Break Out Of The Bucket Rom 1:16+17 #Nightlight #RTTBROS

Break Out Of The Bucket Rom 1:16+17 #Nightlight #RTTBROS

"For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek." - Romans 1:16 (KJV)

The power of Christ is not just a concept or an idea. It is a living force that can transform our lives and give us hope in the darkest of times. When we put our faith in Christ, we are tapping into a power that is greater than anything we could ever imagine.

In his book "Six Hours One Friday," Max Lucado delves into the meaning of Jesus' last hours on the cross. He writes about how Jesus' death was not just a tragic event, but a powerful demonstration of God's love for us. Through his death and resurrection, Jesus conquered sin and death and gave us the power to live new lives in him.

There is a story about a man who was walking along a beach one day when he saw another man fishing in the surf with a bait bucket beside him. As he drew closer, he saw that the bait bucket had no lid and had live crabs inside.

"Why don't you cover your bait bucket so the crabs won't escape?" he asked.

"You don't understand," the man replied, "If there is one crab in the bucket it would surely crawl out very quickly. However, when there are many crabs in the bucket, if one tries to crawl up the side, the others grab hold of it and pull it back down so that it will share the same fate as the rest of them."

This story illustrates how we can be like those crabs in our own lives. We can be held back by our fears and doubts, by our past mistakes and failures. But when we put our faith in Christ, we are set free from those things that hold us back. We are given new life and new hope.

So let us not be ashamed of the gospel of Christ. Let us embrace it with all our hearts and allow it to transform our lives from the inside out.

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A Word About The WORD

#MorningGlory RTTBROS

Hebrews 4:12 - For the word of God [is] quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and [is] a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 - All scripture [is] given by inspiration of God, and [is] profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 

That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

John 17:17 - Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth

The Bible contains the mind of God, the state of man, the way of salvation, the doom of sinners, and the happiness of believers. Its doctrines are holy, its precepts are binding, its histories are true, and its decisions are immutable.

Read it to be wise, believe it to be safe, and practice it to be holy. It contains light to direct you, food to support you, and comfort to cheer you.

It is the traveler’s map, the pilgrim’s staff, the pilot’s compass, the soldier’s sword and the Christian’s charter. Here too, Heaven is opened and the gates of Hell disclosed.

Christ is its grand subject, our good its design, and the glory of God its end. It should fill the memory, rule the heart and guide the feet. Read it slowly, frequently and prayerfully.  It is a mine of wealth, a paradise of glory, and a river of pleasure.

It is given you in life, will be opened at the judgment, and be remembered forever. It involves the highest responsibility, rewards the greatest labor, and will condemn all who trifle with its sacred contents.

(The inspiring introduction to the Bible found in Gideon Bibles)

Enduring Mercy Ezra 3:10-11

#MorningGlory RTTBROS "Enduring Mercy" 

What can you count on when your live has become a train wreck and sin has you bound up? The Mercy of God.  Run to him today he has salvation for your souls and mercy for your mess. Listen to Paul Chappell's encouraging word about God's Mercy that endures forever

.

Enduring Mercy

Saturday, June 06, 2020

by Dr. Paul Chappell

And when the builders laid the foundation of the temple of the LORD, they set the priests in their apparel with trumpets, and the Levites the sons of Asaph with cymbals, to praise the LORD, after the ordinance of David king of Israel. And they sang together by course in praising and giving thanks unto the LORD; because he is good, for his mercy endureth for ever toward Israel. And all the people shouted with a great shout, when they praised the LORD, because the foundation of the house of the LORD was laid.

Ezra 3:10-11

All of us know what it is like to run out of things. We run out of gas in the car or we run out money before the end of the month. We run out time before the end of the day to get everything done, or we run out of energy to complete all the tasks on our list. That never happens to God. And in His great love and compassion, He extends unfailing and unending mercy to us over and over and over again. Charles Spurgeon said, “God’s mercy is so great that you may sooner drain the sea of its water, or deprive the sun of its light, or make space too narrow, than diminish the great mercy of God.”

