Bringing Others to Jesus..... Dr. Charles Stanley

 Bringing Others to Jesus

Dr. Charles Stanley

John 1:35-42

Andrew is the disciple known for bringing people to Jesus. Immediately after meeting the Lord, he introduced his brother Simon to the Messiah. Another time, when a great multitude was hungry, he found a boy with five loaves and two fishes and brought him to Jesus (John 6:8-9). When some Greeks wanted to meet Christ, Andrew and Philip made the introductions (12:20-22). This disciple never lost his enthusiasm for the Savior.

Andrew's own conversion experience motivated him to let others know about the One who'd changed his life (1:36-37). How about you--have you lost the joy of your salvation? If your Christian life has become stale and musty, it's time to remember what Christ has done for you and to ask that He restore your excitement.

In addition, Andrew longed to know the Savior and spend time with Him (vv. 38-39). The disciple's example is a good reminder that sweet fellowship with the Lord isn't supposed to end with devotional times. It should also stimulate a desire to share with others the joy we find in our relationship with Christ.

Finally, Andrew was motivated by his conviction that Jesus was the Messiah (v. 41). He'd found the answer for a lost and hurting world and wanted others to know.

When Andrew answered the call to discipleship, Jesus told him he'd be "catching men" instead of fish (Luke 5:10). Since we, too, are followers of Christ, we have this same assignment. Our styles and opportunities vary, but we're each responsible to develop a lifelong habit of bringing others to Jesus.

God’s Heart to Meet with Gideon..... Craig Denison

 God’s Heart to Meet with Gideon

Craig Denison

Weekly Overview:

Throughout Scripture we see countless examples of God meeting with man and countless lives being transformed as the result. These examples are in Scripture to stir our faith and fill us with a desire to meet with our Creator. When we read about the life of David, we should be filled with a longing to live as he did, centered around meeting with our heavenly Father. When we read about Gideon or Moses, we should long to know our God as they did. When we read about Jesus coming down to us or his heart for the woman caught in adultery, we should respond by pursuing encounters with our Savior. And when we read of Pentecost and Jesus’ second coming, we should seek out the fullness of God’s presence available to us on this earth in preparation for the age that is to come. May your heart be filled with a wholehearted desire to pursue meeting with God this week.

Scripture:“And the Lord said to him, ‘But I will be with you, and you shall strike the Midianites as one man.’” - Judges 6:16

Devotional:

The story of God meeting with Gideon ignites a fire of faith within me to be used by God to powerfully impact the earth. Gideon exemplifies the truth that God anoints all he appoints. He will perfectly equip and empower you to accomplish whatever task he has set before you.

In Judges 6, an angel of the Lord approaches Gideon, who at the time was beating out wheat in a winepress to hide it from the oppressive Midianites. Scripture says, “And the angel of the Lord appeared to him and said to him, ‘The Lord is with you, O mighty man of valor’” (Judges 6:12). Now, if an angel appeared to me and told me something, I’d like to think I would believe whatever he said. Not so with Gideon. Gideon immediately doubts the word of God. He responds to God’s call to save Israel by saying, “‘Please, Lord, how can I save Israel? Behold, my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.’ And the Lord said to him, ‘But I will be with you, and you shall strike the Midianites as one man’” (Judges 6:15-16).

So great was Gideon’s insecurity that he didn’t trust a direct word from God. But God still responded to Gideon’s doubt by meeting him at that place of insecurity and faithlessness and consistently speaking truth over him. Before Gideon even had a chance to doubt, God called him a “mighty man of valor.” God knew Gideon’s insecurities. He knew that his past and present works were anything but full of valor. But God called out the greatness he had placed in Gideon. In meeting with Gideon, he formed and fashioned him into a man full of faith and power.

In going into battle, the Lord took the vast number of men that were following Gideon, totaling thirty-two thousand, and stripped them down to three hundred. God took what might have been possible by the hands of Gideon and made it only possible by his great strength. And in response to God’s faithfulness to meet with him, Gideon obeyed the Lord and confidently went into battle with three hundred men. Judges 7:22-23 tells us, “When they blew the 300 trumpets, the Lord set every man's sword against his comrade and against all the army. And the army fled as far as Beth-shittah toward Zererah, as far as the border of Abel-meholah, by Tabbath. And the men of Israel were called out from Naphtali and from Asher and from all Manasseh, and they pursued after Midian.”

Gideon powerfully defeated an oppressive army vastly outnumbering his own because of the power of God working through him. God longs to fill you and empower you today. He longs to conquer the works of the enemy that oppress those he loves through you. Meet with God today. Allow him to call out the greatness he has placed within you. Allow him to guide you into battles only he could win that you might bring his kingdom to earth all around you. May you be filled with his love, grace, and power today as you open your heart and spend time communing with your heavenly Father.

