DAILY UPDATE: 6.3.17

Hereby Know
“Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit.” (1 John 4:13)

 

It is surprising to note that this phrase “hereby know” occurs eight times in the little epistle of 1 John. Each of these listed below is given as a means of both testing the genuineness of our professed faith in Christ and then of giving assurance and comfort to the true believer.

 

“And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments” (1 John 2:3).

 

“But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him” (1 John 2:5).

 

“Hereby perceive [same Greek word as ‘know’] we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren” (1 John 3:16).

 

“My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth. And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him” (1 John 3:18-19).

 

“And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us” (1 John 3:24).

 

“Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God” (1 John 4:2).

 

“We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error” (1 John 4:6).

 

The eighth and last such reference is our text for the day. Note that the common thread running through all is the importance of the indwelling Spirit of truth, leading those who know the Lord into lives of doctrinal purity, obedience to God’s Word, and love toward the brethren. HMM

 

Don't Waste Your CancerJohn Piper Note: This article originally appeared in 2006. John Piper no longer has cancer.
I write this on the eve of prostate surgery. I believe in God's power to heal--by miracle and by medicine. I believe it is right and good to pray for both kinds of healing. Cancer is not wasted when it is healed by God. He gets the glory and that is why cancer exists. So not to pray for healing may waste your cancer. But healing is not God's plan for everyone. And there are many other ways to waste your cancer. I am praying for myself and for you that we will not waste this pain.
1. You will waste your cancer if you do not believe it is designed for you by God.
It will not do to say that God only uses our cancer but does not design it. What God permits, he permits for a reason. And that reason is his design. If God foresees molecular developments becoming cancer, he can stop it or not. If he does not, he has a purpose. Since he is infinitely wise, it is right to call this purpose a design. Satan is real and causes many pleasures and pains. But he is not ultimate. So when he strikes Job with boils (Job 2:7), Job attributes it ultimately to God (2:10) and the inspired writer agrees: "They . . . comforted him for all the evil that the LORD had brought upon him" (Job 42:11). If you don't believe your cancer is designed for you by God, you will waste it.
2. You will waste your cancer if you believe it is a curse and not a gift.
"There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus" (Romans 8:1). "Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us" (Galatians 3:13). "There is no enchantment against Jacob, no divination against Israel" (Numbers 23:23). "The LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor. No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly" (Psalm 84:11).
3. You will waste your cancer if you seek comfort from your odds rather than from God.
The design of God in your cancer is not to train you in the rationalistic, human calculation of odds. The world gets comfort from their odds. Not Christians. Some count their chariots (percentages of survival) and some count their horses (side effects of treatment), but we trust in the name of the LORD our God (Psalm 20:7). God's design is clear from 2 Corinthians 1:9, "We felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead." The aim of God in your cancer (among a thousand other good things) is to knock props out from under our hearts so that we rely utterly on him.
4. You will waste your cancer if you refuse to think about death.
We will all die, if Jesus postpones his return. Not to think about what it will be like to leave this life and meet God is folly. Ecclesiastes 7:2 says, "It is better to go to the house of mourning [a funeral] than to go to the house of feasting, for this is the end of all mankind, and the living will lay it to heart." How can you lay it to heart if you won't think about it? Psalm 90:12 says, "Teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom." Numbering your days means thinking about how few there are and that they will end. How will you get a heart of wisdom if you refuse to think about this? What a waste, if we do not think about death.
5. You will waste your cancer if you think that "beating" cancer means staying alive rather than cherishing Christ.
Satan's and God's designs in your cancer are not the same. Satan designs to destroy your love for Christ. God designs to deepen your love for Christ. Cancer does not win if you die. It wins if you fail to cherish Christ. God's design is to wean you off the breast of the world and feast you on the sufficiency of Christ. It is meant to help you say and feel, "I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord." And to know that therefore, "To live is Christ, and to die is gain" (Philippians 3:8; 1:21).
6. You will waste your cancer if you spend too much time reading about cancer and not enough time reading about God.
