Why the Shedding of Blood?

"How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? … And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission [forgiveness of sins]."1
I can certainly identify with Dr. Paul Brand who said, "I used to think it strange that the Bible keeps talking about the cleansing power of the blood.2 It seemed to me that blood was messy stuff. I needed to wash my white lab coats if they became stained with blood. Today, I love the analogy; it is so true of the body. The blood is constantly cleansing every cell, and washing away all the debris that accumulates all the time. I like Paul's phrase in Hebrews.3 'How much more shall the blood of Christ purge [cleanse] your conscience from dead works?'"4
God's Word also says, "The life of the flesh is in the blood."5 When Jesus died on the cross on Good Friday so long ago, he gave his life and shed his blood so we could be cleansed from every sin and stain and made pure in God's sight—so we would be able to live with him forever in Heaven.

1. Hebrews 9:14, 22 (KJV).
2. 1 Peter 1:2.
3. Hebrews 9:14.
4. Dr. Paul Brand in God's Forever Feast, Discovery House, 1998.
5. Leviticus 17:11 (KJV).
<:))))><
Acts International - Daily Encouragement

A Wonderful Example of A True Prophet

In 1 Kings Chapter 17 the first thing I want you to notice about Elijah are his words to King Ahab: “As the Lord, the
God of Israel, lives, before whom I stand”. These true prophets did not fear kings because of one reason : They stood before the Lord. Kings were mere specks of dust before God. The great need is for young men who can be prophets like that. Knowledge of the Bible is important. But more important than that is this: You must live before God’s face. To live before God’s face, you must keep your conscience 100% clear - not 99%, but 100%. And you must humble yourself totally. Your face must be in the dust all the time. That’s how Elijah lived.

If God can’t find young men like that, I hope He will find some young sisters who live before God’s face and be a voice
for Him. You may not stand in a pulpit, but you can influence people from your homes. God needs many brothers
and sisters in our land who live before His face.

Elijah was a man who was instantly obedient to every little thing that God said. God told him one day to go and hide
himself by the brook Cherith – and he went at once (1 Kings 17:3). There the ravens brought him bread and meat and he drank from the brook (1 Kings 17:6). At 8 o’clock every morning, a raven would bring him some food. Again at 5 o’clock in the
evening, another raven would bring him some food. These
crows would bring him meat. If the crows had brought him
vegetables, that itself would have been a miracle. But for a
crow to bring meat (which it loves) is a greater miracle.
That’s how God provided for Elijah. But gradually, after a
few days, Elijah began depending on the ravens and not the Lord!

Many servants of the Lord start out trusting the Lord for
their financial needs. But after a few years, they are no
longer depending on the Lord, but on some ravens – human
beings who send them regular support! That is exactly what
happened to Elijah. So what did the Lord do? He stopped the
ravens. God wanted to shake off Elijah’s dependence on
ravens and to teach him once again to depend on the Lord. So
thank God when the ravens stop coming – when the promised
support doesn’t come. Then you will learn once again to
trust the Lord alone for your needs. I have been through
experiences like that. I thank God for the times when He has
turned away my eyes from ravens to Him Who owns the cattle
on a thousand hills, and Who has said that He will supply
all my needs according to His riches in glory through Christ
Jesus.

The Lord then changed His method and told Elijah now to go
to Zarephath. Zarephath was outside Israel. Elijah may have
imagined that some rich businessman there would take care of
him. But when he reached Zarephath, what he found was not a
rich businessman, but a poor widow who was just about to
have her last meal! And the Lord told Elijah, “She will
support you”! God’s ways are truly amazing. God does things
like that, because He is a jealous God. He wants us to trust
in Him, and not in ravens or rich businessmen. He will use a
weak person whom you least expect to be able to help you,
and use him, so that no flesh may glory in His presence.

The widow said, “We were just about to have our last meal
and die.” Elijah told her, “Don’t be afraid. Make me a
little bread cake from it first. The bowl of flour shall not
be exhausted nor shall the jar of oil be empty, until the
day the Lord sends rain on the face of the earth.” (1 Kings 17:13,14).
And the bowl of flour was not exhausted and the jar of oil did not become empty.

There are many preachers today who use this incident to
teach poor people to give them money. But that is a total
misinterpretation of this incident. First of all, most of
today’s preachers are not prophets like Elijah. Secondly,
most of today’s preachers are lovers of money, unlike Elijah.
These two facts alone put Elijah in a different class altogether,
from most of today’s preachers who exploit the poor.
Further, Elijah asked the widow for just a bare meal to
survive in a time of famine; and he ate the same
food that the widow and her son ate. Today’s preachers are
not asking for money for them to survive, but for them to
support their grand lifestyles. There are multitudes of
false prophets around today. Unfortunately, since most of
God’s people do not know how to distinguish between a true
prophets and a false one, they are deceived.

