Carrying the Presence of Christ..Craig Denison Ministries

 

Carrying the Presence of Christ

Craig Denison Ministries

Weekly Overview:

The Christmas season is a powerful and unique time of year to remember that Jesus came to make a way for us to be near God. In his life, death, and resurrection, Jesus built a bridge between us and God allowing us to have continual, unhindered communion with our Creator. But God can’t force us into nearness with him. Even as believers filled with the Holy Spirit, we can choose to live as if God is still far off. So this Christmas season, may we choose to open our hearts to the living God that we might experience fullness of joy in his loving presence.

Scripture:

“By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world.” 1 John 4:17

Devotional:

We have the privilege as Jesus’ disciples of carrying his presence with us into the world. God in his love has chosen to use us as agents of awakening. He’s commissioned us to “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19). And in 1 John 4:15-17 we gain an insight into the way in which God would have us make disciples:

Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world.

“As he is so also are we in this world.” What a powerful statement! God’s plan for the world is to form and fashion us into those who reflect his goodness to others. The hope of the world rests in Jesus’ mercy and grace as proclaimed through our lives. And the only way in which we carry Jesus with us into the world is by abiding in God and allowing him to abide in us.

Do you know that you can abide in God? And not just in spending time alone with him! 1 John 4 teaches us that when we abide in love, when we love others, we are abiding in him. You see, abiding in God requires us to be where he is. It requires us to yield to his leadership and heart that we might join him throughout our day where he is already at work. Sometimes abiding requires time spent in solitude, the word, and worship. Other times abiding requires action.

Where is God at work in your midst today? Who is he pursuing and how can you join him? Who is he drawing to himself and how can you help him? If you want to be with God today, join him in seeing his kingdom of love advance. If you want to abide in the presence of Jesus, decide to live like him, empowered by his Spirit. You don’t have to live perfectly. You don’t have to be anything other than who you are. God in his power and grace has created you for a specific purpose to reveal a specific aspect of his heart to the world. Simply choose to let him in to all you are and do today that your day might be filled with his life-giving presence. Choose to carry his wisdom, love, and grace into relationship with others that in your communication, emotions, and actions you would proclaim his character.

Take time in guided prayer to find rest and purpose in the presence of Christ.

Guided Prayer:

1. Meditate on God’s command to abide in him. Allow Scripture to fill you with desire to center your life around the presence of God.

“Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world.” 1 John 4:15-17

2. Ask God for a revelation of his nearness. Take time to rest in his presence that you might be empowered by the Holy Spirit.

“Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” Psalm 46:10

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” Acts 1:8

3. Ask God for specific ways in which you can love others today. Pay attention as he puts people or circumstances on your heart. Pay attention to how he would have you engage others today. Ask him for his grace and power to love others well today.

“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:10

In 1 John 2:6 John writes, “Whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.” What good are words or desires if we don’t put action to them? What does all our talk mean if we never do something about it? The kingdom of God is one that doesn’t separate faith and works. James writes, “Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works” (James 2:18). Choose today to put action to what’s in your heart. Don’t hold back your love for others. Don’t refrain from encouraging and loving other people, even if it’s abnormal behavior for you. Step into situations and bring the presence and will of Christ. May your day be marked by the powerful anointing of the Holy Spirit to love others as Jesus did.

Extended Reading: 1 John 4

The Pattern for Servanthood..Dr. Charles Stanley

 The Pattern for Servanthood

Dr. Charles Stanley

Matthew 20:25-28

In the world's thinking, great men are the ones with authority, prominence, and power. Though Jesus Christ had all that, He gave it up to become a servant (Isa. 42:1).

Jesus gave Himself completely to fulfill the Father's plan of redemption, even though the beneficiaries—namely, each of us—were undeserving. God is holy and righteous, and He cannot be in the presence of sin. Therefore, He must separate Himself from those who are stained by wrongdoing. That includes all of humanity (Rom. 3:23).

Everybody is born captive to the desires of the flesh (Rom. 6:16-18). When someone claims to be living on his "own terms," he is actually serving whatever his human nature craves. The penalty for that false sense of liberty is death (Rom. 6:23).

Jesus' ultimate act of service was to give His life as a ransom for many (Matt. 20:28). The word describes the price paid to set a slave free—Christ voluntarily purchased our liberation. There was only one way our holy God could remove our guilt yet remain true to His own law: Someone sinless had to pay our sin debt for us.

Jesus' sacrifice spared us the penalty we deserve. Instead, we receive the gift of grace and have been declared no longer guilty. Moreover, we are elevated from slaves to sons and daughters of the Almighty!

Jesus served the Father's purpose faithfully. He gave up His righteousness to carry the weight of all our wickedness—and endured a crushing separation from His Father. To meet our needs, the Savior held nothing of Himself back, and thereby set a powerful example of servanthood for us follow.

When God Interrupts Your Plans..Lynette Kittle

 When God Interrupts Your Plans

by Lynette Kittle

“This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit.”— Matthew 1:18

Have you ever had God interrupt your plans? Not just small ones but big ones, like whom you’ll marry, where you’ll live, work, or go to school?

