The Triumphant King..Craig Denison Ministries

 

The Triumphant King

Craig Denison Ministries

Weekly Overview:

What a gift we have in the Christmas season. God himself took on flesh and dwelt among us that we might find eternal relationship in him. His coming serves as a continual reminder of his grace and pursuit of us who are lost without him. As we look to Jesus this week to celebrate who he is and what he’s done, may you find life-giving hope and foundational joy.

Scripture:

“Fear not, daughter of Zion; behold, your king is coming, sitting on a donkey's colt!” John 12:15

Devotional:

In Zechariah 9:9 we find a profound prophecy about Jesus, our triumphant King. Scripture says,

Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

Jesus achieved what no other king could have possibly accomplished, and he did it by taking the untrodden path of humility unto death. Jesus triumphed over death, ushered in salvation to all, and changed the eternal fate of the world through sacrifice. We serve a God who conquers with love.

Let us not miss the power in the metaphor Scripture prophesied and what it means for our lives today. When Jesus could have chosen any vessel to carry him down the pathway to victory, he chose a donkey. In a world where those who conquered rode horses and chariots, he chose a lowly foal. And after being mocked and beaten by the very ones he would offer victory, he chose the vessel of a cross as the means of triumph. He chose the final cry of death as a declaration of eternal life for all.

And in Jesus we find life by walking where he walked. Our triumph comes through a death of our own. Jesus says in Luke 9:23, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” Paul says in Galatians 2:20, “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”

Whatever victory you need today, you’ll find it by laying down your own life and looking to your triumphant King. Freedom from sin comes from bringing who we are to the cross, engaging in authentic repentance, and discovering a new self won for us by Jesus’ powerful death. Wisdom and vision come from laying down our own thoughts in humility and asking God, who gives “generously to all” (James 1:5). Abundant life is the fruit of all who triumph in continual death to self.

In what ways are you still looking to your own wisdom and strength to find victory? Where is pride getting in the way of triumph? Take time today as you enter into guided prayer to lay down your life that you might find it in Jesus.

Guided Prayer:

1. Meditate on the power of Jesus’ triumphant sacrifice.

“For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit.” 1 Peter 3:18

“He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.” 1 Peter 2:24

2. Now reflect on Scripture’s call to lay down your own life. 

“If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” Luke 9:23

“I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” Galatians 2:20

3. Bring to the cross anything in your life that’s rooted in self rather than God. Repent of those things and find forgiveness and freedom in Jesus. Allow God to empower you with his spirit.

“Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out, that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord.” Acts 3:19-20

“Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us.” Ephesians 3:20

Colossians 1:11-12 says, “May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy, giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.” Great is our inheritance in God. Great is the life won for us by Jesus. May you find power, strength, endurance, patience, and joy today as you look to Jesus, your triumphant king.

Extended Reading: Colossians 1

Overwhelmed. Overcommitted. Overworked..CAREY NIEUWHOF

 Overwhelmed. Overcommitted. Overworked.

CAREY NIEUWHOF 

“Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” Proverbs 4:23 (NIV)

I was a trying-to-be-devoted husband and a dad of two young sons, and at the same time, I was leading one of the fastest-growing and largest churches in our denomination.

At first, everything seemed manageable.

When I arrived in our little community, the church was small. How can you be overwhelmed when you’re leading a church with an average attendance of six?

But six became 60, which became 600, which became 1,000, and I couldn’t keep up. In fact, I developed a deadly equation: more people + more responsibility = more hours.

Ever been there? Life gets busy. Kids. Financial stress. Marriage struggles. Your friends, family, co-workers and everyone else in the universe have access to you 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

You never get a break.

And before you know it, you find yourself overwhelmed, overcommitted and overworked.

What I didn’t see coming was that amid the relentless pace of trying to keep up, my heart was withering, dying, disappearing.

“Above all else,” the Scriptures tell us, “guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it” (Proverbs 4:23). An older version of the NIV Bible once framed it this way: “Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.”

My spring had dried up. As my heart went hard, everything else good dried up: my patience, my kindness, my compassion, my gentleness. Gone. And I was a pastor.

The price of busyness is your heart.

And yet it became easy to justify my busyness. Because all the activity that was numbing my soul was for Jesus. And people were being saved. How could this possibly be a bad thing?

