Unity in Our God..Craig Denison Ministries

 Unity in Our God

Craig Denison Ministries

Weekly Overview:

We have a great High Priest who constantly intercedes on our behalf. The Son of God and Man loves you more deeply than you can fathom. He prays for you, that you might walk in the abundant life his death affords you. And in John 17 we get a glimpse into the fullness of his desire for all those who would believe in him. As we dive deeply into the riches of Jesus’ High Priestly Prayer this week, may your heart be awakened and your life be transformed by the riches of God’s love.

Scripture:“All mine are yours, and yours are mine, and I am glorified in them.And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me,that they may be one, even as we are one.”John 17:10-11

Devotional:

We were created for unity with fellow believers. It’s in the pursuit of unity that the bonds of selfishness and pride are often broken. It’s in the surrender of opinion and selfish ambition that we find the abundant life that comes through sacrificial living. And most importantly, it’s in unity that Jesus is most glorified.

Jesus says in John 17:10-11, “All mine are yours, and yours are mine, and I am glorified in them. And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one.” Unity between two humans is only truly possible by the working of the Holy Spirit. Apart from God dwelling and transforming man, we will never be able to live sacrificially with any level of consistency. It’s for that reason that Jesus is so glorified through our unity. And it’s for that reason that pursuing unity between believers is of the utmost importance.

What are we declaring to the world when we bicker, slander, and give up on unity with fellow believers? Why would the lost want anything to do with a group of dramatic, hateful, judgmental, and selfish Christians? Christ has charged us with the command to be his hands and feet. He’s commanded us to make disciples. And our ministry is nothing without love. When we pursue our own pride and gain over unity, we are directly disobeying the commandments of Scripture. When we allow strife and pride to place barriers between us, we hurt the cause of Christ to which we are all called.

Scripture is clear in its command to pursue unity. Unity isn’t a suggestion that we don’t have to adhere to because people can be difficult. It’s a command straight from God, and it’s of the highest importance. Ephesians 4:1-3 says, “I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” Romans 12:16 says, “Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight.” And 2 Corinthians 13:11 says, “Finally, brothers, rejoice. Aim for restoration, comfort one another, agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you.”

You are called to be a carrier of peace. The Holy Spirit dwelling within you longs to make you a person who pursues restoration, comfort, agreement, and peace with fellow believers. He longs to fill you with love, honor, patience, and respect for the fellow believers he has placed in your midst. When you feel dissension arise within you, choose to serve your brother or sister out of reverence for God. Choose to pursue peace at all costs. And in doing so you will bring glory to Jesus and declare to the world the wonderful transformation that comes only through salvation in Jesus.

Guided Prayer:

1. Meditate on the importance of unity in the body of believers.

“All mine are yours, and yours are mine, and I am glorified in them.And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me,that they may be one, even as we are one.”John 17:10-11

“I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” Ephesians 4:1-3

“Finally, brothers, rejoice. Aim for restoration, comfort one another, agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you.” 2 Corinthians 13:11

2. What is keeping you from pursuing unity with believers around you? What thoughts or perspectives keep you from loving other Christians well? What work does the Spirit want to do in you today to help you pursue unity?

3. Surrender any pride or negativity that is keeping you from pursuing unity. Ask the Lord to give you the courage to fight for peace and choose a life of sacrifice rather than selfish ambition.

Loving others always has to start with you. You can’t expect others to change before you choose to love them. The Lord doesn’t call us to wait for others to get their lives sorted out before we pursue unity. He’s asking us to choose obedience to him by loving others even when they don’t deserve it. Choose love today and discover the abundant life and purpose within unity between believers.

Extended Reading: Ephesians 4

Prayer’s Path to Wonder..JODI HARRIS

 Prayer’s Path to Wonder

JODI HARRIS

“So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him … when they opened the door and saw him, they were astonished.” Acts 12:5, 16 (NIV)

“Pray now,” I texted my friend group, somewhere between a desperate request and a command.

Halfway across the world, our missionary friends were fleeing their homeland to escape threats and dangers of war. When they arrived at the border city, it was locked down.

Now what?

Days of conflict, closed doors and desperate prayers for God to make a way out had led our friends to this moment at the border. Those of us stateside prayed for God to move on their behalf.

