Things That Cannot Be Shaken..... Dr. Charles Stanley

 Things That Cannot Be Shaken

Dr. Charles Stanley

Hebrews 12:25-29

As a rule, people like security. We seek what is comfortable. Yet the reality of our world is that much instability exists. For example, finances, health, and even a country’s ability to survive are not guaranteed.

When our foundation is shaken, we often feel overwhelmed.  Sometimes Satan causes the difficulty—with God’s permission, of course. At other times, challenging circumstances are brought about by the Lord’s hand. Regardless of the source, we have the promise in Romans 8:28 that “God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” And in either case, the Almighty’s purpose remains: to glorify Himself in our world and in our lives.

There are different reasons the Lord permits turmoil, but for now, let’s focus on one: He won’t allow anything that enables man to seem self-sufficient in his own eyes. Therefore, God may lovingly allow enough trouble for us to realize our need of Him. Consider the trials the Israelites faced each time they turned away from Jehovah to worship other gods. In many ways, we do the same thing today. Individually, in our churches, and as a nation, we often glorify “gods” like money or status. But the One who created us will not tolerate this.

In our pride, we tend to think we’re able to manage without God. But out of love, He may stir up our lives to reveal our dependence upon Him. If you are basing your security on anything except Jesus Christ—even something as seemingly innocent as comfort—it will prove to be sinking sand.

Being Taught by the Holy Spirit..... Craig Denison

 Being Taught by the Holy Spirit

Craig Denison

Weekly Overview:

As believers, we’ve been given the Holy Spirit as a Helper, Teacher, Friend, and seal for the promised inheritance of eternal life with God. His presence, guidance, and wisdom in our lives are our greatest gifts while here on earth. Through him we have access to direct connection with our heavenly Father. Through him we receive spiritual gifts to empower us. And through him we are able to bear the incredible fruit of abundant life. Open your heart and mind to all that the Holy Spirit would give you, show you, and lead you to this week.

Scripture:“But you have been anointed by the Holy One, and you all have knowledge.” 1 John 2:20

Devotional:    

We have in the Holy Spirit the same Teacher who faithfully breathed the perfect and practical words of Scripture to imperfect men across thousands of years. And Jesus said in John 14:26, “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.” Not only did the Holy Spirit teach the disciples, but he also longs to teach us. He longs to reveal to us the depths of God so that we might learn what it is to be a true follower of our Lord, Jesus Christ. He longs to show us the wisdom of God so that we might live as men and women inspired by God rather than fools who find their knowledge only in the matters of the world. Let’s open our minds and hearts to receive the wisdom that can only come from God himself in the Holy Spirit.

Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 2:10, “These things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God.” The Holy Spirit who dwells within us searches the depths of God and longs to reveal to us the ways of our heavenly Father. He longs to teach us what it is to be a lover of God in a world set in opposition to the ways of God. He longs to reveal to us the wisdom of God’s plans and show us the folly that comes from living for the world.

The Holy Spirit desires to be your Teacher today. The questions before you today are: are you willing to be his student? Are you willing to submit your understanding to the Holy Spirit and live in light of his teaching? Are you willing to appear foolish at times when the world doesn’t understand the wisdom of God? Are you willing to live wholeheartedly for the pleasure of your heavenly Father over the fleeting opinions of man? If you will open your heart and mind today to being taught by the Spirit, you will discover a wealth of truth that has the power to set you free from the bonds and burdens of this world. Scripture will begin to change your life as the Holy Spirit reveals to you how these words written thousands of years ago are entirely applicable to your life today.

Receiving the teaching of the Holy Spirit is as simple as submitting our lives to him one day at a time and making time to listen to him and study the word with him. As important and helpful as they are, we don’t have to be pastors, ministers, theologians, or scholars to understand what the Bible means. The Holy Spirit will be our teacher the way he was for the disciples. He will teach us how Scripture applies to our life and guide us into the way of truth. It’s incredibly important that we make time to study Scripture, but it’s equally important that we read the Bible along with the Spirit instead of apart from him. The Bible is a practical book meant to impact the lives of those who read it under the influence of the Spirit. It’s a manual for living life in the abundance of relationship with God, not a book to be read apart from the reality of God’s nearness. Scripture is meant to guide us into direct communication with our heavenly Father, not substitute real, direct relationship with him.

