Seeking God through Community..Craig Denison Ministries

 Seeking God through Community

Craig Denison Ministries

Weekly Overview:

Learning to seek the face of God is the foundation for experiencing the amazing life Jesus died to give us. We have available to us through Christ all the wonders, excellencies, and satisfaction we can fathom. God has granted us grace upon grace, mercy upon mercy, affection upon affection, and love upon love. When we pursue him through all the avenues available to us, a door is opened in which we discover all our heavenly Father longs to give us. May you grow in your pursuit of God this week as we study various ways we’ve been given to seek his face.

Scripture:“And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” - Hebrews 10:24-25

Devotional:

We were not created to go about this life apart from relationship with fellow children of God. Without our brothers and sisters, we will never experience the fullness of life God intends for us. In  community, we discover our place in the body of Christ. In community, we learn what it is to serve out of love, honor, and respect. And in community, we receive the healing and love that can only come from those who share in the same Spirit.

Acts 2:42-47 says,

And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.

 Acts 2 describes community that my soul longs for. We were made for honest, vulnerable fellowship. We were created to help each other, eat together, worship our God, and love others. Through engaging with fellow believers, we become a witness to the world of what happens when God works in the hearts of his children. We declare through our love for each other the life and joy that comes from relationship with our heavenly Father.

Scripture is clear that true community requires sacrifice and vulnerability. 1 Corinthians 12:25-26 says, “That there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.” God’s desire is for all his children to humble themselves and live as one body. When one part of a physical body hurts, the rest of the body feels the pain and works together to heal. God desires it to be the same among the spiritual body of believers. He desires to fill us with his love and use us to provide healing for one another. He longs to guide us to a lifestyle of humility and sacrifice in pursuit of being his hands and feet for each other.

It takes receiving the love of God to give love. It requires a work of the Spirit to fill us with courage to be vulnerable with our community in order to receive and give the love we’ve been given in Christ. So, will you be a child filled with the love of your Father today? Will you allow God to use you to help a brother or sister? Will you choose the purpose and joy that comes from living sacrificially and vulnerably? If so, you will discover a satisfaction only found in the edification that comes from believers loving one another. May you find the fellowship your heart longs for as you courageously love your brothers and sisters.

 Guided Prayer:

1. Meditate on the importance of community. Allow Scripture to fill you with a desire to love and be loved by your community.

“Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up! Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone? And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken.” - Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

“Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.” - Proverbs 27:17

“And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.”- Acts 2:42-47

2. Reflect on your need for community. Where do you need the healing that comes from relationship with others? What people has God placed in your life? How can you in humility reach out to them for help?

3. Take time and pray for an increase in God-filled community in your life. How does he want to use you to help another person today? How can you lead out in being courageously vulnerable? If you lack such a thing, ask God to provide you with this type of community to share life with.

Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working . . . . My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins” - James 5:13-16, 19-20

God doesn’t ask us to wait for others to step out and live in accordance with his Spirit before he calls us too. His will for us doesn’t hinge upon others’ obedience. God is calling you to a lifestyle of joyful service, sacrifice, and love regardless of people’s initiatives or responses. He longs to fill you with the courage to love others well and help them through their brokenness to a place of honesty and vulnerability. May you be the loving hands and feet of Jesus to your brothers and sisters who so desperately need a touch from God.

Extended Reading: Philippians 2

         

The God Who Works With Our Uncertain Faith..KIA STEPHENS

 The God Who Works With Our Uncertain Faith

KIA STEPHENS 

“Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, ‘I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!’” Mark 9:24 (NIV)

I typed the words “God will work it out” into the search bar on my phone — the title of a song I desperately needed to hear but didn’t fully believe.

It had been a struggle for the past few months as difficulties outside of my control continued to mount in my life. I felt like a pingpong ball, tossed back and forth by what appeared to be unfair and impossible challenges: aging parents, marriage woes and internal issues in me.

I was overwhelmed and determined to drown out the doubt and sadness with the words I needed to repeat in my brain: “God will work it out.”

If I could hear those words enough, maybe, just maybe, I would believe them. I popped in my earbuds and rested my head on the pillow. As the song played and then repeated over and over, the tears slowly slid down my face. I eventually cried myself to sleep.

The lyrics prompted me to reflect on my past experiences with God. As I thought about the difficult circumstances I had already faced with Him, I found myself mustering up the courage to believe God would do the same again. But the words of the song were no match for the weight of my worry.

When I woke up, there had been no visible change in my situation or my faith. I had the same doubts in God as I had gone to bed with. The circumstances I was facing seemed much larger than God’s ability to resolve them on my behalf. My faith felt so uncertain.

