Tozer Devotional-The Choice Quandary

The Choice Quandary

One of the problems most frequently encountered by serious-minded Christians is how to discover the will of God in a given situation. Now, granted that we are wholly committed to God with every full intent to obey Him, we may expect actually to be led by Him. The Scriptures that teach this are so many that one scarcely knows where to begin quoting. It only remains for us to believe they mean what they say. The many choices that we Christians must make from to involve only four kinds of things: Those concerning which God has said an emphatic no; those about which He has said an equally emphatic yes; those concerning which He wants us to consult our own sanctified preferences; and those few and rare matters about which we cannot acquire enough information to permit us to make intelligent decisions and which for that reason require some special guidance from the Lord to prevent us from making serious mistakes. Regardless of what our positive thinkers have said, the Scriptures have much to say about things Christians are not to do. Every call to repentance is a call to negative as well as to positive moral action. Cease to do evil; learn to do well is a fair epitome of the moral teaching of the Bible.

http://www.cmalliance.org/devotions/tozer?id=690

Tozer Devotional-Applying the Test of Biblical Accuracy

Applying the Test of Biblical Accuracy

The tests for spiritual genuineness are two: First, the leader must be a good man and full of the Holy Ghost. Christianity is nothing if not moral. . . . But the test of moral goodness is not enough. Every man must submit his work to the scriptural test. It is not enough that he be able to quote from the Bible at great length or that he claim for himself great and startling experiences with God. Go back to the law and to the testimony. If he speak not according to the Word it is because there is no light in him. We who are invited to follow him have every right, as well as a solemn obligation, to test his work according to the Word of God. We must demand that every claimant for our confidence present a clean bill of health from the Holy Scriptures; that he do more than weave in a text occasionally, or hold up the Bible dramatically before the eyes of his hearers. His doctrines must be those of the Scriptures. The Bible must dominate his preaching. He must preach according to the Word of God. The price of following a false guide on the desert may be death. The price of heeding wrong advice in business may be bankruptcy. The price of trusting to a quack doctor may be permanent loss of health. The price of putting confidence in a pseudo-prophet may be moral and spiritual tragedy. Let us take heed that no man deceive us.

http://www.cmalliance.org/devotions/tozer?id=651

Developing Patience

“Tribulation worketh patience.”                                                    Ro 5:3

How do you develop patience? Through tribulation! When your honesty seems to go unnoticed, when your hard work seems to go unrewarded, when your kindness is rendered without thanks, when your helping hand is offered and ignored, when even love is refused—that’s when patience shines in all its beauty. Paul writes, “Tribulation worketh patience.” You’ve seen this principle at work in the development of children. One child, overly shielded and protected, grows up into a weakling without ambition and courage, destined to failure. Another, left to fight their own battles, to struggle, to learn through trial and error, grows into near-perfect maturity. The same principle applies to the Christian life when you realize that each storm brings its blessings and each trial produces its rewards. Let’s look at three practical benefits of patience: First, patience brings hope. “Such things were written in the Scriptures long ago to teach us. And the Scriptures give us hope and encouragement as we wait patiently for God’s promises to be fulfilled” (Ro 15:4 NLT). Second, patience produces spiritual fruit. “And the seeds that fell on the good soil represent honest, good-hearted people who hear God’s word, cling to it, and patiently produce a huge harvest” (Lk 8:15 NLT). Third, through patience you receive what God has promised. “Then you will not become spiritually dull and indifferent. Instead, you will follow the example of those who are going to inherit God’s promises because of their faith and endurance” (Heb 6:12 NLT).

http://theencouragingword.wordpress.com/2012/07/05/developing-patience/

What money can’t buy

Hebrew Word

Mesima

(Undertaking)

Hear translation

“Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and you will delight in the richest of fare.” — Isaiah 55:1–2

“The best things in life are free,” so the saying goes. Everyone has heard it, but very few actually live like that’s true. In a culture that is constantly reminding us of all the toys that we don’t have, it’s hard to keep focused on what’s truly important.

Take a moment and think about what matters most to you.

What comes up for you? What do you really want? Love, health, happiness, friendship, inner peace, wisdom, freedom, security. The list goes on and on. But did you notice? Not one can be bought with the green stuff that we call money! So then why have we come to be so focused on it?

The prophet Isaiah reminds us about what really satisfies us. The things that can be bought are not what makes us full. As the prophet says, “Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy?”

