Eternity Right Now..Craig Denison Ministries

 

Eternity Right Now

Craig Denison Ministries

Weekly Overview:

Through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus we have been afforded an opportunity to live an incredibly abundant life here on earth. Our God is nearer, more tangible, and has a greater ability to make his presence known than we’ve yet realized. He longs to make his children more in tune and aware of the depths of his love, guidance, empowerment, and nearness. He longs for our days here on earth to be marked by unveiled communion with him. As we look at what it is to live an abundant life here on earth, I pray that your heart will be awakened to the reality of God’s presence and affection in your life.

Scripture:“He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man's heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end.” Ecclesiastes 3:11

Devotional:

You and I are living in eternity—right now. Eternal life doesn’t start when we take our last breath here. You and I are currently experiencing eternal life in relationship with our Father. C.S. Lewis said in The Weight of Glory, “There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal. Nations, cultures, arts, civilizations—these are mortal, and their life is to ours as the life of a gnat.” Ecclesiastes 3:11 says it this way, “He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man's heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end.”

What does it mean for you and me to live in eternity right now? What would it look like for us to have a perspective that looks past the fleeting and temporal nature of this world to the never-ending line of eternity to which we truly belong?

Having an eternal perspective causes me to live drastically differently. My heart burns to live out of obedience to passages like Matthew 6:19-21 where Jesus teaches, “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 way we live right now impacts our eternity. The way we pursue the things of God impacts what our experience will be like when heaven and earth pass away and God ushers in the new age of true face-to-face communion with him.

The time has come for us to set aside that which entangles us to the fate of this age and live for that which is eternal. The time has come for us to stop seeking fulfillment from that which is fleeting and instead pursue true abundant life here on earth by giving our heart fully to the Father. Galatians 6:8 says, “For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.” Where are you sowing your time, energy, resources, and heart? What treasure have you stored up with your loving, good heavenly Father? What are you doing to impact eternity?

Psalm 102:25-27 says, “Of old you laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. They will perish, but you will remain; they will all wear out like a garment. You will change them like a robe, and they will pass away, but you are the same, and your years have no end.” We worship a God who sees all of eternity at a glance. He dwells within the whole scope of eternity seamlessly and fully. He is the God of your past, present, and future. To give your life to him and his will is to invest in that which will fully satisfy the desires of your heart for all time. The God who has formed you knows that which will make your heart truly happy, and he is calling you to step away from the fulfillment of this age and to pursue wholeheartedly the purposes and plans of his kingdom. May you invest your affections, time, resources, and heart with your loving and kind Father. May you live for eternity and rid yourself of the burden and weight of this world. And may you experience today the abundant life that comes from acknowledging the eternal nature of all you do.

Guided Prayer:

1. Meditate on the eternal destiny to which you belong. Think about what heaven will be like. Allow Scripture to stir up your desire to live for heaven rather than the things of the world.

“Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.” John 5:24

“In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?” John 14:2

“But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city.” Hebrews 11:16

2. Where in your life could you adopt a more eternal perspective? Where are you living for the fleeting and temporal instead of the eternal?

“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. Take time to rest in the presence of the God who dwells in eternity. Allow him to fill you, refresh you, and revive you. Ask him to fill you with a desire to pursue eternity with greater fervor.

“Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out, that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus, whom heaven must receive until the time for restoring all the things about which God spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets long ago.” Acts 3:19-21

May Isaiah 57:15 fill you with praise and wonder for the God you serve and love:

For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: “I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the heart of the contrite.”

Extended Reading: Hebrews 11

When You Feel Like You’re Not Enough..BRENDA BRADFORD OTTINGER

 When You Feel Like You’re Not Enough

BRENDA BRADFORD OTTINGER 

“And Elisha said, ‘Borrow as many empty jars as you can from your friends and neighbors. Then go into your house with your sons and shut the door behind you. Pour olive oil from your flask into the jars, setting each one aside when it is filled.’” 2 Kings 4:3-4 (NLT)

I’m a woman of habit, so every morning, like a playlist on repeat, I make the bed, shower and dash downstairs to the automated grace that brews my cup of caffeine.

