Love Forgives..Craig Denison Ministries

 Love Forgives

Craig Denison Ministries

Weekly Overview:

James 2:26 tells us, “Faith apart from works is dead.” If we are going to experience the fullness of life offered to us through our faith we must be those who put our words into action. We must not profess to love God on Sundays and live as if he isn’t present, real, or good on Monday. May your faith come alive this week as you seek to be a doer of the word.

Scripture:“Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” Ephesians 4:32

Devotional:

We’re promised forgiveness from our Father because his forgiveness is offered in complete grace. Ephesians 1:7 says, “In [Jesus] we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace.” We have done nothing to deserve the forgiveness God so freely lavishes upon us. God offers us forgiveness because he is love; it is his very nature. And as Jesus demonstrated through his death, love forgives.

Sin stood between us and God like a great chasm separating a wanderer from an oasis; and so great was the Father’s love for us that he sent his only Son that we might be justly forgiven. Jesus fully bore the weight of our sin. In doing so, he received the wrath of God on our behalf that we might be afforded restored relationship with our heavenly Father. He set aside what was fair for himself and chose to give grace. “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21).

Christianity is the only religion where salvation is based on grace instead of works. God, in his love, has laid before us a path founded on mercy, and he calls us to do the same for others. As the children of God, brought into his family solely by his grace, we must forgive as God has forgiven us. Colossians 3:13 says, “[Bear] with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, [forgive] each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.” Jesus modeled forgiveness perfectly in laying down his own life for you and me. In order for us to forgive others, we must be like Jesus and die to our own rights for the sake of the person who has wronged us. Forgiveness requires humility. It is a decision to offer unmerited grace because “as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.”

Think about your own life for a moment. Who in your life do you feel has wronged you? It could be a small wound. It could be a life-altering sin committed against you. Maybe a parent left you. Maybe you were abused. Maybe you lost a job opportunity that should have been yours. Maybe it was a word someone spoke against you that hurt you. Whatever sin was committed against you, large or small, call it back to mind. Feel the injustice over it.

Now reflect for a minute on the sin of the world committed against God. The story of humanity is a fall from perfection because of pride. In every age thus far, man has chosen his own way over God’s and has thereby perpetuated the cycle of sin and destruction we live in today. God placed his judgement over the sins of all humanity, past and present, on the person of Jesus because he couldn’t take being separated from you and me. We have all been wronged, but no one more than God.Every day humanity turns away from God.

God weeps over what’s been done to you. He knows your pain because people wrong him every minute of every day. But still he chooses to forgive because there is no love without forgiveness. There is no abundant life apart from restoration of relationship. There is no joy for God or us when we harden our hearts and live for what is fair rather than what is good.

We aren’t called to forgive because someone deserves it. We forgive because love requires it.We forgive because abundant life requires it. Choose love today over your own sense of fairness. Choose to be like your heavenly Father and forgive those who have wronged you. Choose to be a doer of Colossians 3:13 and “[forgive] each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.” You weren’t made to live with the weight of unforgiveness, so don’t bear it any longer. The Spirit will help you. He will give you the strength and courage to do what seems impossible. Spend some time in God’s presence today and forgive as he guides and directs you.

Guided Prayer:           

1. Meditate on God’s heart to forgive. Allow God’s forgiveness to be the foundation for your own.

“As far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us.” Psalm 103:12

“Gracious is the Lord, and righteous; our God is merciful. The Lord preserves the simple; when I was brought low, he saved me. Return, O my soul, to your rest; for the Lord has dealt bountifully with you.” Psalm 116:5-7

2. Ask the Spirit who you need to forgive. Whether the wound was small or big, to whom do you need to offer grace today?

3. Forgive that person. Forgive them in your heart right now. If you can, set up a meeting with them to talk through what happened. The awkwardness or pain of the conversation will never outweigh the lasting peace you will experience from offering grace and forgiveness.

