Video Bible Lesson - The Uniqueness of Christ By Dr. Charles Stanley 12/11/2019

The Uniqueness of Christ

By Dr. Charles Stanley

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

12/11/19

#Jesus #Christianity #Salvation #Bible  #God

Preparing (Not Pressuring) Our Kids to Follow Jesus

Preparing (Not Pressuring) Our Kids to Follow Jesus
RUTH SCHWENK

“But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions — it is by grace you have been saved.” Ephesians 2:4-5 (NIV)

The postcard came in the mail with a promise. Just show up, listen to a brief sales presentation and receive a free $25 gift card.

My husband and I were newly married and short on money. So, the promise of $25 felt like a million-dollar offer. A few weeks later we attended the event. But two hours into our “brief” sales presentation, we knew we’d made a mistake. The pressure to say yes was growing by the minute. We no longer cared about the $25. We just wanted out!

In hindsight, the salesman was likely under a lot of pressure, which meant his pressure became our pressure. And although his offer sounded wonderful, his tactics turned us off.

Here’s the truth — sometimes as parents, we can feel and apply a lot of pressure, too.

It’s a different kind of pressure, of course. But still, it’s the kind of pressure that, if we aren’t careful, can become our children’s pressure.

As parents, we can have a sincere and God-given desire to see our kids (or any children in our sphere of influence) follow Jesus. After all, God does call us to help pass on faith to the next generation. (Deuteronomy 6:4-7)

But the weight of this call can create fear. We can become gripped with anxiety. Even more commonly, we become overly controlling and demanding. We can easily lean in the direction of pressuring our kids to choose Jesus. When we do, we begin to create a family culture that feels legalistic and rigid.

Our children can feel the pressure to choose Jesus not because they want to, but because we want them to.

What our hearts need is a reminder of the good news. The Apostle Paul puts it this way:

“But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions — it is by grace you have been saved” (Ephesians 2:4-5).

It is by grace, through faith, that we can cross from death to life. The same grace that saved us has the power to save our kids.

While God does His part, He asks us to do ours, too.

The work God has called us to as parents is a lot like the work of a farmer. A farmer does his work and then waits on God to open the heavens, trusting that when the rain falls, the harvest comes. We are planting seeds, pulling weeds and guarding the fields of our children’s hearts. All of it takes time, wisdom, patience and perseverance. And lots of trust. Our kids are His kids. Just like the farmer, we can’t make things grow. We can only be faithful.

As parents, we prepare our kids to one day choose Jesus in response to God’s grace by planting the seeds of God’s Word in their hearts.

We teach them the Bible.

We model Christlike love.

We endure trials well.

We talk often about the gospel of God’s love and forgiveness.

And ultimately, we act. We show our kids that following Jesus really is the best way to live — and it’s the only way to live forever.

Oh, it isn’t easy, but with God’s help, let’s press on with our call to pass on faith by preparing and not pressuring. And let’s pray often that when the choice is fully theirs, they choose to fully follow Jesus.

Father, this calling to pass on faith matters. But it is Your work. Help me to faithfully prepare my children to know You and love You. And by Your grace, give my children faith. Grow them and strengthen them through Your Word and Your Spirit. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

TRUTH FOR TODAY:
2 Peter 3:9, “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” (NIV)

Jesus Christ the Sin Bearer

Jesus Christ the Sin Bearer

By Dr. Charles Stanley

Matthew 26:26-27

The cross is so common in our culture that most people don’t think twice when they see one on a church. But unfortunately, familiarity with the symbol can actually get in the way of understanding what it truly means. So let’s stop to consider how Jesus became the bearer of sin.

We begin with Scripture written long before Jesus was born. Genesis, the first book of the Bible, explains how man chose to disobey God. Because Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit, their descendants are all born under the curse of death, having inherited a sinful “flesh” nature.

In Leviticus, God’s laws for the Jewish nation included observance of Yom Kippur, the day each year when the Israelites fasted, prayed, and sacrificed an animal to atone for sin. In essence, the goat would bear the wrongs done by the people and suffer the penalty that divine justice required.

