Vision for Eternity.. Craig Denison Ministries

 

Vision for Eternity

Craig Denison Ministries

Weekly Overview:

We serve a God of boundaries. In his limitless capacity, endless creativity, and boundless existence he still chose to create boundaries. He still had vision for what was good, right, pleasing, and perfect. And as children made in his image, we are to live, think, and create as he does. In a world marked by busyness from seemingly infinite opportunities, it’s important now more than ever for us to create boundaries. May you find freedom and joy this week as you receive vision and set boundaries under the leadership of the Holy Spirit.

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:

To be a true person of vision is to live this life in light of eternity. Without a real revelation of eternity, this life will be marked by hopelessness and a sense of aimless wandering. Only when our destination comes into view can we rightly see the circumstances strewn along the journey of this life.

Ecclesiastes 3:11 says, “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.” To look to eternity requires us to trust. Our minds are finite. In the only world we’ve ever known, life is marked by a beginning and end, by birth and death. But in Scripture we discover that God is the Maker of life and the Conquerer of death. We discover that in Jesus we are promised eternal life in unhindered, unveiled communion with our Creator.

To live with vision for eternity is to trust that things are not as they will be and to surrender the entirety of this life with hope for the next. When we live seeking satisfaction from the things of the world, we live as if heaven didn’t exist and God didn’t usher in his kingdom through Jesus. The things of this world only have value in the Giver of all good gifts. So our possessions, relationships, and work only have value here because they are a shadow of what is to come when all things are made new.

Having vision for eternity should lead us to create boundaries around everything in this life. It should lead us to a lifestyle of surrender that our hearts might never become tied to that which is fleeting and can never fully satisfy. It should lead us to a lifestyle of fully enjoying the things God has given us, all the while knowing the things of this life are merely a shadow in comparison to what is to come.

Do you feel tied to the things of your life today? Do you feel as if your possessions, relationships, and work owns you rather than you enjoying them to the glory of God? Are you seeking to find total satisfaction in the things of the world, or are you finding peace in the hope of heaven? Take time today in guided prayer to surrender your life again to Jesus. Allow God to cut away any ties you have to that which is chaining your heart to this world. And find abundant joy and peace in the freedom that comes from living in light of eternity.

Guided Prayer:

1. Meditate on what the Bible says about eternity. Allow Scripture to fill you with vision for what’s to come.

“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.” Psalm 102:25-27

“And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.” John 17:3

“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? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.” John 14:2-3

2. Are you living in light of eternity? Do you feel your heart tied down to any things of the world?

“Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” 1 John 2:15

3. Set boundaries around having vision for eternity. Lay down anything holding you back from living in freedom from this world at the feet of Jesus. Take time to enjoy God that the foundation of your life would be communion with him.

“You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” Psalm 16:11

In Galatians 5:16 Paul writes, “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.” When you take time to enjoy God every day and seek to live in communion with the Holy Spirit, he will faithfully guide you away from the things of the world and into fullness of joy in him. May you find comfort and hope in connection with the living God today as you seek to live with vision for eternity.

Extended Reading: Psalm 102

The “Low-Shelf Things” Might Be the Most Important Things of All..Jennifer Dukes Lee

 The “Low-Shelf Things” Might Be the Most Important Things of All

 Jennifer Dukes Lee

“Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.” Matthew 10:29-31 (NIV)

When I was a little girl, I was enamored with the colorful ceramic rooster that sat on a low shelf in Grandma’s kitchen. The rooster was about two fists high and held measuring spoons that plumed out from its back like feathers.

To me, it was beautiful. It was also breakable. Yet Grandma always said “yes” when I asked to hold it. I would remove the rooster from its low shelf, take each measuring spoon out and then put each one back in — over and over. I was extra careful because I didn’t want to lose Grandma’s trust in me.

After Grandma died, the time came to divide up her belongings. Each of the kids and grandkids was given an opportunity to keep something as a memento.

“What would you like, Jennifer?” my aunt asked.

I only wanted one thing.

“May I have the rooster?”

Wish granted.

No one else wanted the rooster, and I suppose it’s because, to some, it was a bit garish. Others of my relatives may have never noticed it. That rooster was perched on a low shelf for years — the perfect height for a child to see but out of sight for the “big people.”

The rooster now sits on a shelf in my own kitchen. When I see it, I am reminded of Grandma’s kitchen and the way she loved me with good food and a warm smile.

Most of all, the rooster reminds me that Grandma took joy in my joy, and because of it, she risked letting me hold the rooster.

All of these warm remembrances are how I know there is value in the low-shelf things of life.

