It was by faith that Moses’ parents hid him for three months when he was born. They saw that God had given them an unusual child, and they were not afraid to disobey the king’s command. 

—Hebrews 11:23

Scripture:

Hebrews 11:23 

All parents think their children are beautiful, but Moses was extraordinarily so. The Bible tells us that his parents “saw that God had given them an unusual child” (Hebrews 11:23 NLT). Or, as the New King James Version translates it, “He was a beautiful child.”

Apparently, Moses was exceptional in the way he looked. However, in the original language, the word translated “beautiful” also implies that he was cheerful. And when Stephen addressed the Sanhedrin, he said that Moses was “a beautiful child in God’s eyes” (Acts 7:20 NLT). In other words, God had a special purpose for his life.

So, not only was this child beautiful, but he had a purpose. God singled out Moses. And in the same way, God has a purpose for you, a special plan that is unique to you.

God called Jeremiah to be a prophet before Jeremiah was born. He said, “I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb. Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as my prophet to the nations” (Jeremiah 1:5 NLT).

That’s why it is such a tragedy in our world that so many lives of unborn children, living souls made in the image of God, have been taken. Among those millions there may have been someone to change our world, someone to make a significant impact on our culture.

The psalmist David wrote, “You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed” (Psalm 139:16 NLT).

Have you ever stopped and wondered why God has preserved you up to this point? Maybe you have had a close brush with death or an illness that you weren’t supposed to survive. Yet here you are right now. Just as God had a plan for Moses, God has a plan for you.

 Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live! 

—Deuteronomy 30:19

Scripture:

Deuteronomy 30:19 

Things happen in life that are bad, and they always will be bad. There are things that never should have happened, but they did. But despite the bad, God can still bring good.

The Bible promises, “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them” (Romans 8:28 NLT).

Yet this is often misunderstood. We mistakenly think it means that God will take every bad thing and turn it into a good thing.

What is God’s endgame, then? We find the answer to that question in the next verse: “For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters” (verse 29 NLT).

God knew us before we knew Him. And He chose us to become like His Son. This is our hope. Now, the devil doesn’t want this to happen. In fact, he wants us to abandon hope.

But Jesus wants us to abandon hopelessness; we can have hope as His followers. He said, “The thief’s [devil’s] purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life” (John 10:10 NLT).

We have a choice: we can either listen to the devil or listen to Jesus.

Don’t listen to the devil, because he is a liar and the father of lies (see John 8:44). He will whisper in your ear and say, “Your life is not worth living, and your family and friends would be better off without you.” Those are lies.

Your life is a gift from God, and it is worth living. And you are loved more than you realize.

The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life. 

—John 10:10

Scripture:

John 10:10 

Things happen in life that are bad, and they always will be bad. There are things that never should have happened, but they did. But despite the bad, God can still bring good.

The Bible promises, “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them” (Romans 8:28 NLT).

Yet this is often misunderstood. We mistakenly think it means that God will take every bad thing and turn it into a good thing.

What is God’s endgame, then? We find the answer to that question in the next verse: “For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters” (verse 29 NLT).

God knew us before we knew Him. And He chose us to become like His Son. This is our hope. Now, the devil doesn’t want this to happen. In fact, he wants us to abandon hope.

But Jesus wants us to abandon hopelessness; we can have hope as His followers. He said, “The thief’s [devil’s] purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life” (John 10:10 NLT).

We have a choice: we can either listen to the devil or listen to Jesus.

Don’t listen to the devil, because he is a liar and the father of lies (see John 8:44). He will whisper in your ear and say, “Your life is not worth living, and your family and friends would be better off without you.” Those are lies.

Your life is a gift from God, and it is worth living. And you are loved more than you realize.

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” 

—Acts 1:8

Scripture:

Acts 1:8 

From a human standpoint, there was no way the disciples were ready for such a task. Yet before Jesus ascended to Heaven, He gave these final words to them: “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8 NLT).

