How to Live Low..Craig Denison Ministries

 How to Live Low

Craig Denison Ministries

Weekly Overview:

The biblical concept of being poor in spirit is foundational to every aspect of the Christian life. Foundational to salvation is a heart-level acknowledgment of our need for a Savior. Foundational to experiencing God’s love is acknowledging our great need of love. Foundational to heavenly peace and joy is an acknowledgment that this world truly offers us neither. If we want all that God in his grace offers, we must pursue a lifestyle of being poor in spirit. May you experience more of the depth of God’s love this week as you discover God’s heart to minister to those desperate for him.

Scripture:“The reward for humility and fear of the Lord is riches and honor and life.” Proverbs 22:4

Devotional:

All throughout Scripture God paints a clear picture of what it looks like to live poor in spirit—to live low. As we dive into the depths of God’s word, I pray our lives will begin to be molded and shaped by the capable, loving hands of our Potter. I pray that we will look to the grace of God as our source and strength to pursue a lifestyle of humility. And I pray our lives will be enriched and blessed by the loving, powerful presence of a God who dwells with those who live low. 

Philippians 2:3-7 says,

Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.

Living low always begins by looking at the life of Jesus. He is the author and perfecter of our faith (Hebrews 12:2). He is the example of what it looks like to live perfectly by the grace of the Father in a lifestyle of humble surrender. And Scripture makes it clear that he is our standard. A life like his is the goal.

Jesus, although King of kings and Lord of lords, did everything out of total love for God and man. The only man to ever live a perfect life looked to the interests of others above his own. One of the most powerful depictions of his commitment to loving those in need at all costs is found in Mark 2:13-17, where Jesus ate with tax collectors and sinners. Jesus loved others at the continual sacrifice of his reputation. He lived without a care of how he was perceived by man because his life was continually laid down to the will of his heavenly Father alone. To live in the will of God will always cost us our pride. Pride and God’s will are in direct opposition.

God is calling us to a lifestyle of love. To be poor in spirit is to “count others more significant than yourselves.” A common misconception in living low is that we must try and find ways that we are worse than others. God is not about comparison. His ways are not like ours. Rather, he is calling us to stop looking to ourselves at all and solely look to the significance of others. Jesus knew he was sinless. He knew he was God. Still, he counted others more significant because of his love and grace. We don’t have to pursue false humility to love others well. Rather, by the grace of God we must stop looking to our own needs, our own sense of pride and reputation, lay down our lives at the cross of Christ, and love as he has called us to love.

To live low is to look at the life of Jesus, look at our own lives, and acknowledge the differences, as well as obeying the command of Scripture to live like him. And in our inability we must come before our heavenly Father in full knowledge that we’ll never be like Jesus on our own. We must seek to abide in him and receive his wealth of affection, love, and grace that we might bear fruit. If we seek to live low by ceasing to look to ourselves and instead look to God and others, we will always, unfailingly be empowered by God.

Take time in guided prayer to look at the life of Jesus, look at your own life, and receive the power of the Holy Spirit that comes from abiding in the love of your heavenly Father.

Guided Prayer:

1. Meditate on Jesus’ commitment to humility and living low. Allow his life to be the example by which you live yours.

“Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.” Philippians 2:3-7

2. In what ways are you living in pride? In what ways are you looking to your own interests above the interests of others? Where do you need to count others as more significant than yourself?

3. Take time to abide in God’s love. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you yield your life to him that you might bear the fruit of his dwelling within you. Look to God as your source and supply rather than your own strength. And live today in a constant pursuit of living low.

“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love.” John 15:9

“Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.” Colossians 3:12-13

“For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.” Romans 12:3

Proverbs 22:4 says, “The reward for humility and fear of the Lord is riches and honor and life.” When you humble yourself before God and man, the pressure of finding your own joy, success, provision, and worth falls off and is replaced with the peace, love, security, and grace of your heavenly Father. Living low does not mean you will be without joy, peace, or possessions. Rather, it positions you to receive all the incredible fullness of heaven your good Father longs to give. Live low today and rid yourself of the weight of pride so that the foundation for your emotions, thoughts, and actions would be the love of a good, present, and powerful God.

Extended Reading: Philippians 2

Navigating through the Seasons of Life ..Lynette Kittle

 Navigating through the Seasons of Life

By Lynette Kittle

“As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease”—Genesis 8:22

Growing up, Fall used to be my favorite season of the year. I love the warm colors of the changing leaves; the autumn smells in the air, and the cooler, milder warm temperatures. But over the years, we’ve lived in a variety of climates, from tropical Hawaii to tundra-filled Alaska, where seasons seem quite different. Adapting to different seasons can be challenging when it’s not what we expect it to be, just like in life where what occurs in times of our lives may seem very different from what we were expecting.

