Tag Archives: mission

Get in the zone (Luke 9:58-62) October 23, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – James 1-3

see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)

Today’s Devotional

Luke 9:58-62
Jesus: Foxes are at home in their burrows. Birds are at home in their nests. But the Son of Man has no home. You (to another person)—I want you to follow Me!
Another Volunteer: I’d be glad to, Teacher, but let me first attend to my father’s funeral.
Jesus: Let the dead bury their dead. I’m giving you a different calling—to go and proclaim the kingdom of God.
A Third Volunteer: I’ll come, Jesus. I’ll follow You. But just let me first run home to say good-bye to my family.
Jesus: Listen, if your hand is on the plow but your eyes are looking backward, then you’re not fit for the kingdom of God.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

Psychologists and psychiatrists preformed numerous studies on productivity in this country because of our interest in increasing the output of the workforce. So we learned that multi-tasking is really not possible. Our brain really only focuses on one activity at a time. It switches back from one thing to another and sometimes can do so quickly if they are relatively routine activities, but with complex activities like trying to keep up with a conversation and doing calculations simultaneously, mistakes creep in and multi-tasking introduces a plethora of errors when you disengage from one activity and reengage in the next. While you might think you are doing both activities well, you are not. That’s exactly the reason so many traffic accidents are caused by drivers talking on cell phones or grabbing a bite of food or touching up their makeup or reading a text or any number of other distractors other than paying full attention to driving.

Those studies also tell us that we can begin to work on a project or activity and get into what has been referred to as the zone and lose all track of space and time. We become so focused on the what we are doing that we don’t even notice the things going on around us. People can talk to us and we don’t hear them. Things happen around us and we don’t see them. We become super focused as it were. When we are in the zone. We become almost robotic doing incredible things in that place mentally and physically. Things we could not do when not in the zone. We probably all experienced that spot at some time or other. The best of us, learn how to capture that moment at will.

Jesus didn’t need the psychological studies to understand the principle when He talked to His disciples and those who would follow Him. He understood focus. That’s the principle He shares with these would be followers that day. You can’t focus on multiple activities and expect them to come out well. Give you full attention to Jesus if you want to follow His commands. Get in the zone when it comes to doing His will and blot out everything else around you.

That’s really what Paul talks about when He says to live in the Spirit. Stay so focused on God indwelling in you that everything else pales to nothing and what you hear is His voice and His alone. He want’s us so in tune with His voice that we hear nothing else. He wants us so laser focused on Him that everything else is so out of focus we can’t even see it. Then we can follow in His footsteps and be the men and women He wants us to be. We can carry out His work with the drive and purpose that will accomplish what intends.

We can’t let the things of this world distract us if we expect to carry out God’s work the way He wants us to, even good things. Because the good things will keep us from the best things God has for us. So Jesus uses these examples to show us we must keep focused on the work at hand. Stay in the zone. Don’t lose sight of the goal.

So what is it God has asked you to do? Are you doing it? Are you focused fully on His work? Have you let things around you distract you from what God would have you do? Have you taken your eyes off the goal? Have you let good things distract you from the better things for the best things God has in store for you?

Jesus says put those things aside. Follow Him with such intense focus that all those things disappear from view. Put those things aside so that the only voice you hear and the only face you see are His. When you do, you will be amaze at what you accomplish for Him.

How do you get in the zone with Him? Just listen to His voice and follow His directions, He’ll help you stay there if you let Him.

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

How can we fail? (Luke 9:3-5) October 19, 2016

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Psalms 120-121

see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)

Today’s Devotional

Luke 9:3-5
These were Jesus’ instructions:
Travel light on your journey: don’t take a staff, backpack, bread, money, or even an extra change of clothes.
When you enter a house, stay there until you leave that city.
If a town rejects you, shake the dust from your feet as you leave as a witness against them.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

I wonder if Jesus’ disciples thought He had lost His mind when He gave them these instructions as He sent them out into the surrounding towns and villages to share God’s message that the kingdom of heaven is at hand. Are you kidding me? Take off without food or money or even anything to change into so I can wash my clothes from one day to the next? Where am I supposed to sleep? How am I supposed to eat? How will I make my way from place to place? Will God really take care of me as I take this message from one village to the next?

If you read a little further in Luke, you’ll find the reports about the disciples’ success. They were amazed at the provisions of a mighty God. They found listening ears. They found unbridled hospitality. They found villages and towns anxious to hear the good news they had to share as they traveled from place to place. Their challenge was trusting God enough to believe He would take care of their needs from day to day. But when they trusted Him, He took care of them.

