2018-12-28
Proverbs 29:1 NIV
Years ago civil engineers examined a dam in Pennsylvania that controlled the waters of several rivers which flowed down toward a valley where there was a town. Concerned by what they saw, they told the town officials, “The dam is unsafe and you are in great danger. You need to relocate.” The officials said, “We’ve heard it all before. The dam is all right.” A year later the engineers visited the dam and again came back saying, “We are warning you; you are in danger every hour.” By this time the engineers’ report had spread to the townsfolk, and they laughed it off, saying, “They’re just trying to scare us.” A few months later the engineers issued the same warning, and again it was dismissed. Fifteen days later a boy on a horse rode through the valley shouting, “Run for your lives! The dam has broken and the water is coming.” But the people laughed at him, certain he was trying to scare them. Suddenly a wall of dirty water struck, and in less than thirty minutes Johnstown was in ruins. More than 3,700 people died that day. Question: Has God been warning you about certain things in your life: relationships, habits, attitudes? If so, here are two Scriptures you’d do well to consider carefully: “The way of a fool seems right to him, but a wise man listens to advice” (Proverbs 12:15 NIV). “A man who remains stiff-necked after many rebukes will suddenly be destroyed – without remedy.” The word for you today is: Listen, and be willing to take advice.
Soul food: Job 32-35; Luke 2:21-33; Ps 97; Ecc 10:15-11:3
2018-12-27
2 Chronicles 26:5 NIV
Someone has said, “Before you try to climb the ladder of success, make sure it’s leaning against the right wall.” Now let’s be clear. When your intention is to do God’s will and honor Him, He promises success. It’s a mistake to associate all wealth with carnality and brand it as “worldly.” Prosperous, committed Christians in every generation have been instrumental in taking the gospel to the world and establishing God’s kingdom. Read these two promises. The first seems male-oriented: “Wealth and riches will be in his house, and his righteousness endures forever” (Psalm 112:3 NKJV). The second seems female-oriented: “Length of days is in her right hand, in her left hand riches and honor” (Proverbs 3:16 NKJV). Some of us have a false concept of success. The story’s told of three men talking about what success would be for them. One said, “Being invited to the White House for a personal meeting with the president would be success.” The second said, “To me success would be meeting with the president in the Oval Office, having the hot line ring during our talk, and watching the president ignore it.” The third guy said, “To me success would be meeting with the president in the Oval Office, the hot line rings and he picks it up and says, ‘It’s for you.'” If you go to Amazon.com, you’ll find over twenty-five hundred books on how to be successful. But you only need one book: God’s Word. Here’s what it says: “As long as he sought the Lord, God gave him success.” Want to be successful? Consult the Lord.
Soul food: Job 29-31; Luke 2:8-20; Ps 117; Ecc 10:15-19
2018-12-26
Luke 1:41 NLT
Here’s an interesting chapter in the Christmas story – one that teaches us about “spirit friends.” The Bible says: “A few days later Mary hurried to the hill country of Judea… She entered into the house and greeted Elizabeth. At the sound of Mary’s greeting, Elizabeth’s child leaped within her, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. Elizabeth… exclaimed to Mary, ‘God has blessed you above all women, and your child is blessed…Mary stayed with Elizabeth about three months and then went back to her own home” (vv. 39-42, 56 NLT). Besides being cousins, Mary and Elizabeth were “spirit friends.” They didn’t just connect socially, they connected spiritually at a deeper level. That’s why Mary “hurried” to see Elizabeth, and why she spent three months with her. It’s also why Elizabeth confirmed the miraculous purposes of God that were being fulfilled in Mary’s life, and commended her for her obedience. When God introduces you to someone who has been touched by His Spirit and carries within them a vision that’s conceived by the Holy Spirit, reach out to them, treasure them, and build a relationship with them. The connection between these two women didn’t take place because they were part of the same family. The truth is, sometimes our families are the first to criticize us and the last to understand us. Notice, when Mary greeted Elizabeth, the unborn child within her leaped in her womb. How do you recognize a “spirit friend”? When they speak, something within you will resonate. That’s because you are both filled with the same Holy Spirit and empowered to do God’s will.
