DEVOTION - SATURDAY, JUNE 30, 2012

DEVOTION –  SATURDAY, JUNE 30, 2012

“WINNING WALK”

BY

DR ED YOUNG

Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord. - 1 Corinthians 15:58

God’s can do anything He desires, but has chosen humans to be His co-laborers. It takes God’s provision and an individual’s “toil” to produce the harvest. Without God, we can do nothing. Without our effort and cooperation, God won’t accomplish His aims. This is not because He is weak, but because He is faithful to His covenant. God appointed Adam and Eve to tend the Garden, and the Garden would supply what they needed. This covenant of provision and performance stands. And the guarantee is that whatever we do in and through God will always bear frui

DEVOTION - FRIDAY, JUNE 29, 2012

DEVOTION –  FRIDAY, JUNE 29, 2012

"True Faith”

BY

BAYLESS CONLEY

James 2:14-20 tells us the substance of true faith,

What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works?  Can faith save him?  If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, "Depart in peace, be warmed and filled," but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit?  Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.  But someone will say, "You have faith, and I have works."  Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.  You believe that there is one God.  You do well.  Even the demons believe—and tremble!  But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?

My favorite translation of this last verse is, "Faith without actions that correspond is dead."  Faith must have actions that correspond with it.

You can talk about catching fish, about what lures you are going to use, and how you are going to cook them after you catch them, but if you never throw a line in the water, you are not going to catch a fish.

Or it's like the golfer who comes to a 3-par hole with a lake right in front of the green and says, "No problem, I can hit that green with my six iron."  Then he digs out an old ratty golf ball.  If he truly believes he can hit the green, he will hit his brand new $3 golf ball!

DEVOTION - THURSDAY, JUNE 28, 2012

DEVOTION – THURSDAY, JUNE 28, 2012

“The Relief of a Clear Conscience”

BY

ADRIAN ROGERS

“And herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offence toward God, and toward men.” - Acts 24:16

What does it mean to have a clear conscience? As far as you know, there is nothing wrong between you and God. And there is nothing wrong between you and anybody else.

Do you jump every time the doorbell rings? Do you cringe when you see a police squad car approaching you? In Psalm 51:3, David knew the hounding of a bad conscience when he said, “My sin is ever before me.” Trust me, no torture the poets name can match that fierce unutterable pain of a bad conscience. You know you’ve sinned and yet you have done nothing about it.

The trials of life are easier to face when you have a clear conscience. Then when something bad happens you can know that you haven’t done anything wrong.

Is there something nagging at you—something you know you need to confess to your Heavenly Father? What about something between you and someone else. There is no better day than today to make it right.

DEVOTION - WEDNESDAY, JUNE 27, 2012

DEVOTION – TUESDAY, JUNE 26, 2012

“Finding True Rest”

BY

ALISTAIR BEGG

Genesis 8:9

Reader, can you find rest apart from the ark, Christ Jesus? Then consider that your religion may be in vain. Are you satisfied with anything short of a conscious knowledge of your union and interest in Christ? Then woe to you. If you profess to be a Christian while finding full satisfaction in worldly pleasures and pursuits, your profession is probably false. If your soul can stretch herself at rest and find the bed long enough and the blanket broad enough to cover it in the chambers of sin, then you are a hypocrite and far away from any proper thoughts of Christ or awareness of His preciousness.

But if, on the other hand, you feel that if you could indulge in sin without punishment, that would be a punishment itself, and that if you could have the whole world and live in it forever, it would be quite enough misery not to be separated from it, for your God—your God—is what your soul longs for, then be of good courage, you are a child of God. With all your sins and imperfections, take this for your comfort: If your soul has no rest in sin, you are not as the sinner is! If you are still crying after and craving after something better, Christ has not forgotten you, for you have not quite forgotten Him.

