...resist and share...

“1 As Jesus came out of the temple, one of his disciples said to him, “Look, Teacher, what large stones and what large buildings!” 2 Then Jesus asked him, “Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone will be left here upon another; all will be thrown down.”

3 When he was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked him privately, 4 “Tell us, when will this be, and what will be the sign that all these things are about to be accomplished?” 5 Then Jesus began to say to them, “Beware that no one leads you astray. 6 Many will come in my name and say, ‘I am he!’ and they will lead many astray. 7 When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed; this must take place, but the end is still to come. 8 For nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom; there will be earthquakes in various places; there will be famines. This is but the beginning of the birth pangs.

9 “As for yourselves, beware, for they will hand you over to councils, and you will be beaten in synagogues, and you will stand before governors and kings because of me, as a testimony to them. 10 And the good news must first be proclaimed to all nations. 11 When they bring you to trial and hand you over, do not worry beforehand about what you are to say, but say whatever is given you at that time, for it is not you who speak but the Holy Spirit. 12 Sibling will betray sibling to death and a father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death, 13 and you will be hated by all because of my name. But the one who endures to the end will be saved” Mark 13:1-13.

Jesus says two things here that touch me deeply, and these two things belong together: “Beware that no one leads you astray” (v.5)…“the good news must first be proclaimed to all nations” (v.10). In so many ways these words describe my life, the daily struggle to resist the efforts of satan to l had me astray so that I may be used by God to proclaim the Goal, the good news, to everyone! Like you, I struggle at times with the power of satan trying to lead me astray. In many ways, he never stops trying to lead me astray. He works day and night getting to know me and all my idiosyncrasies, my personality, my thoughts, my weak points in my life. He does the same to you, attacking each of us with one single thing in mind — “to lead us astray.” This is why Jesus specifically taught us to pray that Our father in heaven would “lead us away from temptation and deliver us from the evil of satan.”

But the most compelling truth, spoken here by Jesus, compels me still to this day to resist the power of all the empty temptations of satan — “the good news must first be proclaimed to all nations.” Ahh…this is such a truth, such a privilege, such an honor, such a life vocation for us all. We strive to be faithful to the Lord, not for ourselves, but for others. We desire to live faithful lives precisely so that the Holy Spirit can use us — use our life — in ways we never see “to proclaim the good news, the Gospel of Jesus Christ, to everyone, to all the nations on earth.”

You see here Jesus knows that temptations and the clever, malicious intentions of satan will always be with us. But victory over evil is ours through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ! Ohhh the joy of realizing how the Lord uses each of us to proclaim, to share, the gospel, the Good News, with others. Remember what I have told you many times before, that all the blessings of the god, all the power of the ahjolly spirit in our lives, all of God comes to us on His way to others. To “proclaim the good news” simply means that we share everything that God gives us with others.

So rejoice in these two remarkable truths that the Lord speaks to us today:

“Beware that no one leads you astray” (v.5)…“the good news must first be proclaimed to all nations” (v.10). The first is a prayer; the second is action, a choice we make many times every day. Today pray: “Lord, use me today to witness, to proclaim, who You are to whomever you bring into my path.”

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the living God, have mercy on me a sinner.

From the Bible:

“And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation” Mark 16:15.

“But he said to them, “I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns as well; for I was sent for this purpose” Luke 4:43.

“And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news” Romans 10:15!

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek” Romans 1:16.

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

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” John 3:16.