An opportunity for blessing ~ Raul Ries


“…who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to
comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.”
2 Corinthians 1:4


When we are experiencing severe trials, it is easy for us to get self absorbed. In fact, we tend to forget about other people altogether because we are so focused on ourselves. God always shows Himself to be bigger than our problems by comforting and encouraging us in the midst of them, and delivering us through or out of them.

Through our trials, we can become a source of blessing to others by offering comfort and encouragement. Just as God has encouraged us, we also can encourage others.

Thought for the Day:


In the midst of your suffering you can bless others.

Stephen answers his accusers ~ WOW the 7 minute Bible




Stephen Presents His Defense: Part One

Acts 5:33-7:19; Psalm 116:1-4; Proverbs 20:20

When they heard this, they were furious and plotted to kill them. Then one in the council stood up, a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law held in respect by all the people, and commanded them to put the apostles outside for a little while. And he said to them: "Men of Israel, take heed to yourselves what you intend to do regarding these men. For some time ago Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody. A number of men, about four hundred, joined him. He was slain, and all who obeyed him were scattered and came to nothing. After this man, Judas of Galilee rose up in the days of the census, and drew away many people after him. He also perished, and all who obeyed him were dispersed. And now I say to you, keep away from these men and let them alone; for if this plan or this work is of men, it will come to nothing; but if it is of God, you cannot overthrow it-lest you even be found to fight against God."

And they agreed with him, and when they had called for the apostles and beaten them, they commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. So they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name. And daily in the temple, and in every house, they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ.

Now in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplying, there arose a complaint against the Hebrews by the Hellenists, because their widows were neglected in the daily distribution. Then the twelve summoned the multitude of the disciples and said, "It is not desirable that we should leave the word of God and serve tables. Therefore, brethren, seek out from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business; but we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word."

And the saying pleased the whole multitude. And they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, and Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas, a proselyte from Antioch, whom they set before the apostles; and when they had prayed, they laid hands on them.

Then the word of God spread, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were obedient to the faith.

And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and signs among the people. Then there arose some from what is called the Synagogue of the Freedmen (Cyrenians, Alexandrians, and those from Cilicia and Asia), disputing with Stephen. And they were not able to resist the wisdom and the Spirit by which he spoke. Then they secretly induced men to say, "We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God." And they stirred up the people, the elders, and the scribes; and they came upon him, seized him, and brought him to the council. They also set up false witnesses who said, "This man does not cease to speak blasphemous words against this holy place and the law; for we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and change the customs which Moses delivered to us." And all who sat in the council, looking steadfastly at him, saw his face as the face of an angel.

Then the high priest said, "Are these things so?"

And he said, "Brethren and fathers, listen: The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Haran, and said to him, 'Get out of your country and from your relatives, and come to a land that I will show you.' Then he came out of the land of the Chaldeans and dwelt in Haran. And from there, when his father was dead, He moved him to this land in which you now dwell. And God gave him no inheritance in it, not even enough to set his foot on. But even when Abraham had no child, He promised to give it to him for a possession, and to his descendants after him. But God spoke in this way: that his descendants would dwell in a foreign land, and that they would bring them into bondage and oppress them four hundred years. 'And the nation to whom they will be in bondage I will judge,' said God, 'and after that they shall come out and serve Me in this place.' Then He gave him the covenant of circumcision; and so Abraham begot Isaac and circumcised him on the eighth day; and Isaac begot Jacob, and Jacob begot the twelve patriarchs.


"And the patriarchs, becoming envious, sold Joseph into Egypt. But God was with him and delivered him out of all his troubles, and gave him favor and wisdom in the presence of Pharaoh, king of Egypt; and he made him governor over Egypt and all his house. Now a famine and great trouble came over all the land of Egypt and Canaan, and our fathers found no sustenance. But when Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent out our fathers first. And the second time Joseph was made known to his brothers, and Joseph's family became known to the Pharaoh. Then Joseph sent and called his father Jacob and all his relatives to him, seventy-five people. So Jacob went down to Egypt; and he died, he and our fathers. And they were carried back to Shechem and laid in the tomb that Abraham bought for a sum of money from the sons of Hamor, the father of Shechem.


"But when the time of the promise drew near which God had sworn to Abraham, the people grew and multiplied in Egypt till another king arose who did not know Joseph. This man dealt treacherously with our people, and oppressed our forefathers, making them expose their babies, so that they might not live."

Acts 5:33-7:19

WORSHIP

I love the LORD, because He has heard
My voice and my supplications.
Because He has inclined His ear to me,
Therefore I will call upon Him as long as I live.
The pains of death surrounded me,
And the pangs of Sheol laid hold of me;
I found trouble and sorrow.
Then I called upon the name of the LORD:
"O LORD, I implore You, deliver my soul!"
Psalm 116:1-4

WISDOM

Whoever curses his father or his mother,
His lamp will be put out in deep darkness.
Proverbs 20:20

Understanding angers grip ~ Charles Stanley


Proverbs 19:19

Anger is a common emotion that arises when one encounters a threat, insult, injustice, or frustration. God Himself feels anger, and He has given us this same ability. However, because of our fallen nature, we often respond in a sinful manner when this intense feeling overwhelms us.

One prevalent sinful response is to hold onto anger until it becomes part of our character. It takes up residence in the innermost being and starts to twist thinking and agitate emotions. Peace and joy are noticeably absent because they cannot coexist with the anxiety and frustration that accompany bitterness.