Proverbs 3:5-6 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” Trust in the teaching of the Holy Spirit today. Lean on his wisdom instead of your own. Acknowledge the reality of his nearness in your life. And discover knowledge that has the power to fill you with abundant life.           

Guided Prayer:

1. Meditate on the Holy Spirit’s desire to be your teacher.

“But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.” John 14:26

“But you have been anointed by the Holy One, and you all have knowledge.” 1 John 2:20

2. Choose to be a student of the Holy Spirit. Choose to follow what he reveals to you to be wisdom over the ways of the world. Choose his opinion over man’s.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6

“But the anointing that you received from him abides in you, and you have no need that anyone should teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about everything, and is true, and is no lie—just as it has taught you, abide in him.” 1 John 2:27

3. Spend time studying Scripture with the Holy Spirit. Pray and ask the Spirit to reveal to you what wisdom he wants to show you. Ask him to show you the meaning of the words you are reading. Allow him to apply Scripture directly to your life.

“These things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God.” 1 Corinthians 2:10

“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.” James 1:5

We have perfectly powerful guidance in Scripture and the Holy Spirit. The pairing of God’s written word and the very God who authored the word have the power to lead us into a life of all wisdom, understanding, and revelation. But we must choose to live this life in light of eternity. We must choose success in heaven over success in the world’s eyes. Scripture and the teaching of the Holy Spirit only have power in our lives if we follow their leadership and principles. Choose today to be a doer of the word instead of a hearer only and discover freeing and empowering wisdom that has the power to transform your life.

Extended Reading: 1 John 2

Believing God for Seasons of Joy Again..... MEREDITH HOUSTON CARR

 Believing God for Seasons of Joy Again

MEREDITH HOUSTON CARR

“Israel said to Joseph, ‘I never expected to see your face again, and now God has allowed me to see your children too.’” Genesis 48:11 (NIV)

“Mom, I miss our old house,” my sweet girl whispered. I asked why and expected to hear thoughts on our lush backyard or her pink bedroom.

“We were so … happy there.” Her tender honesty pierced my heart. I affirmed her feelings and proceeded to name some positive points about our current life — but I couldn’t escape the reality she’d so wisely identified.

We were happy there, in our season of “before.” Before an agonizing diagnosis rocked our family. Before a cross-country move and the loss of a supportive community. Before multiple hardships wore us down with a fierce relentlessness.

The loss of a “before” season often leaves us listless and low on hope. We wonder if life can indeed be good again, as it once was before the diagnosis, job loss, crisis, death or affair. Before the lights went out and life stopped making sense.

This soul ache presses hard into our faith muscle, sometimes even threatening to wear it out. And when these grueling seasons unpack their bags and linger for a while, it’s easy to begin believing: My best days are behind me.

The patriarch Jacob experienced a “before” season, too — before the loss and presumed death of his beloved son, Joseph. While Jacob had many children, Genesis 37:3 tells us he “loved Joseph more than any of his other sons” (NIV).

Unfortunately, this favoritism led Joseph’s jealous brothers to sell him into slavery and fake his death. With chilling deception, they presented Joseph’s bloodied, multicolored coat to Jacob, who then grieved mightily.

While Scripture doesn’t give us many details, we can imagine the depth of Jacob’s trauma. We can envision the way this massive loss tore at his soul and clouded his mind. I don’t think it’s a stretch to imagine Jacob was never quite as lighthearted from that day forward. Perhaps, like us, he believed a season of joy would never come again.

And yet the conclusion of Genesis reveals the exquisite story God had been writing through those dark days: Joseph, alive and well in Egypt, was finally reunited with his father. Our key verse recounts the tender, poignant words spoken by Jacob (also called “Israel”):

“Israel said to Joseph, ‘I never expected to see your face again, and now God has allowed me to see your children too.’” (Genesis 48:11)

What a resolution! Not only does Jacob have his son back, but he also experiences the joy of knowing his grandsons. After years of heartache, God brought Jacob into a spacious season where he enjoyed 17 years with Joseph.

