Monday, March 18, 2024

THE SURPASSING WORTH OF KNOWING CHRIST

“But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ -- the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith.”  (Philippians 3:7-9 NIV)

Our value does not depend on our ability to earn people's acceptance. People change their minds. Instead, true self-worth is God's love and acceptance, which are unchanging. He created us. He alone knows how to fulfill all of our needs.  

-- Robert McGee in "Search for Significance"


#5817

Friday, March 15, 2024

TODAY IS THE DAY

Jesus said to His disciples, "Whoever wants to be My disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow Me.”  (Matthew 16:24 NIV)

Jesus calls us to take up a cross and die. Not someday when we take our last breath, but to die to ourselves today…

Bruce Thielemann is an author, he wrote these words, “Please don’t say anything to me about tomorrow. Tomorrow is a word the Bible does not know. The Holy Spirit’s word is “today.” The Bible says, “Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts” (Hebrews 3:15). And Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 6:2, “For God says, ‘At just the right time, I heard you. On the day of salvation, I helped you.’ Indeed, the ‘right time’ is now. Today is the day of salvation.”

Today is the day of salvation. Don’t say tomorrow. The word is “today.” 

-- Adapted from “Not a Fan” Study by Kyle Idleman


#5816

Thursday, March 14, 2024

HOPE FOR TODAY

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.”  (Romans 15:13)

Yes, there is hope.  There is hope for the present because I believe the stage has already been set for a new spirit in our nation.

One of the things we desperately need is a spiritual renewal in this country.   We need a spiritual revival in America.  And God has told us in His Word, time after time, that we are to repent of our sins and we're to turn to Him and He will bless us in a new way… And from the Cross, God declares, "I love you.  I know the heartaches and the sorrows and the pains that you feel.  But I love you."…

But now we have a choice: whether to implode and disintegrate emotionally and spiritually as a people and a nation -- or, whether to choose to become stronger through all of this struggle -- to rebuild on a solid foundation.  And I believe we're in the process of starting to rebuild on that foundation.  That foundation is our trust in God…

My prayer today is that we will feel the loving arms of God wrapped around us, and will know in our hearts that He will never forsake us as we trust in Him. 

-- Reverend Billy Graham


#5815

Wednesday, March 13, 2024

TODAY IS GOD’S GIFT TO YOU

“This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.”  (Psalm 118:24 NRSV)

The greatest moment of your life is now.

Not because it's pleasant or happy or easy, but because this moment is the only moment you've got.  Every past moment is irretrievably gone.  It's never coming back.  If you live there, you lose your life.

And the future is always out there somewhere.  You can spend an eternity waiting for tomorrow, or worrying about tomorrow.  If you live there, you likewise will lose your life.

This moment is God's irreplaceable gift to you.  Most of all, this is the moment that matters because this moment is where God is.  If you are going to be with God at all, you must be with Him now -- in this moment. 

-- John Ortberg in “God Is Closer Than You Think”


#5814

Tuesday, March 12, 2024

GOD’S HEALING WORD FOR TODAY

“Cause me to understand the way of Your precepts, that I may meditate on Your wonderful deeds. My soul is weary with sorrow; strengthen me according to Your Word.”  (Psalm 119:27,28 NIV)

The Word of God is not a word to apply in our daily lives at some later date; it is a word to heal us through, and in, our listening here and now.

The questions therefore are: How does God come to me as I listen to the Word? Where do I discern the healing hand of God touching me through the Word? How are my sadness, my grief, and my mourning being transformed at this very moment? Do I sense the fire of God’s love purifying my heart and giving me new life? These questions lead me to the sacrament of the Word, the sacred place of God’s real presence. 

-- Henri J. M. Nouwen in “With Burning Hearts”


#5813