I wonder if, in reflecting on our lives, the “low-shelf things” are the most important things of all. Things like silly text threads with your best friend, spontaneous dinner parties, a child’s hand holding yours, a fresh basket of your famous bread on the table, prayers whispered throughout the day, the tears you can’t help but cry when you hear that one song.

Our lives are a collection of a million little things all stacked on top of one another, making up one beautiful life.

When I think of Jesus, I see how He valued the low-shelf things and used them to illustrate key messages. He compared the power of faith to a mustard seed, one of the smallest seeds on earth. (Matthew 17:20) He was able to take a boy’s small lunch and make it into a big miracle. (Luke 9:10-17) He saw value in a widow’s two coins. (Mark 12:41-44)

In one lesson, Jesus called attention to an ordinary, almost forgettable bird: the sparrow. Jesus said sparrows aren’t worth much money: “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care” (Matthew 10:29).

A person is worth far more to God than a whole flock of sparrows. He even counts the hairs on our heads. “And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.” (Matthew 10:30-31, NIV)

I guess you could say God values the low-shelf things of life. And if God is paying attention, I want to pay attention too.

It’s so tempting to believe a meaningful life is found in “high-shelf things,” on stages or under spotlights where accolades flow and the world notices.

But meaningful lives are rarely built on stages or under spotlights.

Meaningful lives are built by coming fully awake to our everyday lives.

Yet we have to slow down to see all this goodness right here and now. We have to pay attention. We might have to get low, like a child, to find the most precious things sitting on the lowest shelves of all.

At the end of our lives, when we stand before God, we will know it for certain:

It’s not always the big things that matter most. It’s often all the little things, added together, that give life meaning.

Dear God, thank You for the low-shelf things in my life. Sometimes, I am tempted to chase after shiny things and high-shelf things. Remind me never to dismiss the gift of what is “small.” In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

God's Wisdom Revealed..Dr. Charles Stanley

 God's Wisdom Revealed

Dr. Charles Stanley

1 Corinthians 2:6-16

After exposing the futility of worldly thinking in 1 Corinthians 1, Paul introduces Christians to the higher realm of godly wisdom. This kind of knowledge and understanding isn't available through human intelligence and reasoning; it comes strictly through divine revelation. Only those indwelt by God's Spirit have "the mind of Christ" (v. 16) and access to "the things freely given" to them by God (v. 12).

Without this supernatural insight, no one can accurately know the Lord or His ways. Many people say they believe in God yet may not have a correct understanding of Him because their perceptions are based on their own thoughts and ideas. It's easier to custom-design a god to fit our preferences than to make the required adjustments that worship of the one true God demands.

Even believers need to guard against trying to fit God into their preconceived image of Him. The Bible is the only reliable source of divine revelation, but we must be careful to consider the Scriptures as a whole—it's critical that we don't just pick and choose the verses we want to believe. For example, by focusing only on passages that emphasize the Lord's lovingkindness while excluding those that speak of His holiness and justice, we misunderstand His true nature.

Let's seek to know the Lord in truth by considering the entire counsel of Scripture. Divine wisdom is available to every believer through the Holy Spirit, who searches the depths of God. May we never try to limit Him to fit our preferences. Instead, may He enlarge our minds to embrace His thoughts.

What Does "Merry" Mean?..Meg Bucher

 BIBLE VERSE OF THE DAY: “My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me- holy is his name.” - Luke 1:47-49 NIV

What Does "Merry" Mean?
By Meg Bucher

Merry is festively joyous! It’s a cheerful disposition; laughing happily. (dictionary.com) Merry is the uninhibited joy released by God’s grace, and freedom flowing out of His forgiveness. It’s the boisterous laughter seeping past exhaustion, and the confetti of cares launched free in celebration of the Light of life.

Queen Elizabeth II was said to prefer “Happy Christmas” at a time when merry meant intoxicated. (Wikipedia) The Queen was onto something …Christmas exudes intoxicating happiness. Te verses of the famed “Magnificat” hymn in the Gospel of Luke capture Mary overflowing with heartfelt praise and awe of God.

Mary’s miraculous virgin birth was not the first or last life the Father’s hand has miraculously moved. God’s response to our sinful tendency was to forge a path to forgive us. God loves us for who we are …not who we search to be. His compassionate love was expressed through Christ’s choice to endure humanity, all-knowing“Merry Christmas” would eventually become an intolerable offense to some. Jesus was born to restore our standing with His Father.

Now that the danger of touching the hot stove has passed as my kids grow older, I can begin to back down the maternal scream for safety in exchange for a listening ear and an understanding heart. One un-offended by my daughters’ struggle to find themselves in this world; which recognizes their plight and looks for moments to remind them Whose they are.

