You Can Do All Things..Craig Denison Ministries

 You Can Do All Things

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:“I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:13

Devotional:

“I can do all things through him who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13). Do you know that your God longs to strengthen you? This verse illustrates a powerful spiritual principle that our heavenly Father longs for you to know today. You were never meant to go through this life alone, living in your own strength. The God who formed the mountains, filled the seas, breathed life into dust, and sustains every living creature longs to strengthen you for whatever lies ahead.

Ephesians 3:20-21 says, “Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.” God can do “far more abundantly” than you could ever dream in your life, “according to the power at work within [you].” The Holy Spirit, the power of God for all the earth, dwells within you. Just as he empowered the Apostles for the advance of the gospel through trial and tribulation, he will empower you. Just as he spoke to the Apostles, telling them where they should go and what they should do, he longs to lead you.

You can do all that God has called you to. Whether it be victory over sin, engaging in difficult confession, working biblically rather than according to the world, seeking unity and fellowship with those that bother you, or simply seeking God with all your heart, the Holy Spirit will strengthen you today if you are willing to receive.

To be strengthened by God begins by declaring our inability. God says, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9). When we try and live in our own strength, we become unable to receive the grace of God. God’s grace is never forced on us, but rather it is readily available to all those who acknowledge their need of it. God cannot empower you to experience unity with a fellow believer if you try and engage in relationship apart from the inner work of the Holy Spirit. He cannot empower you to experience victory from sin if you don’t take time to receive his love and follow his leadership moment by moment.

To be strengthened by the mighty hand of God is to stop living in your own strength and instead wholly rely on his. God longs to “do far more abundantly than all [you] ask or think” if you will lean into him for his love, power, and guidance. He has plans far above anything you could ever dream of, and the path to those plans begins with following him moment by moment today. He will faithfully guide you into all the abundant life he has for you, but you must be willing to follow him and live by his strength.

Take time in guided prayer to meditate on the strength of God available to you, acknowledge your need of his help, and receive his grace.

Guided Prayer:

1. Meditate on God’s desire to empower you to do all he has planned for you.

“I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:13

“I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” Galatians 2:20

“I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:12-13

2. Acknowledge your need of God’s help in every area. Tell him you need his help for victory over sin, your relationships, and for the tasks set before you.

“For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.” Romans 6:14

“I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” Ephesians 4:1-3

“Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.” Ephesians 3:20-21

3. Take time to receive God’s presence and experience his grace. Ask him to fill you with a desire for holiness. Ask him to fill you with love for others. Ask him to reveal his path to you today that you might follow his leading moment by moment.

“As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, ‘You shall be holy, for I am holy.’” 1 Peter 1:14-16

“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.” John 13:34

“Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there! If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me.” Psalm 139:7-10

In the context of our verse for today, Paul describes an important spiritual principle in Philippians 4:11-13:

Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

Trust God in whatever season he’s leading you through. Whether you find yourself with plenty or little, difficulties or ease, you can find your contentment in the gift of abundant relationship with your heavenly Father. All that is good comes from his hands alone. May you be strengthened to find joy, peace, and contentment in the presence of your loving Father.

Extended Reading: Philippians 4

The Prerequisite to the Christian Life..Michael A. Milton, PhD

 The Prerequisite to the Christian Life

By Michael A. Milton, PhD

John 21:15 (NKJV): So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.”

It is possible to come to Christianity with the idea that we bring something to God that God needs. This line of thinking should be articulated more clearly. However, we might suppose, for example, that since we have a sonorous voice, Mensa-grade IQ, or, say, the gifts and graces of a phenomenal cook, we can “help the Lord out.” Or, perhaps, we think, “That church could use me about now.”

