How to Experience Christ's Peace John 14:27-31
"My peace I give to you� (John 14:27). Jesus spoke these amazing words just hours before His crucifixion. His peace isn�t dependent upon external circumstances, but rather, it transcends them. Although He gives His peace to every believer as a gift, our experience of it is related to our faith in the following truths:
Sadly, many Christians live their whole lives without consistently experiencing this incomprehensible peace. Perhaps faith and submission are the most challenging issues. But only as we surrender control of our lives to Christ and trust in His plans for us will we discover tranquil rest for our souls.
"My peace I give to you� (John 14:27). Jesus spoke these amazing words just hours before His crucifixion. His peace isn�t dependent upon external circumstances, but rather, it transcends them. Although He gives His peace to every believer as a gift, our experience of it is related to our faith in the following truths:
- God is in control of everything. Without this assurance, the world is a scary place.
- He loves me and will see me through every circumstance, no matter how difficult or painful it may be.
- To have Christ�s peace, I must surrender my life to Him. When I hold onto my ways and plans, I�ll experience turmoil.
- I have a limited perspective and understanding of my circumstances and God�s purposes for allowing them. His goals for me are greater than my immediate comfort.
- The Lord promises to work all things out for my good. He is continually working to transform my character into Christ�s image.
- I must live in sync with God, walking in the Spirit and promptly confessing and repenting of sin.
- Scripture is my foundation for peace. It increases my trust in the Lord�s goodness, assures me that He keeps His promises, and reminds me of His sovereignty over every situation.
Sadly, many Christians live their whole lives without consistently experiencing this incomprehensible peace. Perhaps faith and submission are the most challenging issues. But only as we surrender control of our lives to Christ and trust in His plans for us will we discover tranquil rest for our souls.
All in God's Time - By Greg Laurie -
He will give eternal life to those who keep on doing good, seeking after the glory and honor and immortality that God offers. -Romans 2:7
We tend to think that everything that will happen must happen during the short span of life that we have here on Earth. But according to the Bible, we will live forever. And there are still things we will do yet in the future.
I think of my own son Christopher who is in Heaven right now. He went home to be with the Lord at the age of 33. Christopher was a committed believer and a loving son, brother, husband, and father. He also was a talented designer. Does God still have plans for him to use that gift? Maybe in the future. The Bible says this of the Millennium: "In those days people will live in the houses they build and eat the fruit of their own vineyards" (Isaiah 65:21).
We will have work to do. We will have tasks to accomplish. And maybe the dreams you never realized on Earth will be realized in Heaven-or on the New Earth when Christ comes to rule and reign, and believers rule and reign with Him.
God loves us, and He gave each of us abilities. He gave each of us a desire to achieve and to do something with our lives. In fact, we are told in Romans 2:7, "He will give eternal life to those who keep on doing good, seeking after the glory and honor and immortality that God offers." We want that. We want to accomplish something. We want our lives to matter. God wired us that way. It all will be done in God's time, either here or there.
But until that time, we want to be faithful. We want to be faithful with what God has set before us. We want to use our lives, our time, and our resources wisely.
Created for a Purpose - By Greg Laurie -
You will show me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore. -Psalm 16:11
The big question we all need to ask ourselves is, "Why am I here on this earth?" If we don't have the answer to this one figured out, then we'll be in trouble.
We are here to know and glorify God and bring forth spiritual fruit. We were created to bring glory to God. We were created to honor God. We were created to bring pleasure to God. The problem is that some people live for their own pleasure.
God has given each of us something. He has graciously given each of us a life, a time span for us to occupy. Now here's the twist. We don't know what the duration will be. We assume our lives will be long. We plan on it. But we actually don't know how long we will live. That is entirely up to God. And that is why we don't want to put off anything spiritual for another day. We want to take care of it now, because there is no time to waste.
The Bible even tells us that in the last days, people will be "lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God" (2 Timothy 3:4). Here is the problem with that. We never will find pleasure when we chase after pleasure. But if we fulfill the pleasure for which God created us, which is to know Him and to glorify Him, then we will experience pleasure-not the illicit pleasure this world offers but legitimate, godly, holy pleasure as we walk with God.
The result is that we will bring forth spiritual fruit as people see the evidence of Christ working in us, as they see the Lord in our lives and are attracted to Him. Is this true of you? Are you fulfilling God's purpose for your life?
