Devotion Monday July 30, 2012

DEVOTION – MONDAY, JULY 30, 2012

“Remarkable Fruit”

BY

DR TONY EVANS

In His Presence: Matthew 11:29

“[God] made us adequate as servants of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life”(2 Corinthians 3:6).

The Holy Spirit within us makes life real; life comes alive. When we have accepted Jesus as our Savior and Redeemer, life is no longer theology. It’s all right to have theology in our heads, just as long as it becomes real in our lives when we grow closer to God through the Holy Spirit.

When the Holy Spirit takes over, we begin to grow. The Holy Spirit becomes our power source behind this growth so that eventually it will become evident. “The deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law” (Galatians 5:19-23).

The Holy Spirit is the divine enabler who produces growth in us. Every time we try to grow independently of God, we are working against Him. Many of us spend much of our time shutting God out. We are trying to produce those fruits on our own. However, God does not need our help to grow us.

Devotion Sunday July 29, 2012

DEVOTION – SUNDAY, JULY 29, 2012

“Staying On Course”

BY

ADRIAN ROGERS

“O how I love Thy law! It is my meditation all the day.” - Psalm 119:97

Do you know the first words Paul uttered when he met the Lord Jesus on the Damascus Road? He said, “What will Thou have me to do?” (Acts 9:6).

He didn’t say, “Lord, what will others have me to do?” Or, “What will Thou have others to do?” God had a personal plan for his life. He stayed on the course and didn’t shirk his passion when the going got tough. Nothing could stop Paul.

Will you be able to say that? The hounds of hell are mocking you even now. Are you firmly focused on Jesus so that nothing can deter you from accomplishing His will, from loving Him with all your heart, from devoting every ounce of who you are to Him?

For more from Love Worth Finding and Pastor Adrian Rogers, please visit www.lwf.or

Devotion Saturday, July 28, 2012

DEVOTION – SATURDAY, JULY 28, 2012

“Keep consistent”

BY

PASTOR BOB COY

Do not associate with those given to change… Proverbs 24:21 (NKJV)

Consistency is something all good businesses strive for, because they understand a consistent experience and product is going to lead to repeat business. People buy 550 million Big Macs every year because they’re a consistent product. They may not be good for you, but people feel good about buying them. Why? Because they know what to expect from them. Consistency breeds confidence.

The exact opposite is true, as well. A lack of consistency will lead to a lack of confidence. And this truth is never truer than when it comes to a person’s character. Someone whose character is constantly changing and flip-flopping can’t be counted on or trusted.

Proverbs 24:21 warns us against associating (literally “bonding” or “braiding together”), with those who are “given to change”…who lack consistency in their character. The warning is attached to the fact that we’re heavily influenced by our relationships. And when a relationship produces a sense of uncertainty instead of confidence, it can have damaging effects.

Not only do you question whether you can count on the other person, often you are led down the same path of unreliability. Because you’ve chosen to connect yourself to an inconsistent character, it becomes impossible for you to maintain a consistent character yourself. You’re at the mercy of the other person’s whims, and consequently people won’t find you to be trustworthy or reliable either.

When choosing friends, your spouse, a business partner, or any other close relationship, make sure consistency of character is one of your criteria. Don’t settle for someone who changes direction so often that you can’t count on them, because it will eventually leave its mark on you. God places great value on a person’s yes being yes and their no being no  (Matthew 5:37). We should do the same.

He who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind…he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. (James 1:6-8 NKJV)

DEVOTIONAL - FRIDAY, JULY 27, 2012

DEVOTION – FRIDAY, JULY 27, 2012

“Supper in Heaven”

BY

GREG LAURIE

Then he said to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!’ ” And he said to me, “These are the true sayings of God.” - (Revelation 19:9)

I like the word “supper.” That is what they call dinner in the south—not dinner, but supper: Y’all coming to supper? . . . Wash up for supper.

