Assurance in Trials..... Dr. Charles Stanley

Assurance in Trials

Dr. Charles Stanley

Romans 8:32-39

We all experience hardship, and trials can shake us unless we cling to truth. Let me share three assurances to remember when troublesome circumstances arise.

First, God will always meet our needs. This doesn't mean He provides everything we want. Instead, the Lord will bless us with all that is necessary to fulfill His purpose for our lives. His goal is to sanctify us, not simply to satisfy each immediate desire.

Second, we're never alone. God promised to be with us always (Heb. 13:5). Loneliness often accompanies hardship, so we may feel deserted or opposed by family and friends. But our Father has sent His Spirit to be with us and in us, until the day He brings us to heaven (John 14:16-17). He is all we need--our advocate, guide, helper, and comforter. Recognizing His intimate presence gives us confidence in the midst of trials.

Third, God's love is eternal. Regardless of our circumstances or poor decisions, His care is unconditional--even when He reprimands us. Loving parents allow disobedient children to experience the consequences of wrong choices; they recognize the benefit of learning from mistakes. Of course, there are also times when we are negatively affected by others' wrong actions. Even then, God is sovereign and allows only what will bring good in His followers' lives.

In difficult times, we can remember that God will meet all of our needs, is always with us, and loves us forever. Though Jesus said we would face troubles in this life, He offered encouragement: The ultimate victory is His. So keep in mind that trials are fleeting, whereas our Father's love is forever.

Mystery is to be Sought Out..... Craig Denison

 

Mystery is to be Sought Out

Craig Denison

Weekly Overview:

One of the most scandalous truths of the gospel is that our Creator longs to be encountered by his creation. God longs to meet with us. His greatest desire is for relationship with us. I can’t fathom why God in all his holiness and goodness makes himself available to us, but it is the powerful truth of Scripture. God is pursuing each of us with his relentless love, seeking out those who might respond to his open invitation by opening the door of their hearts to him. My prayer is that in response to God’s desire to meet with his people we would be those who say yes to centering our lives around his nearness. May your week be marked by the reality of God’s presence and love.

Scripture:“It is the glory of God to conceal things, but the glory of kings is to search things out.” Proverbs 25:2

Devotional:           

The fact that God conceals things in mystery for his children to search out is one of the most curious and wonderful truths of Scripture. Proverbs 25:2 says, “It is the glory of God to conceal things, but the glory of kings is to search things out.” We who have been made kings and queens by the blood of Jesus have been granted access to the mysteries of God. God in his grace has given us the right to know the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16).

What would relationship with the God of the universe be without mystery? What would it be like to know the God who has formed galaxies and planets beyond anything we will ever discover without that which remains unknown? We are made to be enthralled by the mysteries of our heavenly Father. We are created to search out that which is not made plain to us. God is inviting us to ask, question, seek, and find that which transcends the natural and stretches into the unknown: the eternal.

Colossians 2:1-3 says,

For I want you to know how great a struggle I have for you and for those at Laodicea and for all who have not seen me face to face, that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God's mystery, which is Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

All mystery finds its resolve in the person of Jesus Christ. Within him dwells “all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” And the more we get to know the living, active person of Jesus through his Spirit, the more we receive important, transformative revelation. You see, even something as foundational to the Christian faith as grace is laden with mystery. The powerful effects of Jesus’ grace-filled sacrifice baffle the mind. How could one man in laying down his life make righteousness and salvation available to all? But in God’s grace this is wholly possible. And only when we truly seek out the mysteries laden within grace will we begin to experience all the powerful effects it has to offer us.

May we as God’s children grow to love the mysteries laid open for us by our loving heavenly Father. May we enjoy the process of searching out the deeper things within God’s heart with the help of the Holy Spirit. And may that which is unseen, heavenly, and eternal begin to have a profound impact on our perspectives, emotions, thoughts, and actions. Search out the mysteries of your faith today and discover just how vast and available the love of your heavenly Father is for you.

Guided Prayer:

1. Meditate on the call before you to search out the deeper things of God. Allow Scripture to stir up your desire for the mysteries of your faith.

“It is the glory of God to conceal things, but the glory of kings is to search things out.” Proverbs 25:2

“In my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ's afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church, of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known, the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints. To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.” Colossians 1:24-27

2. What parts of your faith have you yet to fully search out? Ask God to reveal what mysteries he’s laying open before you that you might walk in a deeper revelation of who he is and what he’s done.

3. Take time to search out an aspect of your relationship with God. It might be something about his creation or an aspect like grace, forgiveness, or love.