It’s not unlike so many of the missionaries’ stories you hear from those our churches send into other places to share God’s word and message of salvation. God provides. Sometimes it’s money at just the right time. Sometimes it’s the right person to give guidance or assistance through a particular problem. Sometimes it’s the right place or property or building that seems impossible to secure for God’s use, but suddenly miracles take place and the spot is in your hands. God works through incredible means to secure the things we need to carry out the tasks He has given us to accomplish. When we follow His will for our lives, we cannot fail because it’s really not our mission, it’s His mission. And He can never fail.

What about this find a house and stay there? No invitation? No prior arrangements? Just go knock on the door and tell them we’re staying for a while? Tell them to vacate a bed and make room at the table?

“Well, how long are you staying?” they ask.

“Oh, until we leave.”

“How long will that be?”

“God will let us know. But thanks for the room until then.”

Now that sounds like a plan, doesn’t it? I’m ready to barge into a stranger’s house and tell them I’m taking up residence until God tells me to leave, aren’t you? But see, that’s the interesting thing about how God works. Sometimes God uses what looks like foolishness to the world to accomplish what He wants just to show us that He is in charge. He is God and we are not. He can make things happen behind the scenes that we have no idea is happening.

Jesus told His disciples to kick the dust off their feet in the towns that wouldn’t accept their message as a curse against them. But as you read their reports, I expect they didn’t use those curses much. That was one of the rules Jesus gave them, but God moves ahead of us when He gives us a job to do. I’m not sure they ever exercised that last rule. At least they never reported using it when they returned.

So the message for us today is to recognize that God gives us jobs to do. He doesn’t expect us to sit idle in our pews and just listen to sermons every week and feel good about what the preacher tells us. He doesn’t expect us to just enjoy the music we hear on Sunday or when we happen to turn on a religious radio station. God has jobs He wants us to do. If you listen for Him, you’ll hear Him and He will give you a mission to further His plans to expand His kingdom. He will put you in the path of individuals that need to hear your story and know that God is good and can free them from the bondage of sin just as He freed you from the bondage of sin.

The world will think you foolish in the undertaking of God’s plan. But the world is blinded by Satan’s lies. Remember God created this place and makes everything work. While the world listens to Satan’s lies about what won’t work, God makes it happen. Just listen to Him. Follow His directions. Do what He says. You’ll find that His instructions turn out well every time. After all, He wrote the book. He does the impossible. He is God. How can we fail if we follow in His path?

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

Hate crimes? (Luke 6:22-23) October 1, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Acts 3-4

see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)

Today’s Devotional

Luke 6:22-23
Jesus: When people hate you,
when they exclude you
and insult you
and write you off as evil
on account of the Son of Man, you are blessed.
When these things happen, rejoice! Jump for joy!
Then you have a great reward in heaven
For at that moment, you are experiencing what the ancient prophets did when they were similarly treated by the ancestors of your detractors.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

There is a lot of hate in the world today. So much so that in this country we have even started labeling things as hate crimes. Kind of tragic to think we have come to that state, isn’t it? One group of people say derogatory things about another group and it’s considered a hate crime. Another group commits some violent act against a protected group and it’s a hate crime. When could any purposeful violence against another not be considered a hate crime? Why do we need special words to describe crimes against one section or another? Isn’t all crime against one another wrong?

But that’s for another day. Today I want to talk about the promise Jesus made to those who carry His name, Christians. Notice that Jesus didn’t start this admonition with “if people hate you…” He said, "When people hate you on account of Me. Do you think crimes against Christians will be considered hate crimes? Don’t count on it. God’s word tells us to expect others to hate us, exclude us, insult us, write us off as evil. It’s an expectation Jesus gave those who heard His message on the mountainside that day.

Can you imagine the rumbling that spread through the crowd as Jesus said those words? Join Me, but everyone will hate you when you do. Follow Me, but no one will invite you to their party when you do. Obey My commands, but you will be the brunt of everyone’s jokes as soon as you do. Oh, and by the way, when all these things happen to you, and you can be sure they will, consider yourself blessed because you’re doing just exactly what I’ve asked you to do.

So what would you do at that point in the sermon? How many do you think got up and walked away? How many started thinking Jesus really was insane? How many stuck around just to see how crazy His sermons would get? How many thought anyone would follow Him after a job description like that?

You can be sure most of the crowd stayed out of curiosity at best, not out of loyalty to Jesus. Remember He told them and His disciples that the road was narrow and few would find it. Most would follow the broad road the world pushed them along. Most would listen to the lies of Satan and just meander the way of the world thinking everything was okay but walk right into their own destruction. Sure the crowd would come to see the healing and hear His preaching, but as Jesus taught like this, few would give up their comforts to take on the life He promised.

