Romans 10:15

Verse of the Day Devotion: Romans 10:15

“How will they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, HOW BEAUTIFUL ARE THE FEET OF THOSE WHO BRING GOOD NEWS OF GOOD THINGS!” – Romans 10:15

There are so many people in this world have never given their life to Christ.  Some because they have heard the message and have decided to reject it.  However, there are a great number who have never heard the truth of the gospel; some never having heard it at all and some who have heard about Jesus but do not understand what the Christian life is about.

The verse just prior to our focus verse states, “How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher?” Romans 10:14. The reason we use the term unbeliever is because those who are not Christians do not believe Jesus is the Son of God and that He came to die for their sins.  So, Paul is asking a fair question.  How can they, who do not believe in Jesus, call out to Him?  Many people around the world have never heard about the God we serve.  They worship false gods that have been introduced to them by the people around them.  They are told that these gods are real, and they must please them through various ordinances laid out in their religious rituals.  So, if these are the only gods they know, why would they cry out to a God they have never heard of?

Now, at the end of verse 14, Paul asks the question, how can they hear about the true God and His Son Jesus if there is no one to tell them?  The answer is simple, they most likely will not hear about Him.  The religious leaders of their false gods will not tell them, mostly because they have never heard of Him as well.  Also, because they would never speak against the gods they serve for fear of losing their favor.  So, it is up to us, as Christians who know Christ intimately, to spread the word of Jesus and the gift of salvation He has provided.

Now, not all of us are called to be missionaries in a foreign country or even away from where we live.  But we are all called to reach the lost where God sends us.  Jesus said this to His disciples, and through His word, to us.  “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:19-20.  This is about evangelism and sharing the good news because you cannot make someone a disciple unless He is a Christian.  So, from our focus verse, we are the ones sent by God to the world.

Paul then, in quoting Isaiah when He says that how beautiful are the feet of those bring the good news to the lost.  We are all called to preach the gospel, whether in a foreign country, a distant city or only as far as your neighborhood.  When we fulfill that calling, our work with its message is a beautiful thing in the eyes of God.  It is why we are here.  Let’s make it happen and bring the message of salvation to all God brings to our path.

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries, Inc.

Luke 4:43

Verse of the Day Devotion Luke 4:43 

“But He said to them, I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also, for I was sent for this purpose.” –  Luke 4:43 

I am going to start 2022 by looking at verses that are specific quotes of our Lord Jesus Christ. Today we will look at Jesus teaching in Capernaum, a city in Galilee, on the Sabbath.  “And there was a man in the synagogue possessed by the spirit of an unclean demon, and he cried out with a loud voice, Ha! What do we have to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth? Have You come to destroy us? I know who You are—the Holy One of God!” Luke 4:33-34. These demons feared Jesus, who then dealt with them. “And Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be quiet and come out of him!” And when the demon had thrown him down in their midst, he came out of him without doing him any harm.” Luke 4:35. As you read on from verses 38-41 We see Him in the home of Simon Peter teaching and healing the people, including Peter’s mother-in-law, while also casting out demons from many who were there.  The demons knew who He was, for they would cry out “You are the Son of God! And rebuking them, He would not allow them to speak, because they knew Him to be the Christ.” Luke 4:41.

Now, when the next morning came, Jesus went to a place to be alone.  In Mark’s gospel, we see He specifically went out to pray. “And in the early morning, while it was still dark, He arose and went out and departed to a lonely place and was praying there.” Mark 1:35. Now when the people saw He was not there, they went out to look for Him.  When they found Him, they did all they could to keep Him there. “and the multitudes were searching for Him, and came to Him, and tried to keep Him from going away from them.” Luke 4:42b.  The word ‘keep’ in verse 42 is the Greek word ‘katecho’ which has the idea to hold down; to detain or retain something, keeping it from going away. They, in essence wanted to keep Him with them rather than letting Him go to different places to teach.  However, even Capernaum’s desire to “be fed by” Jesus, as we say today, is self-serving and thus an overture of self-will over God’s will.

