Your Daily Prayer: A Prayer for Eternal Eyes

October 9, 2018 By Leave a Comment

A Prayer for Eternal Eyes – Your Daily Prayer – October 9, 2018

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A Prayer for Eternal Eyes
From Daily Disciples

“Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, who also said, ‘Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.’”– Acts 1:9-12

The apostles had the awesome privilege of watching the Lord ascend into heaven. They gazed up to the heavens as He departed on the clouds! No wonder they all stood in awe and amazement. I am sure they dealt with thoughts such as “Where are you going? Are you coming back? Can I go too? When will we see you again?” And even, “I can’t believe I am seeing this.” But the angels had an answer to all these questions. They said, “….come back….” As a result, the apostles fully and completely believed that the Lord would be coming back in their life time. Time was short, the message needed to get out. They lived every day for the Lord. Think about it…would you live differently if you thought the Lord was coming back today?

I asked the Lord to impress upon me the immanence of His return. I want every day to count for Jesus. I want to be looking for Him, listening to Him and ready for Him. Often, when I look into the clouds, I pray to see Him. To live every day as if today was the day of His return has changed my priorities, my desires and my focus.

Pray for eternal eyes. Pray in excitement for His return. Pray to live as if He is coming back today. And ask the Lord to remind you of His promise to return every time you gaze into the clouds.

Dear Lord, let us live each day in preparation for your return. Help us to glorify your name and serve as lights on the hilltop of your kingdom. Heavenly Father, it is so easy for us to get caught up in our limited time on Earth. Don’t let us lose perspective on our eternal destination.  In Jesus’ Name, Amen

Filed Under: Columns

Pastor Rick Warren: Four Characteristics of Biblical Forgiveness

October 9, 2018 By Leave a Comment

By Rick Warren

”Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you” (Ephesians 4:32 NIV).

Biblical forgiveness is not a cheap term you just throw around that instantly makes everybody feel better. That’s not real forgiveness.The Bible says there are four characteristics to biblical forgiveness:

Forgiveness is remembering how much you’ve been forgiven.

“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you” (Ephesians 4:32 NIV). This is the starting point for genuine forgiveness. If you don’t feel forgiven, you won’t want to forgive anybody else. If you’re hard on yourself, you’re going to be hard on others. But the more grace you receive from God, the more gracious you’re going to be with others. The more forgiven you feel by God, the more forgiving you’ll be toward others.

Forgiveness is relinquishing your right to get even.

Romans 12:19 says, “Never avenge yourselves. Leave that to God, for he has said that he will repay those who deserve it” (TLB). Life is not fair, but one day God’s going to settle the score. He’s going to right the wrongs. So, who can get better justice—you or God?

Forgiveness is responding to evil with good.

The Bible says in Luke 6:27-28, “Do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you” (NIV). How can you tell when you’ve really forgiven somebody? When you can look at that person’s hurt and not just your own, and pray for God to bless him or her.

You ask, “How could I ever do that for the person who’s hurt me?” You can’t unless you allow the love of God to penetrate your life. Only the love of God can help you do something like that.

Forgiveness is repeating the process as long as necessary.

“Peter came to him and asked, ‘Lord, how often should I forgive someone who sins against me? Seven times?’ ‘No, not seven times,’ Jesus replied, ‘but seventy times seven!’” (Matthew 18:21-22 NLT). Jewish law said you had to forgive a person three times, so Peter doubled it and threw one in for good measure. But Jesus said to go even further with your forgiveness!

How long do you have to keep forgiving someone? As long as it takes. You have to keep forgiving that person until the pain stops and the desire to get revenge goes away.

Talk It Over

  • What difference has God’s grace made in your life? How can you extend that grace to others?
  • For whom do you need to pray God’s blessing today? How can that prayer be part of the process of letting go of your hurt?
  • What good can you do for someone in your life who dislikes you or who has wronged you?

Give hope, prayer, and encouragement below. Post a comment & talk about it.

Filed Under: Columns

Post-Kavanaugh, Democrats have no Plan B — they thought the Culture War would work

October 9, 2018 By Leave a Comment

As the Senate elevated Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court on Saturday, the sorrowful faces of Democratic Senators on the chamber floor showed publicly what Democratic insiders are now whispering privately.

Here’s a link to the editorial at Fox News.

Filed Under: Columns

Your Daily Prayer: A Prayer for Hypocrites

October 5, 2018 By Leave a Comment

A Prayer for Hypocrites – Your Daily Prayer –

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A Prayer for Hypocrites
By Kelly Balarie

“If anyone says, ‘I love God,’ and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. “ 1 John 4:20

I was livid at myself. Just livid.