About a decade into the rocket ride that was my church leadership, things ground to a dead halt. I burned out.

I didn’t declare a finish line to my work, so my body did.

Since then, I’ve developed a little mission statement I remind myself of every day: Live in a way today that will help you thrive tomorrow.

In this moment, if I’m not living in a way that will help me thrive tomorrow, I’m doing it wrong.

That means saying “no” — a lot. It means closing the laptop at the end of the day. It means getting eight hours of sleep, carving out time to exercise, finding a hobby and eating healthier. It means focusing on what only I can do and ignoring, delegating and declining the rest. It means meaningful time with Christ and with my family. It means taking time off.

The strangest thing is that by doing less, I’ve served far more people. Our church grew — a lot. As I got healthier, so did everyone I led.

Since I've handed off the church's leadership to the next generation, these days I’m able to minister to more leaders every day than I ever dreamed possible. Doing less has led to far more. Who knew?

And my heart? It’s alive again.

Ironically, guarding your heart isn’t one more thing to do. It’s the thing that leads to everything getting better.

What do you need to cut out of your life so your heart can come alive again?

Lord, help me figure out what’s drying up the wellspring of life in me. Give me the courage to say “no” to things that don’t matter so I can say “yes” to what does. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Spending Our Inheritance..Dr. Charles Stanley

 Spending Our Inheritance

Dr. Charles Stanley

Ephesians 1:11-22

The word “inheritance” usually brings to mind the money and real estate handed down from one generation to another. But God has an even greater legacy to share with His children—one that they are given the moment they enter His family.

Galatians 4:7 tells us that believers are God’s heirs. First among our priceless treasures is a living hope in Jesus Christ that cannot be taken away (1 Peter 1:3). What’s more, He pledged to supply our needs according to His riches (Phil 4:19). In other words, we already have all that we need for an abundant and victorious life.

However, some folks get stuck in spiritual poverty because they refuse to view themselves as adopted children. Failing to tap into their inheritance, they’re like a man who sees himself as a poor, sinful creature: he wanders through this big angry world hoping to hold on to his meager scrap of faith until he’s lucky enough to die and go to heaven. Of course that man misses the blessings available in this life, because he’s not looking for them.

How differently people see themselves when they look through the eyes of Jesus. Christians who live like the beloved, empowered heirs that they are will lavishly spend their inheritance of grace to benefit everyone they meet.

God gives all believers a pledge of inheritance out of the unsurpassed riches of His infinite grace. We are spiritually rich citizens of heaven who have nothing to fear in this world. Choose to live boldly for Christ, and see how abundantly God pours out blessing from the legacy already set aside for you.

How to Have Patience Like Jesus..Lori Freeland

 How to Have Patience Like Jesus

By: Lori Freeland

BIBLE VERSE OF THE DAY: “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.” - Colossians 3:12

Patience is hard.

In our fast-food, drive-thru, one-day-Amazon-delivery world, it’s a lost art. A muscle we don’t like to exercise often. Yet as Christians, we’re called upon to use that muscle. God desires for us to wait steadfastly upon Him and be longsuffering with each other.

Patience hurts.

A few years ago, I broke my ankle. After weeks of healing from surgery, it finally got cleared to bear weight. That first second my foot hit the floor, fire burned up my calf and my ankle wobbled. It took weeks of physical therapy and painful repetition to get back into walking shape. But the more I practiced, the easier it got. Building patience is kind of like that.    

Patience is something God understands.

After all, He deals with us 24/7. I can only imagine how much I test Him weekly, daily, even hourly—yet He never wobbles under the weight. He has an endless supply of patience, and He’s willing to share.

When you find yourself struggling, you can pray to have patience like Jesus.

“Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.” (1 Peter 4:8)

Some of God’s people are hard to love. They can be moody, mean, difficult, and impossible to understand. They blame you for things you didn’t do and have expectations you can’t meet. Sometimes you might wish they weren’t in your life.

You need God to show you how much He loves them. He can reveal what He sees under the surface, where they’re hurting, and tell you how to make a difference. Thank God for giving us patience to be kind and compassionate when we don’t have our own and for loving us when we are the ones who are difficult in someone else’s life.

