Video Bible Lesson - The Names of Christ by Dr. Charles Stanley

The Names of Christ

By Dr. Charles Stanley

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

12/17/19

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

Be the Answer to Their Prayers

Be the Answer to Their Prayers
KAREN EHMAN

“Everyone should look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.” Philippians 2:4 (CSB)

A group of teenagers and I sat cross-legged on the church lawn, soaking in the warm sunshine. We’d just taken a break from a group game to sip something cold while we visited with each other. One of the girls had just returned from a mission trip in a developing nation, and I couldn't wait to hear about her experience.

“So, Renee, tell us about your trip,” I inquired. “What is the one thing you will remember the most?”

I imagined her answer having to do with a child who captured her heart with a sweet smile, or a church service she attended that was so very different from ours. Neither one of these guesses was right.

“Oh, that’s easy. I will always remember it was on this trip when I learned how easy it is in our culture to answer our own prayers.”

Her statement stunned me for a moment. I wondered, What in the world did she mean, by “answer our own prayers” …? Only God answers prayer, right? But before I could ask her to explain further, she continued.

“You see, here when we pray, we bow our heads, say grace and ask God to ‘give us this day our daily bread.’ And then? We hop in our cars, run to the grocery store and buy a loaf or two. We ask Him to keep us safe and warm. Then parents buy their kids the best car seats available, and we crank up the furnace whenever we feel chilly. It is so easy in our culture to provide the answer to our own prayers. But the people I met on the trip? They pray God will give them their daily bread, not knowing if they will have enough food to feed their families that night. Their prayers are bold. They ask God for things they can't always provide for themselves.”

I had never thought of this concept before, and it stirred my heart and mind: How can I use my abundance to help answer someone else's prayers? To leverage the privilege I have been given to help and encourage others?

Today’s key verse from Philippians 2:4 gives me a perfect perspective in this endeavor: “Everyone should look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.” (CSB) I should not just be “answering my own prayers.” I should also seek to use what resources and time I have to be the answer to someone’s else’s prayers.

All over the world, there are hungry and hurting souls who need food, shelter and even safety. Perhaps they need emotional support or spiritual encouragement. They might simply need a listening ear and assurance that God loves them, and He has not forgotten them. Maybe they could use some help in their own spiritual growth. Do we think of such people when we pray and act, or do we only consider our own needs in these areas?

Hopefully, the more we grow in our walk with the Lord, the more attentive we become to the interests of others, not just our own. My little chat with this spiritually sensitive teen changed me. I began to pray God would help me be attentive to those needing my help. And then, that I would stand back and — in faith — watch Him work.

How about you? Is your prayer list full of items pertaining to your own needs but rarely the needs of others? Perhaps it is time we begin asking God to use us as the answer to someone else’s prayers.

Father, teach me to be generous in giving my time, my talents and my resources. Please use me as You answer the prayers of others in need. Help me to be willing and available to follow You however You lead. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

TRUTH FOR TODAY:
Proverbs 3:27, “Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to do it.” (ESV)

Hebrews 6:10, “God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them.” (NIV)

Spending Our Inheritance

Spending Our Inheritance

By Dr. Charles Stanley

Ephesians 1:11-22

The word “inheritance” usually brings to mind the money and real estate handed down from one generation to another. But God has an even greater legacy to share with His children—one that they are given the moment they enter His family.

Galatians 4:7 tells us that believers are God’s heirs. First among our priceless treasures is a living hope in Jesus Christ that cannot be taken away (1 Peter 1:3). What’s more, He pledged to supply our needs according to His riches (Phil 4:19). In other words, we already have all that we need for an abundant and victorious life.

However, some folks get stuck in spiritual poverty because they refuse to view themselves as adopted children. Failing to tap into their inheritance, they’re like a man who sees himself as a poor, sinful creature: he wanders through this big angry world hoping to hold on to his meager scrap of faith until he’s lucky enough to die and go to heaven. Of course that man misses the blessings available in this life, because he’s not looking for them.

How differently people see themselves when they look through the eyes of Jesus. Christians who live like the beloved, empowered heirs that they are will lavishly spend their inheritance of grace to benefit everyone they meet.