After poisoning the character, an angry spirit spills over into other relationships. Hurtful words are thrown like flaming arrows, even at those who aren’t the cause of the rage. Shields of self-protection are raised in an effort to avoid any future hurts. Unfortunately, the result of these behaviors is stressed relationships and isolation.

While anger can damage character and connections with others, its most tragic consequence is broken fellowship with God. Wrath not only hinders His work in and through believers; it also grieves the Father’s heart. He desires to shower His children with blessings, but fists full of anger cannot receive His riches of character and calling.

Are you harboring anger? It could be so deeply buried within your soul that you are unaware of its presence. But sustained, unresolved bitterness will affect every area of your life. Ask God to reveal any hidden resentment. Release it, and take hold of the riches of Christ.

All or not enough ~ David McGee





1 Chronicles 16:3

"And he dealt to every one of Israel, both man and woman, to every one a loaf of bread, and a good piece of flesh, and a flagon of wine."
KJV

Life Lesson

We should offer God our lives not just pieces of it.

We have a tendency to compartmentalize our lives don't we? We find ourselves saying, "This part of my life belongs to my family, this other part belongs to my job, this section belongs to my wife and kids, and I've set this part aside for God."

That sounds very religious and sacrificial but should Melekh HaOlam (Hebrew for the King of the Universe), our Creator, Lord and Savior, be relegated to a portion of your life? That's not sacrifice. Sacrifice occurs when we lay down our whole life for God, not a portion of it. But, you may ask, "How do I know when I'm giving too much?" Friend, you will never out give God.

When we sacrifice for God, He always meets our needs. There is a blessing in giving our lives to God that cannot and does not come in any other way. Don't hold back. Give your whole life to God. I'm reminded of the story of a man, of little means, sitting in a church pew as the offering plate was passed. When the usher reached him with the offering plate, the man motioned for the usher to lower the plate. The man motioned again and again until finally, the plate was on the floor, at which point, the man stepped into the plate and said..."This is all I've got, but He's got all of me."

So, tell me friend. Does He have all of you?

Dear Father,
Thank You for loving me. Thank You that Your mercy endures forever and is available to me. Lord, I need your mercy and grace right now. I confess to You that I have not always given You all my life. Lord, I want to give You ALL of my life, not just a portion. I surrender my life to You. Forgive me for losing focus. I want to worship You. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Any moment now...~Jon Courson


This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.
2 Timothy 3:1

Knowing his death was imminent, I believe Paul nonetheless thought the Rapture would happen either in his lifetime or shortly thereafter. So do I. I believe the Rapture will happen in my lifetime.

‘Well,’ you say, ‘if Paul thought the Rapture would happen in his lifetime, and it didn’t — and if men of God throughout the ages have felt as though they were living in the last days and the Rapture would happen in their lifetimes, and it didn’t — doesn’t it seem foolish to think the Rapture will happen in your lifetime?’

Not at all. Throughout the history of the Church, the greatest men and women of the faith have all lived their lives believing that the Lord’s coming was nigh. And even though the Lord didn’t come when they thought He would, looking for His return impacted their lives in such a way that they left their mark on history and will be rewarded greatly in eternity (II Timothy 4:8). Luther, Calvin, Spurgeon, Finney, Moody, Torrey all felt the Lord’s coming was close at hand. Put me in their company any day!

I choose to live my life looking for the Lord’s coming. And if I am wrong, even if He doesn’t come back for another 500 years, I would rather go through the days I have left looking for the sudden appearing of Jesus Christ because I know the effect it has upon the life of any man or woman who believes He could come today: one’s heart does not get troubled as easily; one is not prone to sin so readily.

If you want to live a zealous, exciting, fulfilling, pure Christian life, live it looking for the Lord’s coming (I John 3:3).

Glory hogs ~ Chuck Swindoll


Matthew 6

Jesus opened a five-gallon can of worms the day He preached His Sermon on the Mount. There wasn't a Pharisee within gunshot range who wouldn't have given his last denarius to have seen Him strung up by sundown. They hated Him because He refused to let them get away with their phony religious drool!

If there was one thing Jesus despised, it was the very thing every Pharisee majored in at seminary: showing off. Another word for it is "self-righteousness." The Messiah unsheathed His sharp sword of truth that day, exposing their pride. Like never before, the smug show-offs were put in their place!

Listen to Matthew 6:1: "Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them."

In other words, stop showing off! Stop calling attention to your righteousness! And then, to make the warning stick, our Lord gave three specific examples of how people show off their own righteousness so that others might ooh and aah over them.

In Matthew 6:2 Jesus says, "So when you give to the poor, do not sound a trumpet before you." In other words, when you perform acts of charity or assist someone in need, keep it quiet. Remain anonymous. Jesus promises that "your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you" (6:4).

In Matthew 6:5 Jesus talks about "when you pray." He warns us against being supplicational show-offs who stand in prominent places and mouth meaningless mush in order to be seen and heard. A show-off loves syrupy words. He's got the technique for sounding high and holy down pat. But Jesus says: Don't show off when you talk with the Father.

In Matthew 6:16 Jesus says, "Whenever you fast, do not put on a gloomy face as the hypocrites do." Fasting is when the show-off really hits his stride! He works overtime trying to appear humble and sad, hoping to look hungry and exhausted like some freak who just finished walking across the Sahara that afternoon. Instead, we ought to look and sound fresh, clean, and completely natural.

Our Lord reserved His strongest and longest sermon not for struggling sinners or discouraged disciples but for hypocrites . . . for glory hogs. Unfortunately, most of them never change because they don't hear what He says to them. Show-offs, you see, are terribly hard-of-hearing.

