Renewal of Joy..Craig Denison Ministries

 Renewal of Joy

Craig Denison Ministries

Weekly Overview:

One of the best aspects of spending time alone with God is being renewed daily by his word and presence. When we make space for God in our lives, especially at the beginning of the day, he is faithful to renew and prepare us for all we will face out in the world. Scripture says, “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). Where do you need renewal? How greatly do you need God’s mercies in your life? He has a plan this week to both teach and guide you into an encounter with him that will renew you with his overwhelming goodness and love. Make space for God. Make time to encounter him. And experience the refreshing spring rain he longs to bring to heal the dry and weary places of your heart.

Scripture:“Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit.” Psalm 51:12

Devotional:

When I think of the word “joy” I often picture the unadulterated smile of a child’s face. Children have this ability to have joy simply because they’ve found the delight of their parents. The joy of a child is unlike anything most of us experience as we grow up. For most of us, true joy has been crowded out by the pressures and cares of responsibility. Joy becomes contingent upon the circumstances of our lives. Most of us feel the pressure of finances, work, relationships, and even serving God consistently to the point that joy is a pursuit we’ve almost given up on. But God has a message and a plan for you for a renewal of consistent and unshakable joy. Let’s open our hearts and minds to dive into everything God has in store for us as we spend time encountering his desire to bring us joy.

Our joy is not to be of this world, but of God. Psalm 16:11 says, “You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” The fullness of joy will only be found in God’s presence, and the Bible tells us that God’s presence is everywhere! Psalm 139:7-10 says, “Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there! If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me.” Because God is everywhere and in his presence is fullness of joy, joy is available to you 24/7. And Scripture teaches us in Romans 14:17 that “The kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” God’s lordship in our lives is all about “righteousness and peace and joy.” Our heavenly Father desires to bring about those incredible fruits of the Spirit in you today. He has a plan to lead you to perfect, unshakable joy. But in order to receive the incredible gift your God wants to give you today, you will have to make a choice to place your hope and trust in him.

Scripture tells us that our joy is to be wholeheartedly found in God and not in the world. The joy our heavenly Father longs to bring us is meant to transcend anything this world could ever do to us. But in order for God’s desire to come to fruition in our lives, we have to place our hope and trust solely in him. Psalm 33:21 says, “Our heart is glad in him, because we trust in his holy name.” Romans 15:13 says,“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.” What we place our trust and belief in becomes the rudder that guides our emotions. If you place your trust in your job, people, or finances, you are building a foundation for your joy that can be crushed at a moment’s notice. But if you will choose today to place your trust and hope in your Lord Jesus Christ, you will have a sure foundation unshakable by any trial or circumstance that comes your way. In fact, those very trials that had the power to destroy your joy will, in God, become yet another source of it.

James 1:2-4 says, “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” When you place your hope and trust in God, your eyes will be opened to see the incredible work he is doing in you through any and every circumstance. Whether you have success in this life or not, you will have joy because your life will be wholly lived with your relationship with God as first priority. When your goal is to see God’s kingdom come to earth, the circumstances of your job and relationships won’t have the power to shake your joy and satisfaction any longer. You see, God’s plan to is to redeem your life totally and completely. God’s plan is to renew your joy every morning as you place your hope and trust in him alone.

Spend time today with your heavenly Father doing that very thing. Reflect on your life and see what has had the ability to shake your joy. May your joy become like that of a child’s today, who simply delights in the love of the Father. “May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy,” Colossians 1:11           

Guided Prayer:

1. Meditate on the joy God has in store for those who place their trust in him.

“For our heart is glad in him, because we trust in his holy name.” Psalm 33:21

“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

2. Reflect on your own life. What has the power to steal your joy? Where have you been placing your trust and hope?

3. Place your hope and trust in your heavenly Father today. Choose to give him your heart instead of the world. Make your relationship with him first priority.

