More Than Bread Devotional for 10/8/08

Ephesians 4:15-16
15 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. 16 From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.

Paul directs this comments to mature believers in his letter.  Learning to speak the truth with love is one of the toughest things any of us can ever learn to do.  Speaking the truth at all is sometimes rare in the world we live in, so some people just aren’t used to hearing the truth.  We have to communicate the truth of God’s Word and the truth that people need to hear everyday in a way that shows how much we care.  As we do that with our brothers and sisters in Christ, we will see growth in them and in ourselves.

More Than Bread Devotional for 10/6/08

Hebrews 10:25-25
23 Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. 25 Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

These days there is bad news and pessimism everywhere you turn it seems.  Sometimes it can be hard to just keep going.  These verses are a powerful reminder that we can draw encouragement from our fellow believers and that we also need to be an encouragement to our fellow believers.  We know that God is faithful and no matter what the situation looks like; He is always with us.

More Than Bread Devotional for 10/3/08

Galatians 6:6
Anyone who receives instruction in the word must share all good things with his instructor.

This is a great verse.  It reminds us that God can show truth to anyone who is willing to study His Word.  I have led Bible studies for years and am always excited when the people in those studies participate and share insights that God has given to them during the study.  Oftentimes God will use those times to open up more depth of meaning in His Word.  If God gives you a good insight or thought while you are studying, don’t be afraid to share it with others.  The word you share may be just what they needed to hear.

More Than Bread Devotional for 10/2/08

Matthew 22:36-40
36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” 37 Jesus replied: ” ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

I don’t know about you, but I find it easier to remember a couple of things instead a whole bunch.  Jesus helps us out in a way, by simplifying the commandments of God into two statements that are easy to remember(even if they aren’t always easy to do)!  The Jewish people say that there are over 600 commandments of God in the Old Testament alone.  Jesus said that to keep them all we simply need to focus on loving God first with all that we have and to love others like we love ourselves.  If we do that right, the rest of the commands will fall in line.

More Than Bread for 10/1/08

Psalm 1:1-3
1 Blessed is the man
Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly,
Nor stands in the path of sinners,
Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;
2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
And in His law he meditates day and night.
3 He shall be like a tree
Planted by the rivers of water,
That brings forth its fruit in its season,
Whose leaf also shall not wither;
And whatever he does shall prosper.

Have you ever noticed trees that grow by a stream or river?  Even in the tough times of drought these trees will look alive and healthy.  When we place ourselves within God’s Word and make it a part of our everyday life, we plant ourselves within His stream.  It doesn’t mean that tough times never come; but it does give us the strength to withstand them and stay strong.

More Than Bread Devotional for 9/30/08

1 Thessalonians 4:15-18
15 According to the Lord’s own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. 18 Therefore encourage each other with these words.

When I read these verses I am reminded of a couple of great truths.  The first is that Jesus is coming again someday for us just like He promised He would.  The second is that it doesn’t matter what happens to me in the meantime.  If I am still alive when He comes, I will go to be with Him, and if I am no longer living here on earth, I will be with Him anyway.  It gives me the strength and courage to live life without worrying what will happen or what is happening.  If the whole world falls apart today, God is still faithful and true and won’t leave us alone in it.

More Than Bread Devotional for 9/29/08

1 Corinthians 15:51-52
51 Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— 52 in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.

Today is a very exciting day.  Today Jews all over the world will celebrate the beginning of a new year.  They will do so with a blast of trumpets just like every year before.  But did you know that the final blast they will blow in their sequence is known as the “last trump”?  On this day, Jews celebrate the creation of man by God.  On this day, we look forward to the new creation of man.  We shall not all sleep, but we will all be changed – at the last trump!  Could today be that day?  It is certainly something to be excited about, even on a Monday.

More Than Bread 9/11/08

Isaiah 46:8-9
8 “Remember this and be brave;
take it to heart, you transgressors!
9 Remember what happened long ago,
for I am God, and there is no other;
[I am]God, and no one is like Me.

This can never be said enough.  There is no one like God.  He is above all things.  When we remember who He is and what He has done, we will have courage no matter what comes.

More Than Bread Devotional 9/10/08

Matthew 3:13-15
13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. 14 But John tried to deter him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?”
15 Jesus replied, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John consented.

Everything about Jesus’ life and ministry was intentional.  As you study His life this just cannot be ignored.  He would do things that no one else would do.  In many cases, He was actively discouraged from doing them by those around Him.  But He did what had to be done and what was right to do.  It didn’t matter if it might affect how people thought of Him.  It didn’t matter if it didn’t look right to anyone else.  Jesus did what the Father told Him to do.  In following Him, we must do the same.

More Than Bread Devotional 9/9/08

John 4:25-26
25 The woman said, “I know that Messiah” (called Christ) “is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.”
26 Then Jesus declared, “I who speak to you am he.”

Do you sometimes find yourself wishing that God would just speak plainly to you?  I don’t know about you, but there are times I feel like I am just not getting it clearly enough.  But I have realized something.  When God wants us to know something, He is perfectly capable of saying it plainly to us so we can understand.  When this woman asked her question, Jesus didn’t launch into a parable or give an odd answer.  He just told her, “that’s me”!  I am of course paraphrasing here.  And when you think about it, even the parables were understood more than we think.  After all, the Pharisees were often ready to kill Jesus after He told more than one of them, because they knew exactly what He was trying to say.  I am not trying to tell you that if you feel like you don’t understand what God is saying it’s your fault.  I am trying to encourage you that if God wants you to know something, He knows how to say it in such a way that you can’t miss it.