Inexpressible Joy..Craig Denison Ministries

 Inexpressible Joy

Craig Denison Ministries

Weekly Overview:

As children of the Most High God, we are to be marked by contagious, unceasing joy. Through the Holy Spirit we have access to an unending supply of joy that comes from the wellspring of restored relationship with our heavenly Father. God longs to fill us with his joy that we might live the abundant life Jesus died to give us. He longs to make us children fashioned in the image of our Father that we might share his unending joy to a world without hope. May you discover the greater portion of joy available to you through the Spirit as you encounter the heart of your Father this week.

Scripture:“Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.” - 1 Peter 1:8-9

Devotional:

1 Peter 1:8-9 fills my heart with a longing to rejoice in ways that move the heart of my heavenly Father. That scripture says, “Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.” What does it look like to rejoice with joy that is “inexpressible and filled with glory?” What would it be like to have our hearts so filled with praise that our lips can’t articulate the overwhelming goodness of God?

In the famous hymn, The Love of God, Frederick M. Lehman wrote, “The love of God is greater far than tongue or pen can ever tell; it goes beyond the highest star, and reaches to the lowest hell.” We are designed to be continually awed by the wondrous works of our heavenly Father. So great is his love for us that all the ink and paper in the world couldn’t adequately describe the depths of his mercies toward his children. So infinite is his nature that the fastest vessel could never reach the ends of his heart. And so powerful is his affection that we as his children will never be able to stop singing his praise.

Do you feel awed by God today? Is your heart wrapped up in the unfathomable goodness of his grace? Being filled with inexpressible joy is the natural response to seeing how truly good God is in comparison to how truly broken we are. Joy is meant to be the overflow of true, tangible relationship with a God who would lay down his own life solely because he desperately longed for restored relationship with us.

As children of the Most High God, we must take time to allow him to awe us. We must take time to wonder at his amazing works. We are created with an insatiable longing for fascination. We love to ponder on that which we will never fully comprehend. God created the universe as an example of how unfathomable and fascinating he is. Proverbs 25:2 says, “It is the glory of God to conceal things, but the glory of kings is to search things out.” He is a God full of wonderful mystery we were designed to search out. It is our inexpressible joy to spend time with the Creator of galaxies that the human eye will never see and minute details too small to ever behold.

Matthew 13:44 says, “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.” God is worth your life. The fullness of relationship with him is far greater than any possession man could ever attain. The great mystery in all of creation is a mere reflection of the infinite, loving nature of our heavenly Father. Take time today to devote yourself to rejoicing with inexpressible joy at the revelation of how great God is. Allow him to guide you into new and refreshing depths of his love. May you discover today the treasure of restored relationship with your mysterious and fascinating heavenly Father.

Guided Prayer:

1. Meditate on the infinite and wonderful nature of God. Think about his creation and how all of it was created by his word. Reflect on the powerful and loving sacrifice of Jesus. Allow Scripture and the divine nature of God to fill you with fascination and inexpressible joy.

“For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made.” >Romans 1:20

“But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed.” >Isaiah 53:5

“Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.” Psalm 90:2

2. Ask God to guide you into new depths of his heart today. Ask him to show you something about himself you didn’t know. Ask the Holy Spirit to teach you how to search out the incredible mysteries of God.

3. Spend time resting in the presence of your Creator. The Creator of the entire universe is with you right now. The God who formed every mountain, star, and grain of sand loves you and longs to be with you. Allow the incredible goodness of God to overwhelm the tired and dry places of your heart.

Psalm 63:1 says, “O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.” May we be a people who earnestly seek God for the refreshment of our souls. May we discover the still waters of his presence that have the power to replenish that which the world has dried out. May we run to God when we have need, knowing that he is willing and able to supply everything we need and more. And may a fresh revelation of God’s love fill you with inexpressible joy that resounds in everything you do today.

Extended Reading: Psalm 90

How Do We Keep Going When Our Situation Still Looks Hopeless?..LYSA TERKEURST

How Do We Keep Going When Our Situation Still Looks Hopeless?
LYSA TERKEURST 

“‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,’ declares the LORD. ‘As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.’” Isaiah 55:8-9 (NIV) 

I am a planner. A problem-solver. So when I bring my struggles to the Lord in prayer, I also tend to bring my carefully thought-out ideas and suggestions He can choose from.

Here’s what I think will work, Lord. I just need You to sign off on one of these, OK?

But the longer I walk with Him, the more I’m discovering that simply isn’t the way God works. His ways? They aren’t our ways. (Isaiah 55:8-9)

Today, I want to introduce you to an Old Testament friend who has something to teach us about God's ways: Joshua.

