The Experience of His Peace.. Craig Denison Ministries;

 

The Experience of His Peace

Craig Denison Ministries;

Weekly Overview:

To know God is to experience God. Just as we experience aspects of one another as we grow in friendship, we experience the wonders of God as we seek to simply know him. God is calling us to a life of seeking him with all we are. He is calling us to value relationship with him above all else that we would love no other but him. May you encounter wonderful aspects of relationship with your heavenly Father this week as we wholeheartedly seek to know him with all we are.

Scripture:“Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in every way. The Lord be with you all.” 2 Thessalonians 3:16

Devotional:

One of the most heavenly aspects of experiencing God is his abounding peace. Peace is not something this world can offer us. This world is run on chaos, stress, confusion, striving, and frivolous pursuits with no satisfaction. Even in this life, God offers us the peace of heaven, the peace that comes from having our hearts wrapped up in true relationship with him.

Philippians 4:6-7 says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” God exchanges our earthly cares and stresses for his heavenly, sustaining peace. He is such a good Father to us that he takes that which troubles our hearts, promises to take care of us down to the smallest burden, and offers us incomprehensible peace from his Spirit.

Jesus says in John 16:33, “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.” When we seek relationship with Jesus we are seeking relationship with the One who conquered death and destroyed any and every scheme of the enemy against us. To know him is to know a true Conqueror. And in knowing him our lives become wrapped up in his. Our worried and fearful hearts become wrapped up in his heart of peace.

Isaiah 26:3 says, “You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.” God longs for us to so encounter his trustworthiness that our lives are marked by his peace. He longs for us to so trust him that this world cannot rob us of the peace that comes from knowing our God will always prove himself faithful. All he has promised to do he will do. All he has said of himself he truly is. Peace comes from keeping our mind stayed on the perfect character of our heavenly Father and letting who he is be at the foundation of all we do, think, and feel.

God has heavenly peace in store for you today. The peace he offers you isn’t of this world and therefore will sustain you through any of its troubles (John 14:27). Come before your loving heavenly Father and cast your cares on him. Let your requests be made known to him. Place your trust in his trustworthiness. And receive the perfect, sustaining peace of your loving Father.

May your day today be marked by the fruit of wholehearted relationship with the God of peace.

Guided Prayer:

1. Meditate on the peace available to you in relationship with God. Allow Scripture to help you not settle for stress, burdens, and cares that aren’t your portion in Jesus.

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” John 14:27

“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

“You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.” Isaiah 26:3

“For God is not a God of confusion but of peace.” 1 Corinthians 14:33

2. What has been causing you stress? What’s been stealing your peace? What thoughts, people, situations, fears, or spiritual attacks do you need to bring before your loving heavenly Father?

3. “Cast all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you”(1 Peter 5:6-7). Take time to bring before God all that’s bothering you. Lay all your anxieties at his feet, choose to trust that he will take care of them and help you through them, and receive his peace that surpasses all understanding.

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7

“Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in every way. The Lord be with you all.” 2 Thessalonians 3:16

“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 5:22-23

Romans 8:6 says, “For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.” We have the choice moment by moment to set our minds on the things of this world or on the things of God. When we choose to set our minds on the Spirit, we are positioning ourselves to be people marked by the fruit of his presence in our lives. When we choose the world we are only setting ourselves up for failure, anxiety, and trouble. Choose today to set your mind on the Lord in every situation. The things of this world are fleeting, but our God spans throughout the farthest reaches of eternity. May his power, faithfulness, and nearness bring you peace today.

Extended Reading: Philippians 4

Discovering Our True Identity..Dr. Charles Stanley

 Discovering Our True Identity

Dr. Charles Stanley

1 Corinthians 1:1-9

Many Christians are experiencing an identity crisis. They know they’re saved, but they don’t really know what to think about themselves. Let’s take a little test. Do you consider yourself a sinner saved by grace or a saint who occasionally sins? Both statements are true, but the first one dwells on your past identity, whereas the second focuses on the Lord’s perception of you.

If you are a believer, God’s Word says that you are a saint (v. 2). But too many of us still see ourselves as the same old sinner, who’s been forgiven and patched up and yet is basically unchanged inside. But the Lord says anyone in Christ “is a new creature; the old things passed away” (2 Cor. 5:17). That’s what being born again is all about. We can never go back to the way we were.

The solution to this identity crisis is to change the way we think about ourselves. If we don’t, we’ll rely on how we feel, and Satan will bombard us with reminders of our failures and sins. He wants to keep us focused on being a sinner, because he knows that the recognition of our sainthood will lead us to live like saints. We’ll be motivated and empowered to obey God, and the Devil will lose his foothold in our lives.

