Today Daily Devotional

“Heal the sick who are there and tell them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’”

— Luke 10:9

As a missionary, I sometimes traveled with health-care workers from the Luke Society, a medical mission organization, to remote villages in the Philippines. There we met people who usually didn’t have access to healthcare. The Luke Society workers were able to diagnose and treat illnesses and provide dental care, and we all shared the love and good news of salvation in Christ. Sometimes this work resulted in the planting of new churches as well.

Through the centuries, many new believers have cited physical healing as a significant factor in coming to faith in Christ, especially in frontier mission locations where there were few Christians and few doctors. Such healing—whether through miraculous gifts or through professional health care—aligns with Jesus’ instructions to heal the sick. This is an essential part of bringing the gospel. The good news of God’s kingdom is about wholeness in all aspects of life, now and forever.

In mission work today we use the term “kingdom professionals” for people who are called to reach people for Christ through their profession. They are trained not only in the Bible and missions, but also in professional skills that can give them access to unreached people whom traditional missionaries might not be able to reach. Perhaps you are one, or you may become one.

Lord, guide us to use our gifts, training, and experience to be your mission agents wherever we are and wherever you may lead us. Amen.

“When you enter a house, first say, ‘Peace to this house.’ . . . Stay there, eating and drinking whatever they give you.”

— Luke 10:5-7

We were heading south from Bacolod City in the Philippines, convoying with other vehicles for a church retreat. As we entered Valladolid, I found that our car’s brakes weren’t working. So we hobbled into a service station near the center of town. “Sure, we can fix it,” they said. “Don’t worry.” But I did worry. I didn’t know if I could trust them to do the job well, and I wondered if they might take advantage and overcharge us.

After a long wait, the work was done. “How much?” I asked. “Oh, you don’t need to pay!” they said. But after some negotiation they let me pay some of the cost. Then we were on our way, and we didn’t have brake trouble again. With traditional Filipino hospitality, the service station was very generous to me as a foreigner. I still feel ashamed for my lack of trust.

As we cross borders and barriers to share the good news of Jesus, we will often be guests—in homes, neighborhoods, and countries other than our own. And being good guests, by honoring and trusting our hosts, will help to build strong bridges for friendship and sharing the gospel.

If you travel to a different land, where perhaps the people have a different culture and religion, consider arranging a homestay with local people. Get to know your hosts, be a good guest, and watch barriers come down.

Lord, help us to be good guests, and give us wisdom as we seek to love and trust others, in your name. Amen.

Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.

— Hebrews 13:2

During my first year as a missionary on Panay Island in the Philippines, while I was still single, I heard someone knocking at my gate. It was Pastor Raul and his wife, Valerie, and they informed me that they would stay with me for a few days. Raul had been one of my students a couple years earlier on Negros Island. They had arrived a few days early for a conference.

I was astounded and didn’t know what to say! I wasn’t used to having someone show up at my home unannounced and say they were going to stay with me. But I had an extra room, and there was no real reason to turn them away—so somehow the Lord led me to say, “Okay.”

It helped that I understood that Filipinos are masters at hospitality (so I needed to learn from them). In addition, I soon realized that, of course, there was no phone for informing me in advance, and that my guests wouldn’t expect too much of me. Though this called for a change of plans and some extra effort on my part, it worked out fine, and I was blessed by my guests’ presence.

Hospitality bridges all kinds of barriers in amazing ways, especially in cross-cultural situations. And it’s about opening not only our homes but also our hearts. The gospel often travels easily across this bridge.

Help us, Lord, to discover the joys of opening our homes and hearts to others. May we honor you in sharing the gifts you give us. Amen.

You were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth). . . .

— Ephesians 5:8-9

For a few years we rented a small fourth-floor apartment in a five-story tenement in Manila, the Philippines. Jason, the building manager, was a follower of Jesus. He led adult Sunday school classes in his church at times, and because I was a seminary teacher he would sometimes ask me for help in planning his lessons.