Guided Prayer:

1. Meditate on the powerful effect of God’s heart to meet with Gideon. Allow the grace God had for Gideon to fill you with an understanding of God’s grace toward you. Allow Scripture to stir up your heart and faith to meet with God.

“‘Please, Lord, how can I save Israel? Behold, my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.’ And the Lord said to him, ‘But I will be with you, and you shall strike the Midianites as one man.’” - Judges 6:15-16

“Then Gideon said to God, ‘If you will save Israel by my hand, as you have said, behold, I am laying a fleece of wool on the threshing floor. If there is dew on the fleece alone, and it is dry on all the ground, then I shall know that you will save Israel by my hand, as you have said.’ And it was so. When he rose early next morning and squeezed the fleece, he wrung enough dew from the fleece to fill a bowl with water. Then Gideon said to God, ‘Let not your anger burn against me; let me speak just once more. Please let me test just once more with the fleece. Please let it be dry on the fleece only, and on all the ground let there be dew.’ And God did so that night; and it was dry on the fleece only, and on all the ground there was dew.” - Judges 6:36-40

“I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” - Philippians 4:13

2. What are the Midianites in your life? What does God want to conquer in and through you today?

3. Open your heart to the Lord and meet with him. Meditate on his nearness. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal his presence to you.

“Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.” Revelation 3:20

“You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.” - Jeremiah 29:13

May Romans 8:35 and 37-39 encourage you and fill you with faith to conquer all that would stand in the way of you and the abundant life Jesus died to give you:

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? . . . No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Extended Reading: Judges 6-7

Justice and Kindness..... By: Amanda Idleman

 Justice and Kindness

By: Amanda Idleman

“Thus has the Lord of hosts said, ‘Dispense true justice and practice kindness and compassion each to his brother; and do not oppress the widow or the orphan, the stranger or the poor; and do not devise evil in your hearts against one another.” - Zechariah 7:9-10

The marriage of justice and kindness is a powerful thing! Oftentimes, our culture can either lean toward one of these ideas at the expense of the other. People will push loudly for justice but fail to show compassion through their words and actions. This can lead us to heated online exchanges or uncomfortable Thanksgiving dinners with our extended family that turn ugly because our passion for truth and rightness begins to outweigh our willingness to show kindness to others.

Practicing kindness and compassion begins close to home with your brothers and sisters - meaning your family and those you do life with. That kindness should expand past your home into the community. We are to show kindness to the widow, orphan, stranger, and poor. Kindness and compassion should characterize all of our interactions.

On the other hand, we can have a tendency to glorify kindness as our salvation against any culpability in our role perpetuating injustice in our society. We see ourselves as “kind to all” or a “good person” so we fail to recognize our passive participation in the brokenness of our world. We let kindness be a “free pass” from having to engage in the work of pursuing justice.

As a culture, we tend to shy away from the concept of sin and focus on a person's good behavior as something that exempts them from the need to accept God’s redemptive saving power. All have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory is what we read in Romans 3:23. Not one of us can be saved by our own good works.

Kindness alone is not enough because kindness does not deal with matters of the heart. Justice is the force that peels back the layers and reveals more than just what meets the eyes to expose brokenness. We can only find healing as people and as a society when the power of God’s justice is unleashed. Thankfully, God in His kindness is a merciful judge. He offers us a way around our death sentence through Jesus.

Show kindness and compassion for all while pursuing justice - this is God’s way. Matthew Henry’s Commentary explains that what God wanted from his people even more than the religious practices of fasting or sacrifice was for them to be people that do justly, love mercy, and pursue public welfare and peace. Let us pray that God will provide us the strength and wisdom we need to marry kindness and justice.

Go Away, Lord!..... John UpChurch

 Go Away, Lord!

John UpChurch

But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” (Luke 5:8)

And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!” (Isaiah 6:5)

And [Adam] said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself.” (Genesis 3:10)

Here’s the truth. There have been times in my life when I’ve wanted God to just go away. Now, don’t act shocked. I’m no different than Peter … or Isaiah before him … or Adam and Eve before him. Like all of those God-dodgers, I’ve been exposed, naked before my Creator, and I don’t like it.

The reason why is simple: being exposed means seeing my dirt. I look down and suddenly God’s showing me what I really look like. There’s narcissism splattered on my chest, little white lies running down my arms, and impurity gunking up my legs. I’m tangled and tattered, twisted and torn. And all of this because God’s pure awesomeness shines right through the things I’ve put up to cover all that.

