Murph
Moderator
Be kind to your web footed friends. Amen?
Posts: 68,966
|
Post by Murph on Aug 1, 2023 6:37:44 GMT -6
The Predjama Castle
"The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust." Psalm 18:2
Sitting halfway up a huge cliff in Slovenia is the largest cave home in the world—the Predjama Castle. Much of the building rests outside a huge cave and looks like a typical European Renaissance castle, but the interior of the home extends into the cave with passages and tunnels going deeply underground into the cliffside. It was built to provide maximum safety from danger.
Our life is like that! While we live exposed to the world, we find safety in the Rock.
Psalm 27:5 says, “For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion; in the secret place of His tabernacle He shall hide me; He shall set me high upon a rock.” And Psalm 31:3 says, “For You are my rock and my fortress; therefore, for Your name’s sake, lead me and guide me.”
The disruptive moments we experience in life allow us to rely on God. How encouraging to know we can rely on the Solid Rock when life feels unstable. He is our Refuge in times of trouble.
"This Rock is Jesus, yes, He’s the One; this rock is Jesus, the only One!" Ruth Caye Jones
Dr. David Jeremiah
|
|
Murph
Moderator
Be kind to your web footed friends. Amen?
Posts: 68,966
|
Post by Murph on Aug 2, 2023 6:38:18 GMT -6
Difficulties Produce Depth
"Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, Christ Jesus." Hebrews 3:1
Frederick A. Tatford was a prolific twentieth-century pastor and writer who was born in 1901 and ministered among the Plymouth Brethren. His pastoral heart was tender toward those who faced troubles in life. He wrote, “The shadows of life have their purpose as well as the bright sunlight, and the dark hours of sorrow bring their own rich satisfaction. The one who has passed through trouble is equipped by his own experience to sympathize with others who pass that way. Our Great High Priest sympathizes with His brethren because of His own experience on earth.”
Although they are difficult and painful, times of trial cause growth in our life. We look to Jesus and draw comfort from Him, and He equips us to encourage others with the same comfort we’ve received.
Among our items of gratitude, remember to thank God for this—He uses difficulty to develop us into disciples.
"Those who know the trials and difficulties of life’s road can enter into the feelings of others who are tired and can provide strength and encouragement for the weak and weary." Frederick A. Tatford
Dr. David Jeremiah
|
|
Murph
Moderator
Be kind to your web footed friends. Amen?
Posts: 68,966
|
Post by Murph on Aug 3, 2023 8:09:23 GMT -6
Oh, That Grinch!
"You are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials." 1 Peter 1:5-6
When Jim Carrey was playing the Grinch in the movie version of the story, he nearly lost his mind. The first day it took more than eight hours to put on his makeup, and he felt so uncomfortable in the costume he could hardly function. The producer called in a CIA officer who specialized in helping U.S. agents withstand torture. The CIA specialist spent a weekend helping Carrey learn to handle his discomfort.
Here on earth, we’re often loaded with problems, pains, discomforts, and worries that wrap themselves around us like a costume. We feel the weight of it. But we have a Divine Specialist who uses His textbook to show us how to manage the problems and still function with joy and peace. We have the power of God within us and the hope of heaven before us.
We all face troubles and trials, but when we focus on God and His character, we find joy and peace in the midst of them.
"Jesus whispers consolation, I cannot refuse it, I will sit under his shadow with great delight." Charles Spurgeon
Dr. David Jeremiah.
|
|
Murph
Moderator
Be kind to your web footed friends. Amen?
Posts: 68,966
|
Post by Murph on Aug 4, 2023 7:06:12 GMT -6
The Centrality of Hope
"But I will hope continually, and will praise You yet more and more." Psalm 71:14
The late Canadian educator and philosopher, Marshall McLuhan, coined the expression “the medium is the message.” He meant that the way a message is delivered (the medium or media) has a significant impact on the message being delivered.
When reading the biblical psalms in English, it is easy to miss “the medium”—the way the psalms were composed in Hebrew. Psalms were often structured with a verse being put in the middle of the psalm to express a central theme. Psalm 71, a prayer for God’s help as advancing age makes life more trying, is a good example of this. The psalm has 24 verses in English, but in Hebrew at the very center of the psalm are these summary words: “But I will hope continually, and will praise You yet more and more.” In spite of the trials the psalmist faced, his hope was in the Lord. The more his troubles multiplied, the more he multiplied his praise. Hope in God was his anchor during troubling times (Hebrews 6:19).