The believer cannot do without his Lord; words are inadequate to express his thoughts of Him. We cannot live on the sands of the wilderness—we want the manna that drops from heaven; the pitchers of self-confidence cannot produce for us a drop of moisture, but we drink of the rock that follows us, and that rock is Christ. When you feed on Him, your soul can sing, "He who satisfies me with good so that my youth is renewed like the eagle's";¹ but if you don't have Him, your wine cellar and well-stocked pantry can give you no sort of satisfaction: Learn to lament over them in the words of wisdom, "Vanity of vanities, all is vanity!"

¹Psalm 103:5

DEVOTION - TUESDAY, JUNE 26, 2012

DEVOTION – TUESDAY, JUNE 26, 2012

“Finding True Rest”

BY

ALISTAIR BEGG

Genesis 8:9

Reader, can you find rest apart from the ark, Christ Jesus? Then consider that your religion may be in vain. Are you satisfied with anything short of a conscious knowledge of your union and interest in Christ? Then woe to you. If you profess to be a Christian while finding full satisfaction in worldly pleasures and pursuits, your profession is probably false. If your soul can stretch herself at rest and find the bed long enough and the blanket broad enough to cover it in the chambers of sin, then you are a hypocrite and far away from any proper thoughts of Christ or awareness of His preciousness.

But if, on the other hand, you feel that if you could indulge in sin without punishment, that would be a punishment itself, and that if you could have the whole world and live in it forever, it would be quite enough misery not to be separated from it, for your God—your God—is what your soul longs for, then be of good courage, you are a child of God. With all your sins and imperfections, take this for your comfort: If your soul has no rest in sin, you are not as the sinner is! If you are still crying after and craving after something better, Christ has not forgotten you, for you have not quite forgotten Him.

The believer cannot do without his Lord; words are inadequate to express his thoughts of Him. We cannot live on the sands of the wilderness—we want the manna that drops from heaven; the pitchers of self-confidence cannot produce for us a drop of moisture, but we drink of the rock that follows us, and that rock is Christ. When you feed on Him, your soul can sing, "He who satisfies me with good so that my youth is renewed like the eagle's";¹ but if you don't have Him, your wine cellar and well-stocked pantry can give you no sort of satisfaction: Learn to lament over them in the words of wisdom, "Vanity of vanities, all is vanity!"

¹Psalm 103:5

DEVOTION, MONDAY, JUNE 25, 2012

DEVOTION – MONDAY, JUNE 25, 2012

“Follow Your Leash”

BY

GREG LAURIE

Uphold me according to Your word, that I may live; and do not let me be ashamed of my hope. (Psalm 119:116)

Surfers know that when they see a set of waves coming in, they have to do the very thing they don’t want to do: swim toward the wave. As someone who has done some surfing, I can tell you that your first instinct is to run toward the shore. But you don’t want to do that. Instead, you need to swim toward the wave and try to go under it or over it.

But if you are paddling out and the wave picks you up, the worst way to go is backward, which I have done. You can get so disoriented that you don’t know which way is up. And more than one person has drowned because they didn’t know which way was up. They went down when they should have gone up, and the outcome was fatal.

So the best thing to do if you find yourself in this situation is to grab the leash that is attached to your ankle and pull on it. Then go in the direction of the leash. Why? That leash is attached to your board, your board is buoyant, and it will be on the surface. So even if it goes against the logic of the moment, follow your leash to the top.

In life, the Word of God is like that leash on a surf board. When we are feeling overcome by trials and difficulties, it will lead us to the surface where we can get the proper perspective on what is really happening. Your emotions, like whitewater, will get the best of you, and you will be overwhelmed. But when we hope in God and believe the Word of God, it corrects us.

We might get caught in another wave, and then another, but we need to keep hoping and trusting— again and again and again.

Summary sentence: The Word of God is like the leash on a surf  board!

DEVOTION - SUNDAY, JUNE 24, 2012

DEVOTION – SUNDAY, JUNE 24, 2012

“WINNING WALK”

BY

DR ED YOUNG

Now the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the eternal covenant, even Jesus our Lord, equip you in every good thing to do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen. - Hebrews 13:20-21

While our works are inadequate to earn our way to Heaven, once we know and love the Lord, we want to serve Him. We no longer strive to be good enough, but rest in His grace and work because it’s our heart’s desire. Then we plug into the promise of His provision. My city, Houston, sends out “expatriates” to work in the world’s oilfields. Their companies supply all they need to sustain quality of life and perform the tasks in those remote places. When you work for the Kingdom, God equips you with everything you need to get the job done.

