The Experience of His Presence..Craig Denison Ministries

 The Experience of His Presence

Craig Denison Ministries

Weekly Overview:

To know God is to experience God. Just as we experience aspects of one another as we grow in friendship, we experience the wonders of God as we seek to simply know him. God is calling us to a life of seeking him with all we are. He is calling us to value relationship with him above all else that we would love no other but him. May you encounter wonderful aspects of relationship with your heavenly Father this week as we wholeheartedly seek to know him with all we are.

Scripture:

“One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple.” Psalm 27:4

Devotional:

Experiencing the presence of God sounds like such a mystery. It sounds like this wonderful but evasive thing that some people get sometimes, but isn’t concrete enough to expect or place your hope in. We associate God’s presence with emotions and music as if it were a breeze so light and momentary you almost couldn’t be sure it happened at all.

But in reality God’s presence is as simple as being in the presence of a friend or spouse. It’s as simple and concrete as being around a person except for one simple truth: God never leaves. And just as you can be in the same room as a friend and not know it, you can live the Christian life apart from experiencing God’s nearness. Just as you can be sitting right across from a friend and be so busy with technology or your own thoughts to even remember they are there, you can go through life focused on the busyness of present circumstances and miss out on the fact that God is closer than your breath.

But we find hope for encountering the presence of God in Psalm 27:4. Scripture says, “One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple.” This pursuit, this action of seeking the living God, never comes back empty. To seek God is to encounter God. Emotions aside, complexities cast away—God is already with you. He is already closer than he could ever be. His Spirit, his presence in the earth, never leaves you and never forsakes you. And when you turn your attention toward him, just as you can to a friend sitting across a table from you, you can encounter him.

Psalm 139:7 says, “Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence?” His presence is always available. He’s not a friend who turns away from you or hides his heart. He’s not a small gust of wind that comes and goes as he pleases. He’s a God who would suffer and die that he might tear the veil and make his presence fully, continuously available to all those who would seek him. He’s a God who’s working tirelessly to restore his crown of creation to himself that we might walk with him like in the Garden of Eden, but this time for all of eternity with no possibility of a fall or barrier between us.

Your ability to meet with God is as simple as turning your attention toward him and allowing yourself to be known. May you meet with your heavenly Father in profoundly simple ways today as you enter into a time of guided prayer.

Guided Prayer:

1. Meditate on the availability of God’s presence.

“Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence?” Psalm 139:7

“You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.” Jeremiah 29:13

2. What’s your greatest fear regarding God’s presence. What’s something that would keep you from seeking after him like you would a close friend?

“There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear.” 1 John 4:18

3. Surrender any hesitation you have to him and seek him in faith that he is already with you. Turn your heart toward him and talk to him honestly and openly. Allow him to reveal his nearness to you in any way he wishes.

“One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple.” Psalm 27:4

The best place to start with God is always honesty. He doesn’t meet you in a place that isn’t real. So if you’re trying to seek him but avoiding something, you are attempting to sew back together the veil he so lovingly tore in two. There’s no need to veil your heart from him. There’s no reason to act as if everything is all right if it isn’t. Whether you’re at church, with friends, or meeting him in the secret place, he only asks for honesty from you. Tell him how you feel. Open up the places of your heart that you are too shameful or scared to let into the light. Allow him to flood your fears with his relentless love and experience the presence that only grace has to offer.

Extended Reading: Psalm 27

The Power of Miracles..Jessica Van Roekel

 The Power of Miracles

By Jessica Van Roekel

"I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember your wonders of old. I will ponder all your work and meditate on your mighty deeds. Your way, O God, is holy. What god is like our great God? You are the God who works wonders; you have made known your might among the peoples." Psalm 77:11-14, ESV

The passage of time stretched out like an unending journey. Light had vanished and left me afraid. Prayers went unanswered, and I cried out for the Lord to do something, but every day I faced the same struggles. My heart felt frozen, my mind numb, and I went through the motions of my daily tasks. I doubted God’s presence in my life and accused him of ignoring me.

