The Holy Spirit: An Absolute..... Dr. Charles Stanley

 The Holy Spirit: An Absolute

Dr. Charles Stanley

Luke 24:36-49

Salvation occurs when we trust Jesus as our Savior--He forgives us, transforms us, and sees us as righteous. In that moment, we are redeemed, and though we continue to struggle with sin, it is a defeated foe. Then as time goes on, our service, gifts, and love for Him should naturally become greater.

Unfortunately, a lot of Christians sit in church week after week, going through the motions yet lacking passion and failing to grow. How is such a thing possible? Tragically, many believers are unaware of the essential ministry of God's Spirit.

The Holy Spirit is a member of the Trinity and co-equal with God the Father and God the Son. The opening chapter of Scripture tells us that He existed before the formation of the earth and in fact participated in creation (Gen. 1:2, Gen. 1:26). Today, He has the critical role of helping and counseling all believers.

The Holy Spirit is a gift to every child of God. His presence within us isn't something we have to earn or acquire. Rather, it is a marvelous privilege--by indwelling our hearts, He can guide and strengthen, steering each believer away from danger and into truth (John 16:7-8). Scripture tells us that Jesus came so we could experience a full life (10:10). This is possible only when we listen to His Spirit and obey.

Are you experiencing the abundant life Jesus promised? He wasn't talking about happy circumstances but rather the joy and contentment possible through a relationship with Him. If you're lacking in this area, consider your understanding of the Holy Spirit, and pray to be in tune with His promptings.

Bless Those Who Persecute You..... Craig Denison

 Bless Those Who Persecute You

Craig Denison

Bless Those Who Persecute You

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:“Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them.” Romans 12:14

Devotional:

Think back on an unresolved conflict you’ve had. Maybe a friend, spouse, family member, or coworker wronged you. Reflect on the anger, frustration, and sense of injustice you felt. Maybe you still feel those feelings today when you remember that situation. Conflict without grace and forgiveness is like a small hole in the fabric of our emotions that seems to tear larger and larger with every passing day. The more we play the scenario over in our heads, the worse it seems to get. The feelings of unforgiveness and the need for fairness carry with them an increasingly heavy burden. And the Bible teaches us that unforgiveness and seeking fairness are weights we were never intended to bear.

Jesus completely turned our system of fairness on its head. In Luke 6:27-31, he said, “But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. To one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from one who takes away your cloak do not withhold your tunic either. Give to everyone who begs from you, and from one who takes away your goods do not demand them back. And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them.” The way of God is grace-filled, unconditional love, not fighting for what you feel owed. Jesus himself “did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross” (Philippians 2:5-8). Jesus chose to never reciprocate the persecution and cursing he faced. Instead, he lived his life in the pursuit of blessing everyone with grace and mercy so that they might know the depth of God’s love. And he calls you and me to do the same.

Matthew 5:43-45 says, “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.” We are called to live our lives out of the understanding that we are sons and daughters of God. And Jesus says that loving our enemies and praying for those who persecute us demonstrates our position as God’s children. You have been delivered from the world’s system of fairness. You no longer have to fight to get what is owed to you. Instead, you can choose to cast off that weight and bless and serve those around you.

“Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them” (Romans 12:14). God will fight for your justice. He will be your protector and defender. Leave those heavy needs at the foot of the cross, and come follow the way of your Savior. The only path to experiencing the fullness of abundant life is choosing to bless your enemies instead of fighting with them. God’s path to peace and joy is founded on the concept of grace. When you choose to bless others, even if they don’t deserve it, you are choosing to live your life in light of eternity. You have been forgiven and offered grace not because you deserved it, but by the mercy and love of your heavenly Father. Follow the example and teaching of Jesus today, live your life in obedience to his word, and experience the fruit of choosing to bless everyone around you regardless of how they treat you.

Guided Prayer:

1. Meditate on Jesus’ teaching on forgiveness and grace.

“But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. To one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from one who takes away your cloak do not withhold your tunic either. Give to everyone who begs from you, and from one who takes away your goods do not demand them back. And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them.” Luke 6:27-31

2. Now ask the Spirit to fill you with the desire to be like Jesus and obey his word. Trust that God’s commands are meant to lead you to the absolute best life you could live.

“Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” Philippians 2:5-8

3. Spend time in God’s presence, allowing the love and grace he offers you to mold and shape you into the likeness of Jesus. The more time you spend with God, the more you will become like him. Rest in his nearness.

