Baptism: Identifying with Christ..... Dr. Charles Stanley

 Baptism: Identifying with Christ

Dr. Charles Stanley

Matthew 3

Christ began His public ministry with baptism. At the time, John the Baptist was calling people to confess their sins and demonstrate repentance through immersion in the river. So why did Jesus, the sinless One, ask to be baptized? At first, John actually refused, knowing Christ was the "Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world" (John 1:29). But Jesus wasn't demonstrating repentance; He was sacrificially identifying with sinful humankind.

As Christians, we're called to follow His example in all things, becoming more like Him as we grow in our faith. That's why baptism is the first step in following Jesus. As He was willing to identify Himself with us, we publicly identify with Him when we are baptized, which is a symbolic way of declaring, "I have trusted Jesus Christ as my Savior and believe that the debt of my sin is fully paid through His sacrifice. I believe that as He rose from the dead, I will also be resurrected through Him. I look forward to walking in God's will while I'm on the earth and living with Him throughout eternity. Since He loved me enough to identify Himself with me in my sin, I will show my love for Him by following His example right now, and for the rest of my days."

Baptism demonstrates our connection not only with Christ but also with our spiritual brothers and sisters--past, present, and future. We're joining everyone who has walked before us in faith, saying that we are members of one body, redeemed and brought to life by the same Lord.

Being a Carrier of Joy..... Craig Denison

 Being a Carrier of 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:“For you shall go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and the hills before you shall break forth into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.” >Isaiah 55:12

Devotional:

As disciples of Jesus, we are to carry the joy of our salvation everywhere we go. You and I have the power to change atmospheres on earth with the joy of the Spirit. We have the power to brighten people’s days, break off heaviness, and lead people to a deeper revelation of the goodness of our Lord when we reflect his joy to others.

God is a joyful God. He is the inventor of happiness and fun. Luke 15:10 says, “Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” >Nehemiah 8:10 tells us “the joy of the Lord is [our] strength.” In order to truly declare to the world who our heavenly Father is, we must be carriers of joy. We must be a people marked by the joy that only comes from restored relationship with an all-knowing, all-powerful, and all-loving God.

It’s taken me a long time to learn and an even longer time to realize the truth that circumstances, people, trials, work, and worldly stress do not have the inherent ability to steal my joy. It’s when I open my heart to outside elements that I allow stresses to come in like robbers and take what is rightfully mine in the Lord. It’s when I allow a fellow driver, a time crunch, a negative comment, or a troublesome problem to take precedence over the joy and hope I have in Jesus that I step outside of my allotted portion of peace.

To be carriers of joy, we have to choose to value the fruit of the Spirit over worldly emotions. We have to choose to only open our hearts to the things of God and shrug off that which is fleeting. If we don’t take control of our thoughts and cast any fear, worry, or doubt on the shoulders of our heavenly Father, the circumstances of this world will rule our emotions rather than the steadfast joy of the Spirit.

Isaiah 55:12 says, “For you shall go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and the hills before you shall break forth into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.” The Lord longs to make us a people that go out in joy. He longs to make us children who are overwhelmed by his love to the degree that the cares of this world pale in comparison to his grace and affections. Ask the Lord for perspective today. Allow the Spirit to help you focus your attention on the true purpose for which you were created: restored relationship with your heavenly Father. Choose the joy of the Lord over the stress and cares of the world. Choose to “be led forth in peace” rather than led by your flesh. And experience today the lifestyle of carrying the joy of the Lord with you everywhere you go. May others come to know the abundant goodness of your heavenly Father through the way you exude joy.

Guided Prayer:

1. Meditate on the importance of carrying joy. Allow Scripture to establish a new emphasis on joy for you.  

“A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.” >Proverbs 17:22

“For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” >Romans 14:17

“For you shall go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and the hills before you shall break forth into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.” >Isaiah 55:12

2. What do you allow to steal your joy? What circumstances, negative comments, or people have been robbing you of peace? Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal the root of whatever is stealing your joy.

“The hope of the righteous brings joy, but the expectation of the wicked will perish.” >Proverbs 10:28

3. Surrender your emotions and thoughts to the Lord alone. Ask the Spirit to help you open your heart only to the things of him instead of the things of the world. Ask him to make you a carrier of joy.

“And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you received the word in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit, so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia.” >1 Thessalonians 1:6-7

Our heavenly Father is much more patient than we often believe. He is not in a rush with you. He will not let you miss his perfect will for your life if you are willing to follow him in obedience. Trust in his timing. Cast off the burden of paving your own way to an impactful life. Take time to become a carrier of joy by resting in his presence and getting to know his heart. Allow his perspective of patience to become your perspective. May you be filled with peace and joy in the knowledge of your God’s great love for you.

