TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2011
It Starts with God's People

If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.
—2 Chronicles 7:14


A lot of times, we Christians have more focus on who is in the White House than on what is happening in God's house.

In 2 Chronicles 7:14, God looked at a nation that was having problems and pointed His finger at His people. He said, "If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land."

It is not a political answer this country needs; it is a spiritual answer. And the only real answer is a spiritual awakening. A revival must hit America.

God says, "If My people. . . ." If we want to turn around a nation, then God's people need to live as they should. The first-century church turned their world upside down. And what do we know about them? We know they were a Bible-teaching, gospel-preaching, praying, obedient church. So the question arises, is that where we are today?

Sadly, I think the answer is no. In a time when we need to engage our culture with the one truth that has any hope of transforming it, many among us have turned away from the answer.

One pastor wrote a book questioning the biblical teaching on hell. Another pastor recently said that he thinks we should no longer use the terminology "saved" or "born again" in our preaching because our culture doesn't understand that. And a popular Christian blogger has questioned the whole idea of evangelism.

There has never been a time when it is more significant for us to warn people about the reality of hell and tell them they need to be saved and born again. And yes, we need to do it through evangelism.

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2011
Meant to Share

When Priscilla and Aquila heard him preaching boldly in the synagogue, they took him aside and explained the way of God even more accurately.
—Acts 18:26


I have said it before, and I will say it again. You have a choice before you as a Christian: evangelize or fossilize. I fear there are many believers who know God's Word, yet they pretty much think that everything revolves around them. It is all about them being blessed, all about them growing, and all about them learning. Obviously there is a place for that. But it is also about our taking these newfound truths and sharing them with others.

The truth God has given you is not designed to be hoarded; it is designed to be shared. You have been blessed to be a blessing to others. And if you only take in and don't give out, you are running the risk of entering into a place of spiritual stagnation.

We have a new baby in our family, the daughter of our son Jonathan and his wife Brittni. I am just amazed at the things she does. She claps her little hands, and when she sees me, she starts jabbering. It is so fun hanging around with a baby. It is fascinating to me how much babies learn every single day.

It is also exciting to watch my older grandchildren grow and mature. I like to hang around kids. You see things differently when you are around a little one, things that you maybe would take for granted otherwise.

That is how it is with a new believer. You are sharing things that, quite frankly, you are starting to take for granted. And as they are discovering them for the first time, you rediscover them again.

We all have a part to play. You may think, Well, I just don't know all that much. But you know more than a brand-new believer. And God can do a lot with a little.

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2011
An Appointment with God

So teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.
—Psalm 90:12


It's hard to explain someone's life being cut short, dying at a relatively young age. We expect that person to live a much longer life. But who is to say that it wasn't his or her appointed time to go? Who is to say that it wasn't the exact length of life that God had preordained for that man or woman from the very beginning? In the Book of Acts, the apostle Paul says of King David: "For when David had served God's purpose in his own generation, he fell asleep; he was buried with his fathers" (Acts 13:36 NIV). David, great a man as he may have been, served his purpose in his own generation, and then was taken off the scene.

This is why we want to make every day count. To paraphrase the words of Moses in Psalm 90:12, "Lord, help us to realize our lives can end on any day. Please show me how to use each day wisely." We don't know when our day will come. We don't know when we will have "served our purpose to our own generation." When God calls you home, you're going home, and that's that. You can live on vitamin C, zinc, and Echinacea. You can drink green tea, eat tofu, and avoid all the toxins you can, but when your number is up, your number is up.

On the other hand, you will be around until God is done with you; you won't go before your time. You may or may not be the healthiest person, but you will live to the time that God has appointed for you, and worrying about it won't extend your life for one moment.

At the same time, however, we are not to take foolish risks and "put the Lord to the test." We can be assured that we are here until God is done with us. As the apostle Paul said, "For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain" (Philippians 1:21). So let's make the most of the lives God has given us. Missionary Jim Elliot once wrote: "Wherever you are, be all there. Live to the hilt every situation you believe to be the will of God."

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2011
The Son of Encouragement

When Saul arrived in Jerusalem, he tried to meet with the believers, but they were all afraid of him. They did not believe he had truly become a believer!
—Acts 9:26


When Saul left Damascus, he returned to Jerusalem, where he had presided over the martyrdom of Stephen. Did he receive a hero's welcome from his fellow believers? Did they hear he had become a believer and say, "The notorious Christian-killer, Saul, is one of us now. Let's welcome him"?

No. They didn't even believe he had been converted.