In the sixth chapter of the book of Joshua, we find Joshua and the Israelites experiencing a problem of epic proportions. There was a massive wall preventing them from moving forward into their promised land. I’m sure there was no shortage of ideas or opinions on how they should tackle the wall, but God didn’t ask anyone for their opinion. Not even Joshua, Israel's leader.

Instead, God asked for His people's complete and unwavering obedience. Obedience in the face of a battle plan that would make no sense to their rational minds. A plan that actually involved no “battle” whatsoever.

All God wanted them to do was march. For six days straight, they were to march around the walls of Jericho. Then, on the seventh day of marching, they were to end with trumpet blasts and a great shout. God declared this mighty sound would bring the walls down. (Joshua 6:5)

What moves me most about the Israelites’ part in this story isn’t so much their willingness to take that first step of obedience. It’s how they kept taking steps of obedience. Step after step after step. Even though nothing appeared to change … even though there wasn’t a single sign of cracking or crumbling in those massive walls … they kept marching.

What if they’d stopped after day two? Or day three? Or even day six?

Think of all they would have missed. They would have cheated themselves out of certain victory from God.

I don’t say any of this casually — as if it’s easy to keep going with God’s instructions when there’s no evidence of our situation changing. It’s hard to continue marching when we don’t see God move the way we thought He would. It’s sometimes difficult to trust He’s working behind the scenes.

So what do we do when He asks us to move in ways that don’t make sense to us? How do we keep “marching” when the situation still looks hopeless?

We make the same choice the Israelites made. We choose to walk by faith, not by sight. (2 Corinthians 5:7) We take God at His word and hold fiercely to His promises. (Hebrews 10:23)

God had promised Joshua that He would deliver Jericho, its king and its army into Israel's hands. (Joshua 6:2) And that is exactly what He did.

The victory of God's people never hinged on their ability or any of their well-thought-out plans. It was solely dependent on their unwavering obedience offered to a loving and mighty God.

I don’t know what steps of obedience God is currently calling you to take that don’t make sense to you. But let me be the gentle whisper in your ear encouraging you to keep going. Keep trusting. Keep taking step after step after obedient step.

We don’t have to understand the “why” of God’s ways. But we do have to keep choosing to follow them.

Let’s not stop short of our victory with God. He is working things out. He is present. His plan is still good, and He can still be trusted. These are certainties even when life feels so very uncertain.

Lord, I confess that at times my heart feels discouraged when I don’t see immediate results from my steps of obedience. Thank You for reminding me that just because I can’t see You moving doesn’t mean You aren’t. Please help me as I walk by faith, not sight. Day after day. Step by step. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

The New Birth and Baptism..Dr. Charles Stanley

 The New Birth and Baptism

Dr. Charles Stanley

Romans 6:3-10

Jesus commissioned His followers to go and make disciples, "baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit" (Matt. 28:19). As the early church spread the gospel message, baptism would follow a new believer's response of faith. It publicly signified that the individual was now a follower of Jesus.

Metaphors often communicate on a level that words cannot. Baptism is a powerful picture of our salvation experience. Through this act, we proclaim the good news that Jesus died for our sins, was buried, and rose again--and testify that we've welcomed His transforming power into our life.

The Greek word for "baptize" in Scripture is the same term used to describe a cloth dipped in dye--it refers to total change. So by being plunged into the water, we declare that we're choosing to die to our old way of life and are uniting with Christ. Our sin is buried with Him, and its power is conquered through His atoning death on the cross (Rom. 6:14). When we're raised up out of the water, we affirm His resurrection. Baptism is a symbolic way of expressing that just as the Lord conquered death and rose again, we are spiritually resurrected from death into new life. We are "born again" and irrevocably transformed through the power of His Holy Spirit.

In the Bible, the word "believe" isn't a conceptual word describing intellectual agreement alone. It is a word of action. Our belief should never be hidden like a light placed under a bowl (Luke 11:33)--when unbelieving family and friends look at our lives, they need to see the gospel in action.

From Slave to Brother..By: Amanda Idleman

 From Slave to Brother (Philemon 1:15-16)

By: Amanda Idleman

Today’s Bible Verse: Perhaps the reason he was separated from you for a little while was that you might have him back forever— no longer as a slave, but better than a slave, as a dear brother. He is very dear to me but even dearer to you, both as a fellow man and as a brother in the Lord. - Philemon 1:15-16

Philemon is one of the shortest books in the New Testament. Even though it is only one chapter long, there are many highly applicable lessons for our everyday lives from this small book. Paul is the author of this letter. He is writing a personal letter to his friend, Philemon, about a matter that is close to his heart.

