2022-08-02
Ephesians 5:2 NKJV
The Greeks used four words to distinguish different types of love: (1) Storge, which means natural affection; (2) Eros, which means sexual attraction; (3) Philia, which means emotional affection or friendship; (4) Agape, which means unconditional, giving, sacrificial love.
When the Bible tells of God’s love for us and the type of love we are to have for Him and others, the word is always “agape,” indicating a commitment to act. Do you know it’s possible to love someone you don’t even like? Indeed, if God is going to educate us to love, He will bring certain hard-to-love people into our lives. The truth is, our lives are full of people we don’t like. We do not like the way some people speak. We do not like the way some behave. We do not like what others wear. But most of all, we tend to dislike people who don’t like us.
If you think about it for a minute, you can probably produce a list of people you don’t like. They would probably be people with whom you have difficulty getting along. Everyone is hard to love sometimes – even you – but some are hard to love at any time. But Jesus never demanded that we have a tender fondness for everyone. He did not feel warmth for the Pharisees. We don’t have to like everyone – isn’t that a relief? – but we must love them.
What does the Bible mean when it says, “Walk in love?” Like physical walking, this unconditional love (a) requires effort, (b) moves in a certain direction, and (c) is something you do every day.
Soul food: Deut 1-2; Mark 1:21-34; Ps 78:17-31; Prov 16:26-30
2022-08-01
John 13:34 NKJV
Love is almost certainly the most misunderstood word in the world. We dilute its meaning by overuse: “I love my wife, I love my country, I love pizza.” Giving and receiving love is difficult when we don’t even comprehend what it is. So we need to clear up a couple misconceptions.
We think love is a feeling – a sentimental knot in your stomach. True love does create feelings, but it is more than a feeling. A second misconception is that love is uncontrollable. Have you ever said, “I fell in love” – as if you had stumbled? We say, “I can’t help it if I’m in love,” or the opposite, “I can’t help it; I just don’t love him (or her) anymore.” The fact that Jesus commands us to love one another means that we do have control over whom we love and whom we do not.
Love, at its core, is two things. First, love is a matter of choice. “Over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity” (Colossians 3:14 NIV). Notice those two small words, “put on.” Like you choose the clothes you wear each day, you choose the attitude you will display. So, love is controllable.
Second, love is a matter of behaviour. “Let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth” (1 John 3:18 NIV). It works like this: When you reach out toward someone with genuine love and concern, your feelings toward that person change. And even if they don’t return your love, God is pleased with you. That’s reward enough.
Soul food: Acts 27-28; Mark 1:9-20; Ps 78:9-16; Prov 16:25
2022-07-31
Romans 8:26 NLT
The twin pillars of a believer’s daily life should be prayer and Scripture. But, while praying may be simple, it’s not always easy. We lack motivation, we’re easily distracted, and we are not always sure what we should be praying for. So, recognising our human inadequacies, God provides help for us in the form of the Holy Spirit.
Paul writes: “The Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. And the Father… knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us… in harmony with God’s own will” (vv. 26-27 NLT). That means, no matter how you feel when you pray, the Holy Spirit is in prayer with you and for you, transforming your feeblest prayers into powerful appeals to the Father.
And when it comes to the second pillar, namely the Word of God, the Holy Spirit’s role is equally dynamic. Jesus said, “When he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth… whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come” (John 16:13 KJV). Note, the Holy Spirit does three things.
(1) He guides us as we study the Word of God and seek to understand it.
(2) He takes what Jesus wants us to know and reveals it to us.
(3) He opens our understanding about things that are still to come.
No question, good reference books, Scripture-based resources, and skilled Bible teachers are necessary and helpful, but they’re no substitute when it comes to hearing from the Holy Spirit for yourself and listening carefully to what He wants to tell you.
Soul food: Josh 1; Ps 27:11-14; 2 Tim 2:1-15
2022-07-30
John 14:16 KJV
In the New Testament account, Jesus told his disciples, “I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever.” The Greek source for the word “Comforter” is Parakletos, which means “one who comes alongside” to strengthen, encourage, and advise you. How good is that?
