Video Bible Lesson - Praying the Promises of God by Dr. Charles Stanley

1/2 Hour of God’s Power with Scott Ralls

5/14/2020

Praying the Promises of God

by Dr. Charles Stanley

Isaiah 40:8
Jesus made it clear that we would endure hardship in this life. But God gave His children amazing tools to keep trials from overwhelming us. For instance, He placed His Spirit inside each believer to guide and empower. In addition, He gave us prayer so we could not only communicate and stay connected with our Father but also bring Him our requests.
Today I want to focus on yet another one of His marvelous gifts: the Bible. Scripture is the actual Word of God Almighty. It is truth. It never changes. It enables us in all circumstances, so we have a sure foundation on which to base our lives and decisions.
There are thousands of promises in the Bible--countless assurances that we can rely on with perfect confidence. God wants us to learn them so we won't miss out on blessings He wants to give. And wise believers will turn His promises into prayers and the cries of their hearts.
Let me give you an example that relates to difficult decisions. Psalms 32:8 states, "I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go; I will counsel you with My eye upon you." We can pray God's words back to Him, saying that we believe He will teach us and reveal His path, while remaining by our side as our caregiver through the entire situation.
When hardships arise, we need a solid foundation on which to stand. Otherwise, our emotions could easily lead us astray through faulty thinking. God is faithful and unchanging, so we can trust in His promises, which enable us to rest confidently and act boldly

#Jesus, #Christian, #Bible, #Salvation, #Heaven, #God, #HolySpirit

Streams in the Desert

Streams in the Desert

In the selfsame day, as God had said unto him (Gen. 17:23).

Instant obedience is the only kind of obedience there is; delayed obedience is disobedience. Every time God calls us to any duty, He is offering to make a covenant with us; doing the duty is our part, and He will do His part in special blessing.

The only way we can obey is to obey "in the selfsame day," as Abraham did. To be sure, we often postpone a duty and then later on do it as fully as we can. It is better to do this than not to do it at all. But it is then, at the best, only a crippled, disfigured, half-way sort of duty-doing; and a postponed duty never can bring the full blessing that God intended, and that it would have brought if done at the earliest possible moment.

It is a pity to rob ourselves, along with robbing God and others, by procrastination. "In the selfsame day" is the Genesis way of saying, "Do it now."
--Messages for the Morning Watch

Luther says that "a true believer will crucify the question, 'Why?' He will obey without questioning." I will not be one of those who, except they see signs and wonders, will in no wise believe. I will obey without questioning.

"Ours not to make reply,
Ours not to reason why,
Ours but to do and die."

Obedience is the fruit of faith; patience, the bloom on the fruit.
--Christina Rossetti

The Family Influence: Good or Bad.....Dr. Charles Stanley

The Family Influence: Good or Bad

Dr. Charles Stanley

Deuteronomy 6:6-7

Proverbs 22:6 tells us, "Train up a child in the way he should go, even when he is old he will not depart from it." What a great responsibility this places on parents. Records of royal lineage (1 Kings 15-16) illustrate that one's level of submission to God is often mirrored in the offspring's life.

Now, it's true that children eventually grow and make their own decisions. There are godly parents who are heartbroken by their kids' poor choices. Similarly, some from backgrounds full of sinful bondage become righteous people of integrity.

As mothers and fathers, we are given a momentous task: to model and teach how to live according to God's Word. Thankfully, we don't have to rely on ourselves for wisdom. Good parenting involves prayerful self-evaluation, godly counsel, and thoughtful course corrections.

Start by considering how you'd answer the following questions if your children were to walk in your way: What place will Jesus, the Word of God, and the church have in their lives? Will they seek God's direction as the ultimate guide for decisions? Will they develop strong godly relationships? Will they know how to handle money wisely? Will they do their best in their vocation? As you seek answers, ask God to reveal truth, since self-examination can be difficult.

In prayerfully considering your impact as a parent, expect to see positives and negatives. The goal isn't self-condemnation, so keep in mind 1) there's no perfect parent and 2) it's never too late. Even if the kids are grown, you can ask forgiveness, share what you've learned, and model a godly life starting now.

The Power to Heal the Hurt of Our Souls

The Power to Heal the Hurt of Our Souls
KIM ERICKSON

Lee en español

“Turn to Me and be saved, all the ends of the earth; For I am God, and there is no other.” Isaiah 45:22 (NASB)

There is no other loss like this one. There is no other heart so shattered as a mom who’s living without her child. A piece of her soul forever missing, she is crushed beneath the weight of this grief.

