Video Bible Lesson - The Power of God's Grace by Dr. Charles Stanley

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

7/10/2020

The Power of God's Grace

Dr. Charles Stanley

Romans 5:1-5Grace is one of God's most amazing gifts. It provides us with everything we need to live in perfect freedom: pardon for our sins, healing for our hearts, the companionship of God's indwelling Holy Spirit, and access to freely cultivate our relationship with Him. We work, worship, and enjoy life surrounded by His unconditional love. His grace upholds us, fills us, and sustains us.Since we are forgiven people, the Lord responds to us not as enemies but as His dearly loved children (Rom. 8:15; Eph. 5:1). He hears our prayers, speaks to us, and acts on our behalf.The knowledge that we live under the covering of God's grace gives us...Security about our position. No one can snatch us out of His hand (John 10:28).Boldness to live for Christ. Nothing anyone does or says can shake our confidence in who the Lord is or who we are in Him.Peace for today because we can fully trust in His sovereignty. The Lord is carrying out His perfect will--and we can be sure that nothing is able to thwart His plans when we cooperate with Him.Hope for the future. This life is just the beginning. One day we'll see Jesus face to face, be perfected as the individuals He created us to be, and live with Him in our true home forever.

The Lord is committed to transforming each of us according to His special plan for our lives. Even His correction is an expression of His loving favor (Heb. 12:10). When we falter or fail, we can rest assured that His amazing grace hems us in and always offers us redemption.

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

Answers 

Streams in the Desert

I called upon him, but he gave me no answer (S. of Sol. 5:6).

The Lord, when He hath given great faith, hath been known to try it by long delayings. He has suffered His servants' voices to echo in their ears as from a brazen sky. They have knocked at the golden gate, but it has remained unmovable, as though it were rusted upon its hinges. Like Jeremiah, they have cried, "Thou hast covered thyself with a cloud, that our prayer should not pass through."

Thus have true saints continued long in patient waiting without reply, not because their prayers were not vehement, nor because they were unaccepted, but because it so pleased Him who is a Sovereign, and who gives according to His own pleasure. If it pleases Him to bid our patience exercise itself, shall He not do as He will with His own!

No prayer is lost. Praying breath was never spent in vain. There is no such thing as prayer unanswered or unnoticed by God, and some things that we count refusals or denials are simply delays.
--H. Bonar

Christ sometimes delays His help that He may try our faith and quicken our prayers. The boat may be covered with the waves, and He sleeps on; but He will wake up before it sinks. He sleeps, but He never oversleeps; and there are no "too lates" with Him.
--Alexander Maclaren

Be still, sad soul! lift thou no passionate cry,
But spread the desert of thy being bare
To the full searching of the All-seeing eye;
Wait! and through dark misgiving, black despair,
God will come down in pity, and fill the dry
Dead place with light, and life, and vernal air.
--J. C. Shairp

Peace, Joy, and Contentment .....Dr. Charles Stanley

Peace, Joy, and Contentment 

Dr. Charles Stanley

Nehemiah 2:1-8

Discouragement can rob peace, joy, and contentment. But I have great news if you feel disheartened: You’re not stuck!

I’ve known people who appeared to be in an impossible situation. A few years later, however, they were in a terrific place, either in terms of their circumstances or their emotions. The reason? They never gave up. Instead of sulking in self-pity, they chose to believe God, step out in faith, and climb out of the emotional pit.

Nehemiah is a good example. He had every reason to feel defeated, because his people were in trouble. After receiving news that the city wall had been destroyed, this man of God acknowledged profound disappointment and grieved. Though pain flooded his soul, he didn’t allow himself to stay in that low place. Instead, Nehemiah cried out to God, seeking direction.

Sadness in the presence of royalty was punishable by death. But the Lord answered Nehemiah’s prayer with amazing power, prompting the king to notice his servant’s sad countenance and then toask what he could do to help. This miracle led to the rebuilding of the wall and the redemption of God’s people.

The Lord can take an impossible situation—no matter what it is—and move in ways mightier than you can imagine.

Do you live in eager expectation of what the Lord will do? Or have you chosen to linger in the depths of despair? Like Nehemiah, turn your disappointment into a petition for God’s help. He can restore your hope and prevent negative emotions from gaining a stranglehold on your life.

