2025-08-10
2 Timothy 4:8 NKJV
The third crown mentioned in Scripture is the crown of righteousness. Paul writes: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord… will give to me on that Day, and… also to all who have loved His appearing” (vv. 7-8 NKJV).
A pastor amplifies this: “The book of 2 Timothy represents the last known writing of the apostle Paul, and we have reason to believe he was beheaded shortly after writing these words. But rather than dreading death, he was looking forward to the Second Coming. He was… content with his record of service for the Master. Paul’s use of the athletic metaphor here is especially descriptive of the life of the believer because it describes struggle, endurance, discipline, and final victory. The Crown of Righteousness is reserved for those who have a longing for the Lord Jesus and who watch for Jesus to come back.”
Writing to Titus, Paul speaks of “looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Saviour Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:13 NKJV). The pastor continues: “Psychologists tell us that anticipation… is an emotion with marvellous healing powers. People who are snowbound sustain their spirits by anticipating the longer days of spring and summer. Couples… separated by military deployment stay sane by anticipating their reunion… Brides and grooms are eager for their wedding day.”
As a Christian, your best days are ahead of you, and you can anticipate all the glories of heaven and eternity. It should motivate you to be faithful to Jesus as you wait for His return.
Soul food: Josh 2:1-24; Acts 9:20-30
2025-08-09
1 Thessalonians 2:19 NLT
The second crown mentioned in Scripture is the crown of rejoicing. It’s given to those who take part in leading others to Christ. The background for this passage is written about in Acts 17, which tells the story of Paul arriving in the city of Thessalonica.
He went into the synagogue, “and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining… that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead, and saying, ‘This Jesus whom I preach to you is the Christ'” (vv. 2-3 NKJV). Some of his hearers were converted, including a great multitude of devout Greeks and a number of prominent women. As a result, a church was built there. Writing to them later, Paul said that they would be his crown when Christ returned.
We should all follow Bill Bright’s example; he was one of the best soul winners of the twentieth century. And he once disclosed his secret: “Although I have shared Christ personally with many thousands of people through the years, I am a rather reserved person and I do not always find it easy to witness. But I have made this my practice, and I urge you to do the same: Assume that whenever you are alone with another person for more than a few moments, you are there by divine appointment to explain… the love and forgiveness he [or she] can know through faith in Jesus Christ.”
When was the last time you shared the gospel with someone? Whenever you do, the Lord is fitting you for a crown of rejoicing.
Soul food: Judg 4-6; Matt 16:1-12; Ps 119:57-64; Pro 17:22
2025-08-08
1 Corinthians 9:25 NKJV
In describing our heavenly rewards, the Bible speaks of crowns. Let’s look at each and see what we can learn.
The first is the victor’s crown. “Everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified” (vv. 25-27 NKJV). Paul points out that athletes who expect to win must actively train. And we, likewise, must retain self-control even in things that, although not inherently evil, can weaken our devotion to God.
A pastor explains: “Sometimes we have to turn off the television so we can study our Bibles. We have to get up earlier in the mornings to have our daily devotions. We have to exercise self-control in what comes into our minds. We can’t watch many of today’s television programs or movies – much less the streaming material accessible on our phones and computers – without violating biblical standards of personal holiness. We can’t subject our bodies to drug or alcohol abuse or allow immorality to creep into our relationships. We’ve got to keep our tempers [and tongues] under the control of the Holy Spirit… and we have to depend on God to strengthen us in our resolutions to live disciplined lives.”
The Bible says, “Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown” – the victor’s crown.