        Most of what we pay for is momentarily gratifying, but is not what will satisfy us in the long run. Big, fancy homes are nice, but they don’t make a happy family. Fast cars are fun, but they don’t create genuine respect. No, you can’t buy happiness or respect. They have to come from another source. And they just happen to be free.

Everything we truly care about can be ours if we earn them. But we can’t earn them at a 9–5 job. We only can earn them through 24/7 service to God. We earn them by learning and living His Word.

The Bible is God’s greatest gift to man. “Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters . . . ” God’s Word is essential like water. It gives us the basic recipe for living a good life. “Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost.”  God’s Word is also luxurious like milk and wine. The Scriptures provide the tools for living an extraordinarily sweet and rich life. The Bible gives us everything we need and everything we want – and it is all at no cost.

Next time you find yourself thinking “if only I had more money . . . ” remember this truth:  There are just some things that money can’t buy. Thankfully, those are the things that really count.

http://www.holylandmoments.org/devotionals/what-money-cant-buy

Read God’s Word–Every Day

“Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” Ro10:17

If you are wise, when God talks you’ll listen. And He will talk to you through the Bible. The reason the Bible has outsold every other book is because it is God’s Word on the issue. It takes approximately fifty-six hours to read the Bible through. If you read forty chapters a day you would complete the Bible within a month. If you read nine chapters of the New Testament each day you would complete it within thirty days. But you must read it systematically, regularly, and expectantly. When Satan attacked Him in the wilderness, Jesus quoted the Scriptures to him. That’s why the Psalmist said, “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee” (Ps 119:11). The book of Proverbs has thirtyone chapters. Here’s an idea. Since there are thirty-one days in most months, why not read a chapter of this wisdom book every day. Can you imagine what you’d learn? The Word of God will build your faith. “Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” Your faith grows when you hear God speak, and it works when you do what He says. If you struggle to lead a victorious Christian life, read these words carefully: “How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word” (v. 9 NKJV). The solution to every problem you face is contained in Scripture. To be wise you must study it. To be strong in faith you must believe it. To be successful in life you must practice it.

http://theencouragingword.wordpress.com/2012/05/25/read-gods-word-every-day/

The Word Gives Life by Mark D. Roberts

Psalm 119:1-176

I will never forget your commandments,      for by them you give me life.

Psalm 119:93

When I was pastor of Irvine Presbyterian Church, I would meet each Friday morning with my elders. We didn’t do business in that meeting, but, rather, spent time sharing concerns and praying. Our prayers would begin with the reading of a psalm, whichever one happened to be our psalm of the day.

I’ll never forget the day we were supposed to read Psalm 119. As we opened our Bibles, we looked at each other with raised eyebrows. Were we really going to read all 176 verses of this psalm, the longest in the Psalter? Yes, indeed, we were. So, for about fifteen minutes, we read Psalm 119 aloud, with each person reading a verse as we went around the circle. When we finished, we felt victorious, as if we had climbed a mountain of Scripture.

If you read all of Psalm 119, especially if you take the time to read it out loud, you’ll quickly notice a fair amount of repetition. This psalm makes one basic point, again and again and again. In fact, the structure of Psalm 119 is meant to convey a sense of thoroughness and completeness in making this point. It is an acrostic psalm, with twenty-two stanzas that begin with each letter of the Hebrew alphabet, in order. If we were writing a version of Psalm 119 in English, it might read something like this:     Absolutely faithful is God’s Word.     Blessings come to the one who loves his truth.     Come and follow the commandments of the Lord.     …Zeal for your Word fills my heart.

Psalm 119 pulls out all the stops in celebrating God’s truth. His Word not only guides our steps and keeps us from getting off course, but also, in a phrase, it gives us life.

Why do we read, study, reflect upon, and pray the Scriptures? Because in them we find life, life with meaning and purpose, life with depth and truth, life both now and forever. The Word of God guides us so that we might live life to the fullest. It shows us how to find significance in every aspect of life as we live for God and his glory.

QUESTIONS FOR FURTHER REFLECTION: How has your life been enriched by the Word of God? How has God spoken to you recently through the Scriptures?

PRAYER: Gracious God, how I thank you for your written Word. Indeed, as the psalmist says, your commandments have given me life.

Thank you for showing me how to live with meaning each day as I see my life connected to your grand work in the world.

Thank you for teaching me through Scripture how to be faithful in my workplace, my family, my church, and my community.

Thank you for showing me how I can live, not in my own strength, but by your power. How grateful I am for biblical teaching on the Holy Spirit and his gifts.

Thank you for revealing the nature and purpose of the church, helping us to be the people of God, a body consistently growing in you as each part is active.

