Grace to Keep Going..... Dr. Charles Stanley

 Grace to Keep Going

Dr. Charles Stanley

Acts 15:7-11

As believers, we readily attribute our salvation to God’s grace, but what does “this grace in which we stand” mean to us now (Rom. 5:2)? How does it work out in everyday life, especially when we’re going through periods of trial or suffering?

1. The Lord’s grace releases His supernatural power within us so we can endure life’s hardships with a godly attitude. In fact, we’ll even be able to rejoice in what He is doing in us through the adversity.
2. Grace builds our confidence in the sovereign Lord. Nothing looks hopeless when we focus on Him instead of on our problems.
3. We discover the assurance of God’s sustaining presence as He walks with us every step of the way.
4. Because we’ve experienced His care for us, we are able to show empathy and love to others facing hard times.
5. During fiery trials, grace works to transform our character so that others can see Jesus reflected in us.

Difficulties in life are unavoidable. So we need a daily dose of God’s grace if we are to walk through trials with confidence that there is great reward on the other side. If we rely on our own strength, however, obstacles will appear insurmountable, leaving us discouraged and ready to give up.

Too often believers rely on Christ for their salvation but then try to go solo. If God’s grace was needed to save us, then logic says we would also need it for the rest of our days. Only through a continuous infusion of His sustaining power can we live a victorious Christian life.

Provision..... Craig Denison

 

Provision

Craig Denison

Weekly Overview:

Trust is something we are not created to give away lightly. We value trust like we value our own lives, constantly scrutinizing others to see if they're worthy of our trust. But still we are made to do life with help. We are made to place our trust in that which will provide us with more life, joy, and peace. I pray that this week you and I will discover how trustworthy our heavenly Father is. I pray that we will willingly hand over control of our lives to a capable, loving, and near God. And I pray we will experience the abundant life that can only come through placing our trust in a God who gives up everything for relationship with us.

Scripture:“I have been young, and now am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his children begging for bread. He is ever lending generously, and his children become a blessing.” Psalm 37:25-26

Devotional:

We serve a God who abundantly provides for us everything we could ever need. There are so many Scriptures about God’s promise of provision. There are so many stories of God breaking through when his people needed him and providing exceedingly. We have a good Father who longs for his children to experience the peace and joy that comes from trusting in his desire to provide.

The famous Psalm 23 begins in a way that perfectly illustrates the heart of one who trusts in God. Psalm 23:1 says, “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.” Let those words sink in for a second. What would it be like to go through life with the peace and security that comes from wholeheartedly believing you “shall not want”?How would you approach work, finances, and relationships if you knew you would never want?

Abundant peace and security is available for you today if you will trust in your heavenly Father’s promise to provide everything you need. He is a God of grace who loves you. You will not want in this life or for all of eternity.

Allow these Scriptures to stir up your faith and trust in your heavenly Father: “I have been young, and now am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his children begging for bread. He is ever lending generously, and his children become a blessing” (Psalm 37:25-26). “Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?” (Matthew 6:26). “And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19).

A large part of trusting God in the area of provision is aligning your desires with his. Trust that he will provide the absolute best life you can live. Whether he provides abundantly in the eyes of the world does not matter. He is a perfect, loving Father who has absolutely perfect plans for you. If you are truly seeking him and trusting him with all your heart, you will live the best life possible. He knows what you need. He knows the desires within you. Stop looking to the world for examples of what your life should look like and seek his will above all else. Look to loving him and being loved by him as the best thing in life and all else will fall into place. May your life be marked by the abundant provision of your loving Father today in all areas as you place your trust in him.

Guided Prayer:

1. Meditate on God’s desire to abundantly provide for you. Allow Scripture to stir up trust in God’s provision.

“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.” Psalm 23:1

“Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?” Matthew 6:26

“I have been young, and now am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his children begging for bread. He is ever lending generously, and his children become a blessing.” Psalm 37:25-26

2. Where are you not experiencing the peace that comes from trusting in the provision of your heavenly Father? Where are you seeking more than what is best for you? Where are you looking to the world as your example of a good life rather than seeking out the heart of God?

“Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’” Hebrews 13:5

“For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beauty perishes. So also will the rich man fade away in the midst of his pursuits.” James 1:11

3. Place your trust for provision in your heavenly Father alone. Take the weight of provision off your own shoulders and place it squarely on his. Stop looking to others or to circumstances to give you what you need. Look to God alone. Rest in his peace and love as you settle into a lifestyle of trusting him.

“And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:19

2 Corinthians 9:8-11 lays out God’s plan to provide for you abundantly so that others might be blessed through you. May you be used by God today to be an example of his heart to provide. May what he has given you create an overflow of love and sacrifice for others:

And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work. As it is written, “He has distributed freely, he has given to the poor; his righteousness endures forever.” He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God.

Extended Reading: Psalm 37

The Secret to Doing Great Things for God..... MARK E. MOORE

 The Secret to Doing Great Things for God

MARK E. MOORE 

“And Mary said, ‘Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.’ And the angel departed from her.” Luke 1:38 (ESV)

Even if I’ve never met you, I bet I know something about you: You want your life to matter — to you, to others and especially to God!

I think we all do. That’s how I feel now, and it’s certainly how I felt when I started out in ministry. From the beginning, I wanted to do great things and make a big difference in the world — somehow.

Despite my desire for making an impact in a big way, my first ministry experience was in a small church on the south side of San Antonio, Texas. Our average attendance and average age were about the same at 68. Although I dreamed of a day when I could influence the masses, I had no vision of how to get there. I was a young buck of 23 with oversized dreams and undersized confidence.

The problem isn’t our desire to make a difference. After all, our desire for significance comes from the Creator Himself. He wove it into our spiritual DNA. It drives the majority of decisions we make: what kind of education we choose, what jobs we pursue and what relationships we build.

The difficulty, however, is that we want to be better than we currently are. This is certainly true for me. I doubted my ability to do much that matters because I come from a no-name family, and because I didn’t go to a big, well-known college, and because others around me had high levels of education — because, because, because.

The only “because” I left out of the equation was the one that mattered: because of God! That’s why the story of Mary, Jesus’ mother, is so inspiring. She shows us the way to do big things for God, not because of who we are but because of God.

Mary is honored throughout the world today. Yet there’s a huge gap between her biography and her legacy. She lived in Nazareth, a small town the locals laughed at. (John 1:46) She was a peasant girl; her fiancé was a day laborer. Yet God chose her to give birth to His Son.

No wonder she was confused when the angel Gabriel greeted her: “… O favored one, the Lord is with you!” (Luke 1:28, ESV). Then Gabriel made a wonderful and frightening announcement: Mary was going to have a child. But not just any child — an extraordinary child. He would be Mary’s son by birth but God’s Son by vocation and incarnation. That means He would sit on David’s throne as the greatest King of Hebrew history. His Kingdom would extend into eternity, having no boundaries in space and time.

Mary asked, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?” (Luke 1:34, ESV). After all, virgins don’t give birth. Nonetheless, the God who spoke life into existence could certainly populate a single womb with a word. As the angel Gabriel said, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God” (Luke 1:35, ESV).

This was the power of God coming upon Mary, creating life in her womb as He had created life on Earth with His word in Genesis 1.

What made Gabriel’s promise frightening is that Mary was engaged. In Jewish culture, engagement was a legally binding contract, and a pregnancy would break that. Her reputation would be that of a sexually sinful woman. And according to the Mosaic law, Mary could have been stoned for adultery if she were unfaithful to her fiancé. (Leviticus 20:10) Yet without hesitation, she replied, “let it be to me according to your word” (Luke 1:38a). Read that carefully. She was wishing that God’s will would prevail regardless of the cost.

There’s an important lesson here: The impact of your life is determined not by your ability but by your availability. God has a plan for you that’s based on His goodness, not your greatness. Mary was willing to offer her life to God. That willingness is the only thing we need to be used by God for big things.

Mary risked her plans, her reputation and her very life to submit to God’s will. When we follow Christ, we will inevitably risk something as well.

Will you risk your relationships to do something big for God?
Will you sacrifice your comfort to leave a legacy?
Will you put your reputation on the line to make a difference for God?

There’s no other path into God’s purpose than our submission: “Let it be to me …” Thankfully, we serve a God who uses and blesses every bit of our availability … no matter our ability.

God, I don’t know how You will use me, but I am willing. I am available. What are You calling me to today? Let it be to me according to Your Word. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

How to Test and Approve God's Will..... By Matt Erbaugh

 How to Test and Approve God's Will

By Matt Erbaugh

BIBLE VERSE OF THE DAY: “Test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”  - Romans 12:2

For me, it didn’t take long before I began to think the Bible might not be big enough. During my college years, the Bible guided me through many moral choices, like alcohol consumption. But it seemed to fall short in other areas, like which career path was right for me.

This became a problem when I was offered a job. I felt called to do the work, but the job required me to move away from friends and family—and the pay was barely enough to make ends meet. While the Bible could not confirm that this job was God’s call for me, the difficult circumstances seemed to indicate that this could not possibly be God’s will.

While the Bible holds no information about specific job offers, it does give insight into judging our circumstances. Two passages in Matthew and five loaves of bread changed my perspective.

1. In Matthew 4, Jesus was tempted by Satan after fasting for 40 days: “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread” (4:3). Satan did not ask Jesus to do something impossible (the man who changed water into wine would have no problem changing stones into bread). Rather he tempted Jesus with something that He could easily do.

2. Contrast that with Matthew 14. Here, the disciples tell Jesus, “This is a remote place, and it’s already getting late. Send the crowds away, so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food” (14:15). Instead of taking their advice, Jesus tells His disciples to feed a crowd of 5,000 with just five loaves of bread. He does not ask them to do something easy—He asks them to do the impossible.

I realized that there were plenty of differences between these two passages and the way I was judging God’s will for my life. The ease of the path no longer seemed to be an indicator of God’s call, as it did before. The more I studied God’s Word, the more I realized He was orchestrating my circumstances—not for comfort, but to encourage my dependence on Him. If I passed on a job opportunity simply because of how difficult it seemed, I might be missing the whole point of why God was calling me to it in the first place.

In the end, taking that job was the right move for me, not because it was the difficult path, but because it was the path God desired. Studying the Bible confirmed that when the circumstances seemed to indicate otherwise.

While the Bible does not always give us the direct answer we are looking for, we have the promise that God will renew our minds through it so we can “test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will” (Rom 12:2).

What Does God Love?..... by Debbie Holloway

 What Does God Love?

by Debbie Holloway

I will praise you, O Lord my God, with all my heart; I will glorify your name forever. For great is your love toward me; you have delivered me from the depths of the grave (Psalms 86:12).

There is a very famous passage in Proverbs detailing what God hates. Indeed, throughout the Bible God never shows reluctance to speak against behaviors he finds detestable. This should come as no surprise to us, being that he is holy and man has amassed a large amount of sinful tendencies since he first came into the world.

But what does God love? While avoiding the “bad” list – is there a “good” list toward which we can be working? Let’s dissect Proverbs 6:16 to discern the things which God loves.

God hates “haughty eyes.”

Therefore, God loves eyes which gaze with humility. Not a false or broken humility of despising oneself, but a genuine, Christ-like choice to serve others, not draw undue attention to oneself, and treat others with great honor and respect.

God hates “a lying tongue.”

Therefore, God loves a tongue which speaks truth. Note that this does not say a brash tongue, or a loud tongue, or a tongue which speaks its opinion at any and every possible moment. Rather, he loves a tongue which, when it does speak, values honesty and artlessness.

God hates “hands that shed innocent blood.”

Therefore, God loves hands which protect the innocent. Throughout Scripture, God’s compassion for the defenseless and the innocent is clear. He commends his children (in both the Hebrew Scriptures and the New Covenant) to protect the defenseless (Psalm 82:3-4), welcome the alien (Matthew 25:35), care for the widow (James 1:27), defend the orphan (Deut. 24:17), and mourn with those who are mourning (Romans 12:15). We are to be peaceful citizens, not bloodthirsty citizens, and our hands should therefore strive to protect innocence.

God hates “a heart that devises wicked plans.”

Therefore, God loves a heart which devises good and righteous plans. God loves our desires to serve, our desires to help, our desires to minister. When our hearts long to carry out God’s plans for goodness, righteousness, and peace, it delights him.

