Satan's Strategy..... Dr. Charles Stanley

 Satan's Strategy

Dr. Charles Stanley

Luke 22:31-62

All of us make tracks through the valley of failure. The question is, How are you going to respond? Plenty of people give up and exchange a vibrant kingdom-serving life for a defeated existence. But failure need not be an end. It's a chance for a new beginning living in Christ's strength.

Peter had a life-altering failure. Jesus warned that Satan had asked permission to "sift" the disciple like wheat (Luke 22:31)—vigorous shaking is required to separate wheat kernels from debris. The Enemy wanted to shake Peter's faith hard in hopes that he'd fall away from Jesus like chaff.

Peter fervently believed the promise he'd made to Jesus: "Even though all may fall away, yet I will not" (Mark 14:29). But Satan knows a few things about the power of fear. What's more, he realized that the disciple would be wounded by his own disloyalty. A man with tattered pride can't help but question his usefulness.

When Satan sifts believers, his goal is to damage our faith so much that we're useless to God. He wants us shelved far from the action of the Lord's kingdom. Therefore, he goes for our strengths—the areas where we believe ourselves to be invincible, or at least very well protected. And when the Devil succeeds, we are disappointed and demoralized. But we don't have to stay that way.

If we are willing, God can use failure to do spiritual housecleaning. Peter laid down his pride and instead put on the Holy Spirit's courage. Thereafter, he risked humiliation, persecution, and death to proclaim the gospel. Failure was the catalyst that brought forth greater faith and true servanthood.

Encountering God through Scripture..... Craig Denison

 Encountering God through Scripture

Craig Denison

Weekly Overview:

Having consistent and transformational encounters with God while on earth is meant to be foundational to the Christian life. Our God has not left us. Through the sacrifice of Jesus, we’ve been filled with the very Spirit of God who longs to reveal to us daily the nearness and love of our heavenly Father. We are never alone. There is nowhere we can flee from the presence of our God. May this week be filled with transformational encounters with the living God as we learn what it is to seek the face of the one who has formed us, knows us, and loves us unconditionally.

Scripture:“Your words were found, and I ate them, and your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart, for I am called by your name, O Lord, God of hosts.” >Jeremiah 15:16

Devotional:

In Scripture, we have a perfect and direct avenue to powerful and transformational encounters with God. Jeremiah 15:16 says, “Your words were found, and I ate them, and your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart, for I am called by your name, O Lord, God of hosts.” In Scripture we find both our weakness and God’s unfailing love portrayed through countless stories. God has spoken to us all we need in Scripture to both understand and pursue wholehearted, unveiled relationship with him.

The very Spirit who authored the words of Scripture longs to use it to guide you and me into powerful encounters with our heavenly Father. I fear that many believers today are missing the intended meaning behind Scripture. The Bible is not God. It is designed to act as a guide to knowing its Author. It is designed to give us a desire and understanding about this God who is living, active, and near to us.

Isaiah 55:11 says, “So shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.” God’s purpose has always been restored relationship with his people. His goal is our hearts. And his word is powerful in accomplishing his purpose. Psalm 1:1-3 says,

Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.

The Lord longs to plant us by the streams of his presence. He longs for us to be a people that consistently and purposefully encounter his unending love. He longs for us to meditate on his laws that we might live according to his will and be blessed in all that we do. His heart is for us to know his love through his Spirit and word that we might live a truly abundant life marked by his unceasing faithfulness.

May we as fully loved children of the Most High God seek all that is available to us in Scripture. May we gain heart-knowledge about our Father as his word guides us into more consistent, true, and impactful encounters with him. May we be a people filled with the stories of God’s redeeming love that we might live in response to the unchanging, active nature of our heavenly Father.

Guided Prayer:

1. Meditate on the importance of being a person who lives by the word of the Lord.

“Your words were found, and I ate them, and your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart, for I am called by your name, O Lord, God of hosts.” >Jeremiah 15:16

“Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.” Psalm 1:1-3

2. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal truth you need to know through his word today. Ask him to guide you into a direct encounter with your heavenly Father as you open his word and read.

3. Take time to do the extended reading today. Allow the Holy Spirit to speak to your heart what you need to hear through the powerful words of Jesus.

“When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.” >John 16:13

Pray this prayer with me today: Lord, make us a people who are endlessly hungry for your words of life. Make us a people who have so tasted and seen your goodness poured out in the pages of Scripture that we make time to feast on the bread of your word. Fill us with a longing for deeper, more consistent encounters with you that we would search the pages of Scripture for truths that will open our hearts to you more fully. May our lives be marked today by the fruit grown from the seed of your word.

Extended Reading: John 17

Hope for the Hardest of Days..... LAURA BAILEY

 Hope for the Hardest of Days

LAURA BAILEY

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead … for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.” 1 Peter 1:3-5 (NIV)

When I saw the church’s phone number pop up on my screen, my heart immediately skipped a beat.

