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
2018-05-07
Revelation 12:10 NLT
The apostle John wrote: “I heard a loud voice shouting across the heavens…’For the accuser of our brothers and sisters has been thrown down to earth – the one who accuses them before our God day and night'” (v. 10 NLT). Satan has only one aim: “To steal, and to kill, and to destroy” (John 10:10). He’ll steal your peace, kill your dreams, and destroy your future. And he has deputized a horde of silver-tongued demons to help him. He enlists people to peddle his poison. Friends dredge up your past. Preachers proclaim all guilt and no grace. And some parents distribute it twenty-four hours a day. Long into adulthood you still hear their voices: “Why can’t you grow up?” “When are you going to make me proud?” So what’s the answer? Jesus! He’s “in the presence of God at this very moment sticking up for us” (Romans 8:34 TM). Let that sink in for a moment. In the presence of God, in defiance of Satan, Jesus Christ rises to your defense. He takes on the role of a priest. “And since we have a great priest over God’s house, let us come near to God with a sincere heart and a sure faith, because we have been made free from a guilty conscience” (Hebrews 10:21-22 NCV). A clean conscience. A clean record. A clean heart. Free from accusation – free from condemnation. Not just from our past mistakes, but from our future ones. “Since he will live forever, he will always be there to remind God that he has paid for [our] sins with his blood” (Hebrews 7:25 TLB). So don’t listen to your accuser – trust your advocate!
Soul food: Deut 11-13; Mark 6:45-56; Ps 37:16-24; Prov 11:30-31
2018-04-21
Ephesians 3:8 NKJV
One day the Pharisees caught a woman in the act of adultery. The law of Moses was clear; she must be stoned. And the Pharisees were ready to do it. This woman probably thought that Jesus, being righteous, would agree. She had no lawyer to defend her, not even a character witness! But suddenly Jesus stoops and begins to write in the sand. Some scholars think that perhaps He wrote down their sins, including times and places, etc. When He looks up, the woman’s accusers have gone. He says to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more” (John 8:11 NKJV). That day Jesus lifted her from a position of undeniable guilt to one of unconditional pardon. She didn’t deserve it; she didn’t even know it was possible. And that’s your story too, isn’t it? One day Abraham Lincoln watched a plantation owner bidding for a slave girl. Figuring he was going to buy her and abuse her, Lincoln paid the price to set her free. “Does this mean I can go wherever I want to go?” she asked. Lincoln said, “Yes, you’re free!” With tears streaming down her face she replied, “Then, sir, I will go with you.” The word “grace” is so important Paul mentions it three times more than any other writer. Remembering the violent life he lived, he writes, “To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given.” The word “grace” comes from the Greek word charis, meaning “pure joy.” Although you don’t deserve it, God considers saving you to be a “pure joy.”
Soul food: Acts 10-11; Mark 4:1-9; Ps 103:1-12; Prov 10:27-29
2018-03-17
Galatians 2:21 MSG
While grace doesn’t give anyone a license to live as they please, the judgmentalism that comes from insisting that others live by our standards has caused untold damage. Chuck Swindoll writes: “Legalism spreads a paralyzing venom…blinds our eyes, dulls our edge and arouses pride in our heart…love is overshadowed by a mental clipboard with a long checklist requiring others to measure up…soon friendship is fractured by a judgmental attitude and a critical look. And before you conclude that you’re not guilty, observe your reaction when you meet another believer who doesn’t think, act, or dress the way you do. Even when you think you’re sophisticated enough to disguise your real feelings, they come out in the ‘stony stare’ and the ‘holier than thou’ attitude.” Jesus said, “Don’t judge others, and God won’t judge you. Don’t be hard on others, and God won’t be hard on you. Forgive others, and God will forgive you” (Luke 6:37 CEV). A judgmental Christian acts as though blowing someone else’s light out will cause their light to shine brighter. But it’s not so. Paul writes, “If a…relationship with God could come by rule-keeping…Christ died unnecessarily.” You say, “But what if someone is getting off track, or sinning intentionally?” The Bible says, “If another believer is overcome by sin…humbly help that person back onto the right path…be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself” (Galatians 6:1 NLT). When you take it upon yourself to condemn others – you are denying them the same grace you may need before the day is over.
Soul food: 2 Kings 16:1-18:16; Matt 24:29-51; Ps 26; Prov 7:26-27
2017-12-17
1 Timothy 1:2 NLT
Let’s face it; much of the time we don’t know what problems people are dealing with or what they’re going through. So when you decide to pray for them, follow Paul’s example, in which he asked God to give Timothy these three things: (1) Grace. In the Bible, the word grace implies two things: first, God’s unmerited favour; second, “all of God’s ability you’ll ever need to handle whatever you are facing.” Here’s a great Bible promise you should stand on in times of difficulty: “God, who gives all grace, will make everything right. He will make you strong…support you and keep you from falling” (1 Peter 5:10 NCV). (2) Mercy. A large publishing house had a machine that automatically mailed reminders to its readers when their subscriptions had expired. One day it malfunctioned and a rancher in a remote Colorado town received 9,734 notices. So he drove for miles to the nearest post office, mailed his check, and wrote, “Send me the magazine. I give up!” That’s how it is with God; He keeps sending us notices. “Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness” (Lamentations 3:22-23 NKJV). (3) Peace. The peace God gives can sustain us through the worst of circumstances. And it’s different from the peace the world offers. At best, the world offers temporary relief. But “the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds” (Philippians 4:7 NIV). So when you’re not sure how to pray for someone, ask God to give them His grace, His mercy, and His peace.
Soul food: Lev 27:30-33; Num 31:48-54; 1 Cor 16:1-3
