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The Emotional Keys to Evangelism
Daily Bible Reading – 1 Kings 6; 2 Chronicles 3; Psalm 97; Romans 1
Today’s Key Passage – Romans 1:8-17
For many people, sharing the Gospel can be difficult. There are many things that make it hard for us. Sometimes we might feel like it will be uncomfortable. Sometimes we might feel like we do not know enough. Sometimes we might feel like we do not know where to begin. Sometimes we just feel tired. It is in these moments when the enemy tempts us the most, and it is in these times when it can be easy for us to abandon our mission. I am sure that there were times in the apostle Paul’s life when he felt these challenges. There were likely times when he felt uncomfortable or tired, or simply did not know where to begin. In today’s key passage, though, Paul outlines three emotions that he felt that made him such a great evangelist. As I read this passage today, I realized that one of the keys to effectively preaching the Gospel lies in these three emotions. When we feel these three things, we will be able to overcome all of our fears and doubts about sharing the Good News about Christ.
Obligated - Paul says in verse 14 that he was obligated to share the Gospel. As followers of Christ, we share in this obligation. Jesus Christ paid the ultimate price for our salvation. He took all of our sins upon Himself knowing that we could not carry that burden alone. Because of His sacrifice for us even though we did not deserve it, we should feel obligated due to our complete love for Him to follow His commands. Moreover, Jesus clearly commanded that we should share the Good News with the world.
Eager - Though we are obligated by our love for Christ to serve him, it is not enough for us to simply share our faith based on that obligation. If the only emotion we feel is obligation, we will never be successful in preaching the Gospel. In verse 15, Paul mentions the second piece of the puzzle, which is eagerness. When we are eager to share the Gospel with others, we are more likely to do it with heart and with love. This eagerness will make our witness for Christ more powerful, and at the same time, it will keep us focused on our mission of reaching people.
Unashamed - The final emotion Paul mentions in verse 16 is feeling unashamed. Even if we feel obligated and eager to share the Gospel, if we feel ashamed on any level we will not be successful. Either we will fail to share our faith at all, or we will do it in such a timid way that we will not be able to help anyone find Jesus. As followers of Christ, the world will not always agree with our views. We might face persecution. We might face mockery. At the end of the day, though, these temporary problems are nothing compared to our eternal salvation through Jesus Christ.
Sharing the Gospel of Jesus is an important part of Christianity, but it is one that many people are afraid to do. By trusting in God to help us feel obligated, eager, and unashamed we can overcome our fears and doubts. If you are struggling with the idea of boldly sharing your faith with others, I pray that you will seek these three emotions. I pray that you will seek God’s strength to help you fulfill your mission of reaching people for Christ.
During your Bible reading today, what “key passages” stood out to you? Leave a comment below to share what God is showing you about His Word today.
To become a fan of The Daily Bible Plan’s Facebook Page, CLICK HERE.
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May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you today.
Related articles
- Fanning the Flame (5gsandacupofjoe.net)
- Obligated, Eager, and Unashamed (the1stfollower.com)
- Evangelism is not….apologetics, social justice, personal testimony… (rodiagnusdei.wordpress.com)
- The Epistle of Joy and A Theology of Suffering (thereformedwesleyan.com)
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Becoming an Expert Witness for Christ
Daily Bible Reading – 1 Chronicles 25-27; 1 Thessalonians 4
Today’s Key Passage – 1 Thessalonians 4:7-12
In a court of law, an expert witness is one who others in their field recognize as an expert. According to the law, this expert is able to appear before the court and is able to justify his or her professional opinion under cross-examination. People do not become expert witnesses overnight. It requires years of hard work to gain the respect of others in their field before they will be recognized as expert witnesses. Every person on this earth who claims to be a Christian is a witness for Jesus. Some are good witnesses, and some are bad witnesses. In his letter to the Thessalonians, Paul provides them with some tips on how to strengthen their witness. In essence, Paul is teaching the Thessalonians to become expert witnesses for Christ.