Jesus didn’t come just to save you from hell; He wants to live His life through you. In Christ, you have a new identity which has replaced your old one. If you will focus on who you are now, your actions will follow, and you’ll experience the enjoyment of a victorious Christian life.

3 Ways to Fine-Tune Your Heart..Lynette Kittle

 3 Ways to Fine-Tune Your Heart

by Lynette Kittle

BIBLE VERSE OF THE DAY: “A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.” - Luke 6:45

How’s your spiritual heart condition? Has it been tuning you into the things of God or has it become hardened or broken to where it’s not working properly anymore?

Like a physical heart affects the rest of your body when it’s in a weakened or broken condition, so will your spiritual heart. The well being of your entire physical body depends on your heart functioning properly, just like the state of your spiritual heart affects your relationship with God and with others.

Below are three questions to help you evaluate your present heart condition, along with three ways to bring it back in tune.

1. What words are coming out of your mouth? Luke 6:45 explains how the heart is where the words of your lips originate. If you’re speaking fear, anger, bitterness and more, it’s rooted in your heart.

If so, how do you treat it? James 5:16 directs you to confess your sins to each other and pray for each other. After confessing your sin, Proverbs 4:23 urges you to “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.”

When you turn your heart towards God, He will respond. Ezekiel 11:19 describes how God does this stating, “I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh.”

2. How is your prayer life? If you can’t remember the last time you sought out God to speak with Him, your heart is most likely out of tune with His will and ways.

To get back in sync with God, ask Him to “Create a pure heart within you, and to renew a steadfast spirit in you (Psalm 51:10).

3. Are you choosing God’s ways over your own? Disobedience is a sure sign of a hard heart. Zechariah 7:12 describes the symptoms of a hardened heart stating, “They made their hearts as hard as flint and would not listen to the law or to the words that the Lord Almighty had sent by His Spirit through the earlier prophets.”

If you find yourself living in disobedience, ask God to help you to turn away from your wayward behavior. Repent from any sin you’ve been participating in and look to God’s Word to direct your steps.

Psalm 51:10 explains how when you submit to God, He will put His Spirit within you and move you to follow His decrees.

Take time to fine tune your spiritual heart because like your physical heart, your life depends upon it.

A Prayer for the Sick..Emma Danzey

 A Prayer for the Sick

By Emma Danzey

James 5:14 says, “Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord.”

Whether it is a pesky weeklong cold during the start of the fall weather, a chronic illness, or a serious disease. We or people we know are living life today with sickness. God did not intend for us to be sick in this world. Our bodies were perfectly designed to be healthy and strong. However, when we sinned and darkness entered the world, sicknesses came to be.

There are times in the Bible when people believed that sickness was a punishment for sin. In John 9, Jesus is healing a blind man, and His own disciples asked who sinned in his family.

John 9:2-3 says, “And His disciples asked Him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but this happened so that the works of God would be displayed in him.”

Of course, some sicknesses in this world can be a result of previous decisions made; however, the majority of the time, sickness is simply a result of the fall. However, I love how in John 9, Jesus points out that the blind man’s parents never sinned for him to be born blind; he was given blindness so God’s glory would be displayed. Today we are going to pray this over those who are sick in our lives. Jesus did heal this man and give him sight, so He is still our Healer who can remove illnesses and diseases from this world; however, if He does not, we can know with confidence that He can use it for a purpose greater than ourselves.

Let's Pray:

Jehovah Rapha,
You are the God who is our Healer. We come before you today on behalf of those in our lives who are sick. Lord, we know that you never wish for us to be sick, but You have allowed it in our sinful world. We pray that You would reveal Your great comfort to them today. Help them to feel seen and cared for by You. Father, give them hope, and gratitude even when in bed or stuck at home. Show them Your love through other people as they look out at nature and in their times praying and reading Your Word. Give them a special sense of victory today.

We pray for those who are dealing with serious illnesses. God, our hearts are burdened for them. We ask that they would know today that You are with them and have never left their sides. Give them continued hope and joy in the pain and suffering. Provide them with the best healthcare possible, give them the finances that they need, and help those who are sacrificing to take care of them in this illness. Lord, enable them to reach out for help when they need it and not allow pride to stand in the way. Give them Your grace each day and would you please do a miracle in their lives and heal them on this side of heaven? We pray, no matter what, that You would show Yourself in special and personal ways to them in their sufferings and that You would be glorified in their midsts.

We pray for those who are feeling run down today. We ask that you would strengthen them and give them rest. God, You give sleep and restoration to those who are weary. You strengthen those who need energy. You care for the broken. We ask that even for the most minor of colds that those who are sick today would be reminded that they are human and You are their God. May they find humility and strength in knowing that You care for their needs and help them when they are down. Give them renewal and physical strength for anything they might need to accomplish this day. We thank You for caring for every need, whether great or small. You are the Great Physician. You are the Healer. Do Your work in the lives of the sick today. Amen.