It is not wrong to know about cancer. Ignorance is not a virtue. But the lure to know more and more and the lack of zeal to know God more and more is symptomatic of unbelief. Cancer is meant to waken us to the reality of God. It is meant to put feeling and force behind the command, "Let us know; let us press on to know the LORD" (Hosea 6:3). It is meant to waken us to the truth of Daniel 11:32, "The people who know their God shall stand firm and take action." It is meant to make unshakable, indestructible oak trees out of us: "His delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers" (Psalm 1:2). What a waste of cancer if we read day and night about cancer and not about God.
7. You will waste your cancer if you let it drive you into solitude instead of deepen your relationships with manifest affection.
When Epaphroditus brought the gifts to Paul sent by the Philippian church he became ill and almost died. Paul tells the Philippians, "He has been longing for you all and has been distressed because you heard that he was ill" (Philippians 2:26-27). What an amazing response! It does not say they were distressed that he was ill, but that he was distressed because they heard he was ill. That is the kind of heart God is aiming to create with cancer: a deeply affectionate, caring heart for people. Don't waste your cancer by retreating into yourself.
8. You will waste your cancer if you grieve as those who have no hope.
Paul used this phrase in relation to those whose loved ones had died: "We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope" (1 Thessalonians 4:13). There is a grief at death. Even for the believer who dies, there is temporary loss--loss of body, and loss of loved ones here, and loss of earthly ministry. But the grief is different--it is permeated with hope. "We would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord" (2 Corinthians 5:8). Don't waste your cancer grieving as those who don't have this hope.
9. You will waste your cancer if you treat sin as casually as before.
Are your besetting sins as attractive as they were before you had cancer? If so you are wasting your cancer. Cancer is designed to destroy the appetite for sin. Pride, greed, lust, hatred, unforgiveness, impatience, laziness, procrastination--all these are the adversaries that cancer is meant to attack. Don't just think of battling against cancer. Also think of battling with cancer. All these things are worse enemies than cancer. Don't waste the power of cancer to crush these foes. Let the presence of eternity make the sins of time look as futile as they really are. "What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself?" (Luke 9:25).
10. You will waste your cancer if you fail to use it as a means of witness to the truth and glory of Christ.
Christians are never anywhere by divine accident. There are reasons for why we wind up where we do. Consider what Jesus said about painful, unplanned circumstances: "They will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors for my name's sake. This will be your opportunity to bear witness" (Luke 21:12 -13). So it is with cancer. This will be an opportunity to bear witness. Christ is infinitely worthy. Here is a golden opportunity to show that he is worth more than life. Don't waste it.
Remember you are not left alone. You will have the help you need. "My God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:19).
God Is Always In Control
Isaiah 45:5-7
I admit that I often don’t understand why bad things happen. Even so, I believe that God has a purpose for everythingHe does or permits. My faith is rooted in the biblical principle that says the Lord is sovereign (Ps. 22:28). He is in absolute control of this universe, the natural and political climate of this earth, and my life and yours.
When we are in the midst of a trial, it is hard to resist crying out, “God, Why is this happening?” Sometimes we get the answer and sometimes we don’t. What we can be sure of is that nothing happens by accident or coincidence. He has a purpose for even our most painful experiences. Moreover, we have His promise to “cause all things to work together for good to those who love God” (Rom. 8:28).
Seeing in advance how the Lord will work evil or hurt for our benefit is very difficult, if not impossible. My limited human perspective doesn’t allow me to grasp His greater plan. However, I can confirm the truth of this biblical promise because the Father’s good handiwork appears all through my pain, hardship, and loss. I have experienced Him turn mourning into gladness and have seen Him reap bountiful blessings and benefits from my darkest hours.
As believers, we must accept that God won’t always make sense to us. Isaiah teaches that His ways and thoughts are higher than our own (Isa. 55:9). He sees the beautifully completed big picture. We can rely on the fact that God is in control, no matter how wildly off-kilter our world seems to spin.
Call to Remembrance
“But call to remembrance the former days, in which, after ye were illuminated, ye endured a great fight of afflictions.” (Hebrews 10:32)

 

Our American younger generation, like the Hebrew Christians back in the first generation after Christ, seems in grave danger of forgetting the great sacrifices of those earlier generations in this country who made our nation the land of the free. What seems almost a deliberate “dumbing down” of our great Christian heritage has been taking place in our public schools and universities ever since World War II ended.

 

Memorial Day should not be merely an occasion to give people a three-day time of leisure and pleasure, but rather a call to remembrance of those who suffered and died to ensure our political and religious freedoms—especially that freedom to believe and proclaim the saving gospel of Christ, which so motivated our forefathers.

