Daily Reading for Sunday, Feb. 24: Sharing

“13...for, ‘Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’ 14 How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? 15 And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!’” Romans 10:13-15 NIV

When I read these verses in Romans, I have such mixed emotions. On the one hand, I am so grateful that someone shared Christ with me. That I have called upon the name of the Lord and have been saved, not only from the eternal death that hell promises, but from simply existing on this planet, grasping at the few handfuls of pleasure that come through this life. On the other hand, I am reminded of the many who have not believed because they have not heard. It is heartbreaking to think of all those who have not been “preached to” (whether by words or by actions), and who haven’t heard the Word of the Lord. They may have been evangelized; they may even have been regular church goers—yet, their hearts haven’t been opened to the Lord. You can hear the pleading in these verses to go to those who haven’t heard, to give them the opportunity to hear.
We can be sharers of His word, witnesses empowered by the Holy Spirit, and runners with beautiful feet, just as God said we would be. If we share what we know, what we experience, and what we have, we will be.

Daily Reading for Saturday, Feb. 23: Sharing

“7 He said to them, ‘It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority; 8 but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.”” Acts 1:7-8 NAS

In this passage, Jesus was sharing some parting thoughts with his disciples before He was taken to heaven. The disciples were still of the mindset that Jesus was going to restore the natural kingdom of Israel; they had not gotten the revelation that they were the chosen instruments to bring the salvation message of eternal life not only to the nation of Israel but to all the world. They were hoping for Israel to be empowered to overthrow the Roman government; Jesus countered with the promise of power to overthrow the kingdom of darkness. That is precisely what happens every time someone comes to the Lord. The kingdom of darkness that has been set up in the human heart is overthrown by the kingdom of light. Or, to be more accurate, the kingdom of light regains its rightful place in the heart of man. Just as Israel was promised an everlasting peace when Messiah came, so to are we promised an everlasting peace when Messiah comes into our lives. We are given the peace that passes all understanding.
Jesus said that we would be witnesses throughout the earth. It is interesting that the Greek word for witnesses can also be translated as the word “Martyr.” But it is entirely appropriate when we understand that the Holy Spirit comes to empower us to lay down our lives, our agendas, and our desires, so that we can be a new creation with a new nature—one that is in God just the like the Son is in the Father. (John 14:20) And this new nature compels us to share the good news with all the inhabitants of the earth—for we have been given the power to do so.
Finally, this verse tells us something very simple. That we are the witnesses. The word translated shall is the future present perfect form of the verb “to be.” In other words, it can be translated to say that “you will be my witnesses.” This is how God sees us. Not what we hope to be, but how we truly are. If this is how God sees us, we need to see ourselves this way too, sharing His love and His good news.

Daily Reading for Friday, Feb. 22: Sharing

“Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor; not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer, contributing to the needs of the saints, practicing hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. Be of the same mind toward one another; do not be haughty in mind, but associate with the lowly. Do not be wise in your own estimation. Never pay back evil for evil to anyone. Respect what is right in the sight of all men. If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men.” Romans 12: 9-18

If you have ever wondered about how to have authentic faith, read these verses, and you’ll see how it is done. There is perhaps no greater synopsis of living the faith than can be found in these verses. As you read through, you get a very good sense of the practicalities of our faith. So often, we can look at faith as some purely spiritual with little impact in the “real world.” However, these verses dispel that myth. When we practice what is preached here, we can be assured of many things: 1) that our light will not be dimmed because we are exposing any darkness that may be resident in us. 2) that sharing the gospel is much more than using words—it is living the faith. 3) that by doing these things we can prove what God’s will is because it has been accomplished in us. We share the life-changing message of Christ through a transformed life. There is no greater message than that.

Daily Reading for Thursday, Feb. 21: Sharing

“Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to exercise them accordingly: if prophecy, according to the proportion of his faith; if service, in his serving; or he who teaches, in his teaching; or he who exhorts, in his exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness. “ Romans 12:6-8

There is a wonderful expression of variety within the body of Christ. We are not all the same; nor do we express our faith in the same way. And God has designed it that way. He has created each us to be unique and to share His good news in our own, personal manner. He is not impressed when we copy someone else’s expression, and He is not fooled when we use someone else’s words as our own. He wants to hear our original song, to see our original artwork. And so do those who are seeking the Lord. When we are authentic in our faith, that is, when we live what we believe to be true according to the revelation of God through His word and His Spirit, we are creating a masterpiece that only we can create. Not everyone has the same gift, not everyone has the same story, and not everyone will share the good news the same way. And that is precisely the way God wants it. He delights in our diversity; for each us of is an expression of Him in some way or another. So do not be reluctant to share simply because you don’t share like someone else. We cannot be intimidated by our brothers and sisters in Christ. We simply must do what we’ve been created to do—to the best of our ability according to the grace that has been given us by our Lord and Savior.

