Tag Archives: mission

Don’t worry, just talk (Matthew 10:18-20) February 28, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – 1 Corinthians 1-2

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

Today’s Devotional

Matthew 10:18-20
Jesus: Because of Me, naysayers and doubters will try to make an example out of you by trying you before rulers and kings. When this happens—when you are arrested, dragged to court—don’t worry about what to say or how to say it. The words you should speak will be given to you. For at that moment, it will not be you speaking; it will be the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

A great job description, don’t you think? Join my firm and the people that don’t like what you say will drag you before the highest authorities in the land and have you arrested and taken into court for your “crimes”. But don’t worry about it. Don’t worry that those authorities have the power to execute you. Don’t worry that the naysayers and doubters are paying off those officials and have the power to get you arrested and thrown into prison in the first place. Don’t worry about any of that. Just join my company and do what I tell you to do. How would you like those instructions?

Notice Jesus didn’t mince words here. “When this happens,” He says. “When you are arrested and dragged into court, not if. This is going to happen to you. You’re going to find yourself in jail. You’re going to be arrested. You’ll get your mug shots on the post office wall as part of the most wanted crowd. But don’t worry about it. You’ll have your day in court.”

Can you imagine the looks on the disciples faces as they heard those words? What? We’re going to be arrested, thrown in jail, go to court, stand in front of kings and judges? What are we supposed to say to them? What is our defense against those that doubt You? You’ll be miles away in some other city, how are we supposed to defend ourselves against these guys? What do you mean don’t worry about what to say?

I can just see their eyes grow wide and their jaws slacken and their mouths open wide as they take in what Jesus tells them in these words. He knows what will happen to them. He knows He will become the sacrifice for the world’s sins. He knows these twelve will carry His message and His Spirit will live in them and empower them once He ascends back to His home in heaven. But they don’t understand any of this at this point. They are dumbfounded with the prospect of what will happen.

But they also trust their Master. And they listen carefully to what He says next. The Holy Spirit will give you the words to say when you stand before the authorities. It will be the Father’s words that come through you. Don’t worry about it.

Those that know me well, know that on personality tests, I am a slammed against the wall introvert. I can stand in front of a crowd and preach. I can get up in front of an auditorium full of people and teach. But I really am a died in the wool introvert. I’ve learned to act like an extrovert when I have to, but it is really hard for me to talk to people. I am much more comfortable sitting in a room with a book.

When I go to restaurants, I like my back to the wall. When I go to parties, I migrate to the edges of the crowd. I seldom attend things where people will just mill around and when I do, I either go early to find a spot where I can anchor myself and not have to move or go late to arrive just before the main event starts and everyone freezes in place. I don’t mill around very well. I would never survive New Year’s Eve in Times Square. I just couldn’t do it.

All that said, I have to tell you that preaching is a passion for me. I’m called to preach. I don’t understand why God would do that as much as I dislike meeting and talking to people individually. It is so difficult for me. But when I stand in front of people to share His message, I understand these words of Jesus. I study hard to prepare sermons, but when I stand before a crowd, the experience is overwhelming. It’s almost an out-of-body experience. I don’t know where the words come from sometimes.

Preaching is hard work and I’ve been more exhausted after preaching a 20 minute sermon some days than after moving a truck load of furniture, but I love to preach. Why? Because I know these words of Jesus are true. The words are often not my own. When I’m truly prepare, the Holy Spirit takes over. When I’m prayed up and the topic is His, not mine, His words flow in a way that is hard for me to explain. Others hear a sermon I didn’t seem to prepare. But hear the words they needed to hear in that moment to convict, convence, encourage, admonish. They got what they needed, not from me, but from God’s word.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us? Don’t worry about sharing His message with others. He will give you the words to say. When you boldly speak in His name, others will hear what they need to hear from His word. But you need to prepare yourself. Be prayed up. Stay rooted in His word. Stay connected to the Source from which those words can flow. When you stay connected, like Jesus says, “Don’t worry about what you will say…the Spirit of your Father will speak through you.”

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.

