Devoted to God..... Dr. Charles Stanley

 Devoted to God

Dr. Charles Stanley

Psalms 62:1-2

Having been saved by faith in Christ, we express our love and gratitude through devotion to Him. Regular Bible study and prayer will be an integral part of our daily lives. In addition, our commitment to the Lord will be revealed through a passion to obey, a spirit of humility, and a servant's heart.

1. Obedience. David sought to obey God all his life. As a shepherd boy, he faithfully tended the animals in his father's fields. While king, he set aside his desire to build the temple and let Solomon lead the effort, as God had commanded. Although David lived imperfectly, his desire was to do what the Lord asked. We see from Jesus' words in John 14:15 that obedience should be our high priority as well: He said, "If you love Me, you will keep My commandments."
2. Humility. After David killed Goliath, the crowds shouted praise about the young man. However, he did not become prideful. Instead, he remained in King Saul's service and waited for God to make him the ruler of Israel. Even as king, he remained humble. He knew that what had been accomplished was because of the Lord's actions and not his own (2 Sam. 7:18).
3. Service. Whether David was a lowly shepherd or a mighty king, his goal was to obey God and serve Him.

This man after God's own heart was devoted to his Lord. He sought to know Him and longed to carry out His will. David's actions reflected His humble attitude of servanthood and his longing to please his heavenly Father. Take steps each day to be sure your life expresses commitment to Jesus.

The Authority of King Jesus..... Craig Denison

 The Authority of King Jesus

Craig Denison

Weekly Overview:

We have a great High Priest who constantly intercedes on our behalf. The Son of God and Man loves you more deeply than you can fathom. He prays for you, that you might walk in the abundant life his death affords you. And in John 17 we get a glimpse into the fullness of his desire for all those who would believe in him. As we dive deeply into the riches of Jesus’ High Priestly Prayer this week, may your heart be awakened and your life be transformed by the riches of God’s love.

Scripture:“When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, ‘Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you,since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him.’” >John 17:1-2

Devotional:

John 17:1-2 marks the beginning of one of the most powerful passages in all of Scripture. Jesus prays to the Father and says, “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him.” Jesus knows that his time on the earth is coming to a close. He knows that he must sacrifice his life so that the door to restored relationship with the Father would be flung open to all who would put their faith in him.

What good news it is that the Father has given the Son “authority over all flesh.” You and I serve the one true King of all mankind. Jesus is King of all the earth. And our King is one who would ask the Father to send him to die that we might live. Our King willfully lays down his life for us who have done nothing to deserve his kindness. Colossians 1:15-20 says:

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.

And later Paul writes in Colossians 2:13-15, “And you, who were dead in your trespasses

and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.”

What does it mean for us today to serve the High King in whom all authority and kindness dwells? What would life look like if we would submit ourselves to his authority completely? All of creation answers to his name. All of humanity will one day bow before him. But what would your life look like if you made the decision today to willfully lay down your life in response to his lordship? What would it look like to crown him as King of your plans, efforts, emotions, relationships, finances, past present, and future? You were not created to be the king of your own life. You were not created to bear the burden of doing life apart from the lordship of Jesus Christ. And you will never know true peace, joy, purpose, and love until you submit all you are to all God is.

Take time in guided prayer to meditate on the authority and power of Jesus. Thank him for his loving sacrifice and crown him King of your life today.

Guided Prayer:

1. Meditate on the authority and power of Jesus. Allow Scripture to call you to a lifestyle of obedience and worship.

“Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you,since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him.” >John 17:1-2

“On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.” Revelation 19:16

“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.” >Colossians 1:15-20

2. Thank Jesus for his sacrifice. Reflect on the depth of God’s grace and power as demonstrated by the sacrifice of Jesus. God considers restored relationship with you worth the death of his perfect, only Son.

“And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.” >Colossians 2:13-15

“Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.” Revelation 4:11

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” >John 3:16

3. Crown Jesus as Lord of your life. Commit to surrendering everything to him today. Hand over control of your plans, relationships, finances, and emotions to the one who will guide you daily into the abundant life he died to give you.