During our stay there, we had a problem with the occupants above us. I don’t even remember what the problem was, but I can’t forget Jason’s response when I asked for his advice. He said, “We have to be careful how we handle this. We are God’s light in this place. Let’s not be confrontational.” With that advice, we were able to talk cordially with our neighbor and resolve the matter.

Jason’s words “We are God’s light in this place” remind me of Paul’s words in our Bible passage today. I am also reminded that Jesus said, “You are the light of the world. . . . Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:14-16). Knowing that we are God’s agents in this world can transform our lives and our relationships. Living “as children of light,” we can shine God’s light into the darkness in the world around us.

How will you shine the light of Christ to others today?

Lord, keep us from sin and make your light in us shine brightly in this dark world—for your glory and as a witness to others. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

The commandments . . . are summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

— Romans 13:9

I thank God for the opportunities I’ve had to visit many countries and to live in several of them for a long while. All of this has given me a fascination for cultural differences.

The differences in food alone can delight the palate (or sometimes unsettle the stomach). Some societies are egalitarian; others are hierarchical. Some encourage dependence on one another, emphasizing community; others encourage independence and individualism. There are also differences in marriage roles, gender roles, family, work, and finance—the list goes on and on.

What has impressed me, though, is that in all societies people want to experience significance and fulfillment. They want to use their talents in ways that others appreciate. All societies love their children. All want to love and be loved—and not only to survive but also to thrive.

One reason for this is that God has made each of us like himself in some special ways. We are created in the image of God (Genesis 1:27). So, in spite of sin’s damage, we can still detect in good ways the image of God in every person. A bottom line in both interpersonal and intercultural relationships is to respect each person as an imagebearer of God.

This can then lead us to love everyone as ourselves. These basic principles give us a foundation for bridge building that overcomes barriers. Do you see God’s likeness in every person you meet?

Lord, you have made us all in your image. Help us to love everyone, for Jesus’ sake. Amen.

A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows. . . . God sets the lonely in families, he leads out the prisoners with singing. . . .

— Psalm 68:5-6

“Welcome to the family; we’re glad that you have come to share your life with us as we grow in love. . . .”

During my first year in the Philippines, I often heard this song at the beginning or end of a worship service, as people in church would go around shaking hands and welcoming new people. I was single and a foreigner, and at times I felt lonely. I truly felt welcomed through the use of this song, and by the welcoming Filipino culture that excelled in hospitality and family ties.

Psalm 68 mentions some of God’s concerns for marginalized people—widows, orphans, the lonely, and prisoners. God often gave his people instructions about caring for such persons. And that made a big difference in people’s lives. Today’s marginalized and vulnerable people include immigrants, refugees, the homeless, international students, and more. God wants us to welcome everyone and help them in their need.

Welcoming people into our neighborhoods, churches, homes, and lives is one of the greatest ways to overcome barriers that can keep people at a distance from the gospel.

Who are the lonely people around you? How welcoming is your church toward strangers? Ask a first-time visitor for their feedback.

Lord, you’ve welcomed us into your family by your grace in Christ. Work in us to open our hearts, homes, and lives to strangers. Amen.

“I am sending you to them to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins. . . .”

— Acts 26:17-18

Here the apostle Paul describes how his life turned around when he met Jesus. The Lord called him to be a witness to the Gentiles (non-Jews) so that they too could receive salvation. And Paul did that for the rest of his life.

Jesus calls us, too, to spread the good news that he came to save us. But this is highly unpopular in our world today. Many countries outlaw the direct preaching and teaching of Christ’s message to the world. Even in countries that have freedom of religion, it is seen as intolerant to say that Jesus is the way to salvation.

But Scripture is clear on this. Jesus himself said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). And his disciples declared, “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven [besides Jesus’] . . . by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).