Because, it seemed, I was on a rampage of “calling people out.” You know what that is, right? It is when you: 1.) see another’s faults on display 2.) you let them gnaw your heart and 3.) you blast the person.

I let my words fly out like a swarm of bees ready to attack! For those who didn’t get stung, I kept my words inside and gave them a cold-shoulder sting that probably felt worse than any kind of physical one. I was on a rampage. I literally hated myself for it.

Maybe because I didn’t want to be like this type: hyp·o·crite ˈhipəˌkrit/ noun

1. a person who pretends to have virtues, moral or religious beliefs, principles, etc

I was convicted. I was convicted as if a knife struck my heart.

I thought, “Oh God, I don’t want to be one of them, but I just may be. I just may be one who acts so above the law, I have put myself above the love of Christ. I have set myself so high, that I have removed myself from the humble and needy places where one let’s him soak in.”

I don’t want to be one who professes to know God but denies him by their works. I don’t want to be one that God calls “detestable, disobedient, unfit for any good work.” (Titus 1:6)

And I certainly don’t want to think I am religious, only to deceive my own heart. For God says this kind of religion is worthless (James 1:26).

Lord, I am not above you. I am not above the world ruling. I am not the master of all things, nor the creator. But, I am your servant, your child, and your love. Help me reside in that place. Help me see my need and confess it to you. Help me be quick to look at myself when I am prone to look over to others. Thank you that you have wild and abundant grace for me. It will not cease. It will not end. It will not let me go. I ask you to restore me in fullness with you. Teach me your ways and help me be receptive to them, so I will not fall. Help me Lord. You rule and I surrender all my ways, thoughts, opinions, perceptions and decisions to you. Amen.

Filed Under: Columns

Pastor Rick Warren: How Does God’s Grace Get You Through?

October 5, 2018 By Leave a Comment

By Rick Warren

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”My purpose in writing is to encourage you and assure you that what you are experiencing is truly part of God’s grace for you. Stand firm in this grace” (1 Peter 5:12 NLT).

We face many pitfalls in the marathon of life. But regardless of what you go through, you can count on God’s sustaining grace.The Bible says in 1 Peter 5:12, “My purpose in writing is to encourage you and assure you that what you are experiencing is truly part of God’s grace for you. Stand firm in this grace” (NLT).

There are three things in life that can cause you to stumble, to get cast off to the side of the race, and to not finish well in life. But in each of these situations, God’s sustaining grace will get you through.

  1. God’s sustaining grace helps you keep standing when you’re tempted.

Temptation is the first thing that can cause you to stumble. The Bible says, “God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure” (1 Corinthians 10:13 NLT).

God says, “I will provide the sustaining grace to always give you a way of escape.” It may mean turning the channel. It may mean running out the door. It may mean changing the way you’re thinking. But God will provide a way to escape temptation.

  1. God’s sustaining grace helps you keep standing when you’re tired.

Sometimes you’re not tempted. Sometimes you’re just tired! Life is often exhausting. It requires a lot of energy, especially when you’re trying to do the right thing rather than the easy thing. But where do you get the power to do the right thing when you’re dead tired? “It is God who enables us, along with you, to stand firm for Christ. He has commissioned us, and he has identified us as his own by placing the Holy Spirit in our hearts” (2 Corinthians 1:21-22). The key is having the Holy Spirit in your heart to have the energy to do the things you can’t do in your own power.

  1. God’s sustaining grace gives you the power to keep going when you’re troubled.

There are some hurts that all the wishing in the world won’t make go away. There are some things in life that are unplanned, unrelenting, and undeserved—and they hurt the most.

What do you do in those situations? You first stop doing the “if only” game and instead focus on Christ and his sustaining power. Isaiah 41:10 says, “Don’t worry, because I am with you. Don’t be afraid, because I am your God. I will make you strong and will help you; I will support you with my right hand that saves you” (NCV).

Talk It Over

  • How has God’s sustaining grace carried you through difficult times?
  • How can you extend God’s sustaining grace to others?
  • What do you think it means to play the “if only” game? When have you used this excuse?

Give hope, prayer, and encouragement below. Post a comment & talk about it

Filed Under: Columns

Commentary: War on Kavanaugh might prove to be a gift for Republicans

October 5, 2018 By Leave a Comment

As ugly and vicious as the war on Brett Kavanaugh has been, it might actually prove to be a gift for Republicans, as fair-minded Americans grow weary – and angry – over Democrats’ perpetual intimidation tactics and stalling game. 