Their faith was weak. They had failed in their public witness and their private faith. Simon Peter, their acknowledged leader, had openly denied the Lord. So, how could they ever go and change the world?

They would do it with the power of the Holy Spirit, which they would have soon. Jesus was saying, “With the power that I am going to give to you, you will have power to share your faith, power to speak up and be counted, and power to turn your world upside down.”

The same power that was available to the first-century church is available to the twenty-first-century church as well. Speaking on the Day of Pentecost, the apostle Peter said, “This promise is to you, to your children, and to those far away—all who have been called by the Lord our God” (Acts 2:39 NLT).

So, where do we start? It’s a daunting task to think of going into all the world and preaching the gospel. But how about this? Go into all your world and preach the gospel. You don’t have to cross an ocean; you can simply cross the street.

How about starting with the people who live near you? How about starting with members of your family, your coworkers, or the students on your campus? Just start where you are.

If you want to reach the world, then start with your world.

Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. 

—Hebrews 10:24

Scripture:

Hebrews 10:24 

The church is the only organization that Jesus started. Jesus said He would build the church “and all the powers of hell will not conquer it” (Matthew 16:18 NLT). Every believer needs to be an active part of the church, because it is where we learn about God together.

It’s where we worship together, find accountability to one another, and discover and use our spiritual gifts. We simply cannot be the Christians God has called us to be without being part of the church.

Hebrews 10:24 tells us, “Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works” (NLT).

The J. B. Phillips translation of this verse says, “Let us think of one another and how we can encourage each other to love and do good deeds.”

My objective has never been to have a big church. My objective has always been to have a strong church and, even more to the point, a biblical church. However, if a church is not growing numerically, then something is wrong.

There should be church growth, and the best kind of growth is from new believers coming in. In fact, show me a church that doesn’t have a constant flow of new believers, and I will show you a church that is stagnating. We have a choice before us as the church, and that is to either evangelize or fossilize.

However, there are people who are disillusioned by the church today. In fact, it has become trendy to critique the church.

Now, do I think the church is perfect? No. Do I think the church has flaws? Yes. But the Bible says that Jesus loves the church. Therefore, I would never speak critically of that which Jesus loves. Jesus established the church, and we are to be part of it.

All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it. 

—1 Corinthians 12:27

Scripture:

1 Corinthians 12:27 

Every person in the church has an effect on it, for better or for worse.

If you are strong spiritually, then you build up the church a little more. If you are weak spiritually, you weaken it a little more. If you allow God to use you to touch lives, you help the church a little more. And if you’re compromising spiritually, you weaken it a little more. Every person has an effect.

Writing to the church in Corinth, the apostle Paul said, “If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad” (1 Corinthians 12:26 NLT).

But Paul also reproved this church because they were boasting about bringing in someone who claimed to be a believer but was living immorally. They were proud of how tolerant they were.

Paul told them, “You are so proud of yourselves, but you should be mourning in sorrow and shame. And you should remove this man from your fellowship” (1 Corinthians 5:2 NLT).

You matter in the church. Every person lifting their voice in worship matters. Every gift in the offering matters. And every act we do outside the church matters. If you’re a Christian, then you are an important part of the body of Christ.

We need to get rid of this me-first, what’s-in-it-for-me mindset and start thinking biblically. We need to start asking what we can do to help others and serve others. We need to ask how we can learn to resolve conflicts and maintain the unity that is in the church.

Instead of approaching church like a consumer looking to simply get in and get out every weekend, come in and use the gifts that God has given you.

It can change your life, and it can certainly change the way you see the church.

 When I thought how to understand this, it was too painful for me—until I went into the sanctuary of God; then I understood their end. 

—Psalm 73:16–17

Scripture:

Psalm 73:16–17 

Sometimes we wish the Christian life could be a constant state of euphoria in which we’re always experiencing God in some wonderful way.

