Tag Archives: Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – Your Hope Journal

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Charles Stanley

Deuteronomy 7:17-19

Like a deer paralyzed by the sudden appearance of headlights, we can be brought to a standstill by unexpected emotions or circumstances. We stare blindly at the unforeseen event, unable to think or move—helplessness has moved in with us. It is in those initial moments, when our mind is blank and our emotions frozen, that we are most vulnerable. Satan and his cohorts stand ready to whisper lies into our mind and distract us from the truth.

The Bible is essential in many ways, especially in its ability to point us to the truth. The Scriptures are a record of God’s relationship and work in and through the nation of Israel and the New Testament church. We are blessed as we read how He worked in people’s lives. It is important to develop a habit of Scripture reading so that when we face a crisis, our automatic response will be to turn to God’s Word.

A personal diary or journal is also invaluable. Why? Because it is a record of how the Lord has worked in our own life. If not recorded, many details would be forgotten. These details give a marvelous testimony to God’s presence in our life and His intervention on our behalf.

In the Old Testament, Israel was often instructed to remember what God had done. Writing down how He’s made Himself known to you personally will help you recall His goodness. It will also assist you in fighting the lies of the enemy, who says that you are helpless. God’s Word and your recorded testimony of His work in your life form a powerful weapon to make helplessness flee.

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – Teaching Children to Serve the Lord

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Charles Stanley

God wants us to live strong lives of serving others for Him while we live on this earth. How can your family show love to people in your neighborhood? Children enjoy sharing happiness with others and including them in your plans for ministry is a sure way to ramp up their excitement about serving God.

Here are a few simple ideas to get you started:

  • Bake and take cookies to new neighbors you notice have recently moved in nearby.
  • Share a pot full of warm soup (and all the fixings) with an elderly neighbor who has a difficult time getting out of her home.
  • Offer to pick up pinecones or leaves from the yard of a single mother who lives near you.
  • Babysit free of charge for a young couple this week who may not have the financial ability to go out very often. If your children are close in age, this could naturally become a play date for the kids.

Psalm 100:2 reminds us to, “Serve the Lord with gladness.” That’s a Bible verse that your children can easily remember as you guide them in serving God in fun ways this week.

 

Related Resources

What are the top four things Dr. Stanley’s son Andy learned from him?

How can I pass on my faith?

What is the best way to train my children?

How can I leave a godly legacy?

How do I influence my children in a way that honors God?

More Resources About Servanthood

 

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – When You Feel Helpless

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Charles Stanley

2 Chronicles 20:5-12

Yesterday, we saw what Jehoshaphat did when he found himself in a seemingly hopeless situation. Today, let’s extract another principle from the story as we learn how to handle helplessness.

In verses 5-12, Jehoshaphat is still focused on the Lord, which should also be our first response to fear. Yet notice what he does in this prayer. He is not looking forward, stating his fears of what might happen. Instead, he is remembering the past, recounting the times in the nation’s history when God brought Israel through similar “helpless” situations.

How often has the Lord done a mighty work on your behalf when all seemed lost? He is actively involved in our lives today. Sadly, we often thank Him in the moment but then forget what He’s done for us. Later, when we are fearful again, it’s far too easy to forget how He has already proven Himself in our lives.

We all need encouragement when we feel powerless. At such times, it helps to be mindful of what the sovereign Lord has achieved throughout history and in the world today. Not only that, but it’s also extremely valuable to recall the ways our loving Father has worked in our own lives.

God knows our faith is strengthened when we take His track record into account. That’s why the Bible so often instructs us to remember what the Lord has done—and to share that information with our family members.

In thinking about His many blessings, you view God’s work from a new perspective. You’ll start to see how He’s weaving the individual threads of your life to create a beautiful tapestry—for His glory.

 

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – Standing Before God’s Open Door

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Charles Stanley

2 Corinthians 2:12-13

In today’s passage, Paul wrote about open doors—he used the figure of speech to signify great opportunities to preach the gospel. Those “doors” were important because physical, technological, and geographical limitations hampered his work considerably.

Just think about how different things are for evangelistic efforts today. We’re living in the most opportune time to reach the entire world for Jesus. We have the technology to penetrate every country and impact every culture.