When you feel discouraged, confused, and powerless, you have access to a wise, compassionate, competent helper who will show up to support you and supply you with what you need. So instead of struggling to go it alone, learn to lean on Him, draw on His power, and trust Him to do His mighty work in you. Paul also tells us, “He [the Holy Spirit] will tell you where to go and what to do… then you won’t always be doing the… things your evil nature wants you to” (Galatians 5:16 TLB).
The battle of the Spirit versus the flesh is unrelenting. And our fleshly nature can never be subdued by human thinking; that just produces defeat and discouragement. What’s the answer? The Holy Spirit “will tell you where to go and what to do.” And here is another wonderful benefit the indwelling Holy Spirit will bring you: “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God… are the sons of God” (Romans 8:14 KJV). Praying and taking your best guess isn’t God’s way. The Holy Spirit’s guidance – not our guesswork – should direct our lifestyle. So, the word for you today is – remember “it’s an inside job.”
Soul food: Acts 24-26; Mark 1:1-8; Ps 78:1-8; Prov 16:23-24
2022-07-29
John 16:7 NKJV
Even as the disciples’ hearts ached about Jesus’ departure, He assured them it was to their advantage because it would bring them a new era of power and authority (See John 14:12). Being “under new management” wasn’t the end but a continuation of Christ’s ministry as the Holy Spirit took the baton from the Son’s hand and placed it in theirs. The Son would leave, but the Spirit would “abide with [them] forever” (John 14:16 KJV). This was their “advantage.” The Spirit would enter their human bodies and live permanently in them!
This is no tentative, vague connection. It’s God’s Spirit choosing us as His permanent dwelling place. Have you ever considered the advantage this gives you? For example, you might awake tomorrow feeling stressed, weary, and irritated, and, humanly speaking, these feelings could easily dictate your day. But because the Spirit lives in you, these things don’t have to control you.
Paul writes, “Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you?” (1 Corinthians 6:19 NKJV). Once you accept that promise by faith, you become God’s temple. You can be at work, driving the kids to school, walking the dog, waiting for biopsy results, or attending the funeral of your best friend, and as you go about your everyday life, God’s Spirit is living in you. Can you see now why Jesus told the disciples it was good for Him to leave and send the Holy Spirit? Whatever you do, don’t let this life-changing truth slide by you!
Soul food: Acts 22-23; Matt 28:11-20; Ps 46; Prov 16:20-22
2022-07-28
John 14:16 KJV
Remember dinner without cell phones, voice mail, texts, and brain overload? Friends and family enjoying each other’s company, uninterrupted by technology? We’re a generation that’s losing the art of communication and intimacy – and it’s impacting the time we spend alone with God. Although Jesus preceded the high-tech age, He was in constant demand; multitudes pursued Him at all hours of the day and night. Nevertheless, the Scriptures tell us: “A great while before day, he… departed into a solitary place, and there prayed” (Mark 1:35 KJV).
Jesus made time to be alone with His Father. It requires spiritual discipline to eliminate life’s noise and racket and be still and listen. But if you practice it, you will discover a heart-satisfying intimacy and fellowship with God. Invest a few minutes reading John chapters 14-16, and let your spirit absorb Jesus’ message. Notice, He wants His disciples to have peace, and He comforts them with the assurance that they’re never left alone. These are blessings He wants you to share too.
So, how can you find this peace and comfort? Answer: “It’s an inside job,” because the Holy Spirit lives in you. Jesus told His disciples, “I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever.” It may be Christianity’s best-kept secret, that the Holy Spirit indwells every believer and is available to provide everything we need to handle life’s difficulties. The Comforter was promised by the Son, sent by the Father, and today He is ours by faith. Embrace Him, trust His power, experience His peace, and follow His unfailing guidance.
Soul food: Acts 20-21; Matt 28:1-10; Ps 42:6-11; Prov 16:17-19
