The Merciful King.. Craig Denison Ministries

 

The Merciful 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:

“Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.” Matthew 9:13

Devotional:

The ministry of Jesus is laden with acts of mercy. From acts of healing and forgiveness to meals shared with those entirely undeserving of his attention, his heart was filled with mercy for his people.

Have you ever thought that God might delight in showing you mercy? Have you ever thought that he might actually enjoy stepping into your world and offering that which you are wholly unworthy of? Does a good father loathe the times he needs to step in and forgive a child? Does a good father always force his kids to toe the line of perfection and offer only harsh words when they inevitably fail?

The very coming of Christ was an act of mercy. We who were left to try and find relationship under the law discovered our inability to live up to God’s standards. When left to live by our own strength, we quickly reveal ourselves to be made of dust. But Jesus’ coming demonstrated a part of God’s heart we still find hard to believe today. God’s desire is to step into the lives of his children and offer compassion and forgiveness where there is only failure and guilt. His desire is to pick us up even after we’ve made a mess and comfort us, while at the same time empowering us to live differently. We serve a merciful King.

Psalm 103:2-4 says, “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy.” Jesus bore a crown of thorns that we might be crowned with his steadfast love and mercy. Jesus, the only one deserving of God’s love, took on the guilt and shame we deserved that our lives might be marked by compassion and grace. 

In this life you will make mistakes. There will not be a single day in which you experience perfection. But Jesus’ birth, life, and death reveal to us that life is not about our imperfections but about God’s perfect love. Life is not about our failures or successes but about the God who loves us through it all.

Take time today to allow God to crown you with his steadfast love and mercy that your heart might find peace in the arms of your merciful King.

Guided Prayer:

1. Meditate on the mercy of God. Allow Scripture to fill you with faith to receive what you do not deserve.

“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” Lamentations 3:22-23

“Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy.” Psalm 103:2-4

2. Where do you need a revelation of God’s mercy today? Where are you feeling frustration or guilt around your weaknesses?

3. Ask God for a revelation of his mercy. Ask him how he sees your weaknesses. Allow his mercy to lay a new foundation for your life that you might live by grace today.

“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.” Hebrews 4:16

In Matthew 9:13 Jesus says, “Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.” We are called to live as agents of God’s mercy. One of the most powerful ways we can reflect the character of Jesus is by offering mercy to those in desperate need of it. Don’t hold others to standards of perfection. Rather, show forgiveness and love to those who, like you, are in desperate need of grace. May you find joy in being used by God to bring light and love to others today.

Extended Reading: Psalm 103

When Crisis Brings Joy..FERIAL FROM SYRIA

 When Crisis Brings Joy

FERIAL FROM SYRIA 

“I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.” Philippians 4:12 (NIV)

Editor’s note: Although Syria isn’t in the news anymore and cameras are focused on other parts of the world, the suffering of the Syrian people continues. Syria’s decade-long civil war continues. For Ferial Jamil Labbad, a Christian wife and mother of two in Latakia, Syria, the horrors of war almost tore her family apart. 

When war in Syria broke out in 2011, we were living in Aleppo in an area that was badly hit. We lived so close to the militia groups. My children were young then, and I lived in fear, afraid for them. When planes would fly over our house, my husband and I would take the children out of bed and hide in the bathroom.

Even simple tasks were risky. I remember one day when my husband, Ghandi, and the children went to the market. On their way back, there was a lot of shooting — even shooting at them. They started running; my children were crying. It was only the protection of God that allowed them to return home safely.

Finally, my husband had to leave to find work so we could afford to live. He had friends living in the Latakia countryside about three hours from us. We left Aleppo crying, especially the children — because they loved the house. We brought only some clothes with us, thinking we would be back soon.

That was eight years ago.

The first few months in Latakia were so hard and different. I fought with my husband and cried every night, thinking about everything we had left. Here, we have one small shared bedroom and a living room. We don’t have much food and get by on rice and lentils. And we have electricity for only 30 minutes three times a day.

But my husband reminded me time after time that we had fled to protect our children from the war. For the first time in what seemed like years, I felt my kids were safe here. I started to thank God that we had taken the right step, as hard as it was, and I began to have more peace. Gratitude has become a daily practice.

We have grown in our love for Jesus here. I have realized the importance of being part of a local church body. The church we found has motivated me to love Jesus even more than I used to. And finding this community helped ease the pain of leaving our home. I’m not concerned with Aleppo or our financial situation anymore. Instead, I feel different — closer to the pattern of Jesus. God is alive in us. He is with us, taking care of us, nurturing us.

