2019-11-18
2 Timothy 4:7 NKJV
Did you know that over half of those who enter the ministry quit before retirement? Why? There are lots of reasons – here is one of them: They discover that great revelation comes with a “thorn.” The apostle Paul, who wrote half the New Testament, says: “To keep me from being conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:7-10 NIV). Pastor, there are 168 hours in your week. The hour you spend in the pulpit on Sunday morning showcases you in the areas of your gifting and strength. So your challenge will always be to remember that it is God’s Word and God’s power, not yours, that changes lives and gets the job done. Notice what Paul said: “To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh.” Paul’s thorn came in the form of “weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and difficulties.” What’s your thorn? You can only stand strong before people if you discipline yourself to spend time before God in prayer and Bible study. That’s how to stay effective and finish strong in ministry!
Soul food: 2 Chr 19-21; John 12:1-11; Ps 76; Prov 27:4-6
2019-11-12
Luke 15:20 NKJV
The Bible says concerning the Prodigal Son: “When he was a great way off, his father… had compassion…ran…fell on his neck and kissed him.” The truth is, you’re not beyond the reach of God’s grace, so your future can be greater than your past! When he was “a great way off,” his father ran to him. Why? Because his relationship with his son wasn’t based on performance, but on the fact that he’d given him life and brought him into the family. When you think about the things his father gave him that day, you realize the significance of each item. (1) The robe. That confirmed his identity as a son. God doesn’t see you in your weakness; He sees you clothed in the righteousness of Christ (See 2 Corinthians 5:18-19 NIV). (2) The ring. This was a signet ring with the family seal that gave him back authority to do business in his father’s name. (3) The shoes. Household servants didn’t wear shoes, only family members did. He returned home thinking the best he could hope for was a job in the servants’ quarters. But his father not only restored his identity and authority, he restored him to full son-ship in the family. (4) The party. Back then when you rebelled against your father’s authority and left home, they conducted “a ceremony of shame,” which meant you could never return. Not this father – he threw a party! The point? Because Jesus took our shame! “For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ” (2 Corinthians 5:21 NLT). The word for you today is – come back to God!
Soul food: 2 Chr 1-4; John 10:22-42; Ps 83:1-8; Prov 26:13-16
2019-10-22
Matthew 6:31-32 NLT
If God lives within you, shouldn’t it be obvious? How can you say you trust Him and then worry obsessively about your health, your kids, your job, and your finances? Concern is one thing, but worry is an affront to the God who has never let you down. Paul writes, “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace” (Philippians 4:6-7 NLT). Pray or worry – those are your options. Why did Jesus say, “Take no thought for tomorrow”? (See Matthew 6:34). Because when you take thought you try to take control. And when that happens peace goes out the window! Worry is like a snowball; it starts small, and as you keep rolling it forward it becomes big enough to bury you. All that’s necessary to keep a stationary train from moving forward are two six-inch blocks of wood, but once it builds up a head of steam it will crash through a six-foot-thick wall. So stop the worry train before it leaves the station! God says, “My grace is sufficient for you” (2 Corinthians 12:9 NIV). God will give you only what you need for today; that way you have to keep trusting Him for tomorrow. The Bible tells us Jesus is the Good Shepherd who “calls his own sheep by name and…walks ahead of them” (John 10:3-4 NLT). How wonderful. He’s already gone ahead of you to arrange everything. Knowing that should help you face tomorrow, confident that God will take care of you.
Soul food: Ezra 1-2; John 6:25-34; Ps 98; Prov 24:15-18
2019-08-03
Exodus 33:16 NLT
The world expects Christians to be different from those who don’t profess to know Jesus, and that’s as it should be. Believers should set an example when it comes to serving others and showing love. Jesus said, “People will know…you are my followers if you love each other” (John 13:35 NCV). In the Old Testament when the Israelites broke God’s covenant by worshiping a golden calf, Moses pleaded with God not to give up on them. His argument was this: “How will anyone know that you look favorably on…your people – if you don’t go with us? For your presence among us sets your people…apart.” What made Israel unique among the nations was the evidence of God’s presence as He journeyed with them. And God’s presence should set you apart too! When Jesus told His disciples, “I will be with you always” (Matthew 28:20 NCV), He demonstrated His presence through the Holy Spirit who dwelt in and empowered them. So much so, that their enemies said they had “turned the world upside down” (Acts 17:6 NKJV). But as pastor and author Mark D. Roberts observes: “This doesn’t give us grounds for pride or boasting. God’s presence is an expression of His grace, not our worthiness. In fact, our confidence in God’s presence…gives us a strong conviction of our high calling to serve Him in every capacity of life. It gives us courage to live according to His kingdom…to serve others in His name…if God is with us on our side, what do we have to fear?” So today thank God for His presence in your life, and decide never to take it for granted.
Soul food: Deut 30:1-32:28; Matt 14:1-12; Ps 119:9-16; Prov 17:4-6
2019-02-12
Romans 5:20 NIV
Bill Wilson and Bob Smith, co-founders of Alcoholics Anonymous, once visited an attorney who was a hardened alcoholic. Confined to bed because of violent behavior, the man had no choice but to listen to their stories of recovery. But as soon as they started talking about a “Higher Power,” the attorney shook his head and said, “It’s too late for me. I still believe in God but I know He no longer believes in me.” How sad – and misguided! Are you worried that God won’t accept you because of your sins? You don’t have to be! Paul says, “Where sin increased, grace increased…more.” And he should know, because before his Damascus Road conversion he was “Public Sinner Number One” (1 Timothy 1:15 TM). Afterwards God used him to reach the world with the gospel (See Acts 17:2). “Grace” was so central to Paul’s message that he mentions it in the very beginning of all his Epistles. That’s because he understood that by trying to stand on your own merit before a Holy God, every time you mess up you feel like a failure – unloved, unworthy, and unaccepted. Psychologists say we try to conform to the image of us that’s seen by the most important person in our lives. So can you imagine what would happen if you started seeing yourself as God sees you? The truth is, you’re His redeemed child and He sees you through the blood of Jesus, which cleanses all your sins (See 1 John 1:9). There’s nothing you can do to make God love you more, and nothing you can do to make Him love you less! And that’s the good news!
Soul food: Gen 32-34; Luke 9:46-56; Ps 145:14-21; Prov 4:23-24