Zac Poonen

A Wonderful Example of A True Prophet

In 1 Kings Chapter 17 the first thing I want you to notice about Elijah are his words to King Ahab: “As the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, before whom I stand”. These true prophets did not fear kings because of one reason : They stood before the Lord. Kings were mere specks of dust before God. The great need is for young men who can be prophets like that. Knowledge of the Bible is important. But more important than that is this: You must live before God’s face. To live before God’s face, you must keep your conscience 100% clear - not 99%, but 100%. And you must humble yourself totally. Your face must be in the dust all the time. That’s how Elijah lived.

If God can’t find young men like that, I hope He will find some young sisters who live before God’s face and be a voice for Him. You may not stand in a pulpit, but you can influence people from your homes. God needs many brothers and sisters in our land who live before His face.

Elijah was a man who was instantly obedient to every little thing that God said. God told him one day to go and hide himself by the brook Cherith – and he went at once (1 Kings 17:3). There the ravens brought him bread and meat and he drank from the brook (1 Kings 17:6). At 8 o’clock every morning, a raven would bring him some food. Again at 5 o’clock in the evening, another raven would bring him some food. These crows would bring him meat. If the crows had brought him vegetables, that itself would have been a miracle. But for a crow to bring meat (which it loves) is a greater miracle. That’s how God provided for Elijah. But gradually, after a few days, Elijah began depending on the ravens and not the Lord! Many servants of the Lord start out trusting the Lord for their financial needs. But after a few years, they are no longer depending on the Lord, but on some ravens – human beings who send them regular support! That is exactly what happened to Elijah. So what did the Lord do? He stopped the ravens. God wanted to shake off Elijah’s dependence on ravens and to teach him once again to depend on the Lord. So thank God when the ravens stop coming – when the promised support doesn’t come. Then you will learn once again to trust the Lord alone for your needs. I have been through experiences like that. I thank God for the times when He has turned away my eyes from ravens to Him Who owns the cattle on a thousand hills, and Who has said that He will supply all my needs according to His riches in glory through Christ Jesus.

The Lord then changed His method and told Elijah now to go to Zarephath. Zarephath was outside Israel. Elijah may have imagined that some rich businessman there would take care of him. But when he reached Zarephath, what he found was not a rich businessman, but a poor widow who was just about to have her last meal! And the Lord told Elijah, “She will support you”! God’s ways are truly amazing. God does things like that, because He is a jealous God. He wants us to trust in Him, and not in ravens or rich businessmen. He will use a weak person whom you least expect to be able to help you, and use him, so that no flesh may glory in His presence. The widow said, “We were just about to have our last meal and die.” Elijah told her, “Don’t be afraid. Make me a little bread cake from it first. The bowl of flour shall not be exhausted nor shall the jar of oil be empty, until the day the Lord sends rain on the face of the earth.” (1 Kings 17:13,14). And the bowl of flour was not exhausted and the jar of oil did not become empty.

There are many preachers today who use this incident to teach poor people to give them money. But that is a total misinterpretation of this incident. First of all, most of today’s preachers are not prophets like Elijah. Secondly, most of today’s preachers are lovers of money, unlike Elijah. These two facts alone put Elijah in a different class altogether, from most of today’s preachers who exploit the poor. Further, Elijah asked the widow for just a bare meal to survive in a time of famine; and he ate the same food that the widow and her son ate. Today’s preachers are not asking for money for them to survive, but for them to support their grand lifestyles. There are multitudes of false prophets around today. Unfortunately, since most of God’s people do not know how to distinguish between a true true prophets and a false one, they are deceived.

Zac Poonen

STEPS OUT OF ANGER

We all have to deal with anger. So, how can we resolve anger?
Here are five important steps to get out of the anger trap:

Step 1: SORT IT OUT
Try to understand why you are angry. Remember, there is a difference between the normal irritations in life and a persistent state of anger.

Step 2: COUNT THE COST
One of the predominant causes of divorce today is negative behavior such as unkind words, abuse and constant fighting. One psychologist says that anangry confrontation can erase 20 acts of kindness. The point is, anger can cost us dearly if we do not keep it in check.

Step 3: LET IT OUT
Release your anger to God in prayer. Tell God how you feel. He can handle it. Then go talk about it with a friend. Or, even the person you're angry at, if you can do it constructively. Whatever you do, don't keep your angerlocked up in your heart. Repressed anger visits in a host of emotional and relational problems.

Step 4: SET LIMITS
That means to control your words and behavior. God tells us to get a grip on our tongues: "When words are many, sin is not absent. But he who keeps a tight rein on his tongue is wise" (Proverbs 10:19). Don't cross the line ofverbal or physical abuse no matter how frustrated you get. Don't justify or excuse such abusive behaviors.

Step 5: GIVE IT UP
As Christians, we do not have the right to remain angry. In Christ, we have given up that right. We surrender our anger to Him and forgive others as He has forgiven us. When we forgive, we are free indeed. Free from resentment, bitterness, and anger.