The following are four ways to open our hearts to look positively toward seasons that haven’t brought us what we were hoping.

1. Remember God’s Goodness
Like the seedtime of Spring and the harvest of Fall each year, God’s goodness is evident in the new life He gives and produces in us year after year. It’s good to take time to remember how He has cared for us through the years, providing for us and more than meeting our needs.

2. Look Past the Devastation
Sometimes our seasons are impacted in ways we weren’t expecting or wanted to experience. In the Summer of 2013, we lived in Colorado and experienced major wildfires in our area, so close they were just outside our neighborhood. Needless to say, our summer enjoyment was darkened by smoke ash-filled skies, along with fire debris and carnage, looking more like Armageddon than Colorado.

Still, even during unexpected dry, fiery times, God reminds us in Isaiah 58:11 that He will satisfy our souls, promising, “The Lord will guide you always; He will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.”

3. See the Beauty In Change
When God brings changes in our lives, there is beauty that comes with these changes, just like we see the natural changing of each season of the year from new growth to times of bareness. Interestingly scientists don’t all agree on the purpose of Fall changes and loss of leaves but do seem to agree that these changes help to prepare plants and trees to survive throughout the colder months and to bring forth new growth in the Spring.

It’s comforting to know that changes happen in order to bring new things to life. Although change can be hard to experience, like unexpected losses of loved ones, jobs, dreams, and more, these losses often make way for beautiful transformation within our hearts. Even though tough to recognize while going through them, God’s words assure us that He is working all of it together for our good (Romans 8:28), to strengthen and build us up to not only survive through the winters of our lives but to thrive through life’s ups-and-downs.

As well, like Isaiah 41:10 encourages, we’re not going through them alone. “So 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.”

4. See through the Darkness to Light
Winter can seem like the longest and dreariest time of the year with less sunlight and warmth. Yet as seeds go through a time of being hidden, where their hard seed coat is softened up by the weathering processes, so do we, too, at times go through similar times in our spiritual lives. Times like a seed’s stratification process, where the seed is hidden away and something deep within is triggered to grow, expand, and break through to experience and see the sunlight. During these hidden, dark times in our lives is where our hearts, too, are being put through the softening process.

Sometimes we forget God is at work in our lives to bring new growth just like He does in the natural world. He is cultivating the seeds planted within us, so even during dormant times, where growth doesn’t appear to be taking place, we can be confident He is bringing new things to life in us, too. As 1 Corinthians 3:7 explains, God is the one who causes the growth in our lives.

Intersecting Faith and Life:
No matter what season of life we find ourselves as believers in Jesus Christ or what conditions we are currently enjoying or enduring, God is faithful and is with us. We are not alone. Whether life is going as planned or has taken unexpected directions, we have the comfort and confidence in knowing God is navigating our way through each one.

Walking with God..OnePlace.com

 Walking with God

By OnePlace.com

BIBLE VERSE OF THE DAY: "The just shall live by faith" - Romans 1:17

When I hear of Hollywood couples who get together and then divorce rather quickly, I have to wonder what people are looking for in marriage.

Do they understand that it's a commitment? Do they understand that feelings will come and go, and that you must get on with the very real business of loving a person and all that it means?

The same can be said of a relationship with God. There are times when you feel great joy, passion, and excitement about being a Christian. And there are times when you don't feel it. But that doesn't mean you say, "Well, that's it. I'm not going to follow Christ anymore."

The Bible doesn't say, "The just shall live by feelings." Rather, it says, "The just shall live by faith" (Romans 1:17 NKJV).

Feelings change, but walking with God takes faith. It takes commitment. And it takes consistency.

The Bible tells us about a man who walked with God for many years. His name was Enoch, and I want to look at some secrets from his life that we can apply in our lives as well.

In the whole of the Bible, only five passages refer to Enoch, two of which are genealogies. Although we don't find a lot written about Enoch, what we do have is significant.

Genesis tells us, "Enoch lived sixty-five years, and begot Methuselah. After he begot Methuselah, Enoch walked with God three hundred years, and had sons and daughters. So all the days of Enoch were three hundred and sixty-five years. And Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him" (Genesis 5:21-24 NKJV).

Enoch lived during a unique time in human history, just before God's judgment of the world by the flood. Against this very dark backdrop was a man who walked with God and was spared death. Enoch is a prototype of the last-days believer, showing us how to live as we await the Lord's return.

So what set Enoch apart? How was he able to live a godly life in an ungodly world, in a time that was characterized by sexual perversion and uncontrolled violence? We find three important principles at work in Enoch's life that we can apply in our own lives today.

Principle one: Enoch walked with God. The analogy of walking and the Christian life is used throughout Scripture. But what does it mean to walk with God? It is not merely living by rules and regulations or making daily resolutions that we quickly break. It is much more than that.