I remember hearing this when I was a kid growing up with my grandparents. They were from Arkansas, and my grandmother made everything from scratch. My grandfather literally would kill the chicken for Mama Stella’s fried chicken, which she would serve with southern dishes like black-eyed peas, collard greens, and her crowning achievement: biscuits.

The Bible tells is in Revelation 19:9, “Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!” (I wonder whether the Lord might just put Mama Stella to work up there. I could just see her making her biscuits.)

Can you imagine a feast like this, sitting around with those great men and women of the Bible? Moses, could you hand over the manna, please? Maybe we should have that for dessert. . . . Elijah, my meat is a little undercooked. Could you get a little fire on that for me?

Heaven not only will be a gathering of the great men and women of the Bible, but heaven also will be a place of resurrected relationships. We will be reunited together with our loved ones who believed in Jesus and have gone before us.

If you have lost someone unexpectedly, you long to reconnect. You long to finish those conversations. You long to have new ones. There were new adventures you planned on having. In heaven, that all will be sorted out.

There are relationships you have had with people in which you will be able to pick up where you last left off. That is what heaven will be like. That is what we have to look forward to in heaven.

Summary sentence: Heaven means resurrected relationships!

Tags: Heaven, Marriage supper of the Lamb

Copyright © 2012 by Harvest Ministries. All rights reserved.
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

For more relevant and biblical teaching from Pastor Greg Laurie, go to www.harvest.org

DEVOTIONAL - THURSDAY, JULY 26, 2012

DEVOTION – THURSDAY, JULY 26, 2012

“A DEVOTIONAL”

WITH

DR ED YOUNG

Praise the LORD! How blessed is the man who fears the LORD, Who greatly delights in His commandments. His descendants will be mighty on earth; the generation of the upright will be blessed.
Psalm 112:1-2

Some sociologists say there’s a “five generation rule” in the raising of children. The way you bring up your child impacts not only him or her, but four generations that follow. Princeton scholar Benjamin Warfield tested the rule by comparing descendants of godly Jonathan Edwards to those of atheist Max Jukes. Edwards’ progeny included 13 college presidents, 65 professors, 30 judges, 100 lawyers, 60 physicians and 100 pastors.  Jukes descendants numbered 310 paupers, 150 criminals, seven murderers and more than 100 alcoholics. Happiness is on the side of those who reverence God.

---

“The last influence of a parent’s legacy,” By David Littlewood. Retrieved from http://www.newlifepublishing.co.uk/joyplus/leavingalegacy.htm.

DEVOTIONAL - WEDNESDAY, JULY 25, 2012

DEVOTION – WEDNESDAY, JULY 25, 2012

“ASK: The Third Step in Effective Prayer”

BY

BAYLESS CONLEY

So far we have discovered that praise and repentance are the first two steps to effective prayer.  Today I want to show you the very important third step of asking.

Yesterday we talked about how repentance is searching your own heart and asking God to put the spotlight on it, and then repenting of anything that He shows you.  When your heart is clean, you can have confidence before God when you ask.  As 1 John 3:21-22 says,

Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence toward God.  And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight.

In Matthew 7:7-11, Jesus tells us,

"Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.  Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone?  Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent?  If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!"

Pretty clear, isn't it?  God loves you and wants the very best for you.  Be careful not to water down the words of Jesus, or somehow try and explain them away or complicate them.  He meant just what He said.

DEVOTIONAL - TUESDAY 24, 2012

DEVOTION – TUESDAY,  JULY 24, 2012

“Are You Beginning Your Day in His Presence?”

WITH

ADRIAN ROGERS

“My voice shalt Thou hear in the morning, O Lord; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto Thee, and will look up.” - Psalm 5:3

Most Christians fail in their Christian life for one simple reason: They fail to have a quiet time. They fail to start the day with Jesus.