Blessing those who have hurt you is one of the hardest things to do as a believer. It requires the perspective and fortitude to choose God’s ways over what feels most gratifying at the time. But you have the power to choose the abundant life God makes available to you in every moment. The Holy Spirit will help you forgive and offer grace to others if you will allow him to. Choose to bless those who persecute you today, and watch as the love and honor you show others brings heaven to earth around you.

Extended Reading: Matthew 5

Confessions of an Overwhelmed Heart..... STEPHANIE TRONSON

 Confessions of an Overwhelmed Heart

STEPHANIE TRONSON

“When the cares of my heart are many, your consolations cheer my soul.” Psalm 94:19 (ESV)

We have all done this. We have all filled a mug brim-full with coffee or tea, and then tried to walk carefully to the table without spilling. We watch the liquid slosh as it threatens to spill with one small bump.

That’s me this year — the coffee mug, sloshing brim-full of emotions, always on the verge of spilling tears.

A heavy heart isn’t uncommon to the Christian faith, but what’s the difference between feeling deeply and feeling deeply overwhelmed?

There are seasons when our hearts are full. We carry with us the fresh death of a loved one, the surprising trials of a big move, the diagnosis of a disease or the prolonged wait for marriage, children or a promotion.

During these seasons, it’s important to remember that deep emotions are normal and have been felt by many of God’s people. Think of Job after losing his children, his home and his financial stability. Or Mary as she watched the final breath of her son on the cross. Even Jesus Himself was grieved to the “point of death” (Matthew 26:38, NIV) before the cross. God's people have always felt deep emotions in the midst of trials.

We see this truth in the words of the psalmist of Psalm 94:19: “When the cares of my heart are many, your consolations cheer my soul.” Instead of feeling overwhelmed in the midst of his trials and emotions, the writer of this psalm invited God to engage in those emotions with him.

The word “consolation” means “a person or thing providing comfort to a person who has suffered.” As I walk through deep emotions, I’m learning that the words “I am overwhelmed” in my vocabulary can softly be replaced by a truer confession: “Father, I am not allowing Your comforts to unburden my heavy soul.”

Feeling deeply overwhelmed may be a signal, not that our trials are insignificant or that our emotions are too strong, but that we have been carrying them alone. God does not intend for us to let go of grief when a child dies, to ignore sorrow when someone sins or to brush away tears when we are hurting. Instead, God wants to be more engaged in our suffering and intends to breathe His comfort into our heavy hearts.

I’m learning to let my overwhelmed heart be a path toward confessing my lack of dependence on God. When my heart is full and I feel tears brimming from any small bump, I run to the Lord and confess I have been carrying my burdens alone, just as we’re instructed in 1 Peter 5:7: “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” As His children, we have full freedom to take every burden, small and large, to His feet, and He promises to carry us through it. I don’t know about you, but that makes this overwhelmed heart a bit lighter.

Father, thank You for being the “God of all comfort” (2 Corinthians 1:3). There have been times when I haven’t depended on You like I so freely can, times when I haven’t allowed Your comfort to unburden my heavy heart. Please forgive me. Help me to remember that You see me, know me and love me better than anyone and that my life and all its cares matter deeply to You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

TRUTH FOR TODAY:
Romans 5:5, “And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.” (NIV)

Psalm 34:4, “I sought the LORD, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears.” (NIV)

Isaiah 43:2, “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.” (NIV) 

Connecting in the Heat of the Moment..... By: Amanda Idleman

 Connecting in the Heat of the Moment

By: Amanda Idleman

Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. - Colossians 3:12 

At all times in our marriages we need to connect heart-to-heart, which means connecting emotionally before anything else. 

Have you ever had an argument that started only because your spouse offered too many “solutions” to your problem? Usually for me this, looks like my husband jumping in to explain the “right” approach to a situation before I’ve even got the end of my lament. Rather than seeing the wisdom of his words, a brawl erupts because I interpret his “helpfulness” as another reason I am wrong in my already stressed state. We all hit this wall from time-to-time because most couples struggle to acknowledge that you have to connect heart-to-heart because mixing heart-to-head just doesn’t work. 

It’s the same principle that is at work when you try to reason with a mad and crying two-year-old; they can’t hear you because their brains are stuck in emotion mode. You have to help them calm down before you can talk to them about the reasons why certain boundaries exist. Unfortunately, our bodies grow but our brain doesn’t change much in this regard. We may not cry and scream when we are feeling overwhelmed (although it’s not entirely out of the question). Nonetheless, we need our spouses to connect with us emotionally, help us sort through our emotions first before looking for logical solutions. 

