A Beautiful Bride / Alistair Begg

 

A Beautiful Bride

You are altogether beautiful, my love. 

Song of Songs 4:7

The Lord’s admiration for His Church is very wonderful, and His description of her beauty is very glowing. She is not merely beautiful, but “altogether beautiful.” He views her in Himself, washed in His sin-atoning blood and clothed in His meritorious righteousness, and He considers her to be full of attraction and beauty. No wonder that this is the case, since it is simply His own perfect excellency that He admires; for the holiness, glory, and perfection of His Church are His own glorious garments worn by His well-beloved spouse.

She is not simply pure or well-proportioned; she is positively lovely and fair! She has actual merit! Her deformities of sin are removed; but more, she has through her Lord obtained a meritorious righteousness by which an actual beauty is conferred upon her.

Believers have a positive righteousness given to them when “he chose us in him” (Eph. 1:4). Nor is the church barely lovely—she is superlatively so. Her Lord styles her “most beautiful among women.”1 She has a real worth and excellence that cannot be rivaled by all the nobility and royalty of the world.

If Jesus could exchange His elect bride for all the queens and empresses of earth, or even for the angels in heaven, He would not, for He puts her first and foremost! Like the moon she far outshines the stars. Nor is this an opinion that He is ashamed of, for He invites all men to hear it. He sets a “behold” before it, a special note of exclamation, inviting and arresting attention. “Behold, you are beautiful, my love, behold, you are beautiful!” (Song of Sol. 4:1). He publishes His opinion widely even now, and one day from the throne of His glory He will declare the truth of it before the assembled universe. “Come, you who are blessed by my Father” (Matt. 25:34) will be His solemn affirmation of the loveliness of His elect.

1) Song of Solomon 1:8

If Given the Choice . . . Greg Laurie

 If Given the Choice . . .

“For we know that when this earthly tent we live in is taken down (that is, when we die and leave this earthly body), we will have a house in heaven, an eternal body made for us by God himself and not by human hands” (2 Corinthians 5:1 NLT).

On more than one occasion, the Bible compares our bodies to tents. Now, tents aren’t a permanent residence, but you can do whatever you want with them. You can paint them, stretch them, and even patch them. But they’re only meant to serve as temporary residences.

The apostle Paul said that for Christians, dying is like breaking camp and taking down a tent. He wrote, “For we know that when this earthly tent we live in is taken down (that is, when we die and leave this earthly body), we will have a house in heaven, an eternal body made for us by God himself and not by human hands” (2 Corinthians 5:1 NLT).

If you like to camp, then you know what it’s like to get everything ready and set up your tent. But the moment eventually comes when you will have to break camp.

Paul told the believers in Philippi, “For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. . . . For I am hard-pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better” (Philippians 1:21, 23 NKJV).

In the original language, depart was the same term soldiers used to describe breaking camp and moving on. We could also use the word to describe freeing someone from their chains. And for a believer, that’s what death is like.

Lastly, the word depart could describe untying a boat from its moorings. In other words, it’s to set sail.

When we lose loved ones, we’re sad because we miss them. But no person who’s in Heaven right now would, if given the choice, want to come back to Earth. You see, departing isn’t sad if you’re setting sail for a better destination.

When Christians die, they’re headed to a beautiful place—a place far greater than Earth.

Forgiveness Will Set You Free / Senior Living

 Forgiveness Will Set You Free

Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift. --Matthew 5:23-24

On a television magazine show not too long ago, there was an incredible story of forgiveness. A family of six was camping out, sleeping in tents in a public park. In the middle of the night, a man cut a hole in the tent and carried away their 7-year-old daughter.

Immediately, the mother began to pray for the kidnapper and made a commitment to forgive. A year later he called and the family learned what the mother knew in her heart all along—the child was dead.

The mother said, "Forgiveness is hard work, but it is the only thing that will set you free."

Unwillingness to forgive allows bitterness to creep in to our hearts and plant roots. Hebrews 12:15 says, "See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many."

Bitterness can spread to those around us, and if it is left to harden in the heart, it is almost seemingly impossible to remove. Scripture is clear about wiping away the offenses in our life, and doing it quickly.

If you feel like someone owes you something or if there is something standing in the way of you not thanking God every day for the blessings you have, bitterness can begin to set in. All you need is a few cleaning tools to scrub away the stains of bitterness—compassion and forgiveness.

