The New Birth and Baptism..... Dr. Charles Stanley

 The New Birth and Baptism

Dr. Charles Stanley

Romans 6:3-10

Jesus commissioned His followers to go and make disciples, "baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit" (Matt. 28:19). As the early church spread the gospel message, baptism would follow a new believer's response of faith. It publicly signified that the individual was now a follower of Jesus

Metaphors often communicate on a level that words cannot. Baptism is a powerful picture of our salvation experience. Through this act, we proclaim the good news that Jesus died for our sins, was buried, and rose again--and testify that we've welcomed His transforming power into our life.

The Greek word for "baptize" in Scripture is the same term used to describe a cloth dipped in dye--it refers to total change. So by being plunged into the water, we declare that we're choosing to die to our old way of life and are uniting with Christ. Our sin is buried with Him, and its power is conquered through His atoning death on the cross (Rom. 6:14). When we're raised up out of the water, we affirm His resurrection. Baptism is a symbolic way of expressing that just as the Lord conquered death and rose again, we are spiritually resurrected from death into new life. We are "born again" and irrevocably transformed through the power of His Holy Spirit.

In the Bible, the word "believe" isn't a conceptual word describing intellectual agreement alone. It is a word of action. Our belief should never be hidden like a light placed under a bowl (Luke 11:33)--when unbelieving family and friends look at our lives, they need to see the gospel in action.

Inexpressible Joy..... Craig Denison

 Inexpressible Joy

Craig Denison

Weekly Overview:

As children of the Most High God, we are to be marked by contagious, unceasing joy. Through the Holy Spirit we have access to an unending supply of joy that comes from the wellspring of restored relationship with our heavenly Father. God longs to fill us with his joy that we might live the abundant life Jesus died to give us. He longs to make us children fashioned in the image of our Father that we might share his unending joy to a world without hope. May you discover the greater portion of joy available to you through the Spirit as you encounter the heart of your Father this week.

Scripture:“Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.” - 1 Peter 1:8-9

Devotional:

1 Peter 1:8-9 fills my heart with a longing to rejoice in ways that move the heart of my heavenly Father. That scripture says, “Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.” What does it look like to rejoice with joy that is “inexpressible and filled with glory?” What would it be like to have our hearts so filled with praise that our lips can’t articulate the overwhelming goodness of God?

In the famous hymn, The Love of God, Frederick M. Lehman wrote, “The love of God is greater far than tongue or pen can ever tell; it goes beyond the highest star, and reaches to the lowest hell.” We are designed to be continually awed by the wondrous works of our heavenly Father. So great is his love for us that all the ink and paper in the world couldn’t adequately describe the depths of his mercies toward his children. So infinite is his nature that the fastest vessel could never reach the ends of his heart. And so powerful is his affection that we as his children will never be able to stop singing his praise.

Do you feel awed by God today? Is your heart wrapped up in the unfathomable goodness of his grace? Being filled with inexpressible joy is the natural response to seeing how truly good God is in comparison to how truly broken we are. Joy is meant to be the overflow of true, tangible relationship with a God who would lay down his own life solely because he desperately longed for restored relationship with us.

As children of the Most High God, we must take time to allow him to awe us. We must take time to wonder at his amazing works. We are created with an insatiable longing for fascination. We love to ponder on that which we will never fully comprehend. God created the universe as an example of how unfathomable and fascinating he is. Proverbs 25:2 says, “It is the glory of God to conceal things, but the glory of kings is to search things out.” He is a God full of wonderful mystery we were designed to search out. It is our inexpressible joy to spend time with the Creator of galaxies that the human eye will never see and minute details too small to ever behold.

Matthew 13:44 says, “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.” God is worth your life. The fullness of relationship with him is far greater than any possession man could ever attain. The great mystery in all of creation is a mere reflection of the infinite, loving nature of our heavenly Father. Take time today to devote yourself to rejoicing with inexpressible joy at the revelation of how great God is. Allow him to guide you into new and refreshing depths of his love. May you discover today the treasure of restored relationship with your mysterious and fascinating heavenly Father.

