Day 419: Believing in the ResurrectionActs 26:6-8
"And now it is because of my hope in what God has promised our fathers that I am on trial today. This is the promise our twelve tribes are hoping to see fulfilled as they earnestly serve God day and night. O king, it is because of this hope that the Jews are accusing me. Why should any of you consider it incredible that God raises the dead?"
Thoughts for Today:I recently returned from my second evangelical missionary trip in four months. The first was two weeks in Nepal, and the most recent was eight days in Ecuador. My friends, family, and business associates are shocked (although my wife is not). Why? Because although, like Paul I lived as a person of faith (Paul lived as a Pharisee and I as a Christian of morals and principles), I have not fully expressed my hope and belief in the resurrection through a commitment to evangelism and sharing of my faith.
The Lord recently led me to become overwhelmed by the gravity of eternity. If I truly believe in the resurrection, understanding we are only in these physical bodies for 80 to 100 years at best, then why aren't I spending more of my time leading others to Christ and eternal salvation? I would say that's a pretty good question for all of us Christians to answer.
I was out to dinner with friends the other night when the conversation turned to one of the non-Christians in the group. She shared an update regarding her brother who was near death but had recently received a kidney transplant. After she was finished, I asked her what she thought happened when someone died. She said, "I don't know and frankly I haven't had much time to think about it with work and school and everything else." I won't go into all the details of our conversation -- suffice it to say I shared Jesus with her. I used one line from our devotion today, "Why should any of you consider it incredible that God raises the dead?" Indeed if God created the heavens and the earth and everything else, why should we find it incredible that He would have a plan for eternal salvation? If He gave us the right to choose, then why wouldn't He have also given us the right to choose or reject His Son?
Questions to Ponder:What choice have you made: to accept Jesus Christ as the Son of God who died for your sins, or to reject Him? My friend didn't think she had rejected Him; she just thought she was too busy to consider Him; even with staring mortality in the face through her brother's brush with death. I used to let this opportunity to share Jesus slip by. Why? Because I didn't want to "push my beliefs" on someone else. That can be an "eternal" tragedy. Who do you need to speak to about Jesus? Will you do it today?
"And now it is because of my hope in what God has promised our fathers that I am on trial today. This is the promise our twelve tribes are hoping to see fulfilled as they earnestly serve God day and night. O king, it is because of this hope that the Jews are accusing me. Why should any of you consider it incredible that God raises the dead?"
Thoughts for Today:I recently returned from my second evangelical missionary trip in four months. The first was two weeks in Nepal, and the most recent was eight days in Ecuador. My friends, family, and business associates are shocked (although my wife is not). Why? Because although, like Paul I lived as a person of faith (Paul lived as a Pharisee and I as a Christian of morals and principles), I have not fully expressed my hope and belief in the resurrection through a commitment to evangelism and sharing of my faith.
The Lord recently led me to become overwhelmed by the gravity of eternity. If I truly believe in the resurrection, understanding we are only in these physical bodies for 80 to 100 years at best, then why aren't I spending more of my time leading others to Christ and eternal salvation? I would say that's a pretty good question for all of us Christians to answer.
I was out to dinner with friends the other night when the conversation turned to one of the non-Christians in the group. She shared an update regarding her brother who was near death but had recently received a kidney transplant. After she was finished, I asked her what she thought happened when someone died. She said, "I don't know and frankly I haven't had much time to think about it with work and school and everything else." I won't go into all the details of our conversation -- suffice it to say I shared Jesus with her. I used one line from our devotion today, "Why should any of you consider it incredible that God raises the dead?" Indeed if God created the heavens and the earth and everything else, why should we find it incredible that He would have a plan for eternal salvation? If He gave us the right to choose, then why wouldn't He have also given us the right to choose or reject His Son?
Questions to Ponder:What choice have you made: to accept Jesus Christ as the Son of God who died for your sins, or to reject Him? My friend didn't think she had rejected Him; she just thought she was too busy to consider Him; even with staring mortality in the face through her brother's brush with death. I used to let this opportunity to share Jesus slip by. Why? Because I didn't want to "push my beliefs" on someone else. That can be an "eternal" tragedy. Who do you need to speak to about Jesus? Will you do it today?
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