Understanding the Bible..... Dr. Charles Stanley

 Understanding the Bible

Dr. Charles Stanley

1 Corinthians 2:12-16

“I just don’t understand the Bible.” That’s a comment I hear quite often, even from believers. We can understand why those without Christ are unable to comprehend biblical concepts, but why do those who know Him struggle? Some people think that a seminary education is the answer, but I have met several trained pastors and teachers who didn’t really understand the Word of God. They knew facts, but they had no excitement for the Scriptures or for the Lord.

The key is not education but obedience. As we act on what we read, the Holy Book “comes alive,” and we begin to hear and understand the voice of God. However, if we have not obeyed what He’s previously revealed to us, why would He give us His deeper truths? “The secret of the Lord is for those who fear Him” (Ps. 25:14), and those who fear Him are the ones who obey His commandments and are promised “a good understanding” (Ps. 111:10).

Living a fleshly lifestyle of disobedience to the Lord clouds our eyes, diminishes our ability to hear, and fogs our thinking. Although we have full access to the mind of Christ, our attachment to our own sinful ways keeps us from tapping into the rich treasures of wisdom that are found in His Word.

As you read the Scriptures each day, look for God’s instructions. Then with reliance upon the Holy Spirit, commit to do what He tells you. When you obey His voice, He’ll reveal deeper truths, and your understanding will grow. Soon your time in the Word will become a delight instead of a duty.

Freedom in Grace..... Craig Denison

 Freedom in Grace

Craig Denison

Weekly Overview:

Grace is a gift most of us don’t know how to receive. We’ve been so inundated with the earthly systems of give-and-get and work-and-earn that grace is a concept few ever fully grasp. Yet it’s grace alone that has the power to transform lives. Grace alone has the power to bring freedom to the captives. By grace alone we are saved. There could be no better use of our time than consistently and passionately pursuing a greater revelation of God’s grace.

Scripture:“The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Corinthians 15:56-57

Devotional:

We live in a world built on transaction. We give and we get. We only receive what we earn or deserve. We’re hired and fired based on our abilities and performance. We commit our lives to this system of cause and effect, relishing the days of success and wincing at the thought of failure. And often as believers we take this system of works we’ve grown so comfortable with and apply it to our relationship with God. We operate with God much like we operate with an employer. We think if we can go to church, give God our money, spend enough time with him in the morning, be happy, and help people, then God will like us. If we can stop sinning, then God will love us more. But God’s ways are not like ours. The New Testament names this transactional relationship with God as living under the law and tells us of a new system through Christ called grace.

God established the law as a system for his people to be cleansed through sacrifice. For thousands of years God’s holiness required his children to pay a price for their sin in order to be in relationship with him. Sin separated us from our heavenly Father like a cell wall separating a prisoner from freedom. Our only hope for guidance and love was living by the commands of our just and holy God, and we failed miserably. So grace stepped in where works could never prevail. Galatians 4:4-7 says:

When the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.

Jesus lived the perfect life none of us could, and then offered himself as the final and resounding sacrifice, buying freedom for all who would believe in him.He saved you and me from the law and offers us grace.

But still we persist in paying the penalty for our own sin as if the death of Jesus wasn’t enough. Still we choose a transactional relationship over one of grace. But what we often don’t understand is how foundational grace is to freedom from sin. 1 Corinthians 15:56-57 says, “The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” When we live under the law we are bound by sin and separated from victory in Christ. And Romans 6:14 says, “For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.” It’s by living in grace that we experience continual freedom from sin. In our own strength we are powerless against the schemes of the enemy. But in God’s grace we live by his strength. In acknowledging our need of God’s grace and help, we live by the power of God.

You see, we are meant to be fueled for freedom by the unconditional love of our heavenly Father. He offers grace-filled love to guide us out of the systems of this world. It’s the power of restored relationship that lays the foundation for us to choose satisfaction in him over the world. Galatians 5:1 says, “For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.” You are no longer enslaved to the law. Christ has set you free. So you have to choose to submit to the life of grace you’ve been offered. You have to choose to live in light of God’s power working in you instead of leaning on your own works to get you through. You have to choose to acknowledge your weakness to receive the strength his grace offers you.

Free yourself from the bondage of living life in your own strength. Cast off the chains of pride that bind you to a lifestyle of sin and receive a fresh revelation of the unconditional love of God. Your heavenly Father loves you simply because he loves you. There is nothing you can do that will make him love you more, and there is nothing you can do that will make him love you less. Allow his grace-filled love to transform your heart today and guide you into a life of freedom.