But we need to realize that when we go to church, we won’t always have a strong sensation of God’s presence. We won’t always be deeply moved by a message. Then again, sometimes we will. When that happens, we can thank God for it.

Still, we don’t live for those times. We don’t depend on them. When we mature spiritually, we understand that we need to apply ourselves to the truths of God. We realize that we need to come down from our spiritual mountaintops to the valleys, to the real world of temptations, challenges, and trials.

Church should equip us, challenge us, and build us up. Something wonderful happens when God’s people come together for worship and Bible study. Jesus said, “For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them” (Matthew 18:20 NKJV).

Not only is God’s presence manifested in a unique way at church, but we often find a resolution for our problems while there. Or at least we gain a better perspective on how to deal with them.

The psalmist Asaph grappled with the age-old question of why the wicked prosper, and then it dawned on him: “When I thought how to understand this, it was too painful for me—until I went into the sanctuary of God; then I understood their end” (Psalm 73:16–17 NKJV).

In other words, “I didn’t understand why things are the way they are. But when I came into God’s presence to study His Word with His people, my questions came into their proper perspective.”

When we think about the greatness of God, when we remember the truths of God, it puts our problems in perspective.

Go back to what you heard and believed at first; hold to it firmly. Repent and turn to me again. 

—Revelation 3:3

Scripture:

Revelation 3:3 

Was there a time in your life when you were stronger spiritually than you are now? If there was, then you can return to that place again.

Think for a moment about what you did when you were a younger Christian. You probably read your Bible every day and had a prayer life. It’s likely that you were a regular at church and that you shared your faith. Do you still do those things?

Sometimes we have a breakdown in the basics of the Christian life, and we wonder what’s going wrong. It isn’t a mystery. We need to get back to doing those things again.

In the Book of Revelation, we find Jesus’ words to the church in Sardis: “I know all the things you do, and that you have a reputation for being alive—but you are dead. Wake up! Strengthen what little remains, for even what is left is almost dead. I find that your actions do not meet the requirements of my God. Go back to what you heard and believed at first; hold to it firmly. Repent and turn to me again” (3:1–3 NLT).

This is a picture of a church that needed to come back to life—to awaken and get back to its roots. And this is what we all want to do. But it starts individually.

If you want to see a revival, then you need to do revival-like things. It doesn’t matter whether you feel it; just do it. Emotions will catch up. Don’t wait for a big encounter with God or some emotional experience. That may happen, or it may not. To have a personal revival, you need to go back to the basics in your walk with Christ.

We can talk all day long about a spiritual awakening in America. We can talk all day long about revival. But it starts with each one of us.

I know your works. See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it; for you have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name 

—Revelation 3:8

Scripture:

Revelation 3:8 

In the Bible, a door is a symbol of opportunity and a key is a symbol of authority. The apostle Paul referred to this in 2 Corinthians 2: “When I came to the city of Troas to preach the Good News of Christ, the Lord opened a door of opportunity for me” (verse 12 NLT).

God opens doors. For example, maybe you’re having a conversation with someone, and suddenly they bring up something that is an open door to share the gospel. You want to be sure to go through that door.

Jesus has the key, and He opens the doors.

I’m glad that He has the keys, by the way. If I had the keys, they would be lost by now. But Jesus doesn’t lose the keys. He wants to open doors. God opened a door for Pastor Chuck Smith, who was at the epicenter of the Jesus Revolution, and he walked through it.

There are some things that only God can do, and there are some things that only we can do. God will open a door, but we must walk through it. In the church, we want our doors open. We don’t want to put up a wall where God has put a bridge. We want to be stepping stones, not stumbling blocks, to people coming to Christ. It should never be difficult for people to come to Him.

Someone might show up at church who lives a certain lifestyle or dresses in a way that makes some Christians uncomfortable. But they need to hear the gospel. And our job is to call them to Christ.

We don’t say, “Clean up your life and come to Christ.” Rather, we say, “Come to Christ, and He will clean up your life.”

