Daily Bible Reading and Thoughts Shared
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Bible Reading:
1 Peter 2:20
Isaiah 43:2
Daniel 3
Commentary:
Sometimes God will deliver you from whatever it is that seeks to do you harm. But there are other times when, because He wants to give you a special encounter with Himself, He will not deliver you from it, but instead He will join you in it. Sometimes He wants you to see that even when you are in the fire, just like the bush Moses encountered, you will not be burned up. Sometimes heaven wants to join you in a bad situation instead of taking you out of it.
But whether He takes you from it or joins you in it, you can have an encounter with the Living God because He has a perfect plan for you.
1 Peter 2:20 tells us why God sometimes allows the fire in our lives. It says, “For what credit is there if, when you sin and are harshly treated, you endure it with patience? But if when you do what is right and suffer for it you patiently endure it, this finds favor with God.”
When you do the right thing in the face of persecution, threat, pain, or any number of potential fears, this will bring you favor with God. Not only that, but it will also bring you His blessing.
Are you prepared, if necessary, to go through the fire so that you can find God in the midst of it?1 -
Bible Reading is included with the Commentary today!
Commentary:
How to pray with faith?
Do you have faith? How much faith do you have? I believe most people feel inadequate. Do you remember when the disciples asked Jesus for more faith? “Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked, ‘Why couldn’t we drive it out?’” (Matthew 17:19, NIV) Jesus’ answer was priceless: “He replied, ‘Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, “Move from here to there,” and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.’” (Matthew 17:20, NIV)
In my experience as a therapist and leader, I’ve discovered that most people think the solution to their problems is outside of their abilities and faith. It seems to be a lack of faith, self-esteem, or confidence. Whether your name is Moses, Gideon, or Isaiah, we all struggle with feelings of being powerless.
Gideon lost his faith: “‘Pardon me, my lord,’ Gideon replied, ‘but if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all his wonders that our ancestors told us about when they said, “Did not the Lord bring us up out of Egypt?” But now the Lord has abandoned us and given us into the hand of Midian.’” (Judges 6:13, NIV)
Moses had a list of excuses: “Moses said to the Lord, ‘Pardon your servant, Lord. I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue.’” (Exodus 4:10, NIV)
Isaiah was faced with his failures: “‘Woe to me!’ I cried. ‘I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.’” (Isaiah 6:5, NIV)
Have you struggled with inadequacy? I face this challenge almost every month. I hear people plead with me, “Pastor, can you come to the hospital and pray for my neighbor? He’s really sick.” My classic response is “Well, I’d love to, but it would mean more if you did it.” I generally have to convince people they have the same power and authority as I have.
Jesus faced this same dilemma: “Then He took the seven loaves and the fish, and when He had given thanks, He broke them and gave them to the disciples, and they in turn to the people.” (Matthew 15:36, NIV)
Did you know that you already have enough faith and power to heal the sick or start a new business? The Bible says, “And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven.” (James 5:15, NIV)
I’d like to challenge you to make a list of personal and business needs and bring them to God in prayer. Keep track of the answers, miracles, delays, and revelations. It will help you become a prayer warrior who shifts society.
Because you are a miracle.1 -
Are you devoted to something?
Can you imagine the life and times of the first-century church? I can imagine miracles, bread, power, and Shabbat. It must have been ceaseless ecstasy. Right? Not really. It was more like miracles, persecution, new life, martyrdom, ecstasy, and suffering. Paul’s description of his life in 2 Corinthians summarized it well: “Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea,” (2 Corinthians 11:25, NIV). Paul had it rough, but he concluded it was all worth it: “If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer.” (2 Corinthians 1:6, NIV)
How could this be? We are all creatures that crave comfort. How could they have peace, joy, and community? I believe the secret is found in Acts 6:4: “and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word.” (Acts 6:4, NIV) The first-century believers were devoted to prayer. Wow!
A few years ago, my wife and I celebrated 25 years of marriage in Italy. We were invited to help minister, so we added a few days to enjoy Rome together. I’ll never forget the streets of Rome. We jumped on buses and walked for miles until we stumbled upon the Colosseum. It was majestic and immense. Both of us were impressed until we pictured the thousands of Christians who were martyred on the dust of that stage. Their blood seemed to cry out to us. “The Lord said, ‘What have you done? Listen! Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground.’” (Genesis 4:10, NIV)
It’s interesting that most of those believers had a choice: “renounce your faith in Christ and worship Caesar as your new god.” Just one declaration could have saved their lives, children, and parents. But they chose to be burned alive, fed to wild animals, and killed by the sword. Wow! They had supernatural strength because they were devoted to prayer.
