Accountability Is Scriptural..... Dr. Charles Stanley

 Accountability Is Scriptural

Dr. Charles Stanley

James 5:13-16

There are plenty of biblical directives about making ourselves accountable to one another. But for many, the idea of revealing personal information seems restrictive or even an invasion of privacy. Such confession seems a hindrance to the pursuit of pleasure, prosperity, and prestige. Most people prefer to keep to themselves and not involve others in their business.

The Bible, however, makes it clear that Christians are to support each other in this regard: "Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed" (James 5:16).

Accountability in the body of Christ is a biblical principle. Church members take direction from their pastor (Heb. 13:17). Paul tells us to be subject one to another (Eph. 5:21). Yet he was answerable to the church (Acts 14:27), just as Timothy was subordinate to him (1 Tim. 4:13-16). The apostles were certainly under the authority of Jesus (Luke 10), even as Jesus was subject to the Father (John 8:28-29). Of course, the Bible tells us that the whole church is obedient to the Lord Jesus Christ (Eph. 5:24). Regardless of one's position, everybody is accountable to somebody. And this holds true for the entire family of faith--from the congregation to the ministers to Jesus Himself, who served God the Father.

People avoid accountability for various reasons, including pride, ignorance, fear, and self-reliance. This is a dangerous approach to life. Our Enemy knows our weaknesses and how to exploit them. But we can prevail with the support of friends. There is strength in the body of Christ.

Eternity Right Now..... Craig Denison

 Eternity Right Now

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: “He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man's heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end.” - Ecclesiastes 3:11

Devotional:

You and I are living in eternity—right now. Eternal life doesn’t start when we take our last breath here. You and I are currently experiencing eternal life in relationship with our Father. C.S. Lewis said in The Weight of Glory, “There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal. Nations, cultures, arts, civilizations—these are mortal, and their life is to ours as the life of a gnat.” Ecclesiastes 3:11 says it this way, “He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man's heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end.”

What does it mean for you and me to live in eternity right now? What would it look like for us to have a perspective that looks past the fleeting and temporal nature of this world to the never-ending line of eternity to which we truly belong?

Having an eternal perspective causes me to live drastically differently. My heart burns to live out of obedience to passages like Matthew 6:19-21 where Jesus teaches, “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” The way we live right now impacts our eternity. The way we pursue the things of God impacts what our experience will be like when heaven and earth pass away and God ushers in the new age of true face-to-face communion with him.

The time has come for us to set aside that which entangles us to the fate of this age and live for that which is eternal. The time has come for us to stop seeking fulfillment from that which is fleeting and instead pursue true abundant life here on earth by giving our heart fully to the Father. Galatians 6:8 says, “For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.” Where are you sowing your time, energy, resources, and heart? What treasure have you stored up with your loving, good heavenly Father? What are you doing to impact eternity?

Psalm 102:25-27 says, “Of old you laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. They will perish, but you will remain; they will all wear out like a garment. You will change them like a robe, and they will pass away, but you are the same, and your years have no end.” We worship a God who sees all of eternity at a glance. He dwells within the whole scope of eternity seamlessly and fully. He is the God of your past, present, and future. To give your life to him and his will is to invest in that which will fully satisfy the desires of your heart for all time. The God who has formed you knows that which will make your heart truly happy, and he is calling you to step away from the fulfillment of this age and to pursue wholeheartedly the purposes and plans of his kingdom. May you invest your affections, time, resources, and heart with your loving and kind Father. May you live for eternity and rid yourself of the burden and weight of this world. And may you experience today the abundant life that comes from acknowledging the eternal nature of all you do.

Guided Prayer:

1. Meditate on the eternal destiny to which you belong. Think about what heaven will be like. Allow Scripture to stir up your desire to live for heaven rather than the things of the world.

“Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.” - John 5:24

“In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?” - John 14:2

“But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city.” - Hebrews 11:16

2. Where in your life could you adopt a more eternal perspective? Where are you living for the fleeting and temporal instead of the eternal?

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” - Matthew 6:19-21

3. Take time to rest in the presence of the God who dwells in eternity. Allow him to fill you, refresh you, and revive you. Ask him to fill you with a desire to pursue eternity with greater fervor.

“Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out, that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus, whom heaven must receive until the time for restoring all the things about which God spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets long ago.” - Acts 3:19-21

May Isaiah 57:15 fill you with praise and wonder for the God you serve and love:

For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: “I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the heart of the contrite.”

Extended Reading: Hebrews 11

Don’t Become Friends With the World..... WENDY BLIGHT

 Don’t Become Friends With the World

WENDY BLIGHT

“Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” 1 John 2:15 (ESV) 

Years ago, the closing words of a commercial caused me to pause and play it back to see if I had heard correctly. “Contact us and we’ll help you build an outdoor living area that will make you the envy of your neighborhood.” Yep! I heard it correctly. “Make you the envy of your neighborhood.”

Today, similar ads saturate our inboxes and our social media, seducing us to believe luxurious, pretty things will make us feel important. Complete. Happy. Secure.