 

And it is even more important, every day, to call to remembrance the unfathomable sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ who died, not just to give us temporal freedom, but eternal freedom, providing everlasting life to all those who believe. We have a formal time for remembering this—whenever we observe the special supper He established, remembering His broken body and shed blood. “This do in remembrance of me,” He said (1 Corinthians 11:24-25), and Christians have been remembering Him in this way ever since He met with His disciples the night before He died for our sins.

 

But we need also to remember Him every day, not just on the days scheduled for communion, just as we ought to remember and thank God for those who died for our country, and to do so far more often than just once each year. As Paul said concerning the dedicated, but suffering, Christians in Philippi, “I thank my God upon every remembrance of you” (Philippians 1:3). HMM
The Builder of the House
�He who hath builded the house hath more honour than the house. For every house is builded by some man; but he that built all things is God.� (Hebrews 3:3-4)

 

Perhaps the single greatest category of evidence for supernatural creation is in the nature of the creation itself, which everywhere shows such intricate design that it could not have come about by random chance. Consider the earth: Its size, mass, distance from the sun and moon, rotational wobble, chemical makeup, etc., are critical within very narrow limits. Any significant deviation in any of these, or other characteristics, would make life impossible.

 

But inorganic molecules, planets, and galaxies are simpler by several orders of magnitude than even the tiniest living organism. The marvelous genetic code that regulates life, growth, and reproduction is so unthinkably complex, so obviously designed, that it would take a �willingly . . . ignorant� (2 Peter 3:5) mind to conclude a naturalistic origin for it. Life at every stage and at every level of investigation shows symmetry in its order, purpose in its function, and interdependence between its parts; all of these are clear marks of design by an intelligent designer.

 

The evidence speaks so eloquently that even �the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse� (Romans 1:20) if they choose not to believe and therefore to merit and face His wrath (v. 18).

 

�All things were created by him, and for him� (Colossians 1:16). Mankind can take no pride in it nor rebellious solace in the idea of naturalistic origin, for �thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created� (Revelation 4:11). JDM

 When a Nation Turns Its Back on God 2 Chronicles 33
Hezekiah was a god-fearing king who brought about reformation among the Israelites. His son Manasseh, however, was an evil ruler. He had watched his father walk with God and live according to Scripture. Yet he chose to ignore the Lord.
Manasseh worshipped false gods, even to the point of sacrificing his sons by fire in order to praise Molech. He practiced much evil--including witchcraft and sorcery-- and led Israel astray, thereby provoking God to anger. The king, along with the people, paid a high price for his rebellion.
This story illustrates the Lord�s intolerance of a nation�s disregard toward Him. Now consider our country. We, too, are a nation that pushes God aside--one that has turned away from the only true God and embraced idols. Perhaps these aren�t statues of stone, but we worship money, sports ability, fame, and reputation, to name a few.
The United States of America was founded on biblical principles with the intent to guarantee freedom of worship. But over time, we have removed the Lord from many aspects of public life. Prayer in schools, for instance, was deemed unconstitutional. What was once a �nation under God� has turned into a country that tolerates a growing number of sins and yet belittles absolute truth.
If a nation turns its back on the Lord, His judgment is inevitable unless the people repent and make Him Lord once again. As believers, our responsibility is to pray that God would draw the heart of our country back to Himself--and to help the gospel and truth spread through our land.
 What God Calls All Believers to Do

- Greg Laurie - www.harvest.org

But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them? -Romans 10:14

 

A while back, I was speaking with an interviewer about my book Lost Boy. He said, "You seem to be very natural when you speak. It must come easily to you."

 

"Nothing could be further from the truth," I told him. "Before I was a Christian, I wasn't a public speaker."

 

When I was in school, I remember a time in class when we all were required to give an impromptu, five-minute speech in front of the other students. I had been assigned a statement from the Revolutionary War: "Don't shoot until you see the whites of their eyes." I hadn't read the assignment, so I had no idea what that statement was about. I stood up in front of the class, frozen in fear. My mouth went dry, and my mind went blank. And I got an F on that assignment.

 

I was not a public speaker back then. But after I came to faith in Jesus Christ, I realized the best way to help people believe was through verbal communication, whether speaking in front of a group or with an individual. I discovered it was not about me. It was not about what I was comfortable doing; it was about obeying the Lord.

 

The primary way God reaches those who do not yet know Him is through verbal communication. Romans 10:14 says, "How can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them?" That "someone" is supposed to be you and me.

