Daily Encounter: A Week-day Devotional by a staff of ACTS International.

Thursday, November 8, 2018

I recall reading the following story about how on one Sunday morning a usually long-winded pastor preached his shortest, but one of his most effective, sermons ever.

He said, "My sermon this morning has three points.

"First, over three million people in the world today are homeless.

"Second, most of you don't give a _ _ _ _.

"And third, it is a shame that more of you are upset by the fact that I said the word, '_ _ _ _', than by the fact that over three-million people are homeless."

I've heard that a well-known preacher did a similar thing when speaking about the tragedy of abortion in this country, only the four-letter word he used was even stronger!

Seriously, I'm not condoning preachers using these words, but how sad it is that so many of us will get considerably more upset over someone using a bad word than we do about people being homeless, about the problem of abortion, or human trafficking, not to mention the lost going to hell without Christ and without hope!

Jesus said, "Woe upon you, Pharisees, and you other religious leaders—hypocrites! For you tithe down to the last mint leaf in your garden, but ignore the important things—justice and mercy and faith. Yes, you should tithe, but you shouldn't leave the more important things undone. Blind guides! You strain out a gnat and swallow a camel."¹

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, please help me not to be guilty of straining out gnats and swallowing camels, and help me to be concerned about the things in life that truly matter. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus' name. Amen."

1. Matthew 23:23-24 (TLB)(NLT).

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