May 2 / Streams in the Desert by L.B. Cowman

Streams in the Desert The Lord hath prepared his throne in the heavens; and his kingdom ruleth over all (Ps. 103:19). Some time since, in the early spring, I was going out at my door when round the corner came a blast of east wind--defiant and  pitiless, fierce and withering--sending a cloud of dust before it. I was just taking the latchkey from the door as I said, half impatiently, "I wish the wind would"--I was going to say change;  but the word was checked, and the sentence was never finished. As I went on my way, the incident became a parable to me. There came an angel holding out a key; and he said: "My Master sends thee His love, and bids me give you this." "What is it?" I asked, wondering. "The key of the winds," said the angel, and disappeared. Now indeed should I be happy. I hurried away up into the heights whence the winds came, and stood amongst the caves. "I will have done with the east wind at any rate--and that shall plague us no more," I cried; and calling in that friendless wind, I closed the door, and heard the echoes ringing in the hollow places. I turned the key triumphantly. "There," I said, now we have done with that." "What shall I choose in its place?" I asked myself, looking about me. "The south wind is pleasant"; and I thought of the lambs, and the young life on every hand, and the flowers that had begun to deck the hedgerows. But as I set the key within the door, it began to burn my hand. "What am I doing?" I cried; "who knows what mischief I may bring about? How do I know what the fields want! Ten thousand things of ill may come of this foolish wish of mine." Bewildered and ashamed, I looked up and prayed that the Lord would send His angel yet again to take the key; and for my part I promised that I would never want to have it any more. But lo, the Lord Himself stood by me. He reached His hand to take the key; and as I laid it down, I saw that it rested against the sacred wound-print. It hurt me indeed that I could ever have murmured against anything wrought by Him who bare such sacred tokens of His love. Then He took the key and hung it on His girdle. "Dost THOU keep the key of the winds?" I asked. "I do, my child," He answered graciously. And lo, I looked again and there hung all the keys of all my life. He saw my look of amazement, and asked, "Didst thou not know, my child, that my kingdom ruleth over all?" "Over all, my Lord!" I answered; "then it is not safe for me to murmur at anything?" Then did He lay His hand upon me tenderly. "My child," He said, "thy only safety is, in everything, to love and trust and praise." --Mark Guy Pearse

NIV 365 / The Fight Within

The NIV 365-Day Devotional Reading Plan

Day 123 of 365 The Fight Within In his book of semi-philosophical and satirical stories titled Fuzzy Memories, Jack Handey writes: "There used to be this bully who would demand my lunch money every day. Since I was smaller, I would give it to him. But then I decided to fight back. I started taking karate lessons. But then the karate lesson guy said I had to start paying him five dollars a lesson. So I just went back to paying the bully." Isn't that like most of us? We figure it's easier to pay the bully than to learn how to defeat him. Sadly, in the same way, we often continue to live in sin rather than to wage war to destroy it. We allow sin to reign rather than dethroning it. We succumb to defeat rather than learning the countermeasures that lead to victory. Before we beat ourselves up too much, we can find comfort in the apostle Paul's confession that he too struggled with sin. He recognized that he couldn't escape being a sinner. Yet because sin ultimately leads to death, if he didn't deal with it his sin would destroy him. He had a fight on his hands, one he waged daily. How can we win the fight and defeat the power of sin? Honestly, we can't. We possess neither the strength nor the moral completeness to win such a monumental battle. For victory we must, like Paul, rely solely on Jesus Christ. His sacrifice on the cross, bearing the sins of all human beings, provides our only hope for dethroning the power of sin. Sin is too serious to face alone. Victory over sin requires calling on Jesus, the Victor, all day and every day. Taken from NIV Men's Devotional Bible Romans 6:15-23 Romans 6:15-23 KJV 15 What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid. 16 Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? 17 But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. 18 Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness. 19 I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness. 20 For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness. 21 What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death. 22 But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. 23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

God is in Nature by Billy Graham

Day By Day With Billy Graham

Day 123 of 366 God is in Nature To look into a microscope is to see another universe so small that only the electronic microscope can even find it. For instance, it is revealed that one single snowflake in a snowstorm with millions of other snowflakes is the equivalent of twenty billion electrons. Scientists are learning that the miniature world of a single living cell is as astonishing as man himself. God says that we can learn a great deal about Him just by observing nature. Because He has spoken through His universe, all men are without excuse for not believing in Him. This is why the Psalmist said, "The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God" (Psalm 14:1). Daily Prayer The infinitesimal beauty of Your creation speaks to my heart of the certainty of Your presence, almighty and everlasting God. Psalms 8:3 Psalms 8:3 KJV 3 When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained;