Centuries later, Isaiah prophesied that a Savior would atone for transgression once and for all (Isa. 53:5, 8; Heb. 7:27). After another 700 years, John the Baptist identified Jesus as the Lamb of God who would take away the sin of the world (John 1:29). The Messiah had come, though He was totally different from what the people expected—so much so, in fact, that they rejected Him and requested His crucifixion.

In all, God gave 613 laws through Moses. But none of us can perfectly follow even the Ten Commandments. In fact, one reason He gave us these rules is to show us our need for a Savior (Ps. 19:7; Gal. 3:24). Meditate on those commands (Ex. 20:1-17), asking God to speak to your heart.

Thanking God for What Didn’t Happen

Thanking God for What Didn’t Happen 
By Debbie McDaniel

“He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.  I will say to the LORD, “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”  Psalms 91:1-2

Sometimes we need to thank God for all the things that didn’t happen, for what He’s stopped that we never even knew about.

We may not always see it, or feel it, we might forget it’s there at times, or even wonder if God’s left us to fend for ourselves in the heat of hard situations in life. But His protection is real. He sees what we can't see. He knows what we may not know. And if we belong to Him, we can trust, He's with us, every step, going before us, and covering our back too.

Yet in a world of dark, He often gets blamed for a lot of stuff that swirls around us. "Why would God let that happen? Why didn't He do something different? Why did God cause that to happen?"

But the truth is we often have no idea how much He has protected us from, how He's continually working on our behalf, even behind the scenes where we can't see. Following after us. Chasing us. To bring great blessing, and to show us the way.

He promises to take us by the hand, He reminds us not to fear, and assures us He will help us.

We’re never left on our own to try to figure everything out, we’re not left to fight our battles in our own strength. That pathway is filled with potholes of worry and burdens. It’ll trip you up, it’ll wear you out.

God’s way is better. Full of security, peace, assurance, and all that this world can never fully offer.

Trust Him, even when it's hard to understand it all, and believe His ways are the best for you.

Intersecting Faith & Life: Dear God, thank you that you go before us, and that you cover us from behind. Thank you for your protection over us, that you surround our lives as a shield. Thank you for your grace and favor, for your blessings and love that you so graciously shine over your people. We trust you even when we cannot see all that you’re doing. We know that you are for us and you fight for us today. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Why a Manger?

Why a Manger? 
by Skip Heitzig

A few years ago my Mom gave me the Nativity scene that was in our house when I was a kid. It evoked wonder in my early years, and it's still wonderful, but there's something not quite right about it. For one thing, the figure of Jesus looks more like a two-year-old than an infant. For another, He has blond hair and blue eyes—and from what I know of the Middle East, I have kind of a problem with that. Obviously, this Nativity set was crafted by a European!

And the manger is made out of wood. Of course, that's how most of us think of it. But the word in the Bible translated "manger" could mean either a feeding trough or an enclosure for animals. In that part of the world animals were kept in caves, and feeding troughs were made out of stone, so Jesus was probably born in a cave around Bethlehem somewhere, and laid in a stone trough.

Now, I know I've probably destroyed a lot of your mental pictures of Jesus' birth. But the important question is "Why a manger?" Why wasn't He born in a palace, and His birth heralded in the Jerusalem Post?

The answer is in two words, humility and accessibility. His mother wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, like any peasant of the time. This great gift came in simple wrapping. The one who would be called "Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father" (Isaiah 9:6)—the Creator—became an embryo, and then a baby. It's amazing, and the more you think about it, the more staggering it becomes. This humility would depict His entire life and ministry. And when He died He was buried in a borrowed grave, another cave similar to the one He was born in.

Because He was humble, He was accessible. Going into a throne room to see a king would be intimidating, but there's nothing intimidating about going into a cave and approaching a feeding trough. You don't need special credentials, you don't need to have to have an appointment. The shepherds could just come in.

And again, this marked not only His birth but His entire life. Jesus was always accessible to people. He said, "Let the little children come to Me" (Matthew 19:14). He also welcomed the woman with the incurable disease because of her faith (Luke 8:43-48).

So it's not really important what your Nativity scene looks like. The important thing is what you think about the Child who was laid in that manger. In the words of an old Christmas carol, "Infant holy, infant lowly, for his bed a cattle stall; oxen lowing, little knowing, Christ the babe is Lord of all."