If you harbor bitter feelings toward someone in your life—a family member, a church leader, or a friend—then immediately approach that person and learn to forgive them. Make a commitment, today, to begin the spring spiritual cleaning in your life.

PRAYER CHALLENGE: Ask the Lord to daily clean out the grime of bitterness in your heart in order that you may reflect an accurate image of Christ to those around you.

No Hidden Thoughts / David Jeremiah

 

No Hidden Thoughts Immediately Jesus knew in his spirit that this was what they were thinking in their hearts, and he said to them, “Why are you thinking these things?” Mark 2:8, NIV   The U.S. Army is testing a new type of night-vision goggles that give soldiers the ability to see in absolute darkness, even the ability to see through walls using cutting edge camera technology. But with all our technology, we still don’t have the ability to see into the human soul and read the inner workings of the heart and mind.

Recommended Reading: Mark 2: 1 – 8

If there’s a dark spot somewhere in your heart or habits, confess it to God and ask Him to bleach it from your system. When we get to heaven, we’ll be sinless, spotless, and blameless in all our ways. Until then, we work each day to stay on the pathway of light. The Bible says, “But the path of the just is like the shining sun, that shines ever brighter unto the perfect day” (Proverbs 4:18).   If God had wanted us completely out of the world, He could have taken us home to heaven at the time of our spiritual birth….We are to shine as light in the world system’s darkness. A. W. Tozer

December 2 / Wisdom from the Psalms

 Psalms 140:12

I know that the Lord will maintain the cause of the afflicted, and the right of the poor.

John sat back in his chair, folded his arms, and said, "Look, if poor and starving people were doing what they were supposed to, they wouldn't be having the problems they do! God would take care of them if they were worth taking care of."

As cruel and narrow as they may sound, comments like these are made all the time. Somehow, some people believe that the poor and needy in our world are that way because they've done something to deserve it. They figure God would solve the problem if it was supposed to be solved. They don't realize that God is trying to solve the problem, but that the solution involves us. We are God's eyes, hands, and feet. He has blessed us with the resources needed to solve the problem. All that remains is for us to find the love and compassion within ourselves to make God's plan a reality. As we prepare to share in the blessings of Christmas, it is good to think of ways we might repay the Lord for the greatest gift ever given. How better can we return thanks for the life of Christ, than to share in saving the life of another?

 

Prayer: As Your Son came into this world to save, so send me, that I might help give life to those in need. Use me to solve the problem of poverty. Amen.

Is Satan Spamming You? by Ryan Duncan

 Is Satan Spamming You?

by Ryan Duncan

Then Jesus said to him, "Go, Satan! For it is written, 'You shall worship The Lord your God, and serve Him only.'" - Matthew 4:10

"This stock is about to take off!" ... "You won’t believe this Miracle Pill!" ... "Hello, I am a Nigerian Prince" ... These are only a few of the emails that have ended up in my spam folder. We've all received them, those obnoxious messages that try to trick you into sending money or personal information to some unknown source. All spam email follows the same design. First, they open up by preying on a person’s fear, insecurity, or general discontent. After that, they propose a simple solution, an easy win for the reader, which convinces the reader to put their trust in something very untrustworthy.

Thankfully, most computers now come with software to filter out the phony emails. Unfortunately, the same can’t be said for everyday life. I’ve found Satan often uses the same tactics as these spam mails whenever he wants to attack a human being. First, he takes advantage of your worry, your self-image, or something else in your life. Then he offers you something that might fix the problem, but in truth, only makes things worse. These temptations will always be present in life, but Jesus offers us a powerful reassurance in Matthew 6 that equips us to defend ourselves.

"For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life? And why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin, yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these.” Matthew 6:25-29

Many people have taken this verse to mean that as long as we trust in God, nothing bad will happen. Not so. We live in a fallen world, and bad things are always going to happen. What this verse does promise is that no matter what we face in life, God will always be there. Sometimes in the healing we desperately prayed for, other times in the shoulder we cry on.

Whatever roads our lives take, Christ is there to provide for us. Don't allow Satan to fool you with the offer of an easy fix, don’t let fear and despair dictate your actions. God is there, and he will help you.