One morning, as the water ran low in my single-serve brewer, I thought, Oh, how my weary spirit can relate. I, too, felt like I was running low — low on time, skill and energy to pour into the people and places God had called me to flow into. Perhaps I don’t have enough … or I am not enough to make a difference.

But as I refilled the reservoir on my brewer, pouring water into the tank while the brewer simultaneously splashed tea into my mug, I noticed the water level in the tank remained unchanged. Even though the machine was withdrawing water to fill my cup, the water pouring in restored the water pouring out.

Immediately, my mind chased the biblical story of the widow’s flowing oil jar. A distraught widow approached the prophet Elisha with news that her husband, the household provider, had died, and creditors were looming. The only valuable possession she had left was a flask of olive oil.

“And Elisha said, ‘Borrow as many empty jars as you can from your friends and neighbors. Then go into your house with your sons and shut the door behind you. Pour olive oil from your flask into the jars, setting each one aside when it is filled.’ So she did as she was told. Her sons kept bringing jars to her, and she filled one after another. Soon every container was full to the brim!” (2 Kings 4:3-6a, NLT)

What a wonder it must have been for that widow to pour and pour while the oil level in her meager flask remained unchanged! Yet abundance didn’t flow from her flask until she lifted it up in faith and poured.

The Lord could have commanded Elisha to produce a bounty of oil for this widow in need, yet instead God chose to pour into her jar as she faithfully showed up and poured out. Trusting God, she filled every borrowed jar from her humble vessel, selling the oil to pay off her debts, with enough money left to support her family. (2 Kings 4:7)

Much like that widow assessing the meager resources she had for her family, all too often I can feel that what I have to offer is insufficient. But that morning, God reminded me that my lack is ample means for His measure.

You see, as we lift up the small vessels of our lives in faith, trusting they're more than enough for our big God to use, He pours His abundance into us as we pour it out into the world — just as the Lord poured oil into the widow’s jar while she simultaneously poured out.

Believing our modest offering is enough can sometimes feel unnatural, as it presses us to move beyond comfort and perceptions. That impoverished widow exercised faith when she risked disgrace and discomfort, asking her neighbors for multiple empty jars without having obvious means to fill them. Yet she wasn’t distracted by notions of inadequacy or comparison.

Friend, even when it feels like everyone else has an overflow of all we seemingly lack — when we feel empty of ability, opportunity or means — may our faith inform our feelings, for our God is able!

We need not rely on our own power or perceived enough-ness; rather, let's rightly place our faith in the God who is able to do infinitely more than we can ask or think. (Ephesians 3:20) For when we make ourselves available vessels for Him, He pours His full measure of love into us as we pour out His love into the world.

Dear Lord, thank You for enabling me to be a vessel Your love flows through and for always being enough for every good work You establish. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Accountability Is Scriptural..Dr. Charles Stanley

 Accountability Is Scriptural

Dr. Charles Stanley

James 5:13-16

There are plenty of biblical directives about making ourselves accountable to one another. But for many, the idea of revealing personal information seems restrictive or even an invasion of privacy. Such confession seems a hindrance to the pursuit of pleasure, prosperity, and prestige. Most people prefer to keep to themselves and not involve others in their business.

The Bible, however, makes it clear that Christians are to support each other in this regard: "Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed" (James 5:16).

Accountability in the body of Christ is a biblical principle. Church members take direction from their pastor (Heb. 13:17). Paul tells us to be subject one to another (Eph. 5:21). Yet he was answerable to the church (Acts 14:27), just as Timothy was subordinate to him (1 Tim. 4:13-16). The apostles were certainly under the authority of Jesus (Luke 10), even as Jesus was subject to the Father (John 8:28-29). Of course, the Bible tells us that the whole church is obedient to the Lord Jesus Christ (Eph. 5:24). Regardless of one's position, everybody is accountable to somebody. And this holds true for the entire family of faith--from the congregation to the ministers to Jesus Himself, who served God the Father.

