Thanks for joining me today for “A Little Walk with God.” I’m your host Richard Agee.
Topic Introduction with headline.
Scripture
Acts 18:9-10
The Lord: Do not be afraid, Paul. Speak! Don’t be silent! 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.
Devotional
Have you ever been in a crowd of people listening to someone spout of something you knew was wrong but noone spoke up?
Hitler’s speeches
Terrorist rhetoric
General wrongdoing/evil action
We think we’re the only one in the crowd and are afraid of what the crowd might do to us if we speak up
Usually not the only one
Usually others in the crowd feel the same way but are also afraid
Usually just need someone with the courage to start that chain reaction of good will to stand up against evil
Will standing up against evil always put the crowd on your side
No
Jesus was crucified
Paul was martyred
Many have lost their everything they owned and some lost their lives for speaking up for Christ
But the courage to speak up always has positive consequences
Look at what Stephen’s martyrdom sparked
Saul an onlooker
Many witnesses saw Stephen’s reaction and thousands wanted to know this Jesus he spoke of
The same has happened when others throughout history have stood up for Christ
Jesus promised His disciples He would never leave the or forsake them
He never fails to keep His promises
When we invite Him into our lives He is with us and in us
He gives us the courage to stand alone in the crowd because we know we are never alone
He is with us, empowering us
Gives resurrection power to enable us to share His message of forgiveness for the asking
Do you feel alone in the crowd?
Think again
Search your heart
You may be the spark that begins a revival fire among those who witness your testimony of God’s grace and mercy in your life
If you want to learn more about my church, you can find us at SAF.church. If you like the devotional, share it with someone. If you don’t, tell me. I hope you’ll join me again tomorrow for “A Little Walk with God.”
Thanks for joining me today for “A Little Walk with God.” I’m your host Richard Agee.
Here’s an odd question that you probably shouldn’t know, but should make you think about the welcome your church provides. How many alcoholics, drug addicts, prostitutes, and adulterers visit your congregation regularly?
Scripture
John 9:35-37
The religious leaders banished him [the blind man Jesus healed] from their presence. Jesus heard what had happened and sought out the man.
Jesus: Do you believe in the Son of Man?
Formerly Blind Man: I want to believe, Lord. Who is He?
Jesus: You have seen His face with your new eyes, and you are talking to Him now.
Devotional
In the Sunday School class I’ve been attending the last couple of weeks, we talked about the way the church has done exactly what the religious leaders of Jesus’ day did.
Alcoholics
Drug addicts
Homosexuals
We don’t want anything to do with “those” people
We don’t want to tarnish our congregation with the wrong kind of people
We even take our dislike for anyone that doesn’t agree with us to the streets
Protests
Facebook
Twitter
But is God happy with our approach?
Jesus ate with tax collectors, prostitutes, thieves, the people the Pharisees and religious leaders wouldn’t come near
Why?
Until you build a relationship with someone they won’t listen to what you have to say
He never condoned their sinful action
But He still loved them as one of God’s creations
Jesus saw the potential of what God could make them instead of what sin had made them
Remember the woman caught in adultery?
Who can say they have never sinned?
No matter how large or how small, disobedience separates us from God
Look at that first act that banished Adam from God’s presence, he ate fruit from a forbidden tree, how horrible is that compared to the sins we think are so much more egregious than something we might do
Paul’s list
Gluttony
Gossip
Dissension
These separate us from God as surely as murder, kidnapping, rape, homosexuality, or any other law you might bring to mind
With that in mind, how should we change our approach personally and as churches to all those Jesus would have befriended? Don’t you think it’s time we welcome them instead of tossing them out?
If you want to learn more about my church, you can find us at SAF.church. If you like the devotional, share it with someone. If you don’t, tell me. I hope you’ll join me again tomorrow for “A Little Walk with God.”
Thanks for joining me today for “A Little Walk with God.” I’m your host Richard Agee.
We sometimes forget the advantage we have living on this side of the cross when we read the words of Jesus. We think it would be so easy to believe if we could have seen Him in person and listened to Him speak while He walked the earth. But was it so easy then?
Scripture
John 6:53-58
Jesus: I tell you the truth; unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you will not know life. If you eat My flesh and drink My blood, then you will have eternal life and I will raise you up at the end of time. My flesh and blood provide true nourishment. If you eat My flesh and drink My blood, you will abide in Me and I will abide in you. The Father of life who sent Me has given life to Me; and as you eat My flesh, I will give life to you. This is bread that came down from heaven; I am not like the manna that your fathers ate and then died! If you eat this bread, your life will never end.