I wonder how many this is true of today. They come to Christ and attend church for the first time, and no one welcomes them. Maybe they get a cold shoulder from someone. Maybe they get a mean look. Maybe they wore the wrong T-shirt with the wrong slogan that day.

Come on. Can we be patient with people? Can we recognize that when someone is a new believer, they will be a little rough around the edges? What are we expecting? I wonder if we have people like Saul who come into our churches and never make that transition.

In Saul's life, that is where Barnabas came in. (By the way, the name Barnabas means "son of encouragement): "Then Barnabas brought him to the apostles and told them how Saul had seen the Lord on the way to Damascus and how the Lord had spoken to Saul. He also told them that Saul had preached boldly in the name of Jesus in Damascus" (Acts 9:27).

Apparently Barnabas had some credibility with the apostles, because they seemed to accept what he had to say. He put it all on the line and backed Saul's story because it was true.

We need more people like Barnabas today—people who know how to lift someone up, people who know how to comfort a person and motivate a person. That is what Barnabas did for Saul. And that is what we need to do as well

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2011
A Forgotten Hero

So Ananias went and found Saul. He laid his hands on him and said, "Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road, has sent me so that you might regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit."
—Acts 9:17


A discovery every Christian eventually makes is who their real friends are. That is a discovery Saul of Tarsus made when he first became a follower of Christ. He had no real friends, but what he did have was a brother in Christ named Ananias. And in time, he would discover a whole new family.

Charles Swindoll, in his excellent book, Paul: A Man of Grace and Grit, writes, "Ananias has been called one of the forgotten heroes of the faith. Indeed he is. There are countless numbers of them serving Christ behind the scenes the world over."

You see, with such men as Ananias doing their part, Saul could now do his. Acts 9:20–21 tells us, "And immediately [Saul] began preaching about Jesus in the synagogues, saying, 'He is indeed the Son of God!' All who heard him were amazed. . . ."

They couldn't believe that Saul of Tarsus was not only a believer, but now a preacher. And Saul quickly found out who his true friends and enemies were: "After a while some of the Jews plotted together to kill him" (verse 23).

God had been preparing Saul. Saul was ready for this job assignment. He was raised in a Roman city. He understood the thinking of the Roman mind. He was steeped in Greek culture, yet he was raised in a strict Jewish home. He was a powerful thinker and communicator. And now he was filled with the Holy Spirit. He was a force to be reckoned with.

Ananias had never preached any sermons that we know of. We don't know of any miracles that were performed through his hands. He never wrote an epistle. But he reached a man who did all of those things and much more. And if we had more Ananiases, we would have more Pauls.

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2011
Take a Risk

But the Lord said, "Go, for Saul is my chosen instrument to take my message to the Gentiles and to kings, as well as to the people of Israel."
—Acts 9:15


Saul had no idea what had just happened to him. After hearing the voice of Jesus on the Damascus Road, he fell to the ground, blinded by a searing light that penetrated the sun. Then he was led to the home of a man named Judas (no relation to Judas Iscariot).

Enter Ananias, the unsung hero. God told him in a vision,

"Go over to Straight Street, to the house of Judas. When you get there, ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul. He is praying to me right now. I have shown him a vision of a man named Ananias coming in and laying hands on him so he can see again." (Acts 9:11–12)


But Ananias had his doubts. He said, "I've heard many people talk about the terrible things this man has done to the believers in Jerusalem! And he is authorized by the leading priests to arrest everyone who calls upon your name" (verses 13–14).

You can understand Ananias' reticence. Saul was a notorious hunter of Christians. Saul had consented to Stephen's murder. Yet God said, "Go."

Do you know someone right now whom you cannot imagine ever becoming a Christian? That is what it was like when Saul of Tarsus came to Christ.

Sometimes God will put a burden on your heart. You will see someone, and there will be a burden from God that you ought to talk to that person. Of course, if God says go, we can say no. God said "Go," to Jonah, and he said no at first. But eventually he went, dragging his feet.

Are you going to be a Jonah or an Ananias? When the Lord says, "Go," are you going to fight it? Or, will you be an Ananias? Just go. Do it. Take a risk.

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2011
Preparing the Way

But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them?
—Romans 10:14


In the years before I became a Christian, I don't ever recall anybody engaging me with the gospel. I often would hang around down in Newport Beach, leaning against a wall with a tough-guy look on my face. I remember seeing the Christians walking around and handing out their religious tracts. In my heart, I was saying, Please, come and talk to me. But I was too proud to ask.