In times like this, we should be asking where we personally fit into God’s plan. It’s inappropriate to sit back and act as if this job were intended only for preachers and missionaries. There may be all kinds of reasons why we consider ourselves unqualified, but it is time we got past our excuses. All of us can read and study the Bible and then begin to share it with others. If you have trusted in the Savior, then you’ve received eternal life from Him and are indwelt by His Spirit. So you should be able to talk about Him.

This is the time to impact the entire world with the gospel of Jesus Christ. We can no longer think in terms of just “my workplace,” “my city,” or “my country”; the whole world matters. We begin at home but are not to stop until we’ve reached all people groups on earth.

Jesus died to purchase men from every tribe, tongue, and nation. Don’t discredit yourself or count yourself out. You can walk through the open doors God has placed before you and have a significant part in reaching the world with the good news of Christ.

 

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – Because He Came, We Must Go

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Charles Stanley

John 20:19-23

Can you imagine how intense the emotion was when Jesus appeared to His disciples in today’s passage? After days of hiding, afraid for their lives and mourning the loss of their Master, the followers of Christ were stunned to see Him standing before them in a locked room.

If the shock of His appearance wasn’t enough, think about the statement He made: “As the Father has sent me, I also send you” (John 20:21). The weight of that comment must have seemed overwhelming. After years of hearing Jesus talk about His divine purpose, the disciples were given a similar commission. Just as the Father had sent Jesus, so now Jesus was sending them into the world to spread the gospel, heal the sick, serve the needy, and glorify the Father.

Many Christians read that passage and think, I’m sure glad I wasn’t there to receive those “marching orders.” But guess what—you were. That room didn’t house just the 11 remaining apostles. Luke 24:33 reveals that other followers were “with them.” So in John 20:21, when Jesus said, “I also send you,” He was talking to the whole body of believers. Two thousand years later, this commission still applies to you and me.

Jesus’ command to make disciples “of all the nations” (Matt. 28:19) is too big a job for a handful of individuals. It’s a call for every believer, in every country, in every generation to accept the mission anew. Christ is sending you somewhere for a purpose, whether in your backyard or halfway around the globe. Are you ready to go?

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – Equipped to Do His Will

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Charles Stanley

Exodus 3:1-14

I’ve met people who know God has called them to do something, but they are so focused on their perceived ability that they keep telling Him, “I just can’t.” Did you know that’s a form of rebellion? It amounts to telling the Lord He isn’t powerful enough to equip you, and His will being done on earth depends upon your natural ability.

On being called to lead the Israelites out of slavery, Moses complained that he was the wrong person for the job and offered an excuse of not being a good speaker (Ex. 4:10). God’s response underscores that not only was He more than able to equip His chosen leader, but He also planned to accomplish His purposes with or without Moses.

It is the Lord who gives us the ability to live within His will. He has promised that if we believe Him and move forward in obedience, He’ll show us what He wants us to do and then energize us to get it done. Philippians 2:13 says that God Himself “is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.” There’s nothing to fear-—you never have to take on His work in your own strength, and He won’t ask you to do anything that He will not enable you to carry out. He is committed to equipping His children to do whatever He asks.

As a follower of Christ, you have a personal responsibility to say yes when God calls and to let Him achieve His purposes through you. He won’t let you down. Watching Him work through your life will strengthen your faith and further the process of being conformed to the image of His Son.

 

 

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – Baptized into New Life

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Charles Stanley

Romans 6:1-7

The self-help section of the bookstore wouldn’t be so crowded if more people accepted God’s solution for their well-being. His provision for man’s redemption isn’t self-improvement but rather a complete replacement of the old “flesh” nature.

From God’s perspective, those who receive Jesus as Savior and accept His sacrifice for their sin are crucified right alongside Him. Their old self, puffed up with pride and riddled with sin, is put to death, and a new spotless Spirit takes up residence within. Baptism is a symbolic act representing that transition from death to life. Not only does it symbolize Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection; it also reflects our own experience of being buried with the crucified Christ and raised to walk in newness of life.

In our new life, we are free from bondage to sinful habits, harmful attitudes, and hurtful speech; the power of sin is cancelled. But daily life doesn’t always reflect spiritual reality, and we’re left wondering why. When we can’t seem to meet godly expectations, we try harder to do right. At times we return to the self-help section when what we should do is turn to the Deliverer. In redeeming us, Christ became our life. He lives in us through His indwelling Spirit, and He will live through us if we allow Him to do so.