In Paul’s letter, he graciously and passionately advocates for Philemon’s former slave Onesimus; a man he met, led to Christ and now considers to be a son. Paul shows care and kindness as he addresses Philemon’s relationship with Onesimus.

This letter is a great example of how we can have difficult conversations in a clear but loving way. Paul never gives social barriers a thought when he talks about these two men of very different backgrounds. He models the truth that we are all equals in the body of Christ. Paul’s letter is an example of how to show Christian love and forgiveness, and how to advocate on the behalf of those who are in need.

Paul was writing to Philemon to express the need for him to show the same love and forgiveness God had shown him to Onesimus. Because Paul and Philemon had a strong personal relationship, Paul’s words would have extra force. Paul saw the genuine work God had done in Philemon’s life (Philemon 1:19) and now he was requesting Philemon to forgive Onesimus and to embrace him as a brother in Christ (Philemon 1:16).

Paul’s words prompt Philemon to transition Onesimus from slave to brother because of their shared faith in Christ. This would have been a big step for someone living in their culture. He was asking Philemon to offer his escaped slave true mercy, love, and forgiveness.

Paul makes the case that slavery did not make Onesimus any less deserving of God’s love. He fully embraces Onesimus as his own brother and fervently advocates on his behalf.

Our sin nature tells us to assign value to people groups based on their station in life. The Bible teaches that God's love and forgiveness is for all people. God desires us to show mercy, walk with humility, and to love justice (Micah 6:8). Paul’s letter encourages Philemon to be humble, just, and merciful in his dealings with Onesimus.

Paul’s love for Onesimus prompts him to act! He works diligently on his behalf to ensure that Onesimus’ relationship is restored with Philemon and that his needs are taken care of. Living a life marked by the love of Christ requires action on our part. We should not stand silent when people we love need our help.

Paul used his relationship with both men as a bridge to help mend the brokenness that had occurred between them. Our advocacy goes much farther when it comes from a place of trust and relationship. Paul was confident his words would be heeded and exceeded by Philemon because he had a strong connection with this man (Philemon 1:21). Whenever possible, our advocacy should be paired with relationships in order to ensure our words are marked by love, understanding, and are able to be received well.

This short letter is filled with so much love, passion, and truth. Paul openly shares his great love and appreciation for both Philemon and Onesimus because he wants to protect the relationship he has with both parties. Paul also sets a strong example with his words on what it means to be a brother or sister in Christ. It means we are all to be embraced as equals no matter our differences. Philemon is a powerful lesson on how we can “speak truth with love” to those we are close with. Paul’s words are full of great truth and great love.

A Prayer to Rely on the Lord..Tiffany Thibault

 A Prayer to Rely on the Lord

By Tiffany Thibault

So this is what the Sovereign Lord says: “See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation; the one who relies on it will never be stricken with panic.” - Isaiah 28:16

Jesus said these words that are still so true and powerful today: “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33) Turn on the news, scroll through social media and everything you see and hear absolutely confirms our Lord's words. Tribulation, hunger, wars, illness, family struggles, and more - the list is endless. Sadly, we often spend too much of our days worried, anxious, stressed, and ultimately worn out from all the things happening around us.

We have this promise that we can remind ourselves of when our heart is not at peace: God is still the Ruler of the universe, and not one little, tiny detail ever escapes His notice. Our Bible verse says that He has laid in Zion - in Heaven - a cornerstone that has been tested and proven to be strong and true. In architecture, the cornerstone is extremely important, and the integrity of the entire building depends upon it. It is the first stone laid, one that is proven to be strong. All other stones in the building are built off of it and depend on it for strength, stability, and endurance. 

The Lord has laid that proven cornerstone in our life, in our faith. That cornerstone is Jesus. He has been tested and proven to be sure, to be strong. He bore all the weight of sin from the entire world on Him as He died for us on the cross. He then rose again, defeating death for us. Jesus being our cornerstone means that as we align our lives and our hearts with Him that we will be sanctified and stable. We can lean on Him for our support, and we will not shift or fall.

Trusting in the Lord to be your cornerstone as you walk through your days anxiety free (even in the midst of all of the stuff that life throws your way) is something that we can all seek the Lord for each and every day. The key to shedding anxiety is to commit to seeking the Lord every day, in every situation, in every moment. No matter what chaos is happening around us in the world, or the trials that you are personally encountering in your life, you can have peace in your heart. You can be free from panic and from the horrible grip of anxiety if your hope is in Jesus. 

