Happy New Year from Our Family to Yours!
Tuesday, December 31, 2019
Yesterday by Oswald Chambers
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An Encounter With God by Charles Stanley
Each Sunday countless people congregate in church buildings to worship God. But for many of them, going to church is merely an item on their checklist—an activity that fulfills their “spiritual duty.” Although they may be moved by the music and sermon, they quickly lose the feeling and return to a life in which God seems distant, and the world’s pleasures begin to look more attractive.
Isaiah’s time apparently wasn’t so different from ours. Listen to God’s assessment: “These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is based on merely human rules they have been taught” (Isa. 29:13 NIV).
What is the solution when God’s people begin to take Him for granted? Isaiah’s encounter with the Lord in today’s reading provides a good example. When he saw God’s awesome holiness, Isaiah was filled with fear and profound awareness of his own sin. In distress, he cried out, “Woe is me, for I am ruined!” (Isa. 6:5). After being cleansed from his sin, his one desire was to serve the Lord as His prophet, and he said, “Here am I. Send me!” (Isa. 6:8).
Although it’s unlikely we will experience a vision like this, every time we open God’s Word, we have an opportunity to see “the King, the Lord of hosts” (Isa. 6:5) as Isaiah did. What’s even more amazing is that this majestic, holy God invites us into an intimate relationship with Him through His Son.
If your spiritual life has become too mechanical, it’s time to approach your time with God differently. Pray for a heart that is open to a true encounter with Him, and wait patiently for His provision.
Beautiful Fruit by Anne Cetas
Beautiful Fruit
“Kids should be able to throw a seed anywhere they want [in the garden] and see what pops up,” suggests Rebecca Lemos-Otero, founder of City Blossoms. While this is not a model for careful gardening, it reflects the reality that each seed has the potential to burst forth with life. Since 2004, City Blossoms has created gardens for schools and neighborhoods in low-income areas. The kids are learning about nutrition and gaining job skills through gardening. Rebecca says, “Having a lively green space in an urban area . . . creates a way for kids to be outside doing something productive and beautiful.”
Jesus told a story about the scattering of seed that had the potential of producing “a hundred times more than was sown” (Luke 8:8). That seed was God’s good news planted on “good soil,” which He explained is “honest, good-hearted people who hear God’s word, cling to it, and patiently produce a huge harvest” (v. 15 nlt).
The only way we can be fruitful, Jesus said, is to stay connected to Him (John 15:4). As we’re taught by Christ and cling to Him, the Spirit produces in us His fruit of “love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control” (Galatians 5:22–23). He uses the fruit He produces in us to touch the lives of others, who are then changed and grow fruit from their own lives. This makes for a beautiful life.
Jesus told a story about the scattering of seed that had the potential of producing “a hundred times more than was sown” (Luke 8:8). That seed was God’s good news planted on “good soil,” which He explained is “honest, good-hearted people who hear God’s word, cling to it, and patiently produce a huge harvest” (v. 15 nlt).
The only way we can be fruitful, Jesus said, is to stay connected to Him (John 15:4). As we’re taught by Christ and cling to Him, the Spirit produces in us His fruit of “love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control” (Galatians 5:22–23). He uses the fruit He produces in us to touch the lives of others, who are then changed and grow fruit from their own lives. This makes for a beautiful life.
How are you staying connected to Jesus? What fruit do you want Him to produce in you?
I want a beautiful life, Father. Please produce Your fruit in me that I might live a life that points others to You.
Why We Have the Bible by Billy Graham
Why We Have the Bible
God caused the Bible to be written for the express purpose of revealing to us God’s plan for His redemption. God caused the Book to be written that He might make His everlasting laws clear to His children, and that they might have His great wisdom to guide them, and His great love to comfort them as they make their way through life. For without the Bible this world would indeed be a dark and frightening place, without signpost or beacon. The Bible easily qualifies as the only book in which God’s revelation is contained.
There are many bibles of different religions; there is the Mohammedan Koran, the Buddhist Canon of Sacred Scripture, the Zoroastrian Zend-Avesta, and the Brahman Veda . . . They all begin with some flashes of true light, and end in utter darkness. Even the most casual observer soon discovers that the Bible is radically different. It is the only Book that offers redemption to us and points the way out of our dilemma.
