How to become a bold Christian

DAILY BIBLE READING:

1 Kings 1:1-53 
Acts 4:1-37 
Psalm 124:1-8 
Proverbs 16:24

BIBLE VERSE(S) FOR TODAY:

Acts 4:13 "When they observed the boldness of Peter and John and realized that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were amazed and recognized that they had been with Jesus."

REFLECTIONS ON TODAY'S BIBLE VERSE(S):

The world in which the disciples lived was dangerous. It was like going on a Christian mission trip ... to Iran. As you share Jesus in that context, you know that you are going to get jailed, maybe beaten, and possibly killed. 

This was 'normal' for the disciples.

But, they were men with fears just like us. They didn't enjoy rejection. They didn't like to feel pain. And death was certainly something they didn't like to think about. Sharing the Gospel would almost certainly bring on at least two of these things if not three.

They may have grappled with the desire to keep quiet. To exalt self-preservation.

But, they didn't. The Gospel was too important. People needed to be warned about the Day of Judgment. They needed to know about God's love and what Jesus did for them to secure them a place in God's family if they would only repent and believe.

So, they spoke those powerful words that could get them killed. And they did it with boldness.

How could they be so bold in such a terrifying environment? 

Well, they prayed for boldness (see Acts 4:29-31). They asked for the courage to do the hard thing and God gave it to them. 

But, they also spent much time with Jesus. That's what our Verse for the Day says about them. It was obvious that they had spent much time with the Lord Jesus Christ.

Now, for those disciples, that meant that as Jesus' disciples it was obvious that He had taught them well. The leaders of the city could see "Jesus" all over the disciples.

For us, we've never personally met Jesus. But, we can spend so much time with Him that it becomes obvious to others that we are His disciples. How can we spend time with Him? Just have a Bible in your hand often throughout the course of each day. Relish it like you would a delicious meal. Read it. Reflect and meditate on it. Memorize it. Study it. Get it into your mind and heart so that God's fingerprints are all over you.

And when you do, friend, you will develop boldness. You won't be able to keep God's truths hidden. You'll come to enjoy them and realize that people need to hear about what Jesus has done for them and how God has called them to live.

So, work toward being a bold Christian unafraid to share the Gospel. Get that way by praying for boldness and then spend much time with Jesus in His Word.

He who fears God fears no man

DAILY BIBLE READING:

1 Samuel 29:1-31:13
John 11:55-12:19
Psalm 118:1-18
Proverbs 15:24-26

BIBLE VERSE(S) FOR TODAY:

Psalm 118:6 "The Lord is for me; I will not be afraid. What can a mere mortal do to me?"

REFLECTIONS ON TODAY'S BIBLE VERSE(S):

Talk about a positive perspective! Our Verse for Today is the utterance of a man who wasn't afraid of people and had a substantive reason for his courage.

The reason for his courage? He said: "The Lord is for me; I will not be afraid."

Now, we have to be so careful when we look at those words. Why? Because when we read them, we may come to the erroneous conclusion that we're the ones calling the shots and we want the Lord on our side. 

The question is not, "Is the Lord on my side?" The question is, "Am I on the Lord's side?"

"The Lord is for me" should be taken as the utterance of a person who is living his/her life to please the Lord and is regularly seeking forgiveness and cleansing from Him when they mess up. As they follow Him and get on His side, then it can be said that the Lord is for them.

And, when the Lord is for them, they won't be afraid of what people can do to them.

Does this mean that people will never hurt us? Does this mean we will be protected from all things that are undesirable?

Nope. God was on Jesus' side and yet He was constantly mistreated and maligned by the Pharisees and was eventually tortured and killed on the cross.

A Christian doesn't believe that following the Lord makes them immune to all pain and suffering. Instead, they realize that whatever man can do to them MUST be initiated or allowed by their loving Heavenly Father. It has to come from / through His hands before it reaches us.

So, even though others may cause trouble for us, we realize that God has to allow it for His own purposes. And since it came from Him, then we can rest in the fact that He will be with us in the trouble and He desires to use it to make us more like Jesus.

It is in this sense that we fear no man when we fear the Lord.

