Looking at the Light..Craig Denison Ministries

 Looking at 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:“Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eye is healthy, your whole body is full of light, but when it is bad, your body is full of darkness.” Luke 11:34

Devotional:

We live in a world filled with darkness of all forms. On any given day we are inundated with temptation after temptation, lie after lie, darkness after darkness. But in the person of Jesus a powerful hope has entered into the story of humanity. Matthew 4:16 says, “The people dwelling in darkness have seen a great light, and for those dwelling in the region and shadow of death, on them a light has dawned.” You and I now have the choice to fill our lives with the light of God. We’re delivered from a life marked by darkness and set free to fill ourselves with the things of God.

But still, there is a choice set before us. The light has come, but we have a real enemy trying to draw us back to the darkness at every turn. It’s for this reason Jesus said in Luke 11:34, “Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eye is healthy, your whole body is full of light, but when it is bad, your body is full of darkness.” You and I must choose to look to the light if we want to be spiritually healthy and full of light. We must look to the light if we want the abundant life God offers us throughout every season of this life.

Paul writes in Philippians 4:8, “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” I pray that God would train us to look upon only that which will fill us with more of him. I pray that he would train our minds to think about only that which will truly satisfy the deep desires of our hearts.

Darkness is often only tempting to look at because we have yet to experience the immense satisfaction found in the light. So often God is characterized as a taskmaster out to ruin all the fun. And so often our church services, speech, and lives depict our Father as anyone but a fun, satisfying God. But if we will take some time to trust the truth of Scripture and get to know our heavenly Father as a friend, we will discover a wellspring of life to which no darkness could ever compare. The pleasures of the enemy are nothing but a shadow of the satisfaction we have in the light. Lust, adultery, earthly glory, the opinion of man, and pride in possessions are nothing compared to total, open, and eternal relationship with a good, near, and loving God.

Look to the light today for all you need. Cultivate a hunger and thirst for the things of God that can only be quenched in relationship with your heavenly Father. Run to God with your temptations, needs, and desires and ask him to lead you to satisfaction. And open your heart to him today that you might receive a wealth of love, purpose, joy, affection, and enjoyment from the only true source of life in this earth.

Guided Prayer:

1. Meditate on the importance of looking to the light. Allow Scripture to fill you with a desire to spend your day out of the darkness and in the light.

“Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eye is healthy, your whole body is full of light, but when it is bad, your body is full of darkness.” Luke 11:34

“If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.” 1 John 1:6-7

2. What darkness do you normally look to? Where are you running to satisfy desires that should be met in God? In what ways do you not trust that he will satisfy the needs of your heart?

3. Go to God with whatever needs you have and ask him to reveal the ways in which he wants to satisfy them. Take time to wait on him, press into his heart, and receive the wealth of his affections for you.

“Your sun shall no more go down, nor your moon withdraw itself; for the Lord will be your everlasting light, and your days of mourning shall be ended.” Isaiah 60:20

At times, the desires we feel are wrong desires that God cannot satisfy. However, these wrong desires are always indicative of a deeper desire that God does want to satisfy. Lust and adultery are desires indicative of a need to be loved, liked, seen as beautiful or handsome, or simply enjoyed. Wrongful ambition and glory-seeking are wrong desires indicative of a true need to have passion and make a deep and lasting impact on the earth. The temptations of the enemy and satisfactions we find in darkness are mere shadows compared to the true satisfaction available in God. Discover the root of your wrongful desires. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal the true needs within your heart and to guide you to a lifestyle of fulfillment in God. May your eyes be wholly focused on the light today as you seek fulfillment in your heavenly Father.

Extended Reading: Isaiah 60

Enduring Satanic Attacks..Dr.Charles Stanley

 Enduring Satanic Attacks

Dr.Charles Stanley

Ephesians 6:10-14

Every believer faces temptation. Take a moment to recall a particularly enticing situation involving something that would displease God. Did you realize you were involved in a satanic battle.