People can’t fix themselves. Jesus calls believers into a relationship wherein they are remade. When He’s the center of our life—when we eagerly read Scripture, pray that His will be done, and seek to follow in His way—we change for the better. That is “walking in newness of life.”

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – Doubting Thomas

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Charles Stanley

Bible Study: John 20:25-29

Thomas is an everyman. He hadn’t yet seen the resurrected Jesus, though he’d heard, as you and I have heard, that Jesus had risen from the dead. Angry, hurt, and confused, he resisted believing the bewildering accounts of resurrection—accounts that came from trusted friends he had lived with for three years.

Thomas was no stranger to resurrection. With his own eyes, he’d seen Jesus raise Lazarus from the dead—and he had believed. But he had also personally seen Jesus crucified, and that’s when his dream of the kingdom died. Crucifixion seemed more powerful than resurrection, more final. Faith crumbled; hope was crushed.

Then Jesus appeared alive, and gently said, “Peace be with you,” offering Thomas all the proof he needed. The proof he personally needed. Resurrection, it turns out, was more permanent than death.

Face it: Believing in resurrection isn’t easy no matter how many people tell you it happened. Jesus still has to bring us to belief, to give our hearts and minds and souls peace in faith. Without appearing physically to us, He gives us what we need in order to believe—what we ourselves need. And as He did with Thomas, Jesus seeks us out.

 

REFLECTION QUESTIONS

1. Think back to the first time you were told that Jesus had risen from the dead. What was your reaction? Did you find that information easy to believe or terribly difficult? Why?

2. Thomas had seen miracles; he’d witnessed many demonstrations of Jesus’ supernatural power. Yet the crucifixion shook his faith badly. Has anything ever shaken your faith to the core, even though you may previously have seen numerous works of God? What can you learn from Thomas’s experience?

3. In order to believe, Thomas needed something tangible—something special for him. The vast majority of Christians have never seen the resurrected Jesus, yet God gives us what we each need in order to believe. What did (or do) you need for faith to become real? How has Jesus revealed Himself to you? How do you still need Him to do so?

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – The Truth That Sets Us Free

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Charles Stanley

John 8:25-32

God desires the best for each of His children, but sometimes we become trapped in habits, thoughts, and negative emotions that interfere with His plans for us. However, Jesus offers us a way out. If we’ll continue in His Word, we’ll know the truth that sets us free from whatever is holding us in bondage.

To “continue” in the Word means to be consistently reading and applying it to our lives. Then we’ll know what God says and be able to recognize the traps that threaten to ensnare us. What’s more, we’ll understand the benefits accompanying our salvation that enable us to stand firm in truth without being led astray. Those benefits include . . .

• Our position: Through faith in Christ, we’ve entered into a personal relationship with God. Now, as His children, we have ready access to His throne along with the assurance that He’ll hear our prayers.

• Our provision: God gave the Bible to guide and encourage us in all situations.

• Our promises: By relying on the promises He has given us, we’ll become partakers of God’s nature and escape the world’s corrupting influence (2 Pet. 1:4).

• Our protection: As we walk obediently with Christ, He strengthens and protects us so we won’t fall into the traps of the evil One (2 Thess. 3:3).

The first step to living in freedom is to recognize any sins, attitudes, or negative emotions that are dominating your life. Then get grounded in the truth of Scripture and claim God’s promises and provisions by faith. He’s ready to deal with any type of bondage the moment you cry out to Him for help.

 

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – Our Risen Savior

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Charles Stanley

1 Corinthians 15:12-19

Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection form a solid foundation for our Christian faith. Scripture tells us that Jesus lived a perfect life—one without any sin. As the spotless Lamb of God, He willingly went to the cross and sacrificed Himself for us (1 Pet. 1:18-19). Christ bore our sins and endured our punishment so we might be reconciled to God.

The Savior’s death was accepted by the Father as full payment for our sins, and it made a way for us to be at peace with Him (Rom. 5:1). Three days after the crucifixion, Jesus was raised from death to life. He had overcome the grave. In victory, He ascended into heaven and now sits at the Father’s right hand.