Thank you for showing us in Scripture that we are called into your mission, and that we can live out this mission each day in every area of life.

Finally, thank you for revealing in the Bible your love for me, your grace through Christ, and your invitation to live in relationship with you.

All praise be to you, O God, for your Word gives me life! Amen.

http://www.thehighcalling.org/reflection/word-gives-life-0

Draw On His Power Within You

“To him who is able to do immeasurably more.” Eph 3:20 NIV

There are words in your Bible which have so much power in them that they’re more effective than any therapy. God can illuminate a Scripture that goes back into the past and heals your wounds, gives you direction in the middle of despair, and provides hope for the future. Satan will try to fill your mind with so much junk that you don’t have an appetite for God’s Word. That’s because he knows the Scriptures unmask him, and release the potential lying dormant within you. Before Jeremiah rose to national prominence as a prophet, God told him two things: (1) “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you” (Jer 1:5 NIV). Your parents didn’t get the first look at you, God did. Nothing about you surprises Him. In spite of what you’ve been through, He hasn’t changed His mind about who you are or what you’re destined to become. (2) “Before you were born I set you apart” (v.5 NIV). You say, “I’ve always felt different.” That’s because you are. Celebrate it! Stop looking for acceptance where you don’t belong. You’re on a mission for God; that’s why the enemy has tried so hard to take you out. Once you understand that, your struggle will begin to make sense. As you study God’s Word you’ll begin to experience the mind-renewing, life-changing power He’s deposited within you. “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us.” So start drawing on that power today.

http://theencouragingword.wordpress.com/2012/03/15/draw-on-his-power-within-you/

A Search For The Top Ten

BibleGateway, an online Bible resource, looked at the viewing habits of some of their 8 million monthly visitors. They found that John 3:16 was the most-searched-for verse in 2010.

I don’t think it’s surprising that it would be number one on the list. It tells us that God loved us so much that He sent His Son to rescue us from our sin and give us everlasting life. Number 10 on the list is Jesus’ commission to His followers to spread that good news: “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations” (Matt. 28:19). Also in the top 10 are Jeremiah 29:11 and Romans 8:28 about God’s good plans and purposes for His people.

The Scriptures are filled with truths to search out and share. In Psalm 119, the longest chapter in the Bible, the psalmist shared his thoughts about the Word and his desire to search it and be taught by God. He said, “Oh, how I love Your law!” (v.97). Our Bible reading for today shows some of the psalmist’s reasons for loving it: It gives him wisdom and understanding, it restrains his feet from evil, and it is sweet. Therefore, it’s his meditation “all the day.”

Let’s keep taking the time to read the Bible. The more we search the Word, the more we’ll grow in our love for it and its Author (v.97).

Search the Scriptures’ precious store— As a miner digs for ore; Search, and you will surely find Treasures to enrich the mind. —Anon.

The more you read the Bible, the more you’ll love its Author.

http://odb.org/2012/03/15/a-search-for-the-top-ten/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+odb%2Ffeed+%28Our+Daily+Bread%29

Your Bible—Read It Every Day (2)

“Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.”
                                                                                          Mt 24:35 NIV

Let’s look again at what some of the most notable leaders in history have had to say about the Bible. Napoleon: “What happiness the Bible procures for those who believe it! What marvels it bestows upon those who reflect upon it!” Daniel Webster: “There is no solid basis for civilization but in the Word of God. If we abide by the principles taught in the Bible, our country will continue to prosper. I make it a practice to read the Bible through once every year.” William Lyon Phelps (once referred to as the most beloved professor inAmerica—ofYaleUniversity): “I thoroughly believe in a university education for both men and women, but I believe knowledge of the Bible without a college course, is more valuable than a college course without knowledge of the Bible.” Sir William Jones: “The Bible contains more pure sensibility, more exquisite beauty, more pure morality, more important history, and finer strains of poetry and eloquence than can be collected from all other books in whatever age or language they may be written.” Robert E. Lee: “The Bible is a book, in comparison with which all other books are of minor importance. In all my perplexities and distress, the Bible has never failed to give me light and strength.” Jean-Jacques Rousseau: “The majesty of the Scriptures strikes me with admiration, as the purity of the gospel has its influence on my heart. Peruse the works of other philosophers with all their pomp and diction, how mean, how contemptible are they, compared with the Scriptures.” Your Bible—read it every day.

http://theencouragingword.wordpress.com/2012/02/25/your-bible-read-it-every-day-2/