But Jesus reminded them and us that God’s people have always felt severe persecution. Look at what happened to Moses, Elijah, Elisha, Jeremiah, Hosea, Isaiah, name the prophet. The vast majority of the people around them didn’t like their message and criticized them for it. Most people didn’t want to change their behavior, their worship, their lives, to follow the commands God directed. Most people wanted to continue to do what they wanted to do. Most refused to give up control of their lives to God. And so they hated His messengers.

If we follow Christ, we will do what He says and His command to all of us is to share His message, to be His witnesses where we are. And as soon as we share His message, we will be hated for doing so. Why? Because we ask people to change if they expect to escape eternal punishment. We tell them the only way they can find eternal rest, eternal reward, the only way to please God is to change and not just be good, but to give themselves to God, to obey Him.

The self-centered nature we inherited through the seed of humankind rears its ugly head and says I want to be in charge of me. Until we let go of me, we will see Christians as the enemy. We will label Christians as haters of everyone else. We will exclude them because they make us uncomfortable with the truth of God’s word. We will call them evil even though deep in our heart we know they are not. We will try to crush them because we refuse to follow the narrow path God lays out for us.

But when we accept Him, when we follow Him, when we obey Him, we will experience all those things Jesus promised on that hillside, but in the end, we will join Him in eternity. The short time of suffering we experience here will seem as nothing compared to the eternity we will get to spend with Him. Is it worth it? You bet it is.

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

God’s truth always (Mark 8:33) August 9, 2016

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – 1 Chronicles 1-4

see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)

Today’s Devotional

Mark 8:33
Jesus (seeing His disciples surrounding them): Get behind Me, you tempter! You’re thinking only of human things, not of the things God has planned.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

Just think, Peter tells Jesus He is the Messiah, the One who would rescue them from the oppression and bondage sin brought on the world. He proclaimed Jesus is the Son of the Living God. But when Jesus tells the group of disciples gathered around Him the events that would unfold concerning His arrest, beating, torture, and death, Peter takes Jesus aside and rebukes Him. Can you imagine the nerve it takes to rebuke the person you just called the Son of God? Do you realize how bold you must be to believe Jesus is God and then tell Him what He said is not just wrong but to rebuke Him because He said it?

Think of that word, rebuke. It means to criticize sharply or to speak to someone in an angry and critical way. That’s what Peter did to Jesus right after He told Him he believed Him to be the Messiah, the Son of God, the Liberating King, the Anointed One. The unmitigated gall! How could Peter possibly think he could contradict the One He just proclaimed to be the Son of God? It just doesn’t make much sense, does it? At least he scripture says he took Him aside instead of making the rebuke in front of all the other disciples.

“Hey, Jesus, come over here a minute. We need to talk. I need to tell you a couple of things before you go any further with this line of discussion. You know you’re God, right? You can’t be talking about death and torture and sacrifice if you want to draw a crowd. You need to get a little more upbeat and get back on track with the healing and feeding multitudes. This gloom and doom talk isn’t going to get you very far in the ratings. I think you need to tone it down a little. Understand?”

Did Peter really know what he was doing? I’m not sure, but Jesus saw through the devil’s scheme to use one of His friends to detour Him on His journey to Jerusalem and the task He was to accomplish for us. Jesus knew Satan was putting words in Peter’s mouth to try to distract Him and keep Him from His mission, the salvation of humankind.

It would have been easy to listen to Peter and tone down the message. Talk about peace and prosperity and comfort for all God’s children. But that wasn’t God’s truth for those who remain on this side of eternity. This world is corrupted because of the fall of Adam. We all have that selfish seed of sin in us that must be dealt with and until we let God work on that problem in us, we are subject to the same fate as Satan and his minions of evil. All our thoughts are continuously drawn toward evil because of that self-centeredness that lives in us.

Jesus saw it in Peter, “You’re only thinking of human things, not the things God has planned.” That message is still true for too many of us. Paul tells us the same thing in Roman 7 and 8. We don’t do the things we want to do and we do the things we don’t want to do because we live in the flesh and stay centered in the flesh instead of living by the Spirit. If we will give ourselves over to the Spirit of God and just determine to say “yes” to His commands at every turn, we will find our lives very different than that of those trapped by the world’s decrees.

The tempter tells us our goals should satisfy our deepest desires. God says our goals should accomplish His will and His plans. The tempter says store up treasures here on earth. God says treasures on earth will pass away, you can’t take them with you when you die. So store up treasures in heaven where they cannot be corrupted. The tempter says you are more important than anything else. God said to Moses and to us, “I AM.” Everything else is created by Him, how can anything be more important than its Creator?