Extended Reading: Isaiah 55

When Comfort Is My Enemy..... LYSA TERKEURST

 When Comfort Is My Enemy

LYSA TERKEURST

“God will strengthen you with his own great power so that you will not give up when troubles come, but you will be patient.” Colossians 1:11 (NCV) 

Certain. Comfortable. Predictable.

These are all words I long to use to describe my life.

I suspect you’d be OK with these being the defining terms of your life, as well.

But what if the comfort and certainties we crave today are a deadly recipe for complacency that will draw our hearts further away from God?

There are many examples of this in the Bible, but let’s look at one tucked into Jeremiah: “Moab has been at rest from youth, like wine left on its dregs, not poured from one jar to another—she has not gone into exile. So she tastes as she did, and her aroma is unchanged” (Jeremiah 48:11, NIV).

On the surface, it may seem like the nation of Moab has it good.

They are comfortable. Life seems predictable.

They’ve been at rest for a long time.

They haven’t known what it’s like to get caught off guard. To suffer. To endure hardships due to circumstances beyond their control. Life feels good, so it must be good. No disappointments. No difficulties.

But this verse is very clear that this is not what’s best for them.

People left in a complacent place for too long become tainted like impure wine.

“Wine left on its dregs, not poured from one jar to another” (v.11) means it’s been sitting in comfort for so long that it has absorbed the aroma of complacency. Winemakers during Jeremiah’s time would pour wine from jar to jar for two reasons. First, so the wine wouldn’t absorb the flavor of the vessel. And second, to rid the wine of the dregs or seThe Moabites were not jarred from their complacency. Therefore, their culture was saturated with satisfaction apart from the Lord, and their people were full of impurities. They had no need to draw upon the Lord’s strength, so their hearts were far from Him.

The Moabites were lulled into a false sense of security. Without challenges and changes, people tend to grow increasingly distant from God and resistant to His ways.

In the meantime, the Moabites’ neighbors, the Israelites, were forced to depend on God and learn to survive suffering, captivity, enslavement. The Israelites appear to be the ones not being “saved” from hardship by God. But if we look through the lens of what’s best in the long term, Israel was being strengthened by God for her eventual good.

Settling into complacency might seem to be comfortable for today, but in the long run, we, like the Moabites, may suffer more if we go untouched by God for too long.

Make no mistake: Being lulled into a false sense of security is worse than going through the process of suffering.

Scripture reveals that the eventual fate of the Moabites was one of complete ruin. (Isaiah 16:6-10) It would have been better for them to go through the Israelites’ experience. To go from vessel to vessel and experience suffering in doses that made them strong enough to handle suffering in even larger doses.

In a practical way, it’s like getting a colonoscopy or mammogram (neither of which are comfortable at the time) just to make sure you catch something wrong early, while treatment is possible.

We must sip the suffering of today so we don’t have to drown in the devastations of tomorrow.

To be poured into new vessels might seem uncomfortable, chaotic and completely unfair while we are suffering in the moment, but God wants us to know we can trust Him in the midst of it.

He’s helping us get rid of the dregs — weakness, fear, complacency and the hopeless resignation that all of life is unfair. He’s on guard, looking to strengthen us for what He sees coming. And He is fulfilling the promise of Colossians 1:11, which says, “God will strengthen you with his own great power so that you will not give up when troubles come, but you will be patient.”

It’s a process that doesn’t usually feel good at the time, but God assures us it will be good in time.

Father God, thank You for reminding me that You are more interested in preparing me than keeping me comfortable. I confess no part of me likes suffering, but I know I can trust Your heart for me. Keep shaping and strengthening me. I know the work You’re doing in me is good. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Shame On Me? Not Anymore ..... By: Anne Peterson

 Shame On Me? Not Anymore (Isaiah 50:7)

 By: Anne Peterson

Today’s Bible Verse: But the Lord God helps me; therefore I have not been disgraced; therefore I have set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be put to shame. - Isaiah 50:7

It was Christmas time, and our Bible teacher spent a lot of time picking out something special for each of us in her home Bible Study. Handpicked verses. Of course, with Lois, not only did I know she would be praying about each choice, but I also knew how well she knew each of us.

My verse was the one about setting my face like a flint. I had to research what it meant. That verse fit me perfectly, and she knew it would. Having grown up in a dysfunctional home, I wore shame often. I even remember one of my aunts telling us more than once, “Shame on you.”

I don’t remember our crimes, just how wearing shame felt. Her eyes would narrow and she’d point a finger in our direction. All I can guess is that she was the recipient of shame in her life as well.

But meeting Lois Peterson changed everything in my life, which was God’s plan. For Lois saw through my brokenness, and she loved the self-righteous girl who showed up at her house one day.

