2017-10-19
Revelation 2:4 NLT
Love is like a fire; when it’s not fueled, it goes out. That’s what happened to the Christians in the church at Ephesus. In earlier years Paul wrote these words to them: “Grace be with all those who love our Lord Jesus Christ with incorruptible love” (Ephesians 6:24 NAS). Their love for the Lord was so strong and so evident to all, that Paul commended them for it. But by the time Christ speaks to the same church in the book of Revelation, their love for Him had waned: “I know all the things you do. I have seen your hard work and patient endurance. I know you don’t tolerate evil people. You have examined the claims of those who say they are apostles but are not. You have discovered they are liars. You have patiently suffered for me without quitting. But I have this complaint against you. You don’t love me or each other as you did at first! Look how far you have fallen! Turn back to me” (vv. 2-5 NLT). Evangelical leader John Stott wrote: “They’d fallen from the early heights of devotion to Christ which they’d climbed. They’d descended to the plains of mediocrity. In a word…the hearts of the Ephesian Christians had chilled. Their first flush of ecstasy had passed. Their early devotion to Christ had cooled. They’d been in love with Him, but…had fallen out of love.” You can go to church, read your Bible, and pray every day, yet not love God as you should. Loving God is a commitment and a heart attitude that results in obedience. It’s a focus: a daily decision to honor Him in all you say and do. So, has your love grown cold?
Soul food: Exo 39-40; John 4:27-38; Ps 15; Prov 27:10-12
2017-10-18
1 John 5:14 NIV
The story is told of three men marooned on a desert island with little hope of being rescued. One day they were walking around the island when one of them picked up an old, tarnished lamp. When he rubbed it, a genie appeared and offered to grant each man one wish. The first man said, “I wish I was back in my office in Boston.” Puff! He was there. The second said, “I wish I was home with my family in London.” Puff! He was there. The third man looked around and said, “It’s so lonely here, I wish my friends were back with me.” The problem with wishing is that genies and magic lamps don’t exist. But God does! And since He is in control of your life and He’s more powerful than any genie, when your wishes become prayers that line up with His will, they can become a reality. “Does the Bible teach that?” you ask. Yes; it says: “This is the confidence we have in approaching God…if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us – whatever we ask – we know that we have what we asked of him” (vv.14-15 NIV). But even when your wish is in line with God’s will, you need one more thing – faith. Faith does two things: (a) It opens your eyes to see that God’s promises are for you personally. (b) It acts like a magnet, drawing the fulfillment of His promise into your life. So what are you wishing for? If it’s God’s will – you can have it.
Soul food: Exo 36-38; John 4:13-26; Ps 41; Prov 27:7-9
Proverbs 28:13 TM
Julie Ann Barnhill continues: “The ‘father of lies’ (John 8:44 NIV) wants us to believe there are things we’ve done that can make God’s love for us end. And on occasion I’ve swallowed three of his favoriet lies. Lie number one: You’re the only person who ever did that. Few things can send me down the road of condemnation and guilt like anger issues… While outwardly I came across as ‘together,’ I knew the verbal and physical boundaries I crossed behind closed doors. I confessed to friends, hoping to hear I wasn’t alone. But there was dead silence, and the Enemy whispered, ‘I told you nobody else had done those things. You’re beyond help.’ I believed this until God drew me back to Bible truths I learned and believed since childhood. (a) If I confess my wrongs, He’ll forgive me time after time. (b) If I allow Him, He’ll change my thought patterns and strengthen me to do what’s right. (c) And even if I fail, Jesus remains faithful; it’s impossible for Him not to…Three years later…before a packed audience, I told hundreds of mothers where I’d been, and assured them they weren’t the only ones who’d said, done, and thought whatever they were currently beating themselves up about. Women lined up to speak to me. Some stood quietly with their heads bowed. Others fought to maintain their composure as the Enemy’s lies were exposed and defeated…I never grow tired of hearing another [person] say, ‘Thanks for being honest!’ The Lord has shown me I’m not the only one who’s done the things I’ve done.” Now that’s real freedom!
