2022-05-29
Philippians 1:23 MSG
In his Analogies of Nature, William Jennings Bryan wrote: “Christ gave us proof of immortality, and yet it would hardly seem necessary that one should rise from the dead to convince us that the grave is not the end. If the Father deigns to touch with Divine power the cold and pulseless heart of the buried acorn and to make it burst forth into a new life, will He leave neglected in the earth the soul of man, made in the image of his Creator? If He stoops to give to the rosebud whose withered blossoms float upon the autumn breeze, the sweet assurance of another springtime, will He refuse… words of hope to the sons of men when the frosts of winter come? If matter, mute and inanimate, though changed by the forces of nature into a multitude of forms, can never die, will the spirit of man suffer annihilation when it has paid a brief visit like a royal guest to this tenement of clay? No, I am as sure that there is another life as I am that I live today!”
Paul tells us: “As long as I’m alive in this body, there is good work for me to do. If I had to choose right now, I hardly know which I’d choose. Hard choice! The desire to break camp here and be with Christ is powerful. Some days I can think of nothing better” (vv. 22-23 MSG).
So no matter how difficult or blessed your life is here and now, your best days are ahead; days without end, experiencing the joys of heaven. Make sure you’re ready to go when your time comes!
Soul food: Gen 1:1-2:3; John 1:1-18
2022-05-28
2 Corinthians 5:1 MSG
When you die, you simply leave a lesser form of life and enter a greater one. Consider the first law of thermodynamics: neither energy (as in your soul and spirit) nor matter (as in your body) can be destroyed. They can be transformed into other forms, but they can’t be annihilated.
Burris Jenkins said it this way: “No single atom in creation can go out of existence, according to the scientists; it only changes in form. We cannot burn up anything; we simply change it from a solid to a gaseous state. Neither is any energy or force ever destroyed; it is only changed from one form to another.”
If man ceases to exist, He will be the one thing in the world that does. So when you die, what happens? The Bible says: “When these bodies of ours are taken down like tents and folded away, they will be replaced by resurrection bodies in heaven – God-made, not handmade – and we’ll never have to relocate our “tents” again. Sometimes we can hardly wait to move – and so we cry out in frustration. Compared to what’s coming, living conditions around here seem like a stopover in an unfurnished shack, and we’re tired of it! We’ve been given a glimpse of the real thing, our true home, our resurrection bodies! The Spirit of God whets our appetite by giving us a taste of what’s ahead. He puts a little of heaven in our hearts so that we’ll never settle for less” (vv. 1-5 MSG).
Think of it like this: Your last day on earth will be your best day ever! How awesome is that?
Soul food: 1 Kings 3-5; Matt 13:1-9; Ps 128; Pro 12:10-11
2022-05-27
Job 14:14 KJV
After AD 616, the first Christian missionaries came to the courts of King Edwin in Northumbria, England. In his great hall, ablaze with the light of numerous torches, they presented the gospel. The king listened, then consulted his advisors. One nobleman said: “Life is like a banquet hall. Inside is light… fire… warmth and feasting, but outside it is cold and dark. A sparrow flies in through a window at one end… and out through a window at the other end. That is what life is like. At birth we emerge from the unknown, and for a brief while we are here… with a fair amount of comfort and happiness. But then we fly out into the cold… dark… unknown future. [Can] this new religion… lighten that darkness for us[?]”
We who believe in the resurrection can answer, “Yes!” A faulty heartbeat, a malignant cell, or a tragic accident can end life as we know it. But that’s not the end. And unless you believe that, here is what you’re left with: “If Christ weren’t raised… all you’re doing is wandering about in the dark, as lost as ever. It’s even worse for those who died hoping in Christ and resurrection, because they’re already in their graves.
If all we get out of Christ is a little inspiration for a few short years, we’re a pretty sorry lot. But the truth is… Christ has been raised up, the first in a long legacy of those who are going to leave the cemeteries” (1 Corinthians 15:17-20 MSG). For the believer, the end of life on earth is the beginning of a glorious life with Christ in heaven!
