The One Year New Testament

July 17

Luke 21:5-19

Luke 21:5-19

And while some were speaking of the temple, how it was adorned with noble stones and offerings, he said, “As for these things that you see, the days will come when there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.” And they asked him, “Teacher, when will these things be, and what will be the sign when these things are about to take place?” And he said, “See that you are not led astray. For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he!’ and, ‘The time is at hand!’ Do not go after them. And when you hear of wars and tumults, do not be terrified, for these things must first take place, but the end will not be at once.”

10 Then he said to them, “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. 11 There will be great earthquakes, and in various places famines and pestilences. And there will be terrors and great signs from heaven. 12 But before all this they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors for my name's sake. 13 This will be your opportunity to bear witness. 14 Settle it therefore in your minds not to meditate beforehand how to answer, 15 for I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which none of your adversaries will be able to withstand or contradict. 16 You will be delivered up even by parents and brothers and relatives and friends, and some of you they will put to death. 17 You will be hated by all for my name's sake. 18 But not a hair of your head will perish. 19 By your endurance you will gain your lives.

Reflection

To be a disciple of Jesus means to experience persecution, division, conflict, hatred, and for some, even death (Luke 21:16). Yet at the same time Jesus says that not a hair of our heads will perish and that by endurance we will gain our “lives” (v. 19). These seem like contradictory statements until we understand that the promises of blessing and peace do not necessarily refer to our physical experience in this world. For now, the “life” we gain is the blessing that Christ brings to our soul. We apply this to our lives by adjusting our expectations of what the Christian life will be like. If we expect God to take away our pain and frustration in this fallen world, then either we will become bitterly disappointed or we will avoid pain and suffering at all costs and fail to live according to God’s kingdom ways.

1 Timothy 1:12-17

1 Timothy 1:12-17

12 I thank him who has given me strength, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he judged me faithful, appointing me to his service, 13 though formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent. But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief, 14 and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. 15 The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. 16 But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life. 17 To the King of ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.

Reflection

Paul’s mention of “the gospel of the glory of the blessed God” (1 Tim. 1:11) has paved the way to one of the greatest gospel texts in all of Scripture: “The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost” (v. 15). Formerly, Paul (then named Saul) appeared to be impossibly lost. He was a religious predator whose hands were stained with the blood of Christians—a callous, self-righteous, bigoted murderer on a mission to destroy the church (Acts 9:1–2; 26:9–11; Gal. 1:13). But on the Damascus road, he met the King of kings (Acts 9:3–6). Though he did not deserve mercy, he “received mercy” (1 Tim. 1:13, 16).

The result? Paul says, “the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus” (v. 14). The words describe an overwhelming flood of mercy. Oh, the magnitude of the overflowing, superabundant grace of the gospel! No one is beyond God’s saving grace—this is the “glory of the blessed God.”

Psalm 86:6

Psalm 86:6

Give ear, O Lord, to my prayer;
listen to my plea for grace.

Thoughts For Prayer

The salvation of the apostle Paul is a demonstration of God’s willingness to save even the fiercest of Christ’s enemies. Are there people in your life who seem impossible to save? God can do it, so boldly plead with him to overcome their unbelief.

Missions Prayer Requests More

  • July 17, 2025

    Supported Workers: Truth For Life

    Country: United States of America

    Ask the Lord to use their program series in the books of Ruth and Daniel to encourage those who listen, particularly those working or going to school in an unbelieving environment that challenges their faith. Ask God to use the book Brave by Faith to help many young people attending college or entering the workforce to trust firmly in God’s promises, even at the risk of exclusion. Pray for Alistair and his assistant, Joy Harabedian, as they relocate from Parkside Church to Truth For Life. Ask God to make the adjustment a smooth one, for his sovereignty over all the logistics, and that he will open the door to new ministry opportunities.

    Gabon (Africa). Population: 2,593,130 Believers: 12.7%. Spiritist beliefs and practices lie beneath the surfaces of Catholicism, other Christian groups, and Islam. Many Gabonese still use charms, hallucinogenic drugs, and ancestral spirits, and go to medicine men. Some leaders of the government, the police, and the army participate in nighttime rituals that use witchcraft and black magic. Christians who do not participate can be refused academic or professional opportunities. Pray for followers of Jesus to remain faithful to him alone and for such faith to spread the gospel even further. From Operation World DVD-ROM 2010 and www.operationworld.org