2021-06-28
1 Peter 5:7 NKJV
When it comes to dealing with your fears and worries, you have two choices; cast them on the Lord, or keep them and try to handle them yourself. When the communists overran China, missionary Isobel Kuhn was forced to escape on foot across the snow-covered mountains into Burma. There she was stranded at the world’s end, with no money and no way to get home.
“I cannot tell you the dismay and alarm that filled me,” she wrote. But she made two decisions. “The first thing is to cast out fear,” she said. “The only fear a Christian should entertain is the fear of sin. All other fears are from Satan, sent to confuse and weaken us.” So Isobel prayerfully trusted God, and rejected panic. Second, she sought His guidance as to the next step, and eventually she arrived home safely.
Here’s an important key to victory: Instead of living with your fears and allowing them to take root within you, identify them and confront them the moment you become conscious of them. Next, turn each fear into a prayer and give it to God, refusing to take it back, confident that He will handle it for you. And don’t just do it with some of your fears and worries, do it with all of them. “Casting the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully” (v. 7 AMPC).
You’ll never be entirely free of fear and worry, but by God’s grace you can do a lot better than you’re doing right now.
Soul food: Jer 22-24; Luke 3:1-10; Ps 59:9-17; Prov 14:23-24
2021-06-27
Galatians 5:22 NIV
Everybody has influence over somebody. It’s what you do with that influence that determines whether it’s negative or positive. Sociologists tell us that over a lifetime even the shiest and most introverted person will influence about ten thousand people. Every interaction you have with another person enriches or impoverishes them. Influence is never neutral. And you can’t turn it off, because it’s built into the structure of life itself. Furthermore, it doesn’t matter what your title is. Ultimately, your character will determine if the title fits you.
The Bible says, “The fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, [and] self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23 NAS). When you have those qualities, people will line up to help you, love you, and follow you. You ask, “How can I display all these qualities?” Humanly speaking, you can’t. That’s the bad news. But the good news is that it’s not only a possibility but a distinct reality – when you’re under the influence of God’s Spirit.
The story is told of a little boy who kept falling out of bed each night and waking his mother up with his crying. One night after tucking him in yet again she asked, “How come you keep falling out of bed?” He thought about it for a minute and then said, “I guess I just stayed too close to where I got in.”
Salvation is the starting point, but unless you spend time each day under the influence of Jesus, you won’t mature, you won’t maximize the spiritual gifts He has given you, and you won’t discover and fulfill your God-given assignment in life.
Soul food: 1 Ki 17:17-24; Mark 5:21-43; John 11:1-45
2021-06-26
Acts 4:13 NIV
To be “under the influence” means to be controlled by something or someone other than yourself. Who you are, what you are, and where you are today is because you were under the influence of certain people. The company you keep influences your thinking, your thinking influences your actions, your actions influence your character, and your character determines your destiny.
Influence is impossible to escape. It’s like the weather – always there to be reckoned with. That’s why it’s essential to monitor your children’s use of the internet, what they watch on television, and the company they keep because these things can influence them for good or evil. And if you’re really wise, you’ll spend time under the influence of Jesus. You’ll read His Word and spend time with Him in prayer. Indeed, the more time you spend with Him, the more you’ll become like Him.
When the disciples were filled with the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost, they were transformed to the extent that some folks thought they were drunk. But Peter said: “These people are not drunk, as you suppose. It’s only nine in the morning! No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: ‘In the last days,’ God says, ‘I will pour out my Spirit on all people'” (Acts 2:15-17 NIV). Two chapters later, we read this: “When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus” (v. 13 NIV). And today the Holy Spirit, who is simply the influence of Christ, can transform your life too.
Soul food: Jer 18-21; Luke 2:41-52; Ps 59:1-8; Prov 14:21-22
2021-06-25
Joshua 22:23 NLT
In the Bible an altar represented different things. It represented sacrificing to God by giving Him the best of the sheep in your flock. It represented worshiping God and putting Him above all else in life. It represented humility, acknowledging your need of God and your total dependence on Him.