A story of passion and conquest

DAILY BIBLE READING:

Joshua 13:1-14:15
Luke 18:1-17
Psalm 85:1-13
Proverbs 13:7-8

BIBLE VERSE(S) FOR TODAY:

Joshua 14:12 (CSB) "Now give me this hill country the Lord promised me on that day, because you heard then that the Anakim are there, as well as large fortified cities. Perhaps the Lord will be with me and I will drive them out as the Lord promised."

REFLECTIONS ON TODAY'S BIBLE VERSE(S):

I have some 'favorite' Bible stories and Joshua 14:6-15 is definitely one of them!

In it, we see in our mind's eye an 85-year-old man step into Joshua's presence. These two men were special. They were the only 2 spies (out of the 12 that Moses sent into the Promised Land) who came back with a positive, faith-filled report. The other 10 expressed doubt that they could take the Land but Joshua and Caleb resolutely believed that God could be counted on to do what He promised (see Numbers 13:26-33).

The Israelites believed the 10 faithless spies and rejected Joshua and Caleb's words. That one act doomed the nation of Israel to wander in the wilderness for 40 years. 

Now, in Joshua 14, Joshua and Caleb are the oldest of all the Israelites and they have seen God conquer most of the Promised Land through them just like He said he would.

But, there's one particular area that was still a splinter in Israel's eye. It hadn't been conquered yet. It was the area where the Anakim lived - the people who were so tall that they made the Israelites feel like 'grasshoppers' (see Numbers 13:28-29, 33; Joshua 14:12). The 10 spies used those particular people as the excuse to doubt God's promise.

Well, for 45 years, that act of faithlessness had turned Caleb's stomach. He knew God would have given the Israelites victory but they doubted and were, therefore, put on the shelf of 'do-nothing' until they learned their lesson.

So on this day, Caleb approaches Joshua and asks specifically for the land where the Anakim still lived. He wanted to kick some Anakim booty to vindicate God's name. He believed that God's glory was diminished among the Israelites when they doubted that He would and could do what He said He would do. So, Caleb wanted to show that an 85-year-old man with a promise from God could do what a whole Israelite army didn't think He could do.

Well, did Caleb succeed? Did he let the Anakim know that the God in Heaven could do whatever He pleased?

Knowing that Caleb had fire in his eyes, was jealous for God's glory, and wasn't going to back down from the fight, all we need to do is read the last sentence of this story...

"...After this, the land had rest from war." (Joshua 14:15)

I can picture Caleb sitting under a shade tree drinking a cold glass of tea and, with a broad smile and a twinkle in his eye, saying under his breath: "I knew God could do it!"

Are you a person filled with faith and passion? All you need to do is ask God to develop within you a jealousy for His glory. Find some precious promises of God that He has given to you. And then engage in the spiritual warfare against our satanic foe.

We NEED people like Caleb in our spiritually apathetic days!

How to develop strength and courage

DAILY BIBLE READING:

Deuteronomy 34:1 - Joshua 2:24
Luke 13:22-14:6
Psalm 79:1-13
Proverbs 12:26

BIBLE VERSE(S) FOR TODAY:

Joshua 1:6-9 
6 "Be strong and courageous, for you will distribute the land I swore to their fathers to give them as an inheritance. 7 Above all, be strong and very courageous to observe carefully the whole instruction my servant Moses commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right or the left, so that you will have success wherever you go. 
8 This book of instruction must not depart from your mouth; you are to meditate on it day and night so that you may carefully observe everything written in it. For then you will prosper and succeed in whatever you do. 
9 Haven’t I commanded you: be strong and courageous? Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go."

REFLECTIONS ON TODAY'S BIBLE VERSE(S):

The verses for today are familiar to many Christians. They are the words that God gave to Joshua as he took the reigns of leadership. Moses had recently died and so God was encouraging Joshua to be "strong and courageous." (In fact, variations of that phrase are used 3 times in these 3 verses.)

Throughout life, we will feel the need to be "strong and courageous." We need exactly what Joshua was encouraged to have.

When we look at these verses, we realize that this wasn't simply a superficial pep talk that God was giving Joshua. He gave Joshua 3 substantive reasons that would develop strength and courage in his spirit.

