2021-04-28
Proverbs 11:24 NIV
Jesus taught His disciples to be distributors of His blessing and “first responders” to those in need. That’s why He involved them in the process; He was equipping them to represent Him in the future.
In the feeding of the five thousand, the miracle of multiplication did not take place when the food left Christ’s hands, but the disciples’ hands. He blessed the five loaves and two fish, gave it to them, and they set out to do what seemed ridiculous: feeding a multitude with a boy’s lunch. But as they did it, they experienced the miraculous. Why? Because when the Lord’s blessing is upon what you have, you’ll succeed in spite of the challenges and obstacles.
God has given each of us something that others need. But sometimes we fail to recognize it, or we doubt its worth. So we conclude, “I don’t have what it takes.” You do – but it’s in seed form! Jesus described it this way: “First the blade, then the head, after that the full grain in the head” (Mark 4:28 NKJV).
God has deposited within you something He wants you to recognize, nurture, and use for His glory. When He blesses it, you’ll be amazed at the underdeveloped potential you’ve been running around with. This miracle began when a boy found an unmet need and decided, “These people are hungry and need to be fed.” That’s also when the disciples discovered what Jesus could do with what they had, even though it looked hopelessly inadequate. The word for you today is – use what God has given you!
Soul food: Num 7; Mark 5:11-20; Ps 94:12-23; Prov 10:27
2021-04-27
James 1:25 NLT
Dr. David Jeremiah tells of a well-known seminary professor who spent a summer studying in Jerusalem. In his apartment building lived an orthodox Jewish rabbi with whom he studied Hebrew throughout the summer. One day the professor sat and listened to his Jewish friend recite the entire book of Psalms, in Hebrew, without missing so much as a jot or tittle. Now that’s pretty impressive, right?
But God doesn’t bless you for merely reading His Word, or memorizing it, or even being able to repeat it word for word in the original languages. God only promises to bless those who “do” what His Word says. Reading your Bible without putting it into practice is like going into a good restaurant and eating the menu while ignoring the meal.
“Don’t just listen to God’s word…do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it” (vv. 22-25 NLT).
One of the dangers of enjoying great preaching is that you can enjoy it and go home moved but unchanged. The knowledge of God’s Word is vitally important. But a head knowledge of the Scriptures can actually water a root of spiritual pride in your heart whereby you applaud the Scriptures but don’t apply them. So the word for you today is – “do” God’s Word!
Soul food: Num 4:34-6:27; Mark 5:1-10; Ps 94:1-11; Prov 10:24-26
2021-04-26
Zechariah 14:21 KJV
Holiness should always be “unto the Lord.” Any time we make it “unto men,” it’s wrong and misguided because it’s just pride and pretense. Jesus condemned the Pharisees not for their acts of piety, but because they performed them to impress others. Not only did they live by a long list of religious “do’s and don’ts,” they also kept a scorecard on others who didn’t live up to their list and denounced them for it.
Some of us grew up in homes and churches that did this, and when the word “holiness” is mentioned, we squirm and think of Christians with somber faces and pointed fingers of accusation. That’s not Bible holiness, that’s legalism! And God hates it, and the Bible condemns it.
To understand what true holiness is, think of the word “contamination.” It’s one of every hospital’s greatest concerns. It’s why doctors in an operating room insist that their surgical instruments be constantly sterilized; caps, gowns, and gloves worn; and the environment in the room maintained at a temperature where germs can’t live. Are you getting the picture? Now adjust the lens a little bit, and you’ll see the spiritual application.
True holiness does not isolate you from the world, it insulates you from its contaminants. Paul corrected the Corinthian church for their approach to the communion table: “In eating, each one takes his own supper ahead of others; and one is hungry and another is drunk” (1 Corinthians 11:21 NKJV). So Paul addresses their spiritually sloppy, anything-goes attitude. “For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep [have died]” (v. 30 NKJV). What’s the answer? “Holiness – unto the Lord!”