Becoming an expert witness for Christ is a lifelong process. It begins with understanding that Christianity is not something you practice for an hour or two every Sunday. Living the Christian life is something that we do every second of every day. We should be constantly reminded that, “God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life.” (Vs. 7) In addition, God teaches us to love each other. The love referred to in our key passage in verse 9 is the Greek word “phileo” which refers to brotherly love. We show this love to others as we recognize we are all part of the same family of God. It is the love that comes from knowing that we all have the same Heavenly Father. Paul commends the Thessalonians on their love, stating that they love all of their brothers in Christ throughout Macedonia, and then Paul urges them, “to do so more and more.” (Vs. 10) To become an expert witness for Christ, we should strive each day to love others more. Love is the cornerstone of an effective witness.
Paul continues by giving the Thessalonians three more pieces of advice to become expert witnesses. He tells them, “Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands”. (Vs. 11) Some of the Thessalonians were a little lazy and were relying on others for handouts, so Paul told them to live a quiet life and to work hard, which is still good advice for us today. It is also good advice to “mind our own business” in the sense that we should not participate in gossip or become a busybody.
Paul gave all of these tips to the Thessalonians so that their, “daily life may win the respect of outsiders”. (Vs. 12) To truly be an expert witness for Christ, those we are trying to reach have to respect us. When we follow Paul’s advice to the Thessalonians, we can start to gain that respect and can be more effective in reaching the lost. When we follow his advice, we can become expert witnesses.
During your Bible reading today, what “key passages” stood out to you? Leave a comment below to share what God is showing you about His Word today.
To become a fan of The Daily Bible Plan’s Facebook Page, CLICK HERE.
To follow me on Twitter for inspirational tweets, click the follow button – Follow @kevin_griggs
If you like this post, please SHARE it with others to spread the Word of God.
May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you today.
Related articles
- 1 Thessalonians 5:9-10 Bible Verse for the Day (momsfirstscreenn.wordpress.com)
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Casting Vision to our Children
Daily Bible Reading – 1 Chronicles 22-24; 1 Thessalonians 3
Today’s Key Passage – 1 Chronicles 22:5-19
In the final few books of 1 Chronicles, we read all about the preparations David made for the building of the temple. David originally wanted to build the temple himself, but God stopped him. God had a different plan in mind and wanted David’s son Solomon to build the temple of the Lord. Before his death, however, David began making the preparations necessary for the job. He gathered the funds and supplies that would be needed, found the right craftsmen, planned the administration, and took steps to arrange the worship services. The most important preparation he made, however, was not in laying out the construction or the division of duties. His most important contribution to the job was the vision for the temple he cast with his son Solomon. In today’s key verse, David calls his son to him and tells him all about the vision for his life. In verses 7-10 we read, “David said to Solomon: “My son, I had it in my heart to build a house for the Name of the LORD my God. But this word of the LORD came to me: ‘You have shed much blood and have fought many wars. You are not to build a house for my Name, because you have shed much blood on the earth in my sight. But you will have a son who will be a man of peace and rest, and I will give him rest from all his enemies on every side. His name will be Solomon, and I will grant Israel peace and quiet during his reign. He is the one who will build a house for my Name. He will be my son, and I will be his father. And I will establish the throne of his kingdom over Israel forever.’” Imagine how memorable this conversation must have been for Solomon, as his father took the time to cast vision to him about God.
One of the most important things we can do as parents is casting vision to our kids about God. Most of us likely do not have as specific a vision for our children as David did, but we certainly all have a vision to share with them. It is a vision of loving God with all of their hearts, souls, and minds. It is a vision of loving their neighbors as themselves. It is a vision of serving an all-powerful and loving God every day of their lives. As much as we would like to, we cannot guarantee our children’s salvation. Each of them must make their own personal choice to accept Jesus Christ as the Lord of their lives. As parents, though, how we live and what we teach our children can play a HUGE role in how they develop. The time we spend with them now casting vision, the prayers we pray with them and for them, and the way they see us interacting with others can all help a child grow into a Godly adult. As we discussed a couple of days ago, we are all called to make disciples. As parents, that job begins at home.
During your Bible reading today, what “key passages” stood out to you? Leave a comment below to share what God is showing you about His Word today.
To become a fan of The Daily Bible Plan’s Facebook Page, CLICK HERE.
