2020-12-08
John 20:21 KJV
Jesus said, “As my Father hath sent me…so send I you.” Notice, it’s about how God wants us to share the gospel, not the rules, regulations, and dictates of various denominations.
Understand this: (1) We were sent to serve, not be served. “The Son…came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life [as] a ransom’ (Matthew 20:28 KJV). Ever notice that when we are the last to be served at a restaurant we get angry? We think we deserve better. But in God’s kingdom the power is at the bottom, and it’s from there Christ governs and conquers. We must come to the end of ourselves. We don’t represent Jesus unless we are willing to put on the apron of humility and wash our brother’s feet, even if his name happens to be Judas.
(2) We were sent to do God’s will, not our own. Jesus said, “I came…not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me” (John 6:38 KJV). When we’re young and people inquire about our plans for life, we sometimes say, “I’d like to be a doctor, or a teacher, or a nurse.” But we really need to add “the Lord willing,” because unless He’s in it, you are on your own. Choosing the wrong occupation will put you in the wrong place, with the wrong people, and consequently everything in your life will be wrong. John said, “The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever” (1 John 2:17 NIV). To miss God’s will – is to miss the purpose for which you were born. Don’t let that happen to you.
Soul food: Jos 16:1-19:23; John 17:13-26; Ps 148:1-6; Prov 29:11-15
2020-12-07
Numbers 13:30 AMPC
One Sunday evening, Mary Southerland was in church when a stranger tapped her on the shoulder and told her she was called to be the music and youth assistant for the church. She thought he had lost his mind! She had just graduated from college with a degree in elementary education, and a friend had invited her to attend the church and sing in the evening service. That’s all – or so she thought. When the service ended, her friend said, “You should at least pray about his offer.” She did. “Here I am thirty years later, an unlikely servant, who lives in constant amazement at God’s plan for my life.”
We let our weaknesses and insecurities dictate the course of our lives, when all the time, God is looking for ordinary people to do extraordinary things. We’re always making excuses for why we can’t get involved in church, or in the community, or in helping others. Chances are, on your own you don’t feel capable. Few people do. But Paul points out: “[God’s] power works best in [your] weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9 NLT).
When Moses sent twelve spies into Canaan to check out the opposition, ten reported, “We have no chance, the giants are too big” (See Numbers 13:28 AMPC). But the other two disagreed with the majority report, and said, “Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able.”
God sees you as “well able,” not because you are powerful, but because He is. With Him on your side you can rise up with confidence, knowing you are well able to overcome. God sees you as a winner, and an overcomer who can accomplish great things because of the talents and power He has placed inside you.
Soul food: Jos 14-15; John 17:1-12; Ps 147:12-20; Prov 29:6-10
2020-12-06
2 Corinthians 5:21 NIV
Gandhi once said, “I refuse to let anyone walk through my mind with dirty feet.” Yet that’s exactly what we do when we listen to old voices of condemnation.
A respected author writes: “Negative accusations take various forms. ‘You’re not as spiritual as you should be…You didn’t work hard enough last week…God can’t bless you because of your past.’ Those are lies…We don’t have to live condemned when we make mistakes. Even Paul said, ‘I do not do the good things I want to do…I do the bad thing I do not want to do’ (Romans 7:19 NCV).
There is a time to repent, and a time to shake it off and press forward. You can’t change the past. And if you live in guilt today because of yesterday, you won’t have the strength to live in victory.
The Bible says, ‘Put on the breastplate of God’s approval’ (See Ephesians 6:14). The breastplate covers your heart, the center of your being, the way you think and feel about yourself. If you’re thinking, ‘I don’t have much of a future. I’ve blown it too often. God couldn’t be pleased with me,’ that’s ‘the accuser,’ and he has no authority over you.” God says he’s been “cast down” (Revelation 12:10 KJV).
So stand your ground, and remind him that “God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” Like all of us, you’ve probably made your fair share of mistakes. But positionally God sees you “in Christ,” so you’re “complete,” “justified,” and “accepted.” Conditionally you’re a work-in-progress – and He won’t give up on you!
