Facade..Craig Denison Ministries

 Facade 

Craig Denison Ministries

Weekly Overview:

Honesty is more than the words we say. It’s a posture of the heart. We weren’t made to try and be something we’re not. God never asks us to keep up appearances. He longs for us to have the courage to be vulnerable. He longs for us to be so founded in his unconditional love that we live honestly. May you experience new levels of peace and joy this week as we discover God’s heart for honesty.

Scripture:

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones and all uncleanness.” Matthew 23:27

Devotional:    

The greatest testimony you could possibly give is to have the audacity to live honestly. It takes courage to be yourself. It takes security in the unconditional love of your heavenly Father to acknowledge not just your strengths and successes, but also your weaknesses and failures. But in doing so your life will proclaim the powerful, beautiful work of God. And in doing so you will experience the peace and joy only freedom from building a facade can produce.

A facade is “an outward appearance that is maintained to conceal a less pleasant or creditable reality.” So often, to cover up what we know to be imperfect we devote ourselves to creating a false picture for others. We even devote so much energy to building a facade that we try and deceive ourselves. We muster up our pride and look only at what we’ve done well, all the while ignoring what we need help with. As a result, we spend all our time living a life apart from reality. And to live apart from reality is to live apart from the grace and love of our ever-present, wholly real Father.

In Matthew 23:27, Jesus passionately rebukes those who try and build facades: “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones and all uncleanness.” God solely cares about the heart. He’s not worried about perception. He’s not worried about status or societal acceptance. He cares about what is real. He knows that any energy spent devoted to building a facade is energy you can’t devote to receiving help, healing, and grace for what’s real and important. He knows that all your efforts to be accepted aren’t of value because the opinions of others are nothing in comparison to his unconditional love for you. And he knows that ultimately all facades will be torn down, and we will be seen and known by him for who we truly are.

God longs for you to live fully known and fully loved. He longs for you to live out a revelation of his love and grace rather than striving for affection and acceptance by building up facades. Take time to experience his love and grace today. Assess your heart and tear down your walls. May freedom burst forth in your life today as you proclaim the glory of God’s grace by being who you really are.

Guided Prayer:

1. Reflect on the importance of living in reality. Allow Jesus’ words to stir up your desire to tear down any facade you’ve built up.

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones and all uncleanness.” Matthew 23:27

2. Where are you striving for acceptance or affection by building up facades? Where are you portraying yourself to be something you aren’t? Why are you doing it?

3. Ask the Holy Spirit for the courage to be yourself today. Tell others of your weaknesses today. Don’t be afraid to be yourself with all your strengths, successes, weaknesses, and failures.

May God’s grace and love empower you today as you live honestly. May you stop devoting your energy to appearances and give yourself to what’s real. And in doing so may you encounter the unconditional acceptance and affection of your loving Father.

Extended Reading: Matthew 23

The Treasurers..CATHERINE CLAIRE LARSON

 The Treasurers

CATHERINE CLAIRE LARSON 

“But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.” Luke 2:19 (NIV) 

I glanced at the clock — 2:15 a.m. For some reason, I couldn’t fall back asleep after carefully sliding my 3-month-old from my arms into his bassinet after his night feed.

The lamp gave a warm, soft glow to the room. His cheeks were filling out. His hair was coming in. His little fists were squished up by his face. He was a masterpiece in the middle of my mundane. And on that night, I alone was awake to witness this shooting-star glimpse of the glory of God displayed in a baby, my baby.

That night, I understood some small part of what Mary must have felt. After the details of angelic announcements, Elizabeth’s greeting, Jesus’ birth and the shepherds’ visitation, Scripture gives us these words about Mary’s act of treasuring:

“But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart” (Luke 2:19).

Certainly, Mary was treasuring the events surrounding Jesus' birth, the words spoken over Him, and God’s providence in every detail of His arrival. But to say that she treasured these things and pondered them is also to say that she treasured Him and pondered Him. She valued Him. She oohed and aahed over Him.

Twice in the biblical account of Jesus’ childhood, we read something like the verse above. The second time comes at the end of the tidbits of description we have of Jesus’ childhood. Luke records, “Then he went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. But his mother treasured all these things in her heart” (Luke 2:51, NIV). Jesus’ birth and growth as a child have two bookends around them, and they are His mother’s treasuring.

And guess what happened in the context of that love? Jesus flourished. He grew in a completely holistic way: “And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man” (Luke 2:52, NIV). Treasuring a child prepares this kind of rich soil for the flowering of holistic growth.

