2018-08-03
Acts 17:26-27 NKJV
Let’s look at three phrases in this Scripture: (1) “And has determined their pre-appointed times.” Your parents may not have wanted you, but God did. He scheduled the moment of your birth, has a purpose for your life, and you are constantly on His mind. If that sounds too good to be true, read on: “You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a day had passed. How precious are your thoughts about me, O God” (Psalm 139:16-17 NLT). And that’s a foundation to build your self-worth on! (2) “And the boundaries of their dwellings.” God’s will for you requires being in the right place; that’s why He sets “boundaries.” Sometimes He will say, “Don’t go there, I want you over here,” or “Don’t stay here, I want you over there.” Because someone else goes somewhere and succeeds, doesn’t mean you will. “The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives” (Psalm 37:23 NLT). Include God in every detail of your life, for where He guides, He provides. (3) “So that they should seek the Lord.” Every act of God in your life is designed to increase your dependence on Him. Every assignment He gives you will require His participation in order to succeed. With all his great talents, Paul acknowledged, “Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God” (2 Corinthians 3:5 NKJV).
Soul food: 1 John 1:1-3:10; Luke 10:38-42; Ps 78:32-39; Prov 20:1-3
2018-08-02
Luke 9:23 NIV
In AD 44, King Herod ordered James the Greater to be thrust through with the sword. He was the first of the apostles to be martyred. Luke was hanged from an olive tree in Greece. Doubting Thomas was burned alive in India. Philip was crucified, and preached from the cross with his dying breaths. Matthew was stabbed in the back in Ethiopia. Bartholomew was flogged to death in Armenia. James the Just was thrown off the southeast pinnacle of the temple in Jerusalem, then clubbed to death by a mob. Simon the Zealot was crucified by the governor of Syria in AD 74. Judas Thaddaeus was beaten to death with sticks in Mesopotamia. Matthias, who replaced Judas Iscariot, was stoned to death and beheaded. Peter was crucified upside down at his own request. When John the Beloved survived being put in a caldron of boiling water, the Emperor Diocletian exiled him to the island of Patmos. Now you will probably not be called to die physically for Christ, but to be His disciple you must die to yourself. Jesus said, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it” (vv. 23-24 NIV). If you want to find yourself, you must be willing to lose yourself in the cause of Christ. If you want to come alive in the fullest sense, you must be willing to die to all forms of self-centeredness and live for Christ.
Soul food: Ezra 9-10; Luke 10:25-37; Ps 78:17-31; Prov 19:27-29
2018-08-01
Matthew 6:33 NKJV
Until the sixteenth century, scientists believed the earth was the center of the universe and the sun revolved around it. Then an astronomer called Copernicus came along and argued that the sun didn’t revolve around the earth, the earth revolved around the sun. In so doing, he revolutionized the scientific world forever. And when it comes to discipleship, Jesus did the same thing: “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” At its core, sinfulness is selfishness. It’s enthroning yourself – your desires, your needs, your plans – above all else. You may still seek God, but you don’t seek Him “first.” Instead of trying to fulfill His purposes, you try to get Him to fulfill yours. Who’s following who? Instead of following Jesus, you’re trying to get Him to follow you. It doesn’t work that way. “Jesus said to His disciples, ‘If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it'” (Matthew 16:24-25 NKJV). Note the words “loses his life for My sake.” There’s a lot of talk today about “finding yourself.” The way to find yourself – is to seek God. D. L. Moody said, “The world has yet to see what God will do with and for and through and in and by the man or woman who is fully and wholly consecrated to Him.” If you’re willing to surrender yourself to God, there’s no telling what He will do with you.