I feel just as Paul did when he said, “I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want” (Philippians 4:12).

And I have grown through a discipleship group of women who study the Bible together and share about our lives with each other. Through this group, I have learned to open the Bible, read it and live it. Even as tiny as my house is, I love opening my home to this group to meet.

The situation in Syria is still very desperate, and we still have little. Prices continue to rise each day; no matter how much we work, we are not able to earn enough to buy the food we need. But I have learned that even if we have nothing, we can try to help those who are in worse conditions. Every morning I pray, Even if I have nothing, Jesus, I want to give something.

There is hope for our future. Even amid crises, I feel inner peace because I know that Jesus will never leave us.

Jesus, thank You that whatever crisis I face, Your Word promises You will never leave me — a promise I can always rely on no matter how hard things are. Thank You that my joy comes from knowing and trusting You — not from my circumstances. Help me to make gratitude a daily practice. Even if I have nothing, I want to give something. Please strengthen Ferial and her family and continue to bring Your peace as they follow and serve You. And be ever present with my sisters and brothers throughout the world as they struggle in life yet take every opportunity to testify of Your goodness and power. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Trusting in God's Faithfulness..Dr. Charles Stanley

 Trusting in God's Faithfulness

Dr. Charles Stanley

1 Thessalonians 5:16-24

Is there something God has told you to do that seems just too difficult? You can be sure that if He has called you to carry out His will, He’s going to be faithful to accomplish it through His Spirit living and working in you. So if you tell Him, “I can’t do that, Lord—what if I fail?” you’re really saying, “God doesn’t keep His word.” And yet, our total expectation should be in Him—not in our own energy, ability, or experience.

When you doubt God’s trustworthiness, that unbelief becomes a gap in your spiritual armor, and you can be sure that’s exactly where Satan will attack you. You’ll begin to doubt even more about God’s character, such as His goodness—and that distrust will become a heavy load of baggage you’ll needlessly drag through every area of your life.

You might feel that you do not have enough faith to obey, but the Lord isn’t asking you to have faith in favorable circumstances. He’s asking you to trust that He is who He says He is.

Do you believe that God is a liar? It’s really that simple: either He is truthful or He’s not. But if you believe that faithfulness is His character, then you can do anything He requires. You’ll be strengthened by your dependence on Him—whether a deluge or trials or a flood of blessing comes.

It’s actually when life gets rough and rugged that the sweetness of God’s faithfulness makes itself real in your heart. As you walk through those storms in complete reliance on His strength, your trust in His character becomes part of who you are and strengthens from within.

Your Life Is Like the Morning Fog..Jennifer Heeren

 Your Life Is Like the Morning Fog

By: Jennifer Heeren

BIBLE VERSE OF THE DAY - “Your life is like the morning fog—here for a little while—then gone.”  - James 4:14

It’s inevitable. One day you will pass from this life and go into the next. So, in light of this fact, the Bible says that whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. We are meant to bring glory to our Creator. You didn’t do anything to bring yourself into this life, so what you do with your days on earth shouldn’t be solely about you. “Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So, you must honor God with your body.” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)

Do everything out of love.

Act with love, compassion, mercy, and kindness as often as you can. Once you believe in Christ and are covered by His righteousness, your good works are no longer rubbish. They shine like diamonds to point people to your heavenly Father.

“Be on guard. Stand firm in the faith. Be courageous. Be strong. And do everything with love"( 1 Corinthians 16:13-14). You will never feel as fulfilled as when you’re serving other people in some way. Give food. Give money. Give away a possession. Give your time. Give encouragement. Give a hug. Give of yourself. You won’t regret this kind of living.

Remember that this life is short.

Even if you live to be 100, that is still a minute amount of time compared to eternity.

No one knows the day or the hour that they will be called home to heaven. Babies and young children go. Teenagers and young adults on the brink of discovering their life’s purpose go. People have passed away in every decade of a typical life. No one knows the length of their life, so we need to work on developing the breadth of it, which means making the most of each day.

We need to always remember this brevity and uncertainty. Doing so is the prescription to cure the common ailment of procrastination.

Always press forward and never give up.

I like that the Apostle Paul wanted to assure his readers by telling them that he hasn’t achieved the perfection of always living right for God (Philippians 3:12). None of us are perfect and none of us glorify God perfectly. I know I don’t. But I strive to do my best as excellently as possible each day.

I can press onward to learn from my mistakes and then do better the next time until I reach the end of my race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, called me (Philippians 3:14).

