We are Called to the Light..Craig Denison Ministries

 We are Called to the Light

Craig Denison Ministries

Weekly Overview:

We live in the reality that there is both light and darkness around us at all times. This world has both good and evil, right and wrong. As believers we must grow in both our acceptance of this reality and our pursuit of the light. We must allow God to mold and shape us into those who rid ourselves of any darkness, become fully known to God, and allow his light to transform us into reflections of his Son. May the Lord open our eyes to see the glorious light before us this week.

Scripture:“For at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light.” Ephesians 5:8

Devotional:

In Colossians 1:11-14, Paul prays a powerful prayer in his letter to the church in Colossae, and I believe it’s God’s heart for you and me today. Scripture says,

May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy, giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

You and I have been redeemed from living bound to darkness and have been given a new name,  “saints in light.” We’ve been delivered from the dark things of this world that previously defined us and ushered into a new kingdom filled with the light of God.

Ephesians 5:8 says, “For at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light.” As “children of light,” we must learn to walk in our new inheritance. We must learn what it is to be disciples marked by the characteristics of our Father’s kingdom. The powerful sacrifice of Jesus has afforded us an opportunity to no longer live as those of the world. We belong to a kingdom that stretches past the span of this life through the unending reach of eternity. God’s kingdom will have no end. His goodness and mercies will never cease. A relationship founded on the good, pleasing principles of his kingdom is eternal.

But while we live on this earth we will experience temptations, trials, and doubts that continually try to pull us out of our new life of eternal inheritance and back into the fleeting ways and pursuits of darkness. We must learn to look past this world and reject that which calls us back to the dark. We must learn to look past the pleasures, glory, possessions, and accolades available to us here and find our satisfaction in the things of God alone.

You have been called by the One True God a “[saint] in light.” You have been ransomed from that which won’t last and brought into the eternal goodness of God’s kingdom. In Matthew 6:33, Jesus says, “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” All that you desire finds its true fulfillment in the light. All the purpose, joy, passion, pleasure, and provision you seek will be fully satisfied in God if you seek his kingdom first. Turn your life away from anything resembling darkness and commit yourself to living in the light. May God grant you the grace and mercy to seek his kingdom at every turn today that you might know the unfathomable excellencies of unhindered relationship with him. 

Guided Prayer:

1. Meditate on your calling to live in the light. Allow Scripture to fill you with perspective on what it is to walk in the light.

“For at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light.” Ephesians 5:8

“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.” Matthew 5:14

“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.” 1 Peter 2:9

2. What desires are you satisfying in darkness rather than light? Ask God to show you ways in which he wants to satisfy those desires to an even greater measure.

3. Take time to receive God’s presence and be filled with his Spirit. Enjoy the light of God’s love, peace, and goodness. Find satisfaction in who he is and how deeply he cares for you.

“May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy, giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” Colossians 1:11-14

We’re not often told of the wonderful satisfaction available to us in God. So much of our faith is based on rules, regulations, and “don’ts” rather than the wealth of life God longs to give us in his kingdom. All God desires us to do or not do is based on his passion for blessing us. All God would lead us away from or into is for the sole purpose of our good. He is not a self-seeking God. He is not a taskmaster. He is a good Father who desires to abundantly bless his children. Life with God is a life filled with the fullness of satisfaction. May you experience the abundant blessing that can only be found in the light of God today.

Extended Reading: 1 Peter 1

A Commitment to Obey..Dr.Charles Stanley

 A Commitment to Obey

Dr.Charles Stanley

Psalms 1

The Bible declares the Lord's great power and majesty while also revealing His deep mercy and love. He is worthy of wholehearted, passionate submission, but He doesn't often get it. Are you among the few who offer themselves to Him without reservation?

Complete obedience is a choice to follow God regardless of the consequences. This means that we obey the Lord even if our friends choose a different path or when suffering or embarrassment is guaranteed. Seeing His will done is more important than our own comfort or personal ambition. We commit the consequences to God and cling to His promises: He will never leave us (Heb. 13:5), and He makes good out of every situation (Rom. 8:28).

Notice the word 'commitment' in the title of today's devotion. I'm not writing about obedience that is born of the moment (as in, I choose to follow God in this instance) but about submission as a way of life. Setting restrictions on compliance is so tempting--we want to be able to change our mind when obeying upsets our lifestyle, the final result is unclear, or we're just plain scared. But let me ask you this one sobering question: If Jesus is the Lord of your life, what right do you have to limit how and when you'll do His will?

