The Tearing of the Veil..Craig Denison Ministries;

 The Tearing of the Veil

Craig Denison Ministries;

Weekly Overview:

Living an unveiled lifestyle is the way in which we experience the fullness of what’s available to us in our restored relationship with God. It’s a powerful lifestyle of faith, direct encounters with our heavenly Father, and life transformation. It’s when we live our lives in light of the perfect sacrifice of Jesus that we begin to experience all his death was purposed to bring us. God longs for his children to walk in intimacy with him directly connected to his wellspring of love for us. May you experience a more tangible, loving, and powerful connection with your heavenly Father this week.

Scripture:“And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split.”>Matthew 27:51

Devotional:

Matthew 27:45-54 says,

Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour. And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” And some of the bystanders, hearing it, said, “This man is calling Elijah.” And one of them at once ran and took a sponge, filled it with sour wine, and put it on a reed and gave it to him to drink. But the others said, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to save him.” And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit. And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split. The tombs also were opened. And many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised,  and coming out of the tombs after his resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many. When the centurion and those who were with him, keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and what took place, they were filled with awe and said, “Truly this was the Son of God!”

At the death of Jesus, God turned what was the world’s greatest tragedy into our greatest triumph. With every crack of the whip, the bonds that entangled you and me to the sin and darkness of this world became a little looser. And with Jesus’ final breath the earth shook and the rocks split under the magnitude of the power of Christ’s sacrifice. Only God could take the greatest injustice and turn it into the world’s greatest good. Only God could take death and produce abundant life for all.

Out of everything that resulted from Jesus’ final breath, none was more important than God’s tearing of the veil. The veil that signified the necessary separation between God and man was ripped in two from top to bottom, from God down to us. The great chasm over which no man could cross was now covered by a bridge created by God’s wrath poured out on Jesus. The tearing of the veil represents the very purpose for Jesus’ death: that God could now once again have restored communion with his people. No matter how many or how horrendous our sins might be, Jesus’ death gained victory over it all.

Just as the saints who had fallen asleep were raised at Jesus’ death, you and I have been raised to newness of life. We are caught up in the glory of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. God has made unveiled, face-to-face relationship with him available to us once again.

If God would pay the price of Jesus’ death to have restored relationship with us, encountering him face-to-face must be the absolute best way for us to live. If God considers restored relationship with you worth the death of his only and blameless Son, he must place his highest value on total communion with you.

Maybe the concept of having real, tangible encounters with your heavenly Father is new to you. Maybe he feels distant. Maybe you come in and out of his presence day-to-day. Wherever you are in relation to God, know that nothing can separate you from him any longer. The death of Jesus was more powerful than any sin, lie, or belief. His death paid the entirety of your debt. There is nothing left to pay. Seek out a revelation of what it looks like to encounter your heavenly Father unveiled in prayer. May the Holy Spirit guide you into a lifestyle of continual, face-to-face, unveiled encounters with the living God.

Guided Prayer:

1. Meditate on the chasm that separated you from God as the result of sin. Reflecting on your status prior to salvation will give you a greater appreciation for what Jesus has done for you.

“Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned.” >Romans 5:12

“Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, or his ear dull, that it cannot hear; but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear.” >Isaiah 59:1-2

2. Now meditate on the power of Jesus’ sacrifice. With his death on the cross, Jesus carried you across the great chasm that separated you from your heavenly Father.

“He entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption.” >Hebrews 9:12

“And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split.”>Matthew 27:51

3. Worship Jesus for the newness of life available to you through him. Give him thanks and praise for his love. Allow your affections to be stirred up toward him by the truth of Scripture.

“For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” >Romans 8:38-39

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” >John 3:16

“The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.” >2 Peter 3:9

Never doubt the grace of your heavenly Father toward you. Jesus has paid the price for every sin you will ever commit. He bore the weight of all of our sins on the cross. God poured out the entirety of his wrath over our sin on Jesus. All that’s left for you to do is live out the abundant life to which you have been called. Enjoy God and glorify him in response to his great love. May you be a child of God overcome by the goodness of your Father in heaven.

Extended Reading: Matthew 27

A Servant's Rewards..Dr. Charles Stanley

 A Servant's Rewards

Dr. Charles Stanley

Hebrews 6:10

In His grace, God freely gives salvation to those who believe in Jesus. We cannot earn this gift, nor do we deserve it. Our Father does notice our good works, though. And He promises to reward us according to what we have done for Him.

True service occurs when we allow the Lord to work through us for His glory and honor. True ministry occurs when divine resources meet human need through loving channels.