However, Jesus responds in our focus verse by clarifying the reason for His coming. “I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also, for I was sent for this purpose.” Luke 4:43.  He was saying to them He was not sent just to the people in Capernaum but to other cities as well. He was sent to bring this message to the Jews. The message was regarding the kingdom of God.  We see this message given earlier while He was in Nazareth. He quotes here from Isaiah, from the scroll of the Prophet.  This was given to Him to read, and it declares his purpose for being here. “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” Luke 4:18-19. 

This is the message He was given to present to Israel, and then for the disciples to present, and ultimately for us to share.  The central message of John the Baptist was a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.  “In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene, during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the wilderness. And he went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.” Luke 3:1-3.  But Jesus’ central message is the good news of the kingdom of God. And this kingdom will be an eternal one.  “You will bring them in and plant them on your own mountain, the place, O LORD, which you have made for your abode, the sanctuary, O Lord, which your hands have established. The LORD will reign forever and ever.” Exodus 15:17-18.

In closing, Jesus came in order to proclaim the Kingdom of God.  He Himself made this clear when the people tried to keep Him with them, however, He declared in our focus verse, “But He said to them, I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also, for I was sent for this purpose.” Luke 4:43. He was sent to declare a new kingdom was coming, one that will be far superior to any kingdom we have today, one that will replace all kingdoms we have today, a kingdom which will last forever.  And all those who accept the message as truth and live by it, will be residents of this kingdom for all eternity.  What an incredible message he came to proclaim.

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries.

Mark 16:15

Verse of the Day Devotion:  Mark 16:15 

“And He said to them, go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.” – Mark 16:15 

Forty days after Jesus was raised from the dead and just prior to His ascension, Jesus commands His disciples to continue the work He started.  This was the commission given to them by their sovereign Lord.  “And He said to them, Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.” Mark 16:15.  They were called to tell the world about the good news that Christ Himself came to bring, but now that He is going back to the Father, He has passed this important task onto His disciples.  Matthew brings more clarity to this calling.  “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:19-20.  In this devotion, I will be combining the writings in order to completely cover what Jesus told them.

As stated above, I will be combining Mark’s version and Matthew’s in order to fully understand what Jesus commanded them.  Both were given the same calling at the same times  Both write they are to go into all the world.  Not just to the Jewish nations, but to all people throughout the world.  Mark writes they are to preach the Gospel throughout all the world.  Matthew takes it a step further and writes they are to make disciples of all the nations.  To preach the gospel was to declare the truth of Christ.  However, those who accept the message need to be discipled; trained in order to fully understand the message given to them as well as to their complete calling.  A disciple is in essence a follower or student of a teacher, leader of philosopher.  It comes from the Latin word discipulus meaning “student”, which is derived from the Latin root word discere meaning “to learn”.  This goes beyond simply presenting a truth to someone, but to help by training them to fully understand their calling from Christ.

In my former days as a computer programmer, there were times when I was assigned to help train a new programmer in our applications as well as how we went through the programming process; from writing specifications to coding, then to testing and ultimately implementation.  I was, in a sense, discipling them so they could understand the complete process from beginning to end and be able to carry it out.  This is basically what Jesus is calling us to do.  To start by presenting the truth to them so they can understand it and accept the calling Christ has given us all.  However, knowing the truth is only the beginning.  They must then be trained regarding God’s calling to Christians and how to live it out.  Each of the disciples of Christ accepted the calling, however, they went through three years of  being discipled by Jesus to fully understand  what was expected of them and how to live it out.   

