Daily Bible Reading 29th July 2026 // Luke 9:1-9
1 And he called the twelve together and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases, 2 and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal. 3 And he said to them, “Take nothing for your journey, no staff, nor bag, nor bread, nor money; and do not have two tunics. 4 And whatever house you enter, stay there, and from there depart. 5 And wherever they do not receive you, when you leave that town shake off the dust from your feet as a testimony against them.” 6 And they departed and went through the villages, preaching the gospel and healing everywhere.
7 Now Herod the tetrarch heard about all that was happening, and he was perplexed, because it was said by some that John had been raised from the dead, 8 by some that Elijah had appeared, and by others that one of the prophets of old had risen. 9 Herod said, “John I beheaded, but who is this about whom I hear such things?” And he sought to see him.
What is true of the Church in general is also true of believers in particular. It is possible to be beguiled from the simplicity that is in Christ (cf 2 Corinthians 11:3), both as to doctrine and as to conduct. One has known many who in their early Christian days were devoted and dedicated soul winners and evangelists and burned with holy conviction, who in later years became expansive and broadened, with many new ideas that they would once have regarded - and with good reason - as dangerous and wrong; and a glory has departed from their lives and their testimony. As to conduct, one does not think of 'bad' or 'questionable' things, as such, but simply things, good in themselves or in different circumstances, which the believer simply cannot afford to indulge if he wants to win the race. The fact is, worldly interests, worldly considerations, worldly people, compete and battle for our allegiance and for our time; and there is nothing so sad as to see the shadow of the world's hand coming over a Christian's life, gradually, steadily, imperceptibly, and see them becoming beguiled from the simplicity of Christ by a way of living in which there is nothing that could be called wrong as such, but things that in the light of his calling are unwise and ill-advised, things that matter where training for a race is concerned. The confectionary of life! The issue is this: the compassion of Christ is to be let through and His power is to reach out to men through us, but the channels get clogged up - by the confectionary!