DEVOTION - SATURDAY, JUNE 23, 2012

DEVOTION – SATURDAY, JUNE 23, 2012

“The Priority of Purity”

BY

BAYLESS CONLEY

We live in a highly sexualized society.  It is amazing the number of people, even pastors, who fall to sexual temptation.

In 1 Thessalonians 4:3-5 we are told straight out,

For this is the will of God, your sanctification:  that you should abstain from sexual immorality; that each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, not in passion of lust, like the Gentiles who do not know God.

God expects for you and me to live in sexual purity.  You need to know how to possess your body in sanctification and honor; otherwise your body will possess you.

God has created a strong sexual drive that is an awesome blessing in marriage!  But, you know, it is so strong that sometimes it just wants to flow out of the banks and go somewhere it shouldn't go.

We must learn how to possess our bodies in sanctification and honor, and live morally pure lives that bring pleasure to God.  Here are three practical ways:

1.   Avoid temptation.  2 Timothy 2:22 says, Flee youthful lusts.  Avoid the very scenes of temptation.  Stay away when you know you might get in trouble.

2.   Feed your spirit, not your flesh.  In Romans, we are told of the great war every Christian experiences, the war between our spirit and our flesh.  Whatever you feed is going to be stronger, so make sure to feed your spirit.

3.   Rely on the Holy Spirit and His power.  If you will acknowledge Him and look to Him for strength, you will find He is a very present help in your time of need.

Make a commitment today to practice these three principles for purity.  If you do, you will live in the sexual purity God desires.

DEVOTION - FRIDAY, JUNE 22, 2012

DEVOTION – FRIDAY, JUNE 22, 2012

“Keeping Faith with the Next Generation”

BY

ADRIAN ROGERS

“Now also when I am old and gray-headed, O God, forsake me not; until I have showed Thy strength unto this generation, and Thy power to every one that is to come.” - Psalm 71:18

The early Christians turned the world upside down. Their charge and ours today is the same—to rescue the perishing and care for the dying, to go to the helpless one and tell them Jesus saves.

I heard about a little girl who said to her mother, “Do you remember that priceless vase we all love so much that’s been handed down to our family from one generation to another generation?” The mother said, “Yes.” The little girl sheepishly revealed, “Well, this generation just dropped it.”

Now friend, this generation cannot drop it.

The faith that we enjoy must be handed down from generation to generation. We must not drop this priceless heirloom that God has placed into our hands.

DEVOTION - WEDNESDAY, JUNE 20, 2012

DEVOTION – WEDNESDAY, JUNE 20, 2012

THE JOURNEY

WITH

RON MOORE

Strong and Courageous | 1 Chronicles 28:20 | Devotional

1 Chronicles 28:20 David also said to Solomon his son, "Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you until all the work for the service of the temple of the LORD is finished.

The greatest thing a father can pass to a son, and mature leaders can pass to younger leaders, is found in today’s passage. It does not involve a hefty inheritance or the corner office. It is not written in a will or a succession plan. It comes from the life of one who has been tested and tried and remained standing. The greatest thing that can be passed along is the assurance of God’s presence and strength from one who has truly experienced both.

David’s trip from the sheep pens to the palace took a rocky, winding road. One minute David was holding Goliath’s head and welcomed as a hero; the next minute he was dodging the jealous king’s spear and running for his life. In his decade as a fugitive, David learned much about himself and more about God. Now he passed that knowledge to his son, not as passages from his Scripture Memory Packet, but as God’s Word experienced in real life.

What do I have to pass on to those who follow? I pray it is confidence in the living God based on the living Word fleshed out in real life. I want to make sure the truth in my head is passed on with the passion of my heart.