Pack your bags, wait, don’t (Matthew 10:9-10) February 25, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Job 15-16

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

Today’s Devotional

Matthew 10:9-10
Jesus:Do not take money with you: don’t take gold, silver, or even small, worthless change. Do not pack a bag with clothes. Do not take sandals or a walking stick. Be fed and sheltered by those who show you hospitality.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

So, what’s one of the first things you do when you go on a vacation or a business trip these days? If you’re like me, you make motel reservations. I want to make sure I have a place to sleep when I get off the plane or finish the long drive to wherever I’m going. I know I’m going to be tired after traveling and the last thing I want to be doing is trying to find a place to sleep. Once I know I have a place to sleep and know how I’m going to travel, I pack my bags.

After 30 years in the Army and several years in the corporate world after that, I know a little about traveling. I know how to pack pretty lean, but I know what I need to for short or long trips and I take care to make sure I have what I need. It doesn’t take me long to pack my bags because I’ve done it a lot. But I take what I need. I know where everything goes in my bag and everything is in its place so I can find what I need even in the dark. Lots of lessons learned through years of travel have helped me wean down my necessities, but I still need that one bag when I travel by plane, train, or automobile.

Once I arrive, I start looking for the restaurants with cars around them. It doesn’t matter what flavor of food I eat as long as it seems to appeal to the local populace and has a crowd. Restaurants with empty parking lots are usually not places I want to try in strange cities. So, I look around my surroundings for those favorite places for the locals to make sure I know some spots close by where I can get some reasonably good food at reasonable prices. Those crowded parking lots are usually a good clue.

I have to admit, I can not remember a single time in my life launching out the way Jesus told the disciples to travel. Talk about faith.

Put on your sandals, tighten your belt and start walking. When you get to a town, find someone that will listen to your message and take you in. If you can’t find anyone in the village that will give you a place to eat and sleep, shake the dust off your feet and move on. Wow! I’d be asking about the Holiday Inn or Days Inn or something! “Jesus, do you really mean that? Just go and hope someone will take care of us, just like that? Isn’t that a little on the crazy side?”

Granted, middle-eastern hospitality rules are little different than ours. Hebrew hospitality insisted that if you saw a fellow Hebrew in the city square without a place to stay, you should take them in and show them your hospitality. The problem then, like now, is that trust was starting to disappear. After all, Israel sat along the crossroads between Europe and Africa. A lot of strangers wandered through the villages traveling from one place to another. How could you be sure these two or three men that came into the village weren’t thieves or worse?

And with all the taxes Rome required, the economy wasn’t so great. Feeding another mouth or two when they had no money to offer in exchange for their meals…well, that’s just rude. At least they could offer to help pay for the food they ate, right? But Jesus told them to take no gold or silver or even pocket change. The disciples were just out there learning a lesson in faith as they share the message that the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

So what are we to do with this? First, I think we should recognize that God will take care of us when He sends us on a mission. We don’t need to worry about what we will eat or what we will wear, just as He told us in the Sermon on the Mount. Second, I think He tells us as He showed His disciples, we will face times with Him when He will test our faith. Expect it as part of growing as a Christian. He will put us in situations where our only recourse is to lean entirely on Him. We will find ourselves with nothing left but our faith. But as with the disciples on that mission trip, that will be enough. He will make a way for us if we will trust Him.

It took a lot of faith for the disciples to head out on the tasks Jesus gave them that day. Don’t take money with you. Don’t pack a bag. Don’t take any extra clothes or sandals. Just start walking and trust me to take care of you through the people you meet along the way. Trust Me and share the good news that I have arrived. The kingdom of heaven isn’t just coming, it’s here. I have arrived.

Can you trust Him the way the disciples did on their first missionary venture?

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.

No one else can do your job (Matthew 3:15) January 1, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Scriptures

Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Isaiah 1-6

see the whole year’s plan here

Matthew 3:15
Jesus: It will be right, true, and faithful to God’s chosen path for you to cleanse Me with your hands in the Jordan River.

Today’s Devotional

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

Have you ever thought about those first words of Jesus recorded in the first gospel? Why wouldn’t He say something about His mission? Why wouldn’t He affirm John’s proclamation that He is God’s Son? Why wouldn’t Jesus use the opportunity to give a message of encouragement, a call to repentance, or some special revelation to the crowd gathered by the Jordan River that day? It was His perfect opportunity to set everyone right from the very start.

Instead, Jesus chose to share with his cousin, John a very special message designed just for him, but one that also speaks volumes to each of us. Listen to those words again as translated in The Voice, “It will be right, true, and faithful to God’s chosen path for you to cleanse Me with your hands in the Jordan River.”