Intersecting Faith and Life: As a Christian, you are not alone in your struggles. Find support in a small group or an accountability partner.    

Further Reading
Zephaniah 3:17

Consider the Source / Chuck Swindoll

Consider the Source

by Pastor Chuck SwindollScriptures: Psalm 54:1–3

Imagine David wilting under a bush or slumped in a cave, pouring out his feelings in Psalm 54, begging the Lord for help. The first three verses are a prayer with emphasis on the enemy. The spotlight then turns to the composer's divine defender as the next two verses form a picture. The last two verses are words of praise as David focuses on his own history with God.

The Enemy

Save me, O God, by Your name,
And vindicate me by Your power.
Hear my prayer, O God;
Give ear to the words of my mouth.
For strangers have risen against me
And violent men have sought my life;
They have not set God before them. Selah. (54:1–3)

Verses 1 and 2 appear differently in the Hebrew Bible than in our English rendering. Literally, they read: "O God, save me . . . . O God, hear my prayer."

Normally, the verb appears first in the Hebrew sentence, but in this case, each cry for help begins with "O God . . . " By rearranging the normal word order, David emphasizes his utter dependence upon God. And the emphasis is further strengthened by the repetition of His name, "O God . . . . O God . . . "

We discover immediately an example in David for when we find ourselves under attack or emotionally distressed by people: Pray first! Don't wait! Ask for His strength and stability. Normally, we pray last, don't we? Instinct almost compels us first to fight back. We retaliate or develop resentment for the one who makes life miserable.

Observe that David requests deliverance and vindication on the basis of two things: God's name and God's power.

Throughout the Old Testament, God is called by at least twelve different names, each one highlighting a particular aspect of His character. As David called to mind God's attributes, he settled on the Lord's power—His omnipotence. When attacked by people, our imagination tends to stretch the truth; we begin to think our enemies have unlimited power. David found comfort in the reminder that God is more powerful than anyone or anything in the universe.

David went on to describe his problem in detail.

For strangers have risen against me,
And violent men have sought my life;
They have not set God before them. Selah. (54:3)

He gives his enemies two descriptive names: "strangers" and "violent men." The first refers to the people living in the region of Ziph. Normally, people are known by their heritage. For example, the Moabites are descendants of a patriarch named Moab. The Amalekites were descendants of Amalek. But the Ziphites were of unknown origin. The term "strangers" comes from a Hebrew word that means "to scatter, disperse," characterizing them as random people known only by their current place of residence. David struggled to understand why these strangers would bother to take sides in his dispute with Saul, why the Ziphites would become spies.

I mention this because I may be writing to someone as innocent as David was, but perhaps you, too, are being "spied upon," sold out by people who have no known motives to betray you. It is a frightening experience to be falsely accused, especially when the accusations come from strangers. It makes you wonder if the whole world has turned against you.

It's even worse when the enemy is someone you once trusted as a friend! "Violent men" refers to Saul, whom David once served as both musician and soldier, and Saul's troops, whose mission was to bring back David's head. Other than roughly six hundred loyal soldiers, David had no support, either in Israel or among Israel's neighbors.

David further states that his enemies did not have God set before them. The Lord didn't prompt their insidious actions; fulfilling the will of God was not their motivation. They acted in self-interest without regard to "right" or "wrong," which brings up a very practical point. When people turn against you, and you are in the right, it's like being kicked by a mule. Consider the source! You were kicked by a creature whose nature is to kick.

In another psalm, a composer observes that resisting God's will is not only futile, it is to invite one's own destruction. "Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain?" (Psalm 2:1 ESV) he asks. He took comfort, not only in the futility of their attacks, but in the realization that they opposed God. It's hard to take personally the attacks of someone who opposes the almighty Creator! So, when you're wrongly treated, consider the source. They have not set the Lord before them. He doesn't energize their actions. In the words of Psalm 46, "Cease striving." Relax!

Verse 3 concludes with that command, "Selah." Pause to consider the wisdom of David's perspective in the first three verses of Psalm 54.

December 2 / C.S. Lewis

 There was the charm, as we went on, of running out into evening sunlight, but still in a deep gulley – as if the train were swimming in earth instead of either sailing on it like a real train or worming beneath it like a real tube. There was the charm of sudden silence at station I had never heard of, and where we seemed to stop for a long time. There was the novelty of being in that kind of carriage without a crowd and without artificial light. But I need not try to enumerate all the ingredients. The point is that all these things between them built up for me a degree of happiness which I must not try to assess because, if I did, you would think I was exaggerating.