“A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.” Proverbs 17:22

How incredible is the heart of our God that he would consistently and constantly bring us joy! Your God has such a love for you that he never wants you to go a day without it. He never wants you to have a moment without his unshakable joy. Jesus said in John 10:10, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” Experience the abundant life your God has in store for you as you live your life in a wholehearted pursuit of the joy of your good and present heavenly Father.

Extended Reading: Psalm 139

Find an Overflowing Peace When You’re Running on Empty..MARK BATTERSON

 Find an Overflowing Peace When You’re Running on Empty

MARK BATTERSON 

“And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:7 (ESV) 

Can I make a confession?

The struggles, discord and losses of recent years have taken a toll on my life. Positivity is one of my strengths, but I recently found myself in a funk.

Here’s a journal entry from one of those down days when I felt like I was emotionally flatlining:

I’m so spent. 
I’m so tired. 
It feels like I’m running on empty. 
I’m just not bouncing back. 
My head is foggy. 
My heart is irritated. 
Lord, help me.

Maybe you, like me, long for a deeper sense of peace in this chaotic world. A deeper connection with God.

In fact, one of the truest longings of the human heart is for what is called “shalom,” the Hebrew word for “peace.” For Jewish people, “shalom” is a standard greeting that conveys a wish for health, wealth and prosperity. But the word means more than that. Shalom is the restoration of all things to their original intent. It’s the garden of Eden before the fall of humanity. It’s a dimension of reality that the Bible calls heaven.

We tend to think of peace as emotional equilibrium, and I don’t want to discount that internal dimension. But shalom is peace that passes understanding.

“And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:7)

In other words, it's a peace that doesn’t make sense given the circumstances. A peace not dependent on what is happening in the world around us. A peace in the midst of the storm.

But peace is more than an emotion. Peace is a person!

Remember the moment when Jesus stopped a storm on the Sea of Galilee? He rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Peace! Be still!” (Mark 4:39, ESV). Who does that? I’ll tell you who — the Prince of Peace! (Isaiah 9:6)

At its core, shalom is relational harmony, starting with a right relationship with God. It is the only thing that will fill that God-shaped hole in us. Or maybe I should say shalom is the byproduct of God filling our hearts — with Himself.

The first tenet of the Westminster Catechism says that our “chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever.” We usually get the glorifying God part, but the enjoying part is harder to grasp. It’s the conviction that God’s ultimate goal and our deepest desire are one and the same thing. As John Piper writes in Desiring God, “God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him.”

How much are you enjoying your relationship with God? To grow in relationship with God is to enjoy His Word, enjoy His presence. It’s to enjoy everything that helps us draw near to Him.

Enjoying God might not feel possible to you right now if you are struggling with discouragement and anxiety, as I have at times. But the shalom of a right relationship with God — a sense of peace and ultimate well-being — is available to us. We can enjoy God, delight in His Word, and hold on to His hope no matter what is happening around us.

“Peace! Be still!” Jesus says in the midst of the storm. We can trust Him because He alone offers the shalom our hearts long for.

Lord, my heart feels raw and weary. I long for peace in me and around me. I long for the restoration of all things. Thank You for giving me this longing, for how it points to my need for You. I delight in who You are and how You have created me to find true satisfaction only in You! In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

The Priority of Relationship..Dr. Charles Stanley

 The Priority of Relationship

Dr. Charles Stanley

Revelation 2:1-7

Ephesus was the home of a tremendous ministry. Despite harsh persecution, the church planted by Paul endured opposition, spread the gospel, and was quick to challenge false prophets. But 30 years after the apostle left, John’s revelation included a stern warning for those believers.

Imagine how the words of Revelation 2 must have struck the Ephesians when they read them. After complimenting their service to the gospel, Christ said, “But I have this against you . . .” That phrase was no doubt extremely disconcerting. The Lord warned them that they had left their first love. In other words, all of their work was being done with wrong motives.

Christ called the Ephesians to remember their love for Him and their delight in His salvation. Service is no substitute for an intimate relationship, but modern believers continue to fall into this subtle trap. The commendable things that we do count for nothing unless they stem from a vibrant personal connection with God. Our work can’t be effective or fruitful unless He is in it.

