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Bible Gleanings, devotions

The Personal Jesus | Bible Gleanings | January 4-5, 2025

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He had to get away from it all. Despite the endless films and paintings depicting Jesus as welcoming throngs and hordes with open arms, there were many times when Jesus pulled back (Mark 3:9; 7:24; Luke 5:15-16; John 6:15). However, such retreating certainly appears to be counterproductive to the development of an earthly ministry, don’t you think? After all, if you want to build a support base, wouldn’t you want to gain a larger following and increase the size and scope of your ministry?

Needless to say, establishing a large following and building a big ministry is not why Jesus came into the world—He came for needy sinners. And His continual withdrawal from the crowds doesn’t mean He outright despised them—rather, it demonstrates His preference to minister to people one-on-one. Jesus sought to know people on a name-and-need basis—He didn’t care about filling stadiums or boasting of great numbers. Jesus always prioritized intimate interactions over large-scale miracles, superficial popularity, or mass appeal. His mission was to seek and save the lost through personal encounters.

Jesus deliberately traveled through Samaria in order to minister to the Samaritan Woman and bring her the good news of salvation (John 4:1-26). Rather than making him a spectacle, Christ took the deaf man by the hand and led him away from the crowds—and He restored his speech and hearing in private (Mark 7:31-37). Jesus healed the blind man from Bethsaida away from prying eyes by leading him outside of the town (Mark 8:22-26). Amidst a multitude of invalids at Bethesda’s pool, Christ set His sights on only one man who had been crippled for thirty-eight years, and He healed him (John 5:1-15). And Jesus singled out little Zaccheus, who climbed a sycamore tree to view Him because of the crowd size—and Jesus focused on him instead of the masses (Luke 19:1-10).

Any of the individuals whom Christ healed and ministered to would tell you that you are more than just a name and face to Jesus. He loves you and cares about you as an individual. If He didn’t, He wouldn’t be keeping up with the number of hairs on your head (Matt. 10:30). Moreover, if God keeps track of the death of sparrows, then He certainly keeps track of the needs of His saints (Luke 12:6-7). The Lord even cares for you as though you were His only child: “Can a woman forget her nursing child, that she should have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you. Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are continually before me” (Isaiah 49:15-16).

The devotional column above is from my newest book, 40 Days with Jesus, which is a forty-day daily devotional focusing on the life, teachings, and miracles of Jesus. This book is available in hardcover on Amazon:

Brandon is the pastor of Bandana Baptist Church in Bandana, Kentucky, where he lives with his wife, Dakota, and their three dogs. Brandon and Dakota previously served as foster parents through Sunrise Children’s Services of Kentucky. Brandon is also a published author and his Bible Gleanings columns are featured in over sixteen publications throughout Kentucky, Illinois, Tennessee, and Indiana. He is also a devotional contributor for Kentucky Today, a news publication of the Kentucky Baptist Convention, and an editor at Reforming the Heart.

Bible Gleanings, devotions

The Friend of Sinners | Bible Gleanings | December 28-29, 2024

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Blasphemer. Drunkard. Glutton. Servant of Satan. King of the Jews. The negative nicknames hurled at Jesus during His earthly ministry dripped with scorn. But one rose above the rest—a name intended as an insult, but embraced by the Savior who came for sinners: “a friend of tax collectors and sinners!” (Matt. 11:19b).

Jesus shared supper with social outcasts, misfits, and rejects on multiple occasions. Once, after answering the call to follow Jesus, Matthew (also called Levi) held a banquet for His Lord and invited all kinds of sinful folk (Luke 5:29). Reclining at the dinner table were gamblers, moneylenders, thieves, prostitutes, and the worst of them all: tax collectors. “Has He lost His mind?” the scribes and Pharisees must have wondered. After all, this was not the best approach for gaining street credibility for a newly-launched ministry. Dining with such detestable delinquents would actually destroy His ministry—that is, if His ministry was focused on numbers and fame instead of sinners who need grace and mercy.