At times it can feel like we’ve been sidelined. We pray for healing in our bodies or relationships, and things get worse and worse. We wonder when it will be our turn for a miracle. We cry and plead, but God seems silent. The agony of silence gives way to an outburst of anger or disappointment. Psalm 77 helps us express our frustration but also points our hearts toward God’s goodness.

Everyone faces days of trouble because trouble is part of our world. It serves several purposes. It’s an opportunity for our spiritual roots to go deeper as we choose to trust God with the unknowns that lie before us. The thing with troubles is that we don’t have a guaranteed outcome, and we like outcomes we can count on. In the end, victory is ours, but when the beginning seems long ago, the middle can seem unending.

What do we do when the middle seems long and victory far off? Losing seems imminent and retreat the only way forward. We remember that our miracle unfolds day by day and we turn to the past to propel us forward. Sometimes we can’t see God clearly in our own lives, but that’s when we can turn to the Bible for encouragement.

We find encouragement as we trace God’s faithful heart and his miraculous deeds throughout the Old and New Testaments. When we remember how he parted the Red Sea for the Israelites, we can look for how he made a way in our lives too. Our parting of seas might look like the strength to walk into the oncologist’s office. It’s this reliance on God for the very next step that reveals more of the unfolding miracle he does in our day-to-day lives.

Our hearts grow stronger when we remember the woman with the issue of blood in the New Testament. Her journey to healing lasted years and cost her a place in society, and crippled her finances. No one could help her. Her way was darkened with discouragement. Yet Jesus. She wove her way through the crowds, convinced that a single touch of Jesus’ hem would heal her. Her persistence led to her miracle. The woman’s example gives us the courage to persist and helps us see where we stayed the course even though we felt unheard. Our persistence is part of our miracle too.

We may find ourselves in situations that seem as impassable as a wide sea. There’s no way around it, and our enemies grow ever closer. We can surrender, or we can keep searching for a way through, trusting that God will be with us through it. That’s just as much of a miracle as the seas parting and our enemies disappearing. God goes with us. He is our strength and companion for the troubled waters ahead.

God carried me through that time when I felt abandoned by him all those years ago. Like the woman with the issue of blood, I persisted in seeking him. And the miracle was a slow unfolding of grace as he met me, drew me closer to him, and renewed my heart.

Intersecting Faith and Life:

If you find yourself in a situation where you feel like you’re in deep trouble and God seems far off, continue to call on him and remember what he has done. When you couple remembering what he has done with crying out to him, you strengthen your faith so that you can see your miracle unfold as he carries you through. Big splashy miracles are exciting testimonies of God’s power. Quiet miracles that unfold slowly are enduring testimonies of God’s glory revealed in you.

Further Reading:
Psalm 77

What Will Heaven Be Like?..Dr. David Jeremiah

 What Will Heaven Be Like?

By Dr. David Jeremiah

BIBLE VERSE OF THE DAY: “But you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem.” –Hebrews 12:22a

Many people picture heaven as a never-ending church service in the sky. Or they think we will all become angels who float around on clouds playing harps for the rest of time. Neither of these make eternity seem very appealing. And both are completely inaccurate according to the Bible. In fact, heaven will be glorious and full of grandeur. We will experience fullness of joy as we live in the presence of God and fellowship with each other. There are so many reasons to look forward to heaven, I want to give you a glimpse of three.

For one, our friendships will be richer. One of the most fascinating glimpses we have of heaven is in Hebrews 12:22-23, a passage that provides a list of heaven’s inhabitants.

But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect. Now, who in that group is boring? We’re going to spend eternity with God, with His angels, with the Old Testament saints, and with Christians through all the ages. Can you imagine being in an environment like that?