This is where a desperate father found himself in the book of Mark.

This determined dad brought his demon-possessed son to Jesus. An evil spirit had robbed the boy of his speech and thrown him to the ground. Sometimes the spirit threw him into fire or water in an attempt to kill him. The son had also gnashed his teeth and foamed at the mouth since childhood. (Mark 9:17-21)

In desperation, this man came first to Jesus’ disciples — who were unable to cast out the demon — and then to Jesus. Prior to hearing about Jesus, the man may have reasoned that his son’s life would never change. News of the miracles Jesus performed likely gave the man a glimmer of hope for his son, but he still had doubts.

His uncertainty was obvious when he said to Jesus, “… if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us” (Mark 9:22b, NIV).

Jesus looked at the man and replied, “‘If you can?’ … Everything is possible for one who believes” (Mark 9:23, NIV).

Then the father uttered a sentiment I could relate to: “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief” (Mark 9:24).

This is where many of us may find ourselves when we’ve weathered a difficult circumstance for a long time.

Caring for a child with disabilities, struggling under the weight of debt, walking through a challenging season in marriage, and dealing with an illness are some situations that can enlarge themselves in our minds. We, too, may be saying, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”

But this man’s uncertain faith was enough for Jesus. Jesus commanded the demon to come out of the boy and never enter him again. The boy was healed on that day, and I imagine the father’s faith was fortified. (Mark 9:26-27)

God’s ability to resolve our problems will always be far greater than the problems themselves. The obstacle we must overcome is fearing that God will not resolve our circumstances in the way and the timing we would like Him to resolve them.

The man in this text received his desired outcome, but this is not always the case for every prayer. If God does not answer our prayers in the way we desire, it does not make Him any less compassionate or concerned about us. It’s also not a reflection of our lack of faith. Having faith in God, despite the challenges we face, requires that we choose to trust Him with the outcome.

We have the choice to believe God is who He says He is, no matter what He allows in our lives. I say this as I continue to walk through difficult circumstances beyond my control while choosing to believe God will work it out: God will always work out all circumstances for the eternal good of those who love Him.

Dear God, help me trust You when I feel uncertain. May I rest in the truth that You are intimately concerned about me. Grant me peace as I wait for You to work out the difficult circumstances in my life. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

The Source of Our Adversity..Dr. Charles Stanley

 The Source of Our Adversity

Dr. Charles Stanley

Isaiah 45:5-10

When we experience hardships, we usually wonder why God allows these painful situations to come our way. It just doesn't seem to fit with His role as our loving heavenly Father. We struggle to reconcile our suffering with His love for us and His power to prevent or stop it. In order to understand what's going on, we need to consider the possible sources of adversity.

A Fallen World: When sin entered the world, suffering came with it. God could have protected us from these harmful effects by making us like puppets who could not choose sin, but that would mean we'd also be unable to choose to love Him, because love must be voluntary.

Our Own Doing: Sometimes we get ourselves into trouble with our foolish or sinful choices. If the Lord stepped in and rescued us from every negative consequence, we'd never grow into mature believers.

Satanic Attack: The Devil is our enemy. To hinder anything the Lord wants to do in and through believers, Satan will never cease to harass us. His goal is to destroy our lives and our testimonies, thereby making us weak and useless for God's purposes.

God's Sovereignty: Ultimately, the Lord is in charge of all adversity that comes our way. To deny His involvement contradicts His power and sovereignty over creation.

For us to accept that God allows--or even sends--afflictions, we must see adversity from His perspective. Is your focus on the pain of your experience or on the Lord and His faithfulness? As believers, we're assured that no adversity comes our way unless He can use it to achieve His good purposes.

What Does it Mean to Be Fearfully and Wonderfully Made?..Jennifer Heeren

 BIBLE VERSE OF THE DAY: “So, God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God, he created them; male and female he created them.” (Genesis 1:27)

What Does it Mean to Be Fearfully and Wonderfully Made?
By: Jennifer Heeren

The human body is a unique design of multiple systems that all work intricately together. The cardiovascular system gives you energy to move. The muscular system gives you the ability to move, lift, and hold things. The digestive system processes food into energy and discards waste. The immune system keeps you healthy. The hormonal system determines your gender. The eyes cause you to see. The nose lets you smell. The tongue and mouth let you eat and taste. The ears enable you to hear. And your skin enables you to feel textures. You were also blessed with a brain so you can think, process, and create.

God created you on purpose with love.