It is so simple. They say, “Why am I failing? Why don’t I have the victory? Why don’t I understand?” And I want to respond, “Why don’t you get quiet before God at the beginning of your day and saturate your soul with His presence and bathe your heart with His Word?”

Someone once wrote, “Every morning lean thine arms a while upon the windowsill of heaven and gaze upon thy Lord. And then with the vision in thy heart, turn strong to meet the day.”

For more from Love Worth Finding and Pastor Adrian Rogers, please visit www.lwf.org.

DEVOTIONAL - MONDAY, JULY 23, 2012

DEVOTION – MONDAY,  JULY 23, 2012

“Overlooking offenses”

WITH

PASTOR BOB COY

The discretion of a man makes him slow to anger, and his glory is to overlook a transgression. Proverbs 19:11 (NKJV)

On June 2, 2010, something happened in professional baseball that had never happened before. The Detroit Tiger’s pitcher, Armando Galarraga, was on the brink of accomplishing the rarest achievement in baseball, pitching a perfect game, which has only happened eighteen times in more than one hundred years.

With two outs in the ninth inning, only one out separated Galarraga from his quest. The batter chopped a ground ball to the hole between first and second base. True to their training, the first baseman went to field the ball, and the pitcher went to cover first base. The first baseman scooped up the ball, turned and flipped it to Galarraga, who caught it and tagged first base with his foot before the base runner.

It was an obvious out, but the umpire called the runner safe…and in doing so, ended Galarraga’s chance of achieving baseball immortality. The instant replay was conclusive; the runner was clearly out, and even the umpire admitted afterward to blowing the call. Galarraga had clearly been “robbed.”

But something greater than a perfect game came out of that game. Instead of ranting or railing against the umpire who had wronged him, Galarraga publicly forgave him and overlooked the offense. As a result, the honor he received for his sportsmanship had a much greater impact than a perfect game ever could have.

That incident mirrors the principle in Proverbs 19:11, which tells us it’s a man’s glory to overlook a transgression (or offense). When we forgive those who’ve wronged us, it produces something glorious in us. Our character shines, our stature increases, and we’re honored to an extent that we never would have been had we never been wronged.

Tuck this truth away for the next time you’re wronged. Remember that it’s an opportunity for you to have an impact and influence for good that you never could have otherwise.

DEVOTIONAL - SUNDAY, JULY 22, 2012

DEVOTION – SUNDAY,  JULY 22, 2012

“A Bruised Reed”

BY

ALLISTAIR BEGG

Matthew 12:20

What is weaker than the bruised reed or the smoldering wick? A reed that grows in the marshland—let a wild duck land on it, and it snaps; let but the foot of man brush against it, and it is bruised and broken; every wind that flits across the river moves it to and fro. You can conceive of nothing more frail or brittle or whose existence is more in jeopardy than a bruised reed. Then look at the smoldering wick—what is it? It has a spark within it, it is true, but it is almost smothered; an infant's breath might blow it out; nothing has a more precarious existence than its flame.

Weak things are here described; yet Jesus says of them, "The smoldering wick I will not quench; the bruised reed I will not break." Some of God's children are made strong to do mighty works for Him; God has His Samsons here and there who can pull up Gaza's gates and carry them to the top of the hill. He has a few mighties who are lionlike men, but the majority of His people are a timid, trembling race. They are like starlings, frightened at every passerby, a little fearful flock. If temptation comes, they are taken like birds in a snare; if trial threatens, they are ready to faint. Their frail craft is tossed up and down by every wave; they drift along like a seabird on the crest of the billows—weak things, without strength, without wisdom, without foresight. Yet, weak as they are, and because they are so weak, they have this promise made especially to them.

Herein is grace and graciousness! Herein is love and loving-kindness! How it opens to us the compassion of Jesus—so gentle, tender, considerate! We need never shrink back from His touch. We need never fear a harsh word from Him; though He might well chide us for our weakness, He rebukes not. Bruised reeds shall have no blows from Him, and the smoldering wick no damping frowns.