Minimizing the Bible and the Glory of Jesus ChristJohn Piper
I have been pondering a possible relationship between the minimizing of the Bible in so-called seeker-driven churches and in some of the radical forms of contextualization that have emerged in missions. Perhaps there isn't any connection. But I wonder. The common denominator that I am pondering is the loss of confidence that declaring what the Bible says in the power of the Holy Spirit can create and sustain the church of Christ.This morning I just read John 2:11, "This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested his glory. And his disciples believed in him." I bowed and prayed, "O Lord, this is how faith happens. People are given eyes to see your glory in your person and in your deeds. Please don't let me turn away from the ministry that puts all the emphasis on the ‘gospel of the glory of Christ who is the image of God'" (2 Corinthians 4:4).
Then I was reminded of another text in John which connected the revelation of Christ's glory to the written word of God. John 20:30-31, "Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name." The signs that reveal the faith-awakening glory of Christ are not mainly new signs being done today, but the signs that are written in the gospels. These are written "so that you may believe." He "manifested his glory. And his disciples believed in him." That is the way faith comes. Jesus said that when the Holy Spirit comes "He will glorify me!" (John 16:14). Therefore we declare the fullness of the glorious Person and Work of Christ in history. That is how the church is created and sustained.
It seems to me that a growing number of pastors and missionaries have lost confidence in this truth. They have concluded that the gap between the glory of Christ and the felt needs of their neighbors, or between the glory of Christ and the religion of the nationals, is simply too great for the fullness of God's word to overcome. The upshot seems to be the minimization of the Word of God in its robust and glorious fullness.
This is on my front burner just now because in recent weeks I have received a steady stream of testimonies from aching saints who say in so many words, "Our pastor doesn't proclaim to us what the Bible says and means. The messages are not revelations of the glory of Christ. They are advice-talks with a religious twist." And then I have been reading about certain kinds of gospel contextualization in missions that seem to minimize the fullness of the biblical revelation which converts should share with others. So I have been pondering whether there are connections.
I have no desire to naively equate the cultural conglomerate of western Christianity with the true, spiritual body of Christ. I can appreciate avoiding the word "Christian" in a missions context where it signifies: degenerate, materialistic, immodest western religion. And I realize that most of the ways we "do church" are culture specific rather than biblically mandated. But there are other questions that trouble me:
1) Are the essentials of biblical faith embraced by new converts to Christ, and do they make them known in love to others? For example, do they embrace and make known that the Bible is the only inspired and infallible written revelation of God, and that Christ is God and was crucified for sin and raised from the dead above all authority?
2) Are the former religious behaviors of converts to Christ, which they may retain, communicating regularly a falsehood about what the convert means and believes?
3) Are words being used by converts that mislead people rather than make the truth plain? Are missionaries and converts following Paul's commitment to candor: "But we have renounced disgraceful, underhanded ways. We refuse to practice cunning or to tamper with God's word, but by the open statement of the truth we would commend ourselves to everyone's conscience in the sight of God" (2 Corinthians 4:2)?
I may be wrong about a Bible-minimizing connection between seeker-driven pastors and radically contextualizing missionaries, but it is hard not to see a loss of faith in the power of God's Word when I hear that the Bible is not preached at home, and when I read from the frontiers: "We have little hope in our lifetime to believe for a major enough cultural, political and religious change to occur in our context such that Muslims would become open to entering Christianity on a wide scale."
Let us pray for the Holy Spirit to come in power in our day for the sake of powerful displays of the glory of Christ in the declaration of the Word of God where those glories are revealed with infallible and converting authority.
Jesus Christ: Creator
“For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him.” (Colossians 1:16)
Our Prince of Peace
Isaiah 9:6
The Christmas rush is here. There are plans to make, gifts to buy, and parties to attend. Sometimes these activities leave us exhausted and cranky--instead of peace and joy, we may feel inner churning because there�s too much to do. Or perhaps this time of the year brings nothing but sad memories and loneliness. Unrealistic expectations and conflicts with loved ones often leave us depressed and discouraged.
How can Jesus be our Prince of Peace when our expectations and traditions fight against the tranquility we desire? To understand why Jesus was given this title, we must first understand what it means. First of all, God�s Son did not come to do away with all conflicts--not yet, anyway. One day He will return to earth and rule as King in an environment of external harmony, but that was not the purpose of His first coming. So while we�re on earth, we�ll have trouble (John 16:33).
When Christ left heaven to become a human baby, His goal was to bring us peace with God by reconciling us to the Father. His death on the cross paid our sin debt in full, and our relationship with God is restored. Now He offers us divine peace--an inner serenity that fills our hearts and minds no matter what is going on in our circumstances.
