Articles by Straight from the Bible at Heartlight

Freed!

Fri, 04 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Since, therefore, the children share flesh and blood, he himself likewise shared the same things, so that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by the fear of death. For it is clear that he did not come to help angels, but the descendants of Abraham. Therefore he had to become like his brothers and sisters in every respect, so that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make a sacrifice of atonement for the sins of the people. Because he himself was tested by what he suffered, he is able to help those who are being tested (Hebrews 2:14-18 NRS).

For Those Under Trial

Sun, 07 Nov 2004 00:00:00 -0600

All this week, Heartlight is asking folks to pray for their nation -- the Heartlight online family includes people from over 180 nations. We're asking you to pray free elections in the nations of the world, to pray for our hearts to be open to God's work among the nations, and to pray for God to exercise His soverign will to do what is best for bringing people all over the world into His fold of grace! We will only be publishing Scripture text for our daily articles this week. We encourage you to use these messages from the Word of God to be your starting point for prayer.

As you enjoy this Lord's Day, please remember your brothers and sisters throughout the world who live out their faith under threat, persecution, and hostility. Not all those who receive this message can worship the Lord Jesus openly and without persecution. Today, let's pray for those who are our perscecuted family. As we do, let's hear the words of God to the suffering people of God in the first century!

In this you rejoice, even if now for a little while you have had to suffer various trials, so that the genuineness of your faith -- being more precious than gold that, though perishable, is tested by fire -- may be found to result in praise and glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Although you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy, for you are receiving the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls. (1 Peter 1:6-9 NRSV)

Have unity of spirit, sympathy, love for one another, a tender heart, and a humble mind. Do not repay evil for evil or abuse for abuse; but, on the contrary, repay with a blessing. It is for this that you were called -- that you might inherit a blessing. For "Those who desire life and desire to see good days, let them keep their tongues from evil and their lips from speaking deceit; let them turn away from evil and do good; let them seek peace and pursue it. For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil." Now who will harm you if you are eager to do what is good? But even if you do suffer for doing what is right, you are blessed. Do not fear what they fear, and do not be intimidated, but in your hearts sanctify Christ as Lord. Always be ready to make your defense to anyone who demands from you an accounting for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and reverence. Keep your conscience clear, so that, when you are maligned, those who abuse you for your good conduct in Christ may be put to shame. For it is better to suffer for doing good, if suffering should be God's will, than to suffer for doing evil. (1 Peter 3:8-17)

Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same intention (for whoever has suffered in the flesh has finished with sin), so as to live for the rest of your earthly life no longer by human desires but by the will of God. You have already spent enough time in doing what the Gentiles like to do, living in licentiousness, passions, drunkenness, revels, carousing, and lawless idolatry. They are surprised that you no longer join them in the same excesses of dissipation, and so they blaspheme. But they will have to give an accounting to him who stands ready to judge the living and the dead. (1 Peter 4:1-5)

Discipline yourselves, keep alert. Like a roaring lion your adversary the devil prowls around, looking for someone to devour. Resist him, steadfast in your faith, for you know that your brothers and sisters in all the world are undergoing the same kinds of suffering. And after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, support, strengthen, and establish you. To him be the power forever and ever. Amen. (1 Peter 5:8-11)

You Must Remember the Forgotten

Sat, 06 Nov 2004 00:00:00 -0600

All this week, Heartlight is asking folks to pray for their nation -- we have people from over 180 different nations in our online Heartlight family -- to pray for free elections in the nations of the world, to pray for our hearts to be open to God's work among the nations, and to pray for God to exercise His sovereign will to do what is best for bringing people all over the world into His fold of grace! We will only be publishing Scripture text for our daily articles this week. We encourage you to use these messages from the Word of God to be your starting point for prayer.

Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your doings from before my eyes; cease to do evil, learn to do good; seek justice, rescue the oppressed, defend the orphan, plead for the widow. (Isaiah 1:16-17 NRSV)

If any think they are religious, and do not bridle their tongues but deceive their hearts, their religion is worthless. Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world. (James 1:26-27 NRSV)

Let God arise, let his enemies be scattered; let those who hate him flee before him! As smoke is driven away, so drive them away; as wax melts before fire, let the wicked perish before God! But let the righteous be joyful; let them exult before God; let them be jubilant with joy! Sing to God, sing praises to his name; lift up a song to him who rides upon the clouds; his name is the LORD, exult before him! Father of the fatherless and protector of widows is God in his holy habitation. God gives the desolate a home to dwell in; he leads out the prisoners to prosperity; but the rebellious dwell in a parched land. (Psalm 68:1-6 RSV)

