The Judge Dr. Charles Stanley

 The Judge

Dr. Charles Stanley

Acts 10:42-48

During our life on earth, Jesus Christ is our Lord and Savior. However, as our days here draw to a close, and especially at the end of time, He takes His seat as Judge and prepares to reward believers for the good things they did in His name.

I think there is a widespread misconception that God the Father will be our judge. But it is Christ who gave us, His followers, the charge to go into the world and make disciples (Matt. 28:19). Therefore, He has been given the right to determine which of our actions and thoughts furthered His goal (John 5:22).

Christ is an impartial judge. He is not influenced by what others think or say, but rather, He determines what is right and good based on His honorable, just standard. We'll be stripped of our worthless works--in other words, the actions and words we used for selfish ambition or vain conceit. All that will remain are the worthwhile things we thought, said, and did to honor God. These are the valuable parts of our lives for which we will be rewarded.

Reward is the whole point of placing believers before the judgment seat of Christ. Shame and guilt over past sin and mistaken motivation have no place there (Rom. 8:1). Our loving Savior is eager to show us our heavenly treasure.

Christ will expose the real you at the judgment seat by casting away the worthless things you've done. What remains will be the man or woman who endeavored to please the Lord. Let us determine to be powerful reflections of our Savior, both on earth and in heaven.

God Cares About the Present..... Craig Denison

 God Cares About the Present

Craig Denison

Weekly Overview:

Through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus we have been afforded an opportunity to live an incredibly abundant life here on earth. Our God is nearer, more tangible, and has a greater ability to make his presence known than we’ve yet realized. He longs to make his children more in tune and aware of the depths of his love, guidance, empowerment, and nearness. He longs for our days here on earth to be marked by unveiled communion with him. As we look at what it is to live an abundant life here on earth, I pray that your heart will be awakened to the reality of God’s presence and affection in your life.

Scripture:“Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” - Matthew 6:34

Devotional:

I used to view my relationship with God as a straight line of spiritual progress. My goal in spending time in the secret place with fellow believers at church and at work was to try and make the movement across this line of spiritual growth as quickly and painlessly aspossible. I would get frustrated any time I got hung up on some issue or sin and couldn’t experience freedom quickly enough. My time spent with Jesus was more about how he could change me than how deeply he already loves me.

We unfortunately live in a day and age where speed and progress is everything. We lose our patience as soon as a waiter takes too long to get us our check, a light takes an extra thirty seconds than we want it to, a driver holds us back five minutes from our destination, or a conversation interrupts the jam-packed schedule of our day. And painfully, we have allowed our culture to shape our perspective of God’s heart for us rather than allowing his word and Spirit to reveal how incredibly patient he is.

1 Corinthians 13:4-7 says, “Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” Every one of these aspects of love finds its perfect fulfillment in the heart of our Father. Our God is patient and kind. He bears our imperfections with love and grace, believes wholeheartedly in us, is filled with hope over who we are, and joyfully endures our process of sanctification.

You see, our heavenly Father cares deeply about you presently. He isn’t waiting until you get a little holier to pour out the full depths of his love and joy over you. He isn’t holding back the satisfaction he feels in simply living in relationship with you until you finally get over a certain sin. He loves and longs for unveiled communion with you right now.

If we wait until we have it all together to settle into the pace of this life, find peace, and fully enjoy God, we will never experience the wealth of abundant life available to us this side of heaven. Matthew 6:34 says, “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” Have patience for yourself and others the way your heavenly Father does. Take time to receive his perfect perspective for today. Give your relationship with him all the energy you have and waste nothing on the frivolous cares of tomorrow.

Take time in guided prayer to allow your Father to overwhelm you with the love he feels for you right now, as you are. Experience today the peace and joy that can only be found when you surrender the entirety of your life, spiritual development, and future plans to your faithful Shepherd and simply follow him to green pastures and still waters. He promises there will be more green pastures tomorrow. He promises to guide you faithfully every day to the fullness of life he died to give you. Your only job as his sheep is to trust him, let him love and care for you, and follow his perfect leadership. May you drink deeply of the living waters of God’s love today as you rest in the presence of your loving Shepherd.

Guided Prayer:

1. Meditate on God’s patience and love for you in the present. Allow Scripture to guide you to a desire to encounter God fully and openly just as you are.

“Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” - 1 Corinthians 13:4-7

“Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” - Matthew 6:31-34

2. What burden are you carrying that is grounded in the future instead of the present? What are you striving toward that is not found in the green pastures Jesus desires to lead you to today?

“You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.” - James 5:8

3. Ask the Holy Spirit to guide you into a lifestyle of living presently. Ask him what it looks like to cast off fear over tomorrow and experience the abundant life meant for you in the present. Take time to rest in the presence of God and discover his patience over you.

“Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him.” Psalm 37:7

“And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” >James 1:4

Your heavenly Father is most definitely molding and shaping you to look more like Jesus through a process of spiritual development. He has perfect plans for your sanctification that you might have a greater sense of his love at the end of every day. But that process is defined by daily living in the present and engaging with him fully in each moment. Leave the planning and leadership up to him, and simply follow him to green pastures and still waters every day. Seek relationship with him and allow daily, consistent encounters with him to mold and fashion you into a greater reflection of your Good Shepherd. May you find peace, joy, and patience by living in the present today.

