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Verse of the Day for Wednesday, December 11th, 2024
Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.
—Romans 12:11
Thoughts on Today's Verse...
Paul is emphatic that Jesus' disciples must be full of spiritual fervor to serve the Lord. Jesus was even more emphatic that God wants us to be passionate about our Christian life. He told the believers in Laodicea to repent and be passionate when he said:
"I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So because you are lukewarm — neither hot nor cold — I am about to spit you out of my mouth." (Rev. 3:15-16)
Jesus has done so much to redeem us. Let's live passionately for the Lord, and "Never be lacking in zeal, but keep [our] spiritual fervor"!
My Prayer...
Holy Lord and King of the Ages, I confess: I have sometimes let my spiritual fire die down and my spiritual fervor wane. Jesus, please have the Spirit come with holy fire, kindling a renewed zeal and passion for you in me as I live my life and influence those around me. I want to zealously and shamelessly pursue your mission in today's world and live a vibrant life that shows I love Jesus as my Lord! I ask this in Jesus' name and to honor you, Father. Amen.
The Thoughts and Prayer on Today's Verse are written by Phil Ware.

Together in Christ: 'Make Disciples!' — Matthew 28:18-20
Tuesday, December 10, 2024
Jesus came and told his disciples, "I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age."
— Matthew 28:18-20 NLT
Key Thought...
These verses are known as Jesus' Great Commission. In Matthew's gospel, they are the Lord's last words for His closest disciples before He ascended back to the Father. This message is one clear command with three related actions: [1]
Command: Make disciples of all nations!
Action 1: By going.
Action 2: By baptizing.
Action 3: By teaching new disciples to obey all Jesus commanded. (Of course, we are to follow His example as well as His commands. [2]) .
Today, I fear that we often substitute our definition of a disciple for Jesus' description. We INVITE folks to come to church, but we frequently don't GO into all the world. We tell people to invite Jesus into their hearts but often don't BAPTIZE. Much of the time, we teach facts and impart information about what Jesus said and did but don't train and TEACH folks TO OBEY Jesus' commands and follow His example. [3] We have opted for the easy form of calling people to follow Jesus, which is a form of disciple-making foreign to Jesus or the practice of the New Testament. Then we wonder why so many people claiming to be Christians don't obey God and don't live godly lives but remain lukewarm in the faith.
Going to other places, peoples, and cultures is hard and sometimes dangerous. Baptizing people involves a more public response, including a confession of faith. [4] Baptizing requires us to go personally rather than tell them from a distance. Training people to obey means investing time and significant chunks of our lives in maturing others in Christ, so we rather sometimes settle for teaching them online or in a Bible class. Jesus, however, reminded us that His plan was rooted in the authority that God gave Him "in heaven and on earth." The Lord wants us to know that this is His Great Commission, not just His Great Suggestion. We are commanded to obey Jesus. His call was for us to GO on mission to those here, near, and far away with the Good News, BAPTIZE them, and TEACH them to obey, and He has empowered us with the Holy Spirit to help us with this mission. [5]
You may think, "I'm not a pastor, evangelist, or preacher, so how does this pertain to me? Why is this so important?" As we have seen over the last few days, Jesus wants us to make a difference in people's lives. He cares about those who do not believe, [6] wherever they are, whatever their race, and whenever we are given the opportunity to tell them about Him. The Lord longs to see those who are opposed to Him and to His people repent, turn to Him, and find salvation. [7] He has sent us to continue His work and follow His example. [8] Our relationship with unbelievers is essential! We are God's salt placed in the world to inhibit its decay, and we are His light sent to drive away Satan's darkness. [9]
We must not underestimate the importance of Jesus' mission for each of us. We must not dilute Jesus' method of accomplishing that mission. Gloriously, however, when we embrace Jesus' love for the lost people in our world, God will bless us with all sorts of people who will share eternal life with us [10] and would not have been saved without us!
[1] In Greek, the language of the original New Testament, there is one imperative verb ("make disciples" with three participles ("going" and "baptizing" and "teaching to obey" that emphasize how we are to make disciples.
[2] Luke 6:40; 1 John 2:6.
[3] For over three decades, I spoke in churches all over the world and misquoted the Great Commission leaving out the words "to obey," and no one told me what I left out.
[4] Romans 10:9-10 NASB.
[5] Acts 1:8.
[6] John 3:16-17.
[7] 2 Peter 3:9; 1 Peter 3:13-17; Matthew 5:44-48.
[8] John 20:21-23; Luke 6:40.
[9] Matthew 5:13-16.
[10] Revelation 7:9-14.
Today's Prayer
Father, I know you loved the world so much that You sent the Son to save us. Jesus, please quicken my heart to obey Your Great Commission. Holy Spirit, please empower me as I seek to fulfill it. Open my eyes to see those around me who are hungry for Your grace, O God, and use me to lead them to become disciples and grow in their faith and obedience to Jesus. Amen.
Related Scripture Readings
Acts 1:1-11
John 20:18-29

