Power To Speak

April 15 (Acts 2:4)

And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.  (ESV)

The last words of Jesus before He ascended into heaven were that His disciples were to go into all the world and teach all that He had taught them (Matthew 28:19-20).  He told them they would receive the power of the Holy Spirit to accomplish that mission (Acts 1:8).  And guess what?  He told the truth, for that is exactly what happened when the Holy Spirit filled the disciples with the power to speak in other languages so that everyone could understand the good news.

As we talked about this recently with the second through fifth graders at our church, the children began talking about the super powers they would like to have.  I was squarely in the camp of those wanting super speed or the ability to fly.  Yet notice that when God gave the power of the Holy Spirit to His people, it was not to accomplish a comic book feat of heroism.  With all the power of God Almighty, what was it they were able to do?  They were able to speak so that others could know about Jesus.

Of all the wonderful things you may be able to do, things that please God because He gave you the ability to do them, nothing pleases Him more than when you tell others about His love for them through Jesus Christ.  That’s it.  That is what the first disciples did when the power of the Holy Spirit came upon them.  They started talking.  And as one disciple told someone and that person became a disciple, too, the conversation has never stopped.  If you are a disciple of Jesus Christ, then you, too, have the same Holy Spirit living in you, and God has given Him to you for the same reason, so that you may have the power to tell others about Him.

Lord, I often ask You for more of this or that, but when it comes to being equipped to tell others about the love, forgiveness, and redemption available through Jesus, I already have all that I need.  May I use this amazing power so that every single person who knows me may know the love You have in store for them.  I ask this in the name of Jesus, Who has commanded me to speak.  Amen.

Copyright © 2018 by Steven R. Perkins

You Are An Evangelist

February 25 (Romans 10:13-14)

For “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”  But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him?  And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him?  And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them?  (NLT)

No one wants to be a Benedict Arnold in a relationship or a Hitler at work, and everyone would like to be an Einstein when it comes to math.  Some names will forever be associated with certain things, and when it comes to evangelism, the name that forms the standard in the modern era is Billy Graham.  He died last week, although in his own words he would say that he merely changed addresses.  Few people lived their faith as boldly and consistently as he did, and some have remarked that we are unlikely to see another evangelist like him.  And you know what?  We will never see another evangelist like you, either.

God gave Billy Graham certain gifts.  What made him so special was that he developed and used those gifts to the full.  God has given you your own gifts, but His purpose is the same.  He wants us to use our gifts to glorify Him by helping to build His kingdom, and we do that by sharing the good news about Jesus with others.  It is our calling, just as much as it was Billy Graham’s, to let people know that true life, eternal life, can be theirs through a relationship with Jesus Christ.

Paul spoke challenging words to the Romans.  Imagine him challenging you.  How will your co-workers, your neighbors, and your family call on Jesus for salvation and come to believe in Him unless someone tells them about Him?  You are the evangelist God has called to their lives, and you have work to do.

Lord, I owe You everything.  I owe you my life from birth and my eternal life from my rebirth in You.  Open my lips and free my tongue from whatever fears and hesitations have ever prevented me from telling others of Your amazing love.  Help me to be the evangelist You have called me to be in the lives to which You have sent me.  I ask in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Copyright © 2018 by Steven R. Perkins

The Privilege and Authority To Witness

October 15 (Romans 1:5)

Through Christ, God has given us the privilege and authority as apostles to tell Gentiles everywhere what God has done for them, so that they will believe and obey him, bringing glory to his name.  (NLT)

Some friends and I were texting recently about the rapidly deteriorating state of culture and society, and I replied, “My friends, the world of man is coming apart at its weak and frayed seams.  We must go forth and know nothing among our brethren but Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.”  I was thinking of 1 Corinthians 2:2, but evangelism is more than just a good idea in troubled times.  It is what we have been called to.

It would be amazing news if scientists revealed tomorrow a cure for cancer, but it would not be greater than the Good News of what God has done for us through Jesus Christ.  Through Him God has made a way for us to avoid the punishment of eternal separation from Him through death.  This message and no other is the most important thing you and I will ever talk about with anyone.  It is our privilege to be called to the role of divine messengers of God’s grace, and we have the authority from God almighty to share it.

Does the work of Jesus make its way into your conversations?  Does what He has accomplished in your own life season your interactions with others?  When it does, those who need to know the true gift of God through Jesus, not the caricature of Christianity presented in social media, will come to believe and obey Him, and He will receive the glory.

