ChuckSmithDaily: Intro

DailyHope: Godly Goals Require Faith

Saturday, January 15, 2011

Godly Goals Require Faith
by Rick Warren

 

Without faith it is impossible to please God …. Hebrews 11:6 (NIV)

"We must set goals that are bigger than ones we can reach on your own."

Godly goals are set through faith. The Bible says, “Without faith, it is impossible to please God.” In order to please God, we must set goals that require faith.

What does this mean? It means we must set goals that are bigger than ones we can reach on your own.

For instance, I want you to set a health goal for this year. As I’ve said, if you don't have a health goal, then your goal is to stay the same or get worse. To move forward – to get healthier -- you must set a health goal.

Let’s say you need to take off some weight. If you say, ‘My goal is to lose one pound’ – well … you know you can do better than that. Set a goal based on what God tells you to do and I have no doubt that will be a goal that will require you to remain dependent upon Jesus.

You haven't believed God until you've attempted to do something that can't be done unless his power is at work in your life.

 

 

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GodCalling: " Relax,"

 

Relax, do not get tense, have no fear. All is for the best. How can you fear change when your life is hid with Me in God, who changeth not - and I am the same yesterday, today, and forever.

You must learn poise, soul-balance and poise, in a vacillating, changing world.

Claim My power. The same power with which I cast out devils is yours today. Use it.  If not, I withdraw it. Use it ceaselessly.

You cannot ask too much. Never think you are too busy. As long as you get back to Me and replenish after each task no work can be too much.  My Joy I give you. Live in it. Bathe your Spirit in it. Reflect it.

Jesus came and spoke with them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.  Matthew 28:18


blessings to you and yours this day and always ...

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Now to Him who is able to keep you from falling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy, to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen. Jude 1:24-25

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WeekEndswithBob Coy: "Conflict Resolution"

Articles by Active Word On-the-Go Devotional

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Conflict Resolution
Pastor Bob Coy
Psalm Chapter 7 is attributed to David, a man who endured more than his fair share of conflict. David’s very own son, Absalom, as well as Saul, Goliath, Shimei, and at least 200 Philistines were all less than thrilled to see him (1 Samuel 18:27). For David, conflict was a way of life, and so we would be wise to pay attention when he says something about it. Notice what he says here concerning those who persecuted him and the conflict they brought: He implores the Lord to come and save him. He doesn’t glory in the fact that he was a mighty man of valor, one of the world’s greatest warriors, or someone who could take care of himself. No, first and foremost he cries out to God to be his help and to come between him and his enemies. When it comes to conflict in our own lives, we need to do as David did and put the Lord between us and those causing the conflict. In doing so, we’re reminded that those who oppose us will have to go through God in order to get to us. With that understanding, we’re able to handle everything that comes our way. It may not alter their actions; God might actually use what they’re doing to teach us, or it may be His will for us to flee the situation. But our confidence at the end of the day is in knowing God lies between our antagonists and us. 

When He [Jesus] was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously… (1 Peter 2:23 NKJV) 

Father, helps us to not focus on our persecutors but to put You between us and them; help us to entrust our defense to You.

What does this passage reveal to me about God?
What does this passage reveal to me about myself? 
Based on this, what changes do I need to make? 
What is my prayer for today?

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WeekEndswithJoyceMeyer: "Accidental Sin"

Accidental Sin

January 15
No one born (begotten) of God [deliberately, knowingly, and habitually] practices sin, for God's nature abides in him [His principle of life, the divine sperm, remains permanently within him]; and he cannot practice sinning because he is born (begotten)of God.
— 
1 John 3:9

I like to put it this way: I used to be a full-time sinner, and once in a while I accidentally slipped up and did something right. But now that I have spent many years developing a deep, personal relationship with God and His Word, I concentrate on being a full-time obedient child of God. I still make mistakes, but not nearly as many as I once did. I am not where I need to be, but thank God I am not where I used to be. 

There are times when I accidentally make mistakes, but it is not the desire of my heart to do wrong. I do not deliberately, knowingly commit sin. I do not habitually sin. So I don't allow those occasions to make me feel insecure. I don't do everything right, but I do know that the attitude of my heart is right. I can be having an absolutely wonderful day, feeling very close to the Lord and quite spiritual. Then my husband, Dave, comes home and says he does not care for the outfit I am wearing, and I suddenly become angry and defensive, telling him everything I don't like about him either. I don't intend for that to happen; in fact, I plan to be very sweet and submissive when he comes home. 

