Friday, April 19, 2024
Going Undercover
“If anyone is ashamed of me and my message in these adulterous and sinful days, the Son of Man will be ashamed of that person when he returns in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.” (Mark 8:38 NLT)
The first time I heard the gospel on my high school campus, I didn’t walk up and join everyone who was at the meeting that day. My high school had a group of outspoken Christians who held daily Bible studies on the front lawn of the school at lunchtime. Everyone knew who they were. And we either hated them or felt sorry for them.
My friends warned me to stay away from the Christians, which I did for a while. But I also was sort of interested in these unusual people who carried Bibles to school and talked about Jesus as though He were their next-door neighbor.
Then one day, out of curiosity, I went to one of their meetings. However, I sat close enough to hear what was going on but far enough away that I didn’t appear to be part of them. And that was the day I gave my life to Jesus Christ.
Initially I was reluctant to be identified with the Christians. I wanted to do things quietly and secretly. A lot of people are like that today. They don’t want to say they’re Christians. They prefer to be undercover believers.
Nicodemus went undercover, so to speak, to engage in conversation with Jesus. The Bible tells us that he came to see Jesus “after dark” (John 3:2). To his credit, at least Nicodemus went to see Him.
Why would Nicodemus seek out Jesus at night? There are several possible explanations. For example, maybe it was a cooler time of the day to visit. But I think the more plausible explanation is that Nicodemus, being a man of notoriety, wanted to talk with Jesus incognito.
He didn’t want to be recognized because he went to ask Jesus a lot of serious questions. After all, Nicodemus was a man who was supposed to have the answers. Instead, he had questions.
When some people are first checking out the gospel, they’re apprehensive. That’s because they’re afraid of what others might think.
In the end, Nicodemus turned out to be one of the most courageous of Jesus’ followers. After the crucifixion, a man named Joseph of Arimathea showed up with Nicodemus to claim the body of Jesus. John’s Gospel gives us this detail: “With him came Nicodemus, the man who had come to Jesus at night. He brought about seventy-five pounds of perfumed ointment made from myrrh and aloes” (19:39 NLT).
At this point the Lord’s own disciples had deserted Him. But Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea came and claimed the body of the Lord. They were willing to be counted for their faith.
As the years have passed, I’ve seen many people fall away from the faith whom I thought would make their mark on this world for God. And I’ve been very surprised. Then there have been others whom I thought would do nothing, and they’ve done a lot.
Nicodemus started slowly, but in the end, he came through. It is great to start the race well. But it’s also important to finish it.
Copyright © 2024 by Harvest Ministries. All rights reserved.
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In this fantastic 90-day devotional, author and pastor Levi Lusko uses illuminating stories, biblical teaching, and eye-opening surprises about outer space to show kids that they’re never alone because God is always with them. A copy of this beautifully illustrated book will be mailed to you when you make a gift of support to Harvest Ministries this month.
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He is pulling for you right now. Just as Jesus stood up for Simon, He is standing up for you.
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That is why Jesus went through all that anguish. He did it for all those who would come to faith in the world. We were the joy set before Him.
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Prayer isn’t about changing God’s mind. In many cases, prayer is about changing our minds.
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We should reflect our heavenly Father, who is truth. And if we are reflecting Him, it should be evident in what we say and in the way that we live.
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He wants us to be involved in what He is doing, not just as observers but as laborers in the work that He has called us to do.
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There needs to be a balance between our beliefs and our practice, between our doctrine and the way that we live. We need both areas working together. That is what it means to walk worthy of the Lord.
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February 202402/29/2024
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Maybe you’re facing a setback today. Maybe there’s a crisis going on in your life. Remember, you are a work in progress. You are under construction.
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We can be in a perfect environment or a horrible environment and still sin. It is just our nature. Yet God shows us what we can become by His grace.
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I believe that God has predestined every person to be saved. God wants us to be saved. He wants us to be forgiven. But the Bible also teaches that God gave us free will.
02/09/2024
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God will be with us, no matter what we face in life. That is a great assurance. That is where we find our contentment.
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January 202401/31/2024
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But even when we mess up, even when we have failed, God gives second chances. Do you need a second chance? Do you want to get up and try again?
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It was David’s faithfulness in the little things that led to the big things. He was faithful with whatever God set before him. Are you being faithful with what God has set before you today?
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What God really wants from us is obedience. He’s interested in what is going on in our hearts. We can be worshipping outwardly but sinning inwardly. But with God, the heart is everything.
01/12/2024
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Sooner or later, our sins will find us out. It may not happen today or a week from now. It may not even happen a month or a year from now. But the Bible teaches that ultimately, we will reap what we sow.
01/10/2024
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Then I look at my life. I followed Christ. When they were out doing all their stuff, I was going to Bible studies, praying, and growing in the Lord. And what I gave up is so small in comparison to what I received in return. Life goes by so quickly.
01/05/2024
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December 202312/30/2023
12/29/2023
12/28/2023
12/27/2023
12/26/2023
12/25/2023
12/23/2023
12/22/2023
12/21/2023
The same is true this Christmas. Because of the Father’s love, whoever takes the Son gets it all. God demonstrated His love by giving us the most important gift of all: the gift of His Son.
12/20/2023
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12/18/2023
12/16/2023
12/15/2023
12/14/2023
12/13/2023
We must recognize that nothing this world has to offer us will fill the void in our lives that was created to be filled by God Himself. No experience, no possession, and no accomplishment will fill it. Not even religion or morality will fill it.
