Double Barreled Witness

October 17

(Acts 20:20 NIV) "You know that I have not hesitated to preach anything that would be helpful to you but have taught you publicly and from house to house."

(Acts 5:41-42 NIV) "The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name. {42} Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ."

(Ephesians 4:15 NIV) "Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ."

Paul was a double-barreled witness and preacher. He never hesitated to speak what he thought would be helpful to those listening. He preached the truth in love -- a double-barreled combination that’s hard to beat. Paul also had a double-barreled method of witnessing and preaching. He took the gospel into the public square, sharing Jesus with the crowds. But Paul also took the gospel from house to house. He spent time in homes, sharing the truth about Jesus. This is a great lesson for us. It’s good to invite people to church. Every Christian should be an inviter. We should be willing to witness in public -- on street corners, at Wal-Mart, at the lake, or at the ballgame. But it is also effective to invite people to your home, or to go to their homes, and share the truth of Jesus with them. It’s the double-barreled, public and private approach of Paul, and it is still effective today. -- Friar Tuck’s Word of the Day

Enduring Service

October 16

(Acts 20:19 NIV) "I served the Lord with great humility and with tears although I was severely tested by the plots of the Jews."

(Acts 20:23 NIV) "I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me."

(2 Corinthians 6:3-10 NIV) "We put no stumbling block in anyone's path, so that our ministry will not be discredited. {4} Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses; {5} in beatings, imprisonments and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger; {6} in purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love; {7} in truthful speech and in the power of God; with weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left; {8} through glory and dishonor, bad report and good report; genuine, yet regarded as impostors; {9} known, yet regarded as unknown; dying, and yet we live on; beaten, and yet not killed; {10} sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything."

Paul was “severely tested”, even to the point of tears. God told him that he would suffer, yet he forged ahead. He endured beatings, prison, hunger, pain, and other hardships, but his love for Jesus and his calling to preach the gospel just got stronger. When things got tough, Paul endured. Genuine disciples expect some pain and difficulty. They work through adversity, rather than being defeated by it. They expect the road to be rough, and yet they press on. This is our calling. Tune out those teachers who promise unending spiritual bliss if you buy their book and follow their advice. That is unbiblical teaching. Every true disciple will endure some hardship and pain. Stop whining and start working! Consider those who’ve gone ahead of you and who’ve suffered greatly for the cause of Christ. Draw strength from their example. Accept what comes, and give glory to God. -- Friar Tuck’s Word of the Day

Humility

October 15  

(Acts 20:19 NIV) "I served the Lord with great humility…"

(Philippians 2:3 NIV) "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves."

(Colossians 3:12 NIV) "Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience."

(James 3:13 NIV) "Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom."

Pride is a church killer. It has been called “the deadliest sin”. It is certainly at the root of many other sins. Pride can cause us to look down on others, and to think we ought to be in a higher position than we are. It can draw us into thinking that we have not received the respect due to us -- that we deserve much better than what we have now. If anyone had reason for pride, it was Paul. His credentials were second to none, and his record of service was exemplary. But he was a humble man. He knew where his blessing and authority came from. He knew that whatever he received, it was better than he deserved. Is that how you think? Are you genuinely humble, or has pride crept into your life like a cancer? Maybe it’s time to get off the high horse and assume a kneeling position. Ask God to cut away the pride in your life, but don’t expect it to be a pleasant experience. -- Friar Tuck’s Word of the Day

Living Consistently

October 14

(Acts 20:13-18 NIV) "We went on ahead to the ship and sailed for Assos, where we were going to take Paul aboard. He had made this arrangement because he was going there on foot. {14} When he met us at Assos, we took him aboard and went on to Mitylene. {15} The next day we set sail from there and arrived off Kios. The day after that we crossed over to Samos, and on the following day arrived at Miletus. {16} Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus to avoid spending time in the province of Asia, for he was in a hurry to reach Jerusalem, if possible, by the day of Pentecost. {17} From Miletus, Paul sent to Ephesus for the elders of the church. {18} When they arrived, he said to them: "You know how I lived the whole time I was with you, from the first day I came into the province of Asia."

(1 Corinthians 15:58 NIV) "Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain."

(Galatians 6:9 NIV) "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up."

In good times and bad, Paul stayed the course, and modeled for us what it means to be a faithful servant of the Lord. One of the marks of a faithful disciple is consistency. When the elders of Ephesus came to see Paul, he boldly told them to consider his life as evidence for the grace and power of God. He basically said, “Look at how I have lived among you. My life is an open book. I have lived consistently. I am proof that Jesus lives, because you can see how He lives in me.” Could you say that? Are you confident that if someone watched how you live on a daily basis, they would see what it means to live like Jesus? Could anyone see Jesus through the consistency of your life witness? If not, what is it that blurs the image of Christ in your life? What is causing your witness to be sporadic rather than consistent? There is where change must begin. Ask God to start there. -- Friar Tuck’s Word of the Day