Now, this does not mean that people have to convert to one particular denomination or brand of Christianity. It simply means that people need to believe in Jesus to be saved to eternal life.

If you are trusting anyone or anything else for salvation, please put your trust fully in Jesus Christ alone. Through his death and resurrection he became the one and only bridge from death to life.

Jesus, thank you for laying down your life to become the way of salvation. May we witness faithfully, drawing others to trust in you alone. In your name, Amen.

How can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?

— Romans 10:14

In the Philippines there was a tribal group in the mountains that had never heard the good news of Jesus. Some of our missionary friends learned that the chieftain, who communicated with demonic spirits, performed a yearly sacrifice and scattered blood around the community as an atonement for the bad things people had done toward each other. They believed that one day a savior would come to do away with the need for the yearly sacrifice.

An elderly woman in the tribe had told our friends all of this, and they were able to explain to her that the Savior had already come. “What is his name?” she asked. “And when did he come?”

“His name is Jesus,” they said, “and he came 2,000 years ago.”

“Then why didn’t anyone come to tell us?” she asked. There was anger in her voice; their tribe had been waiting so long. And then she and many other members of the tribe came to faith in Jesus.

In Romans 10, Paul explains that if people believe the gospel message and call on the Lord to rescue them, they will be saved. In addition, the church of Jesus needs to send messengers who will preach the good news.

Some people are still waiting to hear the good news. What is your role in the work of sharing the gospel with them?

Lord, show us how you want to use us in sharing the good news with people who have not heard. And may we serve you faithfully. Amen.

The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

— Romans 6:23

We didn’t overload Sharon (see Feb. 9) right away with all kinds of information on how to become a Christian when she first attended our group. We simply explained the way of salvation and knew that the Holy Spirit would keep working in her to bring her to faith in Christ.

During those weeks I was training our group members in several ways to present the way of salvation. One day I explained how we can use Romans 6:23 in a one-verse method to share the gospel. Working through the verse phrase by phrase as I sketched a cross on a whiteboard, I showed how we can explain this verse to others.

“Wages must be paid,” I said; “they’re not optional. And death is the required wage, or result, of sin. Gifts, however, are optional. The giver can opt to give—and once a gift is offered, a person can opt to receive it or not. God offers eternal life through Christ and his death on the cross.”

“At this point,” I said to the group, “you can ask the person who is listening, ‘Do you want to receive this gift?’”

Then immediately Sharon raised her hand and exclaimed, “I do!” So, right there and then, Sharon received Christ as her Lord and Savior. She later returned to her home town, and before long she called us to ask how she could start a group like ours in her new location. She was ready to share with others what she had learned.

Lord, there are people around us who need you. Help us to explain your salvation to them in a simple, clear way. Amen.

The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, “We have found the Messiah.” . . . And he brought him to Jesus.

— John 1:41-42

The first time Sharon came to our Bible study group in Beijing, she introduced herself this way: “My name is Sharon. I’m not a Christian yet, but I want to know how to become one.”

God was obviously working in Sharon’s life before she came to our group. She was seeing Christ at work in people around her, and someone had brought her to our group. It’s something like what happened when Andrew met Jesus and then went to tell his brother Peter so that he could meet Jesus too.

For most people, coming to Christ is a process that includes many steps. God uses lots of different people in our lives, like links in a chain. As links, believers might do one or more of the following to help bring a person to Christ: showing neighborly love and care; sharing about an answer to prayer; sharing a favorite Bible passage and what it means personally; inviting the person to study the Bible; explaining the message of salvation and how God invites us to turn away from sin to receive new life in Christ.

How do you think God could use you as a link in a chain that can bring another person to Christ? Or if you’re like Sharon was, tell a Christian friend or leader, “I’m not a Christian yet, but I want to know how to become one”—and they’ll tell you!

Lord, use us to share your love and good news to help bring people closer to you. May we all faithfully draw others to find life in you. Amen.