What was the point of Jesus submitting to John’s baptism? From these words, it wasn’t for Jesus, but for John. Paul tells us Jesus was the perfect sacrifice for us because he lived life without falling to the temptations to which we so easily succumb. He was blameless before His Father. Faultless. Spotless. Without blemish. Sinless. He did not need cleansing or repentance to stand before His Father as a righteous individual.

What Jesus told John and us, though, is you have a mission. Your mission from the Father is to proclaim His word and to baptize, ritually cleanse through this outward sign of inward repentance that they will follow the will of God. Jesus went through the ritual of baptism to announce to the rest of the world He would follow the will of God. But He also told John through His actions, “You’re doing the job God gave you to do. Don’t stop. Keep it up. Even though I’ve arrived and part of your mission is to announce My coming, you mission isn’t over. Keep preaching the importance of repentance and the individual, outward proclamation of that repentance through baptism.”

I think Jesus has the same message for each of us. God has a chosen path for me and a chosen path for you. They look different. He has given each of us different skills, talents, experiences, and desires that direct us on the path He laid out for us. He did that because we are interdependent creatures. Some people like to think they are independent. They are not. No one knows enough or is skilled enough to enjoy life alone. Neither does God want us to be completely dependent. God created us to need each other. He created us to live in community and use the different skills He gave each of us so we can enjoy life in community. We corrupted His plan with that first sin in the Garden of Eden, but Jesus came to bring us back into alignment with God’s perfect plan.

Jesus also told John to cleanse Him with his own hands. I think that tells us to stay engaged. Don’t let anyone else do the job God gives me to do. I can only begin to imagine the blessing John received in baptizing God’s Son. I think about how I felt officiating at my children’s weddings and some of my grandchildren’s dedications, but those must pale in comparison to what John felt that day. But that was the mission God gave John.

When we carry out God’s plan for our life, though, we will have those John moments. I’ve had them praying with someone at an altar and watching them experience the forgiveness of their sins for the first time in their life. Sometimes that altar is in a church. Sometimes it’s at a chair in a home or a table in a coffee shop. Sometimes it was by a truck on a battlefield. But every time, the experience is overwhelming.

God gives each of us missions to perform. How appropriate for Jesus’ first recorded words in this first gospel of the New Testament to be directed to each of us, saying, “Get on with the work I’ve given you to do. No one else will do your job for you.”

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.

What are your priorities? (Acts 20:13-38), October 24, 2015

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Scriptures

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready – Acts 20:13-38

Set – Job 13; Acts 20

Go! – Job 12-14; Acts 19-20

Acts 20:13-38
13 Again Paul wanted us to split up. He wanted to go by land by himself while we went by ship to Assos. 14 There he came on board with us, and we sailed on to Mitylene. 15 From there we sailed near Chios, passing by it the next day, docking briefly at Samos the day after that, then arriving at Miletus the following day. 16 This route kept us safely out of Ephesus and didn’t require Paul to spend any time at all in Asia, since he wanted to arrive in Jerusalem quickly—before Pentecost, he hoped.
17 In Miletus he sent word to the church in Ephesus, asking the elders to come down to meet with him. 18 When they arrived, he talked with them.
Paul: We will have many memories of our time together in Ephesus; but of all the memories, most of all I want you to remember my way of life. From the first day I arrived in Asia, 19 I served the Lord with humility and tears, patiently enduring the many trials that came my way through the plots of my Jewish opponents. 20 I did everything I could to help you; I held nothing back. I taught you publicly, and I taught you in your homes. 21 I told everyone the same message—Jews and Greeks alike—that we must turn toward God and have faith in our Lord Jesus the Anointed. 22 Now I feel that the Holy Spirit has taken me captive. I am being led to Jerusalem. My future is uncertain, 23 but I know—the Holy Spirit has told me—that everywhere I go from now on, I will find imprisonment and persecution waiting for me. 24 But that’s OK. That’s no tragedy for me because I don’t cling to my life for my own sake. The only value I place on my life is that I may finish my race, that I may fulfill the ministry that Jesus our King has given me, that I may gladly tell the good news of God’s grace. 25 I now realize that this is our last good-bye. You have been like family in all my travels to proclaim the kingdom of God, but after today none of you will see my face again. 26 So I want to make this clear: I am not responsible for your destiny from this point on 27 because I have not held back from telling you the purpose of God in all its dimensions.
28 Here are my instructions: diligently guard yourselves, and diligently guard the whole flock over which the Holy Spirit has given you oversight. Shepherd the church of God, this precious church which He made His own through the blood of His own Son. 29 I know that after I’ve gone, dangerous wolves will sneak in among you, savaging the flock. 30 Some of you here today will begin twisting the truth, enticing disciples to go your way, to follow you. 31 You must be on guard, and you must remember my way of life among you. For three years, I have kept on, persistently warning everyone, day and night, with tears.
32 So now I put you in God’s hands. I entrust you to the message of God’s grace, a message that has the power to build you up and to give you rich heritage among all who are set apart for God’s holy purposes. 33 Remember my example: I never once coveted a single coin of silver or gold. I never looked twice at someone’s fine clothing. 34 No, you know this: I worked with my own two hands making tents, and I paid my own expenses and my companions’ expenses as well. 35 This is my last gift to you, this example of a way of life: a life of hard work, a life of helping the weak, a life that echoes every day those words of Jesus our King, who said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”
36 Once again, imagine this scene:
As Paul finishes speaking, he kneels down; and we all join him, kneeling. He prays, and we all join him, praying. 37 There’s the sound of weeping, and then more weeping, and then more still. One by one, we embrace Paul and kiss him, 38 our sadness multiplied because of his words about this being our last good-bye. We walk with him to the ship, and he sets sail.

