Video Bible Lesson - Following God's Schedule by Dr. Charles Stanley

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

5/6/2020

Following God's Schedule

Dr. Charles Stanley

Romans 11:33-36
Most of us enjoy feeling in control of our own schedule and grow frustrated when things don't go according to plan. Yet if we truly desire to walk in the center of God's perfect will, we must become willing to cooperate with His time frame.
Consider how you pray about situations in your life. Without realizing it, you may be demanding that God follow the schedule you've constructed according to your very limited human wisdom. Yet if we believe He is who He says He is, how can surrendering to His way not be to our benefit? Think about His unique, praiseworthy qualities:
His all-encompassing knowledge. Unlike us, the Lord has complete awareness about our world and the details of every individual life--past, present, and future.
His complete wisdom. God understands man's every motive, whereas none of us are able to accurately discern people's intentions. We make choices based on partial information, whereas He has the wisdom to take action based on truth.
His unconditional love. Our Creator is always motivated by love and constantly has our best in mind. Unless we trust His heart, our view of reality will be distorted.
His perfect sufficiency. At just the right time, God will provide us with everything we need to carry out His plan.
Submitting to God's timetable requires faith and courage. Believe in the goodness of His heart and His plans--and determine to wait until He gives the signal to move forward. Then, as you follow His schedule, you'll experience the joy of watching Him make all things beautiful in His timing.

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

Streams in the Desert

Streams in the Desert

The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him (Ps. 25:14).

There are secrets of Providence which God's dear children may learn. His dealings with them often seem, to the outward eye, dark and terrible. Faith looks deeper and says, "This is God's secret. You look only on the outside; I can look deeper and see the hidden meaning."

Sometimes diamonds are done up in rough packages, so that their value cannot be seen. When the Tabernacle was built in the wilderness there was nothing rich in its outside appearance. The costly things were all within, and its outward covering of rough badger skin gave no hint of the valuable things which it contained.

God may send you, dear friends, some costly packages. Do not worry if they are done up in rough wrappings. You may be sure there are treasures of love, and kindness, and wisdom hidden within. If we take what He sends, and trust Him for the goodness in it, even in the dark, we shall learn the meaning of the secrets of Providence.
--A. B. Simpson

Not until each loom is silent,
And the shuttles cease to fly,
Will God unroll the pattern
And explain the reason why
The dark threads are as needful
In the Weaver's skillful hand,
As the threads of gold and silver
For the pattern which He planned.

A Caring Church.....Dr. Charles Stanley

A Caring Church

Dr. Charles Stanley

Luke 10:25-37

Do you realize that believers should not have to look beyond the body of Christ to have their needs met? We are meant to be a self-sustaining body. After several decades in ministry, I have seen only one way for the church to function as it should: believers must commit to give of themselves on behalf of others.

For example, a man determines to pray and struggle alongside a hurting brother until the burdensome situation is resolved or peace returns. Or a woman makes herself available to answer a new Christian's questions about the weekly sermon--the two ladies search the Bible and fill their minds with Scripture. And there are countless other ways to serve others, such as driving an elderly member to the service, teaching a Sunday school class, or visiting a weary single mom and listening to her concerns.

Before you become overwhelmed by the variety of needs in your church, let me remind you that loving each other is meant to be a body-wide effort. One person cannot meet every need. But suppose you commit to serving a small group of folks whom God brings into your sphere of influence. If, in order to care for them, you surrender self-focused preferences about resources and time, the Lord will bless you with more joy and contentment than you've ever known.

To serve others before serving yourself is to practice authentic Christianity. I'm certain that if believers commit to meeting as many needs as the Lord brings to their attention, then a lazy church can be transformed, becoming a true body of believers who function together for the glory of God.

Relationship Goals: Embracing the Seasons

Relationship Goals: Embracing the Seasons
MICHAEL TODD

“For everything there is a season.” Ecclesiastes 3:1a (NLT)

If your childhood was similar to mine, you remember a song that used to be sung on playgrounds and with other children. It went something like this:

Michael and Natalie sitting in a tree,
K-I-S-S-I-N-G.
First comes love, then comes marriage,
Then comes baby in the baby carriage.

For many of us, this might have been the first time we heard an explanation of relational progression: love > marriage > baby. It’s a little vague and incomplete, but it seemed simple enough.

Then we grow up.

And because we live in a fallen world, we realize love > marriage > baby is not the progression in everybody’s life.

Sometimes it’s baby first. Or sometimes it’s love, and then there’s a baby, and then we’re not too sure how much we can trust each other so maybe we’ll get married or maybe we won’t. From what I see on TV and online, it almost seems like there’s a competition to see who can have the most creative, out-of-alignment relationships.

But there is a God-ordained way of progressing in our relationships. It has more parts than just love, marriage and baby, and it results not in confused, failed relationships but in successful, productive ones made of two healthy individuals — people who have a relationship with God and are trying to help each other do His will.