Soul food: Ezra 6-8; Luke 10:13-24; Ps 78:9-16; Prov 19:24-26
2018-07-31
Psalm 37:23 CEV
To succeed in life, you need these four things: (1) Morals. What are you willing to compromise to get where you’re trying to go? You can’t get there any old way you like; you must have boundaries. Yes, we’ve all broken the rules at some time or other, but thank God we had rules to break. We were able to realign ourselves because somebody had pitched a tent on where “right” is. Today folks don’t seem to know or care much about that. (2) Methods. A goal without a plan is like a road to nowhere. First the goal, then the plan, then the process. Adapting this simple three-step formula helps you understand that you won’t just leap into success. There are methods you must employ and stay with! (3) Means. When God gives you the “vision,” He also gives you the “provision.” When that doesn’t happen, either the timing is not right or what you want differs from what He has in mind for you. God’s provision can come as an idea that hits you suddenly, or a thought that takes root and grows over time. And His provision involves help from other people, so walk in love wherever you go. (4) Management. Jesus said, “To whom much is given, of him shall much be required” (Luke 12:48 AMPC). Some people act like “it’s over” when God gives it to them. No, it’s just beginning. And guess who your biggest management challenge will be? You! That’s why the Psalmist wrote, “If you do what the Lord wants, he will make certain each step you take is sure.”
Soul food: Ezra 3-5; Luke 10:1-12; Ps 78:1-8; Prov 19:21-23
2018-07-30
1 Thessalonians 5:17 CEV
Have you become discouraged and stopped praying about the problem? If so, the word for you today is: “Keep on praying.” God may not answer in the way you think He should, or within the timeframe you think He should, but when you pray according to His Word, He has promised to answer: “No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly” (Psalm 84:11 NKJV). When the children of Israel went to battle against a vastly superior army of Amalekites, Moses selected the Mountain of Prayer over the Valley of Battle and the Israelites won (See Exodus 17:8-13). When Abraham learned about the impending destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, he “remained standing before the Lord” (Genesis 18:22 NIV) rather than rushing out to warn the cities. When advisors informed Nehemiah that Jerusalem was in ruins, what did he do? Before he laid one stone in the foundation, he built a foundation of prayer under the whole project (See Nehemiah 1:4). Paul’s letters contain more requests for prayer than they do appeals for money or comfort. And what about Jesus? He rose up early to pray (See Mark 1:35). He dismissed people to pray (See Matthew 14:23). He climbed a mountain to pray (See Luke 9:28). Before going to the cross, He prayed all night (See Luke 22:39-46). Every word He spoke and every work He performed was saturated in prayer. And if He needed to do that, you do too! Bottom line: You can accomplish great things after you’ve prayed, but nothing great until you’ve prayed. So the word for you today is: Keep on praying.
Soul food: Ezra 1-2; Luke 9:57-62; Ps 46; Prov 19:18-20
2018-07-29
1 Corinthians 1:23 NKJV
A European village priest in medieval times told his congregation, “Come back tonight for a special sermon about Jesus.” And they did. To their surprise, however, no candles illuminated the sanctuary. They groped their way to the pews and sat down. The priest was nowhere to be seen. Then they heard him walking through the church toward the front. When he reached the cross that hung on the wall, he lit a candle. And without saying a word he illuminated the pierced feet of Christ, then His side, then one hand, then the other. Raising the candle, he shed light on the blood-masked face and the crown of thorns. Then with a puff he extinguished the candle and dismissed the congregation. Nothing more needed to be said. Take the words “Christ crucified,” and add the words “for me,” and you’ll understand what God did when He hung His sinless Son on that cross. Had you been the only person who ever lived, Christ would have died for you. With His arms stretched wide, He was saying, “This is how much I love you.” When you’re tempted to sin, when you’re guilt-ridden by sin, when Satan whispers, “There’s no hope for you,” when pride would have you focus on your own virtue and morality, go back to the cross. You can’t go there too often. Hymnist Isaac Watts sums it up in these words: “Were the whole realm of nature mine, that were an offering far too small; love so amazing, so divine, demands my soul, my life, my all.”
Soul food: Matt 5:10; 1 Thes 2:13-3:5; 1 Cor 4:11-13; Rev 6:9-11