Is your life characterized by a quiet assurance that guards your heart and mind all day long (Phil. 4:6-7), or have stressful circumstances left you feeling depressed or agitated? Try setting aside time each day to fix your eyes upon Jesus. Then let Him heal your heart and calm your spirit.
Never Ashamed
“For the Scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.” (Romans 10:11)
Thanks for the Greatest Gift
“Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.” (2 Corinthians 9:15)
Garments for the King
“All thy garments smell of myrrh, and aloes, and cassia, out of the ivory palaces, whereby they have made thee glad.” (Psalm 45:8)
“All thy garments smell of myrrh, and aloes, and cassia, out of the ivory palaces, whereby they have made thee glad.” (Psalm 45:8)
One of the most beautiful of the Christmas hymns (though rarely sung at Christmas) is “Out of the Ivory Palaces,” telling how the King of heaven left His heavenly home and laid aside His perfumed, royal clothing to enter “a world of woe.” That this 45th Psalm is symbolic in part is obvious, but that it refers to Christ is also obvious from its use in Hebrews 1:8: “But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom,” quoting Psalm 45:6.
That the eternal King left heaven to come to Earth is not symbolic, however, but very real; nor did He have royal robes in which to be arrayed, for they “wrapped [Him] in swaddling clothes” and laid Him “in a manger” (Luke 2:12).
Then, as He later walked the dusty roads of Judea, we know little of what He wore, but we do know that on one notable occasion, He “laid aside his garments; and took a towel, and girded himself. . . . and began to wash the disciples’ feet” (John 13:4-5). A strange garment, and stranger action, for the King of glory!
Yet, stranger still that men whom He had created later “took his garments, and made four parts, to every soldier a part; and also his coat. . . . but cast lots for it” (John 19:23-24), leaving Him naked to die a painful death spiked to a tree. Finally, His little remnant of friends took “the body of Jesus, and wound it in linen clothes” (John 19:40) for His burial.
Now, however, in glory, He once again is arrayed in kingly apparel, “clothed with a garment down to the foot, and . . . with a golden girdle” (Revelation 1:13), and one day, all His redeemed shall see Him—in His beauty—the King in whose law we delight! HMM
We Can Know That We Know Him
“And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.” (1 John 2:3)
“And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.” (1 John 2:3)
The apostle John’s vocabulary in his gospel, epistles, and even in Revelation is quite distinctive. The verb “know,” for example, occurs more in John than in any other gospel, and more in 1 John than in any other epistle. He emphasizes by this that the Christian life is based on knowledge. In the words of today’s verse, for example, we can test the genuineness of our knowledge of Christ as Savior by whether or not we keep His commandments. Note some of the other tests listed in John in his first epistle.
“Ye know that every one that doeth righteousness is born of him” (1 John 2:29). “We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren” (3:14). “Hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us” (3:24). “But whoso keepeth [i.e., ‘guards’] his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him” (2:5). “These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life” (5:13).
There are other similar “tests of life,” but these make the point. A person who has been really born again through faith in Christ and His saving work can have assurance of his salvation if he truly believes in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ; if he guards and honors God’s Word; if he manifests the presence of the guiding, purifying Holy Spirit in his life; if he keeps His commandments and lives righteously; and if he manifests real love for his Christian brethren.
This is not to say that if he fails one or more of these tests he is necessarily unsaved. There are, however, no grounds for real assurance of salvation without them. Therefore, as Paul suggests, “examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves” (2 Corinthians 13:5). HMM
Christmas Memories Luke 2:1-20
The first Christmas I remember was when I was three years old. My aunts and uncles came to visit, and when they opened the trunk of the car, I discovered that it was full of presents--and all of them were for me! I’m sure you, too, can recall memories from past Christmases, whether good or bad. There’s just something about that day that sticks in our minds.
You can be sure that all of the people who experienced the first Christmas never forgot it. Joseph remembered the weight of responsibility on his shoulders as he cared for Mary during their journey and searched for a place where she could give birth. And we can imagine that the shepherds often replayed in their minds the scene of glorious angels and the sight of the newborn Messiah. But Scripture mentions only one who “treasured all these things, pondering them in her heart” (v. 19). Mary had carried this baby in her womb for nine months, but now she saw what no one else had ever seen--the face of God!
What was it like to see deity displayed in the body of a newborn baby? Though we can never see what Mary saw, we can each remember when we first recognized our Savior--the moment we realized He died for us.