There will be no misunderstandings or tiffs or tension among us. Our relationships will be so much healthier in heaven than here. Down here we have problems even with our closest friends. You know what that’s like. Someone says something to you, and you aren’t sure how to interpret it. You react to it— perhaps overact. You say to yourself, “I wonder what he meant by that? I wonder why she said that?”

In heaven there will be none of that. Our relationships will be open, honest, interesting, loving, and uncomplicated by sin or our sinful natures. We will dwell with God, the angels, and one another in perfect compatibility and refreshing intimacy.

We will all be together in heaven. It won’t make any difference when we lived on earth. Imagine being best friends with people whom we’ve only read about in the Bible or in books. I’m eager to meet Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph. Imagine having all the time we wanted to talk to Augustine, George Muller, Martin Luther, and William Tyndale. We’ll be great friends with our missionary heroes—William Carey, Adoniram Judson, Jim Elliot, Hudson Taylor, Amy Carmichael, and Eric Liddell, the Olympic champion who left it all to go to China for Christ.

Heaven is going to be such an incredible time of unlimited fellowship with people who have lived in all ages that I can’t begin to comprehend it, but I know it’s true. The Lord Jesus even gave us a glimpse of this on the Mount of Transfiguration when He stood there talking to Moses and Elijah, as the twelve disciples listened to the amazing conversation.

And don’t get me started on the fellowship we’ll enjoy with the angels! In heaven, we’ll be part of it all; and all our mentors, heroes, friends, ancestors, and descendants—all who know Jesus—will be there with us!

A Prayer for Truth This Christmas..Meg Bucher

 A Prayer for Truth This Christmas

By Meg Bucher

“But God’s truth stands firm like a foundation stone with this inscriptive: “The LORD knows those who are his,” and “All who belong to the LORD must turn away from evil.” 2 Timothy 2:19 NLT

The day my daughter discovered the truth about Christmas, I wiped tears from her eyes and assured her every Christmas would still be just as special as all of the others. The Truth about Christmas isn’t rooted in the North Pole but in God’s Word. Paul’s letter to Timothy reminds us, “God’s truth stands firm like a foundation stone.” In Paul’s day, as there are now and will continue to be, false teachers twisted the truth about who Jesus was. The enemy is prone to take the truth and use it against us or out of context.

The Truth about Christmas doesn’t fade and fall away as we grow up into adulthood. Truth grows more beautiful over the years as it is watered faithfully. “The LORD knows those who are his,” Paul wrote. It reminds me of the Christmas carol that sings, “He’s making a list, and checking it twice…” God has actually written our names in the book of life, Scripture says. He not only knows our names but every hair on our heads at any given time. He knit us together in our mother’s womb, the Bible says. How thrilling to create a person! We are made in His image, and He has given us a purpose unique to each of us. Our lives are so special to God.

Nothing could ever take away the Truth of Christmas. Jesus is the Truth. He was born on earth as a gift to us. It’s the greatest love story of all time. Let’s pray to fully embrace Him this Christmas. 

Let’s pray:

Father, 
Praise You for Christmas! Even the surrounding commercialism could not dim the Truth cast by the light of the stars the night Jesus was born on earth. This is the day You have made! We will rejoice and be glad in it! This Christmas is as unique as all of the others. Speak to us, and show us who You are this Christmas. Illuminate the Truth at an angle we’ve never stopped to think about before. Help us to notice the nuances of the day Jesus came into the world and embrace the gravity of His arrival on earth. 

Your mercies are new every day, God. Great is Your faithfulness! This Christmas, embolden us to share what we have received with everyone You place in our paths. When we feel alone, remind us You know who we are. We are never alone in Christ. He is with us, always, through the Holy Spirit residing in all who believe in Him. 

