Seasons with God..Craig Denison Ministries

 Seasons with God

Craig Denison Ministries

Weekly Overview:

As this year comes to a close, it’s vital that we take time to both reflect on what God has done and allow him to prepare us for what’s to come. A new year marks a fresh opportunity to center our lives around the goodness of God. I pray that as you begin looking toward what is to come you will make space to gain God’s perspective, ground your hopes and pursuits on his grace, and celebrate all that God has done and is doing. May your time with God this week be filled with the loving presence of your heavenly Father.

Scripture:“For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven.” Ecclesiastes 3:1

Devotional:

The seasons of the year created by the powerful hands of our heavenly Father speak of the need to slow down, stop, and reflect. Times of reflection create space for God’s Spirit to speak, helping us remember what he has done, making us aware of what he is doing, and stirring our hearts for what he wants to do next. God loves to use a change in season to remind us to center our lives around his pervasive works. Whether it be a change in jobs, weather, moving, or the approaching of a new year, it’s crucial that we make space for God to speak to us and prepare us for the wonderful things he has planned.

Ecclesiastes 3:1-5 illustrates this principle in saying,

For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing.

The best place to begin reflection is in remembering. I don’t know whether this year was one filled with heartache or laughter for you. I don’t know whether you experienced loss or new beginnings. I don’t know whether you cried tears of joy or sadness. But your heavenly Father does. And it’s in quiet remembrance that he wants to comfort you, rejoice with you, and wrap you in his arms. It’s in remembrance that he wants to bring about healing, grace, love, and perspective. Take time today to remember.

Next, take time to ask the Holy Spirit for revelation on the present. Just as seasons help us to remember the past, they beg of us to live in the present. God is doing a mighty work in and around you right now. This is a time for faith and deep encounters with the transforming love of God. This is a time to savor the beauty of the current and to rest in the goodness of the immediate. God is present to meet with you, love you, and fill you. He has strength, grace, comfort, and joy for you if you will make space to receive the fullness of what he wants to give. Take time today to savor.

Lastly, God longs to fill you with hope and expectancy for his future plans. The new year, filled with its possibilities and new beginnings, is quickly approaching. Your heavenly Father, who dwells in all of eternity, longs to prepare you for what is to come. He longs to lay a foundation for your year with a fresh revelation of his love, faithfulness, and presence. He longs to fill you with hope and desires that he will see through to fruition. Take time today to allow him to prepare you for all next year holds.

May your time in guided prayer be marked by clarity and revelation in the Holy Spirit as you engage in these three practices.

Guided Prayer:

1. Reflect on this past year. What were your triumphs? What were your failures? How did God meet you in both? Allow him to comfort you in any pain and rejoice with you in any victory.

“Know therefore that the Lord your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations.” Deuteronomy 7:9

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.” 2 Corinthians 1:3-4

“The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.” Zephaniah 3:17

2. What is God doing right now? What is he teaching and instilling in you? What is he calling you to savor?

“Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” Matthew 6:31-34

3. Ask God to plant hopes and dreams for next year in your heart. What do you want to see happen personally next year? What do you hope God does in and through you? What works has he prepared for you?

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6

“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:10

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah 29:11

May Galatians 6:7-10 stir within you a commitment to fully engage in the season in which God has you:

Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.

Extended Reading: Psalm 1

A God Who Hears and Listens..Lynette Kittle

 A God Who Hears and Listens

By Lynette Kittle

“Because He turned His ear to me, I will call on Him as long as I live” - Psalm 116:2

Have you ever had times in your life when it seemed like God didn't hear you? It can seem pretty discouraging when we feel like our prayers aren’t being heard and we aren’t sensing God’s presence and interventions in difficult situations. Sadly, feeling unheard often leads people to feel unloved, forgotten, and of little value to God. 

Yet all those feelings aren’t based on truth but rather on what we aren’t seeing or experiencing happening in our lives because God does hear us. “And if we know that He hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of Him” (1 John 5:15). Often, when we feel unheard, God is at work in ways we may not see or know at the time. Romans 8:28 assures us in all situations, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.”

But God not only hears; He also listens, which means, He pays attention and considers our words. Psalm 66:19 tells us, “But God has surely listened and has heard my prayer.” God hears and listens to our voices. “In my distress I called to the Lord; I cried to my God for help. From His temple He heard my voice; my cry came before Him, into His ears" (Psalm 18:6). As believers, we have God’s ear.

