Jesus Is the Light.. Craig Denison Ministries

 

Jesus Is the Light

Craig Denison Ministries

Weekly Overview:

We live in the reality that there is both light and darkness around us at all times. This world has both good and evil, right and wrong. As believers we must grow in both our acceptance of this reality and our pursuit of the light. We must allow God to mold and shape us into those who rid ourselves of any darkness, become fully known to God, and allow his light to transform us into reflections of his Son. May the Lord open our eyes to see the glorious light before us this week.

Scripture:“Your sun shall no more go down, nor your moon withdraw itself; for the Lord will be your everlasting light, and your days of mourning shall be ended.” Isaiah 60:20

Devotional:

To live in the light is to center our lives wholly around its only true source: Jesus. Jesus powerfully declares in John 8:12, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” As those committed to following Jesus, we are constantly being led by him into the light. He is constantly beckoning us away from the darkness of this world and calling us to a life centered around him and his kingdom.

In and of ourselves, we have no light. Left to our own devices, we would live our entire lives in darkness, void of the abundance of joy and peace available to us in God. But through Jesus the light has come. The Holy Spirit now dwells within us, the glory of God in the hearts of men. If we will simply surrender our lives to God and the light he brings, we will experience a life of freedom and joy founded in his unconditional love. If we will choose to place Jesus at the center of all we do and who we are, we will receive mighty deliverance from the constraints and bonds of darkness.

You see, the path out of darkness always begins by looking to the light. We can’t escape darkness if darkness is all we’re looking toward. We can’t escape sin by just focusing on it and trying to fix it, heal it, or set ourselves free. Freedom comes by turning our attention to the God who conquered sin and death and fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith. 

2 Corinthians 4:6 says, “For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” The light of God is within you. Your life as a Christian is hidden in Christ. The darkness will not overcome you. Your freedom has come in the person of Jesus. The love of God is real, available, and powerful enough to set you free from whatever darkness entangles you.

Turn your attention fully toward Jesus today. Center your life around his loving-kindness. Open your ears and heart to this good God who would lay down his life to save yours. Follow him wherever he guides you in full faith that he will only ever lead you into more abundant life. Cease striving for your own freedom and wrap your life up in Jesus that he might be your great deliverer, healer, and source of comfort and strength.

God has abundant grace in store for you today if you will simply position yourself to receive it. Take time in guided prayer to reflect on the light that has come through Jesus, turn your attention completely toward him, and receive the freedom and healing that comes from union with the God of light.

Guided Prayer:

1. Meditate on the light that has come through Jesus. Allow Scripture to stir up your desire to truly open your heart and center your life around Jesus.

“I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” John 8:12

“For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” 2 Corinthians 4:6

“In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him.” 1 John 4:9

2. Turn your heart completely toward Jesus and focus your attention on him. Ask the Holy Spirit to guide you into an encounter with your Savior.

3. Talk with Jesus about any areas in your life that seem to have darkness. Lay down any sin and darkness at his feet and ask for his forgiveness and healing. Ask the Spirit to help you follow him as he leads you out of the darkness and into the light by focusing on Jesus.

“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

“Your sun shall no more go down, nor your moon withdraw itself; for the Lord will be your everlasting light, and your days of mourning shall be ended.” Isaiah 60:20

“The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” Psalm 27:1

There is most definitely a place in freedom for discipline and the practicalities of stepping away from that which normally tempts you. But the foundation for freedom will always be encounters with the living God. There is a reason we sin that goes past the temptation to a wound, misconception, or lie that must be healed by God. To not place ourselves in situations that have habitually caused us to stumble is crucial, but it will not provide healing. Look to Jesus today. Come to him continually with your sin and ask him to heal whatever is the root of it. Ask him to correct any lies and heal your pain. May you experience freedom today that comes from seeking the light of Jesus.

Extended Reading: 2 Corinthians 4

When You’re Not Supposed To Feel Anxiety … But You Still Do..TAYLOR JOY MURRAY

 When You’re Not Supposed To Feel Anxiety … But You Still Do

TAYLOR JOY MURRAY, COMPEL Training Member

“If the LORD had not been my help, I would soon have dwelt in [the land of] silence. If I say, ‘My foot has slipped,’ Your compassion and lovingkindness, O LORD, will hold me up. When my anxious thoughts multiply within me, Your comforts delight me.” Psalm 94:17-19 (AMP)

For most of my life, I’ve been a master at being OK.

My answer to everyone about everything used to be “I’m fine,” which was the most socially acceptable and fastest route to get somewhere that felt safer … Most often, “safety” meant hiding inside myself.

I channeled enormous amounts of energy into either hiding my struggle with anxiety or letting it hide me. But both options eventually led me to a place where all my unspoken not-OK-ness resulted in an aching sense of loneliness. From the spinning thoughts, shallow breaths and fragmented nerves that often characterize anxiety, some of my deepest shame emerged.