“I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” >John 10:10

“I know, O Lord, that the way of man is not in himself, that it is not in man who walks to direct his steps.” >Jeremiah 10:23

“I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.” >Romans 12:1

To take authority over your own life is to pluck yourself out of a life filled with the unimaginable graces of God. God will not bless that which is not his will. He waits patiently day after day for us to simply choose to submit ourselves to him and follow. He longs for the day when we will stop submitting to our own pride, yield ourselves to him, and discover the wealth of life available to us in him alone. May you have the courage and humility to surrender to God and follow him today.

Extended Reading: Colossians 3

Encourage Like Barnabas..... ARLENE PELLICANE

 Encourage Like Barnabas

ARLENE PELLICANE

“Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas (which means ‘son of encouragement’), sold a field he owned and brought the money and put it at the apostles’ feet.” Acts 4:36-37 (NIV)

Going from elementary school to middle school was a time of radical change in my life.

I shed my big blue eyeglasses, braces and knee-highs (which I sadly wore regularly with dresses). I cut my hair short and changed my image altogether as many teenagers have done through the decades.

But my appearance wasn’t the only thing transforming. I was getting to know Jesus in a personal, intimate way as a result of God touching my heart at summer church camp.

As a child, I was shy and too afraid to go to kids’ church and be separated from my parents, so I was always attached to one of them. But after summer church camp, filled with passion for God, I ventured into youth group … alone.

God instantly sent encouragers my way: my youth pastor, Dale, and his wife, Linda. Not only did they befriend me, but they believed in me. They invited me to join the youth leadership team. I remember packing into Dale’s old VW Bug with other teenagers to visit the church’s newcomers. That early, encouraging experience at church gave me a love for the body of Christ, a love that still lives in me today.

When Dale invested in my life, his encouragement gave me confidence to get involved. I wasn’t going to sit on the sidelines anymore; I was going to play!

Being encouraged made all the difference.

In the New Testament, a man named Barnabas was all about encouragement — so much so that it was his nickname, and it stuck. His given name was Joseph, but not many know him by that name. Today’s truth says, “Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas (which means ‘son of encouragement’), sold a field he owned and brought the money and put it at the apostles’ feet” (Acts 4:36-37).

Encouragement can be simple and natural. For instance, when you introduce someone, you might highlight some key facts about them, like, “This is my friend Bella. She has four children and is an amazing artist.” We see Luke “highlight” Barnabas when he introduces him in the book of Acts, and we learn that Barnabas is generous, compassionate and an encourager through and through. There were no needy people in the early church because, from time to time, landowners or homeowners would sell what they had and share it with their fellow believers. We see Barnabas doing just that!

When the violent Saul met Jesus on the road to Damascus and had a radical transformation, Christians at that time struggled to believe this murderer was now a brother. In fact, they were terrified of him. But watch how our encourager Barnabas introduces Saul. Barnabas “… took him and brought him to the apostles. He told them how Saul on his journey had seen the Lord and that the Lord had spoken to him, and how in Damascus he had preached fearlessly in the name of Jesus” (Acts 9:27, NIV).

How did Barnabas know all that about Saul? He must have taken time to listen to Saul’s story, and then God used Barnabas to encourage Saul to become a leader in the early church. What if Barnabas had not been the “son of encouragement” but a “son of discouragement”? Maybe Saul, turned Paul, would have failed to connect to the apostles. Barnabas’ encouragement helped move Paul from the sidelines of Christianity and put him into play.

Barnabas didn’t care about who got the glory. He cared about building God’s Kingdom and encouraging God’s people. Never underestimate the power of encouragement. It can help a shy kid like me get involved in youth group. It can stand next to a world changer like Paul and exclaim, “You can do it!”

