Prepared for Betrayal..... Dr. Charles Stanley

 Prepared for Betrayal

Dr. Charles Stanley

Luke 22:1-13

We’ve all experienced or witnessed betrayal at some point. And no example in the Bible illustrates the pain, guilt, and shame caused by that sin more clearly than the story of Judas.

Chosen as one of the twelve, Judas was privileged. John 12:6 says that he was even granted the responsibility of maintaining the disciples’ money box. But that same verse reveals an important truth about Judas—he was a thief.

John indicates greed was Judas’ weakness. After Mary had anointed the Lord’s feet, Judas complained, “Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii and given to poor people?” (v. 5). The following verse, however, clarifies that he wanted the money only for himself. One can safely assume that if Judas had reached the point of stealing cash from Jesus’ supply, then his greed had gone unchecked for some time. That hidden sin was all Satan needed to interfere with his life. And once the Enemy stepped in, the disciple began “seeking a good opportunity” to betray Jesus (Luke 22:6).

First Peter 5:8 says the Devil is like a “roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” And in Judas, Satan found a willing victim. If we’re honest with ourselves, each of us has a natural tendency toward sin.

Daily communion with God keeps hidden sins from becoming greater problems. Left unchecked, the “roaring lion” will also come after us, no matter what our  weakness may be. Ask the Lord to reveal any sins you need to confess. Deal with them today—don’t let sin lead you down the path of Judas.

The Spirit..... Craig Denison

 The Spirit

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:

“When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.” John 16:13

Devotional:   

The Holy Spirit dwelling inside of us as believers is our gateway to the heart of God. It’s through him that we can know the thoughts, emotions, and will of the Father. It’s through him that we grow in our revelation of God through Scripture. And it’s through him that we encounter God’s manifest presence.

In John 16:13 Jesus says, “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.” 1 Corinthians 2:10-11 says, “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.”

Encountering the heart of God through the Holy Spirit is meant to be normal for believers. It’s not supposed to be weird to hear from God. It’s not only for the chosen few to know God’s heart moment to moment. We’re created to know the Father and the Son by the Holy Spirit. We’re created for real, authentic, and transformative relationship with the entire Godhead.

Unless we allow God to create a new normal for us, we will never experience the fullness of life Jesus died to give us. Unless we open our hearts to the Spirit and allow him to teach us how to live life in communion with him, we will never be rooted and grounded in God’s love and grace. And without being rooted in the love of God the storms of this life will always wreak unnecessary havoc.

The Spirit longs to lead you to the heart of God today. He longs to share with you the “thoughts of God.” He longs for you to know the depths of his love and grace. Allow God to create a new normal for you today. Seek out his will before decisions you are unsure of. Seek out his heart when you feel distraught, insecure, or frustrated. And seek out his manifest presence when the cares of the world begin to weigh on you. May you grow in fellowship with the Spirit who dwells within you as you enter into a time of guided prayer.

Guided Prayer:

1. Meditate on the availability of knowing God’s heart through the Holy Spirit. Allow Scripture to fill you with a desire for a new normal.

“When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.” John 16:13

“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.” 1 Corinthians 2:10-11

2. How connected are you with God moment to moment? Are you living with a continual awareness of his heart? Journal an honest assessment of your relationship.

3. Ask the Holy Spirit to lead you into a lifestyle of deeper, more continuous encounters with the heart of God. Decide today that you don’t want to live apart from an awareness of God’s will, love, and nearness.

In Exodus 33:14 God says, “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” God will go with you today. There is nowhere you could go that he won’t be ready to love you and reveal himself to you. You’ve been granted wonderful, supernatural access to the heart of God through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. May you find rest in the presence of the living God today.

Extended Reading: 1 Corinthians 2

Uncomplicating Your Prayer Life..... LAURA BAILEY

 Uncomplicating Your Prayer Life

LAURA BAILEY

“One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, ‘Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.’” Luke 11:1 (NIV)

Recently, I was eager to resume a consistent Wednesday-night church routine. But my mood soon shifted while perusing my church’s upcoming schedule of weekly activities.

A new, 30-minute prayer meeting, followed by Bible study, had been added. Thirty minutes? I can barely pray for five minutes. Actually, without distraction, make that one minute.

For half an hour, I would be expected to close my eyes without falling asleep, focus my attention on God rather than my grocery list and engage in a one-sided, silent conversation with the Lord.

Impossible.

