Video Bible Lesson - Being Approachable By Debbie Holloway

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

4/21/2020

Being Approachable
By Debbie Holloway

“Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death - even death on a cross!” - Philippians 2:5

It is nigh impossible to be wholly truthful and also be universally liked. It is very difficult to believe strange things and be popular. It is unlikely that one who lives as a servant will draw fame and admiration from people in high places.

Thankfully, Jesus calls us neither to be universally liked, popular, famous, or admirable in the eyes of wealthy men.

But hold it – we can’t just stop there. Beware, lest we swagger with pride in the knowledge that being disliked, unpopular, and obscure will place us in high standing with our Lord. God has a distinct mission for us: to reach the world with the Gospel (that is, John 3:16). He has also set a distinct example for us to follow as we live and try to proclaim that gospel through our words and actions. All too often, however, we fall short of his example and become entirely unapproachable to the exact people we should be loving and reaching with God’s truth and love.

Was Jesus unapproachable? Did his firm stances on God’s truth leave others afraid to challenge him, ask questions, or be imperfect in his presence? Let’s look to Scripture.

1. People were also bringing babies to Jesus to have him touch them. When the disciples saw this, they rebuked them. But Jesus called the children to him and said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these” (Luke 18:15).

Not only does this infer that children were at ease in the presence of Christ, but that parents were comfortable handing their infants to this man to hold and bless! If you are a parent, you understand the implications of these verses. If not, then know: it’s a big deal to give someone your kid. Jesus lived in such a way that not only did children trust him, but parents trusted him with their children.

2. While Jesus was having dinner at Levi's house, many tax collectors and "sinners" were eating with him and his disciples, for there were many who followed him. When the teachers of the law who were Pharisees saw him eating with the "sinners" and tax collectors, they asked his disciples: "Why does he eat with tax collectors and 'sinners'?" On hearing this, Jesus said to them, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners" (Mark 2:15).

In this passage Jesus attracts both the wicked and the righteous – neither group seems afraid to approach him. But while the Pharisees consistently attack Jesus with purposes of trapping or confounding him, the sinners and tax collectors love to walk with him, eat with him, drink with him, listen to his words. His sermons don’t scare them away; his words aren’t laced with shame and guilt-trips. Rather, he speaks of how to please God, how to love one another, and he fascinates them by turning old notions of righteousness upside down – all in a way that makes people want to listen to him and follow him. He patiently administers to sinners as a doctor gently aids a sick man.

3. Jesus answered, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth (Matthew 19:21).

It’s true, people did leave Jesus. People rejected him and turned away from what he had to say. But notice in this passage of the rich young ruler, Jesus did not reject him. Jesus did not turn him away – rather the man "sadly" left Jesus because his heart did not truly seek perfection by God’s standards.

Are you regarded with suspicion in the eyes of others? Do sinners keep their distance, knowing you are not a safe place for them to live imperfectly? Do you turn people away because of their reluctance to follow Kingdom standards? If so, you may need to revisit the Jesus of the Gospels.

Intersecting Faith and Life: Think of one area in your life that needs a good dose of humility and servitude, and inject some Jesus into it!

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

Streams in the Desert

Streams in the Desert

And being absolutely certain that whatever promise He is bound by, He is able to make good (Rom. 4:20).

We are told that Abraham could look at his own body and consider it as good as dead without being discouraged, because he was not looking at himself but at the Almighty One. He did not stagger at the promise, but stood straight up unbending beneath his mighty load of blessing; and instead of growing weak he waxed strong in the faith, grew more robust, the more difficulties became apparent, glorifying God through His very sufficiency and being "fully persuaded" (as the Greek expresses it) "that he who had promised was," not merely able, but as it literally means "abundantly able," munificently able, able with an infinite surplus of resources, infinitely able "to perform."

He is the God of boundless resources. The only limit is in us. Our asking, our thinking, our praying are too small; our expectations are too limited. He is trying to lift us up to a higher conception, and lure us on to a mightier expectation and appropriation. Oh, shall we put Him in derision?

