Passion for the Gospel

March 16

(Acts 5:30-31 NIV) “The God of our fathers raised Jesus from the dead--whom you had killed by hanging him on a tree. {31} God exalted him to his own right hand as Prince and Savior that he might give repentance and forgiveness of sins to Israel. {32} We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.”

(Romans 1:8-17 NIV) "First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is being reported all over the world. {9} God, whom I serve with my whole heart in preaching the gospel of his Son, is my witness how constantly I remember you {10} in my prayers at all times; and I pray that now at last by God's will the way may be opened for me to come to you. {11} I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong-- {12} that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other's faith. {13} I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that I planned many times to come to you (but have been prevented from doing so until now) in order that I might have a harvest among you, just as I have had among the other Gentiles. {14} I am obligated both to Greeks and non-Greeks, both to the wise and the foolish. {15} That is why I am so eager to preach the gospel also to you who are at Rome. {16} 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.""

When Christ rules in our life, zeal to tell our story begins to grow, along with a passion for the gospel message itself. The apostles not only shared their story with the Sanhedrin, they also shared the gospel. With passion they declared, “This Jesus you crucified really came to die for your sins and ours. But God raised him up and offers forgiveness and mercy to those who will repent and acknowledge Him as Lord.” In a couple of sentences they shared the gospel along with their personal witness. Could you share the gospel with someone in a couple of sentences? Are you passionate about the gospel? Our lifestyle and personal testimony are only designed to light the way to Jesus. They are like an appetizer. They cannot save people. Without a passion for sharing the gospel, our stories can sound like simple self-glorification. Ask God to give you a passion for the gospel. -- Friar Tuck’s Word of the Day

Dangerous Obedience

March 15

(Acts 5:29 NIV) ““Peter and the other apostles replied: "We must obey God rather than men!””

(Acts 4:19-20 NIV) "Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God's sight to obey you rather than God. {20} For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.""

(Exodus 1:15-21 NIV) "The king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, whose names were Shiphrah and Puah, {16} "When you help the Hebrew women in childbirth and observe them on the delivery stool, if it is a boy, kill him; but if it is a girl, let her live." {17} The midwives, however, feared God and did not do what the king of Egypt had told them to do; they let the boys live. {18} Then the king of Egypt summoned the midwives and asked them, "Why have you done this? Why have you let the boys live?" {19} The midwives answered Pharaoh, "Hebrew women are not like Egyptian women; they are vigorous and give birth before the midwives arrive." {20} So God was kind to the midwives and the people increased and became even more numerous. {21} And because the midwives feared God, he gave them families of their own."

Acts 5:29 is a dangerous verse. It can make you unpopular, get you arrested, or even get you killed. When we begin to seriously follow Jesus, there will be times when the decrees of our government, or even our church, do not match up with His commands. In those times we have a choice to make -- we can obey man or we can obey God. The Hebrew midwives chose to obey God rather than the king of Egypt. That was dangerous. The apostles declared to the religious authorities that they would obey God rather than man. It was a dangerous obedience. These were the same religious authorities who had killed Jesus. Obeying God rather than man is risky business. It will usually cost us or our family something. We may lose status, friends, money, jobs, or in some instances, even our lives. But in the end, it will be worth the price. Seek God’s approval rather than man’s. -- Friar Tuck’s Word of the Day   

With Power Comes Responsibility

March 14

(Acts 5:26-28 NIV) ““At that, the captain went with his officers and brought the apostles. They did not use force, because they feared that the people would stone them. {27} Having brought the apostles, they made them appear before the Sanhedrin to be questioned by the high priest. {28} "We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name," he said. "Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to make us guilty of this man's blood.””