"When the Son of man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate them one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, and he will place the sheep at his right hand, but the goats at the left. Then the King will say to those at his right hand, 'Come, O blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.' Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see thee hungry and feed thee, or thirsty and give thee drink? And when did we see thee a stranger and welcome thee, or naked and clothe thee? And when did we see thee sick or in prison and visit thee?' And the King will answer them, 'Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me.' Then he will say to those at his left hand, 'Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.' Then they also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see thee hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to thee?' Then he will answer them, 'Truly, I say to you, as you did it not to one of the least of these, you did it not to me.' And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life." (Matthew 25:31-46 RSV)

Seek Me and Live

Fri, 05 Nov 2004 00:00:00 -0600

All this week, Heartlight is asking folks to pray for their nation, to pray for free elections in the nations of the world -- we have people from over 180 different nations in our online Heartlight family. We're asking you to pray for our hearts to be open to God's work among the nations, and to pray for God to exercise His sovereign will to do what is best for bringing people all over the world into His fold of grace! We will only be publishing Scripture text for our daily articles this week. We encourage you to use these messages from the Word of God to be your starting point for prayer.

Come back to the LORD and live! If you don't, he will roar through Israel like a fire, devouring you completely. Your gods in Bethel certainly won't be able to quench the flames! You wicked people! You twist justice, making it a bitter pill for the poor and oppressed. Righteousness and fair play are meaningless fictions to you.

It is the LORD who created the stars, the Pleiades and Orion. It is he who turns darkness into morning and day into night. It is he who draws up water from the oceans and pours it down as rain on the land. The LORD is his name! With blinding speed and power he destroys the strong, crushing all their defenses.

How you hate honest judges! How you despise people who tell the truth! You trample the poor and steal what little they have through taxes and unfair rent. Therefore, you will never live in the beautiful stone houses you are building. You will never drink wine from the lush vineyards you are planting. For I know the vast number of your sins and rebellions. You oppress good people by taking bribes and deprive the poor of justice in the courts. So those who are wise will keep quiet, for it is an evil time.

Do what is good and run from evil—that you may live! Then the LORD God Almighty will truly be your helper, just as you have claimed he is. Hate evil and love what is good; remodel your courts into true halls of justice. Perhaps even yet the LORD God Almighty will have mercy on his people who remain.

Therefore, this is what the Lord, the LORD God Almighty, says: "There will be crying in all the public squares and in every street. Call for the farmers to weep with you, and summon professional mourners to wail and lament. There will be wailing in every vineyard, for I will pass through and destroy them all. I, the LORD, have spoken!"

How terrible it will be for you who say, "If only the day of the LORD were here! For then the LORD would rescue us from all our enemies." But you have no idea what you are wishing for. That day will not bring light and prosperity, but darkness and disaster. In that day you will be like a man who runs from a lion -- only to meet a bear. After escaping the bear, he leans his hand against a wall in his house -- and is bitten by a snake. Yes, the day of the LORD will be a dark and hopeless day, without a ray of joy or hope.

"I hate all your show and pretense -- the hypocrisy of your religious festivals and solemn assemblies. I will not accept your burnt offerings and grain offerings. I won't even notice all your choice peace offerings. Away with your hymns of praise! They are only noise to my ears. I will not listen to your music, no matter how lovely it is. Instead, I want to see a mighty flood of justice, a river of righteous living that will never run dry." (Amos 5:6-24 NLT)

Citizens of a Different Country

Thu, 04 Nov 2004 00:00:00 -0600

All this week, Heartlight is asking folks to pray for their nation -- the Heartlight online family includes people from over 180 nations. We're asking you to pray free elections in the nations of the world, to pray for our hearts to be open to God's work among the nations, and to pray for God to exercise His soverign will to do what is best for bringing people all over the world into His fold of grace! We will only be publishing Scripture text for our daily articles this week. We encourage you to use these messages from the Word of God to be your starting point for prayer.