So, as we walk today through the mine field of relationships replete with misunderstandings, remember the word of God: "Be angry and sin not. Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry" (Ephesians 4:26).

Dr. David C. Cooper - AllWorship

Set Your Compass in the Right Direction

The problem is not that God hasn't spoken but that we haven't listened.
Imagine your reaction if I were to take a telephone book, open it up, and proclaim, I have found a list of everyone who's on welfare! Or what if I said, Here is a list of college graduates! Or, This book will tell us who has a red car. You'd probably say, "Now wait a minute--that's not the purpose of that book. You're holding a telephone book. Its purpose is simply to reveal the name and number of residents of a city during a certain time frame."
Only by understanding its purpose can I accurately use the telephone book. Only by understanding its purpose can I accurately use the Bible...
The purpose of the Bible is simply to proclaim God's plan to save his children. It asserts that man is lost and needs to be saved. And it communicates the message that Jesus is the God in the flesh sent to save his children.
Though the Bible was written over sixteen centuries by at least forty authors, it has one central theme--salvation through faith in Christ. Begun by Moses in the lonely desert of Arabia and finished by John on the lonely Isle of Patmos, it is held together by a strong thread: God's passion and God's plan to save his children.
What a vital truth! Understanding the purpose of the Bible is like setting the compass in the right direction. Calibrate it correctly and you'll journey safely. But fail to set it, and who knows where you'll end up.

Max Lucado

From Let the Journey Begin:

Praying the Word of God

"And we also thank God continually because, when you received the Word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as it actually is, the Word of God, which is at work in you who believe." 1 Thessalonians 2:13 (NIV)

Do you pray?

If you pray, why do you pray?

Most of us pray when we are broken, hurting, and need God's intervention. God has a grander purpose for prayer. He desires to meet us in prayer so that we can know and be filled with more of Him.

If you pray, what do you pray?

If you are like me, you pray specific prayers asking God to fix something, provide something, or change something in your life. That is how most of us pray. Richard Foster calls these simple prayers. But the real power in prayer comes when we learn to pray God's Word back to Him.

John 1:1 says, "In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God." This "word" is "logos." Logos refers to that which comes from God to fulfill His purpose in and for the world, and in and for our lives. God is His Word. When we pray God's Word, we are speaking the very being of God into our situation. When we receive Jesus as our Lord and Savior, God's Word, the Word, lives in us. 1 Thessalonians 2:13 says, "And we also thank God continually because when you received the Word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as it actually is, the Word of God, which is at work in you who believe."

Hebrews 4:12-13 tells us, "The Word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to the dividing of spirit and soul, bone and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart." Jeremiah 23:29 says, "'Is my Word not like fire,' declares the Lord, 'and like a hammer that breaks rock in pieces?'" God's Word, spoken by us in and through our prayers, is powerful and effective, so effective it can move mountains, heal the sick, transform hearts, and change lives.

Isaiah 55:11-12 states, "...so is my Word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it." Jeremiah 1:12 says, "The Lord said to me, 'You have seen correctly, for I am watching to see that my Word is fulfilled.'" The word "watching" here means "wakeful." God is ever watching, night and day. He never sleeps, ensuring His Word is fulfilled.

Meditating on Scripture, filling ourselves with His Word, causes God's Truth, through the power of His Holy Spirit, to saturate every part of our being, from the top of our head to the tips of our toes. Thus when we pray, we naturally integrate and incorporate it into our prayers. Not only do we align our will with the Lord's, but His will becomes our will. His desires become our desires.

How does this change our prayer life? First, knowing and praying His Word helps us know when we are praying outside His will. But even more than that, it ensures that God will answer our prayers in grander ways than we could ever ask or imagine.

Wendy Blight - Encouragement For Today

Believing is Seeing

"Then Jesus told him, 'Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed'." John 20:29 (NIV)

Notice how I titled today's devotion "Believing is Seeing," and not the other way around?If you think about it, we believe without seeing every day. We listen to the news on the radio or television and believe what they say is true. Even though we may see the broadcast, we did not actually witness the events. We listen to the gossip of others and believe their words to be fact.

However, when it comes to believing that God is God, and that the Bible is holy and true, many people struggle.

Why is it that we have a much harder time believing in a sovereign God, than we do a story on the news or from a friend? Why is it difficult for some to comprehend and believe that God created the universe, is in control of everything, and ordains life?

DOUBT.

Doubt is an incredibly powerful weapon that the devil uses to attack the minds of those whose faith is weakened due to struggles in life, feeling distanced from God, or who have never truly known the Savior.

Doubt occurs when we begin to think we have to see God to believe in Him, and when our faith is dependent on what our eyes can see.

But faith is not something we can see. There is no visual evidence. The official definition of faith is a "firm belief in something of which there is no proof."

