Video Bible Lesson - Choosing to Believe by Dr. Charles Stanley

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

5/25/2020

Choosing to Believe

Dr. Charles Stanley

John 3:1-21
Faith isn't something we can lay claim to because we were born to believing parents or have citizenship in a Christian country. Nor can we attain it by attending or even teaching Sunday school, though I've often heard such incorrect assertions. Instead, the following should be true of genuine believers.
A clear understanding of the gospel is essential for a person to believe and receive the good news of Jesus Christ. His death on the cross was the only sacrifice required to remove our sins. God offers His grace as a gift to anyone who will receive it.
A definite decision at a particular point in time serves as a sort of landmark of the heart and mind. People do not just slip into Christianity; faith in Jesus must be chosen. Believers are those who have made a deliberate decision to trust the Lord and follow in His ways.
A blessed assurance follows the clear-cut decision so that believers can be certain of their salvation. God wants confident, assured children (1 John 5:13).
A visible symbol of what happens when someone receives the Savior--namely, baptism--illustrates dying to one's old ways and rising to new life in Christ Jesus. Believers are to take this step as a public way of identifying with Him (Matt. 28:19).
A man or woman of faith chooses to surrender to Christ, embraces the Word of God, and lives fully for the Lord. True believers no longer muddle through the practices of religion out of habit, but instead worship and rejoice in a vibrant personal relationship with the Lord.

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

When a Nation Turns Its Back on God.....Dr. Charles Stanley

When a Nation Turns Its Back on God

Dr. Charles Stanley

2 Chronicles 33

Hezekiah was a god-fearing king who brought about reformation among the Israelites. His son Manasseh, however, was an evil ruler. He had watched his father walk with God and live according to Scripture. Yet he chose to ignore the Lord.

Manasseh worshipped false gods, even to the point of sacrificing his sons by fire in order to praise Molech. He practiced much evil—including witchcraft and sorcery— and led Israel astray, thereby provoking God to anger. The king, along with the people, paid a high price for his rebellion.

This story illustrates the Lord’s intolerance of a nation’s disregard toward Him. Now consider our country. We, too, are a nation that pushes God aside—one that has turned away from the only true God and embraced idols. Perhaps these aren’t statues of stone, but we worship money, sports ability, fame, and reputation, to name a few.

The United States of America was founded on biblical principles with the intent to guarantee freedom of worship. But over time, we have removed the Lord from many aspects of public life. Prayer in schools, for instance, was deemed unconstitutional. What was once a “nation under God” has turned into a country that tolerates a growing number of sins and yet belittles absolute truth.

If a nation turns its back on the Lord, His judgment is inevitable unless the people repent and make Him Lord once again. As believers, our responsibility is to pray that God would draw the heart of our country back to Himself—and to help the gospel and truth spread through our land.

Contagious Courage

Contagious Courage
LYNN COWELL

“When she could hide him no longer, she took for him a basket made of bulrushes and daubed it with bitumen and pitch. She put the child in it and placed it among the reeds by the river bank. And his sister stood at a distance to know what would be done to him.” Exodus 2:3-4 (ESV)

Not so long ago, I realized I was missing something in my life.

It started when my daughters, both social workers, began exposing me to pain-filled situations that I knew very little about. My lack of proximity to hardship kept me from feeling the pain of many in our community.

Spurred by the courage of my daughters, I began breaking out of the comfort of my own social circle, befriending women in my community who’ve suffered great loss and who needed a trusted friend.

This has not been easy for me. I want to be brave, but still struggle to overcome fear of the unknown.

God’s Word is helping me overcome this fear, especially through the story of some women found in Exodus 1 and 2. 

If their story were a play, it could look like this:

Act 1: Shiphrah and Puah, two midwives in Egypt, are commanded by Pharaoh to kill all male babies as soon as they are born. Yet the women fear God more than Pharaoh, and they let the babies live.

Act 2: In between labor pains, Shiphrah, Puah and Moses’ mother, Jochebed, discuss their options should Jochebed’s third child be a boy. In hushed tones, they piece together a plan. How would Jochebed disguise her newly-changed body? Answer questions about her delivery? How long could they keep him a secret?

As they make their plans, they recall God’s past faithfulness to help the Hebrews. While creating these God-inspired plans, their confidence in God grows, and their fear of their fierce enemy weakens.

Courage can overcome fear when we rehearse the faithfulness of God.

Act 3: Our key verse is played out: “When she could hide him no longer, she took for him a basket made of bulrushes and daubed it with bitumen and pitch. She put the child in it and placed it among the reeds by the river bank. And his sister stood at a distance to know what would be done to him” (Exodus 2:3-4).

Miriam, Moses’ sister, watches the basket-boat float on the Nile. When Pharaoh’s daughter calls for the basket to be brought to her, Miriam steps up, a child giving royalty advice on how to take care of the baby.

Curtains close.

Was the courage of Shiphrah, Puah and Jochebed contagious? Did it help empower Miriam to step up? I believe it did.

