2019-11-24
Romans 8:26 NAS
Paul writes: “The Spirit also helps our weakness, for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God” (vv. 26-27 NAS). So what is this “weakness” in prayer that we are subject to? It’s that sometimes we don’t know how to express the depth of our desires and feelings, nor do we even realize what we need. Sometimes we’re so exhausted in spirit, mind, and body, that we can hardly muster the energy to open our mouths. There are instances when discouragement has taken such a strong hold of your heart that you can’t imagine a way out of your circumstances. That’s when you need to ask for the Holy Spirit’s help! When you are a believer, the Holy Spirit supplies you with the two things you can’t live without: (1) The ability to know what God is saying to you. Sometimes you can’t trust your own wisdom or the advice of those closest to you. (2) How to have an intimate relationship with God. One of the most wonderful things Jesus said was, “I have called you friends” (John 15:15). But friendships aren’t built on a hit-and-run basis; they take time and communication. Jesus described His relationship with the Father like this: “The Father loves the Son and shows him everything” (John 5:20 NLT). And not only does the Holy Spirit show you what to do, He empowers you to do it. So seek His help today.
Soul food: Ecc 11:7-12:1; Ps 39:4-13; 2 Tim 4:6-8
2019-11-23
John 14:26 NKJV
Jesus said, “The Helper, the Holy Spirit…will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.” So the Holy Spirit has these two functions: (1) He teaches you how to walk with God. (2) He reminds you to do it each day. As redeemed children of God, we constantly need to be taught how to walk with Him, and to be reminded of the blessings that await us when we do and the trouble we get into when we don’t. If you’ve raised kids, you know the routine. They have to be taught their ABCs so they can read and write; then they have to be reminded until they master it. They have to be taught to walk, and falling down hundreds of times is just part of growing up. The Bible says, “A righteous man may fall seven times and rise again” (Proverbs 24:16 NKJV). Just as you don’t tell your child, “Forget it, you’re never going to learn to walk,” your heavenly Father doesn’t give up on you either. Your child had to be taught personal hygiene and cleanliness. Likewise, the Holy Spirit will remind you of the importance of reading God’s Word each day. Jesus said, “You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you” (John 15:3 NKJV). And the psalmist wrote, “How can a young man [and an older one too] cleanse his way? By taking heed…to Your word” (Psalm 119:9 NKJV). If you’re wise, you’ll start each day by praying, “Holy Spirit, teach me what I need to know, and remind me of it throughout this day.”
Soul food: 2 Chr 35-36; John 13:18-30; Ps 114; Prov 27:20-22
2019-11-22
Galatians 5:16 NLT
Dr. Charles Stanley says: “During a photographic trip my group had been traveling up a trail for almost three hours, and I began to have a funny feeling that we were going in the wrong direction. I asked the guide about it and he assured me everything was fine. Not wanting to be presumptuous, I kept walking. After a few minutes, I noticed that my sense of uneasiness persisted; in fact, it was growing stronger. I pulled out my compass and looked at the map. Sure enough, we were headed away from our intended destination. It took us close to an hour and a half to return to where we’d taken the incorrect turn. Sadly, this meant by the time we got to the site, our window for taking photographs was cut short. The event helped me realize two valuable lessons. First, when we sense an internal witness encouraging us to take a certain course of action, we should listen. Second, when you and I choose people to guide us, we must be certain they know the path ahead better than we do. Have you ever felt something alerting you to pay attention or pulling you in a particular direction? Perhaps you were listening to a sermon and you sensed God telling you to follow Him in obedience. Or maybe you walked into a restaurant and were filled with dread, as if you should leave quickly. If you’re a believer, most likely these feelings were the promptings of the Holy Spirit speaking to your heart, warning you about danger, and encouraging you to submit to God’s purposes.” Today, “Let the Holy Spirit guide [you].”