I thought about the Apostle Peter in prison in Acts 12. His situation seemed hopeless. The Apostle James had just been murdered, and Peter was next. As believers prayed in a nearby home, an angel came to Peter, opening locked doors and guiding him out into safety and freedom. (Acts 12:6-10)

I prayed that for my friends: Lord, please provide angels to guide them across the border, right past the armed guards. Together with my 13-year-old son, I asked God to do this miraculous thing.

Moments felt heavy and long.

Then the text came: We made it.

We cheered. We sobbed. Then we sat in awe, amazed at what just happened.

Have you ever prayed a prayer but then were surprised when God answered? Have you prayed in faith, but you never expected Him to answer in the way He did?

There is something astonishing about how God answers prayer, causing us to be taken aback in wonder.

In Acts 12:13-15, the believers were praying all night when suddenly “Peter knocked at the outer entrance, and a servant named Rhoda came to answer the door. When she recognized Peter’s voice, she was so overjoyed she ran back without opening it and exclaimed, ‘Peter is at the door!’ ‘You’re out of your mind,’ they told her. When she kept insisting that it was so, they said, ‘It must be his angel’” (NIV).

It was easier for them to believe it was an angel than Peter himself. Those devoted, first-century Christians in Jerusalem couldn’t believe God had answered their prayers this way. It’s so good to know I’m not the only one who prays passionate prayers and finds herself in awe and wonder when God actually answers.

Our key verses say, “The church was earnestly praying to God for him … when they opened the door and saw him, they were astonished” (Acts 12:5, 16). Awe and wonder.

Wonder is “the rapt attention and deep emotion caused by the sight of something extraordinary.” Isn’t that exactly what it’s like when God answers prayer?

As little children, everything is a wonder. The wings of a butterfly, the tiny cheerio stuck to our finger, the box the refrigerator came in. Jesus says the Kingdom of heaven belongs to little children. (Matthew 19:14) Could it be they have eyes to see His wonders all around? That in their humility of spirit, children are free to delight in God?

Prayer is a path to wonder. Childlike wonder fuels our faith, stirring up our passion to pray and pay attention to what God is doing all around us. When we feel angsty and fidgety as our brains bounce with busyness, may we not miss moments of the miraculous because we don’t take time to notice God’s answers to prayer. Instead, may we chase His wonder in our every day.

Oh Lord, how I want more of the wonder You give when You answer my fervent prayer. Help me listen and look for Your extraordinary in my ordinary. May this wonder connect me more deeply to You and to others, strengthening me to pray with passion. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

God Uses the Wicked..Dr. Charles Stanley

 God Uses the Wicked

Dr. Charles Stanley

Genesis 37

When we don't understand what God is doing or why, His ways can seem perplexing. The times when ungodly people seem to triumph over the righteous make us scratch our heads and wonder why the Lord doesn't intervene. But the truth is, He often uses the wicked to accomplish His purpose.

Joseph faced one hard-hearted individual after another during his years in exile. His brothers shipped him off to Egypt. His boss's wife accused him of an unspeakable crime. And even those he helped, like Pharaoh's cupbearer, forgot about him (Gen. 40:23). The actions (or seeming inactions) of God make little sense at this point.

But once the story of Joseph's life was written in full, it was clear that everyone who harmed or neglected the young man contributed to God's plan. The Lord used numerous people across several years to bring a humbled young Hebrew unexpectedly to power at the right moment to spare his family--who were the Messiah's ancestors--from the effects of famine.

In our circumstances, we can see God's actions only from the limited vantage point of our humanness. We experience the events He has allowed or caused but can't discern what He is thinking. Often the Lord's goals and purposes are hidden from us until His plans come to fruition.

God is sovereign over all the earth. We may wonder at the strange or even terrifying turns our lives take, but we can be certain that He is in control and at work. The wicked may triumph for a season, but the final, eternal victory belongs to Christ and His righteous followers.

 How to Run with Endurance (Hebrews 12:1-2)

By: Betsy St. Amant Haddox

Today's Bible Verse: Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. - Hebrews 12:1-2 (ESV)

I joined Camp Gladiator in February 2020, which consists of group outdoor workouts. Each week of the four-week camp cycle features a different theme, such a HIIT, Strength & Agility, Endurance, etc. The first time that strength week rolled around, I brought my five lb. dumbbells and thought “hey, this is pretty easy.” Well, it was too easy—my trainer immediately told me I needed to upgrade to ten lb. dumbbells. Suddenly, it wasn’t nearly as effortless. Every move I had mastered was now—quite literally—weighed down. The extra weight affected my breathing, my speed, my agility…the works. Now I’m trying to incorporate 15 lbs. into some of the exercises, and I’m really noticing that difference, too.