These women show how a ripple effect can take place when one person takes a daring step, and others witness it.

Like these women, I want contagious courage, too … to step out of my comfort zone and bring change and courage to another. The Lord is helping me reach out to those suffering to try to help lighten their pain. Though we don’t all look the same or share the same background, we have the same blood running through our veins. Together, we’re being brave, learning and serving together to push past our differences to forge new friendships.

I’m catching on to the courage of brave women who have gone before me. Though at times I feel scared about what I don’t know and have yet to learn, Jesus’ love is empowering me to take one small step at a time.

As my daughters have inspired me, can I inspire you to be courageous in your world today as well?

Step out to notice someone who needs a loving touch.

Invest in your community, and share the love of Jesus that you’ve experienced. If we step out in faith like these women, the Lord will help us to step into and be a part of contagious courage.

Dear Lord, just as the world of the women of Exodus needed change, ours needs it too. Show me one courageous step I can take, and help me encourage another to do the same. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

TRUTH FOR TODAY:
Proverbs 3:26, “For the LORD will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being caught.” (ESV)

Traveling Mercies

Traveling Mercies
by Shawn McEvoy

You will not be afraid of the terror by night, Or of the arrow that flies by day. - Psalm 91:5

With Memorial Day weekend's arrival, summer travel season has begun, so I've been reminiscing upon all the times the Lord has watched out for me on the road through all my journeys. Here are just a few examples:

When I helped my wife - before she was my wife - move from Columbia, South Carolina to Farmville, Virginia, we rented an auto transport to trail her car behind the U-Haul so that we could both ride together in the truck. I had helped load her car onto the transport before we left. We decided to get out of town and onto the interstate before we gassed up. We'd traveled up and down hills, across several railroad tracks, on the interstate, in stop-and-go traffic... and it was raining. You'll understand the reason I tell you all that momentarily.

When we pulled into the gas station, we realized we didn't have Valerie's key chain. It held the keys to her car, her new home, her old home, and several expensive keys to the University of South Carolina. Neither of us had any idea where they could be. I got out of the truck to think... and I spotted them, there on one of the two-inch thick beams of the auto transport. I yelled for Valerie, who came to look. I carefully touched the keys with my fingertips... and they dropped to the ground. Neither of us could believe our eyes, or that those keys had remained there of their own accord over the route we had driven. It had to be the Lord. If not, well, He got the praise and glory anyway.

Another time, when I was just a boy, my mother's station wagon had a flat tire on a remote stretch of road outside Tucson. My sister and I were in the car as my mother struggled to get the hubcap off. In those days, on that model, a special tool was required to be able to get to the lugnuts. We didn't have the tool. Just then, a guy rode up on a bike. He happened to have the tool. He handed it to my mother, who to this day swears he was an angel. I'm not sure I can argue with her.

At other times there have been individuals who showed up with just the right help during blowouts, or - believe it or not - airline personnel who actually made my trip better than it could have gone. The most memorable of these instances, truly, have come during times I prayed, read my Bible, and had decided in advance not to get bent out of shape about delays or other problems. One such cross-country trip resulted in an out-of-nowhere upgrade to first class from Philadelphia to Seattle, where I also ended up in position to calmly solve a dispute between passengers. Indeed, the Lord has been gracious to me in travel.

My wife's family has a tradition before every trip they take to read Psalm 91. It reminds them that God is their refuge as they go, wherever they go. And of course before every trip we take, my family prays for safety, and mercy... and the opportunity to minister, even if it is an inconvenience to our plans.

One way or another, this prayer is always answered. Still, it's hard to remind myself of goodness and opportunity in delay. Sometimes I still feel that the trip, the vacation, is my time… that whatever gets in the way shows that the Lord does not care, or did not "bless" our travels. That’s when I remember Paul's travels. I am certain the Apostle didn't think shipwrecks and imprisonment were helps toward spreading the Gospel. But in the end, they were. Are our travels - no matter what purpose we think they hold - any different?

Jesus told a story about a traveler who had been robbed, beaten, and left for dead on the road. Those who passed him by had in mind only their own agendas and their desire not to be inconvenienced, even if they were priests by vocation. What would you do? Would you have the time, yearning, and empathy to interrupt your travels to do as the Samaritan did?

Understand that I am not discounting that the Lord must lay on your heart the decision to stop and help, especially in these troubled and dangerous times. But do be open to it. So few times anymore do we venture outside our home or neighborhood. Those times we do should not merely be restful, but ministerial. Pray that God would give you opportunities to serve him - and yes, to see His glory in watching over you! - as you go.

Intersecting Faith & Life: Be on the lookout for fellow travelers who are stranded. Gas costs may cause some motorists to run out of fuel. Consider taking along a spare gas container and can of fix-a-flat to assist stranded folks who might be in need of genuine help (and the gospel message).