Examples of His Hearing Us
There are countless stories in the Bible of men and women who may have felt at times that God wasn’t hearing them. Individuals in situations where they really needed His ear, some of those caught in life-and-death situations where there was no hope for them if He didn’t hear and respond to them. Individuals like Joseph, Daniel, Paul, and more. Although we know how their stories ended, being human like us, they may have experienced a roller coaster of emotions in their circumstances. 

Daniel 10:2 describes some of what he went through in wondering if God was hearing him, “At that time I, Daniel, mourned for three weeks.” Sometimes God goes to a great extent to let us know He hears us, like in Daniel’s situation where He sent an angel with a message. “Do not be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them” (Daniel 10:12).

Even Jonah, who was running away from God’s call on his life, describes how He heard him. “From inside the fish Jonah prayed to the Lord His God. He said: ‘In my distress I called to the Lord and He answered me. From deep in the realm of the dead I called for help, and You listened to my cry’” (Jonah 2:1,2). At the darkest, loneliest times in life, where we may even be running away from God, straying away, or turning our backs on Him, He hears and listens to us.

Where to Turn When Discouraged
When we feel like God isn’t hearing or listening to us, we can join King David’s voice throughout the Psalms to help encourage us through His ongoing confidence in God hearing him:

• “I love the Lord, for He heard my voice; He heard my cry for mercy" (Psalm 116:1).
• “The Lord has heard my cry for mercy; the Lord accepts my prayer” (Psalm 6:9).
• “The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; He delivers them from all their troubles" (Psalm 34:17).
• “He fulfills the desires of those who fear Him; He hears their cry and saves them” (Psalm 145:19).

As believers in Jesus Christ, we never have to wonder if God is hearing and listening to us. As Proverbs 15:29 reminds us, “The Lord is far from the wicked, but He hears the prayer of the righteous.”

Intersecting Faith and Life:
If you’ve been feeling like God isn’t hearing or listening to your prayers, consider how God heard and listened to individuals in the Bible. Let their stories encourage and strengthen your faith, believing you have God’s ear and He hears and listens to you.

Further Reading:
Psalm 34:6
Psalm 3:4
Psalm 69:33

5 Truths About God’s Blessing Over You..Lisa Apello

 5 Truths About God’s Blessing Over You (Numbers 6:24-26)

By Lisa Apello

“The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the LORD lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace.” Numbers 6:24-26

The people of Israel had been camped at the foot of Mt. Sinai for almost a year after leaving Egypt. They had received God’s 10 commandments and his full law and built the tabernacle according to God’s precise instructions.

Now, on the cusp of moving toward the promised land and going into battle, God commanded the high priest Aaron to pronounce this blessing over the people. Because we hear these words recited so often, we can lose the awe that God would bless so extravagantly. Let’s dig out 5 truths in God’s blessing over you. 

1.God is the source of all blessing. Although often referred to as the priestly or Aaronic blessing, these words weren’t written by men. They are God’s words spoken through his priests to his people. God is a God who blesses. In fact, when God created Adam and Eve, the first thing He did was to bless them. {Gen 1:28} And the last thing Jesus did? He blessed his apostles. As Jesus was taken into heaven, he was blessing his apostles. {Luke 24:50-51}

While these words are often spoken as a prayer or petition, there is no “will you” or “may you” found here. God has proclaimed this blessing and has commanded that it be spoken over His people.

2. God blesses us personally. Six times, these verses repeat “you” and each time it is in the singular form. Rather than blessing Israel corporately in these verses, God of the universe blesses each one personally. In a crowd of more than 2 million, God saw each one. God sees you. God knows you intimately, cares for you individually and blesses you personally.

3. God bends down to benefit us. The Hebrew word for bless means to kneel down. Used metaphorically here, it shows that God bends down to give us Himself and with that, all of His benefits – His faithfulness, mercy, forgiveness, grace, love, comfort, joy, hope, guidance, redemption, adoption, acceptance and more. Ephesians 1:3 tells us we have every spiritual blessing through Jesus. Because God is infinite, we can never reach the end of His blessing.

4. God blesses as a father to his child. How can God lift His countenance upon us if He is in heaven and we are on earth? Doesn’t he look down upon us? These words are a picture of a father lifting his child in his arms above him. Just as that father lifts up his beaming face to that child, God shines His full pleasure, His full goodwill, and His full joy over you as His child.

