The One Year New Testament for May 23

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The Apostles Accept Paul's Gospel

Galatians 2:6-10

6 As for those who seemed to be important---whatever they were makes no difference to me; God does not judge by external appearance---those men added nothing to my message.

7 On the contrary, they saw that I had been entrusted with the task of preaching the gospel to the Gentiles, just as Peter had been to the Jews.

8 For God, who was at work in the ministry of Peter as an apostle to the Jews, was also at work in my ministry as an apostle to the Gentiles.

9 James, Peter and John, those reputed to be pillars, gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship when they recognized the grace given to me. They agreed that we should go to the Gentiles, and they to the Jews.

10 All they asked was that we should continue to remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to do.

A Thought - Here the apostles were expressing the concern for the poor of Jerusalem. While many Gentile converts were financially comfortable, the Jerusalem church was suffering from a severe famine. Much of Paul's time was spent gathering funds for the Jewish Christians. The need for believers to care for the poor is a constant theme of Scripture, but often we do nothing about it. We get caught up in meeting our own needs and desires, or we just don't see enough poor people to remember their needs. Both in your own city and across the oceans there are people who need help. What can you do to show them tangible evidence of God's love?

Jesus Came to Save Sinners

Luke 5:27-39

27 After this, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector by the name of Levi sitting at his tax booth. "Follow me," Jesus said to him,

28 and Levi got up, left everything and followed him.

29 Then Levi held a great banquet for Jesus at his house, and a large crowd of tax collectors and others were eating with them.

30 But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law who belonged to their sect complained to his disciples, "Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and 'sinners'?"

31 Jesus answered them, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.

32 I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance."

33 They said to him, "John's disciples often fast and pray, and so do the disciples of the Pharisees, but yours go on eating and drinking."

34 Jesus answered, "Can you make the guests of the bridegroom fast while he is with them?

35 But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; in those days they will fast."

36 He told them this parable: "No one tears a patch from a new garment and sews it on an old one. If he does, he will have torn the new garment, and the patch from the new will not match the old.

37 And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the new wine will burst the skins, the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined.

38 No, new wine must be poured into new wineskins.

39 And no one after drinking old wine wants the new, for he says, 'The old is better.' "

A Thought - The Pharisees wrapped their sin in respectability. They made themselves appear good by publicly doing good deeds and pointing out the sins of others. Jesus chose to spend time, not with these self-righteous leaders, but with people who sensed their own sin and knew they were not good enough for God. In order to come to God, you must repent; in order to repent, you must recognize your sin. As sinners, we can have hope because Jesus came to save sinners, not those who considered themselves righteous.

Proverbs for Today

Proverbs 15:29-30

29 The LORD is far from the wicked but he hears the prayer of the righteous.

30 A cheerful look brings joy to the heart, and good news gives health to the bones.

Missions Prayer Requests

May 23, 2012

Supported Workers: Alternaterm Pregnancy Services

Countries:

Praise God for a wonderful turn-out at the Spring for Life Banquet, held last month at Parkside. The board and staff are thankful for all the help given by the church staff. Continue to pray that God will send more abortion-minded clients to the center for help and support, and that more will be interested in the Bible study class. Thank God for the recently completed parenting classes, and pray for new leaders to come forward, since the Gomez family who led them are adding to their family by adoption. Pray that volunteers, staff and the board will desire and work toward unity in Christ and that His love and presence will be evident to all who enter the center. Pray for several volunteers who have health problems at this time, and please pray for the technical details to be worked out in order to get their on-site ultrasound process returned to service. Also pray for God to provide for and use the mobile unit for His glory and for the service of clients.

| Guatemala | Leadership training is a key issue, but a solid foundation has been laid. Pray especially for effective ways to train leaders of poorer rural churches. Pray also that pastors and leaders would demonstrate Christ-like humility and graciousness and rise above petty divisions, pride and carnality.

The One Year New Testament Copyright Tyndale House Publishers, used by Permission. NIV Bible copyright International Bible Society.