In fact, God is more interested in you and your personal relationship with Him than in a thousand lifetimes of good works. He desires to be the satisfaction and delight of His children so that their service is a result of loving devotion.

There are plenty of wrong reasons to labor for the kingdom. However, God is satisfied only with service motivated by love for Him. He wants those with selfish intentions to return to their first love. In that way, hearts and minds can be renewed, and service to the Lord will be more fruitful.

Strengthened by Ordinary Grace..Emily Rose Massey

 Strengthened by Ordinary Grace

By Emily Rose Massey

“I can do all things through him who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13, ESV).

In high school, I attended a Christian youth retreat all by myself. I remember being incredibly nervous because I was hours away from home and didn’t know anyone. I had a desire to grow in my relationship with Jesus but truly didn’t know much about what being a Christian looked like. The Bible was just a centerpiece on our coffee table when I was growing up; my parents never encouraged me to open it up and seek the truth found in it, so I felt somewhat like a fish out of water at this retreat. As I headed to my bunk and unpacked my belongings, I noticed some goodies on my pillow. There was a little craft shaped to look like a barbel with a little note attached that said: 

“I can do all things through him who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13, ESV).

This verse became the first Bible verse I memorized and would become my “life verse” for a very long time. But what I have come to realize over the years is how much Philippians 4:13 is misapplied to be a self-empowerment verse instead of seeing our desperate spiritual need to be completely empowered by Christ to persevere even if our circumstances never change. 

Intersecting Faith and Life:

We must understand that the power of God is available to our lives as believers to make us capable of enduring all situations with a spirit of joy and contentment, but first, we must realize our weakness and lack apart from Christ. Yet, as humans, very few of us are willing to admit weakness or lack. When you have exhausted all resources and all energy, you are at the perfect place to receive Christ’s power. There typically are two temptations that most run to when they are in pain or discontented to find satisfaction: dull the pain/discontentment, or they overcompensate for the weakness and embrace the strength head-on and distance themselves from the area of weakness. What is your dulling mechanism that you run to when you are in pain/discouraged/discontent? 

What strong ability/abundant area do you run to instead of relying on Christ’s grace when you are lacking? Reflect upon this behavior and ask the Lord to reveal the heart issue behind these choices. We don’t have to dull pain or dodge our weakness because God has given us what Paul calls a secret (Philippians 4:12) to empower us as believers to endure- it is called ordinary means of grace. Some examples are: 

• Praising the Lord
• Meditating on God’s Word
• The One Another’s 
• Studying the Word
• Baptism and Communion
• Praying
• Fellowship
• Applying the Word
• Serving
• Praying with others

The empowerment of a Christian’s life is not seeking after “mystical zap” experiences but through these ordinary means of grace from the Father. Normal means of grace builds contentment in our heart so that we are strengthened to endure all circumstances, whether we are brought low and are suffering or experiencing abundance in every area of our life. These grace gifts from God are what the Lord uses to strengthen us most often in our life. Take some time to reflect upon which of these means of grace you could grow in and be intentional about taking advantage of them. We may be weak, but that is when we find our strength; It’s found in our position in Christ!

Further Reading:

• 2 Corinthians 12:9-10
• Isaiah 40:29-31
• Ephesians 3:15-16

Why You Must Study the Word for Yourself..Courtnaye Richard

 Why You Must Study the Word for Yourself

By Courtnaye Richard

“Study to show yourself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” - 2 Timothy 2:15

When you study the Word, this pleases God. Study the Scriptures for yourself. Learn to rightly divide it. The Holy Spirit will help you. This way, you won’t teach error to someone else or be deceived when someone else is teaching it to you. Reader…pay attention. We are indeed living in the last days, and the Bible warns us that there will be many false teachers among us teaching error, empty philosophies, man-made traditions, false doctrines, and leading many astray.

