Spiritually Shortsighted..... Dr. Charles Stanley

 Spiritually Shortsighted

Dr. Charles Stanley

Luke 16:19-31

In Luke 16, Jesus told a story about a rich man who lived for himself and ignored God. After death, he experienced the consequences of his choices—eternal separation from the Lord.

Jesus described him as one who lived in luxury every day (v. 19), providing for himself the best that money could buy but giving little to the poor at his gate. It is important to realize that this man wasn’t judged harshly by God because of his wealth. The heavenly Father is not opposed to our success. Nor was the man separated from the Lord because of his lack of charity toward others. He did not deliberately harm others but, rather, overlooked those in need and focused on himself.

The rich man’s mistake was that he prepared everything for the body but nothing for the soul. Our culture practices a similar style of living. Acquiring material riches and satisfying self is the primary pursuit of many in our world. Having what one wants seems to be the goal whether it’s a struggle to make ends meet or the bank account is overflowing.

Scripture says we were created to be in a relationship with the Father through faith in His Son. The rich man ignored God and paid the ultimate price. Our eternal destiny depends on our decision about Christ.

Despite what our culture thinks, life is not about us. It’s about having a relationship with the Lord. Whoever accepts Christ’s gift of salvation will live eternally with Him in heaven. Those who reject God will suffer. If you know any spiritually shortsighted people, pray that they will trust in Jesus.

Peace in All Circumstances..... Craig Denison

 

Peace in All Circumstances

Craig Denison

Weekly Overview:

One of the most powerful marks of a believer is transcendent peace. This world offers us no reason to be peaceful. It offers us no reason to be without stress, burdens, cares, and total frustration. But we serve a God who offers us peace in the midst of any circumstance. We serve a God in whom all true peace finds its source. May you discover the heart of your heavenly Father to bring you peace this week.

Scripture:“Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in every way. The Lord be with you all.” 2 Thessalonians 3:16

Devotional:           

Verses telling of the peace available to us in all circumstances are some of the most encouraging and powerful truths of Scripture. God longs for us to be children marked by the peace of our Father. He longs for us to have peace in the good and bad times because he remains faithful and good, always. He longs for us to be so founded in him that this world can’t shake us.

You and I have every reason to live with the stresses and cares of the world save one: God dwells within us. 2 Thessalonians 3:16 says, “Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in every way. The Lord be with you all.” We serve the Lord of peace. The Holy Spirit who dwells within us is wholly peaceful. And Galatians 5:22 tells us that he will bear the fruit of peace in our lives if we simply live in continual communion with him.

Circumstances begin to rob us of our peace the minute we choose to live as if God isn’t within us. Trials and tribulations will become all-consuming if we allow them to. You see, we are not to live with our physical eyes as our sole source of truth. God has granted us spiritual eyes and the ability to have faith in his faithfulness and goodness regardless of our circumstances. He’s given us the ability to choose to live with union with him as our foundation. We are not alone. We are never alone. The God who authored Scripture, knows all of eternity, raised Christ from the dead, and empowered the disciples dwells within us, always.

You will only live with peace in this life to the level that you live out of the union you have with God. In every situation, God is with you, ready and willing to lead you, empower you, sustain you, and fill you with peace in response to your trust. John 14:27 says, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” Peace is our portion. And this peace is not given as the world gives, based on the fickle nature of man and the ever-changing opinion of the world. Heavenly peace finds its source solely in the unchanging nature of our good and loving heavenly Father.

You and I are commanded by Jesus, “Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid” (John 14:27). We must take captive our emotions and ground them in the unshakable nature of God. We must allow a direct connection from our hearts to the Holy Spirit who dwells within us, letting him speak to us, fill us, and direct our every moment.

The peace of God transcends anything we will experience on this earth. If we place our lives in the capable hands of our heavenly Father, we can trust that his perfect, pleasing plans will be done in our lives. Take time today to ground your peace in the unshakable nature of your heavenly Father. Take time to turn your eyes away from the world as your source of peace and set them instead on union with God. May the Holy Spirit reveal his nearness to you in mighty and powerful ways today as you open your heart and receive his loving presence.

Guided Prayer:

1. Meditate on the peace available to you in all circumstances.

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” John 14:27

“Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in every way. The Lord be with you all.” 2 Thessalonians 3:16

2. In what ways do you look to the world for your peace? Who or what holds the reigns on your emotions and peace?

3. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal his nearness to you. Ask him to help you discover the union you already have with him. Take your eyes off the things of the world and establish your peace in God alone.

“Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you?” 1 Corinthians 3:16

“The Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life.” Job 33:4

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.” Romans 15:13

Learning to receive our peace from God alone is a process. When we’ve lived with the world as our emotional source it takes time to ground ourselves in God. But this is a process worth doing. God has unshakable peace in store for you every day regardless of the circumstances you face. He has love, joy, and steadfastness available to you in every trial and tribulation. Look to God as your source today and discover the abundant life available to you in him alone.