The case may be ostensibly so. First Church could use a good cook on Wednesday nights (please don’t tell Mrs. Bland). Or, no one can deny that Mount Calvary could use a strong tenor in the choir (naturally, no offense to Mr. Bellows). Yes, it might look like GOD could use a gifted guy like you. But such thinking is not only biblically and theologically erroneous, but it is also dangerous. Just as God did not choose Abraham because of anything good in Abraham (Deuteronomy 7:7) but rather because of God’s love from the foundation of the earth. So, also, God chose you because of His glory and love. You and I cannot earn God’s love. We must only repent of our sins, believe in the resurrected and reigning Lord Jesus Christ, and follow him. God doesn’t need anything we have because, of course, He gave us all that we possess. 

Believe it or not, the New Testament has several glaring examples of muddle-headed thinking on this subject. Lest you believe that such narcissistic ideation as boasting before God is absent from those select disciples who were with Jesus personally, pay a visit to the story of Peter. Simon Peter had some rough edges that the Lord, the master carpenter, would file down. There were plenty of splinters on this Galilean fisherman. Not only did Peter boast, "Others may fall away, but I will never" (see Mark 14:29) he went on to deny Jesus. He not only denied Jesus Christ, but he also betrayed the Lord at the very time of Jesus's passion and crucifixion. To paraphrase T.S. Eliot (1888-1965), the Apostle Peter came in like a blustering norther but went out “Not with a Bang but a Whimper” (T. S. Eliot, The Hollow Men, 1925). Yet, as the reader turns the pages of Scripture to 1, 2 Peter, this sinfully proud, spiritual patsy becomes a veritable paragon of pastoral power in humility. What happened? The answer is John 21:15. This verse begins a dialogue between Jesus and Peter that would change history—Peter’s and ours. 

I have called this devotional “The Prerequisite to the Christian Life” because Jesus demonstrates that Peter needed to understand a fundamental truth about his relationship with Jesus Christ before further service. What is this prerequisite to service for Peter? What is the prerequisite for the Christian life for us? There are two.

The first prerequisite to the Christian life is a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. 
Now, that may sound simplistic. It may even appear redundant. Doesn't Peter already have a personal relationship with Jesus? However, notice that Jesus asked Peter, "Do you love me more than these? Peter’s love for Jesus was in reference to others. Again, I cite the passage, "others may betray you." Whom was he talking about? “Others will fall away. I won’t.” Peter's love of Jesus was demonstrated in performance, so you and I must come to see that we come to Jesus “just as I am without one plea.” Our relationship with Jesus Christ is not based on any merit in ourselves. My relationship with Jesus is not about anyone or anything. My relationship with Jesus Christ is eternally tethered to His love demonstrated on the cross. As Dietrich Bonhoeffer reminds us, "We must love God for God's own sake."

The second prerequisite to the Christian life is grace that overflows in acts of gratitude.
Jesus told Peter, "Feed my sheep” (John 21:17). A love grounded in grace responds in gratitude. We can only feed His sheep by being filled with His life. Peter’s “come to Jesus” passage is an astonishing dialogue. The Lord separated Peter’s love from a few to share Jesus’ life with many. The Apostle Peter was on the journey to understand God's grace. It would be rough sailing for the fishermen from Galilee. However, God's grace and love were greater than Peter's resistance. And eventually, we witness the remarkably humble pastor who was eventually crucified for the sake of Christ's love and service to others.

Intersecting Faith and Life:
We have learned at least two prerequisites for the Christian life: We bring nothing to God. We must come to Christ broken before His cross. We serve no one well until we are ministering out of the fullness of Christ in us. 

You may feel as though you have failed God and others. The truth is, we have all been there. We have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. But our Lord Jesus remains on the shoreline, a welcoming figure, the most compelling person in human history. He invites you to dive in as you are. Bring your regrets. Bring your shame. He has already assumed all the infection of a sin-sickened world. And He rose with healing for all who come in need. How does the hymn go” “I surrender all. I surrender all. All to Jesus, I surrender. I surrender all.”

In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Numbering Our Days: The Value of Today..Greg Laurie

 Numbering Our Days: The Value of Today

By Greg Laurie

"Teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts to wisdom." - Psalm 90:12

Life is filled with opportunities, but the big question is what we do with them. Do we let them slip by, saying, “Maybe next time. There is always another day”? Or, do we seize them? We may not have as much time as we think.