People avoid accountability for various reasons, including pride, ignorance, fear, and self-reliance. This is a dangerous approach to life. Our Enemy knows our weaknesses and how to exploit them. But we can prevail with the support of friends. There is strength in the body of Christ.

What is the Fruit of the Spirit and How Do I Grow It?..Nylse Esahc

 What is the Fruit of the Spirit and How Do I Grow It?

By Nylse Esahc

BIBLE VERSE OF THE DAY: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” – Galatians 5:22-33

The Fruit of the Spirit is comprised of love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). It’s like a rubber band ball tightly woven together, each band interconnected.

The only way to produce the Fruit of the Spirit is to have the Holy Spirit in you. This initial step happens when we believe (Ephesians 1:13-14). If a person does not have the Holy Spirit, she doesn’t belong to Christ (Romans 8:9), therefore making it impossible to grow the fruit of the Spirit in her life. So we receive the Holy Spirit at the moment of salvation, when we make a conscious decision to follow Christ and let Him be the Lord of our lives.

As with any fruit, we won’t see it and enjoy it right away. We won’t see evidence of the Fruit of the Spirit in our lives the second we surrender our lives to Christ. A fruit starts from a seed and that seed contains everything for the plant to begin and produce more fruit. In order for a tree to yield fruit it goes through a cycle where it must be planted in good soil, it must be nurtured, it must have a light source; it must be watered until it reaches maturity. The fruit is initially a seed, then a seedling, then a sprout, until it’s a fruit (ripe for picking!)

Just like in nature, our spiritual growth takes time. Just like seeds, we must be planted in good soil, nurtured, watered. We must begin the lifelong work of submitting all of our life under God’s authority. We grow in knowledge of God through his Word, and grow our love of God through knowing him and obeying him. We come into spiritual community and grow under the learning of other believers. We renounce old sin tendencies and through the power of Christ’s strength, learn to walk in obedience. We die to our old selves and put on our new selves in Christ Jesus.

Because the Holy Spirit is a gift to believers, He gives us the power to live fruitful lives. Christianity is not a rules-based religion. Our growth is not gained based on how much good we do, but it’s an outpouring of a relationship with a living God that forces and encourages us to live better; to aspire to be like Him; to be Holy as He is holy. Growing the fruit of the Spirit in our lives is evidence of these internal changes. When we nurture our relationship with God, we have access to the Son, and we water our lives with his Word.

Growing the fruit of the Spirit is like growing a muscle. The muscle is already a part of us but we have to choose to use it if we want to see any growth. We have to exercise faith and believe that we have everything we need for growth. Our growth will make us more compassionate, more empathetic, kinder, more joyful, more peaceful, and gentler, with the common strand of love. As we choose to mature, we will see evidence of this growth and the impact it makes on others. Growing the fruit of the Spirit relies on the Holy Spirit producing His fruit in us, with the Holy Spirit's power making changes in our lives day by day.

A Prayer for Timing..Meg Bucher

 A Prayer for Timing

By Meg Bucher

“He replied, “The Father alone has the authority to set those dates and times, and they are not for you to know. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” - Acts 1:7-8 NLT

There are a million reasons I would like to race into the future and see what my daughters are going to do with their lives so I know how best to prepare them for it. It would be nice if we had a time machine to see when relationships would work and when we need to prepare for the fallout of heartbreak. It’s difficult to open ourselves up to the possibility of friendship when we have no idea if it will work out long-term for us. We are always searching for a guarantee in life.

Luke recorded the verses above to remind the disciples God holds the authority over all dates and times. “They are not for you to know,” he wrote! “Like other Jews, the disciples chafed under their Roman rulers. They wanted Jesus to free Israel from Roman power and then become their king,” The Life Application Bible explains, “Jesus replied that God the Father sets the timetable for all events- worldwide, national, and personal. If you want changes that God hasn’t yet made, don’t become impatient. Instead, trust His timetable.”

Father,
Today we are reminded by Luke’s recording in the book of Acts, You alone have the authority over the timetable of our lives, and it is not for us to know. But, oh, God! How we long to see around the next corner and into a new season in our lives. We desperately want to fix things and know they will be ok. We long to fix people and know they will be ok! 

