Answers in Times of Great Disaster..... Dr. Charles Stanley

 Answers in Times of Great Disaster

Dr. Charles Stanley

Deuteronomy 29:29

Almighty God reserves the right to reveal some things and conceal others. Although we may not know why natural disasters occur, the biblical truths we do know with absolute certainty allow us to trust the Lord even in times of great suffering. These include:

1. God is in control (Ps. 103:19). Nothing in heaven or on earth is outside of His rule and authority. He does not react to events but sovereignly ordains or permits them to run their course. Although we cannot know for certain if He has sent a catastrophe or allowed it, we can trust in His goodness and wisdom.

2. The Lord loves people and wants them to be saved (John 3:16-17). Giving His Son for the salvation of the world proves without a doubt that He loves each person. This truth stands firm despite the fact that many reject the Savior. He cares for us, even when we can’t feel it or won’t accept it.

3. God ordains or permits events for His good purpose (Isa. 46:10). Though we cannot fully comprehend what He is doing in each incident, every disaster is a wake-up call for humanity. He is alerting us of the need to repent—so the lost can be saved and the saved can be revived to live totally for Him. Catastrophes open our ears to hear from the Lord.

The One who loves us perfectly is in full control, working everything out according to His good purpose. Knowing this should fill us with hope, even in the midst of crisis situations. The Lord even promises to turn disaster to good for those who “are called according to His purpose” (Rom. 8:28).

Praying with the Holy Spirit..... Craig Denison

 Praying with 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, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life.” Jude 1:20-21

Devotional:

God loves to respond to the prayers of his people. We see him respond to the desire of Adam for a helpmate with Eve, the prayer of Abraham in saving Lot and his family, the prayer of Moses in the salvation of his people, the prayer of Elijah in sending down fire upon an altar, and the cry for a Savior in sending his only son, Jesus. And through the death of Jesus we’ve been filled with the Holy Spirit,  God himself sent as our Helper. Our Helper not only longs to guide us and empower us, but also to help us pray and to pray for us.

Jude 1:20-21 says, “But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life.” We’ve been given the incredible gift of praying with the Holy Spirit. The Spirit who searches the deep things of God desires to help us pray. He desires to reveal God’s desires to us in the midst of our circumstances, relationships, and opportunities and longs to help us pray in line with God’s will. When we pray in the Spirit we are praying along with the will of God himself. When we pray in the Spirit we are asking God to do the very thing he desires to do. It’s crucially important that we as children of God learn how to discern the will of our Father through the Holy Spirit and pray according to that will.

Matthew 21:22 says, “And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.” And Romans 10:17 teaches us, “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” Scripture tells us to pray in full faith that God will give us what we ask for because faith is always meant to begin with the word of God. Prayer is meant to be as simple as asking God to fill us with the knowledge of his desire and then praying in accordance with that desire in full faith because God will always fulfill his promises.

What’s more, when we don’t know what to pray we can trust in and lean on the groanings of the Spirit. Romans 8:26 says, “Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.” Did you know that the Holy Spirit prays for you? Did you know that he intercedes on your behalf? So great is his love for you that he asks God to help you. So great is his desire for you to walk in abundant life that he intercedes on your behalf when you don’t know how to pray.

Aren’t you thankful for the grace of God? In his grace he’s blessed you with the Holy Spirit to help you pray and intercedes for you, all because he loves you. You’ve been given an incredible, powerful gift in praying with the Holy Spirit. Take time today to listen to your Helper as you enter into a time of prayer.

Guided Prayer:

1. Meditate on the Spirit’s desire to help you pray and to intercede for you.

“But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life.” Jude 1:20-21

“Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.” Romans 8:26-27

2. Ask the Spirit to fill you with the knowledge of God’s will for whatever it is you desire to pray about. Before you speak, listen.

3. Pray in line with what the Spirit has revealed to you. Ask God, in faith, to bless you with whatever you feel he has shown you. Pray along with Scripture! Rest in the assurance that God will provide you with any and every thing that is in his perfect will for you when you ask him to.

“And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.” Matthew 21:22

“So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” Romans 10:17

God loves to make the Christian life simpler than we often make it out to be. I used to believe that to discover God’s will I had to ask God for things and wait to see if life’s circumstances panned out in line with those prayers. But God longs to fill us with the knowledge of his will even before you ask so that we can simply pray in full faith and joy in accordance with what he already desires to do. He blesses us with a life of simplicity if we will simply, wholeheartedly follow him. Take time today to search out the will of God for your life and rest in assurance of his faithfulness as you pray.

Extended Reading: Hebrews 11

Grieving With Great Assurance..... JASMINE WILLIAMS

 Grieving With Great Assurance

JASMINE WILLIAMS

“… Death has been swallowed up in victory. Where, death, is your victory? Where, death, is your sting?” 1 Corinthians 15:54-55 (CSB)

Somehow, this month marks six years. It still feels like yesterday to me. It still feels surreal. Nothing about life really prepares you to lose someone you love.