Prayer gave them courage, and it will give you the same courage. You may never have to face death for your faith, but you can face life.
Because you are a miracle.1 -
Bible Reading and Thoughts Shared
Isaiah 48:12-20
Theme: walking by a blessing
Key Scripture and Thought: if only you had paid attention to My commands
What aspect of God do you look forward to as you walk with Him today? What can you do to gently lead others to His love?
Loving God, theres no one like You! Help me embrace the opportunity to walk with You and discover the blessings You alone provide. 📖✝️1 -
Bible Reading
Hebrews 12
Romans 6
Commentary:
There are many roadblocks and diversions on the pathway to holiness. Let us pray that we might continue to walk in the way He has made ready for us. Let us be quick to admit when we have not lived up to the holiness He desires to find alive within us. Holiness is a gift that comes to us as we walk obediently in the light of His love and grace.
Heavenly Father, I confess that I am not holy as You are holy. I desire to be. I want to be. I strive to be.
But so often I fall short.
I confess my selfishness and my self-absorption. I know these keep me from living a holy life and from being a living demonstration of Your kingdom rule of love.
I confess that I pay far more attention to my own wants and needs than the needs of others. I do not adequately seek what You want me to do with my time, talents, and treasures.
I confess that I seek to feed my pleasures and stroke my own ego rather than pursuing Your way. Sometimes I get lost in my lust for the things I think I need rather than letting You provide for me.
Loving God, I am sorry, and I do want to do better. Forgive me for falling short. Forgive me for my laziness, greed, jealousy, envy, hate, bitterness, pride, and the other things I give in to instead of giving in to You. Forgive me for the things that keep holiness from truly manifesting itself through my life as Your kingdom disciple. Let my light shine as a beacon of holiness. In Jesus’ name, amen.0 -
Psalm 91
There is safety abiding in the Presence of the Lord!
This is a Psalm of Trust, promises of God’s Protection
God is my Refuge and Guide, He watches over me always.
He is Lord over my life and He is Lord over your life.1 -
Scripture Reading:
2 Corinthians 5:1
1 Corinthians 3:10-15
Commentary:
Let’s talk a little bit about heaven. The first thing I want you to know about heaven is that it is a promised place. Before He spoke about heaven in John 14, Jesus said, “Believe in God, believe also in me.” We can trust His promise, because Jesus is not a liar, and God is not a liar. We can take their promises to the bank.
To make that promise real, Jesus is going to give us a new heavenly body. He’s going to recraft your body—remake it so it will fit in the new environment of heaven (2 Corinthians 5:1). Your present body cannot live forever. The body you have now is never free from the possibility of pain and decay. You don’t have a body that is able to take in all the data that will be given to you in heaven. Jesus will break through every limitation and give you a brand-new body—one without pain and deterioration, without the earthy restraints you experience now.
You’ve got a reservation and a confirmation number for eternity. And it is based on His promise. He’s got a place for you and your new heavenly form.
What bodily limitations are you experiencing that you’d like to leave behind?1 -
Bible Reading:
Hebrews 12
Revelation 7
Commentary:
Heaven is home. It’s home because it's where your heavenly Father is. It’s a place to experience love and rest and purpose. It’s a family location. All your brothers and sisters in Christ will be there.
Heaven will be populated by those who love God. The Old Testament saints will be there—we can have lunch with Abraham, grab a cup of coffee with Jacob, and walk the malls of heaven with Esther and Ruth. David and Moses will be there, and we can ask Adam and Eve why they ate that fruit. All the New Testament saints will be there as well—Paul, and Peter, and all the apostles. And we can have a glorious reunion with those we loved on earth and missed so much when they passed away. Best of all, God will be there with open arms to receive us into our eternal home.
When He left this earth, Jesus said, “I go to prepare a place for you” (John 14:3). The reservations have been made in your name and He’s ready when your time comes to check in.