 

Have you ever led someone to the Lord? The Great Commission was given to every Christian. We are all called to share the gospel. We all have a part to play. God has chosen to use people as His primary communicators of His truth.

 The Furtherance of the Gospel
�But I would ye should understand, brethren, that the things which happened unto me have fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the gospel.� (Philippians 1:12)

 

The infrequently used word �furtherance� (meaning simply �advancement�) occurs elsewhere only in Philippians 1:25, where Paul speaks of the �furtherance and joy of faith,� which he hoped to see in the Christians at Philippi, and in 1 Timothy 4:15, where it is translated �profiting.� There, Paul urged young Timothy to continue studying the things of God �that thy profiting may appear to all.�

 

Paul wrote this epistle while he was unjustly imprisoned in a Roman jail, and no doubt he remembered the time when he had first met many of his Philippian Christian friends as a result of being imprisoned and beaten in a Philippian jail (Acts 16:12-40). In fact, he had often been imprisoned (2 Corinthians 11:23) and had suffered severely in many other ways for �the furtherance of the gospel.�

 

Indeed, during the two years or more he was a prisoner in Rome, he not only taught God�s Word to many who visited him there (Acts 28:30-31) but also wrote at least four of his inspired epistles there (Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, Philemon�possibly even Hebrews). And these have been of untold blessing to millions down through the years. In ways that Paul could never have imagined, it was true indeed that these things that had happened to him had �fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the gospel.�

 

The apostle Paul had the spiritual insight to realize that what seemed like great problems and difficulties could be used by God to the �advancement� of the gospel. Rather than complaining or even quitting when the Christian life gets hard, we must remember that God can make even �the wrath of man� to bring praise to Him (Psalm 76:10). HMM
Responding to Accusation
Luke 12:11-12
When conflict occurs, the natural reaction is to blame someone else and defend yourself. But believers must respond differently. Once, I was publicly chastised for a wrong I had not committed. Thankfully, the Lord enabled me to remain calm rather than react angrily. Praying first is always the best response in a crisis. When we do, God supernaturally provides that which we can't muster up ourselves.

• Spiritual discernment. The Lord, who perfectly understands the source of every problem, can give us insight beyond our limited perspective. Perhaps there's been a communication breakdown, a feeling of jealousy on the other person's part, or a mistake we unknowingly made. The Holy Spirit can show us how to approach our accuser and see beyond hurtful words or actions.
• A quiet spirit. Our human nature wants to react quickly so that we can defend ourselves. That's why we must first deliberately focus our attention on the Lord and experience the inward peace He alone makes available to us (John 14:27).
• Wisdom. Jesus told His disciples the Holy Spirit would give them wise words to say when they faced hostile authorities. He'll do the same for you. Ask Him to put a seal on your lips until He shows you what to say and when (Ps. 141:3).

We don't have to react to criticism with anger and self-protection the way the world does. Instead, we are called to represent Christ in every situation by depending on Him. In responding as He directs, we bring Him glory and cause unbelievers to want to know the source of our strength.
Soldier's Duty
�Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.� (2 Timothy 2:3-4)

 

As Paul came to the end of his earthly life, he took great pains to encourage his disciple to �be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus� (2 Timothy 2:1) and to guard and pass on the precious teachings that Paul had taught him.

 

Paul compared Timothy�s life in the ministry of the gospel to the life of a soldier. The Greek word translated �endure hardness� is used twice more by Paul, each in this book. �But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions [same word], do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry� (2 Timothy 4:5). Paul holds himself up as an example of such endurance when he claims: �I suffer trouble [same word], as an evil doer, even unto bonds; but the word of God is not bound� (2 Timothy 2:9).

 

As soldiers of Jesus Christ, we are to avoid entangling ourselves with something that will hinder our effectiveness. The word �entangled� means �entwined,� or �involved with.� The soldier must be able to draw his weapon freely and use it effectively, and cannot do so if something is clutching onto him, binding his arms and legs.

