Have you ever been sucked into watching an infomercial? Have you ever purchased something from an infomercial? I have a few times. I believe that my purchases have involved some sort of exercise workout or nutritional program. All guaranteed me phenomenal results. The truth is I have not experienced all the effects that these infomercials promised me. Does that shock you?
Whatever it is, we humans like guarantees. We crave guarantees because we know that we’re likely to mess it up and we want something that can still be true even with a faulty operator.
Thank GOD that His faithfulness to me is not dependent on my ability to do right. Even on my best days I still fall short.
One of God’s promises to us is that we have the mind of Christ.
Not: We will have the mind of Christ – something that is promised for the future.
Not: We can have the mind of Christ – something that is contingent upon something else.
Not: We might have the mind of Christ – something that is uncertain or not yet determined to be true.
We have the mind of Christ…NOW! It’s guaranteed! Isn’t that amazing?!?!
What are the implications of this truth for you – YOU HAVE THE MIND OF CHRIST. It’s a done deal. How will this reality change the thoughts that you think, the words that you speak, the actions that you take?
Take a bit of time today and prayerfully consider the kind of response God might be asking of you.
-Bethany Ligon
Today’s Bible passage can be read or listened to at Bible GateWay here – 1 Corinthians 1-4
1 Thessalonians 1:3 – We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.
Work Produced by Faith
Faith is defined as having a firm belief, complete trust and confidence in something. As a Believer, our faith is determined by the extent of which we believe that God is who He says He is and that His son, Jesus the Messiah, was born of a woman, lived a perfect life, died on the cross for the redemption of your sins, was raised to life, is currently sitting on a throne next to his Father, waiting to return again to reign in the Kingdom. IF you and I believe all of that – then our day to day life will be a compilation of evidence of acts done in faith and by faith.
James makes the claim in the third chapter of his letter “to the twelve tribes scattered among the nations” (James 1:1) that “in the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead” (3:17). And in verse 26 of the same chapter, James writes, “As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead”.
The Thessalonians didn’t just accept the gospel message, they acted on it. Jesus was both their Savior and their Lord, meaning that they were obedient to the call on their lives. They were doing the work that God had prepared in advance for them to do (Ephesians 2:10). Likewise, when we accept the gospel message for ourselves, we have to respond. Jesus tells us in the book of Luke that we must take up our cross (do the work) and follow him (9:23).
Labor Prompted by Love
Mark 12:30 says, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength”. Have you ever wondered why these four domains are identified? Have you ever loved someone so much that there isn’t anything you wouldn’t do for them? You sacrifice all that you have in order to serve them, sacrifice for them, and labor for them. In the following verse, we’re told to love our neighbors as ourselves. Sacrificing ourselves for family members and close friends is one thing…serving and laboring for others beyond our closest relationships is quite another.
This is why we’re told to love with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength – because it’s not easy. Sometimes loving another is labor. It’s hard work. It’s humbling ourselves by putting our own desires off to the side in order to honor others. But it’s what we are called to do. And it is possible if we lean into the strength that is provided through our faith in Christ.
Endurance Inspired by Hope
One of my favorite types of exercise is a 20 minutes HIIT (high intensity interval training) workout. I like it because I don’t have to do it everyday, it’s quick, and efficient. And I get to rest for almost half of the time during the “down” intervals. If I were ever called upon to do something that took longer than 20 minutes, I would be gassed! I do not have the endurance for it. And I have no enthusiasm to train for it!
Walking out your faith knee deep in “works produced by faith” and “labor promoted by love” is not for the faint of heart! It’s not a one time deal. And unlike my HIIT workouts, it’s an all-day, everyday kind of commitment – for a lifetime! This requires an endurance that cannot be faked nor manufactured. The only source for the necessary fuel to keep this faith-centered life going is HOPE. A hope that has a foundation on the love God has for us. When we stay zeroed in to that – we are able to dig deep and and go the distance. As Paul says in his second letter to Timothy, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith”. We can have a FULL life that gives us the endurance needed to do the good works.
The Christian life is not for the wimpy. In this single verse out of 1 Thessalonians, we are told that we must work, labor, and endure. I don’t know about you, but this doesn’t seem very comfy. It’s not a life of luxury and indulgence. The ONLY way that we will be able to sustain this day to day living is doing so out of Faith, Love, and Hope. May these virtues fill your heart today.
Acts 18:9-10 – One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision: “Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent. For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city.”
Paul’s missionary journey has led him to Thessalonica where he spent a few weeks teaching in the synagogue but was eventually run out of town, but not before some were persuaded to believe and be saved. His escape took him to the next town of Berea, where again, the Thessalonicans caught up to Paul and he had to make a sneaky escape. He landed in Athens, a place known for philosophy. And while a few people accepted the gospel that Paul preached, others sneered at his message and so he continued his journey to Corinth. Corinth had a reputation. All kinds of sexually immoral practices existed in this place and yet, this is where Paul received a vision and was told “I have many people in this city”. Isn’t it just like God to take what many would consider the least likely of people and bring them into a relationship with himself.