Revelation 22:12 encourages us, "Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to render to every man according to what he has done." Whether large or small, all service done in Jesus' name will be blessed. We must be careful, though, that our actions are for Christ's glory. If motives are self-serving, the only benefit we receive is the praise (if any) that we hear from people in this life. And we know that men's approval is not satisfying or lasting.

While some rewards will be given in heaven, other blessings can be experienced now. For example, we know great joy when we allow God to bless others through us. And there is deep satisfaction in realizing that we are pleasing Christ. In addition, there's a profound sense of fulfillment when we lead a person to Jesus and teach him how to walk by faith.

Serving others is both a great benefit and a responsibility for Christians. We should prayerfully consider our motives to make sure that our goal is to glorify Christ. Only then will we receive God's full blessings--rewards given not only in eternity but on earth as well.

Gentleness in a Harsh World..Whitney Hopler

 Gentleness in a Harsh World

By Whitney Hopler

"Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near." – Philippians 4:5 NIV

When I volunteered at my children's elementary school, I met a student named Victor, who shared some comic strips he had created with me. "In this story, the superheroes are talking, not fighting," he said. "They're talking about how to solve their problem instead of beating each other up." I congratulated Victor on the good ideas he portrayed in the comic strips. Ever since I had seen Victor crying because some kids in his class had teased him for his gentleness, I tried to encourage Victor to see his gentleness as a strength rather than a weakness. He told me that the students who made fun of his gentle nature thought he was weak. However, he added, "I'm just trying to be a gentleman, and my parents say that's a good thing." I urged Victor to share his comic strips with his teacher and the whole class. After he did so, more students came to appreciate the value of gentleness. 

It's often easier to find harshness than gentleness in our fallen world. People often speak mean words to each other or post harsh messages on social media. Arguments abound, and conflicts rage on as people mistreat each other. Battles for power and control are all around us. Violence is in the news regularly.

Yet Jesus continues to call us to be gentle in this harsh world. Jesus models gentleness as a sign of strength. In Matthew 11:29 NIV, Jesus encourages us to follow his example, saying: "Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls." Matthew 21:5 NIV describes how Jesus entered Jerusalem as a king in a way that emphasizes gentle strength: "See, your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey."

God is gentle with us. He gives us unlimited and unconditional love. He answers our prayers according to what's best for us. He extends grace and mercy to us whenever we ask for it. Since God – who is the source of all strength – treats us with gentleness, we can see how gentleness is truly a sign of strength when we look to God's example.

Despite the world's harshness, gentleness is an asset, not a liability. Gentleness is the foundation of important "soft skills" that can help us succeed personally and professionally – skills such as humility, compassion, respect, and listening. When we're gentle, we welcome God's love to flow through our lives.

It may not be popular to be gentle in this harsh world. However, it's important for us all to learn how to be gentle. Thankfully, the Holy Spirit will teach us how to do so. Galatians 5:22-23 NIV lists gentleness as one of the "fruits of the Spirit" we can develop by working with the Holy Spirit to learn and grow. Making that effort will unleash more of God's power into our lives, freeing us from fear, strengthening our faith, and showing others God's love in action. The more we choose gentleness in our words and actions, the more like Jesus we become – and the more others will notice his love flowing through our lives. 

Intersecting Faith and Life: 
As you reflect on being gentle in our harsh world, consider these questions:

• In what ways have you been conditioned to believe gentleness is a sign of weakness? How can you work with the Holy Spirit to change your mind and start seeing gentleness as a sign of strength?
• What can you learn from Jesus' example of how to embody gentleness as a sign of strength?
• When have you witnessed someone show gentleness in a challenging situation? How did that impact the people involved?
• How can you practice gentleness toward yourself, and how can that self-compassion help you to be more gentle toward others? 
• When you encounter stressful situations, how can you respond with gentleness rather than react in anger?
• How can you be more intentional about showing gentleness toward the difficult people in your life?
• How can you encourage others to embrace gentleness as a sign of strength rather than weakness? How can you model that behavior for those around you? 

Further Reading:

• 1 Peter 3:15
• Galatians 6:1
• James 3:17-18
• 1 Timothy 6:11
• Colossians 4:6

God’s Hope for the Grieving..DiAne Gates

God’s Hope for the Grieving
By DiAne Gates

 BIBLE VERSE OF THE DAY: “And when they were filled, He said to His disciples, ‘Gather up the leftover fragments that nothing may be lost.’ And so, they gathered them up, and filled twelve baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves, which were left over by those who had eaten.” ( John 6:12-13 NAS)

A number of years ago I was rereading the account of Jesus feeding the 5,000. And in the middle of my grief, His words jumped off the page.

