Resurrection Culture Part 2..Craig Denison Ministries

 Resurrection Culture Part 2

Craig Denison Ministries

Weekly Overview:

We serve a God of powerful transformations. All throughout Scripture God takes those whom the world deemed the lowest, the hopeless, and the helpless and uses them to change the world. You are not beyond transformation. God longs to break off that which inhibits you from experiencing fullness of life. He longs to heal you, deliver you, and set you free. May your life be forever changed as we spend time discovering God’s heart for transformation.

Scripture:“We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.” Romans 6:4

Devotional:

We devoted time yesterday to searching Scripture for understanding on life in the Spirit. We looked at Romans 6:4 which says, “We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.” And in Romans 8 we learned that God has offered us a life free from condemnation (Romans 8:1-2), crowned us with Christ as his co-heir (Romans 8:16-17) and made it so nothing could separate us from the depths of his love (Romans 8:37-39).

We’ve been given an incredible life in the Spirit through Christ. But so often we continue to live as if his death and resurrection didn’t change our everyday occurrences. So often we live according to the flesh rather than our new life in the Spirit. So, building on the foundation of God’s word, let’s take time today to learn some practical ways we can better live the abundant life afforded to us through the resurrection of our Savior.

How can we better live our lives in the Spirit? How can we experience the “newness of life” Paul talks about in Romans 6? It all starts with growing in our friendship with the Spirit. The Bible tells us that the Spirit prays for us when we don’t know what to pray (Romans 8:26), that he teaches us (John 14:26), helps us (John 14:16), and fills us (Ephesians 5:18). But the Holy Spirit never forces himself on us. He only fills and speaks when he is asked. Such is the depth of God’s love for us that he waits patiently for us to open ourselves to him, beckoning us with his loving-kindness. So, we must make time every day to be filled with the Spirit anew and learn what it is to receive his help, teaching, presence, and prayer. It’s only when we grow in our relationship with him in private that we will learn how to be led and used by him in public. Just as you couldn’t pick out an unfamiliar voice from a crowd, you will have a hard time feeling the nudges of the Holy Spirit in this rushed and busy world without experiencing him in the secret place. Growing in friendship with the Spirit is vital and foundational to living with “newness of life.”

Next, we have to live in obedience to God’s word. God has blessed us with an incredibly practical book meant to guide us into an abundant, Spirit-filled life. To walk in obedience to the word is to live a life experiencing all that God has in store for you. So, spend time in the word of God opening your heart to the Spirit. Allow him to be your teacher. And commit yourself to live in obedience to what he shows you. In obedience to God’s word you will discover how perfectly applicable and powerful Scripture is to your life.

Lastly, set aside time to simply receive the love of God. We live our lives in a society full of people and possessions that promise to satisfy us. We’re surrounded by a world that isn’t living out of personal experience with God and isn’t a reflection of his truth. If we’re going to live in the world but not be of it, as Romans 12:2 commands us, we must spend time experiencing the reality of God’s love. We must allow his presence to be the lens through which we see the world around us. Victory over the enemy comes from encountering the reality of God’s unfathomable grace and affection. Following the leadership of the Spirit moment to moment stems from encountering the reality of his nearness in the secret place. You have to spend time engaging in spiritual relationship to live a spiritual life.

Spend time today growing in your friendship with the Spirit, reading God’s word, and receiving the love of your heavenly Father as you enter into guided prayer.

Guided Prayer:

1. Spend time receiving a fresh filling of the Spirit. Simply open your heart and wait for him. Ask him to make the reality of his presence known to you. Ask him to lead you into deeper friendship with him. The Spirit loves to talk to us, help us, and guide us because he loves us. You will never have a better friend than the Holy Spirit.

“Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own.” 1 Corinthians 6:19

“But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.” John 14:26

“If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” Luke 11:13

2. Spend time engaging with God’s word. Where does your heart need more life? Where do you feel like the world has taken over? Look up Scripture on whatever subject you need help with, and stand on God’s word! Renew your mind and live in obedience today.

