FAITH: A Reason to Give Thanks!
Daily Devotions based on the Sermon Series: “Thoroughly Equipped”
Week 3 of 4: “Faith that Defines Us!”
Full Sunday message: CONTEMPORARY or TRADITIONAL
THIS WEEK: Five Blessings of Faith!
God has so many good things to give to us.
Faith is the connection between God’s heart and ours. In Sunday’s message (Click the link above to listen to the full message if you missed it), I shared the example of faith being the needle that delivers the vaccine to the body of the individual. The vaccine is all the good things God desires us to have. The needle or faith is the unsung hero that delivers those good things to us. It too is a gift from God.
In this week’s devotion, I’d like to point out five blessings of faith that perhaps we don’t realize or have forgotten based on the opening words of Ephesians 1:15-23. See if you find five.
Ephesians 1:15 For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, 16 I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. 17 I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. 18 I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, 19 and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, 20 which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, 21 far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. 22 And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.
The first blessing of faith is that it gives us a reason to give thanks. Paul lists “faith in the Lord Jesus” as a reason to “not stop giving thanks.” Paul was overjoyed that many in the city of Ephesus had put their trust in Jesus.
The OBJECT of their faith was in the right place. They didn’t believe in a nebulous god. They didn’t just believe in something they had no knowledge of. They put their trust, their faith in Jesus.
Faith gave the Ephesians a reason to give thanks. Faith gives every person who has faith in Jesus a reason to give thanks. Why? Because faith is the means by which God personally connects us to the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. What we could not do on our own, is done for us by Jesus.
Faith gave Paul a reason to give thanks. Paul was overjoyed to see the power of the Gospel at work in the hearts of the Ephesians. It gave him great joy to see that the Word worked. He was so grateful that faith was also leading them to have a “love for all the saints.” Faith worked and faith at work!
Faith gives each of us a reason to give thanks. Sunday’s message pointed out three reasons based on Romans 3:21-26 and Galatians 3:26. Faith defines us as righteous…because of Jesus we are perfect, completely right. Faith defines us as justified…because of Jesus we are declared not guilty. Faith defines us as a child of God…because of Jesus we are part of the family of God.
In just over a week, we as a nation will observe a day of Thanksgiving. Don’t forget to include in your list of things for which to give thanks, your faith in Jesus. Faith is a wonderful gift God has given to you to TRUST that Jesus is your Savior!
Apply: Make a list of the blessings that have come to you because God has given you faith in Jesus. Take time to thank God for each of the blessings he gives you.
Prayer: Lord, thank you for the gift of faith that leads me to trust you for all that I need to spend an eternity with you. AMEN.
Jesus Is Coming…Be Praised!
Daily Devotions based on the Sermon Series: “Thoroughly Equipped”
Week 2 of 4: “Grace that Saves Us!”
Full Sunday message: CONTEMPORARY or TRADITIONAL
THIS WEEK: Jesus’ Teaching on his 2nd Coming!
Many of us go through life without much recognition. We don’t win a Most Valuable Player award. We don’t receive a Medal of Honor. We don’t win a high profile public election. (If you have, congratulations!)
We live life.
A friend needs help moving; we show up and load or unload the truck. Our child is sick; we willingly stay up all night to make sure they are OK. We see a homeless person on the corner; we share a water bottle and granola bar. A hurricane creates a need for food and basic supplies; we gather at the local municipal airport to load planes with supplies to get to them. We see a customer that has extra questions; we patiently answer every one of them.
Some may say, “All in a day’s work.”
For a Christian, it is just all part of our life of faith. Serving Jesus by serving others.
We are not looking for the “MVC” (Most Valuable Christian) Award. We are not looking for a special seat at church. We are not even looking for people to serve us back. Because we are just living and serving – it is what happens when a heart has been affected by the love of Jesus.
It is not always easy. It is not always comfortable. It is not always convenient.
But we do it, but not for recognition or reward. So, imagine what it will be like when this happens:
Matthew 25:34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’
To be praised by the King of kings and Lord of lords for loving and serving people? What a surprise! We are not keeping score or asking God to tally our good efforts and overlook our bad, we are simply living as God has made us to be…his children, his servants, his disciples. We are just doing our duty, like the servant in Jesus’ story:
Luke 17:7 “Suppose one of you had a servant plowing or looking after the sheep. Would he say to the servant when he comes in from the field, ‘Come along now and sit down to eat’? 8 Would he not rather say, ‘Prepare my supper, get yourself ready and wait on me while I eat and drink; after that you may eat and drink’? 9 Would he thank the servant because he did what he was told to do? 10 So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.’ ”
We live with the confidence our performance has nothing to do with our salvation. Jesus secured that with his perfect life, innocent death and glorious resurrection. We live in the joy of knowing our service is a blessing to others and is seen as works of faith that also serves Jesus. We do it with no expectation of reward or praise, but, then, by grace we are given the highest praise from the one that really matters, “Come, you who are blessed by my Father, take the inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.”
Apply: Enjoy serving Jesus and others every day…simply out of gratitude for what Jesus has done for you. Be humbled to know Jesus will praise you for it!
Prayer: Thank you Jesus for serving me. I do not praise you enough! Thank you for the opportunity to serve you and others. I am humbled that you would recognize it and bless me through it. AMEN.
Jesus Is Coming…Be Preachers!
Daily Devotions based on the Sermon Series: “Thoroughly Equipped”
Week 2 of 4: “Grace that Saves Us!”
Full Sunday message: CONTEMPORARY or TRADITIONAL
THIS WEEK: Jesus’ Teaching on his 2nd Coming!
I didn’t know.
How much of the world’s population has not heard about Jesus as Savior?
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- 2% b) 22% c) 42% d) 52%
Based on an estimate by the JoshuaProject.net, about 42% of the world’s population live in people groups unreached by the Gospel message. Here is a link to a map where many of those people live…look at the red dots. https://joshuaproject.net/assets/media/maps/progress-scale-map-plain.pdf
This article is interesting about the topic: https://joshuaproject.net/resources/articles/has_everyone_heard.
The unreached people groups represent almost 3.3 Billion (with a ‘B’!) souls.
I didn’t know.
That being said, I didn’t know what a profound promise Jesus makes when he says:
Matthew 24:14And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.
I don’t know how God has planned to do this. I do know Jesus chose you and me to be part of his plan to bring his Gospel to the souls of people. We are a) beneficiaries of his promise – we have received the Gospel, and b) partners in the fulfilling of his promise—we are preachers of the Gospel.
Jesus spoke to his 11 followers when he went back into heaven:
Matthew 28:18-20 “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 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, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Jesus is serious about wanting all people to hear the Gospel message. He knows better than anyone it alone is the power of God for the salvation of souls.
Paul reasoned:
Romans 10:14 How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? 15 And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”
… 17 Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.
Jesus’ words aren’t a “scorecard” to tick off the remaining people groups to hear the Gospel. It is a promise that the Gospel will be preached in the whole world as a witness/testimony to all nations. Jesus’ words are a wonderful promise and call to each of us to be preachers…heralds of the good news that our sins are fully forgiven in Jesus Christ.
Ironically if you look at that pdf map referenced above, it’s not like the United States is dark green (significantly reached with the Gospel). This means there are people in our communities, work places and schools that need Jesus. Preach the Gospel where God has planted you!
Apply: Ask God to identify one or two people with whom he wants you to share the Gospel. How can you be involved in the effort to bring Jesus to people groups who don’t know him? Want some inspiration? Here’s a link to stories from around our country and world of the Gospel reaching the nations of the world! https://welstasteandsee.com/presentations/moments-with-missionaries/
Prayer: Lord, use me to preach the Gospel to the people around me. AMEN.
Jesus Is Coming…Be Persecuted!
Daily Devotions based on the Sermon Series: “Thoroughly Equipped”
Week 2 of 4: “Grace that Saves Us!”
Full Sunday message: CONTEMPORARY or TRADITIONAL
THIS WEEK: Jesus’ Teaching on his 2nd Coming!
Can I be honest with you? I wish Jesus didn’t say this.
Matthew 24:9 “Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. 10 At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, 11 and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. 12 Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, 13 but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.
I wish Jesus would have said, “If you have faith in me, you will have no problems, people will love you and life will be great while you wait for me to return.” I wish he did.
But he didn’t.
Jesus is very real with us today. He warns us that Satan is going to throw every effort he can muster to get us to walk away from Jesus and deny our faith. Nothing would please him more.
