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.

The Word..... Craig Denison

 The Word

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:

“For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” Hebrews 4:12

Devotional:    

Scripture is one of the best indications we have of God’s intense longing to be known by his people. Every time we open up the Bible we are looking at a miracle. God has revealed himself to us in a way that is beyond dispute and beyond anything we could ask or imagine. Within the pages of Scripture we see countless examples of God’s grace, love, presence, power, and unfathomable desire to have a restored relationship with us.

Oftentimes I take for granted how amazing it is to have the Bible. Because I grew up knowing Scripture to be God’s word, it was always normal to me. Never before had I looked at it and realized what a powerful declaration it was of God’s desire to be known by me. And our Father didn’t just leave us with some words he spoke thousands of years ago, but gave us the Holy Spirit to help us understand and receive revelation from the word.

In reading Scripture with the Holy Spirit we can come to a real, transformative understanding of God’s heart. There is no refuting what God says in the Bible. There is no questioning whether the words we’re reading are true, important, or applicable.

Hebrews 4:12 says, “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” 2 Timothy 3:16 says, “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness.” And Romans 15:4 says, “For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.”

If you’re longing to know the heart of God today, search his word. God has preserved the Bible you have today for the purpose of revealing himself. When you seek him out through the reading of Scripture with the help of the Holy Spirit, you will find him. May your time of guided prayer be filled with revelation and transformation as God’s heart is revealed.

Guided Prayer:

1. Meditate on the power of Scripture in revealing God’s heart.

“For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” Hebrews 4:12

“My son, be attentive to my words; incline your ear to my sayings. Let them not escape from your sight; keep them within your heart. For they are life to those who find them, and healing to all their flesh. Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.” Proverbs 4:20-23

2. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal the heart of God as you read his word. Have faith that God longs to reveal himself to you.

3. Take time to read Scripture. Pick a passage of Scripture and write down aspects of God’s heart you find. Place your hope and trust in the words of the Bible.

“Your words were found, and I ate them, and your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart, for I am called by your name, O Lord, God of hosts.” Jeremiah 15:16

Reading Scripture with the Holy Spirit brings God’s word to life. The Bible isn’t just a book of rules. It’s not just a list of do’s and don’ts. It’s meant to be read with the understanding that its words were inspired by the One who dwells within you. May your heart be stirred to meditate on God’s word that it might produce peace and joy in your life today.

Extended Reading: Joshua 1

Making God’s Appeal (2 Corinthians 5:20)..... By Brent Rinehart

 Making God’s Appeal (2 Corinthians 5:20)

By Brent Rinehart

Today's Bible Verse: “Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.” (2 Corinthians 5:20)

In 1778, the newly formed United States of America established its first U.S. embassy – in Paris, France. Today, we have diplomatic relationships around the world, with ambassadors in more than 180 countries or territories. According to the State Department, an ambassador’s role is to be the “President’s highest-ranking representative to a specific nation or international organization abroad. When U.S. diplomats negotiate a treaty, attend a state dinner, or arrange a visa for a traveler to the United States, they all have the same mission—to represent the interests and policies of the United States.” The ambassador speaks for and represents his or her homeland to the country in which he or she resides.

I’ve been thinking about this passage in 2 Corinthians a lot lately, as we’ve seen the troubles in our nation and in the Church. We’ve been given a big responsibility. As followers of Christ, we are called to be God’s representatives – or ambassadors – to those around us. Those around us may only know of God by observing how we represent Him. The traits others see in us are what they must assume God is like.

So, if we know we are representatives of Christ, and we know that God is using us to make “his appeal,” then why are so many of us so unappealing? Many times, we act in such a way that drives others away, not draws them in. I, like the Apostle Paul, find myself saying and doing the things I know I shouldn’t, and not doing the things I know I should.

Paul writes that “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come” (2 Corinthians 5:17). Sometimes, despite the fact that we are new creations, it still feels like the “old” is hanging on. That’s why he also encourages us in Colossians to “Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature” (Colossians 3:5). We have to take off the old self and put on the new (v. 10).

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus says “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God” (Matthew 5:9).

But, many of us aren’t peacemakers, we are spirit breakers. We care more about “owning” the other side than we do about looking within and disowning our own sinful nature. We are passionate about our sharing our views on social media, but we hesitate to even say hello to a neighbor. We care little about the experience of others if it doesn’t impact us. We get hot under the collar over politics, but we are lukewarm in the pew. This isn’t the new creation Paul was talking about. It’s the old nature. It’s not appealing, it’s appalling.

It’s not a mistake that this verse is found in a section of Paul’s letter to Corinth in which he urges the church to be reconciled to God so we can have a ministry of reconciliation, pointing others to Him. When we come to Christ and we are at peace with God, we can have this opportunity to draw others to Him. It also gives us the heart to be at peace with those around us – to be peacemakers. If we can’t be reconciled with each other and be messengers of love and peace, not hatred, then how can we reach a world who doesn’t know Him?

Today, let’s set aside those tendencies of the old self and put on the new. God is ready to use us to make His appeal to those around us. The question is … are we ready to be used?

Tell it, Lord!..... by Shawn McEvoy

 Tell it, Lord!

by Shawn McEvoy

He saw a man, called Matthew, sitting in the tax office; and He said to him, "Follow me!" Matthew 9:9

In the margin of my Bible next to Matthew 7:11 is a notation dated 9/1/90. It says:

"I love verses with exclamation points!"

That particular verse, in case you were wondering, says, "If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!"

I wonder why editors chose an exclamation point there, and not a question mark. I also wish I knew the inspiration or emotion that prompted me to make the notation. All I know is that it would have been made during the first or second week of my sophomore year of college, and at the time I was a Youth Ministry major. And that the sentiment has continued.