Soul food: Judg 1-3; Matt 15:29-39; Ps 119:49-56; Pro 17:18-21
2025-08-07
1 Corinthians 6:20 MSG
Columnist Ann Landers wrote: “Girls need to prove their love through illicit sexual relations like a moose needs a hat rack. Why not prove your love by sticking your head in the oven and turning on the gas or by playing leapfrog in the traffic? It’s about as safe. Clear the cobwebs out of your head! Any fellow who asks you to prove your love is trying to take you for the biggest, most gullible fool who ever walked. That proving it bit is one of the… rottenest lines ever invented… Someone who loves you wants whatever is best for you. But now figure it out. He wants you to commit an immoral act, surrender your virtue, throw away your self-respect, risk the loss of your precious reputation, and risk getting [pregnant, getting diseased, or] into trouble. [Wise up!] He wants… what is best for him; he wants a thrill he can brag about at your expense.
Love? Who’s kidding whom? A guy who loves a girl would sooner cut off his right arm than hurt her. [In truth], this self-serving [individual] has proved that he doesn’t love you [at all]. The predictable aftermath… always finds Don Juan tiring of his sport. That’s when he drops you, picks up his line, and goes casting elsewhere for… equally silly fish. If he loves you, let him prove his love… [at] the altar.”
If you want some sound scriptural advice about 5ex, here it is: “Your body is… sacred… The physical part of you is not some piece of property belonging to the spiritual part of you. God owns the whole works. So let people see God in and through your body” (vv. 19-20 MSG).
Soul food: Ruth 1-4; Matt 15:15-28; Ps 119:41-48; Pro 17:17
2025-08-06
Ecclesiastes 3:1 NKJV
Why does a happy, cooperative twelve-year-old suddenly turn into a sullen, depressed thirteen-year-old? There are two powerful forces that account for some of the adolescent behaviour that drives you crazy as a parent. The first is linked to social pressures common at that age. But there is a second source of disruption. It’s related to hormonal changes that not only transform the physical body but also revolutionize how kids think.
For some (not all) adolescents, human chemistry is in a state of imbalance for a few years, causing flightiness, agitation, outbursts, and even depression. This upheaval can motivate a boy or girl to do things that make absolutely no sense to the adults who are watching anxiously on the sidelines. This hormonal firestorm can destabilize their self-concept and create a sense of foreboding. Parents often despair during the irrationality of this period. Everything they have tried to teach their children seems to have misfired for a couple of years. Self-discipline, cleanliness, respect for authority, and common courtesy may give way to risk-taking and all-around goofiness.
If that is where your child is today, there is good news – better days are coming! Your unpredictable teen can actually become a tower of strength and good judgment – if they don’t do something destructive before their hormones settle down once more.
What should you do as a parent? First, don’t draw long-term conclusions based on a short-term season. Second, let them know you love them, be patient, and pray for peace of mind. “The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds” (Philippians 4:7 NKJV).
Soul food: Obadiah; 2 John; Matt 15:1-14; Ps 119:33-40; Pro 17:16
2025-08-05
Romans 12:10 NKJV
One of the real tests of character and maturity is how you react to someone else’s success. That’s particularly so when they succeed in an area where you failed or in which you’re frustrated over not having achieved greater success.
F. B. Meyer, a well-known author and minister in England, once shared the following experience to a few of his friends: “It was easy to pray for the success of G. Campbell Morgan when he was in America. But when he came back to England and took a church near to mine, it was something different. The old Adam in me was inclined to jealousy, but I got my heel upon his head, and whether I felt right toward my friend, I determined to act right. My church gave a reception for him, and I acknowledged that if it was not necessary for me to preach Sunday evenings, I would dearly love to go and hear him myself. Well, that made me feel right toward him. But just see how the dear Lord helped me out of my difficulty. There was Charles Spurgeon preaching wonderfully on one side of me, and G. Campbell Morgan on the other. Both were so popular and drew such crowds that our church caught the overflow, and we had all we could accommodate.”
No matter how well you do something, someone else will come along and do it better. So, here are your options: Compare yourself to them, compete with them, criticize them, compliment, and cooperate with them. The latter is what Paul meant when he wrote, “Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honour giving preference to one another” (v. 10 NKJV).
Soul food: 1 Pet 1-5; Matt 14:22-36; Ps 119:25-32; Pro 17:11-15
