Living Fully Known..Craig Denison Ministries

 Living Fully Known

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 nothing is hidden that will not be made manifest, nor is anything secret that will not be known and come to light.” Luke 8:17

Devotional:

To live in secrecy before God, man, and yourself is to live in darkness. We are made to be fully known. We are made to be open and vulnerable. It’s only in the place of living fully known that we can truly receive the depths of God’s love for us. It’s only in being fully known that we discover who we really are and the immensity of our need for God.

Our culture values perception above reality. We work tirelessly to create an image of perfection in the minds of others that requires a constant covering-up of who we truly are. We work to build up a facade, a false outer shell, in attempts to keep in darkness that which we fear will cause rejection. But the greater our facade the less we are truly loved. When someone loves an image we’ve created that we know isn’t truly us, we can’t receive that love. When someone compliments the image of perfection we’ve worked to create, we are all the time thinking, “If you only knew who I really was, you wouldn’t be saying those things.” To be fully loved is to be fully known.

The sobering truth of Scripture is that God already knows the secrets of our heart and will one day bring them out into the light whether we desire it or not. Hebrews 4:13 says, “And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.” Luke 8:17 says, “For nothing is hidden that will not be made manifest, nor is anything secret that will not be known and come to light.” God knows the importance of everything being brought to the light. His chief desire is full relationship with us, and he knows full relationship only occurs without secrets.

While God knows the secrets of our heart already, we will not receive the fullness of his love here on earth until we willingly open them up to him. God patiently waits for us to make ourselves fully known to him, all the while beckoning us with his loving-kindness. He declares his good nature to us through Scripture, circumstances, and his Spirit, knocking on the door of our hearts that we might let him in to love us, heal us, and set us free.

Take time today to open your life to God, and with his help, tear down whatever facade you’ve built up. Engage in the process of living fully known by offering up the parts of your heart you’ve never wanted to bring to the light. Tell him of your secrets. Make some space to reflect on your life. What do you work tirelessly to keep in the dark? What thoughts, motives, or wounds do you constantly try and hide? Trust that your God is a good Father. He already knows the secrets of your life. He will not reject you. He is not disgusted with or ashamed of you. He simply wants to fully love you. May you experience the love of your heavenly Father to greater measures today as you seek to live fully known.

Guided Prayer:

1. Meditate on the importance of being fully known. Take time to reflect on your life and what living with a facade does to your heart. Think about the wonders of being both fully known and fully loved.

“For nothing is hidden that will not be made manifest, nor is anything secret that will not be known and come to light.” Luke 8:17

“And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.” Hebrews 4:13

2. What secrets, wounds, motives, or thoughts are in darkness? What do you work tirelessly to conceal from others? What are you even working to hide from yourself?

3. Tell God about what you’ve hidden in darkness. Journal, pray, or reflect with him about that which you’ve tried to hide. Open up to him and ask him how he feels about you. Ask him how he feels about what you’ve kept hidden. Take time and simply let him love and enjoy you.

“No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 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 8:37-39

There is something so powerful about simply being enjoyed by God. When we find that he delights in us, everything changes. In the fifth century, St. Augustine said, “Quia amasti me, fecisti me amabilem,” which means, “In loving me, you made me lovable.” To experience the love of God is to learn that apart from anything we could ever do, we are lovable. You are lovable just as you are, and you can never become unlovable. The God who alone sees every part of you and who alone is true loves you just as you are. May you find security, joy, and peace in the relentless love of your heavenly Father.

Extended Reading: Psalm 36

When God Looks on Us with Favor..Dr.Charles Stanley

 When God Looks on Us with Favor

Dr.Charles Stanley

Isaiah 66:1-2

Believers are always under the canopy of God’s grace and love. Nothing we do can change that. At the same time, our behavior and heart condition do determine whether we receive the fullness of His blessings. Today’s passage teaches us how to experience the Father’s favor.

First, He desires that we have a contrite heart and a humble spirit (Ps. 51:17). For that to be the case, all aspects of our lives must be surrendered to Jesus. Yet some dreams, desires, and people are difficult to release into His hands.

Anything we do not give over to His authority is evidence of pride, the exact opposite of what our Father wants in His children. Remember that “God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6). Lack of submission proves that we think our way is better than His plan.