What does it look like to first connect heart-to-heart when we are in the heat of a stressful moment? We first and foremost need the power of God that gives us tenderness, gentleness, kindness, humility, and lots of patience that Colossians talks about. While we all aspire to offer our spouses these sorts of responses, without the help of Jesus our selfish and impatient human nature wins out way more than we would like. He is our source of strength and wisdom when either ourselves or our spouse face difficult emotions. 

Practically living out these traits most times looks like you offer a listening ear. Basically, connecting heart-to-head happens when one person shares and the other person interjects too much of themselves and their own opinions into their spouses issue. Not only does being willing to listen fully and empathize show kindness and care for each other, it also saves you from wasting your solutions to deaf ears. If your willing to be patient there likely will be a moment that you both can think together, head-to-head, about how to solve the problem, but if you jump there before your spouse is ready your words probably won’t be heard. 

We need to use tenderness when our spouse is facing a situation where they are struggling to navigate. When you do choose to speak, use affirming words that lets them know that you hear them and see that they are burdened. Remind them you are on their team and even if what they face is challenging, they are not on their own. 

If you are the one feeling the weight of heavy emotions strive to name them as clearly as you can. I am absolutely terrible at this! In an effort to improve at articulating my overwhelming emotions I actually printed out a list of emotions and hung it on our fridge. If you are like me and your emotions come on quickly and with fury, but you truly struggle to say what you feel, then you have to really put effort to grow in this area. This is a skill that you have to intentionally practice for it to be a part of your normal. When you hear yourself sounding short or feel tension in your body make yourself pause and come up with at least one word to describe how your feeling. Let your spouse hear you so they can give you the gift of connecting heart-to-heart which will help bring that tidal wave of emotion under control. 

What Does Sabbath Look Like for You? (Genesis 2:2-3)..... By: Amanda Idleman

 What Does Sabbath Look Like for You? (Genesis 2:2-3)

By: Amanda Idleman

By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day, he rested from all his work. Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done. - Genesis 2:2-3

Sabbath once was a sacred and protected sacrament. A sabbath is defined as a day of religious observance and abstinence from work. Recently, my kids and I listened to Farmer Boy by Laura Ingels Wilder and were amazed by the strict description of how the Sunday sabbath was observed during this time. Families spend the day enforcing no playing, talking, or doing much of anything. This level of strict observance of a sabbath is hard to imagine in our modern world, where life keeps going full speed ahead, 24/7.

Thankfully, we’ve embraced a more grace-filled approach to our seventh day of the week. This begs the question, “Is the concept of sabbath still applicable to our modern lives?” Are there consequences for pushing ourselves to be “productive” seven days out of the week? Does going harder really mean we accomplish more? Should we protect a sabbath day as a part of our routine?  What do we gain when we schedule strategic pauses in our lives?

These are important and practical questions for every believer, as we now live in a culture that is obsessed with optimizing our time and productivity. The fact is how we use our time has real consequences. Time is a finite commodity in our lives. Intentional decisions about how we use our days are an important part of wise-living. We see this truth simply put in Psalm 90:12 which says, “Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.”

God has real reasons for instructing and modeling for us the practice of taking a sabbath that we would be wise to pay attention to. He created us with real limits and a real need for Him. Sabbath is just one way that we are reminded that God is our provider. Time and time again, we see that in His economy, He does more with our obedience, even if in many ways that means we are doing less than others.  When we follow God’s commands, he multiplies our time and resources.

At the start of the Bible is an account of God’s creation of our world. He worked making our known universe for six days straight and then on the seventh day He rested. He set the 7th day apart as “holy” or “sacred” (Genesis 2:2-3). God sets the precedent for the intentional use of our time. God did not need a day off, He elected to set apart time to enjoy the work He had just done!

Many of us may not feel the need to press pause on our workflow. Working hard past the Monday through Friday 9-5 may not leave us exhausted, yet God shows us that we need to be intentional about balancing the work and reflection. Part of worship requires that we reflect on and remember the things God has done (Psalm 143:5). This only happens when we make the choice to take some of our time and dedicate it to the Lord.

We so quickly lose sight of the things that matter in our lives. Just as the Israelites quickly turned to grumble when things started to get difficult, even after God had performed countless miracles on their behalf. We so easily forget what God has done for us and His mission for our lives. Sabbath is the intentional practice of forcing on minds and hearts to refocus on the beauty of God’s provision in our lives. At the end of God’s 6 days of creation, He knew his work was good! He didn’t want to blow past creation’s majesty, He wanted to soak it in.