“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:16-17

3. Receive the love that God has for you today. Similar to receiving a filling of the Holy Spirit, just spend time resting in the presence of God. Ask him to reveal his love to you. Ask him how he feels about you.

“I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.” John 15:5

“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love.” John 15:9

I pray that you would be transformed as you align your life with the resurrection culture. May you see yourself as one saved, redeemed, empowered, and delivered. May you live in pursuit of the abundant life available to you. May the chains of this world fall off in light of God’s powerful grace. And may your life be a reflection of the reality of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection.

Extended Reading: John 15

Where the Wrath and Love of God Meet..Dr. Charles Stanley

 Where the Wrath and Love of God Meet

Dr. Charles Stanley

Romans 3:23-26

In our culture, sin is no longer considered an issue. Although some people might admit to making mistakes or being wrong, few will actually say, "I have sinned." The Lord, however, takes sin very seriously. Until we learn to see transgression as He does, we will never understand what happened at Christ's crucifixion.

The cross was God's perfect answer to a terrible dilemma. Because the Lord is holy and just, He hates sin and must respond to it with punishment and wrath. Yet He also loves sinners and wants to be reconciled with them. The cross of Christ was the place where God's wrath and love collided.

The only way to rescue fallen mankind from eternal punishment was to devise a plan whereby the Lord could forgive sins without compromising His holiness. There was no way to overlook transgressions; His wrath had to be poured out--either on us or a substitute. But there was only one possible substitute: the perfect Son of God.

So Jesus came to earth as a man and suffered the Lord's wrath for us as He hung on the cross. Sin was punished, divine justice was satisfied, and now God could forgive mankind without compromising His character. His wrath was poured out on His Son so that His love and forgiveness could be lavished upon us.

Because of human limitations, we'll never grasp all that happened while Jesus hung on the cross. We can begin to comprehend only the physical suffering He endured, but in the spiritual realm, Christ bore so much more--the very wrath of God. This costly redemption plan proves God's great love.

Remembering God’s Love for Us..Aaron D’Anthony Brown

 Remembering God’s Love for Us

By Aaron D’Anthony Brown

“Why, my soul, are you so dejected? Why are you in such turmoil? Put your hope in God, for I will still praise him, my Savior and my God.” (Psalm 42:5)

The Forgetful and the Remembrance
We read about it, write about it, sing about it, think about it, and yet, time and time again, we forget about it. God’s love. Something truly remarkable and profoundly unclear, something we are quick to praise, and also quick to doubt. This is the human condition, both before and after we become believers. Why would a higher power, any higher power, love us? We wonder, yet, despite our ambivalence and despite our folly, His love remains. Ubiquitous. Powerful. Pursuant.

God’s love is a mystery, one we see illustrated and told throughout Scripture, and history. Stories of God-fearing men and women before us characterize God as loving, caring, and involved, not to mention the Savior He sent for all mankind. If we take a look beyond Scripture or history, we can point to instances of miracles and goodness occurring in the lives of our relatives, friends, and others. God is good, they say, and we agree with them, especially because we see God blessing our lives, too. The birth of a child, a new job, a new relationship, healing from injury, recovery from addiction, and the list goes on.

We see all these instances and examples of God working, but our questions persist.

• Why would God love me?
• Does He really love me?
• If He did, why is this happening to me?
• Why is all of this happening to me all at once?

One mystery, not as abstruse as God’s love, is why we forget in the first place. Circumstances, those of the unfortunate variety, make us falsely believe our problems to be bigger than our God. They lead us to believe we’ve fallen out of His grace, whether or not we’re at fault. People have the same effect on us, sometimes telling us that we’re the problem when we’re not. Other times, they are the ones causing our circumstances.

Then there is the issue of our own sin, which has a way of clouding our judgment of what’s true and false. We deny God’s love because we have denied love to ourselves. At other times, we blame Him for the chaos we ourselves have evoked, because taking responsibility feels too great. Even knowing why we forget doesn’t necessarily help us remember. Remembrance doesn't come back to us naturally. Sometimes, maybe often, we have to tussle with ourselves to get our perspectives back on track and re-focused on God. Sometimes we have to ask ourselves, “Why, my soul, are you in such turmoil?”