Maybe at the time, you recognized it was God’s hand in your life, intervening and changing your situation? Or possibly when it was taking place, you didn’t have a clue.

Mary the mother of Jesus was living a quiet life engaged to Joseph, when God interrupted her plans by sending the angel Gabriel to deliver a message to her (Luke 1:26-27).

“The angel went to her and said, ‘Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you!” (Luke 1:28)

It seemed like such a wonderful kind of message, yet Luke 1:29 describes her reaction, “Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be.”

Mary was deeply concerned, “But the angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call Him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will Him the throne of His father David, and He will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; His kingdom will never end’” (Luke 1:30-33).

Sill Mary asked how this could be since she was a virgin, to which, “The angel answered, ‘The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God (Luke 1:36).

His words removed her doubt and revealed her heart as she answered, “’I am the Lord’s servant. May your word to me be fulfilled.’ Then the angel left her” (Luke 1:38).

How does your heart respond when God interrupts your plans with a life-shaking event?

At first, like Mary, do you also feel greatly troubled? As she questioned God at how these things could possibly occur in her life, do you question Him, too? Do you, as Mary did, need reassurance of His presence in the midst of it?

If so, God reassures you in Isaiah 41:13, “For I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.”

If your plans have been disrupted, instead of turning to fear, choose to trust God, believing He will help you.

A Prayer for Peace on Earth..Tiffany Thibault

 A Prayer for Peace on Earth

By Tiffany Thibault

“And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom He is pleased!’" - Luke 2:13-14.

Peace. This world desperately craves for us all to live in peace. “Why can’t we all just get along?” We say, hoping that someday in the future, things will be different and that there will be peace among people. This longing has been going on for so many years, yet somehow it isn’t happening. Generation after generation faces dictators, war, pain, racism, stress, and chaos in society. Families are falling apart, and respect for others has diminished as people get more vocal, angrier, and more reactive.

The worse news that we hear, the more that we see evil prevailing, the more intense our longing for peace on earth. Writers have written of Utopia and movies have been made of it. Social and educational programs have been integrated into our lives to try to make an impact. However, we see over and over again that though we might make a few steps forward, we are not able to create that peace on earth that we so desperately crave. 

As winter descends upon us, I love the softness, the hush of snow falling. It brings great peace to my heart. I also love to hear the Christmas song with these powerful words: “God is not dead, nor doth He sleep. The wrong shall fail, the right prevail. With peace on Earth, good will to men.” Those words mirror the words found in this Bible verse: “and on earth peace among those with whom He is pleased!” (I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day)

Our Bible verse does tell us that we can have peace on earth. That peace, though, cannot be found in social programs or simply adjusting our attitudes or lifestyle. That peace on earth is also not given to every person and can’t be taught or integrated into our sinful culture, which is why there isn’t peace among men. 

Obtaining the peace that this verse promises, requires a complete heart change. God promises to give peace here on earth among those who love Him, who live for Him, and who absolutely trust Him for every facet of their lives.  God's not dead, and He is not distant. He is here. He is near, longing to bring you peace. As we turn over our hearts and lives to Him, He pours out His peace into our hearts and minds. The peace He promises, the peace that He pours into our lives, is not temporary. It is powerful. The Bible tells us that: “the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:7) 

This peace that God gives us here on earth allows us to travel through the deepest heartache and the painful struggles of our lives, knowing that He is with us. He longs to flood your heart and mind with His perfect peace. Today can you open your heart to Him more, love Him more, and trust Him more? Lasting, life-changing peace on earth is only found in keeping our eyes on the Lord and resting in the knowledge that He is at work in every detail of our lives.

Your life has a powerful purpose as you live for Him. The peace He fills you with will absolutely impact your life and the lives of those around you. This is the only real peace that can be had here on earth. Today, embrace the Lord more and allow His peace to radiate from your life, drawing others closer to the true perfect peace giver that they too can know and receive. May this Christmas season be one of you living fully in the peace that the Lord gives, and may that peace flowing from you be the reason that people turn to the Lord and discover the truth of why we celebrate Christmas as they fall in love with Jesus who is so much more than just a baby in the manger. 

Let’s pray:

Dear Lord,
Today I lay before you all my struggles, my heartache, my worry. Fill me with your perfect peace. Please allow your peace to overwhelm me, to impact me, to change my heart and my attitude. Allow your peace to flow through me. Please give me the words to speak with those around me that will leave them wanting your peace as they seek to know you, the perfect peace giver. 

In your name, I pray, Amen

At Christmas and Always: God’s Word Never Fails..Lynette Kittle

 At Christmas and Always: God’s Word Never Fails

By Lynette Kittle

“For no word from God will ever fail” - Luke 1:37

When the angel Gabriel visited Mary with news of her being highly favored and chosen to carry and give birth to God’s only son on earth, he left her with a promise that we can all hold onto (Luke 1:37).

