Justice and Mercy..... Dr. Charles Stanley

 Justice and Mercy

Dr. Charles Stanley

Romans 3:21-26

The sinful condition of mankind presents us with a dilemma: How can a holy, righteous God forgive our sins? If He deals with us only on the basis of His justice, every human being would suffer the eternal punishment of His wrath, which their sins deserve. But if He extends mercy instead of justice, no one would pay the penalty for sin, and God would then cease to be just.

There was only one way the Lord could stay true to His nature and at the same time forgive our sins. The solution was to satisfy His justice by pouring out His wrath on a substitute. Then the penalty for sin would be paid, and He would be free to extend mercy to sinners. This is the only plan that accommodates both aspects of His divine nature. So Christ came as our substitute; He took the punishment for our sin, enabling us to experience the Father’s mercy. Now, by placing faith in Jesus, anyone can be justified—that is, declared legally righteous.

God’s plan of salvation is simple enough for a child to understand. Yet at the same time, the complexities of the transaction that occurred at Calvary are far beyond human comprehension. Although we may not fully grasp what transpired there, we can know that the cross is the greatest possible display of the Lord’s love for us.

Can you even imagine the cost of your salvation? The magnificent plan of the Father and the willing cooperation of the Son prove your tremendous value in God’s eyes. From His perspective, you are worth all the pain and suffering that was necessary to secure your eternal presence with Him in heaven.

God Wants to be Known..... Craig Denison

 

God Wants to be Known

Craig Denison

Weekly Overview:

To know God is to experience God. Just as we experience aspects of one another as we grow in friendship, we experience the wonders of God as we seek to simply know him. God is calling us to a life of seeking him with all we are. He is calling us to value relationship with him above all else that we would love no other but him. May you encounter wonderful aspects of relationship with your heavenly Father this week as we wholeheartedly seek to know him with all we are.

Scripture:“Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” Psalm 46:10

Devotional:

The single greatest privilege in life is to know God. The God who formed you, provides for you and sent his Son to die for you longs to have real relationship with you. He longs to be known by you. And through the powerful sacrifice of Jesus, we truly can know him like any other person. And in fact, in some respects he is infinitely more knowable than any other person. Jeremiah 31:33-34 says,

But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, “Know the Lord,” for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.

“From the least of them to the greatest,” says the living God. No matter who you are, no matter what you’ve done, you can know the God of love. Knowing God is no longer reserved for those individually appointed as his leaders. Knowing God is no longer reserved for those like David, Isaiah, Peter, or the clergy. All of us have equal access to the living God.

And from the place of knowing God, we are granted the ability to experience his incredible attributes and be blessed by a greater awareness of our union with him. When we seek to know God, the Bible is clear that we begin to experience his love (Romans 5:5), hear his voice (John 10:27), and feel his peace (2 Thessalonians 3:16). We can partner in his purposes (1 Peter 2:9), experience his freedom (Romans 6:4), and rest in his presence (Psalm 16:11).

When we center our lives around knowing God, we gain experience with him like we do any other person. I don’t seek to hear my wife’s voice, rather I seek to know her and have conversation with her as a byproduct of that. I don’t seek just the emotion of love from my wife; rather, in getting to know her and walking in relationship with her, I experience her affections for me. So it is with God. When we simply seek to know him we gain experience in return.

I pray that as we look at the individual aspects of experiencing God this week your heart is stirred to simply seek deeper relationship with your heavenly Father, whatever may come as the result. Your Father loves you enough to pay the ultimate price to have relationship with you. Seek him and discover the wealth of his affections for you.

Guided Prayer:

1. Meditate on the availability of knowing the living God. Allow Scripture to stir up your desire to seek him with all your heart.

“Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” Psalm 46:10

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

“But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.” Jeremiah 31:33-34

2. Is your life centered around the pursuit of knowing God? Check the posture of your heart today. Look at the way you spend your time, your emotions, your thoughts, and your actions. What seems to be your greatest pursuit?

3. Spend some time centering your heart around true relationship with a knowable God. Ask him to help guide your heart through your day toward this pursuit. Ask him to give you a check in your heart when something takes his place as the greatest desire in your life. Live today with him as your highest priority.

“With my whole heart I seek you; let me not wander from your commandments!” Psalm 119:10

Jeremiah 9:23-24 says,

Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the Lord.

May we be those who boast solely in our relationship with God. May his love and nearness be our highest joy. And may it be said of us at the end of our days that we sought the Lord above all else.

