Scripture
A person finds joy in giving an apt reply— and how good is a timely word!
Reflection
Charged with disturbing the peace in Jerusalem, Paul spent two years in prison, and then finally made his way to Rome to appeal his case before the emperor Caesar. After surviving a shipwreck and a poisonous snake bite, Paul still pressed on towards Rome. Knowing that part of the real reason why he has to go to Rome is to tell the Jews there about Jesus Christ, he quickly reached out to them upon arriving so that he could speak with them. The mission of bringing the message of salvation is so important, the purpose is so clear to Paul that he intentionally sought out the Jews and Gentiles in Rome, tirelessly receiving everyone who came to him who wanted to know about Jesus. (Acts 28:30)
Every believer is charged to share the good news and tell everyone about the kingdom of God. We may not have Paul’s gift of preaching/teaching, but we can still equip ourselves with knowledge. This is why SCF offers courses on Apologetics, to learn how to tell others about Jesus. We can also learn from Paul’s example of his determination and obedience to the task God has charged him with. Paul was also self-less, giving of his time from “morning till evening”, persuading, testifying of the kingdom of God. A couple of years ago I needed to have an operation, and a friend spent hours with me on WeChat, calling me from a different time zone to pray and minister to me. After the surgery, during the month-long recovery, this friend continued to call me almost daily to offer prayer and counseling. I experienced the love of God through my friend, and this showed what the kingdom of God is like to me. I hope to “be” this for someone else in need one day.
The kingdom of God is meant to be shared by those who are already promised a place there. If we are willing, God will give us the ability to overcome the obstacles.
Our next APOLOGETICS talk will be on October 29, 7:30pm at the SCF office and via ZOOM. In this session we’ll look at what categories a worldview need to address to form a coherent worldview. Register by emailing: [email protected]
Thoughts for the day
- What images/words come to mind when you think about what the kingdom of God is like?
- would you be able to use those words/imagery to “persuade and testify” about the Lord Jesus Christ?
- In order to win people to the kingdom of God, what would you be willing to sacrifice?
Prayer
Father God, I thank you for the promise of the kingdom of God. Help me to be intentional about telling others, equip me for this calling, and give me a sense of urgency to do so.