“You have said, ‘Seek my face.’ My heart says to you, ‘Your face, Lord, do I seek.’” Psalm 27:8

“For I want you to know how great a struggle I have for you and for those at Laodicea and for all who have not seen me face to face, that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God's mystery, which is Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” Colossians 2:1-3

Coupled with God’s desire for us to seek out mystery is the truth that we are not meant to fully grasp every part of God and Christianity. Part of the beauty of our relationship with an omnipotent, omnipresent, and eternal God is that there will always be parts of him that are a mystery to us. How God has always existed and is both three and one are paradoxes too great for comprehension. We must simply trust the truth of Scripture for what it is at times and not dwell on that which we cannot attain. We must reconcile only that which is intended to be reconciled. May you search out all the mysteries opened to you by the blood of Jesus and the Holy Spirit who dwells within you, while at the same time enjoying all the unknowables meant to stir up awe and wonder within you.

Extended Reading: Colossians 1

You Don’t Have To Be Amazing..... RUTH CHOU SIMONS

 You Don’t Have To Be Amazing

RUTH CHOU SIMONS

“But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” 2 Corinthians 12:9 (ESV) 

You’re probably familiar with the lyrics of the well-known hymn “Amazing Grace.” It’s so hopeful to think of God’s grace saving “a wretch like me.” But for years I lived as though the lyrics were actually “God, help me be so amazing that I won’t need grace!”

It was as if I secretly hoped that, if I were “amazing” enough, I could avoid being the broken, messed-up wretch I knew I really was. It wasn’t until I heard a collegiate minister’s teaching on Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount that I finally realized I could never be good enough. I could never jump high enough or perform well enough not to need God’s grace.

Turns out, discovering that being amazing won’t save you is actually really good news.

Up until that discovery in my life, I spent a lot of time and energy trying to do the best and be the best. I struggled under the weight of expectation — both internal and external — always striving to perform well. Be amazing! Get those A’s on your report card! Be ahead of the curve! I’m guessing you’ve maybe felt the same pressure.

Whether it’s how we present ourselves on social media platforms, what we want our church community to think about us, or what we do in our everyday interactions with friends and family, a pressure to do more creeps in. Before we know it, we’ve put our hope in being amazing ourselves rather than being amazed by God’s grace that saves us from our wretchedness. As the hymn tells us, His amazing grace accomplishes the impossible: It redeems us from sin, restores us to newness of life and makes us fit for God’s holy presence forever.

How amazing is that?

But even though I know how amazing His grace is, even now I still fight the temptation to be my own savior! When the pressure to perform is overwhelming, we have two options: We can either strive to make things happen on our own, or we can look to God’s strength in our weakness.

In 2 Corinthians, Paul tells us that we can actually boast in our weakness because of the grace of God: “But [God] said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me” (2 Corinthians 12:9).

God writes stories in such a way that His purposes and His ways can be on display. That’s why our weakness — and our inability to be our own amazing savior — can be God’s opportunity to show Himself strong.

Think about Abraham and Sarah, Moses and Pharaoh, the parting of the Red Sea, the virgin birth, or the death and resurrection of the Savior. It’s always been about God’s story of divine power, extravagant love and merciful rescue — never about the abilities of an individual person.

Friend, the truth is, the pressure to perform and the weaknesses we feel are meant to draw us to His unchanging character, His unchanging power and His unchanging strength! We don’t need to be our own hero; Jesus is more than enough. Let the good news that we can’t bring freedom sink in as we trust the One who can, instead of continuing to strive in our own power.

It is in the very moment we cry “I can’t!” that God meets us. We’re in the exact place we need to be to experience that He is able. It is there that we find an end to our strivings.

Lay down your strivings, friend. His grace is sufficient and more than enough for your every need.

Lord, thank You for Paul’s reminder that nothing — no weakness and no pressure — is too hard for You. Still my striving and help me replace it with wonder at Your power. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

What Philippians 4 Can Teach You about Contentment..... By Cortney Whiting

 What Philippians 4 Can Teach You about Contentment

By Cortney Whiting

BIBLE VERSE OF THE DAY: I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. 13 I can do all this through him who gives me strength. - Philippians 4:12-13

Mark Twain said, “Comparison is the death of joy.” I have experienced that joylessness in my life. The pitfall of comparison and the feeling that we are not enough pervades across our culture. Social media highlights how many friends and followers a person has. The brands we own determine the status of our wealth. The longing for more must stop. Recently, my children visited a house and asked me when we could own a house that was a mansion. Discontentment apparently is learned at a young age.

So how can we combat thoughts that who we are and what we have is not enough?