“For God expressed His love for the world in this way: He gave His only Son so that whoever believes in Him will not face everlasting destruction, but will have everlasting life.” John 3:16 (VOICE)

Everlasting life for trusting Jesus with ours. That’s a birthday worth celebrating in merry jubilee.

Christmas is akin to swishing down a fresh powdery slope on a wooden sled, blinded by stinging snow as we speed past our comfort zones! Without the opportunity to have the relationship with God that Christmas grants us, we’d be doomed to watch the sled zip by, never quick enough or smart enough or agile enough to catch it. Jesus holds the sled while we hop on, and then joins in as we scream with glee all the way down the sometimes terrifying hill of life.

Merry Christmas. 

It’s intoxicating …Jesus being born to save the world.

It’s merry …God and His love for us.

It’s endearing and inspiring to be forgiven beyond what we deserve. 

The opportunity we have to journey through life in closeness with our Creator is pure joy.

Be merry! Shout with joy! Laugh happily! Embrace who YOU are …right now! Have FUN in this life, with your Savior by your side.

A Prayer for Joy Unspeakable..Jessica Van Roekel

 A Prayer for Joy Unspeakable

By Jessica Van Roekel

“And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” - Luke 2:9-10 ESV

In my midwestern, small-town newspaper, it’s common to print birth announcements. After the birth of my four babies, I kept the announcement as a keepsake for their baby book to mark part of their story. At Jesus’ birth, God lit the night sky to make his announcement. Can you imagine sitting in the dark, warming yourself by a fire, tuning your ear to the night sounds when an angel appears before you and the glory of God fills the night?

The fear the shepherds felt gave way to unspeakable joy. God made his announcement to shepherds, the ones responsible for caring for the sheep. These were the ones who lived separate from society and the ones who best represent God’s shepherding of his people. God’s splashy announcement of the birth of Jesus did two things. It showed that God came not only for kings but for the lowliest of them all—the shepherd, who was typically the youngest in the family.

During biblical times, birth order indicated importance. Each son grew out of shepherding and onto more important labor until the youngest son eventually became the family shepherd. We see this in King David’s life when Samuel went to Jesse’s house to anoint Israel’s new king, and Jesse only presented the seven older brothers to Samuel. The youngest was forgotten.

Second, it reinforced the shepherding concept traced through both Testaments. In the Old Testament, we read of Abel, Moses, David, Jacob, and God. God was a shepherd to his wayward sheep, the Israelites. In the New Testament, Jesus calls himself the Good Shepherd, who lays down his life for his sheep. God esteemed shepherds, hence his night sky announcement to them. The ones who went about their business tending sheep over the same meadows, repeating the same daily cycle, were the first to hear the news of the Messiah’s birth.

In our day-to-day lives, we can get tunnel vision with what’s before us. We drive the same route day after day, cook the same set of meals, and deal with the same difficulties that don’t seem to end. Disappointments with our lives overtake feelings of joy, and joy seems lost. We wonder where our Light of the World is, and we wait for dawn like the shepherds did that night when their world changed.

“Seek first the kingdom of God and all these things will be added to you,” (Matthew 6:33, ESV). The Greek word for seek means to be absorbed in the search for something. This absorption fills our whole attention. Several years ago, I lost an important paper. I searched in every nook and cranny, every filing cabinet and box in the attic for hours. Finding the lost paper absorbed my mind and actions. It's seeking God with that kind of attention that leads to unspeakable joy and carries us through long dark nights.

Yet, we don’t have to wait for God to make a big, splashy announcement in our lives for us to know unspeakable joy. When he called us to himself, and we responded, we knew joy unspeakable. He made a way when there seemed to be no way, and we remember how he did it and what we felt. We can call these remembrances to our mind when we feel like we need to hunker down and wait the night out. Joy comes when we seek him.

Let’s pray:

Holy God,
I’m feeling a little joyless today. I’m hunkered down, waiting for this long middle to end. Day after day, I get up, go to work, come home to never-ending tasks, and go to bed. I wake up, and the new day is just like yesterday. Joy feels foreign. I can’t remember the last time joy flooded my heart. I want to be so thrilled with your joy like the shepherds were that night so long ago that I tell people about what you’ve done in my life. Help me to seek you with my whole being. Give me eyes to see you at work in my life. Let me know joy unspeakable today.
In Jesus’ name, Amen

Further Reading:
Luke 2

A Message Worth Repeating..Laura Bailey

 A Message Worth Repeating

By Laura Bailey 

“And so it was with me, brothers and sisters. When I came to you, I did not come with eloquence or human wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God.For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.” 1 Corinthians 2:1-2

“Can you give the devotion at our meeting on Tuesday night?” our women’s small group leader asked. Looking like a deer in headlights, I turned my head from side to side to ensure she was talking to me.