“[Bear] with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, [forgive] each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.” Colossians 3:13

Forgiveness is a process. But it is a process worth going through. Assess your heart immediately after you’ve been wronged. Go through the process of forgiveness instead of allowing the wound to be reopened time and time again. The French proverb says, “Write injuries in sand, kindnesses in marble.” It’s ok to be hurt. It’s only harmful if you write your wounds in marble and let them linger longer than they should. God has designed you in his image and has given you his Spirit. You have the strength to forgive. So choose love today and every day. Allow the Spirit to work in your heart, healing the wounds people and life have caused you through the wonderful gift of forgiveness.

Extended Reading: Colossians 3

Do You Have to Pray Just Right for God to Listen?..Betsy de Cruz

 Do You Have to Pray Just Right for God to Listen?

By Betsy de Cruz

 “Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.” (Jeremiah 29:12)

Do you ever feel like you have to pray just right, or it won’t work? Have you felt like your prayer wasn’t answered because you didn’t have enough faith or pray long enough? I’ve felt that way too. Maybe that’s because we make prayer too hard. So often, we make it all about us finding the perfect words and approach. We think we have to pray just right for God to hear and respond.

Yet Jesus reassured his disciples with these words: “When you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him” (Matthew 6:7-8).

Prayer isn’t a formula you have to get right.

God’s hearing our prayers doesn’t depend on our praying long enough or hitting upon the right phrases. Prayer is an invitation to come before our Heavenly Father who knows our needs and longs to hear our voices. God hears and responds to us because He is faithful and has compassion on His children.

My prayer life grows deeper when I take a few focused minutes to pray each morning like Jesus did (Mark 1:35). This gets me in the right frame of mind to keep praying later in the day. I’m learning that prayer can be simple and natural as breathing.

Prayer isn’t a ritual that depends on closing our eyes and putting on holy faces. We don’t have to kneel or sit. We can pray while walking, driving, or working. God responds to a two word cry for help in the middle of a busy afternoon, just like He does to a focused prayer time after reading Scripture in the morning. Praying doesn’t have to be complicated. God delights in any simple words we offer Him.

Prayer gives us the opportunity to relate to God.

As believers in Christ, we have an amazing privilege; our Heavenly Father invites us to talk to Him! We can read God’s Word and talk to Him in the morning to align our hearts with His at the start of the day, and we can also talk to Him as we go about our daily routines.

We may think we have to pray with fancy words, but prayer is just talking to God. Throughout the day, God longs to hear our simple prayers:

Thank you for this breakfast, Lord.

Help me stay calm in this traffic jam.

Lord, help me love this person right now.

God, will you show me what to do?

Lord, I love you. Be with me.

Goodnight, Lord.

So whatever your need today, friend, look to God. Don’t wait for the perfect time to sit down and pray. Don’t wait until you have the perfect words. Let’s lift our voices to God in the morning quiet, on the way to work, and while we walk the dog, make dinner, or go shopping. All it takes is a few words. Let’s turn our hearts towards God in prayer today. He longs to hear us.

Saying “Yes” to God Even When We Are Scared..Laura Bailey

 Saying “Yes” to God Even When We Are Scared

By: Laura Bailey 

“I came to you in weakness—timid and trembling. And my message and my preaching were very plain. Rather than using clever and persuasive speeches, I relied only on the power of the Holy Spirit.” 1 Corinthians 2:3-4 NIV

“I don’t know if I can teach this small group.”

“Are you sure you want me to be a leader? I am not as well-studied as some other ladies in our church.”

“What? Me? I stumble over my words in conversation, share Scripture with a group of my peers; I think there’s someone else better suited.”

Without fail, every time I ask women in our church to share a devotion, lead a small group, teach a Bible study, or even just share what God has been doing in her life, I receive one of these remarks. These women, whose hearts desire to honor the Lord and serve His people, have been in Scripture for most of their lives.

If I were to ask them to volunteer in the nursery, feed the local football team, or visit the shut-ins, they would be the first ones to say, “Yes!” But, their confidence wanes when the conversation turns to teaching God’s Word, and doubt takes over.

