The Simple Truth of Freedom..Craig Denison Ministries

 The Simple Truth of Freedom

Craig Denison Ministries

Weekly Overview:

The Christian life is meant to be marked by simplicity. Jesus summed up our purpose with two statements: love God and love people. But in our humanity we have made complex what God designed to be peaceful, purposeful, and simple. A. W. Tozer remarks in The Pursuit of God, “Every age has its own characteristics. Right now we are in an age of religious complexity. The simplicity which is in Christ is rarely found among us. In its stead are programs, methods, organizations and a world of nervous activities which occupy time and attention but can never satisfy the longing of the heart. The shallowness of our inner experience, the hollowness of our worship, and that servile imitation of the world which marks our promotional methods all testify that we in this day, know God only imperfectly, and the peace of God scarcely at all. If we would find God amid all the religious externals, we must first determine to find Him, and then proceed in the way of simplicity.” May we discover the peace and joy that come from pursuing a simple Christianity this week.

Scripture:“Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” 2 Corinthians 3:17

Devotional:

2 Corinthians 3:18 says, “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” Freedom from sin is not something we pay for with our own blood, sweat, and tears. It is not bought by any measure of human strength or will, but by the precious and powerful blood of Jesus Christ. Scripture tells clearly of the pervasive and liberating effects of Jesus’ death for all those who come to believe in him and claim him as Lord. May we be children freed from the bonds of slavery Christ died to set us free from.

Romans 8:1-4 says,

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

With the filling of the Spirit came a new law, a new covenant by which the chains of sin are broken. We are no longer condemned to live under the tyranny of sin, but rather freed to live under the new law of the Spirit. And “where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.”

The simple truth of Scripture in regards to sin is that freedom is ours through Christ Jesus. To experience true freedom from sin is to simply live in light of the powerful infilling of the Holy Spirit and the living and active word of God’s truth about you. Romans 6:6, 18 and 22 say, “We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin . . . . And, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness . . . . Now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life.”

You are a slave of this world no longer. Your past does not define you. The future before you is one of peace, joy, and freedom in the Spirit. God has incredible plans in store for you that far surpass simply overcoming sin. Jesus died to give you abundant life here in which freedom and love are your portion, not habitual sin and destruction.

Renew your mind to the law of the Spirit to which you now belong as you spend time in guided prayer.

Guided Prayer:

1. Meditate on the freedom available to you through the death of Christ and infilling of the Holy Spirit. Allow Scripture to renew your mind and change your perspective on sin and freedom.

“We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin.” Romans 6:6

“Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” 2 Corinthians 3:17

“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.” Romans 8:1-4

2. What sin seems to continually entangle you? What victory do you feel the enemy has over you?

3. Ask the Holy Spirit to fill you with his perspective in regards to your sin. Ask him to show you the path to freedom. View your sin through the lens of Scripture and put it in its proper place.

“And, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness.” Romans 6:18

“But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life.” Romans 6:22

“In the same way we also, when we were children, were enslaved to the elementary principles of the world. But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, ‘Abba! Father!’ So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.” Galatians 4:3-7

James 5:16 says, “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.” The act of confessing our sin to one another is powerful in experiencing the freedom available to us. Everything the devil does is in the shadows and is marked by deception. When we confess our sin, we bring it into the light, expose the lies, and are able to better see the destructive plans of the enemy. It’s in the light that we experience the freedom available to us. May you be filled with courage to expose your sin and walk in the freedom of righteousness today.

