Heaven Sent Hares

03/07/2024

Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.
Romans 8:34 KJV

Our Greatest Intercessor
by Greg Laurie on Jul 3, 2024
Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us.
—Romans 8:34
Scripture:
Romans 8:34

https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/our-greatest-intercessor/

Sometimes, we look at our lives and wonder why God would choose us. But here’s what we need to realize: God doesn’t just see us in our weakness; He sees us for what we can become.

We might see a lump of clay; God sees a beautiful vase. We might see a blank canvas; God sees a finished painting. Where we see problems, God sees solutions. Where we see failure, God sees potential. And where we see an end, God sees a new beginning.

Maybe you’re thinking, “Well, I’ve failed horribly in the past.” The good news is that God can forgive you and recommission you. We see that played out beautifully in Matthew 26.

In the upper room, Jesus had just revealed that one of the disciples would betray Him. They all began to ask Jesus, “Am I the one?” Then verse 25 tells us, “Judas, the one who would betray him, also asked, ‘Rabbi, am I the one?’ And Jesus told him, ‘You have said it’ ” (NLT).

Judas left, and then Jesus celebrated the Last Supper with His disciples. They broke the bread and drank the cup. And on the way to the Mount of Olives, Jesus dropped another revelation on them: “Tonight all of you will desert me. For the Scriptures say, ‘God will strike the Shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered’ ” (verse 31 NLT).

The passage goes on to say that Peter declared to Jesus that He would never betray Him, and the other disciples said the same.

Luke’s account of these events adds a detail we don’t find in Matthew. Jesus went on to say, “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift each of you like wheat. But I have pleaded in prayer for you, Simon, that your faith should not fail. So when you have repented and turned to me again, strengthen your brothers” (22:31–32 NLT).

Would that alarm you if Jesus said that to you? Imagine yourself sitting with Jesus, and then He turns to you and says, “Oh, by the way, the devil has been asking for you by name.”

“The devil? You mean like Lucifer himself?”

“Yeah. That’s right.”

You see, the devil is not the equal of God. God is omniscient—He knows everything. He is omnipresent and omnipotent—He is everywhere and is all-powerful. Satan knows some things. But he can only be in one place at a time, and his power is limited. But he still is a powerful spiritual being.

And for the devil himself to actually request someone is significant. Why would Satan ask for Peter? Maybe it was because he saw him as a threat. God isn’t the only one who recognizes leadership; Satan does, too.

The good news is that Jesus was praying for Peter. And Jesus is praying for you too. Christ is in your corner. He is interceding for you. And because of that, you never will be separated from God. Without the prayers of Jesus, Peter wouldn’t have stood a chance. Nor would we.

~Pastor Greg Laurie-Harvest

Without the prayers of Jesus, Peter wouldn’t have stood a chance.

03/07/2024

And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.
John 6:35 KJV

" of Life
JULY 3, 2024

And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.”
John 6:35

Recommended Reading: John 6:41-59

The Spanish explorer, Juan Ponce de León, was supposedly searching for the fountain of youth when he explored Florida in 1513. An antidote to death has always been a human aspiration.

When Jesus said, “I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world” (John 6:51), His words caused no small disturbance—even among His true followers (John 6:61, 66). Jesus wasn’t promising the avoidance of physical death but spiritual death. And He wasn’t suggesting that eating His physical body was the way to consume the “bread” of which He spoke. He spoke of spiritual, eternal life and His own impending death for the sins of the world.

We “consume” Jesus by believing in Him: “He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live” (John 11:25).

When we preach Jesus Christ, oh! Then we are not putting out the plates, and the knives and the forks for the feast, but we are handing out the bread itself.
Charles Spurgeon"

~David Jeremiah-Turning Point-
https://www.davidjeremiah.org/magazine/daily-devotional?tid=email_edevo

Geng Shuai is called China’s “Useless Edison” because of his impractical inventions, such as a...

03/07/2024

03/07/2024

Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,
Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.
Ephesians 3:20-21 KJV

02/07/2024

Does Matter?

Imagine feeling sorry for a word. Doctrine is one of those words I always feel sorry for when I read it in the Bible—because people don't like it. In Acts 2:42, the Greek word for doctrine means teaching or instruction.

Yet I've heard believers say things like, "You know, it's not about knowing doctrine. I'm not into doctrine. I'm just into loving Jesus." It's almost like their badge of spirituality. It sounds like they're saying they are a cut above the rest of us, because they're not into instruction. What a sad thing to say: "I'm not into good Bible teaching or truth. I just want to love Jesus." But how will you love Him unless you are given good instruction on who He is and how to do it?