Sabbath allows us to “soak in” God’s presence, to reflect on His good gifts, to meditate on His promises, and to reconnect with Him so our lives can be lived with the proper perspective.

If our desire is to live a life in a relationship with Jesus then we have to make time to connect with him. Sabbath is an essential way to focus your attention on Jesus. That could be through attending a church service, reading the Bible, singing worship songs to God, praying, being in nature, creating, connecting to a community of believers, or listening to an insightful sermon. God speaks in a variety of ways, but we know we hear him best when we commit time to focus our hearts on him. 

Renewal in the Desert..... By Katherine Britton

 Renewal in the Desert

By Katherine Britton

"Therefore I am now going to allure her [Israel]; I will lead her into the desert and speak tenderly to her." - Hosea 2:14

The prophet Hosea certainly had one of the least enviable jobs ever. God commanded him to take a wife who both God and Hosea knew would be unfaithful, so Hosea married Gomer, a prostitute. They had several children together, but at length she went back to her old ways. She left Hosea, went back to her lovers, and ended up betrayed into the slave market.

Hosea then did the unthinkable. He bought her back.

"The LORD said to me, ‘Go, show your love to your wife again, though she is loved by another and is an adulteress…' So I bought her for fifteen shekels of silver and about a homer and a lethek of barley. Then I told her, "You are to live with me many days; you must not be a prostitute or be intimate with any man, and I will live with you." (Hosea 3:1-3)

In a very real sense, Hosea redeemed his wayward bride. Instead of leaving her to the natural consequences, he brought her back into the covenant of marriage.

From the very beginning, the Lord makes it clear to Hosea that the pain of betrayal, ingratitude, and inconstant nature of Gomer was nothing less than God himself experienced at the hands of his bride, the people of Israel. Idolatry far exceeded faithfulness to the covenant, and the nation became increasingly entangled with foreign kingdoms, against God's direct commandment. They were the wayward bride, and their fate would be no less than Gomer's. Hosea assured every Israelite that the natural consequences of their action - slavery and destitution - were coming.

And yet the Lord did not abandon them. Instead, when everything they had trusted was stripped away, he pursued them. God said,

"Therefore I am now going to allure her; I will lead her into the desert and speak tenderly to her … I will betroth you to me forever; I will betroth you in righteousness and justice, in love and compassion." (Hosea 2:14,19)

Once emptied of its treasures, its gods, and its affluence, Israel found that they were not an object of ultimate wrath, but of ultimate mercy. All this despite the broken covenants, promises, and ingratitude toward the God who had already saved them from slavery. The commentator Matthew Henry notes the incredible grace displayed here in the Old Testament:

"When it was said, She forgot me, one would think it should have followed, ‘Therefore I will abandon her, I will forget her, I will never look after her more.' No, Therefore I will allure her. God's thoughts and ways of mercy are infinitely above ours; his reasons are all fetched from within himself, and not from any thing in us; nay, his goodness takes occasion from man's badness to appear so much the more illustrious… the design is plainly to magnify free grace to those on whom God will have mercy purely for mercy's sake."

Let's never forget that in God's hands, even the desert is a place of restoration.

Intersecting Faith & Life: Are you in the desert right now? Financially? Relationally? Spiritually? Take comfort in knowing that God strips away our luxuries to return our focus where it belongs.

She shall be as a traveller that not only knows not which way to go, of many that are before him, but that finds no way at all to go forward. … The disappointments we meet with in our pursuits of satisfaction in the creature should, if nothing else will do it, drive us at length to the Creator, in whom alone it is to be had. - Hosea 2: 6-12

God will have us to know, not only that we have all our creature-comforts and enjoyments from him, but that he has still an incontestable right and title to them, that they are more his than ours, and therefore are to be used for him, and accounted for to him. He will therefore take their plenty away from them, because they have forfeited it by disowning his right, as a tenant by copy of court-roll, who holds at the will of his lord, forfeits his estate if he makes a feoffment of it as though he were a freeholder. He will recover it, will free or deliver it, that it may be no longer abused, as the creature is said to be delivered from the bondage of corruption under which it groans, Rom. 8:21.

