Paul and Silas had just been unjustly beaten with rods and thrown into a Philippian prison. Their feet were secured in stocks, forcing them to remain in an upright position because if they laid back, they would feel more pain. If I were to be found in such a dilemma, I would be praying constantly and fervently for deliverance while at the same time feeling fearful, bitter, and resentful.
However, this is not how Paul and Silas responded. The prayers that they prayed were worshipful which complemented the hymns of praise that they sang to God. What a powerful witness this was, because their fellow prisoners did not flee when their chains were miraculously loosed in the next verse. The world watches us Christians as we go through life’s ups and downs. May we be overwhelmed by Jesus’ love in our lives to the point that we praise and worship Him in all things.
Jeff Mericle
There is no better way to submit to the Lord than through worship. Many believers equate worship as instrumentation or singing songs of praise, and it certainly is. However, did you know that anything that is done in reverent devotion and allegiance pledged to God is worship?
The English word “worship” comes from the Old English word “worthship,” a word that denotes the worthiness of the one receiving the special honor or devotion. Therefore, the time we spend in prayer, reading and studying His Word, or serving in ministry, as well as singing songs of praise are all forms of worship to our risen King. Love is also worship. The love we have for Jesus and even each other is worship in the sight of God. In that sense, genuine worship won’t be silent. It will be the cry of your heart! To cry out to the Lord is perfected praise. So today, may His praise ever be on our lips with a heart that is truly in tune with His. Please join me, as we worship the Lord together…in harmony and in love!
Praising Him,
Tom Moore
This verse is from a parable Jesus shared about several people receiving the same days’ wage despite a few of them not working nearly the same length as others. This is Jesus’ response to the folks that felt they got cheated because of the others who worked less but got the same pay. What Jesus is doing in this parable is addressing the heart of the natural man. The natural man is many times referred to as the flesh or the old man for those that have been saved.
When left to our natural selves, we determine what is right and wrong and what is fair or unfair. The funny thing about these determinations we make in the flesh is that they are full of double standards. What I mean by this is, the guy that only worked an hour or two, versus the guy that worked the full day had no problem receiving a full day’s wage. But had that guy worked a full day and the other guy only an hour or so, he wouldn’t think it fair that they received the same pay.
That’s how our flesh works, it looks out for number one, always! It’s highly judgmental towards others but extremely forgiving to ourselves. It’s opinionated and very inconsistent depending on the people involved. In short, we are very wicked people, especially on the inside. Thankfully we have a Savior who is GOOD, and conquered the binding power of this old man inside of us so that we can show mercy, grace, and love from a pure heart and rejoice in the blessing of others.
Pastor Jason Witt
As Jesus was having supper here with His friends, the Jews heard that Jesus was there with Lazarus. They wanted to come and see for themselves the one whom Jesus raised from the dead. In the chapter before, we learn about Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead. We find here that they not only want to see Jesus, they also want to see Lazarus. They want to see for themselves the stories that they have been hearing. Not only that, the Jews or religious leaders, are also plotting how to put Lazarus to death all because he’s the reason many are believing in Jesus.
When we read in chapter 11 about the raising of Lazarus, we can conclude this was an amazing testimony of who Jesus is. I can imagine all the questions that might be asked of Him. I often think about my testimony and all that the Lord has done in my life. And like John 21:25, there are so many other things that Jesus did that if they written we’d run out of room. Each of us has a testimony that speaks the truth about Jesus. That speaks about where we were, that speaks about where we are at, and that speaks about where we are going.
Be encouraged to share your testimony and show how the Gospel of Jesus Christ saved you and all that He has done for you. “Be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you…”(1 Peter 3:15).
Joshua Navarro
Before I received the Lord Jesus into my life, I was motivated to live my life as I saw fit. I thought I had everything under control, but I couldn’t even control myself! And then I met Jesus. The light of His truth revealed the reality of my true self to me, and it was a sobering experience for sure. Mercy from God was what I desperately needed, and mercy is what I was lavishly given. His Spirit took up residence in my heart.