It’s easy in the din of the world, with it’s glitter and excitement and all the enticements that promise to satisfy that deep longing that each of us have within us to follow the world’s voice. But the world’s voice is poisonous. It’s the siren of mythology that leads you to certain doom when you follow her song. It is tempting to take that easy road. It’s tempting to avoid the temporary ridicule of the world, the short term pain and suffering the world doles out to God’s followers. It’s tempting to listen to the soothing sounds of the deceiver.

But that path leads to our destruction. Jesus knew His mission and His destiny on the cross. He knew this world is only a temporary stopping place on our eternal journey. He knew if we listen to the voice of the world we would miss the opportunity to live with Him eternally. He shows us with this encounter with Peter how subtle Satan can be. We must be on our guard against the wiles of the tempter. Be discerning in listening to the voices around you. Listen for that still small voice of God’s Spirit in you and follow His truth always. 

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

Playing hide-and-seek (Mark 4:21-23) July 18, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Leviticus 16-18

see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)

Today’s Devotional

Mark 4:21-23
Jesus: When you bring a lamp into the house, do you put it under a box or stuff it under your bed? Or do you set it on top of a table or chest? Those things that are hidden are meant to be revealed, and what is concealed is meant to be brought out where its light can shine.
All who have ears to hear, let them listen.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

Do you play hide-and-seek as a kid? I think it’s a popular game for most kids in almost every society. And I think we can get pretty good at it the older we get. As toddlers, we think that covering our eyes so that we can’t see anyone else means they can’t see us, but as we mature, we learn to hide in closets, find spaces in the cabinets, discover those hidden holes behind boxes in the garage. We find all kinds of places that others forget to look in and can stay hidden for a long time before anyone finds us. We can get pretty good at hiding.

I’m afraid too many of us have taken that hide-and-seek mentality and applied it to our faith. Are you that good at hiding your faith? I’ll have to admit, that’s one thing Muslim women do not do well. You can tell when they wear their burka what religion they practice. It’s hard for someone in a burka to hide their religion. But what about you? Do others know what you believe? Christians often look a lot like the crowd around them, or do they, or should they? Christians often are found the same place as everyone else, or are they, or should they? Christians often sound the same as everyone around them, or do they, or should they?

Do we hide in plain sight? Are we individually and collectively guilty of doing what Jesus implied when He talked about the covering up the lamp? Do we try to hide the light God puts in us when He saves us from our sins? Are we afraid to let His light shine through us so the world can see what He has done in us? Those are implications we have from Jesus’ words and the observations we see in the world around us.

Christians have become invisible. We look and sound like everyone else. Co-workers are surprised at the announcement of our faith. Neighbors are shocked if we suddenly say we won’t do something because we say we are Christian. They look at our behavior, our speech, our lifestyle and ask, “So what’s different about you?” What do we answer? What is different about us? How do people know that we are Christian? Can they see God’s light shining through us without us telling them?

I guess to know whether others can see that light we first have to have that light. It comes only by giving ourselves wholly to God. Body, soul, and spirit. Everything. Making Him Lord, Director, Guide, for everything we do. When we do that, God will begin to change us. He first forgives our sins and takes away the guilt we carry because of past sins. When that guilt is gone, it changes our countenance. That burden disappears and we begin to look different. We exude a peace and joy that is inexplicable to those around us because it doesn’t depend on the circumstances in which we find ourselves.

Next God begins to transform us from the inside out. As Paul tells us in Romans, He renews our mind, He changes the way we think. We begin to think like He thinks because when we let Him begin to direct our thoughts. We begin to see others the way He sees them. We see others through His eyes of love and compassion and mercy and grace. We long to see others freed from the weight of sin and adopted into His family as we have been.

Then as we continue to listen to God and obey His will in our lives, we begin to bear His fruit in our lives. Those things Paul talks about in Galatians. We begin to show evidence of all of those fruit growing in us – unconditional love, joy, peace, patience, kindheartedness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. These characteristics cannot be hidden. They come out in our relationships with others. These traits are so seldom seen in the world today that they jump out and flash in front of those around us like a strobe light.

Those who have given themselves fully to God and are living obediently to Him cannot hide. They are like a light on a hill, shining so everyone can see them. Everyone who looks in their direction sees their character, the fruit of the spirit shining through them. The love, joy, peace, patience, kindheartedness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control that can only come from a life guided and directed by God radiates from their innermost being touching everyone who comes in contact with them.

Real Christians lose at playing hide-and-seek with their faith every single time. How well do you play? 