Faith requires that we believe, despite not having any visual evidence.If seeing were believing, then faith would be irrelevant and unnecessary. Jesus would forever be trying to convince us that He is the Holy One through signs, wonders and miracles. Our faith would always be teetering on the edge, and likely decline as soon as we felt the need to see just one more example of proof of His existence, His sovereignty, or His power. If we could see Him, we would probably never truly believe in Him.Faith only comes by hearing God's Word, and believing it - no matter what - without a shadow of a doubt - without needing constant visual proof.

The cold hard fact is that we live in a world that thrives on proof. As a result, Christians will face pressure to doubt that God is real and alive. We will face opportunities to turn away from God and believe in other religions, which may seem trendier, more appealing or visually legitimate. We will face ridicule for believing in the unseen.

But that is where true faith comes in. Faith that is not swayed by new ideas, impressive people, or eloquent preaching. Faith that will not die because something easier comes along. Faith that is based on the belief that He was, is and will be the Savior of the world. Faith that can withstand the pressure of difficulties in life.Hebrews 11:1 says, "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see" (NIV). We can't see God, but we can see His activity in our lives...if we believe.We can't see God, but we can see His power working within us... if we believe.
If you ask me, we see what we want to see. We choose to believe...and then, we see.If you have felt lured to doubt God's presence, power, and omnipotence as a result of listening to false teachings, being persuaded by others, or dealing with doubts that have been planted in your mind by those who don't believe because they cannot see, pray for God to remove those doubts today. If you have been doubting God's existence because you cannot see His activity in your life, pray for Him to open your eyes to see His divine intervention. Pray for Him to saturate your life so powerfully that you cannot doubt that He is at work. Pray for Him to make His presence known to you. If your heart desires to believe, your eyes will see the truth. Your faith will result in vision.

Dear Lord, impart in me an unshakable faith. Forgive me for any doubts. I love You and believe in Your sovereignty, forever. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Tracie Miles - Encouragement for Today

The Cure for Disappointment

Don't ask God to do what you want. Ask God to do what is right.
When God doesn't do what we want, it's not easy. Never has been. Never will be. But faith is the conviction that God knows more than we do about this life and he will get us through it.
Disappointment is cured by revamped expectations.
I like that story about the fellow who went to the pet store in search of a singing parakeet. Seems he was a bachelor and his house was too quiet. The store owner had just the bird for him, so the man bought it. The next day the bachelor came home from work to a house full of music. He went to the cage to feed the bird and noticed for the first time that the parakeet had only one leg.
He felt cheated that he'd been sold a one-legged bird, so he called and complained.
"What do you want," the store owner responded, "a bird who can sing or a bird who can dance?"
Good question for times of disappointment.

Max Lucado

God's Lifeboat

"For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost." Luke 19:10 (NIV)

I recall the first time my youngest son, Parker, water-skied. He was having a great time while he was being pulled along by the boat. When he fell and let go of the rope, the connection to the boat was broken. Panic gripped his face as he watched the boat leave him behind. Dangling in unknown waters filled Parker with a sense of uncertainty. Anxious thoughts plagued his mind as he wondered whether or not his lifejacket was trustworthy.

It was only when the boat turned around and headed back in his direction that peace took hold again. When we pulled Parker back into the boat, he said with relief, "I didn't think anyone saw me fall. I thought you were gone for good." This is the kind of fright and worry we live with when we are not connected to God. We know that we can only tread water for so long on our own without the security of a boat.

The cross of Christ is our lifeboat that saves us from drowning in a sea of sin and selfishness. Christ's work on the cross has mended the partnership between God and us. However, some people don't realize that life is a partnership with God. Because sin separates us from God, the anxieties and burdens in life weigh heavy on our souls. Until we learn to trust Christ's provision, we'll never find peace. In fact, anyone living apart from God can expect to be plagued by phobias, fears, and anxieties. Until a person is reconciled to God, they are unpredictable and anxious creatures. Like Parker, their greatest need is a lifeboat.

Fearless living is achieved by making the choice to partner with God. Only then will our faith become stronger than all our fears. If you and I want to be rid of worry, we must first stop trusting in the things of this world. Instead, we must learn to put the weight of our burdens and cares on Christ who died for us.

Secondly, we need to refocus. Self-centeredness breeds anxiety. In truth, worry and stress are really symptoms of self-sufficiency and a lack of trust in God. When we take the focus off of ourselves and place it on God, it makes all the difference. Our troubles look small in comparison to our great God.

Finally, we must commit ourselves wholly to God. The Bible says "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23, NIV). That means that you and I have missed the mark. We can't get to God any other way except through His Son, Jesus. Whoever wants Christ, and believes He is the Son of God, has been given the full benefit of being God's child.

The truly happy person is the one who has placed her trust in Christ alone for salvation. She has discovered that Christ's saving grace is the solution to sin, egotism, waywardness, and fears. You can see a profound difference in the person who chooses Christ as her lifeboat. Anxiety dissolves away and peace rules the heart and mind.

