The God Who Forgives..... Dr. Charles Stanley

 The God Who Forgives

Dr. Charles Stanley

Matthew 6:9-13

Jesus Christ gave His followers a pattern for prayer that includes seeking forgiveness daily. The invitation to regular repentance is not a means of renewing our salvation, but rather a maintenance plan for our fellowship with the Lord. When we trust Jesus as our Savior, our sins are forgiven forever. The stains from our past, present, and future wrongs are wiped from our record; however, we're a fallen people so we do continue to commit sin.

With the exception of Jesus Christ, no person is perfect. Sin is simply a fact of human life. The Lord's payment for our transgressions means that we can look forward to an eternity spent in God's presence instead of getting the punishment we deserve. On this side of heaven, though, we still have to contend with our tendency to do wrong--and we must also deal with the consequences. The Lord's admonition to seek daily forgiveness is a reminder to confess our sins and turn away from them because we are forgiven.

God's grace is not a license to sin; instead, it's a reason to pursue righteousness. Bad attitudes, thoughtless actions, and unkind speech do not fit who we are as children of light. We're new creatures in Christ, bought for a price and set free to live as partakers of His grace.

Salvation makes a way for us to enter God's presence, while regular confession and repentance keep the pathway well maintained and free of obstruction (1 John 1:9). The so-called "sinner's prayer" need be said only once, but a saint will tap into God's forgiveness every day of his or her life.

Continual Revelation..... Craig Denison

 Continual Revelation

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:

“Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually!” 1 Chronicles 16:11

Devotional:    

Seeking God isn’t meant to be a one-time event. We’re not meant to run off the fuel of an occasional encounter with our Father’s love. Rather, seeking and finding God’s heart is to be at the foundation of all we do. It’s to be intertwined in our thoughts, actions, and emotions. He longs to reveal himself to us whether we’re at home, working, watching movies, in a church service, or out with friends. Life with God is meant to be about continual revelation of his heart.

In Jeremiah 29:13-14 God says, “You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you, declares the Lord.” God longs to be found by us. He longs for us to seek out a revelation of his invisible nature, unconditional love, and abounding grace. He longs for us to taste and see that he is good (Psalm 34:8). When you seek out God you won’t be met with nothingness. When you seek to know the will, attributes, feelings, and reality of your heavenly Father, you will find what you seek. His presence is his promise.

I go through too much of my day apart from a revelation of God’s heart. I suffer through insecurities, disappointments, fear, doubt, and worry as if I am on my own. I take my life into my own hands and work to feel valued, fight for what I feel is owed me, feel like quitting when I fail, and wallow in my inability to live life perfectly, when all the while my heavenly Father waits, beckoning me with his grace to simply ask him for his heart. All the while he longs to root and ground me in his love that isn’t based on what I do, but based on his unwavering, unchanging character.

The best news we have today is that God is available to us. He’s ready and willing to pour out a love so rich, so real, and so powerful that everything changes. He’s knocking on the door of our hearts, hoping that we will simply take the time to open up and let him in. Take time today as we enter into guided pray to seek a fresh revelation of God’s heart. Begin a lifestyle of continually seeking God by giving God all you have right now: yourself. May you be empowered and set free today to live in communion with your loving heavenly Father.

Guided Prayer:

1. Reflect on the importance of continually seeking God that he might be continually found.

“You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you, declares the Lord.” Jeremiah 29:13-14

“Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually!” 1 Chronicles 16:11

2. Ask God for a fresh revelation of his heart today. Take time to quiet yourself and open your heart to receive.

3. Spend some time in solitude simply being with God. Rather than asking him questions, journal what you are discovering about God. Write down how you feel, aspects of his character you are noticing, and what he seems to be speaking to you.

“Be still, and know that I am God.” Psalm 46:10

Sometimes simply being with God teaches us more than a thousand questions he could answer. In being still and knowing he is God we learn the reality of his presence and the communion we have with him. We discover his personality and learn to trust in his quiet, calm assurance. There’s nothing as comforting as sitting with him and simply knowing that he has us. May you find peace and comfort in the nearness of God today.