On September 12, 1972, on my way home from her Bible study, the truth of what Jesus did on the cross came alive. I moved from knowing he died for the world to knowing for certain Jesus’ blood was shed for me. The next day I called her to tell her.

“Lois, I’m saved! I know for sure I’m going to heaven!”

Little did I know the journey ahead. A journey where God would reveal parts of his character with every single trial I’d go through. I would learn God had started a work in me that rainy night in September and that job will not be complete until I see him in glory (Philippians 1:6).

I would learn when Jesus died on the cross, even though he was perfect, having no sin, he took our sin on him. He took our shame as well.

Hebrews 12 tells us to fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, despising the shame and now sits at the right hand of the throne of God.

As prisoners served their sentences and were released, the Roman guards would write the word, tetelestai on the wall by the prisoner’s cell. It is the same words Jesus exclaimed right before he died, “It is finished,” (John 19:30). The payment for the offense was complete for the prisoner. It was paid in full.

Just like our payment for sin.

No wonder Paul tells us there is now no condemnation to them who are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1). When we choose to feel shame, we are minimizing what Jesus did. We are telling Jesus, “It’s one thing that you carried my sins, but I can’t ask you to carry my shame as well.” In other words, what he did was not enough, so we will carry our guilt.

I also had to learn what it means to set my face like a flint. Jesus set His face like a flint to accomplish his mission on earth. He knew God would provide everything needed to complete that mission. Just like we know we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us (Philippians 4:13).

Jesus died for your sins, and he took your shame. It is finished!

Words, Words, Words!..... by Katherine Britton

 Words, Words, Words!

by Katherine Britton

In reply Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again." - John 3:3

American English uses hundreds of idioms, both helpful and just plain ridiculous. It’s entirely possible to slink through a whole day without expressing a single original phrase, if we try hard enough. It’s not rocket science, I mean. You can blow your top, or go overboard, or feel like you’re an emotional rollercoaster, or wind up between a rock and a hard place, or hit the wall. Maybe it’s a cloud nine day, and you’re walking on air. And no, I’m not pulling your leg. There’s a method to my madness.

You can probably think of a dozen more idioms that I omitted. Nowadays, we use overuse all those phrases and stick them into our conversation as a substitute for original thought. But once upon a time, all those things we call clichés resonated with meaning. Consider just a few:

That’s a load of hogwash – This wholesome little phrase comes straight from the farm, where “hogwash” designates a concrete mess of garbage and refuse that’s only fit for the pigs. The good-for-nothing stuff certainly isn’t a compliment; in fact, it’s downright nasty.

Catch-22 – We use it now for any situation with a lose-lose outcome, but the original phrase actually comes from a 1961 novel by the same name. The plot highlights the result of bureaucratic regulations that take their validity from each other but can’t stand alone. The bewildering, circular logic keeps characters from any good outcomes, thanks to the nonsense to which they’re subject.

“The lady doth protest too much, methinks.” – Shakespeare would probably roll over in his grave if he could hear us butcher this one so royally. The phrase actually comes from the lips of Queen Gertrude, who rather hastily marries her husband’s brother after her husband dies. Gertrude was actually sneering at the faithful promises – the protestations – of the queen in a play, who promised eternal love and faith to only one man. And so, her inconstant character announces itself to Hamlet and the audience.

Your John Hancock – As president of the Continental Congress, Hancock’s name appeared before all others on the first copy of the Declaration of Independence. By that action, Hancock marked himself among the primary traitors if the War for Independence failed. He risked his life, his fortune, and indeed, his sacred honor. Is that what you think of every time you sign a credit receipt?

We all use language, and it’s a hop, skip, and a jump from a meaningful metaphor for a dull catchphrase. After that, real meaning gets lost in the hubbub of “words, words, words,” as Hamlet would say.

I mention these cultural amusements for a simple purpose.

Do you remember how totally radical it is to be “born again”?

Christians – myself included – so easily wear down the language of grace into simple catchphrases. When Jesus told Nicodemus that he “must be born again,” he was conveying a radical idea, and Nicodemus knew that much. “How can a man be born when he is old?" Nicodemus asked. "Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb to be born!" (John 3:4) Jesus goes on to explain the obvious changes that come from being born again of the Spirit, so that a person changes completely. “Born again” meant so much more than a hidden identity. As my pastor pointed out Sunday, you might as well ask, “Is that baby new?” as to ask, “Are you born again?” The answer should be obvious to all. Is it?

Intersecting Faith & Life: The slip from authentic faith to rote “Christianese” is sometimes nothing more than a wandering mind, and sometimes as much as complete forgery. As you pray and read the Bible this week, take time to meditate on what simple phrases like “mercy,” “born again,” “repent,” genuinely mean. Find names or attributes of God that you don’t usually use and meditate on them. As Jesus said to his disciples (ironically, right before he gave them the Lord’s Prayer, which far too many of us utter by rote), “And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words.” (Matthew 6:7) The fight against complacent muttering finds success when it’s joined by a genuinely appreciative heart, so let’s skip the babbling and get down to praising God for the radical way He has saved us!