The Golden River by David Jeremiah

Monday, May 2 The Golden River In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 1 John 4:10-11 Recommended Reading 1 John 4:7-19 Love is an emotion that’s hard to describe. It’s an emotional longing for another person and a deep satisfaction when that love is reciprocated. It suffers intense anguish when it isn’t. Love is an attitude that operates more deeply than feelings. Attitudes are dispositions of the heart that anchor our emotions, just as the unshakable mountains support the trees on its slopes. Love is a supernatural virtue instilled in us by God. “The fruit of the Spirit is love…” (Galatians 5:22). Love is an action. It manifests itself in selfless service. When we love others, we do things for them. “Whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?” (1 John 3:17) Love is a choice. We can determine in our hearts to love even the unlovely. This comprehensive, inclusive quality of love can only be experienced by opening our lives to Calvary. When we receive God’s love through Jesus Christ, it flows through us to others like a golden river. Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God (1 John 4:7). A Single Thought: Just as God chose to love us, we must choose to love others.

Shine Through / Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread -- Shine Through May 2, 2016

Read: Matthew 5:13-16 Bible in a Year: 1 Kings 12-13; Luke 22:1-20 Let your light shine before others. —Matthew 5:16 A little girl wondered what a saint might be. One day her mother took her to a great cathedral to see the gorgeous stained-glass windows with scenes from the Bible. When she saw the beauty of it all she cried out loud, “Now I know what saints are. They are people who let the light shine through!” Some of us might think that saints are people of the past who lived perfect lives and did Jesus-like miracles. But when a translation of Scripture uses the word saint, it is actually referring to anyone who belongs to God through faith in Christ. In other words, saints are people like us who have the high calling of serving God while reflecting our relationship with Him wherever we are and in whatever we do. That is why the apostle Paul prayed that the eyes and understanding of his readers would be opened to think of themselves as the treasured inheritance of Christ and saints of God (Eph. 1:18). So what then do we see in the mirror? No halos or stained glass. But if we are fulfilling our calling, we will look like people who, maybe even without realizing it, are letting the rich colors of the love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control of God shine through. —Keila Ochoa Lord, You are the light of the world. Thank You for wanting to shine that light in our lives. Cleanse me today so that I may let Your light shine through. Saints are people through whom God’s light shines. INSIGHT: In John’s gospel we see that Jesus often refers to Himself as “light.” In John 8:12 and 9:5 He calls Himself “the light of the world.” He also uses this light language to talk about the kingdom of God He came to establish. In John 3:19 Jesus tells Nicodemus, “This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.” When Jesus tells believers that they are the light of the world (Matt. 5:14), He is in a sense issuing an invitation to Christlikeness. As followers of Jesus we have been given the opportunity to shine the light of His love into the dark and dying world. Dennis Moles

May 1 / One Minute Devotionals

Faith— Not Emotion

May 1, 2016

We walk by faith, not by sight. —2 Corinthians 5:7

For a while, we are fully aware of God’s concern for us. But then, when God begins to use us in His work, we begin to take on a pitiful look and talk only of our trials and difficulties. And all the while God is trying to make us do our work as hidden people who are not in the spotlight. None of us would be hidden spiritually if we could help it. Can we do our work when it seems that God has sealed up heaven? Some of us always want to be brightly illuminated saints with golden halos and with the continual glow of inspiration, and to have other saints of God dealing with us all the time. A self-assured saint is of no value to God. He is abnormal, unfit for daily life, and completely unlike God. We are here, not as immature angels, but as men and women, to do the work of this world. And we are to do it with an infinitely greater power to withstand the struggle because we have been born from above.

If we continually try to bring back those exceptional moments of inspiration, it is a sign that it is not God we want. We are becoming obsessed with the moments when God did come and speak with us, and we are insisting that He do it again. But what God wants us to do is to “walk by faith.” How many of us have set ourselves aside as if to say, “I cannot do anything else until God appears to me”? He will never do it. We will have to get up on our own, without any inspiration and without any sudden touch from God. Then comes our surprise and we find ourselves exclaiming, “Why, He was there all the time, and I never knew it!” Never live for those exceptional moments— they are surprises. God will give us His touches of inspiration only when He sees that we are not in danger of being led away by them. We must never consider our moments of inspiration as the standard way of life— our work is our standard.

WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS

The main characteristic which is the proof of the indwelling Spirit is an amazing tenderness in personal dealing, and a blazing truthfulness with regard to God’s Word. Disciples Indeed, 386 R

The Source of Hope by Charles Stanley

1 Peter 1:3-9

Hope can be defined as the desire for something good and the expectation of receiving it. Jesus Christ is the only genuine source of hope, because He alone knows what is best and also has the sovereignty and power to secure its fulfillment. In contrast, other hopes are grounded on the shifting sands of circumstances beyond our control.

We all have expectations for the future, but these often pertain only to earthly life. Christ promises us the “living hope” of an imperishable inheritance in heaven. Everyday desires will fade away, but our eternal heavenly home is our ultimate security and anchor when life’s storms are severe.

However, heaven can seem far away when pain is present and there’s no relief in sight. So how do we endure trials right now? One way is through hope, which anticipates a change of circumstances for the better.

But what about when our situation isn’t improving—then, what’s the Lord doing that’s “better”? Peter tells us He is refining our faith, which will result in praise and glory when Jesus returns. This proves more valuable than gold or even relief from our distress. What a paradox! The difficulties that cause us to lose hope are the very tools God uses to increase our faith and hope in Him.

Christ promises us hope not only for eternity but also for this life. Those times that God does not deliver us from difficulty, we can be sure He is doing a greater work within us. When we finally reach our eternal home, we’ll recognize the immeasurable value of the faith He produced in us as we kept our hope in Him.

Only Two Religions in the World by D.James Kennedy

Today’s devotional reading for: SUNDAY, MAY 1, 2016   Only Two Religions in the World   This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the worst. —1 Timothy 1:15 Devotion: There are only two religions in the world, and it is not the religion of Christ and the religion of Buddha, the religion of Christ and the religion of Muhammad, the religion of anyone and the religion of somebody else. It is either Christ Himself, or it is YOU, because every pagan religion teaches you to save yourself by your own goodness. However, if there is anything that the Bible teaches from one end to the other, it is that you cannot do it! No man can save himself. “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).  “[T]ogether they [we] have become unprofitable” (v.12).  “He who does not believe is condemned already . . .” (John 3:18). In the Garden of Gethsemane, Christ was, in effect, saying, “Buddha, come, take a drink. Mohammed, won’t you take some of this cup?  Confucius, it’s yours.”  But there was no answer. It was not possible that anyone else could drink the cup.  They would have been instantly extinguished when the infinite wrath of God fell upon them on the Cross. Question to ponder: Have you ever tried to save yourself by being “good enough”?

Standing on the Inside by Adrian Rogers

Love Worth Finding MAY 1 Standing on the Inside “For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry…” - 1 Samuel 15:23 There is a classic story about a father who told his little four year old son to sit down, but the son didn’t sit down. So the father said a second time, “Son, I said sit down.” The boy still didn’t sit down. Finally, the father took him by the shoulders and forcefully placed him in the chair. He said, “Now, Son, sit there!” The little boy answered, “Okay, I may be sitting down but—” he added defiantly, “I’m standing up on the inside!” A lot of us are in that mode. A rebellious spirit is not always discernible except to God and the person who has it. Is there some area in your life where you’re “standing up on the inside”? If on the inside you still harbor a rebellious spirit, you are not really “obeying.”

May 1 / Streams in the Desert by L.B. Cowman

Streams in the Desert

God that cannot lie promised (Titus 1:2). Faith is not working up by will power a sort of certainty that something is coming to pass, but it is seeing as an actual fact that God has said that this thing shall come to pass, and that it is true, and then rejoicing to know that it is true, and just resting because God has said it. Faith turns the promise into a prophecy. While it is merely a promise it is contingent upon our cooperation. But when faith claims it, it becomes a prophecy, and we go forth feeling that it is something that must be done because God cannot lie. --Days of Heaven upon Earth I hear men praying everywhere for more faith, but when I listen to them carefully, and get at the real heart of their prayer, very often it is not more faith at all that they are wanting, but a change from faith to sight. Faith says not, "I see that it is good for me, so God must have sent it," but, "God sent it, and so it must be good for me." Faith, walking in the dark with God, only prays Him to clasp its hand more closely. --Phillips Brooks The Shepherd does not ask of thee Faith in thy faith, but only faith in Him; And this He meant in saying, 'Come to me.' In light or darkness seek to do His will, And leave the. work of faith to Jesus still.