Extended Reading: John 14

Healing What My Body Remembers..... LYNN COWELL

 Healing What My Body Remembers

LYNN COWELL

“Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.” Isaiah 53:4-5 (ESV)

The past month had all the makings of a happy season, at least on the surface. My elderly mother found a new place to live — a safe place where she’d make new friends and have access to services she needs.

Mom was excited about her new beginning, and yet at times I had a slight heaviness in my heart that I couldn’t quite put my finger on. Have you, too, experienced sadness or sorrow, and you honestly don’t know why?

As we were carrying yet another box into Mom’s new apartment, my sister stopped me in the hall. “I’ve been having a hard time. Mom’s house is my last connection to Dad,” she revealed.

So that’s what it was.

Our family lost our dad to cancer over 20 years ago. Yet as we sorted and packed Mom’s home, donating Dad’s belongings had dredged up new feelings of sorrow that I hadn’t even spotted.

Thankfully, my sister pointed this out, helping me identify the source of my sadness. She shared that a past counselor taught her to slow down, ask herself what she was feeling and try to identify the source of those feelings.

Sometimes, on our own, we just don’t know why we feel what we feel. Our body says we’re sad, and we don’t know why. At those times, we may be blessed to have a sibling, a spouse or a sister in the body of Christ who can help us identify the source. We may choose to see a counselor who can help us to go deeper in spotting the roots of our pain. Most of all, we can look to the Holy Spirit within us and ask Him to reveal where we need Him to come with Jesus’ healing.

In Isaiah 53, Isaiah prophesies of the Christ who would come, and did come, for our healing.

Isaiah 53:3a describes how Jesus was “despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain” (NIV). While Jesus was on the earth as a human, He experienced the same sufferings we suffer. He was well acquainted with affliction, even the pain of grieving.

As I readied Mom for her move, I thought I was simply fulfilling a responsibility. But my heart and my soul were taking me back in time, remembering. I didn’t recognize grief as it waltzed back into my heart.

Though I was initially unable to pinpoint the source of my sorrow, my body remembered. The tools in Dad’s shed, a random shirt in a dresser drawer, his pencil holder from his desk — each created a connection I wasn’t paying attention to. The pain I was feeling meant there was more healing needed.

Jesus died for this grief as well as all types of sorrows. Isaiah 53:4-5 goes on to tell us: “Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows … he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.”

Jesus suffered for the forgiveness of our sins, and He suffered so that we could be whole. It is His desire for us to be healed from our sorrows. He wants us to experience “life, and have it in its fullest” (John 10:10b, CEV).

While there may be parts of our lives that we don’t fully understand, Jesus understands us fully and wants to heal and restore us completely. Whether our pain is something from days long gone or a fresh wound that happened yesterday, He is ready to bring peace and healing to our minds and our souls.

Jesus, I don’t even know the source of some of my sorrows, but You do. You knew me even as I was being formed. Come with Your healing. Restore my heart, soul and mind that I might fully experience the life You desire for me. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

When Should We Praise God? ..... By: Anne Peterson

 When Should We Praise God? 

 By: Anne Peterson

Today’s Bible Verse: For I cried out to Him for help praising him as I spoke. - Psalm 66:17

My friend and I sat quietly as the conference speaker shared her story. She told the story of how God had spared her son when one day he was swinging around a wooden bat and he hit the fluorescent light on the ceiling.

She continued speaking, “There was glass all around his young body in a perfect circle. When the fog lifted, I saw him and though there was glass surrounding that circle, inside he stood perfectly fine, untouched. God is good!”

I looked over at Jeanie and saw a tear slide down her face. I knew her question even before she whispered it to me.

“Would she have said God is good if her son had been hurt?”

Jeanie and Al had recently buried their infant daughter, Erin. Erin had lived through 5 major surgeries, but tragically died in her crib. All of Al and Jeanie’s friends shared in their grief. I still remember when I visited Erin in the hospital. She was only 4 1/2 pounds and had to remain there. I watched as Jeanie stroked her daughter’s precious little leg and she softly sang the words, “Jesus loves me, this I know…”

I was certain that as she sang, God hushed heaven and told his angels to watch and see what love looked like.

Too often, we wait and praise God after he answers our prayers with the yes we had hoped for. We wait to praise him until after a loved one recovers, or we get that job we badly needed.

When Jesus went to visit his friends Mary and Martha following Lazarus’ death, Jesus asked them to take him to where Lazarus was laid. They reminded him that he had been dead for a few days and that he would stink. That did not deter Jesus. And we know that Jesus called on God at that moment. And the order of what he prayed always struck me:

Then Jesus looked up and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.”

When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face. Jesus said to them, “Take off the grave clothes and let him go.” - (John 11:42-45).

Jesus thanked God for hearing him before Lazarus took one wobbly step. Before!

Recently when reading Psalms 66, I came across verse 17 where David said he cried out to God for help, praising him as he spoke. Similarly, Paul sang in prison as he waited for God to answer his prayers. Both these men believed God was more than able to do what they asked. Do we believe that?