Intersecting Faith and Life:
There are a few different ways each of us as believers can strive daily to remember God’s love for us. In doing so, we shouldn’t seek just to serve ourselves, but should also seek to uplift one another, as Scripture admonishes (Psalm 27:17).

1. Read the Bible
In order to know God’s character, and therefore His love, we each have to read His book. People can certainly tell us about God, and we can make guesses about who He is, but Scripture helps us to know with certainty.

2. Read Scripture Daily
Reading the Bible once every full moon doesn’t help us develop an intimate understanding of Him. Our adversities with people, circumstances, and ourselves are constant. That’s the consistency we should emulate with Scripture in order to remember His love.

3. Memorize Verses
When thoughts of doubt enter our minds, we can refute what is untrue with what is true. By memorizing verses, the knowledge of those words becomes ingrained.

4. Fellowship
There’s something to be said about experiencing life in the presence of fellow believers. As we ourselves are a reflection of Christ, so too are our fellow Christians, especially as they show love to us in various ways. They remind us that He’s watching, that He cares.

5. Serve
Life is tough, but not as tough when we can turn the focus from ourselves to other people. That’s when we remember that life is bigger than our problems, and that we can still live beyond our issues.

6. Journal
Thoughts are fleeting and fickle by the day, but words written on paper last much longer. Writing about God’s love for us and all the examples thereof is a sure way to counteract the tendency to forget.

6. Log Your Blessings
If you log your budget, why not log your blessings? Just like marking what income you bring in each month, you can write down all of the ways you’ve been blessed, either by day or month. Keeping a running list gives you a visual reminder of how God has been working.

7. Plan Against the Doubt
We’re human, and that unfortunately means we’re sinful, flawed, fallible beings. Not only are we prone to doing wrong, but we’re also prone to continue forgetting God’s love, no matter how hard we try. The trick is to minimize the voice of doubt as much as possible, and to it the moment it appears, or as soon as we can. With a plan in place, we can do just that. While we can’t cast away the doubt completely, we can ensure doubt can’t call our minds home today or tomorrow.

Further Reading:

• Matthew 6:25-34
• Colossians 31:2-3
• 1 John 4:19
• Romans 5:8

Mini Miracles Prove God Cares..Shawn McEvoy

 Mini Miracles Prove God Cares

By Shawn McEvoy

So they all ate and were filled. Mark 6:42

The title of my post today strikes me as oxymoronic. Miracles, after all, are defined as acts of God, amazing and marvelous events, and "seals of a divine mission" (Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary). Generally speaking, there's nothing small about them.

What I'm talking about then, are instances of heavenly intervention in the lives of believers that impact what we would consider "minor" areas of our existence, the things that cause us to make statements like: "It showed me that God cares about even the small things in our lives," always as if that's a profoundly shocking proclamation. Nobody ever responds by saying, "Well, duh…"

I think that's because it never stops being a mind-blowing concept - the Creator of the universe, who hears the prayers and praises of billions simultaneously and loves each one the same, provided, perhaps, just the right amount of money for a struggling single mom to buy her child a pair of shoes. It's not the parting of the Red Sea to preserve for Himself a people, or the resurrection of His son to purchase the redemption of humanity. It's, for lack of a better term, a mini-miracle.

I see an even greater personalization in mini-miracles, in God drawing delight from blessing our socks off in ways that speak to our individual hearts. The idea also gave me greater permission to attribute to the Lord all sorts of transpirings that I had chalked up to my own efforts, happenstance, or even worse, had gone without noticing.

If, for instance, I told you about the time we thought we'd lost my wife's keys - including several costly ones - only to find them sitting precariously on a single steel beam of the trailer behind our moving van, maybe you'd respond the way my friend Scott did: "You got lucky, dude." Yeah, well, that's why Karen says sometimes these events are "just for us." I saw those keys, I knew the bumpy route we had traveled, I was astounded, I was humbled. I decided that giving credit to the Lord for things that bless you is never wrong, as suggested by  James 1:17.

I just don't do it enough.