Don’t be anxious! Trust in God! Faith over fear! 

If you grew up in the church like me, these are some of the answers you might have heard frequenting the lips of many well-intending people.

Is there scriptural Truth in each of these phrases? Absolutely. But when given as the one-size-fits-all solution to anxiety, these answers often just sound like, “You aren’t supposed to feel that way.”

But I do feel this way.

As a little girl, the narrative I gradually learned to embody was that being a good Christian meant staying happy, always smiling and rarely talking about how I really felt. At 18, when I found myself in an anxiety-induced fetal position behind a locked bathroom door, I felt lost inside a story of who I should be.

What do you do when you’re not supposed to feel anxiety, but no matter how much you pray and trust, it still doesn’t go away?

My shame and confusion wrapped around that question caused me to silently wonder what God thinks about the overstuffed and unexpressed anxiety that sat behind my smile. When anxious thoughts multiplied within me, I lived out an ending to Psalm 94:19 that sounded more like “Your commands discipline me” rather than “Your comforts delight me.”

But when I read this psalm, I see God didn’t turn His face from the psalmist's anxiety. God moved toward him.

It’s when the psalmist’s honesty met compassion that healing began to happen. When he vulnerably cried out to God, the psalmist experienced God’s gentle arms holding him up, not pushing him away.

Anxiety requires the counterintuitive act of reaching for connection rather than further sinking into isolation. In fact, I’m learning that anxiety isn’t as much about looking for a solution as it’s about looking for space. Space to be sensed, felt and named in the presence of another.

We cannot heal what we refuse to feel.

Over and over again, the pages of Scripture testify that the places touched by pain, struggle and death are the places Christ chooses to go. The dark valley is precisely the place where God promises to be with us. Our anxious moments are not where we are abandoned but where we can expect to encounter Him again.

We will never be able to move through anxiety by mentally whipping ourselves into not feeling this way. But we can move through it when we experience the witness and with-ness of God and others in the very places where our anxiety resides.

Today, rather than racing for the quickest emotional exit, I wonder what it would be like to show up to the journals of our hearts honestly, bringing our full selves to these pages. While we often immediately try to silence the voice of anxiety, God doesn’t. As the Shepherd of our souls, He leans in to hear what our anxiety has to say, and He whispers the truth of Psalm 94:19: My compassion and lovingkindness will hold you up.

Dear God, I don’t want anxiety to consume my life. Would You help me attune to what my anxiety might be trying to tell me today? Would You show me what it looks like to be with You in my anxiety and to receive the comfort You offer me? In Jesus' Name, Amen.

God's Ordered Authority..Dr. Charles Stanley

 God's Ordered Authority

Dr. Charles Stanley

1 Samuel 15:1-23

God's plan for each one of us has our best interest in mind. His way leads to fullness of life. Yet He did not create us to be robots that blindly and lifelessly live their godly life. No, the Lord grants us the choice of whether or not to obey Him. Our human nature tends to choose a self-centered path that turns away from God's authority. But in doing so, we miss His best for us.

Consider the life of King Saul. God chose this man to be king and provided guidelines for him to follow. Though Saul knew the Lord's instructions, he chose to do things his own way. At times his sin was unquestionably deliberate, such as his attempt to kill David out of jealousy. At other times, however, his rebellion seemed less clear-cut. For example, despite God's order to "utterly destroy" the Amalekites and their animals, Saul spared the best of the herd, with the justification that they were "to sacrifice to the Lord" (1 Sam. 15:3, 21).

His disobedient choices cost him the throne and eventually led to his destruction. This man chose the road that satisfied his immediate fleshly desires, but as we know from history, the end result was hardly fulfilling. We can learn from Saul's mistakes. Partial obedience is actually disobedience. And any disobedience falls in the category of rebellion, which is sin.

Each day, we face the same types of choices. Though the details are different, both large and small temptations lure us. We can live according to Christ's will, following His lead and listening for His voice. Or we can refuse. Choose today to live God's way--which leads to fullness of life.

Staying Alert Against Temptation.. Betsy St. Amant Haddox

 Staying Alert Against Temptation (1 Corinthians 10:13)

By: Betsy St. Amant Haddox

No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it. 1 Corinthians 10:13 (ESV)

Temptation can often bring shame into a Christian’s life. We get embarrassed or think, “I shouldn’t be tempted by this again” or “I should be past this temptation by now as a believer.”

But the Bible tells us that being tempted isn’t itself a sin. We know this because Jesus was tempted by Satan in the wilderness after His baptism (Matthew 4) yet Jesus never sinned.