I fell victim to those ads a few years back. Each time I opened my emails from one particular furniture store, how I longed to fill my home with their beautiful furnishings. But my budget just didn’t allow it.

In our key verse today, God addresses my very struggle. He commands us, “Do not love the world or the things in the world” (1 John 2:15a). Why? Scripture goes on to explain, “If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him” (1 John 2:15b). God knows we cannot love the world and Him at the same time. The love of one pushes out love for the other because the things that fill this world are not of God.

God created our souls to hunger for what is eternal; therefore, nothing in this world will ever fully satisfy. Ever.

Jesus warns of our dangerous and formidable enemy, Satan, who works aggressively to tempt us with the things of this world. (John 10:10) The good news is that we have a choice when it comes to Satan’s lies and temptations. So the question for us is this: Who will we choose? God or the world?

Choosing God requires putting systems in place in advance to protect our hearts and minds because loving the world is a gradual process. Our enemy is highly skilled at enticing and tempting. Thus the Apostle Peter warns us to “be alert and of sober mind” (1 Peter 5:8a, NIV).

How can we be alert and of sober mind? Here are a few lessons I learned when I became a bit too comfortable with the world.

Don’t become "friends" with the world.
They started as emails delivered to my inbox. Cozy bedding. Luxurious furniture. I coveted each lovely, superbly designed image. But with all my family’s other expenses, owning those beautiful things wasn't a reality.

Until we received some Christmas money.

Don’t give in to the world. 
With that money, I put a lovely sofa in my cart, reasoning we could charge the rest. And that's what we did. Curled up on our new sofa, I looked around at the dated furniture surrounding me. I returned to the website and ordered a coffee table. We’ll be able to afford it soon. We can charge it now and pay for it with my first paycheck.

Don’t fall in love with the world. 
This led to a pattern of behavior. I desired the lovely things of this world. They made me feel happy. Content. And most of all, like I fit in.

This friendship with the world aroused a love in my heart for what we couldn’t afford. As my husband and I made more money, those things became more affordable.

Until they weren’t.

I’m so thankful God’s Word interrupted this sinful “friendship.” I learned three truths that led to three simple steps to help me overcome this pattern.

1. The fruit of God’s Spirit indwelled me. (Galatians 5:22-23) One of the fruits of God’s Spirit is self-control. So now when I struggle with desiring pretty things, self-control empowers me to say “no”!
2. I took my thoughts captive with God’s Word. (2 Corinthians 10:5) I prayed His living, active, powerful truths and promises into my weakness and temptation. (Hebrews 4:12)
3. I took one step at a time. (1 Corinthians 10:12-13) My first step: unsubscribe from all emails that tempted me to spend money on what we didn’t need. If I didn't see it, I didn’t want it!

Unsubscribing helped. But I also had to address the longing in my heart that found satisfaction in those lovely things. Not seeing them took away the power they had over me. But the best change of all was that my choice enabled us to pay down debt, which in time freed us up to give to others. And those opportunities brought so much more joy than a lovely couch ever could have.

Father, give me eyes to see where I’m more in love with the world than with You. Rise up full and strong in me. Empower and equip me to choose You over this world and to find my happiness and contentment in You and You alone. In Jesus’ Name, Amen. 

What is the Fruit of the Spirit and How Do I Grow It?..... By Nylse Esahc

 What is the Fruit of the Spirit and How Do I Grow It?

By Nylse Esahc

BIBLE VERSE OF THE DAY: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” – Galatians 5:22-33

The Fruit of the Spirit is comprised of love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). It’s like a rubber band ball tightly woven together, each band interconnected.

The only way to produce the Fruit of the Spirit is to have the Holy Spirit in you. This initial step happens when we believe (Ephesians 1:13-14). If a person does not have the Holy Spirit, she doesn’t belong to Christ (Romans 8:9), therefore making it impossible to grow the fruit of the Spirit in her life. So we receive the Holy Spirit at the moment of salvation, when we make a conscious decision to follow Christ and let Him be the Lord of our lives.

As with any fruit, we won’t see it and enjoy it right away. We won’t see evidence of the Fruit of the Spirit in our lives the second we surrender our lives to Christ. A fruit starts from a seed and that seed contains everything for the plant to begin and produce more fruit. In order for a tree to yield fruit it goes through a cycle where it must be planted in good soil, it must be nurtured, it must have a light source; it must be watered until it reaches maturity. The fruit is initially a seed, then a seedling, then a sprout, until it’s a fruit (ripe for picking!)

Just like in nature, our spiritual growth takes time. Just like seeds, we must be planted in good soil, nurtured, watered. We must begin the lifelong work of submitting all of our life under God’s authority. We grow in knowledge of God through his Word, and grow our love of God through knowing him and obeying him. We come into spiritual community and grow under the learning of other believers. We renounce old sin tendencies and through the power of Christ’s strength, learn to walk in obedience. We die to our old selves and put on our new selves in Christ Jesus.