A Prayer for Us to Believe the Lord Will Do What He Says..Maggie Meadows Cooper

 A Prayer for Us to Believe the Lord Will Do What He Says

By Maggie Meadows Cooper

“You are blessed because you believed that the Lord would do what He said.” - Luke 2:45

Each year as the Christmas season gets closer, my heart fills with excitement over celebrating Jesus with family and friends. The decorations, the parties, the gifts…they all occupy my mind and time. But as Christmas Day approaches, my thoughts usually turn to Mary. All she endured on that long trek to Bethlehem. Giving birth in a barn surrounded by unsettling sounds and smells. Her worries and fears for her newborn son. But most of all, I wonder, why her?

To most people thousands of years ago, Mary was just an ordinary girl living an ordinary life. Until one night when everything changed. An angel of the Lord told her that she would be carrying a baby…and not just any baby…the Savior of the world. When the angel left Mary, she hurried to see her relative Elizabeth, who recognized that Mary would be the mother of the Messiah. Her baby (John the Baptist) jumped in her womb at the sound of Mary’s voice! And then, in Luke 2:45, Elizabeth said, “You are blessed because you believed that the Lord would do what He said.”

It's so simple and yet so profound, all at the same time. Mary was chosen because she believed the Lord would do what He said. Not only for those nine months. Or for that one miraculous night in Bethlehem. The Lord had to choose a heart who believed He would do what He said…for life.

On every sleepless night, as she cradled that baby boy to the training and exhausting days of toddlerhood. From the childhood days of mischievous play and games to the stressful years of life with a teenager. As she watched her grown son gain independence as a young adult teaching others, and then as she stood at the foot of the cross her precious son died on. Mary’s story was not just on that night in Bethlehem, and I think we too often forget that.

She lived every day as a wife and mama of multiple children. She cooked and cleaned on days that were long and exhausting. But on top of that, she held in her heart the moments she “treasured” and “pondered” about Jesus that must have brought her restless nights. We know from her song that she knew scriptures and stories of God’s faithfulness passed down through generations, that she most likely knew the prophecies, and therefore knew that Jesus was a part of that story.

Early on, when Mary and Joseph took baby Jesus to the temple, a man named Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, “This child is destined to cause many in Israel to fall, but He will be a joy to many others. He has been sent as a sign from God, but many will oppose Him. As a result, the deepest thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your very soul.”

Now, if that wouldn’t burden a mama, I don’t know what else would. But Mary ... I have to think that she believed God had a plan. A good plan, in spite of bad circumstances, in spite of scary things, and in spite of what she could see in those last days. It would be hard to think that Mary never feared or tossed and turned at times. But I don’t believe she ever doubted that God would do what He said. And so she was the one.

Jesus loved his mama…some of His last words were entrusting her to John’s care. And trying to imagine that scene, my heart is torn apart. It was our Prince of Peace hanging on that cross, but it was also a son and His mama. While she knew He was the Savior, He was also her baby…that same baby we celebrate this Christmas. And she believed He would do what He said. May we all have a heart like Mary’s this Christmas season and every day after.

Let’s pray:

Dear Jesus,
Thank you for Mary and her heart that believed when so many others wouldn’t. So often, it seems my prayer becomes, “I believe; help my unbelief.” But I long to have a heart like Mary’s. Help me believe that you will do what you say, not just for this hour, or this day, or this week, but for life. 
In Your Mighty Name, Jesus, Amen

Fixing Our Eyes on Jesus This Christmas..Lynette Kittle

 Fixing Our Eyes on Jesus This Christmas

By Lynette Kittle

“Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before Him He endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” - Hebrews 12:2

It’s easy to get caught up in all the various holiday events that take place during the Christmas season: running from place to place, shopping for gifts, attending holiday parties, and preparing festive meals. In the rush and excitement of it all, it’s easy to get caught up in it and take our eyes off the real focal point of Christmas, Jesus, our prefect gift from our loving, heavenly Father (John 3:16).

Putting Gift Giving in Perspective
The desire we have to give comes from God. He is the ultimate giver, proving over and over again by His generous heart toward us. Because we are made in His image, our hearts are created and moved to give, too. However, even though giving is a God-thing motivated by love, sinful thoughts and attitudes can corrupt motives behind it, causing many to give for the wrong reasons, such as wanting to be accepted or to impress others. As well as giving to receive something in return or to buy or manipulate favors from others. All year long, and especially at Christmas, we want to keep our hearts and minds focused on God’s leading in giving to each other, asking Him to guide us in giving gifts that meet needs, and ones that have lasting and eternal value.