The Devil is real. Scripture reveals that he leads an army of fallen angels and is prideful enough to think he can gain victory over God. By definition, a satanic attack is a deliberate assault upon an individual, which is designed to cause spiritual, physical, material, or emotional harm. Satan desires to thwart the Lord's purpose in believers' lives, to rob them of joy and peace, and ultimately to deny God the worship He receives through yielded followers.

As in any war, knowing the enemy's plan helps us prepare for the attack. First, be aware that the battlefield takes place in our minds. To walk in a godly manner with Christ, we must first be sure that our thoughts are in submission to His Spirit. This takes daily surrender and time in God's Word. Second, Satan tempts us during vulnerable moments. Be cautious when you are hungry, angry, lonely, or tired (This is often known as the H.A.L.T.  warning). Third, he is deceptive; we won't recognize the trap as an evil scheme. Instead, it will seem good, and we'll likely wrestle with some sort of doubt.

As Christians, we should walk closely with Jesus. Satan desires to lure us into destructive actions that rob us of God's plan for a good, full life. Stay connected to the Savior: read the Word, pray, and fellowship with other believers. These are weapons we use against the Devil in spiritual war.

Walk in Wisdom..Michael A. Milton, PhD

 Walk in Wisdom

By Michael A. Milton, PhD

Our text is Ephesians 5:15-21. This is the third in a series entitled Walk this Way.

"Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. 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, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ." 

It is elementary to say this, but it is critical. If one desires to arrive at the right destination, one must know the right route. A pilot needs a flight plan. An acrobatic high-wire walker needs practice and total attention. I use the latter example because the Apostle Paul uses a word (ἀκριβῶς, “akribos”) that in ancient Greek referred to the accuracy of archers. “Akribos” is an ancient Greek word from which we get our word acrobat. Paul says you are to walk—in the English—“circumspectly,” i.e., carefully, precisely. We are to walk after Christ with the skill of an acrobat. Such learned and practiced agility in walking is how we arrive at God’s destination for us. Just as St. Paul was calling the Ephesians to walk wisely, so God is calling us. How do we walk in wisdom?

We walk wisely when we redeem the time (v. 16). 
It is most important that we understand what God desires of His people. To walk wisely, we should recognize that time is a limited commodity. Everyone has a beginning time and an end (either by death or Christ’s second coming). God calls us to redeem that time. This means to examine the hours and days, and years the Lord has given us and ask ourselves, “Are we using time for all its worth?”

We walk wisely when we receive the Word of God (17). 
In verse 17, Paul calls the Ephesians to understand the will of God. This requires not only reading the Word but going deeper. I always recall the collect (“ko-lekt,” a gathering prayer) of Thomas Cranmer in the Book of Common Prayer (1549, 2009 version):

BLESSED Lord, who hast caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning; Grant that we may in such wise hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them, that by patience and comfort of thy holy Word, we may embrace, and ever hold fast, the blessed hope of everlasting life, which thou hast given us in our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen (The Book of Common Prayer. The Anglican Church in America, 2019).

To read well, we should adapt Cranmer’s method to our own: listen, read, annotate, memorize, and inwardly apply the Word through prayer (check out Dr. David Bain's paper, 'Read, Mark, Learn, and Inwardly Digest')

We walk wisely when we rejoice in the Holy Spirit (18-20).
Paul compares rejoicing in the Holy Spirit and being drunk with wine which he says is “dissipation.” This speaks to “decadent wastefulness.” Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit—pursue a life with God by opening yourself to Him through Word, Sacrament, and Prayer. Don’t allow yourself to be under any other influence but the Lord.

We walk wisely when we relate to others in humility (21).
Paul calls us to submit to one another out of respect for the Lord. To “submit” is humble one’s self. Thus, Paul is calling the Ephesians to humble themselves before each other. Pride leads to acrimony and, ultimately, division. Humility before others brings peace and unity. So, how do we submit to one another out of respect for Christ? The answer is to imitate our Lord Jesus as He submitted to the cross. To “walk like this way,” we must follow the One who walked the path of atonement for us.