DEVOTIONAL - SATURDAY, JULY 21, 2012

DEVOTION – SATURDAY,  JULY 21, 2012

“A Continual Looking Forward”

BY

GREG LAURIE

Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. - (Colossians 3:2)

C. S. Lewis wrote, “A continual looking forward to the eternal world is not (as some modern people think) a form of escapism or wishful thinking, but one of the things a Christian is meant to do.”

In Colossians 3, Paul tells us we need to be thinking about the afterlife: “If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth” (verses 1–2).

“Set your mind” means to engage in a diligent, active, single-minded investigation. This could be translated “think” or “have this inner disposition.” In other words, Paul was saying, “Think heaven. Think about heaven more.” The verb Paul used was in the present tense. So Paul was saying that we need to constantly keep seeking and thinking about heaven.

Our feet must be on earth, but our minds must be in heaven. But sadly, some of us seldom have a single thought about heaven or eternity. Yet if we are living as we ought to live as Christians, then we will think about it.

How do we think about a place we have never been before? By finding out what the Bible says about it. Heaven is not a metaphor for a state of mind; heaven is a real place, according to Scripture. And it is the dwelling place of God himself. Jesus said, “I go to prepare a place for you” (John 14:2).

What is troubling you right now? There is always hope, and the hope is in God. If you have put your faith in Christ, then you have the ultimate hope of heaven. One day, you will be with the Lord. And that should put everything in perspective.

Summary sentence: Your life is impacted when you know you are heaven-bound.

DEVOTIONAL - FRIDAY, JULY, 20, 2012

DEVOTION – FRIDAY,  JULY 20, 2012

“A DEVOTIONAL”

WITH

DR ED YOUNG

How blessed is he who considers the helpless; The LORD will deliver him in a day of trouble.
Psalm 41:1

It’s satisfying to help someone get on their feet. I was barely 24 when I became pastor of a church in Erwin, North Carolina. The people in that mill village helped me get on my feet. They taught me and built things into my life that help me stand today. Floyd Glover, Erin Holmes, Roy Godwin, and a host of others bring happiness to my heart just thinking of their names. They also have a big share in any successes I enjoy, because Jo Beth and I were helpless, and they considered us enough to be patient and serve the young pastor who thought he had come to serve them.

DEVOTIONAL - THURSDAY, JULY 19, 2012

DEVOTION – THURSDAY,  JULY 19, 2012

“Lightening the Load”

BY

BAYLESS CONLEY

When we get into the storms of life, it is often difficult to know what to do.  It can feel like the noise of our troubles drowns out everything else.

In Acts 27 we find the apostle Paul caught in the midst of a horrible storm.  The ship was being tossed all over the place, and the situation was becoming quite serious.

Embedded in this story is a spiritual truth that can guide you and me when we get caught in the storms of life.  It is found in verses 18-19,

And because we were exceedingly tempest-tossed, the next day they lightened the ship.  On the third day we threw the ship's tackle overboard with our own hands.

Notice that when the storm got bad and threatened to capsize the ship, they lightened the load.

Sometimes in a storm you need to throw some things overboard.  In fact, it is a great time to evaluate any baggage that you are carrying in your life.  There are some things that may not be a sin to you, but they are a weight to you.

One of the things you need to carefully evaluate is your relationships.  There are some relationships you need to cut loose because they are hanging you up, holding you back, and they are hindering you from getting to where God wants you to go.

Or maybe it's something as simple as too much TV.  Watching TV may not be a sin, but it can sure be a weight!  It can sure be a hindrance to you hearing from God, especially when you are in a time of crisis.

If you really want to hear from God and get yourself unstuck, lighten your ship.

