A Necessary but Challenging Lesson..... Dr. Charles Stanley

 A Necessary but Challenging Lesson

Dr. Charles Stanley

Psalms 27:14

Believers must learn to wait upon Him.

Have you ever wondered why the psalmist coupled the admonition to wait upon God with encouragement to be strong and courageous? The reason is that sometimes delaying is the hardest thing to do.

Modern culture is in such a hurry. Gotta have it now! Gotta do it now! Can't wait! We've been primed to stay in a permanent state of readiness. It takes courage to be still when the world is rushing past. Everything in us hollers, "Go!" while God whispers, "Wait." But people are quick to act, because they are afraid of missing out on something. Believers who buy into that attitude make a move and then hope God will bless them.

God leaves nothing to chance. He does not place a decision before us with the hope that we'll make the right choice. That would be irresponsible and out of character. The Father is more than willing to show His children what to do, because He is personally interested in their welfare. But until the Lord makes clear what is the way forward, we've got to pause and wait.

Waiting upon God is not passive. It is not lazy. It is not an excuse to be careless. In fact, the opposite is true.

Every Morning Is Like Christmas with God..... Craig Denison

 

Every Morning Is Like Christmas with God

Craig Denison

Weekly Overview:

The Christmas season is a powerful and unique time of year to remember that Jesus came to make a way for us to be near God. In his life, death, and resurrection, Jesus built a bridge between us and God allowing us to have continual, unhindered communion with our Creator. But God can’t force us into nearness with him. Even as believers filled with the Holy Spirit, we can choose to live as if God is still far off. So this Christmas season, may we choose to open our hearts to the living God that we might experience fullness of joy in his loving presence.

Scripture:

“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” Lamentations 3:22-23

Devotional:

As a child, Christmas morning was always the highlight of my year. I could hardly sleep the night before as I waited for the chance to open up the gifts my wonderful parents had purchased for me. It still makes me smile to remember the unbridled joy I felt at the sound of my alarm in the morning, feeling the expectation of what was to come.

James 1:17 tells us, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.” And Lamentations 3:22-23 says, “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”

Every morning with God can be like Christmas morning. From the moment our eyes open we have an opportunity to know a love that surpasses any gift we’ve been given. From the time our feet hit the ground we can experience perfect, pleasing plans the Lord has laid before us.

Every moment in our day is a chance to receive more and more grace and more and more love. Every encounter with a person is a chance to see God move and work through us and through them. Every task given us is a chance to experience the anointing and empowerment of the Holy Spirit. Even in trial and tribulations we are given an opportunity to experience a heavenly, eternal peace that transcends our circumstances. Even in pain and loss we are given a chance to experience the loving, compassionate heart of our Father that gets low with us and meets us where we are.

If we will allow it, God will turn every moment into a chance to experience the fullness of his love. If we will set our eyes on Jesus in faith and let him into every part of our hearts and days, we will live lives filled with the amazing gifts of a God with limitless resources.

May this Christmas season be a reminder that every day of the year is good with God. May the gifts we receive be a reminder that every good thing, both at Christmas and throughout our year, comes from the hands of our loving heavenly Father. And may we wake up each day in joyful expectation to experience the steadfast love of our ever-present Creator.

Take time in guided prayer to meditate on God’s heart to give you good gifts and find rest in his life-giving presence.

Guided Prayer:

1. Meditate on the heart of God to give you good and perfect gifts.

“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.” James 1:17

2. Spend some time opening your heart to receive the presence of God. Hand over to him anything that’s weighing you down that you might experience merciful peace.

“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” Lamentations 3:22-23

3. Ask God for a revelation of the good gifts he has in store for you. Ask him to help you keep your focus on him today that you might have eyes to see all the ways he is blessing you.

“What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him.” 1 Corinthians 2:9

May God grant you an eternal perspective today to see things as he does. May you have vision to see your circumstances and relationships in light of God’s continued grace. May your heart grow increasingly soft today as you see God’s abundant provision over you. And may the result of it all be unceasing prayers of thanksgiving that delight the heart of your heavenly Father.

Extended Reading: Psalm 30

The Power of Worship..... By Meg Bucher

 The Power of Worship

By Meg Bucher

“Still, many in the crowd believed in Him. They said, ‘When the Messiah comes, will he perform more signs than this man?’”  John 7:31 NIV

Standing alongside hundreds of arms raised up and voices tuned to the same praise is a powerful way to experience God’s presence. It moves my faith forward. It’s a contagious crowd. The Voice paraphrase of John 7:31 emphatically states,“In the crowd, there were many in whom faith was taking hold.”  A hope renewed, courage strengthened, and spirit lifted, by “a large number of persons gathered closely together.”