There is no limit to what we may ask and expect of our glorious El-Shaddai; and there is but one measure here given for His blessing, and that is "according to the power that worketh in us."  
--A. B. Simpson

"Climb to the treasure house of blessing on the ladder made of divine promises. By a promise as by a key open the door to the riches of God's grace and favor."

A Dark Sabbath.....Dr. Charles Stanley

A Dark Sabbath

Dr. Charles Stanley

John 19:31-42

Just as Christ once rested in the stern of a boat through a raging storm, He rested in the tomb as storms raged within His disciples. A day after Jesus’ death, fear, doubt, and grief must have cycled endlessly through their minds. Memories of their lives with Him must have played there too: how it felt to stand upon a rolling sea, to feed thousands with a few loaves of bread, or to see Lazarus’ burial clothes heaped in the dirt. No doubt their hearts grew sick with confusion as they contemplated these things.

The disciples’ feeble faith shouldn’t surprise us, because if we’re honest, we see it in ourselves. The “little of faith,” as Jesus often called them, failed to believe or remember things the Lord said of Himself—that He’d lay down His life and take it up again. Had His followers faithfully held these things in their hearts, that Sabbath day might have been a time of joyful anticipation.

At times in our lives, God may seem absent, but ultimately we know that He will never leave us (Heb. 13:5). And unlike the disciples, we’ll never experience the dark prospect of a failed Savior. But many times we forget the promises of God. In the face of uncertainty, how frequently do we turn to a “do-it-yourself” Christianity to fix our problems?

Too often we look no further than our own solutions, when what we need is the wonder-working power of Christ’s resurrection and a posture of humility as we wait on Him. If we are willing to wait through the darkness of night, we can rest in knowing that morning will surely come.

I Can’t Believe I Just Said That

I Can’t Believe I Just Said That
SHARON JAYNES

“With the tongue we praie our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be.” James 3:9-10 (NIV)

My friend Catherine and I set out for a stroll through the neighborhood, just before the fireflies emerged to start their party. We chatted about raising boys, husbands and decorating dilemmas. When we arrived back at her house, she invited me in to look at some fabric swatches for a new sofa. Before I knew it, a few minutes had turned into a few hours.

“Oh, my!” I exclaimed. “It’s 10 o’clock. I’ve been gone for over two hours! I bet Steve’s worried sick. He doesn’t even know where I am. I’d better give him a call before I start back home.”

When I tried to call my husband, the answering machine picked up … which made me just a little mad.

“Steve, I was calling to let you know I’m at Catherine’s. I thought you’d be worried, but apparently you don’t even care because you won’t even pick up the phone!” Click.

I said my goodbyes to Catherine and left feeling dejected. “I’m wandering around in the dark all alone, and he doesn’t even care,” I mumbled to no one in particular. “I could be lying in a ditch injured, or dead for that matter! I don’t think he even loves me.”

As my eyes adjusted to the darkness, I noticed Steve coming toward me on his bicycle.

“Where have you been?” Steve desperately asked. “I’ve been riding all over the neighborhood looking for you! Do you know what time it is?”

When we arrived home, I quickly erased the angry voicemail. Whew, I thought. That was close.

A few days later, Steve called me from work. “Sharon, have you listened to the voicemail lately? There’s something you need to hear.”

So, I used my cell phone to call my home number.

The message went something like this: (The voice of sweet southernness …) “Hello, you’ve reached the Jaynes’ residence. We’re unable to answer the phone right now … (enter the voice of Cruella de Vil). “I was calling to let you know I’m at Catherine’s. I thought you’d be worried, but apparently you don’t even care because you won’t even pick up the phone!” (Return of sweet southernness …) “At the sound of the beep, leave a message, and we’ll get back with you as soon as possible.”

“Oh, my goodness!” I screamed. “How did this happen?! How many people have heard this over the past three days?”

