Evidence of Grace

June 2

(Acts 11:23 NIV) "When he arrived and saw the evidence of the grace of God, he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts."

(Acts 26:20 NIV) "First to those in Damascus, then to those in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and to the Gentiles also, I preached that they should repent and turn to God and prove their repentance by their deeds."

(1 Corinthians 4:1-2 NIV) "So then, men ought to regard us as servants of Christ and as those entrusted with the secret things of God. {2} Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful."

When Barnabas looked at the lives of the new Christians at Antioch, he saw evidence of God’s grace. They were becoming a reflection of Jesus. The evidence of grace is a changed life -- a life that causes others to say, “There’s something different about you. What is it?” The change starts when we believe the truth about Jesus. This lights a fire, and the grace of God begins to percolate in us. As we feed on God’s word and spend time with God in prayer, the way we live begins to change, and we begin to produce the evidence of grace. If we see salvation as just a momentary decision that supplies us with a “get out of hell free” card, this likely won’t happen. God calls us to more than just a day of salvation. He calls us to a lifetime of discipleship. As the evidence of grace grows in our lives, others will be drawn to the glow of the gospel. Is your life producing evidence of grace? -- Friar Tuck’s Word of the Day

Making News for Jesus

June 1

(Acts 11:22 NIV) "News of this reached the ears of the church at Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch."

(Matthew 4:24 NIV) "News about him spread all over Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed, and he healed them."

(Luke 7:15-17 NIV) "The dead man sat up and began to talk, and Jesus gave him back to his mother. {16} They were all filled with awe and praised God. "A great prophet has appeared among us," they said. "God has come to help his people." {17} This news about Jesus spread throughout Judea and the surrounding country."

Good news travels slower than bad news, but it does travel. When faith is genuine, it becomes newsworthy. If we love consistently, we make news for Jesus that goes beyond the token church page in the local newspaper. If the only news we generate is soup suppers, car washes, pancake feeds, and Vacation Bible Schools, we haven’t really done much for Jesus. If the only time people know we belong to a church is when they read our obituary in the newspaper, we have failed our calling. Live a life that produces good news -- news that reaches the ears of unbelievers and skeptics. Surprise the world with love, grace, compassion, and generosity. Show your neighbors who Jesus is with your life. Use every opportunity God provides to speak of the changes Christ has brought to your life. When the church does this, the label “Christian” will become admirable again. -- Friar Tuck’s Word of the Day

Where the Rubber Meets the Road

May 31

(Acts 11:21 NIV) "The Lord's hand was with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord."

(Luke 1:65-66 NIV) "The neighbors were all filled with awe, and throughout the hill country of Judea people were talking about all these things. {66} Everyone who heard this wondered about it, asking, "What then is this child going to be?" For the Lord's hand was with him."

(Ezekiel 1:3 NIV) "The word of the Lord came to Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, by the Kebar River in the land of the Babylonians. There the hand of the Lord was upon him."

Being a Christian is a bit like being a tire on a car. When the Lord’s hand is with us, we are on the move, but every time we move, some of the tire’s surface is worn off. The only way for the tread to remain fully intact is to never move the vehicle. But we can’t go anywhere unless the tires turn. Unless we’re willing to accept some wear and tear and to experience some tread loss, we will never fulfill our purpose, which is to move our gospel vehicle down the road. Even if tires just sit on the shelf and never touch the ground, the rubber eventually ages and gets weak. So if we just sit around and never take our faith to the place where the rubber meets the road, we will die of old age, never having been used for the purpose God intended. When God’s hand is on us, we will be moving. Submit to the wear and tear of the road, and if God’s hand is with us, we will be restored as we move along. -- Friar Tuck’s Word of the Day

Good News for Everyone

May 30

(Acts 11:20 NIV) "Some of them, however, men from Cyprus and Cyrene, went to Antioch and began to speak to Greeks also, telling them the good news about the Lord Jesus."

(Romans 1:16-17 NIV) "I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. {17} For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: "The righteous will live by faith.""

(Romans 10:11-13 NIV) "As the Scripture says, "Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame." {12} For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile--the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, {13} for, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.""

Not everyone scattered by persecution shared the good news. Some shared only with those who were just like them. But others told the gospel to non-Jewish people. They shared the good news with everyone, and many Greeks in Antioch came to faith in Christ. The church opened its doors to those who had previously been excluded, and they came in. We honor God by sharing our faith with everyone around us. Ask the Spirit to free your muted tongue. Tell your story to everyone who will listen. Stop trying to be like everyone else and start being who you’ve been called to be. Stop trying to be liked by everyone and begin loving others enough to tell them the truth. Open your church to those who wouldn’t be welcomed in other places. Share the gospel with those that others consider undesirable. That’s what the castaway Christians did in Antioch. We can do the same. -- Friar Tuck’s Word of the Day