Jesus fed a multitude after He blessed and broke five loaves and two fishes. He also gave His disciples 12 baskets to collect the leftovers so nothing would be wasted.

I’m sure you’re thinking, what has this got to do with my grief? But if our Lord Jesus instructed his disciples to scoop up crumbs of bread and stinky fish—might He want you to gather the crumbs and stinky emotions of your overwhelming grief and bring them to Him also?

God doesn’t waste anything—especially grief!

After the loss of a loved one, crumbs of shattered lives lay scattered around us. And we just don’t have the ability to look beyond our pain—but Jesus does.

How can God ever use anything as dark and ugly as what I’m going through? Which way do I turn? Where do I go? My life is over.

No, your life isn’t over… it’s going to be different. And we don’t like change. But Jesus scoops up the cracked pieces of your life, if you’ll let Him, and places them back on His potter’s wheel where He repairs, integrates, and reshapes each one of us into new vessels. By the power of His love, the warmth of His hands, and the pain we’ve experienced, He changes pride into humility, anger into hope, and rampant sorrow into comfort and love.

Then He certifies everyone He’s repaired. “… comforting us in all our affliction so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.” ( 1 Corinthians 1:4 NAS)

Now it’s your choice—His light or your darkness. His comfort or your anger. His love and mercy or your doubt and fear. His peace or your pain. Of course, you will miss whoever you lost. And you will have moments of deep sorrow, but God is continually in the process of bringing good out of your debilitating loss—if you’ll let Him.

God will transform your life. He will turn you into a conduit of His mercy and grace so you can pour out the comfort you’ve received on others about to enter this dismal journey. And the example of your peace will shine the light of His grace and glory into their long, dark tunnel through grief.

A Prayer to Be a Good Steward..Emily Rose Massey

 A Prayer to Be a Good Steward

By Emily Rose Massey

"His master said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant.[e] You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.'"- Matthew 25:21 ESV 

The thought that one day we will stand before the throne of God and be judged for how we lived our lives here on earth is a sobering thought. As believers in Christ, we know our sins have been paid for by the blood of Jesus on the cross, and we stand before the judgment seat forgiven. Tragically, the unbeliever will be held accountable for every sin they have committed against the thrice holy God and must suffer the consequences of their rebellion. Eternal torment under the wrath of God is their sentence, and the lake of fire will be their future home. 

Although the believer's sins are no longer counted against them, they are still held accountable for their action (or lack thereof) for God's Kingdom's sake. As children of God, we are to shine brightly and reflect Him to the world. We do that by living our lives with the sole purpose of glorifying the Father; Through our good deeds, men who don't even believe will glorify Him (Matthew 5:16). This life here on earth is a grace gift from God. It should be our joy to thank Him by stewarding every resource and talent we have been given well. In Matthew 25, Christ shares a parable that explains how our life on earth matters. Every deed is recognized, and our Master and King will reward us:

"His master said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.'" Matthew 25:21 ESV

It's often difficult to keep an eternal perspective in the midst of the mundane of life. Still, every moment is an opportunity to glorify Christ and continue in gratefulness and joy, no matter the task. Our life is worship unto our God. Worship is ascribing worth to something or someone. It is what you devote your time, devotion, affection, finances, and heart to. If you allow yourself to reflect on this, you will know where everything in your life will go. 

Are you paying attention to where you are giving most of your life? If you worship anyone or anything besides God Almighty, the Bible calls those people or those things idols. And when it comes to God, He doesn't want you to give yourself away entirely to anything or anyone but Him. He's not egotistical or prideful. He loves us so much and wants us to see the world and people like He does. The more we behold our King, the more we become like Him and long to reflect Him to a lost and dying world, using our life: time, resources, talents, finances, and good works to point others to Him. The world needs the hope of Christ, and we are to be carriers of that message which sets the captives free and gives them eternal life in Christ alone. We want to be faithful, obedient servants to our King to see His Gospel and His Kingdom advance in the earth. Do you long to hear, "Well done, good and faithful servant?" Let's ask the Holy Spirit to ignite a passion in our hearts to become good stewards of this precious life we have been given, all for God's glory and name!

Let's pray:
Heavenly Father,

Thank You for allowing me to serve You with this gift of life You have given me. I am grateful for all the finances, time, talents, and passion I can use to glorify Your name and point others to You. Help me keep my mind fixed on eternal matters and say no to the world's entanglements. I want to be a faithful steward of the things I have been blessed with so that Your Kingdom can advance on the earth and others may come to know You as I do. Please give me the grace to live boldly for You and not take any moment for granted on this earth. I want to be wise with how I spend every day, making sure that everyone knows who I serve. In Jesus' name, Amen.