Dear Lord, I am a sinner. I believe You died for me and rose from the grave to purchase a place for me in Heaven. Lord, Jesus, come into my life and take control. Forgive all my sin and save me. I'm placing my trust in You alone. Thank you, Lord, for saving me, forgiving me, and filling me with Your peace. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Micca Monda Campbell - Encouragement for Today

Alive

"Everything that touches the water of this river will live." Ezekiel 47:9a (NLT)

One Sunday I woke up feeling overwhelmed. Several projects on my plate were consuming my focus, and closure was eluding me. I'd only been awake a few minutes when my family suggested we go to the beach for an hour or two before church. What? Go to the beach before church? Go get all sandy before church? You want me to body surf before breakfast?

That's exactly what we did.

As soon as my toes hit the sand, I knew this was a good idea. Each shifting step toward the glistening water, brought me closer to refreshment. As I eased into the surf, slightly chilly water rushed over my ankles. Catching my breath, I pressed forward, breathing deep as the water reached my knees and waves splashed up to my waist. I kept walking until my chest was submerged under the flowing water, and the tension drained from my body and mind. The only thing I could or cared to do was focus on the beauty of God's creation around me and the nearness of my family. Projects and decisions that had threatened to overtake me, were washed to the backburner of my mind. For the next hour or so, I floated over swells, dove through waves, and surfed on the salty sea foam. I walked out of that water feeling alive again.

A favorite Bible passage of mine is Ezekiel 47 where the prophet experiences a vision of God's temple. He is shown the Temple by a heavenly host -- perhaps an angel, or perhaps even Christ Himself. Out of this Temple, past its altar, flows a stream of water that becomes a massive river. Read for yourself Ezekiel's experience there:
"Then the man brought me back to the entrance of the Temple. There I saw a stream flowing eastward from beneath the Temple threshold. This stream then passed to the right of the altar on its south side. The man brought me outside the wall through the north gateway and led me around to the eastern entrance. There I could see the stream flowing out through the south side of the east gateway.
Measuring as he went, he led me along the stream for 1,750 feet and told me to go across. At that point the water was up to my ankles. He measured off another 1,750 feet and told me to go across again. This time the water was up to my knees. After another 1,750 feet, it was up to my waist. Then he measured another 1,750 feet, and the river was too deep to cross without swimming.
He told me to keep in mind what I had seen; then he led me back along the riverbank. Suddenly, to my surprise, many trees were now growing on both sides of the river! Then he said to me, 'This river flows east through the desert into the Jordan Valley, where it enters the Dead Sea. The waters of this stream will heal the salty waters of the Dead Sea and make them fresh and pure. Everything that touches the water of this river will live. Fish will abound in the Dead Sea, for its waters will be healed. Wherever this water flows, everything will live.'" (Ezekiel 47:1-9, NLT)

Are you feeling overwhelmed with problems, projects or decisions today? Are you feeling mentally drained, physically spent, or spiritually numb? Take a dip with me into the river of God, the river of healing, and be awakened to life in God. Let this living water flow over, into, and through you today -- for wherever this water flows, everything will live!

Dear Lord, forgive me of my sins and plunge me deep into Your river. This is where I want to be. Cover me, wash me, cleanse me, heal me, and purify me. Make me spiritually alive and in tune with You today. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Rachel Olsen - Proverbs 31 Ministries

A Statement of Power

"But the LORD is in His holy temple; the LORD still rules from heaven. He watches everyone closely, examining every person on earth." Psalm 11:4 (NLT)

Are you in a season of uncertainty? Do you find yourself in need of an infusion of power? Today's key verse holds the key to the infusion you need. The power is summed up in three simple words: But the Lord.

"But the Lord" is a powerful phrase. The word "but" is a conjunction and used in this sentence it means "contrary to." Contrary to what? In the proceeding verses of Psalm 11, David proclaims how he trusts the Lord for his protection. He followed his proclamation with the details of how the wicked are preparing their weapons for attack against him. Then he belts out the transition statement of power: But the Lord.

Maybe you feel like King David. You have been surrounded by the Lord's protection in the past. You have marveled at His work in your life, however, in this present season of life you feel as if the enemy is stocking his armory against you. It seems Satan spends his days sharpening the arrows and stringing his bow.

Regardless of his current circumstances, David could be assured of two certainties: the Lord is in His Holy Temple and the Lord still rules from heaven. Oh, the peace this must have given King David. God is constant.

This statement of power can infuse you and help you look at your life through a different set of lenses. In the midst of downsizing or divorce, buyouts or payoffs, layoffs or let downs, disappointments and despair, we can count on the same two certainties as the great King David. We can put our faith in the certainty that the Lord is in His Holy Temple and the Lord still rules from heaven. Oh, the peace this can bring to us. Rest in the peace this statement of power offers and don't look back.