Guided Prayer:

1. Meditate on the importance of living under grace instead of works.

“The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Corinthians 15:56-57

“For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.” Romans 6:14

2. Confess any ways in which you’ve been pursuing relationship with God through works. Have you had any thoughts of needing to do something or be something to gain his affections and approval? Have you veiled your heart in any way as the result of sin or misunderstanding?

3. Choose today to live a life free from sin under the power of grace. Lean on him for guidance and power. Acknowledge your weakness and receive the strength that comes from the Holy Spirit weaving the story of grace into every page of your heart.

May you receive the peace that can come only from living your life in total submission to God. Pride will only burden you. Trying to prove to yourself and others that you have what it takes will only bring failure, frustration, and sin. As a desire to elevate yourself creeps back into your heart, remind yourself of where the paths of law and grace take you. Choose to live your life in response to God’s grace, work out of the revelation that you are already loved, and discover newfound freedom from sin. 

Extended Reading: Romans 6

Title: Keeping First Things First (Matthew 6:33)..... By: Betsy St. Amant Haddox

 Title: Keeping First Things First (Matthew 6:33)

By: Betsy St. Amant Haddox

Today's Bible Verse: But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. - Matthew 6:33 (ESV)

I used to hear this verse growing up in church and Sunday School and think it was some sort of hard-to-follow, secret formula on how to get what I wanted. It always made me uncomfortable. I thought it advised that if I tried really hard to put God first, I’d end up getting that horse or that video game or whatever the current desire was at the time. It was a means to an end.

As I grew older, I knew that couldn’t be right, and started to feel guilty over thinking there was a way to “fake it” with God to get what I wanted. I wanted to please the Lord, but I also really wanted some “worldly” things. Be it a relationship or a particular job or college scholarship, I would think surely if I just “put God first,” the good things would come my way next. Isn’t that what Matthew 6:33 promised?

But that seemed strange, because there were plenty of times I successfully had my morning quiet and remembered to pray and did good works and tried really hard not to sin, and still didn’t get what I wanted. What was wrong?

I eventually realized Matthew 6:33 was a confusing verse for me because I’d only ever heard it out of its full context—and context is everything when applying Scripture!

When Jesus spoke this message, known as “The Sermon on the Mount” in Matthew 6, it was in the context of handling anxiety and worry. Obviously, Jesus wasn’t giving the crowd a behind-the-scenes look on how to manipulate God the Father to get what they wanted. Rather, He was assuring them of the way things work. He was giving His first-hand knowledge of why we as believers have no reason to be anxious or worry. After all, if God clothes the lilies of the field and makes them beautiful, and cares for the birds of the air and makes sure they have food, how much more will He take care of us?

That might not always mean we’re decked out in the latest fashions, have an overflow of money in the bank account, or enjoy fine dining at every luxury restaurant. In fact, it more often does not mean that. It actually means something so much deeper. This verse is talking about peace of the heart, not scheming formulas for selfish gain. It’s referring to faith of the soul, not hope in secular desires. It’s about having a consistent joy of the spirit, rather than the fleeting happiness of worldly success or possessions. It’s true provision.

The next time you’re prone to worry or anxiety about things outside of your control, remember this verse. Remember the birds and the flowers. Remember that Jesus took time to remind the crowd that God watches out for them and cares. He’s not to be manipulated or schemed against, but trusted.

Seek first the kingdom—not for your gain, but for your good.

Strangers in a Strange Land..... By Anna Kuta

 Strangers in a Strange Land

By Anna Kuta

“If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you” (John 15:18-19).

Last fall, I took a road trip with some friends to watch our college football team, the Richmond Spiders, take on in-state rival James Madison University. Our team was 3 and 1 at that point in the season, and our only loss had come from a nailbiter the week before, so we were pretty confident as we set out that morning. It was a gorgeous day for football and we’d managed to get some of the very last tickets before the game sold out, so we were quite proud of ourselves and excited for what seemed like it would be an extremely successful trip.

However, it wasn’t long before things started going downhill. We took a wrong turn and ended up circling the entire town of Harrisonburg twice. An hour and a half later, we finally got to the stadium gates just as the game started, but as we started climbing the bleachers to our seats, we began to realize we were the only ones in sight wearing Richmond red and blue. Turns out our tickets we were so proud of were not in the Richmond fan section, as we thought, but the reject seats on the complete opposite corner of the field. We felt like the enemy as we took our seats smack in the middle of a sea of yellow and purple, but that wasn’t going to deter us from still cheering on a victory.