The church should be a hospital for sinners, not a museum for saints.

Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed—in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 

—1 Corinthians 15:51–52

Scripture:

1 Corinthians 15:51–52 

An earmark of the early days of the Jesus Movement and of the first-century church was a belief in the imminent return of Jesus Christ.

I believe that Jesus Christ is coming again. I believe we are now seeing the signs accelerating, reminding us that Bible prophecy is being fulfilled before our very eyes. And I believe that the next event on the prophetic calendar will be the rapture of the church, when we’re caught up to meet the Lord in the air in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye.

The Bible clearly points out that Christ will return. In fact, New Testament writers mention Christ’s return no less than 318 times. Statistically, one out of every twenty-five verses in the New Testament speaks of Jesus’ return.

God wants us to get this message. Jesus said it clearly: “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also” (John 14:3 NKJV).

If you believe this, then it will affect the way that you live. The Bible says those who have this hope of the Lord’s return “will keep themselves pure, just as he is pure” (1 John 3:3 NLT).

When you were a child and got into trouble, maybe your mother gave you this ominous warning: “Just wait until your father gets home.” You were dreading your dad’s arrival. On the other hand, if you were well-behaved, you probably ran out to greet him when you heard his car pull into the driveway.

The same is true of our attitude toward Christ’s return. If we’re right with God, then we will be excited about and looking forward to the return of Jesus. We want to be ready. We want to be watching.

Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land. 

—2 Chronicles 7:14

Scripture:

2 Chronicles 7:14 

When we look at the breakdown in our culture, we’re quick to point the finger at Hollywood or the politicians in Washington, DC. They may all play a role in it to some degree. But when God sees the breakdown of a nation, He doesn’t point His finger at the White House. He points it at His house.

In 2 Chronicles 7:14, God says, “Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land” (nlt).

Of course, we gravitate toward the last part of the verse that talks about restoring our land. But let’s notice that at the beginning of this verse, God says, “If my people . . .” That means you. That means me.

Yes, there are people doing evil, horrible things today. But what about us? Do we need to humble ourselves and seek His face and turn from our wicked ways?

According to Scripture, that is the prescription for revival.

During the Jesus Revolution, the Holy Spirit was at work. There was a sense of expectancy in the church services. No one was late for church. There was a sense of anticipation about what God was going to do. And this is the same Holy Spirit that set the first-century church in motion.

God’s Holy Spirit wants to work in our lives. The question is, do we want Him to work? The Bible says, “Do not quench the Spirit” (1 Thessalonians 5:19 NKJV).

Sometimes God’s Holy Spirit will nudge us to do a certain thing or go to a certain place, and we’ll say no. That is quenching the Spirit. Don’t do that. If we want another spiritual awakening, then we need the Holy Spirit at work in our lives, empowering us, filling us.

Tell your children about it in the years to come, and let your children tell their children. Pass the story down from generation to generation. 

—Joel 1:3

Scripture:

Joel 1:3 

Some years ago, I was having a conversation with Pastor Chuck Smith, who has been called the father of the Jesus Movement. He was a man whom God used, someone who was willing to take a risk. And he was at the epicenter of this Great Awakening.

I asked Pastor Chuck if he thought we would ever see another Jesus Movement.

“Greg,” he said, “I’m not sure if we’re desperate enough.”

That was awhile ago. And I think we now may be desperate enough to start seriously praying about it. The psalmist prayed, “Won’t you revive us again, so your people can rejoice in you?” (Psalm 85:6 NLT).

Maybe you’re thinking, “Well, that was then. This is now.”

It’s our responsibility to pass our faith on to the next generation. Speaking through the prophet Joel, God said, “Tell your children about it in the years to come, and let your children tell their children. Pass the story down from generation to generation” (Joel 1:3 NLT).

Our prayer should be “Lord, do it again.” My generation has had its day, and now it’s time for the next generation to have their own spiritual awakening.