(Matthew 27:15-26 NIV) ““Now it was the governor's custom at the Feast to release a prisoner chosen by the crowd. {16} At that time they had a notorious prisoner, called Barabbas. {17} So when the crowd had gathered, Pilate asked them, "Which one do you want me to release to you: Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?" {18} For he knew it was out of envy that they had handed Jesus over to him. {19} While Pilate was sitting on the judge's seat, his wife sent him this message: "Don't have anything to do with that innocent man, for I have suffered a great deal today in a dream because of him." {20} But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and to have Jesus executed. {21} "Which of the two do you want me to release to you?" asked the governor. "Barabbas," they answered. {22} "What shall I do, then, with Jesus who is called Christ?" Pilate asked. They all answered, "Crucify him!" {23} "Why? What crime has he committed?" asked Pilate. But they shouted all the louder, "Crucify him!" {24} When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that instead an uproar was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd. "I am innocent of this man's blood," he said. "It is your responsibility!" {25} All the people answered, "Let his blood be on us and on our children!" {26} Then he released Barabbas to them. But he had Jesus flogged, and handed him over to be crucified.””

With power comes responsibility. The religious authorities in our Scripture verses today didn’t want Christ’s name and teaching to spread. They feared they would lose power. If people began following Jesus, they would likely stop obeying the religious big shots in Jerusalem. But while the religious authorities were guarding their power and coveting more of it, they were also denying any responsibility for the death of Jesus -- even though it was their exertion of power that brought about His crucifixion. Christ’s blood was on their hands, and on Pilate’s. He tried to wash his hands of it, but blood does not come off that easily. An unholy alliance of religion and state had nailed an innocent man to a cross and there was no escaping that truth. Corrupt power always brings death. We would all do well to learn this lesson, because like it or not, with power comes responsibility. -- Friar Tuck’s Word of the Day

A Dollar Short and a Day Late

March 13

(Acts 5:21b-25 NIV) ““When the high priest and his associates arrived, they called together the Sanhedrin--the full assembly of the elders of Israel--and sent to the jail for the apostles. {22} But on arriving at the jail, the officers did not find them there. So they went back and reported, {23} "We found the jail securely locked, with the guards standing at the doors; but when we opened them, we found no one inside." {24} On hearing this report, the captain of the temple guard and the chief priests were puzzled, wondering what would come of this. {25} Then someone came and said, "Look! The men you put in jail are standing in the temple courts teaching the people.””

(Isaiah 42:16-25 NIV) ““I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them. {17} But those who trust in idols, who say to images, 'You are our gods,' will be turned back in utter shame. {18} "Hear, you deaf; look, you blind, and see! {19} Who is blind but my servant, and deaf like the messenger I send? Who is blind like the one committed to me, blind like the servant of the LORD? {20} You have seen many things, but have paid no attention; your ears are open, but you hear nothing." {21} It pleased the LORD for the sake of his righteousness to make his law great and glorious. {22} But this is a people plundered and looted, all of them trapped in pits or hidden away in prisons. They have become plunder, with no one to rescue them; they have been made loot, with no one to say, "Send them back." {23} Which of you will listen to this or pay close attention in time to come? {24} Who handed Jacob over to become loot, and Israel to the plunderers? Was it not the LORD, against whom we have sinned? For they would not follow his ways; they did not obey his law. {25} So he poured out on them his burning anger, the violence of war. It enveloped them in flames, yet they did not understand; it consumed them, but they did not take it to heart.””

Religion ruled the lives of those who opposed the apostles -- and when religion rules our lives, we will always be a dollar short and a day late when it comes to the movement of God’s Spirit. Focusing on the rules of religion, rather than on their relationship with the Ruler, caused them to be unaware of what God was doing in their time. They didn’t get it, and were “puzzled” by God’s miraculous delivery of the apostles. Religion blinded them to the workings of God, and deafened them to the gospel. They were more concerned with being in control of the situation, than with being conscious of the Spirit. One of the keys to successful ministry is finding out where God is moving and then going there. We can’t do that when we focus on the wrong stuff. When we follow a religion rather than Jesus, we will always be a dollar short and a day late when it comes to sensing the Spirit’s moving. -- Friar Tuck’s Word of the Day