It’s impossible to avoid troubles in life. But it is possible to praise God “yet more and more” for the hope we have in Him.
"Why shouldest thou be afraid to die, who hopest to live by dying?" William Gurnall
Dr. David Jeremaih
|
|
Murph
Moderator
Be kind to your web footed friends. Amen?
Posts: 68,966
|
Post by Murph on Aug 5, 2023 6:58:34 GMT -6
Wherever You Are
"Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have spoken to you." Genesis 28:15
As the summer months come to a close, we return from travels to the place we call home. And we refresh our understanding of God’s promise to be with us and to strengthen and guide us into the next season of life.
In the Old Testament, home for Israel was the Promised Land. God intended for the nations of the world to be drawn to His glory as revealed in Israel. But in this Church Age, home is not geographical. Christ has sent us out from Jerusalem into all the world. And He promises to be with us wherever we go (Matthew 28:19-20). In the patriarch Jacob’s life, home was Israel. Even when Jacob journeyed afar, God promised to bring him back to his home. For us, home is the Kingdom of God—the presence of Christ through His Spirit.
As you head into your fall routine, establish Christ and His Word as the center of your home life. Wherever you are, He is with you.
"Help us, O Lord, our homes to make, Thy Holy Spirit’s dwelling place." A. F. Bayley
Dr. David Jeremiah
|
|
Murph
Moderator
Be kind to your web footed friends. Amen?
Posts: 68,966
|
Post by Murph on Aug 6, 2023 6:09:13 GMT -6
"And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved." Mark 13:13
Even as we take on the identity of the One Whom we love, so will the world come to despise us even as it despised Him. He entered the world to save it, but was mocked, scorned, and afflicted. We ought to expect no less vile action from the world and its wicked corruption. Yet for Him Who overcomes and perseveres in the strength of His God-granted faith: life, eternal and abundant. Rejoice therefore in your suffering as it works for you a far more exceeding weight of glory!
|
|
Murph
Moderator
Be kind to your web footed friends. Amen?
Posts: 68,966
|
Post by Murph on Aug 7, 2023 6:57:44 GMT -6
Help From the Hills
"I will lift up my eyes to the hills—from whence comes my help?" Psalm 121:1
The phrase “high places” occurs around seventy times in the Old Testament. The frequent reference to “high places” reflects the ongoing temptation in Israel to worship idols instead of the one true God (2 Chronicles 28:25). But Israel had its own “high place,” and that was Jerusalem, situated on Mount Moriah and surrounded by hills. Three times a year Israelites would journey to Jerusalem for feasts and celebrations.
A special group of psalms, called Songs of Ascents—Psalms 120–134—was compiled for pilgrims to sing as they made their way from the plains of Israel to Jerusalem. Psalm 121 begins with a question a pilgrim might ask rhetorically as he walked on his journey: “I will lift up my eyes to the hills—from whence comes my help?” Instead of looking to the idols on the pagan high places, he is looking to God: “My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth” (verse 2).
Just as the Jewish pilgrims journeyed to Jerusalem, so we journey through life toward the New Jerusalem. And just as God was their help, so He will be ours. Look to God, not to the “high places” of this world.
"Man must have God or an idol." Martin Luther
Dr. David Jeremiah
|
|
Murph
Moderator
Be kind to your web footed friends. Amen?
Posts: 68,966
|
Post by Murph on Aug 8, 2023 6:43:47 GMT -6
God Is With You
"The Lord shall preserve you from all evil; He shall preserve your soul. The Lord shall preserve your going out and your coming in from this time forth, and even forevermore." Psalm 121:7-8
Sometimes Christians ask, “Given the Bible’s promises about God’s protection, why do Christians still experience hurtful, even evil, events?” Psalm 121 is a good example of such promises.
This psalm has four stanzas—the first states that our help comes from God; the last three make illustrative promises about how God helps us (verses 3-4, 5-6, 7-8). These promises, taken literally, suggest that nothing bad will ever happen to God’s people. But that’s not the psalmist’s point. Rather, he says that God will watch over His people wherever they go and whatever they do; God will not “slumber nor sleep” (verse 4). David expressed God’s watchfulness in detail in Psalm 139:1-12. And Paul summarized God’s care in Romans 8:35-39: Nothing “shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (verse 39).
God is with you today—right now—watching over you and your whole life. Nothing passes through the filter of His will and awareness, “even forevermore.”