Therefore, the religious leaders questioned, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?” (Luke 5:30b). Ask and you shall receive, and they received quite an answer, as Jesus wisely responded, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance” (Luke 5:31-32). In other words, Jesus was saying, “The kind of people you criticize and despise—I came for them. The people that make you shriek in your phony piety—I came for them. The people you believe the world would be a better place without—I came for them.” Jesus came to seek and save the sin-sick, not the self-righteous.

The lesson Jesus taught by eating with evil people is that all sinners are invited to His table. And if you consider yourself to be one, there is good news: Jesus welcomes you to His table of salvation, where you may feast on the blessings of redemption freely. He has saved a seat for every repentant sinner, especially “the poor, the crippled, the lame, [and] the blind” (Luke 14:13). The banquet of everlasting life is not for great saints—it is reserved for great sinners who recognize Christ as a great Savior. Jesus is a Friend and Savior to those who see themselves as God’s enemies in need of salvation, not those who falsely presume that they are on “good terms” with God and do not need saving.

The devotional column above is taken from my newest book, 40 Days with Jesus, which is a forty-day daily devotional focusing on the life, teachings, and miracles of Jesus. This book is available in hardcover on Amazon:

Brandon is the pastor of Bandana Baptist Church in Bandana, Kentucky, where he lives with his wife, Dakota, and their three dogs. Brandon and Dakota previously served as foster parents through Sunrise Children’s Services of Kentucky. Brandon is also a published author and his Bible Gleanings columns are featured in over sixteen publications throughout Kentucky, Illinois, Tennessee, and Indiana. He is also a devotional contributor for Kentucky Today, a news publication of the Kentucky Baptist Convention, and an editor at Reforming the Heart.

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Better Than Santa | Bible Gleanings for Advent | December 14-15, 2024

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Santa Claus is slightly judgmental. He only brings presents to good boys and girls. Those who misbehave are on the naughty list and will receive only coal in their stockings. As J. Frederick Coots and Haven Gillespie wrote in Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town: “He’s making a list, he’s checking it twice, he’s gonna find out who’s naughty or nice.” Only youngsters most deserving of gifts can expect to find presents underneath the tree.

Jesus is the polar opposite of Santa: He gives the greatest gift to those who are the least deserving. He came to grant salvation and eternal life to evil people, not good people. As He Himself said, “I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance” (Luke 5:32). Furthermore, He came to erase your name from the “naughty list” and write it in His book, the “Lamb’s book of life” (Revelation 21:27). 

The fact that shepherds were the first to hear the good news of Jesus’ birth embodies Christ’s mission to save the undeserving (Luke 2:8-13). The glad tidings were announced by the exalted angels of heaven, not to kings or emperors, but to some of the most insignificant people in Judean society. Shepherds were thought to be insignificant and contemptible. Jews considered them to be unclean, deceitful, and uneducated. Nonetheless, they were the first to hear the wonderful news that the Savior had been born.

And the Gospels reinforce the idea that Jesus came for the low-ranking people of the world. The first disciples were fishermen. Jesus healed social outcasts: lepers, paralytics, and the demon-possessed. He ate with tax collectors and sinners. He cared for widows and the sexually immoral. There is no question about it—Jesus came to save the least qualified.

You do not have to be outstandingly competent to receive His gift of eternal life. The Lord Jesus will grant salvation to you, no matter who you are or what you have done. Eternal life can be yours even if you are sexually immoral, idolatrous, adulterous, greedy, or addicted (1 Cor. 6:9-11). Jesus is the significant Savior who came for insignificant people. That’s another reason why Jesus is better than Santa.

Brandon is the pastor of Bandana Baptist Church in Bandana, Kentucky, where he lives with his wife, Dakota, and their three dogs. Brandon and Dakota previously served as foster parents through Sunrise Children’s Services of Kentucky. Brandon is also a published author and his Bible Gleanings columns are featured in over sixteen publications throughout Kentucky, Illinois, Tennessee, and Indiana. He is also a devotional contributor for Kentucky Today, a news publication of the Kentucky Baptist Convention, and an editor at Reforming the Heart.