Jesus told His disciples to make disciples.  What was meant in this was to have an unending line of disciples making disciples who make disciples who will then make disciples.  Leading someone to Christ is simply the beginning.  After that, they must be taught the full meaning of what it means to be a follower of Christ and how to live it out.  Then, they can go out and do the same.  You may not be in a position to actually be the one who teaches them.  However, you can lead them to another who is willing and able to take on this role.  The point here is that everyone who accepts Christ must be taught what this decision actually means.  It is not simply acceptance of Christ as Savior, but also as Lord, and to live this life out to the fullest.  This is what Jesus did for His disciples, and it is what He intended for His disciples to do, all the way down in time to us.

It is important to understand that we are not alone in this.  Jesus told them as the last part of His call to them that they would not be alone.  “teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:20.  Jesus said He would be with us to the very end of the age of our lives here on earth.  We can always go to Him for assistance in this endeavor. He will not leave or forsake us.  Always remember to call out to Him when you need help, and He will provide the assistance you need. 

 In closing, I want to encourage us all to reach out to all we come across who need to hear the truth concerning the gospel of Christ.  We must take whatever time we need to present it in a clear and understandable way.  And, if they receive it, encourage them to be  trained in the fullness of what this life is truly about.  It can be us, or someone else we know who can take on this responsibility.  However, it should be someone we trust to fulfill this role.  We must remember that living the Christian life as we are called to do, is the most important decision we can make, for it has eternal implications.  Helping new born Christians to fully understand what it means to be a Christian is vital in their growth, and their ability to take the next step in making disciples themselves.  So many more people can be reached for Christ if we follow this model.  My email can be found below, and if you have any questions regarding how you can proceed to become a disciple who makes disciples who make disciples, let me know if there is anything I can do to assist you in whatever way needed. It would be my pleasure to help you in this.

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries. 

2 Timothy 4:2

Verse of the Day Devotion: 2 Timothy 4:2 

“Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction.” – 2 Timothy 4:2 

The apostle Paul is writing these two letters to Timothy in order to help him understand his calling.  He is exhorting him here in the second letter to preach the word.  “I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction.” 2 Timothy 4:1-2.  He is charging Timothy to preach the Word of God.  To teach it accurately and in its totally.  And he is to be faithful in this duty.  And where necessary, reprove and rebuke them.  In other words bring correction.  And he is also to exhort them as well.  This means to stand beside to encourage those who need encouragement.  He tells him to always be ready when an opportunity to present the gospel or show where they may be in error in their understanding.

And in the next verse, he explains why.  “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths.” 2 Timothy 4:3-4.  In those days, you essentially had two groups that were trying to make the argument that Christianity was a false religion.  First there were the Jews, especially the leadership: the Pharisees, Sadducees, and the Scribes who continually preached against the teachings of Christ and His apostles.  And the others are  gentiles who were followers of many false gods and religious teachings.  He told Timothy to be vigilant against any errors that have creeped into the church body and were deceiving some of its members.  These false teachers would tell them exactly what they wanted to hear, tickling their ears until they gave up on the truth to follow what sounded good to them. 

Now, we also have been called, for this time in history, to the same purpose.  We are to preach the gospel and help many to receive Christ as their Lord and Savior.  And we are to help those in the church to understand what the Word actually says as apposed to what it does not.  There are so many ear ticklers which make it easy to gather followers to their false teachings.  As an example, there are many teachers who proclaim if you have enough faith, you can get anything you want.  This sounds really good, and we can receive from God things we want.  However, not necessarily everything we want, for some of what we want may not be good for us.  “What is the source of quarrels and conflicts among you? Is not the source your pleasures that wage war in your members? You lust and do not have; so you commit murder. You are envious and cannot obtain; so you fight and quarrel. You do not have because you do not ask.  You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures.” James 4:1-3. 

And there are many more teachings like this which distort the truth found in His Word, causing many to be deceived, succumbing to their desires over His truth.  They need our help.  And there are two things we can do to assist them.  First, to preach the truth, teaching them what the Bible actually says, encouraging them to stay true where they do have a true understanding, while showing them where they are in error and helping them to understand and accept the actual meaning.  This is important in helping them to become who God called them to be.  And second, helping them check everything they are taught to ensure it is truth.  There was a group Paul came across in Berea who made this a standard. “The brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, and when they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews. Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so.” Acts 17:10-11. 