Is your righteousness showing off? Listen to His words!

Trusting in Jesus is our Salvation~ Bob Hoekstra


And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God. (1 John 5:11-13)

If we are to grow in grace, we must live by faith. "Therefore it is of faith that it might be according to grace" (Romans 4:16). If our faith is to develop and mature, we must know where faith comes from. Jesus (and His word) is the source of our faith. "Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faithfaith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God" (Hebrews 12:2 and Romans 10:17). As we get to know our Lord better and better, as we get into His word more and more, our faith grows. As our faith grows, we experience the grace of God more and more. One of the blessings of God's grace is assurance of salvation through faith.

Some people wonder if they are saved. Others hope that they are saved. Still others think that they might be saved. God wants people to know that they are saved. "These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life." Of course, salvation (the gift of eternal life) is given to those who "believe in the name of the Son of God." This means that they trust in the person and work of Christ. They believe He is God, the Son. They believe He died and rose victorious over sin and death. Many who have entered into salvation are, nonetheless, without assurance of this great gift.

Assurance is imparted through the faithful and true word of God. "And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son." The gift of eternal life has truly been provided for by the Lord. However, the Father wants us to be reminded that this eternal life is "in His Son." Everlasting life is not some "packaged blessing" that comes to us separated from Jesus. The life God has for us is found through a dependent relationship with a person, Jesus. If we have Jesus in our lives, we have the life that is found in Him. "He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life." If we have invited the Lord into our lives, He now dwells in us. "As many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God" (John 1:12). Jesus gives us assurance of salvation through faith in Him and His word.

Lord Jesus, I thank You for coming into my life when I received You by faith. Therefore, I know that I have eternal life, since that life is in You. Thank You for the grace that brings such assurance through simple faith in You and Your word, Amen.

Out of the Spirit, Not the Head ~Joyce Meyer


[For being as he is] a man of two minds (hesitating, dubious, irresolute, [he is] unstable and unreliable and uncertain about everything [he thinks, feels, decides].
— James 1:8

You and I have two huge vats of information within us. One is carnal information that comes off the top of our head. The other is spiritual information which wells up out of our hearts. One is muddy, polluted water, and the other is clean drinking water. It is up to us to decide which source we are going to drink from. Some people try to drink from both sources. That's what the Bible calls being double-minded.

Do you know what it means to be double-minded? It means that your mind is trying to tell you one thing, and your spirit is trying to tell you just the opposite. Instead of saying, "I'm not going to believe that because it's a lie," you get in a cross-fire, going back and forth between the two thoughts.

If you and I are ever going to live the happy, victorious, and successful Christian life the Lord wills for us, we are going to have to decide which fountain of information we are going to drink from. We are going to have to learn to live out of our spirits and not out of our heads.

Do you struggle with being a man-pleaser vs a God-pleaser?~Barry Werner


Do you struggle with the deep-seated need for personal image? (91-5)

Yesterday we looked at David’s choice to be a God-pleasing leader instead of a people-pleasing leader. Today we look at the actions of a people-pleaser. Read 2 Samuel 6:16 and 20-23.

Michal was King Saul’s daughter and as one of David’s wives, she had a fair amount of influence in the palace. She had grown up as royalty and was trained to be very image-conscious. When she saw David’s display dancing before God and the common people in his undergarments, she turned on David and ripped him for acting so unsophisticated. In verse 20 she states, “How the king of Israel has distinguished himself today, disrobing in the sight of the slave girls of his servants as any vulgar fellow would!”

Michal felt ashamed of David because she believed his actions had a direct bearing about how people would see her. Michal worried more about image than authenticity. As a people-pleaser Michal needed to guard her family’s reputation at all cost. Michal lived with positional authority and could not risk relying on personal authority. When a leader focuses on image and appearance more than substance, they wind up with shallow spirits.

Are you able to demonstrate your belief system openly in your leadership seeking to please God or do you struggle with the deep- seated need for personal image?

Galatians 1:10 Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ.

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Taking a time out with Jesus ~ Mark Balmer





Based on “Under HIS Influence – REALLY!!!” by Pastor Mark Balmer; 10/10-11/09,
Message #MB392; Daily Devotional #5 - “Time out with Jesus”




Preparing the Soil (Introduction): You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you. (Isaiah 26:3) The most precious moments in life can be lost amidst the everyday hustle and bustle of life. It may be the God given insight we get when there is a moment to stop and think or the breakthrough that puts our whole life in perspective. We are “designed” to find rest for our souls.



Planting and Watering the Seed (Growth): By the seventh day God had finished the work He had been doing; so on the seventh day He rested from all His work (Genesis 2:2) The Creator of the universe, the one who was and is to come, took time off to rest at the end of creation! If it was important for God to do that, then we who are created in His own image and likeness (Genesis 1:26) must create time for rest too. There is a refreshing that comes with stopping our normal routine just to rest and spend time before the Lord. The best spiritual nourishment comes from simply being still in God’s presence, worshipping and adoring the one to whom we owe it all. Creating time to rest gives way for the Holy Spirit to do a perfect work in our lives. And to do this, we must separate ourselves from the world (1 Timothy 6:11). As we sanctify our whole being before the King, we can be refreshed, restored, and encouraged. God’s Word unfolds before us when we spend time meditating and pondering on it. When we tune out the world, He can have our full attention, and we can listen and hear precisely what the Lord is saying to us at that time. The eyes of our understanding become open, and we become aligned with God’s plans and purposes. For Christ followers, finding rest satisfies both our physical and spiritual needs.