As Paul reminds us, we have a choice when it comes to living our lives. Our flesh and bones yearn for unhindered self-satisfaction. Our born-again souls seek the Lord and long to be in tune with Him. Though the battle rages, winning it begins with putting one foot in front of the other.
You and I have a choice to make. This day, let’s choose to walk in the Spirit. He’ll see to it that we are not taken out by dead-end desires. Victory begins with the first step.
Jeff Deal
Here in Matthew 4, John the Baptist was now imprisoned and we see Jesus pick up his message and continue to proclaim it, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand,” calling men to turn away from their sin and turn to God, for the kingdom of heaven is near.
Some would say it’s a harsh message to preach, to go out and tell people that they are sinners walking in darkness, and that their only hope of escaping judgment and going to heaven is to repent and turn to Jesus. But it is not just the truth, it’s the truth that saves! It’s the truth that brought us out of darkness into the light, it’s the message that saved us, that led us to repentance.
Now it surely can seem harsh to some who hear it, but that harshness shouldn’t come from us and the way we share it, but when the truth is spoken in love with compassion, it can change hearts.
That’s how Jesus shared it, with great love and compassion. We would do well to go out and do the same.
Pastor Doug Hardin
Forgiveness can often be a difficult thing to have. This verse shows us the importance of forgiveness. If we forgive others, we, too, will be forgiven, but if we do not forgive, we will not be forgiven. The key to forgiveness is remembering how much we have been forgiven of. When we realize how much Jesus has forgiven us, it helps us to forgive others. As Christians, we are in the forgiveness business and you will never look more like Jesus than when you forgive others. So when you feel like you can’t forgive someone for what they did to you, remember how much you have been forgiven of.
For the King,
Daniel Batistelli
Sarcasm is something that I don’t generally lack in. I will say when there are those who are seeking to persecute me or bring harm to me, I can tend to run to sarcasm and quips to defend myself. I am here to tell you, that is not what the Lord would have from any of us!
In Matthew 5, Jesus says, “For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?” Blessing the opposition is in stark contrast to not only our flesh, but to the world. If we show love for only those that are doing good to us, what’s the difference? Those that don’t know Jesus do the exact same thing
I challenge you today to pray and think about who you can bless today that does not deserve it and is in opposition to your faith. See how the Lord would use that to demonstrate the wonderful love He has shown to us.
Blessings,
Pastor Sean Boehm
In his opening greeting, Paul is identifying his readers. He had not, at the time of this writing, visited the church in Rome. The church had organically grown from those that made their way to the great city after the Pentecost in Jerusalem and those that had come from churches established elsewhere.
Paul doesn’t mention the believer’s love for God but rather that which is far more fundamental – God’s love for the believer. WE ARE LOVED BY GOD! Get used to it.
“Called to be saints” means kept holy by being set aside for dedicated use. As Charles Spurgeon put it, “They were not called because they were saints, but they became saints through that calling.”
This letter to the Romans applies to us today and we should walk in these promises and be thankful that we are loved by God and are “called according to His purpose.”
Set aside for Him,
Pastor Gerard Deleeuw
Christians, being the varied group we are, tend to handle adversity in many different ways. Some really struggle when anything goes wrong. They toss their hands to the sky and list their complaints to Facebook in frustration. Though they know God loves them, they just wonder why that love isn’t more tangible at this point in their lives.
Meanwhile, there are others that seem to handle difficulties with a supernatural calm. Sure they’re having problems, but they’re not going to let this ruin their day. It’s possible the second group has taken the advice of the above verses. They’ve read God’s word, been instructed by it, and it has indeed given them rest during their days of adversity.
We all have to make the choice whether we’re going to be the complainers or the conquerors. God wants to rest in Him and we can do that by applying His word to our hearts and lives.
Resting in Him,
Pastor Ron Kitchell