Colossians 2:8 alerts us saying, “Don’t let anyone capture you with empty philosophies and high sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from the spiritual powers of this world, rather than from Christ.” And Jesus told the religious Pharisees, “And why do you, by your own traditions, violate the direct commandments of God?” (Matthew 15:3) There are too many who are teaching and preaching their own agendas, false doctrines, and causing many to reject Christ because they themselves cannot live out what they preach or say.

So…in order to NOT be deceived, you have to read the word of God and study it for yourself. You are not alone. Remember, the Holy Spirit will guide you. He will lead you to the right people who will teach you the whole truth and nothing but the truth. And He will give you knowledge, understanding, wisdom and revelation when you pray and ask for it. Sometimes, the Lord will just supernaturally give you revelation knowledge of His word in one sitting!

I LOVE it when that happens!

I echo the words of Beth Moore who writes in her book Children of the Day, “We are blessed to have limitless opportunities to study under many pastors and teachers but, if we do not go diligently to the Scriptures for ourselves, the question is not whether we’ll be deceived, but how often.”

So I beckon you, as we await the return of Christ, DO NOT just go sit and hear a word from someone, and not take the time to go back home and study it out for yourself. It’s totally okay. Remember the opening verse 2 Timothy 2:15. Also, in the book of Acts this was written, “And the people of Berea were open-minded than those in Thessalonica, and they listened eagerly to Paul’s message. They searched the Scriptures day after day to see if Paul and Silas were teaching the truth.” (NLT) And they were! Praise God! Because there are great teachers, preachers, televangelists, bloggers, and authors who are teaching the truth.

But then Peter comes back to say, “…those who are ignorant and unstable have twisted his letters to mean something different, just as they do with other parts of Scripture. And this will result in their destruction. I am warning you ahead of time, dear friends. Be on guard so that you will not be carried away by the errors of these wicked people and lose your own secure footing. Rather you must grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” (2 Peter 3:16-17 – NLT) So be on guard.

The major point here is that it’s okay for you to make sure that you are not being deceived in this last hour. Because some words are true and some are taught in error. Some words are genuine and some are twisted. Pray for spiritual discernment (meaning knowing the difference between right and wrong, truth from error).

Now, before I close this very important post, I need to tell you why this point is so crucial for today. It’s a dangerous thing because wrong teaching, man-made doctrines, or incorrect instruction of God’s word will cause many to disobey God’s actual word, yield to man’s viewpoint or doctrine over what Scripture states clearly (which Jesus warned about earlier), and ultimately fall away from the faith. It’s dangerous to your spiritual health and others when you don’t study the word for yourself. So I encourage you to be sober and alert.

It’s not by chance that you’re reading this post today. It is my job to preach the word, instruct, encourage, correct, rebuke (in Jesus name) and warn. God wanted you to know the truth. I pray that you receive it, because it will make you free.

A Prayer for Unsaved Friends..Lynette Kittle

 A Prayer for Unsaved Friends

By Lynette Kittle

“When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralyzed man, “Son, your sins are forgiven” - Mark 2:5

Do you have friends who are in need of your faith? Maybe you haven’t ever thought of it in that way or even considered it a possibility, but your faith can make an eternal life-changing difference in the lives of your friends. Still, maybe you’re not sure if that’s even possible. So let’s look at the story in Mark 2:3 of friends helping a friend. “Some men came, bringing to him a paralyzed man, carried by four of them.”

From the story, we know there were at least five men, four carrying one paralyzed man, but we don’t know how many men there were all together.

Details, Details, Details
Although Scripture tells us a few details, it leaves many unanswered, such as whose idea was it to bring the paralyzed man? Was it his? Did he ask his friends to bring him? Or was it their idea? Did they talk him into it or bring him without asking him?

Whereas we’re often left without all the details in various biblical situations, we trust Scripture gives us the most important ones to know and focus on. In this story, we see a man in need of healing receiving forgiveness for his sins when Jesus saw the faith of these men. Scripture doesn’t tell us if only some of them had faith or whose faith exactly Jesus saw, but it does say the plural “their,” so we know it was more than one person’s faith being recognized.