Extended Reading: Psalm 46

When You Just Aren’t Feeling That Holiday Cheer...... KAREN EHMAN

 When You Just Aren’t Feeling That Holiday Cheer

KAREN EHMAN

“When the cares of my heart are many, your consolations cheer my soul.” Psalm 94:19 (ESV)

When I was a child, I could always count on three things being consistent during the holiday season.

The first was my mother’s delicious turkey roasted her signature way — in a brown grocery sack.

The second was my favorite chunky candy bar nestled deep in the toe of my stocking.

And the third was my mom and my aunt crying when all the festivities were over and it was time for everyone to go home. My little mind could never understand why someone would weep at the happiest time of year.

But now, sadly, I can say I get it.

My mom and aunt lost their mother — my Grandma Elsie, whose birthday was on Christmas Eve — when they were barely into their 30s. In the past two years, I have lost my father; my mother; two cousins; an aunt; two uncles; and my stepmom, who’d been part of my life since I was 13.

The cheer and sparkle of the holidays — with the accompanying “it’s the most wonderful time of the year” sentiment — is in such stark contrast to the chimney-sized hole of heaviness in my heart. Knowing that my loved ones are no longer a part of our celebrations drains my holiday joy.

Lost loved ones aren’t the only reason for lamenting. Maybe you have wayward children, poor health or fractured friendships. Maybe this is the first holiday season spent as a family stung by divorce. Or maybe it’s just a deep, dark loneliness. What do we do when we can’t find any holiday cheer?

Thankfully, our key verse shows us the remedy for our aching emotions. Psalm 94:19 declares: “When the cares of my heart are many, your consolations cheer my soul.”

In the original Hebrew language, the meaning of the English phrase “cares of my heart” (v. 19) comes from two words: sarappim and qereb. The first word means anxious and disquieting thoughts. The second term refers to that which is deep within your body, predominantly in your heart. So much of our sorrow at the holidays disquiets us. However, it isn’t always visible to others. It can remain hidden below the surface.

The phrase “cheer my soul” (v. 19) is a tethering of the Hebrew words sha’a’ and nephesh. Taken together, these words imply that God delights our dejected emotions by smearing them over. He takes the raw and tender places of our souls and smooths His healing balm over them, allowing us to be cheered again.

I find this happens through gut-wrenchingly honest prayer and a plea for renewed vision. I tell God how very much I will miss the crazy, Christmas Eve, “white elephant” gift exchange with my dad and stepmom, and I ask God to comfort me and give me hope. He prompts me to host such a gathering with foreign exchange students from church who cannot be home for the holidays.

When I can’t bear the thought of our first holiday season without my mom and her game of “how many chocolate snowman candies are in the jar?” I pray to God for comfort and perspective. He nudges me to keep the tradition going with all her grandkids, with the added action of each child telling one happy memory of Grandma before giving their guesses.

I recall how my own mom always made Christmas a reason to make someone else’s life better, often signing up to serve the less fortunate or offer financial assistance to local charitable organizations. I’m sure helping others helped her to deal with her own fresh grief that resurfaced each year.

Second Corinthians 1:3 refers to God as “the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort” (NIV). He comforts us so that we, in turn, can cheer and comfort others. When our hearts feel heavy at the holidays, God stands ready not only to soothe our sorrows but also to help us seek out the discouraged and do something to show them that we care — and He cares.

Maybe, then, the holidays really can be the most wonderful time of the year: a time for cheering others with the love of God, even despite our hurting hearts.

Father, You alone are the source of true cheer and the only giver of real hope. Even in my sorrow, may I seek to impart encouragement to others, pointing them to You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

3 Ways to Be Thankful Through the Holidays..... By Lynette Kittle

 3 Ways to Be Thankful Through the Holidays

By Lynette Kittle

BIBLE VERSE OF THE DAY: “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.” - Colossians 3:15

Especially during the holidays, it’s easy for a heart of thankfulness to fade. And as with most things in life, it’s easier said than done. So how do I go through the holiday season with a thankful heart?

Scripture offers three directives in how to prepare my heart towards an attitude of gratefulness.

1. Be Thankful in Actions. Colossians 3:17 gives me clear direction stating “whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thank to God the Father through Him,” encouraging me to live out my faith through my actions and reactions.

This can be anything and everything I do from waking up in the morning and deciding to thank God for the day, to being a courteous and safe driver on the roadways. With each action and reaction, I can determine beforehand to have an attitude of gratitude towards God.

