8: Jesus’ words at the end of this verse are quite important for the ministry. Miracles, preaching, and other works of the ministry, are not to be done for profit. No miracle may be bought. Free and free only is the cost. Preaching may not be bought. It is not to be influenced by money. No doctrine should be emphasized for the sake of remuneration.
Now, some may say that this means the ministers of the gospel should not be paid. But, Jesus words in verse ten show that this is not his intention. Ministers are to be taken care of financially. However, they are paid for, not their ministry. Caring financially for a minister of the gospel is giving to the work of the Lord. It is not to be for the purpose of influencing the message. A minister who changes his message for money is a servant of the devil. Ministers should be made comfortable financially. But the ministry is not intended to enrich anyone, but only to care for the minister.
Daily Bible Reading: John 7:1-8:59
Daily Memory Verse: 1 John 2:1 “My little children , these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous;”
Daily Tidbit: In 1 John 2:1, John writes that he wants to, by his letter, help his readers to not sin. Sometimes Christians need to be reminded about this subject. We tend to think that, since sinless perfection this side of glory is seemingly not attainable, we can forget about shooting that high. We act as if our goal is just to be a lot better than most people, and nothing more. Obviously, John didn’t get the memo. He seems to think that Jesus’ followers should strive to be sin-free. Maybe we need to think a bit more like the Apostles, and a bit less like modern-day cool Christianity.
Praise Journal: Heavenly Father, thank You for Your Truth. After all these years, Your Word is still here, and it is still changing lives. Thank you for the blessing that it is to our hearts and lives. You know what is best for us, and the Bible is full of that best. Father, we will live our lives by its statutes, trying to be doers, and not just hearers. Thank You for the words of Christ in the Scriptures, showing us how to live before You. It is so good to have a guide for living. Sometimes we get so confused about things, so it is good to be able to look to Your Word for guidance. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.
Prayer Journal Highlights: Pray for a local pastor who is close to death. Pray for a family that just lost a loved one this week. Pray for a man with cancer.
Personal Journal Entry #13046