Inspirational
Shine A Light On Slavery
This February 27th, join us and other Freedom Fighters from around the world as we SHINE A LIGHT ON SLAVERY. Draw a RED X on your hand. Tell your world that slavery still exists and YOU WON’T STAND FOR IT. Just use your influence any way you can to help us carry the message of FREEDOM so even more people know. Let’s make this SHINE A LIGHT ON SLAVERY DAY even brighter than ever.
http://enditmovement.com
Strongholds
And you shall make no covenant with the inhabitants of this land: you shall tear down their altars. But you have not obeyed My voice. Why have you done this? Therefore I also said, I will not drive them out before you; but they shall be thorns in your side, and their gods shall be a snare to you. JUDGES 2:2-3
God gave the Israelites specific instructions: Drive the Canaanites out of every corner of the land, and obliterate any vestige of their abominable idol worship. This assignment was challenging! Their enemies had formidable chariots.
The Canaanites had seemingly impregnable fortresses that were dangerous and difficult to overcome. The Israelites failed to drive all the Canaanites from the land. Much about the Canaanite lifestyle and religion appealed to the Israelites' sinful nature. Rather than destroying them and their idolatry, Israel compromised. The Canaanites would prove to be a troublesome distraction to the Israelites. Their idol worship would present a constant temptation.
When you became a Christian, God declared war on sin's strongholds in your life. Sinful behaviors and attitudes were firmly entrenched in your character, but God commanded you to tear them down. The Holy Spirit pointed out areas of your life that were resistant to God's will. Were you tempted to merely establish a truce rather than obliterating every sin? Is anger one of sin's strongholds? If so, it will rise up against you in moments of weakness. Is there a stronghold of lust in your life? If so, you will succumb to it when caught off guard. In careless moments, these strongholds will still tempt you to continue your past sinful behaviors.
Do not underestimate the destructive power of sin. If there are strongholds in your life that you have never defeated, the Holy Spirit is still prepared to bring you complete victory.
Blackaby Ministries
Ephesians 1:15-23
15 For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all God’s people, 16 I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. 17 I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. 18 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, 19 and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength 20 he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, 21 far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. 22 And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.
Finding God In The Darkness
When our boys were small, we played a game called "Sardines." We'd turn out all the lights in our home and I would hide in a closet or some other cramped place. The rest of the family groped about in the darkness to find my hiding place and then hide with me until we were squeezed together like sardines. Hence the name.
Our smallest family member at times became frightened in the dark, so when he came close, I would whisper to him softly: "Here I am."
"I found you, Dad!" he would announce as he snuggled against me in the darkness, not realizing that I let myself be "found."
Likewise, we have been made to search for God-to "grope for Him," as Paul put it so vividly (Acts 17:27). But here's the good news: He is not at all hard to find, for "He is not far from each one of us." He desires to make Himself known. "There is a property in God of thirst and longing. He hath longing to have us," wrote Dame Julian of Norwich centuries ago. Before we come to know Christ, we grope for God in the darkness. But if we search for Him in earnest, He will make Himself known, for He rewards those who diligently seek Him (Heb. 11:6). He will call to us softly: "Here I am." And He awaits our reply: "I found You!"
- David Roper
I'm With Him
On my husband's T-shirt is a cartoon of a sheep walking on two legs and addressing a wolf who is barring the sheep's passage through a gate.
Standing by the sheep is a familiar-looking man. He has a beard, compassionate eyes, and a look of authority. The sheep speaks to the wolf as he gestures toward the man and says, "I'm with Him." The sheep's trust in his Shepherd gives him great confidence.
On the day Jesus died, three crosses were raised. Jesus hung on the center one between two criminals. One of the men mocked Jesus, but the other said to Him, "Remember me when You come into Your kingdom." And Jesus answered, "Today you will be with Me in Paradise" (Luke 23:42-43). Imagine the man's thoughts as he took his last breath. He had paid a horrible penalty for his crimes. But now, because he put his faith in Jesus, he was welcomed into heaven as a child of God. Perhaps he said with confidence, "I know I don't deserve to be here, but I'm with Him!" gesturing toward Jesus. And Jesus would have confirmed it: "He's with Me."
Like the thief on the cross, we all face a choice. Have you made the decision to trust Jesus? Can you say with confidence, "I'm with Him"?
- Cindy Hess Kasper
Christ is coming
Christ is coming, over the world victorious-
Power and glory unto the Lord belong:
Praise Him! Praise Him! Tell of His excellent greatness!
Praise Him! Praise Him! Ever in joyful song.
-Crosby
Get Out, Stay Out, & Clean Out
Part 2:
Today’s decisions become tomorrow’s realities. Wise and discerning people understand that. They choose to live as if life is connected, as if each decision matters. That’s because they know that the present becomes the past that shapes the future. In each season of life we make decisions that shape what our lives look like in the next season.
Get out of debt.
Stay out of bed.
Clean out your closet.
Faith
Faith does not eliminate problems. Faith keeps you in a trusting relationship with God in the midst of your problems. Faith has to do with your relationship with God, not just your circumstances. Amen
This Is a Warning
Our Daily Bread
Day 9 of 30
- David McCasland
My wife purchased a birthday card containing these words from a paraphrase: "The Lord has rejoiced over you and has done such wonderful things for you" (Deut. 28:63 tlb). It was such a beautiful thought that she turned to the passage to read more.
She found that the words printed on the card were only part of one sentence in a section where God warned His people what would happen if they turned away from Him and disobeyed His commands. The entire verse reads, "Just as the Lord has rejoiced over you and has done such wonderful things for you and has multiplied you, so the Lord at that time will rejoice in destroying you; and you shall disap- pear from the land" (Deut. 28:63 tlb).
Now that would be an unusual birthday greeting!
The experience reminded me how easy it is to select pleasant phrases from the Bible while ignoring their context and meaning. Today's passage is a warning from God to His people. It is worth pondering for what it is-an expression of certainty as firm in the spiritual realm as the law of gravity in the physical realm.
The Bible contains words of encouragement as well as words of warning. It's important to appreciate both for their instruction in our walk with Christ.
God's Word provides the nourishment
That every Christian needs to grow;
Supplying strength from day to day
By teaching what we need to know.
-Sper
The more we meditate on the Scriptures, the closer we'll walk with the Savior.
Deuteronomy 28:58-63
58 If you do not carefully follow all the words of this law, which are written in this book, and do not revere this glorious and awesome name—the Lord your God— 59 the Lord will send fearful plagues on you and your descendants, harsh and prolonged disasters, and severe and lingering illnesses. 60 He will bring on you all the diseases of Egypt that you dreaded, and they will cling to you. 61 The Lord will also bring on you every kind of sickness and disaster not recorded in this Book of the Law, until you are destroyed. 62 You who were as numerous as the stars in the sky will be left but few in number, because you did not obey the Lord your God. 63 Just as it pleased the Lord to make you prosper and increase in number, so it will please him to ruin and destroy you. You will be uprooted from the land you are entering to possess.
This plan was provided by...
We would like to thank Our Daily Bread for providing this plan. For more information, please visit: www.odb.org/app