Jesus has already overcome the world! He has come to bring you peace in the midst of the problems. Look to Him, seek Him in prayer and through studying the precious words in the Bible. The more we spend time with the Lord, the more that we will find ourselves trusting Him a little more. Moment by moment and day by day, as we pursue more of Jesus, we will find that our anxiety lessens, our peace increases and our relationship with Him is richer. Don’t allow one more day of peace and joy to be stolen from you. 

Let's pray:

Dear Lord,
Thank you for the promises that you give us in your Word. Thank you for saying that I can have peace in my heart. Thank you that I can walk away from anxiety. Help me to keep my eyes on you in the midst of all my difficulties. Help me to trust you more each day. Thank you that you are my cornerstone, that as I lean on you and believe your promises, I can be strong in my faith. You are my God, and I will learn to rest on you today. Draw me close to you as I walk through all of these situations. 

In your name I pray, Jesus,
Amen

If God Is for Us..Lynette Kittle

 If God Is for Us

By Lynette Kittle

“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble”--Psalm 46:1

In a world where looming famines, economic collapse, and ongoing epidemics are dominating daily media reports, fear is being planted and cultivated in record-breaking amounts. The dark scenario is creating a constant panic, distress, and uncertainty among individuals, families, communities, and nations.

Yet as Christians, we’re not to get caught up in the drama but to keep our eyes focused on the One who has promised to never leave us or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5), even in natural disasters, worldwide food crises, wars, and more.

Where Do We Find Safety?
Our family has experienced multiple natural disasters. Not that we look for them, but God has led us to places where they occur. Some might think God wouldn’t do that but going where God leads us is the safest place to be. We’ve been learning through the years that it’s better to have God lead us in where to live than to think we could choose a safer place to reside.

Still, there have been moments of questioning, such as when God relocated us to Hilo, Hawaii, the tsunami capital of the world, near an active volcano. Moving there, I asked Him, “What are you thinking? How could this possibly be a good place to bring our family?” As a mother of four daughters, it seemed risky to take them to an island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, in the center of the “Ring of Fire.”

Finding Yourselves in a Path of Destruction
Although we did make it safely off the island, we then moved to South Florida, where we experienced multiple hurricanes in a row over a short period. Although I believed God had put us in this location, I once again asked God about the path He had chosen for us. But it wasn’t our first harrowing experience in the Sunshine state. The first occurred years earlier when we lived on the Gulf side of Florida. With literally no warning, an uncharacteristic out-of-season hurricane hit the West Coast of Florida with a vengeance. Taking the weather experts by surprise, it was called The No Name Storm of the Century.

During its fury, our Gulf front home was hit with 14-16 foot waves that tore off our hurricane shutters, blew out and shattered our windows, and washed away some of our prized possessions into the sea. Unable to leave during its onslaught, evacuation arrived 12 hours later. As the forceful waves beat on our house, swaying with each thunderous hit, we wondered if our house would stand. Owned by a friend who built churches for a living, we often kidded of it being designed like an ark with its huge wooden beams. Little did we know it would become one for us. Even though built on sand (Matthew 7:25-27), God was gracious to us, and while other residents were being rescued off their roofs by helicopters, our house stood throughout the storm.

Taking Refuge in God
Returning to Florida seemed to resurge emotions from the earlier devastating storm we had experienced, ones I thought had been settled years earlier. Finding myself feeling anxious over the approaching hurricane, I began to look at the root of my fear. Do I really trust God? Do I really believe God is with me in every situation?

As the first hurricane approached, dreadful thoughts of what could happen and what we might have to go through again began to stir up fear within me. Still, Scripture spoke to my heart, reminding me that Jesus tells us to “fear not” (Isaiah 41:10) and how God has not given us a spirit of fear (2 Timothy 1:7).

Likewise, I began recalling all the ways God had been teaching our family over the years, how our safest place is where He has placed us, in His will, sheltered in His perfect peace. Isaiah 26:3 reminds us, “You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in You.” Because fear is rooted in a lack of trust in God, every fearful thought is tied to unbelief. The only way to break it is to choose to reject fear and instead focus on the truth of God’s Word.

God Is with Us
Our experiences have taught me that the outcome of a storm doesn’t determine whether God is with us during it because His word says He is present with us in trouble, and He is our refuge through it (Psalm 46:1-3). In every situation, God is our present help. Whether we come through unscathed or experienced loss, He is with us, and because He is, we don’t have to be afraid.