The early church knew this and prioritized wisely: "They continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers. Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need. So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved" (Acts 2:42-47).

There's a lot there, but I just want to point out something in this snapshot of what the very first church was like. If you look closely at their list of priorities, you'll see that at the top is "They continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine" (v. 42). So we see right away that they were a learning church.

Dictionary.com defines steadfast as "fixed in direction…firm in purpose…unwavering." How does that compare to "I'm not into doctrine"? Look at 2 Timothy 2:15: "Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." How can you rightly divide the Word of Truth unless you know the truth? And how can you know it unless you study it?

Jesus said to the Pharisees, "You are mistaken, not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God" (Matthew 22:29). On more than one occasion, He said to them, "Have you not read…?" Jesus challenged leaders to become Bible teachers. "Haven't you read that text? Don't you know what the Scriptures say? You are in error. You are ignorant, because you don't know the Scriptures nor the power of God."

Here's the reason I'm pressing this: We live in a day and age where Bible teaching—doctrine—is not tolerated, and people go to church and just want a spiritual pep rally. They want somebody to whip them up with a little exhortation and cool, clever phrases.

And because of this, we have produced Christianettes, like the people I described earlier. They love sermonettes, because they can't wait to get outside and smoke their ci******es (or whatever). Don't be a Christianette. Don't go around craving an emotional high instead of an in-depth study of Scripture that will teach you to rightly divide the Word of Truth.

There's nothing wrong with exhortation. There's nothing wrong with having an emotional experience of loving the Lord—but it cannot replace knowing the Word by the study of doctrine.
In His strong love,
Skip Heitzig | Connect with Skip Heitzig
https://mailchi.mp/connectwithskip.com/does-doctrine-matter-devomail-with-skip-heitzig-437944

02/07/2024

Return, ye backsliding children, and I will heal your backslidings. Behold, we come unto thee; for thou art the Lord our God.
Jeremiah 3:22 KJV


by Greg Laurie on Jul 2, 2024
‘My wayward children,’ says the LORD, ‘come back to me, and I will heal your wayward hearts.’
—Jeremiah 3:22
Scripture:
Jeremiah 3:22

https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/wayward-hearts/

When we hear the word backslider, we tend to think of those who have completely abandoned their faith and turned their backs on God. And certainly, they could be classified as backsliders. But there are also Christians who are backsliding and aren’t even aware of it.

No one plans on backsliding. It often happens gradually. It happens subtly—so subtly, in fact, that you may not even know it is happening. The Bible warns us about backsliding and says that one of the signs of the end times is that people will fall away from the faith.

So, what should we do if we have backslidden? God tells us that we should return to Him. Speaking through the prophet Jeremiah, God said, “My wayward children . . . come back to me, and I will heal your wayward hearts” (Jeremiah 3:22 NLT).

God also warned, “Your wickedness will bring its own punishment. Your turning from me will shame you. You will see what an evil, bitter thing it is to abandon the Lord your God and not to fear him” (Jeremiah 2:19 NLT).

And Jesus said to the church of Ephesus, “Look how far you have fallen! Turn back to me and do the works you did at first” (Revelation 2:5 NLT).

We might say, “I would never fall in this area,” or “I would never, in a million years, commit that sin!” But we need to be careful. That could be the very area in which we fall into sin.

We don’t know how wicked our hearts really are. Jeremiah 17:9 says, “The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is?” (NLT).

We all have the propensity for doing the wrong thing. Like the hymn says, “Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, prone to leave the God I love.” So, don’t ever say you would never do this or that because the fact is that you’re fully capable of that and more. An unguarded strength is a double weakness.

When Peter denied Jesus, his first step down was self-confidence. He said to the Lord, “Even if everyone else deserts you, I will never desert you” (Matthew 26:33 NLT).

What moved Peter to say this was Jesus’ revelation that Judas was a traitor. Peter effectively was saying, “Look, I don’t know about James and John, the so-called Sons of Thunder. And I’m not sure about Matthew and some of the others. But I’m going to tell You this: I will never let You down.”

It was self-confidence. The Bible says, “Pride goes before destruction, and haughtiness before a fall” (Proverbs 16:18 NLT).

Are you in a fallen state? Are you in the process of backsliding? You are going either forward in Christ or backward. Either you are progressing spiritually, or you are regressing. But the moment you put your spiritual growth into neutral, you will find yourself going in the wrong direction.