Extended Reading: Romans 8

Please Don’t Give Me a Packaged Christian Answer..LYSA TERKEURST

 Please Don’t Give Me a Packaged Christian Answer

LYSA TERKEURST 

“Jesus wept.” John 11:35 (NIV) I love Jesus. I love God. I love His Truth. I love people. But I don’t love packaged Christian answers. Those cliches tie everything up in a nice, neat bow and make life a little too tidy. But there just isn’t anything tidy about some awful and sad and so incredibly evil things that happen in our broken world. And God help me if I think I’m going to make things better by thinking up a clever Christian saying to add to all the dialogue. God certainly doesn’t need people like me — with limited perspectives, limited understanding and limited depth — trying to make sense of things that only make sense to Him. Is there a place for God’s Truth in all this? Absolutely. But we must, must, must let God direct us. In His time. In His way. In His love. And when things are awful, perhaps we should just say, "This is awful.” When things don’t make sense, we can’t shy away from simply saying,“This doesn’t make sense.” There is a difference between a wrong word at the wrong time, and a right word at the right time. When my little sister died a horribly tragic death, it was because a doctor prescribed some medication no child should ever be given. And it set off a chain of events that eventually found my family standing over a pink, rose-draped casket. Weeping. Hurting. Needing time to wrestle with grief and anger and loss. And it infuriated my raw soul when people tried to sweep up the shattered pieces of our lives by saying things like, “Well, God just needed another angel in heaven.” Besides being off base theologically, statements like that took the shards of my grief and twisted them even more deeply into my already broken heart. I understand why they said things like this. They wanted to say something — anything — to make it better. Their compassion compelled them to come close. And I wanted them there. And then I didn’t. Everything was a contradiction. I could be crying hysterically one minute and laughing the next. And then I’d feel so awful for daring to laugh that I wanted to cuss. And then sing a praise song. I wanted to shake my fist at God and then read His Scriptures for hours. There’s just nothing tidy about all that. But the thing I know now that I wish I knew then is that Jesus understands what it is like to deeply feel human emotions like grief and heartbreak. We see this in John 11:32-35 when Jesus received the news His dear friend Lazarus had died: “When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, ‘Lord, if you had been here, my brother [Lazarus] would not have died.’ When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. ‘Where have you laid him?’ he asked. ‘Come and see, Lord,’ they replied. Jesus wept” (NIV). Yes, Jesus wept and mourned with His loved ones in that devastatingly heartbreaking moment. And the fact that He can identify with my pain is so comforting to me. He meets us in our grief. And we can bring the hope He promises and the comfort He supplies when others are grieving too. You want to know the best thing someone said to me in the middle of my grief? I was standing in the midst of all the tears falling down on black dresses and black suits on that gray funeral day. My heels were sinking into the grass. I was staring down at an ant pile. The ants were running like mad around a footprint that had squashed their home. I was wondering if I stood in that pile and let them sting me a million times if maybe that pain would distract me from my soul pain. At least I knew how to soothe physical pain. Suddenly this little pigtailed girl skipped by me and exclaimed, “I hate ants.” And that was hands-down the best thing anyone said that day. She just entered in right where I was. Noticed where I was focused in that moment and just said something basic. Normal. Obvious. Yes, there is a place for a solid Christian answer from well-intentioned friends. Absolutely. But then there’s also a place to weep with a hurting friend from the depths of your soul. A time when there really aren’t any words that can help the pain. May God help us to know the difference. Dear Lord, I know You are the only One who can bring comfort to seemingly impossible situations. Thank You for comforting me in my pain so I can comfort others in their pain. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

The Signs of Drifting..Dr. Charles Stanley

 The Signs of Drifting

Dr. Charles Stanley

Hebrews 2:1-3

Regularly gathering in the house of the Lord with brothers and sisters in Christ provides an "anchor" of support and accountability. But skipping church in order to pursue other interests is an obvious sign that a believer has begun to drift away from God. Less apparent are the men and women who mentally skip the worship service. The act of attending means nothing unless we make a deliberate decision to receive God's Word and apply it to our life. As the writer of Hebrews warned, if we do not pay attention to what we have heard, we will drift away from it (2:1).

However, Sunday morning is not the only time for receiving a steady diet of nourishing principles and encouragement from the Bible. We should be in its pages every day, reading and meditating for ourselves. When our interest in what God has to say decreases, we're already slipping out into troublesome waters. The only way to keep our way pure is by following His Word (Ps. 119:9).

If Bible reading is neglected, a prayer life has usually faded as well. Prayer is the way believers communicate with the Navigator. If we stop talking with Him, the God who once seemed so close soon feels far away. That chasm in our spirit is one more sign that we're far from shore and safety.

I've watched many a captain guide his cruise ship through a narrow channel. The crew members are intensely focused on their tasks because drifting means disaster. Life is full of narrow channels to navigate. We cannot afford to drift away from God and His Word. Only He can bring us safely through.

God Is All About Forgiveness..By: Anne Peterson

 God Is All About Forgiveness (Proverbs 17:9)

By: Anne Peterson

Today’s Bible Verse: Love prospers when a fault is forgiven, but dwelling on it separates close friends. - Proverbs 17:9

The mood is tense. You were caught off guard, and before you know it your first thought is not to keep silent. You are not interested in praying before you respond, so instead, you react. And it’s not good. Has this ever happened to you?

God tells us to be kind and tenderhearted to one another, forgiving each other, just as he forgave us (Ephesians 4:32). I think at times we have a different way of looking at forgiveness.

We sometimes make our decision to forgive based on the amount of hurt we experienced. A small offense is easier to forgive. But when something pierces our hearts, that’s another story. And yet, God tells us we are to forgive as he forgave us. That means we must forgive like he did. Did we deserve forgiveness? No, we didn’t. And yet, Jesus forgave us. We’re supposed to forgive as he did.