But wait. ‘Build up’ is the wrong expression. They did not actually impost this happiness; they offered it. I was free to take it or not as I chose – like distant music which you need not listen to unless you wish, like a delicious faint wind on your face which you can easily ignore. One was invited to surrender to it. And the odd thing is that something inside me suggested that it would be ‘sensible’ to refuse the invitation; almost that I would be better employed in remembering that I was going to do a job I do not greatly enjoy and that I should have a very tiresome journey back to Oxford. Then I silenced this inward wiseacre. I accepted the invitation – threw myself open to this feather, impalpable, tingling invitation. The rest of the journey I passed in a state which can be described only as joy.

From Present Concerns

Present Concerns: Journalistic Essays. Copyright © 1986 by C. S. Lewis Pte. Ltd. All rights reserved. Used with permission of HarperCollins Publishers.

December 2 / Daily Blessings

Daily Blessings

“He did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.” - Rom 3:26

Every created thing, every finite intelligence, must sooner be annihilated, than Jehovah can sacrifice, or allow the slightest tarnish to come over any one of his eternal attributes. Yet God can be just, infinitely just, scrupulously just, unchangeably just—and yet, preserving his attribute of justice unchanging and unchangeable, he can still be “the justifier of those who have faith in Jesus.” The way by which this was effected will take a countless eternity to understand, and a boundless eternity to admire and adore.

But what is meant by the expression, “the justifier?” “The justifier” means, that God can count man as righteous, can freely pardon his sins, can graciously accept his person, can impute to him righteousness without works, and can bring him to the eternal enjoyment of himself. And who is the character that he thus brings to himself by justifying him? “those who believe in Jesus.”

What simplicity, and yet what sweetness and suitability is there in the gospel plan! Say it ran thus, “That he might be just, and yet the justifier of him that works, that pleases God by his own performances, that produces a righteousness satisfactory to the eyes of infinite purity.” Who then could be saved? Would there be a single soul in heaven? No; such a sentence as that would trample down the whole human race into hell. But when it runs thus, “That this is the mind and purpose of God, that this is his eternal counsel, which cannot pass away; that he is ‘the justifier of those who believe in Jesus,’-the poor, the needy, the exercised, the tempted, the distressed, and the perplexed, that believe in Jesus, that look to Jesus, that lean upon Jesus, and rest in his Person, blood, righteousness, and love for all things; that these are justified, that these are pardoned, that these are accepted, that these are graciously received, and saved with an everlasting salvation,”-how sweet, how suitable, does the gospel that declares this become to the living, believing soul!

Reaching Perfection / Streams

 Reaching Perfection

Perfect through suffering - Heb 2:10

Steel is iron plus fire. Soil is rock, plus heat, or glacier crushing. Linen is flax plus the bath that cleans, the comb that separates, and the flail that pounds, and the shuttle that weaves. Human character must have a plus attached to it. The world does not forget great characters. But great characters are not made of luxuries, they are made by suffering.

I heard of a mother who brought into her home as a companion to her own son, a crippled boy who was also a hunchback. She had warned her boy to be very careful in his relations to him, and not to touch the sensitive part of his life but go right on playing with him as if he were an ordinary boy. She listened to her son as they were playing; and after a few minutes he said to his companion: “Do you know what you have got on your back?” The little hunchback was embarrassed, and he hesitated a moment. The boy said: “It is the box in which your wings are; and some day God is going to cut it open, and then you will fly away and be an angel.”

Some day, God is going to reveal the fact to every Christian, that the very principles they now rebel against, have been the instruments which He used in perfecting their characters and moulding them into perfection, polished stones for His great building yonder. —Cortland Myers

Suffering is a wonderful fertilizer to the roots of character. The great object of this life is character. This is the only thing we can carry with us into eternity. … To gain the most of it and the best of it is the object of probation. —Austin Phelps

“By the thorn road and no other is the mount of vision won.”