Bible Gleanings, devotions

Let It Snow | Bible Gleanings for Advent | December 7-8, 2024

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Nothing is more enchanting than waking up to a blanket of snow covering the neighborhood on Christmas morning. Nearly everyone dreams of a white Christmas because snow makes it feel like Christmas. Without snow, there are no snowmen, snowball fights, or “dashing through the snow in a one-horse open sleigh.” Christmas and snow go together like hot cocoa and marshmallows. 

Snow is also a biblical symbol for righteousness and purity. Snow was the purest form of white to the Jews—nothing was as perfect and pure. Not to mention, the fluffy flakes covered the filth and dirt of the earth. It is no wonder that people in Scripture sought to be as pure as snow, such as David, who prayed, “Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow” (Psalm 51:7). The prophet Daniel also used this imagery to describe God who is uncompromisingly pure and holy: “As I looked, thrones were placed, and the Ancient of Days took his seat; his clothing was white as snow” (Daniel 7:9a).

The Lord reminded His people in Isaiah 1:18 that they were not as white as snow: “Come now, let us reason together, says the LORD: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.” Their sins were like “scarlet,” which is as red as red can be. They were stained, and the sin that colored their lives needed to be washed away. And God promised that they could be made white like snow if they turned to Him in repentance (cf. vv. 19-20). Despite being engulfed in sin’s filth, they could be snow-white by the Lord’s thorough washing. 

You also need the Lord to cleanse you of sin. Paradoxically, the blood of Jesus Christ is the only sufficient means of being purified from sin’s crimson stain. As John the apostle said, “The blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin” (1 John 1:7b). His death makes you whiter than snow in the sight of God because He clothed Himself in the filthy rags of your sin and, in exchange, gives you the white robes of His righteousness (2 Cor. 5:21). You receive this cleansing when you repent of your sins and trust completely in Christ alone for your salvation (Acts 17:30; Ephesians 2:8-9). 

Unfortunately, sin will still make you muddy every now and then. And Jesus will continue to wash you when it does. That is why, whenever you sin, you must plead the words of James Nicholson’s hymn, “Whiter Than Snow”: 

“Lord Jesus, for this I most humbly entreat,

I wait, blessed Lord, at Thy crucified feet;

By faith, for my cleansing I see Thy blood flow,

Now wash me and I shall be whiter than snow.”

Brandon is the pastor of Bandana Baptist Church in Bandana, Kentucky, where he lives with his wife, Dakota, and their three dogs. Brandon and Dakota previously served as foster parents through Sunrise Children’s Services of Kentucky. Brandon is also a published author and his Bible Gleanings columns are featured in over sixteen publications throughout Kentucky, Illinois, Tennessee, and Indiana. He is also a devotional contributor for Kentucky Today, a news publication of the Kentucky Baptist Convention, and an editor at Reforming the Heart.

Bible Gleanings, devotions

Guidance from the Grave | Bible Gleanings | November 9-10, 2024

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Scores of smiling graduates suddenly began to stare soberly when Steve Jobs (February 24, 1955— October 5, 2011), founder of Apple, stated something startling during a commencement speech at Stanford University in 2005:

“Remembering that I’ll be dead soon is the most important tool I’ve ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life.”

And as astonishment filled the atmosphere, Jobs continued,

“Because almost everything—all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure—these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it.”

Jobs did not believe in God, but he did believe in the grave and the necessity of learning lasting lessons from life’s last stop.

And this king of technology unknowingly echoed the words of the king of Israel, Solomon, who shockingly said, “It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting, for this is the end of all mankind, and the living will lay it to heart” (Eccl. 7:2). If you are still alive, you need to attend more funerals and less feasts. But why should we choose a depressing funeral over a party with family, friends, and good food? Because funerals are ugly and unpleasant reminders of the inevitability of death. All funerals are a preview of our own, and they prevent us from pretending that we are immune from death.