Father, let us not forget the latter part of today’s biblical truth: “All who belong to the LORD must turn away from evil.” Father, Christmas can challenge our schedules, patience, and ability to see through all of the commercialism to the real Truth of Christmas. Help us to consistently turn to You daily. Don’t let us embrace the idols of materialism over You. Stay first and foremost in our lives, God. Let us be fully prepared to share the Truth of Christmas.

Father, help us be aware of twisted truths and false teachers. We pray for their exposure, and also their restoration and way back to the actual Truth. Help us to focus on the Truth, Christ Jesus, this Christmas. Let nothing knock our focus off of Him, God. Show us, in new layers, why He came …who He is …and what Your will is for us as we follow Him faithfully as the magi were guided by the light of the star to Him.

In Jesus’ Name,
Amen.

The Real Reason for Christmas..Rick Renner

 The Real Reason for Christmas

Rick Renner

And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
- Philippians 2:8

Do you plan on taking the time this Christmas to tell your children or friends about the purpose of Christmas? If so, what will you tell them?

Although we usually meditate on the birth of Jesus at this time of the year, His purpose in coming to earth was not to give us the sweet picture of a baby in a Bethlehem manger. That little baby was born to die for you and for me and thus pay for the forgiveness of our sins. He was born to die on the Cross that we might be reconciled to God.

For this reason, I always told our sons when they were young, "Don't just think of a baby in a manger at Christmastime. Christmas is about much more than that. It is about God coming to earth in human flesh so He could die on the Cross to pay for your salvation and destroy all the works of the devil in your lives! That is what Christmas is all about!"

People rarely think of the Cross at Christmastime because it is the time set aside to celebrate Jesus' birth. But in Philippians 2, Paul connects the two thoughts. As Paul writes about God becom­ing a man, he goes on to express the ultimate reason God chose to take this amazing action. Paul says in verse 8, "And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross." Because today is Christmas Eve, I want to use this Sparkling Gem to discuss the real reason for Christmas, which is contained in the truths found in this verse.

Philippians 2:8 says that Jesus was "…found in fashion as a man…." That word "fashion" is the Greek word schema. This is extremely important, for this was precisely the same word that was used in ancient times to depict a king who exchanged his kingly garments for a brief period of time for the clothing of a beggar.

How wonderful that the Holy Spirit would inspire the apostle Paul to use this exact word! When Jesus came to earth, it really was a moment when God Almighty shed His glorious appear­ance and exchanged it for the clothing of human flesh. Although man is wonderfully made, his earthly frame is temporal dust and cannot be compared to the eternal and glorious appearance of God. However, for the sake of our redemption, God laid aside all of His radiant glory, took upon Himself human flesh, and was manifested in the very likeness of a human being.

This is the true story of a King who traded His kingly garments and took upon Himself the clothing of a servant. But the story doesn't stop there. Jesus - our King who exchanged His royal robes for the clothing of flesh - loved us so much that He "…humbled himself, and became obe­dient unto death, even the death of the cross"!

The word "humbled" is the Greek word tapeinao, and it means to be humble, to be lowly, and to be willing to stoop to any measure that is needed. This describes the attitude God had when He took upon Himself human flesh. Think of how much humility would be required for God to shed His glory and lower Himself to become like a member of His creation. Consider the greatness of God's love that drove Him to divest Himself of all His splendor and become like a man. This is amazing to me, particularly when I think of how often the flesh recoils at the thought of being humble or preferring someone else above itself. Yet Jesus humbled Himself "…and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross."

The word "obedient" tells me that this was not a pleasurable experience that Jesus looked for­ward to in anticipation. To humble Himself to this extent required Jesus' deliberate obedience.

As preexistent God, Jesus came to earth for this purpose. But as man dressed in flesh, He despised the thought of the Cross (Hebrews 12:2) and could only endure its shame because He knew of the results that would follow. For Jesus to be obedient as a man, He had to choose to obey the eternal plan of God.