Harvesting the Crop (Action/Response): Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. (Romans 12:2) Have you spent quality time out with the Lord lately? There is nothing like the presence of the Lord. A lot of things may put demands on our time, but God has given us the sole right to choose how we spend our time. It takes a lot of self control (Galatians 5:22-23) to be good stewards of our time and what we chose to focus on. May we be all the Lord wants us to be, reaching our full potential in all aspects of life and Godliness, so that we may impact our world around us with the Truth. Never miss a chance to have time out with Jesus.


Cultivating (Additional Reading): Proverbs 5:21; Titus 2:11-14

He called him by name! ~ Bob Coy


And behold, a man of God went from Judah to Bethel by the word of the LORD, and Jeroboam stood by the altar to burn incense. Then he cried out against the altar by the word of the LORD, and said, "O altar, altar! Thus says the LORD: 'Behold, a child, Josiah by name, shall be born to the house of David; and on you he shall sacrifice the priests of the high places who burn incense on you, and men's bones shall be burned on you.'"-1 Kings 13:1-2 (NKJV)

Things went downhill for Israel following David's reign as its king. The kingdom maintained a sense of prestige for a season under David's son, Solomon, but after Solomon died, the kingdom went through a civil war and split in two. The southern half, Judah, stayed loyal to God for a period of time; however, the northern half, which kept the name Israel, rapidly fell into idolatry. This was largely due to the wicked influence of its first king, Jeroboam.

Jeroboam set up pagan altars in his northern kingdom and offered sacrifices on them. As he offered incense on one of these altars, God sent a prophet from Judah to proclaim that this false system of worship would be punished. A king would come up from the south (Judah) and put an end to it. This was a bold prophecy, but what makes it truly amazing is that the prophet gives the exact name of the king who would do this! His name would be Josiah.

Approximately 300 years after this prophecy was given, the king of Judah rose to power and destroyed the pagan altars Jeroboam had built. As you might have already guessed, his name was Josiah (2 Kings 23:15-16). This is such an incredibly precise prophecy that critics have argued that it was somehow faked. But it's a matter of historical fact that cannot be reasonably contested or challenged.

The next time someone asks you why the Bible is different from every other religious book, point to this prophecy and ask if any other book predicts that a person with a particular name will do something so specific so far in advance!

Discuss your name with your group. Why were you given it? What does your name mean, or who were you named after?


Dig into 1 Kings 13:1–2. What impression does this passage make on you? Why do you think the Lord chose to name the future king? How does this prophecy provide you further evidence for your faith?


Decide how you and your group can help each other grow. Read 2 Timothy 2:2 together. Determine how you can best do this, and pray about your investment in the lives of three specific people.


Twitter Proverbs from Rick Warren











  • You haven't really trusted God until you've attempted something that you cannot do in your own strength.
  • Jesus won’t turn water to wine in your life,until you run out of your own. He doesn't do miracles for the self-sufficient.
  • "The alternatives today are either Biblical theology or naturalistic nihilism."- Carl Henry, The Drift of Western Thought
  • Ur responsibleTO others,not FOR others.A child doesnt share a parent’s guilt,nor does aparent share achild’s guilt.Ezek18:20
  • Hypercritical are always hypocritical.“Woe to u experts in the law” Lk11:46 “They dont practice what they preach.”Mt 23:3
  • Love enemies,visit prisons,sacrifice income, help orphans&widows,witness to all. lay down yr life DAILY.Then we'll listen.
  • Have u noticed that those loudly complaining about a "compromised church" obey NONE of Jesus' Matthew 25 commandments?
  • Jesus took time to heal the ear of the enemy arresting him! Would I? Are u too busy/angry to help an enemy bleeding today?
  • People who shine from within don’t need the spotlight. Phil 2:15
  • If blessed with fast,early success as a young minister realize Satan's happy to wait till you're better known.1Pet.5:8
  • The strongest shield against any sin is always humility.Bad news:humility grows best thru painful experiences.Isa.38:15 NIV
  • NEVER follow a pastor who belittles other’s success,doubts other's motives,or criticizes other's efforts 4 Christ. Rom.14:4
  • "Addiction is finally about idolatry.The addict will do anything for his idol"- Cornelius Plantinga, Jr. A Breviary of Sin
  • When u die, u wont regret your unfulfilled dreams,just your unattempted ones.The 1st is reality;the 2nd is tragedy.Matt9:29
  • "God isn't a God of the edges,with only an interest in beginnings.He is God of the whole show"- Quarks,Chaos&Christianity
  • Never waste energy trying to be well-known.Today’s hero is tomorrow’s zero.U work on character & leave reputation to Him
  • “Promotion comes neither from the east nor west nor south.God is the judge:he puts down one & sets up another” Ps75:6-7
  • Tues Oct 13 Open-Participatory Conf.Tweet ur insights on Eph. 3:8-11. End w #Eph3
  • "The world’s poor feel we ate the appetitizers,entrees&dessert,then asked them to tea & said‘Let's split the bill"Freidman

Feeling Orphaned? You’re Not! ~ Kay Arthur


Life In The Spirit- part six
Feeling Orphaned? You’re Not!

Are you surrounded by people and yet you feel so alone? Do you have a mother and father and yet you feel like an orphan? There.s just something missing in your life. It.s like you can.t have somebody with you all the time, somebody that.s there to give you help, to give you counsel. Does it leave you lonely? Does it leave life very vacant of purpose? Oh Beloved, today we want to talk about why it doesn.t have to be that way, how you can have life in the Spirit.