Soul food: 2 Chr 32-34; John 13:1-17; Ps 95; Prov 27:17-19
2019-11-21
Titus 1:5 NKJV
The fourth issue you find among pastors who quit the ministry is this: They teach others how to build strong families without necessarily knowing how to build one themselves. Or they’re not willing to pay the price to do it and eventually it becomes a problem. The greatest sermon you’ll ever preach is at home! Pastors’ wives can slip into despair and depression because they feel like the ministry robs them of all their husband’s time and attention. Their neglected children get tired of hearing, “I’m doing this for the Lord,” so they rebel against God and the church, and act out in ways that embarrass the parent who has no time for them. Your wife and children should always be able to reach you. If the church takes up seven days out of your week, it’s not the church’s fault – it’s yours! You need to start making changes! And if you think this is a phenomenon of living in the 21st century, think again. Read the stories of leaders like David and Samuel, and you discover it’s possible to succeed on the job, yet fail miserably on the home front. Too many preachers value the approval of their peers more than the love and respect of their families. Bear in mind that you won’t always be the pastor, but you will always be the husband of your wife and the father of your children. So be there when they need you – and they’ll be there when you need them.
Soul food: 2 Chr 29-31; John 12:37-50; Ps 102:18-28; Prov 27:13-16
2019-11-20
Acts 20:28 NKJV
Here’s another issue pastors often grapple with: They know how to feed others spiritually, but not themselves. Before leaving the church at Ephesus for the last time, Paul gathered its leaders together and said, “Take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers.” Before you attempt to take care of others, learn to take care of yourself. Before God builds the ministry, He builds the minister; otherwise, you become an easy target for the Enemy. When the administrative side of church threatened to rob the apostles of their daily prayer and Bible study time, they called “time out,” saying, “We will give ourselves continually to prayer, and…the word” (Acts 6:4). Pastor, don’t just focus on preparing your sermon, keep your soul prepared! And don’t just set boundaries for your people, set them for yourself. Believing you can cut corners spiritually opens you to wrong relationships and destructive habits. As a result, you end up living on two levels – public service and private struggle. When that happens, you live with the fear of exposure, feel like a hypocrite, and forfeit the confidence necessary for God to use you (See 1 John 3:21, 22). Consequently the church gets robbed spiritually and suffers. So…what do struggling servants of God need? Spiritual fathers! Paul writes, “You might have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet you do not have many fathers” (1 Corinthians 4:15 NKJV). Find a mature, seasoned friend in ministry and reach for help before your problem gets out of control. This isn’t just a good idea – your survival in ministry may depend on it!
Soul food: 2 Chr 25-28; John 12:20-36; Ps 102:12-17; Prov 27:10-12
2019-11-19
2 Corinthians 11:28 NIV
Let’s take another look at why over 50 percent of pastors quit the ministry. They love the crowd, but can’t handle the pressure. We like to talk about the power of the New Testament church, but what about its problems? The church is made up of human beings, and human beings have unresolved issues. The New Testament church had: (1) Moral problems. One man was sleeping with his stepmother, and nobody in the church seemed particularly upset about it (See 1 Corinthians 5:1-2). (2) Doctrinal problems. Some Jewish converts thought the Gentile converts needed to be circumcised. The dispute became so heated that it almost split the church down the middle (See Acts 15). (3) Immaturity and “personality-itis” problems. Paul writes: “I could not address you as people who live by the Spirit but as people who are still worldly – mere infants in Christ. I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it…For since there is jealousy and quarrelling among you, are you not worldly?…when one says, ‘I follow Paul,’ and another, ‘I follow Apollos,’ are you not mere human beings?” (1 Corinthians 3:1-4 NIV). He goes on to say, “Demas has forsaken me, having loved this present world” (2 Timothy 4:10 NKJV). Then he adds, “Alexander the coppersmith did me much evil” (2 Timothy 4:14). If you’re a pastor, here’s the bottom line: If you can’t feel the pain, you can’t heal the pain! Hidden in your everyday problems and people pressures, you’ll find the wisdom to minister effectively. So don’t get discouraged – keep going!
Soul food: 2 Chr 22-24; John 12:12-19; Ps 102:1-11; Prov 27:7-9