Intersecting Faith and Life:
Is there currently a situation that has stirred up fear in your heart? If so, focus on God’s promises to never leave you or forsake you, knowing He is faithful to be present in every situation.

The Fountainhead of the Christian life..Michael A. Milton, PhD

 The Fountainhead of the Christian life 

By Michael A. Milton, PhD

Something that is small or obscure does not make it unimportant. Hans Urs Von Balthasar is not a household name even in the Christian Church, and yet he was one of the most thoughtful, If not preeminent theologian of the 20th century He was a Roman Catholic theologian In Northern Europe, which likely explains his obscurity in the evangelical church. However, Love Alone is Credible Is one of those books that I would say "If you had to choose only one book . . ." Ah, that's a difficult choice. But I might take Love Alone is Credible as a possible answer because of the depth of the book and the ingenious simplicity of the answer. The theologian’s great question in his book was this: “What is the ground of Christian thought?" We could also put it this way: “How do we, first, understand the Gospels? How do we come to Jesus Christ?” Or, “What is the fountainhead of the Christian life?”

That Simply Powerful Verse: John 3:16

In John chapter three we have the answer to that question. The answer, far from illusive, is deposited, indeed, revealed, and exposed with glory in one of the most well-known verses in the Bible, If not the most well-known: John 3: 16 "For God so loved the world that he gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life." It is interesting to note that the mighty Mississippi River begins as a trickle, a small spring in the northern part of the American Midwest. From that little spring, that fountainhead, comes forth a great river, a veritable super highway through the great North American continent; carrying goods, and people, food, for people living in the world over. So, it is important even though it's simple. John 3:16 is one of those verses that we think of as simple. That is why our children can memorize it. It's easy. But I would say that it is probably the most profound Truth in all of Scripture, and indeed in all the Christian life.

Most of the really important, things that we say are simple things: "I love you;" "Forgive me." These are simple words that carry the most powerful meaning in human experience. Likewise, the words, "For God so loved the world . . ." . are plain but powerful, and they represent the fountainhead of all of the Christian life. It was not only Hans Urs Von Balthasar who believed that the fullness of the Christian life begins with love, not with intellect, or anything else. The Reformers believed and taught this truth also. For example, we could turn to a Protestant Reformer like John Calvin, known to many only for his exposition of the doctrine of predestination derived from Scripture. However, It was John Calvin who preached in his sermons on the Gospel of John that “From God's love He communicates all of the other blessings.” For Calvin, as with von Balthasar, God's love Is the Fountainhead of the Christian Life. Indeed, the centering point of Christianity, the cross, Is the act, the deed, If you will, that demonstrates the love but it is the love of God that precedes the cross. It is the love of God that precedes the incarnation, the resurrection, the Ascension, the Second Coming, and the New Heaven and the New Earth. And what God says in John 3:16 is that His divine love not only brings about a cosmic response—“the world”— but also a most personal object—“whosoever.”

Before All other theological truths there is this truth of God’s eternal love, mysteriously, gloriously resident in His very Triune Being, and finding its ultimate expression in the Person of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. How beautifully simple and how eternally consequential that all that we know of God begins with this one truth: “God loves you.”

Intersecting Faith and Life:
As a pastor, I have known many believers who struggle with forgiveness. Often these sincere followers of the Lord cannot grasp how forgiveness is applied. I cannot blame them. For the flesh tells us that forgiveness follows our initiative to put things right. But in God’s book, He puts things right for us through His Son, our Savior Jesus Christ. Many Christians can forgive others but cannot receive God’s forgiveness for themselves. It is so common that I suspect many reading my words will feel a pain strike deep in their souls at this sentence. Let that pain take you to prayer and from prayer to praise. The answer to forgiveness in your life is the love of God. Before you were born, God loved you.

In fact, you exist because of the love of God. The love of God holds the universe together. The love of God is the primary force behind every Christian doctrine. Love does not conflict with Law. Love does not restrain His justice. Love merely precedes all of the activities of God. We know God because of His love. We know His Word because of His love. And because the love of God demonstrated in the Gospel of Jesus Christ activated the Incarnation, the Atonement for sin on the Cross, and the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, you can know that He did that because He loves you. And in that love, God is redeeming the world. In that love we can have forgiveness and new life.

Is there anything more powerful than those words, “For God so loved . . .?” What beautiful and bountiful blessings flow forth from the love of God? His love is simply unimaginable, yet true.