Christ’s death and resurrection are a picture of what happened at our salvation. Recognizing ourselves as sinners who could not pay for our own misdeeds, we expressed faith in our Savior. Then, “our old self was crucified with Him” (Rom. 6:6), and we were reborn spiritually. Because of His sacrifice, we were forgiven, reconciled to God, and adopted into His family. Heaven will be our eternal home.

Paul emphasized the importance of the resurrection to the Christian life. He explained that if it were not true, our faith would be in vain.

The risen Christ appeared to many people. He let Thomas touch Him to know that He was alive. After the Lord ascended into heaven, the Father sent His Holy Spirit to indwell believers and bear witness to the truth of the resurrection. Our faith is based on the secure foundation of a risen Savior.

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – Christ: The Key to Contentment

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Charles Stanley

Philippians 4:6-7

While in prison, Paul penned precious words about the sufficiency of Christ. We tend to attach the idea of contentment to beach vacations and mountain retreats, but the apostle wrote that we are not to be anxious in any place or at any time, because we have the Lord’s peace.

Contentment is the believer’s “birthright.” Peace is part of the spiritual fruit that’s ours when we trust in the Savior (Gal. 5:22). Scripture describes it as an inner peace that passes all understanding (v. 7).

Jesus lived through conflict with a sense of inner quiet, and because of His indwelling Spirit, that remarkable calm also belongs to God’s children. That is important because there are times when we come across a problem with no earthly solution. In situations like that, we learn that self-sufficiency is a lie. We can’t cope alone, but Christ is enough for us.

Here is the flip side of the coin: “‘There is no peace for the wicked,’ says the LORD” (Isa. 48:22). Modern culture slaps the word wicked onto only the most vile of actions and people, but God’s definition is much broader. The wicked are those who willfully reject His right to forgive their sins and take Lordship over their life. If you are not a believer, you cannot experience true and lasting contentment.

When we are born again (John 3:3-8), we become children of the living God and rightful heirs to every good thing that He has to offer. This includes the deep, inner peace and joy that can withstand any trial. What can man do to the one who belongs to the Lord (Heb. 13:6)?

 

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – Understanding God’s Holiness

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Charles Stanley

Leviticus 22:29-33

If you’ve ever read through Leviticus, you may have wondered why God gave the Israelites so many rules and details about sacrifices and worship procedures. When I was a boy, I remember thinking all those cows could have fed a lot of people. To me, the sacrifices seemed like a big waste, but that’s because I didn’t understand what the Lord was teaching His people.

Today we have the finished Scriptures to help us understand who God is and what He desires of us. But in the days of the Old Testament, He taught His people by example. He wanted them to grasp three things: His holiness; their sinfulness and the consequences of disobedience; and His care for them—that He was the source of every good thing. The rules and regulations He instituted were visible object lessons.

In every detail, He revealed His holiness—and in every sacrifice, the cost of sin. The rules of the tabernacle taught the people not to take worship lightly. It was a serious and awesome privilege to approach a holy, righteous God.

Today, it’s rather easy to lose sight of the Lord’s holiness. To prevent that, try re-examining the Old Testament sacrificial system for a fresh perspective on the seriousness of worship.

God is our heavenly Father, and we have instant access to His throne room. Yet we should think about whether we’re treating Him with the reverence He deserves. At church, instead of being preoccupied and distracted, we should understand what a privilege it is to come into His presence.

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – The Lordship of Jesus

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Charles Stanley

Philippians 2:5-11

Whether you’ve been a believer for many years or just recently trusted Christ as your Savior, there’s one crucial thing you must settle in your heart. Many Christians understand that Jesus died on the cross for their sins. But who is He today?

Scripture tells us that Jesus is the incarnate Son of God who took on flesh and entered our world in the form of a servant. He came to walk among us and make it possible to know Him. Then after His death, burial, and resurrection, He was exalted back to His rightful place as Lord and sovereign Ruler.

It’s essential that every believer understand the person and position of Jesus Christ. We often call Him “Lord,” but what does that mean? The answer is that as Lord and Creator, He made and sustains all things (Col. 1:16-17). And by trusting in the Savior, we accept His rightful place in our life.

As Lord, He has authority over every single element of our daily lives. We are sheep, and who should follow the Shepherd; going our own way, we’d fall off the mountain and end up destroyed (John 10:2-15). Won’t you acknowledge that He has the right to determine what you do and where you go? You can trust that His way always results in fullness of life.