Devotional
The words Jesus shares with the crowd that day were hard words for them to accept.
The last Passover supper was a long time away.
Covenant with His disciples had not yet been announced
Death on the cross that explained His sacrifice and symbolism of His flesh and blood was still in the future and unseen by all those around Him
How could they understand
Why would Jesus give these words that would drive people away from His message of love and forgiveness?
Christianity is not an easy life
Must count the cost to serve Him
More will hate your message than like your message
No watered down, easy road, do as you please religion
Prepare us for what is to come
Message He gives the crowd that day
If you consume what the world offers, you die
If you consume what He offers, you live
Hard to understand sometimes, but that is the mystery of God
Beyond our knowing because He is God and we are not
In a battle for our lives
Satan lies and is the father of lies
Listen to God’s truth
Trust His word and follow His direction
Obey and live
If you want to learn more about my church, you can find us at SAF.church. If you like the devotional, share it with someone. If you don’t, tell me. I hope you’ll join me again tomorrow for “A Little Walk with God.”
Thanks for joining me today for “A Little Walk with God.” I’m your host Richard Agee.
Do you remember what it was like being born? I don’t and it’s probably a good thing. But maybe we should remember some of it so we can understand what it’s like to be born again. The Christian life isn’t all fun and games if that’s what you’re looking for.
Scripture
John 3:3-8
Jesus: I tell you the truth: only someone who experiences birth for a second time can hope to see the kingdom of God.
Nicodemus:I am a grown man. How can someone be born again when he is old like me? Am I to crawl back into my mother’s womb for a second birth? That’s impossible!
Jesus: I tell you the truth, if someone does not experience water and Spirit birth, there’s no chance he will make it into God’s kingdom. Like from like. Whatever is born from flesh is flesh; whatever is born from Spirit is spirit. Don’t be shocked by My words, but I tell you the truth. Even you, an educated and respected man among your people, must be reborn by the Spirit to enter the kingdom of God. The wind blows all around us as if it has a will of its own; we feel and hear it, but we do not understand where it has come from or where it will end up. Life in the Spirit is as if it were the wind of God.
Devotional
Born again. You’ve probably heard that term all your life if you grew up in the church or around Christian people. Those in the Christian community know what it means. Or at least they think they do.
Dying to self
New life in Christ
Reborn into a new way of life with God’s plan and purpose in mind
Have you ever thought about how this sounds to someone outside the church?
Nicodemus
Question wasn’t unreasonable
How would you explain this relationship you have with God
What is being born again like?
Too often we talk just about the happy moment of forgiveness and forget the rest
Make people disillusioned when they begin their Christian walk
Childbirth is hard for both mother and baby
First breath is great, but come out into a cold, brutal world
Times of joy when held in mother’s arms
Times of fear, aloneness, inability to express thoughts and feelings, unable to communicate
So much unknown
So much to learn
Jesus tells us to weigh the cost
Christian life is a hard one
Costs everything
Misunderstood and hated
Unbelievable reward in the end
If you want to learn more about my church, you can find us at SAF.church. If you like the devotional, share it with someone. If you don’t, tell me. I hope you’ll join me again tomorrow for “A Little Walk with God.”
see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)
Today’s Devotional
Luke 19:5-10 Jesus: Zaccheus, hurry down from that tree because I need to stay at your house tonight.
Zaccheus scrambles down and joyfully brings Jesus back to his house. Now the crowd sees this, and they’re upset. Crowd (grumbling): Jesus has become the houseguest of this fellow who is a notorious sinner. Zaccheus: Lord, I am giving half of my goods to the poor, and whomever I have cheated I will pay back four times what I took. Jesus: Today liberation has come to this house, since even Zaccheus is living as a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to liberate the lost.
What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?
Do you know any notorious sinners? I hope so. It gives you a good opportunity to become friends with them, invite them into your house, eat dinner with them, get to know them, and let them get to know you. It gives you an opportunity to let them see your life in side and out. It lets them see you in the crisis times of life and how you rely on God to get you through those tough times and how you praise Him for the good times. If you get to know a notorious sinner, you might have the opportunity to help him out when he gets in a tough spot and show God’s grace through your actions.