Jesus is real with us today to point out that the persecution we may go through pales in comparison to what is waiting for those that persevere and remain faithful. “The one who stands firm to the end will be saved.”
Satan tried the same tactics on Jesus himself. He threw the persecution of the Pharisees. He riled up hatred against him. Many loved Jesus’ miracles, but walked away from him when the commitment got to high. Friends betrayed him. Religious teachers looked pious but were teaching contrary to the message of the Messiah. By the end of his earthly life, the love of most toward him had grown cold.
If this is what the teacher endured, so will his students.
So Jesus is real with us, not to frighten us, but to strengthen us.
When you know what you are facing, you can better be prepared and better endure. How so?
If I know people will hate me simply because I am connected with Jesus, I can realize what Jesus told me:
John 15:18 “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. 19 If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.
If I know false prophets will appear and try to deceive me away from grace, I can be ready. As the Apostle John wrote:
1 John 4:1-3 Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3 but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God.
If I know that wickedness will increase and love will decrease, I will not be surprised, but love anyway.
Matthew 5:43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor z and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 that you may be children of your Father in heaven.
Jesus tells me I will be persecuted, so when I am I will stand firm, remaining faithful to the Lord Jesus. Be ready. You will be persecuted as a follower of Jesus. But don’t give up. Remember the promise:
Revelation2 :10 Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you life as your victor’s crown.
Apply: While persecution in our country is relatively minimal today, how does these words of Jesus help you be prepared for the persecution that does and will exist?
Prayer: Keep me faithful to you Lord, to the point of death. Give me the crown of life you have promised through Jesus Christ! AMEN.
Jesus Is Coming…Be Productive!
Daily Devotions based on the Sermon Series: “Thoroughly Equipped”
Week 2 of 4: “Grace that Saves Us!”
Full Sunday message: CONTEMPORARY or TRADITIONAL
THIS WEEK: Jesus’ Teaching on his 2nd Coming!
Did your parents ever leave you home alone as a teenager? When they left they gave you a list of chores they wanted to see you accomplish by time they got back. You probably calculated how long it would take you to do those chores and then pushed starting to the last minute…hoping you’d have enough time to get them done and stay out of trouble.
Disaster happened when your parents came home early!
Jesus left his disciples and us and said, “I’m coming back.” He didn’t tell us when, but he did leave us with a job to do while he was gone. The temptation will be to procrastinate or simply focus on the things we want to do, rather than investing in expanding and growing his kingdom. Jesus told a parable which teaches this point:
Matthew 25:14 “Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them. 15 To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one bag, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. 16 The man who had received five bags of gold went at once and put his money to work and gained five bags more. 17 So also, the one with two bags of gold gained two more. 18 But the man who had received one bag went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.
19 “After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. 20 The man who had received five bags of gold brought the other five. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with five bags of gold. See, I have gained five more.’
21 “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’
22 “The man with two bags of gold also came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with two bags of gold; see, I have gained two more.’
23 “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’
24 “Then the man who had received one bag of gold came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. 25 So I was afraid and went out and hid your gold in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.’
26 “His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? 27 Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest.
28 “ ‘So take the bag of gold from him and give it to the one who has ten bags. 29 For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. 30 And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
The amount didn’t matter. The owner simply wanted the talents he had entrusted to his servants to be put to work. The amount of return didn’t matter. He simply wanted what he had given to each servant to be put to use.
What has Jesus given to you to put to work while we wait for him to return? He’s given you the message of grace and the Gospel you can share with family and friends. He’s given you material wealth that you can give freely and generously to the spread of the Gospel. He’s given you abilities and talents which you can use to advance the Gospel message. He’s given you time which you can spend to work and witness for him.
When Jesus returns, he desires to see that we have been productive for him. He isn’t going to compare us to others, simply expects that what he has given to us be put to use.
Don’t try to time his return and be lazy up to that point…every day take the faith, the time, the talents, the wealth he has given you and find a way to invest it for a return to God’s kingdom!
Apply: Evaluate your investments for the Lord. Perhaps this parable calls you to repent of laziness…perhaps it encourages you to expand your work for the Lord. What can you invest today to bring a return for the Lord when he returns?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for trusting me to be part of your kingdom work. Help me to be a “good and faithful servant” to bring a return for your kingdom with all that you have entrusted to me! AMEN.