Intersecting Faith and Life:
To walk like this requires following Jesus Christ. We can follow Him through Christian meditation.

The word “meditation” can conjure images of a near-naked Eastern mystic in a lotus position, humming an unintelligible chant through a suffocating cloud of incense. There is, indeed, a vast difference between Eastern meditation and Christian meditation. In Eastern religions, meditation is a mindless exercise designed to bring about peace through emptiness. In Christian meditation, we exercise our minds and hearts seeking fullness—the overflowing presence of the Lord Jesus. A life of Christian meditation conditions us for the long walk, to walk from where we are to where we are going: our home with Christ.

He Is Near to the Brokenhearted..Lynette Kittle

 He Is Near to the Brokenhearted (Psalm 34:18)

by Lynette Kittle

BIBLE VERSE OF THE DAY: “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” – Psalm 34:18

In much of Christian content and chatter, it’s easy to believe that God is looking for the strong, the go-getters, the over-achievers in life. Many individuals and groups assert that He is closer to those who are strong, to those who are achieving their goals and making things happen around them, the “Movers and the Shakers” of the faith.

Perhaps you’ve believed it, too? At your lowest points, maybe you’ve doubted if God is close by, or wondered if He’s turned His back on you?

When looking at Scripture, we realize God never turns his back on his children. So much is written of God’s heart towards those who are weak, broken, and in despair.

Jeremiah 31:25 states how God wants to refresh the weary and satisfy the faint. Isaiah 40:29 also reveals His compassion, describing how “He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.”

Often when experiencing heartbreak, disappointments, setbacks, weakness, weariness, and more, it’s easy to feel like God isn’t near, like He doesn’t care or even has time for you.

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

Still, it’s too easy to feel hopeless and fearful believing there is no one around to help you.

Nevertheless, Isaiah 41:10 encourages you to “Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

Through His Word, God reaches out over and over again to the weary and despondent.

Scripture describes how the Apostle Paul dealt with an ongoing weakness, yet reassures of God’s presence in the midst of it. 2 Corinthians 12:9 states, “But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.”

During discouraging times, 2 Corinthians 4:8-9 encourages you to remember God is with you, even if you are hard-pressed on every side, you’re not crushed. If you’re feeling perplexed you don’t have to be in despair, and if you are being persecuted, you can be confident God has not abandoned you. Even if you have been struck down, because God is with you, you are not destroyed.

Psalm 73:28 tells us that it is good to draw near to God. So take heart today in the knowledge he is always closely present in your life.

A Prayer for When I Don’t Love Myself..Rev. Kyle Norman

 A Prayer for When I Don’t Love Myself

By Rev. Kyle Norman

"But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful." - Luke 6:35-36

Henri Nouwen once wrote that the biggest danger to our spiritual lives is our own self-rejection, the tendency to look in the mirror and take apart everything we see. It’s easy to do. After all, we live in a world of comparison, self-promotion, and image management. Everywhere we look, we are bombarded with messages declaring what we should do, where we should go, or how we should look. Amid such a deluge, the gentle voice of the Lord, calling us his own and declaring our belovedness, can so easily get lost. 

In those times when we do not love ourselves, how might we respond? Jesus offers a simple way. He calls us to love. “Love your enemies,” he says, “do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who mistreat you” (Luke 6:27-28). These words are a helpful guide for how we might treat ourselves. I don’t know about you, but I am often my own worst enemy. Far too often, my true enemy lies within myself. I voice my own rejection; I speak things about myself that are not true; I criticize and judge myself worse than anyone else. I mistreat myself and choose courses of action that lead me farther from the life Jesus longs for me.

It seems to me that if the call of Jesus is to love our enemy, then this must be a call to love ourselves. 

Loving ourselves is choosing to see ourselves as loved by God, no matter what. We silence our inner enemy that nitpicks over the littlest of things. The words of Jesus call us to claim God’s love even when we feel we are at our worst. God’s love for us is not a feeling, it is a fact, a truth we claim boldly and relentlessly. Despite what we may see staring back at us in the mirror, we are made in God’s image; we are acceptable to the Lord. Can we choose to believe this?

Loving ourselves means we do good things for ourselves. We are to be the recipient of care, kindness, and compassion. As children of God, we do not deserve to be rejected, dismissed, or hurt. Our health and well-being are important to the Lord. What might it look like for you to take time for rest, recuperation, or healing? How might you cultivate times of joy, delight, and happiness?

Additionally, to love ourselves, we must speak well about ourselves. We bless instead of curse. Cursing is the voice of judgment and unlove. We curse ourselves when we speak words of ridicule or condemnation, tearing ourselves down verbally; To bless, however, is to say something good, to uplift and encourage, to offer words of support and care. What good thing can you speak about yourself?

Finally, loving ourselves means that we hold ourselves in prayer. We pray for our acceptance of grace, mercy, and divine love. In prayer, we open ourselves to the presence of the Lord, who comes to us as we are. Yes, we acknowledge those places where we need help, transformation, and healing, but in prayer, we recognize that the power of God is always greater than our sins or limitations. To pray for ourselves is to place ourselves before the Spirit of God. 

Are you struggling to love yourself? Do you wish to step away from self-hate, self-rejection, or self-condemnation? If so, please pray with me.

Let’s pray:

Gracious and Loving God,
I know that your word declares that I am made in your image. You call me your child and speak words of ceaseless grace and eternal mercy. But I have a hard time accepting these truths for myself. When I look at myself, I see only my faults, my insufficiencies, and my mistakes. I see a sinner to be condemned rather than a child to be loved. But you, O Lord, do love me. You do extend grace. You do embrace me, even when I cannot embrace myself. 

Lord Jesus, open me to this truth in my life. Help me to see who I am in your sight. Bless my eyes to see the qualities and traits that are good and beautiful within me, traits that point to your handiwork. I pray that you infuse these gifts with your Spirit so that these heavenly qualities may grow within me. Release my tongue to declare your goodness revealed in my life. Give me words that help articulate who I am in you. Help me claim my belovedness when I am tempted to deny it. Open my mouth in praise when I am tempted to speak words of rejection. 

Finally, Lord Jesus Christ, lead me into times of rest and healing. When I am threatened with being overworked, burnt out, exhausted, or discouraged, call me away from my busyness to rest in you. Give me the boldness to treat myself well, to work on my own healing, and to be at peace with who I am. Help me to delight in myself as you delight in me.

Heavenly Father, I long to be the person you have created me to be. Help me to express the love that you so lavishly bestow upon my life, and may I respond to your Spirit that continues to transform me in your grace. I pray all of this in the name of Jesus Christ, my Savior. Amen. 

WHEN YOU DON'T FEEL THANKFUL..Dr. Jeff Schreve

 WHEN YOU DON'T FEEL THANKFUL

Dr. Jeff Schreve

He who offers a sacrifice of thanksgiving honors me.
Psalms 50:23

What do you do when your life is going south? What do you do when it is “THANKSGIVING” and you have just lost a loved one… or just lost your job… or just lost your marriage? Surely you cannot be expected to give thanks… can you?

Sometimes thanksgiving is a sacrifice.  Sometimes we must thank God through clenched teeth and chocked back tears. Thanksgiving in the midst of a terrible storm brings tremendous joy to His heart. It shows the Lord that we really trust Him… regardless of the adverse circumstances we are facing.

THE THANKSGIVING CONSTANT

Perhaps you are one this year who is having trouble finding good in your life. Look no further than Jesus. He never changes. Despite everything you might be facing, you can rejoice in Him. You can give thanks for Him and His love and care for you. You can give thanks that He promised to work all things together for good.

Train yourself to give thanks in everything. Remember… a sacrifice of thanksgiving brings honor to the Lord. Thank Him for that trial you are facing. Thank Him for that sorrow. He will use your thanks for His glory and your ultimate good!

Love,

Pastor Jeff Schreve