I want us to encourage each of us to always be available to preach the truth, and not be afraid to bring both encouragement and correction where needed.  And we are to accomplish both with love, grace, and  tenderness.  And like the Bereans, we should check out everything we hear and not accept it at face value.  And in all these things, help and train other Christians to do the same.  The enemy wants to deceive as many as possible.  Therefore, we must fight against it, with God’s help, and through our work, solidifying  the truth in everything.  Through this, the church will be strengthened and better able to stand against every deception that exists in our world.   

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries. 

2 Timothy 4:2

Verse of the Day Devotion: 2 Timothy 4:2

“Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.” – 2 Timothy 4:2 

This verse addresses the very heart of our responsibility while here on earth.  Jesus, in His last words to the disciples said, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,” Matthew 28:19.  The wording here is particularly important and precisely stated.   He tells them to make disciples, not just converts.  Too many times people are evangelized and make the decision to become a Christian, but then walk away because there is no follow-up.  It does not need to be the one who leads them to Christ, but someone must take this role to train them in the ways of God.  It could be an individual or a group, such as a church or a fellowship group.  It  is imperative that discipleship be our goal, and not just conversions.  Jesus expresses this idea in the next verse.  “teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:20. 

Let us now look at what Paul said in this letter to Timothy and examine what he is saying.  Our focus verse states that we are to be ready, in season and out of season.  What this means is that we must be ready to teach the word, to both the saved as well as those needing salvation, whether it is convenient or not.  We must remember that we are doing God’s work and not our own.  First, He desires that all people be saved.  “The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.” 2 Peter 3:9.  And as Jesus stated in Matthew 28:19, He has called us to go out and make disciples. 

And as the time draws closer to His return, it becomes even more essential that we reach out to our brothers and sisters in Christ.  “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths.” 2 Timothy 4:3-4.  I believe we have reached this time.  The Greek idea translated sound doctrine is “healthful doctrine”, doctrine that contributes to the health of the soul, or true salvation.  Many who claim they are Christians are turning away from what God says and are listening to what they want to hear, whether it is true or not.  And they will adhere only to those who teach these ideas that “tickle their ears”.  And unfortunately, in so doing, they will ignore the truth as laid out in scripture in order to follow these myths that appeal to their desires.

So, what are we called to do?  As stated above, we are to be ready to preach the word, the true word of God.  And how?  Several things are listed.  First, we are to reprove.  This means we are to refute those things which are wrong and help people realize what the truth really is.  For instance, some believe that after salvation you can sin all you want because all your sins are already forgiven.  My wife and I encountered a young man who absolutely believed this, and was having affairs with women because, as the belief states, he is already forgiven.  However, the truth is found in Romans 6.  “What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it?” Romans 6:1-2.  When we encounter someone who believes false doctrine, we are to, in love, work to show them they are wrong and present the truth. 

We also must be willing to rebuke them, again in love.  This means to bring correction to them, to express a judgement that what they believe is absolutely wrong and contrary to God’s will.  In essence, we are to admonish them and show them that they are wrong and need to reject these false teachings and accept what is right.  And we are not just to teach the truth, but also encourage people to follow the truth.  And we are to fulfill this calling with great patience and a persevering spirit.

We are called to preach and teach, spreading the good news of God to a world that so greatly needs to hear it.  And we are to train and disciple our brothers and sisters to understand what the Christian life is truly all about and assist them in moving toward that goal.  We need to take every opportunity we have to evangelize and teach.  We cannot, by ourselves, do it all.  But we can work together with our fellow Christians and, with God’s leading, go out and preach the truth to all we come across.  And by doing this, God will use us to lead many to Christ, and educate our brothers and sisters in the truths we find in His word.     

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries.