2019-10-13
Mark 5:19 NIV
The most powerful testimony of all – is a life that can’t be explained without God! People may dispute your theology, but your testimony, that’s something else! Six different times Paul stood before hostile audiences, and each time he gave his personal testimony. No arguing, no debating – just his story. Dr. David Yonggi Cho built the world’s largest church in South Korea (one million members). He was won to Christ by a lady he met only once. She shared her testimony, moved on, and Cho, a former Buddhist, never found her again. Your testimony is an awesome thing, especially when it’s backed by a consistent lifestyle. People who won’t listen to others will listen to you, relate to you, and respond to you if you’ll share your story. And when you do, keep in mind four things: (1) Be interesting. Give them the short version and avoid clichés. Jesus is exciting; He came to bring “[life] more abundantly” (John 10:10 NKJV). (2) Be specific. Talk about: (a) how it used to be; (b) how you met Jesus; (c) how it is now. (3) Be honest. Don’t say, “All your problems will disappear when you become a Christian.” The Christian life is a battlefield, not a playing field. Let people know you still have struggles but something important has changed – you’re no longer alone: “Greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world” (1 John 4:4). (4) Be warm. Don’t try to arm-wrestle them into the kingdom. Be gracious, sow the seed, and leave the harvest to God. Now, “Go…tell them how much the Lord has done for you.”
Soul food: Exo 34:29-35; Mark 9:2-27; 2 Cor 3:7-18
2019-10-12
Joshua 8:1 NKJV
When you’re under spiritual attack, you need to surround yourself with “the people of war.” They are experienced in spiritual warfare and know how to deal with the Enemy. They have proven strategies for victory and a tenacious faith that rises up and says, “If God be for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31). The truth is, the people of war are the people of the Word. They know how to take the sword of the spirit, which is the Word of God, and use it to defeat the Enemy (See Ephesians 6:17). They’re not hesitant about marching into the Enemy’s camp and taking back everything he has stolen from them (See 1 Samuel 30:8). Anybody can stand with you in the good times, but when you find somebody who can stand with you in the bad times, treasure them and build a relationship with them. The Bible says, “A brother is born for adversity” (Proverbs 17:17). Did you get that? They’re born for battle! They’re not just strong in faith, they’re strong in fight. And you won’t necessarily find these people in pulpits and choir lofts; they blow no trumpets, wave no banners, and demand no applause. But they know how to boldly approach the throne of grace and claim the promises of God (See Hebrews 4:16). After Joshua conquered Jericho, God said to him, “Take all the people of war with you, and arise, go up to Ai. See, I have given into your hand the king…his people…his city, and his land.” So if you’re in a battle today, take “the people of war with you.”
Soul food: 2 Sam 22:31-24:25; John 4:13-26; Ps 32; Prov 23:29-35
2019-10-11
Philippians 4:6-7 NLT
God’s peace is a wonderful thing. And some of the people around you today are in need of it. It comes when you commit your life to Christ and live by the principles laid out in Scripture. When you “commit” something to the Lord, you transfer every part of it from you to Him (See Psalm 37:5). Peter writes, “Casting…the whole of your…concerns, once and for all, on Him, for He cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7 AMPC). What a privilege. Have you been availing yourself of it lately? “How do I cast all my cares on Him?” you ask. Through prayer! As soon as you become aware that you’re starting to worry and lose your sense of peace, take it to God immediately and leave it with Him. Don’t give the Devil time to work you over. The longer you wait, the greater his hold over you becomes. “But I can’t help thinking about it,” you say. “What can I do?” These two things: (1) Give it to God and then start to focus on other things. It’s a learned response, one you’ll have to practice daily. Paul writes, “Whatever is true…honorable and worthy of respect…whatever is lovely and brings peace…think continually on these things” (Philippians 4:8 AMP). In other words, redirect your thoughts! (2) Find out what God says in His Word about your situation. Then line your thoughts, words, and actions up with it. When you do this, “You will experience God’s peace” (Philippians 4:6-7).