Soul food: Ecc 4-6; John 10:11-21; Ps 76; Prov 30:15-17
2017-10-17
Isaiah 12:2 NKJV
How much of a factor is fear in your life? Go ahead, take the fear test. Circle the number that best corresponds to how you feel. (1) I don’t remember the last time I was really afraid. (2) I am afraid rarely, and only when I or someone close to me is in physical danger. (3) I am a little more fearful than I’d like to be. (4) Fear is a significant factor in my everyday life. I avoid anything risky or dangerous. (5) I’m afraid of many things on a daily basis, and it changes the way I live my life. If you circled number one you’re an unusual individual who doesn’t experience normal fear. You may have to temper your actions with greater discernment and wisdom. If you circled number two, you have a healthy attitude toward fear and you’ve got a handle on it. You should try to encourage others who have a more difficult time with fear than you do. If you circled number three or four, you’re in an excellent position to improve your life by changing your attitude. Begin by identifying the source of your fears, and determining to turn your fear into faith in God (See Romans 10:17). For each area of fear, figure out a positive opposite, and create a plan of action to cultivate that quality. Then focus on what you can control today. If you circled number five, chances are fear is getting the better of you and you’ll have a difficult time overcoming it on your own. So pray and reprogram your mind with God’s Word (See 1 Timothy 1:7). And don’t be afraid to seek help from a trusted friend or counselor.
Soul food: Exo 33-35; John 4:1-12; Ps 87; Prov 27:4-6
2017-10-16
Proverbs 1:5 NIV
In order to keep growing, you must understand three principles: (1) You grow to the extent you give. By giving out, you create more room to grow on the inside. So give until it hurts, and keep giving until it feels good. Always endeavor to leave people better off than you found them, and you’ll be better off too. Solomon said, “The liberal man shall be rich! By watering others, he waters himself” (Proverbs 11:25 TLB). This epitaph on a tombstone says it all: “What I gave, I have. What I spent, I had. What I kept, I lost.” (2) To accomplish more, you’ve got to grow more. Do you feel stuck spiritually, relationally, career-wise, or at home? You won’t get unstuck by making external changes, like pursuing a new career, leaving your family, or changing churches. Nobody’s keeping you down but yourself. The lid on your life is – you. So if you’re serious about getting unstuck, instead of looking for quick fixes take a long hard look at yourself, accept responsibility for what you see, pray, and decide to do something about it. (3) It’s not enough to dream; you must do. The Tartar tribes of Central Asia are reputed to have used a particular curse against their enemies. They didn’t call for their swords to rust or their people to die of disease. They simply said, “May you stay in one place forever.” If you don’t work daily to improve yourself, that will be your fate too. You’ll end up stuck in the same place, doing the same things, dreaming the same dreams, and never getting anywhere. So keep growing!
Soul food: Exo 30-32; John 3:22-36; Ps 32; Prov 27:1-3
2017-10-15
Ephesians 4:24 NIV
When you entertain wrong thoughts in the privacy of your mind, you may be tempted to excuse yourself by saying, “What harm will it do?” More harm than you know! You become what you dwell on. The Bible says, “Put off your old self…put on the new self” (vv. 22, 24 NIV). You may not want to admit you’re still wearing some of those “old” clothes (attitudes, pastimes, and practices), but the truth is you can’t put on your new ones until you take off the old ones. Furthermore, you can’t hang your old clothes in the closet for a rainy day, or leave them on the floor to be tripped over. You’ve got to get rid of them. “Put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires…put on the new self, created to be like God…Put off falsehood and speak truthfully…Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold. He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with his own hands, that he may have something to share with those in need. Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up…Do not grieve the Holy Spirit…Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you” (vv. 22-32 NIV). The word for you today is: It’s time to take off your old clothes and put on your new ones.
Soul food: Joel 2:23-32; Acts 2:1-21