Jesus is not some distant, judgmental ruler; He’s your awesome, supportive Lord, who loves you and has gone before you, having lived a human life and suffered unimaginably. So when He says, “Follow Me; I’ll make your life count,” you can be confident that He is trustworthy every step of the way.

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – The Precious Blood of Jesus: Why It Matters

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Charles Stanley

1 Peter 1:17-19

What do you consider precious? Perhaps it’s an heirloom that not only is costly but also has sentimental value. Or maybe your first thought is your family—the ones you love the most. Other possibilities may include your salvation, the Bible, or your church family, but if you’re truly honest, the blood of Jesus probably didn’t make the list.

Today’s Christian culture desires a sanitized version of salvation. We talk about the grace and forgiveness of God and sing about His love for us, but rarely do we mention the blood of Jesus. Yet that is the only basis for our salvation. Because the Lord is righteous and just, He cannot love sinners into heaven or forgive them simply because they ask. Every sin that has ever been committed must receive a just punishment, and the penalty for sin is death (Rom. 6:23).

The Lord had only two options in dealing with fallen humanity. He could let the course of justice lead to the condemnation of all mankind, or He could provide a substitute to pay the penalty for everyone. However, this substitute had to be sinless (Deut. 17:1). The only way to rescue us from eternal separation in hell was to send His beloved Son to earth as the God-Man who would live a perfect life and die in our place.

The blood that poured from Christ’s wounds bought your salvation. If you want to truly value what He did, think of Him hanging on that cross just for you. With that thought in your mind, consider how you should live. He gave Himself freely for you; are you giving yourself fully to Him?

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – Resurrection Day: Triumph!

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Charles Stanley

2 Corinthians 4:14-18

Today is a very special day. Across the globe, young and old alike are wearing their finest clothes, attending church, and sharing delicious meals with loved ones. But Easter is so much more than festivities and traditions. If we truly understood all that was accomplished on Resurrection Day, we’d be the most thankful and triumphant people around. How do I know? By looking at Christ’s disciples—the original witnesses of Jesus’ most astounding miracle. When they finally believed that Jesus was alive, everything changed: those doubting and hopeless men were transformed into passionate preachers of Christianity.

Wouldn’t you like to live with that same confidence and unstoppable resolve? You can—by considering what Christ’s resurrection achieved and then letting that reality become foundational to all you think, say, and do. Start by reflecting on three remarkable truths:

First, Jesus is alive and active, not only in heaven, but in our lives. He sits at the Father’s right hand and intercedes for us (Rom. 8:34)—none could be more qualified than the God-man, who personally experienced human weakness and also knows every detail of our circumstances. What’s more, the Lord is present within us through His indwelling Spirit. His supernatural power (v. 11) is always available to transform our character, strengthen us, provide insight, and guide us into God’s will.

Second, the Lord is completely trustworthy. Because Jesus overcame death just as He predicted, we can know that everything else He said is true as well—and that all God’s promises are sure. These include the certainty that our sins are forgiven if we trust Jesus as Savior. By raising His Son from the dead, God signified that Christ’s sacrifice was sufficient to pay the full penalty for our transgressions.

Third, death is not the end. Rather, it is the beginning of life as God intended—free from sin and all its negative consequences of suffering, sickness, and pain. Jesus’ resurrection guarantees that believers will be raised as well, receiving new bodies that are strong, perfect, and eternal. Furthermore, we’ll have the joy of being reunited with loved ones in Christ and seeing our Savior face to face.

When you understand what Jesus’ resurrection accomplished, there will be no reason to let worldly sorrows and cares drag you into hopelessness (v. 18). From today forward, invest in your eternal future by living in light of the resurrection and faithfully serving the risen Savior.

—Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – Different Than It Appeared

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Charles Stanley

Matthew 16:21

In the Story of Easter, Saturday normally gets lost.

The days (and even the few years) preceding it, however, were filled with amazing events and words. If it were a symphony, it would have all risen to a resounding yet horrific crescendo: the arrest and trial, the scourging and crucifixion, the agony on the cross, the death, the day turning to utter darkness, the ground shaking as if to split the earth, the veil tearing in two . . .

And then, just like the famous pause in Handel’s Messiah, it all comes to a screeching halt. Jesus is buried—and it is all over.

