there signs in your life that restoration is in order? What’s your response to the God of restoration?

Lord, help me not to ignore the signs that restoration is needed in my life.

Is your mind telling you what’s true? by Adrian Rogers

Is your mind telling you what’s true?

July 30

“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.” Romans 6:4
I was in an airport one day looking for something to pass the time. I saw a virtual reality motorcycle ride. I sat down and buckled my seat belt as instructed. The screen came on and I couldn’t believe it. I felt like I was riding a motorcycle, but I was just sitting in a room! 
Sometimes our mind tells us something is true when it’s not true. Other times when something is true, we fail to believe it’s true! 
It’s so critical for us to focus on the truth! Jesus died for you. He lives for you. You died with Him. You live for Him. Day by day, you need to take those facts and turn them into faith.
Tell yourself this truth today. Write it down. Post it all around you: You are buried with Him. You rose with Him. You can walk in newness of life!

July 30 / Streams in the Desert

A cup of cold water only  (Matthew 10:42).
What am I to do? I expect to pass through this world but once. Any good work, therefore, any kindness, or any service I can render to any soul of man or animal let me do it now. Let me not neglect or defer it, for I shall not pass this way again.
--An Old Quaker Saying
It isn't the thing you do, dear,
It's the thing you leave undone,
Which gives you the bitter heartache
At the setting of the sun;
The tender word unspoken,
The letter you did not write,
The flower you might have sent, dear,
Are your haunting ghosts at night.
The stone you might have lifted
Out of your brother's way,
The bit of heartsome counsel
You were hurried too much to say;
The loving touch of the hand, dear,
The gentle and winsome tone,
That you had no time or thought for,
With troubles enough of your own.
These little acts of kindness,
So easily out of mind,
These chances to be angels,
Which even mortals find
They come in night and silence,
Each chill reproachful wraith,
When hope is faint and flagging,
And a blight has dropped on faith.
For life is all too short, dear.
And sorrow is all too great,
To suffer our slow compassion
That tarries until too late.
And it's not the thing you do, dear,
It's the thing you leave undone,
Which gives you the bitter heartache,

At the setting of the sun.
--Adelaide Proctor
Give what you have; to someone it may be better than you dare to think.
--Longfellow

Faith Pleases God by Billy Graham

Faith Pleases God

Faith pleases God more than anything else. The Christian life is dependent upon faith. We stand on faith; we live on faith. Faith is loved and honored by God more than any other single thing. The Bible teaches that faith is the only approach that we have to God. No man has sins forgiven, no man goes to heaven, no man has assurance of peace and happiness, until he has faith in Jesus Christ. You may be saying, “God, I believe you are a great person, but I do not believe your Word; I do not believe what you say.” In order to please God, you must believe Him. Perhaps your faith is small and weak. It does not matter how big your faith is, but rather, where your faith is. Is it in Christ, the Son of God, who died on the cross for your sins?

Daily Prayer

Lord Jesus, may my faith in You and Your abundant promises be ever increasing each day.
“But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”
‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭11:6‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Remember Failing and Grace by Alistair Begg

And Peter remembered. . . . And he broke down and wept.
Mark 14:72
It has been thought by some that as long as Peter lived, the fountain of his tears began to flow whenever he remembered that he had denied his Lord. It is not unlikely that it was so (for his sin was very great, and grace in him had afterwards a perfect work). This same experience is common to all the redeemed family according to the degree in which the Spirit of God has removed the natural heart of stone.
We, like Peter, remember our boastful promise: "Though they all fall away because of you, I will never fall away."1 We eat our own words with the bitter herbs of repentance. When we think of what we vowed we would be and of what we have been, we may weep whole showers of grief. He remembered denying his Lord--the place in which he did it, the little cause that led him into such heinous sin, the oaths and blasphemies with which he sought to confirm his falsehood, and the dreadful hardness of heart that drove him to do so again and yet again. Can we, when we are reminded of our sins and their exceeding sinfulness, remain stolid and stubborn? Will we not make our house a place of sacrifice and cry to the Lord for renewed assurances of pardoning love?
May we never take a dry-eyed look at sin, in case we discover our tongue parched in the flames of hell. Peter also remembered his Master's look of love. The Lord followed up the rooster's warning voice with an admonitory look of sorrow, pity, and love. That glance was never out of Peter's mind so long as he lived. It was far more effectual than ten thousand sermons would have been without the Spirit. The penitent apostle would be sure to weep when he remembered the Savior's full forgiveness, which restored him to his former place. To think that we have offended so kind and good a Lord is more than sufficient reason for being constant weepers. Lord, smite our rocky hearts, and make the waters flow.

