Today’s Scripture: Revelation 7-9

Through him and for his name’s sake, we received grace and apostleship to call people from among all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith. And you also are among those who are called to belong to Jesus Christ. – Romans 1:5-6

In 1983, I was privileged to attend the International Conference for Itinerant Evangelists in Amsterdam, Holland. That week of study, fellowship, and worship with thousands of traveling evangelists from around the world was an experience I will never forget.

Most of the delegates had been won to Christ by devoted messengers of the Cross, who left their homelands and brought their families to disease-ridden locales among suspicious, even hostile, people throughout Africa, Asia, Latin America, India, and China. Many of their converts became missionaries to their own people and to those in other countries around the world. Seeing those people in Amsterdam, united in Christ, was like a preview of heaven.

In Revelation 7:9-10, the apostle John gives us a glimpse of a magnificent event in the future: “I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice: ‘Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.’”

What a picture! Here are the fruits of the labors of consecrated men and women of God. But, Christian, the work isn’t done. What contribution are you making to world evangelization? Have you prayed about going for a short-term mission or for an extended time? Your skill may open a door to an effective ministry.

Prayer

Lord, use me in whatever way You choose, to bring people to Yourself. Amen.

To Ponder

The Lord is searching for people who will be willing to do whatever He requires for the Great Commission–to give, to pray, or to go.

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Today’s Scripture: 2 Timothy 2

Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint; but blessed is he who keeps the law. – Proverbs 29:18

There are many meanings of the word vision. For instance, vision can mean the object of imagination. But vision also can mean unusual discernment or foresight. Based on that, a visionary is a person who has a picture of what can happen in the future and is working hard to bring it about.

Dawson Trotman’s vision was to see God use the ordinary child of God to make an impact in the lives of others. What made his vision powerful was that he was living proof it could be done. He wasn’t a theologian or a scholar; he was a truck driver. And yet he was instrumental in bringing literally thousands of people to Christ and seeing them grow as disciples.

The heart of Daws’ vision came from a man who lived twenty centuries before him–the apostle Paul–and is stated in 2 Timothy 2:2: “And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others.” Paul’s vision was that every person who knew Christ would tell others how to come to Christ. And then they would stick with their new converts to teach them the basics of living the Christian life. The result was a plan to multiply generations of Christians who would keep sharing the faith with others.

The Great Commission of Christ is a vision that continues to capture the hearts and lives of men and women around the world. Do you have the vision? God wants to open your eyes to see the people around you as they are, and as they can be in Him.

Prayer

Lord, let me see the world through Your eyes. Amen.

To Ponder

The Great Commission is a purpose big enough to capture your entire life.

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Today’s Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 1

I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. – Romans 1:16

There is no evidence of timidity on the part of the Christians from Thessalonica. The gospel message did not tiptoe from their lips, nor was it whispered in the hope no one would hear. Having received the gospel, these people entertained no thought of keeping it to themselves. By word and deed they made it known to others. They followed the example of Paul, with a burning zeal that prompted them to proclaim what God had done for them. In 1 Thessalonians 1:5-9, Paul describes his ministry in that city. “Our gospel came to you not simply with words, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction. You know how we lived among you for your sake. You became imitators of us and of the Lord; in spite of severe suffering, you welcomed the message with the joy given by the Holy Spirit. And so you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia…your faith in God has become known everywhere. Therefore we do not need to say anything about it.”

Paul was speaking of the gospel that came to them, and ultimately sounded out from them to all of Greece. The words sounded out are best described as the rumble of a tremendous thunderclap that reverberates long after its initial burst of sound. It pictures a bold, straightforward, continuing witness.

Friend, the message of the gospel of Christ, boldly proclaimed, can burst like thunder from your life today. And by the power of God, it will keep on rolling.

Prayer

Lord, give me a fresh vision of who I am, and gift me to tell others that You have called me out of darkness into Your marvelous light. Amen.

To Ponder

If God has shed His love abroad in your heart, you will want to proclaim Him to everyone.

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Today’s Scripture: Colossians 1-4

To this end I labor, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me. – Colossians 1:29

The apostle Paul is remembered for many things: He was a great Bible teacher, a brilliant theologian, and a church planter par excellence. But all these things were an outgrowth of the primary focus of his life: “We proclaim [Christ], admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ. To this end I labor, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me” (Colossians 1:28-29).

When we observe the life of Paul, we don’t see a man who meandered through life saying, “These forty things I dabble at.” Instead, we see a man of focus who said, “This one thing I do.”

We never see Paul losing his passion and excitement for his goal. Notice how he speaks of his work of bringing people to Christ and building them up in the faith. The word he uses for labor is kopiao, which means to work until you are ready to drop. Then he uses the word agonizomai, which means to strive, to struggle, to agonize. But he speaks of doing the work through God’s energy.

Christian, what about you? Does the prospect of walking with Christ and serving Him start your day with excitement and anticipation? You don’t have to be an evangelist or a missionary. All it takes is a clear focus on the person of Jesus Christ and what He has called you to do in your family, your job, your life. Why not give yourself to the task of winning people to Christ and helping them grow to their full maturity in Christ.

Prayer

Lord, may my walk be consistent through Your energy and power. Amen.

To Ponder

The focus of your life determines how you go through each day.

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Today’s Scripture: Acts 8-9

Yet when I preach the gospel, I cannot boast, for I am compelled to preach. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel! – -1 Corinthians 9:16

There is a saying in management circles that “people do not do what you expect but what you inspect.” Today’s passage of Scripture indicates this is not true of the personal witness of a motivated Christian. For some Christians, witnessing is reserved for the one night a week when they go out calling in the visitation program. They talk to people about Christ, but that’s it for the week.

