Living for Jesus

October 31

(Acts 20:22 NIV) "I am compelled by the Spirit to go to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there."

(Romans 14:8 NIV) "If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord."

(2 Corinthians 5:14-15 NIV) "For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. {15} And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again."

(Galatians 2:19-20 NIV) "For through the law I died to the law so that I might live for God. {20} I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me."

As he set out for Jerusalem, Paul was willing to die for Jesus. Down through the centuries, many have been willing to do the same. Not every Christian will be called upon to die for Jesus, but every Christian is called to live for Jesus! And living for Jesus may prove to be as difficult as dying for Jesus -- perhaps even more difficult. If it is not more difficult, then why do so many Christians today find it nearly impossible to do? Why is it so hard to live fully for Christ? Why is it so difficult to sell out completely to the Lord -- to share the gospel with our lives and our words, regardless of the consequences? Perhaps we are not yet “compelled” by the same Spirit as Paul was. He was not chomping at the bit to die for Jesus, but he was compelled to live for Christ. The rest was up to the Lord. Do you feel compelled to live for Jesus today? Will you? -- Friar Tuck’s Word of the Day

Ready to Die for Jesus

October 30

(Acts 21:13-15 NIV) “Then Paul answered, "Why are you weeping and breaking my heart? I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus. {14} When he would not be dissuaded, we gave up and said, "The Lord's will be done." {15} After this, we got ready and went up to Jerusalem.”

(Acts 20:24 NIV) “However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me--the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace.”

(Luke 9:23-24 NIV) “Then he said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. {24} For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it.”

(Revelation 12:11 NIV) “They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death.”

Paul was ready and willing to die for Jesus, but he had really died on that road to Damascus years earlier. He had died to himself and had become a new man. God had placed him on a different road. His life had changed course, and staying alive was no longer his chief concern. Death no longer held sway over him. Paul did not die in Jerusalem, as his friends feared, but was taken prisoner and shipped to Rome, where he was martyred for his faith. But he was prepared because he had settled the issue of what he was willing to die for. He had decided that he was willing to die for the gospel of Jesus. In his heart of hearts, Paul counted his life worth nothing to himself, and laid it down for Christ. He was willing to carry the cross, even if it led to his death. How about you? Have you decided what you are willing to die for? -- Friar Tuck’s Word of the Day

Phillip’s Four Gifts

October 29

(Acts 21:9 NIV) “He had four unmarried daughters who prophesied.”

(Luke 2:36-38 NIV) “There was also a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, {37} and then was a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. {38} Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.”

(Judges 4:4-5 NIV) “Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lappidoth, was leading Israel at that time. {5} She held court under the Palm of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim, and the Israelites came to her to have their disputes decided.”

God had given Phillip gifts of compassion and evangelism, but he had also received four other gifts from the Lord. Phillip had been given four daughters with prophetic gifts. The biblical gift of prophecy is not just about seeing the future. Those with prophetic gifts have the ability to speak the word of God into the lives of others in a way that brings conviction and change. These four women had been given the gift of preaching God’s word with power. Many have strong feelings about women in ministry, but what is clear is that these four women, along with others in Scripture, had prophetic gifting. It is also obvious that Phillip had not kept them locked up in a closet. They had been using their gifts, prophesying in their community. God does not give us gifts just so we can say we have them. God gives men and women gifts to use for the glory of His kingdom. Use yours! -- Friar Tuck’s Word of the Day

Growing the Church

October 28

(Acts 21:4 NIV) “Finding the disciples there, we stayed with them seven days.”

(Acts 21:7-8 NIV) “We continued our voyage from Tyre and landed at Ptolemais, where we greeted the brothers and stayed with them for a day. {8} Leaving the next day, we reached Caesarea and stayed at the house of Philip the evangelist, one of the Seven.”

(Acts 16:5 NIV) “So the churches were strengthened in the faith and grew daily in numbers.”

Paul and his fellow workers had scattered seeds of the gospel all around the Mediterranean Sea, and those seeds had taken root and grown. When Paul began he was the first Christian to enter many cities. But as he headed back to Jerusalem, he found Christians almost everywhere. The infant church was reproducing itself. When Paul reached Caesarea, he stayed at the house of Philip, who was one of the seven men chosen to run the church’s feeding program for widows and orphans back in Acts, Chapter 6. Phillip had compassion gifts, and had been called to a “hands on” service ministry. But Phillip had other gifts as well. This man who waited on tables had also been given the gift of evangelism, and led many to Christ. What are your gifts? You likely have more than one. Be sure to discover them and use them for the glory of God. It’s both our privilege and our calling. -- Friar Tuck’s Word of the Day