Releasing My Expectations

Releasing My Expectations
SHALA W. GRAHAM

“Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the LORD that will stand.” Proverbs 19:21 (ESV) 

It would be an understatement to say that 2020 has not been what I expected. I had my word for the year picked out. I was excited about all the incredible ways God was going to show up and show out. I was going to live my best life in 2020!

But then a virus swept through the entire world.

Although I have been a planner since I was a young girl, cautiously taught to expect the worst just in case, I never expected or planned for this.

Jesus, I know I was praying for you to guide and direct me, but this is not what I had in mind!

Naively, the thought of living through a pandemic never occurred to me as a possible reality. While I’ve dealt with heartache and pain financially and relationally, I generally have an expectation for how I think God should come to my miraculous rescue. But God’s been teaching me about adjusting my expectations.

Do you remember the story of Barabbas? Ever since I was a little girl in Sunday school, I remember hearing about Pilate asking the people if they wanted him to release Jesus or Barabbas. It seemed like a no-brainer. Barabbas was a rebel, murderer and thief. Every video I saw of this story portrayed Barabbas as a dirty, barbaric, insane man. He was clearly the “bad guy.”

I always assumed that the leading Jews simply hated Jesus so much that they would prefer to let this madman free instead of Jesus. While there is some truth to that — hello, they were trying to kill Jesus — I recently learned in my small group Bible study that it was deeper than that. Expectations were involved.

Mark 15:7 explains that, “among the rebels in prison, who had committed murder in the insurrection, there was a man called Barabbas” (ESV). These details I skimmed over were documented for a reason. The Jewish people were waiting for a savior who would rebel against Roman rule, a warrior willing to do whatever it took, murder included.

Some scholars believe that Barabbas was kind of a Robin Hood, who robbed from the wealthy upper class of Israel and Rome, and was therefore popular among common people. It seems like Barabbas is the kind of man the Jews were expecting as a promised messiah. So, they asked for Barabbas.

Sometimes, we have our minds so fixed on what we’re expecting that we can’t see the truth of Jesus right in front of us. Jesus was the fulfillment of all the prophecies, but because He didn’t look like what they were expecting, they rejected Him.

When things don’t line up with my expectations, my default response is to reject it, too. It simply doesn’t fit. I don’t see how it’s going to work. My detailed spreadsheet cannot calculate this anomaly. I end up frustrated and afraid.

In those moments, God humbly reminds me that, “Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the LORD that will stand” (Proverbs 19:21). Regardless of whether my expectations are met, I can trust that God’s purpose will prevail. And God’s purpose is greater than my expectations.

Father, help me to be careful what I ask for in this season. What I expect and desire as solutions to my current challenge may be subpar compared to what You have in mind. I release my expectations. I trust in Your purpose and plan. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

TRUTH FOR TODAY:
Psalm 121:1-2 “I look up to the hills, but where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth.” (NCV)

Ephesians 3:20-21 “Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.” (ESV)

My Day at the Beach That Wasn't Any Such Thing

My Day at the Beach That Wasn't Any Such Thing
by Shawn McEvoy

For the waves of death encompassed me, the torrents of destruction assailed me… (2 Samuel 22:5).

Your wrath lies heavily upon me, and you overwhelm me with all your waves (Psalm 88:7).

I have many times stood upon the shore of a peaceful Atlantic ocean gazing East to the sunrise, pondering the vastness and the depth of God. This was not one of those times.

Today, I wanted to catch some fish. It was my only two hours of alone time during the whole week of family vacation to Isle of Palms. I decided to bike down to the point I’d walked to earlier that morning. This was mistake number one. I popped the chain on that old bike about half-way down the beach, and ended up having to push it the rest of the way with one hand while holding my fishing pole (and trying not to hook myself) with the other.

When I finally got there the waves had risen to a height I’d not encountered in any of my last four seasons on Atlantic beaches. I could barely cast my lure over them, and if I did succeed, I’d soon get knocked over. So, alright. You know what? I’ve been wanting a showdown. “Let’s see whatchya got,” I said, to either myself, God, or the forces of nature. I took my pole back to shore and I waded out to war.

