MONDAY September 18, 2023
The House Next Door
And he departed from there and entered the house of a certain man named Justus, one who worshiped God, whose house was next door to the synagogue. Then Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, believed on the Lord with all his household. And many of the Corinthians, hearing, believed and were baptized.
Acts 18:7-8
After the Jews rejected the Gospel, Paul departed from the synagogue and went to the house of a man named Justus––a god-fearing Gentile. Believe it or not, his house was just next door to the synagogue! Paul was able to share the Gospel with him, and he became saved. Then the actual ruler of the synagogue, Crispus, believed in Christ with all his household. Many Corinthians were saved and baptized!
As a missionary, Paul was fulfilling the Great Commission. He preached the Gospel to the Gentiles, and by doing so, he began a mission to reach every nation (Matthew 28:19-20). Those who believed in the Christian message Paul taught had their lives transformed by the power of God.
Like Paul, I have a real burden to reach people, and I am open to preach and teach the Word of God whenever the opportunity arises. When I am among people, I see their needs––not only physical and emotional, but spiritual. When Christ walked among the multitudes of people, he was moved with compassion for them. He saw people like sheep without a shepherd (Matthew 9:35-36). We need to have that same compassion.
Listen, through the power of the Holy Spirit, every one of us has the capacity to share the Gospel with someone else. The opportunities are all around us. Maybe God will open the doors for you share about Christ with the person living in the house right next door! When we become so busy with our lives, we often fail to see people among us who need Christ. Ask God to help you be aware of opportunities to speak to those who need to hear about His love, mercy and grace. See people, see their needs, and have compassion on them.
Wherever God has you, in whatever place of employment, or wherever you live, right there is your mission field. Let the Lord use you!
To belong to Jesus is to embrace the nations with Him.
~William Carey~
For more from Raul Ries, please visit SomebodyLovesYou.com!