What is life in the Spirit all about, Beloved? It.s about never being abandoned. It.s about never feeling like you.re an orphan or at least not legitimately feeling like you.re an orphan. You might have that feeling, but it.s a lie from the pit of hell. Jesus had come. He was the One that was going to bring eternal life. Jesus was going to die. He was going to be buried. He was going to be raised from the dead. He was going to ascend to the Father.

And this is what He.s talking about He.s talking about the fact that He is going to return to the Father from where He came. And this is troubling their hearts. He has told them that He is going to die. I mean they have pushed it out of their minds. They don.t want to believe it. They have had three awesome years with Jesus Christ. They have become His disciples. They have become His learners. They have become His followers. They have watched Him do all sorts of incredible things, even walking on water. And now He.s telling them that He.s going to leave them. They feel orphaned. They feel alone and He knows that. He looks at their faces and He says to them, “Let not your heart be troubled. You believe in God, believe in Me also.” (John 14:1)

Now where am I quoting from? I.m quoting from John, chapter 14, this incredible scripture that tells them that He is not going to leave them as orphans. In John, chapter 14, let.s go back and let.s look at it. He says, “In My Father.s house are many dwelling places. And if it were not so, I would have told you so. I go to prepare a place for you and if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am you may be also.” (14:2-3)

Listen, I am leaving, but I am coming again. And they.re saying, “but wait a minute. We don.t want you to leave. Don.t leave.” And they.re grabbing and they.re clinging. “Don.t leave. Don.t leave and come back again, just stay.” But He.s got to go away, because if He doesn.t go away then the Spirit cannot come. And it.s the Spirit that is going to come and indwell inside of them. It.s the Spirit that is going to give them the power. It.s the Spirit that.s going to be able to be there with them all the time, and so He.s trying to explain this to them. I.m going away. I.m going to come again. And they.re panicked about in the mean time, in between time. What are we going to do?

And this is what He says. He says, “If you ask Me anything in My name I will do it. If you love Me, you will keep My commandments. And I will ask the Father, and He, the Father, will give you another Helper that He may be with you, now listen, forever, forever…,” (14:14-16) He says, “… that is the Spirit of truth whom the world cannot receive because it does not behold Him or know Him. But you know Him because He abides with you and He will be in you.” (14:17)

So here they are living on the earth and they have seen the work of the Holy Spirit. And they have seen and sensed that the Holy Spirit was with them. But He says the Holy Spirit is not going to be just with you, He is going to be in you. God is not going to leave you alone, God is never going to let you be an orphan. “God will never leave you. He will never forsake you, so that you can boldly say the Lord is my Helper. I will not fear what man shall do unto me.”

Now I just quoted to you from Hebrews, chapter 13. So He says the Holy Spirit is with you, the Holy Spirit will be in you. O, this is what Joel talked about. Joel talked about the Spirit of God being poured out on all mankind, on young and old, on male and female, on bondservants and on free people. The Holy Spirit would live inside of them.

Now I want you to go to verse 17 because He.s going to describe to us the Spirit of truth. He says, “… that is the Spirit of truth whom the world cannot receive because it does not behold Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and He will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans…,” You want to underline that one. That.s good. He says, “I will come to you.” (14:17-18)

So as we saw, He.s going to send another Helper of the same kind. He is going to be in them. He.s not going to leave them. They.re not gong to be orphans. And of course I want to stop and remind you that you need to mark every reference to the Spirit here.

So you would mark verse 16 where it says another Helper because it.s a synonym for the Holy Spirit, that He, and you would mark that, may be with you forever. And you.d put a time clock over forever so that you know how long He.s going to be there.

And then that is the Spirit of truth. Here.s another synonym for the Spirit, so you would mark it the same way.

Whom the world cannot receive because it does not behold Him; mark it like the Spirit again.

Or know Him; mark it like the Spirit again.

But you know Him; mark it like the Spirit again.

You got the point? All right, because He; mark it like the Spirit again, abides with you and will be in you.

And this is so awesome. In verse 25 He says, “These things I have spoken to you while abiding with you.” (14:25) I.ve done this while I.m abiding with you. But He wants you to see something else. “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit ….” so now just in case you weren.t sure that the Helper.s the Holy Spirit, He says, “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit …,” watch what it says, “… whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things.” (14:26)

Do you know how you learn this book? You learn this book by coming to God and by acknowledging that you.re a sinner, that you.re in need of a Savior. You believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Promised One, that He is the Son of God and you receive Him.

When you receive Him, you.re going to receive the Holy Spirit. All right the Holy Spirit is going to come inside of you. Then the Holy Spirit is going to become your teacher. So the Holy Spirit is going to communicate to you the things of God because the Spirit knows the things of the Father. And so the Spirit then, takes the things of God and He communicates them to you.

All right, and as He communicates them to you, all of a sudden you are learning and you are learning truth. This is the promise of the Spirit.

Now, let.s go to Luke, chapter 24, Luke, chapter 24. And we could go more and more into the scriptures and through the gospels and see all the references to the Holy Spirit, but we really don.t have time because where we.re headed is of what is this life like with the Spirit of God inside you.

So in Luke, chapter 24, which is the last chapter of the gospel of Luke, in Luke, chapter 24 Jesus has died. He.s been buried. He.s been raised from the dead. He.s been with the two men on the road to Emmaus. He.s revealed to them that He is the One that was crucified, that was buried and just like He said, He has risen from the dead.

