Pastor’s Bible Reading Schedule: 1 Kings 14-15; Matthew 9
Devotional Thought:
“Behold, certain of the scribes said within themselves, ‘This man blasphemeth.’ And Jesus knowing their thoughts said, ‘Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts?’” (vs. 3-4) When God is doing great things in the lives of His children and His name is being glorified, there will always be arrogant and controlling people who want to discredit what is being done or redirect people thinking into something carnal. Such is the case here in Matthew 9. Jesus has just saved a man from his sins and the scribes were calling it blasphemy. The distinct advantage that Jesus has over all of us is that He knows what people are saying in their hearts and promoting among themselves out of earshot. Jesus takes this moment to demonstrate to the multitude that He was indeed the true Messiah. He turns to the man and says, “Arise, take up thy bed and go unto thine house.” (vs. 6) The result was the people marveled and glorified God! We are experiencing a tremendous time of spiritual and numeric growth at Faith Baptist church. We are watching people get saved, and those who needed to be grounded in truth come and are finding what they need. What they needed was a loving place where people exalt the Person of Jesus Christ, and the authority of the word of God. People are not changed by programs or personalities in the church, but they can be transformed by the Person of Jesus Christ. He alone has the power to transform a life: to give life to a dead heart, warmth to a cold heart, and wisdom to an errant heart. However, it is interesting that He used a program (a miracle) to point people to the reality of who He was. Next week we will witness an entire family take their next spiritual step, baptism. What a joy to this preacher’s heart to see the waters of baptism stirred almost weekly. God is at work at Faith Baptist Church because Jesus Christ is being promoted by the people, in the programs, and by the preaching of God’s word. Oh how I pray there would not be any “scribes” to discredit what God is doing, or that might strive to redirect people attentions away from what truly glorifies God. After doing several miracles to show His authority, authenticity, and compassion for the people, Jesus reminds his disciples “the harvest truly is plenteous, but the laborers are few.” We have been given a tremendous responsibility to win the lost and disciple them for the cause of Christ. The Devil is constantly trying to redirect people’s thoughts away from our responsibility. Too many Christians to day are spending too much time fighting each other, catering to each other, and defending themselves to each other while the world is dying and going to hell. The Pharisees and Scribes tried hard to distract, discredit, and destroy Jesus as He reached out to the true needs of those around Him. May we focus our attention on the potential of the harvest and not get distracted by the naysayers around us. May we pray “the Lord of the harvest, that He will send forth laborers into His harvest.” (vs. 38) Will you join me in accepting the challenge of this passage to take every opportunity to point people to Jesus Christ? Will you be creative in your Jerusalem to find ways to talk to people about Christ?
Personal Requests:
• Lord, please help me to be sensitive to the true needs of people around me. I will need the help of the Holy Spirit to make me truly aware of the opportunities you give to me to point people to Christ.
• Lord, thank you for your example of helping people in their true needs. Thank you for being compassionate, caring, and capable. I truly need thee every hour.
• Lord, help me to not get distracted by naysayers who are trying to keep me from accomplishing the things that will matter in eternity. Help me to love them and pray for them, but never be distracted by them.
• Lord, the harvest is truly plenteous so please help me to pray everyday for laborers to be actively pursuing that harvest. Help me to be one of those obedient laborers.