Second, God tells us to tremble at His Word (Isa. 66:2). Scripture—the unfolding revelation of Jesus Himself—is living and powerful to teach and transform us. Consider how we treat this treasure. Do we devote time each day to know what the Bible says and how to apply its principles? Do we hunger for more of the Word in our lives so we can know its Author better? One measure of our reverence is obedience: to honor the Lord, we must obey Him.

We all desire God’s favor. Are you living in a manner that positions you to receive His full blessings? Prayerfully consider whether you have submitted all areas of your life—from finances and health to relationships and work habits—to Jesus Christ. Recognize His authority in all things, and revere His Word.

Gracious Words Flow from a Gracious Heart..Jessica Van Roekel

 Gracious Words Flow from a Gracious Heart

By Jessica Van Roekel

“The hearts of the wise make their mouths prudent, and their lips promote instruction. Gracious words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.” Proverbs 16:23-24, NIV.

Many years ago, I made a bad first impression because of the way I spoke to someone. My speech was the opposite of gracious. At the time, the words spewed from my mouth like a dam that had burst and nothing could stop the flow. Not only did I bring damage to someone else’s heart, I damaged my own with the regret I felt after the destruction was complete. It didn’t matter whether I felt justified by what I said, my words were out of control and filled with disgust, two characteristics that flow opposite of the fruit of the Spirit.

If I think I can guard my mouth and guide my tongue without addressing my heart—I am a fool. Remorse filled me after that incident. I repented. I apologized and sought forgiveness from the one I wounded, but I couldn’t heal the damage I caused. Only God could do that. But what I could do was address my heart. When we start with the heart, the body will follow because what is in our heart influences what we say and do.

How much of our hearts are surrendered to the Lord? We can allow him full access to redeem every little corner or we can hold part of ourselves back, thinking we can control what we say. However, those little judgmental thoughts that we don’t think impact anyone because we don’t say out loud eventually find their way to the surface. Stressors in our life are like riding over a bumpy road with an open cup of coffee. One of those bumps is going to hit just right and words we never dreamed we would say rush out.

The Old Testament law dealt with ceremonial laws and relational laws—how to relate to God, each other, and non-Jews. Focus on the “right” outward behavior rather than an inner heart position was the standard for holiness in the Pharisee’s minds. Defilement through unclean food or people was a huge part of their focus. They focused more on man-made interpretations of God’s law of what they should eat instead of knowing the heart of God’s law, which was a way to have a holy relationship with God. But Jesus flipped their understanding upside down. It wasn’t what they put into their mouths that defiled them, but what came out of them that defiled them.

Throughout God’s Word, the heart represents a person’s entire inner being. This includes our intellect, emotions, motives, desires, and free-will. An impure heart will corrupt our thoughts, feelings, words, and actions. When we follow Christ, we must live in a way that reflects a new and transformed heart, one that is different than before with its natural bents and desires. A heart that submits to the transforming work of Jesus Christ is one where true change begins.

Even though the world tries to tell us that we live in a bubble of “do what feels right to you,” we have the amazing opportunity to bring our feelings and thoughts in line with God’s word. What we see and read and listen to can help or hinder our inner transformation. We get to choose whether we will put off the ways of the old nature and put on the ways of the new. Our transformation happens in tandem to our spiritual maturity. What spills from our heart when we’re stressed or frustrated can bring life or destruction. It’s been more than two decades since my words ran away like an unbridled horse, but I’ve not forgotten the pain on the recipient’s face or the fear in their eyes whenever our paths crossed. Since then, I’m motivated to say yes to the Lord’s reordering and refining of my heart’s contents.

Intersecting Faith and Life:
What is in your heart that sometimes spills out? Is it gracious and healing or bitter and resentful? The different types of stress in our lives shakes the contents of our heart. There are days when we won’t extend a godly response and we can use the remorse we feel as an opportunity for God to do an amazing transformative work. Then, the next time something shakes us, a godly response can impact those around us and reveal how God has been at work in us.

Further Reading:
Mark 7:14-23

Obeying God..Dr.Charles Stanley

 Obeying God

Dr.Charles Stanley

Acts 5:27-32

The high priest ordered Peter and the apostles to stop teaching about Jesus, but they ignored the order. When questioned about their actions, Peter replied, “We must obey God rather than men” (v. 29). What motivated them to follow the Lord with such conviction?