Dr. Leslie Weatherhead calculated the average length of a life using the hours of one day to illustrate the importance of recognizing the value of time. He concluded that if your age is 15, the time is 10:25 a.m. If your age is 20, the time is 11:34. If your age is 25, the time is 12:42 p.m. If you’re 30, the time is 1:51. If you’re 35, the time is 3:00. If you’re 40 the time is 4:08. At age 45, the time is 5:15. If you’re 50, the time is 6:25. By age 55, the time is 7:24. If you’re 60, the time is 8:42. If you’re 65, the time is 9:51. And if you’re 70 the time is 11 p.m.

Psalm 90:12 reminds us, “Teach us to number our days that we may apply our hearts to wisdom” (NKJV). Or as the Living Bible puts it, “Teach us to number our days and recognize how few they are; help us to spend them as we should.”

Ephesians 5:15 says, “So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise” (NLT).

Jesus told the story of a man who went on a journey and left his money with his servants. This was not an uncommon thing in those days. A wealthy man or a ruler would have many servants in his household, from those who performed basic labor to those who managed the financial affairs of his household, even his business. In many cases some of the man’s servants would be better educated and skilled than he was. Highly trusted slaves had a virtual free hand within prescribed areas of responsibility while the owner was at home.

When the owner would go on a journey, he would leave full authority in the hands of these key servants, who would have the ancient equivalent of a power of attorney. So Jesus described a scenario in which a wealthy man went on a journey and left the key servants in charge of his possessions. It’s difficult for us to know exactly what sum he left them, but one possibility is that he gave the equivalent of $5,000 to the first servant, $2,000 to the second servant, and $1,000 to the third.

What Are You Investing Your Days & Time In?

What is Jesus’ story saying to us? I think it’s quite obvious. Jesus is like that wealthy man who goes on a journey, which spans the day he left this earth to the day he returns in the Second Coming. We are the servants he has invested in, and we are to take what he has given us and use it for his glory while we await his return.

Jesus told the story of a man who went on a journey and left his money with his servants. This was not an uncommon thing in those days. A wealthy man or a ruler would have many servants in his household, from those who performed basic labor to those who managed the financial affairs of his household, even his business. In many cases some of the man’s servants would be better educated and skilled than he was. Highly trusted slaves had a virtual free hand within prescribed areas of responsibility while the owner was at home.

When the owner would go on a journey, he would leave full authority in the hands of these key servants, who would have the ancient equivalent of a power of attorney. So Jesus described a scenario in which a wealthy man went on a journey and left the key servants in charge of his possessions. It’s difficult for us to know exactly what sum he left them, but one possibility is that he gave the equivalent of $5,000 to the first servant, $2,000 to the second servant, and $1,000 to the third.

What Are You Investing Your Days & Time In?

What is Jesus’ story saying to us? I think it’s quite obvious. Jesus is like that wealthy man who goes on a journey, which spans the day he left this earth to the day he returns in the Second Coming. We are the servants he has invested in, and we are to take what he has given us and use it for his glory while we await his return.

In Jesus’ story, the first servant took what he had, invested it, and received a 100 percent return. He doubled his master’s investment. The second, though he had less, did the same thing.

This demonstrates that it isn’t a person’s talent that matters as much as how he or she uses that talent. God never demands from us the abilities we don’t have. But He does demand that we should use, to the full, the abilities that we do possess. We may not be equal in talent, but we should be equal in effort.

Take what God has given to you and do the most that you can with it for his glory. God can do a lot with a little. If you don’t believe me, just ask the boy with the five loaves and two fish who gave everything he had to Jesus. It didn’t seem like a lot, but Jesus used them to feed a hungry multitude. Jesus can take a little, bless it and multiply it. He can use it beyond our wildest dreams.

How to "Number Your Days" 

If we will humble ourselves, take what we have and offer it to God, if we will be willing to do what he has placed before us and be faithful in the little things, then he will give us more to do. I would rather try and fail than never try at all. Any time you take a chance, you can fail. But it’s better to try than to never take chances and never have anything happen in your life.