To follow me on Twitter for inspirational tweets, click the follow button – Follow @kevin_griggs
If you like this post, please SHARE it with others to spread the Word of God.
May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you today.
Related articles
- 1 Chronicles (tylersheart.wordpress.com)
Jesus Gives the Great Commission
Daily Bible Reading – 2 Samuel 19,20; Psalm 55; Matthew 28
Today’s Key Passage – Matthew 28:16-20
Following Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection, he spent time with His disciples here on earth. Right before He left this world and returned to the right hand of the Father, He left the disciples with a parting command. Most followers of Christ have heard of the Great Commission, and most of them can even paraphrase the verse if not quote it verbatim. Interestingly, though, for some Christians there seems to be some confusion as to what Jesus really commanded us to do. In verses 19 and 20 of today’s key passage, Jesus said, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” It sounds fairly straightforward, but there is a slight problem. Many times, as followers of Christ it can become easy for us to start focusing on the wrong word. We tend to focus on “Go”. We spend our time “going”, trying to do things for Christ. We try to “go” to show our love for Him. We think that “go” is the verb in Jesus’ sentence, but in the sentence, “Go and make disciples of all nations”; the word “go” is not the verb. This is not the action Jesus is calling us to do. The verb in the sentence is “make”. The action Jesus is calling each and every follower of Christ to do is to make disciples.
What does it mean to make a disciple? Does it mean leading people to Jesus? Absolutely. But it also means a lot more than that. When Jesus first called the twelve disciples, He did not simply introduce Himself to them and then walk away leaving them to fend for themselves. He did not tell them everything about Himself and then release them out into the world on their own. What Jesus did was He walked with them. He met with them regularly. He answered their questions. He taught them more about God. He showed them the path they should follow, and then He took them down that path Himself. This is how He made them disciples. When we read the Great Commission, and we begin to focus on the real goal of making disciples, what better example do we have to follow than the example set forth by our Lord? Introducing a lost soul to Jesus Christ is great. Answering his or her questions about Christ is wonderful. Leading them to salvation is awesome. But to truly make a disciple, we have to keep going – we have to walk with that person.
There are three more quick points I would like to share about today’s key passage. First, keep in mind that this is the Great Commission, not the Great Suggestion. Making disciples is not optional. This is a command to every one of us who call Jesus our Lord and Savior. Secondly, Jesus told us to make disciples of “all” nations. We are not to pick and choose who gets to hear about Jesus or who gets to come to Him. The homeless man or the ex-prostitute who walks into the church should be greeted with joy and thanksgiving and we should do everything we can to make them disciples. Finally, Jesus commanded that we teach others to “obey everything I have commanded”. Just as we are not to pick and choose who can come to Christ, we cannot pick and choose which parts of Jesus message we should be teaching others to follow. Many times, it can be easy to preach a “health and wealth” message, and leave out the parts about carrying our cross daily or dealing with persecution. Teach others everything Jesus commanded, not just the things we think they will want to hear.
My prayer today is that each one of you reading this will take some time out of your busy day to stop and think about the Great Commission. How are you doing with it? Are you focusing on the right words? Are you making disciples?
During your Bible reading today, what “key passages” stood out to you? Leave a comment below to share what God is showing you about His Word today.
To become a fan of The Daily Bible Plan’s Facebook Page, CLICK HERE.
To follow me on Twitter for inspirational tweets, click the follow button – Follow @kevin_griggs
If you like this post, please SHARE it with others to spread the Word of God.
May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you today.