Today’s Devotional

From today’s background scripture God might say:

Some would buckle under the strain of knowing they were saying their last goodbyes to friends as they departed. Paul, however, knew his mission wasn’t over. He knew from Me, he still had a message to give to the leaders in Rome. He knew the way to Rome was through Jerusalem and he didn’t hesitate to accept the mission. Paul knew the riches I would give him for following My plan far outweighed the minor suffering he endured for Me that he didn’t even think about whether or not he would go. He just set his eyes toward Jerusalem and Rome.

Are you that sure of My plan for your life? Do you trust Me that much? You can. You can find the faith Paul had in Me if you’ll spend the kind of time Paul spent with Me. You might complain you don’t have the time. Neither did Paul. He had no fast food restaurants to feed him. He had no service organizations to help him. In his day, everyone worked from sunrise to sunset six days a week to survive. Paul was no exception. Then he spent his nights either preaching My message or in prayer. It’s a matter of priority. You do what you want to do with the same 24 hours a day that Paul had. So do you want to know Me? Spend time with me.

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 you know what He did? (Romans 10:5-21), May 29, 2015

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Today’s Podcast


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Today’s Scriptures

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready – Romans 10:5-21
Set – Proverbs 12; Romans 10
Go! – Proverbs 10-12; Romans 10

Romans 10:5-21
5 Moses made this clear long ago when he wrote about what it takes to have a right relationship with God based on the law: “The person devoted to the law’s commands will live by them.” 6 But a right relationship based on faith sounds like this: “Do not say to yourselves, ‘Who will go up into heaven?’” (that is, to bring down the Anointed One), 7 “or, ‘Who will go down into the abyss?’” (that is, to bring the Anointed One up from the dead). 8 But what does it actually say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the good news we have been called to preach to you). 9 So if you believe deep in your heart that God raised Jesus from the pit of death and if you voice your allegiance by confessing the truth that “Jesus is Lord,” then you will be saved! 10 Belief begins in the heart and leads to a life that’s right with God; confession departs from our lips and brings eternal salvation. 11 Because what Isaiah said was true: “The one who trusts in Him will not be disgraced.” 12 Remember that the Lord draws no distinction between Jew and non-Jew—He is Lord over all things, and He pours out His treasures on all who invoke His name 13 because as Scripture says, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

14 How can people invoke His name when they do not believe? How can they believe in Him when they have not heard? How can they hear if there is no one proclaiming Him? 15 How can some give voice to the truth if they are not sent by God? As Isaiah said, “Ah, how beautiful the feet of those who declare the good news of victory, of peace and liberation.” 16 But some will hear the good news and refuse to submit to the truth they hear. Isaiah the prophet also says, “Lord, who would ever believe it? Who would possibly accept what we’ve been told?” 17 So faith proceeds from hearing, as we listen to the message about God’s Anointed.

