Controlling Our Appetites..... Dr. Charles Stanley

 Controlling Our Appetites

Dr. Charles Stanley

1 Corinthians 9:24-27

What words would you use to describe our society? Materialistic, sensual, impatient, indulgent, undisciplined--these are just a few. We're also a "have it now" culture. Satan specializes in presenting us with opportunities for instant gratification while promising us that indulging our appetites will bring us the satisfaction we seek.

Human appetites, in themselves, are not sinful. In fact, they're God-given. However, because of our fleshly weaknesses, they need to be controlled. When our appetites rule us, we're in trouble. Paul likened the Christian life to that of athletes who are so focused on winning the race that they exercise self-control in every area of their lives.

That's exactly how we're called to live, yet we lack the motivation, determination, and power to do so in our own strength. For this reason, we need to rely on the Holy Spirit within us. If we yield our lives to Him and step out in obedience to His promptings, we'll have the strength to say no when fleshly desires feel overpowering (Gal. 5:16).

Another key to success is keeping our focus on the eternal instead of the temporal. Many decisions that seem mundane are in fact spiritually significant. Are you indulging an appetite that could result in the sacrifice of an imperishable reward in heaven.

When the Enemy tempts us, he always tries to keep our attention on our desire and the pleasure of indulgence rather than on the eternal rewards and blessings we're forfeiting. Just remind yourself how quickly immediate gratification wanes and how long eternity lasts.

Be Fervent in Spirit..... Craig Denison

 Be Fervent in Spirit

Craig Denison

Weekly Overview:

This week we’re going to take a look at seven principles found in Romans 12 that describe the marks of a true Christian. The intent of studying this passage is not to condemn or lead you to comparison. Instead, let Paul’s teaching fill you with a deep, transformative longing to wholeheartedly pursue the life God intends for you. Ask God to help you see yourself as he sees you, to see the grace he’s placed upon your life by the blood of Jesus so that you might walk more fully in the power and anointing of the Spirit. Open your heart to God, and let him do a mighty work in you. He is near to you, ready to mold and shape you into a disciple filled with and fueled by his incredible love. May you discover God’s grace and perspective this week as you examine your life in light of this powerful passage of Scripture.

Scripture:“Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord.” Romans 12:11

Devotional:    

God shares with us, his disciples, an important command in Romans 12:11. Scripture says, “Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord.” Do you ever feel slothful in zeal? Here, Paul is talking about feeling sluggish in your relationship with God. He’s describing a feeling of laziness, a lack of desire. Do you ever feel like your spirit is anything but fervent? The word fervent here is better translated as “boiling over.” Do you ever feel like your spirit is more like stagnant water? Let’s look today at how we as followers of God can stir up our affections for the Lord.Let’s make space for God to put fire under any area of our spiritual life that feels stagnant that it might boil over in him. 

Foundational to understanding Romans 12:11 is the knowledge that God will never ask you to do something or be something without his help. You are never alone in your spiritual growth. Your job is simply to create space in your heart for God to mold and shape you. Your job is to engage with him and let the Spirit teach, lead, and fill you. Your heavenly Father is near to you. He has a perfect plan to guide you into spiritual growth and fervor. So, in light of that understanding, how can you engage with God and allow him to mold and shape you into a person of greater fervor and zeal?

Psalm 19:7 says, “The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul.” And Psalm 19:8 says, “The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart.” Scripture makes clear that to be zealous and fervent in your service to God, you must spend time allowing his word to inflame your spiritual fire. Spending time reading about the depths of God’s love for his people, the length he will go for you as his child, and the example of lives empowered by the Spirit will assuredly fill you with passion and zeal. When you spend time in God’s word, you are not only reading incredible stories, but hearing the voice of your living and active heavenly Father. Spend time with his word, allowing the voice of God to direct your soul to finding its rest and passion in him.

When you spend time with God, you will naturally be filled with a desire and passion to serve him. Reflect for a moment on how different you feel when you are inflamed with passion in comparison to feeling slothful. You have the power to choose how you will live life every day. You have the choice to engage with God, read his word, spend time in his presence, and allow him to mold and shape you. You also have the power to live a passionless life. The choice is yours. But know God is faithful to fill you with his Spirit every day if you will make space for him to do so. He has total grace for the times you feel sluggish; at the same time he has a perfect plan to lead you out of that state into being “fervent in spirit.” Engage with God today in prayer. Meditate on his word. Let him fill you with the power and anointing of his Holy Spirit.

The Message translates Romans 12:11 as saying, “Don’t burn out; keep yourselves fueled and aflame. Be alert servants of the Master, cheerfully expectant.” May you experience today the life of a “cheerfully expectant” person “fueled” and set “aflame” by the love and leading of God.

Guided Prayer:

1. Spend time meditating on God’s word. Choose a passage that will stir up your affections for God. Passages like “The High Priestly Prayer” in John 17 are great for encountering God’s heart.