God’s Sovereignty. Peter and the other disciples recognized that God had carried out His divine plan of redemption in Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. Convinced that salvation was found in Christ alone, they had the courage to speak boldly about their faith. They didn’t alter their words, even in front of a powerful authority. Instead, they gave allegiance to God and obeyed Him.

Thankfulness. Their obedience was also motivated by gratitude. After betraying the Lord, Peter had wept over his failure (Mark 14:72). Think of the disciple’s joy to realize that Christ had forgiven him for his mistakes and restored him to a right relationship with God (Mark 16:7; John 21:15-17). With his past behind him, Peter became a leader of the Jerusalem church, with a passion to obey fueled by a thankful heart.

God is in charge of our lives. He has rescued us from the bondage of sin, forgiven us, and brought us into His family. Grateful obedience should be our response too.

Each day we have a choice. We can acknowledge God’s sovereignty and trust Him, or we can turn away and follow our own plan. Cultivating a thankful spirit will motivate us to stay the course and obey the Lord. Like Peter, let’s commit to following our heavenly Father wherever He leads.

God Wants to Stretch Your Faith Today.. Russell

 God Wants to Stretch Your Faith Today

By Chris Russell

BIBLE VERSE OF THE DAY: “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” – Hebrews 11:6

Not long ago I read a book called Fitness After 40. It was an intriguing book that helped me to understand pretty much everything that has gone wrong with my body over the past couple decades!

The list of changes was quite lengthy, but one of them had to do with the way we tend to become less and less flexible in our muscles and joints as we grow older. Every athletic coach I’ve had over the years has always told me how important it is to stretch, but this book seemed to flip a light on in my mind as I began to understand just how important stretching is for our bodies... over time.

In a similar way, we must also remember to stretch SPIRITUALLY as we grow in the Lord over time. And when we stretch spiritually, it always has to do with our faith. God wants us to stretch in our faith.

Paul lays out an amazing list of Bible personalities in Hebrews 11 who demonstrated their faith in powerful ways. This passage has come to be known as the “Faith Hall of Fame,” and we can find many examples of how to live by faith.

Faith is absolutely central to the Christian experience. We enter into a relationship with God through faith (Romans 10:9-10), and Hebrews 11:6 tells us that without faith it is impossible to please God. Faith is a big deal!

And faith is powerful! Jesus said that if we will have faith as a grain of mustard seed, we can pray and see mountains cast into the ocean. I wonder how small my faith must look in that type of comparison!

As you read this, I’d like to suggest to you that it is likely that God wants to stretch your faith. And just like physical stretching, spiritual stretching is not easy. Stretching requires us to push beyond our normal level of comfort.

I’ve seen some pretty amazing feats when watching MMA fighters on TV. It’s stunning to see how a fighter can effortlessly swing his foot over the head of his opponent with no thought at all. But one thing I know about that fighter is that he took many, many years to stretch those muscles so that he could get to that level. And the stretching in his gym was always designed to push him beyond what felt comfortable.

And so it is with our faith. God wants to stretch you beyond your normal comfort zone. And that is where you will begin to see growth and progress like never before.

An Important Point:

It is likely that God wants to stretch your faith today.

Consider the following when it comes to the ways God may want to stretch you:

God may want you to DO something.

God may want you to STOP DOING something.

God may want you to GIVE something.

God may want you to SAY something.

God may want you to STOP SAYING something.

God may want you to SELL something.

God may want you to BUY something. (presumably for a person or ministry in need)

God may want you to START something.

God may want you to END something.

God may want you to LOVE someone.

The chances are great that God likely wants to stretch you today!

When it comes to your spiritual fitness, don’t forget to stretch!

A Prayer about the Power of Prayer..Jessica Van Roekel

 A Prayer about the Power of Prayer

By Jessica Van Roekel

“That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your heart enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints and what is the immeasurable   greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places.” - Ephesians 1:17-20 ESV

I had forgotten how to pray. It was my first Moms In Prayer group and we bowed our heads and hearts before the Lord to lift our children to him. Tears leaked from my eyes as I sat listening to the other women pray for my child. My pulse pounded in tune to my rapid heart rate as I sat humbled before God. I had forgotten how powerful prayer could be and I realized how I had succumbed to a fatalistic view on it.

Fatalism had crept into my heart because of unanswered prayers, prayers long waited for, and prayers that felt unheard. I had taken the concept of God’s sovereignty too far and exchanged faith for the belief that God would do his will whether I prayed or not. This led to me not praying or at least praying less than wholeheartedly.

In Paul’s prayer to the Ephesians, we discover God’s highest desire for every follower of Christ. He longs for us to know his Son better, to receive more wisdom, insight, understanding, and to experience greater power of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Forgetting to pray or giving up on prayer leads us further away from God’s heart for us.

The disciples lived and learned from Jesus, and they still experienced some confusion. They needed the parables explained to them. They couldn’t quantify how Jesus did miraculous acts. Sometimes he touched someone, and their miracle happened, or someone touched him and power flowed out of him. Other times he used his spit to make mud to give sight and for blind men, sight came through a command. Yet, God longs to give us more understanding about Jesus. Prayer is one way we can know him more.

In the book of Romans, we read that hope does not disappoint us because hope is a person and Jesus is his name. And in Hebrews 11:1 we read that faith is the assurance of things hoped for, of things not seen. What does Jesus want to do in our life? He can give us wisdom, insight, and understanding, but we need to press in close to him, to rely on him, and to hope in him. Prayer grows our hope.

This life is hard. We face difficulties of varying degrees daily, weekly, monthly, or yearly. Some of us struggle with debilitating physical, emotional, or relational pain. We know we have the victory because Jesus says we do, but when it feels like we’re on the losing end of a daily battle with pain, that victory feels out of reach. But God. He makes a way for us to know him and his power. He gave us the Holy Spirit to guide us and to help us walk in power and victory.

Let’s pray: 

Holy God,
Thank you for that you gave us prayer as a way to communicate with you. Forgive me for treating it with carelessness. Forgive my fatalism. You long for me to pray in faith, believing and trusting that you will reveal yourself to me. Will you open my eyes to understand what’s happening in front of me and behind the scenes? Give me the power of your Spirit so that I can believe that my prayers matter. Pour out your wisdom on me so that I can know how to pray and what to pray. Your Spirit in me is the same Spirit that raised Jesus Christ from the dead and I long for you to flow through me continually so that I may be pure, refined, and prepared for your purpose for my life. Thank you for hearing my prayer and loving me.
In Jesus’ name, Amen

Being Thankful in “All” Things..Debbie McDaniel

 Being Thankful in “All” Things

by Debbie McDaniel

"Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." - 1 Thessalonians 5:18

I must be honest, sometimes it's the "all" in that verse that gets me. Most of us can be thankful, for lots of things, at lots of times, but in "all" circumstances? That can be tough.

What about when you find yourself suffering illness, or defeat, or you're walking through huge loss...what about when a loved one leaves this world too soon and you still can't see past your tears...or when you've been praying for your prodigal loved one to come home and it seems like the prayers are unanswered...what about when you're discouraged, disillusioned, and struggling with disbelief...or when you're overwhelmed, overextended, and just fighting being over-stressed...what about when the needs mount high and the way doesn't look clear...or when people are cruel, life seems unfair, and the enemy's breathing down your back...what about when the storms come, and the car breaks down, or the air conditioner stops working on a holiday weekend (true story)...

Yes, these are the "all" things that can be hard to find gratitude in, whether it's huge losses or just life irritations. But God's word never changes to fit our circumstances. His Truth rises above our circumstance, so that we can too. He doesn't say give thanks "for it", but "in it all," for He knows He's building more deeply into our lives and character than He could ever build without the hard times.

We're gaining strength. We're gaining perseverance. We're being reminded that true joy is never based on how we feel or our outside situations. We're understanding that God's ways are bigger, His thoughts are higher, and we can be assured that He holds us in His hands.

And He is with us.

Always.

No matter what you might be facing, the good news is this, you woke up. He's given us today. And if we're still here, living and breathing, may our every breath bring honor to Him.

Be assured my friend, you never fight the battles alone. Stay strong. Choose joy. Choose to be grateful in it "all." For He is building greatness. He's working things out for good. He hears our prayers, He sees all, and knows all. He has purpose for our pain, and brings hope for our tomorrows...