Dear Lord, Your power is indescribable. Forgive me for failing to remember the power that is mine as a child of God. Thank You for remaining constant when life is not. I rest today in the comfort that You are in Your Holy Temple and You still rule from Heaven. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Wendy Pope - Proverbs 31 Minitries

The Treasure of the Poor

The poor have a treasure to offer precisely because they cannot return our favours. By not paying us for what we have done for them, they call us to inner freedom, selflessness, generosity, and true care. Jesus says: "When you have a party, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind; then you will be blessed, for they have no means to repay you and so you will be repaid when the upright rise again" (Luke 14:13-14).
The repayment Jesus speaks about is spiritual. It is the joy, peace, and love of God that we so much desire. This is what the poor give us, not only in the afterlife but already here and now.

Henri Nouwen - Daily Meditation
<:))))><

EFFECTIVE LEADERSHIP

"And when the Israelites saw the great power the Lord displayed against the Egyptians, the people feared the Lord and put their trust in Him and in Moses His servant." Exodus 14:31
What makes an effective Christian leader today?
Is it charisma? Is it ability? Is it communication and oratory skills?
God's view of an effective leader has nothing to do with these qualities. They may be a part of an effective leader.
However, the core attribute of a Christian leader is his integrity with God and his obedience to follow Him. When this happens, God manifests His power in and through that leader.
Moses was effective because he was willing to obey the commands God gave him. When Moses did this, God manifested His presence in him. The result was that people followed. They followed because they saw God working in and through the man. They saw that this man was worthy of following because God's anointing was on him.
When people see the Lord's power manifested in your life, they will have a healthy fear of the Lord.
They will look at you and say, "This person has something I don't have that is worthy of more investigation."
Your challenge is to seek the Lord with a whole heart, resulting in God's power being manifested in the daily activities of your life. When this happens, you can expect others to be drawn to what they see in you.
The problem with many Christians today is that non-Christians see nothing different about the way they live to motivate the unsaved to desire their faith.
What makes you different from your neighbor?
Is your experience with God noticeably different from that of the man next door?
If you're not experiencing regular encounters with God, it's time to ask why not.
We don't live day-to-day for the next spiritual experience, but we should see by-products of a life centered in God that is reflected in fruit from His presence in our lives.
Os Hillman

AllWorship

Our Poverty, God's Dwelling Place

How can we embrace poverty as a way to God when everyone around us wants to become rich? Poverty has many forms. We have to ask ourselves: "What is my poverty?" Is it lack of money, lack of emotional stability, lack of a loving partner, lack of security, lack of safety, lack of self-confidence? Each human being has a place of poverty. That's the place where God wants to dwell! "How blessed are the poor," Jesus says (Matthew 5:3). This means that our blessing is hidden in our poverty.
We are so inclined to cover up our poverty and ignore it that we often miss the opportunity to discover God, who dwells in it. Let's dare to see our poverty as the land where our treasure is hidden.

Henri Nouwen - Daily Meditation
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Focussing Our Minds and Hearts

How can we stay in solitude when we feel that deep urge to be distracted by people and events? The most simple way is to focus our minds and hearts on a word or picture that reminds us of God. By repeating quietly: "The Lord is my shepherd, there is nothing I shall want," or by gazing lovingly at an icon of Jesus, we can bring our restless minds to some rest and experience a gentle divine presence.
This doesn't happen overnight. It asks a faithful practice. But when we spend a few moments every day just being with God, our endless distractions will gradually disappear.

Henri Nouwen - Daily Meditation

Note: We should not look at icon of Jesus, for nobody has seen the Lord except the early disciples, or any picture that reminds us of God, for nobody ever saw God in person, not even Moses. Else, we shall fall into idolatry.

Enter through the narrow gate

"Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it." Matthew 7:13-14 (NIV)

We've all been called to a different life as Christians. We don't walk the same road the world walks, and at times it feels scary and uncomfortable. Yet the good news is we've been given sisters and brothers in Christ to walk beside us and help keep us focused. Although I may not ever relax when a beginning driver is in control of the car, I know I can relax because God is in control of my life. Recognizing that, the narrow road isn't quite so intimidating.

Dear Lord, You know how much I long to stay on the narrow road in my faith. Yet I find myself drifting across the dotted line too many times. I know I can't do this without You. Please help me be the woman You have called me to be. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Glynnis Whitwer
Encouragement for today - Proverbs 31 Ministry

Protecting Our Hiddenness

If indeed the spiritual life is essentially a hidden life, how do we protect this hiddenness in the midst of a very public life? The two most important ways to protect our hiddenness are solitude and poverty. Solitude allows us to be alone with God. There we experience that we belong not to people, not even to those who love us and care for us, but to God and God alone. Poverty is where we experience our own and other people's weakness, limitations, and need for support. To be poor is to be without success, without fame, and without power. But there God chooses to show us God's love.
Both solitude and poverty protect the hiddenness of our lives.