We’re told, “Prayer is just talking to God.” Well, if that’s all there is to it, then why do I, a natural talker, find it so difficult? For years, I believed my prayers weren't good enough for God's ears or to take up His time. They lack structure and are far from a spontaneous flow of eloquent phrases sprinkled with Bible verses. So, consoled by God's sovereignty in my circumstances — He’s in control; He’s got this — I eventually convinced myself it really didn’t matter if I prayed at all.

That is, until I came upon our key verse, Luke 11:1: “One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, ‘Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.’” Jesus had just finished praying, apparently in the presence of His disciples. Eager to be like Jesus, they asked that He teach them to pray.

Notice two things about their request: First, they, too, desired to communicate with God through prayer, and second, they knew they needed guidance.

Although prayer may be as simple as just talking to God, it is also a learned skill; it takes time, work and practice. The disciples were with Jesus day in and day out. Of all the things they could have asked Him to teach them — how to heal, teach or perform extraordinary miracles — they asked how to pray.

To teach them, Jesus gave the disciples (and us!) the Lord’s Prayer. We find the Lord's Prayer twice in the New Testament, not only in Luke 11 but also in Matthew 6, nestled among the rich passages of the Sermon on the Mount. There, Jesus breaks down the essence of Christian living, including a very clear example of how to pray.

By comparing the Lord's Prayer in Matthew 6 to Luke 11, we see that the words are similar but not exactly the same. This slight difference indicates that our heart's posture toward the Lord is more important than our actual words. Here are some ideas on how to draw nearer to the Lord through prayer:

1. Acknowledge God’s splendor and glory, and bow before Him in humble adoration, for He alone is worthy of worship and praise.
2. Thank God for His generous provision, including the grace by which He has saved us and sustains us every day. All we have comes from Him.
3. Confess and repent of sins we have committed against a holy and righteous God, believing He fully forgives and remembers our sins no more, thus enabling us to forgive others.
4. Invoke God’s power to fight Satan and resist temptation, standing firm in the face of spiritual attack.
5. Ask God to help us to be Christlike examples in all we say and do, extending grace, mercy and love to others throughout our day.

Prayer is personal, just like our relationship with the Almighty through faith in His Son, Jesus Christ. Prayer is also a privilege, allowing us 24/7 access to our heavenly Father, made possible only by the sacrifice of His Son on the cross for our sins. Remember, the Lord is much more concerned with the attitude of our hearts than the actual words from our lips. Life is complicated, but our prayer lives need not be.

Heavenly Father, thank You for giving us the gift of prayer. When we don't have the words, let us be filled with the Holy Spirit who prays on our behalf. Let us be a people who communicate with You regularly, taking all requests to You. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

TRUTH FOR TODAY:
Romans 8:26, “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.” (NIV)

Are Your Words Causing Others to Stumble?..... by Lynette Kittle

 Are Your Words Causing Others to Stumble?

by Lynette Kittle

“Jesus turned and said to Peter, ‘Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.’” --Matthew 16:23

If you were Peter, how would you feel to have Jesus turn to you and say what He said to him in Matthew 16:23?

If one of the twelve Apostles could be a mouthpiece for Satan, does it cause you to consider the possibility of the evil one trying to speak to others through your words, too?

But maybe you wouldn’t have been so bold as to take Jesus aside and rebuke him for speaking of His upcoming death and resurrection saying, “Never, Lord! This shall never happen to you!” (Matthew 16:22)

Of course, Jesus was really addressing Satan, who was behind Peter’s words, but still. The realization of who was influencing what was coming out of his mouth must have been hard for Peter to swallow.

Like Peter, it’s so easy to believe an idea or thought is your own, not realizing how the enemy of your soul works to influence others through what you say. Like most Christians, it’s easy to be naïve of how Satan may be attempting to discourage God’s will in another individual’s life or trip them up in some way through your mouth.

Yet Peter’s example illustrates how it can happen to even those who have a personal, close relationship with Jesus.

Most may think it’s so obvious to spot Satan’s plots, but Scripture describes how the evil one disguises himself stating, “And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light” (2 Corinthians 11:14).

Like Peter’s words could come across as just a concerned friend trying to calm Jesus down from talking about a coming death and resurrection, you may believe you’re just being helpful in advising friends. Yet in reality, you may be oblivious of how the enemy is at work through your conversation to motivate someone to stumble away from God’s will.

In trying to help guide a family member, friend, or co-worker away from something you think is off track in their lives, having the best of intentions in trying to encourage them in the right direction, you could unknowingly be pointing them towards man’s will rather than God’s will.

Scripture cautions you to, “Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in the way of a brother or sister” (Romans 14:13).