How to share Christ without fear / Senior Living

How to share Christ without fear
July 30
For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline. - >2 Timothy 1:7
Judge John Lowell of Boston had a reputation as a harsh man. One morning at breakfast, Lowell was reading his morning paper when a frightened maid stepped into the room and whispered something into his wife’s ear.
Fearing she would be fired, the maid waited silently while Mrs. Lowell relayed the news that the cook had burned Mr. Lowell’s oatmeal, there was no more in the house, and for the first time in 17 years, Mr. Lowell would have to go without his morning bowl of oats.
Without missing a beat, the old judge responded, “It’s all right, dear. Frankly, I never cared much for it anyhow.”
There’s often a difference between how we think people are going to react to something and how they actually do react. This is especially true when it comes to sharing Christ. Many people struggle to begin talking about spiritual matters because they’re afraid others might be offended and angry, perhaps irreparably damaging their relationship.
But the truth is that even if they don’t accept it, most people are open to discussing such matters and will at least provide a listening ear. So don’t fear sharing Christ. Tell others about His love and grace without fear!
Prayer Challenge
Pray and ask God to give you the words to say to those who need to hear about the Good News of Jesus.
Questions for Thought
What do you think is the real reason behind the attitude that others will reject us if we share Jesus with them?
When we assume we know how someone will react to the gospel, are we relying on our own power to convince them or the Holy Spirit?

A Merry Heart by David Jeremiah

A Merry Heart

A merry heart does good, like medicine, but a broken spirit dries the bones.
Proverbs 17:22
A lot of books have been written for high school students preparing them for the ups and downs of living with college roommates. One is called 52 Ways to Get Along With Your College Roommate. Other titles: The Roommate Book; The College Roommate From Hell: Skills and Strategies for Surviving With a Problem Roommate; and My Roommate Is Driving Me Crazy! 

Recommended Reading:
Proverbs 15:13-15
It isn’t easy to live with another person. Whether in a dormitory, in barracks, or in a home, it takes God’s grace to live happily and harmoniously. How vital to stay positive and cultivate a merry heart! The Bible says:
  • “A merry heart makes a cheerful countenance” (Proverbs 15:13).
  • “A merry heart has a continual feast” (Proverbs 15:15).
  •  “Go, eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a merry heart; for God has already accepted your works” (Ecclesiastes 9:7).
May God give us all a merry heart that will be like an elixir for those with whom we live!

A merry heart, a merry heart, it shines upon the face, / and insures you a welcome at every time and place.
Mrs. A. Jones, a nineteenth-century poet

Spiritual Growth and Rewards by John MacArthur

Spiritual Growth and Rewards

“Therefore, brethren, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you; for as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble; for in this way the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be abundantly supplied to you” (2 Peter 1:10-11).
The pursuit of virtue results in assurance now and eternal reward later.
Assurance is a great blessing, as Peter tells us in verse 10 of today’s passage. However, it is not the only thing you will enjoy if you are pursuing godly virtues. Years ago a Jewish teenager named Marvin learned about the additional blessing of rewards from the lady who led him to Christ. Before he left home to join the Marines as a struggling, often persecuted believer, she told him: “You’re a true Christian, Marvin. . . . One day when your earthly life ends you will go to Heaven because of what the Messiah has done for you. But if, when you get to Heaven, there is a great big parade and if in the front of the parade there is a great big band—if you don’t change your way of living, you’ll be so far back in the line that you won’t even hear the music.” Marvin got the message and eventually became a dedicated Christian teacher and evangelist.
You and I also must be living our lives in light of eternity—laying up treasures in Heaven, pursuing the virtues symbolized by gold, silver, and precious stones, not giving attention to those lesser things represented by wood, hay, and straw (see 1 Cor. 3:10-15). Those of us who earnestly pursue the virtues of 2 Peter 1 will receive a superabundant reward. And that’s not a crass motive for good works, because all believers will one day place their crowns (rewards) before God’s throne as an act of homage (see 2 Tim. 4:7-8; Rev. 4:10).
Examine yourself to see if there’s any moral virtue in your life. If you see none, you can’t assume you’re saved. If you see some and it’s growing, though not perfectly, you can be “certain about His calling and choosing you” (2 Peter 1:10). And you can be confident His reward “will be abundantly supplied to you” (v. 11).
Suggestions for Prayer
Thank the Lord for the eternal rewards that await those believers who have been faithful.
For Further Study
Read Ephesians 1:18; 2:7; and 1 Timothy 6:17. What do those verses say about God’s blessings and rewards?