Believers have no right to set their own limits; their one criterion for making decisions should be, What does God want me to do? The answer at times may cause suffering, but obedience is always right. And following God in all things is the surest path to favor and spiritual growth.

When I Feel Like an Imposter..Rev. Kyle Norman

 When I Feel Like an Imposter

By Rev. Kyle Norman

“For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain.” - 1 Corinthians 15:9-10)

The only thing I remember from my high school is the marbled texture of the hallway floors. I remember this because I looked at them often; my head was always down. See, in high school, I struggled with crippling self-rejection and low self-esteem. It wasn’t that I was bullied or picked on, I just didn’t feel that I fit in or had anything to offer. 

Even though I have worked hard to rid myself of low self-esteem, every once in a while it still rises within me. These feelings often show themselves without warning. Whenever I make a mistake or error, I judge myself as worthless and backward. When I hear about a successful church or ministry, I condemn myself as being not good enough. When it becomes bad, I look at myself in the mirror and notice everything that is wrong about me, or about my life. And in that moment, I feel like an imposter. I judge myself for not being the person that others view me to be.

Does anyone else struggle with Imposter Syndrome? I think we all struggle with this from time to time, particularly in times of struggle or hardship. We even see this in scripture. The Apostle Paul tends to speak harshly about himself. In his first letter to the Corinthians, he refers to himself as the “least of all the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle.”  I wonder how many times Paul rehearsed this criticism of himself. Were these names he called himself time and again? Were the labels of “wretched man” or “chief of sinners” ones that he placed upon himself? As Paul lived his Christian life, did he sometimes feel like an imposter?

I wouldn’t be surprised if he did. After all, Paul’s ministry wasn’t the easiest. He often faced rejection and persecution. The churches that he established were not necessarily the beacons of success. Paul himself was thrown into prison countless times. Did all these things weigh on him? Was he ever tempted to see these struggles as testimonies that he wasn’t as faithful, or as loved, as he thought he was? 

Imposter Syndrome is the voice of the enemy. It tells us that all manners of goodness or happiness are ill deserved in our lives. Imposter Syndrome tells us that if people knew us as we truly are, then we would not be loved or accepted. Imposter Syndrome wants us to believe that we are fundamentally unlovable or unredeemable, and that even God is perpetually disappointed in us. 

But it’s all a lie. We are not cast off or abandoned. God’s love flows ceaselessly toward us. Even in our lowest places, where we feel rejected or unlovable, the Lord enfolds us. This is the gift of Grace. Grace is the gift of reckless and lavish love, unearned and unmerited, Grace tells us that God’s love for us is not a transaction based on our value or worth. God’s love makes its way to us because God chooses to love us, and nothing will persuade the Lord to make a different choice. Grace is sealed in Christ’s blood and stamped by his cross.

Intersecting Faith and Life:
The world around us glamorizes the successful and famous. Because of this, the enemy tells us that unless we are successful or prestigious, then we are not worth God’s time. Thus, if we stumble in our faith, or if we struggle with questions or doubts, it can become easy to view ourselves as someone God could not possibly use. Like Paul, we may see ourselves as least of the apostles and the chief of all sinners. But this isn’t the full story.

True, we may stumble in our Christian walk, but our mistakes and struggles are not where we look. Even though Paul persecuted the church, he looked to God’s grace before all things. Rather than allow the voice of his self-rejection to speak the final word, Paul listens to the word of grace. It is by the grace that Paul is accepted in love. Grace works in him and through him. “His grace toward me is not in vain,” Paul says.

This is our story as well. Grace is powerful and active in our lives. Grace is never given to the perfect or faultless, for if someone is perfect why would they need grace? Instead, grace meets us in the thick of life, in the place of our need. It is grace that defines who we are, not our accomplishments or deeds, our mistakes or sins. So, instead of viewing our weakness as a place of rejection, let us recognize it as the place where God’s grace meets us, and flows through us.

Further Reading

• Ephesians 2:1-10
• 2 Corinthians 12:3-20

Two Forgotten Spiritual Habits for a Happy Life..Aaron and Michelle Reyes

 Two Forgotten Spiritual Habits for a Happy Life

By Aaron and Michelle Reyes

BIBLE VERSE OF THE DAY: Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither— whatever they do prospers. - Psalm 1:1-3

God wants us to be happy.