Extended Reading: James 1

Come to the Altar..... ARLENE PELLICANE

 Come to the Altar

ARLENE PELLICANE

“Then Shekaniah son of Jehiel, one of the descendants of Elam, said to Ezra, “We have been unfaithful to our God by marrying foreign women from the peoples around us. But in spite of this, there is still hope in Israel.” Ezra 10:2 (NIV)

When I was in high school, one of my highlights each year was going to Christian summer camp. I remember one camp’s theme was “S.O.A.R.,” which stood for “Sold Out and Radical.” That’s what I desperately wanted to be as a teenager. I wanted to be radical for God!

Now that I’m older, I wonder why I don’t long for God’s presence like I did back then. I’m often thinking more about what I’m going to make for lunch after church than how I can take a moment with God to confess sin or pray for others. The zeal of youth can wear off.

My passion for God’s business wanes when I get distracted by my business.

In the book of Ezra, we read about a man named Shekaniah who cared deeply about God’s business. Shekaniah was one of Ezra’s companions from Babylon. Though his father, Jehiel, had married foreign, idolatrous women, Shekaniah kept God’s law and had not made the same mistakes. (Ezra 10:2) Yet in today’s key verse, Shekaniah confesses to Ezra and the people, in a public setting, “We have been unfaithful to our God by marrying foreign women from the peoples around us” (Ezra 10:2a).

Why did he say “we”? As a godly leader, Shekaniah took responsibility when his family failed to follow God’s ways. He didn’t think, “Well, that’s not my problem.”

It’s important to note here that, even though Shekaniah freely took responsibility for his father’s sin, God would not punish Shekaniah for that sin. As Ezekiel 18:20b says, “The son shall not suffer for the iniquity of the father, nor the father suffer for the iniquity of the son” (ESV). God punishes those who sin against Him but does not hold family members accountable for the sins of others.

Shekaniah’s confession was rooted purely in his commitment to God, and he was truly grieved by his family’s sin. He didn’t want to see it continue in the next generations — instead, he wanted to see them marked by godliness.

What would happen if that same spirit of confession flooded my home? What if I was burdened by the sin of my family, my neighborhood, my city? What if that same passion I had as a teenager returned?

I know it might not be sustainable or realistic to cry out at the church altar every day, but that doesn’t mean I don’t need seasons of revival.

Shekaniah didn’t just put on an emotional display during a revival; he acted. Out of this time of public sorrow, Shekaniah presented a seemingly harsh but effective plan for full repentance: His people would send away their foreign wives and children who followed other gods.

Despite how difficult it would be, dealing with their snare would become their saving grace. The same is true for us.

Today’s key verse ends, “But in spite of this, there is still hope for Israel” (Ezra 10:2b). How wonderful that there is always hope in Christ!

I don’t want to allow sin to creep into my life and my family unchecked. The woman I am today needs to remember the on-fire teenager I was yesterday. It turns out I have something to learn from my younger self. Maybe it’s time to spend a few extra moments at the altar next time I get the chance.

Lord Jesus, I humble myself before You. Show me any wicked way in me and lead me in the way everlasting. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit and make me zealous for Your work. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.  

When Trouble Comes..... By Katie Westenberg

 When Trouble Comes

By Katie Westenberg

BIBLE VERSE OF THE DAY: “He will cover you with his feathers; you will take refuge under his wings. His faithfulness will be a protective shield.” Psalms 91:4

I have always loved the unique picture this verse calls to mind. I think of this powerful bird with its expansive wings tucked and fluffed into a cocoon of warmth and safety. For me. Protective and fierce, yet gentle and attentive; this is exactly the refuge I desire.

But I rarely consider what might be beyond this ambient environment. The very nature of the word refuge suggests being sheltered from something and Psalm 91 does not neglect what that might be.

From the trap. Fatal and epidemic disease. Terrors of the night. Arrows that fly by day. Destruction. Plagues that stalk and ravage, in the night and throughout the day. The word pictures here are equally as vivid as the feathered nest I was just wrapped in. It is easy for me to stop at verse four and look away from this part. But the hope we need is as much here as it is in the shelter.

This is what He is protecting us from. This is what He is protecting us through. This is what He is protecting us in the midst of. Verse 15 tells us he will be with us in trouble. He will deliver us.

Often when trouble comes we ask God why. Why do violent crimes happen to innocent people? Why do faithful people struggle with finances, marriages, children, hope. Tucked under His wing, we like to think the dangers, all that we fear, will cease around us. But His word never promises that. He promises us safety, Himself, in and amidst it all.

This psalm opens with a firm and fervent declaration. “The one who lives under the protection of the Most High, dwells in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say concerning the Lord, who is my refuge and my fortress, my God in whom I trust…” (Psalm 91:1-2)

In trouble or at peace, the psalmist is making a bold and stubborn declaration. When we make the Lord our dwelling place (v. 9) his shelter through horrifying trouble is our hope. He is our hope.