Verse of the Day for Tuesday, December 10th, 2024
Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves.
—Romans 12:10
Thoughts on Today's Verse...
I love the old saying, "He who toots his own horn plays in a very small band!" A very selfish part of us wants all attention and appreciation focused on what we have done, sacrificed, and accomplished. Christ Jesus told us that if we seek honor and recognition now, we have our reward now, on earth, and we won't receive our reward in heaven (Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21). One of the signs of spiritual maturity, however, is what Paul lists here. It's a devotion to others who are our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. This maturity means that we genuinely rejoice when others are honored. We are even more interested in honoring others than receiving honor. That is what devotion to others means. We care more about them being honored than us being honored, and that's living like Christ (Philippians 2:1-11).
My Prayer...
Dear God, my loving Father, thank you for surrounding me with many godly and honorable people. Please help me see ways I can show my brothers and sisters in Christ my love, affirmation, and appreciation. And dear Father, please lead me to your people who need this love, affirmation, and honor. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.
The Thoughts and Prayer on Today's Verse are written by Phil Ware.

Together in Christ: 'Ready to Share Our Hope!' — 1 Peter 3:13-17
Monday, December 9, 2024
Now, who will want to harm you if you are eager to do good? But even if you suffer for doing what is right, God will reward you for it. So don't worry or be afraid of their threats. Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it. But do this in a gentle and respectful way. Keep your conscience clear. Then if people speak against you, they will be ashamed when they see what a good life you live because you belong to Christ. Remember, it is better to suffer for doing good, if that is what God wants, than to suffer for doing wrong!
— 1 Peter 3:13-17 NLT
Key Thought...
Jesus challenged us with the following commands:
"You have heard the law that says, 'Love your neighbor' and hate your enemy. But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike. If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much. If you are kind only to your friends, how are you different from anyone else? Even pagans do that. But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect." [1]
Jesus demonstrated His commitment to the redemptive principles He had taught when He prayed the following to the Father as He was crucified:
Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they don't know what they are doing." And the soldiers gambled for his clothes by throwing dice. [2]
As Jesus' disciples, our goal is to follow Him and become increasingly more like Him by the power of the Holy Spirit. [3] This means that we are a people of forgiveness and grace. [4] Our hearts align with Jesus' great desire to reach the world with the Good News of grace. [5] So like the apostle Paul, we do all we can to reach those who do not know Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord, [6] and demonstrating love and forgiveness for everyone gives us a basis on which we can build the efforts to reach others.
In our verses today. Peter reminded disciples in Asia Minor about being willing to suffer for the cause of Christ. He called them — and us along with them — to follow Jesus' example and teaching. Our character and behavior under trial and suffering can give us the opportunity to explain our hope in Jesus. We want the world to know that Jesus is the reason for our good deeds under criticism, grace under fire, and mercy toward those who abuse and oppress us. Our goal is to save those who mistreat us, not defeat them in an argument or see them defeated by death. Our response to their criticism and hostility is to share our hope "in a gentle and respectful way." This orientation toward our enemies and oppressors has great power to redeem and allows us to follow in the footsteps of Jesus, Who was God's "Suffering Servant" Who redeemed the world through that suffering. [7] We are the people of God as we follow in the steps of our Savior and live into this role in the world to redeem the world.
[1] Matthew 5:43-48.
[2] Luke 23:34.
[3] John 14:26; 2 Corinthians 3:18; Colossians 1:28-29; Luke 6:20.
[4] Ephesians 4:31-32, 5:1-2.
[5] Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 1:8, 20:18-24; Ephesians 2:17-18; Colossians 1:6.
[,6] 1 Corinthians 9:19-27.
[7] See Isaiah 53 for the primary "Suffering Servant" passage that prophesies about Jesus. While that is the primary passage, there are four Servant of the Lord passages in Isaiah that help define this role for the Messiah: Isaiah 42:1-9, 49:1-13, 50:4-11, 52:13-15, 53:1-12. (The last two links are for a continuous passage.)
Today's Prayer
Father, I need Your strength to live with the kind of grace toward my adversaries and oppressors that Jesus demonstrated and the early disciples practiced. Strengthen me through the Holy Spirit so that others can see my faith and grace when I am under trial and allow me to share my hope in Jesus. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.
Related Scripture Readings
Isaiah 52:13-15, 53:1-12
Matthew 5:43-48