There are many bibles of different religions; there is the Mohammedan Koran, the Buddhist Canon of Sacred Scripture, the Zoroastrian Zend-Avesta, and the Brahman Veda . . . They all begin with some flashes of true light, and end in utter darkness. Even the most casual observer soon discovers that the Bible is radically different. It is the only Book that offers redemption to us and points the way out of our dilemma.
Daily Prayer
Lord Jesus, as I read Your Word, Your truth shines through and illuminates a dark world.
“but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name.”
John 20:31 NASB
Time Is God's Gift to Us / Senior Living
Time Is God's Gift to Us
My days are swifter than a weaver's shuttle… --Job 7:6
Where are we going so fast? Scientific measurements indicate that we are moving even when we are standing still. Continental land masses sit on enormous slabs of rock that slide very slowly at the rate of 1 to 8 inches per year. In addition, America is gradually moving westward, away from Europe, at the rate of 3 inches per year.
Consider this: our Milky Way galaxy is hurtling through space at 375 miles per second or 1.3 million miles per hour. And within our own galaxy, the sun and its solar system are zooming along at 12.4 miles per second toward the star Vega in the constellation Lyra.
If you were to lie on your back in a quiet park on a cloudless day, you may feel as though all time and movement have stopped under the warm rays of the sun. And when you're walking down the street, you don't notice the earth spinning beneath your feet. But the scientist and the Christian know otherwise. Just as we are hurtling through the heavens at unimaginable speeds according to science, so too are we moving from here to eternity.
Our days and opportunities to live for the Lord and share Him with others pass so quickly that we cannot afford to waste any more time. It is important that we remember our days are numbered and life is but "a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes" (James 4:14). Time is God's gift to you, so worship Him, live for Him, and bring others to the saving knowledge of His grace and forgiveness in the days you have left. Live dynamically for Christ today because tomorrow may not come.
PRAYER CHALLENGE: Ask the Lord to help you live without desperation or futility as you travel quickly from your earthly home to your heavenly home.
Would You Like a Second Chance? by Adrian Rogers
Would You Like a Second Chance?
Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light. See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Ephesians 5:14-16
We stand on the threshold of a new year. And if you’re like me, you make resolutions that go in one year and out the other.
We determine we’re going to do this or that or not do this or that. And then at the end of the year we look back and see we’ve failed to some degree to keep our resolutions.
But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t resolve again, by the grace of God, because I have wonderful news for you. The God we serve is the God of grace, the God of forgiveness and the God of beginning again. Don’t forget it. He’s the God of a new start. He’s the God of the second chance.
God’s two great gifts to you are: number one, Jesus, and number two, TIME. God has given you time to work, time to serve, time to love, time to laugh, time to labor. But like any gift, how you use it is really up to you. See this day and every day as a gift from God.
Get Past Your Past by Greg Laurie
Get Past Your Past
No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead. (Philippians 3:13 nlt)
I heard about an interesting New Year’s Eve custom in Italy. As evening approaches, the streets are cleared and even the police take cover. Then at the stroke of midnight, the windows of the houses fly open, and every member of the family pitches out a whole catalog of personal possessions that remind them of something in the past year they’re determined to wipe out of their minds.
The apostle Paul recognized the importance of putting the past behind him as well. He said, “I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead” (Philippians 3:13 nlt).
We cannot live in the past. We cannot be controlled by past mistakes or live in past victories. So if you have blown it in past year, learn from it. And don’t do it anymore. Make changes in your behavior, in your habits, and in your choices to avoid going down that road again. Learn from your mistakes.
At the same time, don’t live in past victories. If God did something wonderful in your life in the last year, be thankful for that. But a new year is before you with many new opportunities. So press on for what God has for you.
Paul continued, “I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us” (verse 14 nlt). If you’re a runner, you know there is pain involved in running a race, especially if you’re running a marathon. After a while, it is hard to move one foot in front of the other.
In the same way, the Christian life is not a cake walk. It’s a battle. Paul was saying, “I’m straining to move forward.” These words are for every follower of Jesus Christ. So press on toward what God has for you.
Sitting in the Sonlight by Stephen Davey
| Sitting in the Sonlight |
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| John 15:5 "I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing." James Montgomery Boice wrote about a dinner he had with a fellow pastor. During the meal, the pastor relayed to Boice the story of a man who had challenged him deeply in his walk with Christ. Bishop James Ussher, an old man who was once a notable Bible chronologist, suffered from many diseases, and was crippled by an inflammation in his joints. His condition forced him to stay home, unable to participate in normal activities. A visitor hoped to encourage Dr. Ussher, and didn't know that he was the one who would be most encouraged. The experience that day gave him a life-changing perspective. It seems that every day Dr. Ussher asked his nurse to seat him by the east window in the morning, where he could enjoy the warmth of the rising sun. At noon, his nurse moved him to a window with southern exposure, where the warm rays of the midday sun cheered and soothed him. As the afternoon wore on, he was moved again to a window facing westward, and he sat watching the sun slip below the horizon. As the pastor recalled to Boice during their meal, "Dr. Ussher spent his day literally abiding in the sun." What an incredible reminder to us! How closely do we follow theSon? Are you abiding in Him as He commanded? If you focus your energy on abiding in Christ, He will reproduce His character in you, over time. That is His promise to us. All those who choose to abide in Him, to literally walk with a constant acknowledgment of His presence, will eventually bear the same qualities that distinguish Him. Think of it this way: You never sat down with your child and said, "Okay, I'm going to teach you to talk just like me, and speak your words with my accent and inflection." Mom, you didn't give your little girl lessons on how to hold her hands like you do; Dad, you didn't give your son a lesson on how to walk like you do. They learned it over the years of abiding with you—you literally rubbed off on them. And they are not the only ones who bear resemblances to their parents. Even now, things that you learned from your father and mother are manifested in a variety of situations. You can't fight it . . . this is an inevitable result of spending time with someone, observing and imitating both the desired and undesired characteristics. Resemblance is the result of relationship. That's why we must focus our eyes on Christ and give daily attention to our relationship with Him. He will teach us to talk like Him, walk like Him, view life like Him, and love like Him. When you begin to abide in Christ, people will not see you only, but Christ in you. It will be His life, through you, responding to the daily environment and conditions that affect you. Like Dr. Ussher, we are all crippled and in need of Sonlight. We need His warmth and soothing touch. So pull up your chair beside the window of God's Word, gaze upon the glory of the Son, and reflect the warmth of His light . . . the true Sonlight. |
| Prayer Point:Ask the Lord to give your heart contentment in His presence; ask Him to cause you to long for His presence in your daily activities; take time to talk to Him throughout the most mundane activities you perform today. |
| Extra Refreshment:Read Ephesians 5, where Paul calls believers to imitate God just as a child imitates his parents. |
Wonder of Wonders by Alistair Begg
Wonder of Wonders
On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, 'If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink.'John 7:37
Patience had her perfect work in the Lord Jesus, and until the last day of the feast He pleaded with the Jews, even as on this last day of the year He pleads with us and waits to be gracious to us. The long-suffering of the Savior is truly admirable as He bears with some of us year after year despite our insults, rebellions, and resistance to His Holy Spirit. Wonder of wonders that we are still in the land of mercy!
Mercy expressed herself most plainly, for Jesus "cried," which implies not only the loudness of His voice, but the tenderness of His tones. He entreats us to be reconciled. "God making his appeal through us," says the apostle, "we implore you on behalf of Christ . . ." What earnest, pathetic terms are these! How deep the Father's love that causes Him to weep over sinners and, like a mother, to tenderly call His children to Himself! Surely at the sound of such a cry our willing hearts will come.
Provision is made most generously: Everything that man needs to quench his soul's thirst is available. To his conscience the Atonement brings peace; to his understanding the Gospel brings the richest instruction; to his heart the person of Jesus is the noblest object of affection; to the whole man the truth as it is in Jesus supplies the purest nourishment. Thirst is terrible, but Jesus can remove it. Even if the soul were utterly famished, Jesus can restore it.
Proclamation is made most freely, that every thirsty one is welcome. No other distinction is made but that of thirst. Whether it be the thirst of greed, ambition, pleasure, knowledge, or rest, he who suffers from it is invited. The thirst may be bad in itself, and not be a sign of grace, but a mark of inordinate sin that longs to satisfy itself with deeper lust; but it is not goodness in the creature that brings him the invitation-the Lord Jesus sends it freely and without respect of persons.
Personality is declared most fully. The sinner must come to Jesus-not to works, ordinances, or doctrines but to a personal Redeemer who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree. The bleeding, dying, rising Savior is the only ray of hope to a sinner. Oh, for grace to come now and drink, before the sun sets upon the year's last day!
