Daily Devotionals

Do not be deceived

“Now I urge you, brethren, keep your eye on those who cause dissensions and hindrances contrary to the teaching which you learned, and turn away from them. For such men are slaves, not of our Lord Christ but of their own appetites; and by their smooth and flattering speech they deceive the hearts of the unsuspecting.” (vers 17-18)

There are many wo claim to love the Lord and seek to minister to His people, yet they approach you with ulterior motives and a hidden agenda. Their actions often lead to divisiveness, causing the sheep to stumble. We are called to watch out for these people and turn away from them.

How are we to even identify these people, if we cannot discern between good and evil?

Be wise in your understanding

“I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as a dove.” (Mat 10 v 16) [NIV] [paraphrase]

This almost sounds like a contradiction, for we know that a snake can be borderline cunning, while a dove is seen as innocent and pure.
The Oxford definition for “shrewd” means to have or show sharp powers of judgement.

Therefore as a child of God, we should develop the skill to judge the words and actions of people with caution, without condemning the person. The only way we are able to do so, is by allowing the Holy Spirit to guide our thoughts and actions, ensuring that everything we think, say and do is calculated.

This will ensure that we stay within the Lord’s will, still being able to practice our own free will, but being content with offering up our own desires, in order for us to align with God’s perfect will.

Scripture quotations taken from the NASB, Life Application Study Bible, unless stated otherwise. Copyright by “The Lockman Foundation”

05/10/2021
Mat 28 v 16-20

Preaching the good news

“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (vers 19-20)

For God so loved the world

The first question we should ask ourselves, is do we know the true meaning of preaching the good news or is the gospel presented in the bible only reserved for the “elect few”, either to teach or to receive?

Without letting this sound like a sermon, I believe it is important to understand that the good news is available for everyone to hear and respond to, “For God so [greatly] loved and dearly prized the WORLD, that He [even] gave His [One and] only begotten Son, so that whoever believes and trusts in Him [as Savior] shall not perish, but have eternal life.” (John 3 v 16) [AMP].

Does this mean that anyone can teach the word, preaching the good news?
Your answer to this question probably depends on your background and upbringing in the church or perhaps you were never church bound to begin with and believe, as I do, that the body (of Christ) should practice the gifts of the Spirit, which includes teaching, should you be called to do so.

An instruction from the Lord

There could be an argument that Jesus only instructed His disciples to go out and make disciples of all nations, through preaching the good news and baptizing these people in His name, but in vers 20 He says that they (His disciples), should teach others to “observe all that He has commanded them” [paraphrase].

I believe this includes sharing the gospel, which also includes the breaking of bread whenever we have fellowship. We are called to be the “light to the world” and the “salt of the earth” (Mat 5 v 13-16). As we know salt preserves goodness, while light prevents you from stumbling in the dark.

If only an elect few were privileged to teach and receive the good news, what hope is there for the rest of us? We serve a righteous, just and loving God, who gave part of Himself, in the form of His Son, who suffered at the hands of mankind, to offer penance for our sin and overcame death through His resurrection.