A Servant's Rewards..... Dr. Charles Stanley

 A Servant's Rewards

Dr. Charles Stanley

Hebrews 6:10

In His grace, God freely gives salvation to those who believe in Jesus. We cannot earn this gift, nor do we deserve it. Our Father does notice our good works, though. And He promises to reward us according to what we have done for Him.

True service occurs when we allow the Lord to work through us for His glory and honor. True ministry occurs when divine resources meet human need through loving channels.

Revelation 22:12 encourages us, "Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to render to every man according to what he has done." Whether large or small, all service done in Jesus' name will be blessed. We must be careful, though, that our actions are for Christ's glory. If motives are self-serving, the only benefit we receive is the praise (if any) that we hear from people in this life. And we know that men's approval is not satisfying or lasting.

While some rewards will be given in heaven, other blessings can be experienced now. For example, we know great joy when we allow God to bless others through us. And there is deep satisfaction in realizing that we are pleasing Christ. In addition, there's a profound sense of fulfillment when we lead a person to Jesus and teach him how to walk by faith.

Serving others is both a great benefit and a responsibility for Christians. We should prayerfully consider our motives to make sure that our goal is to glorify Christ. Only then will we receive God's full blessings--rewards given not only in eternity but on earth as well.

The Example of Moses..... Craig Denison

 The Example of Moses

Craig Denison

Weekly Overview:

Living an unveiled lifestyle is the way in which we experience the fullness of what’s available to us in our restored relationship with God. It’s a powerful lifestyle of faith, direct encounters with our heavenly Father, and life transformation. It’s when we live our lives in light of the perfect sacrifice of Jesus that we begin to experience all his death was purposed to bring us. God longs for his children to walk in intimacy with him directly connected to his wellspring of love for us. May you experience a more tangible, loving, and powerful connection with your heavenly Father this week.

Scripture:“Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone because he had been talking with God.” >Exodus 34:29

Devotional:

We find in the character of Moses a man transformed by a face-to-face, unveiled encounter with the living God. Exodus 34:29-35 says:

When Moses came down from Mount Sinai, with the two tablets of the testimony in his hand as he came down from the mountain, Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone because he had been talking with God. Aaron and all the people of Israel saw Moses, and behold, the skin of his face shone, and they were afraid to come near him. But Moses called to them, and Aaron and all the leaders of the congregation returned to him, and Moses talked with them.Afterward all the people of Israel came near, and he commanded them all that theLordhad spoken with him in Mount Sinai. And when Moses had finished speaking with them, he put a veil over his face.Whenever Moses went in before theLord to speak with him, he would remove the veil, until he came out. And when he came out and told the people of Israel what he was commanded, the people of Israel would see the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses' face was shining. And Moses would put the veil over his face again, until he went in to speak with him.

Moses serves as an important example for you and me. Moses was a man chosen to go before God on behalf of his people and relay the will and heart of God back to them. And by the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, we are now chosen and transformed to live out the same calling. In 1 Peter 2:9 Peter declares that we are “a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that [we] may proclaim the excellencies of him who called [us] out of darkness into his marvelous light.” We are to operate in the same capacity that Moses did. We are to be children of God that bear the image of our heavenly Father and declare his grace, love, power, and goodness to a world in desperate need of relationship with him. What happened to Moses in Exodus 34 holds true for you and me today: when we meet with God we take on the image of his glory. The difference is that the glory of God now dwells internally rather than externally by the powerful sacrifice of Jesus. As Moses’ face shone with the glory of God, our new nature is now meant to shine, declaring the immeasurable grace and power of Jesus’ sacrifice.

Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 4:6-7, “For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.” The glory of God now dwells within us. And we are to contain his glory as water in jars of clay, that we would pour out his love and grace for all to see. Just as the people of Israel saw the face of Moses and knew he had met with God, we are to meet with our heavenly Father face-to-face and be transformed by his presence for all to see. Jesus’ death has paved the way for you to meet with God face to face–unveiled. Take time in prayer to see the face of God and allow him to transform you into the likeness of Jesus.