Henri Nouwen - Daily Meditation

Swimming Against the Tide

"Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded."1 And as James says about a double-minded person: he is "unstable in all he does."2
Someone has explained how, in the frigid waters around Greenland, "Countless icebergs float around. Some are tiny; others tower skyward. At times the small ones move in one direction while their gigantic counterparts go in another. Why is this? The small ones are pushed around by the winds blowing on the surface of the water, but the huge ice masses are carried along by deep ocean currents."3
In our day there is great pressure to go with the crowd, to be politically correct, to do the convenient thing regardless whether it is right or ethical or not. The reality is, however, unless we have deep roots in God, we too can easily be swayed by the "popular winds of the moment" and be "double-minded and unstable in all we do."
Think of Jesus, he never worried about being politically correct, or pleasing the crowd or the religious leaders of his day, or even King Herod for that matter. His only concern was to do right and please God, his Father. He did right regardless of the consequences. For you and me to make a difference we, too, need to stand for truth and do right regardless of the consequences.
To do this we need backbone. As the saying goes, any dead fish can float down the river but it takes a live fish to swim against the flow. Furthermore, he who stands for nothing will fall for anything.
Suggested prayer: "Dear God, please help me in this day and age to stand for truth, the principles of which are found in your Word, the Bible, and to always do right regardless of the consequences. Give me the courage to live only to please you in all that I am and do as did Jesus. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus' name, amen."
1. James 4:7-8 (NIV).

2. James 1:8 (NIV).

3. Author unknown.

Acts International - Daily Inspiration
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WHEN GOD SEEMS FAR AWAY

"Why, O Lord, do You stand far off? Why do You hide Yourself in times of trouble?" Psalm 10:1
One of the great mysteries of God is His ways.
Some of His ways almost appear to bring us into the most difficult places, as if He were indifferent to our circumstances. It would appear that He is turning His head from our sorrows.
These events in our lives have a particular objective to perform for us. That objective is to bring us to the end of ourselves that we might discover the treasure of darkness.
"Yet when I hoped for good, evil came; when I looked for light, then came darkness" (Job30:26).
When we are taken into these dark periods, we begin to see light that we never knew existed. Our sensitivities become heightened and our ability to see through spiritual eyes is illuminated.
Unless we are taken into these times, our souls never develop any depth of character. We do not gain wisdom, only knowledge.
Knowledge is gained through understanding; wisdom is gained through the experience of darkness.
After we go through these periods, we discover that God was, in fact, with us throughout the entire time. It does not feel or appear that He is there when we are in the midst of the dark periods.
However, He is there walking with us. He has told us countless times that He will never leave us.
When we are in those dark periods, it does not feel like He is there because He does not rescue us from the circumstances.
He does this for our benefit in order that we might become more like Jesus.
Jesus learned obedience from the things He suffered (see Heb. 5:8). What does that say about how you and I will learn obedience?
Embrace the dark times and gain the wisdom that God intends for you from these times.
Os Hillman

AllWorship

Being Living Signs of Love

Jesus' whole life was a witness to his Father's love, and Jesus calls his followers to carry on that witness in his Name. We, as followers of Jesus, are sent into this world to be visible signs of God's unconditional love. Thus we are not first of all judged by what we say but by what we live. When people say of us: "See how they love one another," they catch a glimpse of the Kingdom of God that Jesus announced and are drawn to it as by a magnet.
In a world so torn apart by rivalry, anger, and hatred, we have the privileged vocation to be living signs of a love that can bridge all divisions and heal all wounds.

Henry Nouwen - Daily Meditation

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My Success is About Him

With success comes a problem. Just ask Nadab, Elah, and Omri. Or interview Ahab, Ahaziah, or Jehoram. Ask these men to describe the problem of success. I would, you might be thinking, if I knew who they were. My point, exactly. These are men we should know. They were kings of Israel. They ascended to the throne...but something about the throne brought them down. Their legacies are stained with blood spilling and idol worship. They failed at success. They forgot both the source and purpose of their success.
You won't be offered a throne, but you might be offered a corner office, a scholarship, an award, a new contract, a pay raise. You won't be given a kingdom to oversee, but you might be given a home or employees or students or money or resources. You will, to one degree or another, succeed.
And when you do, you might be tempted to forget who helped you do so. Success sabotages the memories of the successful. Kings of the mountain forget who carried them up the trail.
The man who begged for help in medical school ten years ago is too busy to worship today. Back when the family struggled to make ends meet, they leaned on God for daily bread. Now that there is an extra car in the garage and a jingle in the pocket, they haven't spoken to him in a while. In the early days of the church, the founding members spent hours in prayer. Today the church is large, well attended, well funded. Who needs to pray?
Success begets amnesia. Doesn't have to, however. God offers spiritual ginseng to help your memory. His prescription is simply, "Know the purpose of success." Why did God help you succeed? So you can make him known.
Why are you good at what you do? For your comfort? For your retirement? For your self-esteem? No. Deem these as bonuses, not as the reason. Why are you good at what you do? For God's sake. Your success is not about what you do. It's all about him--his present and future glory.