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

–

It’s time to unite (Mark 3:23-29) July 16, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Luke 15-16

see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)

Today’s Devotional

Mark 3:23-29
Jesus: Listen. How can Satan drive out Satan? A kingdom that makes war against itself will collapse. A household divided against itself cannot stand. If Satan opposes himself, he cannot stand and is finished.
If you want to break into the house of a strong man and plunder it, you have to bind him first. Then you can do whatever you want with his possessions. Listen, the truth is that people can be forgiven of almost anything. God has been known to forgive many things, even blasphemy. But speaking evil of the Spirit of God is an unforgivable sin that will follow you into eternity.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

Jesus wants us united as His church. He wants us to come together to carry out the mission He gave us before He ascended into heaven on a cloud. He wants us to have that single aim, to go and make disciple, teaching them the things He taught His first disciples. So how have we gotten to where we are today with the divide between all those denominations and branches and Catholic and Protestant and everything in between.

Somewhere along the line, we let that thing called selfishness slip in again. I want my way. Even in building the kingdom. I want to believe the way I want. I want to interpret what Jesus said the way I want. I want to live the commandments the way I think they should be lived. I want to hear sermons that touch me the way I want them to. We get into this selfish mode even in our religions. We pick and choose and establish our faith around our desires and our will and our wants even while trying to seek God’s will.

One of the things that slapped me in the face several years ago as I was trying to find God’s will for my life was the selfishness of that very thought. God’s will for my life. I started thinking about that and discovered I kept looking the wrong direction for what I should do next. I was looking for God to point at my life instead of me running toward His.

It sounds like a simple change in thought, but it is a tremendous revolution in your pattern of thinking, really. It’s the renewing of your mind, Paul talks about in Romans 12, because the tables turn. Instead of asking where I’m going next to find favor with Him, I instead ask God where He is going and I will follow. When we begin to change the thought from what is Your will for me, to just what is Your will, things begin to change. It’s just a little thing, but taking me out of the equation changes your focus and brings others into your thoughts clearer and brighter than ever before.

I think it’s this process Jesus taught us in the garden when He prayed “not My will, but Your will be done.” I think it helps us live in the spirit seeking God’s will always. I think it means listening for His voice wherever we are and looking for those opportunities to share His love whenever we have the chance. I think it changes our whole outlook if we just change that single way we ask about God’s will for life. Not my will, not even His will for me, just His will and I’ll go there.

If we would all begin to change our thought process to follow God explicitly in this way, I think the division in churches would disappear. If we would sincerely ask what God’s will was and stop there and then follow, I think the violence in the streets would be curbed significantly. I think we would find revivals sparked around the world. I think we would see healing taking place. I think the church and the world would be very different if we just asked God about His will and followed.

But instead, we forget to ask and go our own way. We want what we want and so we fight each other. We can’t agree on the simplest things and so disrupt the work of the kingdom with our selfishness. We forget the real task at hand, sharing the good news that Jesus came to give His life that we might have abundant, everlasting life. We forget He came to fulfill our lives and bring joy through forgiveness of our sins and we bicker and fight with each other instead of standing together against the real enemy – sin.

Jesus told those that thought He cast out demons by the power of Satan that Satan would lose his strength and power if his minions fought against each other. Isn’t the same true of the church? If we war against each other, don’t we lose the strength and power we could experience if we worked together in unity. Jesus continually called us to unity. It’s about time, the church rose up together against the evil of this world instead of bickering with each other. 

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

Share the good news (Mark 2:17) July 11, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Leviticus 13-15

see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)

Today’s Devotional

Mark 2:17
Jesus (to the scribes): People who have their health don’t need to see a doctor. Only those who are sick do. I’m not here to call those already in good standing with God; I’m here to call sinners to turn back to Him.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

You know what they call people who continually draw on the assets of the medical community without reason? Who take up a doctor’s time and energy when there is absolutely nothing wrong with them? Hypochonriacs. Of course, that in itself is a disease. It’s a mental illness that needs attention, but by a different kind of doctor with different skills and a different array of tools.

Our emergency rooms are also full of people without emergencies. It’s not uncommon to go to an ER in the United States and wait for hours before seeing a provider for minor illnesses. Maybe they don’t seem minor to you at the time, but sniffles, bumbs and bruises, even a low grade fever isn’t an emergency. But those folks fill the emergency rooms across the country taking up resources that should be reserved for true life or death emergencies. We got ourselves into this mess with the high cost of medical care, our insurance debacles, and a host of other factors that as a nation we did not control very well. So here we are.