God hates “feet that run rapidly to evil.”

Therefore, God loves feet which run rapidly to goodness. Our feet carry enormous power. Where we choose to walk can truly define who we are as a person. Will we choose to walk away from a fruitless argument, or remain in an attempt to stubbornly prove a point? Will we choose to chase after those whom we have wronged, falling at their feet with love and humility? Will we let our feet wander to where the Spirit leads us, or will our feet guide us to our own selfish desires?

God hates “a false witness who utters lies.”

Therefore, God loves a trustworthy witness who speaks the truth. When we are beacons of integrity, truth, and honor, God rejoices. In any situation, a witness is charged to faithfully report what happened to the best of his ability. The greatest witness we can be is a faithful witness of God’s redeeming work in our lives. Will we stand boldly and speak the truth of God to the world? Are we living our lives as false witnesses, or trustworthy witnesses?

God hates “one who spreads strife among brothers.”

Therefore, God loves one who spreads peace among his brothers. It is really only possible to spread peace or strife. Every word we speak contributes one of those two attitudes to our relationships. And God loves those who value peace over 1) proving a point, 2) being heard, or 3) manipulating situations. With one word at a time, God wants us to change our attitude and sow seeds of peace in our relationships.

Intersecting Faith and Life

Pick one thing that God loves and work to implement more of it into your daily life.

Further Reading:

Leviticus 19:18
Micah 6:8

A Prayer of Gratitude for Life’s Blessings..... By: Kristine Brown

 A Prayer of Gratitude for Life’s Blessings

By: Kristine Brown

Ever feel like you wake up each morning to more problems? Like they’re waiting for you to open your eyes, so they can grab all your attention at the start of your day? Problems can consume us. Steal our energy. But in the process of handling the many issues that come our way, we may not realize the effect they have on our attitudes.

Focusing on life’s issues can lead to frustration, discouragement, or even hopelessness. One way to ensure that problems don’t overshadow the blessings in our lives is to give thanks. Dealing with one problem after another leaves me with a scarce gratitude list. But I can always find things to fill that list, even when my life seems filled with problems.

“...give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” 1 Thessalonians 5:18 ESV

We’re familiar with that old saying, “Count your blessings.” It’s something many of us learned at a young age. Yet, how often do we stop and proclaim the things we are thankful for? Especially in today’s world, where complaining and arguing have become a way of life?

Paul gave the church at Thessalonica guidance to help them live abundant and fruitful lives through any circumstance they encountered. He encouraged them to “give thanks in all circumstances...” (1 Thessalonians 5:18 ESV) Yes, there would be trials and challenges, but Paul had learned the power of gratitude. He knew this valuable truth. In the worst times of life, we can still discover the peace and hope of Christ by counting our blessings.

It’s easy to let thoughts about everything going wrong drown out the many things going right. But it only takes a moment to find something we’re thankful for, however small it may seem. A simple pause to thank God for that one thing in the midst of challenges can change our outlook from discouraged to hopeful. Let’s begin with this prayer of gratitude for life’s blessings.

Dear Heavenly Father,

Thank you for the blessings in my life. I confess that I haven’t stopped to give you thanks for the many ways you have blessed me. Instead, I’ve let problems take over my attention. Forgive me, Lord. You deserve all the gratitude I can give and so much more.

Each day seems to bring more problems, and the more I focus on them the more discouraged I become. Your Word teaches me the value of gratitude. In Psalm 50:23, you proclaim, “The one who offers thanksgiving as his sacrifice glorifies me; to one who orders his way rightly I will show the salvation of God!” Help me remember this amazing promise and make gratitude a priority in my life.

Starting each day giving thanks to you for life’s blessings will renew my attitude toward any problems that happen. Gratitude is a powerful weapon against discouragement and hopelessness. Strengthen me, Lord, to resist distractions and focus fully on your goodness. Thank you for the greatest gift of all, your son Jesus Christ.

In his name, Amen.

