Corona Devo 1673

The cultural mantra and the doctrine of today is for us to be for us.  Whatever feels good or seems good to us...we should do, they say.  

It's all about what we want...right?

Well, it depends on who you ask, and on who we are seeking to serve. 

If we are seeking to serve the Lord Jesus Christ, and inviting others in to see who He is and the change that He can make in their lives...then, No, it's not about us.  It's about God and preferring others in order to open the door to Him.

This is a hard one to swallow in today's culture, which advertises, encourages, endorses, and saturates people of all ages with the lie that serving (only) ourselves is fulfilling and purposeful. 

Jesus says, teaches, exemplifies, and confirms (by His death on the cross) that the exact opposite is true.

~~~

What part of "us" is standing in the way of us presenting the saving Gospel of Jesus Christ to someone else today?

And what (personal/emotional/physical/spiritual) lengths are we willing to submit-to in order to share Jesus with someone else today?

~~~

Paul and Timothy (in the Bible) have a powerful (and painful) example to share (and set) for us.  

They were teaching others about Jesus at a unique time.  Prior to the crucifixion of Jesus on the cross, God had commanded the males of His people (the Jews) to be circumcised as a symbol of their cleansing and purification before the Lord, and also in obedience to Him and His commands.  All male Jews were circumcised in deference to God, and only Jews were credited with being God's people.

But after Jesus Christ came to earth as a man and was crucified for the sins of men (and women), and was resurrected on the third day...well, then Jesus had become the "circumcision" (if you will) for the Jewish people...but also for all people (Gentiles too).  Jesus became their cleansing and purification before the Lord, in complete obedience to His Father's commands and will.  

And so, Paul and Timothy were visiting cities with men who had been raised and (Biblically) taught about the (spiritual) necessity of circumcision, but in-real-time...Jesus had come along and nullified that command and necessity.  

Change is hard when you have accepted the ritual and routine of something (even a very painful something) for your entire life.  Jesus had changed everything, but people were still trying to understand His sacrifice (and its significance) and they were also just being taught and educated about it for the first time.

Paul and Timothy recognized the "stumbling block" that an uncircumcised believer could bring to people in this unique time of change. 

And so...guess what Paul had Timothy do before they set out to teach people about Jesus?  

(If you guessed: "circumcision", you would be right.)

This was not Timothy taking "me time" or allowing himself to "do whatever feels good".  

No--on the (physical/spiritual/emotional) contrary: Timothy preferred others (to the point of pain and physical restriction) in order to alleviate any stumbling-block that might inhibit him sharing the truth and salvation of Jesus with them.

Wow.

Ouch.

What part of "us" is standing in the way of us presenting the saving Gospel of Jesus Christ to someone else today?

And what (personal/emotional/physical/spiritual) lengths are we willing to submit to in order to share Jesus with someone else today?

Paul came to Derbe and then to Lystra, where a disciple named Timothy lived, whose mother was Jewish and a believer but whose father was a Greek. (2) The believers at Lystra and Iconium spoke well of him. 

(3) Paul wanted to take him along on the journey, so he circumcised him because of the Jews who lived in that area, for they all knew that his father was a Greek. 

(4) As they traveled from town to town, they delivered the decisions reached by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem for the people to obey. (5) So the churches were strengthened in the faith and grew daily in numbers.  ~Acts 16:1-5  

Did you catch it?: The result of Paul and Timothy's decision about circumcision?  Their choice to be obedient, even to a law-of-God that was no longer required (because of Jesus), but that many still understood as Law and tradition?  

Did you catch the result?

...the churches were strengthened in the faith and grew daily in numbers.  ~Acts 16:5  

~~~

Isn't this our (daily and life) goal?  That the churches are strengthened in the faith and grow daily in numbers (Acts 16:5).  

The: what is our (reputation/social/physical/financial/mortal) comfort worth to us today?  What are we not giving-up for the (salvation-sharing) glory of God today?

Wow.

Ouch.

So let’s stop condemning each other. Decide instead to live in such a way that you will not cause another believer to stumble and fall.  

(14) I know and am convinced on the authority of the Lord Jesus that no food, in and of itself, is wrong to eat. But if someone believes it is wrong, then for that person it is wrong. (15) And if another believer is distressed by what you eat, you are not acting in love if you eat it. Don’t let your eating ruin someone for whom Christ died... 

(19) So then, let us aim for harmony in the church and try to build each other up.  

(20) Don’t tear apart the work of God over what you eat. Remember, all foods are acceptable, but it is wrong to eat something if it makes another person stumble. (21) It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything else if it might cause another believer to stumble.  ~Acts 16:13-15, 19-21

~~~

God's idea of "self-care" means dying to Him, and caring for others.  

He must increase, but I must decrease.  ~John 3:30

Blessings,

sarah

https://sarahsundy04.blogspot.com