Our church was experiencing an intense season of grief, unable to recover from seemingly endless waves of loss. These were our friends, brothers and sisters in Christ, men and women who served with joyful hearts, walked by faith and shared the gospel without hesitation. One day they were singing in the choir, preparing meals for others, attending church, and the next day they were gone to be with the Lord.

Now one of my spiritual mentors, a woman I deeply adored and admired, had passed away. She had been sick for a while, yet her death still took me by surprise.

My head knew that my friend was completely healed and in the presence of our Savior. But my heart was heavy. After so much loss in such a short period of time, I found myself losing hope.

The recipients of the letters now known as 1 and 2 Peter understood what it felt like to lose hope during extremely difficult circumstances. They were new Christians experiencing significant suffering and persecution, living in exile throughout Asia Minor. Peter wrote to encourage them and to remind them of what they previously had learned about Christ. His letters instructed them in how to live as outcasts in an increasingly hostile environment without losing hope in the living One in whom they professed to believe.

As stated in our key verse, Peter wasted no time addressing where the hope of these “elect exiles” lay: “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead … for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time” (1 Peter 1:3-5).

Followers of Christ need not fear anything or anyone in this world, not even death. Through the atoning death and bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ, we have been born again into an eternal, living hope. Because of His deep compassion and understanding of our darkest moments and greatest fears, Jesus lives to intercede for us every moment of every day.

In subsequent verses (1 Peter 1:6-9), Peter explained that, because of the sinful, fallen world where we now dwell, no one escapes physical death; however, faith in the living Savior forever tethers us to the promises, protection and unmatched power of the living God, who will never let go of us. Jesus saved us, is saving us and will save us for all eternity!

We’ve all found ourselves in situations that make it difficult to find a reason to rejoice. Thankfully we know when circumstances change and challenge us, God remains the same, and nothing is too difficult for Him. Now, that is something to rejoice about!

There will be times in our lives when we suffer, both emotionally and physically. Yet, despite our suffering, God's Word tells us to rejoice and be confident that the grace by which God saved us will ultimately usher us into His presence for all eternity.

So let us rejoice today in God's goodness and count our many blessings, safe and secure in the living hope found in Christ Jesus, our Lord and Savior!

Heavenly Father, help us to remember that our peace, joy and hope shouldn’t be dependent on our earthly circumstances but should be rooted in Your eternal promises to Your children. When we experience trials and suffering, remind us that You love us so much that You sent Your Son to die to save us. You always work for our good and Your glory, and we are grateful. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

God’s Word Is Never Wasted..... By: Betsy St. Amant Haddox

 God’s Word Is Never Wasted (Isaiah 55:10-11)

By: Betsy St. Amant Haddox

Today’s Bible Verse: “For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it. Isaiah 55:10-11 (ESV)

I lead a small group for women who are single or “single again” (after divorce). The most recent time we met at our favorite pizza place to fellowship, I brought along a bag, a handful of pens, and two different colored sticky notepads. I gave everyone a green sticky note and told them to write a Bible verse—any verse at all. It could be one that popped in their head, one that was memorized, one they looked up just then, or one that had been a favorite over the years. No context, no guidelines, just a verse! When they finished, I folded them all up and put them in the bag.

Then I handed out the pink sticky notes and instructed them to write a prayer request—something they were currently dealing with in their life. I folded them up, added them to the bag, and mixed them around.

The mission? To show how God’s Word applies to everything in our life!

Now it was time for the moment of truth. I proceeded to draw one pink and one green note from the bag and laid them on the table between us. One problem, one verse. And wouldn’t you know it, every single time I did the random drawing, the verse plucked from the bag matched up perfectly with the prayer request! We poured over each verse, pulling as much as we could from it, amazed at the depth of how everything worked together.

On the way to meet my group that night, I was a little nervous about my plan. Part of me was afraid the verses wouldn’t make sense with the prayer requests, or that we’d have to really reach to make it connect or show applicable to our lives. But of course, it worked out perfectly, because as I was reminded—God’s Word never returns void. It’s living and active, and sufficient for everything we need! Glory to God!

2 Timothy 3:16-17 (ESV) All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

God’s Word promises that it won’t fail. We shouldn’t ever exclusively rely on “random” drawings or “flipping open the Bible and seeing which verse our finger points to” type methods of Scripture reading. But even in those more desperate moments, God has proven over and over how He orchestrates scriptures to be exactly what is needed. Nothing is outside His scope of influence and control. We can trust Him and trust His Word.

My group can’t wait to do that exercise again. Those ladies, many of whom are walking through hard storms right now relationally, left the pizza place feeling loved, seen, and highly encouraged. God—and His Word—is so good.