A Prayer for Revival..... By Debbie Przybylski

 A Prayer for Revival

By Debbie Przybylski

Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect. - Matthew 24:44

We live in serious times. We need to cry out fervently to God, asking Him to revive His Church worldwide. We need to be in intensive prayer, asking God to move in our cities and nations. Studying the characteristics of revival will help us prepare both personally and corporately for a great move of God in His Church. Understanding the deep need to prepare our own hearts for revival and learning how to cooperate with God as He pours into the earth will keep us from hindering the move of God as it comes. The key phrase of the Welsh revival in 1904 was, "Bend the Church and save the world."

· Spiritual preparation
· Conviction of sin
· God-consciousness

“There was nothing humanly speaking, to account for what happened. Quite suddenly, upon one and another came an overwhelming sense of the reality and awfulness of His Presence and of eternal things. Life, death and eternity seemed suddenly laid bare.”  - Winkie Pratney

May God prepare each one of us personally to pay the price for revival—the price of fervent prayer and allowing Him to work deeply in our lives. Let us ask Him to make us conscious of His Presence and learn to abide in Him moment by moment. Pray that He will convict us of even the smallest sin in our life. Press on in prayer and fasting for revival in the nations. A worldwide end-times revival is going to be a glorious thing, but it will be costly.

We lived on a book exhibition ship for years. In some countries, thousands of visitors came on board daily. Long hours of hard work consumed our full attention. Are we ready for the demands of revival? God must prepare us, His Church, personally and corporately for the self-sacrifice that revival entails. May we not draw back but prepare to lay hold of this glorious end-time outpouring of God with all our hearts as the radiant Bride of Christ who is willing to sacrifice all so that people might be saved.

Pray with me for revival:

Lord, thank You for the work You have been doing and the work You continue to do in this world. Make us conscious of Your presence, help us learn to abide in You moment by moment. Convict us of even the smallest sins, and help us turn toward you in joyful obedience. Lord, revive the nations to Your gospel truth. Help us not draw back but rather fight the good fight of faith. In Jesus’ Name, Amen!

Why Did an Angel Roll Away the Stone?..... Matthew Henry

 Why Did an Angel Roll Away the Stone?

Matthew Henry

Quote of the Day

"'Dear Uticus, Our preacher said that Jesus swooned on the cross and then His disciples nursed Him to health. What do you think? Signed, Bewildered.'
'Dear Bewildered, Beat your preacher with a cat-o'-nine-tails thirty-nine times. Nail him to a cross. Hang him in the sun for six hours. Run a spear through his side, embalm him, and put him in an airless tomb for thirty-six hours and see what happens. Sincerely, Uticus.'"
~Greg Laurie (from "Could Jesus Have Survived the Crucifixion?")

Today's Answer

Why Did an Angel Roll Away the Stone?
Matthew Henry

The angels frequently attended our Lord Jesus: at His birth, in His temptation, in His agony. But upon the cross we find no angel attending him. When His Father forsook Him, the angels withdrew from Him, but now that He is resuming the glory he had before the foundation of the world, the angels of God worship him.

The angel came, rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it. Our Lord Jesus could have rolled back the stone Himself by His own power, but He chose to have it done by an angel to signify that having undertaken to make satisfaction for our sin, He did not break prison, but had a fair and legal discharge, obtained from heaven. He did not break prison, but an officer was sent on purpose to roll away the stone and open the prison door, which would never have been done if He had not made a full satisfaction.

But being delivered for our offences, He was raised again for our justification. He died to pay our debt, and rose again to gain our acquittal. The stone of our sins was rolled to the door of the grave of our Lord Jesus (and we find the rolling of a great stone to signify the contracting of guilt - 1 Samuel 14:33), but to demonstrate that divine justice was satisfied, an angel was commissioned to roll back the stone. The angel did not raise Him from the dead, any more than those that took away the stone from Lazarus’s grave raised him, but by this he intimated the consent of Heaven to Christ's release, and the joy of Heaven in it.

The enemies of Christ had sealed the stone, since this was their hour, but all the powers of death and darkness are under the control of the God of light and life. An angel from heaven has power to break the seal and roll away the stone, though ever so great. Thus, the captives of the mighty are taken away.

The angel’s sitting upon the stone, after he had rolled it away, is very observable and shows a secure triumph over all the obstructions of Christ’s resurrection. There he sat, defying all the powers of hell to roll the stone to the grave again. The angel sat as a guard to the grave, having frightened away the enemies’ guard; he sat, expecting the women, and ready to give them an account of Jesus's resurrection.