I remember a speaker once saying, “if you’re not sure you’ve forgiven someone, just imagine they are approaching you on the sidewalk. Would your heart welcome them, or would you rather cross over to the other side of the street?”

Sometimes we try to fool ourselves into believing we’ve forgiven someone when in reality, we’ve just pushed it out of our minds, or down inside of us. Pushing our emotions down doesn’t help. They will surface, and sometimes it’s not pretty when they do.

When we bottle up our feelings, we don’t get to sort them out nicely and prayerfully. Instead of choosing which words to say and which to hold back, they all push and shove each other, demanding to be heard.

Solomon was wise when he said a soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger (Proverbs 15:1). Our words can be like gasoline on fire. We stand there watching the flames shoot up four feet above us. And while we attempt to justify our actions, God tells us to respond in love and to forgive.

Remember when Joseph was wrongly accused? He still chose to do what was right. And God honored Joseph’s decision. God worked it all together for good (Romans 8:28).

Time is a precious commodity. We can waste it, or we can let God show us how to redeem it. In the case of disagreements, we can be open to God showing us our parts.  We can ask God to soften our hearts as well as the hearts of those we hurt. He is more than willing to do that.

God is for unity, Satan is not. So when we are at odds with someone, the enemy is happy.

What is the answer?  When you are in the heat of a battle, breathe and send up a prayer to the Lord. Ask him to silence any word that will not be for the other person.

Pray that God will show you how you can be more loving.

When we care more about the other person than we do about our own feelings, we are moving in the right direction. God tells us to do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility to consider others better than yourselves (Philippians 2:3).

Whenever we are planning what we will say next, we are focused on ourselves. The thing is, I am not responsible for what the other person says, but I AM responsible for the words that come out of my mouth.

I don’t believe we can truly forgive apart from the Lord. We get in the way too much. We try to justify our own actions. Maybe because we care more about us, or about being right.

If we commit our interactions to God, the Holy Spirit will show us where we need to be more loving, more forgiving. And then we have a choice. Will we choose to hold onto our hurt, to store it away with others? Or will we forgive as we were forgiven? When God forgave us, it was totally.

God will give us grace for our interactions with others because God loves unity. And God is all about forgiveness. He really is.

All Along

The fog is finally lifting, Lord,

some things are getting clear.

And images that once were large

have seemed to disappear.

I feel the pressure lessen,

perhaps I’m getting strong.

And I am not surprised to find

you’ve been here all along.  -Anne Peterson © 2020

A Prayer Against the Temptation of Materialism..Emily Rose Massey

 A Prayer Against the Temptation of Materialism

By Emily Rose Massey

"No temptation has overtaken you except something common to mankind; and God is faithful, so He will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it” (1 Corinthians 10:13, NASB).

The other day, I saw a post on Instagram that said, “I saw it. I liked. I bought it. Now hide it!” Although this graphic was created to make people chuckle, it truly made me sad how much these words speak to how consumed with consumerism we are.

In our current society, you cannot use your phone without being sucked into the black hole of materialism. “Sponsored” posts advertising non-stop on our social media accounts and bloggers who are full-time marketing tools for companies filling up your feed. It seems like you can't really escape it anymore. Do you feel the pull to buy more of what is before your eyes because someone else has it? Click "add to cart" and "check out?"

If you don't need it, why are you buying it? Do you covet what another has? These are questions I have asked myself countless times because the temptation of materialism has been a struggle in my own life. #Targetmademedoit #Influenced have become a reality in my life more often than I care to admit.

You know, it is often a joke among women that we hide our Amazon Prime packages or shopping bags from our husbands like it is a secret behavior that all women do that is totally normal. But sister, this is so wrong. And quite frankly, it is a sin. How can we be in unity with our spouse if we are literally hiding something from them? Why do we make jokes about that? Let's call this what it is, and admit we have a problem. This behavior of materialism is rooted in covetousness, and it is not a joking matter to God.

Covetousness is a strong desire to have that which belongs to another. It is considered to be a very grievous offense in Scripture. The tenth commandment forbids coveting anything that belongs to a neighbor, including his house, his wife, his servants, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to him (Exodus 20:17). Jesus listed covetousness or greed along with many of the sins from within in the sermon on the Mount. This graphic on Instagram isn't cute and should reveal to us the matter of our heart. Do you wrestle with impulsively buying things you don't need? I do, too. Big time.

But just because we are tempted by something doesn’t mean we have not been given help to escape. 1 Corinthians 10:13 promises us:

“No temptation has overtaken you except something common to mankind; and God is faithful, [e]so He will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it” (1 Corinthians 10:13, NASB).