Who are you looking forward to being reunited with in heaven?0 -
New Daily Devotional by Tony Evans entitled: Three Steps in Growing in the Word
Bible Reading
Revelation 1:3
Revelation 2:7
2 Timothy 3:16
Commentary:
Revelation 1:3 says that those who hear the Word are blessed. Thus, the first step to take in growing in the Word is to be sure and "hear" the Word.
What does hearing the Word involve? It means more than letting the sounds into your ears. To hear in the Bible means to let the Word of God talk to you. Let it sink down into your mind and heart. Remember that Jesus said, “He who has an ear, let him hear” (Revelation 2:7).
Personalize the Word as well. Some people approach the Bible as a book that was written thousands of years ago for the people of that day. So they read it as if it were speaking to someone else, and not to them. They don't really hear God speaking to their own mind in the pages of His Word.
But the Bible was written to you and for you. The Constitution of the United States was written a long time ago. But do we take it as if it were written for us? We sure do.
The reason people can’t just break into your house and search it without a warrant is because of that piece of paper written more than two hundred years ago. The reason we have other legitimate civil rights is because of that document written a long time ago.
You get the idea. The Constitution may have been written generations ago, but it is very relevant to the freedoms that we enjoy as citizens of America today.
“All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness,” writes Paul (2 Timothy 3:16). To hear the Word is to take its truths and apply them to yourself. Ask God to give you wisdom to understand what the Scripture means with regard to your own life, thoughts, choices and relationships. The Word is God talking to you and me. We have to respond to what He says. Reading the Word without hearing it is like chewing without swallowing.0 -
Commentary on Following Verses Read from Psalms 119:15,23,27,48,78,97,99,148
The second step in understanding and applying God's Word is to meditate on it. Eight times in Psalm 119, the psalmist’s long tribute to the Word, he says he meditates on the Word of God (vv. 15, 23, 27, 48, 78, 97, 99, 148).
Let me give you just a few examples.
“I will meditate on Thy precepts,” the psalmist writes in verse 15.
“Make me understand the way of Thy precepts, so I will meditate on Thy wonders” (v. 27).
“O how I love Thy law! It is my meditation all the day” (v. 97).
“My eyes anticipate the night watches, that I may meditate on Thy word” (v. 148).
Do you realize what the psalmist is saying in this last verse? He is saying, “I can’t wait until it’s nighttime so I can think about God’s Word. When the kids are quiet, when everything is shut down, when the phone isn’t ringing, when I don’t have to worry about being distracted, during the night I love to put my head on the pillow and think about God’s Word.”
Can you and I say that? The power of this is that when you meditate on God and His Word during the night, you go to sleep with God on your mind.
How long has it been since you woke up with your mind calm and fixed on Christ? Sounds like a great idea, doesn’t it? Try it tonight. If you are facing a trial or a problem tomorrow, make God and His Word the last thing on your mind. You will be amazed at His transforming power when you wake up.0 -
Commentary with Scripture reading from Joshua chapter 1
Joshua chapter one also shows us how powerful meditation is. Joshua had a big challenge ahead of him. He had to conquer the Promised Land with its walled cities and giants. He was getting ready to face a formidable foe. Did God give Joshua a surefire military plan? No, He told him:
This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success. (Joshua 1:8)
The power of meditation is that it gives you success in your life. Does that mean a BMW in every believer’s driveway? You and I know better than that. For us as Christians, success is fulfilling God’s purpose for our lives, whether or not that includes driving a nice car.
God told Joshua in my Tony Evans' paraphrase, “If you are going to accomplish the goal for which I am sending you into the Promised Land, you will need to meditate on My Word until it is part of your very being, until it guides every step you take and every decision you make.”
If meditation is that important, we’d better find out what it means to meditate on Scripture day and night. The word “meditate” makes me think of the activity of a cow in chewing its cud.
A cow will eat grass and swallow it. But later, the cow wants the taste of that grass in its mouth again, so it regurgitates the grass and chews on it some more. The cow keeps doing this until the cud is thoroughly chewed and ready to be swallowed for a final time and taken into the digestive system to nourish the cow.
That’s the picture of what God wants us to do with His Word. We may chew on it on Sunday and swallow it. But then on Monday, we bring the Word back to our minds and think about it some more, turning it over and over until we absorb more of it.