Father, please help us not be hearers of the Word only; but doers. Help us to follow you on rocky and winding roads so we will know that you are a Guide who delivers us home regardless of the tough terrain. Help us to share with those who follow more than just words. In Jesus name. Amen.

DEVOTION - THURSDAY, JUNE 21, 2012

DEVOTION – THURSDAY, JUNE 21, 2012

“Definition of drama”

BY

PASTOR BOB COY

“But God raised Him from the dead.” Acts 13:30 (NKJV)

Drama: any situation or series of events having vivid, emotional, conflicting, or striking interest or results.

When you read the above definition of drama, what comes to mind? What event do you associate with vivid, striking, or interesting results? Is it a high-profile court case, a “nail-biter” sports game, or perhaps a movie that keeps you on the edge of your seat?

We see drama in these and a multitude of other examples in life. But nothing defines the spellbinding essence of drama more than the Resurrection of Jesus from the dead.

Consider this: When Jesus died on the Cross, all that He represented and stood for seemed lost. All His miracles that had seemed to prove He was more than a mere man, all of His assurances about God’s love and forgiveness, all of His promises about eternal life…all of that seemed to die on the Cross when He did.

The greatest (and only) hope that humanity ever had was brought to an end. We can hardly imagine the pain and disappointment felt by those closest to Him.

“But God!”

Then the most striking thing happened. God raised His Son from the dead, and in so doing, the drama of all dramas was revealed before mankind’s eyes! All that Christ represented was now very much alive. And for the disciples, this event would not only serve as their definition of drama, but it would also define their lives and destinies.

Let the same be said for us. Let our lives and destinies be defined by the great drama of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. Let us recognize what was at stake and what hung in the balance. Let us appreciate how humanity’s greatest and only hope was brought to life. And let us be forever indebted to the infinite importance of this “But God”!

“Because I live, you will live also.” (John 14:19 NKJV)

DEVOTION - MONDAY, JUNE 18, 2012

DEVOTION – MONDAY, JUNE 18, 2012

‘The Secret of Contentment”

BY

DR CHARLES STANLEY

Philippians 4:4-13

In today's reading, the apostle Paul says he has learned the secret of experiencing contentment in all circumstances, good or bad. Does it surprise you that he wrote this when he was in prison, unsure of his future?

We're often discontent even when all is going well. Consequently, we wonder how it's possible to be truly content during our most difficult trials, especially when there's no end in sight. So what is genuine contentment? Paul is speaking of a freedom from worry and frustration about everything in life--even unfulfilled desires.

It's usually when we cannot control or change our situation that we feel discontentment. As long as our satisfaction depends on whether certain things actually work out, we'll allow circumstances to cheat us out of peace. I'm not saying there's some spiritual stage where you will never again experience anxiety or frustration. But what matters is how we respond when those feelings grip us.

This is something that the apostle had to learn. Paul endured amazing suffering, from shipwrecks and hunger to unjust imprisonment and beatings (2 Cor. 11:24-30). He had gone through countless situations that were uncertain, extraordinarily painful, and seemingly hopeless. But he finally discovered that contentment could not be dependent upon his circumstances.

How do you respond when circumstances are out of your control? Do you get angry? Do you try to escape? Does despair make you want to give up? Paul chose to give his anxieties to Jesus in exchange for peace that "surpasses all comprehension" (Phil. 4:7). That same peace is available to you!

For more biblical teaching and resources from Dr. Charles Stanley, please visit www.intouch.org.

Used with permission from In Touch Ministries,

DEVOTION - SUNDAY, JUNE 17, 2012

DEVOTION – SUNDAY,  JUNE 17, 2012

Hopeful or Hopeless?

BY

GREG LAURIE

The hope of the righteous will be gladness, but the expectation of the wicked will perish. (Proverbs 10:28)

Everyone hopes in something. Some hope in themselves. Like Maria in The Sound of Music, they have “confidence in confidence.” But that is not going to sustain them.

Others put their hope in technology. Still others put their hope in politicians.