"God watches and weeds us, and continues his labour upon us, till he brings us to the end of his promise." Richard Sibbes
|
|
Murph
Moderator
Be kind to your web footed friends. Amen?
Posts: 68,966
|
Post by Murph on Aug 9, 2023 6:53:00 GMT -6
Unforgettable—That’s Who You Are
"I have formed you, you are My servant; O Israel, you will not be forgotten by Me!" Isaiah 44:21
In her memoirs, missionary Ella Marie Holmes had a student, Imogini, who battled an eye infection caused by ingrowing eyelashes. The girl was going to Calcutta to see a doctor about the condition. One night, Ella took Imogini on a walk, and the girl began crying. Ella thought it was because she was afraid to travel to Calcutta.
“No, no,” said the girl. “I am thinking how good God is! For a year I sat in the house and never hoped to go about again…. Now….I am visiting, hearing the voice of friends…and I am to go to Calcutta. I thought God had forgotten me and just see what good things He has done for me!... I know now that God was planning these good things for me all the time I supposed He had forgotten all about me!”
Sometimes we feel God has forgotten us, especially when some particular prayer remains unanswered. But you are unforgettable to Him. He is still listening and planning good things for you. Be encouraged!
"It is usually strange answers to prayer that hide the deepest, best, and most beautiful purposes." Joni Eareckson Tada
Dr. David Jeremiah
|
|
Murph
Moderator
Be kind to your web footed friends. Amen?
Posts: 68,966
|
Post by Murph on Aug 10, 2023 6:57:05 GMT -6
The Right Time
"This is what the Lord says: “At just the right time, I will respond to you.” Isaiah 49:8, NLT
The Jewish people waited a long time for their Messiah, but “when the right time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman” (Galatians 4:4, NLT). The world, too, waited a long time for a Redeemer, but “at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly” (Romans 5:6, NIV).
Sometimes our prayers aren’t answered in our timing, but we must continue to focus on God. He will deliver us in His timing and in His way. Isaiah 60:22 says, “At the right time, I, the Lord, will make it happen” (NLT). And Galatians 6:9 says, “So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up” (NLT).
Waiting on the Lord isn’t easy, but think of Abraham waiting for a son, Joseph waiting for freedom, Paul waiting in prison, and Jesus waiting for His hour to come. Trust the Lord to respond to your need—at just the right time.
"Timing is everything. When we talk about waiting, we’re implying waiting for the right time. Sometimes God waits to answer your prayers, because now is not the right time." Elmer Towns
Dr. David Jeremaih
|
|
Murph
Moderator
Be kind to your web footed friends. Amen?
Posts: 68,966
|
Post by Murph on Aug 11, 2023 6:55:55 GMT -6
Be Thankful and Bold
"I will praise You with my whole heart; before the gods I will sing praises to You." Psalm 138:1
We see it frequently these days—athletes, celebrities, and others thanking God publicly for His help in their achievement. That might be a modern-day equivalent of the sentiment expressed by the psalmist: “Before the gods I will sing praises to You.” It’s a statement of boldness at the very least: a willingness to thank God publicly in the presence of kings and the gods they represent or in the presence of a public that has no allegiance to God.
An immediate example comes to mind: Daniel and his three friends in the courts of Babylon during their captivity. All four of these young men at various times spoke openly about their allegiance to the God of Israel. Peter and John did the same thing in Jerusalem when the Jewish Sanhedrin ordered them not to preach about Jesus shortly after His resurrection. And the psalmist’s sentiment of thanksgiving could well be summarized by 1 Thessalonians 5:18: “In everything give thanks.” There is no limit to the reasons and places we should give thanks to God.
Cultivate the boldness needed to give thanks to God at any time, in any place, and in the presence of anyone.
"God’s giving deserves our thanksgiving." Anonymous
|
|
Murph
Moderator
Be kind to your web footed friends. Amen?
Posts: 68,966
|
Post by Murph on Aug 12, 2023 6:37:58 GMT -6
Sharing Christ With Others
“Return to your own house, and tell what great things God has done for you.” And the man went his way and proclaimed throughout the whole city what great things Jesus had done for him." Luke 8:39
Students of evangelism in the Early Church have used a unique phrase to describe how the Gospel was shared: “gossiping the Gospel.” Talking to others is how news about Christ was shared. News traveled “through the grapevine” from one person or household to another.
When Jesus delivered a man from demonic powers that were tormenting him, the man was so relieved and appreciative that he wanted to go with Jesus, to become one of His followers. Instead, Jesus told him to go home and share with others what God had done for him. And he did—“throughout the whole city.” In other words, he became a witness to what he had heard and seen and experienced (1 John 1:1, 3).
