The God Who Saves..... Dr. Charles Stanley

 The God Who Saves

Dr. Charles Stanley

Ephesians 2:8-9

Recently I was talking with a fellow about his spiritual life. When I asked, "Are you saved?" he answered, "No, but I'm working at it." When I pressed him, he explained that he was making some changes in his life. He had given up smoking and drinking, among other things. I knew that I should help him understand a few important principles, as his only guarantee so far was better health.

What this gentleman needed to realize was that what we do or what we give up for Jesus doesn't amount to much. The Lord isn't looking for people who change a few habits by sheer force of will; He's calling people to surrender themselves to Him. The only action God expects of a "seeker" is to believe in Jesus--that He is who He says, He will do what He says, He has the authority to forgive, and He will equip His people to live a godly life. Because of those convictions, a new Christian is empowered to turn away from his old life--in other words, to repent--and begin the process of becoming "a new creation" (2 Cor. 5:17).

We don't evolve into a saved people by deleting old habits and instituting better religious ones; we are transformed by the saving power of Jesus Christ when we believe in Him.

Since salvation isn't something we earn, no one can boast before God. All of our moral living, good deeds, and strenuous efforts to change bad habits amount to a pile of trash compared to the holiness of Jesus Christ (Isa. 64:6). Only His righteousness can cover our sins and make us right before the Father.

You Can Know God ..... Craig Denison

 You Can Know God

Craig Denison

Weekly Overview:

One of the greatest privileges as a child of God is that we can have the heart of our heavenly Father. We don’t have to wonder how he feels about us. We don’t have to wonder if he will guide us. We don’t have to question whether he loves us or cares about us. Through the Holy Spirit we have continual, free access to the heart of God. May your relationship with God go deeper and become freer as we learn how to have God’s heart this week.

Scripture:

“Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” Psalm 46:10

Devotional:    

God longs to be known by you. He longs for you to make time to simply seek his face and get to know his personality, the nature of his love, and the availability of his presence. You don’t have to live without a real, revelatory knowledge of God’s heart. You don’t have to live with the uncertainty of whether you are cared for, provided for, and loved.

In the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, God proved his longing to be known by us. Jesus took on flesh not just so he could save and redeem us, but so he could usher in a better, truer revelation of who the Father is. In John 17:3 Jesus says, “Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.” And later in verse 26 Jesus prays to the Father, “I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.” Jesus came that we might know the love of the Father. He came that we might have communion—unh

Through Jesus you’ve been granted eternal, real access to your heavenly Father. And in the Holy Spirit you can search the deep places of God’s heart and grow in restored relationship with him. 1 Corinthians 2:10-12 says:

For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. For who knows a person's thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God.

God has made the way for you to know his heart. You can know him in infinitely deeper and more transformative ways than you can know even your best friend or spouse. The Holy Spirit, God himself, dwells within you and longs to reveal the “deep things of God” to you.

All that’s left for you to do is have faith in God’s ability to reveal himself when you seek him and set aside time to know the heart of your heavenly Father. May you make time to do exactly that today as you enter into guided prayer.

Guided Prayer:

1. Meditate on what Scripture says about the knowability of God’s heart. Let God’s word fill you with faith to seek deeper relationship with your Father.

“For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. For who knows a person's thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God.” 1 Corinthians 2:10-12

“Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.” John 17:3

“I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.” John 17:26

2. Ask God to reveal an aspect of his heart that you need to know. Ask him how he feels about you in this moment. Ask him to reveal just how near and loving he is. Rest in his presence.

3. Thank God for how available he is to you. Worship him because he’s paid the ultimate price simply for you to know him. As you pour out thankfulness on him, watch as he pours his presence out over you.

What a tragedy it is to not take full advantage of what Jesus paid so high a price to accomplish. What a waste to live this life as if God isn’t fully with us, fully for us, and fully available to us. He couldn’t make the way to his heart any clearer. The Holy Spirit dwells within you as close to your heart as he could possibly be. Knowing God is as simple as acknowledging how close and available he already is. May your life be changed in light of the knowability of your perfect, loving heavenly Father. 

Extended Reading: John 17

It’s Going To Be OK ..... SHARON JAYNES

 It’s Going To Be OK

SHARON JAYNES

Lee en español

“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for, being convinced of what we do not see.” Hebrews 11:1 (NET)

It was one of the worst days of my life. Tragedy struck our family in the worst way, and I was emotionally paralyzed. That’s when my friend Mary stepped in to do what I couldn’t. She made me a hotel reservation, called the necessary people and said, “It’s going to be OK.”

In that moment, I was flooded with supernatural peace as I felt the Lord speaking through Mary. Her statement was not a dismissal of my pain or the complexity of the situation; however, something greater happened. The peace and comfort of God was somehow found in that statement in the middle of my storm.

“It’s going to be OK” is one of the most hope-filled sentiments I can offer to others and choose to believe for myself. The writer of Hebrews says, “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for, being convinced of what we do not see” (Hebrews 11:1). That’s where hope comes from.

Of course, for the Christian, there is the future hope of eternity with God. But there is also hope for the here and now. We have the assurance, the evidence of things not seen, that no matter what happens, God is still on His throne.