But I have a tried and tested place where you can put your hope. Put it in God. He never will let you down. That is true because the Bible says it is true, but I also know it is true from a personal standpoint, because I have put it to the test. God has been there for me, and he will be there for you. No matter what you face in life, He will walk with you through it. As the psalmist said, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me” (Psalm 23:4).

You are either hopeful or hopeless. The Bible says, “The hope of the righteous will be gladness, but the expectation of the wicked will perish” (Proverbs 10:28). So hope in God.

Is that where your hope is? Maybe you are facing a crisis right now. Maybe you have just heard the worst news imaginable.  Maybe you are going through troubles in your marriage . . . troubles at work . . . troubles with your family . . . health troubles . . . financial troubles. The list goes on. Maybe you’re in anguish or anxiety right now, and you’re wondering what to do.

Here is what you do: You call out to God. And here is the great hope that every Christian has. No matter what happens in life, we have the guaranteed assurance that when we die, we will go to heaven. Now, that is called a win-win situation.

Summary sentence: There is great hope for every believer!

DEVOTION - SATURDAY, JUNE 16, 2012

DEVOTION – SATURDAY, JUNE 16, 2012

‘CHRISTIAN LIVING”

BY

BAPTIST BIBLE HOUR

This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him– Matthew 17:5

On the Mount of Transfiguration, the voice of God was heard saying, not only that He was pleased with His Son, but also that His Son should be heard. God the Father makes it clear that the Son speaks with authority and that we are to believe Him.

Some raise the question in our day, “Can truth be known?” or “Is there an ultimate authority?” God reveals that His Son Jesus speaks with authority and that we should heed what He has to say.

Moses spoke of a Prophet that would be raised up by God and “unto him ye shall hearken.” The prophecy was fulfilled by the coming of Jesus Christ. His authority was confirmed by the Father not only at His transfiguration but also at His baptism. Jesus was given “power over all flesh” by His Father. He is indeed one of ultimate authority.

We should hear the witness He gave of Himself. He declared, “I came down from heaven,” and “I and My Father are one.” If these statements are not true then Jesus could not even be considered a good man for making such a claim; but since we are bidden by the Father to hear Him, we know what He said is true.

Let us hear Him when he tells us Who He is. He is the God-man, the Christ, the only Savior of sinners. Let us hear Him as He invites us near, “Come unto me.” And let us hear Him as He commands that we take up our cross and follow Him.

DEVOTION - FRIDAY, JUNE 15, 2012

DEVOTION – FRIDAY, JUNE 15, 2012

“WINNING WALK”

BY

DR ED YOUNG

The LORD is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in truth.
Psalm 145:18

Parents of adult children sometimes are reluctant to initiate contacts, fearing they will intrude. Yet they yearn for interaction. There’s a thrill when the phone rings, or they hear a friendly tap on the door. God isn’t an intruder, but He loves answering the calls and the door-knocks of His covenant children. The Bible says we are to wait on the Lord, but He waits on us, too. Some people believe they shouldn’t “bother” God. They forget He is Father, and wants to hear from His children.

DEVOTION - THURSDAY, JUNE 14, 2012

DEVOTION – THURSDAY, JUNE 14, 2012

‘No Layovers”

BY

GREG LAURIE

But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God, and said, “Look! I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!” (Acts 7:55–56)

Whenever I travel, I do my best to avoid layovers. I always try to get a direct flight wherever I am going.

Thank God there are no layovers on the way to heaven. There is no place called purgatory found in the Bible. Nor can we find anything called “soul sleep,” a state of suspended animation. Rather, the Bible promises that a believer will enter Christ’s presence immediately following death. When death strikes the Christian down, he falls into heaven.

The apostle Paul wrote, “We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord” (2 Corinthians 5:8). Jesus told the thief crucified next to Him, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise” (Luke 23:43).

John Bunyan said that death “will be but a passage out of a prison into a palace.”

That doesn’t mean we should look forward to death. But it does mean that we don’t have to fear it, because death died when Christ rose. Because Jesus is alive, He is at the right hand of the Father.