You were made with a hole in the center of your soul that only one thing fits. Until you find that very specific something, you will never be fulfilled. And that very specific something is God Himself. You were designed with an intense need of your Creator, God. Without a relationship with Him, you will always be searching for something to fill that void.

Drugs, alcohol, food, money, sex, material goods, occupations, hobbies, travel, success, fame—these are some of the ways in which we try to fill that empty space inside. But none of those things will ever fill it. They are like round pegs in square holes. The vacant areas at the edges will still leave you desiring more of something else. Whatever you attempt to put in there will dissipate because it never completely fills the space. Those things were never meant to fill the space; they never can.

Sadly, many continue to shove mismatched pegs into that hole. A little of this, a little of that… hoping that one day they will feel complete. They surmise that this thing over here didn’t work but maybe this other thing will do it. They just haven’t found the right thing yet but one day they hope they will.

People want to look to everyone and everything else before they turn to God.

Fortunately, God made a way for us to repent and turn to Him by sending His very own Son to make the way.

When you do finally realize that without God you are unable to make the most of yourself, that’s when things begin to change. The clay cannot mold itself no matter how hard it tries. However, God, the Potter, can not only mold His clay but He also knows what His original design of you was. He is both a Potter and an Architect with a Master Plan.

Do I always feel like I am fearfully and wonderfully made? No. Sin and pride always want to drag me back into my own way of thinking. The same thinking that kept me reaching for those mismatched pegs. Those thoughts tell me that I can do whatever I want, by myself, without God. They lie and they don’t even make sense. They say I can do anything but then turn around and say that I’m not good enough to do what I want to do. Feelings can’t be trusted unless they line up with the Word of God. And the Word of God tells me that I’m fearfully and wonderfully made for a specific purpose. Therefore, with God’s help, I will walk in that purpose as often as I can.

Whether I always feel it or not, I can trust God and His plans for my very life.

“For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” (Ephesians 2:10)

A Prayer to Return to God..Tiffany Thibault

 A Prayer to Return to God

By Tiffany Thibault

“For the Lord your God is gracious and merciful and will not turn His face from you, if you return to Him.” -  2 Chronicles 30:9b

The Bible is filled with promises that we can cling to for every single situation that we encounter in our lives. Though written thousands of years ago, its message is still pertinent for the modern crazy times that we are currently living in. The words of today's Bible verse were spoken to the nation of Israel by King Hezekiah. This verse states that the Lord is our God. It tells us that He is gracious and merciful and then the verse promises that He won’t turn away from us. This message of truth is timeless. It encouraged the nation of Israel to turn back to God, and for us today, the message exhorts us to do the same. 

Let's look at each of the promises that this verse gives about God. This verse says that God is gracious. This means that He looks on you with favor, with delight. He values you and He treasures you. The realization of this should fill your hearts and minds with incredible joy!

Another promise in this verse says that God is merciful. This means that He withholds His judgment from you, the pain that you so deserve for your sins. Instead He hears your prayers. He forgives you, comforts you, heals you, and truly cares about the things that cause you stress in your lives. 

The next phrase in this verse says that He will not turn His face from you. When God turns His face from you, it means that you are in a place of spiritual darkness, separated from the presence of God. Jesus felt this when He hung on the cross and in despair cried out: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46) Spiritual darkness is not a place that you want to be. Your sin causes that separation from God. Instead, long to have the face of God looking at you, showing His favor toward you, and having His presence with you. 

These three phrases are incredible promises about God, but how do you receive God’s graciousness, mercy and His keeping His eyes on you? Due to their sin, the Israelites had walked away from following God. They had to be reminded by a godly king, of who God is and what He could be to them. To have those three promises be true in your life, you must focus on what you can do. That answer is found in the next five words: “if you return to Him.” 

“If you return to Him.” As you look at your spiritual walk, your time spent in studying the Bible, your time in prayer, your attitudes, your habits, your personal choices - where are the areas that you need to return to God in? What are the things that are keeping you from knowing and following God more? The ones that immediately come to mind are the very areas that God is wanting you to leave behind as you return to Him today. 

Begin to view your leaving those things behind not as a sacrifice, or as a loss, but as a returning to the Lord. Your obedience to God in this will place you in a position of greater understanding of how God is being gracious and merciful to you. Your eyes will be opened to see how He is turning His face toward you in love. Returning to the Lord with ALL your heart, soul and strength should be the focus and desire for every moment of your lives (Matthew 22:37).

For the Lord your God is gracious and merciful and will not turn His face from you, 

if you return to Him. Cling to these words of promise and blessing as you walk into each of the circumstances you face today. 