I’ve seen enough news stories to know these things happen, but I never expected to lose my brother in a car accident, especially not on my wedding anniversary.

To say it out loud sounds like some awful plot twist in a dramatic movie, but I can’t press “pause” on this one. It’s amazing, though, how even after someone is gone we find a way to keep a part of them alive in us. Every now and then, I find myself jokingly asking him, Did you really have to pick that day? You never did let me have anything on my own.

It’s true. We got presents on each other’s birthdays because new skates were no fun if we couldn’t do it together. It’s memories like those that keep me smiling through the tough times of missing him.

If you’ve ever lost someone close to you, you know that feeling of deeply hurting while at the same time deeply appreciating the time you had together. Some days the memories are enough to carry the load, but some days they aren’t.

It’s on those days — the ones I don’t talk about when I tell people I’m doing OK — that I have to stop and put things into perspective. This is an earthly pain, and though its heaviness is enough to stop me in my tracks, there is hope in Jesus.

First Corinthians 15:54-55 says, “… Death has been swallowed up in victory. Where, death, is your victory? Where, death, is your sting?” This verse reminds me that, while the pain of losing someone is so real, there is comfort in Christ. He took away the sting of death. This doesn’t mean we aren’t hurt by losing loved ones. Of course we are, and He’s with us in our pain.

But the greatest part of it all is that death is only temporary for those in Christ. When Jesus chose to lay down His life for ours, He reconciled us to God, paving the way to eternity through Him. There will be a great reunion, unlike anything we’ve ever seen.

I look forward to seeing my brother again in heaven. I can imagine meeting my grandmother’s mom, too. My grandmother has always talked about how wonderful her mom was. Can you just imagine how amazing it will be?!

Loss is sad. Tragedies are painful. Sometimes there are no words powerful enough for encouragement and no embrace strong enough for comfort. It’s OK not to be OK for a while. It’s OK to grieve and still feel like it was only yesterday. I know that feeling of wishing you’d said more while they were alive. These are normal feelings not to be dismissed.

I just hope that, even through the pain, you can rest in the love of Jesus, who laid it all down so we can now say, Death, where is your sting? Though there are many days I say it with a heavy heart, it is no less true that Jesus has victory over the grave.

There’s something about losing someone, as heartbreaking as it is, that’s a little bit empowering. I don’t say that to minimize the pain. I just know that, since losing my brother, there’s a greater part of me that wants others to know Christ and to have the assurance that’s in Him.

If somehow the pain of our loss can propel us to tell the world about Christ, then we get to give Him the glory even through this. I’m reminded of the widow’s offering in Mark 12:41-44. Others gave more, but she gave her all. While in a state of grief, it may feel like there’s nothing left to give, but when we share the hope of Jesus, we give everything we have at that moment.

Thank You, God, for sending Your Son to defeat death. Thank You for giving me an eternal hope. Help me to spread Your truth and love everywhere I can. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

How to Overlook an Offense (Proverbs 19:11)..... by Lynette Kittle

 How to Overlook an Offense (Proverbs 19:11)

by Lynette Kittle

“A person’s wisdom yields patience; it is to one’s glory to overlook an offense”—Proverbs 19:11

In a world of hurtful social media tactics and more, how do we move past offenses where others knowingly or unknowingly wound us?

It can be even more disappointing when a fellow Christian offends us, because we have higher expectations for them. Like Romans 12:10 encourages, we hope believers will give preference to one another.

Likewise, we hope Christians grasp the importance of the words we speak, remembering how one day we will all give an account for every empty word spoken (Matthew 12:36).

Still, even in the midst of these hurtful experiences, God gives us the opportunity to learn how to work through offenses. And if we’re willing to submit to Him, He will refine and fine-tune our hearts during the process.

Looking Honestly at Ourselves

Overlooking offenses is good work for us to do. As we work to truly forgive others, we uncover and discover weaknesses in ourselves, ones we most likely didn’t know were even residing within us.

Offenses have a way of shining a spotlight within us, exposing areas in our hearts that could use revealing. If we truly want God to transform and renew us, then we want to be willing to examine our own behaviors and attitudes, like 2 Corinthians 13:5 urges us to do.

So overall if we are willing, this purging process can help us experience a godly type of gratefulness for the cleansing work it does within us (1 Thessalonians 5:18).

In the sitcom “King of Queens” Lyin’ Hearted episode, Carrie’s (Leah Remini) father, Arthur (Jerry Stiller), is in hospital for heart surgery. While looking through his important papers, Carrie discovers her dad withheld opportunities from her that would have made her life better.

Deeply hurt, offended, and disappointed by these discoveries, Carrie’s first reaction is to lash out and hurt him back. But in a split moment, where it looks likes she’s losing him to cardiac arrest, her heart dramatically changes to forgive him. Within minutes Carrie realizes how her father’s offenses do not outweigh her love for him.