But now in Luke, chapter 24, as He.s talking to them and He.s talking to all of His disciples now, it says “Then He opened their minds to understand the scripture, and He said to them, „Thus it is written that the Christ, the Messiah…,.” Another word for Christ is Messiah; “… should suffer and rise again from the dead the third day, and that repentance….” (Luke 24:45-47) a change of mind that leads to a change of direction. And I underline that in red and then I flip it up around the end of repentance and make the arrow go the other way and put a point on it. Because repentance means a change, it.s metanoeo and it means a change of mind.

And so He says then, “… that repentance for forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in His name, in Jesus. name to all the nations…,” now catch it, “… to the all the nations beginning from Jerusalem.” (24:47) You want to remember that phrase. He says, “You are witnesses of these things.” (24:48) You knew Me before I died. You knew that I was crucified. You saw My crucifixion. You knew that I was buried in a tomb. You see now, that I am raised from the dead and you are to be My witnesses.

Remember I told you that witnesses is a very important word, that you would mark it throughout the gospel of John. Well you also want to mark it wherever you find it because you and I are to be a witness. So these disciples are witnesses, eyewitnesses. They have seen Him, they have handled Him, they have touched Him, they have heard Him, they have seen Him before He was crucified, they.ve seen Him after He was raised from the dead. You.re witnesses of these things. “And behold,” now hang on, “… I am sending forth the promise of My Father upon you….” (24:49)

Promise of the Father? What is the promise of the Father? The promise of the Father is that the Father is going to send another Helper, another, as the same kind of Jesus, another member of the Godhead. And so He.s saying that I am sending forth the promise of My Father. I.m sending the Holy Spirit. “But you are to stay in the city until you are clothed…,” now watch this, “… with power from on high.” (24:49)

Not only, Beloved, are you never going be alone again, not ever are you ever going to experience being an orphan, because the Spirit is going to come inside of you. But when the Spirit comes inside of you the Spirit is also going to give you, power... power to be, power to do, power to know. That.s what He.s going to give you when He gives the Holy Spirit.

All right, now we.ve seen this in the Old Testament. We.ve seen the promise. Now we are about to see it come to pass. And we.ll do it right after this break.

Power to be, power to do, power, people of power, that.s what life in the Spirit is all about. And what we.re doing is we.re moving through the Scriptures, building precept upon precept so that you can understand God.s precepts. He says, “Through Thy precepts I get understanding.”

Well, now let.s go from Luke, chapter 24 where Jesus said, “I.m sending you the promise of My Father. And you.re to stay in the city until you are clothed with power on high.” Let.s go to Acts, chapter 1. In Acts, chapter 1 it, again, is a book that is written by Luke and it is written to Theophilus.

Remember he wrote the gospel of Luke laying out in consecutive order the things that Jesus Christ did. Now he.s carrying them on and telling them what happened as a result of Jesus. death, burial, resurrection and ascension into heaven.

And so he says, “The first account I composed, Theophilus, was all about that Jesus began to do and teach, until the day He was taken up, after He had, by the Holy Spirit, given orders to the apostles whom He had chosen.” (Acts 1:1-2)

Jesus was God. He was totally and absolute deity. He was deity though, incased in humanity. And deity in humanity walked the way you and I are to walk. He walked in the power of the Holy Spirit. So watch what He says. “After He had, by the Holy Spirit, given orders to the apostles whom He had chosen. To these, to these apostles He also presented Himself alive, after His suffering by many convincing proofs, appearing to them over a period of forty days, and speaking of things concerning the kingdom of God. And gathering them together, He commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for what the Father had promised.” (1”2-4)

Now what had the Father promised? That.s right. It.s the Holy Spirit. So you.re going to mark what the Father had promised, just like you mark the Holy Spirit there. You.re gonna color it yellow and you.re going to underline it and then put that side of the the triangle up there and a cloud. And it says, “… which, He said, the promise of the Father, which He.s gonna give to you, which you heard of from Me; for John baptized with water….” (1:4-5)

Now remember we saw that John was the forerunner of Jesus Christ, he went out baptizing and telling people to be baptized because the kingdom of heaven was at hand and to repent. So it says, “… John baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” (1:5) Now remember, to be baptized means to be united with.

When they went into ancient Greek writings they saw that the word baptizo, was used for making pickles. You get the cucumbers and you soak them. You dip them into this brine; you leave „em in that brine until the pickle absorbs the flavor of that vinegar and that solution that it.s put in. That.s called baptism.

It was used for taking a cloth and dipping it in dye and pulling it out and having that cloth take on the color of that dye. So He.s saying this: John baptized you in water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now. “And so when they came together they were asking Him, saying, „Lord, is it this time that You.re restoring the kingdom to Israel?. And He said, „It.s not for you to know the times or the epochs, which the Father has fixed by His own authority. But you shall receive power, ….” (1:6-8) power is coming into your life. You.re not an orphan. Power is coming into your life, “… when the Holy Spirit, has come upon you.” (1:8)

So in your mind.s eye, when I.m saying watching, just imagine a handkerchief on my head and that handkerchief being a symbol of the Holy Spirit coming upon you. And so this is what He.s saying. In verse 8. This is very important; you ought to memorize it. “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My …,” what, “… My witnesses …,”

It comes from the word that we get martyrs from. A martyr is one that testifies to what he has seen. “…you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem and in Judea and Samaria, unto the uttermost parts of the earth.” (1:8) So He.s saying, now you wait for the promise of the Father.

