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.

Worship is costly

DAILY BIBLE READING:

2 Samuel 23:24–24:25 
Acts 3:1-26 
Psalm 123:1-4 
Proverbs 16:21-23

BIBLE VERSE(S) FOR TODAY:

2 Samuel 24:24 "The king answered Araunah, 'No, I insist on buying it from you for a price, for I will not offer to the Lord my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing.' David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for twenty ounces of silver."

REFLECTIONS ON TODAY'S BIBLE VERSE(S):

The principle spoken in our Verse for today is transferable. That means that it powerfully applies to us today, too.

The story in which these words were uttered involves a sin. The people of Israel and their king had done things that brought God's discipline upon them. At the conclusion, King David wanted to worship his God by offering a sacrifice. The man who owned the property where David wanted to build the alter offered to give everything to David. But, the king didn't want to worship his God with stuff that was given to him. He wanted his worship to be something that "cost (him)" something.

We are an egocentric bunch, aren't we. Our world revolves around ourselves. And our worship isn't immune to this mindset. We want to worship God in our own way and we ultimately want it to satisfy us. Little do we think that our ultimate aim should be the satisfaction of our God.

So, instead of worship costing us something, we actually want it to reward us.

Now, understand this: Worship is intended to be satisfying to the worshiper. It is supposed to be enjoyable. But it's ultimate aim is not self-centered. It is supposed to be God-centered. And the greatest way that we can demonstrate God's worth in worship is not by saying, "What can worship do for me?" but "What can I give to make my worship enjoyable to God?"

It should cost us something.

What should it cost us? What can we give to our God that He doesn't already have?

Ourselves!

Worship that is pleasing to God is worship in which we offer up our lives. We offer up the moments of our days. We offer up everything that we claim as our own. And we do this as we submit to God's authority over our life, giving Him 'permission' to do with us as He pleases.

Are you willing to worship God in a way that costs you something? If not, it's not really biblical worship.

Gladness in God's house

DAILY BIBLE READING:

2 Samuel 22:1–23:23 
Acts 2:1-47 
Psalm 122:1-9 
Proverbs 16:19-20

BIBLE VERSE(S) FOR TODAY:

Psalm 122:1 "I rejoiced with those who said to me, 'Let us go to the house of the Lord.'"

REFLECTIONS ON TODAY'S BIBLE VERSE(S):

In the Old Testament, "the house of the Lord" was the temple. It was a building that was designated for the purpose of worship. If the people wanted to come into God's presence, they went to the temple ("the house of the Lord").

But, after Jesus ascended into Heaven (Acts 1:9-11) and the Holy Spirit came down (John 14:16, 26; 15:26; Acts 2; etc.), the Holy Spirit took up residence within the bodies of believers (Romans 8:9; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20). And according to that last Scriptural reference, our bodies are now the "temple of the Holy Spirit" (a.k.a. "the house of the Lord"). Our bodies are now the place where we worship the Lord.

That brings up two very important points:

1). Our worship is no longer limited to a time and location. We are to worship our Lord in each moment of every day in whatever location we find ourselves in (1 Corinthians 10:31).

2). The church building is not the place of worship. The church is actually a called out group of believers. It is the body of believers who gather for corporate worship, mutual encouragement, needed accountability, and so much more. While our worship is not limited to our gathered times, we realize that the Christian life was never intended to be lived alone - we need each other.

So, our Verse for Today should apply in two ways:

1). We should desire to be glad all the time because we ARE the house of the Lord.

2). We should desire to be glad every time we prepare to gather with other believers in our respective churches because in a very special way we get to experience our God with our family of friends.

Psalm 122:1 "I rejoiced with those who said to me, 'Let us go to the house of the Lord.'"

Jesus' last words

DAILY BIBLE READING:

2 Samuel 20:14–21:22 
Acts 1:1-26 
Psalm 121:1-8 
Proverbs 16:18 

BIBLE VERSE(S) FOR TODAY:

Acts 1:8 (CSB) "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."

REFLECTIONS ON TODAY'S BIBLE VERSE(S):

Someone's last words are particularly meaningful. 

As a minister, there have been many times that I have gathered with family as a dear loved one was nearing death's door. On those occasions that the loved one knew that they were dying, the things they chose to tell their family and friends before passing away carried a lot of significance. Why? Because they were saying things that they perceived to be of utmost importance before the final goodbye was said.