Furthermore, death compels us to stop playing pretend so that we can live for what truly matters. You know what you don’t think about at funerals? Trivial and transient things like money, possessions, careers, sports, and presidential elections. All of life’s “side issues” take a back seat in the funeral home when someone you know is up front in a coffin. Funerals force you to think, “One day, it will be my turn. Am I ready to meet my Maker? What legacy will I leave behind? Will those in attendance have to say nice things to cover up the odor of my bad reputation, or will I leave behind a good name that glorifies the name of Christ?”

Death is the great priority-rearranger. As Jobs later remarked in his speech, “Death is life’s change agent.” Indeed, the more we think about it, the more we should reconsider and reshape our goals, attitudes, hopes, dreams, prayers, and longings—and that’s the point of Solomon’s counsel. The living should “lay it to heart” that they will not live forever on earth, and thus, all of the living should prepare for eternity and live a life on earth that counts for the glory of God. The grave will give us guidance for life, if only we will listen.

Brandon is the pastor of Bandana Baptist Church in Bandana, Kentucky, where he lives with his wife, Dakota, and their three dogs. Brandon and Dakota previously served as foster parents through Sunrise Children’s Services of Kentucky. Brandon is also a published author and his Bible Gleanings columns are featured in over sixteen publications throughout Kentucky, Illinois, Tennessee, and Indiana. He is also a devotional contributor for Kentucky Today, a news publication of the Kentucky Baptist Convention, and an editor at Reforming the Heart.

Pick up a copy of Brandon’s latest book, Fundamentals for the Faithful, which explains the importance of all the basics which every believer should know:

Bible Gleanings, devotions

We Are Going Home | Bible Gleanings | October 19-20, 2024

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They were hopelessly and helplessly stranded on the beaches of northern France with no way home. Over 300,000 Allied troops were geographically incarcerated on the French seaport of Dunkirk, and the German army was closing in. Knowing that they were facing annihilation, the British government launched Operation Dynamo during those early days of WWII, with the goal of transporting the troops to safety across the English Channel. A fortified fleet of over 800 naval vessels began shipping soldiers home on May 26 of 1940, and the magnitude and multifariousness of the evacuation inspired Winston Churchill to call it “a miracle of deliverance.” The soldiers knew a homegoing was coming soon, and they held out hope until help arrived.

The same is true for all saint-soldiers who serve the Savior. When Jesus returns, all believers will be relieved of and rescued from their warring against the flesh, the world, and the devil. A heavenly homegoing is hastening for God’s holy nation because the return of the King of kings and Lord of lords draws nearer with every passing day. The Lord’s people will not be trapped in their sinful bodies interminably, nor will they battle the world’s wickedness and Satan’s wiles indefinitely. And Christ will not send boats after His saints—rather, He will personally deliver them, riding on a white horse to rescue them with His irresistible might (Rev. 19:11-16).

God gives His beleaguered and battle-hardened people such blessed assurance in Philippians 3:20-21, where Paul wrote, “But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.” One glorious day, Jesus will raise and resurrect His redeemed people, and render ruin, retribution, and reckoning unto the damned, the devil, and even death—and it will be the mightiest miracle of deliverance ever. The great evacuation will look something like this:

“For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord” (1 Thess. 4:16-17).

Until then, all believers must hold out hope that the Helper will arrive in due time. As Christians, we are “waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:13). And let us occupy our waiting by praying the next-to-last words in the Scripture, “Even so, come, Lord Jesus” (Rev. 22:20b, KJV).

Brandon is the pastor of Bandana Baptist Church in Bandana, Kentucky, where he lives with his wife, Dakota, and their three dogs. Brandon and Dakota previously served as foster parents through Sunrise Children’s Services of Kentucky. Brandon is also a published author and his Bible Gleanings columns are featured in over sixteen publications throughout Kentucky, Illinois, Tennessee, and Indiana. He is also a devotional contributor for Kentucky Today, a news publication of the Kentucky Baptist Convention, and an editor at Reforming the Heart.