No waiting or preparation is even hinted at. Drinking represents a reception that has no special requirements. A fool, a thief, a harlot can drink; our sinfulness is no barrier to the invitation to believe in Jesus. We need no golden cup, no fine china, in which to convey the water to the thirsty; the mouth of poverty is welcome to stoop down and drink of the life-giving stream. Blistered, leprous, filthy lips may touch the stream of divine love; they cannot pollute it but will themselves be purified. Jesus is the fount of hope. Dear reader, listen to the dear Redeemer's loving voice as He cries to each of us, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink."
December 31 / Wisdom from the Psalms
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A Blessed New Year by David Jeremiah
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The Preeminence of Christ by John MacArthur
The Preeminence of Christ
“[Christ] is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the first-born from the dead; so that He Himself might come to have first place in everything. For it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fulness to dwell in Him” (Colossians 1:18-19).
Christ has preeminence in everything.
The apostle Paul presents four great truths in Colossians 1:18 about Christ’s relation to the church. The first is that Christ is the head of the church. This concept looks at the church as a living organism, inseparably tied together by the living Christ. He controls every part of it and gives it life and direction (cf. 1 Cor. 12:12-20).
Christ is also the source of the church. The Greek word translated “beginning” (arche) is used here in the twofold sense of source and primacy. The church has its origins in Jesus. God “chose us in Him before the foundation of the world” (Ephesians 1:4). As head of the Body, Jesus holds the chief position or highest rank in the church. As the beginning, He is its originator.
Another truth is that Christ is the first-born from the dead. Of all those who have been raised from the dead or ever will be, Christ is the highest in rank. Furthermore, it is Christ who will cause the resurrection of others (John 5:28-29; 6:40).
Finally, Christ is the preeminent One. As a result of His death and resurrection, Jesus has come to have first place in everything. Paul states that truth to drive home as forcefully as he can that Jesus is not merely another emanation from God.
Paul then summarizes his argument by saying that all the fullness of deity dwells in Christ alone (Col. 1:19). It is not spread out in small doses to a group of spirits, as the false teachers were saying. Rather, in Christ, and Him alone, believers are “complete” (2:10).
What should be your response to the glorious truths about Christ in Colossians 1:15-19? Be encouraged to meditate on the glory of Christ as revealed in this passage. Doing so will help you be transformed into Christ’s image and will prepare you to behold His glory in Heaven.
Suggestions for Prayer
Thank the Lord for each of the four truths discussed above.
For Further Study
According to John 1:16, what have you received?
Victory in Jesus by Stephen Davey
| Victory in Jesus |
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| 1 John 5:4 For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. Sometimes it takes more faith to believe that God is in control of your own personal life than it takes to believe that He is in control of the whole world. When my children were young, my wife, Marsha, read to them before bedtime. One book that I vividly recall her reading was the biography of Adoniram Judson, pioneer missionary to Burma. On one occasion Judson was falsely accused of being an English spy. As a result, he endured a cruel imprisonment by the Burmese government. His wife, Anne, faithfully and courageously attempted to have him released through every possible channel, but to no avail. His prison cell was so tiny that he was forced to stand, while the cells of others allowed room to lie down to sleep. The sun was unbearably hot at times; prisoners were never allowed to bathe; pain filled every fiber of his body as he was tortured day after day. His only respite from the agony of his incarceration was a visit from Anne. In those brief but wonderful moments, she would encourage him with the same message, "Hang on, Adoniram, God will give us the victory." Week after tortuous week, Anne came and encouraged him, delivering the same words, "God will give us the victory." After many months, Adoniram was unexpectedly released and assigned the task of interpreter for affairs between the English and Burmese. Because of this new duty, he was still separated from Anne. Sadly, during his time of absence, Anne became deathly ill. Months passed and Judson was finally allowed to return home a free man. Body broken and weak, he approached the place he once called home. As he slowly limped toward the door, he saw a child sitting in the dirt. The little girl was so covered with filth that he failed, at first, to recognize her as his own daughter. He went into their simple hut, squinting in the darkness, and gasped as he saw the emaciated form of his wife lying on a cot, weakened by disease. Tears coursing down his cheeks, he hugged his daughter close to him and knelt beside the cot. Anne looked up at him and with her last breath, smiled and whispered the words, "Adoniram, God willgive us the victory." If you were to be able somehow to interview the Judsons today, they would no longer be saying, "God will give us the victory"; instead, they would joyfully deliver the news, "God has given us the victory!" Be encouraged, my friend. No matter what you're going through right now, your life is in God's hands. Hold fast to your faith as Anne and Adoniram did, even in the face of squalor and disease, deprivation and disappointment, heartache and loss. Your reward in the end is everlasting, and the celebration of final victory is . . . just ahead! |
| Prayer Point:Pray right now that God will give you the kind of faith that Adoniram and Anne Judson exercised, even in the face of persecution. Then, thank God for giving you victory over sin, death, and the world, through Christ's perfect life, His sacrificial death, and His resurrection. |
Monday, December 30, 2019
“And Every Virtue We Possess” by Oswald Chambers
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God Values Endurance by Charles Stanley
As human beings, we often have a difficult time perceiving what the Lord is doing in our life. We are limited by the passage of time, the confusion of present circumstances, and a lack of understanding regarding God’s goals and His means of accomplishing them. That’s why studying the lives of men and women in Scripture helps us see how the Lord worked in previous generations. God’s relationships with the faithful in earlier times are helpful examples for us today.