Does that mean you condone what he does that doesn’t conform to God’s law? No. Neither did Jesus. When Jesus went to Zaccheus house for dinner, I’m sure He didn’t go there with the intent of learning how to cheat people on their taxes. That’s what Zaccheus was know for. I’m pretty sure Jesus didn’t intend to get stone drunk at dinner and make a fool of Himself. I’m pretty sure Jesus planned to enjoy Himself at dinner and talk to Zaccheus about what He was doing in His ministry, the people He was meeting along the way, the help He was able to give, the joy God brought to individual’s hearts when they changed their ways and followed His commands.
Jesus didn’t condone sin, but He loved sinners. He demonstrated that fact over and over throughout His ministry. He associated with the notorious sinners. Those labeled as the worst of the worst so those on the fringe and we could know that God will forgive anyone who comes to Him with a repentant heart. And what better way to tell the story of God’s forgiveness than over a meal?
When your eating with someone, you’re eyeball to eyeball with them. It’s hard to just walk away in the middle of a meal. Especially if they invited you to dinner. What are they going to do? Grab you by the collar and throw you out in the street? If they have come to know you as a friend that really cares about them, probably not. They will listen to your stories. They will see the sincerity in your eyes. They will feel your passion and compassion. They will know you believe what you tell them. It will cause them to think about what you say.
Will you win them to Jesus? Maybe. Maybe not. They must make the choice for themselves. But you will at least plant a seed that may have a chance to grow in them. If you are friends with notorious sinners you will have a better chance of reaching them for Jesus than any pastor preaching in a pulpit. Why? Because that notorious sinner won’t show up at that pastor’s services. No matter how great a preacher, no matter how persuasive, no matter how successful he is in sharing God’s word and convincing others to come to Christ, if that notorious sinner never enters those church doors, he will never hear the pastor’s great message. The truth will have to come from a Christian friend.
Jesus showed us by example how best to spread the good news. He went to the homes of those who needed to hear it most. He went to the people who needed Him. He didn’t wait for them to come to Him. He didn’t expect them to approach Him, He traveled the countryside and went to them. The crowds gathered around Him, but those crowds came from the nearby villages, not from half way across the country. The crowds were locals that sought Him out when He came to their town.
We in the church are sometimes afraid, or maybe, like the Pharisees, too proud or pious, to associate with the notorious sinners. But how else will they hear that Jesus loves them just as much as He loved us when He offered us the chance to have our sins forgiven and an opportunity to attain eternal life with Him. How else will they come to know Him as Savior unless friends carry the message to them.
So the questions for us today: Do you know any notorious sinners? Have you made friends with them? Have you share the good news of God’s love with them? If not, what are you waiting for? Jesus showed us how with Zaccheus as a great example for us. You might help win a Zaccheus today if you try. Let’s get at it.
see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)
Today’s Devotional
Luke 13:32-35 Jesus: You can give that sly fox this message: “Watch as I cast out demons and perform healings today and tomorrow, and on the third day I’ll reach My destination. But for today and tomorrow and the next day, I have to continue My journey, for no prophet should perish outside of Jerusalem.”
O Jerusalem! O Jerusalem! You kill the prophets and you stone the messengers who are sent to you. How often I wanted to gather in your children as a hen gathers in her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing to come to Me. Look now, your house is abandoned and empty. You won’t see Me until you welcome Me with the words of the psalms, “Anyone who comes in the name of the Eternal One will be blessed!”
What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?
It’s interesting to see Jesus’ boldness in the middle of all the political and religious turmoil in Judea. When you think about the historic time in which Jesus lived, Judea was a powder keg waiting to explode. The Jews lost their nation when the Assyrians attacked the Northern Kingdom and then the Babylonians finished the job and drove the Judeans into exile almost 600 years earlier. The nation never ruled itself independently from that time until the United Nations gave Israel the strip of land they now govern after World War II.
That’s a long time to feel God’s punishment for their disobedience. But He warned them through the many prophets He sent their way to change and follow His decrees, but they wouldn’t. Through all that time, both as a nation and as the vassal of some other kingdom, the Jews continually revolted against their leaders, just as they revolted against God. They would not be ruled by anyone.
Consequently, the Greeks kept a strong military force in Judea after they conquered the Persians and took over the country. Then the Romans kept a stronger military force in the country after they conquered the Greeks. Here Jesus stood in the midst of all the political turmoil in which the Zealots were trying to build Israel into an independent nation again. The Pharisees and the Sadducees were at each others throats trying to gain control of the temple. The Essenes fought both of those primary Jewish sects to try to reform their religion and bring back real worship into the temple again as keepers of the ancient scrolls.