I called the phone company, and they explained that most likely during the thunderstorm we had a few days earlier, a lightning strike must have merged and scrambled the message.

I was mortified.

The Bible says, “With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be” (James 3:9-10). That all went down in one single voicemail.

As women, I am amazed how quickly we can flit back and forth between blessing and belittling, praising and putting down, cheering and critiquing — all in a matter of seconds. God has given us incredible power in our sphere of influence, and it begins with the words we speak.

In Genesis 1, we read that God created everything we see with but a word. He said, “Let there be …” and then there was (Genesis 1:3). Then on the sixth day, when He created man and woman in His own image, He did something amazing, astonishing really — He gave us the gift of words.

Few forces have greater impact than the utterances that pass our lips. Our words can embolden a child to accomplish great feats, encourage a husband to conquer the world, reignite the dying embers of a friend’s broken dreams, cheer on a fellow believer to run the race of life and draw a lost soul to Christ. Words start wars and bring peace — globally and right in our own homes.

So, the question for us is: How will we use the incredible gift of words God has given us today?

Lord, please help me control my tongue today. Help me speak words of life to those around me. I want to be an encourager and not a discourager, a builder of dreams rather than a destroyer of destinies. I pray the Holy Spirit will help me be known as a woman who speaks life into those around her. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

TRUTH FOR TODAY:
Psalm 141:3, “Set a guard over my mouth, LORD; keep watch over the door of my lips.” (NIV)

High Infidelity

High Infidelity
by Alex Crain

"…you also were made to die to the Law through the body of Christ, so that you might be joined to another, to Him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God."
Romans 7:4 NASB

Usually, we think of "having faith" as simply "trusting, believing." And while that is true, it can be incomplete if we forget that, as Christians, we are also joined to Christ as our Bridegroom. In other words, there is a real relationship with Him—the living Christ—that is at stake. It is not just a matter of possessing correct content of what we believe about the person and work of Christ. And although we never have a legitimate cause to do so, we often break faith with and betray our faithful Bridegroom.

Francis Schaeffer talks about this in chapter seven of True Spirituality where we continue our journey with him this week. Citing the passage above, he notes that since we have been rescued from the tyranny of the devil and placed safely in the arms of the Lord Jesus Christ—we are now positioned to bring forth His fruit.

Schaeffer expands upon the simple, yet remarkably powerful word picture in Romans 7:1-4 to make the point plain:

"Imagine a married couple both of the one color of skin. Suddenly the wife brings forth a child clearly of another race [sic]. All the world would know that she has been unfaithful to her proper mate. So it is with us."

When we do not bring forth His fruit—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (per Galatians 5:19)—but bring forth immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these (Galatians 5:19), it is because we have broken faith with Him and are in the state of infidelity of the highest order.

What generally causes us to distrust Christ and leads us to break faith with Him and run to the arms of another is the fact that we often think that we have a better way. We think that, somehow, God really doesn't have our best interests at heart. I know for me, personally, this happens mostly when I am "Law-minded" in a way that discounts or obscures the gospel. One writer, Milton Vincent, in his a gospel primer for christians provides a helpful counter to this erroneous and sinful way of thinking (p. 18):

"…when I begin my train of thought with the gospel, I realize that if God loved me enough to sacrifice His Son's life for me, then He must be guided by that same love when He speaks His commandments to me. Viewing God's commands and prohibitions in this light, I can see them for what they really are: friendly signposts from a heavenly Father who is seeking to love me through each directive, so that I might experience His very fullness forever." (see Deut. 5:29)

Not only are they friendly signposts, they are friendly love letters from our faithful Bridegroom who has done nothing to warrant our distrust. By His life-giving Spirit, He is actively seeking to love us and bring forth His fruit in us today. What is the state of your union with Him? 

Intersecting Faith & Life: In light of today's devotional, contemplate afresh Schaeffer's summary of the life of faith: "The how of the Christian life is the power of the crucified and risen Lord, through the agency of the indwelling Holy Spirit, by faith moment by moment."