I believe we can learn a valuable lesson from Philippians 4. Paul founded the church in Philippi on his second missionary journey and later wrote the letter of Philippians to the church during his imprisonment in Rome. After persecuting the early church, the converted apostle faced trials of many kinds for the cause of Christ. The theme of joy threads throughout the writing.

As Paul closes the letter, he reminds the Philippians that their citizenship resides in heaven (Phil. 3:20). Because of our knowledge of who we are in Christ and our future inheritance through Him, we can be encouraged to live out our faith in confidence with the principles found within the text.

Here are 5 things Philippians 4 teaches us about living a content life:

1. Stand firm (4:1)

The realities of this world are not what we as believers were created for and they are not our final reality. Until Christ makes everything whole and right, we are to stand fast and firm in our faith. Given the context of not feeling that we are good enough, this charge to stand firm in our faith in a fallen world knowing that our ultimate citizenship belongs in heaven should give us hope.

2. Rejoice (4:4)

Paul emphatically commands the church to always rejoice in the Lord. Regardless of our circumstances, we are to always express our joy found through Christ. In recounting all God has done in our lives, we realize how blessed we are. Our thoughts reside not on our own inadequacies or on what we do not have, but rather on Christ’s sufficiency.

3. Do not be anxious (4:6)

Paul tells the Philippians to not be anxious about anything. Feelings of inadequacy often breed anxiety. Yet, we are to cast our cares upon the Lord because He cares for us.

4. Allow God’s peace to rule (4:7)

Paul gives the Philippians the promise of God’s peace that surpasses all understanding. It is this peace that will guard their hearts and their minds. As believers today, we must allow this peace to infiltrate our lives, especially in times when we feel discontentment lurking.

5. Do everything in God’s strength (4:13)

Knowing that all his identity and value comes from Jesus Christ alone, Paul declares that he can do all that he does by God’s enabling strength. The lesson for believers struggling today with any thoughts of inferiority is that anything we do is done with the strength God bestowed us with and should be seen as such. Therefore, whatever we do, should be done to the glory of God and should never be seen as inferior because it was done by His power.

I still have days where I want to compare myself with others or where I feel that I will never reach the unobtainable bar called “Enough.” Yet, on those days, I fall back into the grace of my Heavenly Father and simply rest, knowing that my identity and my joy resides in Christ alone.

A Child's Thanksgiving..... by Katherine Britton(use on 11/25/2021)

 A Child's Thanksgiving

by Katherine Britton

"I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." - John 10:10

Now, our God, we give you thanks, and praise your glorious name." - 1 Chronicles 29:13

Sometimes it takes a children's sermon to remind me what's important. Thanksgiving should be a simple affair, but my adult brain had overcomplicated this heart attitude without much effort. The past few months had been filled with many moments where I had said, "So far, so good" but doubted the future. The provision at hand was enough, to be sure. Yet I wondered if what looked like adequate provision today would diminish over time. I doubted God's intention to replenish what I used up.

On Sunday, I listened to the children's sermon with special attention when the kids talked about the Mayflower and the Pilgrims and the first Thanksgiving. Each child quickly displayed their knowledge of Pilgrims and Indians - including Squanto - and incredible dynamic that played out that harvest season. Their teacher slowly enlarged their descriptions to include the previous winter's deaths, the desperately short food supply, the hope of a new planting season, and the summer's withering drought. By the time harvest rolled around, crops had been gathered in - not in abundance, but certainly sufficient compared to the previous year. The Pilgrims knew it, and reveled in the adequacy of their harvest. Edward Wislow, one of the only primary sources on the day, wrote this about it:

"Our harvest being gotten in, our governor sent four men on fowling, that so we might after a special manner rejoice together, after we had gathered the fruits of our labors; they four in one day killed as much fowl, as with a little help beside, served the Company almost a week, at which time amongst other Recreations, we exercised our Arms, many of the Indians coming amongst us, and amongst the rest their greatest king Massasoit, with some ninety men, whom for three days we entertained and feasted, and they went out and killed five Deer, which they brought to the Plantation and bestowed on our Governor, and upon the Captain and others. And although it be not always so plentiful, as it was at this time with us, yet by the goodness of God, we are so far from want, that we often wish you partakers of our plenty."

Almost four hundred years later, I stand convicted by Winslow's words. The man had stared death in the face, and had little idea what future lay in store for the Plymouth colonists. In spite of that, he had literally tasted God's provision and found himself satisfied. The meal was so filling, he wished that even if "it be not always so plentiful… we often wish you partakers in our plenty."