Sometimes I think we get things backward. We mistakenly think God is good when he answers our prayers. In her book, The God of All Comfort,  Hannah Hurnard tells us that God can be nothing less than good. God’s goodness is part of his character. It’s who God is.

May we continue to lean on God with our whole weight, praising God as we call out to him, just like God’s servant, David.

God is Good

Lord, I pray you help us learn
and to discern what’s true.
That you are worthy of all praise,
no matter what you do.

And God, if there are ever times
when you’re misunderstood,
help us just remember this—
that you are always good.

© Anne Peterson

Are You My Leader?..... by Meghan Kleppinger

 Are You My Leader?

by Meghan Kleppinger

My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. - John 10:27

 For I gave you an example that you also should do as I did to you - John 13:15

In the classic children's story Are You My Mother, a baby bird falls from his nest and spends the remainder of the book approaching various animals, from dogs to cows, asking if any of them are his mother.

When asking the cow, her response is: "How could I be your mother? I am a cow."

Yes, this story about birds, cows, dogs, and so forth reminds me of human nature. By design, we humans desire someone who will step up and tell us what to do. We want someone to say “Don’t worry, I have things under control.” We crave leadership!

Children often look to athletes...
Teens look to celebrities...
Adults look to political and spiritual leaders.

Unfortunately, and only too often, there is news about an athlete abusing and killing animals, a celebrity heavily involved in alcohol and illegal drugs, or a political leader using power for unscrupulous gain. Even more unfortunate, our Christian leaders aren't immune from earthly temptations and failings.

It's enough for us to cry out like that little birdie, "I want my mother!"

In a fallen world, humans will make mistakes, and leaders will fall. We all fall. It's not wrong to have role models and people to look to for leadership. I'm sure that bird learned a lot of interesting things in his travels, but he was not going to learn how to be bird from a cow, a dog, or a cat.

Don't get me wrong. I'll be the first to admit that much of my spiritual growth has come under the mentorship of godly leaders, and that's a good thing. Paul was used as an example of Christ-likeness throughout scripture (2 Thessalonians 3:7; Philippians 3:17) to). We, too, are called to be examples (Titus 2:7; 1 Timothy 2:12).

God uses leaders to point to Him, but we must never forget that they are not Him. He sent a Perfect Example to earth, not only to die for us, but to show us how to live for Him. We learn best to be like Christ from Christ himself.

"For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps" (1 Peter 2:21).

Intersecting Faith & Life: Charles Spurgeon simply said, "You are saved--seek to be like your savior." Seek to know Him and become more like Him through prayer and by studying His Word.

Further Reading

1 Chronicles 16:11

A Prayer to Ease Confusion..... By: Kristine Brown

 A Prayer to Ease Confusion

By: Kristine Brown

“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” - Hebrews 11:1 ESV

We hold the key to endless information at our fingertips. One click or swipe and we’re instantly transported to the next current event, opinion, or tidbit of news. Real or fake? Can we trust the source? Yes, exposure to world happenings has its benefits. But sifting through each article, considering different perspectives, and staying up-to-date can get overwhelming.

Lately, I’ve been enticed with information overload, leaving me dazed and confused. What should I believe? Who should I listen to? When confusion threatens and I start feeling overwhelmed with it all, God’s Word provides the antidote. The only thing that helps when confusion takes over is the certainty of my future hope.

“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” Hebrews 11:1

Chapter 11 of Hebrews gives us an inspiring look at the meaning of faith. It includes examples from biblical heroes who displayed faith, even though they didn’t get to see some of God’s promises during their time on earth. “And all these, though commended through their faith, did not receive what was promised, since God had provided something better for us…” (Hebrews 11:39).

Abel, Enoch, Noah, and more. Their lives showed strength through trials and offered the one truth we need to hold onto when confused by circumstances surrounding us. We have the one true God who gave his son to be our Savior. Jesus Christ, our living hope.

Our assurance in the hope of Christ will ease any confusion we feel.

As we go through our day, let’s make choices that reflect the faith we have rather than the confusion created by the world. Uncertain times may abound, but God’s promises remain certain. Let this prayer ease any confusion we may feel and bring us back to the assurance God freely gives.

Dear Heavenly Father,

Thank you for the truth of Your Word, which allows us to walk in confidence rather than defeat, and certainty rather than confusion. Sometimes in our effort to stay informed, we can get confused by all the voices of the world. Trying to sort out what’s real and what isn’t leaves us overwhelmed. Thank You for showing us a better way.

We claim Your promise that we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper…” (Hebrews 13:6). Help us make life-giving choices today as we hold without wavering to the assurance of Your son Jesus. He is our one true hope.

Help us also look to Scripture for answers in the midst of all the differing opinions we hear. When we struggle to discern truth, we pray that your Word will be “a lamp to our feet, and a light to our path.” (Psalm 119:105)

John 3:16 shows Your unending love for us with the simplicity we need in times of turmoil. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” When our minds fall into the trap of confusion, bring this verse back to our remembrance. Let the assurance of Your message ease our confusion. You are worthy of our praise, Lord.

In Jesus’ Name, Amen.