This Christmas, take time to remember when you first met Jesus. What was going on in your life? How did you feel after accepting His offer of forgiveness? How has your life changed since that day? Now imagine what it will be like when you finally see Him face to face in heaven.
The Pattern for Servanthood
Matthew 20:25-28
In the world's thinking, great men are the ones with authority, prominence, and power. Though Jesus Christ had all that, He gave it up to become a servant (Isa. 42:1).
Jesus gave Himself completely to fulfill the Father's plan of redemption, even though the beneficiaries--namely, each of us--were undeserving. God is holy and righteous, and He cannot be in the presence of sin. Therefore, He must separate Himself from those who are stained by wrongdoing. That includes all of humanity (Rom. 3:23).
Everybody is born captive to the desires of the flesh (Rom. 6:16-18). When someone claims to be living on his "own terms," he is actually serving whatever his human nature craves. The penalty for that false sense of liberty is death (Rom. 6:23).
Jesus' ultimate act of service was to give His life as a ransom for many (Matt. 20:28). The word describes the price paid to set a slave free--Christ voluntarily purchased our liberation. There was only one way our holy God could remove our guilt yet remain true to His own law: Someone sinless had to pay our sin debt for us.
Jesus' sacrifice spared us the penalty we deserve. Instead, we receive the gift of grace and have been declared no longer guilty. Moreover, we are elevated from slaves to sons and daughters of the Almighty!
Jesus served the Father's purpose faithfully. He gave up His righteousness to carry the weight of all our wickedness--and endured a crushing separation from His Father. To meet our needs, the Savior held nothing of Himself back, and thereby set a powerful example of servanthood for us follow.
Faithful and Just
�If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.� (1 John 1:9)
All too often when we read or quote a favorite verse of Scripture, its familiarity gets in the way of our complete understanding of the verse. Such may be the case with today�s verse, one of the most beloved and oft-quoted passages of Scripture. To begin with, we must remember that the topic is sinful behavior. The Bible says that �the wages of sin is death� (Romans 6:23), therefore sin cannot go unpunished. A faithful and just judge must punish such behavior; to forgive it is neither faithful nor just. �Without shedding of blood is no remission� of sin (Hebrews 9:22).
But the Bible also says, �If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father. . . . Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin� (1 John 2:1; 1:7).
Jesus Christ fully paid the penalty for our sins. He died so that we don�t have to die, for God �hath made him to be sin for us� (2 Corinthians 5:21). God has further promised that �whoso confesseth and forsaketh [his sins] shall have mercy� (Proverbs 28:13).
God in His mercy and grace has declared it to be so. What was once devised as merciful and gracious is now �faithful and just.�
Because He is just, He cannot allow the punishment for our sin to be inflicted twice. Because He is faithful and has promised to forgive a penitent and confessing sinner, He will not only �forgive us our sins,� but �cleanse us from all unrighteousness,� thereby restoring the sweet fellowship broken by our rebellion.
�Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ�s stead, be ye reconciled to God� (2 Corinthians 5:20). JDM
The Name of the Lord Jesus
�And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.� (Matthew 1:21)
This is the first of 144 references to the name of Christ in the New Testament. The word �name� (Greek noma) occurs only about 95 times when referring to any or all other names. This fact is itself a sort of commentary on Philippians 2:9: �God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name.�
In biblical times, a person�s name expressed the character or attributes desired for a child by his or her parents. The reason for the name �JESUS,� which means �Jehovah saves� or simply �salvation,� was given by the angel: �He shall save his people from their sins.�
There is only one Savior, �for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved� (Acts 4:12); but His name does save! �As many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name� (John 1:12).
Those who do receive Christ are thenceforth associated with His name�and therefore with His person and work. First, they are to be baptized �in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost� (Matthew 28:19). They are then to order their lives in a way that honors His name. �Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity� (2 Timothy 2:19).
He has given many gracious promises of answered prayer if we pray in His name, �that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you� (John 15:16). The final use of �name� in the Bible stresses our eternal identification with His name, for �his name shall be in their foreheads� (Revelation 22:4) as we are united with Him in the age to come. HMM
Clean Feet, Clean Heart
Israel can be a dusty place, and sandaled feet get filthy walking to and fro. In ancient times, a person entering a home removed his sandals and cleaned his feet. Or if the homeowners were wealthy, servants would do the washing. This distasteful but necessary task fell to the worker of lowest position in the household.