The word "obedient" that is used to describe Jesus is the Greek word hupakouo, from the word hupo, which means under, and the word akouo, which means I hear. When these two words are com­pounded together, they picture someone who is hupo - under someone else's authority, and akouo - listening to what that superior is speaking to him. After listening and taking these instructions to heart, this person then carries out the orders of his superior.

Thus, the word hupakouo tells us that obedient people are 1) under authority, 2) listening to what their superior is saying, and 3) carrying out the orders that have been given to them. This is what the word "obedient" means in this verse, and this is what obedience means for you and me.

You see, even Jesus had to come to this place of obedience. Although He knew that He was the Lamb slain before the foundation of the world, that didn't mean His flesh was excited about dying as the Lamb of God on the Cross. According to this verse in Philippians 2:8, Jesus had to humble Himself and become "obedient" in order to follow God's plan. He wasn't looking forward to the expe­rience of death on a Cross; He made a choice to humble Himself and to go to any measure in order to accomplish the Father's plan.

Part of the Father's plan was for Jesus to humble Himself "…unto death, even the death of the cross." The word "unto" is from the Greek word mechri, which is a Greek word that really means to such an extent. The Greek word mechri is sufficient in itself to dramatize the point, but the verse goes on to say that Jesus humbled Himself unto death, "…even the death of the cross." The word "even" is the Greek word de, which emphatically means EVEN! The Greek carries this idea: "Can you imag­ine it! Jesus humbled Himself to such a lowly position and became so obedient that He even stooped low enough to die the miserable death of a Cross!"

I heartily recommend that you take the time today to read the April 24 Sparkling Gem order to refresh your memory on the full process of crucifixion. It was genuinely the worst death a person could ever endure. For Jesus to humble Himself to the point of death, EVEN the death of the Cross, demonstrates how much He was willing to humble Himself to redeem you and me.

Just think of it - Almighty God, clothed in radiant glory from eternity past, came to this earth formed as a human being in the womb of a human mother for one purpose: so that He could one day die a miserable death on a Cross to purchase our salvation! All of this required humility on a level far beyond anything we could ever comprehend or anything that has ever been requested of any of us. Yet this was the reason Jesus came; therefore, He chose to be obedient to the very end, humbling Himself to the point of dying a humiliating death on a Cross and thereby purchasing our eternal salvation.

So as you celebrate Christmas, be sure to remember the real purpose of Christmas. It isn't just a time to reflect on the baby boy who was born in Bethlehem so long ago.  That baby was God manifest in the flesh. He was born to die for you and for me. Jesus was so will­ing to do whatever was required in order to redeem us from Satan and sin that He humbled Himself even unto death on a Cross! That is what Christmas is all about!

MY PRAYER FOR TODAY 

Lord, I thank You for coming to earth so You could redeem me. When I think of the extent to which You were willing to go in order to save me, it makes me want to shout, to celebrate, and to cry with thankfulness. You love me so much, and I am so grateful for that love. Without You, I would still be lost and in sin. But because of everything You have done for me, today I am free; my life is blessed; Jesus is my Lord; Heaven is my home; and Satan has no right to control me. I will be eternally thankful to You for everything You did to save me!

I pray this in Jesus' name!

MY CONFESSION FOR TODAY 

I confess that Jesus Christ loves me! He demonstrated His love to me by leaving behind Heaven's glory and taking upon Himself human flesh. And He did it for one purpose: so that one day He could go to the Cross and die for me and thus reconcile me unto God. There is no need for me to ever feel unloved or unwanted, because Jesus went the ultimate distance to prove that He loves me!

I declare this by faith in Jesus' name!

QUESTIONS FOR YOU TO CONSIDER 

1. When you compare Jesus' ultimate act of obedience to God with your own will­ingness to obey God in every area of your life, are you satisfied with your level of obedience to Him? Or do you find yourself falling far short of what He requires? 
2. What can you do on this Christmas Eve to more fully "let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 2:5)? Are there specific ways you can show humility toward others or prefer someone else above yourself?