Life in Hope..Craig Denison Ministries

 Life in Hope

Craig Denison Ministries

Weekly Overview:

As children of God, we have been given a new home and a new hope. May your heart be set aflame by the joy and purpose of living out God’s command to live for heaven this week: “If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.” >Colossians 3:1-4

Scripture:“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.” - Romans 15:13

Devotional:

The world is a fearful and unsatisfying place without the hope of eternal life with Jesus. Apart from the expectation that comes from the hope of heaven, our world is without cause for peace, celebration, or joy. There is life in hope. There is joy in hope. There is purpose in hope. Hope is to be at the foundation of all our decisions, emotions, and pursuits. Hope fills us with joy in the midst of trial and perseverance in the midst of failure. Hope guides us to abundant life.

Romans 8:24-25 says, “For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.” We have the promise of eternal life in perfect, unveiled relationship with our Creator and Sustainer. The King of kings and Lord of lords waits patiently for the final redemption and restoration of all things (Revelation 21:1). He longs for the day when all pain, tears, disappointment, separation, and sin will end for good (Revelation 21:4). And he longs to fill us with the same hope and expectation he has within himself.

Romans 15:13 says, “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.” Our heavenly Father longs to make us a people of hope. He longs for his followers to live a lifestyle that declares to the world, “This life is not all there is.” He longs to fill us with a heavenly perspective that we might throw off pursuits of worldly pleasure and live for eternity with him.

Jesus said in Matthew 6:19-21, “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” The hope of eternal life with our Father is to be the guiding light set ever before us. Where have you set your hope? Where do the treasures of your heart lie? Placing our hope in heaven secures the treasures of our hearts with our heavenly Father for all of eternity. In contrast, when we treasure the things of the world, that which we accumulate will pass away as quickly as it came.

Take time in guided prayer to allow the Lord to fill you with a fresh hope for the age that is to come. Allow your perspectives to shift in light of the glory of an eternity spent in total communion with the Creator. May the hope of heaven guide you to a lifestyle of storing up your treasures, and therefore your heart, with your heavenly Father.

Guided Prayer:

1. Meditate on importance of hope. Allow Scripture to shift your perspectives and pursuits to living for heaven.

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” - Jeremiah 29:11

“The hope of the righteous brings joy, but the expectation of the wicked will perish.” - Proverbs 10:28

2. Where have you placed your hope in the things of the world? What have you been looking to in order to satisfy your longings that is fleeting and temporary?

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” >Matthew 6:19-21

3. Ask the Lord to help you place your hope in heaven alone. Choose to live your life for your heavenly Father instead of seeking worldly success and satisfaction. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you ways in which you can rid yourself of the world and receive the hope of heaven.

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” >John 10:10

May Romans 5:2-5 be your anthem of hope today:

Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

Extended Reading: Matthew 6

God Is the Potter, We Are the Clay..Bible Pathways

 God Is the Potter, We Are the Clay

By Bible Pathways

BIBLE VERSE OF THE DAY: But now, O LORD, Thou art our Father; we are the clay, and Thou our Potter; and we all are the work of Thy hand - Isaiah 64:8.

This verse and others like it are used often by preachers and teachers. Many love to use the thought of God being the Potter and we, His creation, being the clay. They love to speak on how God can give us a fresh start in life as He remolds us into a new vessel. The old vessel with its flaws and imperfections is cast into something new and better.

There is nothing wrong with this line of thought. It is a fine message that often draws people into a closer walk with Jesus Christ. The old becoming new is a very popular theme in the Word of God. No man putteth a piece of new cloth unto an old garment, for that which is put in to fill it up taketh from the garment, and the rent is made worse. Neither do men put new wine into old bottles: else the bottles break, and the wine runneth out, and the bottles perish: but they put new wine into new bottles, and both are preserved (Matt. 9:16-17).

At this time though, let us look at another part of this verse. There are times when part of something becomes so popular that other parts are sometimes overlooked or even forgotten. The part of the verse that we wish to examine is Thou art our Father.