What a contrast with the report in Acts 8:4-5: “Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went. Philip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Christ there.”

We find Philip in the city of Samaria, apparently alone, with no apostle looking over his shoulder, witnessing to the entire city. Later, in Acts 8:26, we find Philip out in the desert, responding to the Lord’s prompting to catch up with an Ethiopian man in a chariot. The man was seeking the Lord, and Philip had the wonderful privilege of introducing him to Christ.

I believe the key to this kind of ongoing witness is found in the preceding chapters of Acts, where we see the apostles and other believers filled with the Holy Spirit, being unable to contain themselves when it came to talking about Christ. For them, witnessing was the natural thing to do.

When Christ fills our hearts and minds, we will naturally share Him. We don’t need an external manager to inspect us in order to get us to perform. The motivation comes from within, from Jesus.

Prayer

Lord, give me a vision for the lost so that my witness for You isn’t a duty but the natural product of my relationship with You. Amen.

To Ponder

True witness for Christ is not coerced or forced; it is the overflow of a life of fellowship with the Savior.

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Today’s Scripture: John 13-21

Jesus took the Twelve aside and told them what was going to happen to him. “We are going up to Jerusalem,” he said, “and the Son of Man will be betrayed… They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the Gentiles, who will mock him and spit on him, flog him and kill him. Three days later he will rise.” – Mark 10:32-34

A number of years ago, a young farmer in South Dakota felt God’s call to help people in the Third World. He believed his skill in agriculture could improve their lives and open doors to share his faith in Christ with them.

So God sent him into a very difficult and dangerous part of the world. From the time he arrived, he identified himself with the people, often living among them for months at a time in order to teach them better techniques of farming and caring for their animals. He would return from the bush sick and emaciated, but fulfilled in the knowledge that he was doing what God had called him to do. Over the years, he has become something of a legend among the people he serves.

I thought of him as I studied the twentieth chapter of John. After Jesus was raised from the dead, He appeared to His disciples. And on one occasion, as His disciples were gripped by doubt and fear–the two great enemies of witness–Jesus did a strange thing. He showed them His hands and His side, and spoke these words in John 20:21: “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.”

What was Jesus trying to get across by showing them His scars from the cross? In effect, He was saying, “Men, this ministry is no bed of roses. This is no stroll in the park. Following me may cost you your life.” To the apostles’ credit, they did not turn back. They were captured by the vision of taking the good news of Jesus Christ to all the world. I want to be that kind of person. Do you?

Prayer

Lord, free me from my fear and doubt as I see Your vision for the world, and work with You in fulfilling it. Amen.

To Ponder

There is personal cost for all who will follow Christ in daily discipleship.

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Today’s Scripture: Jude

Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. – Ephesians 6:11

The city of Colorado Springs, where I live, is the home of the United States Olympic Training Center. Athletes from all over the country come here to train for the Olympic Games. And by the looks on their faces, they’re serious about it. They know they’ll have to compete against the best athletes in the world.

In the book of Jude, I find a similar sense of reality about the competition. Jude issues a warning to believers that we face a dangerous enemy. And the word pictures Jude paints of Satan’s followers are worthy of further study and consideration: He says they have gone the way of Cain and run greedily after the error of Balaam. He calls them clouds without rain; trees whose fruit withers; raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars for whom the blackness of darkness is reserved forever.

What does Jude tell us to do to prepare for this battle and gain the victory? “But you, dear friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit. Keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life” (Jude 20-21).

Friend, that’s exactly what you and I need to do–continually build ourselves in the faith. We must guard our prayer times so that the pressures of daily living don’t crowd them out.

As I observe the Olympic athletes running, bicycling, and training around town, I’m reminded of my need to keep myself spiritually fit. It’s not a luxury, but a necessity for going head-to-head against a committed foe.

Prayer

Lord, help me to live each day on the basis of Your Word and what You’ve said I need to do to be spiritually fit. Amen.

To Ponder

Our enemy, Satan, is as real as if we could see him or touch him. We need to have a healthy respect for his subtle ways.

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Today’s Scripture: 2 Corinthians 6-9

“I tell you the truth,” he said, “this poor widow has put in more than all the others. All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.” – -Luke 21:3-4

I spent several weeks in the African country of Liberia teaching at a small Bible college. The missionaries who oversaw the college told me of a tragedy several years before, when their house burned down and they lost everything they had. The day after the fire, a little African girl came to them with a pair of well-worn canvas sneakers and gave them to one of their daughters. They were the only shoes the African girl had, and she would likely never get another pair, but she came offering them freely, saying she wanted to help. The missionaries were overwhelmed by her sacrificial giving.

It reminded me of Paul’s description of the Macedonian churches’ response to the grace of God. Second Corinthians 8:2-4 says, “Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the saints.”

Paul directs our attention to Jesus Christ as the great example of what it means to give: “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich” (verse 9). Paul went on to say that our sacrificial giving should be more than an emotional response on the spur of the moment. It should be thought through and done deliberately. Christian, if you have never done it, sit down and lay out a giving plan that honors the Lord in its sacrificial generosity.

Prayer

Lord, everything I have comes from You. Guide me as I consider how to give to others out of my abundance. Amen.

To Ponder

If your giving practices were made known to Christians in other lands, would your example be a challenge and encouragement to them?

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