Imagine the disciples' surprise when the Son of God put Himself in the role of a lowly servant and knelt to wash their feet. The need for such a service was great, as they had been traveling for some time. But not one of them offered to do it.
Jesus did more than fill a need; He offered an object lesson. As He explained, "I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you" (John 13:15 nlt). Some churches have incorrectly interpreted this as a command to make foot washing an ordinance. But it's possible to clean someone else's skin without contemplating the significance of Christ's actions.
In fact, the act itself is not the main point; attitude is what counts. Jesus desires that we be willing to humble ourselves to serve others. He is looking for men and women who will ignore pride, position, and power in order to do whatever must be done, wherever it needs doing, and for whoever requires assistance.
Jesus performed His greatest and most humble acts of service within 24 hours of each other. He washed dirty feet using two hands that would be pierced by nails in less than a day. The message here is that every task God gives us is important to His kingdom.
Don't take satan's bait - Bill Wilson -
The first Christmas I remember was when I was three years old. My aunts and uncles came to visit, and when they opened the trunk of the car, I discovered that it was full of presents--and all of them were for me! I’m sure you, too, can recall memories from past Christmases, whether good or bad. There’s just something about that day that sticks in our minds.
You can be sure that all of the people who experienced the first Christmas never forgot it. Joseph remembered the weight of responsibility on his shoulders as he cared for Mary during their journey and searched for a place where she could give birth. And we can imagine that the shepherds often replayed in their minds the scene of glorious angels and the sight of the newborn Messiah. But Scripture mentions only one who “treasured all these things, pondering them in her heart” (v. 19). Mary had carried this baby in her womb for nine months, but now she saw what no one else had ever seen--the face of God!
What was it like to see deity displayed in the body of a newborn baby? Though we can never see what Mary saw, we can each remember when we first recognized our Savior--the moment we realized He died for us.
This Christmas, take time to remember when you first met Jesus. What was going on in your life? How did you feel after accepting His offer of forgiveness? How has your life changed since that day? Now imagine what it will be like when you finally see Him face to face in heaven.
The Pattern for Servanthood
Matthew 20:25-28
In the world's thinking, great men are the ones with authority, prominence, and power. Though Jesus Christ had all that, He gave it up to become a servant (Isa. 42:1).
Jesus gave Himself completely to fulfill the Father's plan of redemption, even though the beneficiaries--namely, each of us--were undeserving. God is holy and righteous, and He cannot be in the presence of sin. Therefore, He must separate Himself from those who are stained by wrongdoing. That includes all of humanity (Rom. 3:23).
Everybody is born captive to the desires of the flesh (Rom. 6:16-18). When someone claims to be living on his "own terms," he is actually serving whatever his human nature craves. The penalty for that false sense of liberty is death (Rom. 6:23).
Jesus' ultimate act of service was to give His life as a ransom for many (Matt. 20:28). The word describes the price paid to set a slave free--Christ voluntarily purchased our liberation. There was only one way our holy God could remove our guilt yet remain true to His own law: Someone sinless had to pay our sin debt for us.
Jesus' sacrifice spared us the penalty we deserve. Instead, we receive the gift of grace and have been declared no longer guilty. Moreover, we are elevated from slaves to sons and daughters of the Almighty!
Jesus served the Father's purpose faithfully. He gave up His righteousness to carry the weight of all our wickedness--and endured a crushing separation from His Father. To meet our needs, the Savior held nothing of Himself back, and thereby set a powerful example of servanthood for us follow.
Faithful and Just
�If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.� (1 John 1:9)
The Name of the Lord Jesus
�And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.� (Matthew 1:21)
Clean Feet, Clean Heart
Israel can be a dusty place, and sandaled feet get filthy walking to and fro. In ancient times, a person entering a home removed his sandals and cleaned his feet. Or if the homeowners were wealthy, servants would do the washing. This distasteful but necessary task fell to the worker of lowest position in the household.
Imagine the disciples' surprise when the Son of God put Himself in the role of a lowly servant and knelt to wash their feet. The need for such a service was great, as they had been traveling for some time. But not one of them offered to do it.
Jesus did more than fill a need; He offered an object lesson. As He explained, "I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you" (John 13:15 nlt). Some churches have incorrectly interpreted this as a command to make foot washing an ordinance. But it's possible to clean someone else's skin without contemplating the significance of Christ's actions.