When I received that call, the one every mother fears, I was so far away from God that I didn’t even think to pray. God did not enter my mind as the babysitter screamed that the ambulance was at our house. We lost our 3-year-old son to complications of strep throat on that April day in 2008, and I did not utter a single prayer.

Yet, the King of the universe, in His endless mercy and grace, chose to reveal Himself to me as my son’s life slipped from this earth. Just days after our son’s death, I gave my life to Jesus as my Lord and Savior.

Because jumping into things with both feet is my style, studying Scripture became my hunger and never-ending curiosity: Who was this God? Why did Jesus have to die for my sins? Who am I on this earth? What is heaven like?

In the deep, dark pit of grieving a child, I learned one truth that feeds my hope and has become my source of strength. One truth that has the power to overcome my pain:

“Turn to Me and be saved, all the ends of the earth;
For I am God, and there is no other” (Isaiah 45:22).

We must turn toward God and remember that Jesus weeps with us (John 11:35), the Spirit of God prays for us with groanings too deep for words (Romans 8:26), and our heavenly Father collects every tear we cry in His bottle and records them in His book. (Psalm 56:8)

While there is no other pain like our pain, there is no other god like our God. Maybe you haven’t experienced losing a child, but Scripture has the power to heal the hurt in your soul when you remember:

• There is no other God who created the heavens and the earth; even the lives of our children belong to Him. (Isaiah 42:5)
• There is no other God who formed your child in your womb and brought him into this life for whatever time He alone established. (Psalm 139)
• There is no other God who says, “You are Mine,” “You are precious in My sight,” “You are honored,” and “I love you” (Isaiah 43:1-4).

Whether your pain is losing someone you loved or some other deep sorrow, cry out to Him. Allow your Creator to whisper healing love into your soul. There is no other one who loves you like He does.

Finally, this verse became my cry when I couldn’t go on. I have experienced the truth of these words, and so can you:

“The LORD is near to the brokenhearted
And saves those who are crushed in spirit” (Psalm 34:18, NASB).

Heavenly Father, only You can heal this wound, and only You can give me strength to live through this loss. Help me know You and seek You, Lord, and give me understanding about Your sovereignty and glory. I want to feel Your love for me, God. Lead me into Your presence so I might find some relief from the pain. Heal me, Lord, for Your glory. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

TRUTH FOR TODAY:
John 16:20, “Truly, truly, I say to you, that you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice; you will grieve, but your grief will be turned into joy.” (NASB)

Isaiah 43:4a: “Since you are precious in My sight, Since you are honored and I love you …” (NASB)

More Wormwood than Honey

More Wormwood than Honey
by Shawn McEvoy

My son, give attention to my wisdom, Incline your ear to my understanding; That you may observe discretion And your lips may reserve knowledge. For the lips of an adulteress drip honey And smoother than oil is her speech; But in the end she is bitter as wormwood, Sharp as a two-edged sword. Her feet go down to death, Her steps take hold of Sheol. - Proverbs 5:1-5

For about 20 hours late in 1998, I had AIDS.

I was a month from getting married. My wife-to-be had saved herself for me, and as such, she had a request: that I, who had regrettably failed to remain chaste in my youth, get tested for HIV before we exchanged vows. Happily I agreed.

The nurse who drew my blood told me one thing several times: "We can't call everyone back, so we will only contact you in the event of a positive test. No news is good news." Fair enough.

A week later, on a Friday afternoon, I returned home from work and checked my voice mail. One message. "Mr. McEvoy, this is Nurse Jones from the clinic. I'll need to talk to you very soon, but I am leaving for the weekend. I will attempt to contact you again on Monday."

Oh...

no...

My mind raced. The first thought was, "No way on earth I can wait all weekend to talk to her!" Talk about torture. That was followed with most of my past catching up to me. What had I done? Could I still get married? Even if Valerie still wanted me as a husband, would we ever be able to be intimate? Who would I have to contact from the past? Was I going to die?

Val's apartment was two floors up from mine. I called her, she came right down, and I told her the news.

Keep Calm in Chaotic Moments

Keep Calm in Chaotic Moments
By Meg Bucher

“ There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.”  - 1 John 4:18 (ESV)

“How was your day?!” I routinely asked my two daughters as they flung open the car doors and clamored with chatter. My older daughter suddenly became serious as she set her book bag down and clicked her seatbelt.