Daily Life Is Important Work..Meg Bucher

 Daily Life Is Important Work

By Meg Bucher

“So whatever you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” - 1 Corinthians 10:31 NLT

Perched aside me on a piece of driftwood, looking out over the blue lake in October, my daughter adamantly assured me she hated being competitive and wouldn’t be running track. “What don’t you like about being competitive?” I asked, “Is it the possibility of losing to other people or the pain of pushing yourself to your limit?” Paul wrote to the Colossians, 

“Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you are working for the Lord rather than people.” (Colossians 3:23 NLT) 

A brilliant scholar, Paul became a Pharisee so astute he led the way in persecuting the early followers of Christ before he become one himself.  “Saul was a young man one who was well educated and on his way to becoming a rabbi,” Pamela Palmer wrote in “What Do We Know about Paul before His Conversion?” BibleStudyTools.com explains, “Saul was born in Tarsus, which was an affluent and diverse community that valued education. Saul was also a Roman citizen.” Saul eventually became Paul after his conversion experience with Christ Jesus and put just as much exuberant effort into spreading the gospel. He wrote to his brother in faith, Timothy, 

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful.” (2 Timothy 4:7 NLT)

The beautiful fall day my daughter and I were immersed in was like walking through a painting. God is limitless, but we have limits. Paul so adamantly preached about our efforts in life. It’s great to beat other people at things. Competition is valuable when it pushes us past our limits to bring glory to God with our lives …whether or not we “win,”  that is the picture of victory.

God promises a plan for us which is more than we can ask for or imagine. To walk the road home to Him requires us to push beyond our limits. Freedom from the fear which convinces us we can’t do hard things …impossible things, is possible. We can and will accomplish miraculous feats in Christ Jesus if we are willing to compete with the voice inside of us, which begs us to bail out and stay safe. 

Intersecting Faith and Life:
Life’s hard seasons often catch us when we are the least prepared. Much like an athlete practices daily, our minds and hearts require the steady, daily routine of working the muscles of our faith. Reading the Bible every day, and seeking the Lord in prayer, are essential building blocks for strong faith that can withstand tough trials.

Christ came to earth and died on the cross so that we would have life to the full. But it takes work. It requires our obedient steps toward Him every day and away from the patterns of the world, which hold empty pursuits and promises. There is a battle waging daily between good and evil which intends to steal, kill, and destroy us. Whether we like competition or not, it’s imperative, as Paul preached, to do everything with the best effort we can give …for the glory of God. This is fighting the good fight of faith. Let’s get in shape!

Father, 
This is the day You have made; we will rejoice and be glad in it. Your mercies are new every morning. Great is Your faithfulness! Thank You for connecting us to You daily through the sacrifice Jesus made for us on the cross. Through Him, we are able to understand Scripture and remember the encouragement and wisdom You give us in times we need it the most. Equip us for the race You designed us to run. Help us to stay humble, motivated, and hard-working at everything we do.

In Jesus’ Name, 
Amen.

Further Reading:

• 1 Timothy 6:12 
• Hebrews 12:1-3

Making a List… Checking it Twice..Mary Southerland

 Making a List… Checking it Twice

Mary Southerland

Today’s Truth
For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord. They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope - (Jeremiah 29:11, NLT).

Friend to Friend
Every year, I make a Christmas list comprised of every person for whom I am buying a gift.  Beside each name, I put a dollar amount, a limit of how much money I will spend for that gift, vowing not to spend one penny more than the set limit. (Somehow, the amount I actually spend rarely coincides with the amount I intended to spend. Can you relate?) With every purchase, I then draw a beautiful red line through that name. Done!

I carry that list everywhere I go because sometimes I find a gift during a random shopping trip but mainly because I can’t afford to let it out of my sight. There are evil people lurking in my home who will go to any lengths to find that list. You see, I am the Queen of Surprise when it comes to Christmas, so I must guard my list with my life in order to keep my “Queen-ship” status secure. Consequently, the list is hidden in various and unusual places such as a random file on my computer, in my closet, in an old purse, in a sock drawer, in a flower pot – you get the picture. I know where that Christmas list is at all times because it is my gift-giving plan for the holidays. 

I wish I were just as concerned about "God's list" for my life; carrying His life plan for me in my heart and mind as I live each day, constantly making choices and decisions in light of that list, guarding it like the treasure map of eternity that it truly is. Just knowing the plan God has for me does not guarantee success. I must do the plan. That is where the choice to obey comes in. An obedient heart is a “fixed” heart and may very well be the gift God wants from us this holiday season.

Psalm 108:1
“O God, my heart is fixed!”