But, as Paul said in Romans 7, the things I want to do, I don't do, and the things I don't want to do, I end up doing. We plan for right behavior because our hearts are right, but like Paul our plans don't always work. Thank God for His mercy that is new every day (Lamentations 3:22-23).

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WeekEndswithCharlesStanley: "Steps of Faith"

Devotionals by In Touch

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Steps of Faith
Charles Stanley
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The Bible portrays the Christian life as a walk. It speaks of walking in the Spirit, in God's ways, in love, and in truth. Our lives, then, shouldn't be stagnant; they ought to move and develop to be increasingly like Jesus'. Scripture calls this "sanctification."

But what if you feel that you're going backward instead of forward? Do you know how to turn around? Only by faith in Christ can any of us move in the right direction. Here's how to correct your course:

• First, have assurance that God keeps every promise. The Bible contains an amazing number of guarantees for believers, including wisdom for the asking, God's constant presence, and peace when we focus on Him.

• Second, anticipate the Father's response. In other words, prepare for what He will do because of your confidence in His promises.

• Third, be aware daily of His involvement in your life. By spending time in the Word, prayer, and meditation, you will become sensitive to what He is doing.

• Fourth, pray boldly because you are God's child (Heb. 4:16). Approaching the Father in such a manner isn't a prideful confidence, but an overflow of your assurance in Him.

• Finally, obey the leading of the Holy Spirit. This is the true test of your belief—in fact, the Bible says that without action, faith is dead (James 2:17).

Can you sense that your life is progressing and you are maturing into Christ's likeness? Or do circumstances and character traits seem to hold you back? God promises to continue making His children beautiful throughout their lives. You can resist Him or cooperate with His gracious work in you.

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WeekEndswithGregLaurie: "Do You Want to Change?"

Articles by A New Beginning

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Do You Want to Change?
Greg Laurie

It’s interesting to look through the pages of Scripture and note how God came to various people in the way they needed Him to come.

To Abraham the pilgrim, God came as a traveler. Remember those three visitors who came to his tent before the judgment on Sodom and Gomorrah? One of them was the Lord himself.

To Joshua the general, Jesus came as the Commander of the Lord’s army, telling him to take off his sandals because he was standing on holy ground.

Jacob, in turn, was a wrestler. Figuratively speaking, he was always wrestling with people: he wrestled with his father Isaac . . . he wrestled with his brother Esau . . . he wrestled with his father-in-law Laban.

So the Lord came to Jacob as a wrestler. Psalm 18:26 says of God, “With the pure You will show Yourself pure; and with the devious You will show Yourself shrewd” (nkjv).

Therefore, the Lord shrewdly came to Jacob. Genesis 32:24 tells us, “Then Jacob was left alone; and a Man wrestled with him until the breaking of day” (nkjv).

Jacob had been left alone with God. He was always conniving, always scheming, always plotting, and always had an idea. So the Lord stripped everything away and said, “OK, I want you alone with Me.”

As the commentator C. H. McIntosh said, “To be left alone with God is the only true way of arriving at a just knowledge of ourselves and our ways.”

The conniving, plotting, scheming Jacob was all alone with God, and they began to wrestle.

What God wanted from Jacob was his surrender. But that wasn’t going to happen until Jacob came to the end of his strength. So on it went throughout the night.

Then a life-changing moment transpired for the scheming Jacob. Instead of fighting with God, He was clinging to Him. The Lord said, “Let Me go, for the day breaks” (Genesis 32:26 nkjv).

Jacob responded, “I will not let You go unless You bless me!” (verse 26 nkjv). It was a valid response on Jacob’s part in asking for this blessing, because in surrender to God’s plan, he would find what he always wanted.

There is a wrong kind of wrestling with God in which we try to run from His work for our lives and refuse to go in the direction He wants us to go. But there is a right kind of wrestling with God when we are trying to get His blessing.

Jacob won, in one sense, because he called out to God and asked for His will.

Then God asked Jacob an unusual question: “What is your name?” (verse 27 nkjv). Did God ask this of Jacob because He didn’t know his name? Hardly.

For Jacob to state his name was an admission—an admission he did not necessarily want to make. The name Jacob means, “heel-catcher, supplanter, grabber.”

