With All Boldness

"Now, Lord, look on their threats, and grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word, by stretching out Your hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of Your holy Servant Jesus." Acts 4:29, 30.

We come across many people in our daily lives. We meet with families and friends. But when you head out of our homes, we get to meet co-workers, neighbors, and even strangers. When we meet them, we talk. We talk about what goes around or talk about sports or just anything that happened this week, anything casual. These casual conversations are not that hard to start. But when it comes to talking about church or Jesus to someone that is not too familiar with church, we find it very difficult to approach. Well, we should read the above text again.

They were asking for 'boldness' to speak the word of God. I think this would be something that I would like to ask for as well. Many times we lack the strong heart and boldness to stand up for what we believe in and it gets harder when it comes to talking about God. But these people mentioned here in this passage asked for boldness and strength in the name of Jesus. I think that's the key here, that they centered themselves to Jesus. Jesus is the key. And when He is on your side, He will surely give you boldness that is needed in our lives!

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Reformation

"Remember me, O my God, concerning this also, and spare me according to the greatness of Your mercy!" Nehemiah 13:22

The word "Reformation" is one of the keywords that we hear often in our Adventist church these days. It's very important for us to stay faithful to God and if we seem to be straying away, then we need to learn to "reform" back to God.

That is what we see in the last chapter of the book of Nehemiah (It'd be awesome if you'd take the time to read the chapter!), reformation. As the people of God were settling down when they returned home, Nehemiah felt the need of reformation and he acted upon the work of reformation. The chapter talks about the difficulties of executing the reformation but he did it. And each time a change is made, Nehemiah asks God to remember him for what He has done.

This is a very powerful lesson for us to learn from. God knows what we do. He cares for us and He wants us to change and be more like Him. When we do our best to reform, He will "remember" us!

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You Can Change The World

"For by occupation they were tentmakers." Acts 18:3

One of the books in the Bible that I enjoy is the book of Acts. This book is fascinating. I get excited when I read how the gospel was spread and how the Holy Spirit was working with them and sometimes of how much these apostles went through sufferings and all that. But what excites me the most is just how more people were being changed by hearing the word of God.

Paul was a great leader, author, theologian, etc. But you know what? He was a tentmaker! That simple line tells me something. We all can be like Paul. It's not just pastors that should do all the preaching, praying, evangelizing. But it's all believers of Christ that should be doing this! Jesus tells us through the Great Commission in Matthew 28:18-20 that we should change the world! We should change the world by telling of the good gospel of Jesus! Paul was a tentmaker yet he changed the world. You can do it, too.

God tells us in the same chapter in verse 9, "Do not be afraid, but speak, and do not keep silent. For I am with you!"

Let’s think of something we can do for Jesus and for the community this week. It doesn’t have to be big. It can be small. But God will surely use you to make a change.

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