Related articles
- Go, Make Disciples (anotherchristianblog.org)
- The great commission (wordsofgrace.wordpress.com)
- We are called to obey “The Great Commission” (sharinhislove.wordpress.com)
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Pilate Washes His Hands of Jesus
Daily Bible Reading – 2 Samuel 18; Psalm 56; Matthew 27
Today’s Key Passage – Matthew 27:11-26
In 1818, Ignaz Phillip Semmelweis was born into a world of dying women. The finest hospitals in the world lost one out of six young mothers to the scourge of “childbed fever.” A doctor’s daily routine began in the dissecting room where he performed autopsies. From there, he made his way to the hospital to examine expectant mothers without ever pausing to wash his hands. Dr. Semmelweis was the first man in history to associate such examinations with the resultant infection and death of the new mothers. His own practice was to wash with a chlorine solution, and after eleven years and the delivery of 8,537 babies, he lost only 184 mothers–about one in fifty. Though none of his colleagues believed him at the time, we know today about the importance of washing our hands. In today’s key passage however, we see a different kind of hand washing. The religious leaders were calling for Jesus execution, and Pilate was feeling the pressure. He knew what he should do. His own conscience told him that Jesus was not guilty of anything, and his wife confirmed his suspicions, but Pilate knew that if he released Jesus he would have a possible revolt on his hands that could cost him his job. Since he could not come up with a solution that would make everyone happy, he decided to make no decision at all. We read in verse 24, “When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that instead an uproar was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd. ‘I am innocent of this man’s blood,’ he said. ‘“It is your responsibility!’” Pilate wanted to simply walk away from the decision and not take responsibility for the outcome, but in the end, he still allowed Jesus to be crucified. In the end, he was still guilty.
There are many times when we can all feel tempted to simply “wash our hands” of a situation. When we see people who do not know Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior, we may be tempted to not deal with the question of who He is. When we see temptations in our lives that may lead us to sin, it is often too difficult to cut those temptations out of our lives completely. When we see other believers sinning, it is often easier to stay quiet instead of correcting them in love. When we see someone in need, it is often easier to walk by him instead of stopping to help. I could fill this page and probably a couple more simply listing out examples of when we might be tempted to “wash our hands” of a situation instead of dealing with it, but the point is that in each of these examples there is one common truth – washing our hands does not make us innocent. Walking away and choosing not to deal with a problem does not solve it, and in the eyes of God, we will still be found guilty. When you are tempted to wash your hands of a situation, instead ask God for His guidance. Allow Him to lead you to the right answer. Allow Him to lead you down the right path.
During your Bible reading today, what “key passages” stood out to you? Leave a comment below to share what God is showing you about His Word today.
To become a fan of The Daily Bible Plan’s Facebook Page, CLICK HERE.
To follow me on Twitter for inspirational tweets, click the follow button – Follow @kevin_griggs
If you like this post, please SHARE it with others to spread the Word of God.
May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you today.
Related articles
- Easter Reflections: The Darkest of Days (graceformymess.com)
- The Fifth Station: Jesus is Judged by Pilate by Mark D. Roberts (trinityspeaks.wordpress.com)
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- Matthew 27 Questions for Reflection (thisdaywithgod.wordpress.com)
- Treasure in the Arms of Christ – Matthew 27:1-10 (thisdaywithgod.wordpress.com)
Remaining Watchful for Jesus’ Return
Daily Bible Reading – 2 Samuel 13, 14; Matthew 24
Today’s Key Passage – Matthew 24:36-51
Have you ever sold a house? If you have, you know that the process can be challenging, particularly when it comes to showing your house to perspective buyers. One of the ways you can go about this is to schedule an open house. Using this method, the homeowner can choose a date and time when buyers can come and look at the house at their own pace. An open house is a good option for many homeowners because it is a scheduled event. The owner has time to clean the house and make sure it looks its best. He or she can ensure that all of the furniture is in order, that the kids’ toys are put away, and that the closets are clean. Not all perspective buyers, however, view a home during an open house. More often than not, buyers view the house on their own schedule with the help of a real estate agent. When this happens, the homeowner can get very little warning that someone is coming to view the house, so they have to make sure the house is always in order. This is one of the things that make listing a house for sale so challenging, because you always have to be prepared for a buyer to walk in at any moment. In today’s key passage, we learn that Jesus return will occur in much the same way.