Lord Jesus, thank You for believing in me. Help me to be more like Barnabas, an encourager. Give me compassion for others, and show me who I can encourage today. Speak through me to lift others up, especially in my family and workplace. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

In Life and Death, God Is There..... By: Cara Meredith

 In Life and Death, God Is There (Psalm 90:2-3)

By: Cara Meredith

Today’s Bible Verse: Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God. You return man to dust and say, “Return, O children of man!” - Psalm 90:2-3

In the middle of winter, it’s not hard for me to focus on spiritual concepts like waiting and hoping and searching for light in the midst of darkness. Somehow, it feels like this whole way of thinking comes naturally when the sky turns grays and darkens by five o’clock, when everything around me feels like it’s holed up into a pitch-black cave of hibernation for a couple of months.

But when summer rolls around and life abounds in vibrant color and drippy Heirloom tomato and cucumbers off-the-vine deliciousness, when the last thing the sun wants to do is actually go to bed and make room for the moon, there’s no way I want to dwell on themes of darkness, let alone death.

Yet this mingling of death and life is life. This back and forth, made real by the seasons, by our bodies and by simultaneous waves of life and death in the lives of the ones we call our own, cannot be missed.

In Psalm 90, we see this wave of life and death in a single pair of verses: in verse 2, the psalmist sings of God the creator. As readers, we are reminded that before mountains were made, and before the earth and world were even formed, God was God – “from everlasting to everlasting you are God.” No doubt about it, God came first. For God, we say, is the very definition of life.

But in the third verse, the Psalm takes a turn toward death and toward the mortality of our back-to-dust human selves. I wriggle around in my seat; I feel uncomfortable with this new direction. That summertime part of me wants to stay firmly rooted in conversations of life, even if I know, deep in my heart, that death and life are intrinsically linked and cannot be avoided.

You turn us back to dust, And say, “Turn back, you mortals.”

The cheery sentiments of creation are gone; instead, we humans are beckoned to turn back to the earth and to our place as mere mortals. Once again, we are invited to turn back to a place where God is God and we humans are (you guessed it) mere humans.

But this dance of death and life, of light and darkness, it all goes together. The two cannot exist apart from one another, for in it all and through it all, God is present.

In the throes of summer, God is there. In the depths of winter, God is there. In the hospital room that springs forth new life, God shows up in a tiny baby’s cry; in the hospital room that ushers in death, God holds the tears of the widow.

The invitation for all of us, I suppose, is to remember that searching for light in the darkness isn’t then just a winter thing, after all. Instead, it’s an all-year-round thing, a journeying-with-God, through both the muck and mire and the wonder and joy, kind of thing.

And then it’s about remembering to look for it, over and over again.

Truth or Love?..... by Sarah Phillips

 Truth or Love?

by Sarah Phillips

Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. - Ephesians 4:15

"Love takes up where knowledge leaves off." ~ St. Thomas Aquinas

It's a common quote among Christians: "Speak the truth in love." It's also one of the greatest challenges of being Christian. Even those unfamiliar with the Christian faith and this scripture verse battle with balancing truth and love. It is why the "white lie" - a common tactic to avoid sharing unflattering truths to loved ones - is so popular.

I recently had a conversation with a Christian struggling with this tension between truth and love. A zealous soul, this Christian is convicted in the truth and concerned that many will die without the truth. His concern, no doubt, is born out of love. But his delivery of the truth often does not reveal love for the recipient.   Unsure of how to proceed, and fearful of watering down the truth, he has come to the conclusion that some are called to focus more on love while others are called to focus more on truth.

I think this struggling Christian's conclusion hits at the heart of the dilemma. In our broken, splintered natures, we tend to see truth and love as opposing forces - at best, difficult to reconcile. Yet this perception that there is tension between truth and love can prove fatal. Putting truth on one end of the spectrum and love on the other, we are forced into measuring each situation on a linear plane. "Hmmm, should I err more towards the truth end or the love end today?"

It only takes a little imagination to see how this approach fails. How many times have we encountered a person that "chose love" and glossed over the truth? We see souls confused and dying in the wake of this person. While "love" may have been the intent, their victims have not been loved.