We also know via Hebrews 4:15-16 that “we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

It should bring freedom and liberation to a Christian to realize that we aren’t in this alone. 1 Corinthians 10:13 points out that every temptation is common to man. You might think your neighbor in the pew isn’t struggling with X, Y or Z, but the Bible assures us otherwise. Some of the specifics of temptations might look different from person to person, but we all struggle with them.

Not only are we riding this same struggle bus with fellow believers, but Jesus Christ Himself understands the battle. Hebrews 4 reminds us that Jesus faced every temptation we do, yet overcame. Because of that, we can draw near to Him. He isn’t standing arms crossed, judging us for being tempted to take that next sip or give that second look. He isn’t shaking His head in disgust as we fight the urge to lie, cheat, or steal our way out of a situation or into success. He sympathizes with our weakness. God Himself—King of Kings, Lord of Lords—condescended into human flesh and can directly relate to our weakness in the flesh. He gets it—He’s been there. And instead of being upset with us for not overcoming as He did, He offers grace and sympathy. What a God we serve!

The sin comes into play, not with the temptation, but when we succumb to it. When we tell the lie. When we look with lust. When we act on the opportunity to steal or cheat. When we lift our heads in pride. When we form that idol. When we down the entire bottle.

James 1:14-15 (ESV) But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.

So what do we do? Well, the best defense against sin is offense. How? Scripture tells us.

Psalm 119:11 (ESV) I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.

James 4:7 (ESV) Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

When we fill our minds with the Word of God, we’re less likely to sin. When we’re submitting to God and not forging our own path, we’re more likely to turn away from temptation. When we’re resisting the devil and refusing to believe his lies that sin brings fulfillment, he leaves us. And with that, temptation leaves us.

When temptation knocks, remember—it’s wearing a cloak of deception. It won’t fill you up or make you feel better or alleviate the pain. Maybe for a minute…but that’s the lie. Sin always makes a believer feel worse afterward.

The next time temptation comes, have a plan in place. Know what you’re going to do, what you’re going to say, and where you’re going to go to get away from it. God promises in 1 Corinthians 10 there is a way of escape. Find it, take it, and run. You’ll never regret it.

A Prayer for When Your Family Loses Their Faith..Molly Law

 A Prayer for When Your Family Loses Their Faith

By Molly Law

“We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.” - Isaiah 53:6

I recently had a conversation with one of my sisters about our other sister. My other sister mentioned she sort of liked crystals and believed in phenomena such as getting feelings or premonitions about death. This threw me for a second. My sisters and I grew up in the same household, with the same faith, and the source of salvation.

When I voiced my concern to my sister, she said that if someone can find peace through any means then why take that away from them? She, herself, said she was saved because the Bible says that nothing can take that away from her, yet her relationship with the One who saves is virtually dormant. While I know this is true and believe that my sisters are still saved as they declared their love for Christ with their hearts (Romans 10:9), I found myself becoming increasingly scared, sad, and hurt that they are not experiencing a loving and close relationship with Jesus Christ. 

I can empathize where my sisters are coming from. Like I said, we were raised in the same church and same Christian high school. In that environment, we were taught that our actions were directly connected with our faith and salvation. It was a legalistic culture that heavily preached toxic messages, especially around abstinence and purity culture. As an adult, I know the damage and toll that took. I’m still healing and reconciling what I was taught with my relationship with the Lord now. Whereas I have been hurt by that and another church community group, I still love and have an active relationship with my Savior.

This conversation with my sister also convicted me. Deep down, I have always known that my faith was stronger than my sisters, but I was secure in the knowledge that they knew and loved the Lord — and because of my mother, they were in Christian spaces. But as we grew older and led our own lives, I forgot to check in on their spiritual health. I turned inward and only focused on my faith and life. I trusted they still carried the faith we grew up with. 

As my heart still aches knowing they are not close to the One I know as my Father, Friend, Comforter, and Prince of Peace, it makes me think about how this would affect my outlook of spreading the gospel to everyone around me. Would I be propelled to share the gospel with everyone if it hurt just as much as it does to know that my sisters don’t have an active relationship with the Lord?

As a follower of Christ, I have been called to spread the gospel, to be a fisher of man — that means within my own family and the world around me. I’ve been suppressing that call, even ignoring it, but hearing my sisters admit they have drifted away has awaken that call within me, and I pray that it will for all of us today.

Let’s pray:

Dear Lord,
I pray for everyone who does not know you. I pray that you will pursue their hearts and bring those who love you to share your love with them. I pray that I can be that person — to be placed in a path of someone who needs you.

Be with our families who may know of you but do not know you. I pray that we can be your light and begin to plant that renewal and see you grow it. I pray that we do not ignore our calling to share the gospel message of salvation. I pray that we do not forget the fate of everyone who does not call on your name. 

I also pray that even though we know that someone is saved that we do not become complacent. I pray that we come along their faith journey so that we can disciple one another. Although we are called to share the message of salvation, does not mean we leave and abandon them after they are saved. We are also called to disciple and be part of a community of believers.

