2018-11-29
Hebrews 12:2 MSG
Concerning Jesus, the Bible says: “Because he never lost sight of where he was headed…he could put up with anything along the way: cross, shame, whatever…When you find yourselves flagging in your faith, go over that story again” (vv. 2-3 TM). It’s your vision that fuels your passion. Ever notice how God often transforms the worst of sinners into His greatest servants? That’s because they’re passionate, and once that passion is harnessed and redirected they become effective in His kingdom. Now you understand why the Enemy has tried so hard to destroy you. He knows once you line up your passion with God’s plan, there will be no stopping you. Passion is spiritual energy; without it you’re as limp as a wet noodle and as bland as hospital food. So instead of trying to stifle your passion, let God redirect it. Jesus told the end-age church, “You are neither hot nor cold. I wish that you were one or the other!” (Revelation 3:15 NLT). Who is He speaking to? Professing Christians who live, marry, have children, buy cars, accumulate stocks, and do all the things their modern-day counterparts do, but without passion. They were simply going through the motions! The Bible says, “Taste and see” (Psalm 34:8); in other words, step up to the plate and swing the bat! So what if you miss? The fact is you’ll miss for sure if you don’t swing! Your instinct for self-preservation can rob you of the only chance you may ever get at life. So if you’re down today, get back up. If you failed, try again. Ask God to rekindle the fires of passion within you.
Soul food: Gen 20-23; John 14:1-14; Ps 118:10-18; Prov 31:10-13
2018-11-28
Isaiah 41:10 NIV
To succeed in life you need two things: (1) The right people. Sometimes the first step toward getting out of discouragement is finding somebody who can lift you. Don’t be like the guy who was about to jump off a bridge when a policeman approached him and said, “Surely nothing could be that bad. Tell me about it.” When the guy got through talking – they both jumped! You may smile, but the company you keep will either lift you up or pull you down. Paul wrote, “God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the coming of Titus” (2 Corinthians 7:6 NIV). You need a Titus in your life, and you need to become a Titus to others. The Bible says, “Bear…one another’s burdens” (Galatians 6:2). (2) The right perspective. Over half of all salespeople fail because they don’t go back a second or third time. About 58 percent make one call and stop. Twenty-five percent make two calls and stop. Fifteen percent make three calls and stop. The 12 percent who go back again and again and again make 80 percent of all sales. That’s the group you belong in. Don’t settle for failure; get up and try again! God will work with you (See Philippians 1:6). Missionary and theologian E. Stanley Jones said, “When life kicks you, let it kick you forward.” Refuse to accept defeat. Remember, you’ll be rewarded for what you finished, not for what you started. Sometimes the last key on the ring is the one that opens the door, so ask God for the strength to keep persevering until you win!
Soul food: Gen 17-19; John 13:31-38; Ps 118:1-9; Prov 31:6-9
2018-11-27
Proverbs 18:24 MSG
One day two cows looked over a fence and saw these words on a passing milk truck: “Pasteurized, Homogenized, Vitamin A added.” One cow said to the other, “It makes you feel a bit inadequate, doesn’t it?” Seriously, is that how you feel today? There’s too much to do, and not enough of you to do it? Or you don’t think you have the skill or resources? Remember the old Beatles song: “When I was younger, so much younger than today, I never needed anybody’s help in any way…Help me if you can, I’m feeling down, and I do appreciate you being round. Help me get my feet back on the ground; won’t you please, please help me?” In a perfect world Adam still couldn’t make it by himself, so God said, “I will make a helper suitable for him” (Genesis 2:18 NIV). Sometimes the solution requires more than prayer or counseling; it requires a friend who understands – especially one who has fought the same battles and won. In Acts chapter three God used Peter and John to bring about the healing of a lame man sitting at the temple gate. But there was another miracle earlier that day. Peter had just denied Jesus, fallen flat on his face, and decided to return to his old fishing job. But John refused to let go of him. As a result, Peter was restored, a lame man was healed, and three thousand people were won to Christ. You don’t need a lot of people in your life; you just need the right people. So ask God for a “true friend” who will stick by you; then you do the same for someone else.