Extended Reading: Psalm 46

Rest to be Your Best..... By John Van Pay

 Rest to be Your Best

By John Van Pay

“Remember the Sabbath for it is holy.”–Exodus 20:8

“When fatigue walks in, faith walks out.” - Dr. Dave Martin

Rest is essential to longevity. The days leading up to a big race event are known as “taper week.” By not training as hard, you give your body and mind a chance to prepare for a long day. During a long-distance race, aid stations are for resting and refueling. And during a multiple-day, mountain-bike stage race in the Colorado mountains known as the Breck Epic, resting and recovering become paramount. After long endurance events like this one, athletes will recover when the number of rest days equals the number of hours required to finish the race. If you don’t get your rest, you can’t be at your best. High-performance leaders have a common trait. They eat balanced meals, sleep longer at night, and take regular power naps.

Disobeying God’s command to “remember the Sabbath for it is holy” is probably the number one reason why so many burn out. God didn’t just command it. He modeled it when He rested on the seventh day after six days of work. Honoring His command to take a day of rest is your sacred responsibility. If you were to visit Israel today, you’d discover the entire country shuts down from sunset on Friday to sunset on Saturday. No stores are open. Airplanes stop flying. They obey the Lord. They rest.

Unfortunately, our American culture prides itself on busyness. If you aren’t busy, you’re considered lazy. Nearly half of the pastors surveyed in a Lifeway Research study admitted they don’t take a regular Sabbath.It’s an obedience issue. You wouldn’t rob God of his sacred tithe, so don’t rob Him of this sacred time of rest. A tithe means believing God can do more with your 90 percent than you could do with 100 percent. What if you shared that same belief concerning time? If you are exhausted, remember what Jesus said in Matthew 11:28: “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Rest isn’t optional because God knows if you disobey you’ll become weary and tired. You won’t feel His presence or have the passion needed to fulfill His purpose for your life. You are worth too much to the Lord and His Kingdom. I’m not a Sabbatarian, but I do apply the wisdom of rest.

Before you can help others, you must help yourself. Imagine you are flying on an airplane with your family. If there was a problem that required everyone to reach for an oxygen mask, your first instinct might be to help others. However, the best way to help others is to place your own oxygen mask on first. Scripture makes an interesting connection: “Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him” (Psalm 37:7). You have two options.

You can try and do everything yourself in your own strength, leaving you worn out. Or you can rest and be patient for God. When you do, He will give you supernatural strength, wisdom, and power. Resting is a non-negotiable for finishing your race. Consider implementing a system of rest into your schedule.

DIVERT DAILY

Jesus withdrew often to “desolate” places to spend time with His Father in solitude.If Jesus, the Son of Man who was fully God, needed rest, we do too. Make time to connect with the Lord. Consistently caring for your soul is critical to long-term health. Don’t just block a few minutes in the morning. Be aware of His presence during the day for worship, prayer, and gratitude. Fellowship with God. Walk with Him.

WITHDRAW WEEKLY

My favorite day of the week is Friday because it begins with a mountain-bike ride and ends with a date with my wife. We usually hop on my motorcycle and take a ride to the river where we set up our double nest hammock to cuddle or read a book. It’s important to recharge your batteries with a day off that is not filled with work or the “honey-do list.” You are uniquely wired. Do what you enjoy that brings joy to your soul. Include a large block of solitude as well. Disable your email. Turn off your phone. Enjoy God’s gift of rest with a day off.

Being Salty..... By Debbie Holloway

 Being Salty

By Debbie Holloway

You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men (Matthew 5:13).

I think sometimes we get so used to our familiar metaphors, we fail to let their significance really sink in. What Christian hasn’t proclaimed brightly: "We're salt and light!"? And yet, do we really think about the significance of that imagery? In a faith tradition where we have so many great metaphors and allegories, let's remember to ponder this one that Jesus coined.

What does it mean to be "the salt of the earth"?

Salt Enhances

As we know too well in our sodium-filled modern world, salt makes things taste better. But condiment connoisseurs will make sure to explain that salt, when used properly, brings out the flavor already present in the food itself. Unlike pepper, which was used in ancient times to mask distasteful rotting and souring in foods such as meat, salt only enhances what’s there.

As Christians, we aren’t here to blot out the colors and flavors around us. We're not here to ignore or destroy what we see and replace it with something else. Rather, we are to be (tasty) ambassadors of Christ on a mission to draw out and display goodness. God made a good world, and, though fallen, it's still good! We still have the breath of life from God inside us. So let's remember to point to the truth and be the people who enhance and brighten wherever we go, not overpower our surroundings like too much pepper.