     Guided Prayer:

1. Meditate on Exodus 34:29. Allow Scripture to stir up your desire to meet with your heavenly Father face-to-face.

“Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone because he had been talking with God.” >Exodus 34:29

2. Renew your mind to your new calling in Jesus. Allow Scripture to fill you with faith to encounter God unveiled.

“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.” >1 Peter 2:9

“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

3. Spend time meeting with your heavenly Father face-to-face. Ask him to reveal his nearness to you. Rest in his presence and allow it to lay a new foundation for you. Ask him to make you more like him. Ask him to show you how to be a reflection of his glory to the world around you today.

“For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.” >2 Corinthians 4:6-7

May Jesus’ declaration about you in Matthew 5:14-16 serve as a constant reminder of your new calling here as a child of the living God:

   “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”

Extended Reading: 1 Peter 2   

How Does God’s Kindness Lead to Repentance? (Romans 2:4)..... By Lynette Kittle

 How Does God’s Kindness Lead to Repentance? (Romans 2:4)

By Lynette Kittle

Today’s Bible Verse: “Or do you show contempt for the riches of His kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance? - Romans 2:4

Have you ever tried to reach someone you love and care about with truth, but your words just seem to fall flat in their ears, like they don’t even hear what you’re saying?

In these situations, it can often seem like the more we try to explain or reach them with our words, the less they hear us.

Repetitive nagging usually backfires on us, too, because it’s not the most effective way to communicate or bring the results we’re hoping for in their lives.

As well, it can seem like praying about it doesn’t seem to be changing anything or bringing any breakthroughs. In fact, it can appear like the more we pray the worse things get with them. Even so, we want to keep having hope and to continue to pray.

How Can We Help?

Have you heard the saying, “Actions speak louder than words?”

Well, it’s true. Romans 2:4 backs this up. As well as praying, God offers us an effective way of reaching others, especially when they are ignoring our words or responding poorly to us.

In today’s culture, words are pretty cheap, but actions are far more costly. When we act kindly toward others, we are overcoming our own emotions and sense of fairness, to reach out in ways that may feel risky, uncomfortable, and bring rejection.

But God’s way is to let His kindness speak to them through us, despite how they are behaving towards Him or us. Although we may think we know just what to say to reach someone, our words often fall short.

It doesn’t mean we aren't speaking truth to them. More likely it’s because we can’t see their heart, so we don’t know what words will really speak to them.

God’s words are alive and active, and sharper than any double-edged sword penetrating and dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; and thoughts and attitude of the heart (Hebrews 4:12), and His kindness has a way of speaking, too, in a gentler and deeper way than we can imagine.

God knows how to reach their hearts and His kindness can move further than our words, bypassing defenses, lack of understanding, wounds, and more in those we are hoping to reach.

God’s Kindness Changes Hearts

If anyone knows about kindness changing hearts, it’s God.

“But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of His Mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior" (Titus 3:4-6).

Oh, when God sheds His kindness on us, how are any able to resist? His kindness melts the hardest hearts, heals and restores the deepest brokenness, and makes anew the most shattered souls.

By letting His kindness flow through us, God can touch and transform hearts in ways we can’t even imagine.

Good Gifts..... by Caroline Madison

 Good Gifts

by Caroline Madison

Which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? (Matt. 7:9)

I was afraid, but I asked. I laid bare the deepest desires of my heart—even the little ones that we don't really think God cares about. I wanted a dog.

And a few months later, Iroh came: 35 pounds of silky fur, slobbery affection, and issues. So many issues.

He was barely three years old and had been left alone in an outdoor pen for most of that.

We taught him as much as we could, and he improved every day, though there were many times I questioned if it was wise to keep him. At best, he was skittish and unpredictable, balking at everything—the heater, a car starting, a knock on the door.

But each time I questioned it, I received the same answer: "Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!”(Matthew 7:9-11)

Iroh is a good gift. I clung to that belief through bouts of food aggression, resource guarding, and lunging at my roommate with no provocation.