 

Our text follows the well-known admonition �Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also� (vv. 1-2). The goal of a soldier is to please his leader. So must be our goal in the warfare at hand, preserving and passing on the truth. As Christians, we have been chosen to be in the army of the General who Himself died to assure our ultimate victory. He deserves our total devotion. JDM
The Dangers of False Teaching
Galatians 1:6-9
The Word of God is truth that's living and able to penetrate human souls (Heb. 4:12). Consider how powerful Scripture is: it can change hearts, save lives from eternal condemnation, and give hope to the hopeless.
Is it any wonder, then, that the Bible is a battlefield of Satan? The Devil will do his best to destroy its message and truth. In fact, this has been our Enemy's continuous goal since he chose to turn from God.
Our heavenly Father has graciously let us know in advance the outcome of this ongoing battle: Truth will prevail. But while the Lord has the ultimate victory, Satan can gain ground among individuals. His tactics are dangerous and deceptive to the unsuspecting. For this reason, we should carefully guard against his attacks, which are hard to recognize unless we are prepared.
False teaching is one of Satan's preferred tactics for leading us astray. At first glance, such instruction often seems to align with Scripture, but do not be misled by the deception. Two things are essential for standing firm against these slippery falsehoods: to be well grounded in the truth of God's Word and to listen to His Spirit. Only then can we recognize the error and avoid the pitfalls of Satan's lies.

The Enemy longs to mislead believers so they'll be ineffective for the kingdom. He also wants to keep all unsaved souls far from salvation through Jesus Christ. Friends, prepare for battle. Grow in the knowledge of truth, and lean on God's Spirit to guide you moment by moment.

 Care before You Share - Greg Laurie - www.harvest.org

Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria and preached Christ to them. -Acts 8:5

I was listening to a Christian radio broadcast the other day, and someone said he had come up with a lot of new conversation starters to turn a dialogue toward evangelism-clever little things we
can say to get a person interested in hearing the gospel.

That is all good, but none of it matters if we don't care about people. People can tell whether we care about them. (Even a dog can tell.) And people know whether we're sharing with them
out of sincerity or doing it out of a mere sense of duty.

Philip had a heart for nonbelievers. We read in the book of Acts that Philip, along with Stephen and others, were called to be deacons in the church. Stephen was martyred, and Saul of Tarsus
began to attack Christians, so they spread out. And where did Philip go? He went to Samaria.

That is significant because Philip was a Jew. Jews hated Samaritans, and Samaritans hated Jews. They had a conflict that never ended, which was passed on from generation to generation. Yet
Philip went to Samaria. He went to these people, the untouchables, that a Jew normally would not even have a conversation with, much less want to reach.

If we want to be effective communicators of the gospel, we need to be willing to go to people who are different from us. We tend to want to hang around people who are just like us, people
who look like us, talk like us, and have the same interests as us.

Are you willing to leave your comfort zone and go to a person completely different from you with the message of the gospel? Everyone needs Jesus. May God give us a sense of compassion for
people who do not yet know the Lord.

 Conversion Is God's Work

- Greg Laurie - www.harvest.org

So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase. -1 Corinthians
3:7

 

It can be discouraging when you talk to people about Christ and no one listens to you. Maybe
you've tried to share the gospel with family members, and they don't respond. Sometimes you feel like saying, "Just forget about it. If they don't want to hear what I have to say, then I won't tell anyone."

 

A farmer can be discouraged after he plants a crop and a storm uproots all the seed, or when
a drought comes and the crop doesn't take root. But then when he has a bumper crop, it is all worth it, and he plants again.

 

In the same way, we can tell and tell and tell people about Jesus Christ, and nothing seems
to happen. Then one day, one person gets it, and he or she believes. Then we see the joy of someone coming to faith.

 

Jesus said there is joy in Heaven over one sinner who comes to repentance (see Luke 15:7).
We are told in Psalm 126:5, "Those who sow in tears shall reap in joy."

 

God is the one who saves people, not us. I know this seems rather obvious, but frankly, sometimes
we forget it. God will prepare a person's heart to hear and receive the gospel. As Jesus said, "Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father" (John 6:65).

 

Conversion is not something we do. It is not something we bring about through our persuasive
words or clever arguments. The Lord must prepare the heart of the person we are speaking to. Sometimes we'll sow a little seed of the gospel, and other times we'll have the privilege of reaping where others have sown and watered. But it is God who does the
work of conversion.