18 But let me ask this: have my people ever heard? Indeed, they have:

Yet from here to the ends of the earth, their voice has gone out;
the whole world has heard what they have to say.
19 But again let me ask: did Israel perhaps hear and not understand all of this? Well, Moses was the first to say,

I will make you jealous with a people who are not a nation.
With a senseless people I will anger you.
20 Then Isaiah the fearless prophet says it this way:

I was found by people who did not seek Me;
I showed My face to those who never asked for Me.
21 And as to the fate of Israel, God says,

All day long I opened My hands
to a rebellious people, who constantly work against Me.

Today’s Devotional

From today’s background scripture God might say:

Do you know someone who needs Me in their life? Do you really believe Me when My words says that “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved”? Now think of that someone again. Put that person’s face in your mind. Make his or her feature very clear for a moment. Do you want them to be eternally lost or do you want them to find Me?

I hope your immediate response was to find Me. To know Me as their personal Lord and Savior. If that wasn’t your immediate response, please find an altar for yourself quickly! My will, My desire is that all would come to know Me as Lord and Savior. Everyone. Everywhere. In every nation of the world. I don’t want to exclude anyone from My salvation. But each individual makes their own choice.

Now picture that person once more. Listen to Paul’s words again. “How can people invoke My name when they do not believe? How can they believe in Me when they have not heard? How can they hear if there is no one proclaiming Me? How can some give voice to the truth if they are not sent by Me?”

I’m giving you a mission. Proclaim Me to that person. You don’t need to preach. You don’t need to know the Five Spiritual Laws. You don’t need to memorize five books of the Bible before you talk to him or her. I just want you to tell them one thing you know I did for you this week. That’s it. Just in conversation, tell them, “You know what God did for me this week? He…”

Tell them that one thing I did for you. That’s not so hard to do. But it proclaims Me. It opens doors. It plants seeds. It begins to let you witness My hand on your life. It prompts them to let My Spirit work within them. It may begin the process of them letting Me become their Lord and Savior. Can you take that tiny little step to save that someone from eternal separation from Me? “How can they believe if no one tells them?” Can you be the one who tells them the good news about Me in your life? I can do the same for them. Be My instrument of life for someone you know and love.

You don’t even need to worry about whether they believe. Many that listened to Me didn’t believe. But they heard My words and made their choice. You are not responsible for their choice, but when I give you a mission, you are responsible for the mission. Who did I lay at your feet today? Maybe you should pick up the phone!

As Isaiah said, “Ah, how beautiful the feet of those who declare the good news of victory, of peace and liberation.” 

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.

You have your mission (Matthew 10:5-42), Apr 23, 2015

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Today’s Podcast


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Today’s Scriptures

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready – Matthew 10:5-42
Set – Psalms 141; Matthew 10
Go! – 1 Samuel 27; Psalms 141; 1 Chronicles 9; Matthew 10

Matthew 10:5-42
5 Jesus sent out these twelve with clear instructions.

Jesus: Don’t go to the outsiders or to the towns inhabited by Samaritans, a people whose Jewish ancestors married Gentiles. 6 Go instead to find and heal the lost sheep of Israel. 7 As you go, preach this message: “The kingdom of heaven is at hand.” 8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, and cleanse those who have leprosy. Drive out demons from the possessed. You received these gifts freely, so you should give them to others freely. 9 Do not take money with you: don’t take gold, silver, or even small, worthless change. 10 Do not pack a bag with clothes. Do not take sandals or a walking stick. Be fed and sheltered by those who show you hospitality. 11 When you enter a town or village, look for someone who is trustworthy and stay at his house as long as you are visiting that town. 12 When you enter this home, greet the household kindly. 13 And if the home is indeed trustworthy, let your blessing of peace rest upon it; if not, keep your blessing to yourself. 14 If someone is inhospitable to you or refuses to listen to your testimony, leave that house or town and shake the dust from your feet. 15 This is the truth: Sodom and Gomorrah, those ancient pits of inhospitality, will fare better on judgment day than towns who ignore you tomorrow or next week.

16 Listen: I am sending you out to be sheep among wolves. You must be as shrewd as serpents and as innocent as doves. 17 You must be careful. You must be discerning. You must be on your guard. There will be men who try to hand you over to their town councils and have you flogged in their synagogues. 18 Because of Me, naysayers and doubters will try to make an example out of you by trying you before rulers and kings. 19 When this happens—when you are arrested, dragged to court—don’t worry about what to say or how to say it. The words you should speak will be given to you. For at that moment, 20 it will not be you speaking; it will be the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.

