Today’s scripture:
Philippians 1:15-18
I don’t think it’s a surprise to hear our world is full of “preachers and
teachers” spouting their own version of the gospel. They call themselves
born-again Christians and yet tell their congregations that the Bible isn’t
God’s final truth. That there are many ways to get to heaven. That Jesus didn’t
live a sinless, perfect life. Oh, how the enemy must be clasping his hands with
glee.
False teachers. False prophets. Just as Paul and Peter and John wrote about.
It’s hard to know such skewed teaching is being sent through the airwaves, but
we can have confidence that God is in this. He’s in control. And somehow, I
pray that those who listen to those false teachers—those who really seek
truth—will be able to see beyond the words. That they’ll read and study the
Bible for themselves. That they’ll seek men and women of faith who are
preaching the true gospel message.
And as I’ve written many times, it may seem the enemy is winning battle after
battle, but we know Who wins the war.
Even so, Lord Jesus, come quickly.
Today's scripture: 1 Corinthians 15:3-8
Yesterday, Paul wrote of how the gospel needs to be received and then stood by
and held fast. Today’s verses are the gospel in a “nutshell.”
You may have heard of the “elevator speech”? It’s when you’re able to describe
or illustrate something in the time it takes to ride an elevator up a high-rise
building. In just 99 words, Paul defines “gospel,” which could definitely be
said in less than a minute. We Christians should memorize these verses so that
we’re prepared to quickly and succinctly share the truth.
So many of us are intimated when we think of sharing the gospel. We’re content
to let preachers and teacher do the work for us. Yet we’re all called to share God’s
truth. In fact, we’re commanded to do so. Jesus’ final words to His disciples
apply to us as well: “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to
all creation” (Mark 16:15).
Yet it’s not easy. We’re not quite sure what to say, and we’re
afraid we might be asked something we can’t answer. Perhaps having just 99
words that completely encapsulate the truth would help: Jesus died for our sins
and was buried and was resurrected according
to the scripture. And we know this to be true because He appeared to
many—many—before He ascended to heaven.
Share
the truth. Share the gospel. Share the 99 words.
Today's
scripture: Psalm 12:6-8
I absolutely love the Bible. I love how I can read the same portion of
scripture over and over again, and each time learn something new. I love how
one verse can both affirm and convict.
God's word is indeed "pure" as today's scripture asserts. It is truth
and helps us to know Him better. We learn about Him and His will for us as we
study and meditate on His word.
It is "living and active" (Hebrews 4:12, NASB), and works in our
hearts to help us be more Christlike. We know how God wants us to live, what
breaks His heart, and what delights Him.
The key words, though, are "study and meditate." We don't learn about
God and His ways by merely owning a Bible. We must take time to really study
and meditate on its truths ... and we need to do so every day.
I know it can be difficult to fit time with the Lord in our busy schedules, but
I know from experience how important it is to ponder on God's word and apply
what we learn. When I neglect focused, disciplined time in the Bible, I find
myself becoming less content and less patient. Daily pain is more difficult to
handle.
However, when I spend quality time with the Lord in His word, I remember how
much He loves me. I desire to serve Him more and seek His will.
I encourage you to pick up your Bible and study His word. Focus on what He
wants to tell you. Be encouraged by His love for you, and allow its truths to
convict you so that you can be more and more like Christ.
Today's scripture:
John 18:28-40
From the moment Jesus began His ministry, the religious leaders wanted to
silence His message. They didn't want to hear about love and compassion; they
did want to hear about a powerful king overcoming their enemies. Finally, with
the assistance of greedy Judas Iscariot, they had Jesus where they wanted Him
... well, sort of.
They'd had Him arrested, but now their hands were tied. Their laws didn't allow
them to put Him to death. So they manipulated the system. They brought Him
before Pilate, who was the Roman leader in Jerusalem. "What did this Man
do?" Pilate asked. Notice their response: “If this Man
were not an evildoer, we would not have delivered Him to you.” The
"evil" He'd done? He proclaimed Himself King and Messiah.