But it’s also possible to build an altar “for ourselves.” By doing so, we rob God of His rightful place in our lives and begin to put ourselves first. In other words, we build an altar to self-interest, self-promotion, self-preservation, self-aggrandizement, and self-exaltation.
That’s why Jesus sets the following standard for discipleship, and it’s a high standard: “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me” (Matthew 16:24 NKJV). Your “cross” has only one purpose, and that’s for “self” to die on.
Paul writes: “For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live” (Romans 8:13 NKJV). Note the words “put to death.” Your flesh, or your ego and carnal nature, will not willingly roll over and die; it must be crucified each day. And the power to do this can only be accessed by spending time in prayer with God and renewing your mind constantly with the Word of God.
So today the choice is yours; to build an altar to the Lord, you must first put “self” on the altar. Are you ready to do that?
Soul food: Jer 14-17; Luke 2:34-40; Ps 21; Prov 14:17-20
2021-06-24
Matthew 5:9 KJV
Lesson one: Sometimes the best resolution to a conflict is a separation, even if it’s temporary. When emotions run high, you need space to think clearly. And God can use this time of separation for His glory. Because Paul and Barnabas parted, the gospel was preached in even more cities. But when a temporary separation is the best option, you need to agree on how long it will be. In some friendships, one person may have outgrown the relationship. But this should be handled with love and wisdom, realizing that we can all learn from our mistakes and grow through them. Later Paul wrote, “Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is useful to me for ministry” (2 Timothy 4:11 NKJV).
Lesson two: When you realize that you’ve been wrong, you need to acknowledge it. For a single, focused leader like Paul, this called for humility. Indeed, it’s a comfort to us to know that someone as anointed and brilliant as Paul could rethink his position and come to a different conclusion. Mistakes may be bad; but they’re not as bad as the pride that seeks to defend and perpetuate them.
Lesson three: You must learn to disagree without being disagreeable. It’s noteworthy that nowhere in Scripture do we find a time when Paul talked publicly about their disagreement. Both Paul and Barnabas focused on their respective missions. The only behavior you have the power to change is your own. And this should be your reason for doing so: “We will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ” (Ephesians 4:15 NLT).
Soul food: Jer 10-13; Luke 2:21-33; Ps 17; Prov 14:13-16
2021-06-23
Acts 15:37-38 NLT
Paul and Barnabas were a great missionary team. On their first tour, a young man named John Mark had joined them. But it seems he had grown homesick and returned to Jerusalem. On their second missionary tour, Barnabas wanted to take John Mark with them again, but Paul said no. “Their disagreement was so sharp that they separated. Barnabas took John Mark…Paul chose Silas” (vv. 39-40 NLT).
Can you imagine it; two spiritual giants couldn’t resolve their conflict! Yes, it happens in the best of circles. Paul was the totally focused, no-nonsense type. Barnabas, whose name means “son of encouragement,” was the long-suffering and lovable type who believed in reconciliation and refused to strike anybody off his list. There are two valuable lessons in this story about handling disagreements.
(1) When it comes to our friends and family members, we all have blind spots. Rare is the leader who has the objectivity to look beyond a blood bond and focus on what is best for the organization. As a result, the vision God gave them often suffers.
(2) Sometimes you need a wise and trusted third party to help resolve the problem. When it comes to trouble in the church, Jesus laid down clear guidelines. First, you must go privately, one on one, and deal with the issue. Second, if that doesn’t work, you should take one or two others with you and try to resolve it. Third, you must take the situation to mature spiritual leaders and get their input (See Matthew 18:15-18). That’s the scriptural way to handle disagreements, and it must be our way too.
Soul food: Jer 7-9; Luke 2:8-20; Ps 8; Prov 14:9-12
