Video Bible Lesson - Trading Spaces by Ed Young

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

3/29/2020

Trading Spaces
by Ed Young

For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. 2 Corinthians 5:21
Christ traded spaces with us on the cross. He died in our place, for our sin. But if you believe that Jesus Christ died on the cross for your sins, you only believe one-half of the Gospel. The other half of the Gospel is the fact that Christ fulfilled God's standard perfectly. He was 100% righteous. So, had Christ been 90% righteous or 80% righteous, his sacrifice would not meet God's demands. He was 100% righteous.
So, once you bow the knee to Christ and ask him to come into your life to take residence, to come into the dwelling place of your heart, then the righteousness of Christ is imputed into your life. Thus, when God sees you, he sees Jesus and his perfect character. This is only able to take place because of the resurrection power.
That's the power that can renovate our minds and hearts today and that will one day completely renovate and restore our sin-torn bodies into glorified bodies that will live forever in heaven. The resurrection is the final hope of every Christ-follower. It is the "final reveal" of God's design and renovation: the perfection of our mind, body, and spirit. On the other side of the grave, when God says, "Okay, open your eyes and see your new space," you will open your eyes in a resurrected, recreated body, a completely new space that you will inhabit for eternity.
It will be the perfect space, designed by the perfect Designer (God the Father), rebuilt by the perfect Carpenter (Jesus Christ) and purchased at the ultimate cost (Christ's precious blood). But you've got to make the choice: Are you going to keep trying on your own to rebuild the rubble left by sin or are you going to let the Carpenter renovate your life into the perfect space.

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

Streams in the Desert

Streams in the Desert

Consider the lilies, how they grow (Matt. 6:28).

I need oil," said an ancient monk; so he planted an olive sapling. "Lord," he prayed, "it needs rain that its tender roots may drink and swell. Send gentle showers." And the Lord sent gentle showers. "Lord," prayed the monk, "my tree needs sun. Send sun, I pray Thee." And the sun shone, gilding the dripping clouds. "Now frost, my Lord, to brace its tissues," cried the monk. And behold, the little tree stood sparkling with frost, but at evening it died.

Then the monk sought the cell of a brother monk, and told his strange experience. "I, too, planted a little tree," he said, "and see! it thrives well. But I entrust my tree to its God. He who made it knows better what it needs than a man like me. I laid no condition. I fixed not ways or means. 'Lord, send what it needs,' I prayed, 'storm or sunshine, wind, rain, or frost. Thou hast made it and Thou dost know.'"

Yes, leave it with Him,
The lilies all do,
And they grow--
They grow in the rain,
And they grow in the, dew--
Yes, they grow:
They grow in the darkness, all hid in the night--
They grow in the sunshine, revealed by the light--
Still they grow.
Yes, leave it with Him
'Tis more dear to His heart,
You will know,
Than the lilies that bloom,
Or the flowers that start
'Neath the snow:
Whatever you need, if you seek it in prayer,
You can leave it with Him--for you are His care.
You, you know.
--Selected

A Prayer of Love from 1 Corinthians 13

A Prayer of Love from 1 Corinthians 13By Debbie McDaniel

“Love never fails…” 1 Corinthians 13:8

Known as the Love Chapter, 1 Corinthians 13 is one of the greatest reminders to us today of what real love looks like. And what it doesn’t look like. Widely read at weddings or written all over love notes, these words may become so familiar over time; they can almost lose some of their important message.

As we read this portion of Scripture today, let’s ask God for help in soaking in every truth as we pray His powerful words back to Him. Let’s ask for the freshness of His Spirit to bring His message of love alive within our hearts and flowing through our lives. We can’t do it on our own. We’d never be able to muster enough strength within us. It’s only possible through Him. And more than ever before, our world needs to see what true love looks like. We can do a lot of good things in this life, we can give gifts, and even make notable sacrifices for others. But if we do not have Christ’s love within us, compelling us, filling us, every moment of every day, “it profits me nothing.”

His words of truth and love:

“If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing.

Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Love never fails…But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love.” From 1 Corinthians 13:1-8, 13

Dear God,

Thank you that you are a loving, gracious God. Thank you that you’ve offered us forgiveness and the gift of new life in you. Thank you that your love is perfect, it never fails, and that nothing can separate us from your love.

We pray that our lives would be filled and overflowing with the power of your love so we can make a difference in this world and bring honor to you. We ask for your help in reminding us that the most important things are not what we do outwardly, it’s not based on any talent or gift, but the most significant thing we can do in this life is simply to love you and to choose to love others.

Lord thank you that your love is patient. Help us show patience with those around us.