The temptation is strong and may seem like it surrounds us at every corner, but God can help us overcome it. He always provides a way out. Let's keep our eyes on that escape and ask the Lord for strength when temptation comes. Let us also learn how to confess when we are tempted and hold each other accountable, sisters.

Let's Pray:

Father,
Materialism and consumerism constantly bombard us. I admit that I have been overtaken by the tidal wave of temptation to buy things that I do not need. Instead of budgeting for items, I have made impulse purchases. I ask You to help me when I face the temptation to buy things that I don’t need or perhaps want because someone else has it. I may be tempted by materialism, but I do not have to act upon it and sin against You. Help me see these things clearly, Father.

I trust that You provide all of my needs. I ask for You to help me steward my finances and help me to be content with what You have given me. Thank You for Your grace to overcome this temptation and for always providing an escape for me.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.

The Songs We Know by Heart..Meg Bucher

 The Songs We Know by Heart

By Meg Bucher

“So you must remain faithful to what you have been taught from the beginning. If you do, you will remain in fellowship with the Son and with the Father. And in this fellowship we enjoy the eternal life He promised us.” - 1 John 2:24-25 NLT

The breeze filled the car and swept the musty smell of the cold winter months away. Warm Spring days carry the promise of the Summer and the warmth it brings to the North. The songs I sing to myself are different in the presence of the warm Summer breeze in our beautiful Northern lake town. Watching the flowers bloom and the lake thaw, people return to prep their summer homes, and the last day of school celebrations begin ushering in new life. 

But, Spring is a liar. Inevitably, the cold will snap back and the snow will fall again on the freshly blooming flowers. Suddenly, the summer soundtrack playing in the background of my daily drive seems a little premature. In the North, we can be mowing the grass one day and the next clearing the driveway of snow. 

The songs we know by heart tend to be seasonal. When the weather breaks in our lives, the praise flows easily out of our hearts and our minds. But, when Spring is a proverbial liar in our lives, and the late snow fights with the early blooming flowers, our tune isn’t always so naturally lighthearted. 

The songs we know by heart say a lot about the state of it. The apostle John wrote to the early Christians, to encourage them not to forget what they knew of Jesus in tight spaces and hard moments of suffering. It’s easy to have faith when things are easy. But it’s when the weather unexpectedly turns in our lives it’s most important to remember the songs we know by heart. “You must remain faithful,” John wrote, “to what you have been taught from the beginning.” Scripture tells us often to have faith like a child. The building blocks of our faith do not change over time. Though the Lord grows and stretches us as we follow Him when life throws confusion in our faces …we are to run to those powerful roots of our faith. 

“If you do,” John wrote, “you will remain in fellowship with the Son and with the Father.” It is through the Holy Spirit in us -from the moment we surrender our lives to Christ Jesus- who helps remind us of the songs we know by heart …the Biblical truths which help us survive storms in life. Storms of suffering, and of attack on our faith in the battle for our hearts. “And in this fellowship we enjoy the eternal life He promised us,” John wrote. 

Fellowship is defined as, “the condition of relation, friendly relationship, companionship, and communion.” (dictionary.com) The NIV translation uses the word remain, which in the original Greek means “to be in a state that begins and continues, yet may or may not end or stop.” (NIV Exhaustive Concordance Dictionary) It’s easy to forget a song we once knew by heart over the course of our lives, but as soon as we play it or hear it again, it comes flooding back. Our fellowship with Christ is based on our willingness to remain in Him. Our salvation is not affected by our lack of effort or over-exertion of it. We will know Him more, as we seek Him more. As we replay the basic building blocks of our faith in our hearts, He expounds upon what we are able to perceive. 

John followed today’s verses with these words: 

“I am writing these things to warn you about those who want to lead you astray. But you have received the Holy Spirit, and he lives with you, so you don’t need anyone to teach you what is true. For the Spirit teaches you everything you need to know, and what he teaches is true- it is not a lie. So, just as he has taught you, remain in fellowship with Christ.” 1 John 2:26-27 NLT

Intersecting Faith and Life:

John was writing to people who were being fed all sorts of different teachings. He encouraged them to stick to the truth about Christ they learned from the beginning. When we follow Christ, we get up every day and put on the armor of God for many reasons, but this is a big one: to protect our hearts and minds from things that are not true. The New Spirit Filled Life Bible explains, “Only the Holy Spirit is able to bring revelation to the human heart.” The Holy Spirit is our Helper, Strengthener, and Counselor. He helps us to sift through the weeds, and through the clamor of the pressures of the world then, and the noises of our society now, be able to hear and recognize the Truth. Reading the Word of God daily ensures we know the Truth by heart. 

God Bless and Glory Up.

Further Reading:

• Romans 12:7
• Ephesians 4:11
• Ephesians 1:17-18
• Philippians 3:16 NLT