I Stand Amazed - Chris Tomlin

The Sword of the Spirit

 

The Sword of the Spirit By Michael Youssef, Ph.D. "" " """Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. (Ephesians 6:17) The Word of God is alive. The Bible is not just words on paper, but the voice of God, with all His authority, power, and command. It actively works in our lives to draw our hearts closer to Him. Paul calls God's Word the "sword of the Spirit" (Ephesians 6:17). " Scripture tells us, "For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart" (Hebrews 4:12). Using a modern example, we could say that God's Word is sharper than a surgeon's finely crafted scalpel. When we read the Bible, it is like being stretched on an operating table, as God's Word begins cutting out the disease of sin in order to heal us.   In our minds and hearts, we try to justify our sins and rationalize our behaviors. But when confronted with the truth of the Bible, there can be no more pretending. When we see God's commands in front of us, we cannot hide from our sins, our faults, and our pride. Just like a medical x-ray shows what is hidden in the body, the Scripture shows us the true status of our spiritual health. Prayer: Father, I need to allow Your Word to reveal the hidden things in my life and to cut out the sin. As I read Your Word, show me my spiritual condition. Amen.

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The Power of the Word

The Power of the Word By Michael Youssef, Ph.D. "Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away."  (Mark 13:31)

The Bible gives us strength and power like no other book. It has the power to change people's lives, the power to help us overcome temptation, and the power to overcome our circumstances. Perhaps one of the reasons so many people avoid the Bible is because it is like a mirror. Many times we do not want to be confronted with the truth about ourselves. The Scripture tells us, "Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like" (James 1:23-24). The Bible doesn't merely show us our sins; it also cleanses us. It shows us the problem, and then gives us the solution. Ephesians 5:26 describes it as "Cleansing her [the Church] by the washing with water through the word." If we look in the mirror and see resentment and bitterness, the cleansing power of God's Word will pour love into our hearts. If the mirror reflects envy or discontentment, the Bible can give us joy and peace. Where we find immorality, the Bible will wash us with purity. But only by reading the Bible daily will we reap its benefits as it was intended. We cannot simply skim through our favorite passages whenever we need a pick-me-up. We must devour every page and glean every truth we can. We need to understand the Bible and its history. We need to look at the background and context of each passage we read and meditate on the passage in prayer. We need to ask the Holy Spirit's guidance each time we pick up God's Book. Prayer: Father, forgive me for not spending enough time in Your Word. Help me to grow in this area of my walk with You. I pray that Your Spirit would guide me as I read Your Word and that the power of the Word would change me. Amen.

True Identity

True Identity

By Michael Youssef, Ph.D.


 "The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children."
(Romans 8:16)

What matters most to your identity is not how the world sees you, how your friends see you, or even how you see yourself. What matters most is how God sees you. Spend time in God's Word learning about His everlasting love for you. Form your identity in Christ. Understand who you are from God's viewpoint because if you are not sure of your identity or if your identity is not firmly rooted in God, then you will be easily swayed and discouraged by what other people say about you.       " Only with God's strength will you be able to turn away from the powerful influences that tell you what you should be. Only the Holy Spirit can guide you away from twisted truths about the meaning of success and self-worth. Only your identity as God's beloved child can protect you from the pressures to conform to ungodly values.       God loves you more than you can possibly imagine. No matter what tough situations come your way, nothing can change the fact that you are a beloved child of God. "For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord"(Romans 8:38-39).       Prayer: Father, help me to form my identity in You. Forgive me for the times I have been swayed by what other people think or say. Help me to remember that I am Your beloved child and to live my life in a way that is reflective of my true identity. Amen.

The Comforter

The Comforter

By Cecil Murphey

Life hurts. In hundreds of ways—through disappointments, sicknesses, losses, betrayals, or financial reverses—all of us feel the hurts of life.

Remember when your best friend turned on you and said something such as, "Just stay out of my life"? Or how about the time you studied hard and still didn't pass the exam? She would have been your first child, but you miscarried? You liked your job, worked faithfully, expected a promotion, but lost out to a coworker.

The pain seeps deep down inside. Some of us can let the tears flow and find relief. Others long ago learned, "Only sissies cry. Real men don't feel those things."

One spring day, I was reading in the tiny book of Lamentations. With image after image, the writer describes his suffering. But more than that. He insists that God is responsible for it. The Old Testament writers weren't afraid to call God the author of tragedy. It wasn't a wail of blame, but an acknowledgment of God as the ultimate cause of everything that goes on in the world.

They didn't say, "God allowed it to happen" or "God permitted it." They stated, "God did it." For example in chapter three (NKJV):

1        "He has led me and made me walk in darkness and not in light" (v. 2).
2        "Surely He has turned His hand against me time and time again" (v. 3).
3        "He has aged my flesh and my skin and broken my bones" (v. 4).
4        "He has besieged me and surrounded me with bitterness and woe" (v. 5)
5        "He has set me in dark places like the dead of long ago"(v. 6).