All right, now Pentecost is coming. Pentecost came 50 days after the Feast of Unleavened Bread. So you have the Feast of Passover, the Feast of Unleavened Bread and the Feast of First Fruits. So I should say it comes 50 days after the Feast of First Fruits. But all three of those knit together. And then 50 days later comes the Feast of Pentecost.

So Acts, chapter 2. In Acts, chapter 2, verse 1: “And when the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a noise like a violent, rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. And there appeared tongues as of fire on top of their heads distributing themselves to each one and resting on each one. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit.” (2:1-4)

Remember we saw in Luke, chapter 4 that Jesus was filled with the Holy Spirit. Now, here are all of them being filled with the Holy Spirit. How do you know this is happening? I.m telling you, God let the fireworks go. God says I.m making this a memorable occasion. I.m making it memorable till you see and hear that strong violent rushing wind and then these cloven tongues of fire. Then all of a sudden these guys are speaking in languages that they don.t know. Not angelic kind of tongues, but in dialectos, is the word; they.re speaking in other men.s dialects.

Well, others are around there, they.re hearing this and it says, “Now there were Jews living in Jerusalem, devout men from every nation under heaven.” (2:5) They had come to celebrate the Feast of Pentecost. “And there they heard them speaking in their own language.” (2:6) It says, “Cretans and Arabs, we hear them in our own tongues speaking of the mighty deeds of God. And they all continued in amazement….” (2:11) It was a whoa moment “… and great perplexity was coming over them and they were saying, “What does this mean?” (2:12) What is happening? Because it was a show. Because it was the first event of the fulfillment of what? Do you know?

Well listen, and some were mocking and saying, “Ah, they.re full of sweet wine. They.re drunk. You.re drunk and you.re speaking in a foreign language that you don.t know. You.re drunk and there.s cloven tongues of fire over you head. You.re drunk and there.s mighty rushing wind. Don.t think so. Bad thinking.”

“But Peter, taking his stand with the eleven…,” You say eleven; I thought Judas defected. He did and he died. But they chose another one in his place. “And Peter taking his stand with the eleven, raised his voice and declared to them: „Men of Judea, and all you who live in Jerusalem, let this be made known to you, give heed to my words, these men are not drunk, as some of you suppose, it.s only the third hour of the day…,.” It.s only 9 a.m. in the morning. “… but this is what was spoken of through the prophet Joel: And it shall be in the last days God says, that I will pour forth of My Spirit upon all mankind….” (2:14-17)

You say, but these are only Jews. You.re right, but God.s got more to come. We.re not going to see it today, but we.re going to see it in the next program.

Eternal power and glory in His Name ~ Daily Light


MORNING

In thy name shall they rejoice all the day; and in thy righteousness shall they be exalted.

In the LORD have I righteousness and strength: even to him shall men come; and all that are incensed against him shall be ashamed. In the LORD shall all the seed of Israel be justified, and shall glory. - Be glad in the LORD, and rejoice, ye righteous: and shout for joy, all ye that are upright in heart.

The righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe. To declare ... at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.

Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice. - Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory.

PSA. 89:16. Isa. 45:24,25. Psa. 32:11. Rom. 3:21,22,26. Phi. 4:4. I Pet. 1:8.


EVENING

Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever.

The LORD reigneth, he is clothed with majesty: thy throne is established of old: thou art from everlasting.

The LORD is ... great in power. - If God be for us, who can be against us? - Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us, and he will deliver us. - My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. - Greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.

Not unto us, O LORD, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory. - Thine, O LORD, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine; thine is the kingdom, O LORD, and thou art exalted as head above all. Now therefore, our God, we thank thee and praise thy glorious name. But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able to offer so willingly after this sort? for all things come of thee, and of thine own have we given thee.

MATT. 6:13. Psa. 93:1,2. Nah. 1:3. -Rom. 8:31. Dan. 3:17. John 10:29. I John 4:4. Psa. 115:1. -I Chr. 29:11,13,14.

Jeremiah 30:1-31:26 ~ 1 Timothy 2:1-15 ~ Psalm 87:1-7 ~ Proverbs 25:18-19~One Year Bible Blog


Jeremiah 30:1-31:26 ~ 1 Timothy 2:1-15 ~ Psalm 87:1-7 ~ Proverbs 25:18-19
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Old Testament - Wow. These two chapters in Jeremiah today are the most hopeful we've read yet in the book of Jeremiah! These chapters give so much joy to my heart to read them, as the promises of deliverance and hope of restoration are given by God! In Jeremiah chapter 31 verses 15 through 17 today we read - "This is what the LORD says: "A cry of anguish is heard in Ramah--mourning and weeping unrestrained. Rachel weeps for her children, refusing to be comforted--for her children are dead." But now the LORD says, "Do not weep any longer, for I will reward you. Your children will come back to you from the distant land of the enemy. There is hope for your future," says the LORD. "Your children will come again to their own land."

Did you notice verse 15 above is also in the New Testament? It is quoted in Matthew chapter 2 verse 18 based on Herod's orders to murder all of the male infants being a fulfillment of this verse. Here's verses 16 through 18 in Matthew chapter 2: "When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi. Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled: "A voice is heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more." I almost hesitate to share this image below of the slaughter of "The Holy Innocents" by the Florentine painter and architect Giotto di Bondone from the year 1304, but I think this artwork does capture the full weight of the tragedy of Herod's orders and the horrible manner in which this verse in Jeremiah was fulfilled:

Herod_babies

Jeremiah 31:18 gives a great example of the true relationship we can have with God - "I have heard Israel saying, `You disciplined me severely, but I deserved it. I was like a calf that needed to be trained for the yoke and plow. Turn me again to you and restore me, for you alone are the Lord my God." Israel was finally beginning to repent and return to God. I know the word "discipline" can maybe be a tough one for us - we've probably all experienced some unjust discipline. I pray that you can see that God's discipline for us is ultimately very loving - training us, turning us, restoring us. If you feel that God is disciplining you in your life right now, will you let him? So that he can train you, turn you, restore you?