When seasons of loss arrive, let us not forget the truth that God always, always works for our good.He loves us deeply and will never cease moving on our behalf — even when we don’t understand His ways, for what is dark to us isn’t dark to Him.

You and I may not receive the ending we’d choose, but we can choose to trust the God who wants the very best for us. It’s tempting to draw conclusions about the end of the story when we’re in the middle of it. But what if we leaned into that faith muscle a little deeper? What if we grasped onto the truth with all our might and trusted God to write the ending He knows we need?

In painful seasons, we can draw hope and strength from this story of Jacob and Joseph. Instead of pulling away from Jesus, we can run to Him and entrust our heartache and disappointment into His scarred hands. We can reject the enemy’s lie that joy will never come again.

Your best days are not behind you, dear one. In Jesus, we know each season serves a divine purpose. And just as God was faithful to Jacob and Joseph, so God will be faithful to you, too. Let’s never give up hoping and expectantly looking for the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.

Father, thank You for working good on my behalf in every season. I trust You and believe You for better days ahead. As I wait, help me lean into faith and find joy right where I am today. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

OUR FAVORITE THINGS

Most of our life stories start with an “after” season and how God brought us through it. If you’ve got a story to tell, now is the perfect time to receive training on how to tell it. Join us for She Speaks Online: A Communicators Conference on June 24-26! Be encouraged by dynamic messages from Lysa TerKeurst and other industry leaders in women’s ministry. Network with women from around the world who are attending the conference, too! Are you in? 

ENGAGE

Visit Meredith’s website, where you can grab your free download of the resource “10 Joy-Inducing Promises to Claim.” You can also follow her on Instagram for more encouraging content!

FOR DEEPER STUDY

Psalm 27:13-14, “I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living! Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the LORD!” (ESV)

What is stealing your joy in this season? What’s one promise of God you can claim today? 

If We Lived with God as Our Portion..... By Cindi McMenamin

 If We Lived with God as Our Portion

By Cindi McMenamin

“Lord, you alone are my portion and my cup; you make my lot secure. The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance.” (Psalm 16:5-6 NASB)

What do you consider your reward in life? A fulfilling career, satisfying relationships, or being able to find joy in the simple things in life? What about success, notoriety, or financial security?

The problem with those “rewards” is that we can often feel we are missing the mark when our expectations aren’t met. But when you and I adopt a mindset like some of the great men of faith in the Scriptures, we can funnel every circumstance in life, every disappointment, and even every miserable failure, through the grid of God being our portion and reward.

Consider Abraham, who waited years for God to deliver upon a promise to give him a son. Remember David the shepherd boy, psalmist, and giant killer who became Israel’s greatest king, but was also a fugitive for many years of his life. And consider Paul, who was shipwrecked, imprisoned, and beaten and left for dead several times. They all considered God as their portion – or reward in life – regardless of their circumstances.

What if you and I were to adopt the motto: “The Lord is my portion?” Our lives would look very different.

We would be content with our lives.

When the Lord is your portion, you are content and you know what it means to have enough. Instead of praying for more money, a bigger house, a better job, and a happier or more fulfilling life, you realize you have been abundantly blessed.

The writer of Proverbs 30:7-9understood God as His portion, when he said: “Two things I asked of You, Do not refuse me before I die: Keep deception and lies far from me, Give me neither poverty nor riches; Feed me with the food that is my portion, That I not be full and deny You and say, ‘Who is the Lord?’ Or that I not be in want and steal, And profane the name of my God.” (NASB).

Are you content with what God has given you, realizing He sees what is best for you and knows what you can handle and what you can’t? If you see God as your portion, you will be.

We could surrender the need to succeed.

In Genesis 15:1, God told Abraham, “I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward.”