In fact, the act itself is not the main point; attitude is what counts. Jesus desires that we be willing to humble ourselves to serve others. He is looking for men and women who will ignore pride, position, and power in order to do whatever must be done, wherever it needs doing, and for whoever requires assistance.
Jesus performed His greatest and most humble acts of service within 24 hours of each other. He washed dirty feet using two hands that would be pierced by nails in less than a day. The message here is that every task God gives us is important to His kingdom.
Don't take satan's bait - Bill Wilson -
Everyone is trying to make sense of all the violence across the country. These things are not new, but they seem to be getting worse. For example in a Christmas Eve Jot in 2008, I recounted the headlines of how a newlywed husband, eager to see what his wife had gotten him for Christmas, peeked inside the wrapping. The wife was so enraged that she stabbed her husband six times with a kitchen knife. A kitchen knife was also the weapon in New Jersey where a mother slashed her six year old son's throat, then tried to commit suicide. In Detroit, a woman committed suicide after shooting her husband and family dog dead with the same gun. Today we have stories of terrorist events and murders--leading up to and through the holidays.
Fires, family fights, murders, suicides, terrorist events, drunk driving deaths, even natural deaths seem to be more prevalent during the holiday season. People are stressed. They are rushing about, busy with the getting of and doing things, that life itself seems to take a backstage. Then there is that one little thing-a child asking that silly question for the tenth time, or the husband coming home a tad bit late, or the wife not getting that little thing done-and "boom" everything blows up and lives are changed forever. My household growing up was a wonderful place to be. But the only arguments I remember my parents having were during the holidays. Some stupid thing would go wrong and not even a well-prepared Secretary of State could successfully intervene.
We lived at our farm that had been in the family for over 200 years. And things were old and sometimes didn't work well. They didn't work well especially during the holidays when large family and friend gatherings were about to occur. One year, the well went dry just hours before my mother was to serve a meal to about 25 family members. She ordered a water truck to come fill the well. My dad said that the water would just run out of the well and that she just had to patiently wait for the water level to restore itself. This led to World War III. Mom was packing her bags and leaving this old farm house forever. Well, my Dad's patience with her saved the day, and a little help from a quick running spring gave us the water we needed. All was well.
But the point is that during holidays that celebrate the Savior of the world, Jesus Christ, the spiritual enemy presses in and tries to steal the joy of the season. Jesus said in John 10:10, "The thief comes not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly." Remember that satan wants to destroy anything that would honor Christ-your holidays, your home, your family, even you. But Christ is a life giver. He came that we might have life to its fullest measure. So when those thoughts creep in that do not reflect the life-giving joy of Christ, cast them down before they become actions. If you can't seem to do that, call your pastor or a friend or 911. Don't take satan's bait.
Daily Devotion: The Great Debate - By Greg Laurie -
"By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples." -John 15:8
For hundreds of years, Christians have been debating predestination. How did God choose us? Why did God choose us? Whom did God choose? However, they miss altogether the reason He chose us.
Rather than debating how or why you were chosen, why don't you focus on what you were chosen to do? If you have put your faith in Jesus Christ and call yourself a Christian, then I can tell you on the authority of the Scriptures that you have been chosen by God.
So let's stop debating and instead focus on what we were chosen to do. We were chosen for a purpose. And what is that purpose? It's to bring forth fruit. Jesus said, "By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples" (John 15:8).
So the question that begs to be asked is how are you doing with this? To put it another way, what are you doing for Heaven's sake? What are you doing for the kingdom of God while you are on Earth?
Sadly, many of us squander a great portion of our lives in the pursuit of nothingness. I once read that on average, Americans will spend about 15 years of their lives watching television. I think today people spend more time on the Internet than they do watching TV. I am not saying there is anything inherently evil about watching television or being on the Internet. But I am saying it is very easy to waste time. Then ironically we'll say, "I just don't have time to read the Bible. I just don't have time to pray. I really don't have time this week to go to church. I am just so busy."
Let's use our lives for the glory of God.
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PLEASE VISIT MY WIFE'S WEBSITE. SHE RUNS "YOUNG LIVING" WHICH PROVIDES ALL NATURAL OILS THAT CAN BE USED INTERNALLY AND EXTERNALLY INCLUDING A DIFFUSER WHICH PUTS AN AMAZING ODOR IN THE AIR. THIS PRODUCT IS SO AMAZING AND KNOW THAT YOU WILL GET YEARS OF ENJOYMENT FROM IT. GO TO HTTP://WWW.YOUNGLIVING.ORG/CDROSES
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