A Prayer for Surrender This Christmas..Meg Bucher

 A Prayer for Surrender This Christmas

By Meg Bucher

“I am the LORD, and there is no other; apart from me there is no God. I will strengthen you, though you have not acknowledged me, so that from the rising of the sun to the place of its setting people may know there is none besides me. I am the LORD, and there is no other. I form light and create darkness, I bring prosperity and create disaster; I, the LORD, do all these things.” Isaiah 45:5-7 NLT

Let go and let God is a familiar phrase many of us use to comfort others navigating a difficult time. But, when it’s our situation needing divine intervention, it’s difficult to embrace. Human forgiveness lacks the appropriate amount of endurance and strength to reconcile a situation that has been decimated by betrayal and hurt. Enter Jesus, by whom we have access to supernatural strength embrace peace, forgiveness, and the hope of reconciliation on this side of heaven. The prophet Isaiah points out crucial truths in the verses above, by which we can operate in our daily lives. When our emotions start to run away, we can instead choose to yield to the following powerful truths as we pray.

Let’s pray:

Father,
Today, as we pray the divinely inspired words of the prophet Isaiah, we ask You to root these truths in our hearts and water them faithfully. We pray for the surrender of our minds, wills, and physical bodies into Your hands. 

“I am the LORD, and there is no other; apart from me there is no God.”

Father, when we attempt to be the lord of our situations, help us to surrender quickly before we damage our relationships with the people You have so carefully placed in our lives. Remove our selfishness in disagreement, and strip us of the right to be offended, Lord. Let us remember, You are the LORD. We are not.

“I will strengthen you, though you have not acknowledged me, so that from the rising of the sun to the place of its setting people may know there is none besides me.”

God, we confess we do not immediately acknowledge You when we are offended or angry. Father, we fail so often to filter our emotions through the truth of who You are and what Your Word instructs us, so particularity to do in order to be peacemakers. We pray to submit and surrender our gut reactions and longstanding grudges into Your hands, Father. By Your strength, usher forgiveness and compassion into our hearts and minds, allowing us to forgive and love others as we are meant to. Pull offense out of our grip, Father, by Your strength! And replace it with Your peace, which surpasses all understanding! 

“I am the LORD, and there is no other. I form light and create darkness, I bring prosperity and create disaster; I the LORD, do all these things.”

Father, You are the LORD, as Isaiah so faithfully penned …we are not. You form light and darkness, bring prosperity and disaster …You do all these things. You are in control. We are not sovereign over our lives. You are. We are not in control of the created universe. You are. Father, when we are bent on our way and our timing, please strip our hearts of the pride and selfishness which prevents us from surrendering to You. We cannot make another human heart understand our point of view, God. And it’s frustrating! Often, we feel misunderstood, wrongly accused, and slighted by the offense. Help us to surrender our perspective of every situation, Father.

You, Lord, make things happen. Our prayers today are for the full surrender of our lives into Your hands. Things we would give our lives to mend, we turn over to You, Father. Because we can’t fix it in our strength. We need You, Author of every heart, to help us reach another to achieve reconciliation. Do it, Father, as only You can. You do these things, Lord. You are the God of miracles. As we surrender, we pray for the littering of Your miracles to come to fruition in our lives …not just for our comfort or satisfaction, peace or prosperity. Let all these things be done for Your glory, Lord. Because Peace is truly something You accomplish. 

In Jesus’ Names, Amen.

 

Understanding the Hope Restored in the Birth of Jesus By Clarence L. Haynes Jr.

 Understanding the Hope Restored in the Birth of Jesus

By Clarence L. Haynes Jr.

“Don’t be afraid, Mary,” the angel told her, “for you have found favor with God! You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!” – Luke 1:30-33

We often consider the birth of Jesus from the perspective of looking back. For a moment, I want you to put yourself in the hearts and minds of the people who were alive during this time. When you do this, it will help you understand the reason for the hope and excitement surrounding Jesus’ birth. 

Israel had a glorious past as a nation. The history of Israel began with a promise to Abraham. God told him he would make him into a great nation and give him land for his people who would come after him. Through exile and then exodus, God eventually fulfilled this promise, birthed a nation, and gave them their own land. The glory of Israel extended through the period of judges, but eventually, Israel wanted a king. The kingdom was formed first with Saul, then David, then Solomon. After Solomon, the kingdom was split into the Northern kingdom, which had ten tribes and was known as Israel, and the Southern kingdom, which had two tribes and was known as Judah. All during this time, there were kings in Israel and Judah. However, because of their rebellion and sin, eventually, the nations went into captivity.

