2017-11-19
Isaiah 58:12 TM
Lie number two: God won’t use you now. Julie Ann Barnhill continues: “Women long to have their lives count for something more eternal than their jean size, or updated qualifications on a résumé. Yet many times we judge ourselves by these superficial standards. Think of all the times you’ve gazed in a mirror and despised the woman staring back at you; times you’ve bought into the lie that because of your failures God can’t use you. I’m living proof that He can and does use us despite our past mistakes. David said when ‘I confessed my sins…you forgave my guilt’ (Psalm 32:5 NCV). The worst sins in Scripture can never drive a wedge between you and Christ’s love, if you confess them and seek forgiveness. God’s truths can dispel the Enemy’s deceit. Take hold of this promise: ‘I’ll give you a full life in the emptiest of places…You’ll use the old rubble…to…rebuild the foundations” (Isaiah 58:11-12 TM). Lie number three: When people find out what you’ve done, they’ll never love, understand, or forgive you. Some you considered friends may leave…It happened to me…Friends dropped me when they learned the depth of my messes. And I once dropped a friend after learning some uncomfortable details about her life. Friends come and go, but a true friend sticks by you like family (See Proverbs 17:17). I wasn’t faithful to my friend, but Jesus always is. Time and again He promised never to leave us. Even ‘if we give up on him, he does not give up – for there’s no way he can be false to himself” (2 Timothy 2:13 TM).
Soul food: Deut 9:13-29; Dan 1:3-21; Luke 4:1-13
2017-11-17
Luke 12:2 TM
Inspirational speaker and author Julie Ann Barnhill writes: “I tend to be a stealthy sinner – a cloistered screw-up. Most of my life I’ve managed to fly under the radar…to keep 99.9 percent of such things hidden. As someone who attended church and appeared to manage a happy family, I avoided glaring attention to the shadow-side of my life – but at great cost. Lying about my spending led to financial problems in my marriage. Covetousness robbed me of friendships and contentment. The teenage anger that sent me reeling in fits of self-mutilation, exploded years later in outbursts of abusive anger towards my children. And when alcohol beckoned during periods of loneliness and depression, I heeded its call. Maybe you’re thinking, ‘So, you’ve told us a few secrets from your life – they don’t compare to mine.’ Seeing who has the most horrifying secret isn’t the point; we need to embrace the truth that we aren’t alone in our secret places…Confession for confession’s sake easily turns into tabloid moments like daytime talk shows. It’s not enough to spill the beans. Genuine confession leads to radical forgiveness that’s only available through Christ. It covers whatever we’ve done, no matter how bad it is. Jesus knows our secrets and they can never stop Him from loving us. They can, however, create a barrier between us and the shame-free life He desires for us. We confess our sins so we can find redemption, rescue, and eternal life. We share our secret places with trusted friends so we might know the reality of divine healing through flesh-and-blood relationships with those we love.”
Soul food: Ecc 1-3; John 10:1-10; Ps 81; Prov 30:11-14
2017-11-16
Ephesians 6:4 KJV
We keep being shocked by stories of children killing teachers and other children in school, and then turning the gun on themselves. Two boys, aged twelve and thirteen, beat a man to death outside a convenience store just for the pleasure of watching him die. Another boy shot a man sitting in a car at a stop sign. When asked why, he replied, “Because he looked at me.” What is causing this? Easy access to guns? Hours spent watching violent videos? Those may be factors. But after extensive research, scientists are concluding that violent behaviour is often related to early childhood abuse and neglect. When a baby spends three days or more in dirty diapers, or when children are burned, beaten, or ignored, their blood is filled with stress hormones – cortisol and adrenaline among others. These hormones bombard and damage the brains of those children. So for the rest of their lives they will not think and feel what others do. They actually lose the capacity to empathize with those who suffer. The same research has concluded that babies and young children are incredibly vulnerable between birth and three years of age. If their families don’t protect them, love and care for them, society will pay a terrible price for it in years to come. The Bible uses the word “nurture.” It means to love, protect, encourage, compliment, and try to bring out the best in your child.