As well it seems this story points out how important it is whom we hang out with on a regular basis. What if the man who needed forgiveness and healing had no faith, but because of his friends’ faith in bringing him to Jesus that day, he received both? Sadly if he had hung out with faithless men, he would most likely have remained in his sinful, broken condition.

Who Are Your Friends?
Do you have friends who don’t have a relationship with God because they’ve never received forgiveness for their sins through Jesus’ death on the cross and resurrection? If so, your faith can make a difference in their lives. All of eternity lies ahead for them, whether they believe it or not. Without Jesus, they will face eternal death and separation from God. 

But the good news is that you, their friend, have faith. Because you do, ask God to give you opportunities to share your faith with them like the men who carried their paralyzed friend to see Jesus. Like them, be willing to go the extra mile to help your friends receive Salvation in Jesus Christ. 

When it comes to praying for your friends, be passionate, asking God to do whatever it takes for them to receive His gift of new life. This truly is a life-or-death situation, where nothing on earth is more important for them than having their sins paid in full by the blood of the Lamb. Without it, your friends will be lost forever. 

Ephesians 1:7 explains, “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace.”

Let’s pray:

Dear Father,
We ask you to reach out and reveal Your truth to our unsaved friends. Intervene, O Lord, in their lives today. Free them from unbelief. Father, please soften their hearts towards You. Let their ears be opened to hear, their eyes to see, and their hearts to understand Your truth so that they might receive Your Salvation through Jesus Christ (Matthew 13:15).

Do whatever it takes in their lives, Lord, to bring them to faith in You. As Acts 4:12 reveals, “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind which we must be saved.” Help them to understand that Jesus is the only way to You, Father (John 14:6), and is able to save them completely, living forevermore to intercede on their behalf (Hebrews 7:25). Free them from unbelief, dear Father, and give them a new heart and a new spirit within them (Ezekiel 36:26).
In Jesus’ name, Amen

6 Reasons We Can Believe in the Resurrection of Jesus Christ..Jim Burns

 6 Reasons We Can Believe in the Resurrection of Jesus Christ

By Jim Burns

If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. —1 Corinthians 15:17

The resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead is the cornerstone of our Christian faith. If Christ did not rise from the dead, your faith is in vain. But you can be assured that the good news is true. Jesus Christ “was buried [and] he was raised on the third day, according to the Scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:4).

Throughout the ages, skeptics have tried to disprove the Resurrection experience, but it stands the test of time. Here are six proofs that Jesus actually rose from the dead:

First Proof— The Resurrection was foretold by Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests, and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life. —Matthew 16:21

Second Proof— The Resurrection is the only reasonable explanation for His empty tomb.

Joseph brought some linen cloth, took down the body, wrapped it in the linen, and placed it in a tomb cut out of rock. Then he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb. —Mark 15:46

Third Proof— The Resurrection is the only reasonable explanation for the appearance of Jesus Christ to his disciples.

He was buried…raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and…appeared to Peter and then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to…me also, as to one abnormally born. —1 Corinthians 15:4-8

Fourth Proof— The Resurrection is the only reasonable explanation for the beginning of the Christian Church.

This man was handed over to you by God’s set purpose and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross. But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him. —Acts 2:23-24

Fifth Proof— The Resurrection is the only reasonable explanation for the transformation of the disciples. The disciples went into hiding in an upper room “for fear of the Jews” (John 20:19). After seeing and talking with Jesus for approximately six weeks, they went out to “turn the world upside down” (see Acts 17:6), fearlessly proclaiming Jesus Christ (also see Acts 3:12-26; 4:1-33; 8:4; 17:6).

Sixth Proof— The witness of the apostle Paul and the transformation of his life, can be reasonably explained only because of the resurrection of Christ. “Saul grew more and more powerful and baffled the Jews living in Damascus by proving that Jesus is the Christ” (Acts 9:22).