Then began a fascinating conversation. Pilate asked, "Are you the
King?" Instead of answering directly at first, Jesus answered with His own
question. Pilate finally asked directly, "What did You do?" Jesus
confirmed He was indeed King, but not the kind of king Pilate assumed. Jesus
was—and is—King over all heaven and all earth.
Jesus ended their conversation with a powerful statement:
"For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, to
testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.” To his credit, Pilate
immediately asked, “What is truth?” The tragedy? He didn't allow Jesus to answer.
Jesus came to tell us truth: He is the Savior and Redeemer. He is the one and
only way for eternal life. The Jewish leaders chose not to believe this truth.
Pilate didn't take the time to find out this truth.
We have the truth before us in God's word. We just need to take the time to
find it out, and then we need to believe it.
After all, it's why Jesus came to earth.
Today's scripture: John12:27-36a
I have tremendous admiration and respect for Bible scholars, for those men and
women who have spent hour upon hour digging more and more deeply into God's
word. They look at original language and context. They look at cultural norms.
Then, they prayerfully interpret and comment on the truth of God's word. They
have such a wonderful gift.
I'm not that gifted. Sometimes, when I meditate on a scripture for a day's
devotional, the words just flow. Other times, so much richness exists that it's
difficult to even get started. As I read through today's verses, I was
overwhelmed. So much in a few verses ...
But my heart is touched by a few things.
First, I again see Jesus' willingness to serve. He knew His death was imminent,
and He knew His dying was His purpose for coming to earth. Yet, He demonstrated
His humanity by His troubled soul. We too have troubled souls sometimes. We may
prefer not to do something that God calls us to do, but we can do as He wills
in order to glorify the Lord—just as Jesus did.
Second, I love when I find something new in God's word. I've read the book of
John many times, but it hasn't computed that the Father spoke about the Son in
these verses. I'm very familiar with the verses describing His speaking when
Jesus was baptized, but I'd missed it here. When God spoke audibly, it was such
an amazing witness to Jesus' being God the Son. And it certainly went a long
way to convince those who heard His voice.
Third, Jesus again prophesied about His death. This time, however, some in the
crowd questioned Him. They believed He was the Messiah, yet their teachings led
them to believe that the "Christ
is to remain forever ..." Even though they'd seen (or had heard of) Jesus'
miraculous raising Lazarus from the dead, they didn't understand that He
Himself could die and live again. However, they would, very soon, know exactly
what He meant. Yes, He would die, but He would leave the grave, and indeed
would "remain forever."
Finally, Jesus used one of my favorite metaphors: He is light. We live in such
a dark world, and it grows ever-darker. Sometimes, it seems like the darkness
is taking over. But we know that just one candle can pierce the darkness, and
our Savior is more than just a single candle. His light shines through and
completely obliterates the darkness. Because we are His, we too can shine His
light in a dark world. We can also be assured that His light will one day
completely conquer the darkness of sin. One day, His light will be the only
light we need (Revelation 21:23; 22:5).
Wow. So much on which to meditate. So much to learn. I can't wait to see what
Monday's devotional brings! Have a great weekend!
Today's scripture: John 12:9-11
We continue to see the chasm between those who sought Jesus because they
believed in Him and those who sought Him to get rid of Him.
There's an added twist here, though. Not only did the chief priests seek to
kill Jesus, they also wanted to kill Lazarus. Why? Just because Jesus had raised
him from the dead. Lazarus was proof of Jesus' divinity.
Jesus had performed many miracles by this time. He'd even raised people from
the dead. Why was the raising of Lazarus different for the chief priests? I'm
not completely certain, but I've heard that the Jewish belief was that a
person's soul left his body after four days. When Jesus had raised others from
the dead, they hadn't been dead as long, so one might argue that they still had
their souls. So perhaps the miracles weren't ... so miraculous. But they
couldn't say the same about Lazarus. He was in the grave for four days.
When people heard about this miracle, they knew Jesus was more than a man, more
than some magician or healer. They began to listen to Him and His teaching. And
they believed in Him.
The chief priests figured if they killed Lazarus, the buzz about Jesus would
die down. Little did they know that the message wouldn't die ... just as its Messenger
wouldn't die.