“Sure, I think I can,” I finally managed to stumble out. I’d been in church for almost thirty years, but it was the first time someone had asked me to teach the Bible. I called my mom the next day and confided how nervous I was, scared I'd say the wrong thing and look like a spiritual phony and a colossal fool. I didn't know what to talk about.  I'd only recently developed a regular habit of reading my Bible. I surely didn't feel as if I had something to teach!

“Why don’t you tell your conversion story?” she gently suggested. My conversion story, what’s exciting about that?! These women know their Bibles; they would want to hear a message steeped in biblical truth, not a story about a wayward young woman who finally found her way back to God. Surely, they had heard similar stories a million times over. Surely they were tired of hearing about how someone came to know the Lord?

As I prepared my lesson, I felt the familiar tug of the Holy Spirit urging me to give my mother’s suggestion a second thought. Paul is my favorite person in the Bible. I love his no-frills writing style and his excitement for theology, and I have often gleaned much encouragement from his conversion on the road to Damascus. Here was a man who was actively persecuting Christians one day and then traveling the world to share the Gospel the next day. His testimony is incredible and could only be accredited to the Lord.

While my story doesn’t involve the active persecution of believers, in my waywardness, I denied Christ daily, criticized believers for following God’s commands faithfully, and repeatedly chose worldly things over God. Until one day, God used a conversation with a co-worker to transform my life from rebellion to submission within minutes. 

In Corinthian 2:1-5, Paul, well-established with the Corinthians, reminded them of what it was like when he first arrived in Corinth. He wasn’t overly prepared, particularly well-spoken, or charismatic. Regardless, Paul had a message to share and trusted the Lord would work through him despite his lack of ability. Paul’s sole purpose was to proclaim Christ! The gospel message doesn’t need to be glammed up, its speakers don’t require years of seminary or public speaking classes, and it’s a message that speaks for itself. It is a message worth repeating, not just for salvation but for the daily renewal of our hearts and minds. 

So often, we focus on the presentation of the Scriptures. Are our words convincing? Do people enjoy listening to us? Will people think this is overly self-focused? And rightly so. We need to do our due diligence when teaching the Bible. Careful study and prayer are required to steward God's Word. But, ultimately, the Lord opens minds and hearts to receive the message. And what better way is there to communicate eternal salvation than our personal testimony and experience?

The next time you feel a nudge from the Spirit to share the gospel with a friend or coworker or are presented with an opportunity to share a devotion, might I encourage you to share your story? Tell your testimony and explain how they can come to know the Lord. Sharing our testimonies is the simplest way to share the good news, and despite any conflicting feelings or concerns about how it's all been heard before, it's a message worth repeating!

Interesting Faith and Life:
Have you ever been asked to lead a small group, teach Sunday School, or share a devotion but declined because you didn’t know what to share? If you haven’t already, write your testimony, incorporating some of your favorite scriptures and verses that share the gospel. Practice in front of a mirror, a spouse, or a trusted friend to build your confidence.

O Christmas Tree..Skip Heitzig

 O Christmas Tree

By Skip Heitzig

I read somewhere that in a recent Christmas season Americans used 28 million rolls of wrapping paper and 17 million packages of tags and bows, sent out 372 million greeting cards, and set up 35 million Christmas trees.

Some of our Christmas traditions are just that, traditions. Jesus was probably not born on December 25, for example. And the Christmas tree is based on the celebration of the reincarnation of Nimrod. The ancient Babylonians burned a “Yule” log (the Chaldean word for infant) in the fireplace, and the next day a symbolic evergreen tree was placed inside the house.

This pagan ritual is hinted at in the Bible, in Jeremiah 10:1-4. But before you get worried, I want you to know that if you come to my church, you’ll find a very large Christmas tree in the foyer! And you know what? Most people born in this country don’t know the origins of these things, and we aren’t worshiping Babylonian gods and goddesses. It’s not about that. (And it’s good to remember that Martin Luther was the first guy to put a Christmas tree inside the home.)

At the same time, what are we to do with some of these traditions? Let’s look at what Jesus did when He was faced with a festival that had a lot of tradition, some of which may have been true and some not. In John chapter 10, He was in the temple for the Feast of Dedication, also known as the Festival of Lights, or Hanukkah. You won’t find it in the Bible anywhere; it dates from the period between Old and New Testaments. But Jesus was celebrating Hanukkah, and He used the Festival of Lights to shine the light on who He really is (John 10:22-30).