While our children will not be perfect (nor will their mothers), like Mary, we will be the first audience to wonder at the miracle of our babies and grandbabies. We also can play an important role as we cradle and carry this knowledge of who they are and who they are becoming as they grow into adulthood. We are the ones who get a front-row seat to see their areas of giftedness and God’s shaping hand. And there may come a time when God allows us to speak words of life to them as He launches them into their callings.

For instance, in the story of Jesus’ first miracle, at a wedding in Cana, Mary knew when the wine was running out that Jesus was the One who could make it right. She invited Him into the problem, into His ministry. (John 2:1-11) And while God alone could commission Him, know the hour His ministry would begin, and know how it would end, all that treasuring led Mary to know her son was the man for the moment.

May our treasuring lead us to similar moments of wonder.

Lord, help me to see what an important role I have as a treasurer of Your gifts even if I do nothing else today but love. Help me know that my delight in someone’s personhood is the fertile soil for their growth. Help me cradle, carry and communicate the wonder of the work You have done in the life of my child, grandchild or mentee, that You might use my treasuring of their life for Your glory. In Jesus’ Name, Amen. 

Palm Sunday..Dr. Charles Stanley

 Palm Sunday

Dr. Charles Stanley

Luke 19:28-44

Hindsight is always 20/20. Yet while we are in a particular situation, we tend to make things out to be what they aren’t and infer wrong meanings. We kick ourselves, thinking, If only I had known then what I know now!

Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem must have been one of those moments for His disciples. It had appeared to be such a wonderful day for them—and it was, but for different reasons than they realized. They thought the Messiah had come to reestablish Israel’s power in the world. But God had something else in mind.

The disciples weren’t the only ones who had misconceptions about the Messiah. Many Jews of the day expected Him to be an earthly king. When the crowds heard Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, they cheered, “Hosanna! ” which means, “Save now!” They saw Him as their new King, come to bring salvation from political and societal oppression. He raised the dead—no doubt he could also restore the kingdom of David and free them from Roman rule.

Seated upon a donkey, Jesus resembled a ruler returning to his city in peacetime, loyal subjects lining his path with coats and palm fronds. Even the Pharisees were there watching in indignation, saying, “Look, the world has gone after Him” (John 12:19).

This week, think back to those times when circumstances looked one way but turned out to be something else entirely. Remember when you realized God was different than you imagined and saw His will unfold in surprising ways. Look for an opportunity to share your insight with a friend or loved one.

Standing on Christ the Solid Rock..Emily Rose Massey

 Standing on Christ the Solid Rock

By Emily Rose Massey

“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock” (Matthew 7:24-25, ESV).

My husband recently attended a conference that was specifically for pastors and leaders in the local church. Over 3,000 men were gathered in the sanctuary worshiping the Lord in song and learning from some of the best expositors of God’s Word. I was thankful to be able to watch the sessions via Livestream. Hearing thousands of men lift their voices in song, worshipping our King was incredibly beautiful! The lyrics of one of the songs sung at the conference have stayed with me, and I can’t keep myself from singing the chorus: “You’re my solid Rock, my firm foundation. My steadfast hope that won’t be shaken. My soul will wait. My soul will wait for You.” These lyrics remind me of some wonderful truths from our Lord in Matthew as he finished the Sermon on the Mount:

“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock” (Matthew 7:24-25, ESV).

 Although Christ does not specifically call Himself the rock here, we know those who follow and obey His commands, trust Him and build their life upon Him alone. Like a large rock, we know Christ is immovable. He is strong, secure, faithful, consistent, and reliable. We also know that building our life upon Christ does not mean we are exempt from the storms of life; It simply means that when we face storms and trials, we do not have to face them alone. The Lord will strengthen us to endure them. In Christ, we receive a grace that sustains us no matter how hard the wind blows. In Christ, our life will not crumble because He fills our hearts with a steadfast hope of the glory that awaits us in eternity. We must seek to cling to His words are spirit and life (John 6:63).

Intersecting Faith and Life:
Christ is the Word made flesh. The Word of God is so powerful; the more we study and meditate upon it, the more our foundation will be strong in Christ, and we will continually know how to look to Him whenever the chaos and trials of this life try to overtake us. Let us always be quick to ask the Lord for His sustaining grace and help in our time of need, looking to Him always because He cares for us. No matter what is going on around us, even if it seems like everything is crashing down on us, we must remember God holds the entire universe in His hands. He is completely sovereign. Nothing passes through His hands by accident. He is in total control and has a great plan regarding all of it. 

Jesus Christ, our rock, is our firm foundation when the ground beneath our feet feels shaky. We can run to Him for safety and trust that when the waves crash in around us, He gives us strength to stand strong in faith, filled with a hope the world cannot give us. Our hope should be built on Christ, our Solid Rock, the anchor of our soul, the only security we have in this life because security in Him is eternal. Our health and finances may be taken from us. Our relationships may dwindle and fall apart. No matter what happens, life in Him can never be taken away from us. 