NIV 365 / How Can We Gain Victory Over Our Secret Sins?

The NIV 365-Day Devotional Reading Plan

Day 122 of 365 How Can We Gain Victory Over Our Secret Sins? It would be wonderful if our relationship with Jesus eradicated the allure of the darkness so prevalent in this world, but that won't happen in this life. And whether it comes through the internet, television, purse, tongue or stomach, most of us are intimately familiar with the relentless persistence of secret sins. The conquest of these persistent sins can only begin when we decide that we want to change. We are quick to say we want to be free. But we may derive "benefits" - pleasure, power, influence, ego - from these sins. Do we really want to live without these "friends"? Do we really want to be healed? We will never break free until we believe life without our secret sins is better, in every way, than life with them. The other ingredient to victory is inviting others into the struggle. The sin cycle is fueled by secrecy. We may have confessed these sins to God countless times, but we hide them from others because we are afraid to risk people's esteem. But transparency and humility before others is an opportunity to put teeth to our belief that God has forgiven us. It provides accountability in our spiritual growth. And perhaps we need to care more about offending God with our perpetual disobedience and less about our friends' opinions. Sin grows in the dark. The psalmist said, "You have set our iniquities before you, our secret sins in the light of your presence" (Ps 90:8). The light destroys the darkness. The way to strike a fatal blow against secret sins is to finally decide we want to be free and then invite a trusted friend into our battle. Taken from NIV Essentials Study Bible Colossians 3:8-9 Colossians 3:8-9 KJV 8 But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. 9 Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds;

God, the Peacekeeper by Billy Graham

Day By Day With Billy Graham

Day 122 of 366 God, the Peacekeeper You have an ego-a consciousness of being an individual. Of course, you do. But that doesn't mean that you are to worship yourself, to think constantly of yourself, and to live entirely for yourself. Common sense tells you that your life would be miserable if you followed that course. God is infinitely more concerned about your happiness than you could possibly be. He says, "Deny yourself, and follow me." There is many a person in the insane asylum today who thought excessively about himself, to the exclusion of God and others. Hypochondriacs who have a fanciful anxiety about their health will never be well, regardless of their physical condition. Daily Prayer Keep my mind on You, Lord, and help me to discipline the thoughts of self which crowd out Your peace. Isaiah 26:3 Isaiah 26:3 KJV 3 Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.

The Restoration Business / Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread -- The Restoration Business May 1, 2016

Read: Philippians 3:1-8 Bible in a Year: 1 Kings 10-11; Luke 21:20-38 I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ. —nkjv —Philippians 3:8 Adam Minter is in the junk business. The son of a junkyard owner, he circles the globe researching junk. In his book Junkyard Planet, he chronicles the multibillion-dollar industry of waste recycling. He notes that entrepreneurs around the world devote themselves to locating discarded materials such as copper wire, dirty rags, and plastics and repurposing them to make something new and useful. After the apostle Paul turned his life over to the Savior, he realized his own achievements and abilities amounted to little more than trash. But Jesus transformed it all into something new and useful. Paul said, “Whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ” (Phil. 3:7-8). Having been trained in Jewish religious law, he had been an angry and violent man toward those who followed Christ (Acts 9:1-2). After being transformed by Christ, the tangled wreckage of his angry past was transformed into the love of Christ for others (2 Cor. 5:14-17). If you feel that your life is just an accumulation of junk, remember that God has always been in the restoration business. When we turn our lives over to Him, He makes us into something new and useful for Him and others. —Dennis Fisher Are you wondering how to become a new person? Romans 3:23 and 6:23 tell us that when we admit we are sinners and ask for God’s forgiveness, He gives us the free gift of eternal life that was paid for by the death and resurrection of Jesus. Talk to Him now about your need. Christ makes all things new. INSIGHT: The change Paul experienced as a result of his encounter with Christ on the Damascus Road is evidenced in today’s Bible passage. Paul warns believers about enemies of the faith who seek to impose on them the old legalism he used to champion before he encountered the grace of God in Christ. Paul understood that physical circumcision in the tradition of Judaism can do nothing to redeem the human heart. Instead, redemption comes through Christ: “For it is we who are the circumcision, we who serve God by his Spirit, who boast in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh” (v. 3). Dennis Fisher