The Apostle Paul understood this “exceedingly great reward” in Christ when he said, “I consider everything (education, achievement, a spotless reputation, self-achieved righteousness) a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ and be found in him…” (Philippians 3:8-9).

When we understand the worth of knowing Christ, we can surrender the need to succeed in our eyes and in the eyes of others. When He is our portion we find our reward and our worth in Him, not in anything the world offers. And we can say as David did in Psalm 16:1: “You are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing.”

When you and I live like God is our inheritance, our share, and our reward, we also understand that nothing else compares to Him. We’ve won the prize.

Love Coupons from the Lord..... by Shawn McEvoy

 Love Coupons from the Lord

by Shawn McEvoy

Then you will not become spiritually dull and indifferent. Instead, you will follow the example of those who are going to inherit God’s promises because of their faith and endurance.
Hebrews 6:12, NLT

Rummaging through our junk drawer once upon a time, I came across a gift from my wife that has brought me nothing but trouble.

Hold it right there. You keep presents from your wife in the junk drawer? 

I’m happy to explain. Everything else I’ve ever received from Valerie is a treasure, a blessing. But in this case…

I’m speaking here of a booklet of "love coupons" placed in my stocking one Christmas. You’ve surely received something similar at one point in your life – a bundle of certificates entitling the bearer, at his or her behest, to a smattering of various benefits such as back rubs, dates, baked goods, relaxation, respite from chores, or other goodies. Whoever invented these well-intended documents of doom wasn't a master of foresight.

The problem doesn't lie in the sentiment, it's in the redemption. Flipping fondly through the long lost book, I plucked out a coupon for a 30-minute massage and excitedly approached the one from whom the much-appreciated thought originated.

“Hey, look what I found. Do you think I could redeem this tonight?”

Body language is an amazing thing. Val said nothing, but her facial expression told me I might as well have been expired yogurt. Her lips didn't move, but I very clearly heard her brain say:

“Are you kidding me? I’m overwhelmed and on my feet all day chasing down rambunctious children, and you have the audacity to bring me a coupon? If there’s anybody who should be receiving a massage tonight, mister, it’s me! In fact, if you really loved me, you'd know when I was too busy or moody or tired!”

And there it is. Something that had been designed to show her love to me had turned into something that demonstrated my perceived lack of love for her. Um, how did that happen? Stupid coupons. Back into the junk drawer until you're more convenient to my wife – once the kids are out of the house.

So, in need of unconditional promises I could count on, I pulled out the old concordance seeking out scriptures about which I could pray: "Look what I found. Do you think I could redeem this tonight?"

See, Valerie is human; I'm unwise. Our Father is neither. He loves us more than we can fathom and He's put together quite a package of unbreakable promises that have no flaw in the redemption. We just have to faithfully submit them.

Holding fast to promise in difficult times was a major theme for New Testament authors. Here are just a few examples of the encouragement they offer through telling us what's available to the believer through Christ:

• 1 - Power, Holiness, Escape from Temptation and Worldliness
  
  “And by that same mighty power, He has given us all of His rich and wonderful promises. He has promised that you will escape the decadence all around you caused by evil desires and that you will share in His divine nature” (2 Peter 1:4).
  
  Pluck this out and turn it in when… you feel bogged down by all the sin and negativity in the world, when you need to feel that your destiny is something more than this crude earthly matter, but a partaker of the divine.
   
• 2 - The Holy Spirit, Complete with Gifts, Fruit, and Power
  
  “And now I will send the Holy Spirit, just as My Father promised. But stay here in the city until the Holy Spirit comes and fills you with power from heaven” (Luke 24:49).
  
  Pluck this out and turn it in when… you need to remember that Jesus did not leave you here alone; He sent His messenger to fill you with everything you need to know Him and make Him known.
   
• 3 - Fellowship, Joy, Eternal Life
  
  “You must remain faithful to what you have been taught from the beginning. If you do, you will continue to live in fellowship with the Son and with the Father. And in this fellowship we enjoy the eternal life He promised us” (1 John 2:24-25).
  
  Pluck this out and turn it in when… you need to return to the first principles of the faith, being reminded of the benefits of walking with God.
   