Let’s remember something – we are all the least likely of people. There is nothing that I have done that makes me worthy of God’s love, mercy, and grace. It’s not my cultural heritage. It’s not my level of intelligence or my financial standing. It’s not who I know or what I do. It’s only by the gift of Jesus’ atoning death on a cross that I can even be in a relationship with God.
Too many people today believe that they have to “get right with God” before they can attend church or pray or be of use for service. Too many believers avoid interacting with non-believers because they fear the Gospel message (or more likely they themselves) will be mocked, rejected or persecuted.
Sometimes God gives us opportunities to associate and fellowship with other believers so that we can build one another up. Other times, God invites us into the messy lives of non-believers so that we can show them that God loves all of us exactly where we are. And then there are other times, when God provides opportunities for us to invest in others’ messy lives long term to really show them what a life serving God is all about.
As we read about Paul’s journey, we can appreciate that Paul made himself available to God’s leading, even staying for a year and a half in a city that was full of immoral practices because it was ripe for a spiritual harvest. Wherever God has you today, “Do not be afraid, keep on speaking, do not be silent” and look for the spiritual harvest.
-Bethany Ligon
Today’s Bible reading passage can be read or listened to at BibleGateway here – Acts 17:1-18:17.
Galatians 5:1 – It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.
Growing up in the great Southwest, I have had the luxury of enjoying authentic Mexican food. I could eat chips and salsa every day, all day. When I’ve got a craving, I will even eat chips and salsa from New York City. (Click here for reference to an old TV commercial.)
Tacos, quesadillas, enchiladas, burritos are all very, very good. But one main entree dish tops them all, the chimichanga. If you’re not familiar with the chimichanga, you can think of it as a deep fried burrito topped with sour cream and guacamole. Or if you’re feeling extra decadent, queso fundido sauce. My mouth is watering just thinking about it…
When I was in college, I spent a semester at Kansas State University. For the most part, I enjoyed going to school there. One of the only drawbacks was that back in 1993, there weren’t any Mexican restaurants in the area. And while I could get chips and salsa from the grocery store, and tacos from Taco Bell, there wasn’t any authentic Mexican cuisine to be found.
Then one day, I was dining at an Applebee’s. And low and behold, there on the menu was a chicken chimichanga. I almost cried. I was so excited! With great anticipation, I waited for the plate to be brought out to the table. And when the dish finally arrived, it was everything I could do to hold back the tears. Not because I was so thrilled, but because the chimichanga was covered in chili! Not Mexican red or green chili, but chili beans! I was dumbfounded. How could anyone mess up my chimichanga?!?! When I spoke with my parents later that evening (they were still living in Arizona), I let the tears fall. I was so homesick.
I tell you all of this because when I read the book of Galatians, something stands out to me. The church in Galatia had enthusiastically accepted the Gospel that the apostle Paul had preached to them. But after he had left, interlopers had begun to convince Believers that there were certain rituals that they had to practice, including circumcision, to be considered righteous. When Paul heard of this, he was so frustrated!
Here’s Bethany’s interpretation of Galatians 5:1 – Why, why, why would you go back to living under the burden of all these rules and regulations? Don’t you know that Christ died so that you wouldn’t have to be a slave to all that? Your faith has set you FREE! Now start living like it!
The same message applies to you and me. Once you realize what life can be like living under the grace of God through faith in what His son did on the cross on your behalf, why, why, why would you ever think about going back to a previous lifestyle? And yet, that’s what we encounter every single day. We’re faced with decisions on how to treat others, how we spend our time, how we invest our finances. It might be tempting to make concessions in stressful circumstances, but we must stay strong, to persevere and be firm in our faith.
When you get in the habit of living in freedom, going back to a former way of living becomes just as inconceivable as eating a chimichanga with chili beans dumped all over it. When you experience the REAL DEAL – you never want to go back.
Grace from God gives us a glimpse of His goodness.
Mercy from the Most High motivates us to move mountains.
Forgiveness from the Father fills in the fissures of the heart.
Rest within the shadow of the Rock renews our responsiveness.
Acceptance by the Almighty alters our attitudes.
Joy from Jehovah jolts our joints!
It is for Freedom that Christ has set you Free. Now start living like it!
Bethany Ligon
Today’s Bible passage can be read or listened to at BibleGateway here – Galatians 4-6
Social conversations today sometimes revolve around issues and individuals with whom we can relate or identify. For example, I am a fan of the Arizona Cardinals and when there is an exciting play on the field, I tend to get loud. And when the team wins a game, I feel like there is some part of me that also wins, even though I watch the game from home while ironing clothes for the week ahead. If the team loses a game, I feel bad for the team knowing how hard they fought to bring home a victory for all those who choose to cheer them on! I might not ever get the chance to score a touchdown or take a ready position on the offensive line trying to protect a quarterback, but I still feel like I am part of the team.