No matter how often we go to Him for help, God never runs out of patience with our requests or of mercy to extend us the forgiveness and help that we so urgently need. The mercy of God should be at the center of our expressions of gratitude to God both in public and in private. We should praise Him for extending that mercy to us, because it is only because of His goodness to us that receive it. “It is of the LORD'S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness” (Lamentations 3:22-23).

Today's Growth Principle: 

No matter who else or what else fails you as you go through life, God's mercy never will.

Praying So God Will Listen

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If you want God to hear your prayer learn how to pray. Adrian will help you with that in this wonderful devotion

How to Pray So God Will Want To Listen

Adrian Rogers

Pray So God Will Want to Listen

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“Now about that time Herod the king stretched out his hand to harass some from the church. Then he killed James the brother of John with the sword. And…he proceeded further to seize Peter also…. So when he had arrested him, he put him in prison…but constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church. Now behold, an angel of the Lord stood by him, saying, “Arise quickly!” And his chains fell off his hands. Then the angel said to him, “Gird yourself and…follow me.” So…he came to the house of Mary, the mother of John…where many were gathered together praying. Now Peter continued knocking; and when they opened the door and saw him, they were astonished”

 

(Acts 12:1-5, 7-8, 12, 16)

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

Peter was in prison and the church was praying. They had no other recourse. They couldn’t petition the government. They had no political influence, no money to bribe Herod. But they could pray. The world might have laughed, but friend, the devil didn’t laugh.

Someone wisely said, “The devil trembles when he sees the weakest saint upon his knees.” They offered focused prayer to God, and God controls the universe.

Notice it says the church offered constant prayer on his behalf (v. 5). They prayed not only with intensity but with specificity.

What did you pray for this morning? Many of our prayers are so vague (like “Lord, save the lost”), if God were to answer them, we wouldn’t know it. And if God didn’t answer them, we wouldn’t have to admit it.

ACTION POINT:

Stop praying vague, general prayers. Get specific. When they prayed for Peter and the answer came, they knew it was an answer to prayer.

God Makes a way. ISA. 43:19

Grateful That God Makes a Way

When you feel trapped get thankful that God can make a way where there seems to be no way. He is always at work delivering his children. Read rhe devotion below and be encouraged

 

by Mary Kassian, from Growing Grateful

. Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.

Isaiah 43:19 KJV

In the classic Broadway musical and film The Sound of Music, the Reverend Mother sends Maria away from the convent to work as a nanny for the Von Trapp family. Maria is unsettled at the idea of leaving the abbey and giving up on her dream of becoming a nun. The Reverend Mother reassures her with the now-famous cliché, “When the Lord closes a door, somewhere He opens a window.” In other words, whenever one opportunity ends, another opportunity will come along — and it will probably be a better one. Sure enough, the closing abbey door leads to the opening of the window that ushers Fräulein Maria into the arms of the dashing Captain Von Trapp.

Though the cliché is meant to help people stay positive in the face of disappointment, it isn’t exactly true. God doesn’t promise that when something doesn’t work out, something better is waiting for us just around the corner. His pledge is far more substantive than that. He promises to sustain us amid life’s disappointments. When all the doors and windows remain shut, He helps us make our way through the dark room, and He sustains us. Our circumstances do not always change for the better. But we can be confident that He will use them to change us for the better.

 

‘For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord , thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.

Jeremiah 29:11 KJV

MEDITATION

When was the last time you faced a closed door? During this time, how did God make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert? Why can you trust Him with closed doors, even when there are no windows in sight?

GROW GRATEFUL

Thank God that He makes a way through the wilderness.

The Strength of Joy Neh. 8:10

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When you need a shot of real strength (not the Red bull or jet black coffee kind) turn to the Word of God. See Especially Neh. 8:10 and find out how to Tap into God's LIMITLESS strength for you. Listen to how F.B. Meyer breaks this concept down.

The Joy of The LORD is our STRENGTH 

Neh. 8:10

FB Meyer reminds us that...

THE JOY OF THE LORD Nehemiah 8:10 “Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the LORD is your strength.” JOY AND gladness is a very necessary element in human wellbeing. We cannot live our best life if sorrow and depression holds undisputed sway. There are three sources of joy mentioned in this chapter.

