2017-12-22
Romans 15:2 NIV
Two men who shared a hospital room ended up becoming friends. One was allowed to sit up for an hour every day. His bed was beside the only window. The other man spent his life flat on his back. Each day the man at the window would describe the activity and colour of the outside world: the park overlooking the lake, ducks swimming, children playing, couples walking hand-in-hand, the skyline in the distance. His friend, who could see none of this, smiled and imagined it all in his mind’s eye. One day the man by the window died and his roommate moved into his place. He propped himself up to look outside and was amazed to see a drab cinder-block wall! Confused, he asked the nurse how come his friend had described the scenery in such glowing terms. She replied, “Actually, he was blind and he couldn’t even see the wall. He just wanted to encourage you.” Paul said, “Each of us should please his neighbour…to build him up.” There’s great satisfaction in encouraging people, especially when your own situation is less than ideal. One author writes: “When you tell someone they’re beautiful, you change how they see themselves. A girl in love thinks she’s the most beautiful girl in the world because her young man said so. When a teacher tells a student he’s smart, he works harder and achieves more. When a parent tells a child she’s loved, she has confidence to reach for the stars. On the other hand, a doctor who point-blank tells a patient that he’s ‘terminal’ can speed up the death process.” Words are powerful; use yours to build people up.
Soul food: Job 18-20; Luk 1:57-66; Ps 113; Ecc 10:5-9
2017-12-21
Romans 16:1-2 NIV
Your church needs members committed to supporting and encouraging each other. People like Phebe, whom Paul calls “a succourer of many.” Succor: In Greek, it applied to Olympic coaches who supported athletes and made sure they were trained and equipped to win. Bible scholar H. F. Moule describes Phebe as “a champion…who stood up for others…a devoted, brave friend of converts in trouble, who fought battles of protest where she found oppression …and pleaded the cause of the poor.” That’s a heavy-duty assignment! And in today’s “Me Generation” not many are willing to take it on. But the truth is there’s no greater investment than people. When you invest in another person you give yourself a gift, because you can’t light their path without brightening your own. And the divine rewards outweigh any earthly compensation: “Whatever good anyone does, he will receive the same from the Lord” (Ephesians 6:8 NKJV). As one pastor observed: “You have something nobody else can give. Think about how you can make somebody else’s life better. Who can you support and strengthen? Somebody needs your encouragement today…needs to know you believe in him, that you’re for him, that you think he has what it takes to succeed. Looking back, chances are someone played a pivotal role in helping you get where you are today. A parent or teacher who had confidence in you…a boss who placed you in a higher position when you didn’t feel qualified…somebody who saw more in you than you saw in yourself.” Now it’s your turn!
Soul food: Job 15-17; Luk 1:39-56; Ps 128; Ecc 10:1-4
2017-12-20
Matthew 18:19 TM
The Bible says, “When two of you get together on anything at all on earth and make a prayer of it, my Father in heaven goes into action.” Becky Smith was eighty-four years old and her sister Christine was eighty-two. The years had taken sight from the first and bent the body of the second, so they couldn’t attend church. Yet their church needed them. They lived on the Isle of Lewis off the coast of Scotland, and a spiritual darkness had settled on their village of Barvas. The congregation was losing people, and the youth were mocking the faith, speaking of conversion as a plague. In October 1949 the Presbytery of the Free Church of Scotland called upon their members to pray. But what could two elderly, housebound sisters do? Quite a lot, they determined. They turned their cottage into an all-night house of prayer. From 10:00 p.m. to 4:00 a.m. two nights each week, they asked God to have mercy on their city. After several months, Becky told Christine that God had spoken these words to her: “I will pour water on him who is thirsty, and floods on the dry ground” (Isaiah 44:3 NKJV). She urged her pastor to conduct a revival and invite the well-known evangelist Duncan Campbell to speak. When Campbell refused to come, she insisted: “God says he’s coming and he’ll be here in a fortnight.” And it happened! For five weeks Campbell preached every night to overflowing crowds at 7:00 p.m., 10:00 p.m., midnight, and 3:00 a.m. Sinners were converted, pubs closed for lack of patrons, and the Isle of Lewis tasted the presence of God – all because two women prayed in agreement.