The upheaval across the country was tremendous. Everyone walked on eggshells because Herod wanted to show the populace that he was in charge as the Judean king. Pilot kept an iron fist to make sure everyone knew that Rome still held the reins over the tiny country. The various sects within the Jewish faith argued their sides in the Sanhedrin and levied fines and imprisonment for infractions of their laws to ensure the citizens of their country knew it was the temple they must obey.
And in the middle of all of this uproar, Jesus comes on the scene and tells His followers things like this. Tell Herod, that old fox, that I’m going to do what I’m supposed to do until I get to Jerusalem. He might think he can kill me, but he doesn’t have a chance. I have a purpose to fulfill and I’ll be in Jerusalem in three days after I’ve completed my mission of healing and driving out demons for the next three days first.
No one talks to the king like that…unless of course you are God’s Son. Oh, yeah, He is. As many times as the Pharisees or Herod or the scribes or the townspeople tried to do Jesus harm, they never could. The Father had His hand of protection firmly over His Son ensuring nothing happened to Him until He gave Himself over to those guards in Gethsemane. Until Jesus allowed Himself to be taken and beaten and crucified, no one could harm Him.
Jesus said we could have the same boldness when we talk about the kingdom of God, though. He said if we will allow His Spirit to inhabit us and give Him control of our lives, He will give us the words to say when we face kings and authorities and are dragged into court on account of Him. We don’t need to be afraid of the times. It will get tougher for Christians in the coming years. The Bible predicts it. But we don’t need to cower or fear. Jesus promised He will never leave us or forsake us. He will be with us to the very end.
So like Jesus in those days of political and religious turmoil, don’t be afraid of unrest that goes on around you. There will always be political and religious upheaval as long as people fail to follow God. That’s just the way it is. We live in an evil world that will continue to create chaos and turmoil until Jesus returns. But don’t worry, it won’t be much longer. All the signs are coming together. As Galatians says, “…when the set time had fully come…”. He’ll come back to get us.
see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)
Today’s Devotional
Luke 13:18-21 Jesus (explaining): Do you want to understand the kingdom of God? Do you want Me to tell you what it’s like? It’s like a single mustard seed that someone took and planted in his garden. That tiny seed grew and became a tree so large that the birds could fly in and make their nests in its branches.
Do you want Me to tell you what the kingdom of God is like? It’s like some yeast which a woman hid within a huge quantity of flour; soon the whole batch of dough was rising.
What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?
We don’t talk about heaven and the kingdom in our churches much these days. We hear a lot of sermons about ethics and moral values. We hear a lot of sermons about how we should behave and how we should improve our relationships with each other. We hear a lot of sermons about the state of the world today and how we should work to improve the nature of things around us. We hear a lot of sermons about the latest topic in the news and how it affects us spiritually and how to guard against it. But we don’t hear many sermons anymore about heaven or hell.
So it’s good to stop and think about Jesus’ words today and just ponder what He says about heaven and the kingdom of God. Most of the time when we think about heaven we think about the way it looks, the streets of gold, the mansions being built for us, the brilliance of the light, the music sung by choirs of angels, the indescribable beauty of the place we hope to spend eternity. But these words give us a very different picture of the kingdom of God. It doesn’t talk about the beauty or streets or even the kind of people who will populate heaven. Jesus gives a different description for us to think about and the description involves us.
He says the kingdom of God is like a mustard seed or some yeast, so what does that mean to us? We are getting to know more about yeast as more people begin to enjoy baking as a hobby. We still do more purchasing of baked goods than actually baking today, but the hobby is growing and you can find lots of people who bake bread, rolls, cookies, pies and cakes, etc. And in a lot of those things that need a dough in their preparation, they also need yeast to make the dough rise. So many today understand yeast, but not nearly as many as did in Jesus’ day.
Not so many understand Jesus’ comparison of the mustard seed with the kingdom of heaven because most of us haven’t seen the results of planting mustard seeds. Around the area where Jesus spoke, mustard plants grew wild and in fact were sometimes considered a nuisance plant. Just that tiny seed the size of a pin head grew into a bush fifteen to twenty feet tall, tree size with branches sturdy enough to hold birds’ nests.