I read those verses at a time when I felt some of the pangs of the writer. Frankly, my problems didn't compare with his. He lived in the final days of Jerusalem before the Babylonians carried his people into exile. Throughout the four chapters, he groans about his own suffering and that of his people.

As I read, I felt the depression of his words. It was as if the writer had allowed me to overhear his deepest, inmost thoughts. He pointed to God as the cause of all his difficulties. That day I too felt as if God had afflicted me, sent me into darkness and filled me with bitterness.

I read most of chapter three again, this time aloud. I resonated with the writer's pain and anguish. I felt as if I too were living in the darkness, or as 3:7 puts it, "He has hedged me in so that I cannot get out."

As I continued to read chapter three, the tone began to change: "Remember my affliction and roaming…. This I recall to my mind. Therefore I have hope. Through the LORD'S mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not" (19, 21-22). Finally comes the big leap of faith—he goes for comfort to the very God who had afflicted him. "The LORD is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul who seeks Him. It is good that one should hope and wait quietly" (3:25).

What a picture to contemplate. Assuming that it begins with our failure, we encounter the heavy hand of God. We cry out, "Help me. Don't turn your back." And then we go on to say that the God who brought the pain is the one who brings comfort.

Then we grasp the loving, comforting God, who is there all along. The Lamenter saw God as pushing him to despair before revealing joy and goodness.

God loves us enough to push us into a corner, to make us face our utter misery. Only after we've confronted our misery can we appreciate the comfort. Only after we've experienced the deepest darkness can we value the light.

The LORD causes a lot of suffering, but he also has pity because of his great love. The LORD doesn't enjoy sending grief or pain. --LAMENTATIONS 3:32-33, CEV

We're still alive. We shouldn't complain when we are being punished for our sins. Instead, we should think about the way we are living, and turn back to the LORD.
--LAMENTATIONS 3:39-40, CEV

Prayer: God who brings comfort, help me in my affliction, make me aware of your goodness and love, so that I can turn from the wrong paths, and know your comfort once again. Amen.

Filtering Messages

 

 

Filtering Messages By Michael Youssef, Ph.D.

"And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight,  so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ." Philippians 1:9-10         When Daniel was being trained in the Babylonian palace, he was fed lies about spirituality and the meaning of life. Just as we face lies every day from our society, Daniel was being indoctrinated into the pagan culture in which he was held captive. Yet Daniel held on tightly to God's truth. God's Word permeated every ounce of Daniel's being, and he refused to let that go. And because God was the center of Daniel's identity, he did not lose focus.        Like Daniel, we must take every message we hear and filter it through God's Word. No matter how appealing a message may sound, or how often we hear it, if it does not bring glory to God we cannot let it in. We must discern the difference between man's truth and God's truth. We must recognize what will provide only temporary happiness and what will bring eternal joy.       If we fail to hold on to God's teachings, we will become vulnerable to worldly messages and lose our effectiveness for Christ. Make a commitment to understand thoroughly what you believe--and why. Spend time in God's Word and learn who you are as a child of God. Standing up for your beliefs will help you become a powerful tool for God.       Prayer: God, help me to spend more time in Your Word so that I will be confident in my beliefs and will be able to easily filter the messages I receive on a daily basis through Word. Give me discernment to be able to recognize the difference between man's truth and Your truth. Amen.

 

 

 

Becoming a Patient Person
By Pastor Charles F. Stanley

Acts 24:1-16

Paul demonstrated the power of patience when he was brought to trial before Festus. Instead of letting his accusers' false claims interfere with his calm demeanor, the apostle patiently went through the legal process while remaining faithful to the Lord. He refrained from attacking the opposition or decrying the injustice of the charges. His peaceful manner found favor with the governor and earned him a hearing for the gospel (Acts 24:24-25).

Because our "flesh" is inclined towards impatience, we need to seek the Lord during difficult situations. Through prayer, we can ask Him to take control over our . . .

Thoughts. It is important that we shift our attention away from the circumstance and onto our heavenly Father. His Spirit will help us gain the right perspective.

Emotions. When the Holy Spirit oversees our feelings and reactions, we will find ourselves becoming calmer. Then He will empower us to respond in a godly manner.

Speech. Asking Him to help us have self-control over our tongue is essential. A timely word can defuse a situation; speaking defensively or shouting angrily at the other person can inflame it (Prov. 15:18).

The Holy Spirit will answer our prayers and provide what we need, just as He did for the apostle Paul.

Patience requires self-control and a desire to please God. Paul had need of both when standing before Festus and King Agrippa. Despite the injustice of those situations, Paul held his ground and was not provoked. Imagine what God will do through you as you grow in the virtue of patience.