I wonder how many mini-miracles I've missed out on by being impatient, angry, or inattentive. Donald Miller, in Blue Like Jazz, has Moses tell those worshipping the golden calf: "Your problem is not that God is not fulfilling, your problem is that you are spoiled" (92).  Romans 1:20 would seem to indicate that the Lord's hand is evident everywhere - "people can clearly see His invisible qualities." I like that verse very much, because I like to think of myself as on the lookout for God.

But that brings me to the other ways to miss miracles - by not accepting them or expecting them, by resenting them or wanting to earn them. I quote from Blue Like Jazz again, where Miller admits, "I love to give to charity, but I don't want to be charity. This is why I have so much trouble with grace" (84).

Can we get past the affront of accepting a free gift? If we can, we might see the Lord trying to say through the Feeding of the 5,000 and even today, "Here I Am, stay here, spend more time, no need to go away, please accept this, put yourself in My hands, keep your eyes open, I love you."

After all, says  Matthew 7:11, "If you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him?" Mini-miracles are the treats God brings home to His kids, those who seek him with childlike faith, those who consider themselves "the little things in life." Well, duh…

Today, try bringing something small home to a loved one to remind yourself of how much joy the Lord gets from giving.

A Prayer for When Grief Affects Our Friendships.. Alicia Searl

 A Prayer for When Grief Affects Our Friendships

By Alicia Searl

“He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.” Psalm 147:3

Grief changed me. It changed everything if I am being honest, including my relationships. But it especially put a strain on some of my friendships. After the loss of my mom, I felt so lost and alone. In time, depression wrapped around me like a smothering blanket, coddling and carelessly “comforting” me. Unfortunately, I sunk into the quick relief it provided, believing it recognized my pain. When we are in our deepest moments of sorrow, we desperately need friends to come alongside us. They offer support and clarity to situations that could lead us down dark paths. However, even the closest of friends may not recognize or understand the depth of our pain, causing more confusion and heartbreak.

The truth is, friends will naturally come in and out of our lives, and while some will be able to withstand and see us through the most difficult seasons in our lives, others will drift away. The death of a loved one has a way of rearranging our lives and oftentimes upsetting some of our friendships. While this can truly be disheartening, we must know when we are in a state of grief, and friends appear distant or silent, God is always drawing near. When we feel alone, disappointed, or even avoided, there are promises and Truths we need to remember and etch in our hearts. 

God’s Promises to Remember:

• God will strengthen you. (Isaiah 41:10)
• God will grant you peace. (Isaiah 26:3)
• God will instruct you. (Psalms 32:8)
• God will give you rest. (Matthew 11:28)

God’s Truth to Etch in Your Heart:

• God is trustworthy. (Proverbs 3:5-6)
• God is our safe refuge. (Psalm 46:1)
• God offers hope in all circumstances. (Hebrews 12:2)
• God’s love for us will never fail. (1 Corinthians 13:8)

Thankfully, our God is Healer and can bring peace and restore wounds acquired in our relationships during a time of grief. Will you hand over the hurt and pain to the Father, and allow Him to cover you in His mercy and grace today? 

Let’s pray:
Dear God,
You are a loving Father, and I am ever so grateful for Your kindness and compassion. I come to You today with my heavy heart, in need of Your grace and tender loving care. Grief has taken on a shape that honestly concerns me and is now affecting relationships, especially my friendships. I’m emotionally exhausted and want to connect with my friends, but many days I am striving to put one foot in front of the other. I feel like I am disappointing them with my lack of response, and they are hurting me with their silence and distance. 

Deep down, I know friends aren’t necessarily avoiding me because they don’t care, but rather because they possibly believe I need space. They may not even recognize I am hurting or unsure of how to help. I haven’t been the best about telling them how I feel and that I need their support, so in a sense, I am grieving them too. So, Lord, I seek Your guidance, wisdom, and direction. Please help me let go of the expectations I am placing on myself and others, as they are only causing disappointment and mixed-up emotions. Will You please come alongside me and help me see the blind spots I have acquired, so I can extend grace and forgiveness to the friendships that are bringing about confusion? If needed, show me where I need to create space and healthy boundaries in order to heal. 