Max Lucado

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Jesus Comes to Us in the Poor

What finally counts is not whether we know Jesus and his words but whether we live our lives in the Spirit of Jesus. The Spirit of Jesus is the Spirit of Love. Jesus himself makes this clear when he speaks about the last judgment. There people will ask: "Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink?" and Jesus will answer: "In so far as you did this to one of the least ... of mine, you did it to me" (Matthew 25:37, 40).
This is our great challenge and consolation. Jesus comes to us in the poor, the sick, the dying, the prisoners, the lonely, the disabled, the rejected. There we meet him, and there the door to God's house is opened for us.

Henry Nouwen - Daily Meditation

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我们的自我犯罪已都洗掉了

“逾越节以前，耶稣知道自己离世归父的时候到了，他旣然爱世间属自己的人，就爱他们到底。吃晩饭的时候（魔鬼己将卖耶稣的意思放在西门的儿子加略人犹大心里），耶稣知道父己将万有交在他手里，且知道自己是从神出来的，又要归到神那里去，就离席站起来脱了衣服，拿一条手巾束腰。随后就把水倒在盆里，就洗门徒的脚，并用自己所束的手巾擦干。挨到西门彼得，彼得对他说：‘主啊，你洗我的脚吗？’耶稣回答说：‘我所作的，你如今不知道，后来必明白。’彼得说：‘你永不可洗我的脚。’耶稣说：‘我若不洗你，你就与我无份了。’西门彼得说：‘主啊，不但我的脚，连手和头也要洗。’耶稣说：‘凡洗过澡的人，只要把脚一洗，全身就干净了；你们是干净的，然而不都是干净的。’耶稣原知道要卖他的是谁，所以说：‘你们不都是干净的。’耶稣洗完了他们的脚，就穿上衣服，又坐下，对他们说：‘我向你们所作的，你们明白吗？你们称呼我夫子，称呼我主，你们说的不错，我本来是。我是你们的主，你们的夫子，尙且洗你们的脚，你们也应当彼此洗脚。我给你们作了榜样，叫你们照着我向你们所作的去作。我实实在在的告诉你们：仆人不能大于主人，差人也不能大于差他的人。你们旣知道这事，若是去行就有福了’”（约翰福音13:1-17）。 耶稣为什么洗彼得的脚呢？为什么说：“你如今不知道，后来必明白。”呢？其实，彼得也相信神是自己的救世主，相信耶稣是神的儿子，相信耶稣是王中之王，而且承认耶稣基督是活着的神的儿子。那么为什么耶稣洗彼得的脚呢？其实耶稣知道彼得将来否认他三次，也知道彼得将来会犯罪。耶稣为了让彼得从缺陷中，就是从自己的自犯罪中得到解放，洗了彼得的脚。耶稣用他的实际行动来告诉彼得：你将来要犯的所有的罪，我也都担当了。如果耶稣上天以后，彼得的心里还有罪，那他就与神无份了。主已经知道门徒的心和灵魂的软弱。神不想把自己的门徒(所有的人)变为与神无关的人，所以洗了彼得的脚。神为了让彼得知道“你将来要犯的罪，我已经都担当了”，所以洗了彼得的脚。 我们是耶稣的门徒，如果心里有罪（具体的犯罪行为或因心里软弱而产生的心里面的罪），那神和门徒能交际吗？我们来看一下，我们应当知道约翰福音13章的内容：耶稣给门徒留下了很重要的话；他们过逾越节的仪式，就是耶稣和门徒一起吃饭，吃大糕，喝葡萄酒；耶稣给门徒洗脚，然后告诉他们：“不要受撒旦的欺骗，我除去了你们所有的罪。我在约旦河里担当你们的罪，将来在十字架上，为你的罪受审判。”所以耶稣在约翰福音13章里说：“你如今不知道，但后来必明白。” 第一节：“逾越节以前，耶稣知道自己离世归父的时候到了，他旣然爱世间属自己的人，就爱他们到底。”耶稣知道自己在十字架上死，知道自己归父的时候到了，他爱世间属自己的人，就爱到底。 所以他在十字架上死以前，与门徒一起吃最后的晩餐。耶稣知道自己从神而来，要归到神那里去，就离席站起来，脱了衣服拿一条手巾束腰，随后把水倒在盆子里，洗彼得的脚。彼得说“主啊！你洗我的脚吗？”耶稣回答说：“我所做的你如今不知道，后来必明白。” 其实彼得当时不知道耶稣为什么洗自己的脚。神怕彼得犯罪后不敢站在神面前，所以提前通过洗脚的榜样提醒了彼得。为了不让彼得受魔鬼的攻击而失去信心，所以耶稣洗了彼得的脚。后来彼得知道了耶稣洗自己脚的意思。耶稣洗彼得的脚，是为了我和他知道神已经除去了我们所有的罪。如果神没有洗彼得的脚，那么彼得只能回到罪里去，所以耶稣上天以前，洗了彼得和所有门徒的脚。

Rev. Paul C. Jong对重要话题的布道

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