2018-11-07
Galatians 5:1 NLT
Some of us find it hard to give ourselves permission to think, say, or enjoy certain things because we fear others will disapprove. We live by their convictions instead of our own. There’s no bondage like religious bondage! A Christian author writes: “The church I grew up in taught that we couldn’t go to the movies or a soccer match (mixing with the world), or ladies wear makeup. Our standard answer to most of these issues was, “We were taught differently!” Such is the reasoning of a conscience raised in the school of tradition. Paul came down hard on the Galatians for trying to police people’s lives and forcing them to live by Jewish traditions instead of the Gospel of grace. He wrote, “Make sure…you stay free…don’t get tied up again in slavery to the law” (v. 1 NLT). Train yourself to worry less about what people think and more about what God thinks. In reality, what upsets some religious folks is that you can do certain things they can’t – because they can’t give themselves permission to enjoy their freedom in Christ (See Galatians 2:4). Now, we’re not condoning sin or unscriptural practices. But if you don’t move when the light is green, you’ll spend your life waiting for “the right moment” or “a time when most people will understand” before you move forward. And you’ll end your life looking back with regret. Don’t let that happen to you. “Christ has truly set us free…make sure that you stay free.”
Soul food: Isa 49-52; John 8:31-41; Ps 30; Prov 28:25-28
2018-11-06
1 Peter 2:20 NIV
Many of the people we admire in Scripture were badly treated. And God permitted it to happen. Think about Daniel being thrown to the lions, and Joseph being tossed into prison. They did nothing to deserve it. The Bible says: “If you suffer for doing good and endure it, this is commendable…To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps” (vv. 20-21 NIV). Notice, you are “called” to overcome difficulties. There’s purpose in your pain. And nothing can touch you without first passing through your loving heavenly Father’s hands. He anticipated it all, and everything you’re going through right now is preparing you to serve Him more effectively. Paul said, “At my preliminary hearing no one stood by me. They all ran…But it doesn’t matter – the Master stood by me and helped me spread the Message” (2 Timothy 4:16-17 TM). Paul didn’t see it as simply enduring, he saw it as advancing! So be encouraged; you’re growing in grace [becoming more gracious] and in the knowledge of the Lord (See 2 Peter 3:18). You’re in the preparation process. “But I don’t understand,” you say. Then listen to Joni Erickson Tada: “If God’s mind was small enough for me to understand, He wouldn’t be God. Sometimes I can’t stand being in this wheelchair, but there God’s grace takes over. Even in my handicap, God has a plan and purpose for my life.” Whether God takes you out of the situation or brings you through it, trust Him. He’s working for your good and His glory.
Soul food: Isa 45-48; John 8:21-30; Ps 86; Prov 28:21-24
2018-11-05
Genesis 41:42 NKJV
The third coat Joseph wore was: The coat of destiny. Because Joseph honored God in the most difficult of circumstances, he ended up on the throne of Egypt, wearing the coat of rulership and fulfilling his destiny. The Psalmist said God “sent a man before them – Joseph – who was sold as a slave. They hurt his feet with fetters, he was laid in irons. Until the time that his word came to pass, the word of the Lord tested him. The King sent and released him, the ruler of the people let him go free. He made him lord of his house, and ruler of all his possessions” (Psalm 105:17-21 NKJV). The tests and temptations you are facing are over your future. They are preparing you for your destiny! All of your life can be training for one season, for one assignment. And the greater the assignment, the greater the attack that will come against you. Five times in Genesis chapter 39 the Bible says, “The Lord was with Joseph.” But that did not exempt him from betrayal by his family; or repeated temptation at the hands of his boss’s wife; or slander and false imprisonment; or disappointment at the hands of the butler he befriended in prison. Looking back, however, Joseph realized that all of these experiences were “training for reigning.” When asked why he used only wood taken from trees that had weathered the biggest storms to make his violins, Stradivarius replied, “Weather-beaten wood makes the sweetest music.” So persevere, keep trusting God, and you’ll sing a song of victory.
