The Your Faith Journey daily devotional for this week includes scripture from the Gospel of Matthew. You are encouraged to read part of Psalm 22 to begin your devotional time each day to prepare your heart and mind to be centered in Christ.

One sabbath day while the apostle Paul was at a synagogue in Pisidian Antioch he shared a message about Jesus, the Savior of the world (Acts 13). “The next Sabbath almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord” (Acts 13:44 NIV). Paul and Barnabas explained that since some of the Jews in the city rejected their message, they were now turning “to the Gentiles” (Acts 13:46 NIV). They reminded the Jews of the message shared by the prophet Isaiah about the people of Israel, “I will make you as a light for the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth” (Isaiah 49:6 ESV). The Good News about Christ was received joyfully by the gentiles in the city, but some of “the Jews…stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas,” and influenced the local leaders to have them “expelled…from their region” (Acts 13:49-50 NIV).

 

The Good News about Jesus is for everyone, but not everyone receives it with joy. We cannot control how others receive or react to the message of Christ, but we are called, equipped, and commissioned as believers to be lights shining for all to see. Jesus said, “you are the light of the world” (Matthew 5:14 ESV). As believers, we are supposed to let our “light shine before others, so that they may see” our “good works and give glory to” God (Matthew 5:16 ESV). Our good works include sharing the message of salvation about Jesus with all the people of the world, while continuing Christ’s work here on earth until he returns. Someone needs to see the light of Christ shining through your deeds this week. Someone needs to hear the message of salvation about Jesus this week. We cannot control how others receive what God offers them. But we are accountable for our obedience and behavior. Go! Be a light! Go! Share the Good News!

Within the book of Acts in the New Testament we find the movement of the Holy Spirit working in and through Jesus’ followers as “the church throughout Judea, Galilee, and Samaria…grew in numbers” as God continued adding those who were saved through faith in Christ (Acts 9:31 NIV). Until the time recorded in Acts 9, the movement was limited to Jews, Jewish converts, and Samaritans but things quickly changed in Acts 10. There was a commander within the Roman army named Cornelius who believed in the God of the Jews. One day he was visited by an angel that told him to “send men to Joppa to bring back a man named Simon who is called Peter” (Acts 10:5 NIV). As Cornelius sent men to find Simon Peter, the Lord spoke to Peter in a somewhat confusing way as he was praying, which ultimately revealed that God was going to grant “the Gentiles repentance unto life” through Jesus the Christ (Acts 11:18 NIV). “Gentiles” are people who are not Jewish. Within the events of Acts 10, the Lord revealed to Simon Peter that the church of Jesus is meant to include “disciples of all nations,” including Jews and Gentiles, men, women, and children (Matthew 28:20 NIV). This may not seem like a big deal for Christians in the twenty-first century, but it was hugely significant in regards to the Jesus movement being fueled and guided by the Holy Spirit. God’s kingdom, and Jesus’ church, is open to anyone and everyone who turns to the Lord for the forgiveness of their sins through faith in Christ. All are welcome!

In his book, The Call: The Life and Message of The Apostle Paul, Adam Hamilton writes, “It could reasonably be argued that no other human, apart form Jesus himself, has had a greater impact on the world than Paul of Tarsus.” Paul, also known as Saul, described himself in this way, “I am a Jew, born in Tarsus…Under Gamaliel I was thoroughly trained in the law” of the Jews (Acts 22:3 NIV). “I persecuted the followers of the Way (Christians) to their death, arresting both men and women and throwing them into prison” (Acts 22:4 NIV). On one occasion, Saul obtained letters from the Jewish High Council to arrest Jesus’ followers in Damascus so that the movement of Christianity did not spread further into the Roman Empire (Acts 22:5). While on the road traveling to Damascus, Saul was overwhelmed when “a bright light from heaven flashed around” him, so he “fell to the ground and” heard “a voice” (Acts 22:6-7 NIV). It was the voice of Jesus. During their conversation, Jesus told Saul to “go into Damascus. There you will be told all that you have been assigned to do” (Acts 22:10 NIV).

 

Saul became temporarily blinded by the light of Christ on the road to Damascus. His traveling companions had to take him by the hand to continue their journey to the city. After three days of being unable to see while in Damascus, a devoted man of faith named Ananias was sent by God to Saul to restore his sight and share this message, “Brother Saul, receive your sight…The God of our fathers has chosen you to know his will and to see the Righteous One and to hear words from his mouth. You will be his witness to all men of what you have seen and heard…Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away…” (Acts 22:13-16 NIV).