Daily Reading for Wednesday, Feb. 20: Sharing

“Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord…” Acts 3:19 NAS

Have you ever been awakened in the pre-dawn hours by someone turning on a light? The light hurts your eyes, and you struggle to open them against the glare of the brightness that surrounds you. This is how it is with those who are perishing. We, as Christians, come bearing our light, and that light reveals the darkness and the hidden things in the hearts of men. That darkness is sin, and it is resident in the heart of every person. Many, when they encounter the light, beg us to turn it off. They say things like, “How can you judge me?” or “I think I’ve been a good person.” They are calloused to their own sin, and refuse to consider anything but their own opinion as their guide to right and wrong. However, there are others who struggle with the light, who open their eyes and face the pain. They recognize their error, and they admit their sin. Soon, they have had their sins wiped away, and they have become accustomed to the light. Finally, they themselves become light-bearers, bringing light to the dark places of the soul where sin hides itself so well.
We must remember that our ultimate goal is not to reveal sin but to bring refreshing. If someone isn’t ready to face the light, we cannot force them to do so. We simply keep shining, and pray that they open their eyes in time. We cannot force their eyes open—only they can do that. But we must keep shining, and we must keep the light bright. That means turning it on ourselves everyday to see if there is any darkness in us. We are not perfect, but when we shine our light on ourselves (by spending time in the word, by prayer, by acts of kindness and service to others), that light shines brightest to those around us. And then they have to opportunity to find the refreshing they are longing for.

Daily Reading for Tuesday, Feb. 19: Sharing

“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:19-20

When we talk about sharing the gospel, inevitably this passage must be examined, for these verses encompass our primary motivation to share the good news of Jesus Christ with the world. The bible tells us that when Jesus gave this command, He was speaking with his disciples. In fact, Matthew leads us to believe that this was one of the earliest encounters the disciples had with Jesus after His resurrection. Why is this important? Because after Jesus accomplished his mission on the cross—defeating death and sin—the very first thing He commands us to do is share this good news with everyone. No one (if he/she is a disciple) is exempt from sharing the news, and no one is excluded from hearing it. Jesus is extending to the entire human race the same opportunity He gave the original twelve, to come and follow Him.
When we read this passage, we can be motivated by the obedience of our hearts, for we desire to do what our Savior has commanded. But I believe there is a deeper motivation at work in these verses. First of all, we are a part of Jesus (that is what the baptism symbolizes.) Just as when a man and woman are joined together in marriage, so are we joined with Jesus in faith. We no longer look to our own interests—our interests become mingled and joined together with Jesus’. We obey not out of obligation, but out of love. The law is not written on tablets of stone, it is written on our hearts; and we desire to obey because it is our nature to do so. We share because we have something to share...the tangible, very real presence of God in our lives. Jesus said, “surely I am with you always,” and He meant it. His presence in us cannot be contained by us, for He desires to reach beyond us and share His presence with as many as would receive Him. That is why we share. Like with the manna that was provided in the desert, we cannot, nor do we desire to, hoard the good news.

Daily Reading for Monday, Feb. 18: Sharing

Core Value:
Sharing

Making Christ known is our purpose in life!

God's message of forgiveness through Christ is still relevant and necessary today. This message is most effectively conveyed within the context of personal relationships. Therefore, we desire to be ever ready and willing to invest ourselves in others for the sake of the Gospel. We will make every effort to impact our community and the world with the love of Jesus. Our mission is to make more and better followers of Jesus Christ simultaneously. A disciple who is growing spiritually will evidence a growing desire to reach out to those who don't know Christ.

Introduction
Have you ever had something happen to you that you just couldn’t wait to tell someone about it? Perhaps you got a good grade on a test, or a promotion at work. Maybe you had an unexpected windfall, or your child made the varsity team. These are all wonderful things that we rejoice in. And we want others to share in our joy. How much more so do we share the good news of Jesus Christ with others. What Jesus did on Calvary 2000 years ago didn’t stay in that long ago past, but still impacts lives in the present—each and every day. He lives, and His work is still continuing in and through us. We cannot remain silent with such good news. We’ve been redeemed! We’re free! We’ve been given a place at the royal table, even though we were nothing but dirt-covered peasants. And, that is good news worth sharing.

Daily Reading for Monday, Feb. 18

“3 So He told them this parable, saying, 4 ‘What man among you, if he has a hundred sheep and has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open pasture and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? 5 When he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. 6 And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!’ 7 I tell you that in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance. 8 Or what woman, if she has ten silver coins and loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? 9 When she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin which I had lost!’ 10 In the same way, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.’” Luke 15:3-10 NAS

Sharing the good news. When we pick up a magazine or a newspaper, or when we browse for news on the web, we usually find nothing but bad news. There seems to be little to rejoice about in this world, for fear and a critical spirit saturate our current events. But as Christians, we have good news to share. We offer hope when there is no hope, and we offer help when none seems to be available. We can tell of wondrous things that satisfy the longings of our souls; we can relate the experiences of living a life of richness that far surpasses any wealth the world can relate to. When we share the good news, it is light in the darkness.
We can be like the shepherd who went out searching for the lost sheep. We must be like the woman who found her coin. We have good news to share that will help countless multitudes. Many want to rejoice with us in our treasure; many more want to experience that treasure for themselves. And when we do, the results can make the angels dance.