2022-03-29
1 Corinthians 6:11 NIV
After listing some of the worst sins imaginable, Paul told the Corinthians, “And that is what some of you were. But you were… justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God” (v. 11 NIV). So, before you pass sentence on someone else, remember what God has lifted you out of!
Many of us think a “good” sermon is one that goes over our head and hits our neighbor squarely between the eyes! In Scripture, the word restore has two shades of meaning. One is to remove a tumor. A tumor can kill you, and it needs to be removed. Paul writes, “If someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently… in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:1-2 NIV).
Make no mistake, sharing someone’s shame and humiliation can be a burden. Nevertheless, “we should do it… [giving] special attention to those… in the family of believers” (Galatians 6:10 NCV). If you tend to be quick to condemn others – something we have all done from time to time – ask yourself this question: If people don’t find grace among the people who preach it, where can they find it?
he other means to reset a broken bone. Scripture tells us, “Christ makes us one body… connected to each other” (Romans 12:5 GWT). In fact, your spiritual family is more important than your earthly family because it will last forever. By lifting a fallen family member, you help heal their pain and enable them to become a vital, functioning part of Christ’s body again.
So, the word for you today is – be a restorer.
Soul food: Job 35-37; Luke 20:20-26; Ps 69:19-36; Pro 8:30-31
2022-03-28
Galatians 6:1 NIV
Sometimes when we fall we can get up by ourselves; other times we need someone to help us. And sadly, not all Christians are willing to help. Sometimes they feel that by extending grace to someone they are condoning their sin. But Paul knocked that argument down when he wrote, “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you” (Ephesians 4:32 NIV). Why should we be restorers?
(1) Because God tells us to. “If someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves… you also may be tempted” (Galatians 6:1 NIV). It’s pride that causes us to point an accusing finger instead of extending a helping hand to those who fall. It makes us think we’re better than someone else; incapable of falling like they did. You would be surprised what you would do in certain circumstances! Paul writes, “We are just as capable of messing it up as they were. Don’t be so… self-confident… You could fall flat on your face as easily as anyone else” (1 Corinthians 10:12 MSG).
(2) Because Jesus is our example. Jesus had no time for the Pharisees who hid their sins behind a religious mask. But not one time did He condemn someone who was caught in sin and overtaken by temptation and failure. The minute they reached for Him, He willingly restored them. Someone has said the church is the only army that shoots its wounded. Today, others are watching us to see if the grace we preach to others is the same grace we extend to one another. Let’s not disappoint them.
Soul food: Job 32-34; Luke 20:9-19; Ps 69:1-18; Pro 8:27-29
2022-03-27
Ephesians 6:2 NKJV
There is no assignment on earth that requires the array of skills and understanding needed by a mom in fulfilling her everyday duties. Stop and think about what her job involves. She must be a resident psychologist, doctor, theologian, educator, nurse, chef, taxi driver, fire marshal, and occasional police officer. Try to imagine what it would cost you to go out and hire all those skill sets. And even if you could, how would you know you could trust them?
Go ahead, join Mom on a midmorning visit to the pediatrician’s office. After sitting for forty-five minutes with a cranky, feverish toddler on her lap, she and her baby are finally ushered into the examining room. The doctor checks out the sick child and then tells the woman with a straight face, “Be sure you keep him quiet for four or five days. Don’t let him scratch the rash. Make certain he keeps the medicine down, and you’ll want to watch his stools.” “Yeah, sure, doc! Any other suggestions?” “Just one. This disease is contagious, so keep your other four kids away from him, and I’ll see you in a week.”
The amazing thing is that most mothers would get this job done – and they would do it with love and wisdom. That’s because God made them good at what they do. And He gave them a passion for their children. They would, quite literally, lay down their lives to protect the children entrusted to their care. And that’s why they are deserving of our admiration – on Mother’s Day, and all the other days of the year. So the word for you today is – “Honor your… mother.”