Like her character experienced, when it comes to responding to an offense, it’s beneficial to look at the whole picture to see what really matters most to us, especially when it comes to responding to the failures of others.

In overlooking offenses, we can seek God for wisdom, asking Him to lead us in our responses and actions, and to reveal how they may affect our relationships in the long run.

Instead of focusing on others’ lack of love towards us, we can turn our love towards them, choosing to offer them forgiveness and patience even when it seems like they don’t deserve it.

Like Colossians 3:13 reminds us, “Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.”

God’s Word explains that when we overlook offenses, it reflects well on us. Godly handling of offense also helps us to experience it less and less, not because others aren’t offending us, but because we aren’t receiving it into lives.

Who has offended you? Who do you need to forgive? Take time today to pray forgiveness over any offenses you are holding onto.

Who Wants a Free Gift?..... by Ryan Duncan

 Who Wants a Free Gift?

by Ryan Duncan

Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. – Hebrews 4:16

“Who wants a free gift?” I don’t know about you, but that’s a statement that often gives me pause. The reason why is because almost every day I’m bombarded with offers to receive a “free gift” that isn’t really free. You probably know what I’m talking about. Credit card companies offer me “free rewards” if I spend more that eighteen thousand dollars with one of their cards. Airlines say they’ll give me “free miles” if I book a trip to China right now, and then there are those pesky infomercials that offer me “free” steak knives if I buy their grease cooker for only $19.99!

As a Christian living in a world where there’s no such thing as a free lunch, it’s sometimes hard to understand the meaning of grace, and even harder to teach it to others. So when my father was asked to teach a group of middle school students about grace, I admit I had no idea how he was going to pull it off. But my father is a pretty shrewd guy (you’re welcome Dad), and as soon as he got the lesson he went out, bought a Hershey bar the size of a laptop computer and covered it in wrapping paper. On Sunday morning he walked to the front of the room, held up the present, a said “Who wants a free gift?” No one moved.

Finally, one brave kid got up and ran forward to take the present from my father’s hand. It’s that simple. Every day God calls to us, offering the free gift of his grace, and all we need to do is accept it. Grace doesn’t require a down payment, it doesn’t ask you to do something first, and it’s never a bonus for something you’ve already accomplished. Grace is a gift, the only thing in this world that is truly free.

Intersecting Faith and Life: Do you want to receive a free gift? Take a moment during your day to reconnect with Christ.

Further Reading

Ephesians 2:8

A Prayer of Thankfulness for God’s Provision..... By: Emily Rose Massey

 A Prayer of Thankfulness for God’s Provision

By: Emily Rose Massey

“And my God will supply [o]all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. 20 Now to our God and Father be the glory [p]forever and ever. Amen” - Philippians 4:19-20.

My husband and I had very different religious upbringings as Christians, especially regarding our view of finances. To put it simply, my husband was taught that if you did not tithe and/or give an offering you were cursed, according to Malachi 3:9. What we didn’t know at the time is that this verse is often misused and misapplied.

Malachi 3:9 is a descriptive text about the children of Israel, not a prescriptive text for all believers. Yet, because of this twisted teaching, we continued to give our finances out of a heart of fear of what God would do if we did not, instead of out of a heart of pure generosity.

We were also concerned about what type of harvest we would receive from the money we had sown. We were constantly battling a selfish mentality- giving to get back in return. No matter the reason, our view on tithing and giving was completely legalistic, and it lacked genuine love, grace, and mercy.

Then one day, God illuminated His Word to us about true generosity. We began to see His great provision and grace supplied to us, no matter we what did or did not give in the offering bucket. Our eyes were opened to His Truth and we stopped believing lies that we both embraced for so many years. The Holy Spirit helped us understand these Bible verses regarding finances in context to what they really mean so that we were no longer living in fear from a legalistic view of tithing and giving. Verses like Philippians 4:19-20. The apostle Paul was thanking the church at Philippi for their great generosity towards him, while encouraging them that God would be generous toward them where Paul could not:

“And my God will supply [o]all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. 20 Now to our God and Father be the glory [p]forever and ever. Amen” (Philippians 4:19-20, NASB).

Because our eyes were on the great sacrifice of Christ on the cross, this completely changed our view of God the Father and His amazing provision and grace. It truly transformed our faith and trust in God, especially believing He will always provide for His children! Just like we cannot work or strive to earn our salvation, we cannot work or strive to earn God’s provision either. He’s a good Father who longs to provide and care for His children’s needs. He is a giver and we long to be generous just like our Heavenly Dad!

Let’s pray a thankful prayer now for God’s generous provision for our every need:

Heavenly Father,

I repent for not trusting You to provide for my every need. You did not withhold even Your Son, and I believe that You do not withhold any good thing from me. I also repent for thinking that somehow Your provision is determined by how much I give financially.

I receive Your free grace and gift of salvation as well as Your constant provision for my life. I will choose to be content in all that I have as well as be generous to others when I have more than I need. Thank You for Your love. Help me to be more generous and gracious like You.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.