Guided Prayer:

1. Meditate on the infinite and wonderful nature of God. Think about his creation and how all of it was created by his word. Reflect on the powerful and loving sacrifice of Jesus. Allow Scripture and the divine nature of God to fill you with fascination and inexpressible joy.

“For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made.” >Romans 1:20

“But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed.” >Isaiah 53:5

“Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.” Psalm 90:2

2. Ask God to guide you into new depths of his heart today. Ask him to show you something about himself you didn’t know. Ask the Holy Spirit to teach you how to search out the incredible mysteries of God.

3. Spend time resting in the presence of your Creator. The Creator of the entire universe is with you right now. The God who formed every mountain, star, and grain of sand loves you and longs to be with you. Allow the incredible goodness of God to overwhelm the tired and dry places of your heart.

Psalm 63:1 says, “O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.” May we be a people who earnestly seek God for the refreshment of our souls. May we discover the still waters of his presence that have the power to replenish that which the world has dried out. May we run to God when we have need, knowing that he is willing and able to supply everything we need and more. And may a fresh revelation of God’s love fill you with inexpressible joy that resounds in everything you do today.

Extended Reading: Psalm 90

Are You Trusting or Controlling?..... CHRISTINE CAINE

 Are You Trusting or Controlling?

CHRISTINE CAINE

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding; in all your ways know him, and he will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6 (CSB) 

As much as we try, we can’t control everything that happens to us or around us. We can’t control the decisions others make that deeply affect us.

Even if we’ve walked with Christ for years, we can still find ourselves in a place we never dreamed. A place we never intended to be. It’s like we can get caught up in a current and drift without even realizing it.

If you’ve ever felt this way, I have good news for you. You are not a failure for feeling like you do. And you don’t have to figure out all by yourself how to get out of the place you drifted. God is eager to help you. He’s always wanting to get you from where you are to where you need to be — no matter how far you’ve drifted.

One of the biggest ways I know I’m about to drift is when I want to take control of something. It’s like my own personal litmus test. Of course, we never think we’re trying to control until we can’t control the very thing we want to control.

It shows up in my life when I depend too much on people acting in predictable ways, on things being done a certain way and on everything being in its place. Without meaning to, I can become obsessed with schedules and plans and wanting everyone to be working a plan.

After years of doing the hard work of learning to trust God through every unknown, I have come to understand that some of my controlling tendencies have their origin in coping mechanisms, ones I developed because of my background of trauma. Still, God invites me to trust Him.

Do you tend to start controlling when instead you should be trusting God? It can creep into our lives in so many subtle ways. For example, caring too much about what people think of us can be a sign of control. As much as we’d like to, we can’t control what people think of us, and yet we still try.

Another way we can start controlling is when we shift our trust from God to leaning into our own abilities, talents or gifts. God has generously graced each one of us with attributes to serve Him and to serve others, but so often we put our trust in those attributes and then expect the kind of results that only God can give.

Our key verse, Proverbs 3:5-6, says, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding; in all your ways know him, and he will make your paths straight.”

Control can be so sneaky. How many times have we found ourselves disappointed, disillusioned or heartbroken because something didn’t turn out the way we expected? All because we thought, on some level, that we could control every aspect of a project or a dream, as well as the outcome.

No doubt, there are times when we have to give up what we imagine something should look like and trade it for God’s bigger picture — to trust that, while we might know a certain direction is God’s will, how all the details play out is really up to Him.

I have found that we can be working on a team, doing our best to work together as a team, and still be trying to control — whether that be in our friendships, our parenting or our marriage. No matter which of our relationships we try to control, it never works. What we have to accept is that everyone will disappoint us eventually, especially if we’re expecting from them what only God can give us. We need to let everyone off the hook.