God gives all believers a pledge of inheritance out of the unsurpassed riches of His infinite grace. We are spiritually rich citizens of heaven who have nothing to fear in this world. Choose to live boldly for Christ, and see how abundantly God pours out blessing from the legacy already set aside for you.

Where is Your Joy?

Where is Your Joy?
by Debbie Holloway

But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.” Luke 2:10-11

The winter season can be bleak for many. Students are preoccupied with their work. Others become easily stressed with the pressure to plan (and cook for) family gatherings associated with the various winter holidays. Some of us even struggle with S.A.D (seasonal affective disorder), a medical condition where melancholy and sorrow creep up, due in part to the lack of sunshine.

There is something special, then, about the coming of spring. About seeing daffodils peek their yellow heads above the ground for the first time.

I imagine the Jews of Jesus’ day longed for the spring of the Lord’s favor. No word from the Lord had come for a long time. Jews were living under a powerful, pagan Roman government. While the people were not necessarily miserable or oppressed, their joy perhaps had worn a little thin. They no doubt pined for something better.

Imagine, next, the Shepherds who were visited by Angels on the night of Christ’s birth. The hum-drum of their evening duties, perhaps even their sleep, was interrupted in a big way.

And the glory of the Lord shone around them.

And they were terrified.

But the terror was short lived, of course. What terror can stand against such amazing, incredible, joy?

A savior has been born to you.

 "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about"  they exclaimed (Luke 2:15).

Is it any wonder that the third candle of Advent, the Joy candle, is called The Shepherd’s Candle? Perhaps no other figure in the nativity story was blessed to receive such unblemished, unmitigated joy as the shepherds were. There they were, pegging away like every other day, when – for no reason other than God’s favor – they were given the gift of joy. They were shown the Messiah, their looked-for Messiah, and had glimpsed into that eagerly-awaited spring of the Lord’s favor.

This season, as Christmas edges ever closer, let us remember this joy. We too await another awakening: the Lord’s second coming. We continue to fight through the pangs and groaning of a world which continually gives birth to sin. But, in this season, let us remember the Incarnation with as much joy as did those first witnesses.

“A woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come; but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world. So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy.” –John 16:21-22

Intersecting Faith and Life: Is your joy in Christ such that no one can take it away? If not, take some time to meditate on God’s gift of an incarnated Christ to the world.

When Work is a Nightmare

When Work is a Nightmare
By: RJ Thesman

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men” (Colossians 3:23).

Working in a dream environment is a goal for most of us. But when the dream turns into a toxic nightmare, how do we climb out of bed every morning and make ourselves go to work? What are some practical tools we can use in the workforce? And what is the Christian’s responsibility when dealing with difficult co-workers?

First, try to understand what's happening.

The Native American proverb is still a good principle, “Don’t judge people until you’ve walked a mile in their moccasins.” 

In today’s work environment, everyone is dealing with some type of stress. A co-worker whose fibromyalgia flares every morning will not be a cheery person. The same goes for a mother whose son is facing prison time or a wife who is struggling to keep her marriage together. A deadly prognosis from the doctor. Depression, mounting debt, a parent with Alzheimer’s disease. All these issues and more can be festering in a nearby cubicle. Try to understand what’s at the root of the difficult relationship.

Next, Remember: Humility wins.

The balance between standing up for ourselves and showing humility is a delicate line. But in the long run, we need to ask ourselves, “How can I sleep tonight if I respond to this co-worker with the same bad attitude? What does God require of me in this situation?”

The biblical example is Joseph, who was mistreated, betrayed, and misunderstood. Yet he humbly continued to serve even while imprisoned. “God granted him favor in the eyes of the prison warden” (Genesis 39:21) and eventually Joseph was released and promoted. 

Joseph also knew when to set a boundary and stand up for his rights. “Remember me,” Joseph said to Pharaoh’s cupbearer, “and show me kindness. Mention me to Pharaoh and get me out of this prison” (Genesis 40:14).

Finally - Pray for them.

Even if your prayers don’t release you from the situation, they can strengthen your resolve “to act justly, love mercy and walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8). 

