Boldness For Christ July 2, 2016

Acts 6:10 (NIV)

10 But they could not stand up against the wisdom the Spirit gave him as he spoke.

Acts 6:10 tells us that opposition to the gospel could not stand up against his (Stephen’s) wisdom or the Spirit by which he spoke. I remember a turning point in my walk with Christ when I was faced with standing up for what I believed God was telling me to do. For years I avoided conflict; I was a people-pleaser and would even get stomach aches if I had to take a stand. After I broke through my fear of man, my life in Christ changed significantly. The enemy tries to hold us back from boldness in Christ by reminding us that we may be rejected, not liked, or misunderstood. Breaking free of his tormenting thoughts was like being delivered by an angel similar to that in Acts 5:19 when the prison doors were opened for the Apostles. When they got out of jail, they were free to preach the full message of life in Christ. (Acts 5:20)

Are you free enough to do this? Proverbs 29:25 says that the fear of man will prove to be a snare. Are you ensnared by the fear of man? Ask the Lord to make you a God-pleaser and not a people-pleaser. God will deliver you from fear of man, and no opposition will be able to stand against the wisdom of God in you. You will be free to share the full message of life in Christ.

Thought for today: What prevents me from talking boldly about what I believe?

Using God Given Gifts July 1, 2016

Romans 12:6 (NIV)

6 We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith;

No one person could have accomplished the work of repairing the walls and gates of Jerusalem. Nehemiah’s effective leadership helped him survey the damage, prepare a plan, and seek the cooperation of the people to carry it out. He formulated a plan and then sought people for assignments according their gifts. He knew it would take craftsmen, priests, and a vast array of people to accomplish the task. As the leader, he had the awesome job to identify who was to do what job according to their skills and gifts. As the body of Christ, we must work together to do the work of the kingdom.

We must identify our gifts and be willing to use them for the glory of God.

Paul, in his letter to the Romans, describes the body of Christ and how it functions: Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. (Romans 12:4)

Recently I attended a conference in St. Louis, Missouri. I am not a seasoned traveler, and my friend, a flight attendant for almost 30 years, accompanied me. Due to poor weather conditions, our plane was delayed, and suddenly there was pandemonium as thousands of people were going to miss their connections. My friend used both her professional experience and her communication gifts to negotiate alternative plans. Watching her during this real-life turmoil reminded me of the body of Christ and the value of working together. She used her travel experience to ensure our return home. It was a negotiation for which I had no experience, and had I been by myself, I would still be in St. Louis! Nehemiah joined the people in the work of rebuilding the walls, each using his or her gift to the glory of God. We are also called to work together as members of one body, each with different gifts to build God’s kingdom.

Thought for today:  How do I utilize my gifts?

Front Lines June 30, 2016

2 Samuel 5:2 (NIV)

2 In the past, while Saul was king over us, you were the one who led Israel on their military campaigns. And the Lord said to you, ‘You will shepherd my people Israel, and you will become their ruler.’”

David led the people in battle while Saul was king over Israel. The Lord told David that he would shepherd the people of Israel and become their king. David continued to fight with his army as their leader when he became king. II Samuel 5 describes how David and his men captured the

“fortress of Zion,” the city of David, known as Jerusalem. Courageous leaders are willing to fight alongside their soldiers. They are willing to be on the front line of battle while fighting for their beliefs. When David chose not to go with his army to war, he got into trouble. His leadership suffered as he sought to cover up his affair with Bathsheba and made plans to have her husband killed. 

Leaders who are unwilling to be part of the battle to which they are called can find themselves in compromising positions. Temptation overtook David when he left his place of obedience. As leaders, we must be willing to fight on the front lines until the battle is won!

Where has God called you to be a leader? Have you been willing to lead others as a fellow worker, or have you been unwilling to get in the middle of the work and the battles? As a leader, we must never set ourselves above others. We are called to work humbly with others, setting an example of servant leadership. David fought alongside those he led because he did not consider himself more highly than others. Jesus is our prime example of servant leadership: Who being in the nature of God did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made Himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant… (Philippians 2:6-7)

Who are you leading? Are you willing to take front line leadership and humbly serve others?

Thought for today:   Do I lead by example

Our Provision and Example June 29, 2016

Genesis 15:2 (NIV)

2 But Abram said, “Sovereign Lord, what can you give me since I remain childless and the one who will inherit my estate is Eliezer of Damascus?”

The first time we see the name Adonai used is in Genesis 15:2 where Abram calls on Adonai Jehovah to give him the assurance that God’s promise to bless him would be fulfilled. He cries out to Adonai and says, “What can you give me since I remain childless?” Adonai begins to reveal that He is Abram’s Provision as He promises to give him a son and offspring as numerous as the stars. As we grow in our understanding of Adonai as our Provision, we learn to trust Him. We become confident that He has the resources and ability to provide for our needs, and we learn that we can call on Him when we are in need. In many ways, the parent/child relationship is similar to our relationship with Adonai. I remember a time when one of my children asked me to do something that was out of the range of possibility for me. When I hesitated, she said, “But Mom, you can do anything!” She had complete confidence that I could, would, and had the resources to do it!