I can’t help but think of this analogy when reading these verses in Hebrews 12. The author tells us as believers to “lay aside every weight” so that we can “run with endurance.” Running with a 20 lb. sandbag on your shoulder is great for physical training—but what about when it comes to running our spiritual race with the weight of sin draped across our back? Not nearly as productive or helpful!

Your weight today might not be sand, but rather a mixture of regrets, anxiety, and worry. Or maybe you’re staggering under the burden of unforgiveness, grudges, and fear. Or perhaps you’re lugging around lust, greed, and pride. Regardless of the specifics, we all carry the weight of our sin when we forget to confess and take it to the Lord. As Christians, we know (via 1 John 1:9) that He is faithful and just to forgive us from our sins and cleanse us. So why do we choose to stumble around, sweating and struggling, instead of passing it over to Him? Romans 8:1 (ESV) There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

So repent! Put those weights down! Run free and far and fast. Run with endurance, like the “cloud of witnesses” did that have gone before us. We can do that because Christ is seated at the right hand of the Father— the “seated” part signifying that it’s done. Over. Finished. (John 19:30) His completed work on the cross destroyed these weights we still try to carry.

Just like in physical training, spiritual training takes practice if you want to achieve new goals. If your goal is to run with endurance spiritually, then you must do the daily work to build those new habits and persevere. Remember, no one runs a 5K the first time when all they’ve done previously is lay on a couch (there’s an entire exercise program dedicated to bridging that gap!) To build your endurance spiritually, read your Bible daily. Pray. Surround yourself with your current “cloud of witnesses” in your church and encourage each other in the Lord. Get up when you fall. Keep going. You’re not alone—and you’re getting stronger.

A Prayer for a Stronger Faith..Tiffany Thibault

 A Prayer for a Stronger Faith

By Tiffany Thibault

"The Lord is with you while you are with Him. If you seek Him, He will be found by you, but if you forsake Him, He will forsake you." - 2 Chronicles 15:2b

The Lord. He is the creator of the heavens and the earth. He determines the course of the planets and the days of our lives. He designed the water cycle, the rotation of the earth and He still knows how many hairs are on your head at any given moment of any day. The Lord, strong and mighty, who sits on an eternal throne, who one day will have every knee bow before Him, is with you and He is wanting you to seek Him. 

This verse is clear and strong in its message. The Lord is with you while you are with Him. God’s presence in your life is equal to how much you seek Him or allow Him to be your Lord. A car sitting in a garage will go nowhere on its own. It must be turned on, driven and given regular maintenance to give you the best driving experience. The same holds true for your faith. 

We may want the Lord to be with us in all our circumstances, decisions and relationships. Just wanting it though, doesn't mean that it happens. We must seek Him. This does not mean that God is hiding. This simply means that action is required on our part to truly find Him, to know who He is. We can only truly find Him when we are actively seeking the Lord through prayer and spending time in the Bible. 

Our verse continues by giving us two options for our relationship with the Lord. If you seek Him, He will be found by you, but if you forsake Him, He will forsake you. This truth is echoed in Jeremiah 29:13: “You will seek Me and find Me, when you search for me with all your heart.” 

The Lord is a true gentleman. He waits there, while we determine the depth of our faith and the level of our commitment to Him. He longs to have a rich relationship with us, but He allows us to determine how deep and rich that relationship will be. 

How many times have you misplaced your keys or phone? Until I developed a habit of putting the keys or phone back in the same place every time, I wasted countless moments of searching for those items, causing stress over the loss of time, causing me to be late for appointments. In those moments of seeking, I was single focused. I had to find them! The same is true for your faith, as you examine your relationship with the Lord, how single focused are you? How committed are you to seeking Him? Are you committed to daily prayer and Bible study? Are you seeking the Lord more each day? The Lord is there, waiting for you to spend time with Him. Take a few moments right now to seek Him as you meditate on the promise of this verse. Pray to know Him more. Earnestly seek to know Him through reading the Bible. As you continue to seek to know the Lord more, you will find your faith growing and your relationship with the Lord more satisfying. As your faith grows, you will begin to find more wisdom and peace in every situation in your life. 