By the time we get to the announcement of the birth of Christ, the succession of kings had stopped. It had been nearly 600 years since there was a king on either the throne of Israel or the throne of Judah. Not only had the succession of kings stopped, but the succession of prophets had also ceased as well. It had been 400 years since there was a prophet in Israel and more than 400 years since the book of Malachi was written, which is the last book written in the Old Testament. 

The glory of Israel was long gone, and it only remained in their memory. By the time we get to the announcement of Christ’s birth, Israel was living under an authoritarian state that was governed by Rome. Herod was the king; he was not a Jew but was appointed by Rome, and while he was a brilliant man, he was also a ruthless and evil ruler. 

It is out of this place in Israel that God tells Mary that she will give birth to Jesus, that he will be great, and that he will sit on the throne of David forever. If you had been in Israel and heard this, how would you have reacted to this news? I hope you can understand why this would create such excitement and enthusiasm. In the minds of many, all that was lost was about to be restored because of this child that was born. When Jesus showed up, their hopes and expectations were lifted.

Intersecting Faith and Life:
Has your hope been crushed by the circumstances of life? Life can be filled with challenging and difficult realities that can destroy your hopes and dreams. It can get to the point where you stop having expectations because what is the use? It is in these situations that you need Jesus to show up. When he arrives on the scene, he brings with him all the power and authority of heaven. Because he is with you, there is a reassurance everything will be alright. When Jesus shows up, your hope and expectations go up. This does not mean it will go the way you expect, but you can be confident the end will be for your good. Remember, the disciples and followers of Jesus were expecting him to restore the nation of Israel, but Jesus had a bigger and better plan in mind. The same is true in your situation. Let his presence give you hope and confidence to know he is with you, and the end he has for you will be greater than you could ever imagine.

Here is a quote from John C. Broger to ponder: “The hope that God has provided for you is not merely a wish. Neither is it dependent on other people, possessions, or circumstances for its validity. Instead, biblical hope is an application of your faith that supplies a confident expectation in God's fulfillment of His promises. Coupled with faith and love, hope is part of the abiding characteristics in a believer's life.”

5 Ways God’s Christmas Gift Keeps on Giving..Lynette Kittle

 5 Ways God’s Christmas Gift Keeps on Giving 

by Lynette Kittle

“For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.”– John 3:16

Growing up the first Scripture verse I remember memorizing is John 3:16. I loved hearing it and repeating it to myself and all who would listen to me recite it.

It not only tells of the very first Christmas present ever given, the gift of Jesus, but also assures me of God’s love, where Jesus came from, and God’s purpose in sending Him.

Considering God’s priceless present to the world, the holiday season is an opportune time to share with family, friends, and those around us, 5 ways God’s Christmas gift keeps on giving:

1. The Gift of Love

Love does not exist outside of God. He is the only source of love because God is love (1 John 4:16). 1 John 4:19 states how God first loved each one of us. Before any of us were able to choose to love Him, He loved us.

John 3:16 assures us that in the history of the world, not one person ever, has been unloved by God.

2. The Gift of Purity

Titus 3:4-5 describes how, “the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared” for the washing away of sin. As 1 John 4:10 states, “He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.”

No matter what sin has been committed, God is willing to forgive and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Through God’s Christmas gift, sin is washed away.

3. The Gift of Salvation

Matthew 1:21 tells the story of an angel coming to Joseph stating, “She [Mary] will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins.”

Salvation is good and pleases God “who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:3,4). As Romans 10:13 asserts, “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” 

4. The Gift of Living in Love

God’s gift enables us to love one another. 1 Thessalonians 4:9 states through God’s example of loving us, we are taught how to love each other. God urges us in His word to,“Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves” (Romans 12:10).

We can know and rely on the love God has for us, and when we live in love, we are living in God and God in us (1 John 4:16).

5. The Gift of Life

God’s gift brings new life, causing old things to pass away (2 Corinthians 5:17). Colossians 1:27 tells us of “the glorious riches of this mystery,” which is Christ living within us.

God’s gift of life comes with eternal benefits as promised in 1 John 2:25, “And this is what He promised us—eternal life.”

His glorious Christmas gift to the world has eternal benefits to all who receive Jesus as written in 1 John 5:11, “God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.”