2021-04-05
Revelation 2:5 CEV
Addressing the Ephesian church, Jesus said: “I know everything you have done, including your hard work and how you have endured. I know you won’t put up with anyone who is evil….You have endured and gone through hard times because of me, and…not given up. But I do have something against you! And it is this: You don’t have as much love as you used to. Think about where you have fallen from…then turn back and do as you did at first” (vv. 2-5 CEV).
Think back to your early days as a Christian. Remember how excited you got when you talked about the Lord. Remember how you spent time each day in prayer, and left His presence strengthened. You couldn’t get enough of His Word. It was filled with fresh insights that thrilled your soul and challenged you to go deeper with Him. You never missed an opportunity to talk to others about the Lord. Your walk with Him was consistent, fulfilling, and the pivotal point of your life.
What happened? Have you reached the same point in your life as the Ephesian Christians Jesus was speaking to? If so, understand that God won’t interrupt your busy schedule or accelerate His pace to catch up with you. No, you must slow down in order to get back in step with Him. He can’t be conveniently fitted into the framework of your complicated life; you must choose to put Him first, and keep Him there. Today the Lord may be speaking these words to you: “Think about where you have fallen from…then turn back and do as you did at first.”
Soul food: Lev 5-7; Matt 28:11-15; Ps 72:1-11; Prov 9:1-6
2021-04-04
John 20:7 NLT
In Bible days when you wanted a fine piece of furniture made, you picked someone with a reputation for excellence – a master carpenter or a finish carpenter. But these carpenters had an interesting custom. When a carpenter completed a job, he took off his apron, folded it up, and set it on his finished work, signifying the job was complete.
With that picture in mind, read this: “Early on Sunday morning, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and found that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance. She ran and found Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved….Peter and the other disciple started out for the tomb. They were both running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. He stooped and looked in and saw the linen wrappings lying there, but he didn’t go in. Then Simon Peter arrived and went inside. He also noticed the linen wrappings lying there, while the cloth that had covered Jesus’ head was folded up and lying apart from the other wrappings. Then the disciple who had reached the tomb first also went in, and he saw and believed – for until then they still hadn’t understood the Scriptures that said Jesus must rise from the dead” (vv. 1-9 NLT).
Note the words “the cloth that had covered Jesus’ head was folded up.” The master carpenter had finished the job. Our salvation was complete. You don’t have to work to be saved, you only have to put your trust in Christ, and your sins are forgiven and your place in heaven assured.
Soul food: 1 Cor 15; Matt 28:1-10
Ecclesiastes 10:12 NIV
Aesop, the famed fable author, said, “No act of kindness, no matter how small, ever is wasted.” As one pastor writes, “It costs to be unkind, but it pays to be kind.”
Now, being kind doesn’t mean tolerating wrong or refusing to confront a problem in order to be politically correct. Sometimes we must confront. But it should always be done in a gracious way. A calm demeanor will go a lot further than a harsh comment or an ugly tone of voice. You can make your point with a kind spirit, and even a sense of humor.
Don’t be like the guy who was standing in line to buy an airline ticket. When he reached the counter, he said, “I’d like to purchase a ticket to New York City.” The agent said, “No problem, how many pieces of luggage do you have?” The passenger replied, “I have three.” The agent asked, “Would you like me to check all three to New York?” The guy replied, “No, I want to send the first bag to Phoenix, the second to Seattle, and the third to London.” Dumbfounded, the clerk looked at him and said, “I’m sorry, sir, but we can’t do that.” The man smiled and said, “I don’t see why not; that’s what you did last week.”
You will always make your point more effectively with a butter knife than a butcher knife. Remember: “Words from the mouth of the wise are gracious, but fools are consumed by their own lips.” If you’re serious about living by the teachings of God’s Word, today try to be gracious.
Soul food: Num 19-21; Mark 6:30-44; Ps 37:16-24; Prov 11:4
2021-04-03
1 Corinthians 15:17 NKJV
Fox News reported that a professor in Florida told his students to write the name Jesus on a sheet of paper, put the paper on the floor, and stomp on it. All of the students did – except one! Out of love and loyalty to Jesus, he said he wouldn’t do it. Even when threatened with dismissal, he refused to submit.