What is biblical hope? It is tethering to the future what we know about God’s past faithfulness. In defining faith as “being sure of what we hope for,” the writer of Hebrews gives us an insight into hope, but let’s chew on it a bit.

Biblical hope is not a wish. A wish is something we want to have or to happen. “I wish I had a bigger house.” “I wish I could go to Spain.” “I wish I had a smaller waist.” Maybe it will happen one day, but maybe it won’t.

In contrast, biblical hope is a certainty that our ultimate future rests in God’s capable and loving hands. It is an assurance that the invisible God is faithful and has a good plan in my visible life.

Old Testament writers used several Hebrew words for hope. One is qawa, which means “hope” in the sense of trust, as when the prophet Jeremiah said to God, “… our hope is in you …” (Jeremiah 14:22d, NIV). New Testament writers used the Greek word hupomeno for hope. It means to wait, to be patient, to endure, to persevere under misfortunes and trials, to hold fast to one’s faith in Christ.

We get a picture of hope, as these biblical words define it, in the life of the Apostle Paul. Paul encountered struggle after struggle, but he never lost hope that everything was going to be OK, and he assured others of the same. (2 Corinthians 4:8-10)

Here’s the thing, though: Unless someone has struggled through traumatic situations themselves, I don’t really believe them when they tell me, “It’s going to be OK.” My knee-jerk reaction is, “How do you know?” Unless they truly understand, the words fall flat. When you aren’t ashamed to tell your darkest moments but freely reveal how God brought you through, you become believable. Hope becomes conceivable. Then you become a hope-giver.

Sometimes, it may take years to put back the pieces the wrecking ball of pain has caused. The atrocities we’ve endured may tempt us to believe that someone other than God is writing our stories. But God has the power to redeem what we consider unredeemable. To heal what we consider fatally wounded. To make our worst chapters our greatest victories. And then to fashion us into hope-givers who are believable, vulnerable and beautiful when we tell one another, “It’s going to be OK.”

When tragedy tears our hearts out, when untimely death cracks the foundation of our faith, when abuse mars all that is good, we mourn. We grieve the loss. But we mustn’t allow the story to stop there. I type these words with tears in my eyes because I have lived them. Hear me when I say, “It’s going to be OK – you’re going to be OK.” God has more to write.

God, I trust You. No matter what happens this side of heaven, I know it’s going to be OK because You have a purpose and a plan. I might not like the situation or understand the observation, but I trust You without reservation. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

TRUTH FOR TODAY:
Psalm 9:10, “Those who know your name trust in you, for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you.” (NIV)

God Is Our Home (Psalm 90:1)..... By: Anne Peterson

 God Is Our Home (Psalm 90:1)

By: Anne Peterson

Today's Bible Verse - Lord, through all the generations you have been our home. - Psalm 90:1

We moved a lot growing up. And it would take living in a place for some time before we felt secure in our home. It took time for us to learn where things were, to familiarize ourselves with our surroundings. But then, before we knew it, we’d realize we were going to be okay. We were home.

A home is where you feel safe and secure. And the Scripture says that God is a home for us. God often refers to himself as our refuge and shelter. He is a person in whose arms we feel protected. To say that God is our home means we are totally accepted and safe with God. He gives us his unfailing love and he promises he will always be with us.

Jesus tells us that he is the vine, and we are the branches. Because of this, we can abide in him (John 15:5). If we live in the shelter of God, we will find rest even in his shadow (Psalm 91:1). I love the images that slip into my mind when I read these verses. We’re told we can approach God’s throne of grace whenever we need mercy and grace (Hebrews 4:16). I picture myself outside his throne room, but instead of being afraid of the huge door before me, I just walk in. He welcomes me with an open heart.

We live in uncertain times. We arise to find out new, terrible things each day, many of which can cause us to worry and fret. And yet, God tells us to not let our hearts be troubled (John 14:1). We can fight the temptation to worry because we know we are not alone. God has promised he would never leave us nor forsake us (Hebrews 13:5). And we know God’s promises are solid and we can count on them. We lay our heads down on our pillows at night knowing that whatever we face, our God is there.

God is our home. How fitting that Moses was the one who wrote Psalm 90. The Israelites traveled far and wide. But still, Moses knew God was his home, his dwelling place. God welcomed Moses. And God does the same for us.

Underneath My Wing

My trials overwhelm me, Lord,

I’m hit from every side.

I feel like I am on my own

with nowhere left to hide.

He answers: You are not alone,

I haven’t missed a thing.

And I’ve reserved a place for you

right underneath my wing.

Anne Peterson © 2021

If You've Ever Felt Betrayed: Jesus Understands..... By Debbie McDaniel

 If You've Ever Felt Betrayed: Jesus Understands

By Debbie McDaniel

“While they were reclining at the table eating, he said, "Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me--one who is eating with me." - Mark 14:18

Betrayal. Chances are, if we’ve lived long enough, we know very well what this feels like. To be betrayed or wronged by one who was trusted is a difficult hurdle to get over. It can sometimes leave us stuck right where it happened, we spin it over in our minds a million different ways, asking all the why's, but there's usually no adequate answer to even satisfy.