Because the Holy Spirit is a gift to believers, He gives us the power to live fruitful lives. Christianity is not a rules-based religion. Our growth is not gained based on how much good we do, but it’s an outpouring of a relationship with a living God that forces and encourages us to live better; to aspire to be like Him; to be Holy as He is holy. Growing the fruit of the Spirit in our lives is evidence of these internal changes. When we nurture our relationship with God, we have access to the Son, and we water our lives with his Word.

Growing the fruit of the Spirit is like growing a muscle. The muscle is already a part of us but we have to choose to use it if we want to see any growth. We have to exercise faith and believe that we have everything we need for growth. Our growth will make us more compassionate, more empathetic, kinder, more joyful, more peaceful, and gentler, with the common strand of love. As we choose to mature, we will see evidence of this growth and the impact it makes on others. Growing the fruit of the Spirit relies on the Holy Spirit producing His fruit in us, with the Holy Spirit's power making changes in our lives day by day.

Seventy-Seven..... by Ryan Duncan

 Seventy-Seven

by Ryan Duncan

Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. – Romans 12:17-18

In a perfect world, Christians would be people without any disagreements. Unfortunately this isn’t a perfect world, it’s a fallen one, and even the Church sees its share of conflict between members. Pastors argue, Churches split, and professed Christians hold grudges against their brothers and sisters. This last one is something I particularly struggle with. A few years ago I was in a really bad place; I was feeling hurt and angry because of something some other Christians had said to me.

When I finally confided this to one of my friends, I can remember saying,

“I just hate them so much.”

It wasn’t until later that I learned the disciple Peter had been in a similar situation. Look at what Jesus said to him,

Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, "Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?" Jesus answered, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times. – Matthew 18:21-22

But Jesus didn’t stop there, he continued by telling the parable of the Servant and the Master. It begins with a kind man who dismisses his servant’s enormous debt,

"But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii. He grabbed him and began to choke him. 'Pay back what you owe me!' he demanded. "His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, 'Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.' "But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. When the other servants saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed and went and told their master everything that had happened. "Then the master called the servant in. 'You wicked servant,' he said, 'I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. Shouldn't you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?' In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed. "This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart." – Matthew 18:28-35

As Christians, we are commanded to forgive those who wrong us. Not just because God wants us to love one another, but because he first loved us.

Intersecting Faith and Life: Is there anyone in your life you are struggling to forgive? Remember the parable of the King and his servant.

Further Reading

Luke 17:3

A Prayer to Remember All God’s Wonderful Deeds..... By: Chelsey DeMatties

 A Prayer to Remember All God’s Wonderful Deeds

By: Chelsey DeMatties

I will give thanks to the LORD with my whole heart; I will recount all of your wonderful deeds. - Psalm 9:1

I often find myself being one who begins prayer with the groanings of my heart rather than praise. This has recently really troubled me. We can see in Matthew 15 that “out of the mouth speaks the fruit of the heart.” This stirred up a conviction in me that the words most often leaving my lips as the day begins and closes aren’t praise. My heart isn’t overflowing with thankfulness, but rather overflowing with requests.

I’ve always love Psalm 9. It's a beautiful part of Scripture and one that sets my heart in the right posture. It begins right away with the reminder to give thanks and recount all of God’s wonderful deeds. Do you do this? Do set aside time in your prayer life to just thank God and recount the work He has done in your life and in your heart?

This is something so vital to our walk with the Lord. We should desire to praise our mighty God! The one who is all-knowing, most powerful, and everlasting. He’s moved mountains, made ways, and met us in the darkest valleys of our days. The One who has led every generation of believers to grow in affection of Him.

For me, I’ve begun to make it a point of thanking God for who he is and for what he’s already done, before asking him to do more for me. I want to praise Him for all the wonderful deeds He's unfolded in my life. I don’t want to forget what he’s done for me.

You and I both know that our Heavenly Father knows our hearts. He knows our desires, needs, requests, and hardships. But when we begin prayer with a point of praise our hearts, we are in a posture to see just how big God is. This was the reminder I needed. God is God. I am not. God is not there just to be asked of things. God desires us to have a personal relationship with Him. A relationship that acknowledges He is sufficient, and I am not. He is perfect, I am not. Lastly, one that understands He loved me before I loved Him.

This is good news for you and me. That God loves us so much that He stirs up the conviction in our hearts to remember how good He is. To remember how much He loves us, how much He has done for us, and that He sent His one and only son to pay the ultimate price for our eternal reward. Friend, I pray you will join me in making it a point to praise God often and thank Him for all He has done.

Pray with me…

Lord, thank you for all that you are and all that you’ve done on my behalf. Lord, I give thanks to you with my whole heart. I will take a moment now and recount all your wonderful deeds.

Thank you for taking my heart of stone and molding it into one that pursues you.

I pray I will grow each day in my awareness of all that you do and that my heart will bask in worshiping God Almighty. You are a good, good Father.

In Jesus’s name, Amen.