A Prayer to Share a True Heart of Thankfulness..... By: Maggie Meadows Cooper

 A Prayer to Share a True Heart of Thankfulness

By: Maggie Meadows Cooper

"When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider this: God has made the one as well as the other." - Ecclesiastes 7:14  

It's Thanksgiving season, and I have naturally been thinking of all I am thankful for. Family, friends, jobs, material blessings, etc. Those are all things I am absolutely thankful for, but it all just seems so predictable. Too routine. Too blah.

Saying I'm thankful for my family, etc. just doesn't seem like enough for some reason. It doesn't seem honest enough. It doesn't show the reality of my days. It doesn't show the depth of my depravity. It is all just too superficial. You may get what I'm saying. You may not. But hear my heart, here. 

I have gotten to know a number of souls in the past few years who live day to day through situations and relationships I can't even begin to understand. Their hearts and minds carry burdens that I can't even fathom because, in all honesty, I have led a fairly charmed life.

There have been hiccups along the way, some unfortunate choices, and some regrets. However, through it all, I knew, without question, that I was loved and forgiven and accepted.

But some whom I speak of have never had the security I feel. They don't have "their people" who they can say with absolute certainty will always love them and stand by them as long as they are able. They don't know, without a doubt, that there is a God who loves them and will never leave them because no one in their life has modeled a love like that.

It's because of them that thankfulness takes on a new meaning this year. I can't just give a blanket statement anymore. I need to tell them and others exactly what I am thankful for and Who is responsible for every good thing in my life. Because I can't guarantee them family or friends who will always be there. But I can guarantee them that there is a Savior who loves them and will never let them go. And we, as Believers, can help introduce them to  Him….the One a true heart of thankfulness comes from.

Here are three things to consider when you share Jesus, not only this Thanksgiving season, but throughout the year:

1. Talk to the Lord and proclaim His name out loud.

When Jesus was about to raise Lazarus from the dead he said: "Father, thank you for hearing me. You always hear me, but I said it out loud for the sake of all these people standing here, so that they will believe you sent me." - John 11:41-42

Jesus didn't need to talk to the Lord out loud. He did it so those around Him would hear and recognize and acknowledge that this miracle came from God. If He had not, they might have given credit to his human flesh. 

It is our turn to acknowledge, out loud, publicly, for all to hear, where all of our thankfulness is due. When we do that, when we claim the name of Jesus and share with others about all that He has done in our lives, it can't help but resonate with those who might not know Him yet. 

2. Remember to thank Him in the good and the bad. 

If we can share thankfulness in the good things, awesome. But if we want to make even more of an impression... share thankfulness for the hard things too.

"When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider this: God has made the one as well as the other." - Ecclesiastes 7:14

I am thankful for the times the Lord has brought me to my knees in tears because they humbled me. I am thankful for the health issues I've had from time to time because they show me my humanity. I am thankful for dealing with disobedience in my children because it makes me take a good hard look at myself when the Lord reveals my own sin nature.

When opportunities arise in everyday conversation, when you are sharing life with others, talk about the One who gives you life. Say His name out loud for others to hear. If others hear us talk about the Lord outside of church-away from the Christian setting where we are "supposed to"- it may mean more. If we show others that we think enough of Jesus to give Him credit for our good days and trust Him to guide our steps in the hard things too, it may plant seeds that will grow in time. 

3. Keep it simple and speak gently.

"But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect," - 1 Peter 3:15

The majority of the people you talk to are not Bible scholars. Many may have never even read one. You don't need fancy answers and highfalutin talk to impress anyone. You just need to speak your heart, simply. Go ahead and have an idea of what you would tell someone about the Lord and all He has done in your life, so that the next time you have an opportunity, you don't back down because you feel unprepared. Don't believe the lies Satan may whisper in your ear, that you are not qualified enough to share about the Lord or that you are undeserving of that opportunity. You are a child of the King and He wants you to share! And finally, speak gently because you never know what someone has been through or what negative experiences they may have had with "church."

Dear Jesus,
Help me take time this Thanksgiving to be still, thoughtfully consider all you’ve done in my life, and praise you for the good things as well as the hard things. Give me courage, wisdom, opportunity, and the words to share you with someone who needs you as much as I do. Thank you for loving me, forgiving me, and never letting me go. You are the reason for the hope that I have.
In Your Mighty Name,
Amen