Pushing the Red Button..... By: John UpChurch

 Pushing the Red Button

By: John UpChurch

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. - Matthew 5:9, ESV

Up till then, we'd crushed the competition. Granted, this wasn't a sporting event. In fact, the most physically taxing aspect involved pressing a red button. But we had other skills—scholars' bowl skills. We could answer questions, rack up points, and bury other teams with our wit and finely honed memorization. In fact, we'd rarely been challenged.

Then came the county tournament. I grew up in a sparsely populated county. As far as scholars' bowl competitions, this was it. Sure, we traveled outside the area and competed for exhibition prizes, but the county tourney meant validation at home. And we knew we could win.

In the two-bracket competition, each team in the county usually played every other team. That only worked because it amounted to playing around three games apiece (as I said, a small county). At the end, the last team standing in the winners' bracket played the last team standing in the losers' bracket.

Match one involved our team pressing those little red buttons into submission. We outscored the other guys by something close to a two-to-one margin. In other words, we cleaned house in our nerdy way.

And then came match two against Maury Middle School. We went in glowing; we came out stunned. Let's just say that they completely trounced us—wasn't even close. Afterwards, we rebounded to an easy win in the last match, but that only meant we had to play Maury again in the championship.

What happened? If you guessed the underdogs roared back to take the trophy, then I would love to confirm that. But, no. In front of our families and teachers, we got beaten even worse than before. In fact, I remember the match being out of reach soon after it started and all of us feeling powerless to do something.

We'd practiced, studied, and prepared ourselves. We'd won match after match prior to the tourney. But still, we couldn't overcome this one team—even when given two shots. Our superiority turned into inferiority in a single day.

Intersecting Faith & Life:  If there's one thing I've learned about human effort and human ability, it's that there's always someone better. Someone can always write better, think more creatively, or hit the ball farther. Someone can always outscore, outplay, or outcompete. And, yet, we humans spend so much effort trying to overcome, overwhelm, or just plain win. We compete, and we fight to prove ourselves.

Jesus brushes all that aside in a single sentence: Blessed and happy and satisfied are those who seek peace with God and peace with others. This isn't a condemnation of competition, but it is a blunt reminder of the point of our lives. We're not here to see who's the best at sword swallowing or chicken juggling. God calls us children when we seek the good of other people above our own good.

If we win or if we lose (or if we get completely whipped twice by the same team), God's blessing on our life doesn't increase or decrease based on the score. Instead, He expects us to love Him and other people—even the ones who are better than us at something.

A Prayer for Loved Ones Who Are Far from God..... By Debbie McDaniel

 A Prayer for Loved Ones Who Are Far from God

By Debbie McDaniel

“For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.” (Luke 19:10)

God’s hope for us this season is this: He is able. Keep on praying my friends, for all those you love whose hearts seem far away. Don’t ever give up.

There may be friends and family we love who have pushed away any need of Him, they’ve chosen another path. And maybe others we hold dear, have bought into the lie; that other things in this world can satisfy. Broken relationships, hurt, or harsh words may lead many to stay distant. And at times, there seems to be such a deep rift, it feels almost impossible that they’d ever be drawn towards the love of Christ.

Yet no matter what the reason, or how far gone our friend or loved one seems to have traveled, it doesn’t change this assuring fact. God’s love reaches. It’s never too short to save, and He’s never too weary of extending more grace. His power is limitless. His forgiveness is endless.

The very reason Christ came was to seek and to save that which was lost. He came to reach. It’s what He does best. And the arm of the Lord is mighty and strong.

Dear God,
 
 We’re thankful that you know our hearts, you hear our prayers, and you care about all that concerns us. Thank you that you understand these burdens we carry and how we want, more than anything, to see our loved ones come to you. Help us to remember that you love them more than we ever could. And that you desire to extend your great love and forgiveness to the deepest part of their soul. We are forever grateful for your healing power, for your gift of mercy, and your message of hope.

Father, we ask that you would stop every plan of the enemy over those we love as we bring them before you right now. We pray that you demolish his schemes and that your plans for good, for a future and hope, would prevail. Please open up blind eyes that they might see your truth. We believe in you to rescue those walking in darkness, and to heal the deep wounds of all who have been hurt. We pray for the miraculous intervention of your Spirit to draw them to yourself, to work strongly on behalf of our loved ones who are lost and wandering.

Lord, forgive our unbelief. Please forgive the times we’ve doubted that you could ever change a distant heart. Forgive our hard-heartedness, our weariness, or forgetfulness to pray continually. And thank you God, that you never give up on us. Remind us again of how you’ve changed our own hearts; how your miracle of life and hope has sprung up deep within our souls.

We love you Lord; we need you today and every day. We thank you that you hear our prayers and believe that you are at work even now. Powerfully. Faithfully. And miraculously. Doing what only You can do.
 
 Thank you again for the most wonderful gift of our Savior, God with us. Thank you for your great goodness and love.
 
 In Jesus’ Name, Amen.