I adopted my best linebacker stance and stood up to the six-foot waves as best I could. I tried body surfing and nearly swallowed a gallon or two of seawater. I tried jumping over, diving under, and shouldering through. And while I was doing all of it I was telling God or whoever would listen how hard a time I’d been having of it. ("Sure," you're saying, "a week of luxury beach vacation with the family; you’re really struggling." But it’s true).

Why do I put on weight so easily? Why do you not seem to hear me anymore? Why am I not satisfied in my soul? Why do my simplest desires – like to ride a bike down a beach and catch a fish – result in such discouraging and powerful setbacks? Why is my faith bruised and how do I start to care for the people of God again? Huh?!

Nothing. Just wave after wave after pounding after pounding.

The good news is I was exhausting myself, getting this out of my system, and 'praying.' That I was again getting a sense of myself in this rough place called The World and how puny I am in relation to the created universe.

The bad news is I was becoming more dejected. When I finally gave up and told God I recognized his bigness and my smallness, I sat in the surf and tried to really connect, to really give it all to him, to really make this the milestone day from which everything was different for the rest of my life.

But it was just words. Nothing seemed to rise. I couldn’t make my heart climb into my prayers. And I couldn’t figure out how or when I had lost it, or what to do about it.

I paced to shore defeated and dejected. What progress had I made? At best today was a humbling, at worst a humiliation. My head drooped, and I looked down.

What I saw further discouraged me. For a length of several yards, the shallow foam washing back out was running at the same pace as my strides walking back in. The optical illusion was one of getting nowhere. Moving, but remaining in the same place.

That's when, finally, this: "You know you're making progress. You know, despite how it looks, that you’re getting closer to shore with every step. Likewise, today was progress. Tomorrow will be a step. As will the next. My grace is a wave infinitely more powerful and cleansing than these, and My footprints don't wash away."

I sighed, but I smiled. “Step by step you lead me, and I will follow you all of my days…” Step-by-step is exactly how I got home that day, beaten, extremely chafed, shoeless, pushing a bike and carrying a pole. And, I'm happy to report, that's exactly how I’m getting back home in my spirit as well.

Is Proverbs 22:6 Really a Promise? Or Is It Just a Proverb?

Is Proverbs 22:6 Really a Promise? Or Is It Just a Proverb?
By Sarah Beth Marr

To be a parent is to be a heart-shaper. And being a heart-shaper can be the most heart-wrenching job in the world. As parents, the thing we wrestle with the most, the thing we long for the most, is simply to know that our children will turn out okay. We don't expect perfection, just that they would be okay. We long to know that they will make wise decisions as young adults. We long to know that they will grow up to be healthy spiritually, emotionally, and mentally. If we could just have that assurance, parenting might be a lot less heart-wrenching.

This brings us to Proverbs 22:6, a nugget of truth tucked subtly into the book of Proverbs. But maybe like me you have wondered in your own heart, is Proverbs 22:6 a promise or just a proverb?

When we read that verse as parents, we hope that verse is true of our children. We hope that something we've taught them, the way we loved them, the lessons we’ve ingrained in them… we hope it’s all enough. We hope that somehow, despite our mess-ups, they turn out okay.

The way we look at Proverbs 22:6 is really a reflection of our faith in the God of the universe. I think we want to believe this verse is true, but do we really believe it’s a promise or just a wise saying, a catch phrase, or a motto? Is it just luck that our kids turn out okay? Or is there a deeper promise hiding in this verse… a jewel of wisdom that we can take into our parenting?

The first part of this verse implores us to “train a child in the way he should go.”

According to the dictionary, “train” means, “to develop or form the habits, thoughts, or behavior by discipline and instruction.” Other words for “train” are words like “aim”, “focus”, “target”, “zero in on”. Let’s unpack this a little bit. Heart-shaper, this verse is not asking you to produce the results of your parenting. This verse is inviting you to simply aim your child in the right direction. And the only safe direction to aim your child is in the beautiful grace of God’s direction.

We know, as Christian parents, that “the way he should go” is in the direction of God. We know that that is the only place where our children will find the wisdom, the peace, the guidance, and the light that they need to navigate this life. But can we bank on our children continuing in that direction once they leave the nest?