By happy, I don’t mean some superficial, worldly notion of happiness, like having more money. I’m talking about true happiness, the kind that the Psalmist describes in Psalm 1 about the man who is “like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither” (v. 3). God desires for us to experience a deep, rich and nourishing happiness. So, how do receive this happiness from God? For that, we turn to habits.

We all have habits, whether we realize it not. We have set times that we wake up, that we eat. We have set rhythms when we’re going to bed. We have habits.

We don’t cultivate these habits because we need to earn God’s favor. We’re not trying to prove to God that we are deserving of His love. Not at all. Instead of trying to earn his love, we cultivate these habits in response to his love. We engage in these practices out of our love for him.

Two of these habits are being on time and singing in church.

Being connected to, rooted in and thriving within Christian community does not just happen. Rather, there are certain practices required in order to fulfill this habit, and this means (among other things) that you are on time for Sunday mornings and that you sing.

If we want to be brutally honest, this means not showing up forty minutes late to church on a Sunday morning.

There may be some legitimate extraneous circumstances. But, the vast majority of the time why people are late is because they didn’t start their morning early enough. They slept in, probably because stayed up too late the night before, or some people intentionally come late because they want to skip the singing.

Whatever your reason, be on time. Here’s why: the Holy Spirit does a profound work in us when we sing. When we sing, the Spirit is at work speaking truth to us. We are reminded afresh of the gospel when we sing.

In fact, as we see in Colossians 3:16, singing to God teaches us: “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.”

As we’re singing, the Spirit reminds us that Jesus is enough. He tells us that Christ is more precious than this world. Furthermore, when we sing, the Spirit fills us up with more of Himself.

Look at Ephesians 5:18-19: “And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart.”

As we sing, the Spirit assures us that God is with us. Put plainly: if you’re late, you miss out on this work of the Spirit.

A Prayer to Approach God with Confidence..Jessica Van Roekel

 A Prayer to Approach God with Confidence

By Jessica Van Roekel

“Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast to our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” - Hebrews 4:14-16 ESV

I’m not a huge fan of revealing my vulnerabilities. I’d much rather keep them hush, hush, thank you very much. I suspect I’m not alone. People wound other people and there are times when it’s tempting to judge God based on human actions. A close friend who betrays our confidence and uses them as a weapon can create a cautiousness in how we approach other people and God.

The idea of drawing near God’s throne with confidence can fill us with trepidation. Will God reject us? Will he turn his back to us? Can we be vulnerable before God, or do we need to wear a façade of strength? Jesus knew our struggles and yet he resisted temptation. While we fail and fall, Jesus always resisted and prevailed. What a friend, what a confidant we have in him. He sympathizes with our weaknesses yet remains our example to press through to victory.

Jesus Christ knows our weaknesses and our weaknesses fill him with compassion. Because of this we can approach God, knowing that he welcomes and desires our prayers. We don’t have to be strong before we approach God. We don’t have to have it all figured out before we ask for help. Yet, we can struggle with this.

Our society promotes perfection and parades imperfection as a cautionary tale of what not to do and be. This creates internal pressure because we can feel the need to hide much of ourselves. Yet, God knows us inside and out. He knows our strengths and our weaknesses and his love for us doesn’t change based on that knowledge. His love is a compassionate love that is ready and willing to help us in our time of need.

God provides all we need in any circumstance. He offers peace to the anxious heart. He brings joy to the cheerless face. His hand stays steady and sure. His blessings follow the if/then cycle. If we sow to the flesh, our harvest consists of anger, doubt, bitterness, and the like. But if we sow to the spirit, we reap peace, joy, love, patience, kindness, and many more attributes.

Yet, sometimes, we need help with the sowing because we say yes instead of no to choices that reinforce the idea that we must be perfect before we approach God. But God wants us to come to him and depend on him for help. The throne of grace in this passage refers to the meeting place from where all of God’s favor, wisdom, help, love, mercy, forgiveness, wisdom, spiritual power, and spiritual gifts flow. How wonderful and marvelous is this place. And it’s ours to be had if we choose to come.