Soul food: Job 24-28; John 1:6-18; Ps 113; Ecc 10:10-14
2018-12-25
Luke 1:34 NLT
The Bible says, “Mary asked the angel, ‘But how can this happen? I am a virgin.’ The angel replied, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you'” (vv. 34-35 NLT). Has God been telling you things He wants to do through you, but you’re looking at yourself and thinking, “How can this happen?” You’re saying, “I don’t have the training, the resources, the skill, or the connections. And I certainly don’t have the strength to accomplish it alone.” If you’re wondering how God will bring it all to pass, remember that He will accomplish it! No one else will get the credit. How will it happen? “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you” (v. 35 NLT). The Holy Spirit can impregnate you with a vision, inspire you with creative ideas, introduce you to the right people, and empower you to do the job. God had a unique plan for Mary, and He has one for you too. You aren’t privileged to see the future and you don’t know all that God has in store for you. But He has a plan. After the angel spoke to Mary, notice what she said: “Be it unto me according to thy word” (v. 38). Not according to your social status, or your job résumé, or your finances, or what you deserve. No, “Be it unto me according to thy word!” Was that easy to say or believe? No, she was taking an extreme risk. To be pregnant and unmarried brought dire consequences in those days. Yet she gave herself willingly to God – and the results were miraculous. And God can do the same for you.
Soul food: Isa 7:14; Luke 2:1-7; Mic 5:2-5a; Isa 9:6-7
2018-12-24
Luke 2:18 NIV
To fully appreciate the story of Christmas, you must look at three things: (1) Who God called to tell the story. Shepherds! In first-century Palestine they were considered to be the lowest in society. Yet God picked them to tell the greatest story. Perhaps that’s because some of us would have debated the story or even denied it. Not them: “They spread the word” (v. 17 NIV). This answers the question, “Could God use someone like me?” Yes, you don’t need to be a scholar. Just tell people what you’ve seen and heard, and the change Jesus has made in your life. (2) The response of those who heard the story. “All who heard it were amazed.” The grace of God is amazing: “God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation” (2 Corinthians 5:19 NIV). The gospel is not good advice, it’s good news! Your sin debt is cancelled; your books are reconciled, and now you can have a personal relationship with God by putting your trust in Christ. It doesn’t get any better! (3) Mary’s part in the story. “Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart” (Luke 2:19 NIV). She wanted to understand what God was doing, and how it related to her. And you need to do that too. God doesn’t change, but He moves, and you have to stay in step with Him. There were many things Mary didn’t understand about God’s will, but she accepted and obeyed it. And that’s what God is asking of you too.
Soul food: Job 21-23; Luke 1:67-80; Ps 128; Ecc 10:5-9
2018-12-23
Galatians 2:20 NIV
If you could change through self-effort, you wouldn’t need the Lord. Plus, any attempt on your part to earn or merit His grace disqualifies you. Why is that? Because you’re striving to be the source of your own salvation, or your own significance, or your own strength. If you want to know what really upsets God – that will do it every time! “So how on earth am I supposed to become more Christlike?” you ask. Die to “self” and allow Christ to live through you! Take a moment to ponder these Scriptures: “Those who think they can do it on their own end up obsessed with measuring their own moral muscle but never get around to exercising it in real life…If God himself has taken up residence in your life, you can hardly be thinking more of yourself than of him. Anyone, of course, who has not welcomed…God…won’t know what we’re talking about. But for you who welcome him, in whom he dwells – even though you still experience all the limitations of sin – you yourself experience life on God’s terms. It stands to reason, doesn’t it, that if the alive-and-present God who raised Jesus from the dead moves into your life, he’ll do the same thing in you that he did in Jesus, bringing you alive to himself?” (Romans 8:5-11 TM). How can you tell that Christ is alive and working in you? When others look at you they will see Him. When they listen to you they will hear Him. And when they walk with you they will be following Him. “How long does it take to become Christlike?” you ask. It happens a day at a time, over a lifetime.
Soul food: Matt 1; Matt 2