In essence, the Lord was saying, “Jacob, do you want to keep living up to your present name and deceiving others, or will you admit what you are and let Me change you?” This is a question only Jacob could answer.

Jacob finally gave in. He surrendered. He had gone from cunning to clinging, from resisting to resting. He had been brought to the end of his resources. And God gave him a new name: Israel.

The name Israel is not an easy word to translate. Scholars differ as to its meaning. Some translate it as, “One who God commands,” or “Let God rule.” Others translate it, “One who fights victoriously with God,” or “A prince with God,” or “God’s fighter.”

Whatever the meaning, it is clear that a complete surrender to God and His will took place for Jacob. His loss was his victory. He won by losing, because now he was able to go in new strength as he walked in God’s power, will, and timing.

This is exactly what Jesus meant when He said, “Whoever loses his life for My sake will find it” (Matthew 1625 nkjv).

We might look at that statement and think it doesn’t make any sense. But it makes perfect sense. To lose your life simply means that you come to the understanding at some point in your life that God’s plan is better than the plan you have for yourself.

I want to ask you today, are you ready to walk in God’s ways? Are you really ready to change?

If you are, then just watch what God will do.

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JonCourson: “the miracle of manna ceased,”

May blessings be abounding to you all this day!

And if I may, let me share with you something that has truly blessed me in a profound way . . .

My son Benjamin has just released his third book entitled "A Generation Chosen."

Everything from the front/back cover, to the layout and sizing, and (most importantly) the content of his writing is very, very fresh and just plain ol' cool!

But don't let the cool factor fool you . . . for the book is written as a clarion call to this new generation of young adults to take seriously the command to take up the Cross, die to self and live a consecrated life for the Lord.

As a young adult himself (with a very wise 'old soul'), Ben speaks the language and understands the battles facing his generation. He pulls no punches, yet he preaches grace. He issues an exhortative invitation to grow up and get serious about living for Jesus, and explains why this is the way to really experience the abundant life.

If you are linked to folks in their twenties (or teens), please consider putting this book in the hands of every one of them!

And if you yourself desire to be inspired and encouraged in your own walk with Jesus, I promise you this book will most definitely do just that.

Truly, this book is a bargain at $10.00, and you can order today by clicking onto the following link:
A Generation Chosen

You can also order this book and other books by Ben, or take in his teachings, by visiting his website at www.bencourson.com

Ah, I have great, great hope for the impact that this new generation will make on this old, broken world that so needs to passionately fall in love with and seriously follow after the Lord Jesus Christ, who "is the same yesterday, today and forever."

Amen and amen!

All Blessings,

Jon


January 15
 
  And the manna ceased on the morrow after they had eaten of the old corn of the land; neither had the children of Israel manna any more; but they did eat of the fruit of the land of Canaan that year.  
  Joshua 5:12  
 
It is interesting to me that it was in the Promised Land, a picture of the Spirit-filled life, that the miracle of manna ceased. If there was ever going to be manna from Heaven, I would think it would be when we’re Spirit-filled, when we’re moving in the arena of the miraculous, when we have the anointing of the Holy Ghost. But this passage tells me differently, for when the Israelites were in the wilderness - which speaks of carnality and dryness - miracles abounded. But now that they’re in the Promised Land, the manna stops. 

In the Azusa Street Revival of the early 1900s, during which there was a fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit, the leader of the movement prophesied that three things would cause the movement of the Spirit to be quenched: more attention given to the Holy Spirit than to Jesus Christ, more attention given to praise than to prayer, and more attention given to the gifts of the Spirit than to the fruit of the Spirit.

When they were released from Egypt and as they wandered in the wilderness, the children of Israel saw more signs and wonders than any other group of people in history. Yet it was unbelief that kept them from entering the Promised Land (Hebrews 3:19) because faith doesn’t come through seeing miracles. It comes from hearing the Word. Therefore, the new generation would eat the formidable fruit found produced in the Land of God’s promise rather than the manna of the miraculous. 

Cling to the Word. Cling to the promises of God. Not only will this please God as you walk by faith, but you will find them to nourish and sustain you more deeply than even a miracle would.

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DailyLeadership: Do you have the necessary conviction to become a great leader? (156-5)

Do you have the necessary conviction to become a great leader? (156-5)

Written by Barry-Werner on January 14th, 2011. Posted in Courage/Risk-TakingIsaiahLeadership PrinciplesOld Testament,Persistence.