 

The
Redeemed of the Lord

�Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy.� (Psalm
107:2)

 

This hymn of praise for God�s providence centers around four examples of God�s deliverance from particular problems. The four situations are as follows: Lost travelers who are out of provisions far from a city (vv. 4-5), prisoners imprisoned for their own rebelliousness (vv. 1-12), those who have been brought to physical illness due to their sin (vv. 17-18), and sailors who face shipwreck on stormy seas (vv. 23-27). In each case, the individuals prayed for deliverance that resulted in God�s miraculous rescue and a response of praise.

 

This cycle reminds us of the pattern during the time of the Judges when �every man did what was right in his own eyes� (Judges 21:25). Due to their rebelliousness, God brought the people of Israel into captivity over and over again. Each time, in the midst of their oppression, they cried unto the Lord, who raised up a judge and empowered him to vanquish the enemy and free the people.

 

The exact same pattern can be found in Solomon�s prayer of dedication for the temple. He recognized man�s tendency to rebel and forget the Lord�s provision when things are going well, thus eliciting God�s judgment. But God has always used times of trouble to bring men and women back to Himself. He is a God of grace and mercy and love, desiring to forgive and restore those who repent and call to Him for deliverance (2 Kings 8).

 

The same truth applies today. We still tend to rebel, and He remains long-suffering, willing to forgive and restore upon repentance. �That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ� (1 Peter 1:7). JDM

A Godly Response to Criticism Proverbs 15:31-33
No one likes criticism, but encountering some is inevitable, so we need to learn how to respond in a godly way. Although you might be tempted to become defensive or angry, remain calm and listen. The words may hurt, but great benefits come to those who carefully consider what is said.
If we refuse to accept reproof, we'll limit our potential for Christlike character development and spiritual growth. Some of life's best lessons come through difficult experiences. If God allowed the situation, you can be sure that He wants to use it in transforming you into His Son's image. Whether the criticism is valid or not, whether it's delivered with kindness or harshness, your goal should always be to respond in a way that glorifies the Lord. Remember that you are responsible only for how you handle yourself, not for how the other person is acting.
When a criticism comes your way, be quiet and listen until the other person has finished. Make direct eye contact to show attentiveness and respect. When your critic finishes, thank him for bringing his concerns to your attention, and tell him that you will consider what he's said. Ask the Lord if the accusation is valid. Let Him search your heart and either affirm your innocence or convict you.

Every rebuke is an opportunity from God. It's a chance to let your Christian character shine by showing love to your critic. If he is angrily attacking you, your respect and kindness become a powerful testimony. Criticism is also an occasion to humble yourself and accept the Lord's correction.
 Open to God's Leading

- Greg Laurie - www.harvest.org

Now an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying, "Arise and go toward the south along the road which goes down from
Jerusalem to Gaza." This is desert. -Acts 8:26

Imagine if God were to come to you one day and say, "Go out to Palm Springs, in the middle of the desert at noon, and
I will tell you what to do next."

In the book of Acts, that is basically what it was like for Philip when an angel of the Lord spoke to him and said, "Arise and go toward the south along
the road which goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza" (Acts 8:26).

How easily Philip could have argued and said, "And do what? Preach to lizards? It is too hot, even for them. You want me to leave this place of revival
where the Holy Spirit is being poured out and where miracles are being performed, and you want me to go to the middle of some desert? To do what?"

But Philip didn't argue. The Bible tells us, "So he arose and went" (verse 27). It would have been understandable if Philip had questioned this or was
like Jonah who, when told to go to Nineveh and preach the gospel, took a boat in the opposite direction. But to Philip's credit, he went to the desert.

The angel didn't tell Philip what would happen when he got there. He didn't have a detailed blueprint. He was being led one step at a time. God's way
becomes plain when we start walking in it. Obedience to revealed truth guarantees guidance in matters unrevealed.

If we want to lead others to Christ, then we need to be open to and obedient to the leading of the Holy Spirit. Has the Lord shown you to do something?
Then do it. Because there is a time to wait, and there is a time to move. There is a time to sow, and there is a time to reap.

 

PLEASE VISIT MY WIFES WEBSITE. SHE RUNS "YOUNG LIVING" WHICH PROVIDES ALL NATURAL OILS THAT CAN BE USED INTERNALLY AND EXTERNALLY INCLUDING A DEFUSER WHICH PUTS AN AMAZING ODOR IN THE AIR. THIS PRODUCT IS SO AMAZING AND KNOW THAT YOU WILL GET YEARS OF ENJOYMENT FROM IT. GOTO HTTP://WWW.YOUNGLIVING.ORG/CDROSES