No one knows our fundamental human needs better than God; He knows our needs for things like hope, love and peace. How can we better trust in God to meet those needs? The first step is to acknowledge the fact that God is our heavenly Father.

Notice, God identifies Himself as a Father to us. That should say a lot to us as to how He feels. This is how He chose to characterize His relationship to us. It’s not just a descriptive term used by preachers or theologians. God chose Fatherhood from all possible human relationships. There was something significant that God wanted to communicate by His choice of this title.

The thing that God was trying to communicate was that He wanted our dependence to be on Him. He desired to show that there is no one who loves us more, or in whom we should place more trust, than Him. God is the perfect example of what a father should be.

Earthly fathers have the perfect model to follow. They have the Word of God revealing God's character to mankind. This should serve as a manual on how to interact with their children. Everything a person needs to know about fatherhood is right there in the Bible. You need to learn how to teach the difference between right and wrong. The Word of God can help. If you need help regarding discipline, the Bible has lots to say on the subject. Many fathers do not use God as a role model, and their children suffer because of it. God is the only Father they know.

God is our heavenly Father. He should receive the greatest of praise for taking on this role in our lives.

A Prayer for Trust..Emma Danzey

 A Prayer for Trust

By Emma Danzey

Psalm 56:3-4 says, “When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise— in God I trust and am not afraid. What can mere mortals do to me.”

So many of us long to grow in our trust in the Lord. It does not always come easily to us. When difficulties and unknowns surround us, our minds can race, and our hearts can pound. However, there is peace waiting for us at all times found in the Holy Spirit. One of the fruits that He offers in our lives is peace. When we are afraid, we are invited to put our trust in God. Notice the action word put. We don’t simply trust, we have to actively choose to trust. We have to fight to make a decision to rely on Him and not ourselves.

We see the Psalmist act on this in that he trusts in God and is not afraid. He reminds himself what people can do to him, we too, are welcomed into this lifestyle of full trust in the Lord. It is not always easy, but it is worth praying for and asking for this kind of confidence in our God, who is more than worthy of our trust.

Let's Pray:

Dear Lord,
So often, I turn to fear and anxiety quicker than I turn to You. Help me to be active in placing my trust in You. You are sovereign and in control of all. You have said that You will keep those who trust in You in perfect peace. (Isaiah 26:3-4) You have said that the person who trusts in you is blessed. (Psalm 40:4) You have promised that you will make my path straight when I trust in You with all my heart and do not depend on my understanding. (Proverbs 3:5-6)

Enable me today to hear from You. Speak words of peace to me. Remind me that You are in control and You love me so much. Help me to see You at work even in the challenges in life. Remind me that You will work all things together for my good and Your glory. Show me how You are Perfect Love and that You cast out fear. (1 John 4:18) God, remove any anxious way in me, redirect my thoughts and help me to take lies from the enemy captive, and show me Your strength when I feel weakened by my flesh and the enemy.

Thank you for reminding me in Luke 12:24, “Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds!” Even the most wandering of birds are not forsaken by You. You have everything in the safety of Your hands. You care so much more for me than flowers and birds. I am made in Your image. I am Your child. Help me to go to You for everything. Whether the smallest concern or the largest worry, I place it into Your care.

Thank You for not allowing me to sit in anxiety and fear. Thank You for pushing me out of my comfort zone to trust You and holding my hand as You lead me on narrow paths. Remind me that You are always with me when I feel afraid. Give me the boldness to take steps of faith and not cower in fear. You have “not given me a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.” (2 Timothy 1:7) Remind me who I am in You today and each day. Enable me to put on Your armor and to live victoriously because Jesus, you already won the battle. Remind me that I am a champion with You. When I feel weak or unable to be brave, show me how You have already been brave for me, and I get to walk in that victory with my Savior.

I praise You for being compassionate and kind. Thank You for loving me and being with me through everything always. I pray that I will grow each day in my trust in my more than capable God. Amen.