Great courage comes from great conviction in the leader’s relationship with God. Read Isaiah 63:11-14.

Moses led Israel during one of Israel’s most difficult times. What was Moses’ key to success? Isaiah recalls that Moses received his courage from his convictions. Moses’ relationship with God came first. That relationship established a foundation for his convictions and finally from his convictions came his courage to lead others without compromise. 

Conviction is more than simple belief; it is a firmly held belief. Conviction is something that is set deep in a leader’s spirit, something they believe in wholeheartedly. A leader’s every thought involves certainty and assurance about an area where a leader has conviction. Moses had a great relationship with God and great conviction that God loved the Israelites and had their best interests at heart. That conviction gave him courage to lead the Israelites even when they openly rebelled against his leadership and even God’s leadership.

Good leaders believe in their assignment; great leaders are convinced that God gave them their assignment. Their relationship with God is such that they will overcome any obstacle to please God with their service born out of love for Him. When a leader believes in something with all their heart they find the courage to complete the task.

Joshua 1:9, “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

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TheStoryBible: "The Story of The Garden of Eden" (d)

TheStoryBible: "The Story of The Garden of Eden" (c)

TheStoryBible: "The Story of The Garden of Eden" (b)

TheStoryBible: "The Story of The Garden of Eden" (a)

aBibleStorywithJackKelley: "Davids Story" Part 2

David’s Story Part 2 – 1 Samuel 18-20

My name translates into English as “beloved” and Jonathon’s is “God has given.” God loved me so much that he gave me Jonathon as a friend.

 

A Bible Study by Jack Kelley

After defeating Goliath and helping the Israelite army put the Philistines to rout, I was the focus of much celebration, but for some reason neither Saul nor his general Abner recognized me. Of course they were both very important dignitaries and I was just a growing shepherd boy, barely into my teens, but I had played the harp for Saul and was one of his armor bearers. When Saul told him to find out more about me, Abner had me brought to them where Saul asked whose son I was. “The son of Jesse of Bethlehem,” I replied. Then he remembered.

Saul’s son Jonathon and I quickly became such good friends that Saul kept me with them, not letting me return to my father’s house. Jonathon and I even made a covenant together, pledging our loyalty to each other forever. As you’ll soon see, in my day such a bond was stronger than even family ties.

Because of my bravery in facing Goliath, Saul gave me a high rank in the army. He put me in charge of some men and sent us against the Philistines again and again. Each time the Lord showed us favor and we were victorious. Before long I was commanding a thousand-man force, and we were really giving the Philistines a bad time.

As we came through the towns of Israel, the women would come out to cheer us, singing, “Saul has slain his thousands and David his tens of thousands!” When Saul heard this, he became exceedingly jealous and began devising ways to get rid of me, suspecting I was trying to take the kingdom from him. (I don’t think he really understood that the Lord had already given it to me.)

One of the rewards promised to the soldier who killed Goliath was to receive the King’s daughter in marriage, so Saul offered me Merab, his oldest. Don’t let his apparent kindness fool you. He continued to send me into the fiercest battles, having decided to let the Philistines kill me for him. This way he would get his daughter back and still look like an honorable man. But I said I wasn’t qualified to enter the king’s family, so Merab was married to Adriel of Meholah instead.

Discovering that his second daughter Michal was in love with me, Saul next offered her to me. He thought she’d distract me with her love and cause me to make a mistake in battle and be killed. This time I explained my situation more clearly. I didn’t qualify to marry one of the king’s daughters because being from a shepherd’s family, I was a poor man and couldn’t afford the dowry of a princess.

Saul made the dowry issue go away, while cleverly devising another scheme to have the Philistines do his dirty work for him. “Just bring me the foreskins of 100 Philistines,” he said, “And that will be dowry enough.” He knew that a Philistine would die before letting his foreskin be taken, and thought that surely 100 of them would be enough to overpower me.

But I was overjoyed. Now I could marry Michal. My men and I went out and slew 200 Philistines and I brought all their foreskins to the King, to be sure I had met the requirement. Soon I was the king’s son-in-law, but Saul was even angrier now. He began to realize that the Lord was with me, not him, and now both a son and a daughter of his were aligned with me as well.