When we face uncertainty, we can look to Moses’ example. His life was unpredictable and full of hardship, yet he “endured, as seeing Him who is unseen” (Heb. 11:27). In Greek, the root word for “endurance” refers to the capacity to bear up under difficulty. Moses successfully persevered under pressure by keeping his focus on God rather than on the events surrounding him.
From Moses’ example, we learn that this is what the Lord desires for us as well. Although we may want out of a difficult situation as soon as possible, this may not be God’s aim. It is not His goal to make us as comfortable as can be but, rather, to transform us into the image of His Son. And endurance helps us get there.
If God calls us to endure pain, hardship, or uncertainty, we can find encouragement in knowing we’re never alone. Part of “seeing Him who is unseen” is realizing that God’s grace and comfort carry us through every situation. The Lord doesn’t want us to simply grit our teeth and bear hardship; He desires that we trust Him and bring glory to His name through our dependence.
A Designed Deficiency by David H. Roper
A Designed Deficiency
You did not look to the One who made it, or have regard for the One who planned it long ago. Isaiah 22:11
There’s a natural spring that rises on the east side of the city of Jerusalem. In ancient times it was the city’s only water supply and was located outside the walls. Thus it was the point of Jerusalem’s greatest vulnerability. The exposed spring meant that the city, otherwise impenetrable, could be forced to surrender if an attacker were to divert or dam the spring.
King Hezekiah addressed this weakness by driving a tunnel through 1,750 feet of solid rock from the spring into the city where it flowed into the “Lower Pool” (see 2 Kings 20:20; 2 Chronicles 32:2–4). But in all of this, Hezekiah “did not look to the One who made it, or have regard for the One who planned it long ago” (Isaiah 22:11). Planned what?
God Himself “planned” the city of Jerusalem in such a way that its water supply was unprotected. The spring outside the wall was a constant reminder that the inhabitants of the city must depend solely on Him for their salvation.
Can it be that our deficiencies exist for our good? Indeed, the apostle Paul said that he would “boast” in his limitations, because it was through weakness that the beauty and power of Jesus was seen in him (2 Corinthians 12:9–10). Can we then regard each limitation as a gift that reveals God as our strength?
King Hezekiah addressed this weakness by driving a tunnel through 1,750 feet of solid rock from the spring into the city where it flowed into the “Lower Pool” (see 2 Kings 20:20; 2 Chronicles 32:2–4). But in all of this, Hezekiah “did not look to the One who made it, or have regard for the One who planned it long ago” (Isaiah 22:11). Planned what?
God Himself “planned” the city of Jerusalem in such a way that its water supply was unprotected. The spring outside the wall was a constant reminder that the inhabitants of the city must depend solely on Him for their salvation.
Can it be that our deficiencies exist for our good? Indeed, the apostle Paul said that he would “boast” in his limitations, because it was through weakness that the beauty and power of Jesus was seen in him (2 Corinthians 12:9–10). Can we then regard each limitation as a gift that reveals God as our strength?
What are your deficiencies? How are they helping you gain trust in God?