In verse 6, strength and courage would come is resting in God's promise. God had made a promise to the Israelites that they would inherit the Promised Land and God wasn't going to break that promise. Resting in God's promise, Joshua could be strong and courageous.

In verses 7-8, strength and courage would come in obeying God's precepts. God's Word contained commands for living - things to do and things to avoid. As Joshua obeyed God's instructions, he would experience God's favor in doing what God had told him to do - claim the Promise Land. So, as Joshua obeyed God's precepts and experienced God's favor, he could be strong and courageous.

In verse 9, strength and courage would come as Joshua comforted himself in God's presence. God wasn't sending Joshua out to do the task all by himself. God was going with them. So, as Joshua rested in the assurance of God's presence, he could be strong and courageous.

Friend, each of these three substantive reasons for Joshua's strength and courage are transferable. You and I can experience strength and courage in our life as we rest in them.

God's promise - What passage of Scripture can you rest your faith upon as you go through a difficult time?

God's precepts - What areas of your life need repentance and adjustments to come into conformity to God's commands? 

God's presence - What reminders can you provide for yourself that God is with you?

Friend, God doesn't want His children living life defeated like a dog with its tail tucked between its legs. He wants us to be strong and courageous. And He has provided the means by which we can be strong and courageous. Will you make the adjustments necessary to be filled with the strength and courage you need for each day?

The Gospel, prison, and what it means to the rest of us

In my Bible reading this morning, I couldn't help but notice the last verse of Colossians.

"I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. Remember my chains. Grace be with you." (Colossians 4:18)

As I read that, it seemed as if the words "Remember my chains" lifted off the page and demanded my attention. 

"Remember my chains." Honestly, I can't relate. I've never been in chains. I've never been in prison. I've never been handcuffed. I've never been a suspect in a criminal proceeding. 

So, when I think of someone in chains, I'm on the outside looking in. I suspect that most of the Christians in Colossae were, too.

Then what does Paul mean when he asks them to "remember his chains?" As I reflected on the answer to that question, I couldn't help but realize that God was speaking to me as well. 

Here are four responses that came to mind:

It creates sympathy
As we read of Paul's chains, we are reminded that He was in prison in Rome for preaching the Gospel. He was a man with a passion to travel the known world and a mission to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ to all who would listen. Yet, he wrote this letter wasting away in a prison cell in Rome. Our hearts go out to him.

When we think of Christians such as Saeed Abedini who is has been a prisoner in Iran for over 3 years, we can't help but be broken-hearted. Our hearts are moved with compassion for a fellow brother-in-Christ who is being detained, almost certainly tortured in the infamous Evin Prison and kept from his family for the Gospel.

But sympathy, on it's own, is not of much use unless ...

It motivates prayer
When we think of men and women in prison for the Gospel, follows of Jesus are moved to pray. What can we pray for?

For continued doors of opportunity to share the Gospel in prison (Colossians 4:3-4).
For safety in prison.
For patience, courage, wisdom, strength and other attributes that will enable them to continue standing for Christ.

But, if we truly care and are praying for a fellow Christian in prison, we won't be able to sit idly by and do nothing...

It calls for action
Simply put, if we have the ability to help then we are obligated to help. 

Whether that means providing assistance or visiting them in prison or petitioning the government to release our fellow Christian from prison, we cannot simply sit idly by. Words without action are useless (James 2:15-16). 

If there is absolutely nothing that we can do, then we must still continue to lift them up in prayer.

Focuses priorities

When I read Paul's words, "remember my chains," it did something else in me. It caused me to reflect on some serious questions:

• Is my allegiance to Jesus so obvious that an anti-Jesus culture would see to it that I'm thrown into prison?
• Is my proclamation of the Gospel so loud that others would desire to shut me up?
• If I were accused of being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict me?
• Would I willingly embrace prison as my plight or would I deny Jesus and/or quit proclaiming the Gospel if the heat got turned up?

Paul's words cause me to reflect upon my own walk with Jesus. Am I really taking it seriously enough?

By God's grace, I am and will.

Three Habits of the "Strong and Courageous"

Let's admit it. Even as adults, when we watch an adventure movie or read an action book that has a clear hero or heroine, we find ourselves wanting to be like them. We don't don superhero capes like we may have done as children. Yet, the point is clear - we want to be the kind of people who can handle whatever comes our way and serve others in the process. And we want to be able to look back over what we have done and feel really good about it.