Witnessing in a World Like Ours..Michael A. Milton, PhD

 Witnessing in a World Like Ours

By Michael A. Milton, PhD

And as he reclined at table in his house, many tax collectors and sinners were reclining with Jesus and his disciples, for there were many who followed him. And the scribes of the Pharisees, when they saw that he was eating with sinners and tax collectors, said to his disciples, “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?” And when Jesus heard it, he said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners” (Mark 2:15-17).

Our age is "A Secular Age" as the Canadian philosopher Charles Taylor put it. And it is becoming more so. How do we bear witness to Jesus Christ In a world like ours?

The Bible says that Jesus ate with sinners. Mark 2: 15 tells not only of a suppertime gathering but an obvious feature of Jesus’ ministry: he kept company with scoundrels. Now, this became a problem for Jesus. For in the eyes of the Pharisees, Jesus’ choice of table companions was an endorsement of their sins and, thus, an indictment of Himself. Jesus had a problem with the religious ruling class. They had a problem with Jesus. If you are a paragon of piety which the Pharisees fancied themselves, Jesus just didn't fit. The Lord’s association with “low life” characters cast suspicion on His piety. His dinner parties with undesirables placed Him in the same class as the tax collectors and the sinners. I ask again, "How do you witness," "How do you share Christ" in a world like ours? You certainly can't do it then by retreating from the culture. Nor can you do it by participating in the culture.

Jesus heard the fidgety pharisaical folly and responded, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners” I believe this also left a question hanging over the heads of the Pharisees, “So, boys, which are you?”

This Scripture teaches us that there is a way to follow Jesus into the often dirty, seedier side of town, with a mission to bear witness and with the mission to bring others with you when you walk away, to bring sinners to Christ, and to bring Christ to sinners. How so?

We Are with Them but Not of Them
Well, first of all, I would say in answer to the question "How do we bear witness to those caught up in sin?" that we, like Jesus, are with them, but we are not of them. Jesus did not participate with tax collectors in their stealing or in the other sins that were notorious with His dinner guests. He was with him but he was not of them. Jesus was with sinners in the common things of humanity, like eating and drinking, having supper, and gathering together as a community. He did not retreat from the world. Jesus was with them, but He was not of them. H. Richard Niebuhr’s Christ and Culture is a classic from 1951 that addresses the question, “How do believers relate to worldly culture?” Of the five possible responses, Niebuhr advances the ideal of “Christ transforming culture.” The word "culture" can be theoretical and nonhuman. It is easy to speak about culture rather than people. However, culture is the expression of everyday life by human beings gathered in a given community. People like you and me. People like the tax collectors and prostitutes and rabble-rousers in Jesus’s day. Together they are the culture. As Jesus was with them yet not of them. So must we also be.

We Are with Them for Jesus Is for Them
The Pharisees' piety was such that It excluded other people. Their piety was something they (were convinced) had earned, something they had built, something they had cultivated. Their self-serving show of religion was, in a word, a sham. False piety can be weaponized to elevate self by diminishing others. Their piety was merely white-washed tombs. Jesus was with the common people of all backgrounds because He was for them. All of the disciples came out of some sort of quagmire of sinful behavior, doubt, unbelief, or despair. So did we. The Bible says that God sent His only begotten Son into the world to save because the world is already condemned. God is for us.

We Are with Them because We Are with Him
We've got to ask ourselves, "Who are we in the story?" Are we just observers? Pharisees? Or, are we the tax collectors and sinners at the table? The answer is self-evident. We go to those in need of Christ because He came to us. We are not the pious produced by good works. We are sinners saved by grace. God has saved you to share His life with others. Let your light shine, not as a pompous and prideful person of piety but as a sinner saved by grace. In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit Amen.

Intersecting Faith and Life:
The Pharisees weaponized their piety to put others down. How can we reveal our brokenness to lift others to God?

Further Reading:

• John 3
• 2 Corinthians 5
• Hebrews 12