So seize the day. Seize the moment. Seize the opportunities before you. Don’t put it off too long, because you may not have as much time as you think. Be productive with your life. Be productive with your time. Seize the opportunities God has given you.

A Prayer for When a Child Dies..Rev. Kyle Norman

 A Prayer for When a Child Dies

By Rev. Kyle Norman

“Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.”  (Matthew 2:18)

“Chanson is with Jesus.” These were the words to the email that I opened from parishioners. Chanson was their 8-year-old grandson. For the first seven years of his life, Chanson was energetic, happy, and precocious. He was always on the move, always exploring, always climbing, and laughing as he did it. That is, until he had a fall during a family camping trip. For six months, Chanson battled swelling in his brain, violent seizures, and near-death episodes. The family prayed for him constantly, anointing him with oil and rejoicing in the small moments of grace they experienced. “Little miracles” is what they called them.

But then he died. Chanson’s death, though not unexpected, came quicker and more abruptly than anyone could have predicted. One minute he was battling another episode; the next, he wasn’t.  And with Chanson’s death, the family was plunged into a loss that cannot be described in words. The death of a child creates grief far too visceral to articulate. As Christian people, how do we walk through a loss so pronounced and painful? How do we hold together the belief in God’s goodness with the unfair reality of a child’s death? 

Some might think that the faithful thing to do is step outside of grief, to minimize it, or pretend that it is not as bad as it seems. Some believe that the Christian response to death is to supplant the pain of loss with the façade of celebration – we give thanks for the life of our loved one, and we are grateful for the time we shared together. We may even try to gloss over our grief by suggesting that the death of the child occurred because “their job on earth was done.”

All of this is a mask. Our Lord never asks us to sidestep the reality of our lives. We are never asked to pretend that we do not hurt, to hold back our tears, our questions, or our laments. The outstretched arm of our crucified Lord embraces it all. See, the hope of our faith isn’t merely that Jesus conquered death. Yes, as Christians, we believe in the resurrection, and we dare to believe that even in the darkest of places, Jesus speaks the word of life. But this eternal hope is rooted in Jesus’ willingness to enter the sphere of death and be touched by it.

After all, even Jesus cried. When confronted with the death of one he loved so dearly, Jesus wept outwardly and passionately. He sweated drops of blood as he approached the time of his own death. And while Jesus did defeat the sting of death, that sting still left its mark on his body.

Jesus shows us that we need not hide from our grief or minimize the hurt we feel. The faithful response to the death of a child is not to paste a fake smile on our lips and sing, “God bless the little children.” No; instead, we give ourselves the space we need to cry, weep and lament.  We need not go about pretending that we are unaffected by our loss. Faithfulness to God means that we bring ourselves to God fully and without reserve.

We do so freely because we know that Jesus knows about loss and grief. He knows how deeply death can cut into our lives. He knows the heartbreak that is felt when this imperfect world is unfair in the cruelest of ways.  And because Jesus understands these things, we need not hide them from our prayers; we can bring those feelings to him.

Let’s pray:

Most Merciful God, your wisdom is beyond our understanding. The easy answers of faith do not seem sufficient in times when I am so deeply touched by loss and grief. Deal graciously with me and with my family as we walk this path of mourning over the death of our child. Surround us with your love so that we may not be overwhelmed by our loss. Give us the grace to maintain our confidence in your goodness and love.

O Lord, I pray that you listen to the prayers of the family as we put our trust in you. In our sorrow, may we find hope in your unending mercy. Speak grace into our hearts and peace into our souls. Jesus, as you took children into your arms and blessed them, give us a vision of you holding our beloved child in your eternal embrace. As you called Lazarus out of the tomb, help us to know that you have called our child out of the darkness of death into the light of your everlasting Kingdom. As you wept beside Mary and Martha, may we feel your presence near us as we weep.

All these things we pray in the great name of Jesus Christ, Our Lord, who is the resurrection, and the life. Amen