A large number in which He promises to be present when gathered in His Name.

Life sometimes throws the ball up in the air, leaving us to stare at the clouds wondering where it went. Like a helium-filled balloon, it seems to float hopelessly out of sight. Out of our reach. Into the clouds.

There are seasons of life that don’t have solutions. At least, not any easy ones. So we cope, mourn, misunderstand and lift frustrated fists in the air … or pound them against walls.

We all break down.

We can walk toward the echoing sound of our thoughts. Seek out opinions that we want to hear and solutions we feel like pursuing. We can isolate ourselves, and let our thoughts drive us into the blank frozen space of wasted time.

Or, we can walk into a crowd that will steer us into position to catch the ball when it falls back down from the clouds. There is faith in that crowd.  He is there. Faith that can take hold of us, guide us, hug us, love on us, and remind us who threw the ball up in the first place …and who holds the game plan. The good plan …for our lives.

In the space that life often leaves between here and a possible there …grip His hand.

It’s the one with the scar …from the nail that held it to the cross …the hand that sacrificed life for all of ours.

Jesus came to save us from the space that threatens to carry us away.

Father, we praise You for Jesus, and the way He so gracefully guides us back to Your will for our lives time and again. Thank You for His gentle guidance and Your forgiving grace. Forgive us for trying to force the ball down, instead of waiting. We’re bad at being patient, Father. Help us. Send Your Spirit to strengthen that gift.

 In Jesus’ Name,

Amen.

An Eternal Moment..... by Katherine Britton

 An Eternal Moment

by Katherine Britton

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning."
John 1:1-2

The very concept of time fascinates me. Add the prospect of eternity, and I get as dizzy as anyone. Still, I can't help contemplating the mysteries of my little life running parallel to a greater human history, running parallel to a universe that doesn't measure time in rotations of the earth but by the speed of light. And then - no longer running parallel to, but encompassing that straight line of history into some greater sphere - comes eternity. Or rather, there is eternity. Or will be. Or… well, you can see why my head starts hurting when I try to visualize this mystery.

A lot of my fascination with time and eternity centers on the eternal God (Isaiah 26:4) who allowed himself to be constrained by that which he had created - time. The tangled and complex poetry of T. S. Eliot best expresses my fascination with the Incarnation:

"Then came, at a predetermined moment, a moment in time and of time,
A moment not out of time, but in time, in what we call history: transecting, bisecting the world of time, a moment in time but not like a moment of time, 
A moment in time but time was made through that moment: for without the meaning there is no time, and that moment of time gave the meaning." (from "The Rock, VII")

Consider that last line again: "… time was made through that moment: for without the meaning there is no time, and that moment of time gave the meaning." The first step of redemption began when the Jesus, who was "with God in the beginning," stepped into time and allowed himself to be bound by it for a time.

I wonder if that act of limiting himself was how he began to enter into our suffering with us. He stepped into a world where the end point is death, and after that - a meaningless eternity away from any outside purpose. It took divine intervention - a breath of eternity - to change that.

As I ponder these high and lofty mysteries that go way beyond my comprehension (Psalms 139:6), it's tempting to let my head run away in the clouds with no practical application. But Ephesians says something very different:

"See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil." (Ephesians 5:15-16)

There is a parallel from eternity to our days. Christ provided time with meaning, and modeled what it means to "redeem time" quite literally. All of the prophets and apostles lived with the light of eternity in their eyes, and that made their days all the more valuable. Instead of dropping off into nothingness away from God, we are galloping toward the moment when time becomes so full of meaning that it bursts into eternity. Let's follow their example, shall we?

Intersection of Faith & Life: How do you treat your time? Do you use it wisely, deliberately, for a purpose? Or do you still treat it as if it has no value? A former professor once said that leisure time is important because it shows us where our hearts are, and what we value most. What does your leisure time say about you? Make a commitment with me to live deliberately this coming year, in the joy of what Christ has done for all time.

Further Reading:

Ecclesiastes 3:9-14

A Prayer for Changing Seasons..... By Meg Bucher

 A Prayer for Changing Seasons

By Meg Bucher

“But thanks be to God, who always leads us as captives in Christ’s triumphal procession and uses us to spread the aroma of the knowledge of Him everywhere.” - 2 Corinthians 2:14 NIV

Paul’s words ring with celebratory notes of excitement in following Christ and the task of spreading the good news of the Gospel. But we know Paul suffered immensely. He was jailed, beaten, bitten by a poisonous snake, shipwrecked …the trials he endured were immense, yet his tone suggests the joy of the Lord which was undoubtedly the source of his strength to carry on through trying seasons.