Soul food: Job 11-14; Luk 1:26-38; Ps 47; Ecc 9:16-18
2017-12-19
Acts 16:14 NLT
Some of us think that successful people are difficult to win to Christ because they don’t have the same needs as others. But they do. Everyone has an emptiness within them that only God can fill, and He wants to use you to fill it. Consider the story of Lydia. “One of them was Lydia from Thyatira, a merchant of expensive purple cloth…As she listened to us, the Lord opened her heart, and she accepted what Paul was saying. She was baptized along with other members of her household, and she asked us to be her guests. ‘If you agree that I am a true believer in the Lord,’ she said, ‘come and stay at my home.’ And she urged us until we agreed” (vv. 14-15 NLT). Not only did Lydia respond to the gospel, she opened her home so that others could come and hear it too. In many cases it’s easier to reach successful people with the gospel. Why? Because they know that to be successful you must be open to new ideas and concepts. And they understand that in order to enjoy continued success, you must stay open to change. Don’t let the fact that someone is not your social peer keep you from telling them about Jesus. Note the words, “As she listened to us, the Lord opened her heart.” It’s your job to tell them, and it’s God’s job to open their heart! So sow the seed of His Word into their life when you have an opportunity, and believe that the “Lord of the harvest” will do the rest.
Soul food: Job 8-10; Luk 1:11-25; Ps 12; Ecc 9:10-12
2017-12-18
Romans 8:35 NLT
Paul asked the great question: “Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love?” When you don’t know why God loves you in the first place, it’s easy to doubt His love at times. You want to know how He feels about you when you act like a jerk, when you snap at anything that moves, when your thoughts are gutter-level, and when your tongue is sharp enough to slice a rock. You ask, “How does He feel about me then?” And what about when bad things happen – does God care then? Does He love you in the midst of fear? Is He with you when danger lurks? In other words, “Will He ever stop loving me?” That’s the great question, isn’t it? Perhaps you crossed the line this week. Or you started drinking and kept at it until you couldn’t walk. Or your business took you where you’d no business being. Or you cursed God for making you stand at the grave of a loved one you weren’t ready to give up. Did you drift too far? Did you wait too long? Did you slip too much? Were you too uncertain? “Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love?” No, absolutely not. Paul reassures us: “I am convinced that…Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow – not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power…above or…below – indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God…in Christ Jesus our Lord (vv. 38, 39 NLT).
Soul food: Job 5-7; Luk 1:1-10; Ps 67; Ecc 7:19-22
2017-12-17
1 Timothy 1:2 NLT
Let’s face it; much of the time we don’t know what problems people are dealing with or what they’re going through. So when you decide to pray for them, follow Paul’s example, in which he asked God to give Timothy these three things: (1) Grace. In the Bible, the word grace implies two things: first, God’s unmerited favour; second, “all of God’s ability you’ll ever need to handle whatever you are facing.” Here’s a great Bible promise you should stand on in times of difficulty: “God, who gives all grace, will make everything right. He will make you strong…support you and keep you from falling” (1 Peter 5:10 NCV). (2) Mercy. A large publishing house had a machine that automatically mailed reminders to its readers when their subscriptions had expired. One day it malfunctioned and a rancher in a remote Colorado town received 9,734 notices. So he drove for miles to the nearest post office, mailed his check, and wrote, “Send me the magazine. I give up!” That’s how it is with God; He keeps sending us notices. “Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness” (Lamentations 3:22-23 NKJV). (3) Peace. The peace God gives can sustain us through the worst of circumstances. And it’s different from the peace the world offers. At best, the world offers temporary relief. But “the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds” (Philippians 4:7 NIV). So when you’re not sure how to pray for someone, ask God to give them His grace, His mercy, and His peace.
Soul food: Lev 27:30-33; Num 31:48-54; 1 Cor 16:1-3
