DEVOTION - WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2010

DEVOTION,   WEDNESDAY,   OCTOBER 3, 2012

“Stop Stumbling”

BY

PASTOR BOB COY

But beware lest somehow this liberty of yours become a stumbling block to those who are weak. —1 Corinthians 8:9 (NKJV)

Christianity is an extremely freeing faith. It’s not based on a long list of rules and regulations but on a relationship with God that’s living and active. And although we do have a set of moral absolutes spelled out for us in the Bible, a lot of our behavior is to be directed by our relationship with the Lord, not by rules.

In other words, we’re free to live life based on what our relationship dictates, which makes Christianity freeing. But freedom brings certain challenges. And when it comes to our freedom in Christ, there’s the challenge (and warning) as Christians to not allow our freedoms to turn into stumbling blocks for others. Things that we feel we’re free to do may be things others don’t feel the freedom to do. What seems right to us might be wrong to them.

For example, in Paul’s time there were Christians who didn’t have any problem eating meat that had been sacrificed to idols. But there were other Christians who thought it was wrong. So a warning was issued to those who felt the freedom to eat.

They were to be careful that their freedom didn’t trip up those who weren’t as strong in their sense of freedom. Though free according to their own convictions, they were to act in a way that took the convictions of others into consideration.

That word of warning is just as relevant to us today as it was back then. When it comes to those things that aren’t specifically identified as right or wrong in the Bible—those things that we may feel the freedom to engage in but others may not—we need to ask the question,

“Is this a freedom that’s going to trip others up?” If so, it’s not worth it, and the right move is to forego that freedom. Be free, but beware your freedoms aren’t causing others to stumble.

DEVOTION - TUESDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2012

DEVOTION,   TUESDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2012

“God’s Generosity”

BY

ALISTAIR BEGG

Psalms 84:11

God is wonderfully generous by nature; to give is His delight. His gifts are immeasurably precious and are given as freely as the light of the sun. He gives grace to His own because He wills it, to His redeemed because of His covenant, to the called because of His promise, to believers because they seek it, to sinners because they need it. He gives grace abundantly, seasonably, constantly, readily, sovereignly; the value of the blessings is doubled by the manner in which it is given.

Grace in all its forms He freely supplies to His people: Comforting, preserving, sanctifying, directing, instructing, assisting grace He generously and constantly pours into their souls, and He will always do so, whatever may happen. Sickness may come, but the Lord will give grace; poverty may descend on us, but grace will definitely be supplied; death must come, but grace will light a candle in the darkest hour. Reader, how blessed it is as years roll on, and the leaves again begin to fall, to enjoy this unfading promise, "The LORD bestows favor and honor."

The little conjunction "and" in this verse is a diamond rivet binding the present with the future: Favor and honor always go together. God has married them, and no one can separate them. The Lord will never deny a soul honor to whom He has freely granted favor; indeed, honor is nothing more than favor in its Sunday best, favor in full bloom, favor like autumn fruit, mellow and perfected. How soon we may have honor none can tell! It may be that before this month of October has run out we will see the Holy City; but if the interval is longer or shorter, we shall be honored before long. The honor of heaven, the honor of eternity, the honor of Jesus, the honor of the Father—the Lord will certainly give all this to His chosen. What a wonderful promise from a faithful God!

DEVOTION, MONDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2012

DEVOTION,  MONDAY,   OCTOBER 1, 2012

“When Tolerance Isn’t Good”

BY

GREG LAURIE

For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. - (Galatians 5:13)

Tolerance. Isn’t that the watchword of the day? You can be anything but intolerant. This may come as a surprise to a nonbeliever, but all the strong Christians that I know are very tolerant.

As believers, we have a worldview that comes from our study of Scripture and from our faith in Jesus Christ. We believe these things are true, so when we talk to someone who is not a believer, we try to convince him or her. We engage in evangelism. We want them to believe in Jesus as we do. But we also know that some people, after hearing what we have to say, will disagree. So what do we do? Do we scream in their face? No, of course not. Although we don’t agree with them, we still are tolerant.

But tolerance isn’t always a good thing. The church of Thyatira in Revelation 2 was tolerating sin. Jesus specifically focused in on this problem when He addressed this church, saying, “Nevertheless I have a few things against you, because you allow that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, to teach and seduce My servants to commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols” (verse 20).