Our Sovereign Anchor By Cissie Graham Lynch

 

Our Sovereign Anchor By Cissie Graham Lynch This year, people are craving the distraction of the holidays after a rather grim year for our country and the world. Most of us have sat in disbelief over how much the world has changed over the last 20 months. But we can rest in the assurance that God doesn’t change. I was reminded of this while listening to one of my grandfather Billy Graham’s sermons on SiriusXM: “The Bible says that certain things will never change—the laws of nature will not change; spiritual laws will never change. “In all these centuries, God is still the same. He is unchanging in his holiness. There’s no impurity in God, no sin in God: ‘Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!’ ” (Revelation 4:8). What a comforting promise.  READ MORE

TODAY’S PRAYER Dear God, You are the solid rock on which we stand. Thank You for never changing. We know we can trust You to guide us and to keep us, now and forevermore. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

Looking for God / Max Lucado

 

Looking for God

Click below to listen to today's devotional

LOOKING FOR GOD - December 1, 2021

With the passing of years, Henry’s life had changed. His children were grown. The neighborhood was different. He was unhappy. He asked his minister if he was unhappy for some sin he’d committed. “Yes,” the wise pastor replied. “The sin of ignorance. One of your neighbors is the Messiah in disguise, and you have not seen him.”

With time, Henry saw things in people he’d never seen. When others spoke he listened. After all, he might be listening to the Messiah. The bounce returned to his step. His eyes took on a friendly sparkle. He said, “All I know is that things changed when I started looking for God.”

Now, that’s curious. The old man saw Jesus because he didn’t know what he looked like. The people in Jesus’ day missed him because they thought they did. How are things looking in your neighborhood?

The Law and the Gospel / Oswald Chambers

 

The Law and the Gospel Whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all. JAMES 2:10 The moral law does not consider our weaknesses as human beings; in fact, it does not take into account our heredity or infirmities. It simply demands that we be absolutely moral. The moral law never changes, either for the highest of society or for the weakest in the world. It is enduring and eternally the same. The moral law, ordained by God, does not make itself weak to the weak by excusing our shortcomings. It remains absolute for all time and eternity. If we are not aware of this, it is because we are less than alive. Once we do realize it, our life immediately becomes a fatal tragedy. “I was alive once without the law, but when the commandment came, sin revived and I died” (Romans 7:9 ). The moment we realize this, the Spirit of God convicts us of sin. Until a person gets there and sees that there is no hope, the Cross of Christ remains absurd to him. Conviction of sin always brings a fearful, confining sense of the law. It makes a person hopeless— “…sold under sin” (Romans 7:14). I, a guilty sinner, can never work to get right with God— it is impossible. There is only one way by which I can get right with God, and that is through the death of Jesus Christ. I must get rid of the underlying idea that I can ever be right with God because of my obedience. Who of us could ever obey God to absolute perfection! We only begin to realize the power of the moral law once we see that it comes with a condition and a promise. But God never coerces us. Sometimes we wish He would make us be obedient, and at other times we wish He would leave us alone. Whenever God’s will is in complete control, He removes all pressure. And when we deliberately choose to obey Him, He will reach to the remotest star and to the ends of the earth to assist us with all of His almighty power.

WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS An intellectual conception of God may be found in a bad vicious character. The knowledge and vision of God is dependent entirely on a pure heart. Character determines the revelation of God to the individual. The pure in heart see God.

The Greatest Event in Human History / Adrian Rogers

 The Greatest Event in Human History

“For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given, and the government shall be upon His shoulder: and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.”Isaiah 9:6

Seven hundred years before the first Christmas, Isaiah dipped his pen in golden glory and wrote these words about the coming Prince of Peace, the Lord Jesus Christ. The child being born speaks of His virgin birth. The Son being given speaks of His eternality—He has been the Son of God, with the Father, through the ages.

Some years ago—you may remember it—man first stepped onto the moon. The President of the United States said, “The planting of human feet upon the moon is the greatest event in human history.”

No, the greatest event in human history was when God came to Earth and planted His feet here. We call that the incarnation—Almighty God stepped out of  Heaven, the ivory palaces, into this world of woe, and put His feet upon this earth. And thatis the greatest event in human history!

Share this with someone you know today: The first Christmas, God sent a package to earth, a gift of deity wrapped up in humanity. What a marvelous thing this is. It’s supernatural. Never forget this: Jesus is God in human flesh.