April 10, 2023 8:00 pm
While waiting to enter the university, twenty-year-old Shin Yi decided to commit three months of her break to serving in a youth mission organization. It seemed like an odd time to do this, given the Covid-19 restrictions that prevented face-to-face meetings. But Shin Yi soon found a way. “We couldn’t meet up with students on the streets, in shopping malls, or fast-food centers like we usually did,” she shared. “But we continued to keep in touch with the Christian students via Zoom to pray for one another and with the non-believers via phone calls.”
Shin Yi did what the apostle Paul encouraged Timothy to do: “Do the work of an evangelist” (2 Timothy 4:5). Paul warned that people would find teachers who would tell them what they wanted to hear and not what they needed to hear (vv. 3–4). Yet Timothy was called to take courage and “be prepared in season and out of season.” He was to “correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction” (v. 2).
Though not all of us are called to be evangelists or preachers, each one of us can play a part in sharing our faith with those around us. Unbelievers are perishing without Christ. Believers need strengthening and encouragement. With God’s help, let’s proclaim His good news whenever and wherever we can.
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Welcome to today's encouragement from Our Daily Bread. Our reading, titled Seize the Opportunity, was written by Po Feng Chieh. While waiting to enter the university, 20-year-old Shen Ni decided to commit three months of her break to serving in a youth mission organization. It seemed like an odd time to do this given the COVID-19 restrictions that prevented face-to-face meetings. But Shen Ni soon found a way.
We couldn't meet up with students on the streets, in shopping malls, or fast food centers like we usually did, she shared. But we continued to keep in touch with the Christian students via Zoom to pray for one another, and with the non-believers via phone calls. Shen Ni did what the Apostle Paul encouraged Timothy to do in 2 Timothy 4, do the work of an evangelist. Paul warned that people would find teachers who would tell them what they wanted to hear, and not what they needed to hear. Yet Timothy was called to take courage and be prepared in season and out of season.
He was to correct, rebuke, and encourage with great patience and careful instruction. Though not all of us are called to be evangelists or preachers, each one of us can play a part in sharing our faith with those around us. Unbelievers are perishing without Christ. Believers need strengthening and encouragement. With God's help, let's proclaim His good news whenever and wherever we can.
Today's Our Daily Bread devotional scripture reading is from 2 Timothy chapter 4 verses 1 through 5. For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.
They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. But you? Keep your head in all situations. Endure hardship. Do the work of an evangelist. Discharge all the duties of your ministry. Let's pray. Dear Jesus, help us to seize every opportunity to share your words with others, that they may find hope and comfort in you. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Thanks for listening today. My name is Toni Collier and today's encouragement was provided by Our Daily Bread Ministries.
Whisper: medium.en / 2023-04-10 20:11:51 / 2023-04-10 20:13:17 / 1