2. Be Thankful By Remembering. Psalm 77:11 encourages me to remember the deeds of the Lord, which can be as simple as thanking God for His comfort, presence, and peace in daily challenges, remembering that He never leaves me or forsakes me (Hebrews 13:5). Of thinking how I can cast all my anxiety on Him (1 Peter 5:7).

It can be as easy as picking up my Bible and reminiscing through the underlined and highlighted verses and passages, remembering God’s goodness, mercy, and love.

Likewise, as Psalm 105:5 urges me to remember the wonders God has done, it’s good to talk with family members and friends of the ways God has answered prayers and met needs.

Reminding myself of His faithfulness stirs my heart towards thankfulness.

3. Be Thankful in Everything. Giving thanks in everything can seem like a hard task to accomplish at times, especially in difficult circumstances. Even so, 1 Thessalonians 5:18 directs me to make this choice stating, “give thanks in all circumstance; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

One way our family lived this out was when my husband’s job at a church ended rather abruptly. Being the only breadwinner at the time, along with hitting us unexpectedly, we felt tremendous disappointment with what had happened in the situation, as well as combating the uncertainty associated with the loss of income.

Wanting to respond in a way that pleased God and set a godly example for our four young daughters, we looked to express it in a way they would understand and could also be involved in, which resulted in baking a “Thankfulness” cake.

Even though at the time being thankful felt like an opposite kind of reaction to have in such a serious circumstance, doing so made a life-long impression on all of us and surprisingly not only comforted us but also cheered our hearts concerning God’s plans for our future.

How to Have a Thankful Heart through Difficult Times..... by Veronica Neffinger

 How to Have a Thankful Heart through Difficult Times

by Veronica Neffinger

“For all things are for your sakes, so that the grace which is spreading to more and more people may cause the giving of thanks to abound to the glory of God. Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day” (2 Corinthians 4:15-16)

Colorful, feather-shaped pieces of construction paper sit on the kitchen table, along with cut-outs of turkey-shaped bodies and body parts--beak, feet, etc. My mother brings over the magic markers and we are ready to begin making our yearly Thanksgiving turkeys.

This was a tradition my mother started when I was very young, and we participated every year that I remember until I left for college. We would assemble our turkeys and then write one thing we were thankful for on each feather.

Looking back, I remember it being so simple, especially in the early years: family, friends, pets, God, food, a warm house. In high school things became a bit more theological, but yet they still flowed fairly easily off my pen: salvation, God’s mercy, spiritual mentors.

Holiday traditions like these are fun. They build memories and focus on the blessings of life; but sometimes, especially as adults, it is harder to easily list what we are thankful for. Either it seems too cliche, or we can find it difficult to be sincere about our thankfulness when perhaps times are very hard.

My Thanksgivings after high school have been much less carefree. Adult thoughts of school, jobs, finances, and traveling can weigh heavy on us even as we attempt to drum up feelings of thankfulness on its namesake holiday.

 Debra Fileta shares her story of recognizing that Thanksgiving is about more than merely listing your blessings. “What if being thankful meant surrendering our struggles, too?” she asks.

“I am proclaiming right now that in times of suffering, a heart of gratitude means more than just saying ‘thank you,’” Fileta says. It means believing that God is who he says he is. Believing that he is good, that he is love, and that he is for me. Believing that he never changes, that he never fails, and that he is working all things for what is good.”

God understands that thankfulness is not always (or usually) a gut-reaction for us. Even Jesus struggled to thankfully accept God’s Plan of salvation while He prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane, preparing to go through the agony of the cross.

“‘Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.’ And there appeared to him an angel from heaven, strengthening him,” Luke 22:42-42 records.

This passage tells us two things:

First, there is value in going through the motions even if the feelings aren’t there. Choosing to thank God even if you don’t feel like it and are actually more stressed than thankful can be an important first step in having your heart opened to true gratitude.

Secondly, the passage says angels ministered to Christ and helped strengthen Him for what he was about to undergo. We have someone even better than God’s entire host of angels to aid us--Jesus Himself.

Though life may bring us trials, we are not alone. And though offering up thanksgiving in the midst of those trials may be a sacrifice, it is a rewarding one.

“When I look at those pieces of my life that look overwhelmingly difficult or disappointing and can thank God for whatever good He plans to bring out of them, I am offering a sacrifice of praise,” says  April Motl. “When I can entrust what looks like something that is broken beyond repair to my heavenly Father’s goodness and love, I am offering a sacrifice of praise.”

