God can take our impure motives and turn them to His glory!

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living

But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice. Yes, and I will continue to rejoice,
(Philippians 1:18 (NIV))

What does this passage mean to you?

I was given a very interesting point of view of this passage earlier today, and to be completely honest with you, it makes perfect sense!

When this passage was written, Paul was in prison and other people started to preach the Gospel. Some had pure motives while others had selfish motives. Paul recognized the value of both, since spreading the Gospel was his biggest concern. I know that I do this all the time, but let me ask a few questions of you.

Do you think that the people who heard the Gospel from those with false motives knew of those motives, especially if what they preached was true to the Gospel? Let me ask this a slightly different way. If you are channel surfing and come across a television preacher who is preaching the truth, will everyone ignore this preacher simply because they may seek money? Perhaps your church has a guest speaker and they are very eloquent at conveying the truth of the Gospel. Do you stop listening to them because they set up a table to sell the books that they have written?

Let’s be honest with ourselves!

We are all human and we all have motives for doing things that are less than perfect. Does that stop us from doing them? Does that stop us from listening to those who have less than perfect motives? Think about that in relationship to your job. What if you are having a bad day, but you need your paycheck? Do you put on a fake smile and go about your day, or do you storm off? Most people will put on a fake smile. They may have less than a proper motive, but they come across with something that will impact those around them in a positive way.

Think about that in terms of the Gospel!

As long as the truth is being preached, God can and does use that truth to help spread the Gospel. I don’t condone this, but have you ever seen two churches become rivals? They try to do anything and everything to be “better” than their rival. One may take out billboard ads with scripture passages while the other will place ads in local newspapers. One may apply for and receive a license for a radio station, while one may use the internet to broadcast their services. In all of this rivalry, who really wins?

If you say that God wins because the Gospel is being spread, then you are correct.

We are only human and our human motives are less than perfect, but God is perfect. In fact, He is perfection. To use an old saying, “God can take our mess and make a message!” If God can do that, then God can take our impure motives and turn them to His glory!

Copyright 1998 – 2018 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
http://www.dailylivingministries.org
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Are you where God wants you to be?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living

Trust in the LORD with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;

in all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make your paths straight
(Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV))

Does anyone really understand the world and how it works? We see things from a small perspective. Can you tell the size of the forest while you are surrounded by trees? You must have a different point of view. Do not rely on what you can see. It may not be as it appears. Rely on God. He has a unique perspective since He is the Creator of all things.

Imagine that you are conducting an experiment with an animal in a maze. You can clearly see which way to go, yet the animal cannot, and go about in error. We are not very much different than that animal. God sees what we should do, yet, we do not see the complete picture and go around bumping into walls and making all sorts of mistakes. If we would only look to God, He can guide us through this worldly maze.

Are you lost, or do you know exactly what God wants for you?

Copyright 1998 – 2017 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
http://www.dailylivingministries.org
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Another new year but the grace is the same!

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ^©

So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!
(2 Corinthians 5:16-17 (NIV))

The world has just celebrated a new year, which many people consider to be a re-birth or a renewing – a chance to change their lives for the better. If the world is looking for this opportunity, then how can we, as followers of Jesus Christ, not offer them the good news that Jesus came to proclaim?

Let’s make this new year a year that truly is a change of lives for the better by sharing with them the grace and mercy that is available to all through Jesus Christ!

Copyright 1998 – 2014 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
http://www.dailylivingministries.org
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Salvation is found in no one else!

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ^©

then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed. He is
” `the stone you builders rejected,
which has become the capstone. ‘
Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.”
(Acts 4:10-12 (NIV))

Do you recognize where authority comes from when it is right in front of you? The people that Luke wrote about are good examples of what we would like to think that we are not. They did not recognize that Jesus was the authority that had healed the man. They did not recognize that Jesus alone fulfilled the passage from Psalm 118:22. They did not recognize that Jesus alone brought salvation.

Are we any different from the people that Luke wrote about?

If we were faced with the exact same circumstances today, would we recognize what was right before our very eyes? Would we be so blind to the truth that we would fail to see the proverbial forest for the trees?

Unfortunately, too many people reject the stone that is our firm foundation in grace, mercy and hope. They simply discard the stone because it doesn’t fit in with the world’s point of view. Think about that point of view. It says that a man cannot be raised from the dead. It says that one man cannot heal another man. It says that one man cannot save the whole world.

Authority is a wonderful thing when it is wielded properly. It is unassuming and ready to be of service instead of boisterous and demanding, which is the world’s point of view of authority. Perhaps this is why so many people miss out on the truth. They are looking for a worldly authority.

Don’t reject Jesus because He doesn’t fit your view of Godly authority. It will be a costly mistake.

Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.
(Acts 4:12 (NIV))

Copyright 1998 – 2014 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
http://www.dailylivingministries.org
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