The disciples asked Jesus when he would return to the world at the end of the age. Like a homeowner scheduling an open house, the disciples wanted to know exactly when this event would occur so that they would be able to prepare. Jesus, however, would not give them an exact date or time for His return. Instead, he told them to remain watchful. Like an owner with a house on the market, Jesus wanted the disciples (and us) to always be prepared for His coming. Jesus reminded the disciples about how the world was in the days of Noah. People were living their lives and going about their normal routines never knowing that a great flood was coming to wash them all away. Noah, of course, knew all about the flood and he spent a great deal of time getting prepared. He built the ark and filled it with animals in preparation for God’s coming judgment, while everyone else lived their lives oblivious to the event until the rains actually started. When the rains did come, no one had any time to make any last minute preparations to try to save themselves. Because they had not prepared, they were lost to the flood. Likewise, when Jesus returns on that great day of judgment, no one will have any opportunity for last minute preparations. He will come “at an hour when you do not expect Him.” (Vs. 44)
People today still try to predict when Jesus will return, but the simple fact is that no one really knows for sure. Unlike the people in Noah’s day who had no idea that a flood was coming, though, we do know for a fact that Jesus will return. We know from Scripture that there will be a day of judgment for every person in this world. While we do not know when that will happen, we do know how to prepare. We can live every day as if it were “that day”. We can choose to turn to Him now. We can choose to follow Him now. We can choose to walk in His ways and live our lives for Him now. When we do that, we never have to be worried about being caught off-guard by His return. When we remain watchful every day, we will always be prepared.
During your Bible reading today, what “key passages” stood out to you? Leave a comment below to share what God is showing you about His Word today.
To become a fan of The Daily Bible Plan’s Facebook Page, CLICK HERE.
To follow me on Twitter for inspirational tweets, click the follow button – Follow @kevin_griggs
If you like this post, please SHARE it with others to spread the Word of God.
May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you today.
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- I See Him in the Clouds! (ptl2010.com)
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The Parable of the Four Soils
Daily Bible Reading – 2 Samuel 1; Psalm 140; Matthew 13
Today’s Key Passage -Matthew 13:1-23
Jesus often spoke to people using parables, and in today’s key passage, He told the parable of the four soils. Jesus said, “A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.” (Vss. 3-8) After being questioned by the disciples, Jesus went on to explain this parable by saying, “When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the seed sown along the path. The one who received the seed that fell on rocky places is the man who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. But since he has no root, he lasts only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, he quickly falls away. The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful. But the one who received the seed that fell on good soil is the man who hears the word and understands it. He produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.” (Vss. 19-23)
Every time I read this parable, I feel encouraged by its message. As we go out into this world to “sow the seeds” of God’s Word to others, often we can be tempted to feel discouraged when we are not successful in bringing someone to Christ. As we attempt to reach other people with God’s message, we will often find those whose hearts are like the path, the rocky soil, or the thorns, but we will also find those whose hearts are like the good soil. While we cannot control the condition of other people’s hearts, we can control two variables – the seed and the scattering. We can control the seed by making sure we are only teaching Biblical Christianity, and we can control the scattering by ensuring we are broadcasting God’s message to as many people as possible. What happens to the seed and whether or not it takes root and produces a crop is really up to the Holy Spirit. In addition, we can feel encouraged by the fact that the “soil” of people’s hearts can change over time. While my own heart was once like the path, over time it became good soil as God’s Spirit moved me. Do not ever be discouraged as you are sowing God’s seeds. As long as you are doing your part, you will find good soil, and when you do the yield of that crop will be amazing.
During your Bible reading today, what “key passages” stood out to you? Leave a comment below to share what God is showing you about His Word today.
To become a fan of The Daily Bible Plan’s Facebook Page, CLICK HERE.
To follow me on Twitter for inspirational tweets, click the follow button – Follow @kevin_griggs
If you like this post, please SHARE it with others to spread the Word of God.
May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you today.