The people understood the Divine Word and profited by it. Their eagerness to hear, as Ezra opened the Sacred Book, was remarkable (Neh 8:3,5,12,18,10). Let us also delight in God through His Word. Let us not read the Bible as a task, but dwell upon it, until its beauties become woven into our thoughts and lives. It is thus that life becomes purified and enriched. We shall no longer desire base or corrupting things, but God will give us the desires of our heart, and we shall be satisfied, if we delight ourselves in Him.

They communicated good things to those for whom nothing was prepared (Neh 8:10-12). There is no cure for sorrow and heartbreak like healing broken hearts. There is no such comfort for ourselves as that which we administer to others. Nehemiah could not have given better advice than when he bade his people share their joys and sweets with those whose lives were bare of comfort and luxuries.

Of course Christianity has within it other sources of joy. Our Saviour gives us His joy, because He reveals the Father to us, makes us to rest in Him, and gives a worthy object for our lives; He makes work light because He has appointed it, sorrow supportable because He shares it, and death desirable because He has opened the door of the Father’s Home. In His joy we may participate (John 15:11; John 16:22-24).

Their obedience. As soon as they understood the words they heard, they began to put them into practice. No wonder there was joy, for in the keeping of God’s commandments there is great reward. It was during the Feast of Tabernacles that our Lord spoke of the Holy Spirit entering the heart to remove its thirst, and to pour forth as rivers to a dying world (John 7:37-39).

We cannot do much apart from the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Only through Him can we be right with God; only through Him can we be really glad; only through Him can we pass on joy and comfort to others.

PRAYER--We thank Thee, O God, that we may have fellowship with our Lord in His redemptive purpose. May the gifts which He has received even for the rebellious fill our hearts and lives with joy and gladness. AMEN.

Finish Well Heb. 12:1-6

You may feel like quiting today. Circumstances are against you, friends and family have let you down and you just dont know if you can keep going. Read this little devotion from Phillip Yancy on Endurance.  It will help you put one foot in front of the other till you cross the finish line.

Don't stop running...finish well!

Illustration: Philip Yancey tells of a letter he received from a friend whose daughter, Peggie, was terminally ill. The mother wrote:

The weekend before she went into the hospital for the last time, Peggie came home all excited about a quotation from William Barclay that her minister had used. She was so taken with it that she had copied it down on a 3 x 5 card for me: "Endurance is not just the ability to bear a hard thing, but to turn it into glory." She said her minister must have had a hard week, because after he read it he banged the pulpit and then turned his back to them and cried. (Source: Philip Yancey, Disappointment with God (Zondervan, 1997), p. 157)

Yes, life can be tough. Funerals come unexpectedly. Doctors read reports that spell out very bad news. Relationships sour. Stock-market losses mean dramatic change to retirement incomes, investments, and financial security.

In the midst of any bad news, it is critically important to stay the course, and to work hard, always moving toward the finish line.

Real Rest Isa. 9:6

#MorningGlory RTTBROS

When you feel distressed and depressed and drained look with in for the cause of the problem as A.B. Simpson points out there is a spiritual aspect to exaustion that will never be healed till we surrender all, even our work for God back to God.  Read this powerful devotion below and ask God is there are any areas in your life that need surrender.

"Real Rest" 

Rest. A.B Simpson 

You cannot make the heart restful by stopping its beating. Certain drugs will do that, but that is not really rest. Let the breath of life come-God's life and strength-and there will be sweet rest. Home ties and family affection will not bring it. Deliverance from trouble will not bring it. Many a tried heart has said: "if this great trouble were only gone, I would have rest." But as soon as one crisis goes another comes. The poor wounded deer on the mountainside thinks if it could only bathe in the cold mountain stream it would have rest. But the arrow is in its flesh, and there is no rest for it until the wound is healed. It is as sore in the mountain lake as on the plain. We shall never have God's rest and peace in our hearts until we have surrendered everything, even our work, to Christ and believe He has taken it all. Then we have only to be still and trust. It is necessary to walk in holy obedience and let God have the government on His shoulder. Paul said, "This one thing I do." There is one narrow path for us all-Christ's will and work for us. The government shall be upon his shoulder -Isaiah 9:6

The Blame Game 1 John 1:7-10

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"The Blame Game"  1 John 1:7-10

But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.  If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.  If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.  If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

1 John 1:7‭-‬10 KJV

https://bible.com/bible/1/1jn.1.7-10.KJV

Things such as fear of rejection or consequences can drive you to disown mistakes or poor choices and play the blame game. The truth is blaming generally serves to makes things worse; it makes you look small while creating distrust and dissention. Making mistakes are an inevitable part of life; it’s what you do afterwards that reveals character and gives you the ability to transform the situation. Sincerity and humility go a long way toward bringing restoration. Once you come clean, you’ll be in a position to remedy the situation. When handled properly, you can stand out in a positive way.