When this is all over, He is the only One who can save us from the curse of sin and death. We must keep the truth close to our hearts that we are forgiven and justified in Him before a Holy God. In Him, we stand faultless before the throne of judgment that awaits us all one day. The hope of eternity in His presence should be the anchor in the storms of life. The only real hope we can stand upon is eternal life found in Jesus Christ. On Christ, the solid rock, by God’s grace, chooses to stand. All other ground is sinking sand.

Further Reading:

• Luke 6:47-49
• 1 Corinthians 3:11
• Isaiah 28:16
• 2 Timothy 2:19

 

Jesus’ Parable about Persisting in Prayer..Lia Martin

 Jesus’ Parable about Persisting in Prayer (Luke 18:7)

By Lia Martin

Today’s Bible Verse: And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? - Luke 18:7

I don’t know about you, but although these words in Luke 18 come as divine reassurance directly from the heart and mouth of our Savior... they sound a lot like my anxious prayers lately. Yes, we know the Bible says to not be anxious, “fear not,” and “do not worry.”

But anxiety, fear, and worry are still part of the human, broken, condition. And, thanks be to God... these natural feelings lead us to the feet of Jesus in prayer. 1 Thessalonians 5:17 is likely the most-quoted verse about God desiring our prayers... continually... without ceasing. But I love what a parable in Luke 18 says about prayer, too.

You see, because God made us human (and walked among us in human flesh!) we love to draw close to Jesus as he tells a story. People love stories. When a story begins and unfolds, we tend to drop our defenses. Which is why Jesus frequently shared parables.

In fact, in the book of Luke, where today’s verse comes from, Jesus tells many parables. He tells about an old coat, a foolish builder, a good Samaritan, a rich fool, a lost sheep and more. But what I love about his parable in Luke 18 is the absolute clarity of its setup... right there in the Word of God.

Many of the parables woven into Luke flow from one sentence in conversation to the very next, with simply, ”so Jesus replied,” or “and then he told them,” or similar segues.

But this parable opens with a crystal clear reason why Jesus wants to tell it. It’s a great reminder that every one of Jesus’ stories are delivered with divine purpose.

As we enter Luke 18, it begins:

“Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.”

Do you feel him talking to you? To show us that we should always pray and not give up, Jesus tells a parable of the persistent widow. She kept coming before the town judge over and over. Begging for justice against her adversary.

In his story, the unjust judge gets “worn out” over time because the widow “keeps bothering me” as it says in Luke 18:5. So he sees to it that she receives justice. Jesus follows up, in Luke 18:6-7, with: “Listen to what the unjust judge says. And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off?”

Then in quintessential Jesus style, he confirms: “I tell you; he will see that they get justice, and quickly.”

Jesus is demonstrating that even uncaring humans respond to persistence. So, why do we not persist in prayer to the One who is perfectly just?

The convicting impact of this parable in Luke 18 is the question Jesus asks next. Right after affirming that, yes, God will hear those who cry out to him day and night, and God will see that those who persist will receive justice, he then asks:

"However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”

This parable is fuel to ignite your prayer life. To pray day and night. To persist. To believe.

Jesus is speaking to me and you in this passage, saying, where is your faith in me? He has compassion on the pains of a widow, on your pain, on mine. He wants us to persist in praying them into his just hands; having faith that His story is true.

A Prayer for New Life..Jessica Van Roekel

 A Prayer for New Life

Jessica Van Roekel

 “Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his.” Romans 6:3-5 NIV

A friend of mine sent me a plant, with bright green leaves and ready to unfurl pink flowers, through the mail. Unfortunately, its delivery date fell on the coldest day of the year with subzero temperatures and windchill factors too cold to mention. Its only protection was a cardboard box and some plastic wrapping. Since the delivery person did not ring my doorbell, it sat outside in the elements for about an hour. By the time I discovered the box, its leaves, and pink flower buds were frozen. 

At first glance, it didn’t look too bad, but as it defrosted, the damage was quite evident. I’m clueless when it comes to plants, but I wanted to save this one. It blooms in the winter and my world needs color during the long, dark winter season. I wondered if it would recover from its trauma. I decided to set it in a cooler part of my home and water it each week. Then, I waited. Over the weeks, the damaged leaves drooped, and I snapped them off. Other portions turned black, and I gingerly removed them. Still, I waited to see if the plant had any life left in it.