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Faith, Deeds, and Salvation
Daily Bible Reading – 1 Samuel 23; Psalms 31,54; Matthew 7
Today’s Key Passage – Matthew 7:13-27
Have you ever been confused by parts of the Bible? Have you ever found apparent contradictions in God’s Word that led to questions in your mind? For many years, I struggled with the relationship between faith, deeds, and salvation. I would read Ephesians 2:8-9 which says, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast”, and I would think – OK, I get it, we are saved by faith alone and not by works. Then I would read James 2:24 which says, “You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone”, and I would be confused. Does this mean I am not saved by faith alone? Do I need to do good deeds to be saved? I firmly believe that this seeming paradox (in my mind anyway) between faith and deeds kept me from surrendering my life to Jesus Christ for a long time. I simply could not wrap my mind around what was correct, so I gave up. Fortunately, I was able to work this out and understand how these three concepts intertwine with the help of solid doctrine and a good church, but I still wonder how many others are confused by these concepts. As I read today’s key passage, God clearly spoke to my heart that the answers to this type of confusion can be found here in the words of Jesus Christ himself. I had one of those “light bulb” moments when God just seems to show me exactly what is in His heart. If you have ever been confused by the relationship between faith, deeds, and salvation, read on as I try to express what God has shown me today.
Our key passage today begins with Jesus talking about the way to Heaven. He says, “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” (Vss. 13-14) Many people believe there are many roads that lead to salvation. They believe that if they do good deeds, they will be saved. They believe that if they have religion or go to church, they will be saved. Jesus makes it clear in this passage that there is only one narrow road that leads to eternal life. In John 14:6, he explains what that narrow gate is when He says, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” He IS the narrow gate. Not everyone will find Him, but those who do will enter that narrow gate and be saved.
Next, Jesus talks about fruit in people’s lives. He says, “Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.” (Vss. 17-20) Here, Jesus is talking about deeds. Just as a good tree will bear good fruit, a person with faith in Jesus Christ will do good deeds. If you want to know if someone has faith or not, all you have to do is look for their “fruit”. When you have true faith, you have Jesus living inside you, and He will produce good deeds through you.
Now, stay with me because this is where Jesus ties all of this together for us. He says, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’” (Vss. 21-23) The people who Jesus never knew are the people who did good deeds but had no true faith. They did many things (prophesy, driving out demons, miracles, etc.), but they did not have faith so they were turned away on “that day”. The people who enter through the narrow gate are the ones who had true faith. Their faith produced good deeds in their lives because that is the good fruit that comes from a good tree. These people are recognized by Jesus because they did the will of God.
What it all comes down to is this – people can do good deeds and not have faith, but people cannot have faith without doing good deeds. Good deeds alone cannot produce salvation. Faith in Jesus Christ alone produces salvation and that faith will be illustrated by our good deeds because they are our “fruit”. If you have been struggling to understand how faith and deeds align with salvation, my prayer today is that you will hear God speaking to you through today’s key passage. Read it and meditate on it. Absorb it into your heart. I pray that you will be changed by it forever, and I hope to see you as we walk through the narrow gate together.
During your Bible reading today, what “key passages” stood out to you? Leave a comment below to share what God is showing you about His Word today.
To become a fan of The Daily Bible Plan’s Facebook Page, CLICK HERE.
To follow me on Twitter for inspirational tweets, click the follow button – Follow @kevin_griggs
If you like this post, please SHARE it with others to spread the Word of God.
May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you today.
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Secretly Serving God
Daily Bible Reading – 1 Samuel 22; Psalms 17,35; Matthew 6
Today’s Key Passage – Matthew 6:1-18
Recently, I watched a television program about the United States Secret Service. While the Secret Service fills many roles in our national system of law enforcement, they are perhaps best known for their role in protecting the President. Every time you see the President in public, you can be sure that he is surrounded by Secret Service agents. The interesting thing about their protection detail is that most of the time you have to really be paying attention to spot them. The agents are not dressed in full riot gear or other identifying clothing that would announce their role. Instead, they are typically dressed in suits and attempt to blend into the background. What you might see on television are a handful of agents next to the President, but what you might not see are the scores of other agents who are also nearby. While these agents are on duty, they spend every second serving the President, and they do it without any fanfare and without calling any attention to themselves. Their service reminds me of the type of service Jesus talks about in today’s key passage.