Amazingly, the Jesus Movement was not a political revolution, although some called for that (and some are calling for it today). It was not a moral revolution. It was a Jesus Revolution, as Time magazine called it. They recognized it was more than a movement.

The word revolution means “upheaval,” “change.” It means “turning around.” And what are we returning to? We’re returning to New Testament Christianity, to the faith the Lord gave us, practiced by the early church.

To his eternal credit, Pastor Chuck Smith stepped out of his comfort zone, and it was an explosive result. Today we need another spiritual awakening. We need another Jesus Revolution.

 Will You not revive us again, that Your people may rejoice in You? 

—Psalm 85:6

Scripture:

Psalm 85:6 

The United States of America is at a crossroads. Our nation is unraveling before our very eyes because we have rejected what God says in His Word. The closest parallel to today that I can think of would be the 1960s and early 1970s.

I was born in 1952. Elvis was still singing, Marilyn Monroe was on the screen, and Ike was president. Of course, decades have come and gone since then, but when I look at the young generation of today, it reminds me a lot of what was happening during my youth.

We have a drug epidemic sweeping our nation. We have 300 fentanyl deaths every day. This drug revolution started in the 1960s, propagated by the mentality of turn on, tune in, drop out. We basically smoked a lot of marijuana and took LSD.

Ironically, those are also the two most popular drugs right now. Marijuana use is up, so much so that more people smoke pot than cigarettes. And in the wake of many states legalizing it, experts have warned of a cannabis use disorder that causes psychosis and addiction.

Now add social media to all these things our young people are dealing with, and it’s like pouring gasoline on a fire. It amplifies everything. Self-harm among young people is up 334 percent. The suicide rate in the United States has increased 30 percent since 2000 and has tripled for young girls. This generation needs help.

As believers, we should commit to doing anything we can to change this course, call people to Christ, and pray for a mighty spiritual awakening to sweep our nation and beyond.

Now, we don’t decide when a revival happens. God does. We can’t organize it, but we can agonize for it in prayer. We can get our hearts ready. Revival starts with you. It starts with me. It starts with us as the church. And it begins right where we are.

 The generous soul will be made rich, and he who waters will also be watered himself. 

—Proverbs 11:25

Scripture:

Proverbs 11:25 

Show me a church that doesn’t have a flow of new believers coming in, and I will show you a church that is stagnating. New believers help older believers stay on their feet spiritually. New believers are the lifeblood of the church.

The Great Commission not only involves going out and preaching the gospel. It also includes making disciples of all nations (see Matthew 28:19–20).

This means that to the best of our ability, we seek to lead people to Christ and help them grow spiritually. New believers will ask you questions about things you’ve forgotten. They’ll motivate you to study your Bible as never before.

And, of course, newer believers need older believers to temper them, keep them strong, and help them develop a good foundation in their faith.

I have found that as I give out to others, God replenishes me. When you think of someone else, when you share the Word of God with them and encourage them, you will find that God refreshes you in the process.

The first-century church understood this. It was an evangelistic church. As people watched these believers learning, caring, worshipping, and praying, it drew them in. The Bible tells us that “each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved” (Acts 2:47 NLT). And they helped young Christians grow in the faith.

There was continual evangelism in the early church, and there was no apology for it. This is the church that turned their world upside down.

Yet it seems to me that nowadays, the world is turning the church upside down. It seems to me that the world impacts us more than we impact the world because we are ashamed to be the church.

Let’s be what we are without apology: thankful that God has called us to be a part of it.

 For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them 

—Matthew 18:20

Scripture:

Matthew 18:20 

I came to Christ initially because I saw a bunch of Christians worshipping the Lord on my high school campus. I was just a kid who was into drugs, and I had no direction in life. But one day as I was walking across my high school campus, I noticed a group of Christians sitting on the front lawn and singing songs.