Or we read and swallow the Word on Tuesday, but then something happens on Thursday that causes us to bring the Word back up to meditate on it again. If we do that often enough, the Word will become so much a part of us that it infiltrates our entire being. Then we begin to act and react with a kingdom mindset as a way of life.
You say, “Tony, how will I know when to meditate?” You won’t have to worry about that. If you are consciously aware of trying to please God through your life, whenever God teaches you something from His Word, He’s going to give you a chance to bring it back up again and apply it, meditate on it, and gain insight from it.
The reason many Christians don’t experience this process is that they aren’t looking for it. They aren’t sensitive to the working of the Holy Spirit. They have forgotten most of what they once “ate” from the Word. Meditation is the second step in understanding and applying God's Word.1 -
Bible Reading
Matthew 28:19
Hebrews 5:1-10
Hebrews 5:11-12
Commentary
Here’s the third step to help make sure you have heard the Word in the biblical sense of grasping it and letting it do its work. Teach the Word to someone else. Yes, you!
If you are going to be a disciple of Jesus Christ, that means you are going to become a teacher of His Word. You say, “Wait a minute, Tony. I haven’t been called to preach. I haven’t been called to hold a teaching position in the church.”
That may be true, but God has called all of His people to be proclaimers of His Word. A disciple is first of all a learner, but a disciple is also one who teaches what he or she has learned to someone else. All of us are called to “make disciples” (Matthew 28:19).
This is hard, but I need to say it because the Word says it. If you are unable to teach someone else the basics of the Christian faith, it is because you are an immature believer.
That’s what the author of Hebrews says.
In Hebrews 5:1–10, the writer was going deep with his readers. He was teaching them about the Melchizedek priesthood of Jesus Christ. This is not the stuff you teach new Christians the first week after they are saved. This is part of the deep things of Christ.
So the writer was putting all this down, but then he stopped in verse 11. He had more good things to share about Melchizedek and how he illustrated Christ, but he realized his readers weren’t ready to receive them because they had a maturity problem:
Concerning him we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food. (vv. 11–12)
The problem was that these Jewish Christians had become “mule-headed,” the literal meaning of the phrase “dull of hearing.” These were everyday believers, ordinary Christians. But the writer says they had been saved long enough to be teaching others. Instead, they were still in spiritual kindergarten playing with the little ABC blocks.
If a new believer came to you and said, “I need help understanding the Bible,” could you help? If your child came to you with her Bible and said, “Daddy, Momma, what does this mean?” could you explain it, or at least know where to go to find an answer?
You need a growing, working knowledge of the Scripture so you can help someone else who comes along.
It’s like everything else you learn. If you don’t use it, you’ll lose it. Every time you learn something from the Word, find somebody to share it with. Talk to a family member, friend or co-worker, but find a way to teach what you are learning to someone else.
When you apply these three steps to your study of God's Word, you will be amazed at how much faster you grow as a kingdom disciple.1 -
New Devotional Entitled: Jehovah Shalom
Bible Reading:
Judges 6:1-24
Commentary: Thoughts from Tony Evans
In Judges, the people of Israel had entered the Promised Land; however, as a result of their rebellion against God, they found themselves perpetually under the rule of other tribes.
In the midst of one of these periods of judgment, God called out a man named Gideon to deliver Israel from the rule of the Midianites (Judge 6:1-24). Gideon faced tremendous odds in leading a rebellious people against an overwhelming enemy—an enemy described as
“Like locusts for number; both they and their camels were innumerable” (Judges 6:5).
Like Gideon, we can rest assured that even in the face of incredible turmoil, God can still be known as Jehovah Shalom (the Lord is peace) when the ultimate source of turmoil and the true source of peace are understood.1 -
Bible Reading is included with the Commentary
I Israel’s ultimate source of turmoil was the sin of idolatry.
The Hebrew word shalom (peace) can be defined as a life put together, a life characterized by a sense of wholeness and well-being.
Certainly, this term could not be applied to the Israelites who were cowering in the caves of their land under the oppressive power of the Midianites (Judges 6:1-6). When the angel of the Lord came to Gideon to commission him to fight the Midianites, Gideon gave voice to Israel’s sense of turmoil and desperation:
“O my lord, if the Lord is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all His miracles which our fathers told us about, saying ‘Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt?’” (Judges 6:13).