The Old Testament Hebrew Adonai is the counterpart for the Greek New Testament “Kurios” (Lord). Jesus Christ is the Christian’s Lord and Master.

“Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am” (John 13:13 KJV).

Do you know Jesus as your Lord and Master? You may know Him as Savior and as Redeemer, but do you know Him as Adonai? Today, He is calling you into a deeper relationship with Him as Lord. Are you willing to surrender?

Thought for today: Do I allow God to reign over all of my life?

The Parable Of The Mustard Seed June 28, 2016

Matthew 13:31-32 (NIV)

31 He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. 32 Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches.”

The mustard seed that is planted in this parable has two inherent qualities. First, it is the smallest seed used by the Israelites, yet it could grow into a plant as large as a tree. Second, the seed has pungent, biting, burning properties. Both of these traits have significance as Jesus compared a mustard seed to His kingdom. The mustard seed’s unusual growth is unnatural, and so it is with believers as we grow in Christ. It is a supernatural growth, both in individual believers and in the Church worldwide – the Church that provides shelter and a haven for a lost world. Also, just as the pungent, biting, and burning trait of the mustard seed is used in seasoning, so the message of God’s kingdom is used in transforming society.

When I think of the smallness of the mustard seed, I think of humility. God’s Word teaches us that He gives grace to the humble (James 4:6) and produces growth and power beyond human reasoning so that we can have an impact on the world in which we are sown. When I look at my mustard seed of faith I am reminded of God’s Word: If you have the faith as small as a mustard seed you can say to this mulberry tree be uprooted and planted in the sea, and it will obey you. (Luke 17:6) Jesus told this to his disciples after they asked him to increase their faith. I can identify with mustard seed faith because at times my faith seems so small. It is harder, however, for me to identify with my mustard seed of faith as being able to move a tree! Yet this is what Jesus says.

Our faith may be as small as a mustard seed, but like that little seed, it can grow supernaturally into a huge tree by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Perhaps you have looked at your faith as being so small you might as well bury it and not bother to water it. Pray for God to increase your faith, water it with prayer and the reading of God’s Word, and like the mustard seed in the parable, it will grow. Remember that it only takes the faith of a mustard seed to move mountains: I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed you can say to this mountain, move from here to there and it will move.

Nothing will be impossible for you. (Matthew 17:20)

Thought for today:   Do I limit my faith potential based on my insecurities?

Living in Harmony June 27, 2016

1 Peter 3:8 (NIV)

8 Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble.

We are to live in harmony with sympathy, compassion and humility. Scripture encourages us to do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers. (Galatians 6:10) Earlier, Peter told the readers to live their lives before men abstaining from sin, and becoming an example to the unbeliever. Christ becomes a person with human hands and a human heart when we show His love by reaching out to others. What a privilege it is to share Christ with others and to love people where they are. This does not mean that as Christians we are to compromise our beliefs in any way. I Peter continues by exhorting us not to repay evil for evil or insult for insult. This is difficult to do, but that does not excuse us from being obedient to God’s Word.

Who today needs your sympathy, your compassion, your love? God’s Word is clear that you must reach out to those in need, especially to the family of believers. Ask the Lord to show you who needs you to come alongside them and be willing to go the extra mile to show them Christ’s love.

Thought for today: Do I consistently shop compassion?

Given Righteousness June 26, 2016

Genesis 15:4-6 (NIV)

4 Then the word of the Lord came to him: “This man will not be your heir, but a son who is your own flesh and blood will be your heir.” 5 He took him outside and said, “Look up at the sky and count the stars—if indeed you can count them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.”

6 Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness.

Paul writes that if justification by faith proved true for Abraham, it was also true for the Jews and the Gentiles and for us today. When we put our hope and faith in Jesus Christ, when we choose to believe that He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised from the dead (Romans

4:24), we are given a credit statement that says “paid in full.” I am always elated when my credit card statement has a zero balance. By believing in Jesus Christ, God writes across the statement of our lives “debt canceled!”

We are credited with righteousness and justified before God. God’s grace and His unmerited favor are imputed to us, and we can only offer ourselves back to Him in gratitude. Undeserving as we are, we can offer ourselves to the Lord as “living sacrifices” (Romans 12:1) and freely surrender to the God of grace.

Each time I read Genesis 15: 4-6, I am reminded that Abraham not only believed in God, He believed God. You see, we can believe that God exists, that He is the Creator of the universe. We can believe in His Son, sent to die for our sins, but we must go one step further and believe God – that is, believe in His promises and believe that His Word is true. Abraham was an old man and his wife Sarai was beyond child bearing years, but Abraham, knowing and believing in God, also believed God’s Word, and he was credited with righteousness.

Do you believe God? Do you believe that what He has told you He will fulfill? What promise are you waiting for God to fulfill? Today chose to trust and believe God.

Thought for today: Can I surrender my will enough to trust God?