This world and the life we live in it is often a thankfulness-stealer. But in Christ, we know that we can “Rejoice always” (1 Thessalonians 5:16) because the trials and hard times are not a test, but another reason to trust God who is working all for our good and has already given us “all things that pertain to life and godliness” (2 Peter 1:3).

Intersecting Faith & Life:
What prevents you from being thankful this Thanksgiving? How can you seek to have thankfulness through the trials?

A Prayer to Release Today’s Battle to God..... By: Alisha Headley

 A Prayer to Release Today’s Battle to God

By: Alisha Headley

“…This is what the LORD says to you: ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s.” (2 Chronicles 20:15b)

We all face battles in this life. Some battles are on a smaller scale, such as facing small battles with your spouse, or getting your kids rushed out the door for school. Some of us battle larger wars, like cancer, job loss, wayward children, and broken families. Many of us face daily battles within our mind for worth and value.

The truth is, we all face battles in this life. Jesus himself tells us this in John 16:33 saying, “…in this world you will have trouble, but take heart, I have overcome the world.”

We can’t take away the battles. But what we can do is learn to abide in today’s Scripture and realize that the battles we face are the Lord’s to handle, not ours. And it’s a glorious thing to have the greatest Warrior of all time fighting on behalf of us.

So, what if we began to step out of the way when it comes to fighting our battles, and instead let God step in and fight the battle through His strength? Today’s scripture reminds us that we can hand over every battle to Him. We have an Almighty God who already holds the victory. We don’t need to put our hands in the battle, rather we can step aside and let Him take full control.

The battle is not yours, but God’s. Let’s put on our armor, pick up our sword, and stand firm behind the One who holds the victory. He is the greatest defender, the greatest leader, the greatest victor, and we need to only stand beside Him and watch Him lead the fight.

Let us pray.

Dear Lord,

Oh, how we thank you for choosing us to be a part of your vast army. We thank you that you sent your very own Son to die on the cross, so that we can become victors in the battles we face. Lord, we lift up the battles we are facing today. You know all of them, the big ones, and the quiet ones we are facing in our own minds. We surrender them to you. 

Forgive us for fighting it by ourselves and not putting our full faith and trust in You. Prompt us in these moments where we want to fight the battles with our own hands, to step out of the way so we don’t get in your way. We release the battles to you, Lord. We surrender it all to you. Instead of clinching so tightly to the battle with our own power and our own hands, we open them up to you Lord, and lay the battles down at your feet. We place everything on your throne, and we thank you so much that we don’t have to face our battles here on earth alone. It’s all in your hands and we trust your provision.

In your name we pray,

Amen

A Thankful Friday..... by Ryan Duncan

 A Thankful Friday

by Ryan Duncan

“How great is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you, which you bestow in the sight of men on those who take refuge in you.” – Psalms 31:19

I’ve always really enjoyed Thanksgiving. Sure, the family can be pretty crazy at times, and I usually end up on dish duty after the meal, but Thanksgiving has always been a time for me to stop and realize how blessed I am. Friends, family, a warm meal, there are many simple things in this life that are easy to take for granted, so it’s good to have a day that reminds us to be thankful for all God has given us. The problem is that’s usually how long it lasts, a day. After the food has been eaten and prayers have been said, many people wake up the next morning and jump head first into the madness of Black Friday.

I can only remember shopping twice on Black Friday, and I regretted it both times. It’s complete chaos, with people running, screaming, and sometimes even fighting each other over things they want to buy. I’ve never had any crazy experiences myself, but my brother-in-law remembers a particularly strange incident that happened while he was in college. One year, while he and my sister were still dating, he drove up to visit her on the Friday after Thanksgiving. He had left his house at 3am with hopes of avoiding the holiday rush and was making good time on the freeway when suddenly, out of nowhere, a long line of traffic appeared in the distance.

At first he thought there had been an accident, but as he got closer he realized that the stalled traffic was due to cars making complete stops on the freeway so their passengers could get out, jump the guard rails, and climb a small hill to a nearby outlet mall. It’s ironic, and a little sad, that a day which celebrates American greed happens after the holiday about being thankful. At times like these, it’s important that as Christians realize we cannot live Christ-centered lives when we leapfrog between God and possessions.   

"No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.” (Matthew 6:24)   

So don’t throw out your thankfulness with the evening leftovers, but hold onto it as the Advent season begins. Remember the blessings Christ has given us and use them to prepare yourself for Christmas, when we celebrate the birth of Christ, the greatest gift of all.      

Intersecting Faith and Life: Don’t let the crazy shopping season distract you from what’s really important.

Further Reading

1 Timothy 4:4