• 4 - Salvation, Belonging, Riches & Blessings, Being Children of God
  
  “And this is the secret plan: The Gentiles have an equal share with the Jews in all the riches inherited by God's children. Both groups have believed the Good News, and both are part of the same body and enjoy together the promise of blessings through Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 3:6).
  
  Pluck this out and turn it in when… you are overtaken by selfishness or self-centeredness, and need to focus on who you are as part of the Church and an all-inheriting child of God.
   
• 5 - Truth, Confidence, Assurance, Life
  
  “Truth gives them the confidence of eternal life, which God promised them before the world began – and He cannot lie” (Titus 1:2).
  
  Pluck this out and turn it in when… you feel let down by those around you, lost in the temporal rather than the eternal, or in need of knowing that God can’t go back on His Word.
   
• 6 - Membership in the Family, Persecuted but Free
  
  “And you, dear brothers and sisters, are children of the promise, just like Isaac. And we who are born of the Holy Spirit are persecuted by those who want us to keep the law, just as Isaac, the child of promise, was persecuted by Ishmael, the son of the slave-wife” (Galatians 4:28-29).
  
  Pluck this out and turn it in when… you are downtrodden by right-and-wrong, do-and-don't. You are born again free in the family of the Most High.
   
• 7 - Trials, Patience, Endurance, the Crown of Life
  
  “God blesses the people who patiently endure testing. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him” (James 1:12).
  
  Pluck this out and turn it in when… you wonder at God’s wisdom and will, when tough times come your way, and when you feel you don't have the strength to go on. Testing is guaranteed, so don't despise it or your own discipline – how else would you be able to exercise your faith?

And the best promise of all while we're on this earth may just be new joy, new mercy every morning. Each day another chance. When days get rough and we could use "a backrub from above," all we have to do is open up the Bible and say, "Look what I found, Lord. It's been a tough day. Do you think I could redeem this one tonight?"

Since the Lord is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow, the answer is always yes. Until one day we experience His ultimate promise of a new heaven and a new earth and there will be no need of coupons.

Intersecting Faith & Life: Redeem one of the above coupon/promises today!

Further Reading
What Does God Promise You?

A Prayer for When You’re Tired of Waiting..... By Lauren Gaskill

 A Prayer for When You’re Tired of Waiting

By Lauren Gaskill

“Let all that I am wait quietly before God, for my hope is in him. He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress where I will not be shaken. My victory and honor come from God alone. He is my refuge, a rock where no enemy can reach me. O my people, trust in him at all times. Pour out your heart to him, for God is our refuge.” – Psalm 62:5-8

Waiting is hard. And whether you’re waiting in traffic, waiting for the seasons to change, waiting for your husband to get home from a work trip, or waiting for your dream to come true — waiting is never fun.

I mean, seriously, who likes to wait? Who wakes up and says, “I hope I have to wait for something today?” (If you’re reading this and that’s you, please email me so we can be friends and I can learn your secret!)

All joking aside, if the majority of the world could choose between waiting and not waiting, I think we’d choose the latter. Because chances are if we’re waiting for something, that means we want it pretty bad, but we don’t have it yet.

Dear brothers and sister, I don’t know what you’re waiting on right now, but I want to invite you to draw strength not only from those who have waited before us, but from God himself.

Draw strength from the promises of God and look forward to the fulfillment of those promises. For our God is not a God of false or empty promises, but of beautiful, certain promises.

We are not alone when we wait. God is with us and He wants us to pour our hearts out to Him. He wants us to trust and find refuge in Him.

I pray that as we wait, we will hold on to these truths and we will let God’s Word renew our souls.

Whatever He has for us is worth the wait.

Lord, you are not just the God of time but the God of timing. Help me to trust You as I wait for the things I desperately want or need. Help me not become discouraged or depressed in this season of waiting, but help me take my place joyfully with all the saints who persevered through the wait you had for them. As we walk through this season of Advent, help me to spend time meditating on Your promise to bring our Savior into the world. Thank You for Your plan to come again and bring restoration for all things! In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.