In Matthew 6:1, Jesus says, “Be careful not to do your ‘acts of righteousness’ before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.” Jesus goes on to describe three unique “acts of righteousness” that should be done in secret – giving to the needy, prayer, and fasting. It is interesting to note that when Jesus speaks about each of these acts, he uses the term “when”. He says, “when you give to the needy”(Vs. 2), “when you pray” (Vs. 5), and “when you fast” (Vs. 16). This language indicates that Jesus expects that His followers will do these things; otherwise, He would have used the term “if”. As we look at each of these “acts of righteousness” individually, it becomes clear to us that Jesus is far more concerned with what is in our hearts than how we appear to others. When He talks about giving to the needy, He says, “do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret” (Vss. 3-4) When He talks about prayer, He says, “go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen.” (Vs. 6) When He talks about fasting, He says, “put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to men that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen” (Vss. 17-18) In each of these examples, Jesus is talking about our true motives. If we give to the needy, pray, or fast in order to impress other people or to show how righteous we are, we are missing the whole point. When we do these “acts of righteousness”, we should do them with the right heart. We should do them to be pleasing to God. We should do them because we recognize how fortunate we are to be called His children. We should do them in secret. When you do these things with the wrong motive of impressing others, you will have “already received your reward in full” (Vss. 2, 5, 16), but when you do these things with the right heart, then “your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you” (Vss. 4, 6, 18)
During your Bible reading today, what “key passages” stood out to you? Leave a comment below to share what God is showing you about His Word today.
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May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you today.
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- Judges 1, Judges 2, Judges 3, Luke 12:32-59 (66books.wordpress.com)
- The Heart Behind Service (veritasmizzou.wordpress.com)
Preparing the Way for Jesus
Daily Bible Reading – 1 Samuel 18; 1 Chronicles 6; Psalm 11; Matthew 3
Today’s Key Passage – Matthew 3:1-17
More than 400 years had passed since the last of the Old Testament prophets, and faithful Jews were waiting and watching for the promised Messiah. In today’s key passage, we are introduced for the first time to John the Baptist. John was preaching in the Desert of Judea, and he was teaching a message of repentance. Interestingly, the word “repent” is actually a military term meaning “about face,” or “turn completely around”. When used in context, it refers to a person who is walking in the direction of sin toward destruction and then decides to turn away from sin and walk in a different direction. John the Baptist was calling people to repent of their sins. He was asking the Jews of the time to stop rebelling against God and to instead turn toward Him. He must have been quite an interesting sight to the people of the day, as we learn that he wore strange clothes and ate strange food, but John knew what his role was in the Kingdom. John’s role was to prepare the way for Jesus. He was called to “make straight paths for him” (Vs. 3).
Our world today is not all that much different from the world at the time of John the Baptist. Even today, people who do not know Jesus need to be prepared to meet Him, and we can all play a part in that. So how can we help prepare the way for Jesus? We can do it through our words as we speak to the unsaved about the need for forgiveness or talk to them about the differences Jesus makes in our lives. More importantly, we can do it through our actions as we live for Jesus daily and demonstrate Christ’s teachings though our actions toward others. Like John the Baptist, it is important that we understand our role in this life. We are not called to save other people – that is a job for God and God alone. Only He has the power to save, and only He has the power to rid people of sin. Our calling, instead, is to prepare the way for Him. Our calling is to make straight paths for him as we clear up any misconceptions about Him and show others who Jesus really is in our lives. Someone around you might be open to a relationship with Jesus Christ today. They might be investigating Him. They might be close to salvation. What are you doing to prepare the way for Jesus? Are you playing your part in the Kingdom? What message are you teaching through either your words or your actions? When we all come together and understand our roles, we can begin to reach more people for Christ, and we can prepare the way for His saving grace.
During your Bible reading today, what “key passages” stood out to you? Leave a comment below to share what God is showing you about His Word today.
To become a fan of The Daily Bible Plan’s Facebook Page, CLICK HERE.
To follow me on Twitter for inspirational tweets, click the follow button – Follow @kevin_griggs
If you like this post, please SHARE it with others to spread the Word of God.
May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you today.
Related articles
- Have You Been Born Again Yet? You Will Never See Heaven Without The New Birth! (soulrefuge.org)
- The Messiah’s Messenger – There’s None Greater Than John the Baptist (verticalviewer.wordpress.com)
- for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. (richardangulo.wordpress.com)
- A Call For Repentance (menofmud.org)