Lord, open my lips and free my tongue to tell those in my life what You have done for them.  Cast out my hesitation, nervousness, and fear and make me bold in the Holy Spirit to speak on Your behalf.  May all that I do and say bring glory to my Savior, Jesus Christ.  Amen.

Copyright © 2017 by Steven R. Perkins

Can You Live Your Faith By Hiding It?

July 16 (Matthew 25:25)

[S]o I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here, you have what is yours.  (ESV)

In one of his standup routines, comedian George Carlin talked about how he plots an exit path on an airplane in case of an emergency.  He said he identifies the people he can step on, knock over, and push out of the way so he can get out and help others.  The humor, of course, comes from the absurdity of doing something bad just to have the opportunity to do something good, yet how many of us live life this way?

Perhaps you have found a way to serve God with the talents He has given you.  As time goes by, however, you find that you must keep quiet about certain issues or lend your support to that which is not Christian just to be able to do what you had thought was so good.  At what point do you become like the comedian, participating in that which is wrong in an attempt to do what is right?  When do you become like the man in the parable of the talents that Jesus told, effectively burying your gifts and your calling in the ground?

Each moment of every day, you face a choice to do one thing or to do another.  Stop turning your life into a chess game in which you are trying to determine what to do right now by looking twelve moves into the future.  Do what God is calling to you at this moment and let Him worry about the next move.  Jesus Himself said not to worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow has its own decisions for you to make.  Do what is right and what is right in front of you right now.

Father, help me to live my faith out loud, not as a show, but as a light and witness because I cannot see anything else with my eyes fixed unwaveringly on You.  Help me to cease being afraid of my passion for You unleashed, but rather help me to yield fully to it.  In the mighty name of my Savior, Jesus Christ, amen.

Copyright © 2017 by Steven R. Perkins

The Fire of Jeremiah

July 2 (Jeremiah 20:9)

If I say, “I will not mention him,

     or speak any more in his name,”

there is in my heart as it were a burning fire

     shut up in my bones,

and I am weary with holding it in,

     and I cannot.  (ESV)

Your relationship with God is personal, but it must not be private.  People will tell you that it is fine for you to believe whatever you like in private, but your beliefs must not make their way into the workplace or the public square.  This, however, is impossible to achieve.  If you believe that you must not talk about Jesus in public and therefore do not, you have just brought that belief into your public life.  If you know that you must talk about Him openly and do, then that is the belief that guides you.

Jeremiah spoke much that was unpopular with the people of his day.  They rejected his message and rejected him, even putting him in prison.  Yet Jeremiah says that if he decides enough is enough and will not speak of God further, there is a fire in his heart and in his bones that will not let him remain quiet. 

If you are a follower of Christ, you have no choice but to share His good news with others, nor should you want to do otherwise.  If you truly believe that His love and sacrifice have resulted in your eternal life with God, if you truly believe that the Holy Spirit within you guides and leads you, why would you even want to keep that to yourself?  The very opposite of being rude and insulting, it would be selfish and monstrous not to share what you know to be true with everyone you meet.

Lord, kindle in me the fire of Jeremiah.  I am hesitant sometimes to talk about You with others for fear of offending someone.  May I be led more by Your love than I am by fear.  May the fire Jeremiah felt blaze in my heart and in my bones so that I have no choice but to share Your good news with everyone in my life.  In the name of Jesus, Who was not ashamed to die in my place, amen.

Copyright © 2017 by Steven R. Perkins

Sharing Jesus Regardless of Consequence

August 21 (Ezekiel 2:7)

And you shall speak my words to them, whether they hear or refuse to hear, for they are a rebellious house.  (ESV)

When it comes to our sharing God’s word with people, it really does not matter whether they listen or not.  Oh, it matters, of course, with regard to their well-being, happiness, quality of life, relationships, outlook, calling, and eternal destiny, but it does not matter regarding whether or not we speak up and tell others what God has said.  That is a non-negotiable.  We are to do it and then let the chips fall where they may.

Jesus said the same thing.  In Matthew 10:5-15, He sends out the twelve apostles with the basic structure for evangelism.  Go out among people.  Do good works without asking for something in return.  Share the good news.  If people do not listen, shake off the dust from your shoes and move on.