Let’s pray:

Holy God,
I stand in awe before you because you are so willing to take me as I am. Forgive me for holding myself apart because I have believed the falsehood that I need to be strong before I come to you. You sent your son Jesus to intercede for me and because of that I can come with confidence before you. Here I am, Lord. Broken, bruised, and looking for belonging. I find everything I need in you. From you I receive the grace to face the doctor’s diagnosis. It’s because of you that I can love my prodigal child. Your joy teaches me how to hold my sorrow and not lose hope. Thank you for making me confident in you. I come to you today and wait for your grace.
In Jesus’ name, Amen

Thanksgiving: For Richer or Poorer ..Shawn McEvoy

 Thanksgiving: For Richer or Poorer 

by Shawn McEvoy

"Christians who are poor should be glad, for God has honored them." James 1:9

The rich eat ham,
The poor eat tuna.
Doesn't take as long to cook,
So we eat soona.
~Jay Henze 

The words of that heretofore unknown poem were uttered by my lifelong best friend sometime around our senior year of high school. He conjured it out of thin air while I was spending the night at his house. It was the result of one of those "I'm so tired I'm laughing at anything" sessions you'd often experience with close friends around midnight. 

It was also the result of Jay's enduring awareness of the socio-economic differences between himself and many of his friends, like me, from the affluent north side of town. So whenever I think of ham, tuna, or Jay, I often think of richness and poorness as well. 

Recently, thanks to a fantastic tour around the Missionary Learning Center, I was thinking about missions and outreach. It struck me as interesting that whenever a mission of mercy or evangelism is commissioned, it tends to be to an area where there is a high concentration of poverty, whether it's to India, Mexico, or inner-city Philadelphia. Well, yes, as it should be.

After all, Christ commanded us, if we loved Him, to tend to His lambs (John 21:15-17). James 2:15-16 admonishes us not to ignore those in need of food or clothing. Paul and the Apostles started churches among those who were poor (Acts 9:36; 10:4). Poverty was crippling in the time of Christ and so it continues to be now. The very fact that Jay had a roof over his head and the fish he despised came in a can rather than him having to catch it made him one of the wealthiest persons on the planet. So the holidays are certainly a time to think about - nay, physically assist - those less fortunate than ourselves (2 Corinthians 9:9). 

Then again, are we missing something? 

Consider James 1:9 - "Christians who are poor should be glad, for God has honored them." There are lots of ways to be poor, and Jesus told us they brought about blessing in the long run (Matthew 5:3-12). Those poor in spirit will inherit the kingdom of heaven. Those mourning loved ones will be comforted. Those who make peace rather than seeking their own profit will be called sons of God, Who chose the poor of this world to be rich in faith (James 2:5). 2 Corinthians 6:10 states: "Our hearts ache, but we always have joy. We are poor, but we give spiritual riches to others. We own nothing, and yet we have everything."

And what about the rich?

The news there is not so good. Jesus said it's very difficult for the wealthy to enter the kingdom of heaven. Those who love their life too much find it hard to lose it. James reminds us it's the rich who "oppress us and drag us into court, blaspheming the fair name by which we've been called (James 2:6-7)." The word "miserable" has at its root the word "miser." The love of money isn't just the source of evil, but can also contribute to depression and dissatisfaction.

So… doesn't that mean that the rich have just as many spiritual needs, if not more, than the poor? Who will go to them? Who will train them in the joy of giving their money away and not living by comparison to others? What mission trips are planned?

I contend that untold legions of us are making such a trip this very month, back home to our families and friends, where a big ham might fill the center of the table, people will put on their fineries, and a lot of the talk will focus on the daily drudgeries of keeping our precious lives in working order to cover up the hole that's getting bigger in the soul.

We might spend a few minutes at the table saying how we're thankful we're not like others, or that we have our health, or that our family is with us - before we stuff ourselves, stare blankly at the Detroit Lions (of all things) to avoid looking at each other, or fall asleep. You probably know someone for whom Thanksgiving is an unwelcome chore, a painful experience of dodging rejection, annoyance, questions of future or romance, and Uncle Jim-Bob.

Or, if you're truly rich, there will be genuine thanks, true giving, heartfelt prayers, and corporate worship. Regardless of income level.

Whatever the case in your gathering, let me encourage you to take the love of Christ with you and accept the difficult challenge of bringing it to the wealthy this Thanksgiving. Jesus said a camel fitting through a needle's-eye was difficult, not impossible (thank goodness for most of us in the U.S.).

Intersecting Faith & Life: While you're together, try to figure out a way your clan can come together to do something for the impoverished. Without that outpouring, the warm comfort of wealth can grow stale and dry. Meanwhile, the next time you think on the cloud of poverty and those who suffer at its chill, remember that, at least in the biblical view, it can carry a silver lining of comfort, inheritance, peace, and, I suppose, eating soona. And if those elements are present at your table, then you have a cornucopia indeed.

Further Reading

1 Timothy 6:6-11 
Matthew 5