What has God been doing in your life or the lives of others over the summer? Let your home be a house of witnesses going forward—a source of testimony to what great things God has done for you.
"Your job today is to be a witness. Warren Wiersbe
Dr. David Jeremiah
|
|
Murph
Moderator
Be kind to your web footed friends. Amen?
Posts: 68,966
|
Post by Murph on Aug 13, 2023 6:19:01 GMT -6
"Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost." Acts 2:38
Gifted with the very Spirit of God are we who have repented our sins and believed upon the risen Lord of the universe. Promised by Christ before He ascended to the heavenlies, the Holy Spirit will lead us in the paths of righteousness. Heed the Word of the Lord and proceed in every good work until the Son of heaven returns for His holy bride!
|
|
Murph
Moderator
Be kind to your web footed friends. Amen?
Posts: 68,966
|
Post by Murph on Aug 14, 2023 7:06:52 GMT -6
Having a Bad Day?
"Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God’s." 2 Chronicles 20:15
We all have bad days. So did the biblical heroes: Jeremiah, when all his fears materialized at the destruction of Jerusalem (Lamentations 1:1); Jacob, when he heard that his son had been mauled to death by a wild animal (Genesis 37:34); and Jehoshaphat, when he learned a massive army was coming against his kingdom (2 Chronicles 20:3).
“Alarmed, Jehoshaphat resolved to inquire of the Lord” (2 Chronicles 20:3, NIV). Calling together his people, he led them in prayer saying, “Our God…. We have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.”
If you’re having a terrible day, it’s hard to fully cast out alarm, but do what Jehoshaphat did—turn your eyes on Jesus. On our good and bad days God is making us more like Christ. He will help you today.
"Many times when I come to the end of myself I pray, “Lord, I don’t know what to do, but my eyes are on You”.… Focusing on what God has done in the past takes my mind off the problem and positions me to hear His solution." Jane Glenchur
Dr. David Jeremiah
|
|
Murph
Moderator
Be kind to your web footed friends. Amen?
Posts: 68,966
|
Post by Murph on Aug 15, 2023 6:41:43 GMT -6
Through Gates of Splendor
"Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise." Psalm 100:4
Fifianna Su, 9, lives with her family in a one-hundred-square-foot room in San Francisco, but last Easter she and her mom were invited to the Easter Egg Roll at the White House. The invitation came from the Chinatown Community Development Center, which received three tickets to the event. Nonprofit organizations and donors paid their way, and the mother and daughter arrived at the White House on a bright, sunny day, along with approximately thirty thousand others. Afterward, Fifianna’s mother told The Washington Post, “She knows that her dream, her future…is more than just the space we’re living in right now.”
Sometimes our world can seem very small and our pressures very large. But by grace, we have constant access through the gates of the Lord and into the courtyard of the King of kings. We can always come with thanksgiving and praise. Our Lord is the One who can satisfy the desires of our heart. Lean on Him. Because of His resurrection, He can give you levels of personal satisfaction the world can never afford.
Right now you can enter His gates with joy and His courts with praise!
"Everything if given to God can become your gateway to joy." Elisabeth Elliot
Dr. David Jeremiah
|
|
Murph
Moderator
Be kind to your web footed friends. Amen?
Posts: 68,966
|
Post by Murph on Aug 16, 2023 8:00:49 GMT -6
Prayers in the Night
"When I remember You on my bed, I meditate on You in the night watches." Psalm 63:6
The “night watches”—those hours we spend in bed during the night—can be fertile soil for seeds of worry. In Psalm 63, we find David describing his “night watch” practice: meditating on God. And this he did during one of the most tumultuous, heart-wrenching times of his life.
King David’s son Absalom wanted to unseat his father from the throne (2 Samuel 17:1-4) When word reached David that Absalom’s army was approaching Jerusalem, David gathered his loyal courtiers and commanders, and their families, and they left Jerusalem. As he fled Jerusalem, David was cursed by those loyal to Absalom. Crossing the Kidron Valley, they ascended the Mount of Olives. From there they headed into the Judean wilderness to seek refuge and make plans. (See the title inscription for Psalm 63: “A Psalm of David when he was in the wilderness of Judah.”) David organized his troops and engaged the army of Absalom, and his son was killed.
Can you imagine the worry and heartache David experienced during those days? Yet on his bed, he turned his thoughts to God and meditated on Him. Use the quiet hours of the night to commit your concerns to God in prayer.