Monday, July 29, 2019

Do You See Jesus in Your Clouds? by Oswald Chambers

Do You See Jesus in Your Clouds?
Behold, He is coming with clouds…  REVELATION 1:7
In the Bible clouds are always associated with God. Clouds are the sorrows, sufferings, or providential circumstances, within or without our personal lives, which actually seem to contradict the sovereignty of God. Yet it is through these very clouds that the Spirit of God is teaching us how to walk by faith. If there were never any clouds in our lives, we would have no faith. “The clouds are the dust of His feet” (Nahum 1:3). They are a sign that God is there. What a revelation it is to know that sorrow, bereavement, and suffering are actually the clouds that come along with God! God cannot come near us without clouds— He does not come in clear-shining brightness.
It is not true to say that God wants to teach us something in our trials. Through every cloud He brings our way, He wants us to unlearnsomething. His purpose in using the cloud is to simplify our beliefs until our relationship with Him is exactly like that of a child— a relationship simply between God and our own souls, and where other people are but shadows. Until other people become shadows to us, clouds and darkness will be ours every once in a while. Is our relationship with God becoming more simple than it has ever been?
There is a connection between the strange providential circumstances allowed by God and what we know of Him, and we have to learn to interpret the mysteries of life in the light of our knowledge of God. Until we can come face to face with the deepest, darkest fact of life without damaging our view of God’s character, we do not yet know Him.
“…they were fearful as they entered the cloud” (Luke 9:34). Is there anyone except Jesus in your cloud? If so, it will only get darker until you get to the place where there is “no one anymore, but only Jesus …” (Mark 9:8; also see Mark 2:7). From My Utmost for His Highest Updated Edition
WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS
The remarkable thing about fearing God is that when you fear God you fear nothing else, whereas if you do not fear God you fear everything else. “Blessed is every one that feareth the Lord”;…
from The Highest Good—The Pilgrim’s Song Book, 537 L

Making Wise Decisions by Charles Stanley

Much of our life can be summed up by the decisions we’ve made right until the present. This is why it’s so important to learn to make wise choices that lead to the life God wants for us. And the foundation for doing so is a firm conviction regarding the truth of God’s Word, which will ground us in every area—relationships, finances, work, church, and the use of our time. 
The unchanging principle of sowing and reaping is one that should guide every decision we make, because a harvest will eventually result from the action we take. Paul contrasted two different ways Christians can sow—either to the Spirit or to the flesh. 
There is a battle raging within us between the desires of the Holy Spirit, who has come to live within us, and the desires of our flesh—those sin patterns and self-serving tendencies remaining in us even after salvation (Gal. 5:17). Our goal should be to put our sinful, selfish desires to death so that we can follow the Spirit as He directs us according to the Scriptures. Therefore, the better we know and understand God’s Word, the more we will be able to discern the Spirit’s leading. 
To make this practical, remember that every time you rehearse a wrong done to you, complain with regard to your situation, gossip about a friend, or indulge an addictive desire, you are sowing to the flesh and will reap more of the same later. But if you let the Spirit lead and empower you, you’ll be able to forgive others, be content in every situation, and acquire holy desires and the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23).

Verses for December 22

 ❄️🧤 “And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for ...