5. God’s blessing brings peace. Who doesn’t want peace? But God’s peace is more than the absence of strife. The Hebrew word for peace, shalom, stems from the word which means restoration back to the original state. God’s peace means not just harmony, but completeness and wholeness, rest and welfare, soundness and safety.

Take heart today. In a world that is often hard and chaotic, God has bent down to bless you personally. God of infinite benefits gives them to you. And though the world may frown, God’s beaming countenance is upon you. Today, child, walk in the fullness of Your Father’s extravagant blessing.

A Prayer to Practice Christmas Cheer All Year Around..Laura Bailey

 A Prayer to Practice Christmas Cheer All Year Around

By Laura Bailey

“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. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.” - Colossians 3:12-13, ESV

There’s no denying that the Christmas season brings a mixture of emotions; within minutes, we can feel joy, excitement, anxiousness, irritation, and loneliness. But year after year, among the hustle and bustle, I’ve noticed that people are kinder, more patient, and generally in a better mood, which I attribute to the gift of Christmas cheer. 

As I pulled out of the parking lot the other day, my car loaded with Christmas gifts and goodies, I neglected to see a woman putting up her cart. In my haste, I almost hit her; thankfully, she saw me and quickly jumped out of the way. I leaped out of the car, apologizing profusely, anxious about what words she might have for me. Instead of scolding me, she smiled warmly, “it’s okay; I know it was just an accident.” I apologized again, gratefully got back in my car, and headed home.

I replayed that incident, shocked at the woman's response. Then, I began to think about the last few weeks, how it seemed as soon as the calendar flipped to December, for the most part, people were just nicer to each other. 

“You have less in your cart than me; why don’t you go ahead of me?”

“Can I help you to your car? I see you have your hands full with your kids?”

“Your coffee was paid for by the customer in front of you; Merry Christmas!”

Everyone’s in a rush but offers to let others check out first or take their spot in the pick-up line. A long line typically results in irritation but instead provides an opportunity to bless someone else whose been waiting patiently. Total strangers lend a helping hand to a young mother when they would have walked past her the weeks before.

The Christmas season is magical, with snow-covered trees, twinkling lights, and favorite traditions shared with family and friends. Yet, we often put up our Christmas cheer too. We forget why we celebrate Christmas, the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. This truth should encourage us to be joyful at Christmas and every day. 

I encourage us this year to keep our Christmas cheer present in our hearts year around. We can practice patience and forgiveness and extend grace during the holidays and beyond. Let’s treat each day as a gift and remember that every day is an opportunity to share the Good News and show Christ’s love to a broken world. 

Let’s Pray:

Dear Heavenly Father, no words describe how incredibly grateful we are for the gift of your son, Jesus Christ. So many distractions in this world, especially during Christmas, keep us focused on You. Thank you for preparing our hearts and minds as we celebrated the arrival of your son and, ultimately, the second coming, when all will be made new. 

We pray for those who have lost loved ones and deeply feel the weight of grief during the holiday season. We pray for those experiencing family tension and strife, that their conversations may be filled with compassion, and forgiveness is offered quickly to those who offend. We pray for those experiencing health issues, financial crises, wayward children, and general unrest. May you quiet their hearts and minds, comforting and offering peace only you can give.

We ask, Lord, that we practice patience, humility, love, and forgiveness to all who cross our paths, not just in December but year around. May our actions draw people closer to You, let our words be a calming balm to a hurt soul, let us give generously to those in need, and bear one another's burdens, always remembering to pray in your name. 

We love you, Lord; forgive us when we sin against you; help us to be more like you tomorrow than we were today. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

NEVER THE SAME AGAIN..Dr. Jeff Schreve

 NEVER THE SAME AGAIN

Dr. Jeff Schreve

And having been warned by God in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed for their own country by another way.
Matthew 2:12

When I was 17 years old, I heard the true message of Christmas. It finally made sense to me, and God showed me that I needed His Son - not just to know facts about Him in my head, but to really know Him personally in my heart. You see, Jesus was born in Bethlehem so that you and I could be born again.

On a Monday night in January of 1980, I got down on my knees and asked Jesus to save me. I gave all I knew of me to all I knew of Him. And do you know what? He saved me. He forgave all my sins and came to live in my heart... and my life has never been the same since.

A CHANGE OF COURSE

The wise men from the east traveled a great distance (as much as 1000 miles) to worship Jesus, the new born King of the Jews. They brought expensive gifts and fell down in worship before the Christ child. When they went home, they did not go back through Jerusalem for fear of Herod. They returned "by another way." They changed course. Did you catch the spiritual significance of that phrase?