If you have clicked on even one news website last week, watched one news program on television, or read one newspaper article, you know that almost all aspects of human society in just about every place on the planet are falling apart.  That is not an overstatement.  Don’t believe me?  Read even one more news article.  As followers of Christ, we know that the peace and restoration everyone is craving comes not from a government program or a school curriculum or any human philosophy.  What our hearts yearn for can only come from the hand of God.  If you would tell your friends about the special being offered at the grocery store, what holds you back from telling them about Jesus?

Father, You have blessed me not only with new life in Jesus, but You have given me a great and wonderful work to do in sharing that life with others.  Keep my eyes from distraction, that I may see those into whose lives You have led me.  Heal my ears from the deafness of unimportant noise, that I may hear the needs of my neighbors.  Loosen my tongue, that I may be quick to share the words that You wish to speak to those who hurt.  In the name of Jesus, Who saw and heard and spoke to me, amen.

Copyright © 2016 by Steven R. Perkins

Courage To Share The Gospel

July 24 (Philippians 1:20)

…it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death.  (ESV)

Buttonholing someone against a wall as you recite Bible verses is not the best method of evangelism.  Then again, never sharing the truth of Jesus with family and friends is not exactly the way to go either.  Some people have indeed been hurt by overzealous evangelism, but too often we use this as an excuse to say nothing at all about Christ.  We claim that we do not want to hurt people, but I think there is something else.  We are afraid.

We say nothing at a family gathering because we do not want to upset someone and make the situation awkward.  We say nothing at work because we are afraid we will be shunned and no longer able to do our jobs.  We say nothing on social media because we fear the backlash.

Paul had a hope and expectation for himself not to be ashamed.  He expected of himself to be full of courage.  He felt this because God has the same hope and expectation.  As we read in 2 Timothy1:7, He has not given us a spirit of fear, but one of power, love, and self-control.  Do you really want to be courageous in sharing the gospel, like Paul, or deep down are you afraid of it?

Lord, too often, in fact nearly all the time, I am more concerned about the opinions and comments of others than I am excited by and eager to share the good news of Jesus.  Strengthen me, O God, against my fears.  Make me strong and courageous that others may come to the true and eternal life in Jesus through the testimony of my life and words.  In the name of Him Who was not ashamed to die for me on the cross, Christ Jesus, I pray.  Amen.

Copyright © 2016 by Steven R. Perkins

Seeing As Jesus Sees (4 in a series of 4)

October 18 (Matthew 28:19-20)

Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.  (ESV)

For the past three weeks, we have looked at the absurdity of blaming non-Christians for not living as Christians and of thinking purely human solutions will ever bring lasting change to the problems of our day.  We also saw the Christian logic of Paul that led to the inescapable conclusion that we must tell others about Jesus.

Now let’s get personal.  I have gone out to eat at a restaurant not of my choosing simply because a friend wanted to go there.  When we are in relationships with people, we like to do the things that they want to do.  If we take Jesus seriously and if we take seriously our relationship with Him, then His final words to us must inspire all we do.  We must go out to those who do not know Him and tell them about Him.  We must teach His teachings.  We must baptize, both literally and by bathing everything we do, say, and think, not just in the privacy of our homes, but out in the world, in the reality of Who He is.

Our pastor frequently says that the world is dying faster than we are making disciples of Jesus.  It does not have to be this way.

Lord, I need courage.  Give me the boldness to share my faith in both word and deed.  Help me not to waste my life by keeping the greatest news of all time a secret.  In the name of Jesus, Who was not ashamed to die for me, amen.

Copyright © 2015 by Steven R. Perkins

Seeing As Jesus Sees (3 in a series of 4)

October 11 (Romans 8:14)

How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?   (ESV)

It is easy to fault others for not living as Christ followers, but that is absurd when they are not, in fact, followers of Christ.  It is easy to reach for exciting solutions to the problems of our day, but that is absurd if those solutions are not rooted in the wisdom and strength of God.  What, then, are we to do?

It is not an option for Christians to sit back and throw stones at those who sin, but do not know God.  It is not an option for us to sit back and do nothing about the problems that plague our society and our world.  Paul lays out the only logical conclusion when confronted with these twin issues.  We must tell people about Jesus.

As much as I love Him, I often want to do the exact opposite.  I do not want to get drawn into an argument.  I do not want people to stop liking me.  I do not want…you name it.  This is nonsense, my friends.  As a follower of Christ, I have and should want no option.  I must tell people about the true life now and in the world to come that is available solely through Jesus Christ.  If I do not, then I cannot be frustrated by the sinful lives of those who do not know Him and I cannot be surprised when the human solutions to our world’s problems fail yet again.