I wish I had Winslow's faith, to happily look at today's provision and consider each simple wonder. We are "so far from want" in those moments. We serve a faithful God who is more than enough for all of our needs. It's like the praise song says:

All of You
is more than enough for all of me
For every thirst and every need
You satisfy me with Your love
And all I have in You
 Is more than enough

Happy Thanksgiving!

Intersecting Faith & Life: As you tally up the things that make you thankful, consider Edward Winslow's observations of God's faithfulness. Do you see the abundant life laid out before you?

A Prayer for Contentment in Your Calling..... By: Chelsey DeMatteis

 A Prayer for Contentment in Your Calling

By: Chelsey DeMatteis

“But godliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world.” 1 Timothy 6:6-7

I was talking with a friend recently about the whole process of writing my devotional and what God did in my heart during that season. You see, I believed that the way the pop-culture celebrity Christian authors capture their carved-out time to write books was how we were all supposed to do it.

I thought, I too needed to book a getaway for a few days, just like them. It’s true. If we’re being honest, many of them share about their times away in the mountains, at a cozy cabin, maybe renting a cute Airbnb. They share about their time away of having the silence and headspace to write the rest of or the bulk of their message.

So, I booked a trip to Florida. I was going to spend 3 nights and a day at my grandparent's home, alone. No distractions, no one needing me, just silence and headspace. But, God. I’m thankful for all the ways He pours out His grace and mercy. He not only canceled the trip but convicted my heart at how wrong and fake (for me) this mindset was.

God reminded me He isn’t going to call me away from my home so I can abandon my post to write a book about Him - that didn’t match the heart of who He is. He showed me the absolute gift, beauty, and surrender in writing a book with my toddler at my feet. Needing me, wanting me, and reminding me of the importance of where God has called me - my home.

He has called me to be a wife, mother, and homemaker first, then a writer. For me, my home is the most important eternal work. I don’t take it lightly and for a moment in my life - I thought I needed to leave my post as wife and mother to be able to do something that, yes is important, but not more important than the role I’ve been given here.

Ultimately, what I learned was this, God will not call me away from what is of utmost importance to Him to do something secondary - He will make the room for it. God will provide the time (even if it’s at 2 AM). He will stir up our hearts with noise around. He will teach us the deep need we have to depend solely on Him.

This reminded me of what Paul wrote to Timothy, “But godliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world.” 1 Timothy 6:6-7 We cannot take anything with us from this world, but we can leave an eternal impact on those who God has entrusted to us.

It is hard to put into words the gift of this season; writing a book with life going on all around me. The Lord has etched in my heart the mornings of writing while my son played at my feet, I can still clearly see my husband and son playing in the snow out the front window, and all the evenings I was given time to write as the house slumbered.

Never forget that the most important place God has called you is within the walls of your home. Stewarding, loving, serving, and nurturing the hearts he has placed near you. Eternal work is hard work, a work that we can only look to the Lord to bring to completion. From Him, through Him, and to Him are all things, to God be the glory!

Pray with me...

Lord, thank you for the calling you’ve given me right where you’ve planted my feet. Father, I ask for a sense of conviction when my eyes begin to gaze on the less important matters you will bring to completion. Help me see the eternal impact I have on those you’ve given me. Thank you for your grace and mercy to constantly redirect my heart as I veer off your path for me.

In Jesus’s name, Amen.

What Thanksgiving Reveals about You..... Adrian Rogers

 What Thanksgiving Reveals about You

 Adrian Rogers

Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise: be thankful unto Him, and bless His name. Psalm 100:4. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful. Colossians 3:15

If worry is the opposite of faith, then thanksgiving is the expression of faith—in fact, the highest expression. God has blessed you, but you may not think so if you’re measuring blessings by the barometer of health, wealth, and happiness. 

You say, “I don’t think I have as much to thank God for as some other people.” Well, the apostle Paul was in a filthy Philippian jail, awaiting a possible death sentence, when he wrote, "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God."

Unthankful people are never happy people. They’re filled with bitterness, fear, negativism, selfishness and self-pity.

My friend, let me tell you what blessings we have. “Blessed be the Lord who daily loadeth us with benefits…” (Psalm 68:19). God has loaded your wagon. How often? Every day! “It is of the LORD’S mercies we’re not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning…” (Lamentations 3:22-23). Every day you wake up to blessings.

Thank Him for spiritual blessings. Thank Him for the simple blessings of good, clean water, enough food, shelter, the simple things. We are so blessed. Refuse to worry. Instead, carry everything to God in prayer. Rejoice in the presence of the Lord. Rely upon the power of the Lord. Reflect on the provision of the Lord. Rest in the peace of the Lord. Do everything with thanksgiving.