I don’t know whether this was a literal Jezebel to whom Jesus was referring or whether He was using the name as a metaphor for wickedness. We do know that Queen Jezebel of the Old Testament was an extremely wicked woman and culpable in putting to death the prophets of the Lord. She was teaching that immorality was not a serious issue.

The church of Thyatira was tolerating sin, and so Jesus essentially told them, “I am intolerant of this sin. You are allowing sexual immorality into your ranks.”

We cannot be followers of Christ and try to live in two worlds.

Summary sentence: We are called to be “intolerant” of immorality!

Tags: Thyatira, wickedness, tolerance, worldview

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.

DEVOTION, SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2012

DEVOTION,   SUNDAY,   SEPTEMBER  30, 2012

“”THE WINNING WALK”

WITH

DR ED YOUNG

The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance. - 2 Peter 3:9

Often we try to trap God in our time schemes. We lay out plans and schedules, and expect Him to conform. God sent His Son into the world as quickly as the world was prepared to receive Him. When the Father saw that the sacrificial system with its types and shadows had been established, and that the prophetic word pointing to the Messiah had been heard, the world was in readiness for the Messiah, and at the precise moment in accord with His plan, sent Him to us—in “the fullness of time” (Galatians 4:4

DEVOTION - SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2012

DEVOTION,   SATURDAY,   SEPTEMBER  29, 2012

“The Seventh Commandment of Marriage:  Do Not Commit Adultery”

BY

BAYLESS CONLEY

The seventh commandment brings us to one of the most vital principles of having the marriage God intends.  Exodus 20:14 simply says,

"You shall not commit adultery."

In a marriage, you would be hard pressed to imagine anything more damaging than your spouse being unfaithful.  But being faithful is not only being faithful in action, but also in thought.

Again, Jesus expanded on this in Matthew 5, and I want you to read these words very carefully.  He said, "You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not commit adultery.'  But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart."

Having a lustful, exploitive disposition has no place in marriage.  Love gives; lust takes.  Love serves; lust demands.  Love nourishes; lust chokes.

What a wonderful gift God has given us in this thing called sex.  It was His idea.  It is just as holy as when you lift your hands in church and worship Him.  It is God's idea within the context and the confines of marriage.  It should be enjoyed.

But lust has no place in marriage.  It is a poison that will destroy the fabric of your relationship with your spouse.

Men, do not even entertain the thought of allowing pornography into your life.  It can destroy your marriage.  You are committing heart-adultery when you look at pornographic images and lust after another woman.  Do not let the devil have that ground in your heart and life.

This is such a vital command, over the next few devotionals we are going to stay on this subject.  I will share with you three ways to affair-proof your marriage.

DEVOTION, FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2012

DEVOTION,   FRIDAY,   SEPTEMBER  28, 2012

“Blessed are the Pure in Heart”

BY

TONY EVANS

Scripture Reading: Exodus 33:18-19; Matthew 5:8; 2 Corinthians 4:1-6,16; 7:1

Eating organic food is a big health craze right now.  No one wants to eat the stuff that's been sprayed with pesticides or pumped full of steroids and preservatives.  Why?  Because it's a proven fact that the extra stuff will contaminate our bodies and make us sick.  When we eat food that man has messed with, we keep our bodies from functioning as God intended.

The same principle applies to our hearts.  When we feed our hearts what the world dishes out, we keep them from doing what they were meant to do.

But when we focus our hearts on God's Word and worship God with our thoughts and actions, He will keep our hearts pure.  Only then will our hearts be capable of doing what they were meant to do - help us see God.

Watch Online Videos of Dr. Tony Evans and The Urban Alternative at LightSource.com

DEVOTION - THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2012

DEVOTION,   THURSDAY,   SEPTEMBER  27, 2012

“Our Giving God”

BY

ADRIAN ROGERS

“If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.” - James 1:5

James 1:5 tells us that if we lack wisdom, we are to ask God. Let me tell you what that literally means. If you lack wisdom, ask of the “giving” God. Have you thought of God as the “giving” God?

What does it mean to you that God yearns to pour out His blessing upon you? Do you say to yourself, “Oh goodie, goodie, let me see what I can get from God”?

Or does it humble you that the Almighty God who created the air you breathe, the ground you walk upon, and the body you are draped in…this God loves you and wants to bless you? I pray it is the latter, for that is the heart of a child of God.