Studying King David’s life, we naturally grow curious about his mother. The biblical silence creates a mystery, which makes us even more curious. 

So which one is it? Are our good deeds filthy rags, or are Christians called to "be good"? Before answering this question, it's important to look at what we mean when we say "good deeds," and examine why we are doing them in the first place. 

None of us succeed alone. 

We have accountability as individuals, and we make our own choices. At the same time, God designed us to have relationship with him and others. At least, that’s the ideal. Unfortunately, we live in a broken world where division and conflict happen too often. 

The gospel promises a different way to live, a way that leads to an eternal future of love, righteousness, and peace. God sent his Son to initiate this spiritual revolution. Even Jesus didn’t minister alone; he brought disciples with him, passing it on to others to spread the Good News. 

The most influential evangelist in the New Testament was the apostle Paul. As we read about his missionary journeys, he didn’t go alone. God called small group as the first missionaries, and Paul followed this model, along with the one Jesus set before them, to minister as a community. These men may be more obscure to us, but they were crucial to the gospel turning the world upside-down in the first century after Jesus’ resurrection and the gift of the Holy Spirit. 

How Many Missionary Journeys Did Paul Take?

According to the book of Acts, the apostle Paul took three primary missionary journeys, then traveled to Rome as a prisoner. 

Paul’s first journey starts in Acts 13. He served for years as one of the leaders of the church in Antioch. During a time of prayer, the Holy Spirit called Paul and Barnabas to spread the gospel. The two take a young man, Mark, with them, and they travel through Cyprus and other Asia Minor regions. Together, they preach to both Jews and Gentiles, planting new churches while facing opposition. Mark left them at some point during this journey. 

For his second journey (Acts 15-18), Paul and Barnabas have a disagreement about bringing Mark again. They decide to go in separate directions. Paul takes Silas with him, visiting many of the churches he and Barnabas had planted. During his travels, God gives him a vision, calling Paul to Macedonia. Paul spreads the gospel to Europe in cities like Philippi, Thessalonica, and Corinth, planting more churches. 

On his third journey (Acts 18-21), Paul again visits the planted churches, spending time in Ephesus where a revival breaks out. Many pagans reject their idols. Paul travels through Greece before coming to Jerusalem. 

The Jews bring charges against Paul and he’s arrested. Being a Roman citizen, Paul appeals to Caesar, and goes to the capital of the empire in chains. While a prisoner, he still finds ways to preach in Malta and then in Rome, as well. Although it was not technically a missionary journey, he did preach and lead people to Jesus.

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I grew up in the age when our church sang hymns and we read the King James Version of the Bible. Often, there would be phrases I didn’t understand. 

One of our favorite hymns was “Family of God.” For many years, I thought we had “joint hairs” with Jesus. The actual line said, “Joint heirs with Jesus as we travel this sod.” I also didn’t know what sod was. Then someone explained how we lived as princes and princesses of the King while on the earth, and would one day inherit the Kingdom. This made more sense than singing about Jesus’ hair. 

Another phrase from the Bible I needed some explanation for was “kick against the goads.” The best someone could do to explain this at the time was, “It’s like beating your head against the wall,” using another cliché. This worked, but looking deeper into the phrase and context, we see deeper meaning and application for us today. 

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With grace, the Father has given many things to us through faith in the Son. One of these is what theologians call imputed righteousness. The word might sound fancy, but it’s a foundational reality for the Christian life.

The apostle Paul mentions the man of lawlessness in 2 Thessalonians, the only place the Bible uses that exact phrase.

“Time and truth go hand in hand.” 

I’m not sure who originally said this statement, but a pastor friend would quote it often. As a pastor, I learned things only years of ministry will teach you. Sometimes a person would come to a worship service and get excited and jump right in to the congregation and community. I would get inspired and encouraged. But within a short amount of time, the same person would be gone without much of an explanation. Sometimes another person would ask challenging questions, difficult ones, and be hesitant to commit to anything. And yet that person would quietly, over time, be the most consistent and generous member of the church. 

It's not a formula either way, and we often have to wait and see how people act over time. True transformation isn’t a short sprint; it’s a marathon. And we often don’t get to see the impact of ministry until years down the road. Maybe decades. 

Jesus gave his disciples a parable to reveal this, in part, when he spoke about wheat and tares and what will happen at the end of all time. Matthew’s gospel records this parable for us, and it is still important and relevant today. 

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Raise your hand if you were raised on Christian radio music and nothing else! As Christians, we often shun worldly secular music, and indeed some of it celebrates sinful habits and attitudes that we should avoid. But can secular songs, in fact, turn our hearts to worship the true God?

God did an amazing, miraculous work through his Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. The apostles and disciples wrote the New Testament with this continued sense of awe at the Person of God and how he made a way for salvation. Not only for the Jews but for all nations. They declared such eternal truths through their letters. 

These truths are so incredible that Christians and theologians continue to discuss and express them. Unfortunately, this leads to some religious language that sometimes needs more explanation. As the Western world, and in many ways, the world in general, becomes more unchurched and distant from such terminology, we create a distance between the truth and those who need to hear it. This includes other Christians, too. 

A central work of God is justification by faith. But what do these terms mean? And what does it mean for us today?

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God's law is good and was given for our benefit. So why don't Christians today follow these laws still? Should we be eating kosher and making sacrifices, or is this all a thing of the past?

John MacArthur, pastor of Grace Community Church in California, passed away July 14th at the age of 86. His lifelong pursuit of the Lord, his teaching, mentorship, and legacy has left a lasting impact on millions.