In our world today, where countless people are rewriting God’s Word to say things He isn’t saying and to support causes that go against His will, we need to remember that God’s Word will never fail. Especially now with the changing times, individuals and groups are believing God’s Word needs a new spin on it and updating, a modernization to keep up with the changing times.

But these are foolish, untrue thoughts and attitudes because they are dead wrong. 2 Corinthians 4:4 explains the source behind their ideas. “The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.”

When people think they can rewrite what God said and meant, they are revealing their lack of knowledge and faith in Him and exposing their underlying unbelief in His Word. As John 8:47 explains, “Whoever belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God.” 

Still, God’s Word cannot really ever be changed, rewritten, or torn down. In fact, it can’t even be touched, damaged, or modified in any way that lasts. Humans do not have the power or authority to make His word void. Whether people are being deceived and really believe what they are promoting is true or knowingly determined to tear down God’s Word, all their efforts are in vain As Psalm 119:89 confirms, “Your word, Lord, is eternal; it stands firm in the heavens.”

God’s Unchanging Word
Although some individuals and groups may think they can rewrite and reword what God is saying to us, they are actually powerless to do so because His word comes with an everlasting promise, to stand eternally (1 Peter 1:25) and to never, ever fail us. To help us in understanding how God’s word is lasting and never changes, Isaiah 40:8 describes, “The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever.”

As well, Matthew 24:35 explains, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.”

The Living Word
God’s Word is not like human words written in the past. “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12).

Because God’s Word is living, it is timeless, untouched by changing times, and able to speak to hearts through all generations. “So is my word that goes out from My mouth: It will not return to Me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it” (Isaiah 55:11).

In choosing our words, let us speak, write, and share God’s Word over our own whenever given the opportunity. Whereas our own words may at times fall flat, be outdated, or fail to have a good effect, God’s Word is never void or falls short of its divine purpose.

A Sure Foundation
Because God’s Word is solid and steadfast, we can count on it being a strong foundation for us to build our lives upon. We can have confidence in God’s Word because it doesn’t change with the times, politics, or culture. It will not fail us, ever

We can base every day of our lives on its principles because modern-day thoughts and opinions do not change the truth of His word. As 1 Corinthians 3:11 reminds us, “For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.”

Intersecting Faith and Life:
Take time in the coming weeks to commit to reading God’s Word. Ask God to reveal His truth to you and show you how to apply it to your daily life. If you're uncertain what God’s Word says about a situation, check His Word before making a decision. When tempted to choose what the world tells you to do over what God says is right, commit to following and trusting His Word over worldly advice.

A Prayer for Healing this Christmas Season..Debbie McDaniel

 A Prayer for Healing this Christmas Season

By Debbie McDaniel

“Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress. He sent forth his word and healed them, he rescued them from the grave.” Psalm 107:19-20

The Christmas season is always the time of year filled with so much joy and hope, a spirit of giving, and celebrations with family and friends. Yet that may also be the very reason why those suffering deep heartache, loss, illness, or struggle during this season, may feel the weight of their burdens even more deeply. Maybe many feel alone. Or forgotten. Maybe some wonder why God isn’t answering their prayers, or why his answers seem so long in coming. If you find yourself there right now, or are praying for a loved one through a difficult time, take heart in this word from Psalms:

“Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress. He sent forth his word and healed them, he rescued them from the grave.” Psalm 107:19-20

We have a place we can go to. We can cry out to God and be assured He does hear. And He cares.

God saves. He did then, and He does still.

He sent forth his word and healed them. And God never changes.

He rescued them. And He rescues us today.

Through Christ alone, we can find true healing – from physical illness and pain, from past wounds and difficult memories, from the heartache of deep loss, from addiction, despair, and even in the relationships that have been broken.

God already knows of the wounds we've carried. He knows the pain we've felt. He knows how much we've tried to let go, and fix things in our own power. Let's set aside our fears and move towards Him today, in faith.

For He is able.

He is powerful.

He cares.

He heals.

He restores.

He redeems.

Dear God,

You already know the pain we’ve carried, the deep wounds, the feelings of loss and heartache. You know how we’ve so often lost hope. Wondering if we’ll ever be truly free from this burden. It feels too great some days. We desperately need your healing and grace. We need your peace and our hope restored. We need to be reminded that you work on behalf of those you love, constantly, powerfully, and completely. Forgive us for trying to fix our situations all on our own. Forgive us for running in different directions and spinning our wheels to find help, when true help and healing must be found first in You. Forgive us for forgetting how much we need you, above everyone and everything else. We come to you and bring you the places we are hurting. You see where no one else can fully see or understand. You know all the places where we need to be set free, even those we’re not aware of. We ask for your healing and grace to cover every broken place. Every wound. Every heartache. Thank you that you are able to do far more than we could ever imagine. Thank you for your mighty power that acts on behalf of your children. We reach out to you, and know that you are restoring and redeeming every place of difficulty, every battle, for your greater glory. Thank you that you will never waste our pain and suffering. We love you. We need you today.

In Jesus’ Name, 

Amen.