When Richmond made a touchdown right away for the game’s first points, things seemed to be looking great (besides the dirty looks we got). Unfortunately, that was as good as it got. We didn’t score again for the rest of the game. JMU piled on touchdown, touchdown, field goal, touchdown … and with each point my friends and I sat a little more dejectedly in our seats. Someone threw yellow streamers and paper airplanes at us, and then it started pouring rain. It finally ended and we left the stadium soaking wet and miserable. But the ordeal wasn’t quite over yet. We started walking back to our car, got heckled, decided against walking in the rain among hecklers, got on a shuttle, and proceeded to get heckled for the next half hour we were stuck in traffic. When we finally got back to the car, all we could do was grumble a little bit and shake our heads.

We can laugh about that disaster of a day now, but it certainly wasn’t very funny at the time. Maybe you’ve had a similar experience at a sporting event, or you can identify with the same feeling of being unwelcome in a different situation. Have you ever faced similar hostility for your faith? Even though you and I might never experience anything close to the extreme suffering that many believers around the world face, we all have times when we feel out of place or downright vilified because of our faith.

As Christians, we are “strangers and aliens” in a world of unbelievers, as Peter says in 1 Peter 2:11. The older I get, the more keenly aware I am that I don’t think like them, that I don’t have the same desires, motivations and passions. The more I grow in my faith, the more different I feel from many people I come in contact with, and the more open I am about my faith, the more that difference becomes tangible. We are called to be set apart, yet we are in the world for a reason: to share Jesus. It’s often not received with open arms, but it’s what we are commanded to do as followers of Christ.

Like Jesus says in John 15:18, it’s not always going to be easy. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own, He says. But when we accept Christ and enter into a relationship with Him, He chooses us out of the world. Like my friends and I felt when we were surrounded by fans of an opposing team, so we as Christians will never feel “at home” in this world. Yes, we’ll face opposition, but Jesus Himself said it’s a badge of the Christian faith and a sign that we belong to Him. In answering His call to reject worldly conformity, we can truly make an impact by being an example for Jesus.

Intersecting Faith & Life: It’s not easy living a life of Jesus’ high calling, and the way we’re treated by the world can be plain discouraging at times. Pray for God to help you desire to be more like Him and to give you strength to stand up against opposition.

Further Reading

1 Peter 2:11-12
Romans 12:2
John 17

A Prayer for When You Can't 'Feel' God..... By Kelly-Jayne McGlynn

 A Prayer for When You Can't 'Feel' God

By Kelly-Jayne McGlynn

Isaiah 41:10: "So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

A feeling of peace, stability, and belonging. A burden lifted off my shoulders. A sense of direction and purpose. I used to feel all of these things when I prayed to God. I felt like he was right there beside me, walking with me, holding my hand. I sensed him through all that I did and all that I saw. And then, after a stage in my life of complete instability, all those feelings vanished. There was so much change at one time that I simply went numb. It felt like my soul had gone blind and I started to question everything. Where did God go? Did God leave me? Was God ever really there to begin with…?

It is such a blessing from God that he gives us those senses to experience him and his love. However, Hebrews 11:1 reminds us not to rely on those feelings: “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” Even when we can’t see God, scripture calls us to have faith anyway. God want us to have confidence in who he tells us that he is, rather than what we can perceive of our circumstances. This includes our feelings.

Even when we don’t feel God, he is still right there. He is with us. He strengthens us. He holds us up by his own hand. With God’s help, we can know this truth in our hearts, even if we cannot at that moment emotionally connect to it. Let’s pray.

Dear Father in Heaven,

Thank you for your steadfastness and continual presence in our lives. Sometimes, we can feel you right next to us. But sometimes, it is hard to know that you are there at all. Sometimes life gets so difficult that our hearts just cannot feel you through the pain. Sometimes you take away those feelings so that we may seek you even more fervently. I pray today, Father, that I may rely not on my own feelings but rather on your love for me. May I rely on your Word to be the truth that rules my life over my own understanding.

Help me to see you and believe in your character even though my feelings may tell me otherwise. You are kind, you are good, and you are gracious. You are both all-powerful and all-loving. You care deeply for me and for my loved ones. Be with me as I live out these truths no matter what my circumstances are today, Lord, as we walk forward together.

I love you and pray all of these things in your Son’s amazing name, Amen.