2018-05-15
Luke 23:18 NIV
The Bible says: “With one voice they cried out, ‘Away with this man! Release Barabbas to us!’ (Barabbas had been thrown into prison for an insurrection in the city, and for murder)” (vv.18-19 NIV). And just like Barabbas, we deserve to die for our sins. Four prison walls, thickened with fear, hurt, and hate, surround us. We’re incarcerated by our past, our low-road choices, and our high-minded pride. We’ve been found guilty. We sit on the floor of a dusty cell awaiting the final moment. Our executioner’s footsteps echo against stone walls. Head between knees, we don’t look up as he opens the door; we don’t lift our eyes as he begins to speak. We know what he’s going to say: “Time to pay for your sins.” But then you hear something else: “You’re free to go. They took Jesus instead of you.” The door swings open, the guard barks, “Get out!” and we find ourselves in the light of the morning sun, shackles gone, crimes pardoned, wondering, “What just happened?” Grace happened! Christ took away your sins. All of them. Where did He take them? To the top of a hill called Calvary. “God in his gracious kindness declared us not guilty…through Christ Jesus, who has freed us by taking away our sins. For God sent Jesus to take the punishment for our sins and to satisfy God’s anger against us. We are made right with God when we believe that Jesus shed His blood, sacrificing His life for us” (See Romans 3:24-25 NLT). Jesus loves and forgives you, and He has a wonderful plan for your life. So come to Him today.
Soul food: Deut 30:1-32:28; Mark 8:27-38; Ps 57; Prov 12:15-17
2018-05-01
1 Chronicles 4:10 NKJV
In the book of First Chronicles the Bible tells us about a man named Jabez. The first nine chapters consist of genealogies, listing more than six hundred names. And right there in the middle of all those names, God singles out one man for special recognition, and his name is Jabez. There are only two verses in the entire Bible about this man, yet he’s given honorable mention above the six hundred other people mentioned in the chapter. Why did God single him out? What did Jabez do that caused his name to be preserved for over four thousand years? What made him above average? For the next few days, let’s see what we can learn about him. “Now Jabez was more honorable than his brothers” (v. 9 NKJV). So, what set him apart? He dared to ask and believe God for great things: “Jabez called on the God of Israel saying, ‘Oh, that You would bless me indeed, that You would enlarge my territory, that Your hand would be with me, and that You would keep me from evil, that I may not cause pain!’ So God granted him what he requested.” God wants you to ask Him for great things! He told Jeremiah, “Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know” (Jeremiah 33:3 NIV). Paul tells us that God “is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us” (Ephesians 3:20 NIV). You can’t out-ask or out-dream God, so start asking Him for what you want – and believe He will give it to you!
Soul food: Acts 27-28; Mark 5:31-43; Ps 94:12-23; Prov 11:16-18
2018-04-19
Deuteronomy 31:6 NKJV
Any time you attempt something for the first time, or something you’ve failed at before, or something you think is too big for you, you’ll experience both fear and faith. They go together. One will win out over the other, but they never go away. Because Israel had no idea what challenges awaited them or what life would be like in the Promised Land, God told them, “Be strong and of good courage…for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.” And today that’s His promise to you too! It’s fear of failure that stops us most of the time. Yet as you look back, you realize that most times failure doesn’t do permanent damage at all; you actually grow through it. Dr. Joan Borysenko writes: “When I was admitted to Harvard, I was sure there had been a computer error and I’d be exposed as a fraud. A lawyer friend of mine stops short of terror every time she has to give a final argument before a jury. Even when you’re an expert, fear doesn’t necessarily go away. It’s accepting fear as part of the journey instead of running from it, that helps you to conquer it.” To go anywhere, you must launch out from somewhere, or you’ll get nowhere. American essayist Hamilton Wright Mabie said, “The question for each man to settle is not what he would do if he had the means, time, influence, and educational advantages, but what he will do with the things he has.” So confront your fear, step out in faith, and believe God for success.
Soul food: Acts 6-7; Mark 3:20-27; Ps 75; Prov 10:22-23
2018-04-09
Hebrews 1:3 NIV
Are you so focused on your troubles that you’ve forgotten what God’s Word says: “Goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life”? (Psalm 23:6 KJV). We know about Job’s troubles, but we tend to forget they were just for a short season in an otherwise very blessed life. The time Joseph spent in prison was eclipsed by the years of influence and privilege he enjoyed as the number-two man in Pharaoh’s palace. Are you having difficulty enjoying your blessings because you are afraid they won’t last? Maybe you’re so accustomed to trouble that you’re continually braced for it, like sitting in a comfortable recliner and not being able to relax. It’s time you stopped worrying and started believing God’s promises to you! He hasn’t brought you this far to abandon you. No, He has “appointed you to bring forth fruit that will last.” Lasting joy and success – that’s God’s plan for you! The Bible says, “The Son is…sustaining all things by his powerful word.” God doesn’t speak something over your life, then let it fall apart. He said, “My word…will…achieve the purpose for which I sent it” (Isaiah 55:11 NIV). In Genesis chapter one verse fourteen, God said, “Let there be lights in the…heaven to divide the day from the night.” And guess what? That same sun shines today because of the word that brought it into being – and it’ll shine again tomorrow. Now, if God will do that for an inanimate object like the sun, don’t you think He’ll take care of you too? Come on, believe that you’re called and chosen by God!
Soul food: Jer 33:1-36:26; Mark 1:35-39; Ps 32; Prov 9:10-16
2018-03-23
Psalm 46:1-2 CEV
One day a woman was driving through the countryside when she saw a tornado approaching, so she hid behind her car and watched as it demolished a nearby house. Running over to what was now a hole in the ground, she saw a man hunkered down with his eyes closed. “Are you okay? Is there anybody down there with you?” she asked. “No,” he replied. “Just me and God having an urgent conversation!” Nothing fuels prayer like real need; in a crisis even unbelievers will pray. There are some issues in life we simply can’t resolve on our own, hence the Psalmist wrote, “When I am in trouble, I pray, knowing you…listen” (Psalm 86:7 CEV). Sometimes our prayers are simply cries for help meant for God’s ears only. When you’re out of options, your faith develops fast and emergencies become opportunities to experience God’s grace and power in a greater way. So if you’re in an S.O.S. situation today, here’s a prayer God will answer: “Father, it feels like I’m in an impossible position with no way out. Let me feel Your presence and the encouragement of Your Spirit, reminding me that with You all things are possible to those who believe. Send the answer from heaven to my earthly situation. From where I stand, things look hopeless. But You are the God who created the earth from nothing, and rolled back the Red Sea so Your children could cross over safely. You made the blind to see, the lame to walk, and the deaf to hear. Today I thank You that You’re my God, and that You are ‘always ready to help in times of trouble.'”
Soul food: Hos 6-10; Matt 26:47-56; Ps 116:12-19; Prov 8:10-13