Pick up a copy of Brandon’s latest book, Fundamentals for the Faithful, which explains the importance of all the basics which every believer should know:

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Slack in Zeal | Bible Gleanings | October 5-6, 2024

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It definitely wasn’t music to my ears—quite the opposite, as a matter of fact. I tuned my guitar strings as low as possible to slacken them and make them easier to remove. But just for fun, I attempted to play a song on the loosened strings, but they were too relaxed to strike a chord. The low hum of the strings sounded like two growling dogs squabbling with three yowling cats. Despite its beauty and value, the guitar was useless because the slackened strings frustrated it from fulfilling its fundamental function: producing a lovely sound.

Likewise, what rings true in the Scripture is that the believer’s primary and paramount purpose is to glorify the Lord by producing a life-song that causes Him to rejoice with singing (Zeph. 3:17). The Lord wants His people to compose a beautiful and blended “melody” of faith, hope, love, and joy, along with all other virtues required for a God-pleasing harmony (cf. Psalm 19:14). And zeal is to Christian living what tuned guitar strings are to music: without it, the rhythm is ruined. Unfortunately, a believer’s life sounds like a broken record when zeal and passion are slackened. That is why Paul said that a saint’s zeal must be tuned up and turned up in order to live a life that is like music to God’s ears: “Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord” (Rom. 12:11).

Zeal, which is the devotion and diligence with which we serve the Lord, should never smolder or be smothered—it should always burn blazing hot. Whatever we do for the Lord should be done with all of our might, with fervent enthusiasm and passionate haste, not with laziness or lethargy (Eccl. 9:10). The Lord wants us to be “zealous for good works” (Titus 2:14), meaning that we should be eager and excited about doing good things in His name and for His glory. He even commands us to be zealous in our repentance, to be gleeful instead of gloomy when wholeheartedly turning away from our sins (2 Cor. 7:11; Rev. 3:19). And most importantly, the Lord wants us to be like Christ, who was consumed with zeal for the Lord’s house (John 2:9).

Thus, every believer’s constant prayer should be something like the opening two stanzas of O Thou Who Camest From Above, a timeless hymn written by Charles Wesley (1707-1788), which says:

“O thou who camest from above the fire celestial to impart, kindle a flame of sacred love on the mean altar of my heart! There let it for thy glory burn with inextinguishable blaze, and trembling to its source return in humble prayer and fervent praise.”

Brandon is the pastor of Bandana Baptist Church in Bandana, Kentucky, where he lives with his wife, Dakota, and their three dogs. Brandon and Dakota previously served as foster parents through Sunrise Children’s Services of Kentucky. Brandon is also a published author and his Bible Gleanings columns are featured in over sixteen publications throughout Kentucky, Illinois, Tennessee, and Indiana. He is also a devotional contributor for Kentucky Today, a news publication of the Kentucky Baptist Convention, and an editor at Reforming the Heart.

Pick up a copy of Brandon’s latest book, Fundamentals for the Faithful, which explains the importance of all the basics which every believer should know:

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Whimsical Worship | Bible Gleanings | September 28-29, 2024

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God rejected Cain because of it (Gen. 4:5). It caused Nadab and Abihu to be incinerated by holy flames (Lev. 10:1-2). According to 2 Chronicles 26:19, it was the cause of Uzziah’s sudden and swift leprosy. It is why the earth split open and swallowed up Korah, Dathan, and Abiram (Numb. 16:31-35). What was it? Careless worship.