God, I’m weak. I pray that others would see that You are my strength.
We Can't Out-Give God by Billy Graham
We Can't Out-Give God
We are to be stewards of our money. When it is invested and shared for the glory of God, it can be a boon and a blessing. I know a businessman in Detroit, Michigan, who made a promise to God that he would tithe his entire income to the work of the Lord. He said his business had tripled, and that God had more than fulfilled His end of the bargain.
Some time ago I heard from a laborer in the San Joaquin Valley of California who said that he and his wife agreed to give one tenth of their income to the Lord. At the time they made their decision, he was able to get work only about seven months of the year. Now he says he has steady work, and is earning nearly twice what he was before. You cannot get around it; the Scripture promises material and spiritual benefits to the man who gives to God.
Some time ago I heard from a laborer in the San Joaquin Valley of California who said that he and his wife agreed to give one tenth of their income to the Lord. At the time they made their decision, he was able to get work only about seven months of the year. Now he says he has steady work, and is earning nearly twice what he was before. You cannot get around it; the Scripture promises material and spiritual benefits to the man who gives to God.
You cannot out-give God. I challenge you to try it and see.
Daily Prayer
Forgive me, Lord, for the times I have wanted to keep that which is rightfully Yours.
“‘Thus all the tithe of the land, of the seed of the land or of the fruit of the tree, is the LORD ’ S; it is holy to the LORD.”
Leviticus 27:30 NASB
Will You Be Found Faithful?? by Adrian Rogers
Will You Be Found Faithful??
Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the Lord: His going forth is prepared as the morning; and He shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth. Hosea 6:3
On this New Year’s Eve Eve, you may be wondering what the future holds. What’s going to happen?
Years ago, some men were on a leaky ship in the middle of a rough sea. One of them asked the captain, “Are we safe?” He said, “Well, the boilers are weak and may explode at any moment. The ship is taking on water. To be honest with you, we may go up, or we may go down. But at any rate, we’re going on.”
That’s the way we face this new year. Jesus may come; we may go up. We may die; we’ll go down and then up. But at any rate, we’re going on. Whatever the new year holds, as a child of God, we march on. For when He comes, we want to be found faithful. May it be said of us, as it was of Daniel, “…forasmuch as he was faithful, neither was there any error or fault found in him” Daniel 6:4. And to the early church, Paul said, “Moreover it is required in stewards that a man be found faithful (1 Corinthians 4:2).
Reflecting on this past year, allow the Holy Spirit to invade your heart, convicting and drawing you to Himself. Ask for wisdom, courage, and faith to continue on, whatever happens this next year!
Winning the Battle of the Mind by Greg Laurie
Winning the Battle of the Mind
Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. (Philippians 4:8 nlt)
In the movie Kung Fu Panda 3, Master Shifu makes this statement: “Before the battle of the fist comes the battle of the mind.”
How true. The spiritual battle we’re in starts with the mind. It’s command central. We are the air traffic controllers of our minds. Just as an air traffic controller decides what plane flies where at what altitude, we decide what thoughts will come into our minds.
The way we’re thinking will determine the way we’ll be living. We have to start with the thoughts that come into our minds and be very careful about what we let in.
As the old adage says, “You can’t stop a bird from flying over your head, but you can stop it from building a nest in your hair.” In other words, we can’t stop whatever random, evil, or strange thoughts that come knocking on the door of our imaginations, but we don’t have to invite them in for lunch.
I love what the apostle Paul wrote in Philippians 4: “Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise” (verse 8 nlt).
The Message puts it this way: “Summing it all up, friends, I’d say you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse.”
When those thoughts of fear or worry come to you at three o’clock in the morning, run them through the grid of Philippians 4:8. Say, “This is not from God. This isn’t true, and it isn’t helpful. I reject this thought, and I’m replacing it with another thought from Scripture.”
That is how you win the battle of the mind.
December 30 / Streams in the Desert
"Peter was kept in prison: but prayer (instant and earnest prayer) was made for him"(Acts 12:5, margin).
Peter was in prison awaiting his execution. The Church had neither human power nor influence to save him. There was no earthly help, but there was help to be obtained by the way of Heaven. They gave themselves to fervent, importunate prayer. God sent His angel, who aroused Peter from sleep and led him out through the first and second wards of the prison; and when they came to the iron gate, it opened to them of its own accord, and Peter was free.