When your day comes to leave this world, the Lord will be waiting for you. I don’t know whether He will be standing up for you or me as He did for Stephen (see Acts 7:55–56). But He will be waiting.

And for the Christian walking in the will of God, death will come at the appointed time—not a moment before and not a moment after. Quite frankly, there is nothing you can do to prolong your life beyond the time God has allotted for you. There is no guarantee that you will live a long life. There is only the guarantee that you will live the life God has given to you.

Summary sentence: The Lord will be waiting for you when death comes!

DEVOTION - WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13, 2012

DEVOTION – WEDNESDAY,  JUNE 13, 2012

WINNING WALK

BY

DR ED YOUNG

For in the day of trouble He will conceal me in His tabernacle; in the secret place of His tent He will hide me; He will lift me up on a rock.
Psalm 27:5

Usually we wouldn’t think of a tent as being secure. The key is in who is in the tent with you. If the occupant is more powerful than the assaulting enemy, you are secure. God chose to manifest His presence among His covenant people upon the Mercy Seat, atop the Ark of the Covenant. As the Hebrews passed through the wilderness, they housed the Ark in the Tabernacle. The tent’s walls were of cloth, but its content was the Almighty God. If you are in Christ’s covenant, you dwell in the tent of His present, and you are safe there, no matter where you go.

DEVOTION -TUESDAY, JUNE 12, 2012

DEVOTION – TUESDAY, JUNE 12, 2012

‘Pleasing God… Even in Your Sorrow”

BY

BAYLESS CONLEY

In Psalm 69, David shares his innermost thoughts as he cries out to God, afflicted, sorrowful, beaten down, and distressed.  David felt like he was sinking in floodwaters, caught in the quicksand of difficulties.

If you are like me, I am sure you have been there too.  In fact, you may feel like you are there right now.  Floodwaters of trouble have come into your life.  You are treading water, and it seems like you are about to go down for the third time.

For most of us, our response is to get down and depressed, to feel sorry for ourselves.  And to hope we will receive comfort and encouragement from those around us.

David's reaction was different. And a model for how we should respond to those times of sorrow and trouble in a way that pleases God.  In verses 30 and 31 of Psalm 69 he states,

I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify Him with thanksgiving.  This also shall please the LORD better than an ox or bull.

You know, anyone can sing when the sun is shining.  It is easy to praise God and shout the victory when things are going your way.  But to praise God when the chips are down…that brings pleasure to God.

To worship God, to magnify Him and to thank Him even when it looks like you are not going to make it, that pleases the heart of God.  It shows Him something about you.  It demonstrates that you have faith in Him, and it opens a way for Him to work in your life.

If your life feels full of sorrow and trouble, begin to praise God, and watch God work!

Visit the Answers with Bayless Conley website for more ways to Connect with God

DEVOTION - MONDAY, JUNE 11, 2012

DEVOTION – MONDAY, JUNE 11, 2012

‘Who Will Be Our God?

In His Presence: 1 Peter 3:15

BY

TONY EVANS

“If you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be My own possession among all the peoples, for all the earth is Mine; and you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation”(Exodus 19:5-6).

When Satan tried to get Eve to take the fruit from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, he put forth arguments that sounded convincing in her ears. He told her God was holding out on them. He said if they ate the fruit, they would be like God. He said God’s Word couldn’t really be trusted anyway.

There was something that Satan didn’t tell the first married couple. In disobeying God, they would be obeying Satan, making him their master. He knew that whomever we obey is our god. So the devil was not just offering Adam and Eve a bit of knowledge independently of God, he was offering himself as their new god. That is what he originally wanted as Lucifer, the angel of light. He wanted to be like God. We’re right back to the issue that caused the problems in the first place.

Moses said: “If you diligently obey the Lord your God, being careful to do all His commandments which I command you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth. All these blessings will come upon you and overtake you if you obey the Lord your God” (Deuteronomy 28:1-3).

One Minute Please

The issue today for us is whom are we going to obey? Who is the authority in our lives?