"Faith can place a candle in the darkest night." Margaret E. Sangster
Dr. David Jeremaih
|
|
Murph
Moderator
Be kind to your web footed friends. Amen?
Posts: 68,966
|
Post by Murph on Aug 17, 2023 6:27:40 GMT -6
The Lord Who Heals
"O Lord my God, I cried out to You, and You healed me." Psalm 30:2
God revealed Himself to His people Israel by a series of covenant names, one of which was Jehovah Rophe—“the Lord who heals.” Having redeemed His people from Egypt, God told them if they would walk in His statutes they would be spared from the diseases He brought on the Egyptians—“For I am the Lord who heals you” (Exodus 15:26).
Conversely, if Israel failed to walk in obedience to God, they would suffer the diseases of Egypt and more (Deuteronomy 28:60-61). Part of the covenant expectations that Israel had of God was that He would forgive all their sins and heal all their diseases (Psalm 103:2-3). The coming Messiah would be “bruised for our iniquities” and we would be “healed” by His “stripes” (Isaiah 53:5; 1 Peter 2:24). Healing, or salvation, was considered to be inclusive of both body and soul. So it is no surprise that we find the psalmist David praying for healing in Psalm 30. And it should likewise be no surprise that God answered his prayer (verse 2).
From your head to your toes, if you are in need of wholeness and good health, ask the Lord who heals you.
"Any sinner may be healed if he will only come to Christ." J. C. Ryle
Dr. David Jeremiah
|
|
Murph
Moderator
Be kind to your web footed friends. Amen?
Posts: 68,966
|
Post by Murph on Aug 18, 2023 7:24:15 GMT -6
Favor for a Lifetime
"For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for life; weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning." Psalm 30:5
God’s anger is never self-serving or arbitrary; it is always a reflection of His righteousness. Yes, God showed anger in the Old Testament as a righteous response to the sins of His people. But that anger was always temporary, an exception to the rule of His mercy, grace, and love. Today, because God’s anger was poured out on Christ upon the cross, His displeasure is replaced by discipline (training) for His children when needed (Hebrews 12:1-13).
The psalmist highlighted the temporary nature of God’s displeasure in Psalm 30:5. While God’s anger is momentary, “His favor is for life.” Scholars note that the second line personifies weeping and sadness that visits for an evening but is gone by morning: “In the evening comes to lodge weeping, but at morning a shout of joy.”1 Psalm 30:5 is consistent with Jeremiah’s words in Lamentations 3:22-23: God’s “compassions fail not. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.”
When you know you have displeased the Lord, count on His compassion to bring you joy “in the morning.”
"Only to sit and think of God, oh what a joy it is!" Frederick W. Faber
Dr. David Jeremaih
|
|
Murph
Moderator
Be kind to your web footed friends. Amen?
Posts: 68,966
|
Post by Murph on Aug 19, 2023 5:33:48 GMT -6
Forgiving Others
"It was right that we should make merry and be glad, for your brother was dead and is alive again, and was lost and is found." Luke 15:32
Jesus’ parable of the prodigal son is one of the most famous stories in world literature. It is a multifaceted, lengthy story composed by Jesus with both personal and national implications. But at the heart of the story—applied to both individuals and the nation of Israel—is one theme: forgiveness.
A well-to-do man had two sons. The younger demanded his father give him the share of the estate that he would one day inherit. This would have been a great offense to the head of a home in that culture. But the father complied. The son took his inheritance, wasted it in riotous living, and returned home in shame. And what did the father do? He welcomed his son home, forgiving him for the error of his ways. And the father begged the older, resentful son to also forgive his brother.
Jesus’ message: God stood ready to forgive the nation of Israel and forgive any individual who has rejected God’s ways. Let your home be a place of forgiveness for all who enter (Ephesians 4:32).
"Perhaps the most glorious word in the English language is “forgiveness.” Billy Graham
Dr. David Jeremiah
|
|
Murph
Moderator
Be kind to your web footed friends. Amen?
Posts: 68,966
|
Post by Murph on Aug 20, 2023 6:07:24 GMT -6
Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved. Psalm 55:22
Trust in the Lord, O son of righteousness, for He is worthy of your esteem. He is infinitely capable of caring for your needs and will always work even the most difficult of situations for benefit. Cast all your cares upon Him for He will be faithful to deliver you. Stand ever in your righteous hope in Christ and you shall not be moved.
|
|