Further Reading:
Luke 18:9
Zephaniah 3:14-18

A Prayer for a Disappointed Heart.... By Christina Fox

 A Prayer for a Disappointed Heart

By Christina Fox

"I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” - John 16:33

The world tells us that we can do whatever we put our mind to do. If we wish hard enough, we can click our heels and end up wherever our heart desires most. There are some Christians who say the same thing, that Jesus is our spiritual candy machine, dispensing dreams and hopes at the push of a prayer. They say that God wants us to be happy and wants us to have everything we've ever wanted. We just need to believe and pray harder.

But the reality of our Christian life speaks otherwise. Disappointment is part of life in this fallen world. As believers, we shouldn't be surprised when things don't work out, when we face difficulty, or when life is disappointing. That's because Adam fell into sin, we all fell into sin. The imprint of sin is on everything. Even the earth itself groans with the weight of it. We apply for a job and are told we aren't qualified. We work hard for a promotion only to have someone else get it. We've turned thirty and there's no ring on our finger. We finally have enough money to buy our first house, only to be outbid by someone else. The pregnancy test comes back negative. We feel left out of community in our church. Our children struggle in school, choose the wrong friends, or have no interest in spiritual things. The ministry we've worked so hard to create never gets off the ground.

Indeed, the disappointments in this life are too many to count.

But there's gospel hope even in the midst of our disappointments. As Jesus said, “In this world you will have sorrow, but take heart, I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). Jesus said we will have sorrow. We will have disappointments and heartaches. Anyone who tells us otherwise is preaching a false gospel. But Jesus also pointed to our hope, "I have overcome the world." Our hope and joy and contentment are not found in the things of this world but in Christ and what he has accomplished for us.

God is preparing us now, in this life, for eternity. He uses our struggles and challenges to sanctify us and make us holy. He is making us increasingly more like Christ by stripping away the layers of sin and removing the counterfeit loves in our heart. So when disappointments come, we can ask ourselves, "What might God be doing?" "What do I need to learn from this?" "How can I seek him in this?"  And rather than despair over our disappointments, we can remember that what disappoints us now will in the end make us more like our Savior (James 1:2-4).

Is life disappointing you today? Cry out to God in prayer.

A Prayer for the Disappointed Heart:

Father in Heaven,

I come before you with a heart weighed down by disappointments. Life hasn’t turned out like I expected. I feel let down, like I’ve been failed in some way. I don't know what to do with these disappointments. Part of me wants to complain, part of me wants to give up in despair, and part of me wonders, Why do I even bother?

Yet even as I ask this, your Spirit prompts me in remembrance of your word. I know why life is disappointing. I know that it’s not supposed to be this way. You created everything to work together in perfect harmony. But ever since that day when my first parents ate the fruit you told them not to eat, life has been marred and broken by sin. Disappointments rule the day. Everything from the earth itself, to my body, to relationships, to my dreams, they all fail to work the way they are supposed to.

Father, forgive me for complaining about my situation. Forgive me for wallowing in my self-pity. Forgive me for my discontentment. Yes, I know why life is disappointing and I should not be surprised. But what do I do with those disappointments? How do I wake up every day knowing that life will not work the way it is supposed to and that a struggle or trial will appear at some time in my future?

Your Spirit prompts me again and I remember your Son. The Man of Sorrows. He knew the disappointments of this life. Your word says, "He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not" (Isaiah 53:3). He willingly entered this dark world, filled with brokenness, pain, sin, and sorrow. He took on the same weak flesh that I wear. He experienced everything I experience. Yet he did not sin. He did what I cannot do. He woke up every morning knowing that it was one day closer to the day he would give up his life for me and he willingly took those steps forward. For me. And then when the time had come, he took on all my sin at the cross, suffering the curse I deserved. In that moment, he reversed the curse that started the day Eve bit into the flesh of that forbidden fruit.

I thank you Father for providing a way out of that curse. I thank you that because of your Son, I have the hope of heaven and eternity with you forever. I long for the day when all things will be restored to its rightful place, where there will be no more disappointments and sorrows and I'll be finally freed of my sin forever.

Help me Father to have an eternal perspective. Help me to see my disappointments in light of what Jesus purchased for me at the cross. Help me to seize those disappointments as opportunities to draw closer to you and not away from you. Help me to learn from them. Help them to shape me more and more into the image of your Son. Help me to see Jesus in them and to see his love and grace for me.

In the name of Jesus I pray,

Amen.