Salt Preserves

Before the age of refrigeration, how did people preserve perishable food? That's right: salt. Something about packing meat with salt slows down the process of decay, making it easier to store, transport, and save meat without it going rancid right away.

Likewise, let us as the salt of the earth remember to preserve what is good. In matters of justice and stewardship, Christians should be front and center to fight for what is right, what is safe, and what brings life to the world around us. Our homes, families, and communities should be solid and fresh, not rotting and fetid.

If we fail to protect and preserve, what good are we? If we fail to enhance the flavor of what’s around us, there's nothing left for us "except to be thrown out" (so to speak).

Intersecting Faith and Life: Be a pleasant taste and a force for good, and those around you will "praise your Father in Heaven" (Matthew 5:16).

Further Reading

Matthew 5

Colossians 4:6

Mark 9:50

A Prayer to Protect Your Heart Against Complaining..... By: Emily Rose Massey

 A Prayer to Protect Your Heart Against Complaining

By: Emily Rose Massey

“Rejoice always; pray without ceasing;  in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” -1 Thessalonians 5: 16-18, NASB.

A friend of mine shared a graphic on social media the other day that stopped me in my tracks and convicted my weary heart. It was a brief but powerful list of reasons to be thankful when we are tempted to complain. It said:

Early wakeups = Children to be loved

House to clean = safe place to live

Laundry = clothes to wear

Dishes to wash = food to eat

Endless questions = kids’ brains growing

If I am honest, I have not rejoiced in these blessings at all. I have complained, and often. So much so, I caught my six-year-old repeating phrases I had been saying as I grumbled with bitterness throughout my day.

Right after I saw that post on social media, the Holy Spirit brought the scripture to my mind that our pastor had just preached on Sunday earlier in the week; it was from 1 Thessalonians 5.

The Apostle Paul exhorts the believers at Thessalonica with these commands:

“Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5: 16-18, NASB).

I knew that the Bible talks consistently about the sin of complaining, but I did not realize how important it is for a believer to make joyful thanksgiving every moment of every day. In fact, it is God’s will for us to do this because we are in Christ and in Christ, we have much to be grateful for!

Knowing that our flesh would so much rather complain, grumble, stress out, and look at everything that is wrong, there is no doubt as to why the Apostle Paul tells us to pray without ceasing. We must lift up our hearts to the Lord for help if we are to walk in thanksgiving when the pressures of this life crowd in around us and try to weigh us down. We need His grace to rejoice. We need His strength to face each day, especially when our current season of life is stressful and physically and mentally exhausting.

Lately, I have been physically and emotionally drained. Stress has been so high for me that I was beginning to grow resentful. I truly needed a shift in my perspective because it was affecting my heart in major ways.

In addition to being thankful for my growing children, the safety and comfort of my home, clothes on my back, and food in my belly, as a believer, most of all, I needed God’s help to remind my soul of the eternal blessings that I have in Christ.

In Christ, I have access to the Father to come to Him in prayer because I am His child. In Christ, I have hope for eternal life. In Christ, I have peace knowing that my sins have been forgiven and I am justified before a Holy God. When I am tempted to complain about the stress and inconveniences of life, I must look to Jesus and ask Him to remind my heart of all of these blessings that are lavished upon me that I truly do not deserve, both earthly and eternal. It is God’s will for us to rejoice and be thankful, so may God’s will be done in my heart.

Father,

I am weary and worn out from the cares of this life. My heart is heavy and stressed and my body is feeling the effects of it all that seems to be weighing me down. My heart has become bitter and ungrateful; I have taken many blessings in my life for granted. Father, I repent of my complaining and grumbling. I know that I do not deserve anything that You have lavished upon me. You do not owe me a thing, yet you are such a great Father and provide for my needs and grant me Your unmerited favor and mercy each new day.

In addition to my physical needs being met, you have given me eternal life in Jesus Christ and peace knowing my sins have been forgiven because of what Jesus did for me on the cross when He laid down His life for me.

I come to You to help me rejoice and ask You to fill my heart with thanksgiving. Please remind my heart to begin each day with a grateful heart and know that I can pray anytime I am struggling with bitterness or I am tempted to grow resentful for all that You have freely given to me. Help me guard my heart against anything that may cause it to grow hard and bitter.

Thank You, Jesus, for Your sacrifice and for the life that I find in You alone.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.