Mistakes are opportunities to learn and grow so you can determine what changes can be made to prevent the same thing from happening again. You can move forward in a healthy way by committing to leave things better than they were before. Many times people have been brought together in a unique way through adverse circumstances and it can be a turning point for good when you end the blame game.

When Questions Fade Away. John 16:23

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 RTTBROS "When Questions Fade Away"

Sometimes in our life the questions outway the answers. The pain and the problems of Life propell us to question God in either his power or his goodness.  Oswald Chambers says we can get to the place of perfect trust and rest where the questions fade away. Read this powerful devotion below. 

Unquestioned Revelation

By Oswald Chambers

In that day you will ask Me nothing. —John 16:23

When is “that day”? It is when the ascended Lord makes you one with the Father. “In that day” you will be one with the Father just as Jesus is, and He said, “In that day you will ask Me nothing.” Until the resurrection life of Jesus is fully exhibited in you, you have questions about many things. Then after a while you find that all your questions are gone— you don’t seem to have any left to ask. You have come to the point of total reliance on the resurrection life of Jesus, which brings you into complete oneness with the purpose of God. Are you living that life now? If not, why aren’t you?

“In that day” there may be any number of things still hidden to your understanding, but they will not come between your heart and God. “In that day you will ask Me nothing”— you will not need to ask, because you will be certain that God will reveal things in accordance with His will. The faith and peace of John 14:1 has become the real attitude of your heart, and there are no more questions to be asked. If anything is a mystery to you and is coming between you and God, never look for the explanation in your mind, but look for it in your spirit, your true inner nature— that is where the problem is. Once your inner spiritual nature is willing to submit to the life of Jesus, your understanding will be perfectly clear, and you will come to the place where there is no distance between the Father and you, His child, because the Lord has made you one. “In that day you will ask Me nothing.”

The Blessed Hope Titus 2:13

#MorningGlory RTTBROS "That Blessed Hope"

Titus 2:13

I came across this great devotion by Bible Teacher and commentator David Guzik read it I believe it is Just the medicine for your troubled heart.

David Guzik

The Blessed Hope

Looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ (Titus 2:13)

In the previous verse, Paul told Titus what grace teaches: that we should deny ungodliness and worldly lusts, and that we should live righteous lives. Titus 2:13 carries on the same thought, adding to what grace teaches us.

blessed hope

Said plainly, grace teaches us to look for the second coming of Jesus Christ. In continuing the thought of what grace teaches, Paul wrote that we should be looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.

In other words, grace teaches us to expect and prepare for our blessed hope. That hope is not heaven or glory, but Jesus Himself, face to face, closer than ever.

Yet we don’t just wait for the coming of Jesus; we live in active expectation of the return of Jesus. We are looking for it. The return of Jesus Christ should be precious for Christians to consider.

Jesus came the first time to save the soul of man; He will come a second time to resurrect the body.

Jesus came the first time to save the individual; He will come a second time to save society.

Jesus came the first time to a crucifixion; He will come a second time to a coronation.

Jesus came the first time to a cross; He will come a second time to a throne.

Jesus came the first time in humility; He will come a second time in glory.

Jesus came the first time and stood before Pilate; He will come a second time and Pilate will stand before Him.

Jesus came the first time and was judged by men; He will come a second time to judge all men.

Finally, notice whom Paul says will return: our great God and Savior Jesus Christ. From time to time, some people try to say that Paul and other early Christians didn’t really believe Jesus was God. This shows that not only did Paul know Jesus was God, but that He was and is the great God and Savior.

That same Jesus came once – and He will return just as He promised. Let grace teach you to keep looking for His return and be ready for that great day