“My head really hurts…”  and that’s when I caught sight of blood dripping down my sweet girl's face.

I admit I reacted rather loudly, which sent her calm demeanor into a frantic set of questions. “What -what is it- is it bad- can you see it?”

As we prayed on the way to the ER, I knew I needed to lessen the emotions in the car with a dose of calm. I prayed out loud, asking God to bring us peace and thanking him for being a good, loving God. And he was there in the car that day, as our evening was re-routed from dance class to the ER. It was pretty bad. A staple in the head bad. As I look back on that day, I'm so thankful that God gave me the clarity I needed to speak peaceful, truthful words to my girls.

1 John 4:18 reminds us why fear is unnecessary. Christ conquered it. What is there to be afraid of, when our God is bigger than all of our fears? Our reactions in frightful seasons say a lot about what we believe about Jesus. When fear threatens to snatch our focus, we need to steer our thoughts to a solid plan of action.

Here are three steps to take to stay calm in chaotic moments.

First, take control of the initial reaction. Somewhere in that heart of hers, my girl found the courage to pick herself back up off of the floor after her head slammed into the metal fire extinguisher box, and muster up enough composure to make it to the car pick line. Likewise, when panic hits our hearts, we must take control of the reaction and replace it with calm action.

Second, get to safe arms, fast. In my daughter, that was me in the car pick up line, right outside. She knows she can count on me to rescue her. It’s our goal, as parents, to eventually point that bridge right to God. Likewise, when chaos rains around you, run fast to Him before your feelings make you frantic.

Third, trust our circumstances in the hands of Love. My daughter sat on the ER bed with her legs crossed, patiently waiting for the medicine-laced cottonball atop her head to numb the hurt. When the time came to put the staple in, she just wanted my hand. Likewise, when we realize our lives are in God’s hands, we start to understand that He will get us through anything…even if it’s home to Him.

New hardware in place, she looked at the doctor and asked,

“Can I dance with this in my head?”

“Well, sure,” he answered …“when is dance?”

“Right now,” she stated matter of factly, “I’m late.”

Today, meditate on the truth that perfect love casts out fear. Decide today to recite this verse to yourself the next time fear begins to creep in and chaos tries to derail your faith.

A Prayer for Brave Faith

A Prayer for Brave Faith
By Gwen Smith

“…but whoever listens to me will live in safety and be at ease, without fear of harm." (Proverbs 1:33, NIV)

It’s understandable that we wrestle with the opponent of fear. The world is broken and life isn’t a Hallmark movie or a fairy tale. (Although I do love a good Hallmark movie!) In the same token, while I realize it’s completely normal for us to process emotions of anxiety and unrest, the Bible says that it is not God’s plan for us to crumble in its wake. (2 Timothy 1:7)

We can’t let fear run our lives. Fear was never meant to control or consume us.

The good news is that God doesn’t just tell us to suck it up and deal. He gives us the tools we need to help us in the fear-fight.

God’s wisdom is perfect. It leads my heart, mind, and soul to safety and rest in a world that is filled with scary realities and uncertainties. And it’s free for the asking! He gives us wisdom when we ask for it. That promise is found in James 1:5. “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.”

When we ask for and listen to God’s wisdom - when we hear it, yield to it, apply it and obey it - we will live in peace. Not the world’s peace – God’s peace. We will be at ease in Christ. Not with perfect lives, but with lives that are led by the Spirit of God, not controlled by fear and anxiousness. We can and will experience calm in spite of the chaos.

I hear your push back. Really? That seems too easy. It’s just not that simple, Gwen.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not trying to tap an easy-button here. The Biblical instruction might be simple, but the implementation of it isn’t. If you and I are going to live with a brave faith we need God’s help. Remember? Jesus said that without Him we can bear NO fruit. (John 15:5) What does fruit have to do with this conversation? Glad you asked…

And the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace…(Galatians 5:22)

Peace. God’s peace is more powerful than the fears of this earth and His peace abounds in His presence. It is evidence of the Holy Spirit at work within us.

When you and I spend time with Jesus… when we look beyond our fears to God’s sovereign strength… when we trust in the wisdom of God and set our hearts on His Word, we find the peace our hearts long for.

Dear God, I need Your peace today. I know that in order to be at rest I have to stop juggling fear with faith. So I ask for Your wisdom. Help me to be brave. I come now and hand over these concerns (pause to personalize this). Fill me with Your love, joy and peace instead, Lord.

In Jesus’ Name,

Amen.