It is impossible to truly meet Jesus and not go "another way." It is impossible to receive the King of Glory into your life and not be changed as a result. Many times people will struggle with and agonize over the issue of assurance. They will ask themselves, "Am I really a Christian?" The acid test to know if you are truly His is this: have you been changed? Has something happened inside of you, calling you to go in a new direction? It is inconceivable to think that the Almighty, Most Holy God of the Universe would come to live inside of a person and that person not know it... and that person not be changed.

My life changed greatly after I received Christ. My friends and family noticed a difference in the way I acted and reacted. Although far from perfect, there was a change, a noticeable change. I had gone "by another way." I had a desire for God that I never had before... and I had a sorrow in sin that I never had before. As Adrian Rogers used to say, "The difference between a Christian and a non-Christian is this: A non-Christian leaps into sin and he loves it. A Christian lapses into sin and he loathes it." That has been true of me from the day I surrendered my life to Jesus.

HOW ABOUT YOU?

Have you really met Jesus? Has there been a genuine change? Is your life going His way now... or are you still going your way?

Christmas is a great time to rejoice... and to reflect: what change of course does He want to make in you? What adjustments are needed so that you can be all He wants you to be in your family... in your career... in your priorities?

I hope you have a great Christmas. May the King of the universe truly be King in you as you do like those wise men and bow your life before Him!

Love,

Pastor Jeff Schreve,

Overflowing Joy..Craig Denison Ministries

 Overflowing Joy

Craig Denison Ministries

Weekly Overview:

Christmas is a time where we as believers celebrate God’s heart to write himself into our story. Prior to Jesus we had no real picture of God’s love. All we had to know him by was through stories of old and commandments written into law. But only in Jesus was a pathway created whereby we could walk in intimacy with the Father again. Only in Jesus was the veil torn allowing God’s manifest presence into the earth. We owe all that we have to Jesus. We owe all that we have to Christmas. May these two days be filled with joyful worship as we celebrate our newborn King.

Scripture:

“Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory.” 1 Peter 1:8

Devotional:

In Luke 2:8-14, the Bible describes a beautiful event around the time of Jesus’ birth. Scripture says,

And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”

This passage contains my favorite phrase in the Christmas story: “good news of great joy that will be for all the people.” The birth of Jesus was intended to be a celebration of great joy for everyone. With all of humanity in his heart, God sent his only son. With an overwhelming desire to have restored relationship with his people, God came down in the flesh that we might learn of the good news of his unconditional love.

God’s intention for you and me is to be a people of great joy. We’ve been given the greatest gift the world has ever known in Jesus. New life, eternal redemption, and unhindered relationship with our Creator are ours because of Christmas.

But in order for you and me to receive the overflowing joy available to us in God, we have to choose to center ourselves around who Jesus is. We have to choose to center our emotions, actions, words, thoughts, and decisions around God’s unceasing mercy and steadfast love. The world tries to pull our hearts in every direction. Stress, earthly pursuits, and constant pressure mark the hearts and minds of so many. But the miracle of Christmas is that we can set our eyes on God himself. We can see and know who God truly is and gain perspective on even the hardest of circumstances.

Overflowing joy is yours today in the Holy Spirit. Real, abundant life is available to you this Christmas. Just as Jesus died for you, he was born for you. Just as he gave his life on the cross, he gave his throne in heaven to take on flesh. Everything you truly need has been provided for you in the heart of God. May your day be filled with overflowing joy and ceaseless praise as you set your eyes on Jesus, the author of “good news and great joy that will be for all the people.”

Guided Prayer:

1. Meditate on Jesus’ heart to fill you with overflowing joy. Set your eyes on him and look at his face of love.

“The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.” Numbers 6:24-26

2. Where do you need joy today? Where do you need peace that transcends circumstances?

“For his anger is but for a moment, and his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning.” Psalm 30:5

“Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in every way. The Lord be with you all.” 2 Thessalonians 3:16

3. Open your heart to God and receive what he longs to give. Rest in his unfailing love and boundless joy.

“You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” Psalm 16:11

“Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory.” 1 Peter 1:8

May you find joy in every little gift God’s given you today. Whether it’s in opening presents, spending time with family, eating good food, or simply enjoying his presence, God has good and pleasing gifts for you today and every day. May his love for you be a foundation on which you can fully enjoy everything in your life. May his grace sustain you through any circumstance. May his face shine upon you that your heart might be filled with peace.

Extended Reading: Luke 2