We are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior. He will take these weak mortal bodies of ours and change them into glorious bodies like his own, using the same mighty power that he will use to conquer everything, everywhere. (Philippians 3:20-21 NLT)

On this earth we don't have a city that lasts forever, but we are waiting for such a city. (Hebrews 13:14 CEV) When people talk this way, it is clear that they are looking for a place to call their own. If they had been talking about the land where they had once lived, they could have gone back at any time. But they were looking forward to a better home in heaven. That's why God wasn't ashamed for them to call him their God. He even built a city for them. (Hebrews 11:14-16 CEV)

You are chosen people. You are the King’s priests. You are a holy nation of people. You are people who belong to God. God chose you to tell about the wonderful things he has done. He called (brought) you out of darkness sin into his wonderful light. At one time you were not God’s people. But now you are God’s people. In the past you had never received mercy. But now you have received mercy from God.
Dear friends, you are like visitors and strangers in this world. So I beg you to stay away from the evil things your bodies want to do. These things fight against your soul. People who don’t believe are living all around you. Those people may say that you are doing wrong. So live good lives. Then they will see the good things you do, and they will give glory to God on that day when he comes.
Obey the people who have authority in this world. Do this for the Lord. Obey the king who is the highest authority. And obey the leaders who are sent by the king. They are sent to punish people who do wrong and to praise those people who do good. So when you do good, you stop foolish people from saying stupid things about you. This is what God wants. Live like free men. But don’t use your freedom as an excuse to do evil. Live like you are serving God. Show respect for all people. Love all the brothers and sisters of God’s family. Fear (respect) God, and honor the king. (1 Peter 2:9-16 ERV)

The Best Kind of Citizens

Wed, 03 Nov 2004 00:00:00 -0600

All this week, Heartlight is asking folks to pray for their nation -- the Heartlight online family includes people from over 180 nations. We're asking you to pray for free elections in the nations of the world, to pray for our hearts to be open to God's work among the nations, and to pray for God to exercise His sovereign will to do what is best for bringing people all over the world into His fold of grace! We will only be publishing Scripture text for our daily articles this week. We encourage you to use these messages from the Word of God to be your starting point for prayer.

Obey the government, for God is the one who put it there. All governments have been placed in power by God. So those who refuse to obey the laws of the land are refusing to obey God, and punishment will follow. For the authorities do not frighten people who are doing right, but they frighten those who do wrong. So do what they say, and you will get along well. The authorities are sent by God to help you. But if you are doing something wrong, of course you should be afraid, for you will be punished. The authorities are established by God for that very purpose, to punish those who do wrong. So you must obey the government for two reasons: to keep from being punished and to keep a clear conscience.

Pay your taxes, too, for these same reasons. For government workers need to be paid so they can keep on doing the work God intended them to do. Give to everyone what you owe them: Pay your taxes and import duties, and give respect and honor to all to whom it is due.

Pay all your debts, except the debt of love for others. You can never finish paying that! If you love your neighbor, you will fulfill all the requirements of God's law. For the commandments against adultery and murder and stealing and coveting -- and any other commandment -- are all summed up in this one commandment: "Love your neighbor as yourself." Love does no wrong to anyone, so love satisfies all of God's requirements.

Another reason for right living is that you know how late it is; time is running out. Wake up, for the coming of our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. The night is almost gone; the day of salvation will soon be here. So don't live in darkness. Get rid of your evil deeds. Shed them like dirty clothes. Clothe yourselves with the armor of right living, as those who live in the light. We should be decent and true in everything we do, so that everyone can approve of our behavior. Don't participate in wild parties and getting drunk, or in adultery and immoral living, or in fighting and jealousy. But let the Lord Jesus Christ take control of you, and don't think of ways to indulge your evil desires. (Romans 13:1-14 NLT)

What Joy for This Nation!

Tue, 02 Nov 2004 00:00:00 -0600

All this week, Heartlight is asking folks to pray for their nation -- the Heartlight online family includes people from over 180 nations. We're asking you to pray for free elections in the nations of the world, to pray for our hearts to be open to God's work among the nations, and to pray for God to exercise His sovereign will to do what is best for bringing people all over the world into His fold of grace! We will only be publishing Scripture text for our daily articles this week. We encourage you to use these messages from the Word of God to be your starting point for prayer.

The LORD shatters the plans of the nations

and thwarts all their schemes.

But the LORD's plans stand firm forever;

his intentions can never be shaken.

What joy for the nation whose God is the LORD,

whose people he has chosen for his own.

The LORD looks down from heaven

and sees the whole human race.

From his throne he observes

all who live on the earth.

He made their hearts,

so he understands everything they do.

The best-equipped army cannot save a king,

nor is great strength enough to save a warrior.

Don't count on your warhorse to give you victory --

for all its strength,
it cannot save you.

But the LORD watches over those who fear him,

those who rely on his
unfailing love.

He rescues them from death

and keeps them alive in times of famine.

We depend on the LORD alone to save us.

Only he can help us, protecting us like a shield.

In him our hearts rejoice,

for we are trusting in his holy name.

Let your unfailing love surround us, LORD,

for our hope is in you alone. (Psalm 33:10-22 NLT)