Lord thank you that your love is kind. Help us to extend kindness to others.

Lord thank you that true love is not jealous. Help us cast aside feelings of jealousy or hatred towards others.

Lord thank you that your love does not brag and is not arrogant. Help us not to live with pride or arrogance, but to choose to walk with humility and grace.

Lord thank you that true love does not act unbecomingly. Lord help us to extend kindness instead of rudeness towards others. Help us to lay aside the critical tone and tearing down with our words, so that we can truly walk in peace.

Lord thank you that true love does not seek its own. Lord help us not to live selfishly, looking only to our own interests.

Lord thank you that true love is not provoked. Lord help us not to become easily angered. Help us not to be so quickly reactive, but instead slow to speak and slow to become angry.

Lord thank you that your love does not take into account a wrong suffered. Lord help us not to hold grudges, but to choose to forgive, even when it’s difficult.

Lord thank you that your love does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth. Lord help us to love your words of truth, may we walk in your freedom and wisdom. Let it be what drives our lives and choices every day.

Lord thank you that your love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things, thank you that your love never fails.

Help us to love as you love. Fill us with your Spirit so that we can choose what is best. We are weak Lord, but we know also, that even when we are weak, you are strong within us. Thank you that it’s not all up to us. Thank you that you equip us to face each day with the power of your love, your forgiveness, and your grace.

We love you Lord, and we need you today, and every day,

In Jesus’ Name,

Amen.

Don’t Take 1 Timothy 6:10 Out of Context

Don’t Take 1 Timothy 6:10 Out of Context
By Stephen Sanders

What does this scripture really mean?

"For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs." - 1 Timothy 6:10

Well, you may say, “I don’t need to see anything else! The Bible is the Word of God so if that’s what it says then, well, that’s what it means! End of story!” Or perhaps you may say, “See, it says the ‘love’ of money, so I can have as much money as I want as long as I don’t ‘love’ it.”

While 1 Timothy 6:10 is probably the most well-known verse in the book of 1st Timothy, we need to look at the verses that surround it to discover exactly what Paul was saying here. I mean, what if I told you that the movie Star Wars was all about Luke Skywalker discovering that Darth Vader was his father?

It’s not JUST about that, even though, “I am your father!” is probably the most famous line from that movie. Get my drift? We don’t treat movies or other books like that so why would we treat the Bible that way?

So what was Paul warning Timothy about? Let’s start here...

3-5
If anyone advocates a different doctrine and does not agree with sound words, those of our Lord Jesus Christ, and with the doctrine conforming to godliness, he is conceited and understands nothing; but he has a morbid interest in controversial questions and disputes about words, out of which arise envy, strife, abusive language, evil suspicions, and constant friction between men of depraved mind and deprived of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain.

Here, Paul compares ungodly leaders to those who:

- Ignore Jesus’ words
- Have a morbid interest in controversy
- Suppose that godliness is a means of gain

6-10
But godliness actually is a means of great gain when accompanied by contentment. For we have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out of it either. If we have food and covering, with these we shall be content. But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.

Next, Paul claims that Christianity does involve prosperity (great gain) when accompanied with contentment with having food and clothes (our needs met). Timothy is being warned about teaching a gospel that includes a guarantee of riches because:

- They are temporary
- Lead to temptation
- They cause people to wander away from the faith

11-16
But flee from these things, you man of God, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance and gentleness. Fight the good fight of faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who testified the good confession before Pontius Pilate, that you keep the commandment without stain or reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, which He will bring about at the proper time. He who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone possesses immortality and dwells unapproachable light, whom no man has see nor can see. To Him be honor and eternal dominion! Amen.

So far, we can ascertain that Paul is warning Timothy that, the love of money, which we have just determined is a Christian teaching that equates godliness is a means of gain, is something that we need to flee from. Instead of following that teaching, we need to:

- Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance and gentleness
- Grab the gift of eternal life which we have through Jesus Christ and share THAT message

17-19
Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy. Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is life indeed.

Finally, before he switches gears, Paul instructs Timothy on how to minister to those who are already rich:

- Warn rich people how their riches are temporary, how they lead to temptation and how they cause people to wander away from the faith
- Teach them to instead be rich in righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance and gentleness

The concept of “riches” in the Christian walk can be a tricky thing to navigate. Some things, like the love of money, can be more difficult for some people in certain cultures than it is for those in other cultures. And, when it all comes down to it, we all probably have something - money, people, stuff, selfish desires - we choose to place above Jesus in our everyday lives.

As we let the real meaning of 1 Timothy 6:10 sink in today, we should ask ourselves this: “What am I treasuring over Jesus?” And as we answer that question, I pray that God uproots all forms of evil that keep us from living as He wants us to.