Father, I know in my head what will help my friends and the world around me, their surrender to and relationship with Jesus.  Grant me the ability to ignore myself and all my fears and hesitations so that I may be a bold messenger for You.  In the name of my Lord, Jesus, Who hesitated for nothing, not even death, amen.

Copyright © 2015 by Steven R. Perkins

Seeing As Jesus Sees (1 in a series of 4)

September 27 (Ephesians 4:18)

They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart.  (ESV)

When I was in fifth grade, I got glasses for the first time.  In those early, bespectacled days, I marveled at leaves on trees and all the other details of the world I could now see…and my parents were mortified.  Why had I not told them I could not see those things?  My answer was simple.  I had assumed everyone saw the world the way I did.

We often make the same mistaken assumption.  We are frustrated, angry even, when people around us do not live Christian lives.  Setting aside the whole speck in someone else’s eye issue, does it ever occur to us that the people behaving in unchristian ways may not be followers of Christ?  Paul makes it clear that there are many people who are separated from God.   They do not understand the truth about life.  Their hearts are hard and their minds are dark.

If we saw a man stumbling down the road, blind drunk, would we fault him for not making an Olympic time in the 800 meter race?  We would, hopefully, show him what he could do, explain what it would take to get there, and then help him accomplish it.

Father, thank You for helping me see the truth of life by the grace of the Holy Spirit.  When I see that someone is not living in You, help me not to write that person off because of his or her sin.  Help me to see that person clearly and do what I can to lead him or her to Jesus.  Amen.

Copyright © 2015 by Steven R. Perkins

The Public Life of a Christian

September 20 (Matthew 5:14-15)

You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.  Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house.  (ESV)

You cannot be a Clark Kent Christian.  Clark Kent is the secret identity of Superman.  Christians do not have secret identities. They must live their lives outside, in full view of everyone.  It just is not possible to be a Christian at home, but not in the workplace.

Ouch.  Talk about uncomfortable.  We are living in an age in which it seems as if everyone wants people to keep matters of faith to themselves.  We can post amusing selfies all over Facebook, but watch yourself lose friends if you post a biblical conviction.

When you read these verses from the Sermon on the Mount, do not interpret them in the light of the present day.  Do not see them in terms of how this or that person has seen them.  Understand them in terms of the rest of Scripture.  Listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit.  What does it mean for you to live out these verses in the context of your life?  God knows, and He will guide you.

Father, I confess two things.  I would love to shine a brighter light than I do and I am terrified to do so.  Help me see clearly what You would have me to do and say among my friends, family, and coworkers.  In all things, may I represent You.  In the name of Jesus, Who took all the abuse of the world to the cross for me, amen.

Copyright © 2015 by Steven R. Perkins

January 25 (Acts 4:17-20)

“But in order that it may spread no further among the people, let us warn them to speak no more to anyone in this name.” So they called them and charged them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus.  But Peter and John answered them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge, for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard.”  (ESV)

“You are welcome to believe whatever you want, but it is not appropriate for you to speak about your religious beliefs in public.”  Does it sound familiar?  Make no mistake.  It would be beyond absurd, and quite ineffective, too, if the kid at the store refused to sack groceries until each customer recited the Lord’s Prayer or affirmed the Nicene Creed.  Forcing others to go along with our beliefs is not something even Jesus taught, so there is no reason for us to do it.

But does that really extend to our speaking about what we know to be true?  Not at all.  When a friend asks how we can believe in a loving God in the face of tragedy, we need not hide the truth.  When someone wonders how to approach a situation, we can and should freely offer our thoughts that are rooted in the One Who is Truth, Jesus Christ.

So where does this play out for you?  Are there places in your life where you feel hesitant to speak freely about Jesus?  Why is that?  If it is from a desire to be sensitive and not to overwhelm someone who is seeking the truth, then tread gently.  Everything we say must be wrapped in love.  If, however, it is a fear of violating some human notion of political correctness, then consider the response of Peter and John.

Lord, I want to shout Your name all day long simply because I love You.  Holy Spirit, guide me to know how much to say in any situation so that whatever I say brings glory to God in the moment and serves, even in a small way, to lead someone to the love of Christ Jesus, in Whose name I pray, amen.

Copyright © 2015 by Steven R. Perkins