When I read the words written by the apostle Paul in his letter to the Galatians, I claim his declaration in chapter 2 verse 20 as my own. “I have been crucified with Christ” is a phrase that I believe I might have written myself if I were the one penning this epistle. When Jesus offered his life on the cross, he wasn’t doing it just for himself. He wasn’t doing it for all of the believers who were alive at the time. He allowed nails to be driven into his wrists and feet and his blood to pour out for all of us. This is something that I identify with. Jesus was willing to die for me. It’s a gift that I am willing to accept so that I do not have to pay that debt myself. I claim that Jesus is my Savior.
But Jesus is not just my Savior, he is also my Lord. “I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.” Because of what Jesus has done for me, the only response that I can have is to dedicate my life in service to him. The thoughts that I think, the words that I speak, the actions that I take, are all a reflection of what it means to “live by faith in the Son of God”. Make no mistake, I mess up often. But thankfully, because the grace of God is never ending, I can be made right again upon confession and repentance.
And so I ask you, with whom do you identify? Is it your family? Is it your school or workplace? Is it with a professional sports team? Is it your church? While all of those people and organizations are most likely good people and places to associate yourself, remember that the ultimate person with whom you can identify is Jesus the Messiah. He died so that you wouldn’t have to.
So what will your response to this sacrifice be? Will you align yourself with Christ? Will you choose to be on his team and play every play on the field with all of your heart? Will your thoughts, words, and actions reveal your true allegiance?
I challenge you that if you haven’t already accepted Jesus as your Savior, to do that today! And if you have already done that, remember that he is Lord of your life too. Now is the time to start living like it!
-Bethany Ligon
Today’s Bible passage can be read or listened to at BibleGateway here – Galatians 1-3
Tomorrow we will read the rest of Galatians, chapters 4-6.
Today, we pick back up with Paul, and we have yet to mention his main companion that shows up in chapters 13 and 14 – Barnabas. Barnabas means “Son of Encouragement”, as he was an encourager to those around him. Barnabas travelled with Paul frequently when Paul would go to a different region to share the gospel message. They mostly got along great and accomplished a lot, but they did reach a disagreement down the road. Barnabas wanted to take his cousin, Mark, with them during one of their missionary journeys, but Paul did not since Mark abandoned them on a previous trip. We are getting ahead of ourselves a bit here though, so let’s rewind to chapter 13.
In chapter 13 of Acts, Paul and Barnabas set sail and visited a couple of places, most notably Cyprus and Antioch. It was at these different locations that they took advantage of their opportunity to share God’s message with others. It’s important to note that some places that they traveled to the gospel message already was presented and spread a bit, as they weren’t the only ones around spreading this gospel message. However, they were certainly instrumental in furthering the spread.
In verses 16-41 of chapter 13, Paul delivers a message to the people on the Sabbath. At the conclusion of this message that he presented, “the people begged that these things might be told them the next Sabbath,” (Acts 13:42). From a preacher’s perspective, this would be a dream come true! The people were so eager to hear the gospel message that they BEGGED! They didn’t just ask or hope or want, but they BEGGED to hear the gospel message. When was the last time that you were so eager to hear God’s message being shared? For most of us, it probably has been a while. Somehow, someway we need to find that passion again for God’s Word. Pray to God today, that he would fill your heart with a passion and desire to dig deeper into His Word. That would be a great place to start.
We fast forward a week from Paul’s message in verses 16-41, and we arrive at the next Sabbath in verse 44. Verse 44 reads, “The next Sabbath almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord,” (Acts 13:44). How awesome would that be?! The week prior, the people begged to hear more of God’s word being spoken, as they had so much excitement. It is evident that they didn’t contain their excitement to themselves. Apparently, their passion for God’s Word drove them to share with their friends and family about the word of God that they just listened to.
It’s a general notion that word of mouth is the best mode of advertisement. The group who listened to Paul’s first message did a great job of advertising to others by word of mouth. This proved to be extremely effective, as almost the whole city showed up the following week. This serves as a good reminder for us to advertise God’s Word by word of mouth with our friends and family. When was the last time that you shared a bit of God’s Word with someone who is not an active believer?
Paul continued to gain a following in the different locations that he traveled to. On the other hand, though, his adversaries were continuing to grow. In chapter 14, Paul was stoned nearly to death for his faith and his part in spreading the gospel message. My mind cannot stop thinking about the differences in how the early Christians were persecuted versus how we are persecuted (or the lack thereof) today in America. I’m grateful that we don’t have to experience some of the trials and tribulations that the likes of Paul went through. However, I can only imagine how much more serious we would take our faith if we had to physically risk our lives in order to share the gospel message with others. Something for you to ponder.