So we aren’t quite so familiar with these illustrations today. The point I think Jesus wants to get across is that the kingdom of heaven, like that mustard seed starts small, but grows as we let God work through us and spread the good news He gives us. Others hear His word and accept Him as Lord and the kingdom grows more. Those share the message and the kingdom continues to expand. Then like those mustard seeds that grow into tree-sized bushes, they produce more seeds that are scattered across the land and more mustard plants take root and grow. The kingdom expands throughout the area as we let God use us and work through us to do His will.
Or the kingdom is like yeast when we let God work through us. He places us in a community to do His will in that community and like yeast, the good things we do for others spreads throughout the community. Others see us and watch the transformation in our lives because of His spirit in us. They hear the message He has for them and His resurrection power changes them, too. The good news spreads throughout the community and cannot be stopped just as yeast spreads throughout the dough when it is kneaded. And what does the yeast do to the dough? It makes the dough double or triple or quadruple in size, just as the good news causes God’s kingdom to expand exponentially through those that hear it.
Today Jesus might use one of those room fresheners you plug into the wall as an illustration. The odor starts at the wall when you plug it in, but soon the smell reaches every corner of the room. Or maybe he would like the kingdom to the foam insulation that goes in the walls of new homes. A five gallon canister of liquid is shot into the space between the walls of the house and that small five gallon canister is enough as it expands to fill all the outer walls of an average house with foam.
Whatever example Jesus or you might use to explain the growth of God’s kingdom, it still in part depends on one Christian, transformed by the power of God’s spirit in you, sharing the good news of what He has done with another person. Then that person sharing with one more and so on until the kingdom continues to grow at an exponential rate.
see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)
Today’s Devotional
Luke 12:54-57 Jesus: (speaking to the crowd) You see a cloud arise from the sea in the west, and you can say, “Here comes a shower!” And you’re right. Or you feel the hot wind blowing in from the desert in the south and you say, “It’s going to be really hot!” And you’re right. Listen, hypocrites! You can predict the weather by paying attention to the sky and the earth, but why can’t you interpret the urgency of this present moment? Why don’t you see it for yourselves?
What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?
As I was reading Jesus’ words today, I’m not sure I would pick the same illustration He used. We use weathermen as a joke. The only profession in which you can be wrong half the time and still keep your job. But that’s really not a very good joke. They really are pretty good at what they do. They can tell us with pretty good accuracy what the weather will be for the next few hours anyway. Do they always get it right? No, but they get pretty close most of the time and they get it right most of the time for the next several days up to about a week in advance. So I guess it wasn’t a bad illustration for Jesus to use.
Today, He might pick different examples. Not the stock market or climate control or politics. None of those are predictable anymore. I’m not sure you can pick out any signs or symptoms that give you any sure signs of what’s to come in those areas. But the point He makes is there are things that we can see and have some pretty good evidence of what will come next. You see dark clouds rising and expect a storm. You feel wind coming from the desert, that’s where the hot air comes from. If you’re in Oklahoma and see some funny looking funnel clouds in the sky, you take cover because a tornado is likely to pop out of the sky.
We see those things and we can predict what will happen soon. But Jesus told us and Daniel told us and Ezekiel told us and John told us what the signs of the end would look like and we just ignore them. We can’t see those for what they are. We look at those things and assume they are just normal everyday happenings and don’t attach any significance to them.
What am I talking about? Jesus talked about wars everywhere. He talked about division and debate and kingdoms rising up against each other. He predicted the anger and hatred between factions and power hungry leaders. He talked about strange weather patterns with no reasonable explanation and the earth beginning to groan under the weight of sin’s destructive power. Earthquakes. Strange happenings in the heavens and on earth. Drought. Famine. Floods.
So take a look around and what do you see around the globe? Earthquakes. Floods. Drought. Famine. War. Hatred. Unexplained weather patterns. We can see everything Jesus talked about that heralds His coming back to take us home with Him. Time is soon to come to an end. All the signs are there. He could return at any moment without failing His prophecies in any respect. So why don’t we pay attention to those signs?
I’m afraid we don’t pay attention for the same reason the scribes and Pharisees and the crowds around Jesus didn’t pay attention. We are so caught up in our own lives and our own wants and desires we don’t look for what God wants in our lives. We don’t look expectantly for His return. He tells us to watch for Him like a guard would a thief he knew was coming at a certain hour of the night. But instead, we do our own thing. We try to satisfy our desires and pleasures our own way. We forget that God put us here for a purpose and it isn’t our purpose, it’s His.