Coming across that notation again recently prompted me to look up more verses in which Jesus is credited with having expressed some extra "oomph." Of course, the original manuscripts were not inscribed with modern punctuation marks. Those have been left up to various translators through the years. In my New American Standard Version of Matthew's Gospel, however, the emphasis has been added to several statements the Lord made, and some of those may be categorized as follows:

Rebuke of Temptation

Matthew 4:10-11: Then Jesus said to him, "Begone, Satan! For it is written, 'You shall worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only.'" Then the devil left Him...

Matthew 16:23: But He turned and said to Peter, "Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me; for you are not setting your mind on God's interests, but man's."

Rebuke of Hypocrisy

Matthew 23:23-39: "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!... You blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel! Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!... Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!... Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!... O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her!... Behold, your house is being left to you desolate! For I say to you, from now on you shall not see Me until you say, "Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!"

Matthew 11:18-19: "For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, 'He has a demon!' The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, 'Behold, a gluttonous man and a drunkard, a friend of tax-gatherers and sinners!' Yet wisdom is vindicated by her deeds."

Matthew 12:12: "Of how much more value then is a man than a sheep! So then, it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath."

Stern Warning

Matthew 9:30: "And their eyes were opened. And Jesus sternly warned them, saying, "See here, let no one know about this!"

Matthew 6:23: "But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!"

Regarding Spiritual Warfare

Matthew 8:32: And he said to them, "Begone!" And they came out, and went into the swine..."

Matthew 10:24-25: "A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a slave above his master. It is enough for the disciple that he become as his teacher, and the slave as his master. If they have called the head of the house Beelzebul, how much more the members of the house!"

Stirring to Faith in Action

Matthew 12:13: Then He said to the man, "Stretch out your hand!" And he stretched it out, and it was restored to normal, like the other.

Matthew 14:16: But Jesus said to them, "They do not need to go away; you give them something to eat!"

Matthew 14:29: And He said, "Come!" And Peter got out of the boat, and walked on the water and came toward Jesus.

Matthew 9:9: He saw a man, called Matthew, sitting in the tax office; and He said to him, "Follow me!"

Remembering the Father's Provision

"If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!" 

Making a Radical Point

Matthew 12:49-50: "And stretching out His hand toward His disciples, He said, "Behold, My mother and My brothers! For whoever does the will of My Father who is in heaven, he is My brother and sister and mother."

Sadness

Matthew 26:24, 46: "The Son of Man is to go, just as it is written of Him; but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed!... Arise, let us be going; behold, the one who betrays me is at hand!"

Matthew 18:7: "Woe to the world because of its stumbling blocks! For it is inevitable that stumbling blocks come; but woe to that man through whom the stumbling block comes!"

Regarding the End Times

Matthew 24:19: "But woe to those who are with child and to those who nurse babes in those days!"

The Father's Confirmation of His Son

Matthew 17:5: Behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and behold, a voice out of the cloud, saying, "This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased; listen to Him!"

Listen to Him indeed. What is He saying? How emphatically is he saying it?

Don't mess around when temptation comes.
Don't disregard the spiritual realm and the forces that oppose you.
Be stirred to action.

Recognize once and for all that God has provided for you like the loving Father He is, so that you are free to do His will without worry.
Following Christ is a radical road, but those that betray the Way and put stumbling blocks in the road will be left to God's judgment.
Dangerous days are coming.
But in the end, your belief is in the Son of Almighty God!

Intersecting Faith & Life: Pick another one of the Gospels and study the points of emphasis you find the Lord saying there.

A Prayer for When You Feel God Has Abandoned You..... By Lori Schumaker

 A Prayer for When You Feel God Has Abandoned You

By Lori Schumaker

The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? – Jeremiah 17:9 NIV

The world misleads us and tells us “Follow your heart” or “Go with your feelings.” But our hearts and our feelings are not stable. They sway with the events of each day. They can mislead us as they vacillate and often walk us into the depths of deception and pain.

Why would we follow what is unstable, inconsistent, and unreliable? Why wouldn’t we instead choose to follow an unchanging Truth? The Truth of God.

As I began pouring out in prayer every gut-wrenching emotion in my heart, God began revealing truth.

If you are in that place of hurting, in that place where you feel as though God has left your side, I urge you to continue pursuing deep relationship with Jesus by incorporating these 6 strategies into your everyday life. I promise, a day will come where you will once again feel His presence and see His handiwork.

1. Pray boldly and authentically. Pour out all that lies in the heart.

2. Listen for His answers. Sometimes we speak and do too much, drowning out the subtle voice of Jesus.

3. Praise God for all He is! Gratitude and praise are powerful weapons against pain.

4. Worship Him even when it’s difficult. Maintaining a life of worship keeps our hearts in tune with Him.

5. Read God’s Word keeping it sealed in the heart. Learn of the hope within those pages.

6. Contradict feelings with Truth. Taking every feeling before the Word of God. Rewriting it with the light of His Truth will bring healing and show the traces of God’s hand in each step.

Today, I pray you continue to pursue Him until laughter once again fills your home. And that each time your feelings begin to unhinge the Truth, you stand strong, faithfully reclaiming what is yours. God is for you. He is there with you. And He will never leave you.

Pray with me:

Lord, thank you that you promise never to leave us and never to forsake us. Help me have wisdom to see clearly that just because I don’t feel Your presence, doesn’t mean you’re not with me always. Help me have peace that comes from knowing the Truth of Your word to me today – you will never leave your children or give up on them. Help me live a life that honors You and points others toward You.

In Jesus’ Name, Amen.