May we not confuse the two. Trouble will come, but so will refuge for those who have set their hearts on Christ. He will give His angels charge over thee and answer when we call. We were never promised a life without hardship, a life without very real terrors and danger, but we are promised His presence with us, the security of His refuge around us.

We need not fear when trouble comes, or despair the horrors around us when we set our hearts firmly on the hope of His shelter, His deliverance, though it all.

Give Me Fruit, or Give Me Death..... by John UpChurch

 Give Me Fruit, or Give Me Death

by John UpChurch

“And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.” Philippians 1:9-11

For the last several years, my wife and I have dabbled in gardening. I say “dabbled” because each year has brought more frustration than juicy cucumbers. First, we realized the importance of finding a spot that gets enough sunlight. Then, we discovered the joys of unfit or exhausted soils. Most recently, we’ve found how much deer like to nibble on just-about-to-bloom plants.

Master gardeners we are not. All those visions of vegetables and fruits dancing in our freezer have met the brown reality of stunted corn and shriveled peas.

You see, we come at this with some serious deficiencies. Namely, we have no idea what we’re doing. Everything we’ve learned about clays and fertilizer and propping up pumpkin vines has come from a book I picked up at Tractor Supply and various YouTube videos. We’ve cut back the weeds on our ignorance page by page because neither of our families really did much in the way of horticulture (unless you count cutting the grass).

But that doesn’t mean we’ve been completely unsuccessful. In fact, every time we pick something from our garden that’s actually edible, it’s pretty much a party. “We have beans. Who wants to do the bean dance?” I have no shame when it comes to herbal success.

Perhaps that’s because my spiritual growth has come pretty much the same way. Everything I’ve learned about God, salvation, faith, and love has come from the Bible I picked up in 2003 (and all the others since then) and the examples of Christians I’ve met along the way. I stumbled along for years, trying to figure out my newfound freedom in Christ, trying to grasp what it means to be an effective ambassador for Him.

Over and over, I kept trying to make things grow. I’d rush to this fad for spiritual success, dig into this surefire method to overcome my sin nature, and pluck up whatever Christian book that had the answers. Surely the next one would help me be fruitful. Surely this pastor/writer/author/blogger has the best answers for how I can really do what God wants.

The whole time, I missed what Paul said to the Philippians: “the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ.” The fruit comes from Him. God prepared the works for us (Ephesians 2:10), and He provides the growth (1 Corinthians 3:6). Those other sources of wisdom are fine, but they were never any substitute for Christ being formed in me (Galatians 4:19).

It takes time (and will take much, much more), but I wouldn’t trade it for all the juicy cucumbers and plump peaches in the world, even the ones in my own little garden.

Intersecting Faith & Life: Being fruitful takes time. It’s easy to think that some expert has the answer you need to get where you want to be, to overcome the challenges you face. But they probably don’t. While most of those books and conferences can be useful, they’re no substitute for good, old-fashioned growth in Christ. Time, prayer, and Word—there’s no getting around how much we need them. They produce the true “organic” fruit.

A Prayer for Trusting God in a Broken World..... By: Chelsey DeMatteis

 A Prayer for Trusting God in a Broken World

By: Chelsey DeMatteis

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

Some mornings, before my feet hit the floor, I have an urge to pack up our house and move my family out to the middle of nowhere land! To some place where peace seems easier to grasp, troubles seem less likely, and fear doesn't get a grip on me. Then I’m reminded: I’ll never find myself feeling fully settled in this world. I will never find a place that is trouble-free. Why? Because this world is not my home, it’s the mission field for Christ and His Kingdom.

God sent His Son to our sin-stained world, knowing Jesus would be the one He would use to make us right with Him. As Jesus walked through His life and ministry, it was anything but easy. He paid a price in a manner none of us could fathom, because of His great love for us. That is why when Jesus said, “But take heart; I have overcome the world” in John 16:33, we can find true peace in His words and take these into the world with us as we go.

I'm sure your part of the world looks entirely different than my part of the world. But, there is though one thing I know we have in common: we are surrounded by people who don’t have a relationship with Christ. There are people who are spiritually bankrupt. No eternal security. No peace. No joy. No fruit. No hope. Barren life thirsting for more.

Therefore, you and I must be girded up in God’s truth, the only truth, as we step our feet out into the world each day. We can no longer be passive Christians, complacent Christians, or Christians who think our presence is enough. We must be active, obedient, bold, missional-minded Christians. Willing to do the hard things, have the hard conversations, and start permeating the places of society that hate Christians the most.

This doesn’t mean just overseas. This means our neighborhoods, businesses, schools, local government, the federal government, and the list could go on forever. We must take what Jesus said and live it out, fully trusting that we can take heart because He has indeed overcome the world.

Pray with me…

Lord, I first want to ask for forgiveness in the ways I’ve shrunk back to keep a false sense of peace with a world that hates you. I pray that my heart would be bold and on fire for you in all the places you plant my feet.

Father, lead me where you want me to go, and I will go. I will trust you and your ways above all.

In Jesus’s name, Amen.