The point is, though, that sick people go to see a doctor. Whether a primary care doctor for those routine illnesses, an emergency room for something severe and urgent, or a specialist for something else, we go to a doctor when we’re sick. And usually, if we’re not sick, we avoid those places. I don’t know anyone that enjoys sitting around in doctors’ offices or emergency rooms or hospitals just for the fun of it. They are not built for fun. I don’t have any hospital addresses on my vacation list. You probably don’t either. But guess what? I also don’t know any doctors that make house calls any more. If you don’t go to the place they practice, you won’t get the care you need. House calls are out of the question now days.

Jesus tells the scribes when they complain about the company He keeps that it’s time to make house calls again. He goes outside the temple and the synagogues and reaches out to the tax collectors, the prostitutes, the thieves, the beggars, the lepers, the outcasts of society. He doesn’t wait for the sick to come to Him, He goes out to the sick to shorten the distance the must go to reach Him.

So what does that tell us today? Too often we get comfortable sitting inside the four walls of our churches, temples, and synagogues waiting for someone to come in to hear the gospel. As we sit in the pew and sing praises, we wonder why the world is in such terrible shape. But we refuse to take a step outside the door to share the message to those who really need to hear the good news that Jesus will forgive them of their sins and live in them to help them live the life for which He created them.

We don’t want to go where the sick are, but expect them to come to us. In medical practice, we have come to believe we need all the equipment and lab tests and support personnel in order to treat patients adequately, so we no longer make house calls. I’m afraid we’ve adopted that same philosophy with our outreach to others spiritually. We have somehow come to believe that without the trappings of the sanctuary, the altars, the pastor, the sermon, worship service, we cannot lead someone to the Savior.

Of course neither is really true. Good doctors generally have a good idea what’s wrong with a patient before all the tests and x-rays and labs are done. Most have honed their skills and use those instruments to confirm what they already suspect from their diagnosis. And good Christians don’t need the trappings of the sanctuary or the grounds of the church to lead someone to Christ. They know the Savior. They know how they came to Him in humility and repentance. And with just that much understanding, we can help someone else find Him. It’s not that hard.

So how do we get our brothers and sisters to start doing what Jesus asked us to do and share the message with those outside the four walls of our place of worship? There’s a really easy way to start. The best way to get people to do something you want them to do is to be an example. So if I start sharing the gospel to those that need to hear it, my co-workers, my neighbors, the cashier at the grocery store, taxi drivers, just anyone I happen to meet. If I start sharing the gospel, and my brothers and sisters see me sharing the gospel and see the fruit of my labor by the new Christians I invite to join me in fellowship in small group studies, maybe they will follow my example.

Actions always speak louder that words. So why don’t you be an example today and share the good news of salvation with someone who needs it?

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

Do what you’ve come to do (Matthew 26:50) June 27, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Leviticus 7-9

see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)

Today’s Devotional

Matthew 26:50
Jesus: My friend, do what you have come to do.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

We know the scene well. Judas’ name is more familiar than Hitler’s. He followed Jesus and was part of the inner circle, one of the twelve. He knew Jesus better than most as the Master shared intimate information with those twelve. But something went wrong. Judas let greed or idiology or something get to him and he sold out his loyalty to the Master for just thirty pieces of silver. Despite all he had seen and heard from this man he traveled side by side with for three years, Judas betrayed Jesus to the chief priest who wanted Him dead.

Jesus knew he would do it. He identified him as the one, though the other disiciples had no idea it was Judas until it was too late to stop him. Judas slipped out of the Passover supper with the Jesus and the other disciples thought he was going on some mission as the treasurer of the group. Instead, he headed to the chief priest and gave him the sign he would use to betray Jesus in the garden. A company of soldiers accompanied him to the garden where Jesus prayed. Judas approaches Jesus and places the kiss of betrayal on His cheek. The greeting between friends. The betrayal that would begin the most excruciating ordeal of Jesus short life.

Jesus greets Judas with just a few words, “My friend, do what you have come to do.”

There are a couple of things to notice in this very short exchange between Jesus and Judas. First, Jesus called Judas friend. Jesus knew what he did and why. He knew his heart. He knew all that was about to transpire because of that betrayal. Yet Jesus still called him My friend, and I’m sure Jesus meant the words. He counted Judas as His friend.

That tells me Jesus loves us all. Saint and sinner alike, Jesus loves us. He gave His life for all of us. If He calls Judas His friend, He calls all of us friend. We are part of His creation and so He cares for us. He loves us and would do anything for our good. In fact, He did. He gave Himself to pay the penalty we should pay for our sins. Jesus doesn’t count anyone as His enemy, only His friend.