And how many times have we encountered a person who spat cruel words in the name of truth? While illumination (or perhaps justice) was the goal of this person, we clearly see that those left in their wake have bitter souls, scarred and blinded to the truth.

Ultimately, Scripture reveals that God is both Truth and Love. If this is the case, the two cannot be contradictory or incompatible.

So where does that leave us?

Scripture tells us we cannot do anything "against the truth" (2 Corinthians 13:8) while also emphasizing that "whoever does not love does not know God." (1 John 4:8)

This message doesn't offer us the luxury of a simple, clear-cut game plan for every situation we will ever encounter. But it does leave us with confidence that as we grow in our relationship with God, we will also grow in our ability to approach the challenges of life with genuine truth and love.

I've also found it helpful to continually revisit my definitions of "truth" and "love" by examining the ways Christ lived out these two traits. Christ's love is both soft and tough. His expressions of truth are both merciful and just. He compromises neither yet expresses them differently depending on the need.

The next time you find yourself battling with how to express something truthfully and lovingly, don't settle for choosing one over the other. Pause before you act and dig deeper. Allow God to lead you down his path of truth and love.

Intersecting Faith & Life:  Which do you struggle with more? Speaking the truth or effectively expressing love? Pray about the reasons you get tripped up, and ask God to help you grow in your area of weakness.

Further Reading

1 Corinthians 13

A Prayer for Trust During Our Hardest Weeks..... By: Chelsey DeMatteis

 A Prayer for Trust During Our Hardest Weeks

By: Chelsey DeMatteis

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. - Psalm 91:1

Have you ever felt like some weeks seem like an entire season of life? Recently, I was given some of the most exciting news laced with an unknown that had me in despair. It sounds odd trying to put what took place into words, but that is the best I can do. This was a moment where joy was expounding and fear nearly shackled me.

I learned two things about myself in this very long week: I have not overcome my desire for control, and I saw once again how important our prayer warriors are. Two weeks before this, I had spoken to a friend, sharing with her that I really felt like I’d overcome this area of struggle in my life. I believed I had fully handed my desire to control over to the Lord. Clearly (and obviously) I couldn’t see what was coming, this news that made me drop to my knees. I had not fully overcome this struggle for control, and the Lord used it to draw me nearer to himself.

Over the next few days, I reached out to other believers to pray for me. I couldn't and shouldn't carry the weight of what I was feeling on my own. Through my heart's cry of reaching out, I found myself feeling overwhelmed at the magnitude of knowing so many believers were lifting up my name to the Lord Almighty. They sent Scripture, checked in throughout the week to see how I was and continued to let me know they were praying very specifically over my body.

A verse I often pray over myself in times of despair is Psalm 91:1. It is a promise for all those who dwell in the shelter of the Most High. When He is our dwelling place, we now abide in the shadow of the Almighty. What an incredible promise this is. When I picture it as I pray, I imagine leaning into the arms of my Creator; seeking refuge, peace, and safety. Resting securely in the One who holds all my days and isn’t surprised by anything.

I’m not sure what your season looks like, but I do know that we serve a God who calls us to dwell in Him and abide in His ways. Through these hard seasons, whether they are a week-long, or years-long, we are called to bring everything before the Lord in prayer. We are to call upon other believers to cover us and lift us up before the Lord; for healing, redemption, peace, direction, wisdom, whatever it is you feel led in prayer for by the Lord make it known to Him.

Today if you’re reading this finding yourself in a place of feeling like you have no one to pray for you, look up solid local churches in your area and submit your prayer requests. There are prayer teams who pray 24 hours a day, 7 days a week on behalf of God’s people. And if you are plugged into a church, ask to be put on a prayer chain list.

Pray with me...

Lord,

As I walk through the unknowns help me look to you. In the moments when life feels too heavy or the joy is overwhelming, stir up in me the reminder to call upon other believers. Father, as I grow in my relationship with you I pray for a heart that seeks its dwelling in you alone and chooses to abide in your ways always.

In Jesus's name,

Amen.