PEER PRESSURE / Draw Near Bible App

PEER PRESSURE

Some things cannot be mixed. Oil and water will not mix. Various safety organizations say gasoline and alcohol do not mix. Certainly the world spirit and that of Christ's Kingdom can never become one. Israel reaped their deepest sorrow because they tried to mix two alien forces. Not satisfied with a theocracy, they demanded a king like other countries. Samuel warned them that a king would tax them, send their sons and daughters to war, and take their land. Yet, they would not listen. Thus, the monarchy was born.

Some of the most sordid pages of Israel's history are found in the books of history describing the monarchy: 1 and 2 Samuel, 1 and 2 Kings, and 1 and 2 Chronicles. When Israel was like other nations, her land was divided and her people were separated from their loved ones. The tiny nation split in two and reeled under the bloody rule of many evil kings. The price people pay to be like the world is steep.

This truth is vividly depicted in these Bible books. Paul says: Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come (1 Corinthians10:11). Our peers try to pressure us into being like them. When we yield to that influence, we become bound with habits, are plagued with a guilty conscience, and are haunted by the ghosts of our deeds. Paul calls us to avoid worldly involvement and adds that if we do, God will receive us and will be a Father to us, and we will be His sons and daughters (2 Corinthians 6:17-18).

“Don’t team up with those who are unbelievers. How can righteousness be a partner with wickedness? How can light live with darkness?”

‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭6:14‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Fear Nothing but Sin, Desire Nothing but God by Greg Laurie

Fear Nothing but Sin, Desire Nothing but God

“My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20 nlt).

The 18th-century preacher John Wesley once wrote to a fellow believer, “Give me one hundred who fear nothing but sin, and desire nothing but God, and I care not a straw whether they be clergymen or laymen. Such alone will shake the gates of hell, and set up the kingdom of heaven upon earth.”

It reminds me of the complaint an angry mob in Thessalonica brought to the city leaders: “These who have turned the world upside down have come here too” (Acts 17:6 nlt).

Although this was a criticism, it was a supreme compliment as well. It acknowledged the impact that Paul and Silas were making on their first-century world.

Jesus said, “Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me” (Mark 8:34 nkjv).

His disciples would have easily understood this illustration. In the first century, when they saw someone surrounded by Roman guards and carrying a cross through the streets of Jerusalem, there would have been no question in their minds as to what was going to happen.

That person was about to be laid down on that cross and crucified on it. Someone who carried a cross was someone who was going to die.

The person Jesus was describing is someone who wants God’s will more than their own. The apostle Paul said, “My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me” (Galatians 2:20 nlt).

If ever there was a time when the world needed to be turned upside down, so to speak, the time is now. But fair-weather followers need not apply.

It will have to happen through committed believers like those whom John Wesley was looking for: people who fear nothing but sin and desire nothing but God.

August 3 / Streams in the Desert

Stay alert, stand firm in the faith, show courage, be strong. (1 Cor 16:13)

Do not pray for easy lives! Pray to be stronger men. Do not pray for tasks equal to your powers. Pray for powers equal to your tasks. Then the doing of your work shall be no miracle, but you shall be a miracle.
—Phillips Brooks

We must remember that it is not in any easy or self-indulgent life that Christ will lead us to greatness. The easy life leads not upward, but downward. Heaven always is above us, and we must ever be looking up toward it. These are some people who always avoid things that are costly, that require self-denial, or self-restraint and sacrifice, but toil and hardship show us the only way to nobleness. Greatness comes not by having a mossy path made for you through the meadow, but by being sent to hew out a roadway by your own hands. Are you going to reach the mountain splendors?
—Selected

Be strong!
We are not here to play, to dream, to drift;
We have hard work to do, and loads to lift.
Shun not the struggle; face it. ’Tis God’s gift.

Be strong!
Say not the days are evil—Who’s to blame?
And fold the hands and acquiesece—O shame!
Stand up, speak out, and bravely, In God’s name.

Be strong!
It matters not how deep entrenched the wrong,
How hard the battle goes, the day how long,
Faint not, fight on! Tomorrow comes the song.
—Maltbie D. Babcock

Extravagant Goodness by Alistair Begg

Extravagant Goodness 

As Jesus went, the people pressed around him.

Luke 8:42

Jesus is passing through the crowd heading for the house of Jairus, so that he might raise the ruler's dead daughter. He is so extravagant in His goodness that He works another miracle on His way there. It is enough for most of us, if we have one purpose, to go immediately and accomplish it, without impulsively expending our energies on the way. Rushing to the rescue of a drowning friend, we cannot afford to use up our strength upon someone else in similar danger. It is enough for a tree to yield one sort of fruit and for a man to fulfill his own peculiar calling.