Soul food: Gen 13-16; John 13:18-30; Ps 114; Prov 31:1-5
2018-11-26
2 Kings 2:9 NKJV
In the Old Testament, “Elijah said to Elisha, ‘Ask! What may I do for you, before I am taken away from you?’ Elisha said, ‘Please let a double portion of your spirit be upon me.’ So he said, ‘You have asked a hard thing. Nevertheless, if you see me when I am taken from you, it shall be so'” (vv. 9-10 NKJV). Elisha received his “double portion,” and went on to perform twice as many miracles as his mentor Elijah. The key phrase here is: “If you see me when I am taken from you!” In other words, “Stay close to me and you can have it.” Notice the four places to which Elisha followed Elijah: (1) Gilgal. That’s where the Israelites were circumcised, which involves “cutting off the flesh” (See Joshua 5:8). You must be led by God’s Spirit and say no to your carnal nature – that’s “a hard thing” to do. (2) Bethel. That’s where Jacob had a heavenly vision (See Genesis 28:19). Unless you have a vision that’s born of God, you’ll drift aimlessly through life. (3) Jericho. That’s where Joshua had a face-to-face encounter with God and prayed, “What saith my Lord unto his servant?” (Joshua 5:14). It’s only when you surrender to God that you experience victory. (4) Jordan. Because the Jordan River flows into the Dead Sea, it represents death. So be prepared to attend your own burial – every day (See 1 Corinthians 15:31). Paul said, “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me” (Galatians 2:20 NIV). Do you want a double portion of God’s spirit? You can have it if you meet the conditions.
Soul food: Gen 10-12; John 13:1-17; Ps 95; Prov 30:29-33
2018-11-25
Malachi 3:10 NIV
God is a meticulous planner. For example, He scheduled a banquet called “the marriage supper of the Lamb” two thousand years in advance (See Revelation 19:9). He instructed Noah to build the ark “450 feet long, 75 feet wide, and 45 feet high” (Genesis 6:15 NLT). He gave Moses the specific colors and fabrics He wanted used in constructing the tabernacle (See Exodus 26). And look how precisely He orders the seasons and positions the stars. Can you imagine such a God having no plan for your finances – the product of your work life? Surely not! In Scripture He says: “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse…Test me in this…see if I will not…open…heaven and pour out so much blessing…you will not have room enough for it.” The original word for “whole” is “unbroken”; that means before taxes and other deductions. Why? Because He wants to be first in your life in everything – including your finances. God also told His people, “You have robbed Me…In tithes and offerings” (Malachi 3:8 NKJV). Stop and think about the word “offer.” When you sell a house you decide whether or not to accept the “offer” the buyer is making. And in this Scripture God is saying, “Until you give Me what’s rightfully mine (the tithe), why should I accept any other ‘offering’?” Tithing isn’t just about money; it’s about faith and obedience. When you tithe your income, you can expect God to pour out His blessing on you as He promised. You can live under an open heaven; the choice is yours. God says, “Test me in this.” Put God to the test and see what happens!
Soul food: Luke 1:26-56; Luke 2; Luke 2:41-52; Luke 8:19-21
2018-11-24
Luke 17:26 NKJV
If you had a doctor whose diagnosis was wrong as often as the predictions of some Bible prophecy experts, would you trust him or take the medication he prescribed? One “expert” sold millions of books in which he predicted the rapture of the church would take place by 1988. Then without apology or explanation, wrote a second book pointing us to the year 2007. Another television preacher offered “rapture deadlines” starting in 1975. He said that the Soviet flag would probably fly over Independence Hall in Philadelphia by 1976. Then he fixed the date of the rapture at 1992. Undaunted, his next book changed the year to 2012. (Interestingly, he also refers to Nostradamus, the 16th century occult seer, as “a great Bible student.”) The Bible tells us to avoid “foolish…speculations” (2 Timothy 2:23 NAS). Why? Because they make us look “foolish” in the eyes of the world! Who’s going to listen to a church that repeatedly sets wrong dates, when Jesus Himself told us not to set dates at all? “As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man: They ate…drank…married…until the day…Noah entered the ark; and the flood came and destroyed them all” (Luke 17:26-27 NKJV). God didn’t give Noah a date, He gave him a job. And the end didn’t come until the job was done. Jesus said, “But the exact day and hour? No one knows…Only the Father” (Matthew 24:36 TM). The whole world has yet to be reached with the gospel, so instead of “date setting,” let’s roll up our sleeves and get busy.
Soul food: Gen 7-9; John 12:37-50; Ps 102:18-28; Prov 30:24-28