This leads us to ask the question, “Why would a teacher, even an atheist, do such a thing?” Answer: Because sometimes we fight what we fear. It’s called “living in denial.”
Think about it: Hatred and resentment normally end at the grave because the person is dead and no longer has any power over you. So why then do some people still hate Jesus? Fear! Deep down they fear He’s alive and that His influence in the world is growing. And His influence will continue to grow! “The earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea” (Isaiah 11:9 NKJV).
The historical truth of Christ’s resurrection is beyond dispute to any honest, open mind. But the greatest proof of His resurrection can be seen in changed lives. Paul writes: “You have been made right with God. The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by the same Spirit living within you” (Romans 8:10-11 NLT). Songwriter Alfred Ackley put it this way: “You ask me how I know He lives? He lives within my heart.”
Soul food: Num 21:4-9; Matt 27:51-66; Ps 69:7-21; Deut 21:22-23
2021-04-02
Colossians 1:20 MSG
Carolyn Arends writes: “Easter Sunday is the Christian faith’s gold medal victory lap…the Happily Ever After…But here’s the rub: I dread Good Friday…images of torture and suffering…somber music…the terrible recollected cry, ‘My God, why hast thou forsaken me?’ Left to my own devices, I’d probably skip Good Friday. But…if I did, Easter morning would become increasingly hollow. I’d forget how much my salvation cost….I’d start to believe that you can have victory without sacrifice…that you don’t have to die [to self] to live the resurrection. I’d buy the lie that Christ’s…victory over death – and my decision to follow him – means life will be trouble-free…The biblical writers…encourage us to consider suffering…an opportunity to identify with Christ…to take up his cross. Yet…when the job is lost, or the tumor is malignant, or the friendship is betrayed, we grieve not only the wound but also the fact that we can be wounded. We feel…Jesus has let us down. We don’t consider it ‘pure joy.’…We consider it failure….So how do we become Easter Sunday Christians? When I’m expecting Easter Sunday and I get Good Friday…[I try] to remember that God’s definition of ‘good’…far exceeds my own…that almost all the new beginnings…have come from what felt…like terrible endings….What seems like a small (but devastating) death is actually a chance at new life….We must be…broken…to grow into what we were made to be.”
If you’re struggling to see the “good” in your situation, hear this: “He was supreme in the beginning and – leading the resurrection parade – he is supreme in the end….Not only that, but all the broken…dislocated pieces…people and things…get properly fixed and fit together…because of his death” (vv. 18-20 MSG).
Soul food: Gen 22:1-18; Matt 26:69-27:50; Ps 22; Isa 53
2021-04-01
Malachi 2:6 NKJV
From the very first chapter of Genesis, it’s clear that a relationship with God is the foundation upon which everything in our lives must be built. If we try to build on anything else, we’re building on quicksand. Why? Because sooner or later our relationship with our children, our siblings, our spouse, our parents, and our friends will break down.
If we don’t understand that we were created with an intense hunger for a relationship with God, we won’t understand where the inner void and loneliness come from. And as a result, we’ll try (unsuccessfully) to fill it with three things:
(1) People. Having the right person in your life can help fulfill your need for love and emotional intimacy, but no one other than God can fill the spiritual emptiness within you.
(2) Things. Having material things can give us comfort and convenience. Having money can give us options to do good; options the less fortunate can only dream of. But you can have material things and still be lonely and unhappy.
(3) Religion. God’s not interested in religion; He’s interested in having a relationship with you. Religion only becomes significant when it enhances that relationship, which it doesn’t always do. Oftentimes religious rules and regulations become a deterrent to a relationship with God. The Bible is filled with religious people who missed connecting with God altogether. Sometimes we’re so preoccupied with our religious ideologies, teachings, doctrines, and principles that we fail to understand that what really matters most in life is a personal, intimate, daily, talking-and-listening relationship with God.
Soul food: Lev 1-4; Matt 26:47-68; Ps 31; Prov 8:34-36