But the Lord Jesus is not limited in His power or restricted in His mission. He is so prolific in grace that, like the sun that shines as it rolls onward in its orbit, His path is radiant with loving-kindness. He is a swift arrow of love that not only reaches its ordained target but perfumes the air through which it flies. Virtue is always going out of Jesus, just as sweet fragrance exudes from flowers; and it will always be emanating from Him, like water from a sparkling fountain.

What delightful encouragement this truth affords us! If our Lord is so ready to heal the sick and bless the needy, then, my soul, do not be slow to put yourself in His path so that He may smile on you. Do not be lazy in asking, since He is so generous in giving. Pay careful attention to His Word now and at all times, so that Jesus may speak through it to your heart. Pitch your tent wherever He is so that you can obtain His blessing. When He is present to heal, may He not heal you? Be certain that He is present even now, for He always comes to hearts that need Him. And do you not need Him? He knows the extent of your need; so turn your gaze, look upon your distress, and call upon Him while He is near.

How You Can Move from Religion to Relationship / Senior Living

How You Can Move from Religion to Relationship

“If you love me, keep my commands.” - John 14:15

Neil Marten, a member of the British Parliament many years ago, was once giving a group of his constituents a tour of the Houses of Parliament. During the visit, the group happened to meet the Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain, who was adorned in the regalia of his office.

When the Chancellor recognized Marten among the group, he cried, “Neil!” Not daring to disobey the command, the entire group of visitors quickly fell to their knees!

It can be easy to turn the Christian life into nothing more than mindless religious obedience. Many Christians pray not out of a heartfelt desire to communicate with God, but out of duty. Others read their Bibles in order to check a box, not to discover the will of God for their lives.

But our God is not a God who simply wants mindless religious obedience. He wants us to obey out of a true and sincere love for Him. Checking boxes makes us feel good sometimes, but it completely misses the point of why we’re to obey in the first place.

Obey God out of love, not just out of duty. Move from mindless religion to a real relationship with God by making your obedience an overflow of your love for Christ!

Prayer Challenge

Pray that God would keep you away from mindless obedience and would help you to obey Him because you love Him.

Questions for Thought

When we try to obey God mindlessly, are we living in a system based on grace or works? In which one of these does God want you to live?

Think of some areas of your life where your obedience has become religious or mindless. How can you turn that back into heartfelt obedience out of love?

August 3 / Wisdom from the Psalms

Psalms 98:7
Let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.

Paul's nerves were shot. Everywhere he turned there were crowds of people. Cars sped by on all the streets, and the noise of the city was deafening. He was beginning to feel like there was nowhere to go to find peace and quiet. A little silence was all he was looking for. Nothing more.

 

If this world of noise and confusion, where can we find a place of peace and tranquillity? If Christ is the Lord of our hearts, then we can turn inward. Christ is the giver of peace. He transforms our hearts into refuges, where the clamor of the outside world cannot enter in. Call upon the Lord, and He will surely grant you peace.

 

Prayer: Father, I am tired of the furious pace of the world. Sometimes I just want to run and hide. Allow me to run to You. Be the source of my peace, Lord. Amen.

Bless You! by David Jeremiah

Bless You! Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful. Psalm 1:1 Sometimes you’ll hear the German word gesundheit when someone sneezes. It literally means “health,” so saying it after a sneeze means “Good health to you!” The English expression “God bless you” was intended the same way: “May God bless you with good health!”

Recommended Reading: Psalm 1

But what does blessing mean? Why do we say “God bless you” upon parting, or sign our emails with “Blessings”? In both the Old Testament and the New Testament, the words for blessing literally mean “happiness.” The Old Testament word osher came from a root meaning “to be level or right, to go forth in properness and rightness.” The New Testament makarios also means to be happy—that is, “to live in God’s favor.” So when we say, “God bless you,” we are invoking the happiness only God can provide. And we find that happiness by living according to His guidelines for life—full of the Spirit and based on the Word. Who wouldn’t want to live a happy life? While the world promotes many paths to happiness, only God’s blessing can bring true happiness. If we want to know God and to be blessed of God, we must start by worshipping him. D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones

The Teaching of Adversity by Oswald Chambers

The Teaching of Adversity In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.  JOHN 16:33 The typical view of the Christian life is that it means being delivered from all adversity. But it actually means being delivered in adversity, which is something very different. “He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. No evil shall befall you, nor shall any plague come near your dwelling…” (Psalm 91:1,10)— the place where you are at one with God. If you are a child of God, you will certainly encounter adversities, but Jesus says you should not be surprised when they come. “In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” He is saying, “There is nothing for you to fear.” The same people who refused to talk about their adversities before they were saved often complain and worry after being born again because they have the wrong idea of what it means to live the life of a saint. God does not give us overcoming life— He gives us life as we overcome. The strain of life is what builds our strength. If there is no strain, there will be no strength. Are you asking God to give you life, liberty, and joy? He cannot, unless you are willing to accept the strain. And once you face the strain, you will immediately get the strength. Overcome your own timidity and take the first step. Then God will give you nourishment— “To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life…” (Revelation 2:7). If you completely give of yourself physically, you become exhausted. But when you give of yourself spiritually, you get more strength. God never gives us strength for tomorrow, or for the next hour, but only for the strain of the moment. Our temptation is to face adversities from the standpoint of our own common sense. But a saint can “be of good cheer” even when seemingly defeated by adversities, because victory is absurdly impossible to everyone, except God. From My Utmost for His Highest Updated Edition

WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS God engineers circumstances to see what we will do. Will we be the children of our Father in heaven, or will we go back again to the meaner, common-sense attitude? Will we stake all and stand true to Him? “Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.” The crown of life means I shall see that my Lord has got the victory after all, even in me. from The Highest Good—The Pilgrim’s Song Book, 530 L

Sunday Reflection: The Blessing of God’s Peace

To get the most out of this devotion, set aside time to read the Scripture referenced throughout.

The Bible reveals to us who God is, and one important aspect of His character is that the Lord loves peace and wants it to fill the earth. Read Jesus’ promise in John’s gospel: “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful” (John 14:27). We also learn that the Lord is a “God of peace” (Rom. 15:33; Phil. 4:9; 1 Thessalonians 5:23; Heb. 13:20), the Messiah is called the Prince of Peace (Isa. 9:6), and there is peace in heaven (Luke 19:38).  

In light of all this, when Jesus says, “Blessed are the peacemakers” in Matthew 5:9, we can understand why: To be a peacemaker is to reflect the image of our heavenly Father—using our breath, energy, and creativity to sow peace wherever the Spirit takes us. 

Think about it

• What words, feelings, or situations do you associate with peace? When have you experienced peace as a gift from God?

• Read John 14:27 again. Can you think of fears or concerns that affect your ability to experience or demonstrate peace?  

Kind Correction by Arthur Jackson

Kind Correction

Arthur Jackson

Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them from death. James 5:20

James 5:19–20

The early spring weather was refreshing and my traveling companion, my wife, couldn’t have been better. But the beauty of those moments together could have quickly morphed into tragedy if it weren’t for a red and white warning sign that informed me I was headed in the wrong direction. Because I hadn’t turned wide enough, I momentarily saw a “Do Not Enter” sign staring me in the face. I quickly adjusted, but shudder to think of the harm I could have brought to my wife, myself, and others if I’d ignored the sign that reminded me I was going the wrong way.

The closing words of James emphasize the importance of correction. Who among us hasn’t needed to be “brought back” by those who care for us from paths or actions, decisions or desires that could’ve been hurtful? Who knows what harm might have been done to ourselves or others had someone not courageously intervened at the right time.

James stresses the value of kind correction with these words, “Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them from death and cover over a multitude of sins” (5:20). Correction is an expression of God’s mercy. May our love and concern for the well-being of others compel us to speak and act in ways that He can use to “bring that person back” (v. 19).

What risks or rewards are associated with helping a wanderer find his or her way back to where they belong? When did God use someone to bring you back from a not-so-good place?

Father, keep me from straying from Your truth and grant me courage to help bring back those who are wandering.

GOD AS GOVERNOR / Draw Near Bible App

GOD AS GOVERNOR

Khrushchev once claimed, "We will bury you!" Some Western observers feared he was right. There was much speculation about whether democracy would survive the century. Even secular prophets predicted a world dictatorship. In this new century, threats still exists. Man has always struggled to govern himself but has never succeeded. Our forms of governments in North America may be the best of any human kind, yet our freedoms are being threatened by forces we cannot control. Clearly, man must accept supernatural control if he is to survive. Only one nation in history has ever attempted to operate with such a system. Israel started as a theocracy with God as governor.

Joshua, Judges, and Ruth tell of the time of theocracy. In them, we see that when men chose to let God rule, they knew peace and joy. However, when they began to usurp His throne, they became captives of a foreign power. God communicated His rules for government through priests, prophets, and judges. Obedience to these commands resulted in prosperity, whereas disobedience led to disaster and violence. Eventually this theocracy gave way to a monarchy because the people demanded a king like other nations.

One day we again will have a theocracy. Christ will return to rule as Lord of all creation. In the meantime, we must remember God's words to Joshua. If we follow His Word and do His Will, then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success (Joshua 1:8). May God be the supreme ruler of our lives.

“Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do.”

‭‭Joshua‬ ‭1:8‬ ‭NLT‬‬

The Soul's Demands by Billy Graham

The Soul's Demands

The soul demands as much attention as the body. It demands fellowship and communion with God. It demands worship, quietness, and meditation. Unless the soul is fed and exercised daily, it becomes weak and shriveled. It remains discontented, confused, restless. Many people turn to alcohol to try to drown the cryings and longings of the soul. Some turn to a new sex experience. Others attempt to quiet the longings of their souls in other ways. Nothing but God ever completely satisfies, because the soul is made for God, and without God it is restless and in secret torment. The first step to God is a realization of your spiritual poverty. The poor in spirit do not measure the worth of life in earthly possessions, which fade away, but in terms of eternal realities, which endure forever. Wise is the man who openly confesses his lack of spiritual wealth and in humilty of heart cries, “God, be merciful unto me, a sinner.”

Daily Prayer

As I look to You, my Lord and my Redeemer, the strivings of my soul will be satisfied. You alone bring lasting joy.

“The Lord will guide you continually, giving you water when you are dry and restoring your strength. You will be like a well-watered garden, like an ever-flowing spring.”

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭58:11‬ ‭NLT‬‬

August 2 / Streams in the Desert

Launch out into the deep (Luke 5:4).

How deep He does not say. The depth into which we launch will depend upon how perfectly we have given up the shore, and the greatness of our need, and the apprehension of our possibilities. The fish were to be found in the deep, not in the shallow water.

So with us; our needs are to be met in the deep things of God. We are to launch out into the deep of God's Word, which the Spirit can open up to us in such crystal fathomless meaning that the same words we have accepted in times past will have an ocean meaning in them, which renders their first meaning to us very shallow.

Into the deep of the Atonement, until Christ's precious blood is so illuminated by the Spirit that it becomes an omnipotent balm, and food and medicine for the soul and body.

Into the deep of the Father's will, until we apprehend it in its infinite minuteness and goodness, and its far-sweeping provision and care for us.

Into the deep of the Holy Spirit, until He becomes a bright, dazzling, sweet, fathomless summer sea, in which we bathe and bask and breathe, and lose ourselves and our sorrows  in the calmness and peace of His everlasting presence.

Into the deep of the Holy Spirit, until He becomes a bright, marvelous answer to prayer, the most careful and tender guidance, the most thoughtful anticipation of our needs, the most accurate and supernatural shaping of our events.

Into the deep of God's purposes and coming kingdom, until the Lord's coming and His millennial reign are opened up to us; and beyond these the bright entrancing ages on ages unfold themselves, until the mental eye is dazed with light, and the heart flutters with inexpressible anticipations of its joy with Jesus and the glory to be revealed.

Into all these things, Jesus bids us launch. He made us and He made the deep, and to its fathomless depths He has fitted our longings and capabilities.
--Soul Food

Its streams the whole creation reach,
So plenteous is the store;
Enough for all, enough for each;
Enough forevermore.

The deep waters of the Holy Spirit are always accessible, because they are always proceeding. Will you not this day claim afresh to be immersed and drenched in these waters of life? The waters in Ezekiel's vision first of all oozed from under the doors of the temple. Then the man with the measuring line measured and found the waters to the ankles. Still further measurement, and they were waters to the knees. Once again they were measured and the waters were to the loins. Then they became waters to swim in--a river that could not be passed over. (Read Ezekiel 47).

How far have we advanced into this river of life? The Holy Spirit would have a complete self effacement. Not merely ankle-deep, knee-deep, loin-deep, but self-deep. We ourselves hidden out of sight and bathed in this life-giving stream. Let go the shore-lines and launch out into the deep. Never forget, the Man with the measuring line is with us today.
--J.G.M.

Are You Reflecting Jesus? by Adrian Rogers

Are You Reflecting Jesus?

But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as [a]by the Spirit of the Lord. 2 Corinthians 3:18

We are changed from glory to glory by the power of the Holy Spirit. That doesn’t mean it happens overnight. It happens one step at a time.

Today you ought to reflect a little more of God’s glory than you did yesterday. Today you ought to be a little bit more like Jesus than you were yesterday. And tomorrow, you ought to be even more like Jesus. Proverbs 4:18 is interesting. Listen to it:

But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.

Another way to translate it is:

            But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, shining ever brighter until full daylight.

Are you becoming like Jesus? Not if you’re not in the Word. Don’t you think it’s time for this generation to get serious about the Word of God?

Set aside a time and a place to get alone with God every day and pray, “Open Thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of Thy law” (Psalm 119:18).