Here’s a link to the editorial at Fox News.

Filed Under: Columns

Editorial: After the FBI report, confirm Kavanaugh

October 5, 2018 By Leave a Comment

The FBI has delivered its confidential report on Christine Blasey Ford‘s allegation that Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her in high school. Some senators who’ve read the report say it contains no fresh revelations, or corroboration of her charge.

Here’s a link to the editorial at the Chicago Tribune.

Filed Under: Columns

Column: Democrats, Kavanaugh and the illness deep within the bones of the republic

October 3, 2018 By Leave a Comment

It is tempting to watch the political spectacle of Democrats destroying Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh as if it were only some shameful partisan circus.

Here’s a link to the column at the Chicago Tribune.

Filed Under: Columns

Pastor Rick Warren: God Never Plays Favorites

October 3, 2018 By Leave a Comment
 

By Rick Warren
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Devotionalimage from Rick Warren

”[The promise] is not only for those who live under the law of Moses but for anyone who lives with faith like that of Abraham” (Romans 4:16 NCV).

God doesn’t play favorites—regardless of your background, your status, or your sin. It doesn’t matter whether you’re a religious person or a formerly religious person or if you have any religious background at all.

Romans 4:16 says, “[The promise] is not only for those who live under the law of Moses but for anyone who lives with faith like that of Abraham” (NCV). Who are these people who live under the Law of Moses? The Jews. The Jewish people were given the ways of God before anyone else.

Have you ever thought about why the Jews were called God’s chosen people? Does God love them more than he loves the rest of us? No. They were chosen for a purpose: to spread the message to everybody else that there is one true God. They were kind of like the missionaries to the rest of us.

Now God has taken that task and given it to the church, which includes everybody who puts their faith in Christ, regardless of their background. God says his salvation is available to anybody who opens up his or her heart in faith: “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Romans 10:13 NIV). There are no quotas in heaven. It doesn’t say only really good people will be saved if they call on the name of the Lord or really religious people or really smart people. Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

The sad thing is that even though many people know that God offers his gift of grace, they still try to work their way into heaven. They think that something in their lives makes them good enough so they don’t need to receive God’s gift of salvation through Christ.

You may have done some really nifty things in life, but if you think they’re going to get you into heaven, forget it. The only way any of us gets in is by receiving God’s gift of grace, which is available to every person.

Have you trusted Jesus for your salvation?

The Bible says we can only get to heaven by trusting in God through his Son, Jesus Christ. And we don’t have to earn God’s love or work our way into heaven. The Bible says, “It is by grace you have been saved, through faith — and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God — not by works, so that no one can boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9 NIV).

If you haven’t trusted in Jesus and committed to following him, why wait any longer? If you’re ready to step across that line and make a decision to believe in Jesus Christ and follow him, pray this prayer:

“Dear Jesus, you have promised that if I believe in you, everything I’ve ever done wrong will be forgiven, I will learn the purpose of my life, and you will accept me into your eternal home in heaven one day.

“I confess my sin, and I believe that you are my Savior. You have promised that if I confess my sin and trust you, I will be saved. I trust you when you say that salvation comes by grace, through faith, and not by anything I do. I receive you into my life as my Lord. Today I’m turning over every part of my life to your management. You have the right to call the shots in my life.

“Jesus, I want to relax in your love. Thank you that I don’t have to earn it or work for it. I want to use the rest of my life to serve you instead of serving myself. I humbly commit my life to you and ask you to save me and accept me into your family. In your name I pray. Amen.”

If you just prayed to accept Jesus, please email me at Rick@PastorRick.com and let me know about it. I’d like to send you some free materials to help you start your journey with Jesus.PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick >>
Talk About It

  • How do you respond to the truth that nothing you can do will get God to love you more than he does now, or cause him to love you less?
  • What is your part in the church’s task to spread the message of salvation to those who have not heard?
  • What does it mean to “call on the name of the Lord”?

 

Filed Under: Columns

Kavanaugh chaos: You don’t have to be Nostradamus to make a prediction about Dems and the FBI

October 3, 2018 By Leave a Comment

Who believes another FBI investigation of Brett Kavanaugh will be the end of it? If the FBI finds nothing to support Christine Blasey Ford’s testimony that Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her at a high school party, will it be enough for Democrats to vote to confirm him? Republicans say the investigation is limited to her charge and that of a third accuser, Julie Swetnick, whose allegations, detailed in a sworn affidavit, claim she was the victim of gang rape. How many more will come forward?

Here’s a link to the editorial at Fox News.

Filed Under: Columns
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