Lord, we pray for our families and friends, and those around us who do not know you, or who knew you, but have become apathetic, or have gone astray. I pray that we can be the light to bring them to you — to bring them back to your love and comfort. 

We love and trust you with all of our hearts, our Father, our Savior.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Jesus’ Great Compassion..Emma Danzey

 Jesus’ Great Compassion

By Emma Danzey

Matthew 14:12-16 says, “John’s disciples came and took his body and buried it. Then they went and told Jesus. When Jesus heard what had happened, he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place. Hearing of this, the crowds followed him on foot from the towns. When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick. As evening approached, the disciples came to him and said, ‘This is a remote place, and it’s already getting late. Send the crowds away, so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food.’ Jesus replied, ‘They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.’”

When Jesus heard what had happened, He withdrew.
Have you ever gotten really difficult news and just needed a minute alone? Jesus had been told by his closest friends that his cousin John the Baptist had been killed. This was a rough day in the life of Christ. His family member, friend, and front runner had been beheaded in prison for his ministry. Although this did not come as a surprise to Jesus, He knew this day would come, what we read here reveals to us a lot about Christ’s heart and His perfect deity and humanity.

We see such authentic humanity in Jesus mourning his cousin. He stopped what he was doing and began to go to a place of solitude to grieve this loss. As he got onto a boat, he landed at the shoreline, only to find a large crowd. What would the King of Heaven do? He just lost a loved one, but the people in front of Him needed Him greatly. This is where we see His perfect deity.

He had compassion on them and healed their sick.
Right then, when Jesus saw the crowd, it says that He had compassion on them. In the moment of needing compassion and comfort Himself, we see Jesus have compassion upon others. This is not humanly normal, this is not a natural response. He could have easily claimed exhaustion, turned his boat in a different direction, or ignored them, but no, we see Jesus have compassion on them and heal their sick.

 “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.”
The disciples came to Jesus in the evening and tried to get Him to get away from the people. They told Him that it was getting late. They told Him to send the crowds away so that they could buy food. Perhaps they had genuine worry and concern for Jesus and wanted Him to have space to weep and grieve? Maybe they themselves were wanting a break? They could have also just been selfishly tired and wanting some alone time. Whatever their reasoning, it was not good enough for Christ to overlook the need of the people to eat. Jesus responded that the people did not need to go away, that the disciples needed to give them something to eat. Jesus refines us in this way as well. There are times when it would be much easier to ignore the needs of others in front of us, but He calls us to act and to show His love to them.

Following this comment, Jesus asked His disciples what they had to offer. There were five loaves of bread and two fish. Jesus direct the people where to sit, blessed the food and miraculously there was enough to feed everyone there including 12 baskets left over for each of the disciples. (Matthew 14:17-21) Following Jesus is not convenient, comfortable, or always easy, but there is great reward and provision when we say, “yes” to Him.

Intersecting Faith and Life:
How do you feel comforted knowing that Jesus had such a heart for His cousin John the Baptist? What speaks to you personally about how Jesus had compassion on the crowd in the midst of His own personal grief? How do you see Christ’s perfect deity in the way He pressed into the need of the 5000 over His own?

Further Reading:
Mark 6:30-44
Luke 9:10-17
John 6:1-15

A Prayer for a Thankful Heart..Debbie Przybylski

 A Prayer for a Thankful Heart

by Debbie Przybylski

My cup overflows with your blessings – Psalm 23:5

It is not easy to give thanks in every circumstance. But when we choose to thank God in the midst of difficulty, it defeats the forces of darkness in the spiritual realm. When we thank God for every gift He has given us even when things are hard, the enemy loses the battle against us. He is stopped in his tracks when we come to God with a thankful heart.

Learn to be thankful for every blessing from God in your life. It is of great significance to Him if in the midst of great trials, we can be thankful. There is a way of looking at life from the standpoint of eternity. The reality of eternal life and eternal glory that far exceeds this life is a priceless treasure. Our afflictions are working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.

A Prayer for a Thankful Heart

Lord, teach me to offer you a heart of thanksgiving and praise in all my daily experiences of life. I long to bring pleasure to Your heart daily. Break the power of the enemy in my life. Defeat Him through my sacrifice of praise. Change my outlook and attitude into one of joyful contentment with my present circumstances. I thank You for… [Name a difficult circumstance in your life presently and thank God for it.]

Jesus, I want to be like You who obeyed the Father without complaint. You embraced the chains of humanity when You walked this earth. Convict me whenever I complain or compare myself with others. I know that Your truth dwells in a thankful heart.

‘I will give thanks to the LORD because of His righteousness and will sing praise to the name of the LORD Most High. O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens’ (Psalm 7:17-18:1). In Jesus’ Name, Amen.”