Guarding Our Thoughts and Minds during Holiday Movies
More than ever, Christmas holidays are marked now by watching countless Christmas movies. Along with the Hallmark Network, now Great American Family and Lifetime Networks are airing Christmas movie marathons 24/7. For Hallmark especially, most storylines never mention Jesus or leave Him totally out of the picture. So is it okay for us as Christians to watch them? Watching faithless films requires us to keep a guard over our hearts and minds, aware of how easily holiday glitz and glitter is able to lead us astray from focusing on God’s gift of eternal life through Jesus. If not kept in check, over time, the superficial holiday glamour starts to turn our thoughts to how, where, and when we will celebrate Christmas rather than looking at the One we are celebrating.

As long as we keep aware of how these movies-minus-Jesus have the potential to influence and shape our thoughts about Christmas, we can watch their entertaining holiday themes, keeping in mind how they are missing the mark when it comes to communicating the Season’s real meaning.

Filtering Jesus-less Messaging
With all of the Christ-less messaging surrounding us this time of year, we want to recognize that even though many offer bright, colorful, warm, and magical holiday atmospheres, they are selling us worldly views and outlooks concerning the meaning of Christmas. We want to recognize how Jesus-less celebrating leaves us feeling empty in the end because Santa, elves, Christmas cookies, hot cocoa, and colorful lights, overall, leave us without the hope that comes through the true, hope-filled biblical story of Christmas. Christmas without Jesus will always come up short because without Him, there is no reason to celebrate. If Jesus hadn’t been born, there would be no Savior for a fallen world that is lost, broken, and hopeless without Him.

Concentrating on the True Joy of Christmas
Fixating on holiday extras causes us to miss the true joy of the Season. Luke 2:10 explains the origin of this joy. “But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.” Whereas the world offers us temporary, surface forms of holiday cheer and happiness, the Season’s true joy is found in Jesus, a joy full and satisfying every day of our lives (John 15:11), the kind that daily strengthens and sustains us (Philippians 4:13).

Intersecting Faith and Life:
What is your vision like lately? Are you focused on Jesus, or have you found yourself distracted by holiday events? If so, take time this week to turn your eyes towards Jesus, asking God to keep your sights on Him.

One Thing God Wants You to Remember at Christmas..Sharon Jaynes

 One Thing God Wants You to Remember at Christmas

Sharon Jaynes

Today’s Truth

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love (1 Corinthians 13:13 NIV).

Friend to Friend

With Christmas, it’s easy to get so busy with the cooking, decorating and shopping that we forget why we’re doing all this in the first place. Sometimes, the very people we love get lost in the hustle and bustle of packed schedules, holiday parties, and Christmas musicals.

Several years ago I wrote a Christmas version of 1 Corinthians 13 to help me keep my focus on what Paul deemed most important of all… love. As part of our family tradition, I pull it out and post it somewhere in our home as a reminder of what’s really important during the holiday season. And since you are now part of the family, I’m pulling it out for you.

1 Corinthians 13 Christmas Style

©By Sharon Jaynes

If I decorate my house perfectly with lovely plaid bows, strands of twinkling lights, and shiny glass balls, but do not show love to my family, I’m just another decorator.

If I slave away in the kitchen, baking dozens of Christmas cookies, preparing gourmet meals, and arranging a beautifully adorned table at mealtime, but do not show love to my family, I’m just another cook.

If I work at the soup kitchen, carol in the nursing home, and give all that I have to charity, but do not show love to my family, it profits me nothing.

If I trim the spruce with shimmering angels and crocheted snowflakes, attend a myriad of holiday parties, and sing in the choir’s cantata but do not focus on Christ, I have missed the point.

Love stops the cooking to hug the child.

Love sets aside the decorating to kiss the husband.

Love is kind, though harried and tired.

Love doesn’t envy another home that has coordinated Christmas china and table linens.

Love doesn’t yell at the kids to get out of your way.

Love doesn’t give only to those who are able to give in return, but rejoices in giving to those who can’t.

Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things.

Love never fails. Video games will break, pearl necklaces will be lost, golf clubs will rust. But giving the gift of love will endure.

Let’s Pray

Heavenly Father, thank You for sending Your Son, Jesus, on that starry night in Bethlehem. I am still amazed at Your great love for me. May I never lose sight of the true meaning of Christmas, but celebrate Jesus’ birth with joy! Help me to give as You gave—with love.

In Jesus’ Name,

Amen.

Now It’s Your Turn

What are some ways that you can make sure to love your family well this holiday season?

Are there any activities that you need to eliminate from your busy schedule in order to alleviate over commitment? If so, what are they?