I love the last verse in Jeremiah's readings today! 31:26 - "At this, I woke up and looked around. My sleep had been very sweet." Very sweet readings in Jeremiah today indeed! When is the last time you've had sweet sleep? Do you think sweet sleep is a gift from God? Speaking of sweet sleep, please take a few minutes to read an AWESOME article by author Lauren Winner about what I call the spiritual discipline of sleep! The article is titled "Sleep Therapy" and you can read it at this link. Think this kitten below is having some sweet sleep? :)

Sleep_cat

New Testament - 1 Timothy 2 starts of with yet another reminder to pray for others... I love and need this type of reminder in verses 1 and 2... often! "I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. As you make your requests, plead for God's mercy upon them, and give thanks. Pray this way for kings and all others who are in authority, so that we can live in peace and quietness, in godliness and dignity." This is powerful. Pray for all people. Make requests for them. Plead God's mercy upon them. Give thanks. Pray for those leading our government. I think these verses are very appropriate during a time of local and national elections coming up. Pray for all of the candidates. Make requests for them. Plead God's mercy upon them. Give thanks. Pray.

The other thing these opening two verses remind me of is to "Pray the News." I think often times we read about all of the bad news in the world and maybe feel a bit helpless or hopeless in the midst of it all. However, I strongly believe that God has blessed us with the ability to "Pray the News." Pray for earthquake victims, the people starving and dying in other parts of the world, the person who was in a car crash in your town, etc. etc. Pray for them. Make requests for them. Plead God's mercy upon them. Give thanks. Will you join me in "Praying the News" each day?

Pray_earth

I realize that Paul's instructions for women in today's readings can be controversial. This is one of those days that if you have the Tyndale Publishers One Year Bible Companion to please read the 3 questions & answers for today. All 3 relate to these instructions of Paul's. Basically, the instructions for women in today's readings can either be interpreted as being: 1. historically conditioned - instructions just for the women of the church in Ephesus at that time and place or 2. universal and timeless instructions. Honestly, different Christian denominations interpret these verses different ways - but probably along one of the two lines above for the most part. The One Year Bible Companion does a great job of going down these 2 paths, with some detail placed on why the instructions could be being historically conditioned because of the Ephesian church having a unique case of prevalent false teachings. Overall, know that Paul did not forbid women from ever teaching or being active in church life. Priscilla taught Apollos, a great preacher from Acts. Phoebe worked in the church (see Romans 16:1). Mary, Tryphena, Tryphosa, Eudia and Syntyche were all women who were the Lord's workers in the New Testament as well (see Romans 16:6, 12 and Philippians 4:2). If you want to dive into further study on 1 Timothy 2:15 today: "But women will be saved through childbearing..." please check out an in depth look at this verse on bible.org at this link.

Psalms - Psalm 87 is a celebration of Jerusalem as the City of God, as we read in verse 3 - "O city of God, what glorious things are said of you!" As we continue to read through the One Year Bible this year it is amazing to reflect upon how much focus there is on Jerusalem as the city of God. Truly, so many of the Psalms glorify Jerusalem, often as a foreshadowing of the Heavenly City of God. Indeed, as this verse suggests, many glorious things are said of Jerusalem in the Bible!

Proverbs - Proverbs 25:18 today teaches us of the danger of spreading lies about others! This indeed can indeed be "as harmful as hitting them with an ax, wounding them with a sword, or shooting them with a sharp arrow." How are you doing in your life today of not engaging in telling lies about others? Do you see how this can be as harmful as hitting someone with an ax?

Pray the News: Okay, here's the spot on the blog where I typically post up a five minute video from a contemporary Christian artist. Well, today I hope you don't mind me doing something a lot different, which relates to the Pray the News comments above. I actually just today came across the entire documentary for "Invisible Children" online, which was posted up by the documentary makers. This is an incredibly powerful 55 minute documentary recorded in 2003 about the child abductions / child soldiers in Northern Uganda. I highly encourage you to watch this documentary if you haven't yet!! A brief overview of the documentary is: "In the spring of 2003, three young Americans traveled to Africa in search of a story. What they found was a tragedy that disgusted and inspired them. A story where children are weapons and children are the victims. The "Invisible Children: rough cut" film exposes the effects of a 20 year-long war on the children of Northern Uganda. These children live in fear of abduction by rebel soldiers, and are being forced to fight as a part of violent army. See this film, you will be forever changed." There have been some improvements to the situation since 2003. Learn the latest on the Invisible Children's website: http://www.invisiblechildren.com/ (Even with a high speed connection, give this video about 30 seconds to get going once you click play. Once it gets going it should be fine. If not, click on the "Google Video" link in the lower right hand corner and you can watch it directly on the Google site.) Note that the first 10 minutes of the documentary can be a bit slow or silly with the guys, but it really picks up the pace and the story at 10 minutes!


http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=3166797753930210643#

Please join us in memorizing and meditating on three verses of Scripture this week: "Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." First Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NIV)

Comments from You: What verses or insights stand out to you from today's readings? Please post up by clicking on the "Comments" link below!

Grace, love, peace, and joy!
Mike

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