We should approach the teaching of the saints with reverence and humility and seek to responsibly deliver the timeless Truths of Scripture. However, we fool ourselves if we think we aren’t capable or intelligent enough or fill in the blanks to share the good news.

When I approach someone about leading a group, I’ve prayed over them. I’ve prayed to the Lord, asking Him to lay on my heart Who He desires to step up and lead His people. Saying yes to an opportunity, whether it’s being a leader in a retreat or leading your neighbor as you walk through reading the Bible together, will require some prep work. We must pray, read our Bibles, study the text and commentaries, and perhaps even enlist insight from a pastor or trusted friend. We will need to invest time to handle God’s Word adequately.

But the good news is, it’s not about us!

When we worry about how people will receive the Bible or avoid opportunities to teach the Scriptures because we fear what people will think of us, we are making it about us and not God. In our key verse, Paul reminds the Corinthians that he wasn’t sent there to gain approval or a pat on the back for how eloquently he preached the Gospel. Paul’s goal was to tell others about Jesus; he knew he wasn’t the best speaker or the most presentable, and he likely wouldn’t get the award for most memorable. But that was okay because Paul didn’t want the Corinthians to be focused on him. Instead, he tried to highlight the power of Christ through him. 

Paul goes on to share that he was scared, yet, in his weakness, he could show Christ at work in his life. Paul’s mission wasn’t self-focused; everything he did was to point others to Christ. Even at the expense of his comfort, Paul walked faithfully and obediently in what God called him to do.

There will be many times in life when we feel God calling us to do something that makes us scared. But that’s where faith comes in. We have faith that the God who has called us will sustain us. We don’t have to have all the right words, use fancy techniques to entertain and engage, or have our lives together for God to use us.

It’s not about what we can do but what God can do through us. God is in the business of using ordinary people in extraordinary ways. So, next time you want to say “no” to an opportunity God has placed in your life because you are scared, remember that we have the power of the Holy Spirit working to bring God glory, and His purpose will prevail.

Intersecting Faith and Life:

As we think about Paul’s life, we see his dedication to sharing the gospel at all costs, even though he was an unlikely candidate. Many of us in the Western world live relatively comfortable lives with little opposition to sharing our faith, yet we hold back out of fear, nervousness, or worry. Take some time today to pray that the Lord will open your eyes and heart to opportunities in your sphere of influence to teach others about the Lord. Ask your pastor or women’s leader about future opportunities to share, train, or show at your church if you feel led. 

A Prayer to Make a Positive Impact..Ashley Moore

 A Prayer to Make a Positive Impact

By Ashley Moore

“Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.” - John 15:5, NLT 

Unable to contain my deep desire to share my story with others, I began writing. At first, my passion was fueled by the hope my experiences would offer and the opportunity to share Jesus. As I began to hone my craft, I discovered that people considered writing good when it could poignantly answer a question or respond to a need. But,  I've concluded that the gospel is the root answer, the ultimate solution to every problem.

You see, I started out writing with the end goal of sharing my story. But the Lord turned that on its head by having me focus on Him, His story first. Then as a byproduct, I’ve been afforded opportunities to share with others. Isn’t that just like the Lord, though? It has been said that His kingdom is an upside-down kingdom. Meaning that to the world, the things of God often seem odd and a bit out of order. But it's not God's kingdom that is upside-down; it's the world that has it backward. 

What about you? Is there a desire God has planted in your heart? Maybe a story you want to share? Or perhaps you are in need of encouragement and looking for someone to stir your faith?

Maybe you began moving toward this desire only to find your efforts futile. No one flocked to hear your story, read your words, or give any credence to your great idea. No one noticed or tried to comfort you when you needed it most. But what if instead of allowing that to thwart our desire to make an impact, we allowed that to drive us to the source? 

Jesus spoke of this heavenly dynamic when he spoke the words in our key verse. He reminded all who listened that He is the vine. He is the supplier of life-giving transformation. He is the one who provides the nutrients through the branches to bear fruit. And just like branches, if we race ahead of God, we can busy ourselves with lots of things. But I’m afraid that they won’t make much difference in eternity. Because we were never designed to survive apart from Him. 