The answer to Gideon’s question, however, had already been given in Judges 6:8-10 through the mouth of an anonymous prophet sent to Israel:
“Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘It was I who brought you up from Egypt and brought you out from the house of slavery…’ I said to you, ‘I am the Lord your God; you shall not fear the gods of the Amorites in whose land you live. But you have not obeyed me.’”
In other words, Israel’s turmoil was self-inflicted. Instead of following the one true God into the victory that He had promised them and had already miraculously displayed in leading them from slavery in Egypt, they turned aside to worship other idols, the gods of the tribes and nations that they were supposed to conquer.
Idolatry is defined as the act of looking to anything other than God as our true source. Today, we are constantly assaulted with this same temptation to remove God as our true source and to give our hearts and our attention to other sources such as our jobs, our education, our relationships, and other things of this world. In so doing, we find, like Israel, that our lives are opened up to the chaotic, churning turmoil that comes from following other masters and other lords. The prophet Isaiah similarly noted that “the wicked”—those that reject God—are
“Like the tossing sea, for it cannot be quiet, and its waters toss up refuse and mud. ‘There is no peace,’ says my God, ‘for the wicked’” (Isaiah 57:20-21).0 -
Commentary with Bible Reading included
Gideon and Israel had to learn that the true source of shalom or peace is the experience of the presence of God.
When God summoned Gideon to deliver Israel from the Midianites, Gideon stared into the reality of the chaos and turmoil of his people and confessed,
“O Lord, how shall I deliver Israel? Behold, my family is the least in Manasseh, and I am the youngest in my father’s house” (Judges 6:15).
God’s response to Gideon’s confession of inadequacy was not the promise of great personal power or wisdom to lead, nor did God assure Gideon that there would be unlimited military resources or a strategic plan against his enemy. Rather, God simply promised Gideon that regardless of the overwhelming odds that he was facing, He would be with Gideon:
“But the Lord said to him, ‘Surely I will be with you, and you shall defeat Midian as one man’” (Judges 6:16).
Gideon and the people of Israel had to learn that God’s promise of His presence was sufficient to face whatever challenges, including the Midianites, they would encounter. Israel’s idolatry was fundamentally a lack of trust in God, and as they looked to other gods, masters, and lords to supply their needs and win their battles, they found themselves returning to the bondage and slavery from which they had been redeemed in Egypt. To find peace in the midst of their turmoil, Gideon and Israel needed to return to the promise that God would be with His people and learn, like the prophet Isaiah, that
“The steadfast of mind You will keep in perfect peace because He trusts in You. Trust in the Lord forever, for in God the Lord, we have an everlasting Rock” (Isaiah 26:3-4).
For Gideon, this reaffirmation of God’s presence with him and the trust that this promise evoked led him to build an altar as a memorial, a visible witness to all of Israel; the inscription of that altar read, “The Lord is Peace” (Judges 6:24)0 -
Commentary with Bible Reading
Today is a reminder to you that we, as believers, can always rely on Jesus’s promise in the Gospel of John that states,
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful” (John 14:27).
Because of Christ’s sacrifice for us on the cross, we are reconciled to God and have ultimate peace with Him:
“Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:1).
This does not mean that we will not face troubles or tribulation but that we will know peace in the midst of turmoil because God is with us:
“These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world,” (John 16:33).
As we learn, like Gideon, to smash our idols and find true shalom in the presence of our God, we will find that the peace of God that surpasses all comprehension will guard our hearts and minds through Jesus (Philippians 4:7).
In obedience, we will trust God even in the midst of our turmoil, and we will learn to call Him Jehovah Shalom.1 -
Bible Reading:
Matthew 6:33-34
Lamentations 3:22-23
Commentary:
Instead of worrying, Jesus said, “Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” In other words, if you will spend your time and energy getting on board with what God is doing in the world, He has your back in terms of the other stuff.
Jesus said: “So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own” (v. 34).
God gives you grace one day at a time. He will not give you tomorrow’s grace today, and you don’t need it. Why? “His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness” (Lamentations 3:22-23). So if you are worried about what’s going to happen tomorrow, you have missed the point. To worry about tomorrow is to lose your joy today.
You may say, “Tony, you don’t know what I have to face tomorrow.” No, I don’t, but I can tell you that when tomorrow comes, God’s grace will be sufficient for you. So should you stay up all night worrying about something? There’s no need, because your Daddy in heaven is staying up to look after it.