I’ve said many times to my husband, but primarily so I can hear it for myself: “You are not God.” It’s not an insult but a reminder that no one can give us what only God can give us.

At some point, we have to surrender our attempts to control everything and everyone, and we have to learn how to place all our trust in God. I’m so grateful God never gives up on us … no matter how many times we take matters into our own hands.

Heavenly Father, please help me trust You more than I want to control anyone and anything in my world. Thank You that You are always eager to help me get from where I am to where You want me to be. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

From Slave to Brother ..... By: Amanda Idleman

 From Slave to Brother (Philemon 1:15-16)

By: Amanda Idleman

Today’s Bible Verse: Perhaps the reason he was separated from you for a little while was that you might have him back forever— no longer as a slave, but better than a slave, as a dear brother. He is very dear to me but even dearer to you, both as a fellow man and as a brother in the Lord. - Philemon 1:15-16

Philemon is one of the shortest books in the New Testament. Even though it is only one chapter long, there are many highly applicable lessons for our everyday lives from this small book. Paul is the author of this letter. He is writing a personal letter to his friend, Philemon, about a matter that is close to his heart.

In Paul’s letter, he graciously and passionately advocates for Philemon’s former slave Onesimus; a man he met, led to Christ and now considers to be a son. Paul shows care and kindness as he addresses Philemon’s relationship with Onesimus.

This letter is a great example of how we can have difficult conversations in a clear but loving way. Paul never gives social barriers a thought when he talks about these two men of very different backgrounds. He models the truth that we are all equals in the body of Christ. Paul’s letter is an example of how to show Christian love and forgiveness, and how to advocate on the behalf of those who are in need.

Paul was writing to Philemon to express the need for him to show the same love and forgiveness God had shown him to Onesimus. Because Paul and Philemon had a strong personal relationship, Paul’s words would have extra force. Paul saw the genuine work God had done in Philemon’s life (Philemon 1:19) and now he was requesting Philemon to forgive Onesimus and to embrace him as a brother in Christ (Philemon 1:16).

Paul’s words prompt Philemon to transition Onesimus from slave to brother because of their shared faith in Christ. This would have been a big step for someone living in their culture. He was asking Philemon to offer his escaped slave true mercy, love, and forgiveness.

Paul makes the case that slavery did not make Onesimus any less deserving of God’s love. He fully embraces Onesimus as his own brother and fervently advocates on his behalf.

Our sin nature tells us to assign value to people groups based on their station in life. The Bible teaches that God's love and forgiveness is for all people. God desires us to show mercy, walk with humility, and to love justice (Micah 6:8). Paul’s letter encourages Philemon to be humble, just, and merciful in his dealings with Onesimus.

Paul’s love for Onesimus prompts him to act! He works diligently on his behalf to ensure that Onesimus’ relationship is restored with Philemon and that his needs are taken care of. Living a life marked by the love of Christ requires action on our part. We should not stand silent when people we love need our help.

Paul used his relationship with both men as a bridge to help mend the brokenness that had occurred between them. Our advocacy goes much farther when it comes from a place of trust and relationship. Paul was confident his words would be heeded and exceeded by Philemon because he had a strong connection with this man (Philemon 1:21). Whenever possible, our advocacy should be paired with relationships in order to ensure our words are marked by love, understanding, and are able to be received well.

This short letter is filled with so much love, passion, and truth. Paul openly shares his great love and appreciation for both Philemon and Onesimus because he wants to protect the relationship he has with both parties. Paul also sets a strong example with his words on what it means to be a brother or sister in Christ. It means we are all to be embraced as equals no matter our differences. Philemon is a powerful lesson on how we can “speak truth with love” to those we are close with. Paul’s words are full of great truth and great love.