We had good days too, like the moment he realized the squeaker in his ball wasn't a demon but a deliriously fun noisemaker.

But when he severely bit my roommate, puncturing her hand, the good days vanished. Everything I had been clinging to trickled through my fingers like grains of sand leaving me with the absolute certainty that we could no longer keep him and a vague sense of betrayal.

God knew this would happen. I felt like he'd given me a gift-wrapped grenade.

Aren't we so quick to question God’s heart toward us? We take that step of faith (a move, a new job, a relationship), and something doesn’t go right. Our foot falls through empty space, like when we’re expecting more stairs than there are.

That sick lurch is not something I would wish on anyone. But it’s part of the imperfect world we live in. Maybe you asked God for a child, and your child now has a serious disease. Or you asked Him for a job and the company goes under a few months after you start.

We cry and rage and demand answers. We want to call that ‘gift’ a stone and throw it back at heaven. And we make the pain we’re experiencing so much worse than it has to be.

Everything in this world is so unstable, pitching like a ship on the ocean. Only one thing remains unmovable—who God is. His character and intentions are not called into question just because everything else is shifting. In fact, He’s the only thing we can depend on to never change.

“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.”(James 1:17)

Intersecting Faith and Life: When the ground shakes beneath you, don’t run away from God. Press into Him with the full assurance that He will hold you close while everything crumbles. That He will give you the answers you need when you need them. And that His heart toward you is good all the time.

A Prayer to Remember God Is Still with You..... By Betsy de Cruz

 A Prayer to Remember God Is Still with You

By Betsy de Cruz

“He said, ‘Do not come near, take your sandals off your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.’ And he said, ‘I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’” – Exodus 3:5,6a

I know Jesus promised to be with us until the end of the age, but honestly, I often forget His presence. When my day gets busy and stress levels rise, I fail to remember He is with me. Sometimes I can’t see past the trials and troubles of life, so I lose sight of Jesus. Or I’m so consumed with trying to power through on my own that I forget I can rely on the power of Jesus.

Maybe you’ve lost sight of God’s presence with you today. Trials or trouble or even just a crazy busy season have made you forget He’s with you.

Just because we forget God doesn’t mean He forgets us.

Moses was busy at his daily work of shepherding when God appeared to him in a burning bush and turned the very ground Moses was standing on to holy ground. God revealed Himself to Moses to let him know He had seen, heard, and knew the afflictions of His people in Egypt. He had a plan to deliver them.

What situation are you navigating today? What deliverance are you praying for? God wants you to know you are not alone. He sees you. He is with you.

God appeared to Moses in a burning bush, but we have the Holy Spirit burning inside of us. God turned Moses’ shepherding ground into holy ground, and your holy ground is right where you are.

God wants to reveal Himself to us in the middle of our daily tasks and worries, just like He did to Moses. If you’ve lost the sense of His presence with you, try one of the following:

• Begin to worship Him, and you’ll start to see Him more clearly again.
• Draw near to Him in prayer. Scripture says when we draw near to God, He draws near to us. (James 4:8)
• Find a promise you can cling to; remind yourself of God’s faithfulness. 

Let’s open our eyes to look for evidence of God with us in our daily life and in our trials. What has He already done for us? What blessings have we already received? Let’s thank Him and ask Him to open our eyes to His presence.

Let’s pray:

Lord, help me to recognize you are with me today. Forgive me for so easily forgetting your presence when I get busy or feel stressed by the worries of this life. Lord, remind me I am walking on holy ground, right where I am in the middle of my challenges, because you are here. 

I choose to believe that you see me, you hear me, and you care for me. Give me grace to draw near to you. I want to know you better; Lord, reveal yourself to me. I long to see you more fully and know your great love, power, and faithfulness.

Open my eyes to the evidence of your presence around me. Help me to see with fresh eyes the blessings you have already given me. Thank you for your faithful provision and your promise to never leave me. I thank you in advance for the way you will work in my situation.

In Jesus’ Name, Amen.