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

DEVOTIONAL - WEDNESDAY, JULY 18, 2012

DEVOTION – WEDNESDAY,  JULY 18, 2012

“We Do Have His Presence”

BY

ADRIAN ROGERS

“For we walk by faith, not by sight.” - 2 Corinthians 5:7

In John chapter four, we read the story of a nobleman whose son was gravely ill. And yet Jesus chose not to go to the son to heal him. Other times, Jesus went to lay His hands on the sick and they recovered. Why didn’t He do that this time? I think for my sake and your sake He did not go.

There are so many of us who think if only we have the physical presence of Jesus, then we will have the blessings of Jesus. We say to ourselves, “If only I lived back then.” Or, “Won’t it be wonderful when Jesus returns.”

We don’t have to live in the past or in the future; we have His Word today. And it’s just as real and powerful as if He were here in the flesh. Distance makes no difference.

DEVOTIONAL - TUESDAY, JULY 17, 2012

DEVOTION – TUESDAY,  JULY 17, 2012

“That’s disgusting!”

BY

PASTOR BOB COY

He who justifies the wicked, and he who condemns the just, both of them alike are an abomination to the LORD. Proverbs 17:15 (NKJV)

The word “abomination” literally means something is disgusting, so whenever the Bible tells us that God finds something to be an abomination, we need to tune in and pay close attention. Two abominations are listed for us here in Proverbs 17:15.

First, we see that God finds it disgusting when somebody justifies the wicked. In other words, when a person’s “wrong” is considered “right.” That’s an abomination to the Lord because He’s just and stands against injustice.

The second thing God finds disgusting is when the just are condemned, or when a person’s “right” is counted as “wrong.” That’s an abomination to the Lord, too, because it’s also an inaccurate reflection of justice. So we see God is very passionate about wrong being wrong and right being right. When man tampers with this on either end, it literally disgusts the Lord.

Now, if we know what disgusts God, isn’t it wise for us to align ourselves against it? In this case, it means maintaining a strong sense of right and wrong. Our hearts should oppose any violation of this. We should stand against any attempt to sweep sin under the carpet and pretend it’s okay—or any attempt to criticize what’s right.

It’s very easy to compromise on either side of the equation. Therefore, we need to remember what God thinks and allow that to be our compass. At the end of the day, His opinion on what’s wrong and what’s right is all that really matters.

DEVOTIONAL - MONDAY, JULY 16, 2012

DEVOTION – MONDAY,  JULY 16, 2012

A DEVOTIONAL

FROM

DR. ED YOUNG

"Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house, and test Me now in this," says the LORD of hosts, "if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you a blessing until it overflows. Then I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of the ground; nor will your vine in the field cast its grapes," says the LORD of hosts. All the nations will call you blessed, for you shall be a delightful land," says the LORD of hosts. - Malachi 3:10-12

Blessed nations are giving nations. The tithe is the first tenth of one’s income. The “firstfruits” principle is all through the Bible, from Abel and his gift of the first and best of his harvest, to God’s command to the Promised Land-bound Hebrews to set apart their firstborn son, to the Proverbs admonition to honor the Lord with the firstfruits. The “storehouse” in Malachi’s day was the Temple. Now, it is the local church. When God’s people honor Him with firstfruits giving, there is a radiating effect outward to society itself, resulting in generosity and blessing.

DEVOTIONAL- SUNDAY JULY 15 ,2012

DEVOTION – SUNDAY,  JULY 15, 2012

The Work is Finished!

BY

ADRIAN ROGERS

“When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, He said, ‘It is finished:’ and He bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.” - John 19:30

In the Old Testament, the priest would enter the temple to minister, burn incense, offer prayer and sacrifices. But there was one piece of furniture that was not in the Holy of Holies, and that was a chair for the priest to sit upon. Why? Because his work was never finished.

But when Jesus bowed His head upon that cross and cried out, “It is finished!” He was finished, and He sat down at the right hand of God, the Father. The first words that are recorded that Jesus said were: “I must be about My Father’s business.” And His last words were: “It is finished.” He stayed until He finished His Father’s work.