Lord, I am learning grief is a process and comes in waves. I ask You to provide a community around me during this difficult time so I can be reminded of Your promises and Truth when the lies are loud. Provide safe friendships that will be present, offer love and support, and lead me back to You. Help me to also be that friend in return. Thank You for the gift of friendship and connection, as I know You designed us to do life together. Most importantly, thank You, Lord, for being my best friend and loving me through this painful grief. I am so thankful that I can come to You in my mess, hurt, and selfish nature. I hand over all my wounds, knowing I am fully accepted, known, and loved.

I am forever grateful to be Your daughter. Amen.

THE WEEKEND THAT CHANGED THE WORLD..Dr. Jeff Schreve

 THE WEEKEND THAT CHANGED THE WORLD

Dr. Jeff Schreve

When they came to the place called the Skull, there they crucified Him and the criminals, one on the right and the other on the left.  But Jesus was saying, "Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing. Luke 23:33-34a

The weekend of March 14-16, 1986 will always be special to my wife and me. It was on that weekend we were married. Friday night was the wedding rehearsal, Saturday night was the main event, and Sunday kicked off our first day as husband and wife. The course of our lives was changed as God brought us together to be one until death.

That weekend in March is special to us… but there was a weekend in early April, nearly 2000 years ago, that is special to all of humanity.

It was the weekend of brutality and bloodshed as the righteous died for the unrighteous.

It was the weekend that began with tremendous agony, but ended with tremendous victory.

It was the weekend when Jesus Christ gave Himself up for sinful man.

It was the weekend when Jesus Christ conquered sin, death, hell, and the grave.

It was the weekend that changed the world for all history and eternity.

PERSONALLY ENCOUNTERING THAT WEEKEND

From the time I was little, my parents taught me about that weekend when Jesus died and rose again. I believed the report. I believed He died on the cross and rose from the grave. The only problem I had was that I believed it as facts on a printed page. I believed in Jesus in the same way I believed in George Washington. I had a mental assent to the truths of history. But those truths didn’t make one bit of difference in my daily life. In short, I was like the vast majority of those who call themselves Christians—I had head knowledge of Jesus, but no heart knowledge of Him. I believed on paper, but not in practice. I didn’t really know Him, I just simply knew about Him.

I was 17 years-old when the good news of Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection made a connection from my head to my heart. The Lord revealed to me that I was a sinner, totally deserving of death and hell—with no way out, in and of myself. It was at that moment that the cross and the empty tomb took on real meaning as I cried out to Jesus for salvation. Alone in my bedroom on a Monday night in early 1980, I got down on my knees, and with all my heart prayed this simple prayer, “Save me, Jesus.”

And you know what? He did!

That night, I put my faith and trust in Jesus and Jesus alone for my salvation. In that split second of time, I passed from death to life (John 5:24). I went from being a child of wrath to a child of God (Ephesians 2:3, John 1:12). I was spiritually transferred from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of His Son (Colossians 1:13). I was born again and changed forever. The Lord had come into my life to live in me and through me. I certainly didn’t understand it all at the time, but I knew within a couple of weeks that my life could never be the same.

IT MUST BE PERSONAL TO BE EFFECTUAL

Has the message of Jesus death, burial, and resurrection made it from your head to your heart? Jesus didn’t die for a faceless humanity, He died for you (Galatians 2:20). He rose again for you. He wants you to know Him, not just know about Him. You see, it must be personal in order for His death and resurrection to be effectual in your life.

Let me encourage you this Easter weekend to make sure you don’t just simply go through the motions. The worst thing that could ever happen to anyone is to know the plan of salvation and not the Man of salvation… to know the way to heaven and yet fail to go that way.

Jesus is indeed the One and only Savior. He will save anyone who will cry out to Him in repentance and faith. His cross and empty tomb changed the world as they made it possible for sinful man to have a personal relationship with Holy God. Receive Christ into your heart.  Don’t just tip your hat to Him, bow your knee. The surrender of your heart makes it personal, and that makes all the difference in the world.

Love,

Pastor Jeff Schreve