Don’t rest on your laurels. Don’t live in the past. We need to be constantly growing as followers of Jesus.

~Pastor Greg Laurie-Harvest

We don’t know how wicked our hearts really are.

02/07/2024

Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.
John 8:58 KJV

"Who Christ Is
JULY 2, 2024

Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.”
John 8:58

Recommended Reading: Exodus 3:14

Consider how often we use the phrase, “I am,” in conversation. It is interesting to note that God used the phrase “I AM” in answering a question from Moses who wanted to know how to identify God to the Hebrew slaves. God’s answer was, “I AM WHO I AM.” Moses was to tell them, “I AM has sent me to you” (Exodus 3:14).

I AM is full of theological significance when applied to God. And Jesus used that significance to identify Himself to the Jews as being one with God: “Before Abraham was, I AM” (John 8:58). So holy were these words to the Jews that they tried unsuccessfully to stone Him (John 8:59). Jesus went on to expand on the meaning of I AM by using the phrase seven times to describe aspects of His being: I am the Bread of Life, the Light of the World, the Door, the Good Shepherd, the Resurrection and the Life, the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and the True Vine.

Meditating on each of these aspects of God’s Person in Christ reveals untold riches about who He is and what He does.

God is not the great I WAS, He is the great I AM.
Eric Alexander"

~David Jeremiah-Turning Point-
https://www.davidjeremiah.org/magazine/daily-devotional?tid=email_edevo

Geng Shuai is called China’s “Useless Edison” because of his impractical inventions, such as a...

02/07/2024

God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands;
Neither is worshipped with men's hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things;
And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation;
That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us:
For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.
Acts 17:24-28 KJV

01/07/2024

There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.
Proverbs 14:12 KJV

of a Working Conscience
by Greg Laurie on Jul 1, 2024
There is a path before each person that seems right, but it ends in death.
—Proverbs 14:12
Scripture:
Proverbs 14:12

https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/signs-of-a-working-conscience/

You’re never going to stop sinning as long as you’re breathing. But there’s a difference between being a sinner and living in a pattern of sin. And if you’re a true Christian, you won’t live in a pattern of sin.

The Bible says, “Those who have been born into God’s family do not make a practice of sinning, because God’s life is in them. So they can’t keep on sinning, because they are children of God. So now we can tell who are children of God and who are children of the devil. Anyone who does not live righteously and does not love other believers does not belong to God” (1 John 3:9–10 NLT).

For example, if you’re a Christian and start to contemplate doing something that is sinful, and you’re aware that it’s wrong, that is a good sign. It’s good to come under the conviction of the Holy Spirit.

And if you end up doing the wrong thing anyway and then feel deep guilt afterward, that, too, is a good sign. It means that your conscience is working.

Our consciences are like smoke alarms. The purpose of a smoke alarm is to alert us to danger—or the need to change the battery. In the same way, our consciences tell us that what we’re doing is wrong.

However, you need to be concerned when you can contemplate a sin and don’t feel any conviction about it. You also need to be concerned when you can go through with that sin and don’t feel any guilt whatsoever. That means your conscience isn’t working.

When God deals with us when we go astray, it’s an indication that we are children of God. The writer of Hebrews said, “My child, don’t make light of the Lord’s discipline, and don’t give up when he corrects you. For the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes each one he accepts as his child” (12:5–6 NLT).

The fact that God convicts you and that He disciplines you when you have gone astray says that you are a child of God.

If your children do something wrong and you discipline them, you’re simply doing your job as a parent. That is your responsibility. However, if someone else’s children misbehave, that is not your responsibility. Their discipline is the responsibility of their parents.

In the same way, God disciplines us because we are His children, and He loves us.

Maybe you’ve been doing some things you shouldn’t be doing, and you’ve sensed the discipline of God in your life. Or, you’re feeling guilty. If so, rejoice. It means that your conscience is working.

When you don’t feel the guilt anymore, when you can sin again and again and feel nothing, that means you’re getting a hardened heart. The Bible warns, “There is a path before each person that seems right, but it ends in death” (Proverbs 14:12 NLT).

If you feel guilt for your sin, here’s what you need to do: Go to Christ. He will forgive you. That is why He died on the cross.

~Pastor Greg Laurie-Harvest

Guilt is a sign that your conscience is working.