Let’s pray:

Dear Lord,
Thank you for being gracious and merciful to me. Thank you for the promise that you will not turn your face from me if I return to you. Forgive me Lord for allowing other things to take priority and for taking my focus off you. Help me Lord to obey your commands, to choose your way every time. Let me Lord not be swayed by the choices of those around me, but to keep my eyes always on you. In your name I pray, Amen.

Becoming a Giant..Christopher Eyte

 Becoming a Giant

By Christopher Eyte

“And there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; and this man was righteous and devout, looking forward to the consolation of Israel; and the Holy Spirit was upon him. And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. And he came by the Spirit into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to carry out for Him the custom of the Law, then he took Him in his arms, and blessed God, and said,

‘Now, Lord, You are letting Your bond-servant depart in peace,
According to Your word; For my eyes have seen Your salvation,
Which You have prepared in the presence of all the peoples:
A light for revelation for the Gentiles,
And the glory of Your people Israel.’

And His father and mother were amazed at the things which were being said about Him. And Simeon blessed them and said to His mother Mary, “Behold, this Child is appointed for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and as a sign to be opposed— and a sword will pierce your own soul—to the end that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.” - Luke 2:25-35, NASB

The power of the spoken word changes lives: ‘death and life are in the power of the tongue’ (Proverbs 18:21) and that is what we see in today’s reading. Simeon’s prophecy helps to guide the future of this very special family. Surely most of us can recall such a moment too when a friend or church leader has spoken direction into our personal situation. We need to be encouraged and then to encourage others.

Jesus once gave a surprising ‘word’ to his disciples. He told them to ‘change and become like little children’ (Matthew 18:3). Even when we’re in our older years, God still wants us to adopt the simple nature of a child. Why? Wisdom lives in the joy of children. That’s why I try to listen carefully when my own children speak to me. There is a Godly power inherent in their words. There was a particular day, a few years ago, when I looked at myself in the mirror and discovered gray hairs in my hair for the first time. It was a shock - and I felt sorry for myself! Later that afternoon, as I walked with my little daughter, she looked up at me suddenly, and said: ‘You’re getting older. One day, you’ll be a giant’.

Simeon was at that point of metamorphosis in the temple. We don’t know much about his private life and no doubt he had personal struggles, but he’d gotten older and now reached the end of his life on Earth. Yet this joyful man, his heart full of the Holy Spirit, was still positively embracing the future. In a sense, he wanted to become a giant. To attain the next level in his relationship with God - for his ‘earthly tent’ to become an ‘eternal house’ (2 Corinthians 5:1).

We become giants through knowing the living God who resurrects the dead. Simeon understood that. Children (such as my daughter) understand that. It’s simple. And it took the appearance of a child - the Christ Child - to make that truth evident. We can all feel small and helpless at times, especially in the face of getting older and enduring health problems. How can we reach God in our pains and struggles? We don’t reach him. He reaches us. That’s why Simeon walked with the Holy Spirit into the temple of Jerusalem that day. He understood that Jesus was literally the embodiment of God reaching us. This childlike man had built a daily relationship with his creator, to the extent that his greatest fear wasn’t death - but not seeing the Christ!

Then it happened. Picture it in your mind: Simeon walks into the temple. He senses the leading of the Holy Spirit. Perhaps there are many people there and his eyes scan the crowds. Maybe he hears the baby cry and turns his head. And then he finds himself looking directly at the Creator. There, right in front of him! The little boy who was going to change everything. The Child who later called the world to be child-like and follow Him. The King of Kings who would bring death to Death - forgiving sins. Simeon’s soul surely quaked at the sight of the Son of God! We are told he enfolded the Messiah in his arms and blessed him. A man blessing God! What a thought.

Simeon became so full of life at finding Jesus, that he was ready to bid farewell to his earthly state! He found his home in the Messiah. That is the effect of the reality of Christ! Jesus personifies God’s embracing of us. He reaches and interrupts our insecurities. If you struggle to accept positive words today - become like a child and hear the Word of God. He is for you and not against you. Because of the Lord, everything will work out well in the end. Yes, you are getting older. One day, you’ll be a giant.

Intersecting Faith and Life:
Are you building your relationship with God? Do you talk with him every day? How do you avoid distractions - to listen to Him? Do you really understand this is real - Jesus loves you? How do you share that love with others?

Further reading:

• Matthew 18:1-5
• Philippians 1:20-26
• 1 Corinthians 2
• John 11:25
• Romans 8:23