We continue to see the great works of some of the heroes of our faith in Acts. I hope that these great heroes, such as Paul and Barnabas, serve as an encouragement and lesson for all of us. God bless.
-Kyle McClain
Today’s Bible passage can be read or listened to at BibleGateway here – Acts 13-14.
Yesterday, we took a look at how Saul, the author of nearly half of the books of the New Testament, was introduced to the scriptures. We were introduced to a devout Jew who was persecuting the Jesus followers. Today, we get a taste of redemption, as Saul dramatically turns his life around.
Before we get that taste of redemption though, we open up chapter nine with Saul still breathing out threats to the Jesus followers. Saul went on a bit of a scavenger hunt trying to find anyone who belongs to “the Way”. “the Way” is just another “way” (ha, pun intended), to refer to the group of people who followed Jesus, as the term “Christian” was not a thing at that point in time.
On Saul’s diligent scavenger hunt to persecute the group of Jews who followed Jesus, he went to the city of Damascus. On his way to Damascus, Saul has a vision of none other than Jesus himself. Again, this is the kind of stuff that the movies are made out of! He ended up being blinded by the vision, and he didn’t eat or drink for three days. Then a man named Ananias came and restored Saul’s sight through the power of God, and Ananias confirmed to Saul what had taken place. Saul is also baptized and received the Holy Spirit.
As a result of this vision that Saul has of Jesus, he performs a complete 180 in his life. He went from being a man who hunted Jesus followers to becoming a man who tried to create as many Jesus followers as possible. He repented of his sins immediately and started proclaiming this message of Jesus in the synagogues. This obviously created some confusion and amazement from the people, as just a couple of days ago he was seeking to have these same types of people killed and imprisoned! Saul was so on fire for Jesus, that now nonbelieving Jews were seeking to put Saul to death. What a crazy, dramatic turn of events.
Chapter nine then goes straight from Saul leaving Damascus to arriving in Jerusalem. Luke, the author of Acts, chose to leave out a three-year gap. Yep, you read that right. There was a three-year gap between Saul leaving Damascus and arriving in Jerusalem. We get this notion from Galatians 1:16-18. After Saul left Damascus and before Saul arrived to Jerusalem, he spent about three years in “Arabia”. N.T Wright talks about this three-year gap in his biography on Paul. If you are an avid reader, then I would strongly suggest this book.
It is very possible that Saul spent a chunk of this three-year gap at Mt. Sinai getting ready for his upcoming ministry. It’s pretty cool when you consider Moses and Elijah spent valuable time with God on Mt. Sinai as well. I’m sure this time for Saul was extremely valuable, as he prepared to do so many good works for God and his Son Jesus.
It’s important that we find that quiet, alone time with God to prepare for our ministries as well. I find that as a husband, dad, pastor, son, friend, and more, that it can be difficult to find that quiet, alone time with God. Truth be told, it does not happen unless I am very intentional about it. I’m guessing the same could be said for you as well. I strongly encourage you to intentionally find and make that quiet, alone time with God. Sometimes the best thing for us is to step away from our spouses, children, parents, friends, and coworkers, and have a close, intimate encounter with God. I find that the best spot for me to do this is out by myself at our nearby park. I’m guessing the experiences that I have with God out in his creation, by myself, are similar to the experiences that Moses, Elijah, Saul, and Jesus had with God. So, get out there and say bye to your friends and family for a bit, and say hello to God. Trust me, you won’t regret it.
We haven’t even touched on Peter at all yet. Peter did a number of awesome things for the LORD in chapter nine and ten, these include: healing a paralyzed man, raising a woman from the dead (Yeah, Jesus isn’t the only one who was resurrected in the New Testament), and sharing the gospel message with a group of gentiles. We could discuss these great acts of Peter for quite some time. Instead, I’d rather us conclude and focus on this aspect of Saul spending that alone time with God for three years and preparing for his revolutionary ministry.
Please, please, please, find and make that quiet, alone time with God. You can spend time reading God’s word, praying, meditating, and reflecting on all that God has done and will continue to do in your life. For our southern friends who aren’t freezing outside, go find a park and spend that quiet time with God. For our northern friends who live in the cold, shut yourself in a room by yourself with a cup of hot cocoa and spend that quiet, alone time with God. Or, you can buckle down and spend a couple hours in the cold at the park with a jacket and blanket. I mean Jesus spent 40 days without food; surely, we can spend a couple hours outside even if it is a little cold.
Get on out there! Say bye to your friends and family; say hi to God.
-Kyle McClain
Today’s Bible passage can be read or listened to at BibleGateway here – Acts 9-10.
Seek Grow Love 