Soul food: Rom 15-16; John 9:24-41; Ps 50; Prov 30:7-10
2017-11-15
Ephesians 5:25 NIV
The story’s told of a mother who woke her son one Sunday morning and said, “Get up – you’re late for church!” He replied, “I don’t want to go. I’ve no friends there, the music’s awful, and the sermons are boring!” The woman replied, “You’ve got to go – you’re the pastor!” Seriously, why should you go to church? Because “Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish” (vv. 25-27 NIV). Pastor and President Emeritus of Taylor University Dr. Jay Kesler gives us five reasons for going to church: (1) It’s the only organization that still deals with issues like salvation, death, judgment, grace, purpose, heaven, and hell. (2) It adds value and dignity to human life. We live in a secular culture that contributes to our sense of inner worthlessness. The church counteracts this negative message by preaching God’s love and acceptance. (3) It provides a moral and spiritual compass. Society has revised, resisted, and rejected absolutes, embracing relativism, but the church stands on the timeless bedrock of God’s Word. (4) It’s where you find compassion, healing, and community. There – we’re all on par. There – God’s Spirit is working to knit us together as believers, guaranteeing us all “equal access to the Father” (Ephesians 2:18 TM). (5) Unlike other institutions, it has motivated the most lasting, unselfish, essential, courageous endeavours on earth. Things like missions, schools, hospitals, food pantries, rehab centres, and orphanages. Why go to church? Because Jesus loves the church – and so should you.
Soul food: Rom 12-14; John 9:13-23; Ps 8; Prov 30:5-6
2017-11-14
Hebrews 13:3 NIV
The Bible tells us, “Keep on loving each other as brothers” (v. 1 NIV). Then it gets specific: “Remember those in prison as if you were their fellow prisoners, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering.” On April 18, 2007, three Christians in Turkey were killed for their beliefs. Necati Aydin was one of them. He was a thirty-five-year-old pastor in the city of Malatya, and Max Lucado tells his story: “By the time Necati reached the office, his two colleagues had already received visitors; five young men who’d expressed an interest in the Christian faith. But the inquisitors brought more than questions. They brought guns, bread knives, ropes, and towels. The attackers brandished their weapons and told Necati to pray the Islamic prayer of conversion: ‘There is no God except Allah, and Mohammed is his prophet.’ When Necati refused, the torture began. For an agonizing hour the assailants bound, interrogated, and cut Christians. Finally, with the police pounding on the door, they sliced the throats of their victims. The last word heard from the office was the cry of an unswerving Christian: ‘Messiah! Messiah!’ Such stories have a way of silencing us. This morning’s traffic jam is no longer worth the mention…Such stories make us ask ourselves: ‘Would I make the sacrifice? Would I cry out, Messiah! Messiah? Would I give up my life?'” When we complain about frivolous things, you have to wonder. The Bible says you’re to pray for your fellow Christians around the world who are suffering “as if [you yourself] were suffering.”
Soul food: Rom 9:17-11:36; John 9:1-12; Ps 23; Prov 30:1-4
2017-11-13
Hebrews 13:6 NIV
Let’s look at two more common fears: (1) Fear of not being good enough. It’s not about being as good as others; it’s about being yourself! Stop comparing yourself to other people and instead spend your time discovering your God-given strengths. You were born for a purpose, and that purpose may be unlike anything you’ve ever encountered. (2) Fear of not being accepted. This is one of the greatest sources of loneliness in society today. And the Internet hasn’t solved the problem because deep down we all long for intimacy, not information. You’d be surprised at how many people go home to an empty apartment, eat dinner for one, watch television, and climb into bed alone. Even when we’re surrounded by a crowd we still feel isolated – like an island in the middle of the sea. But, in truth, it doesn’t have to be that way – particularly if you’re a member of God’s redeemed family. The key to being accepted is to reach out and accept other members of your family. When you allow them into your private world, you’ll find they welcome you into theirs. Take a look at your life today. Nobody’s looking, and the person who’ll benefit most from it is you! Insecure people can be the most difficult to reach because they’re desperate to hide what they perceive as inadequacies and failures. If you need the help of a professional counsellor, doctor, or pastor, reach out and get it! You owe it to yourself! Rise up today and say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid of rejection, or of not being good enough.”
Soul food: Rom 7:1-9:16; John 8:42-59; Ps 83:9-18; Prov 29:23-27