So what does that say to us? How can we spew the vitriol that sometimes comes from the mouths of so-called Christians against this group or that group when Jesus taught us to love our enemies? Does that mean Jesus condoned their actions? Never. Does it mean we condone a sinner’s actions? Never. But how can you win someone to Jesus unless they understand that you see them as a friend, not an enemy? Jesus gave us the example to follow when Judas came to Him in the garden and placed the betrayal kiss on cheek.

Is it easy for us to call everyone friend or to treat everyone as a friend? No. It’s not something we can do in our own strength. We need something beyond ourselves to demonstrate that kind of love. We need God’s Spirit living in us to enable us to love like He loves. We can’t do it alone. We need the resurrection power of that first Easter morning helping us see others as God sees them before we can truly call every person our friend. But it’s possible to do so and Jesus teaches us by His example in the garden with Judas.

The other thing I see in this short exchange is Jesus’ desire that we not procrastinate in our business with Him. Judas was a betrayer and would give His identity to those who would carry Him away to be humiliated, flogged, and crucified. We would probably want to delay the betrayal. Buy ourselves time to avoid the pain and the cross. We would try to push away the agony that was coming. But Jesus just said, get on with it. Stop playing around. Quit trying to pretend things are okay. Stand up and be counted. You are either with Me or against Me. Just own up to who you are. See, it’s only then you can see yourself and let God change you. It’s only then you can truly repent and turn toward Him for forgiveness.

For those who have come to know Jesus as Savior and asked for forgiveness of sins past, for those who have given themselves to Him as Lord of life, His words still carry an important message. Don’t procrastinate in our business with Him. He gave us a mission to do. Go make disciples. Baptize them. Teach them. Don’t wait around for all the stars to align before you do something about it. Get to it. Do His work and don’t dawdle.

Remember His words, “My friend, do what you’ve come to do.” He’s talking to all of us.

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

Get up, the betrayer is coming (Matthew 26:45-46) June 26, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Philippians 1-2

see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)

Today’s Devotional

Matthew 26:45-46
Jesus: Well, you are still sleeping; are you getting a good long rest? Now the time has come; the Son of Man is just about to be given over to the betrayers and the sinners. Get up; we have to be going. Look, here comes the one who’s going to betray Me.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

I look around at all the rhetoric from every circle about what’s happening in our society today and wonder if Jesus would say the same to us if He were to come to our time. The news is filled with violence and acts of terrorism. Every group cries out for its rights. Whether it’s people in the country without legal status, those demanding acceptance of gender rights, those whose skin pigments differ, those with varied religious beliefs, those screaming their political affiliation and defaming opposing views.

We have come to the point in our country where disagreement means hatred in too many circles. If I don’t agree with your position, I must hate you and therefore I should be marked as an instigator of hate and hate crimes. How did we get to the point in our society that only complete agreement with idiology meant love? I think the answer comes from the last fifty years in which we slipped from relishing the title “Christian Nation” and living those principles, to somehow feeling we were ostracizing some and so we allowed ourselves as Christians to be pushed into the background not just voluntarily, but sometimes eagerly so we would not have to share the message God gave us and hear the abuse of the world.

So now here we are. We live the promise Jesus made, “The world will hate you because of Me.” Yet within the church, those who should be following and looking for His coming, we seem to be asleep. At least in this country we are. You might disagree with me and that’s your privilege, but let me ask a few questions to make my point.

When is the last time you share the gospel with anyone outside the walls of your church? When is the last time you prayed with someone as they gave their life to God? When is the last time you confronted one of your fellow brothers and sisters in Christ with wrongdoing to help them stay on the narrow path and keep the church the spotless bride Christ wants her to be at His coming? When is the last time you spent more than an hour in earnest prayer for something that didn’t involve you or your family? In fact, when is the last time you spent an hour in earnest prayer for anything?

I’m convinced the time is getting short for us to fulfill the mission He gave His disciples that is passed to each of us who call ourselves His followers. He told us to go and make disciples. We cannot do that by sitting within the four walls of our churches. We must share the good news of His sacrificial death for our sins and His resurrection power that demonstrates the truth of His ability to forgive us. We must bring others to Him so they might find forgiveness and enjoy the peace only Jesus can give in these days of evil and violence and terror.

Expect when we share and stand on the truth contained in God’s word that others will hate us. When you tell someone their lifestyle doesn’t stand up to the test of God’s sovereign command, they will hate you. When you share with the world that their end is eternal punishment unless they repent and turn from their evil ways, they will hate you.

And yet there is another problem the early church encountered and we will encounter as the end of time draws near. Did you hear it in Jesus’ words to His sleeping disciples? “…here comes the one who’s going to betray me.” I’m pretty convinced that as the end draws near, many who call themselves Christian will be happy to betray those who are Christian to save their skin. They will be happy to shed the label and reveal who they really belong to so they can live another day. Brother will turn against brother and fathers against sons. Jesus predicts it because we live in an evil world and labels really don’t mean anything. It’s what’s inside that counts.

So as the special interest groups continue to make their case that they are an exception to God’s call to holy living, expect to be hated. As wickedness grows more common and more accepted in society, expect to be hated. As you stand for right and justice according to God’s word, not man’s, expect to be hated.

Jesus told His disciples that night the words we can expect fulfilled now as well. “Now the time has come; the Son of Man (and His followers) are just about to be given over to the betrayers and the sinners.” It’s about time we wake up and get to work. The betrayers are at the door and we still have a lot of work to do before Jesus returns. 

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

The One that matters won’t hate you (Matthew 10:21-23) February 29, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Genesis 32-35

see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)

Today’s Devotional

Matthew 10:21-23
Jesus: Your task will be fraught with betrayal: brother will betray brother, even to the point of death; fathers will betray their children, and children will rebel against their fathers, even to the point of death. When you are persecuted in one town, flee to the next town. This is the truth: you will not be able to witness to every town in Israel before the Son of Man comes. Everyone will hate you because of Me. But remember: the one who stays on the narrow path until the end will be saved.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

Who would have believed history would unfold the way it has over the last fifty years? I think about the really bad kids in my school when I was growing up. They smoked behind the bleacher! How terrible! We had no drugs in the schools. No police stood at the doors to the schools. We didn’t worry about guns or knives in backpacks. No one abused illegal or prescription drugs. Once in a long while you would hear about a teenage pregnancy, but those were few and far between. There were a lot more virgins that not and those that were not were frowned upon.

No one “lived together” to see if they were compatible before getting married. Divorce was a bad word and husbands and wives learned to work out their differences. Almost all the kids I grew up with had two parents…at home. And they were they same parents that were there at their birth! Amazing, isn’t it. Now, pornography is one of the biggest vices in the church. Divorce rates in the church exceed those in the secular world. Police walk the halls of middle schools and high schoolers face metal detectors when they enter their buildings. Smoking cigarettes is still a problem, but so is marijuna, ectascy, cocaine, crack, prescription drugs, and all sorts of homemade concoctions.

We live in evil times. And with the degradation of society, we get the news reports of fathers and mothers killing their children. We hear about children killing their parents. We read about the random slaughter of innocent people. Violence and disregard for human life runs rampant. Is it any wonder the words of Jesus mean more now than they did when He spoke them 2000 years ago? As men and women try to satisfy their selfish desires with more and more of what the world offers, is it a surprise that His words are true today as they were then?

Men will hate you if you tell them about dying to selfish desire and living for Christ. Men will hate you if you talk about repentance and obedience to God’s word. Men will hate you if you tell them the only way to heaven is by following Jesus’ example. Men will hate you for bearing the righteousness of God because of His forgiveness and His Spirit in you. Jesus promised they will hate you if you carry His message to them.

So what are we to do? Continue to share the message. Continue to love. Just because those of the world will hate you, doesn’t mean you can hate them back. In fact, if God has forgiven you, you can’t hate them. He says we are forgiven in the same measure that we forgive. How can you hate and forgive at the same time? You can’t. We must love our enemies. Do good to those who persecute us. Pray for those who wrong us. Jesus knew we would face tremendous opposition when we share His message in this evil world. But this isn’t the end.

As we help others understand the truth of Jesus’ message, some will hate us. But some will learn about Him and be gathered into His kingdom. Some will repent because His kingdom is at hand. Some will recognize their evil ways, their brokeness and want to find freedom from the burden of sin they carry. Some will listen to your words and want the peace and joy they see in your face. And for those few who find the narrow path on which we walk, all the trials and persecution and suffering and heartache will be worth it.

Jesus lays out the job description pretty well for His disciples. The road ahead will be a hard one. Even relatives, parents, children, siblings will turn against one another because of the message you share. So ingrained is the desire to satisfy our selfish pleasures that we would turn against those we love the most.

But there is a better way and those who follow Christ know that way. Just keep your eyes on Him and follow in His footsteps as He leads you along. Keep doing what He asks of you. Will it be easy. Not always. But He will never give you a task that you cannot accomplish with His help. He promises. You will be hated, but not by the only One who matters in the end. So just keep sharing His message. He’ll reward you in the end. 

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.