Posts in 31 Days of Prayer
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Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit… (Matthew 28:19 NASB)
So then, those who had received His word were baptized; and that day there were added about three thousand souls. (Acts 2:41 NASB)
On June 25, 2005, I placed a ring on the hand of my new bride as an outward, symbolic expression of an inward commitment that we made to each other before God and all our witnesses. This imagery helps us understand the symbolism and significance of baptism. Jesus’ command in the Great Commission to baptize all disciples in the name of God (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) was designed to…
Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit… (Matthew 28:19 NASB)
Based on Christ’s clear words to His disciples-and by extension, to all disciples of Jesus-the question for a Christian is not “Should I be making disciples?” but “God, where do You want me to make disciples?”
But WAIT! Before you pray that prayer, let me ask you a question: Have you already presumed God’s answer? Have you already filtered God’s plans for your life through the prerequisites of convenience, safety, job security, and lifestyle preferences? To the extent that you have, you may be “muzzling” the voice of God in your life and missing…
And Jesus came up and spoke to them saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.” (Matthew 28:18 NASB)
This preamble to the Great Commission is often omitted when quoting this famous command. In preparing His disciples to hear their final mission, Jesus reminds them of who He is before He imparts the specifics of His plan.
Jesus is above all kings, emperors, and presidents-no court can overrule His judgments. In essence, Jesus says, “I am the highest authority in the entire universe, and this is what I want you to do, ‘Go and make disciples…'”
As a police officer, one of my normal duties was serving arrest warrants. The warrants all began, “To any authorized officer: You are hereby…
“If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.” (John 14:15 NASB)
I’ve noticed over the years that the amount I floss directly increases when I know I am going to see my dentist. Don’t get me wrong. I know I should floss, and I know how to…but I still find it hard to keep motivated until my appointment is near. My dentist tells me, “Keith, you should floss more.” I know this, but after a few weeks, I fall off the wagon. I’ve concluded that my obedience to what my dentist tells me is hard when I only see him twice a year.
You know, I’ve noticed the same principle with my obedience to the Lord. I obey Him…
“Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law ?” And He said to him, “‘YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.'” This is the great and foremost commandment. “The second is like it, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.'” On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.” (Matthew 22:37-40 NASB)
Let’s talk about priorities. Who receives your focused attention? What is at the top of your daily list of things to do? According to Jesus, our love for our Lord should occupy our affection, desires, thoughts, and actions. The LORD our God is first, and after that, we should love others…
Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies. (1 Corinthians 6:19-20 NIV84)
…for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God… (Romans 3:23 NASB)
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:23 NASB)
But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8 NASB)
While I was in college, I sold books door-to-door one summer as a way to earn some money. It was a hard job. We had been trained to deliver a sales pitch at every door. As a Christian, we have been given an assignment from God to deliver a message (found concisely in the three verses above). That message is to…