01/07/2024

But thou art the same, and thy years shall have no end.
Psalm 102:27 KJV

"
JULY 1, 2024

But You are the same, and Your years will have no end.
Psalm 102:27

Recommended Reading: Psalm 102:23-28

Stephen Charnock, a seventeenth-century Puritan, gave a series of lectures about the qualities of God. He died before finishing his talks, but afterward his discourses were published as a massive book entitled The Existence and Attributes of God. Speaking of God’s eternity, Charnock said, “God is without end. He always was, always is, and always will be what he is. He remains always the same in being; so far from any change, that no shadow of it can touch him.”1

The title I AM speaks of God’s self-existence and eternal being. There has never been a time when God was not. He’s the same through all the ages. There will never be a time when God ceases to be God. He is Jehovah, Yahweh, I AM. With our mouths we can say those words, but they are beyond our full comprehension—as it should be for an infinite God.

Because He has no ending, He’s able to impart eternal life to His children. Give thanks for His consistent, eternal nature. What would we do without it!

As immensity is the diffusion of his essence, so eternity is the duration of his essence, and when we say God is eternal, we exclude from him all possibility of beginning and ending, all flux and change.
Stephen Charnock

Stephen Charnock, The Existence and Attributes of God, Volumes 1 & 2 (Good Press, 2020)."

~David Jeremiah-Turning Point-
https://www.davidjeremiah.org/magazine/daily-devotional?tid=email_edevo

Geng Shuai is called China’s “Useless Edison” because of his impractical inventions, such as a...

01/07/2024

Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof: and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.
Ecclesiastes 7:8 KJV

29/06/2024

Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders,
Matthew 27:3 KJV

No to God
by Greg Laurie on Jun 29, 2024
When Judas, who had betrayed him, realized that Jesus had been condemned to die, he was filled with remorse. So he took the thirty pieces of silver back to the leading priests and the elders.
—Matthew 27:3
Scripture:
Matthew 27:3

https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/no-secret-to-god/

Judas Iscariot didn’t have a friend in the world except Jesus, and he had just betrayed Him. Matthew’s Gospel tells us, “When Judas, who had betrayed him, realized that Jesus had been condemned to die, he was filled with remorse. So he took the thirty pieces of silver back to the leading priests and the elders” (Matthew 27:3 NLT).

He went to the religious leaders, regretting what he had done. But they said, in effect, “What is that to us? That’s your problem. You’ve served your purpose. Get out of here.”

That is so typical of this world. It promises freedom, but it brings slavery. It promises enjoyment, but it brings guilt. Instead of happiness, it brings sorrow. Instead of pleasure, it brings pain. Judas turned to religion, but what did religion do for him?

Some people think they need “a little religion.” But they don’t need a little religion; they need a lot of Jesus. A little religion isn’t going to help us. A lot of religion won’t help us, either.

Judas Iscariot went to religion, but he needed Jesus Christ. He needed to turn to the Lord.

We might think that Judas wasn’t really sorry for his sin. In a way, he was. But there’s a difference between repentance and remorse. Remorse is being sorry that you got caught. For example, if you’re pulled over by the highway patrol, you’re remorseful. But it isn’t because you broke the speed limit. It’s because you didn’t have your radar detector turned on.

On the other hand, if you decide that you’re not going to speed anymore, that is repentance. Repentance is being sorry enough not to do it again.

Judas Iscariot was remorseful. He knew that Jesus was innocent. And he knew that what he did was wrong. But if he was repentant, he still could have turned to Jesus.

He had no excuse. He walked and talked with Jesus for three and a half years. The Lord chose him to be His disciple. But the foreknowledge of God does not change the responsibility of man. Even though Jesus knew what would take place, Judas Iscariot, of his own volition, deliberately betrayed the Lord.

He had heard Jesus give His greatest sermons. He listened to the Sermon on the Mount and the Olivet Discourse with his own ears. He saw Lazarus raised from the dead, the blind receive their sight, and the deaf receive their hearing. Judas saw miracle after miracle, yet his heart grew harder and harder.

In the same way, as the Word of God goes out, it impacts and changes some people. But it also hardens others, because they have no intention of believing it. Thus, the continual exposure of God’s Word is doing more harm than good.

Know this: If you think you’re living a secret life, it is no secret to God. You may be fooling people. You may put on a good performance as Judas Iscariot did. But the reality is that God knows. And God will forgive you if you repent. So don’t keep living that way.

~Pastor Greg Laurie-Harvest

A secret life is no secret to God.

29/06/2024

Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.
Isaiah 26:3 KJV