Soul food: 1 Sam 17:4-51; Eph 6:10-18
2022-03-26
Revelation 21:5 NIV
John the revelator wrote: “I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Look! God’s dwelling place is… among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.’ He who was seated on the throne said, ‘I am making everything new!’ Then he said, ‘Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true'” (vv. 2-5 NIV).
When an atheist died and his friends filed by his casket, one of them remarked, “How sad – all dressed up and nowhere to go!” Not so for the believer! As a redeemed child of God, you’re assured of a home in heaven and citizenship in “the new Jerusalem.”
John continues, “The angel who talked with me had a measuring rod of gold to measure the city” (v. 15 NIV). The city is an exact square of about fourteen hundred miles (See v. 16 NIV). It would stretch from the Carolinas to California and from Canada to Mexico. It’s approximately forty times the size of England, ten times the mass of France, and bigger than India. And that’s just the ground floor! It’s as tall as it is wide; six hundred thousand stories high – more than enough room for billions of people to come and go. So here is the question: When you die, will you go to heaven?
Soul food: Job 29-31; Luke 20:1-8; Ps 38:13-22; Pro 8:24-26
2022-03-25
1 John 1:9 NIV
The story of David and Bathsheba is the stuff movies are made of – lust, adultery, premarital pregnancy, murder, and cover-up. And it looked like David was home free, except for one important detail: “The thing that David had done displeased the Lord” (2 Samuel 11:27 NKJV).
In the Bible, God refers to David as “a man after his own heart” (1 Samuel 13:14 NLT), but the same Bible says, “Be sure your sin will find you out” (Numbers 32:23 KJV). So God sent the prophet Nathan to tell David, “I made you king… So why have you treated the word of God with… contempt?” (2 Samuel 12:7, 9 MSG). Then God passed sentence: “Because you despised me… I am going to bring calamity on you… before all Israel” (2 Samuel 12:10-12 NIV). From that day on, tragedy and turmoil plagued David’s family.
On many levels, “the way of transgressors is hard” (Proverbs 13:15 KJV), not the least of which is that sometimes God takes away your peace so that you will acknowledge your sin. It took an unplanned pregnancy, the murder of an innocent man, a child’s death, a prophet’s persuasion, and the conviction of the Holy Spirit before David’s heart softened and he admitted, “I have sinned against the Lord” (2 Samuel 12:13 NIV). And when he prayed those words, God treated David’s sin the same way He treats ours: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9 KJV).
As long as you keep excusing, defending, and rationalizing your sin, God can do nothing for you. But the minute you confess it to Him, He will forgive you. Isn’t that wonderful?
Soul food: Job 24-28; Luke 19:41-48; Ps 38:1-12; Pro 8:22-23
2022-03-24
2 Corinthians 9:11 CEV
Think how ridiculous it would be for an electric company to generate power and then hoard it. Their customers would be in the dark, and the company would be out of business in short order! The same principle applies to our finances. “God loves people who love to give. God can bless you with everything you need, and you will always have more than enough to do all kinds of good things for others… You will be blessed in every way, and you will be able to keep on being generous” (vv. 7-8, 11 CEV).
Some people refuse to give because they’re greedy, but in most instances, that’s not so. The truth is, we’re concerned that if we don’t look out for our own interests, they might not get looked out for at all. But that kind of thinking doesn’t make sense. That’s like a farmer refusing to plant his next harvest because he is afraid to let go of his seeds.
God says the first tenth of our income belongs to Him (See Malachi 3:10). Is that because He is poor and He needs it? No! He wants us to sow into His kingdom so that (1) His work and His will can be done on the earth, and (2) you will have a harvest when you need it. Jesus said when you “put God’s work first and do what he wants… the other things will be yours as well” (Matthew 6:33 CEV).
When you become a conduit for God’s kingdom, “you will be blessed in every way.” In fact, when you consider your finances from a biblical perspective, the thing to fear isn’t giving away too much – it’s sowing too little!
Soul food: Job 21-23; Luke 19:28-40; Ps 55:12-23; Pro 8:19-21