The prophet Amos revealed an important truth about what it means to walk with God when he asked, "Can two walk together, unless they are agreed?" (Amos 3:3 nkjv). The word he used for "together" gives the idea of two people moving in rhythm together, as in riding a tandem bicycle. But it is not about getting God into rhythm with us; it is getting ourselves into rhythm with Him. That is what it means to walk with God.

Principle two: Enoch was well-pleasing to God. Hebrews 11:5 says, "He had this testimony, that he pleased God" (nkjv). Sometimes we have the mistaken notion that God is very hard to please. Yet God knows our weaknesses and frailties better than anyone, and He is not as hard to please as we might think.

So how do we please God? God is pleased when, in spite of the fact that we are in the right, we patiently endure when misunderstood (see 1 Peter 2:19-20). When you do what is right and patiently endure suffering for it, that is called meekness, and it pleases God.

God is also pleased when children obey their parents (see Colossians 3:20); when we worship Him and help others (see Hebrews 13:15-16); and when we give financially to the work of the kingdom (see Philippians 4:17-18).

Principle three: Enoch was a witness for God. Enoch walked with God, he was well-pleasing to God, and lastly, he was a witness for God. As Enoch walked with God and pleased Him, he had a testimony and a witness.

Every Christian has a testimony. People are watching us. They are observing us. And we should give a lot of thought to that. Before we can effectively witness for God, we must first walk with Him.

Because Enoch walked with God, he saw this world for what it was. Do you?

A Prayer of Thanks to the Lord..Tiffany Thibault

 A Prayer of Thanks to the Lord

By Tiffany Thibault

"Praise the LORD, my soul; all my inmost being, praise His holy name. Praise the LORD, my soul, and forget not all His benefits — who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion." - Psalm 103:1-4 NKJV

Life is hard, struggles are real, but the Lord is still good. In our lives, in the midst of all our hard places, we can still find so much that we can be thankful for. God calls us to be a thankful people. True thankfulness stems from living in a place of praise, where we have our eyes, our heart and our souls completely focused on the Lord. In this place of praise, thankfulness can freely flow, changing our lives and the lives of those around us.

Psalm 103:1-4 NKJV says this: "Praise the LORD, my soul; all my inmost being, praise His holy name. Praise the LORD, my soul, and forget not all His benefits — who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion."

It is through these words that the writer is telling himself what he should be doing, as he makes his life one of thanksgiving. 

• He tells his mind to determine to not forget the Lord’s benefits.
• He is telling his heart and emotions to trust that the sovereign God, who controls the wind and the waves of the ocean, has everything in control. 
• He is telling His lungs to breathe in and out the peace of God
• He is correcting his posture and actions, embracing where God has him physically and geographically.
• He is controlling his tongue to speak words of praise to God in the midst of every battle he is fighting.

The writer is encouraging us to praise the Lord and to not forget his benefits. Our Lord is a very generous Lord. He forgives all our sins. He died, taking all of our sin upon him, he was bruised for our transgressions, nailed to that tree, the weight of it crushing him, the sin on him so great that even God forsook him. All of that He did with perfect, complete love for you. You are forgiven. 

Another benefit we can praise Him for is that he heals all our diseases. It says that “by his stripes we are healed.” He endured whipping, a shredded back so that we can be healed. As we praise him through the dark moments, we can be so thankful that He is with us, that He will see us through the pain and that someday we will be healed. 

We can praise Him because He redeems our life from the pit. He has paid for your freedom. You are free from the darkness, the pit of depression, the stabbing pain of rejection. You are so loved, so important to the Lord that He redeemed you. As you praise the Lord, the darkness will dissipate, the chains will be loosened, and joy will fill you. 

As we praise the Lord with all our being, we will be crowned with love and compassion. To be crowned is a high honor, to be crowned with love and compassion is the greatest honor we can receive. Jesus was crowned with an earthly crown of thorns. It was shoved onto his head with words of mockery. He was crowned with pain and hatred. Jesus, though, crowns us with love and compassion. He loves you. He is there with you, he is guiding you, protecting you and making a way for you. He has compassion for you. He will never leave you or forsake you. 

So as you examine the things for which you are thankful, I challenge you to go deeper, to focus on reflecting these benefits that the Lord has given you. Praise the lord, praise his holy name, with all your being praise the Lord. We can not be truly thankful if we are not praising the Lord. He has given us everything that we need, he is our Shepherd, our Savior, our Redeemer, our hope, our anchor. For all He has done for us, we can praise him with a life of Thanksgiving. He is worthy of our praise, he is the reason we give thanks. 

Let’s pray:

Dear Lord,
I praise you for who you are. I praise you that you forgive my sins, heal my diseases, redeem my life from the pit, and crown my life with love and compassion. I am so thankful for who you are and for all that you have done in my life. I love you Lord.