In short, we want to be strong and courageous.

As I read through Joshua chapter 1 this morning, I came across the commissioning of Joshua. Moses was dead. The Israelites were about to conquer the Promised Land. Joshua was the new leader and God may have sensed that Joshua was feeling like he wasn't up to the task. He wasn't the hero that Israel needed him to be.

So, God gave him three very specific action points to focus on. If he engaged in these three habits, the end result would be a strong and courageous leader for Israel.

First, Believe God's Promises (Joshua 1:6)

“Be strong and courageous, for you are the one who will lead these people to possess all the land I swore to their ancestors I would give them." (New Living Translation)

It’s a given that in life there will be obstacles that are much larger than us. Times of decision, trial, temptation and more will come that would cause us to run in fear.

A follower of Jesus who is strong and courageous is someone who is resting in God's promises. We know what is going on around us. We aren't delusional. But, we are much more convinced of the reality of God's precious promises. We cling to a promise of God from His Word.

Second, Obey God's Precepts (Joshua 1:7-8)

"Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the instructions Moses gave you. Do not deviate from them, turning either to the right or to the left. Then you will be successful in everything you do. Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do." (New Living Translation)

Simply put, God will not bless someone who is toying with sin (no matter how big or small the sin is). Added to the seriousness of sin is this fact - someone who is a child of God and also in sin will have bouts of guilt. A guilty conscience hardly lends itself to being strong and courageous.

A follower of Jesus who is strong and courageous is someone who is obeying God's Word. We are 'sold out' for Jesus. We are passionately pursing Him and obeying His Word. There is no guilty conscience and God is free to bless our lives.

Third, Practice God's Presence (Joshua 1:9)

"This is my command - be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the lord your God is with you wherever you go." (New Living Translation)

Life can feel very lonely, especially when it gets tough. Such a mindset will undermine your ability to tackle the obstacles in front of you.

A follower of Jesus who is strong and courageous is someone who realizes that God is with them wherever they go. In fact, we realize that God's Holy Spirit is actually inside our body. Just as God the Father took up His powerful residence inside the Old Testament temple, so has God the Holy Spirit taken up residence inside the body of ever believer. Rest in the fact that God will never leave you nor forsake you.

God is looking for folks to use. He's building His Kingdom. But, He wants folks who are strong and courageous who will play key roles in the story of redemption.

Will you develop the habits of the kind of people that God tends to use? You've only got one life to live. Make the most of it!

Leadership isn't for cowards!

As I continue to look at God's Word with leadership lenses, I couldn't help but realize that in the story I read this morning (Matthew 27) where Jesus is falsely accused and sentenced to death, that God placed two leaders side-by-side for a study in contrast.

- Pilate: the cowardly leader

- Jesus: the silent but courageous leader

As Pilate began to question Jesus, knowing this ordeal could end in Jesus' death, Pilate was shocked that Jesus didn't speak against the accusations. Jesus wasn't consumed with self-preservation as Pilate was:

Matthew 27:12-14 (New Living Translation)

"But when the leading priests and the elders made their accusations against him, Jesus remained silent. 'Don't you hear all these charges they are bringing against you?' Pilate demanded. But Jesus made no response to any of the charges, much to the governor's surprise.'"

Two leaders with two very different motivations. Pilate was fully engaged in self-preservation mode. He was going to protect himself at all costs, even if it meant violating his conscience. 

Yet, Jesus remained confident because His highest priority was not self-preservation. He was intent on carrying out the Father's will - doing the right thing. If it meant that He would have great harm brought upon Him as a result, then so be it.

Only the most uninformed would try to excuse Pilate for shirking his leadership responsibilities. The text clearly tells us that Pilate accurately assessed what was taking place. He knew that Jesus had done no wrong:

Matthew 27:18 (New Living Translation)

"(He knew very well that the religious leaders had arrested Jesus out of envy.)"

So, Pilate was the positional leader in this situation. Folks had come to him for his council. He knew that an innocent man stood before him. Yet, since his mind was fully locked into self-preservation mode, he was about to do the cowardly thing, violate his conscience, and send an innocent man to his death. 