So how do you keep from being a stumbling block through your words? 1 John 2:10 states, “Anyone who loves their brother and sister lives in the light, and there is nothing in them to make them stumble.”

A key to prevent yourself from becoming a stumbling block is to stay in the light of Christ by staying in prayer and obeying His Word.

As you do, 2 Thessalonians 3:3 states the Lord is faithful and will strengthen and protect you from the evil one.

Christianized Karma..... by Katherine Britton

 Christianized Karma

by Katherine Britton

“…but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you…”– 1 Peter 3:15

Christians give really good hugs during trials and tragedy. As my own family has experienced recently, the body of Christ has long arms to embrace those in need, easing the burdens of bad times. The church at work offers silent – and strong – evidence of grace when we pick each other up off the ground.

Now, imagine for a moment that your community didn’t provide any support during a trial. Imagine that instead of offering encouraging words and providing meals or other support after a tragedy, the whole community pulled away. Imagine if they acted like you were a disease they didn’t want to catch while you shouldered the burden alone. And not only that -- they believed that your problems were your own fault, pure and simple.

That’s karma at work. And it’s a lonely road.

A missionary couple recently visited our church before heading to London, where they planned settle in an immigrant community that’s mostly Hindu. The wife expressed her desire to see people set free from the bonds of karma. That caught my interest. I’d slipped into viewing karma through an Americanized lens, as a pseudo-Christian philosophy of reaping what you sow (Galatians 6:7). Faithfulness and selfishness often have their rewards in this life, after all, and good deeds are often repaid with a smile and expression of gratitude if nothing else. Karma may not be the full picture, but it seemed like an innocuous truism to me.

The missionary went on to describe the ugly side of karma, in which the community pulls away from its members who are suffering. Lose a job? It’s a karmic effect – you must have cheated your employer or at least talked badly about him. Did you – heaven forbid – lose a child? Somehow, that’s your fault too, as the universe balances out some evil you’ve done. If such horrible things are somehow your fault, it would also make sense for people to pull away. That’s the bond of karma.

Christians rely on the promise that “all things work for the good of those who love God” (Romans 8:28). We fight to believe that, while “no discipline seems pleasant at the time… later on it produces a harvest of righteousness” (Hebrews 12:11). Like Job, we may never know the reason for our earthly suffering. But we know that, because of grace, suffering is not a quid-pro-quo retaliation for our sins. Even our suffering has been redeemed by God’s grace through Christ’s supreme act of love.

Intersecting Faith & Life: Unlike the Hindu system of karma and its effects, we know even our pain is used by a loving God. Because of that, we have real hope for tomorrow – because our future doesn’t depend on us! No matter what trials we experience, we can rest in the knowledge that even when we are not good, God is. That’s mercy, and that gives hope. Are you ready to give an answer for that hope?

A Prayer for Healthy Boundaries..... By Debbie McDaniel

 A Prayer for Healthy Boundaries

By Debbie McDaniel

Life is precious. Yet all too often, we may find that much of our time is spent around negative, toxic people, draining the life right out of us. Sometimes they’re co-workers, friends, or sadly, even family members.

God never intends for us to spin our wheels, waste our days, trying to make others happy who can never be happy. Because in reality, it doesn’t depend on us. It’s not up to you. They may want you to think it does, as if you possess the power to improve the value of their existence, but that’s not a burden meant for you to carry.

God’s greatest desire is to set us free. And sometimes what propels that change is for some brave soul to be willing to say, “Stop, no more.” One who will choose what is better, and learn to set boundaries that will protect and limit the control an unhealthy person might be placing on another’s life.

Sadly, when we look deep into the mirror of our souls, we may realize that we are the ones who have some unhealthy tendencies that God wants to change. Today’s a good day to stop wasting time in toxic patterns of living. For he has better in store for us.

He can accomplish great things through your prayers. He can move mountains. He can change hearts. Anything is possible through his great power. Understand that though it is never up to you to make someone different, he’s set you in their lives for a purpose, for a reason.

He loves you, he cares for you, and he has good in store for your future.

“So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed” ( John 8:36).

Let’s Pray:

Lord, 

Protect me from the abuse and harm of toxic people. I know you desire to set me free—free from the hurt of others, but also free from my own sin and bondage in that sin. Help me have eyes to see toxic behavior around me and in me… and give me the strength, courage, and resilience to break free from that toxicity and choose the path of life. Thank you for always protecting and guiding me Lord. Thank you for always being good, gracious, kind, and loving.

In Jesus’ Name, Amen.