The Scripture is replete with stories of those who vainly attempted to “worship” God on their own terms, and scorched spots on the ground where people once stood reveals how the Lord feels about it. Many irreverent worshipers in the Bible approached the Lord of glory recklessly and rashly, with no recognition of His remarkable resplendence—and they paid the price. With too low a view of God and too high a view of themselves, they offered worship to God which was not in line with His character or commands. They were cursed by their own carelessness when they tried to worship the Lord in ways He had not prescribed, and with an indifference He had prohibited. Thus, the testimony of Scripture could not be clearer: God cares about the way in which we worship Him. 

God wants our worship to be sincere, submissive, and Scripture-aligned—and He values that over merely outward expressions. He doesn’t care about lip-service as much as He cares about heart-surrender (Isa. 29:13). The authenticity of our worship matters more to God than the amount of our worship. One heart which fears and adores Him is worth more than thousands of hypocritical and half-hearted offerings: “What to me is the multitude of your sacrifices? says the LORD; I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams and the fat of well-fed beasts; I do not delight in the blood of bulls, or of lambs, or of goats” (Isa. 1:11; cf. Amos 5:21-25). The Lord even tells us that He would rather receive no worship than receive negligent, nonchalant, or nonsensical worship: “Oh that there were one among you who would shut the doors, that you might not kindle fire on my altar in vain! I have no pleasure in you, says the LORD of hosts, and I will not accept an offering from your hand” (Malachi 1:10).

All of these stories and stern strictures sound forth one sobering and sanctifying truth: God is holy, and worshiping Him is serious business. The Lord is not the “man upstairs,” a cosmic grandpa, or a spiritual Santa Claus—He is a consuming fire (Heb. 12:29). Because of this, worship is not a game nor something we should enter into lightly. Rather, the Lord should be worshiped with utmost awe, vigorous obedience, and maximum reverence. Because of the gravity of His presence, the greatness of His character, and the glory of His name, our worship of Him in public and private must be wholehearted, not whimsical.

Brandon is the pastor of Bandana Baptist Church in Bandana, Kentucky, where he lives with his wife, Dakota, and their three dogs. Brandon and Dakota previously served as foster parents through Sunrise Children’s Services of Kentucky. Brandon is also a published author and his Bible Gleanings columns are featured in over sixteen publications throughout Kentucky, Illinois, Tennessee, and Indiana. He is also a devotional contributor for Kentucky Today, a news publication of the Kentucky Baptist Convention, and an editor at Reforming the Heart.

Pick up a copy of Brandon’s latest book, Fundamentals for the Faithful, which explains the importance of all the basics which every believer should know:

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Going, Going, Gone | Bible Gleanings | June 29-30, 2024

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Fire destroyed it all. The 128-year-old mansion was already engulfed in flames when firefighters in Monterey County, California, were called to the scene on the morning of May 26, 2023. The once-marvelous mansion was a Victorian-style masterpiece which was featured in many films and beloved by members of the community. Unfortunately, the historic home could not be saved and its loss left a void in the hearts of those who cherished its beauty and significance. And, according to The Monterey County Weekly, while local neighbors mourned the fiery massacre of the magnificent mansion, none were as overwhelmed with remorse as the mansion’s titleholder. 

All of the man’s riches vanished in one sweeping moment. Millions of dollars earned through decades of toilsome labor were burned in a single hour. The finest woods and metals that adorned the mansion, which required thousands of hours to perfect, were consumed in mere seconds. All of the luxurious furniture and lavish furnishings which filled the home were reduced to ash in less time than it took to make them. And no one dared to approach the burning mansion for fear that they would likewise be consumed. 

A day is coming when a greater consuming fire will rob the world of its pomp, pride, pleasures, and possessions in one fiery flash. The world and worldly things may appear to be a magnificent mansion now, but the Lord will eventually reduce them to nothing by His blazing fury, and all that will remain is smoldering smoke (Rev. 18:9-10). All who cling tightly to material things will have everything ripped away from them in a single hour on the day of judgment. All who love this Babylonian-like world will watch with heart-wrenching regret as the purifying wrath of God incinerates everything they lived for. They will lament, saying, “Alas, alas, for the great city that was clothed in fine linen, in purple and scarlet, adorned with gold, with jewels, and with pearls! For in a single hour all this wealth has been laid waste” (Rev. 18:16-17).