Our Father in heaven "is a jealous God" ( Deuteronomy 6:15). As we reflect on His character, goodness, faithfulness, and love for us, we can count on Him to keep our children aiming in His direction. It may not be a perfect route. Our children may wander and get lost for a little while. But Proverbs 22:6 promises that there is something ground-breaking, soul-shaping, and heart-shaping about training our children with the wisdom of the Bible and the gospel… that it grabs hold of a heart.

That wisdom shapes a heart. That wisdom holds a heart close because it’s wisdom that is full of the love of a jealous God, a God who longs to rescue each and every one of His children.

The first part of this verse implores us to “train a child in the way he should go.”

According to the dictionary, “train” means, “to develop or form the habits, thoughts, or behavior by discipline and instruction.” Other words for “train” are words like “aim”, “focus”, “target”, “zero in on”. Let’s unpack this a little bit. Heart-shaper, this verse is not asking you to produce the results of your parenting. This verse is inviting you to simply aim your child in the right direction. And the only safe direction to aim your child is in the beautiful grace of God’s direction.

We know, as Christian parents, that “the way he should go” is in the direction of God. We know that that is the only place where our children will find the wisdom, the peace, the guidance, and the light that they need to navigate this life. But can we bank on our children continuing in that direction once they leave the nest?

Our Father in heaven "is a jealous God" ( Deuteronomy 6:15). As we reflect on His character, goodness, faithfulness, and love for us, we can count on Him to keep our children aiming in His direction. It may not be a perfect route. Our children may wander and get lost for a little while. But Proverbs 22:6 promises that there is something ground-breaking, soul-shaping, and heart-shaping about training our children with the wisdom of the Bible and the gospel… that it grabs hold of a heart.

That wisdom shapes a heart. That wisdom holds a heart close because it’s wisdom that is full of the love of a jealous God, a God who longs to rescue each and every one of His children.

A Prayer to Bless the Lord

A Prayer to Bless the LordBy Debbie McDaniel

"Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's." Psalm 103:1-5

To “bless” the Lord means to give Him praise, to actually “kneel before Him;” to recognize His goodness and Sovereignty over our lives, by giving Him respect and honor.

We have so many reasons to give God praise. If you’re having a tough day and can’t think of many, here’s just a few from these verses:

He forgives our sin – For all of those times when we’ve missed the mark, turned our back on Him, or gone our own way, He forgives. He graciously extends mercy for every sin, when we simply come to Him and confess our need.

He heals our diseases – Physical, emotional, spiritual, He covers every area of life where we have need. Sometimes our “disease” is a need to please. Sometimes our disease is a heart far away from God. Other times our disease is a physical illness or deep loss we’re facing. And He is able to heal all.

He redeems our lives from the pit – He sets us apart for His purposes, He will never waste the painful times we experience. He lifts us out of dark places, He holds the power to make all things new. Nothing is impossible with Him. No one, no situation, is ever too far gone from His grasp of love and hope.

He crowns us with love and mercy – He is faithful to reward us with his goodness. He gives constantly, continually, steadfastly, love and great mercy. We don’t deserve it, but He loves lavishly, He pours out His grace.

He satisfies our desires with good – He is good to us in all our days. Life may not always be fair, life may not always be good, but God is always just and good. He brings favor and blessing.

He renews our strength like the eagle – His Spirit flows through us, constantly renewing us with strength and power. We can be assured that He is with us, and He will help us to soar over every obstacle and trial.

He has done great things...

So thankful.

Dear God,

We bless your holy name today! Thank you for your goodness, thank you for your crown of steadfast love and mercy. We recognize all that you have done for us, all that you continue to do now, and all that you will do in the future. Thank you that your plans for us are good and that you renew our strength like the eagle’s. Thank you that you have redeemed our lives from the pit, you have forgiven our sin and healed all our disease. You are Restorer of the broken, Healer, and Redeemer. You are Father, you are Friend, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness. You are Faithful, you are True, you are Powerful, you are forever with us.

You are Holy, you are Worthy, and we worship you this day, and always…

In Jesus’ Name,

Amen.