He knows. He understands.

Judas Iscariot, one who walked with Jesus and knew him well, paid simple money to betray our Savior. 30 pieces of silver, given in exchange for His life. It seems almost incredible that he would fall for such a trap or be so wrapped in greed. Money can't be placed on any life. But on the very One who did so much for him, who offered such love and forgiveness?

The ultimate betrayal of a friend.

Yet Jesus knew it was part of a larger plan. And He still chose to say “yes” and walk that difficult road. Because He understood at the very core of it all, was our need to be set free.

Our need for forgiveness.

The crowd, who had just days before been praising His name as He rode into Jerusalem, suddenly changed. The tide had turned, things had shifted in the other direction. Jesus, once loved and followed by the multitudes, became the person the crowds turned hatred and insults upon.

His own disciples scattered, out of fear for their own lives. They ran. Away from him. In the darkest hours. Peter, one of his bravest, closest friends, even denied knowing him, 3 different times.

The deep hurt Jesus must have endured, the pain, the loneliness, is hard to imagine.

So often in this life when we are wronged, betrayed, offended, or treated unfairly, we want to rise up. To defend our rights and on our own point of view. Or we fight hard to get even. Or even stew in silence while nursing our wounds and getting more angry. It’s hard to extend the same grace and compassion that Christ Himself extended to others in the midst of his own pain. Yet He set the example, the way for us to walk.

He knew the trap of betrayal and unforgiveness, he saw through its lies, the deep wounds of the soul that it could cause. He chose the better way, stepped over its grasp, and chose to love, to forgive.

Unforgiveness, even towards ourselves, will keep us prisoner to the past, to the wrong, to the betrayal, to the offender. It will never allow us to move forward in the freedom of where God wants us to live. And even hidden resentments, the ones we think no one sees, or knows about, safely tucked away into a secret place in our souls, will weigh us down, trapping us in the very place we wish to let go of.

But we don't have to live there. We can make the choice to move forward.

Though forgiveness may never "feel" right, it will always "be" right. Because in it you will be set free. Choosing to forgive doesn't mean that the wrong never happened, it just means you refuse to allow it to control your life anymore.

Christ forgave. Huge love covering all the wrong, all the sin, all the barriers that block our way to God. He whispered these words up to His Father, grace words, breathing out love, through the suffering and the pain. He spoke them out loud. For those that persecuted Him. For us. For the world. “Father, forgive them…”

And He forgives. Still.

Grace.

Amazing love.

That covers a multitude of sin.

Let go. Give it to Him. He carried all the hurt for you. He understands your pain.

In Him, we are set free.

Intersecting Faith & Life: As you read over these words and remember how our Savior was betrayed and rejected by so many, ask for God’s help in healing those places where you may have been deeply wounded. He knows our pain, He understands. By His own wounds, He promises healing and restoration. Take the first step today. Confess your need for His touch of grace, give to Him all that has caused you pain. He never intends for us to stay stuck in our hurt, but will bring us through to the other side.

Further Reading: 
Isaiah 53:5
1 Peter 2:24
Ephesians 4:32
Matthew 18:21-22

A Prayer for When You Fear Dying..... By Rick Warren

 A Prayer for When You Fear Dying

By Rick Warren

“For only as a human being could he die, and only by dying could he break the power of the devil, who had the power of death. Only in this way could he set free all who have lived their lives as slaves to the fear of dying” (Hebrews 2:14b-15 NLT, second edition).

One of the things Jesus came to Earth to do is take away your fear of death. How? By dying on the cross and being resurrected to show that there is life after death.

The Bible says in Hebrews 2:14-15, “For only as a human being could he die, and only by dying could he break the power of the devil, who had the power of death. Only in this way could he set free all who have lived their lives as slaves to the fear of dying” (NLT, second edition).

God wants to break the fear of dying in your life. Instead of looking to your pain here on Earth, God wants you to look to him and the hope of Heaven. And, he wants you to help those who are dying to do the same.

When someone is dying, you need to encourage him to do what David did: “Death laid a trap in my path. But in my distress I cried out to the Lord” (Psalm 18:5b-6a). Have you ever done that? Have you cried out to the Lord for his grace and mercy and accepted his offer of salvation? You can’t offer to other people what you haven’t received yourself. If you haven’t settled the issue of your salvation, you’re gambling with your eternity.

If you were to die today, are you absolutely certain that you would go to Heaven? If you’re not sure or answered “no,” you need to settle the issue right now so that you can be assured of life after death and point your friends to the hope of Heaven.

Pray this prayer today:

Dear God,

You are God, and I’m not. You sent Jesus to be my Savior, so I must need to be saved. I need you to forgive the things I’ve done wrong in life. I need you to give me a fresh start in life. I need you to help me know my purpose. I want to begin a relationship with you.

I ask you to come into my life. I want to learn to trust you. I want to learn to love you. I want to learn to love other people the way you want me to. So I ask you today with humility and honesty and sincerity to please save me as I put my trust in you.

I pray this prayer in Jesus’ Name. Amen."