For Further Prayer & Study:
If repentance for spiritual infidelity is in order, reflect on Isaiah 30:15 "Thus the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel, has said, ‘In repentance and rest you will be saved, In quietness and trust is your strength.'" For further study, read Romans 6:1.

Someone of Value

Someone of Value
By Greg Laurie

The LORD appeared to us in the past, saying: “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness. – Jeremiah 31:3

When we think of the apostles, we think of holy men of God. And though they were gifted and dedicated, they also were ordinary. Jesus did not call these men because they were great; their greatness was the result of the call of Jesus.

A great writer can take an ordinary piece of paper, and with the addition of his or her words, it suddenly becomes extremely valuable. It wasn’t the paper that was valuable; it was what the writer put down on that paper. A great artist can take a canvas and paint, and suddenly it becomes a costly work of art because of what the artist did. It wasn’t the canvas that was valuable; it is what the artist painted on the canvas.

As believers, we recognize in ourselves that we are sinners separated from God. But let’s also recognize that when Christ came into our lives, He gave us value. He put His treasure in earthen vessels, or in jars of clay, which are our lives. As 2 Corinthians 4:7 tells us, “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.”

With a new confidence and boldness, we have something to offer. It is not self-confidence; it is God-confidence. It is not self-esteem; it’s God-esteem. God graciously forgave us and took us into His kingdom, and now He has made us someone of value. In the same way, the apostles were valuable because of what Jesus did in their lives.

God wrote His name on you when you gave your life to Jesus Christ. He has given you gifts and abilities. He has invested himself in you. That is where your value comes from. And that’s why you can make a difference.

A Prayer For When You Struggle with Doubt

A Prayer For When You Struggle with DoubtBy Jordan Sok

“’If you can?’ said Jesus. ‘Everything is possible for one who believes.’ Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, ‘I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief.’” (Mark 9:23-24)

From the time I was a young girl, my faith was something I took seriously. I loved learning about this incredible God of the Bible that loved me in my sin, so much so He sent His own son to take my place in death. I loved reading that He is alive and that He works everything for my good and His glory. And I loved the realization that the pages of Scripture I read were God-breathed and alive, applicable to my day-to-day life. I believed all of it.Or so I thought.

Then freshman year of college happened. And along with the regular ups and downs that come with freshman year, it was the most stressful year my family had ever experienced. To make matters worse, I felt responsible for everyone in the situation. Looking back, it’s obvious that it wasn’t my responsibility to make sure everyone smiled through such a season -- emotions should have been expected. But in my anxious, 18-year-old mind, if someone in the family wasn’t cheerful, I was to blame.

But when the blame on myself became too much, I began putting it on someone else. The only person that I could think was responsible – God Himself.

Tough seasons reveal what we really believe, and my tough season was revealing that everything I thought defined me wasn’t real to me at all.

I didn’t know what to do about it. Every day was more hopeless than the day before. I was losing my faith and in doing so, my identity.

So what do we do when our head and heart think differently? Ask God to teach us the truth.

For anyone to truly know God and the truths of His word, God Himself has to work supernaturally in our hearts. Want to hear the great news? HE WANTS TO DO THAT IN US. God desires for us to know Him and truly believe His Word. All we have to do is ask.

One of my favorite verses in the Bible is when a father brings his sick son to Jesus and asks Him to drive out the evil spirit possessing him. The father asks Jesus to heal him by beginning the sentence, “if you can”. When Jesus responds that everything is possible in Him the father exclaims, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!” Amen. That is a prayer I believe God is honored in. This is my version of that prayer:

“Lord, I believe in you. I believe you are good. I believe that I am secure in you – that I am hidden in you and no real harm can come to me with you as my rock and my salvation. I believe that you see me and you love me - that I am treasured in your sight. Help my unbelief. Help that head knowledge become heart knowledge- so that my actions reflect those truths and not the lies the enemy throws at me.”

Ask the Father to help you believe today. He desires that for you.