Psalm 40:8
“I take joy in doing your will, my God, for your law is written on my heart.”

A “fixed” heart is a determined heart, a steadfast heart that is rightly focused on God and His will, His plan. When we choose to follow God’s plan, the desires of our heart will line up in obedience to that plan. We will find our greatest joy in pleasing God, in doing His will because that is what we were created to do.

Maybe today is a good time to stop, go back over the list, review those life lessons we have learned, checking to see where we really are in our walk with God. Maybe today is the perfect time to revisit the manger to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ by giving Him the gift of obedience. 

Let’s Pray
Father, I love You. Forgive me for the times when I choose to follow my own will instead of Yours. Teach me how to fix my heart on You and give me the strength to do what You created me to do. I know Your plan is the highest and best plan for me and that I was created in response to that plan. Thank You for the purpose that doing Your will brings to my life. Today, I choose to seek You and obey Your Word.
In Jesus’s name, amen.

Can I Really Trust God?..LYSA TERKEURST

 Can I Really Trust God?

LYSA TERKEURST 

“The works of his hands are faithful and just; all his precepts are trustworthy.” Psalm 111:7 (NIV)  I stood in front of the busted-up walls, amazed by all I never knew was behind them. Wires. Pipes. Support beams. Insulation. It all stood out, so very vulnerable and exposed. I ran my hand along the rough reality of renovation and thought how very similar my heart felt at the moment. The only difference was I knew my house would be put back together, better than ever. I wasn’t so sure about my heart. With the house, I knew a basic time frame. I also knew enough about renovations to add a few months of buffer time to the end date. Regardless, I knew there would be a beginning to this project and there would be an ending to this project. And I knew the end result would be beautiful. So since I knew the basic time frame and how beautiful things would eventually be, the busting-up part of the renovation didn’t bother me. I was actually happy that demolition occurred. The demolition was not a sign of irreparable problems. It was a sign of intentional progress. But I couldn’t say the same about the busted-up places of my heart. Not right now. Not yet. When I stood and looked in the mirror, my demolished heart wasn’t quite as easy to see as the walls in my house. The brokenness certainly revealed things, but they weren’t as easy to identify as pipes and wires. They were strange threads of fear, anxiety, shock, trauma and distrust. Distrust. There it was. The biggest of all the issues beneath my surface. The ripping open and exposing of my heart had certainly revealed something I needed to see but didn’t dare to admit. About me. About God. And about my utter lack of trust in Him. Now don’t get me wrong — I’m a Jesus girl through and through. I love studying His Word, doing the right and required things, following Him, and fulfilling my calling. But when God starts to deviate from the plan I’m assuming my life should follow, I’m much more apt to want to tame God than trust Him. I want to demand that the Builder hand over the tools. And though I have no clue how to truly make things better, I start patching and covering and frantically fixating on a hodgepodge repair that will be disappointing at best, detrimental at worst. And I wonder why I’m so exhausted and anxious and heavy-burdened on the inside while singing and quoting verses about the abundant Christian life on the outside. There’s a disconnect somewhere between the faith I want and the one I’m living. I know you feel it too. I’ve seen it in your tear-filled eyes, and I’ve heard it in your questions around the things hardest to understand about God. So how do we rebuild our trust in God? Where do we even begin? I’ve found the best place to start is His Word. The truth of God’s trustworthy character is evident in every page of Scripture. We see evidence of this truth in the covenant promises God made (and kept) to Abraham, Moses and David. We see it in His faithfulness to provide for the Israelites during their wilderness wanderings — His going before them in a pillar of fire by night and of cloud by day, resting in the midst of their presence in the tabernacle, providing them manna to eat. And there is one thing God did that outshines every other example of His trustworthy nature: God was faithful to the promise He made to Adam and Eve by crushing the head of the serpent, as He sent His own Son to earth to die the death we should have died. Jesus reigns victorious over sin and death. This is why the psalmist could truthfully declare in Psalm 111:7, “The works of his hands are faithful and just; all his precepts are trustworthy.” The Hebrew word for “trustworthy” in this verse comes from the root word אמן ( ́á·mân), which encapsulates loyalty, faithfulness and dependability — all characteristics that are true and evident in God. In one sentence, the psalmist declared all of God’s works faithful and filled with justice; therefore, He is trustworthy. This is how we stop resisting God’s ways. This is where we start finding a more grounded faith, renovated hearts and a strengthened trust in God like never before. We look to His Word for the truth of His faithfulness. Because when we remember His faithfulness, we come to believe that because God is faithful, He can be trusted. Father God, thank You for reminding me that I don’t have to have all the answers. I just need to trust. Help me fix my eyes on Your faithfulness. I’m loosening my grip and surrendering all of my life into Your loving and capable hands. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.