Day 3 - 21 Day Bible Reading Plan

John 3:

I've heard people say if God sends people to hell, then He is not good or loving. In John 3:16-17 Jesus tells us of God's great love for all people (the world). Jesus is in the physical world not to condemn but to save, "...that whoever believes in Him should not perish..." and again "...in order that the world might be saved through Him." Jesus goes on to say, however, that those who do not believe are condemned. And why are they condemned? Because they reject God's plan, "he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God." They choose their own path and then want to blame God for telling the truth.

John the baptizer, the preacher, reiterates Jesus' words when he says, "Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, whoever does not OBEY (emphasis mine) the Son shall not see life, but he wrath of God remains on him." (v.36)

Mark 3:

Jesus appointed 12 disciples that He named apostles and gave them special powers. As I read over this list, I was struck by how some did not do anything to get their names in the Bible repeatedly. Bartholomew and the other James and the other Simon and Thaddaeus and even Matthew, Andrew, Phillip and Thomas are rarely heard from, if at all, after they are appointed by Jesus. (vs.13-19)

Not everyone is a Simon Peter or John or James. The other nine were given the same appointment as these three. Judas, of course, tossed his away completely. But the others were out doing the work, traveling with Jesus, listening and learning. They are part of the twelve who changed the world after Jesus was raised from the dead.

I am much like those nine today. I am not a well-known evangelist or church leader but I have been set apart by Jesus to make a difference in my world. Maybe no one will ever know who I am except that person I led to Christ or the woman I encouraged to stick with her marriage or the young woman I talked to about sexual purity in her relationship with her boyfriend. It is not for me to make myself known but to make Jesus known.

Just as those other disciples went unnoticed in their day to day encounters with people, so it is with the majority of Christ followers. Faithfulness in the face of anonymousness is the calling Jesus puts on most of our lives.