Soul food: Num 3:1-4:33; Mark 4:26-41; Ps 144:9-15; Prov 10:22-23
2021-04-25
Psalm 51:4 NKJV
We need a new way of looking at sin; a fresh understanding of it. John Ortberg writes: “All sin involves denial. It carries with it a certain moral myopia – nearsightedness.” And the only way to see it clearly is through the eyes of the One we’ve sinned against. The psalmist prayed, “Against You, You only, have I sinned.”
A Christian college professor put it like this: “I’m nice to my students; respectful to my colleagues; love my family; don’t steal, commit adultery, use drugs or swear; and I floss regularly. But when I look at myself honestly, I see that I harbor bitterness, hoard my time, and resent others intruding on me. I’m vain and consumed with how others perceive me. I wrestle with my sexuality and have strayed with my eyes and my heart. I pretend to listen, but I don’t. I think more about being great than being good. I act more spiritual than I am. I’m a mess – broken in every way – and my only hope is God’s mercy.”
When Isaiah saw the Lord sitting on His throne, he cried out, “Woe is me, for I am undone!” (Isaiah 6:5 NKJV). Then an angel took a burning coal from the altar and touched his lips, saying, “Your iniquity is taken away, and your sin purged” (v. 7 NKJV).
The realization of our sinfulness can be as gentle as a nudge, or it can knock us down with hurricane force. What’s important is how we respond. Regardless of how often you’ve fallen or how badly you’ve failed, today God extends to you His grace, and a chance to begin again if you’re willing to accept it.
Soul food: 2 Ki 6:1-7; Matt 14:22-33
2021-04-24
John 12:24 NLT
Jesus said, “Unless a kernel of wheat is planted in the soil and dies, it remains alone. But its death will produce many new kernels.” Someone has estimated that one kernel of wheat will produce a stalk bearing three heads of wheat. In each head there are fifteen to thirty-five kernels, altogether producing close to a hundred kernels from a stalk. After they are planted, these kernels will produce ten thousand kernels. When those are replanted, they will produce a million kernels. And if you keep going, you will cover the whole earth with wheat!
It’s amazing what one person can do when they commit their life to Christ and start where they are. D.L. Moody once said, “The world has yet to see what God can do through a man who is yielded to him.” He decided to be that person and ended up impacting the world for Christ.
When Peter, James, and John met Jesus, their goal in life was to make a living. Then Jesus invited them to follow Him and make a difference. And today He’s inviting you to do the same thing. He’s inviting you to find a need that no one is meeting and give yourself to it. He’s asking you to find a cause greater than self-interest, namely His cause, and pour your life into it. When Jesus asked the disciples to leave their jobs and their security, He was turning their world upside down. But when they said yes to Him, they became so successful that their enemies accused them of “turning the world upside down” (See Acts 17:6).
Soul food: Num 1-2; Mark 4:13-25; Ps 144:1-8; Prov 10:19-21
2021-04-23
Philippians 3:10 MSG
One pastor tells of a lady who was battling a weight problem. She had tried just about every diet there was, but her weight kept fluctuating up and down. A few months passed without him seeing her at church. Then one Sunday she appeared, and he was shocked. He barely recognized her because she had lost so much weight. How did it happen? She had met a man and fallen in love! She explained to the pastor that they were going to get married and that she wanted to look her best for him in her wedding dress.
There’s an important lesson here. When your approach to Christian living is based on rule keeping, you’ll find that it’s a hard, up-and-down road to travel. But not when your approach is relationship based. This woman was able to conquer what had plagued her for years because she had developed a relationship and was seeking his pleasure.
Intimacy with Christ brings power. It also brings joy. That’s why Paul wrote: “I gave up all that inferior stuff so I could know Christ personally, experience his resurrection power, be a partner in his suffering, and go all the way with him to death itself.”
How close to the Lord are you today? Would you like to get closer? You can; He’s just waiting for you to make the first move. “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you” (James 4:8 NKJV). How do you draw near to God? By “giving up all that inferior stuff,” and making it your life’s goal to know Christ intimately.
Soul food: Jam 3-5; Mark 4:1-12; Ps 7:10-17; Prov 10:17-18