Therefore, the Lord commands all of His people, “Come out of her, my people, lest you take part in her sins, lest you share in her plagues” (Rev. 18:4b). Believers must flee from the appealing “mansion” of this world lest they be singed from a distance (Luke 21:34; Rom. 12:2; Col. 3:2; 2 Peter 3:11-13). As John exhorted, “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him . . . And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever” (1 John 2:15, 17, KJV). And besides, believers have a greater mansion waiting above: “In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you” (John 14:2, KJV).

Brandon is the pastor of Bandana Baptist Church in Bandana, Kentucky, where he lives with his wife, Dakota, and their three dogs. Brandon and Dakota previously served as foster parents through Sunrise Children’s Services of Kentucky. Brandon is also a published author and his Bible Gleanings columns are featured in over sixteen publications throughout Kentucky, Illinois, Tennessee, and Indiana. He is also a devotional contributor for Kentucky Today, a news publication of the Kentucky Baptist Convention, and an editor at Reforming the Heart.

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Popular with One Man | Bible Gleanings – April 8-9, 2023

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There was once a railway gatekeeper who routinely irritated the passengers on his train. Every night, no matter how frigid it was, he demanded that every passenger present their ticket before boarding. The passengers grumbled and protested, saying, “Sir, you are a very unpopular man tonight! Don’t you know that it’s freezing out?” And the gatekeeper said, “I only care to be popular with one man, and that is the superintendent.” He may have been more popular if he fulfilled the wishes of the passengers by letting them on without seeing a ticket, but his loyalty was to someone greater—and hence, he couldn’t be a people-pleaser. 

The apostle Paul felt the same way about serving Christ by proclaiming the gospel, although it would undoubtedly be considered offensive and unpopular by some. He said, “For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ” (Gal. 1:10). His loyalty was to God, not to man. He didn’t care about man’s approval; he only cared about God’s approval. As he remarked elsewhere, “But just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not to please man, but to please God who tests our hearts” (1 Thess. 2:4).

The smile of God matters more than the scowls of man. The “thumbs up” of God is more valuable than the “thumbs down” of man. Popularity with God is more vital than popularity with man. It is better to hear the Master say, “Well done,” even if it means hearing man say, “What have you done?” (Matt. 25:21; cf. Ex. 14:11).

Christ must be obeyed rather than man, even if it means beatings and imprisonment (Acts 5:29). Believers must pray with an open window even if it entails being thrown into a lion’s den (Dan. 6:13-28). Servants of the Lord must stand and refuse to worship the gods of this age, even if it includes being cast into a fiery furnace (Dan. 3:16-23). Gospel heralds must continue to preach repentance even if it means incarceration and the amputation of one’s head (Mark 6:14-29). Christ Jesus must be proclaimed even if it results in stoning or slaughter (Acts 7:54-60; 12:1-2).

The Lord’s opinion of you is the only one that ultimately matters, friend. He is the Judge to whom we must give an account: “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil” (2 Cor. 5:10). Moreover, His authority infinitely exceeds the puny judgment of any ridiculing friend, taunting boss, or tyrannical leader. Therefore, do you want to be popular with man or with God?

Bible Gleanings is a widely-read weekend devotional column, written for the Murray Ledger & Times in Calloway County, Kentucky.

Brandon is the founder and main contributor to Brandon’s Desk, the blog with biblical resources from his ministry. He pastored the family of believers at Locust Grove Baptist Church in Murray, Kentucky for six years. He and his wife Dakota live there with their three dogs, Susie (Jack Russell), Aries (English Shepherd), and Dot (Bluetick Beagle).

For more devotional entries like this, check out Brandon’s latest book, Bible Gleanings Volume II, which features 100 daily devotionals gleaned from God’s word: