Painful Ministry

ALL – Psalm 54:1-7
ALL – Proverbs 23:1-3
OT – Isaiah 6:1-7:25
NT – 1 Corinthians 11:16-33

Interesting passage for the day: I have lived with weariness and pain and sleepless nights. Often I have been hungry and thirsty and have gone without food; often I have shivered with cold, without enough clothing to keep me warm. – 2 Corinthians 11:27, The Living Bible

Thought: Martyrdom. Persecution. Suffering. When I think of the Christians who have endured severe trials for Jesus and His kingdom, I am amazed by them. They seem so strong. What great perseverance! What incredible faith! What certain hope they must have had to walk through the difficulties they did.

And as I am amazed by them, I begin to daydream about if I were ever to go through the same things. I daydream about the powerful statements of faith that would fall from my lips as I stood trial before my persecutors, statements like Stephen’s, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them,” and Martin Luther’s, “Here I stand. I can do no other.” And in my daydreams, persecution and martyrdom almost begin to seem like glorious experiences.

They aren’t glorious. They’re dreadful. They’re overwhelming. They’re exhausting.

The verse above is just one verse in quite a lengthy list of sufferings that Paul endured as he proclaimed hope through Jesus Christ. And Paul didn’t write about them to display his strength. He wrote about them to demonstrate his weakness, His complete dependence on Jesus, and the genuine nature of His ministry to the Corinthians. He didn’t endure them because he was strong and glorious; Paul endured them in spite of his weakness because Jesus is worthy.

Question: Do you remember how worthy Jesus is? When Jesus asks you to do something hard, how do you respond? How should you respond?

To review the Bible reading plan options, please visit http://tinyurl.com/yj2o7jz.

Dying While Living, Living While Dying

ALL – Psalm 44:8-26
ALL – Proverbs 22:13
OT – Job 37:1-39:30
NT – 2 Corinthians 4:13-5:11

Interesting passage for the day: These sufferings of ours are for your benefit. And the more of you who are won to Christ, the more there are to thank him for his great kindness, and the more the Lord is glorified. That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our inner strength in the Lord is growing every day. – 2 Corinthians 4:15-16, The Living Bible

Thought: Is ministry draining or empowering? Is it death or life? I’m not just talking about professional, paid ministry. I’m talking about how you and I relate to our neighbors, our relatives, our co-workers. When we serve them, when we hear about their struggles and temptations, when we debate with them over where our faith is worthwhile or not—what happens to us? Are we renewed? Or do we fade away?

Honestly, sometimes being there for other people is draining. Sometimes the struggle is more than sometimes. It might be normal or usual. Sometimes it feels like we’re dying so that everyone else can have life.

But what a joy to see more people joining us in thanking the great God we serve! What a thrill to see Jesus’ name lifted high!

And there is something tremendous happening—no, not just happening—GROWING, inside us. We are gaining strength, even when our bodies feel like they’re falling apart. The physical strength we sometimes like is being replaced with a deeper, permanent, eternal life that keeps us going and reminds us that any pain we might go through is only for now. It won’t last forever.

Question: Do you remember when you’re going through really tough periods that Jesus is giving you a life that is growing stronger day by day? Or do you forget? Or do you have a hard time caring? How can we learn to find strength through Jesus more frequently and joyfully?

To review the Bible reading plan options, please visit http://tinyurl.com/yj2o7jz.

Does Taking Hits Equal Powerlessness?

ALL – Psalm 53:1-6
ALL – Proverbs 11:4
OT – Numbers 14:1-15:16
NT – Mark 14:53-72

As men, we don’t like to be accused of being wimps. We’d rather get into a losing battle and show that we’re tough enough to fight than not put up a fight at all. People seem to think that if they can walk all over a man, he’s weak, but that if he puts up a fight he’s a man.

What about Jesus?

Then some of them began to spit at him, and they blindfolded him and began to hammer his face with their fists. “Who hit you that time, you prophet?” they jeered. And even the bailiffs were using their fists on him as they led him away. – Mark 14:65, The Living Bible

He was on trial for claiming to be the Christ, the King of all Creation, the Son of God. Obviously, His accusers didn’t believe His claim. But notice what they do to try to reassure themselves that Jesus is just some helpless, weak moron making foolish claims. They beat on Him. They spit at Him. And since Jesus doesn’t fight back, they think they’ve proved that He’s powerless.

Of course, the truth is that Jesus is the all-powerful God, so powerful that everything in all creation came into being just by His command. Apparently, taking hits without responding does not equal being powerless.

And Christians are His people. We are called to follow Him, even in this area of allowing ourselves to be abused at times. Don’t worry, Christian men. Letting yourselves be walked over won’t mean that you’re a wimp. You’ve got all the power in the world backing you. In fact, it’s the power of Jesus Christ and His gospel that enables us to put up with being abused.

So how powerful are you? Can you take a hit without dishing one out?

To review the Bible reading plan options, please visit http://tinyurl.com/yj2o7jz.