The very weirdness of it interested me. Why were they singing songs about God at lunchtime on the front lawn? I sat down far enough away to avoid looking like I was one of them. But I made sure that I was close enough to eavesdrop on what they were doing. And as I watched them sing their simple songs about God, I was moved by it.

Something extraordinary happens when God’s people get together and sing His praises. Jesus said, “For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them” (Matthew 18:20 NKJV).

Jesus wasn’t saying that God only shows up when people worship. God is omnipresent; He is everywhere. But God manifests His presence in a special way when His people lift up His name in praise and worship.

The first-century church was a worshipping church. Acts 2 tells us “they worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity—all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people” (verses 46–47 NLT).

It is a powerful testimony to the world when a Christian can praise God despite hardship. Christians face the same hardships that nonbelievers face. But when they see us praising God despite adverse circumstances, when they see us honoring the Lord, that is a powerful testimony. Our worship can be a witness.

We proclaim to you what we ourselves have actually seen and heard so that you may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. 

—1 John 1:3

Scripture:

1 John 1:3 

When I find a good restaurant, I want to take my friends or family there. I also like suggesting the best things to order because I like to see them discover what I’ve discovered.

In the same way, when we’re learning God’s Word and receiving a blessing from it as a result, we want to share it with others. Fellowship is more than socializing. We may talk about all kinds of things at church, but our primary reason is to talk about the things of God.

Acts 2 tells us that the first-century believers “devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer” (verse 42 NLT).

The word “fellowship” comes from the Greek word koinonia, which we could translate as “partnership,” “communion,” or “fellowship.” Its meaning is quite expansive. But the idea is that as these followers of Christ learned the Word of God, they wanted to share it with others.

God likes it when we talk about Him together. Malachi 3:16 says, “Then those who feared the Lord spoke with each other, and the Lord listened to what they said” (NLT).

God pays attention when we speak His name. He bends down and listens.

Fellowship is praying together. It is serving together. It is growing and aging together. These are the fibers of fellowship. The apostle John wrote, “We proclaim to you what we ourselves have actually seen and heard so that you may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ” (1 John 1:3 NLT)

When you’re walking with God, you will want to spend time with God’s people. But if you are not walking with God, then you probably won’t want to be around God’s people.

Fellowship with God and fellowship with other believers go together.

 All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer 

—Acts 2:42

Scripture:

Acts 2:42 

Luke, the author of Acts, could have brought a lot of things to our attention about the early church. After all, first-century believers were vibrant and joyful, and the church was rapidly expanding. But he made a point of reminding us that they studied God’s Word together.

In chapter 2 he wrote, “All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer” ( verse 42 NLT).

It could have been a temptation for the first-century believers to look back with great fondness on Pentecost and say, “Why can’t every service be like Pentecost? Remember the Spirit coming upon us and the divided flames of fire? Remember all the languages we spoke in?”

Though Pentecost was the explosion that started the engine, it was time to drive the car. And the early church reveled in the Word of God.

What is true of the church should be true of us as individuals. If you have no interest in the Bible, if you find it boring, then maybe you should ask yourself whether you know God as you really ought to.

The Bible is alive and powerful. Hebrews 4:12 tells us, “For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires” (NLT).

Martin Luther said, “The Bible is alive, it speaks to me; it has feet, it runs after me; it has hands, it lays hold on me.”

A trend in the church today is to disregard or marginalize the study of Scripture. The first-century church, however, studied doctrine. And if we’re not careful with our doctrine, we might end up loving the wrong Jesus or believing the wrong things.

The early church loved the Word of God. And so should we.

 And you are living stones that God is building into his spiritual temple. What’s more, you are his holy priests. Through the mediation of Jesus Christ, you offer spiritual sacrifices that please God. 

—1 Peter 2:5

Scripture:

1 Peter 2:5 

Some are saying that we need to reenvision the church for today. I disagree. I don’t think we need to reenvision it; I think we need to rediscover it.

We don’t need to redefine what God already has defined. We need to get back to the way church was in the beginning because this is the church that turned the world upside down.