How does God’s promise of daily grace change your perspective on life?0 -
Bible Reading:
Matthew 6
Isaiah 40:31
Psalm 94:19
Commentary:
Jesus began His teaching on worry in Matthew 6 by saying, “For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life” (v. 25). This takes us back to verse 24, where Jesus said you cannot serve two masters, God and money. If God is your Master, then He is also your Father, as Jesus went on to point out in the rest of the passage. And if God is your good and perfect Father, He will love you and care for you.
In other words, if you are being eaten up by excessive worry, your focus is not on your heavenly Father. You’ve got your eyes on the wrong authority.
Jesus drew an example from nature, that of the birds. He did not say the birds’ Creator feeds them, but “your heavenly Father.” The birds of the air eat because your Daddy feeds them.
So if God takes care of birds, what does this say about His care for us? And what are we implying about God’s care when we worry whether He will bother to feed and clothe us? When we worry, we show that we have forgotten who our Daddy is.
What difference does it make when you remember that God is your Daddy?1 -
Bible Reading
Proverbs 10:27
Psalm 147:11
Commentary:
Being in a covenant relationship with God means taking Him seriously.
Have you ever stopped to think of the power that is contained in your car? Without going into the minutia of physics, let me give a fairly simple example. Someone has found that if you crash your car while driving at 65 miles per hour, it is the same force as if you drove your car off a twelve-story building.
Now, if you were actually driving our car on top of a twelve-story building, you would be extremely careful. Yet because we are used to driving at 65 miles per hour, many of us don’t consider how dangerous it could be. If you take your attention off the road, it could be “game over.”
There are boundaries around the use of a high-powered vehicle. We take driving seriously.
Yet many have no clue how to do the same with God. They want the benefits of God without the boundaries that are created by a proper fear and awe. They treat God like the cop they see in the rearview mirror. He affects what you do when He’s in visible proximity—perhaps in church or a small-group setting. But get outside of cultural Christianity, and the foot presses hard on the accelerator once again.
What happens when we don’t take God seriously?1 -
Bible Reading:
Matthew 28:18-20
John 16:33
Commentary
The Missing Key:
Devotional Thoughts by Tony Evans
There is a missing key in our churches today—discipleship. Today begins your journey to become a full-fledged disciple of our King.
Kingdom disciples are in short supply these days.
The result has been a bevy of powerless Christians who attend powerless churches that embody a powerless presence in the world.
Until we return to lives of discipleship, we’ll continue to fail in our calling to live as heaven’s representatives on earth.
This is because the power, authority, abundance, victory, and impact promised in God’s Word to His people is ours only when we align ourselves under Him as His disciples.
Until then we can anticipate that chaos and crisis will continue to reign supreme in spite of all the Christian activities we engage in, the Christian books we read, the Christian songs we sing, and the small groups we join.
Discipleship is a very personal decision. It starts when a person commits himself or herself to God as His follower and allows the results of that commitment to overflow into everything else in life.
Surrender to Christ’s lordship and obedience to His rule of love unlock God’s power to bring heaven to bear on earth. A kingdom disciple lives out this divine power and influence.
I define kingdom disciple this way: A believer in Christ who takes part in the spiritual-developmental process of progressively learning to live all of life under the lordship of Jesus.
The goal of kingdom disciples is to live transformed lives that transfer the values of the kingdom of God to earth so that they replicate themselves in the lives of others.
The result of such replication is God’s exercising His rule and His authority from heaven to history through His kingdom disciples.
The word translated as authority in the English version of this verse essentially means “power, right, liberty, jurisdiction, and strength.”
When Jesus said all authority was His in heaven and on earth, He was saying that He possesses the legal right to use that power.
When you understand the importance of authority, you’ll grow as a kingdom disciple to the point that you can not only resist the devil but also call on heaven, as Jesus did, to bear in your earthly endeavors.
Jesus offers you complete authority in Him when you live as His disciple. Many powers are coming against you that are stronger than you could ever be on your own, but He has overcome the world
(see John 16:33).
Consider the comfort and peace that come from knowing you have access to the authority of the Creator of the universe.
Let that reality motivate you to grow as a disciple of the King.1