With Jesus gone, the disciples were left with nothing but the memories and His words, neither of which seemed to be affecting them, for they huddled in fear on Saturday, having little faith in what He had promised. The disciples had painted their own picture of who Messiah was supposed to be—a narrative they wanted Him to fulfill.

How many of us believers live with a Saturday mindset—somewhere between the truth of Jesus’ earthly life and the glorious resurrection that validated everything He said and did? It is easy to look at the disciples’ fear and lack of faith on that day and shake our heads. But are we so different, really? Do we have our own plans for God? Do you and I conveniently believe that the best thing for us is that God and everyone else follow our script for the day? Do we get angry when it doesn’t happen?

Do you find yourself speaking words that increasingly convey a lack of hope? Are they words of discouragement, gloom, doom—maybe even despair?

Two choices lie before those of us who live with such a mentality. Either we make the frustrating and futile attempt to get our own way, or we turn and revisit the truth of what God has told us: the truth about Himself and the truth about ourselves; the truth about what He has asked us to do in the disappointment of “Saturday.”

The disciples had not yet received the Holy Spirit. We now have Him in full. They did not have the fullness of God’s Word. We have all of it at ready access. They were living on the other side of the resurrection. We live in its reality.

Because the Truth, dear friends, is that the music will resume. Sunday’s coming! What an awesome Saturday we have been given!

–Del Tackett

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – Good Friday: Loneliness Endured for Us

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Charles Stanley

Matthew 27:26-50

It was 20 years ago that I enjoyed the privilege of portraying Jesus in the film The Gospel of Matthew. The experience was life-changing as I came to understand the Lord in ways I’d never imagined. I discovered His joy, His heartbreak, and the fire of His passion. I also discovered how remarkably alone Jesus was when He walked the earth.

After all, who could possibly understand a man whose thoughts and ways were so astoundingly removed from those of any other person? Even His closest companions never “got it” until after He’d ascended to His Father. How alone does that leave a man—especially that Golgotha day?

When we filmed the crucifixion scenes of Matthew, I arrived on the set after a three-hour make-up job that was so authentic none of the film crew could bear to look at me. I recall thinking of that scripture, “He was . . . like one from whom men hide their face” (Isa. 53:3), and realizing it was very real.

Then the filming began and the brutality was remarkable. We were just “faking it,” and the awfulness was indescribable. I remember hanging there and seeing the faces all around me, just staring. A little girl from the local village where we were filming just cried and cried. They all would have loved to help me somehow. But it was something I had to go through alone.

I thought of Jesus looking out and seeing His mother, John, and others. As much as they loved Him, there was no way they could understand His motivations that day. As much as they’d have loved to somehow help Him, it was something He had to do—alone.

Then came the moment of alone beyond alone. “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” (Matt. 27:46). And you and I could be born again.

Today is a day to shed all our wanting and live as the Lord desires: thankful. We have the privilege of understanding Him as those who walked by His side never could, and our response can be nothing other than to fall on our faces in profound gratitude. Glory to Jesus!

–Bruce Marchiano

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – Prayer in the Hour of Despair

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Charles Stanley

Matthew 26:36-46

Jesus’ suffering did not commence with His flogging or with His slow, agonizing march to Calvary. Scripture tells us that the Lord suffered during His dark hours in Gethsemane, the place where He “began to be grieved and distressed” (Matt. 26:37). Knowing He would soon give Himself to the great horror of the cross, Jesus embraced the suffocating weight of all that was to come. The words He spoke to Peter, James, and John reveal His acute pain: “My soul is deeply grieved, to the point of death” (v. 38). The fact still stuns us: Jesus, the very Son of God, knew profound despair—He knew every human dread, every anxiety. There is no human temptation or fear that Jesus has not experienced.

John’s gospel takes care to note that Gethsemane was a garden (18:1), and his narrative abounds with creation imagery from the opening sentences to the resurrection scenes. The writer, it seems, wants us to connect Gethsemane with another garden, one where a serpent confronted Adam and Eve. John wants to be certain we understand that even though they succumbed to temptation, Jesus would not. Where the first man and woman failed, the Son of Man would succeed. Though we buckle under the burden of fear, self-preservation, or the allure of sin, Jesus triumphs.

But before the victory, there was death and isolation and seeming ruin. Before resurrection, there was a long stretch where it seemed hope had dissipated, where one wondered whether love had not, in the end, lost.

In the garden, as the evil hours neared, Jesus’ heart spilled out to God. Our Lord, in His despair, did the one thing His soul knew to do: Jesus prayed. “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me . . .” (Matt. 26:39). Jesus did not merely practice His spiritual discipline or provide us an example to emulate. Rather, His soul had been laid bare, and He went to the only One who can meet us in such depths. Jesus went to the Father.

At times we tend to think of prayer only as calm, meditative devotion. But praying is often born out of sheer necessity. We face ruin and have nowhere to turn. We stand at the brink, and the cry simply erupts: “Help!”

–Winn Collier

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – An Extravagant Love

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Charles Stanley

Matthew 16:6-13; John 11:1-46

She was the only one who believed Him. Whenever He spoke of His death, the others shrugged or doubted, but Mary believed because He spoke with a firmness she’d heard before. And she believed because she’d doubted before.

She’d questioned His affection for her family when He hadn’t arrived in time. “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”

But she saw that Jesus wept with her.

And then He spoke.

“Lazarus, come out!” And after four days in a stone-sealed grave, Lazarus walked out.

As Mary kissed the now-warm hands of her just-dead brother, she turned and looked at Jesus. He was smiling. She would never doubt His words again.

So when He spoke of His death, she believed.

She carried the large vial of perfume from her house to Simon’s. It wasn’t a spontaneous gesture. But it was an extravagant one. The perfume was worth a year’s wages. Maybe the only thing of value she had. It wasn’t a logical thing to do, but since when has love been led by logic?

Common sense hadn’t wept at Lazarus’s tomb. Love did. Extravagant, risky, chance-taking love.

And someone needed to show the same to the giver of such love.

So Mary did: She stepped up behind Jesus and poured out the jar. Over His head and shoulders. Down His back. She would have poured herself out for Him, if she could.

The fragrance of the sweet ointment rushed through the room.

“Breathe the aroma and remember one who cares,” the gesture spoke. “When You feel forsaken, remember that You are loved.” The other disciples mocked her extravagance, but don’t miss Jesus’ prompt defense of Mary. “Why are you troubling this woman? She did an excellent thing for Me.”

This wasn’t the first time He’d defended her either. When her sister Martha demanded that Mary help with household duties instead of sitting at His feet, Jesus said, “There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it.”(Luke 10:42 NLT)

Jesus’ message is as powerful now as it was then: There is a time for risky love. There is a time to sit at the feet of the One you love, to pour out your affections on Him. And when the time comes, seize it.

 

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – Man and God

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Charles Stanley

Matthew 22:41-46

The Pharisees hated that so many people believed the man standing before them was the Messiah. This Galilean commoner had no pedigree. Sure, he might astound people with inexplicable wisdom, but surely he was not the returning king—for what would that make them?

Not only did they have the wrong answer; they asked the wrong question. They thought Christ’s rise to prominence merely raised the possibility that He was the long-awaited Messiah. But Christ pointed them to a deeper truth, on which depended the salvation of man. “What do you think about the Christ,” He asked them. “Whose son is He?” (Matt. 22:42)

They knew the answer, just as they knew the rumors about this distant descendant of David. But David had many descendants. The Christ would be, they replied, “the son of David.” “Then how,” Christ asked, “does David in the Spirit call Him ‘Lord,’ saying, ‘The LORD said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand, until I put Your enemies beneath Your feet'”?” (vv. 43-44).

He referred to Psalm 110, in which the Holy Spirit speaks through David to illuminate Christ’s divinity. The Pharisees thought this debate was about whether Christ was the Messiah. In an instant, Christ raised the stakes.

His interlocutors were stubborn but clever. They recognized the implication of His question. Of course, David would not have called some great-great-grandchild “Lord.” A king would give that honor only to the living God.

Christ was pointing them—and us—to the startling truth: He is king, and He is Savior, and He is God.

It was a scandal, and it was the only path to salvation. God took on flesh, bore it sinlessly into death, and raised it to life eternal, thereby breaking the hold of sin and death over mankind. God became man so that man might return to God.

This upends the world, and it terrified the self-regarding Pharisees. So they were silent, “nor did anyone dare from that day on to ask Him another question.” (v. 46)

God forgive us when we are likewise silent. Christ is the risen God. Tell it to the world.

–Tony Woodlief