You are clear, Father, in your directives for our lives: we will be Your witnesses, telling people about Christ Jesus everywhere! And You supply us with the power of the Holy Spirit to walk out Your will in our lives. 

So, Father, although we cannot have the answers we want to see, we can hold on to the promise that Your plan for our lives is good. To the ends of the earth, we are to proclaim Your name and live our everyday lives to bring glory to Your name. Father, when our daily trials and tribulations are difficult to put at bay, snap our attention and re-focus our thoughts on You and Your purpose for each day of our lives. 

This is the day YOU have made. Help us to rejoice and be glad in it. Not when it’s over …not when it goes the way we wanted it to …but IN IT. Help us to rejoice and be glad, Father. We all spend way too much time frustrated over things we cannot change, cannot foresee, and we never meant to ponder on or provide solutions to. Let us be faithful to look to You in all things, on all days, and know the authority is Yours and Yours alone. 

Let us be sure of the direction You are leading us every day, God, and faithful to follow Your steps. Bless our day today, and let Your will reign over our lives.
In Jesus’ Name, we pray,
Amen. 

Living Free from the Fear of Death..Lynette Kittle

 Living Free from the Fear of Death

By Lynette Kittle

“For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain”--Philippians 1:21

The world has been gripped by the fear of death, so much so that many believers have gotten caught up in it, isolating themselves from fellow believers and even close family members. Yet, 2 Timothy 1:7 explains, “For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.” Sadly, many have embraced the imposed restrictions and guidelines, incorporating them into their beliefs and way of life. Instead of going out into the world to preach the gospel, many have been paralyzed by fear, preventing them from reaching out to a lost world.

Now Is the Time
But rather than hiding away, now is the time for the Church to shine, to walk in the confidence of the truth of God’s Word, that the fear of death is no longer a ruler in the life of believers. The Church has been given the opportunity to share the life Christ gives us with a world being held hostage by the terror of dying. Although sadly, people are passing away, the truth is since sin entered the world, people have been dying every day from all kinds of sicknesses, diseases, conditions, accidents, natural disasters, and violence.

As a hospice chaplain, my husband works daily with those who are passing from this life because death has been present in our world since the fall of mankind. So, although nothing new, it no longer has the power to be victorious in the lives of believers in Jesus Christ.

2 Timothy 1:10, explains, “But it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the Gospel.”

As well, Revelation 12:11 reveals, being unafraid of death defeats the enemy and brings victory into our lives. “They triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death.”

Crossing Over
Although no one wants to suffer or die, being afraid to the point of living in fear is to live in unbelief of what Jesus has promised us. Although death appears to take our life from us, as believers, we are assured it cannot touch the everlasting life God gives us. “Very truly I tell you, whoever obeys My word will never see death” (John 8:51). As Christians, we will pass from life to life. “Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes Him who sent Me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life” (John 5:24).

At the cross and through the His resurrection, Jesus swallowed up death forever, and we now have the assurance that we will pass from life to life, as “Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in Me will live, even though they die’” (John 11:25).

Living Fear Free
Because we believe God’s Word as truth, rather than living fearfully behind closed doors and seeing other people as life-threatening, we as Christians have a calling to share the new and everlasting life God has given us, a life free from the fear of death. Even though believers in Jesus Christ do not need to fear death, there is a world of lost people, individuals who don’t know God. Because they have not received the gift of Salvation through Jesus Christ, their fear of dying is very valid. 

As Christians, while we have nothing to fear and everything to gain in death, non-Christians have everything to lose, including their eternal soul. Unlike most people believe, God is not sending people to eternal death, but sadly, by rejecting Jesus and His gift of eternal life, they are choosing it for themselves. When those who reject Jesus Christ die in their spiritually dead condition, they pass from physical death to eternal death.

As John 3:36 explains, “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them.” 

Intersecting Faith and Life:
Because Christians have no need to fear death, we have the opportunity to share with family, friends, neighbors, co-workers, and even strangers how they can live fear free, too, and pass from life to life.