Let’s pray:

Dear Lord,
Thank you that you are God. Thank you for the promise that this verse gives me. You are with me while I am with you. Today I will seek you for every up and down that comes my way. Today I will turn to you in my every joy and struggle. I will seek your peace and direction in every situation. Lord, please show yourself to me. Please guide me, love me, forgive me. I need you more and more every single day. Increase my faith, my love and my trust in you. 

In your name I pray,
Amen

The Case for the Ugly Coffee Mugs..Lynette Kittle

 The Case for the Ugly Coffee Mugs

By Lynette Kittle

“His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’--Matthew 25:21

Glasses, cups, and mugs pile up pretty fast at our home, so loading up the dishwasher can feel like a forsaken job at times. Although it may sound silly, these piled up dirty dishes can cause someone to start feeling unloved, unappreciated, and uncared for real quick.

Even though dirty dishes are no indicator of being unloved or appreciated, the enemy is relentless in taking opportunities to try and plant those thoughts in our minds, especially if we aren’t aware and alerted to his divisive ways and tactics.

Add to these “poor me” feelings, a husband who insists on bringing home random coffee mugs to add to our mismatched collection. Loading these throw-offs into the dishwasher rack just seems to make it even more of a tiresome chore.

My Plans to Pitch the Mugs
With plans to quietly pitch my husband’s eclectic collection of coffee mugs one at a time, Ephesians 5:24 keeps reminding me, “Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.” But surely "everything" doesn’t include keeping these ugly coffee mugs? Does God really care one way or another? Why would something so insignificant matter to Him?

But in my heart I know God cares about my attitude and how I honor my husband in even the smallest of things, because how I respond to my spouse reflects how I’ll respond to Him. Additionally, Colossians 3:18, is relentless in reminding me, “Wives, submit yourselves to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.”

God Cares about the Condition of My Heart
In the long run I’m sincerely grateful God is concerned about the condition of my heart, and of my willingness or reluctance to yield to Him. Still it doesn’t seem like ugly coffee mugs would be a test in respecting my husband or in obeying Him (Ephesians 5:33). Yet God calls me to be willing to surrender to His will and to be respectful to my husband, even when it comes to his love of tasteless coffee mugs.

Reluctantly, I recognize my hesitation reveals a deeper issue in my own heart, rather than shining a spotlight on my husband’s insistence on bringing ugly mugs home, a practice he knows I dislike. My reaction reveals an unwillingness within me to obey God in the everyday little issues in life, to justify ignoring them because they just don’t seem like they would even matter to Him. 

Likewise my mind struggles with it seeming unfair that I’m the one who is supposed to change my attitude in the situation. What about my likes and dislikes? Shouldn’t my husband care more about my preferences than his own?

Picking and Choosing Obedience
Seeming like such an unimportant issue, it’s easier for me feel like it’s okay to pick and choose whether or not submission to my husband’s preference is required in this situation. It seems like a non-issue, having no relevance in the big picture of life and faith. But yet isn’t that’s where the devil often gets us at times? Situations where we choose to follow worldly misconceptions that tell us, “Don’t sweat the small stuff in life,” rather than paying attention and yielding to biblical truths. 

I’ve come to the conclusion that it is quite possible God is working through my husband’s persistent determination to collect lost coffee mugs, in order to refine me in ways that wouldn’t come through any other way. Even so, I do believe it’s okay for me to pray God will be at work refining my husband, too. For Him to be at work convincing him to take my thoughts into consideration and leave the coffee mugs where he finds them, rather than bringing them home for me to wash.

However when it comes to obeying God’s Word, Luke 16:10 explains how God does look at the ways we handle the small stuff. He considers how trustworthy we are based on very little things and as indication of whether or not we can be trusted with bigger stuff.

Intersecting Faith and Life:
Are you dealing with any “little” issues where you’re resistant to following God’s Word over your own likes and dislikes? If so, ask God to help you. If not, ask God to reveal any areas in your life, ones maybe you’re missing, where you may be following your own will over His will.

Further Reading:
Matthew 25:21; Luke 19:17