He created us with His purpose in mind. He made us to do His work, not ours. We inherited this selfish bent from Adam and it hasn’t stopped since. We still want what we want instead of what God wants for us. Until we begin to look for Him and His purpose for the world, we will not see the signs for what they are. We will let Satan blind us to the truth and be unable to see that God has something better for us.
I’ve used the illustration before, but it is appropriate. The signs are hidden in plain view, like the objects in the hidden picture on the old “Highlights” magazines. Satan has blinded us with his lies, but once God becomes Lord of your life, you see the truth and those objects in the picture, the signs of the times, appear as clear as day. Once you know the truth, those hidden objects are no longer hidden, they are visible and you can’t unsee them. Every time you look at that picture, the objects are right there in the open. That’s how it is with the signs of the times around us.
It’s time to open our eyes. See what is happening. Be ready for Jesus’ coming. Warn those around us of His impending return. Give everyone we know the opportunity to know Jesus as Savior. The signs are there to see. What will we do about them?
see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)
Today’s Devotional
Luke 9:55-56 Jesus (turning toward them and shaking His head): You just don’t get it. The Son of Man didn’t come to ruin the lives of people, but He came to liberate them.
What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?
Football season has started in earnest once again. It’s always interesting to watch the energy and enthusiasm displayed by fans. Some go a little over the top with their enthusiasm, though. When you paint your body green and then stand in sub-zero temperatures to root for your team with nothing on to cover you but that green paint, that’s going a little far. And if you start to say something about that fan’s favorite team, start looking for a fight. Don’t dare get in the way of a true fan and his love for the team. You might find yourself enjoying the services of one of the finest hospitals in your hometown. This sports fan stuff is serious business.
James and John were acting like those sports fans. “Jesus, these guys are not on our team! Should we do like Elijah did and pray for fire and brimstone to fall from the sky and destroy these people who don’t follow you? Don’t they understand that you are the Son of God. Don’t they understand that God has come to earth and you are here to save all of us? Jesus, just say the word and we will join you in prayer and get rid of all these folks that are on the wrong side of the aisle. What do you say?”
James and John were pretty adamant about folks choosing sides and then wiping out anyone that wasn’t sitting on their side of the field. But that wasn’t what Jesus came to do. He certainly wanted people to choose what side they would be on. He wanted everyone to make a choice about who they would follow. He wanted to see all come to the realization that God wanted salvation for everyone. That was His mission. He came to save the lost. But James and John didn’t understand the rules and let their enthusiasm turn their understanding into a game of follow the leader instead of true faith.
James and John wanted Jesus to ascend to the throne of David and free His people from the bondage they had suffered since Babylon enslaved them 600 years earlier. They didn’t understand that Jesus wanted to free everyone who would ever live from the bondage of sin that ensnares us. This was a battle to be fought in the spiritual realm, not on the political or military battlefields around Judea or Rome.
And oh, by the way, these same people that James and John wanted to destroy, God created in the same way He created James and John. He made everyone and everything in all creation. So how could God not want to do everything He could to call these back into His favor just as He was trying to call the Israelites back into His favor. You see, that was part of the problem that caused Him to come into our world in the human form in the first place.
God entrusted the message of salvation to a group of people descended from Abraham and gave Abraham a covenant that included instructions to bless all nations with that message. Share with the world the story of the God you serve. Let them know how Jehovah blesses and keeps and provides and protects when you serve Him with all your heart. But Abraham and his descendants failed to share that message. They failed to live the message and even those who understood the story God wanted them to share horded it instead of sharing it.
God wanted to use His chosen people as His emissaries to the rest of the world to spread His message of salvation. When they failed, He came to share the message Himself. When His people still didn’t listen, God sent messengers like Paul and Barnabas and Peter to evangelize the Gentiles to spread the good news that God could and would lift the guilt of sin from our shoulders if we would but repent and ask His Son, Jesus for forgiveness, through the washing of His the blood He shed for us on the cross as a sacrifice for our sins.
James and John didn’t understand. Too many of us today don’t understand, either. We act just like James and John pushing anyone that’s not like us, that’s not part of our team away. Hey, they don’t belong to our church or our denomination, so they can’t be part of the kingdom or God’s work. Hey, they don’t have the same color of skin, so they aren’t welcome in my church. Hey, they don’t speak the same language I speak, I don’t know what they’re saying behind my back, so they can’t come around here. They might be plotting some sinister threat against us. They come from one of those countries on the terrorist watch list. How do we know they aren’t here to gather information and kill us all? We can’t let them in.
You see, we can get just as bad as those rabid sports fans or as bad as James and John if we’re not careful. Jesus wants everyone to find Him. But how will they find Him if you and I don’t tell them?
see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)
Today’s Devotional
Luke 9:26-27 Jesus: If you’re ashamed of who I am and what I teach, then the Son of Man will be ashamed of you when He comes in all His glory, the glory of the Father, and the glory of the holy messengers. Are you ready for this? I’m telling you the truth: some of you will not taste death until your eyes see the kingdom of God.
What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?
The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines the word ashamed as:
1a : feeling shame, guilt, or disgrace
b : feeling inferior or unworthy
2: restrained by anticipation of shame
But that definition is a little bit circular since it uses shame as part of its definition, so we need to look a little deeper and ask what does it mean to feel shame or guilt or disgrace. If you look at the definition of shame, Webster defines it as:
1 a : a painful emotion caused by consciousness of guilt, shortcoming, or impropriety
b : the susceptibility to such emotion <have you no shame?>
2: a condition of humiliating disgrace or disrepute : ignominy
3 a : something that brings censure or reproach; also : something to be regretted : pity <it’s a shame you can’t go>
b : a cause of feeling shame
So now let’s apply that definition to Jesus’ words.
Are you susceptible to feelings of humiliating disgrace or disrepute because of following Jesus? Do you have feelings of guilty or shortcomings or impropriety because of your faith in Christ? Does your faith bring you censure or reproach that you regret? Be careful in answering that last question. If you follow Christ, you can expect censure and reproach, but do you regret it? That’s the real question.
Do you let the world push you into their mold or make you think it’s not okay to follow Jesus? Do you let them quiet your voice in sharing the truth that He has freed you from the burden of guilt that enslaved you and now you live with His peace and joy each day? Do you live in hiding afraid to share the news that Jesus is still alive and lives in you?
If so, it’s a dangerous place to be. Jesus told those around Him, “If you are ashamed of Me, I’ll be ashamed of you when the Son of Man comes in His glory.”
We don’t know exactly what that will be like when He returns. We have some hints in Daniel, Revelations, and other eschatological writings, but those are just brief glimpses into what will be. What we know is He will return, not as the suffering servant, but as the victorious warrior over death and evil. Those who fail to proclaim Him as Lord in this life will be banished from His presence eternally.
So Jesus asks a question after His proclamation. “Are you ready for this?” If you’re ashamed of Me, are you ready to face the consequences that will come when I return? Are you ready to feel My shame toward you when I return in My glory and sweep across the earth as the victorious King of kings? Do you understand the wrath that will be poured out on all who cower because of My name when I come back from sitting at the Father’s right hand? Are you ready to face the consequences of your feelings of shame in following Me?
Ouch! Jesus’ words are aimed directly at America’s Christian population, it seems. We have buried our heads in the sand for the last several generations in our unwillingness to seem intolerant of others faith. In our misinterpretation of Jesus’ command not to judge others, we tolerate every violation of His commands among our fellow citizens and even among those who worship beside us with the crazy thought, “we’re not supposed to judge.”
We will not be the final judge and we should be careful how we judge others, but when others clearly behave in ways contrary to God’s word, that is not judgment. That is fulfilling the part of the great commission that says, “…disciple them. Form them in the practices and postures that I have taught you, and show them how to follow the commands i have laid down for you.”
Do we stand for Jesus or not? Do we accept our faith in Jesus as the only way to reach heaven and please the Father or not? Do we stand with Him when the rest of the world stands against Him or not? It is always our choice, but these words from Jesus should make us consider carefully the consequences of not standing for Him now. If we are ashamed of Him now, He will be ashamed of us when we stand before Him at the judgment. What will that mean for us? If He regrets He knows us, what does that mean for us in eternity?
I must admit, I don’t know the answer to that question. But I also don’t want to be on the wrong side finding out what it means through personal experience. I don’t want Jesus to be ashamed of me when I see Him in His glory. Paul says the indignities and suffering we endure now is not even worth noting compared to the glory we will receive when we come into His presence on the other side of the veil of death.