21 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. 22-23 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.

24 A student is no greater than his teacher, and a servant is never greater than his master. 25 It is sufficient if the student is like his teacher and the servant like his master. If people call the head of a house “Beelzebul,” which means “devil,” just imagine what they’re calling the members of his household.

26 Do not be afraid of those who may taunt or persecute you. Everything they do—even if they think they are hiding behind closed doors—will come to light. All their secrets will eventually be made known. 27 And you should proclaim in the bright light of day everything that I have whispered to you in the dark. Whatever whispers you hear—shout them from the rooftops of houses.

28 Don’t fear those who aim to kill just the body but are unable to touch the soul. The One to fear is He who can destroy you, soul and body, in the fires of hell. 29 Look, if you sold a few sparrows, how much money would you get? A copper coin apiece, perhaps? And yet your Father in heaven knows when those small sparrows fall to the ground. 30-31 You, beloved, are worth so much more than a whole flock of sparrows. God knows everything about you, even the number of hairs on your head. So do not fear.

32 Whoever knows Me here on earth, I will know him in heaven. And whoever proclaims faith in Me here on earth, I will proclaim faith in him before My Father in heaven. 33 But whoever disowns Me here, I will disown before My Father in heaven.

34 Do not imagine that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 I have come to turn men against their fathers, daughters against their mothers, and daughters-in-law against their mothers-in-law. 36 You will find you have enemies even in your own household. 37 If you love your father or mother more than you love Me, then you are not worthy of Me. If you love your son or daughter more than you love Me, then you are not worthy of Me. 38 If you refuse to take up your cross and follow Me on the narrow road, then you are not worthy of Me. 39 To find your life, you must lose your life—and whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.

Jesus: 40 Anyone who welcomes you welcomes Me, and anyone who welcomes Me welcomes the One who sent Me. 41 Anyone who welcomes a prophet and surrenders to his prophecy will receive a prophet’s reward, and anyone who welcomes a righteous person and conforms to the righteousness that surrounds him and proceeds from him will receive a righteous man’s reward. 42 And anyone who has given so much as a cup of cold water to one of the little ones, because he is My disciple, I tell you, that person will be well rewarded.

Today’s Devotional

From today’s background scripture God might say:

There’s a lot packed into those thirty-eight verses of instructions. Jesus knew what His disciples would face as they went out into the world to share My message, though. He knew the kind of people they would run into and the encouragement they needed now at the beginning of their journey. Jesus knew they would have successes along the way and many would come to know Him because of the message they shared, the many they healed, the miracles performed.

Others would hate Jesus’ messengers for the same reason. Because they proclaimed the message I gave them, those twelve would find others hated them as much as they hated Me. They would learn it doesn’t take long to be run out of town, beaten, stoned, arrested or held in prison for their message being given to others.

But their instructions were clear and they carried them out faithfully. Your instructions are clear, too. Jesus gave them to you before He came back to Me. “Go into all the world and make disciples. Teach them My commands and baptize them in My name and His name, and the name of the Holy Spirit.” If you’ll do that, you’ll do some incredible things for the kingdom and I’ll be with your each step of the way. 

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.

Gallio says, Grow up and get along (Acts 18:1-17), Feb 11, 2015

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Today’s Scriptures

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready – Acts 18:1-17
Set – Leviticus 16; Acts 18
Go! – Leviticus 15-17; Acts 18

Acts 18:1-17
1From Athens, Paul traveled to Corinth alone. 2 He found a Jewish man there named Aquila, originally from Pontus. Aquila and his wife Priscilla had recently come to Corinth from Italy because Claudius had banished all Jews from Rome. Paul visited them in their home 3 and discovered they shared the same trade of tent making. He then became their long-term guest and joined them in their tent-making business. 4 Each Sabbath he would engage both Jews and Greeks in debate in the synagogue in an attempt to persuade them of his message. 5 Eventually Silas and Timothy left Macedonia and joined him in Corinth. They found him fully occupied by proclaiming the message, testifying to the Jewish people that Jesus was God’s Anointed, the Liberating King. 6 Eventually, though, some of them stopped listening and began insulting him. He shook the dust off his garments in protest.

Paul: OK. I’ve done all I can for you. You are responsible for your own destiny before God. From now on, I will bring the good news to the outsiders!