He’s not fooled.

So, I do exactly what most of us do … if we’re honest with ourselves. Instead of asking Him to draw closer and peel off the layers of grime, I try to block out the light and withdraw. You see, that whole draw-close-to-me-and-I’ll-draw-close-to-you thing works. Maybe it works too well. Because when it works, God does more than just hang out. He points out. He speaks out. He makes us miserable about the sin we hide or ignore.

It’s no wonder Isaiah cried out in anguish when He saw God and God saw him. His filthy mouth couldn’t be ignored anymore. And it’s no wonder Peter asked Jesus to go away. His lifestyle could no longer be justified with deity in his boat. And Adam and Eve? Well, they had nothing left to hide behind. They knew they were caught.

I love that the Bible doesn’t try to prettify these flawed people. God’s Word lays it out there with all the grit and grime intact. I love that because it makes Scripture seem immediate, in my face. I can’t pretend that my flaws are nothing to worry about when God makes sure I see theirs. In all their cowardly glory. Just like mine.

So, what’s God’s response to all this … to my hiding, to my wanting Him to go away? Really, it boils down to this: “Get some courage, man; I’ve got work for you to do.” Or, if you want to be technical, here’s what Jesus said to the cowering Peter: “Don't be afraid; from now on you’ll catch men.”

I’m flawed; I’m fickle. Sometimes, I just want God to leave me alone to wallow in my filth. But He’s not so easily put off. Just like with Peter, He stands me up and sends me on my way. My humanness doesn’t keep Him from using me to share His good news—scars, bruises, and all. Even if sometimes I’d rather He not shine so much light on them.

Intersecting Faith and Life

It’s always easier to tell the Lord to back off or to push Him away than to let His grace break us. And, make no mistake, that’s really what we need. We need to see ourselves like He sees us, to be overwhelmed by the holiness of it all. It’s then that we end up face down in the dirt in the sight of a perfect and perfecting God.

It’s then that He begins the painful, lifelong process of getting us where we need to be.

Further Reading:

Luke 5:1
Malachi 3:1

A Prayer for When You Feel Under Pressure... By Betsy de Cruz

 A Prayer for When You Feel Under Pressure

By Betsy de Cruz

“We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired of life itself.  Indeed, we felt we had received the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead.” - 2 Corinthians 1:8b,9, NIV

When life feels like a pressure cooker, it helps to remember that people in trouble populate the pages of the Bible. The apostle Paul surely knew many of the pressures we face today: illness, relational problems, financial crunches, busy schedules, and job stress. Yet he determined to place his hope in the God he trusted to deliver him. He even learned to praise God in difficult situations

However, Paul also faced out-of-the-ordinary trials that would cause anyone’s stress meter to skyrocket: riots, beatings, storms at sea, a shipwreck, and jail. (How do you feel about your life after reading this list? Mine is looking a lot better.) Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians reports that he was under pressure so far beyond his ability to endure that he wondered if he would even make it.

Can you relate? Maybe you’re wondering how you’ll survive the pressure you’re feeling and get through the trial staring you in the face. Maybe you’ve come to the end of your own strength and abilities. Trials have a way of showing us we cannot rely on ourselves; they leave us with no other choice than to rely on God.

How about turning your gaze to God? Paul focused his attention on the character of God, and he began his letter to the Corinthians with words of praise: “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles” (2 Corinthians 1:3,4a).

How about entrusting yourself to God’s faithful care today? No matter what you face, ask God to help you rely on Him for all you need.

Let’s Pray:

Dear Lord, only you know the pressure I face. I’ve come to the end of my strength and abilities, and I need you to take over.

Forgive me, Father, for relying on myself and striving in my own power to take control of my circumstances. Forgive me for relying on others to see me through, when you are the true source of everything I need. Today I look to you alone.

Lord, I thank you for bringing me to this point, so I can learn to trust and rely on you. Father, I praise you for the hope I have in Jesus. You are the God of the impossible, able to do abundantly beyond all I can ask or imagine.

I praise you because you have the power to raise the dead to life. Just like you raised Jesus up from the dead, you can bring to life the hope in me that has died. I ask you to restore hope and joy to my heart.

Father, I turn away from leaning on my own understanding, and I want to acknowledge you in all my ways. I choose to trust you with all my heart. Fill me with your Holy Spirit and empower me to keep walking forward on the path you have chosen for me.

I thank you in advance for all you will do, Lord. I will rely on you, and I praise you for your great love and power. You are my Redeemer, my refuge, and the strength of my life. 

In Jesus’ Name, Amen.