Page 9 - Living Light - A Message of Joy!

Monday December 4 - Positive change in others Because of my chains, most of the brothers and sisters have become
confident in the Lord... Philippians 1:14
Today, we see that because of what happened to Paul, other believers were able to proclaim the word of God with greater courage and less fear. God used Paul’s adverse circumstances for his purposes. This is also seen in several chapters of the book of Acts.
In Acts chapter 21 Paul was warned by concerned church members not to return to Jerusalem. He responded by saying that he was willing to die in Jerusalem for the name of Christ. In Acts 22, he presented his first recorded defence of his ministry and in addition took the opportunity to give his testimony: how as a zealous Jew he persecuted followers of Jesus, and then had his own dramatic encounter with Jesus on the Damascus road. He spoke of the power of the Lord to change lives.
In Acts 23, Paul appeared before the Jewish religious council, and yet witnessed to them. In chapter 24, whilst still in prison, he had the opportunity to testify before Felix, the governor, and in Acts 25-26 he also witnessed to Festus, another official, and then to King Agrippa. In chapter 28, Paul finally made it to Rome, proclaimed the gospel of the kingdom of God and taught about Jesus Christ without hindrance (Acts 28:31)! What a transformation from his early days of persecuting Christian believers!
Having read about Paul’s journey, are there any changes you would like to make in your own life?
Lord, I ask that you help me to learn from Paul’s boldness and to step out in new ways. Amen.
Tuesday Dec 5 - Different motives behind preaching ...some preach out of envy and rivalry, but others out of goodwill. The
latter do so out of love... Philippians 1:15-16
Have you considered the different motives behind preaching? Most of us assume that everyone preaches because they are passionate about God, but in today’s reading we see two different motives. Today we will look at those who preach out of goodwill; tomorrow we will hear of those who preach for other reasons.
People who preach out of goodwill long for others to know the truths in God’s word, beginning with the Torah (the first five books of the Bible) and extending to the New Testament (the renewed covenant). Here we read of how Jesus died and rose again, paying the price for sin and giving the opportunity for us to believe and follow him. A strong case of goodwill comes to my mind, especially tied in with this week’s theme: ‘Victorious yet suffering’.
Corrie ten Boom, author of ‘The Hiding Place’, has long been revered as a key example of Christian faith in action. Arrested by the Nazis for hiding Jews in her home in the Netherlands during the Holocaust, she was sent to a concentration camp and eventually mistakenly released. She travelled all over the world as a missionary, preaching God's forgiveness and the need for reconciliation. This became a reality when one day she came face-to-face with a German former tormentor. He had become a Christian! As they spoke, Corrie was able to say that she forgave him with all her heart.
Father, thank you for those who preach out of love. I pray your blessing and protection upon each one. Amen.
PRAYER FOR TODAY
PRAYER FOR TODAY
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