There may be some iron gate in your life that has blocked your way. Like a caged bird you have often beaten against the bars, but instead of helping, you have only had to fall back tired, exhausted and sore at heart. There is a secret for you to learn, and that is believing prayer; and when you come to the iron gate, it will open of its own accord.
How much wasted energy and sore disappointment will be saved if you will learn to pray as did the Church in the upper room! Insurmountable difficulties will disappear; adverse circumstances will prove favorable if you learn to pray, not with your own faith but with the faith of God (Mark 11:22, margin). Souls in prison have been waiting for years for the gate to open; love ones out of Christ, bound by Satan, will be set free when you pray till you definitely believe God.
--C. H. P.
--C. H. P.
Emergencies call for intense prayer. When the man becomes the prayer nothing can resist its touch. Elijah on Carmel, bowed down on the ground, with his face between his knees, that was prayer--the man himself.
No words are mentioned. Prayer can be too tense for words. The man's whole being was in touch with God, and was set with God against the powers of evil. They couldn't withstand such praying. There's more of this embodied praying needed.
--The Bent-knee Time
--The Bent-knee Time
"Groanings which cannot be uttered are often prayers which cannot be refused."
--C. H. Spurgeon
--C. H. Spurgeon
Anticipate the End by Alistair Begg
Anticipate the End
Better is the end of a thing than its beginning.Ecclesiastes 7:8
Look at David's Lord and Master; consider His beginning. He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. Then look at the end! He sits at His Father's right hand, waiting until His enemies are made his footstool. "As he is so we are also in this world."1 You must bear the cross or you will never wear the crown; you must wade through the water or you will never walk the golden pavement.
Cheer up, then, poor Christian. "Better is the end of a thing than its beginning." View the creeping worm--how contemptible its appearance! It is the beginning of a thing. Mark that insect with gorgeous wings, playing in the sunbeams, sipping at the flowers, full of happiness and life--that is the worm's end. You are that caterpillar, wrapped up in the chrysalis of death; but when Christ appears, you will be like Him, for you will see Him as He is.
Be content to be like Him, a worm and no man, so that like Him you may be satisfied when you wake up in His likeness. The rough-looking diamond is put upon the wheel of the gem-smith. He cuts it on all sides. It loses much--much that seemed costly to itself. The king is crowned; the diadem is put upon the monarch's head accompanied by the trumpet's joyful sound. A glittering ray flashes from that coronet, and it beams from that same diamond that was so recently fashioned at the wheel.
You may venture to compare yourself to such a diamond, for you are one of God's people; and this is the time of the cutting process. Let faith and patience have their perfect work, for in the day when the crown is set upon the head of the King, eternal, immortal, invisible, one ray of glory shall stream from you. "They shall be mine, says the LORD of Hosts, in the day when I make up my treasured possession."2 "Better is the end of a thing than its beginning."
How to Have Victory Against Your Spiritual Enemy / Senior Living
How to Have Victory Against Your Spiritual Enemy
Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings. - 1 Peter 5:8-9
One famous and effective tactic thieves often use to rob a store is to distract. They enter the store as a group. Then, one or two separate themselves from the group while the others start a loud commotion in another section of the store. This grabs the attention of the customers, as well as the store clerk.
As all eyes are turned to the disturbance, the accomplices fill their pockets with merchandise and cash, and then leave the store before anyone even suspects what happened. Hours, or even days later, the merchant realizes things are missing and calls the police. But it’s too late… the thieves are long gone.
This strategy is effective for stealing—as well as for tempting! You see, the enemy loves to seduce us into paying attention to the distractions of life, all the while causing havoc unnoticed in other areas. And if this tactic is successful, we don’t realize it before it’s too late and sin has already taken hold of our lives!
It’s crucial we check our spiritual pockets now and then to stay on-guard against Satan. It’s helpful to have others in our lives who can point out weaknesses in our defense as well. When you keep watch against the enemy, you’ll be better positioned to fight off temptation to sin and experience victory in your daily spiritual battles!
Prayer Challenge
Pray that God would give you the soberness of mind to stay alert and identify when the enemy is trying to distract you from obedience.
Questions for Thought
Why do you believe the enemy wants to see you fail spiritually?
Who are some people you can talk with regularly about areas of spiritual vulnerability in each other’s lives?
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