Some people are anti-church. They say things like, “I don’t believe in organized religion. I’m just a very spiritual person. Besides, there are so many hypocrites in the church.” If that is your attitude, then the devil’s ploys have worked very effectively in your life.

Jesus told a story, or parable, about the wheat and the tares. A farmer planted a crop of wheat, but in the evening his adversary came along and planted tares among the wheat. Tares initially look just like wheat, but as time passes, they actually can uproot the wheat.

Wherever there’s something genuine, there will be an imitation. Whenever something has been done well, someone else will do their version of it. Yet imitations remind us that the genuine is out there.

As we look at the first-century church, we see they had hypocrites too. They had heresies. They even had some pretty radical immorality being practiced in their midst.

Yet we should know that Jesus Christ is committed to the church. It is the only organization that He ever started, and there is really nothing in the world like the church. The church has many critics but no rivals.

The secret of the early church was that every Christian believed they were called to do their part. Every person mattered.

We shouldn’t be spectators in the church; we should be participants. It’s easy to play armchair quarterback. But it’s another thing altogether to be on the field as part of the team. That is where God wants all of us to be.

The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent. 

—2 Peter 3:9

Scripture:

2 Peter 3:9 

When I became a Christian in the early 1970s, everyone was talking about the return of Jesus. We were praying, “Lord, come back!” I’m sure that everyone who has come to Christ since the 1970s is glad that God didn’t answer that prayer.

The first-century church had a job to do, and so do we. Jesus said, “The Father alone has the authority to set those dates and times, and they are not for you to know. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:7–8 NLT).

Jesus gave this statement in response to a question from the disciples: “Lord, has the time come for you to free Israel and restore our kingdom?” (verse 6 NLT). Many of the people, including the disciples, had a misguided notion about Jesus. They thought that as Messiah, Jesus came to establish the kingdom of God on earth at that time.

That’s why it seemed like a mistake when Jesus was crucified. So they were saying, “Okay, Lord, we’re so glad that You’re alive again. Are You going to establish the kingdom now?”

In effect Jesus told them, “I’m not going to establish My earthly kingdom right now. That’s coming later. Stop focusing on when I’m returning and instead focus on what you are to do until I return.”

We, too, need to focus on what we’re supposed to be doing while we await Christ’s return. Bible prophecy should not inflate our brains; it should enlarge our hearts. And if we really understand what Bible prophecy is about, then it should cause us to want to live godly lives.

Jesus’ words in Acts 1:7–8 were not exclusively for first-century believers. We are still called to tell people about Jesus everywhere.

In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father. 

—Matthew 5:16

Scripture:

Matthew 5:16 

A Sunday school teacher said to her class of young students, “Can any of you tell me what a saint is?” One of the girls in the class thought about some stained glass windows of the apostles that she saw. So she said, “Those are people that the light shines through.”

That is true. We might be tempted to put people like Peter, James, John, Matthew, and Paul on pedestals. When we read about them in the Bible, they seem like superhuman individuals. But they were ordinary people like us. They made mistakes, and the Bible is honest about the mistakes they made.

But they also were saints. And if you are a Christian, then you’re a saint too. Saint is simply another word for a follower of Jesus Christ.

The greatness of the disciples wasn’t because of who they were. It was because God’s hand was on them. The apostle Paul wrote, “Remember, dear brothers and sisters, that few of you were wise in the world’s eyes or powerful or wealthy when God called you. Instead, God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful” (1 Corinthians 1:26–27 NLT).

These weren’t perfect people; they were ordinary people. But God did extraordinary things through ordinary people. God seems to go out of His way to choose unexpected people to go to unexpected places to do unexpected things.

Jesus did not call the apostles because they were great; they were great because Jesus called them. It is not the instrument but the One who holds the instrument. Before we can change the world, Jesus must first change us. Then God can take us, despite our flaws and shortcomings, and use us for His glory.