7 He walked out of the synagogue and went next door to the home of an outsider, Titius Justus, who worshiped God. 8 Paul formed a gathering of believers there that included Crispus (the synagogue leader) and his whole household and many other Corinthians who heard Paul, believed, and were ceremonially washed through baptism. 9 One night Paul had a vision in which he heard the Lord’s voice.

The Lord: Do not be afraid, Paul. Speak! Don’t be silent! 10 I am with you, and no one will lay a finger on you to harm you. I have many in this city who are already My people.

11 After such turmoil in previous cities, these words encouraged Paul to extend his stay in Corinth, teaching the message of God among them for a year and six months.

12 During this time, some Jews organized an attack on Paul and made formal charges against him to Gallio, the proconsul of Achaia.

Jews: 13 This man is convincing people to worship God in ways that contradict our Hebrew Scriptures.

Paul was about to speak, but Gallio spoke first.

Gallio: 14 Look, if this were some serious crime, I would accept your complaint as a legitimate legal case, 15 but this is just more of your typical Jewish squabbling about trivialities in your sacred literature. I have no interest in getting dragged into this kind of thing.

16 So he threw out their case and drove them away from his bench. 17 They were furious and seized Sosthenes, the synagogue official; then they beat him in front of the tribunal. Gallio just ignored them.

Today’s Devotional

From today’s background scripture God might say:

Gallio’s words could apply to many of the churches that call themselves “Christian” today, you know. You like to point your finger at the Jews of the New Testament and talk about how petty they were and how they couldn’t see past their noses to understand that Jesus was My Son, come to redeem humankind from the chasm of sin that separates you from Me. The Jews of the synagogues in almost every city Paul and his entourage visited raised up people who would start riots and blame it on Paul.

Gallio just happened to have enough smarts to see the real problem. It wasn’t the message Paul preached. It wasn’t the change in people Gallio and other city officials saw in the lives of those Paul reached. The problem Gallio saw was the synagogue leaders didn’t have a message that changed lives anymore. They had lost their focus on what was important and their faith had become a religion instead of a relationship with Me. They went through rituals every day saying their robotic prayers and making their mandated sacrifices, but there was no heart in what they did. They had lost the reason for why they came to the synagogue in the first place.

A lot of My churches are getting that way. Why is it that there are hundreds of churches in some cities, yet hundreds of thousands that never walk in their doors? Why is it you walk past each other and they assume everyone in your congregation is bound for hell because of your actions and beliefs and, of course, your congregation is assured of the same of them? Why do you let Satan get between you and let petty things detract you from what is really important? My Son told you to love each other and told you the story of the Samaritan who cared for the victimized Jew to drive the story home about who your neighbor really is. Yet you let the world see you squabbling like bad children that can never get along.

That’s not My church. Jesus went into the temple and synagogues, but His greatest works didn’t happen there. His greatest works happened outside where the people were. He ministered in the messy, everyday lives of the people He met. That’s what My church should do. Gallio understood it. He saw the squabble that shouldn’t happen going on among My children. It’s time to grow up, get along with each other. In fact, do more than just get along, love each other as I commanded you. And get out into the world and show those that really need to know Me that My church can make a difference in lives.

How about it. Are you up for the challenge? 

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.

All you need is love (Luke 10:1-29), Jan 10, 2015

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Today’s background scripture comes from Luke 10:1-29


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You who are My adopted children have a mission to perform. Like the 70 I sent out to all the villages to announce the arrival of God’s kingdom, I’m sending you. It’s a simple message with a simple command. Love one another.

I’m not sure the Beatles’ interpretation was right, but their words were right when they made their hit song “All You Need Is Love.” Unfortunately, the world misuses the word today. They misunderstand love and think of it only as an emotion to fill their own base desires. But love is so much more. Love is why I wrapped Myself in flesh and gave Myself as a sacrifice for you. Love is why I endured the cross for You. Love is why a mother or father will give all, including life itself for their children.

Love is all you need, but it is My love you need. And it is your love others need and I want. Not the emotional drivel that poses as love in the world, but action that demonstrates real care and concern for humankind. Love that shows your compassion for others. Love that lets them know you tending the sick, feeding the hungry, visiting those imprisoned by life’s circumstances constitute your parts of your schedule, not just your language.