When we get to our Verse for the Day, we read in Acts 1:8 Jesus' last words. It was after He said these words that He departed into Heaven where He has remained until this day.

Acts 1:8 (CSB) "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."

Since these were Jesus' last words, that are extremely significant. If we got nothing else, these words are what He wants us to remember.

So, what was He saying? 

That we have a message. 

That message is the Gospel (Jesus' died as the substitute of everyone who will place their trust in Him. His death, burial, and resurrection are more than sufficient to wipe our sin debt clean and empower us to live a God-honoring life empowered by His Holy Spirit. He will be our eternal reward in Heaven when we die.). 

The world needs the Gospel but we would be ineffective if it were not for God's empowerment. 

That empowerment came when the Holy Spirit began filling every believer. 

As we are filled, we need to get the Gospel out in our local city ("Jerusalem"), our community/state ("Judea"), the region just beyond where people are different from us ("Samaria"), and the rest of the world ("to the end of the earth").

This isn't just a passing verse that can be brushed over. They are Jesus' last words. By saying them last, He intended to put extreme significance on them. So, we had better be about the business of doing what He told us to do.

Praying for relief in times of distress

DAILY BIBLE READING:

2 Samuel 19:11–20:13 
John 21:1-25 
Psalm 120:1-7 
Proverbs 16:16-17

BIBLE VERSE(S) FOR TODAY:

Psalm 120:1 "In my distress I called to the Lord, and he answered me."

REFLECTIONS ON TODAY'S BIBLE VERSE(S):

The Verse for Today is powerful and refreshing. While the Lord has His own reasons for sometimes not giving us the relief we pray so passionately for, it is also true that He sometimes moves in response to our prayers and helps us in our time of trouble.

And for those who have seen God provide help in times of distress, they realize that the true blessing is not the relief - it's the realization that our God loves us and hears our cries.

Praise His Name!

Simon Sinek on Leadership

This video provides some very powerful, and thought-provoking, insights into leadership.

God is happy

DAILY BIBLE READING:

2 Samuel 18:1–19:10 
John 20:1-31 
Psalm 119:153-176 
Proverbs 16:14-15

BIBLE VERSE(S) FOR TODAY:

Proverbs 16:15 "When a king’s face lights up, there is life; his favor is like a cloud with spring rain."

REFLECTIONS ON TODAY'S BIBLE VERSE(S):

To understand our Verse for Today, we have to use our informed imaginations and put ourselves in the time period in which it was written.

Kings were not simply figureheads like what we see in present-day England. They were the ultimate authority. Their rule was sovereign. They did whatever they pleased with plenty of power to enforce compliance. There was no Congress or Supreme Court to create a balance of powers. All power resided in the king and whatever he said or did (right or wrong) could not be stopped.

With this kind of unchecked authority, you can imagine how terrifying it would be to live in a kingdom with a wicked-hearted king. He could enslave some of his people, confiscate their property, and even order someone's death with no recourse. The people of the kingdom would comply with his every word - but they would be motivated by fear.

However, there have always been those kingdoms in history who were ruled by monarchs who were capable of enjoying life. They laughed and smiled. And when their citizens saw those reactions, it was "like a cloud with spring rain." They knew that at least while the king was smiling, he would tend to make decisions that they would find pleasant.

Kings that were upset or discouraged tended to make decisions that hurt their people. Kings that were happy tended to make decisions that blessed their people.

Well, friend, when you look Heavenward and, in your minds eye, see your King of kings, what do you see? If your mind is informed by Scripture, you will see King Jesus smiling on His throne. (If you doubt this, purchase the excellent book, "Happiness," written by Randy Alcorn and jump to Section 2: "The Happiness of God." The author does an incredible job of presenting Scripture after Scripture that demonstrates that God is incredibly happy.)

So, as Jesus smiles while He reigns on His throne, we can find in His expression much comfort and peace for our hearts. He is happy because His will is being carried out. He is happy because He has glorified the Father. He is happy because He is drawing people to Himself. He is happy because no matter what happens to us, He is working it out for our ultimate good. He is happy because Heaven awaits all of those who have or will trust in Him.

On and on we can go. Our God is a happy God. Jesus, our King, is smiling on His throne. Just realizing that one truth can inject so much peace and hope into our minds and hearts. So, reflect on that thought today.

Proverbs 16:15 "When a king’s face lights up, there is life; his favor is like a cloud with spring rain."