Soul food: 1 Kings 1-2; Matt 12:38-50; Ps 45; Pro 12:7-9
2022-05-26
Philippians 2:3 CEV
Paul writes, “Consider others more important than yourselves. Care about them as much as you care about yourselves and think the same way… Christ Jesus thought” (vv. 3-5 CEV). That kind of thinking goes against our natural instincts, but Jesus showed us how to do it. Hanging on the cross, He took time for the condemned criminal hanging next to Him (See Luke 23:39-43).
As he was being stoned, Stephen prayed for those who were killing him, asking God not to lay the sin to their charge (See Acts 7:60). Beaten and wrongly imprisoned, Paul and Silas took time to minister to their jailer. Even after God sent a powerful earthquake that broke their chains and opened their prison doors, they stayed for the sole purpose of ministering to their captor. How tempting it must have been to escape while the opportunity was there. How easy it would have been to look out for themselves and not worry about anybody else. But their act of love moved the jailer to ask how he might be saved, and as a result, he and his entire family were won to Christ (See Acts 16:25-34).
In a world whose philosophy is “look out for number one,” selfishness is an instinct you will need God’s help to overcome every day. And when you do, people will take notice. You will never win others by being just like them, so here is the question you need to answer: How many of your friends and loved ones may come to know Christ if you demonstrate that you genuinely love them instead of ignoring, judging, and rejecting them? Go ahead – try it! “Consider others more important than [yourself].”
Soul food: Heb 11:17-13:25; Matt 12:22-37; Ps 47; Pro 12:4-6
2022-05-25
Luke 8:48 NKJV
The Bible says: “Now a woman, having a flow of blood for twelve years… touched the border of His garment. And immediately her flow of blood stopped… Jesus said, ‘Somebody touched Me, for I perceived power going out from Me.’ Now when the woman saw that she was not hidden… she declared… she had touched Him and how she was healed immediately” (vv. 43-44, 46-47 NKJV).
There are three important lessons for us in this story: (1) Recognize and seize your moment of opportunity. This woman understood that Jesus was visiting her town and might not be back. There are “God moments” in life when you must rearrange your priorities, overcome your fear, and exercise your faith. If you don’t, you will miss God’s best.
(2) Be willing to try a different approach. Since she couldn’t get Christ’s attention because of the crowd, this woman touched the hem of His garment and was healed. Many times, faith calls for stepping into the unknown, doing something you have never done before, and discovering God’s grace at work in ways you never expected.
(3) Establish a precedent for others to follow. Until this time, no one in Scripture had been healed by touching Jesus’ garment, and this woman’s faith opened a door for others to follow her example. “People brought all their sick to him and begged him to let the sick just touch the edge of his cloak, and all who touched it were healed” (Matthew 14:35-36 NIV).
The fact is, God is looking for people who are willing to break with tradition. And when He finds them, He uses them to unlock new dimensions of His power so others can be blessed and made whole.
Soul food: Heb 9:1-11:16; Matt 12:15-21; Ps 97; Pro 12:1-3
2022-05-24
2 Corinthians 4:7 KJV
When you don’t feel good about yourself, you live with a sense of insecurity. You keep looking to others for approval, and when you don’t get it, your sense of worth shrivels. As a result, you can spend your life living far short of your God-given potential. You are the only person you can’t get away from, and until you learn to accept yourself based on the fact that God loves and accepts you as you are, you will always battle insecurity.
Stop and think about the last time you were around somebody you didn’t particularly enjoy. How did it feel? Not too good, right? Good or bad, we project onto others the thoughts and feelings we have about ourselves. So if you want people to think well of you, you must have a good opinion of yourself – one based on God’s Word.
Now, the Bible cautions about having an overinflated opinion of yourself – but don’t go to the other extreme. Living in continual self-rejection is an open invitation to Satan, whom the Bible says is like a roaring lion who goes about looking for someone to devour (See 1 Peter 5:8). You say, “But didn’t Paul write, ‘Nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature’?” (Romans 7:18 NLT). Yes, but that means the good qualities you do possess are evidence that God is at work in your life. The Bible says, “We have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us” (2 Corinthians 4:7 KJV).
Today, instead of focusing on your flaws and feeling bad, recognize the “treasure” of God’s presence, power, and potential that live within you.
Soul food: Heb 5-8; Matt 12:1-14; Ps 93; Pro 11:30-31