2. Now, ask the Holy Spirit to fill you afresh. Spend time in God’s presence allowing him to fill you with a desire to serve him.

“Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.” Psalm 90:14

3. Ask the Spirit to show you ways you can serve God today. God has a specific plan to use you today to bring spiritual awakening to those around you. He could have you give someone a gift, encourage someone, pray for someone, or even simply engage in conversation with a stranger. Follow the voice of the Spirit as he guides and directs you today.

Finish up the time you spend alone with God today by simply asking his presence to linger with you. Ask him to continually fill you with the flame of his love. Know that wherever you go today he will be there. Whenever you feel sluggish in spirit, he is there to fill you up. Continually engage with him and live today with his grace and love as your foundation and fuel.

 

Extended Reading: Psalm 43

2 Ways to Shipwreck Your Faith.... By Jennifer Waddle

 2 Ways to Shipwreck Your Faith

By Jennifer Waddle

“This charge I commit to you, son Timothy, according to the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you may wage the good warfare, having faith and a good conscience, which some having rejected, concerning the faith have suffered shipwreck.” - (1 Timothy 1:18-19 NKJV)

To experience an actual shipwreck would be one of the scariest experiences a person could go through. When we hear of cruise ships being stranded at sea, starting to sink, or having mechanical issues, we hold our breaths until people are safely rescued.

The apostle Paul knew the experience of shipwreck probably better than anyone.

“Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea…” (2 Corinthians 11:25 NIV)

Three times he was shipwrecked! And yet, he survived to tell the story.

While most of us can only imagine such an ordeal, I’m afraid others of us may end up going through something just as terrible—the shipwreck of faith.

For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame.  - (Hebrews 6:4-6 NKJV)

Drifting away from our relationship with Jesus is a serious situation that requires serious action. We are in danger of reaching a place, in the open sea of life, where we completely abandon our faith and outright reject the Lord.

There is an interesting line, in 1 Timothy 1:20, that mentions a couple of men by the names of Hymenaeus and Alexander—men to whom Paul “handed over to Satan.” Now, I don’t know about you, but I never want to be “handed over” to Satan! The context of the passage is that Paul recognized two grave things that these men had allowed to happen—two things that basically shipwrecked their faith. When Paul warned Timothy to "fight the good fight with faith and a good conscience,” he was outlining two necessary things for the Christian walk. Unfortunately, Hymenaeus and Alexander had rejected these and been expelled from Paul’s leadership in order that they would learn a hard lesson.

Following the example of these men, here are 2 ways to shipwreck your faith:

1. Reject

In a world where everyone is encouraged to embrace “whatever feels right,” there is an extreme danger of being mislead toward ideas that are contrary to the Scriptures. These ideas plague our culture, our homes, and even our churches. Eventually, they may lead a person to outright reject faith in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.

He who hears you hears Me, he who rejects you rejects Me, and he who rejects Me rejects Him who sent Me.” (Luke 10:16 NKJV)

Belief and the acceptance of Jesus as the only true God is foundational to the Christian faith. Any other ideas that try to distort this truth are ideas that can lead to shipwreck. It is crucial to our faith that we trust in the finished work of Christ on the cross and not try to add or take away from it.

2. Ignore

When our conscience becomes hardened to the point that we no longer hear or heed the voice of the Holy Spirit, our faith becomes like a splintered ship, tossed against the rocky shore, useless and abandoned.

The Holy Spirit’s role is “God in us.” When we enter into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, His Spirit comes to reside. He guards, guides, and directs us in the way we should go. Without His navigation, our faith will surely be shipwrecked. It is of utmost importance that we remain in step with Him and listen to His still, small voice.

If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. (Galatians 5:25 NKJV)

Paul’s charge to Timothy was to remain strong in the battle, steady on the open seas, and faithful in the Lord. He knew that temptations would come—temptations to reject and ignore the only God and Savior, thereby risking the shipwreck of his faith.

For to this end we both labor and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of those who believe. (1Timothy 4:10 NKJV)

A Season for Everything..... by Ryan Duncan

 A Season for Everything

by Ryan Duncan

“He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.” – Ecclesiastes 3:11

I don’t like winter. At the beginning it can be fun: warm sweaters, fresh snow, Christmas is usually on the horizon, but once January hits, winter can be absolutely brutal. Everything is so cold and dark and bleak. You start counting down the days to spring in your head, and scanning the ground for any sign of green. Despite everything though, winter does have a purpose.