The Beauty of Waiting

The Beauty of Waiting
by Katherine Britton

"Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord." - Psalm 27:14

Waiting seems to be a common theme in my circle of friends right now. For some, like my friend who was laid off twice in eight months, the long-awaited hope is a stable job in a tough economy. Others are biding their time, trying to find useful ways to serve and stay busy until God speaks. Some can see their heart's desire just across the room and yet must act as if it's a world away. Those finishing graduate school and starting new jobs find themselves waiting on new friends in new places.

This weekend, two of my dear friends reached the end of their wait. Their story waited for three years while they grew ever so slowly together. They might have constructed a different narrative for their story back then if they had had a choice, but as I watched her walk down the aisle, I wondered if she still felt the hurry. This bride and groom's circumstances refused to follow the seemingly most desirable timetable, and the monumental effort they both invested sometimes seemed ineffective. But I witnessed a tender moment as my friend walked towards her groom - her eyes never left his face, and he couldn't stop smiling at her. Those three years slipped by in a moment to reveal two people refined and beautiful.

I crave a destination, not the trip, so likening waiting to some over-spiritualized journey is lost on me. But I am a person who goes endures the racking climb to see the spectacular vantage point - I want to see the beauty of the Lord made known. Seeing my friends walk down the aisle gave me a similar feeling. I saw the beauty that had come from waiting - and that made the wait beautiful too.

Sitting at home tonight, my thoughts keep drifting back to Hannah, the prophet Samuel's mother. This dear woman endured years of childlessness, wanting a son so badly that the waiting made her sick. Her prayer was "remembered" after many tears and pleadings with God, and ultimately she gave the reward of her waiting. Yet her story concludes with a song, a beautiful meditation on the paradoxes of waiting on God to fulfill his promises. As she delivered her son to a lifetime of service - away from her, no less - she proclaimed, "My heart rejoices in the Lord… for I delight in your deliverance." This was a woman whose night of sorrow lasted for years, but even she saw the beauty of the morning.

My driving heart would like to think that good things come through waiting, but perhaps that understanding narrows the beauty of redemption. Why don't we extend the beauty to the waiting itself? As the song goes, "He makes all things beautiful in his time." Yes, even the waiting.

The Ultimate Lifesaver

The Ultimate Lifesaver
This devotional was written by Jim Liebelt

Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. —John 15:13

An article in Reader’s Digest described the actions of Dave Shoemaker, captain of the 180-foot fishing vessel, “Galaxy,” somewhere off Alaska’s St. Paul Island. The article read, “When a disastrous engine fire wreaked havoc for the Galaxy and its crew, Captain Shoemaker bravely walked through the smoke and flames with no protection but a bandanna around his mouth to radio for help. Shoemaker continued to put the lives of his crew first and worked to help them to safety despite incurring three broken ribs, extensive burns to his skin and the increasing chance of going down with the ship. Like a true captain, he made certain he was the last of the crew to be rescued by the Coast Guard, who arrived thanks to his initial Mayday call. The Galaxy was completely lost, but thanks in great part to Shoemaker's courage under fire, 21 of the 25 crew members survived.” Captain Shoemaker, a modern day hero, put his own life on the line in order to save the life of his crewmembers.

Let’s reflect on our ultimate lifesaver, the Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Remember that he willingly suffered, bled and died—taking our own sin and shame on Himself as He hung on a cross— that we might be saved from an eternity of separation from God. In his resurrection from the grave, Jesus broke the power of sin and death—and guaranteed rescue—to anyone who believes in Him. He is our most shining example of heroism in action.

Yet, the story doesn’t end here. We, in fact, are destined to become part of the story. For Jesus calls all of us who have experienced His rescue to become part of his rescue team—to act heroically, willingly putting our lives on the line—in order to help rescue others. “Snatch others from the fire and save them,” is how the New Testament book of Jude puts it. It’s a simple act of gratitude for we who have been given a lifeline, to share a lifeline with someone else.

Today, offer a prayer of thanks to Jesus, our ultimate lifesaver and consider someone around you with whom you can share your own Easter story of rescue. You never know. In doing so, you just might “snatch someone from the fire.”

GOING DEEPER:

1. Who had the courage to share the news of Jesus' resurrection with you? Pray and thank God for using this person in your life. If possible, thank them personally for being willing to be used by God in your life.

2. In your circle of relationships, who might benefit from hearing your story of God’s rescue in your life? Will you commit to sharing your story with this person in the coming week?

FURTHER READING:

John 10:11-18; Luke 9:23-26; 2 Corinthians 5:17-21