 

As Ananias’ message to Saul revealed that he had been chosen by God. The Lord has chosen us as well. Through his Son and the Holy Spirit, our heavenly Father reveals his will. Saul was blinded by the light of Christ on the road to Damascus. Where do you see the light of Christ shining in the world today? Saul was sent into the Roman Empire as a witness of what he saw and heard. Jesus sends us into the world each day to be his witnesses here and now. Christ said, “go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them…and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:19-20a NIV).

If you wanted to plant and grow corn, you would need to prepare the soil.

Good soil, rain water, and sunshine would enable the corn you planted to grow, thrive, and eventually become mature and fruitful. For children, teens, and adults to grow, mature, and become fruitful disciples of Jesus, we need hearts that are prepared to receive the seeds of truth about the Kingdom of God and the king of creation, Jesus. We need to “get rid of all evil behavior” much like we would remove stones within the soil to prepare it for planting (1 Peter 2:1 NLT). We need to grow in the “knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18 NIV). We need to long for the Lord and remain in him and his love, because we cannot “bear fruit unless” we remain in Jesus (1 Peter 2:2 & John 15:4 NIV). We need to follow Jesus’ example and continue the work he did (John 14:12). We’ll know we are growing as our knowledge of our Savior deepens, our longing for the Lord increases, and our lives are becoming more and more like Jesus’ through our thoughts, words, and deeds.

 

The apostle Paul teaches us that we are to grow “in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church” (Ephesians 4:15 NLT). Together, we grow “as each part” of the church “does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love” (Ephesians 4:16b NLT). Imagine if ALL the people of Avon UMC were each doing their special work as the Holy Spirit enables us, as well as each believer was seeking to grow in their knowledge of Christ, there was an increasing longing for the Lord within us all, and the entire congregation was full of the love of God. It may seem impossible, but Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works” (John 14:12 NLT). The “works” of Christ, and the “even greater works,” are the fruit of a people remaining in Jesus and together growing more like him in every way.

Within his incredible God-given vision and encounter with the Lord, Isaiah shared that the Holy One was seated on a throne as the King of creation. While in the presence of the holy and Almighty Lord, Isaiah knew that he was a sinner, “a man of unclean lips” (Isaiah 6:5 NIV). Like Isaiah, have you experienced that the closer you get to the Lord, the more aware you are of your sins? During Isaiah’s time with God, the Lord took away his guilt and his sins “were atoned for” (Isaiah 6:7 NIV). Through Jesus Christ our guilt has been taken away as well, and our sins were atoned for upon the cross. Praise the Lord!

 

During Isaiah’s experience described in Chapter 6, he heard the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us” (Isaiah 6:8 NIV)? The prophet replied to God by being willing to go and speak his message to the Lord’s people. Are you willing to go and share the message about Jesus Christ with others today? Just as God sent Isaiah, Jesus sent his disciples when he said, “go and make disciples of all nations…teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:19-20 NIV). If you trust in Jesus as your Savior and submit to him as your Lord, he is sending you as a disciple here and now. Go to everyone God sends you to and say whatever He commands you (Jeremiah 1:7)!

On the day of Pentecost the Spirit of God came like a mighty wind and the believers “were all filled with the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:3 ESV). A crowd of thousands of people in Jerusalem were “amazed and perplexed” by what they experienced that day. Peter quickly addressed the crowd and informed them that the resurrected Jesus had sent the Spirit of God, just as he had promised. The response to Peter’s message was a question, “what should we do?” (Acts 2:37 TLB). Their question applies to each of us no matter if we are a believer or not. What should we do? If you have not placed your faith in Jesus Christ, what should you do? Peter instructed the crowd of thousands of people in Jerusalem on the Day of Pentecost to “repent and be baptized…for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38 NIV).

 

If you already are a believer and you’ve been baptized, remember what Jesus told the disciples in Acts 1:8. We are witnesses of the resurrection power of God transforming lives, including our own. Jesus has sent us to go make disciples and be his witnesses in our homes, community, central Indiana, and throughout the world. Jesus promised that the Spirit is with us forever, helping us to proclaim the Good News and empowering us to live as the united body of Christ, a royal priesthood, and a church family (John 14:16, Acts 1:8, 1 Corinthians 12:27, 1 Peter 2:9, 5:9).

During the Living Consistent with Christ series we have been reminded by Henri Nouwen that Jesus liberates, he is compassionate as the God who suffers with us, he humbly chose the descending way, and the God of love revealed in Christ challenges us to love our enemies. This week, we see Jesus pointing us towards the little things that over time enable us to consistently love God, self, and others as Christ has and does. These little things can be described as faith practices, spiritual disciplines, or holy habits.