The changing temperatures help prepare the ground for seeds, and clear away dead vegetation to make way for the new growth. Without each season playing its part, it’s likely the environment would collapse. As Christians, it’s tempting to think that if we accept Christ as our savior and follow his commands, we’ll never endure hardship. But life, like nature, moves in seasons. Just look at what the Bible has to say,

“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain, a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace.” – Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

We live in a sinful world, and because of that, we often have to endure painful seasons in life, but that does not mean our pain is meaningless. Many times throughout the Bible, God took an evil thing and used it for good, and He still does this today. He can take a season of suffering and use it to open our eyes to the suffering of others. He can use a season of death and remind us of the beauty in life. He can take a season of sorrow, and draw us closer to Him as He encourages us, and reminds us all seasons soon come to an end.

No matter what seasons you may be experiencing in your life, remember that God uses all things to the good of those who love Him, and that all winters inevitably give way to a new spring.

Intersecting Faith and Life: Take some time to examine the seasons of your life and how God spoke to you through them. Are there others around you who could use encouragement?

Further Reading: 1 Timothy 6:12

A Prayer for the Troubled Heart..... By Debbie McDaniel

 A Prayer for the Troubled Heart

By Debbie McDaniel

This world can be a dark place many days. News reports of shootings, innocent lives being lost too soon, terrorist attacks, unrest, and struggle are constant reminders that we live in uncertain times. Past hurts cling tightly, our present reality filled with pressures, the future may seem to loom with fear.

Many times we wonder, is finding peace in the midst of all this even possible?

Often, living a peace-filled life comes down to a choice. Choosing to come to Him, choosing to set our minds on His Word, choosing to trust Him no matter what, choosing to pray in all that we face, choosing not to be anxious, choosing to believe that He's always with us and in control, choosing to set our thoughts on those things that are true and right.

God reminds us in His word that peace will not naturally just come our way, He tells to “seek peace and pursue it,” Psa 34:14.  Some may offer their own advice, “Get away for a few days, relax, be happy, take a vacation, tune out, just don't think about stressful stuff.” But it's only temporary relief in a crazy, struggling world. Vain attempts to cover desperate places of our souls with superficial, external fixes.

But the peace God offers is vastly different. It's lasting. Confident. Real. Breathing deep reassurance in the midst of all that we face – past, present, or future. Rising up against the fear that would seek to choke our lives. Bringing comfort and freedom.

He sent His only Son, pure essence of Peace Himself, to give us lasting freedom and peace that only He can give.

Dear God,

Our world is hurting and broken. We pray for those who have lost loved ones this week, please comfort them in their grief and loss, cover them with your peace and presence, as only your Spirit can do.

We know that in whatever we face, you are our Peace and Refuge, a very present help in times of trouble. Thank you that you remind us throughout your Word, we do not face the storms alone, but you are always with us.  Whispering calm. Speaking peace. Bringing rest to our souls.

We confess our need for you. We ask you to forgive us for trying to figure everything out on our own, for not trusting that you are more than able and powerful to work on our behalf. Forgive us for picking back up what we already determined to lay down at your feet. Give us the ability to trust you more, give us a heart that finds rest in your presence, give us the wisdom to seek peace and pursue it, remembering it’s only to be found in you alone.

Thank you that your yoke is easy and your burden is light. Thank you that you care for us. Thank you that the peace of your loving and strong presence guards and protects our hearts and minds in you. Thank you that we do not have to walk in fear or live in overwhelmed cycles of worry and stress.

Thank you for your voice that breaks through the greatest wind and storm swirling around us, and whispers “Peace, be still.”

Thank you that you sent your One and Only Son to set us free.

In the Mighty Name of Jesus,
Amen

New Life for Us All..... Greg Laurie

 New Life for Us All

Greg Laurie

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.
—1 Peter 1:3

A couple from Chicago was planning a vacation to a warmer climate, but the wife couldn't join her husband until the next day, because she was on a business trip. Her husband scribbled down her e-mail address on a little scrap of paper, but upon his arrival, he discovered that he had lost it. He wanted to send off a quick e-mail to let her know he had arrived safely. So trying his best to remember her e-mail address, he composed a brief message and sent it off.

Unfortunately, his e-mail did not reach his wife. Instead, it went to a grieving widow who had just lost her husband, a preacher, the day before. She had gone to her computer and was checking her e-mail when she let out a loud shriek and fainted on the spot. Her family came rushing in to see what was on the screen: "Dearest wife, I just checked in. Everything is prepared for your arrival tomorrow. P. S.: It sure is hot down here!"

The good news is that because of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, we don't have to be afraid of that real place that is hot down there. In fact, we don't even have to fear death. Because Christ died and rose again from the dead, we know that for us as believers, there is life beyond the grave.

If that were all the resurrection did for us, it would be worth the price of the ticket. Of course, we didn't buy the ticket. Christ did. But if all that Christianity offered was the hope of life beyond the grave, it still would be worth it to be a Christian.

But there is a whole lot more that the resurrection has for us. Our risen Lord will give us a new heart and put a new spirit within us (see Ezekiel 36:26). He will give us new knowledge, new comfort, new peace, and a new life in Him.