A whispered prayer after an unkind remark can release resentment that might have festered into bitterness. An honest petition to the Holy Spirit to comfort the hardened places in difficult co-workers might become the salve of their salvation. We rarely understand the full scope and power of prayer. What it can accomplish is a mystery. Sometimes just repeating the name, “Jesus,” has helped me past the struggle of the moment.

As one of my encouraging friends says, “Do your best and surrender the rest.”

A Prayer for When You Feel Burdened

A Prayer for When You Feel Burdened
By Glynnis Whitwer

“Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken.” Psalm 55:22 (NIV)

When we adopted our two daughters from Africa, we didn’t expect it would be easy. But we couldn’t have imagined how hard it would be.

Our family of five (my husband, our three boys and I) clearly heard God’s call. We knew our family was supposed to grow to seven. And as we looked at the picture of two little sisters standing in a dirt lot strewn with trash, our hearts confirmed these were our children.

The joy of bringing these precious girls to their forever home was overflowing… for about a week.

Then reality set in.

What we could not see from the initial picture, and what the orphanage couldn’t tell us, was the wounding that had happened in one of their hearts during her early years. The neglect and abuse caused deep gouges in her heart that wouldn’t be healed easily.

Our days were filled with challenges that took their toll on everyone. Days turned into years, and the issues we hoped would receive healing only got worse. Our house was like a tinder box, ready to explode at any minute. And it did. Often.

Multiple counselors and treatment centers didn’t seem to touch the underlying issues, and I began to feel hopeless. I couldn’t help my daughter, and I couldn’t seem to protect my family. Guilt overwhelmed me and my husband. Surely there was something we were doing wrong, or not doing right. And how could we manage the intense emotions?

It truly seemed too much to bear.

Before that, I’d never understood what it meant to get to the end of yourself. Life had been relatively easy, and problems seemed fixable. But at that point, I faced a situation beyond my abilities. I needed the Lord like I’d never needed Him before.

That’s when Scriptures like Psalm 55:22 took on a new meaning: “Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken.”

I had to give this situation to the Lord, or I would fall apart with the burden of it. My desperation took me to a new place of dependence. If the Lord didn’t sustain me, my heart felt like it would crumble to pieces, and I was afraid of how my body was reacting to the stress.

There was no lightning bolt moment, but bit by bit, I felt more peace. A big part of that peace came when the Lord showed me I’d done all He’d asked me to do. We weren’t to “fix” our daughter; that was His job. We were to be a part of her journey and show her God’s love as best as we could. That truth sustained me through the most difficult times.

Today if your burdens feel too much to bear, there is hope. Pour out your heart in prayer to our Heavenly Father — hold nothing back. And when you feel your burden lightening even the slightest bit, thank Him for His faithfulness. He’s been there all the time, just waiting to help.

Lord, thank You for being ever-present in my life. And thank You for the hard times. I might not have said that then, but I see now how faithful You were (and are) to meet my needs. Help me walk so closely with You that I never return to my independent self. I love You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

What Christmas Is About

What Christmas Is About

By Greg Laurie

Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, to order it and establish it with judgment and justice from that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this. —Isaiah 9:7

As we look at our world today, we realize that part of the promise of Isaiah 9:6–7 has not yet been fulfilled. The Son has been given. The Child has been born. But He has not yet taken the government upon His shoulders. We do not yet have peace with judgment and justice. But the good news is that there will come a day when Christ will return. He will establish His kingdom on this earth. And it will be the righteous rule of God himself.

Before Jesus could take the government upon His shoulder, He had to take the cross upon His shoulder. Before He could wear the crown of glory as King of Kings, He had to wear the shameful crown of thorns and give His life as a sacrifice for the sins of the world. The first time, a star marked His arrival. But the next time He comes, the heavens will roll back like a scroll, all of the stars will fall from the sky, and He himself will light it.

Christ came to this earth. God came near to you so you can come near to Him—to give your life purpose and meaning, to forgive you of your sins, and to give you the hope of heaven beyond the grave. Christmas is not about tinsel or shopping or presents. Christmas is not about the gifts under the tree. Rather, Christmas is about the gift that was given on the tree when Christ died there for our sins and gave us the gift of eternal life.