Praying for Open Eyes

Praying for Open Eyes
By Brent Rinehart

“Then Elisha prayed and said, “O Lord, please open his eyes that he may see.” So the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw, and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.” - 2 Kings 6:17

You’ve probably heard the saying that someone “can’t see the forest for the trees.” It’s often used to describe a person who is so involved in the details of a project that they are unable to view the situation as a whole. Put another way, it’s when present circumstances shield the bigger picture. Thinking about this concept spiritually, sometimes the hardships we are facing can cause us to be blind to how God is moving in and through them.

I love this story about Elisha found in 2 Kings 6. The king of Syria was aiming to invade and take over Israel. His massive army surrounded the Israelite camp, and Elisha's servant was alarmed – with good reason! He didn't know what to do, so he ran to the prophet Elisha. Elisha said, “Do not be afraid, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them” (v. 16).

Elisha then prayed for God to open his servant’s eyes, so he could see the same thing Elisha could see. “So the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw, and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha” (v. 17).

I take great comfort in this passage, for it reminds me of a couple of key principles. First, it shows that God is still working even when we can’t see it. Second, it reminds me that sometimes, God may give us vision if it's His will to do so... if we ask Him.

It may seem like the enemy is all around. It may appear like the odds are stacked against us. This world brings all sorts of trouble. From health scares and financial woes to job loss and relationship struggles, sometimes it feels like the world dishes out more than we can take. We can feel like we are fumbling around in a dark room trying to find the Light. But, we can rest in knowing God is in control. Remember, greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world (1 John 4:4). He’s working all things together for our good and His glory (Romans 8:28).

Even more, this passage shows us God’s willingness to give us His vision. We can ask God to open our eyes and open the eyes of the ones around us. When I can’t see God moving, I should pray for open eyes to see what He’s up to. When the ones I love around me can’t see God moving, I should pray for God to open their eyes so they can see the big picture. God may not always let us in on His plans, but I believe the process of asking Him reminds us that He is at work and we can trust Him.

What are the circumstances in your life blocking your view of how God is moving? What hardships are you facing that are keeping you from fully trusting God? We can ask God to give us His eyes. Whether or not we ever see the mountain full of “horses and chariots of fire,” we can trust and have faith that God is good and He’s working in and through our difficult circumstances.

A Prayer for Memorial Day: Remembering Those Who Have Fought for Our Freedom

A Prayer for Memorial Day: Remembering Those Who Have Fought for Our FreedomBy Debbie McDaniel

“Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.”  John 15:13

Freedom is a gift, it’s a treasure.  And though we all may agree on that truth, it’s often easy to take for granted the greatest gifts that God has given us in our lives.

But those most precious gifts are never free. They came with a price. With sacrifice. They were worth fighting for. And are still worth fighting for today. Many brave men and women were willing to face hard battles in order for us to enjoy that gift of freedom today.

For all those who have protected our nation, for the men and women in uniform, together, we say “Thank You.”

We take time to remember today, and say a prayer of gratefulness for the many who have been willing to pay a great price for our freedom.  May God help us to live so courageously, may we follow the brave examples of those who have gone before us…

Thank you for reminding us that there’s incredible love and sacrifice displayed when one is willing to stand strong and fight for freedom.

This service of love and sacrifice on behalf of all people, points us directly to the greatest love of all, the very gift and sacrifice of Christ.

Our Savior was willing to pay the ultimate price, so that we can live free. Forever.

Dear God,

We thank you for the freedom you have given to us, and for the price that was paid by Christ so that we could live free. We remember today. The cost of it all. The great sacrifice for freedom.

We thank you for the brave men and women who have fought, and continue to fight, so courageously for our nation. We ask for your covering and blessing over them and their families. We pray that you would be gracious and encircle them with your peace. We pray for your great favor and goodness to be evident in their lives.

Please be with all those who wear the uniform, who serve our communities and nation every single day. We ask that you provide your protection, that you would be their guiding force who leads the way, and their rear guard who keeps them safe from behind. We ask that you would draw them to yourself amidst the dangers they face in a dark world, for you are the Truth, you are the Way, you are the Light.

Help them to walk wisely. To stay covered in your armor. Give them godly discernment. Make them constantly aware of what lurks close by. Help them to be men and women of prayer, realizing that this is where their greatest help comes from. Help them to stay united and strong, bold and resolute, determined and unwavering.

Bless their families. Bless those they love. Give them your great favor, this day, and every day.

Thank you that in our nation today, we are free to worship. We are free to pray. We are free to read your Word.  We are free to speak.  We are free to share. For this, we are incredibly grateful. Yet, we understand how quickly these freedoms can be taken away. Give us an increased awareness of the spiritual battle we’re in. Help us to stand strong in you and for your purposes.

Thank you that as believers, we can be assured, you will never leave us, and are with us always, in this life, and the next.

Thank you for your truth that says, who the Son sets free is free indeed! We know that in you alone, true freedom is found.

In Jesus’ Name we pray,

Amen.

May God bless America, and all of those who have sacrificed so greatly for our freedom, and faithfully served our nation!