DAILY, WEEKEND, AND HOLIDAY INTERNET EVANGELIZE TO THE WORLD MINISTRY

  January 25: Radiance Genesis 40:1–41:37; Hebrews 1–2 , Ecclesiastes 9:11–18 When I was a boy, my dad took me to his construction site and told me, “Don’t look directly at the welding light; it can blind you.” But a welding flame is fantastic and dangerous. As my father talked with the foreman, I fixated on the light. I saw spots for the rest of the evening but didn’t tell anyone. I secretly feared that the radiance had actually blinded me. The radiance of Christ is blinding—it was for Paul (Acts 9:1–31). In an epic hymn about the work of God’s Son throughout history, the author of Hebrews calls Jesus “the radiance of [God’s] glory and the representation of his essence, sustaining all things by the word of power” (Heb 1:3). It’s easy to wonder if sustainability is possible if the world will one day crumble and fall. But in Christ, there is hope. Jesus is much like the sun. You don’t always notice its power, warmth, or even that it’s there. That is especially the case for clou...

  January 24: Undue Favor Genesis 38–39 ; Matthew 27:32–28:20; Ecclesiastes 9:7–10 Genesis 38 interrupts the climax of the Joseph narrative with another tale: Judah and Tamar. Switching protagonists is surprising enough, but the story itself shocks us. We’re hardly given time to process the strange cultural practices of the ancient Near East, prostitution, deception, and the sudden death of those who displease God before we’re returned to Joseph’s struggles in Egypt. The story is additionally confusing because it seems to lack a hero. Judah uses Tamar, as his two sons did—though he acknowledges his actions. Tamar uses her wits and risks her life to secure a future for herself, but she does so through deplorable means. Attempts have been made to justify the characters and put it all in perspective, but there is no neat packaging. The characters in this story face dire circumstances and a unique cultural context that is nearly impossible for modern readers to understand. But we...

  January 22: Be Vigilant Genesis 35:16–36:43; Matthew 26:14–56 ; Ecclesiastes 8:10–17 Faith doesn’t always come to bear until we are faced with our own fallibility. When we “enter into temptation,” it often means we haven’t been vigilant—that we’ve stopped pursuing the God who has pursued us. In the aftermath of temptation, we recognize our spiritual laziness. We become wise—but remorsefully. Vigilance and complacency are illustrated in the garden of Gethsemane. In His last moments, Jesus requests that His closest disciples stay awake with Him (Matt 26:38). But while He repeatedly prays, they fall asleep. What seems like a request for moral support gets defined a few verses later: “Stay awake and pray that you will not enter into temptation” (Matt 26:41). Staying awake is associated with spiritual awareness. And their sleep is costly. Because of their spiritual sleepiness, they’re not prepared for His end, even though He had repeatedly prepared them for His death. They abandon...

  January 21: Power, Authority, and Its Result Genesis 34:1–35:15; Matthew 25:14–26:13; Ecclesiastes 8:1–9 “For there is a time and a way for everything, although man’s trouble lies heavy on him. For he does not know what is to be, for who can tell him how it will be?” (Eccl 8:6). We all struggle with the future and the vast uncertainty it creates in our minds. It’s rarely the present that keeps us awake at night; it’s our concerns about what will happen if the present changes for better or worse. Why worry about that which you cannot change? But unlike other places in the Bible when we’re told not to worry, the words of Ecclesiastes 8:6 are set in the context of a request to obey the king of the land. This is not because the king is offered a solution to the problems, although he could potentially help because there is nothing that can be done about him like many other things. This situation is equated to life and death itself: “No man has power to retain the spirit, or powe...

  January 20: While You Are Waiting Genesis 32–33; Matthew 24:29–25:13 ; Ecclesiastes 7:22–29 Jesus’ instructions to His disciples about His return have inspired many to incorrectly predict His second coming. But if we read His parables, we find that they’re not focused on the future. Jesus prepares His disciples for His absence and end times because He wants them to be hopeful, expecting His return. He wants them to be ready and watchful. But He wants them to do all of these things by fully engaging in the present, readying His kingdom. Jesus’ parable of the Wise and Wicked Servants demonstrates this attitude. While the faithful and wise servant provides for the master’s household during his absence, the wicked servant uses the time flippantly: carousing and beating his fellow servants. When the master returns, the faithful servant is promoted for his service, and the wicked servant is punished. The parable presses the disciples to use their time wisely during Jesus’ absence b...

  January 16: Save Us! Genesis 27, Matthew 20:17–21:22 , Ecclesiastes 6:5–12 “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest heaven!” (Matt 21:9). Idiomatically, this means: “Save [me], I pray, the Son of David. Blessed is the one who comes in the name of Yahweh! Save [me], I pray, by the highest!” When the people shout these words about Jesus as He enters Jerusalem, they affirm His divinely appointed role and His ability to save them. And the original psalm that this phrase comes from is about their God, Yahweh. Perhaps the people understood Jesus as one with God (Psa 118:25–26). As He enters Jerusalem, Jesus’ actions align with Zech 9:9, which foretells of a savior-king who will join on a donkey (Matt 21:5). For first-century Jews, everything lined up to affirm Jesus as God’s way of bringing salvation, and they responded to Him as such. This prompts several questions: how often do we see the alignment between God’s ...

  January 13: Avoiding the Unavoidable Genesis 24; Matthew 16–17; Ecclesiastes 5:8–11 It’s common to put people in our lives on hold, even if we love them until something forces us to pay attention. Forgetting those who are closest to us is a frightening thought. Peter, Jesus’ disciple, likely realized that people were making a similar mistake in their relationship with Jesus. In the district of Caesarea Philippi, Jesus asks His disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” (Matt 16:13–14). At first, they respond with the expected: John the Baptist, Elijah, Jeremiah, and the prophets—suggesting that Jesus is an esteemed and influential prophet, but not more. Then Jesus asks the are-you-paying-attention question: “But who do you say that I am?” (Matt 16:15). Simon Peter understood this, blurting out, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God!” (Matt 16:16). Jesus asked about the Son of Man, emphasizing His humanity; Peter responds by emphasizing His status as the...

January 12: Fear God Genesis 21:22–23:20; Matthew 15; Ecclesiastes 5:1–7 In Ecclesiastes 5, the author stops considering God’s place in the heavens and our place on earth. He acknowledges a great gulf of understanding between who God is and who we think He is. This realization should affect our entire posture before Him. “Guard your steps when you go to the house of God,” he says. “Do not be rash with your mouth, nor let your heart be hasty to utter a word before God, for God is in heaven, and you are on earth.” He adds, doesn’t attempt to offer the “sacrifice of fools” with your lips or even your heart. Instead, we should come prepared to listen (Eccl 5:1–3). Coming to God ready to listen doesn’t mean neglecting to bring our troubles or needs before Him. He wants us to do this—but not rashly. Instead, we should offer acknowledgment that He guides our lives. Like Rachel and Leah, in Genesis 30, we may sometimes use God to justify pursuing our own goals rather than seek wisdom an...