As you go out into the world with My message, you’ll find some people are not easy to love, but that is My command. Love them anyway. I died for them. And in the church, love each other. Get rid of your petty arguments and love. Do you have to agree with each other all the time? No, but you must love each other. Don’t let disagreements turn to gossip or dissension or anger. Love with My love. Encourage each other. Carry each others’ burdens. Help each other grow in faith and grace and love. Teach others what it means to become Christlike, not by your words, but by your actions.

Love Me with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, and love your neighbor like you love yourself.

Ready – Luke 10:1-29
Set – Genesis 25; Luke 10
Go! – Genesis 25-26; Psalms 6; Luke 10

Luke 10:1-29)
The Lord then recruited and deployed 70 more disciples. He sent them ahead, in teams of two, to visit all the towns and settlements between them and Jerusalem. 2 This is what He ordered.

Jesus: There’s a great harvest waiting in the fields, but there aren’t many good workers to harvest it. Pray that the Harvest Master will send out good workers to the fields.

3 It’s time for you 70 to go. I’m sending you out armed with vulnerability, like lambs walking into a pack of wolves. 4 Don’t bring a wallet. Don’t carry a backpack. I don’t even want you to wear sandals. Walk along barefoot, quietly, without stopping for small talk. 5 When you enter a house seeking lodging, say, “Peace on this house!” 6 If a child of peace—one who welcomes God’s message of peace—is there, your peace will rest on him. If not, don’t worry; nothing is wasted. 7 Stay where you’re welcomed. Become part of the family, eating and drinking whatever they give you. You’re My workers, and you deserve to be cared for. Again, don’t go from house to house, 8 but settle down in a town and eat whatever they serve you. 9 Heal the sick and say to the townspeople, “The kingdom of God has come near to you.”

10 Of course, not every town will welcome you. If you’re rejected, walk through the streets and say, 11 “We’re leaving this town. We’ll wipe off the dust that clings to our feet in protest against you. But even so, know this: the kingdom of God has come near.” 12 I tell you the truth, on judgment day, Sodom will have an easier time of it than the town that rejects My messengers.

13 It’s going to be bad for you, Chorazin! It’s going to be bad for you, Bethsaida! If the mighty works done in your streets had been done in the cities of Tyre and Sidon, they would have been moved to turn to God and cry out in sackcloth and ashes. 14 On judgment day, Tyre and Sidon will have an easier time of it than you. 15 It’s going to be bad for you, too, Capernaum! Will you be celebrated to heaven? No, you will go down to the place of the dead.

16 Listen, disciples: if people give you a hearing, they’re giving Me a hearing. If they reject you, they’re rejecting Me. And if they reject Me, they’re rejecting the One who sent Me. So—go now!

17 When the 70 completed their mission and returned to report on their experiences, they were elated.

Seventy: It’s amazing, Lord! When we use Your name, the demons do what we say!

Jesus: 18 I know. I saw Satan falling from above like a lightning bolt. 19 I’ve given you true authority. You can smash vipers and scorpions under your feet. You can walk all over the power of the enemy. You can’t be harmed. 20 But listen—that’s not the point. Don’t be elated that evil spirits leave when you say to leave. Rejoice that your names are written in heaven.

21 Then Jesus Himself became elated. The Holy Spirit was on Him, and He began to pray with joy.

Jesus: Thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth. Thank You for hiding Your mysteries from the wise and intellectual, instead revealing them to little children. Your ways are truly gracious. 22 My Father has given Me everything. No one knows the full identity of the Son except the Father, and nobody knows the full identity of the Father except the Son, and the Son fully reveals the Father to whomever He wishes. 23 (then almost in a whisper to the disciples) How blessed are your eyes to see what you see! 24 Many prophets and kings dreamed of seeing what you see, but they never got a glimpse. They dreamed of hearing what you hear, but they never heard it.

25 Just then a scholar of the Hebrew Scriptures tried to trap Jesus.

Scholar: Teacher, what must I do to experience the eternal life?

Jesus (answering with a question): 26 What is written in the Hebrew Scriptures? How do you interpret their answer to your question?

Scholar: 27 You shall love—“love the Eternal One your God with everything you have: all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind”—and “love your neighbor as yourself.”

Jesus: 28 Perfect. Your answer is correct. Follow these commands and you will live.

29 The scholar was frustrated by this response because he was hoping to make himself appear smarter than Jesus.

Scholar: Ah, but who is my neighbor?

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.