12/12/2023
As we celebrate the birth of Jesus, how inappropriate it would be for us to come to Him empty-handed. But what do we give to God? What does God want from us? What He wants is us.
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God is saying, “Submit yourself to Me, and I will tell you. First, give yourself over to Me.” Mary did that. She submitted her will to God. Have you surrendered your heart to Jesus Christ?
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November 202311/30/2023
Maybe you think the way to reach your nonbelieving friends is to do what they do and simply blend in. You conclude that in doing so, you will win them over and they will come to Christ. The reality is that no one has ever been won to Christ that way.
11/29/2023
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11/27/2023
11/25/2023
God can use people in our lives, but we must never let people take the place of God in our lives.
11/24/2023
Little things lead to big things. That’s why we can’t make deals with the devil. We can’t negotiate with Satan. There can be no compromise.
11/23/2023
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11/18/2023
This is typical of some people today who call out to God in desperation. They find themselves in a mess they created, so they cry out to God for help. But when He graciously condescends and helps them, they essentially say, “Thanks, God! See You next crisis!”
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11/15/2023
11/14/2023
11/13/2023
11/11/2023
11/10/2023
Would your lifestyle reach anyone? People are watching you. Are you being a positive witness for Jesus Christ?
11/09/2023
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Reject conformity to this world’s system and its self-indulgent ways, and instead be conformed to the image of Jesus.
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October 202310/31/2023
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Jesus is coming again. It may be in our lifetime. It could even be today. And ultimately, as Christians, we all are going to go to Heaven. That is our great hope.
10/27/2023
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If God is number one in our lives, then everything else will find its proper balance. But if He is not, then everything else will fall into chaos.
10/24/2023
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Death is the great separator. But Jesus Christ is the great reconciler.
10/20/2023
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10/14/2023
Sometimes, the reason God doesn’t answer our prayers the way we want Him to is because He wants to do more than we’ve asked for. And when we get to the end of ourselves, we get to the beginning of God.
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Those who have put their faith in Jesus Christ have nothing to fear. Because Jesus has forgiven us and justified us, we can be certain that we won’t stand at the Great White Throne Judgment, the final judgment for nonbelievers.
10/06/2023
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The Bible tells us that in the last days, Satan will use every kind of wicked deception to fool those who are on their way to destruction because they refuse to believe the truth that would save them.
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September 202309/30/2023
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As Christians, we should talk about life after death and Heaven and Hell because the Bible does. And if we really believe there is an afterlife and a final judgment, if we really believe that we will be held accountable for things that we say and do, then it will affect the way we live.
09/27/2023
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There is something wrong in our lives when we need an image or an icon to worship God. We must understand that God forbids this.
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09/20/2023
09/19/2023
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09/16/2023
We cannot say something is true because we experienced it. Rather, we should say we know something is true because we find it in Scripture, which verifies our experience.
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The word blasphemy speaks of a conscious denouncing and rejection of God. It is a defiant irreverence, a uniquely terrible sin of intentionally and openly speaking evil against God.
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Maybe the problem in our society is not that we fail to love ourselves but that we love ourselves too much. We already do love ourselves. That’s obvious. It’s an established fact. Therefore, the Bible is telling us to love our neighbors in the same way that we love ourselves.
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August 202308/31/2023
Light not only exposes what the darkness hides, but light also shows the way out. And in the same way, the light that shines from us not only shows people their shortcomings and their sins, but it also shows them the way out.
08/30/2023
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08/28/2023
08/26/2023
08/25/2023
08/24/2023
08/23/2023
Why do some Christians succeed spiritually when others fail? It’s because of the choices they make. Some don’t want to go forward spiritually, so they don’t. Others do want to go forward spiritually, so they do.
08/22/2023
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08/19/2023
08/18/2023
08/17/2023
If we want to impact our world as the first-century believers did, then we have to get back to the principles they applied.
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You don’t have to be controlled or crippled by your past. You can become a new person in Jesus Christ.
08/09/2023
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The Holy Spirit also will lead us, empower us, and fill us each day as we seek to live the Christian life.
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July 202307/31/2023
07/29/2023
That is what unconfessed sin is like. We may think we’ve buried it, but it will be back. There is only one way to get rid of our sin, and it’s at the cross of Jesus Christ. We can’t cover it. We can’t hide it.
07/28/2023
07/27/2023
07/26/2023
07/25/2023
07/24/2023
07/22/2023
A true friend, a true man or woman of God, will tell you the truth and try to keep you from hurting yourself.
07/21/2023
07/20/2023
07/19/2023
07/18/2023
07/17/2023
If God has been doing some pruning in your life lately, know that it isn’t to tear you down or make your life miserable. He wants your life to produce even greater spiritual fruit in the days ahead.
07/15/2023
07/14/2023
07/13/2023
07/12/2023
07/11/2023
If the thought that God is watching you and thinking about you brings joy to your heart, then that would tell me your life is probably right with God.
07/10/2023
07/08/2023
07/07/2023
07/06/2023
It’s great to carry the Bible in your pocket, backpack, or purse. It’s also great to have it on your phone. But the best place to carry the Bible is in your heart.
07/05/2023
If you will apply yourself wholly to the Scriptures and apply the Scriptures wholly to yourself, it will have an impact on your life.
07/04/2023
07/03/2023
07/01/2023
In this fantastic 90-day devotional, author and pastor Levi Lusko uses illuminating stories, biblical teaching, and eye-opening surprises about outer space to show kids that they’re never alone because God is always with them. A copy of this beautifully illustrated book will be mailed to you when you make a gift of support to Harvest Ministries this month.
