Daily Devotionals from Pastor Quintin Stieff

Today's Scripture

Luke 10:25-28 (NIV)

On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. "Teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?"
²⁶"What is written in the Law?" he replied. "How do you read it?"
²⁷He answered: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'"
²⁸"You have answered correctly," Jesus replied. "Do this and you will live."

Today's Message

penetrating the heart

Our passage today is the introduction or "set up" for the parable of the Good Samaritan. The law expert comes with a question to test Jesus. But Jesus uses the question to test the "expert." He wants the man to examine his own heart. So he asks him what is the most important thing in all the law. The man replies that it's love for God and neighbor.

The ultimate test of our hearts is love. Do I love God with all our heart, soul, strength, and mind? Do I love my neighbor as myself?

If you are like the rest of the human race, the answer is "no." We all fall short. That's why we need God's love and forgiveness.  

But having received his forgiveness, we do have a calling to live out - it's the call of love for God and our neighbors. Today, begin to ask the Lord how you could love him with all your heart, soul, strength, and mind. Ask him how you could love your neighbor as yourself.

As you sincerely ask these questions of the Lord, God will begin to penetrate your heart. That's because in God's kingdom, love is the supreme thing. "Without love, I am nothing."

Today's Scripture

Luke 10:21-24 (NIV)

At that time Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, said, "I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this was your good pleasure.
²²"All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows who the Son is except the Father, and no one knows who the Father is except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him."
²³Then he turned to his disciples and said privately, "Blessed are the eyes that see what you see. ²⁴For I tell you that many prophets and kings wanted to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it."

Today's Message

Living on the other side

It's common for parents to tell their children about great events they witnessed before their children were born. Today's parents tell their kids about seeing Neil Armstrong walk on the moon or about the fall of the Berlin Wall. It's sometimes difficult for kids to understand what a big deal these events really were.

In our passage today, Jesus explains to his disciples what a huge deal it is for them to witness the ministry of the Messiah first hand. He reminds them that "many prophets and kings wanted to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it." They are in a very unique and privileged position in history. God was doing something incredible before their very eyes. Jesus pauses to make sure they don't miss the tremendous importance of all these happenings.  

As believers, sometimes we take for granted living on "the other side of the cross." We forget that there were thousands of years people waited for the coming of the Messiah. We have the privilege of living on the other side. We get to look back on these events with greater clarity. We have the written record of the life of Jesus and the early church. It's a great advantage for us!

Have you ever wondered what it would have been like to actually have walked with Jesus, to have seen him perform miracles, to teach the multitudes, to die and rise again? What an incredible privilege that would have been.

And yet Jesus promises us that we are not missing out. In fact, there is a special blessing for those who have trusted in the gospel, based solely on God's Word and not on personal experience. "Doubting Thomas" had to see the Risen Jesus in order to believe in the resurrection. Jesus said to him: "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."  

If you have believed, Jesus says you are blessed in a way that even the eyewitnesses are not blessed. Though we don't know exactly what that means, we have the confidence of knowing that Jesus himself says God blesses those whose faith rests solely on the Word of God.

Today's Scripture

John 8:34-47 (NIV)

Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. ³⁵Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. ³⁶So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. ³⁷I know you are Abraham's descendants. Yet you are ready to kill me, because you have no room for my word. ³⁸I am telling you what I have seen in the Father's presence, and you do what you have heard from your father."
³⁹"Abraham is our father," they answered.
"If you were Abraham's children," said Jesus, "then you would do the things Abraham did. ⁴⁰As it is, you are determined to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. Abraham did not do such things. ⁴¹You are doing the things your own father does."
"We are not illegitimate children," they protested. "The only Father we have is God himself."
⁴²Jesus said to them, "If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and now am here. I have not come on my own; but he sent me. ⁴³Why is my language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear what I say. ⁴⁴You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father's desire. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies. ⁴⁵Yet because I tell the truth, you do not believe me! ⁴⁶Can any of you prove me guilty of sin? If I am telling the truth, why don't you believe me? ⁴⁷He who belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God."

Today's Message

a chip off the old block

Many years ago, in my college days, I walked into the office of a staff member at the university. I had not made an appointment and I had never met the man. Imagine my surprise, then, when he looked up at me and said, "Are you Jim Stieff's (my father) son?" I replied with astonishment, "Yes, I am but how did you know?" The man replied, "I went to grade school with your father and I have not seen him for many years. But you look exactly like your dad!"

Now, that's family resemblance! What's true physically is also true spiritually. Physically, we have traits similar to those of our physical parents. And spiritually, we have traits similar to those of our true spiritual parent.

The enemies of Jesus were physically descendents of their father Abraham. But spiritually, Jesus says they are descendents of their father, the devil. How did he know this? Because of their spiritual traits. The one who rejects Jesus and the truth is "a chip off the old block." Satan has been the enemy of truth for centuries! And those who reject Jesus show their true colors and their true heritage.  

The warning of this passage is simple, but profound. Physical heritage, growing up in a religious tradition or church, even having wonderful Christian parents is not the same as being a child of God. There's no substitute for your own personal faith and commitment to Christ.

Today's Scripture

John 8:30-33 (NIV)

Even as he spoke, many put their faith in him.
³¹To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. ³²Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."
³³They answered him, "We are Abraham's descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?"

Today's Message

enslaved and unaware

Slavery is a terrible existence. But it is made even more terrible when you don't even know you're enslaved.  

Such was the case of many of the descendents of Abraham in Jesus' day. They were banking on their religious heritage to ensure them a privileged place in God's kingdom. But Jesus said it took more than being a religious "blue blood" to really experience the freedom that God offers in his kingdom. What is needed for real freedom? It takes a personal commitment to Jesus Christ that results in following his teachings.  

While on vacation, I visited Yale University, an institution founded 300 years ago as a place to train students in a biblically-based,Christian worldview. I noticed on one of the stone arches on one of their magnificent buildings this inscription carved in stone:
THY LIGHT AND TRUTH HATH SET ME FREE

Sadly today, many of Yale's renowned faculty and students openly reject the Bible and the clear teachings of Jesus. And saddest of all, they feel that by rejecting Jesus and his Word, they have been set free. In reality, they have become enslaved.  

Religious heritage is a great privilege. But it is of no benefit apart from a day to day, living faith in Jesus. Today, discover freedom by trusting and following Jesus at his Word.

Today's Scripture

Luke 9:32-36 (NIV)

³²Peter and his companions were very sleepy, but when they became fully awake, they saw his glory and the two men standing with him. ³³As the men were leaving Jesus, Peter said to him, "Master, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters--one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah." (He did not know what he was saying.)
³⁴While he was speaking, a cloud appeared and enveloped them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. ³⁵A voice came from the cloud, saying, "This is my Son, whom I have chosen; listen to him." ³⁶When the voice had spoken, they found that Jesus was alone. The disciples kept this to themselves, and told no one at that time what they had seen.

Today's Message

God's son

The Transfiguration revealed Christ's divine nature. God's voice exalted Jesus above Moses and Elijah as the long-awaited Messiah with full divine authority. Moses represented the law, and Elijah, the prophets. Their appearances showed Jesus as the fulfillment of both the Old Testament law and the prophetic promises.   

Jesus was not reincarnation of Elijah or Moses. He was not merely one of the prophets. As God's only Son, he far surpasses them in authority and power. Many voices try to tell us how to live and how to know God personally. Some of these are helpful; many are not. We must first listen to the Bible and then evaluate all other authorities in light of God's revelation.