Soul food: Ecc 11:7-12:1; Ps 39:4-13; 2 Tim 4:6-8
2020-12-05
Galatians 5:26 TM
Does this sound familiar? “You think your day was tough? I dealt with thirty customers before lunch!” It’s easy to get sucked into “The Martyr’s Contest,” where your problems are worse than everybody else’s. And if you’re not careful, it can creep into your home.
Alicia Howe writes: “At day’s end when workplace frustrations are fresh and domestic tasks are looming, the setting is ripe…Spouses who desperately need each other to recognize their efforts, battle it out for the title of hardest-working person…We have a fundamental need for recognition from our spouses, and if we don’t get it, we devise strategies to evoke it.” The problem is, when we compare ourselves we can damage our relationship.
So with that in mind: (1) Be alert for unspoken pleas for encouragement. When your mate expresses frustration, don’t counter with one-upmanship. Jesus said, “Listen…if you have ears!” (Mark 4:9 GNT). What your mate needs is assurance that they can handle the problem.
(2) Express appreciation often. Envision your mate wearing a sign that says, ‘Appreciate me!’ The fact that society is inclined to assign gender-specific roles doesn’t give you the right to take your partner for granted.
(3) Reinforce your spouse’s efforts to help. Don’t criticize the way they fold laundry or rake the yard. When you do, you guarantee they won’t try to do it again.
Think of a four-pronged fork: (a) Be respectful of one another’s work. (b) Recognize that while your jobs are different, they can both be difficult. (c) Be sensitive, and flexible enough to help when it’s not ‘your job’ or ‘your turn.’ (d) Outlaw the complaint, “I’m tired.” It’s counter-productive, and chances are you are both tired of hearing it!
Soul food: Jos 11-13; John 16:19-33; Ps 147:1-11; Prov 29:1-5
2020-12-04
Exodus 18:23 TM
In Exodus we read: “Moses took his seat…as judge…the people…stood around him from morning till evening. When his father-in-law saw all Moses was doing…he said…’What you are doing is not good. You…will only wear yourselves out. The work is too heavy…you cannot handle it alone…select capable men…Have them serve as judges…because they will share it with you…you will be able to stand the strain” (vv. 13-23 NIV).
The executive director of a fast-growing church says: “As a performance-based people-pleaser, I know how Moses must have felt. Quick growth and multiplying campuses put me in a situation where I was trying to lead and manage everything. In the process, I’d become worn out and frustrated. What I was doing wasn’t healthy for our team and the church. In the weeks that followed, we reorganized our staff, empowered leaders with more authority, and developed a pipeline for training and development at all levels. As leaders we must resist the temptation to be heroes and handle it all ourselves. It’s critical to reevaluate your leadership structure at least once a year. Ministry leadership is tough…but there are things you can do to develop others and spread the responsibility.”
It takes prayer, humility, and patience to develop the right people. But “if you handle the work this way, you’ll have the strength to carry out whatever God commands you, and the people…will flourish also.” It’s a win/win for everybody!
Soul food: Jos 8:30-10:43; John 16:12-18; Ps 2; Prov 28:25-28
2020-12-03
2 Timothy 2:2 NLT
Most church leaders would concede that people are their greatest resource. Which raises the question, why we don’t devote more time to training new leaders?
One pastor admits that by failing to do this: “We limit the long-term growth and effectiveness of our organizations. Paul modeled this truth and changed the course of history. He cultivated other leaders around him, and taught them to do the same. He told his protégé, Timothy, ‘Teach these truths to other trustworthy people who will…pass them on.’ That’s the essence of great leadership.”
When you devote time to developing leaders with a caring attitude, they learn to pass the same level of care on to the people they minister to. There are proven principles that apply to leadership in any organization, and the church is no exception.
For example, Jon Gordon says: “Great customer service begins with being employee-focused first and customer-focused second. Too often organizations focus all their energy on the customer while ignoring the people who serve. This may work in the short run, but eventually employees become tired, burned out, negative, and resentful…
Organizations who deliver the best service have a culture where employees are valued, listened to, and cared for. In turn these employees value, care for, and serve their customers…If you model great service, your people will share it. If you want your team to serve, serve them. If you want your people to care, care about them. If you want your team to love their work, love them. If you want your employees to be their best, give them your best.”
So are you training people who can train others?
Soul food: Jos 5:1-8:29; John 16:1-11; Ps 130; Prov 28:21-24