It might take a while to understand this process because of all the other approaches culture gives us. But the Bible says God can renew our minds and transform us (Romans 12:2), and we can trust Him to do that in this area as well.

At the same time, when God said of Adam in Genesis 2:18 (NIV), “It is not good for the man to be alone,” He didn’t mean it’s not good to be single.

True, as humans, we need to be involved in healthy relationships. In particular, nearly all of us crave to be intimate with someone else.

But sex is not the only kind of intimacy, and marriage is not the only valuable season in our lifetime of relationships. The season of singleness is necessary — I’d dare say a priority — to anyone who wants to reach her relationship goals. Think about it: Being single was Adam’s first relationship status.

If you’re single, there’s a good chance many people and messages have made you feel like you aren’t enough without a significant other. The pressure to find a mate can sometimes seem intense and unyielding, leaving us reeling.

All of that can make you start to feel like somehow, in your single state, you are less than. Being single can start to feel shameful. Your life seems incomplete or even like a failure.

Worse, this kind of thinking can cloud our judgment until we find ourselves rushing into relationships that don’t suit us, settling on someone — anyone — just to satisfy others, calm our fears or address our libidos. But these types of hasty decisions have serious consequences. Our high divorce rate might have less to do with bad marriages and more to do with bad singleness.

Let me encourage you: Singleness may be the most important part of the relationship process. It’s not a curse. It’s an opportunity! It’s the best chance ever to work on being uniquely you — original and distinct. A good period of singleness means learning to be a whole, unique self. God wants us to enjoy each season of life in which we can become whole and complete in Him on our own, apart from a spouse or partner.

Every part of this process is good. Every part is appropriate. “For everything there is a season” (Ecclesiastes 3:1a). So, hear me now: Whatever relational season you’re in, don’t just be in it. Embrace it.

Embrace the season you’re in, thank God for it, and make the most of it.

Remember, God wants us to have healthy, rewarding relationships. Relationships that offer the opportunity to grow and serve and make a difference in the world.

And ultimately, if my relationship with God is number one, I know He’ll take me from wherever I am to where I need to go next.

Lord, I pray that my friendships, conversations and relational choices would bring honor to You. Help me embrace the relationship season I am in and live out the truth that You want me to enjoy each season of life — but more importantly, that You desire for me to be holy. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

TRUTH FOR TODAY:
1 Corinthians 6:20, “… God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.” (NLT)

Jeremiah 1:5a, “I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb.” (NLT)

Bearing With One Another

Bearing With One Another
by Sarah Phillips

Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Colossians 3: 13-14

Sometimes I think the biggest stumbling block to living the Christian life exists in our interactions with other Christians. Those who profess faith in Christ are very capable of hurting each other – perhaps even unusually “gifted” at it.

Yes, fellowship within the Church can be wonderfully fulfilling, offering true glimpses of the unity we will experience in heaven. But (as life frequently reminds us) we’re not in heaven yet, so our relationships with one another often fall short of the “Beatific Vision.”

So what do we do when we’re faced with failure in our relationships, especially when our fellow Christians fail to meet our expectations? Much has been said about the necessity of forgiving trespassers. Scripture makes it clear we are to imitate Christ and show mercy to those who have wronged us, and counselors have written extensively on the personal freedom one finds in forgiving even the most terrible sins. But I think sometimes it’s not the huge transgressions that challenge us most. Sometimes it’s the smaller infractions that wear on our souls.

Perhaps you’ve observed imperfections in another that open personal wounds, rub you the wrong way or just plain annoy you. Perhaps there is someone in your life that consistently brings out your ugly side or whose presence simply symbolizes something you desire but have not achieved. This kind of pain is often absorbed interiorly. There’s no public stand to take, no 12-step program designed to walk you through.

Over time, we may find that we begin to keep count of this person’s failings. We may catch ourselves gossiping about them or avoiding them in our daily lives. Each infraction is like a small stone that eventually builds a wall around the heart, a wall that stands not only between you and that person but also between you and Christ.

One of my favorite Christian heroes, St. Therese of Lisieux, faced such a situation in her community of cloistered Carmelite nuns. Behind the walls of her tranquil convent, relational strife simmered. Some nuns had maddeningly annoying habits that interfered with prayerful contemplation whereas others displayed a variety of mundane vices like laziness or sloppiness. St. Therese had a personal dislike for a particular nun who often acted unhappy and critical. She sought ways to avoid this person in her daily tasks – until she realized she was failing to love one of God’s children. Therese had personally experienced Christ's love, with full knowledge of her invisible imperfections, so how could she justify failing to love this nun just because her faults were visible?

As her heart changed, so did her actions. Therese chose to smile at this young woman every time she passed her. She displayed unusual grace in their interactions, always ready to help with a task or share a kind word.

The change in Therese’s demeanor did not go unnoticed. This nun made note to others that it seemed Therese had an unusual affection for her, and she began to return Therese’s smiles.