Pilate would have reasoned: "Even though he is innocent, it is better for Jesus to die than for me to lose my job and be reprimanded by Rome!"

Rather than use his position of leadership to speak decisively against an injustice, he showed his cowardice and looked for a way out. 

If you'll notice in these next verses, he was shirking his leadership responsibilities. Rather than standing courageous to resist a groundswell of injustice, he continued to entrust the final decision to the people. He was a coward indeed!

Matthew 27:20-24 (New Living Translation)

"Meanwhile, the leading priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas to be released and for Jesus to be put to death. So the governor asked again, 'Which of these two do you want me to release to you?'"

"The crowd shouted back, 'Barabbas!'"

"Pilate responded, 'Then what should I do with Jesus who is called the Messiah?'"

"They shouted back, 'Crucify him!'"

"'Why?' Pilate demanded. 'What crime has he committed?'"

"But the mob roared even louder, 'Crucify him!'"

"Pilate saw that he wasn’t getting anywhere and that a riot was developing. So he sent for a bowl of water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying, 'I am innocent of this man’s blood. The responsibility is yours!'"

Can you believe those last few words! "The responsibility is yours!"? 

Pilate was a coward. He cared more about himself than justice. He cared more about his position of authority than what that position of authority stood for. So, he cowardly shirked his responsibilities and allowed a grave injustice to take place! But, at least he got to keep his job.

So, let's quickly bring this home: what kind of leader are you? As a parent, a boss, a pastor, a student who can influence your peers, etc., are you a leader who is courageous and stands for truth and justice even though it may cause you harm? Or, are you gripped by the motivation of self-preservation that debilitates you and keeps you from doing the right thing?

Refuse to be like cowardly Pilate! Stand for truth and justice! Trust God with the rest.

Glorifying God in Our Death

I wrote the following blog on June 3, 2009 but thought I would share it again. I was thinking about Charlie today...

I got word today that a dear friend of mine passed away. I have fond memories of gutting houses and restoring them with Charlie Bevins and our mutual friend, Clancy Trent. These men where many years my senior. Yet as we spent hours upon hours up to our eyeballs in drywall dust, insulation and such, we remodeled homes and built strong, lasting relationships that we will enjoy throughout eternity.

The thing that really drew us together was our mutual love for our Lord Jesus Christ. Many of our conversations centered around some biblical truth or some message by one of our favorite preachers. We laughed a lot and enjoyed our time together.

"Christianity" is easy in those times. Anyone can speak of a love for the Lord when things are going well. Glorifying God comes fairly easy on the mountaintops. But it is when we are led by our Heavenly Father into a trying time, when our faith is tested, that what is really inside of us comes out.

About a month ago, Charlie had some shoulder pains and went to the doctor. Soon, spots on his lungs were found. It wouldn't be long until he would be unable to move any part of his lower body. Today, only a very short time after his initial doctor's visit, he went to be with the One who died for him.

Something that stood out among his friends who watched his quick deterioration was his attitude. Charlie refused to get angry. He refused to question God. And in so doing, I believe that he wonderfully illustrated the principle of John 21:19. That verse says that in "...death (we can) glorify God..."

How is that possible? How can something as ugly as death bring glory to God? Simply put, we show how highly we honor our Heavenly Father by showing what we are willing to endure ... while still praising Him.

Suppose someone broke into your house in the middle of the night. You bolted out of bed only to find them at the end of the hall with your television in their arms and a gun in their hand. You may simply encourage them to get out of the house. Take the television ... just get out. But suppose as you bolted out of your bed, you looked down the hall and you saw to your horror an intruder with your child in tow. All of the sudden, things change. You beg and plead. You may even offer your own life so that your child will remain unharmed.

Principle: "What we are willing to give/endure directly shows where our values and priorities lie."

Is it not just as obvious where someone's values lie when in the face of death, they continue to express their love for God? As they willingly embrace the harsh reality of what came from a loving Heavenly Father's hands, doesn't it show that in their eyes God is highly esteemed? And in so doing, aren't they "glorifying God in their death?"

May Charlie Bevins stand as an example of how a true believer is to embrace whatever God allows into his or her life ... and glorify Him by maintaining an attitude of praise and adoration.