In Your name I pray,
Amen

Ready for Christmas?..Sharon Jaynes

 Ready for Christmas?

Sharon Jaynes

Today's Truth

"Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near" (Matthew 3:2 NIV).

Friend to Friend
It seems like everywhere you go during the month of December people ask the same question.  At the grocery checkout counter - "Are you ready for Christmas?"  At the bank drive through window - "Are you ready for Christmas?"  At the doctor's office - "Are you ready for Christmas?"

I think the answer to that question depends on how you define "ready." Let me ask you this question:  "Are you ready for Jesus?"  Now that puts the idea of being ready in a completely different Christmas light, doesn't it?

John the Baptist was sent by God to get the people ready to meet Jesus. Here's what Matthew had to say about him:

In those days, John the Baptist came preaching in the Desert of Judea and saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near."  This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah:

"A voice of one calling in the desert, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord; make straight paths for him.'"…"People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan.  Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River" (Matthew 3:1-3, 5-6).

We don't like the words "repent" or "repentance" very much.  They mean "to make a radical change in one's life, to turn and go in the opposite direction from sin (another word we're not too fond of today) to God".  Repentance involves an element of grief over the way we have lived apart from God and a decision to run toward the Father. That was God's idea of the way to prepare for Christ's arrival in the book of Matthew, and it is still God's idea of preparing to worship Him today. Now that's what I call getting ready for Christmas!

Let's reflect for a moment on the words to this poem and then answer the question, "Are you ready for Christmas?"

"Ready for Christmas," she said with a sigh
As she gave a last touch to the gifts piled high…
Then wearily sat for a moment AND READ
Til soon, very soon, she was nodding her head.
Then quietly spoke a voice in her dream,
"Ready for Christmas, what do you mean?"
She woke with a start and a cry of despair.
"There's so little time and I've still to prepare.
Oh, Father! Forgive me, I see what You mean!
Yes, more than the giving of gifts and a tree.
It's the heart swept clean that He wanted to see,
A heart that is free from bitterness and sin.
So be ready for Christmas - and ready for Him. 

Let's Pray

Dear Lord, I want to be ready for Jesus today and every day.  I come to You now in repentance for my sins: my sin of selfishness, stubbornness, and rebellion.  I turn from my self-centeredness today and commit to keep my focus on You.  God, I cannot do this on my own.  I am not able.  So I ask that You fill me with the power of Your Holy Spirit.  Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. 

In Jesus' Name,

Amen

Now It's Your Turn
What do you think it means to be "ready for Christmas?"

What do you think it means to be ready for Jesus?

Go back and read the parable of the ten virgins in Matthews 25:1-13. Notice the difference between the five who were ready and the five who were not.  Which group more resembles your readiness for Christ?

A Thankful Friday..Ryan Duncan

 A Thankful Friday

by Ryan Duncan

“How great is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you, which you bestow in the sight of men on those who take refuge in you.” – Psalms 31:19

I’ve always really enjoyed Thanksgiving. Sure, the family can be pretty crazy at times, and I usually end up on dish duty after the meal, but Thanksgiving has always been a time for me to stop and realize how blessed I am. Friends, family, a warm meal, there are many simple things in this life that are easy to take for granted, so it’s good to have a day that reminds us to be thankful for all God has given us. The problem is that’s usually how long it lasts, a day. After the food has been eaten and prayers have been said, many people wake up the next morning and jump head first into the madness of Black Friday.

I can only remember shopping twice on Black Friday, and I regretted it both times. It’s complete chaos, with people running, screaming, and sometimes even fighting each other over things they want to buy. I’ve never had any crazy experiences myself, but my brother-in-law remembers a particularly strange incident that happened while he was in college. One year, while he and my sister were still dating, he drove up to visit her on the Friday after Thanksgiving. He had left his house at 3am with hopes of avoiding the holiday rush and was making good time on the freeway when suddenly, out of nowhere, a long line of traffic appeared in the distance.

At first he thought there had been an accident, but as he got closer he realized that the stalled traffic was due to cars making complete stops on the freeway so their passengers could get out, jump the guard rails, and climb a small hill to a nearby outlet mall. It’s ironic, and a little sad, that a day which celebrates American greed happens after the holiday about being thankful. At times like these, it’s important that as Christians realize we cannot live Christ-centered lives when we leapfrog between God and possessions.   

"No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.” (Matthew 6:24)   

So don’t throw out your thankfulness with the evening leftovers, but hold onto it as the Advent season begins. Remember the blessings Christ has given us and use them to prepare yourself for Christmas, when we celebrate the birth of Christ, the greatest gift of all.      

Intersecting Faith and Life: Don’t let the crazy shopping season distract you from what’s really important.

Further Reading

1 Timothy 4:4