Bringing his closest men together, he instructed them to kill me. Jonathon warned me of this and then tried his best to persuade his father to leave me alone. “He hasn’t done anything to you,” Jonathon told Saul, “In fact he’s helped you a great deal. Why are you after him like this?” At that Saul promised Jonathon he wouldn’t try to kill me any more, a promise he would soon break. Just a few days later, as I was playing the harp for the king the evil spirit overpowered him again and he flung a spear at me, trying to pin me to the wall of his house. I ducked and the spear missed, but that night I made my escape from Saul’s house.

But Saul wasn’t done yet. He sent assassins after me to watch my house all night and told them to kill me as soon as I left in the morning. Michal spotted them and pushed me through a back window, urging me to flee into the night.

“You’ll be dead by morning if you stay,” she cried. Then she took our terriphim and laid it in the bed, arranging some goat hair around its head, to make it appear I was sleeping there in case the men stormed our house during the night. (Obviously, Michal and I were not idol worshipers. Terraphim are statues carved in the image of a man. In our day it was a tradition left over from ancient pagan times to demonstrate property ownership. That’s why you’ll sometimes hear terraphim called household gods or household idols.)

Saul was livid when he discovered the next day that she’d helped me get away. “Why did you deceive me and let my enemy escape?” he screamed at his daughter. Michal lied, telling him that I had threatened to kill her if she didn’t let me go.

For my part, I headed straight for Samuel. I needed some protection fast! He was the head of a school of prophets and hid me in their midst. Of course Saul found out and sent men to capture me. But as they came for me, the Spirit of God came upon them and they began prophesying. This happened with three different groups of Saul’s soldiers. Each time the Spirit of God prevented them from capturing me. Finally Saul himself came after me, and would you believe this, the Spirit had him doing it too, prophesying all day and into the night!

Through the power of the Spirit I wrote about the cross, but I actually lived over 1000 years earlier. Back then we didn’t have the in dwelling Spirit advising us on every thought and action like you do. The Holy Spirit came upon us from time to time directing us to do things God wanted or preventing us from doing things He didn’t. While I can’t say for sure, it sounded to me like the Holy Spirit was making Saul and his men prophesy about my future as Israel’s king to prevent them from harming me. It was a temporary empowerment, not a permanent one, similar to the way the Holy Spirit came upon the Disciples on the Day of Pentecost making it possible for everyone to understand them regardless of the language they spoke.

Jonathon was still not convinced that his father wanted me dead, so together we contrived a test. It was the beginning of a new month, and according to tradition a time for celebrating. Saul and his family had scheduled a feast and as his son-in-law, I was invited. I told Jonathon I’d be absent and if Saul asked about me to say I was with my family in Bethlehem. If Saul didn’t get mad, we’d know everything was OK, but if he did, we’d know he still planned to kill me. As we hatched our little plan, we also extended our covenant to include our descendants.

On the first day of the feast Saul didn’t say anything about my absence, but on the second day he asked Jonathon where I was. When Jonathon gave him the excuse we’d agreed on, and told his father that he’d given me permission, Saul became furious. “What kind of a son are you?” he demanded, “Why are you shaming your mother and me? Don’t you know that David is trying to steal the throne that by rights should be yours someday? Don’t you care that you’ll never be king as long as he’s alive? Now go bring him to me so I can kill him!”

“Why do you want him dead?” Jonathon asked, barely able to contain his anger, “What has he done?” But Saul threw a spear at Jonathon, trying to kill him, too. Jonathon ran from the house in a rage, and missing the festival meal altogether, hurried to warn me. Upon hearing the news I bowed before Jonathon three times, as a subject before a prince, and we said an emotional goodbye, again vowing our undying friendship, even to our descendants, forever.

My name translates into English as “beloved” and Jonathon’s is “God has given.” God loved me so much that he gave me Jonathon as a friend. Truly without him I could not have survived Saul’s attacks against me. After Jonathon’s death at the Battle of Beth Shan and my ascension to the throne of Israel, I would expend a great deal of energy finding a relative of his to whom I could show just how much Jonathon’s friendship meant to me. As the King James translators would say 2600 years later, our two souls were knit together in love. (1 Sam 18:1)

If you have such a friend I urge you to do everything possible to nurture and protect the relationship. If you’ve lost one like this, no price would be too great to pay in reconciling. God has given each of His beloved a Jonathon. Who knows but that he or she was meant to be yours. 03-12-05

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