Soul food: Isa 42-44; John 8:1-20; Ps 96; Prov 28:17-20
2018-11-04
Genesis 39:12 NKJV
The second coat Joseph wore was: The coat of temptation. The Bible says, “When Joseph went into the house to do his work…she caught him by his [coat], saying, ‘Lie with me.’ But he left his [coat] in her hand, and fled and ran outside” (vv. 11-12 NKJV). Joseph was young, handsome, lonely, far from home, and facing repeated temptation at the hands of his boss’s wife. Yet he resisted her advances and said, “How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?” (v. 9 NKJV). His first concern was not that he couldn’t get away with it, but that he couldn’t live with himself if he said yes. Remembering how God had loved, preserved, and blessed him put the brakes on any carnal inclinations and impulses he may have had. Not so with David. After his affair with Bathsheba, he wrote these words in his penitential prayer of Psalm 51: “Against You, You only, have I sinned, and done this evil in Your sight” (v. 4 NKJV). Who are you sinning against? God. Who is observing what you’re doing? God: the One who demonstrated the extent of His love for you at Calvary. Did God forgive David? Yes, and He will forgive you too. But David’s story proves that sometimes we have to live with the consequences of our deeds, and they can devastate not only us but those who look to us for guidance. Paul, the greatest of the apostles, acknowledged this truth: “I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified” (1 Corinthians 9:27 NKJV).
Soul food: Acts 9:1-19; 2 Cor 11:21-33; 2 Cor 12:7-10; Acts 16:16-40
2018-11-03
Genesis 37:3 NKJV
Let’s look at the three different coats Joseph wore, as they present a picture of your life as a Christian. First, the coat of salvation. Notice, it was a “gift” from his father; Joseph never paid a penny for it, or sewed a stitch, or provided an inch of fabric. And that’s the story of our salvation, isn’t it? The Bible says, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9 NKJV). Motivated by jealousy and resentment, Joseph’s brothers threw him into a pit and dipped his coat in the blood of a goat in order to convince their father that he had been devoured by a wild beast. Are you getting the picture here? “The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin” (1 John 1:7 NKJV). In Old Testament times, when someone sinned they brought a sacrificial lamb to the altar and the priest shed its blood as payment for their sins. But the priest did not examine the person, he examined the lamb. If the lamb was “worthy,” the person was accepted and their sins were atoned for. So the moment you acknowledge your sin and pray, “Father, I come in the name of Jesus, the Lamb of God,” you are totally forgiven and accepted. “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16 NKJV).
Soul food: Isa 38-41; John 7:45-53; Ps 9; Prov 28:13-16
2018-11-02
Ephesians 1:9 NIV
What a joy it is when the will of God is no longer a mystery, because He has made it “known to us.” Suddenly your outlook is different, your attitude changes, and fear can no longer play games with your mind. Now you know – and knowledge is power! The Bible says, “The people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits” (Daniel 11:32). There are times you know things in your spirit that you can’t figure out in your head. And it can cause you to be misunderstood. You can carry the knowledge of a breakthrough or a blessing in your spirit long before it happens. The Bible says, “We know about these things because God has sent His Spirit to tell us” (1 Corinthians 2:10 TLB). When God imparts wisdom to you, it puts you in a position to succeed. What separates the bank president from the janitor? It’s what he or she knows! They may be equal in every other sense, but one has paid a price to learn things that place him or her in a different position that brings different rewards. “We know these things.” God can cause you to know something that will change the course of your life. He can show you something during the night that changes how you feel in the morning. In His presence you receive insights that give you purpose, hope, dignity, direction, and the strength to get up and fight for what He promised you in His Word. So get into His presence today – and stay there until He reveals to you His will in the matter.
Soul food: Isa 34-37; John 7:25-44; Ps 104:24-35; Prov 28:9-12