 

When an expert in the Jewish laws asked Jesus which of the 613 commandments in the Torah is the greatest commandment, Christ replied, “the first and greatest commandment” is to love God with all your heart, soul, and mind (Matthew 22:37-38 NIV). In Letters to Marc, Henri Nouwen explains that, “The more you learn to love God, the more you learn to know and to cherish yourself. Self-knowledge and self-love are the fruit of knowing and loving God.” We learn to love God through the little things, such as spending the first day of the week seeking to be with the Lord and his people. We learn to love God through focusing our thoughts and desires upon God first each day through daily devotionals, scripture reading, spiritual reading, and prayer. We learn to love God by setting aside the first portions of our income for him to guide our hearts to submit to Christ. We learn to love God through ongoing gratitude as we thank and praise him daily.

 

Jesus went on to tell the expert of the Jewish laws that there is a second commandment that “is equally important” as the first one (Matthew 22:39 NLT). The second commandment is, “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:39 NLT). In regards to this second commandment that is equal in importance with the first one, Henri Nouwen wrote, “Laying our hearts totally open to God leads to a love of ourselves that enables us to give whole-hearted love to our fellow human beings.” Is your heart open to God? If not, how will you receive the love he offers you? If your heart isn’t open to God, how can you love yourself in a way that overflows into love for others like Christ loves us? Receive God’s love and remain in it. Utilize habits to put God first as your ongoing expression of love for him, and follow Jesus’ example for loving your neighbor…beginning with the people closest to you. As you do this you fulfill the will of the God of love.

Henri Nouwen shared in Letters to Marc About Jesus that, “I sometimes get the impression that our prisons are crammed full of people who couldn’t express their need to be loved except by flailing about furiously and hurting others…Whether we do violence to others or to ourselves, what we long for in our heart is a nonviolent, peaceful communion in which we know ourselves to be secure and loved.” When people are the most unlovable is when they need the most love. Henri also wrote, “Jesus is the revelation of God’s unending, unconditional love for us human beings. Everything that Jesus had done, said, and undergone is meant to show us that the love we most long for is given to us by God.” The apostle Paul shared this statement about God’s love, “God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8 NIV).

 

God loves everyone. He loves those who reciprocate his love, those who ignore him and his love, as well as those who deny Christ or persecute Jesus’ followers. Many people who are not Christians within the world and our community seem to be able to express love in limited ways with those who love them. Yet Christ taught and commanded his followers to “love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Matthew 5:43-44 NIV). In his book, Henri wrote, “If you wish to learn the love of God, you have to begin by praying for your enemies.” When is the last time you prayed for an enemy? The journey towards loving our enemies begins with prayer. It you don’t pray for your enemies, today is the perfect day to start!

Are you actively striving to climb the ladder of success? Henri Nouwen reminds us in Letters to Marc About Jesus, that “Jesus chose the descending way.” Henri also wrote, “Even though Jesus was without sin, he began his public life by joining the ranks of sinners who were being baptized by John in the Jordan.” The beginning of Jesus’ ministry reveals part of his descent, but to understand the full descent, we must study his crucifixion. The apostle Paul explains this descending way of humility within the life of Jesus in his letter to the Christians in Philippi:

Though he was God,

he did not think of equality with God

as something to cling to.

Instead, he gave up his divine privileges;

he took the humble position of a slave

and was born as a human being.

When he appeared in human form,

he humbled himself in obedience to God

and died a criminal’s death on a cross.

– Philippians 2:6-8 NLT

 

Are you willing to give up your privileges for the benefit of others? Christ did. Are you willing to humbly serve others? Jesus did. Are you willing to humbly obey God even if that means denying your own will and desires? Christ did. Are you willing to lose your life for Jesus Christ? He willingly died for you.

 

The apostle Paul instructs us that we “must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had” (Philippians 2:5 NLT). When our attitude becomes the same as Christ, we’ll be able to follow Jesus’ example and “give up” our privileges, or leverage them, for the benefit of others, position ourselves as the servants of God who serve others no matter who they are, and become obedient to Christ by sacrificing our own will and desires as the Spirit of the living God leads us to live the virtue of humility.

 

Throughout 2021, you are invited to focus on living with Jesus at the center of your life. To help us with Living Consistent with Christ, we are continuing our new message series connected to Henri Nouwen’s book, Letters to Marc About Jesus. This weekly Your Faith Journey devotional is connected with the series worship service messages and some of the content of Henri’s book.