Members without a Club..... by Shawn McEvoy

 Members without a Club

by Shawn McEvoy

I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through me. - John 14:6

"I don't respect [believers] who don't proselytize. I don't respect that at all. If you believe that there's a heaven and a hell, and that people could be going to hell, or not getting eternal life, or whatever, and you think, well, it's not really worth telling them this because it would make it socially awkward... how much do you have to hate somebody to not proselytize? How much do you have to hate somebody to believe that everlasting life is possible, and not tell them that? I mean if I believed beyond a shadow of a doubt that a truck was coming at you, and you didn't believe it, but that truck was bearing down? There's a certain point where I tackle you. And this is more important than that."

Wow, great words. Completely sums up what's at stake with Christian evangelism, and why it's so important, not to mention commanded. Who said that? Famous pastor? Leading revivalist? World-traveled evangelist?

An atheist. One who later in the same speech will say, "I know there's no God," and "religion does a lot of bad stuff," but who was nonetheless touched by a genuine gesture that a simple, normal, respectable gentleman made in giving the gift of a Gideon Bible.

The atheist in question is Penn Gillette, of the famous magic act Penn & Teller. You can check out his story of being offered a Bible following one of his shows on YouTube (or you used to be able to - the link has since been blocked by Sony).

I am sure Mr. Gillette and I - and you - disagree on a lot of things. But he's so right about this. Our pastor was recently addressing some of the tough questions about Christianity, including the one about "how can Christians claim to know the true way; aren't all ways equally valid?" And he settled on our verse today - John 14:6 - which is always our beloved starting prooftext for how Jesus himself stated that no other way would work.

While that is blessedly true, our pastor suggested we have tended to invert (if not pervert) the subtlety of Jesus' message here. That is, we've behaved like we're privileged members of an exclusive club, one that has all sorts of rules to keep others out. One that gets to tell them how wrong they are. One that should be full of joy and open arms, but is instead full of stern sobriety and pointing fingers. One that nobody would really want to join anyway, even if it were a club, which it isn't.

For one thing, we're on a journey toward perfection rather than cloistered in a cozy clubhouse, and in the same chapter Jesus told his followers that the many rooms in his Father's house were being prepared. We aren't living in them yet. Our clubhouse is not our current home. We have merely started the trip, and yet...

We forget where we come from.

Christianity is flawed in part because it is full of losers - yes, those who have humbly admitted their own shortcomings and acknowledged The Answer is found outside themselves. My own father - before his conversion - said he viewed Christianity as a crutch for weak people. "Exactly," was my response. "But realize, Dad, that also means you're saying it exists and has real value just as a crutch does."

Christ did not come for the healthy, but for the sick, the weak. That's us whether we admit it or not. We have no claim to exclusivity. The message of John 14:6, similar to how eloquently Mr. Gillette put it, is that anyone is welcome for INclusion, provided they... what? Please us? Donate? Stop being so mean? No. They must simply believe. Our job is to tell them that truck is bearing down, politely and sincerely... to give the Bible and to read it ourselves... to model a life not based on legalism or even moralism, but on the joy of every day's opportunity along the narrow road and the freedom we have to choose to follow it or not... to preach the gospel and, when necessary, use words to do so.

When Jesus told His followers that He was the way and the truth and the life, it was a statement of comfort. He had just told them He would be leaving, but that if they had seen Him (and they Had) then they had seen the Father, and that "you know the way to the place where I am going."

Intersecting Faith & Life: Comfort others with this verse. There are a lot of hurting people in this world who point to this text as the source of their conundrum with Christianity. Remind them that we're not about keeping people out, evoking a membership privilege or condemning them to a more dire fate. Let God do His job. Our own part has so little to do with dos and don'ts, and everything to do with sending out party invitations via grace, freedom, and acceptance. I was lost, and someone pointed me to this road. Many others had tried before, but their words finally took hold and my eyes were opened to see it was indeed the right road. Pure blood was shed for you as it was for anyone who would accept it, repent, seek forgiveness, know joy. Here's a Bible. Won't you read it and join us on our merry Way?