“For it seems to me that God has put us apostles on display at the end of the procession,” Paul wrote, “like those condemned to die in the arena. We have been made a spectacle to the whole universe, to angels as well as to human beings.” (1 Corinthians 4:9) Why would Paul and the other disciples put themselves through such harsh treatment, knowing full well it could always get worse?! Perhaps this text Paul wrote to the Thessalonians can provide us with a clue: “The Lord’s message rang out from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia- your faith in God has become known everywhere…” (1 Thessalonians 1:8)

Changing seasons often usher in heartache and hard transitions. Change, even good change, is difficult for humanity. The Lord knows this, and faithfully goes before us. The difficulties we endure for Christ will ultimately lead more people to Him who otherwise have no hope. May our lives bring glory to God, in changing seasons and in our everyday lives.

Father, 

There is no such thing as a mundane day in Your eyes. Each day more souls are born to this earth which You have knit in their mothers’ wombs’ for purposes specifically designed to bring glory to You. Abba, You are in control of all that seems out of control. Each life, in Your eyes, is significant. Your love for each individual, Yahweh, is so great we struggle to grasp even a fraction of it.

The world seems chaotic to us, and seasons of change are difficult. Lord. Jesus, we need Your guidance and Your presence to endure life on this earth. You told us it wouldn’t be easy …and it sure isn’t! Yet, even in moments of trial, give us the perspective to see things as You do. Help us to understand trials on a holy level, which carries godly purpose. Help us to be able to see You in all things, hard and celebratory. Let us feel Your presence and Your peace as we endure pain, hardship, deep sadness, and spiraling anxiety.

Today we’re reminded of Paul’s trials, yet his joy and peace in following You, Jesus. May this please be the state of our souls as well. Speak to us, stretch our minutes and raise us up in the dark of the morning to seek You. Expand our time in prayer and speak to us through Your Word. You promise, when we seek You with all of our hearts we will undoubtedly find You. Remind us, Holy Spirit, to turn to God first and foremost each day. Whether we are enduring trials and changing seasons or steady, predictable days, let us always be building a firm foundation of prayer and Your truth to carry us through all of our days.

Each season carries its own beauty and pain. Summer brings warm temps and sunburns, Autumn begins with the beauty of the leaves turning and ends in the sadness of bare trees; Winter blankets every branch with sparkling snow, but the dark, gray days linger on; Spring brings the hope of new beginnings and blooming flowers alongside flooding rains. Thank You, Lord, through the beauty of Your creation, for reminding us of Your remarkable and majestic presence every single day. Each sunrise new. Each sunset majestic. All as unique as all of us, created so specifically for Your glory.

Father, in times of trial and change it’s not our nature to see the silver linings, to hope and look to You. Let it be, Lord! Let it be the tendency of our hearts to turn to You, as Paul did …as so many Christ-followers who have gone before us, and journey alongside us. Thank You for reminding us today, we are never alone. Through every season, You are with us. Praise and glory and honor to You.

In Jesus’ Name, 

Amen.

THE CHRISTMAS TREE..... Jim Burns and Doug Fields

    Jim Burns and Doug Fields                               THE

CHRISTMAS TREE

I KNOW WHO I AM

I am God's child. (John 1:12)

I am Christ's friend. (John 15:15)

I am united with the Lord. (1 Cor. 6:17)

I am bought with a price. (1 Cor. 6:19-20)

I am a saint (set apart for God). (Eph. 1:1)


I am a personal witness of Christ. (Acts 1:8)

I am the salt & light of the earth. (Matt. 5:13-14)

I am a member of the body of Christ. (1 Cor. 12:27)


I am free forever from condemnation. ( Rom. 8: 1-2)

I am a citizen of Heaven. I am significant. (Phil. 3:20)

I am free from any charge against me. (Rom. 8:31 -34)

I am a minister of reconciliation for God. (2 Cor. 5:17-21)

I have access to God through the Holy Spirit. (Eph. 2:18)


I am seated with Christ in the heavenly realms. (Eph. 2:6)


I cannot be separated from the love of God. (Rom. 8:35-39)

I am established, anointed, sealed by God. (2 Cor. 1:21- 22)

I am assured all things work together for good. (Rom. 8: 28)


I have been chosen & appointed to bear fruit. (John 15:16)


I belong to God


And that is who He says I am. How about you?

“The LORD bless you and keep you;


the LORD make His face shine upon you

and be gracious to you;

the LORD turn His face toward you


and give you peace…”

Numbers 6:24-26