Soul food: 2 Sam 20:1-22:30; John 4:1-12; Ps 100; Prov 23:22-28
2019-10-10
Philippians 3:14 NIV
In 1972, Life magazine published a story about the amazing adventures of John Goddard. When he was fifteen, his grandmother said, “If only I had done that when I was young.” Determined not to make that statement at the end of his life, John wrote out 127 goals. He named ten rivers he wanted to explore and seventeen mountains he wanted to climb. He set goals of becoming an Eagle Scout, a world traveler, and a pilot. Also on his list was riding a horse in the Rose Bowl parade, diving in a submarine, retracing the travels of Marco Polo, reading the Bible from cover to cover, and reading the entire Encyclopedia Britannica. He also planned to read the entire works of Shakespeare, Plato, Dickens, Socrates, Aristotle, and several other classic authors. He desired to learn to play the flute and violin, marry, have children (he had five), pursue a career in medicine, and serve as a missionary for his church. Sound impossible? At age forty-seven, he had accomplished 103 of his 127 goals! Now, your list of goals may not be as extensive as his, but if you don’t have some goals for your life you’ll have little motivation to get up in the morning and little satisfaction when you put your head on your pillow each night. And unless you try something beyond what you’ve already mastered, you won’t grow. So set your goals in prayer, and with God’s help work toward them each day.
Soul food: 2 Sam 17:14-19:43; John 3:22-36; Ps 89:38-52; Prov 23:19-21
2019-10-09
Proverbs 24:16 NIV
On the night of December 9, 1914, Edison Industries was destroyed by fire. The loss exceeded two million dollars, along with the majority of Thomas Edison’s work. He was insured only for $238 because the buildings were constructed of concrete, which was thought to make a building fireproof. At sixty-seven years of age, the great inventor watched his life’s work go up in flames. The next morning after firefighters had finally brought the inferno under control, he surveyed his charred dreams and crushed hopes. As he looked at the scene, he said, “There is great value in disaster. All our mistakes are burned up. Thank God we can start anew.” Three weeks after the fire, Edison produced one of his greatest inventions: the first phonograph. Try to imagine the world of music and entertainment without it! The Bible says, “For though the righteous fall seven times, they rise again, but the wicked stumble when calamity strikes.” With God on your side you can begin again because the power to do it resides within you. It’s the same power that raised Christ from the dead (See Romans 8:11). Paul prayed for believers at Ephesus: “That out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being” (Ephesians 3:16 NIV). Where is your strength? “In your inner being.” He continues: “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us” (Ephesians 3:20 NIV). So the word for you today is – you can start again.
Soul food: Lev 16; Lev 23:26-32; Heb 9:1-14; Heb 13:11-16
2019-10-08
Psalm 134:1 NKJV
The last verse of the last psalm in the Bible says, “Let everything that hath breath praise the Lord. Praise ye the Lord” (Psalm 150:6). That means as long as you are alive you are called to worship God. But some of us are more wired to be worshipers in the church, while others are more wired to be workers. While all of us are called to worship God, some of us are more inclined to do it through works while others are more inclined to do it through worship. And with God, both count as acts of service. The psalmist said, “Bless the Lord, all you servants of the Lord, who by night stand in the house of the Lord! Lift up your hands in the sanctuary, and bless the Lord” (Psalm 134:1-2 NKJV). Note the words “servants of the Lord.” How were they serving Him? Through worship. The Westminster Confession of Faith says, “The chief end of man is that he might glorify God.” And there are many ways to do it: “Whoever offers praise glorifies Me” (Psalm 50:23 NKJV). Worship acts like a thermostat; it creates a climate in which God’s presence can be experienced and enjoyed. David said: “Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits” (Psalm 103:1-2 NKJV). What a benefits package! Forgiveness, healing, deliverance, and protection. How do we receive these benefits? Through worship. When we bless the Lord, He blesses us. So when you worship, you’re serving God.
Soul food: 2 Sam 14:21-17:13; John 3:1-21; Ps 89:15-37; Prov 23:15-18