Nothing that you can do will add one measure to His completed work. It is finished! Hallelujah!

DEVOTIONAL- SATURDAY JULY 14, 2012

DEVOTION – SATURDAY,  JULY 14, 2012

Everything isn’t anything

BY

PASTOR BOB COY

The simple believes every word, but the prudent considers well his steps. Proverbs 14:15 (NKJV)

Noted theologian and author G.K. Chesterton had a gift for packaging God’s truths in entertaining ways. One of his most famous fictional characters was a crime-solving priest named Father Brown.

In one particular case, a criminal tries to throw Father Brown off the scent with a supernatural smokescreen. The perpetrator assumes the priest will bite the bait since it’s his business to believe in supernatural things. But Father Brown responds by essentially saying he does believe in certain things, but he doesn’t believe in other things. As a result, he sees through the smokescreen and catches the criminal.

The moral of the story is this: When you believe in something, you’re not going to believe in everything. Or to put it another way, the person who believes in everything really doesn’t believe in anything. That’s the point being made here in Proverbs 14:15. “The simple believes every word, but the prudent considers well his steps.”

When people are so wide open in their thinking that they accept everything that comes their way as the gospel truth, they’re actually revealing that they don’t hold any true convictions. That’s the mindset of the simple.

Yet the prudent person, the one who is wise, carefully considers things. Because they have convictions, they have a higher standard of trust. They know that not everything is true, and they’re willing to exercise their God-given discernment to determine what is and what isn’t worth believing.

Being spiritual doesn’t mean being gullible. Don’t be so simple as to believe in everything that comes your way. Be discerning. Examine and scrutinize things against God’s Word to see if they’re true or not. Naivety doesn’t honor the Lord. Having convictions that cause us to carefully consider everything does.

DEVOTION - FRIDAY 13, 20-12

DEVOTION – FRIDAY,  JULY 13, 2012

“It’s All Good”

BY

GREG LAURIE

Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” - (Hebrews 13:5)

Sometimes people use the expression, “It’s all good!” In a broad sense, that is actually correct, theologically at least. It’s all good if you are a Christian—either in this life or in the life to come.

Shakespeare said, “All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players. . . .” If that is true, then God writes the script and has decided what will happen to whom.

The movies we tend to remember are the ones in which a conflict is overcome. If you were go to a movie that had a happy beginning, middle, and ending, no doubt you would be bored. Where is the conflict? Where is the bad guy? Where is the adversity that someone needs to overcome? That is what makes a movie exciting, isn’t it?

In life, God does not use conflict to make the story better, but to make us better. Someone who has lived a conflict-free life is likely to be a soft, spoiled, and selfish person. On the other hand, someone who has gone through adversity is probably a stronger, more capable, and hopefully more caring person than they were before.

Sometimes God will stop the storms in our lives. A check arrives in the mail inexplicably in the exact amount you need. Your prayer is answered in another way, and you know that it is a miracle.

But at other times, God may answer your prayer differently than you wanted Him to. He doesn’t stop the storm. He doesn’t take away the problem. He doesn’t heal the illness. But He does walk with you through it.

Your crisis, tragedy, or heartache ultimately will work together for good, either here or in eternity. And you can be assured of this: He always will be with you.

Summary sentence: God will never, no never, no never forsake you!

DEVOTION - THURSDAY, JULY 12, 2012

DEVOTION –THURSDAY,  JULY 12, 2012

“THE WINNING WALK”

"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.”
Matthew 5:6

The US government maintains a Bureau of Standard Weights and Measures to help people keep scales set right and rulers accurate. God’s character is the “rightness,” the standard for everything in the universe. The most successful employees in a business are those who pay attention to the details, and have a passion to get things right. The people in the world who have the greatest yearning to see everything line up with God’s character are those who will be satisfied. Someday there will be a new heaven and a new earth, completely aligned with God’s holiness.