I realize I would do well to imitate Therese more often. I struggle with the small acts of charity, the little things that only God notices. Yet, the decision to love in even the most seemingly insignificant ways transforms hearts. And while Therese’s actions may not have brought on world peace, they brought Christ’s peace to her world.

Intersecting Faith & Life: While it’s good to speak out against wrong, some situations call for a silent gesture of love and grace. This week, perform a small act of kindness towards a person you find challenging to love. Remember that Christ knows all of our faults, yet His love never wavers.

Further Reading

Matthew 18: 15

Don't Pray Like a Pharisee

Don't Pray Like a Pharisee
By Joe McKeever

“And when you pray, you are not to be as the hypocrites… Therefore, do not be like them…” (Matthew 6:8).

If you expect to be the next generation of hypocrites, you need to give me your full attention. The old Pharisees will be passing off the scene before long, and we’ll need a new class of the double-minded–you know, the play-actors–ready to step up and fill their ranks.

Tongue firmly planted in cheek now, everyone? All right. Let us proceed…

It's not easy being a hypocrite. Praying like a hypocrite–the Pharisaical model–is not for the weak of heart. Only the top 10 percent of the class will be able to meet the stringent requirements. Consider, for example…

First - A Pharisee must be able to pray effectively in public (Matthew 6:5).

He does it in public because that’s the whole point: to impress people.

Second - A Pharisee piles up flowery words and pet phrases which mean little but sound mighty impressive (Matthew 6:7).

Now, we’re not sure if God is impressed by high-sounding rhetoric. But one thing we know for sure: most people are.

Third - A Pharisee measures the effectiveness of his prayers in several ways, but mostly by the length.

Pharisees think they will be heard “for their many words.” (Matthew 6:7)

Once you have mastered the art of impressive prayer language, you will soon be able to string together massive amounts of this filler. Eventually, you will be able to boast about all the time you spend in prayer.

Fourth - A Pharisee calls attention to his achievements and faithfulness in prayer.

The Lord gave a perfect example of this in Luke 18:11-12.

Here’s how it’s done: “O Lord, how we thank Thee that I was able to finish my doctoral work last semester. Thank you, Lord, for my new book which is being published next week, and for the acclaim it’s already receiving from critics. And how we praise Thee, Father, for the lovely new car we were able to purchase since I received the raise in salary. How great Thou art, O Lord. It’s such a joy, therefore, to tithe our income to Thee and give beyond the tithe…”

Finally - A good Pharisee will find occasion to belittle other people in his prayer (Luke 18:11-12).

“Lord, I thank Thee that I am not like other people. They’re swindlers, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector…”

So, How We Should Really Pray?

This is just so much foolishness, of course. No one should want to pray meaningless prayers. It’s the faithful prayer of the righteous which goes straight into Heaven and is welcomed at the Throne by the Father. Let us pray with faith to a loving Father through His Son our Savior the Lord Jesus.

Let us get serious about prayer. After all, a double-minded man is unstable in all his ways and should expect nothing in prayer. Perhaps we should begin by praying, “Unite my heart to fear Thy name,” from Psalm 86:11.

A Prayer for When You Don't Feel Worthy of Prayer

A Prayer for When You Don't Feel Worthy of PrayerBy Liz Kanoy

"Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace,” - Hebrews 4:16

God does not weigh your actions and set your sin on a scale to see if you’re worthy of approaching Him. If our sin level mattered, then no one would ever be worthy. But because of Jesus Christ, when God looks at us He sees His Son’s sinless life and innocent sacrifice. Therefore, because of the gospel we are free to approach God and communicate with Him.

When Isaiah was brought before the Lord (Isaiah 6), he fell down at his own unworthiness and could not look at God. Isaiah had no merit to earn God’s favor, but through a gift God made Isaiah righteous. Just as God removed Isaiah’s guilt with a burning coal, He removes your guilt with the blood of His Son. This gift is a one-time gift; you are made guiltless in God’s eyes. However, since those saved by Christ still live in a fallen world we will still fall prey to sin. But when we pray for forgiveness, it draws us away from sin and pulls us closer to God. And when we pray often, we think about sin less.

Don’t let sin keep you from prayer. If you haven’t prayed today, or in a while, take 5 minutes today and close your eyes - thank God for who He is and who He has made you to be. Ask Him to forgive any sin in your life, especially the sin that has been holding you back from Him. Let His love pour over you and refresh you.

Dear God,
You are worthy of all praise. You have given me life even though I am unworthy and undeserving. You have taken my sin and made me guiltless. But right now I don’t feel guiltless, and my shame has made me forget who you made me to be. You have made me your child and heir, and you have given me the greatest gift anyone could ask for—eternal life in your presence. But I have forgotten this in my sin; Lord please forgive this sin and grant me mercy. I do not deserve it, but I thank you that because of your Son's sacrifice I am freely forgiven and loved. Please grant me your strength to resist this sin and other sins, and Holy Spirit please urge my soul to spend more time in prayer and praise because in your presence is where I truly belong.

In Your name Jesus,
Amen