Prior to our life in Christ, we find our lives damaged by sin. It shows up in the attitudes of our hearts, behaviors we engage in, and a worldview without God. It’s like trying to survive a winter storm without proper gear. Frostbite nips our fingers and toes impacting their usability. The wind roars and we curl into a ball with survival as our only focus. And then someone introduces us to Jesus Christ, and he brings us out of the cold and into the warmth of his presence. 

He brings peace to our lives, and we rejoice. We declare his praises for how he brought us out of darkness and into his glorious light. He filled the longing for something more in our hearts, and we know his rest. But like my frozen plant, we bear the consequences of a life lived for so long in the cold. As we revel in his warmth, the damaged bits show themselves. It could be a relationship broken by interactions with your pre-Jesus self. Maybe it's financial repercussions or physical consequences of a life lived loose and wild. When we become Jesus' followers and enter a relationship with him, we begin a journey of sanctification. Sanctification is an ongoing process of conforming of our hearts and lives to the will of God. It’s the path we take toward spiritual growth. 

My sharp tone of voice is one area where I wonder if I’ve made any growth at all. With a few words, I can cause as much damage to a person’s heart as the windchills did to my plant. I repent and God forgives and helps me think before I speak, but I despair at the slow progress of growth in this part of my life. Each of us will have these areas of our lives where we wonder where the evidence of our “new life in Christ” is at. It discourages us and tempts us to look only at the signs of damage. But what if we looked for signs of life? 

When I brought my plant in, I doubted it would survive because the damage looked so extensive. Instead, it has scars and signs of new life. So, it is with us. God takes our hearts and makes us new, but he also causes growth in areas of our hearts that seemed hopeless. He takes a hard heart and makes it soft. He gives us the wisdom to navigate broken relationships. His grace makes us new and the scars we carry tell the story of our new life in Christ.

Let’s pray:
Holy God, 
Thank you for drawing me out of the cold and into the warmth of your presence. I’ve got some heart damage, but I know in your hands you can make all things new. I trust you to heal the places that need healing and I am grateful for the scars the stories tell. They tell of your faithfulness, love, grace, and mercy. Please continue to make me new. I rejoice in my new life with you. In Jesus’ name, Amen

6 Prayers to Pray the Week After Easter..Lysa TerKeurst

 6 Prayers to Pray the Week After Easter

Lysa TerKeurst

"The angel said to the women, 'Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples: "He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him." Now I have told you.'" Matthew 28:5-7 (NIV)

I don't think Easter is quite done with me yet.

I know what glorious things this Holy Day says to the world at large.

But what does Jesus want me to know, to think about, to wrestle through at this time of year? This season of new beginnings.

So, I'm lingering here a bit longer.

I feel like the girl who wears the same outfit to school two days in a row. Easter is done now. Time to put it back in the closet. Only for me it isn't. I want to wear it again today, tomorrow and many more tomorrows.

After all, Easter is no longer a ritual to me. It's a revelation. A time where Jesus splits my soul along the fault line of a scar deep within: I was an unwanted child to my birth dad.

Unwanted.

But to Jesus ... I was wanted so much that He gave His life for me. It feels so personal. Even though I know God so loved the world, He gave His son, it becomes very individual if we let it.

Be personal.

With Jesus.

Yes.

So, in the midst of a world putting Easter away, might we let it sit with us for just a bit more?

I keep my Bible open to the place where the angel spoke to the women at the tomb. And I tangle my thoughts around His words from Matthew 28 as six prayers emerge ...

• "Do not be afraid," - God, I hand over to You those things that make me so afraid. Resurrect the parts of my faith squelched by fear.

• "I know that you are looking for Jesus," - God, when my soul is searching, help me know the answer to every longing can be found in You.

• "He has risen," - God, the fact that Jesus is risen should lift my head, my heart and my attitude. Help me to live today as if I really believe this with every part of my life.

• "just as he said," - Jesus, You keep Your promises. Help me live as though I believe that with every part of me. Help me trust You more, obey You more and resemble You more.

• "Come and see," - Jesus, You had the angels invite the women in to see for themselves that You had risen. You invite me into these personal revelations every day. Forgive me for sometimes rushing about and forgetting to come and see for myself ... You, Your Word, Your insights.

• "Then go quickly and tell his disciples," - Jesus, I don't want to be a secret keeper with my faith. I want to be a bold and gracious truth proclaimer. For You. With You. Because of You. Me, the unwanted girl whom You loved, redeemed and wanted.

In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Yes, let this miraculous Easter be personal. And prayerful. And linger a bit longer.

Dear Lord, I want to let Your Truth sink deep down into my heart and soul today. Help me stay focused on You. In Jesus' Name, Amen.