And this is good news for those of us with a desire to make a positive impact in the world around us. God has provided the pathway to do so. All we have to do is remain in Him. And oftentimes, when we go to Him first, He transforms us into people who show up in the ways we need most to comfort others with the comfort we have been given (2 Corinthians 1:4).

So as you begin, maybe for a second or third attempt, to chase down a desire to make a difference, try God's way instead. Before you shower others with the love and encouragement you desperately need, start by lingering a little longer over the Scriptures or praying a little more throughout the day. Ask God for help and make everything you do and say point others back to Him. After all, the biggest difference we can make in someone’s life is to help them draw closer to Him, so we might as well practice that for ourselves. 

Let’s pray:

Dear Lord, 
Thank you for the desire you give us to do beautiful, meaningful, and creative things in the world. And thank you that in our struggles, you equip us with what we need to love others well. Lord, forgive us when we make things all about us and neglect to point people to you. Lord, I pray that as we move toward making an impact, we would hold our desires loosely while drawing closer and closer to you. Thank you for directing our steps and sanctifying us into your image as we remain in you. Lord, that is the greatest impact we will ever have in the world anyways. Thank you that we reflect your image to a world of people created for communion with you.
In Jesus, name, amen.

Easter: All That Matters vs. All I Live For..Shawn McEvoy

 Easter: All That Matters vs. All I Live For

by Shawn McEvoy

He has risen, just as He said.
Matthew 28:6, NIV

What would I ever do if someone I knew came back from the dead? Especially if he had said he would, and if he had spent a couple nights in a grave already?

Seriously, what would I do? What would you do? Wouldn't I blab to everyone I know - and most people I don't - about this miraculous event? Heck, I tell everyone when I'm feeling under the weather or when I saw a good movie.

Then factor in that the same guy was now telling us that because of what he had done, none of the rest of us would ever have to suffer death. What's more, simply by believing what we had seen, no matter our background, history, race, or education, we could restore our long-lost connection with the Almighty, and live forever.

Man... unfortunately, I'm having a hard time conceiving what I would do. Or, even if I can conceive it, I can't quite believe it, because honestly, I have seen this, I do believe this, and yet my daily reaction to it doesn't exactly line up with The Acts of the Apostles.

Has the news of a resurrected savior really become passe?

Why don't I want to read Acts?

What am I afraid of?

That I'll be rejected?

(He who rejects this instruction does not reject man but God, who gives you his Holy Spirit (1 Thess. 4:8)).

That I won't be powerful enough?

(God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline (2 Tim. 1:7)).

That the good news isn't relevant enough?

Salvation and the message of the resurrection, the miracle of born again-ness, is a salve to all wounds.

This Easter I'll join choruses like "He's Alive" while pondering and praising the miracle, but when it comes time for the next day of my life to begin, a day and a life that means nothing if not lived for my Savior, it'll be all about me again and my troubles and making my way and who cut me off and what I have to get done and who I don't like and what can we complain about today.

Yuck.

I want this Easter to be real. Because I did see it happen (so to speak; the resulting spread of those who ran to the corners of the earth to tell the story with no regard for personal safety is traceable to this day), it is real, and I'm cheating life and people God loves if I'm not shouting those facts from every corner and rooftop I can find. Everything else is just window dressing; "Christian living" is often just how we pass all our extra time in this country where so many of our basic needs are so easily met, and where we can cordon ourselves off from each other. What matters in life?

1. That there is life, and...
2. how it came about that there might never be death, but...
3. there are still dead men walking.

Really, why else are we here if not to keep excitedly shouting the truth of the miracle as if we'd just experienced it with our own eyes yesterday?

Intersecting Faith & Life: For the longest time, I've felt a leading in my heart to launch out into a complete study of the book of Acts, something I've never fully done. For some reason, I continue to put it off. But in my quest this year to make Easter real, I'm beginning a study of what those who witnessed the resurrection couldn't keep themselves from going out and doing. Care to join me? 

Further Reading
Acts 1:1