I noticed they would engage other people in conversation, but when they came to me, they would sort of look at me and just thrust the tract in my hands. But I didn't throw it away. In my room at home I had a big drawer that was filled with religious literature. And every now and then, I would pull out that drawer and read through this stuff, trying to make sense of it all. I needed someone to show me the way, but I don't remember anyone doing that.

The way that I ended up hearing the gospel was going to a Christian meeting I wasn't even invited to. I saw this girl on my high school campus that I found attractive, and I wondered why a cute girl like her would be a Christian. So I went to the meeting to check it out. The last thing I ever planned on doing was becoming a Christian. But I heard the gospel for the first time in a way that I understood, and I gave my life to Christ.

As I look back on my life, I see there were unsung heroes who helped prepare the way for my conversion. And we can all identify people who made a contribution, people whom God used in our lives. Will you be that person for someone today

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2011
A Calling Fulfilled

And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and signs among the people.
—Acts 6:8


Stephen, one of the unsung heroes of the church, was a young man with so much promise in his life. Because of his faithfulness, he was selected to be a deacon in the early church.

Many probably thought that Stephen had a great ministry ahead of him, because he was only a young man. But because of his preaching, he was called before the Jewish Sanhedrin to give an account. Now the Sanhedrin was sort of like the Supreme Court of that day. Its members were very powerful men. They did not like Stephen's preaching about Jesus Christ as the Messiah, and they called him to account for it.

Now if Stephen had been careful, he could have gone home for dinner that night. But instead, this young man saw the possibilities of reaching the Sanhedrin with the gospel. The Bible says that his face shined like that of an angel (see Acts 6:15), and he began to preach to them. But as Stephen preached they became so outraged, they decided to execute him. So they stoned him to death. And even as his young life was being drained from him, he cried out, "Lord, do not charge them with this sin" (Acts 7:60).

I believe it was the testimony of Stephen that brought Saul of Tarsus (later Paul), under the conviction of the Holy Spirit. For right on the heels of Stephen's martyrdom, Saul went out to hunt down Christians.

Here is what we need to remember: We don't know how long our life will last. We all have a task to complete, a calling to fulfill. And the length of our lives is not determined by genes or statistics, but by God. So our objective should be to stay on course and do what God has set before us.

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2011
Profile of a Hero

Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.
—1 Corinthians 10:31


We hear the word "hero" thrown around a lot today. But what is a hero? I think we have lost the meaning of the word today.

A hero is someone who does something selfless and sacrificial. A hero is someone who puts the needs of others above himself or herself. I think in our culture, we have a lot of celebrities but very few heroes.

Sometimes we don't know who the real heroes are until much later. Sometimes they hold a position before it is popular or do something before it is fully understood. But with the passing of time, we come to regard them as heroes.

In contrast to a hero who may get the recognition they deserve, an unsung hero rarely does. They are the people who work behind the scenes, the ones who do a lot of the heavy lifting but are rarely rewarded for it.

The Bible is filled with unsung heroes. A classic one that comes to mind is Andrew. When Andrew began to follow Jesus, the first thing he did was find his brother and tell him, "We have found the Messiah" (John 1:41).

Andrew was one of those guys who had a dominant big brother, Simon Peter. He was the guy who would always lead others. So very easily Andrew could have said, "You know, I am not even going to tell him about this. I want Jesus to myself." But Andrew went out and found his brother.

In fact, it seems that whenever we read about Andrew, he is bringing someone to Jesus. Andrew was always working behind the scenes.

Andrew is a model for all Christians. There is no end to what can be accomplished if, instead of worrying about accolades, we are willing to just get the job done, to do things for God's glory

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2011
Not Forgotten

"But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly."
—Matthew 6:3–4


I know someone who has what it seems like hundreds of medals from the triathlons he has done. I once dared him to go out in public wearing 30 of them. I said, "Let's go get a cup of coffee. Just walk around wearing them, and I will buy your coffee." He wouldn't do it.

Personally, I have never won a single medal. Maybe your experience has been the same. But there is an awards ceremony coming in which those who have faithfully served the Lord will be rewarded.

Often we think way too much about the here and now and not enough about the by-and-by. But in eternity, there will be rewards awaiting those who have put their faith in Christ and have given faithful service to Him.

Jesus said, "For I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me" (Matthew 25:35–36). He went on to explain, "Inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me" (verse 40).

Think of all of those things you have done for God that no one ever saw: that sacrifice you made . . . that thing that you said . . . that person you forgave . . . that opportunity you seized . . . that gift you gave. No one saw. No one stood up and applauded and said, "Hey, look at what they just did!"

Here is what you need to know: God is watching. God is paying attention. God keeps very meticulous records. And God will reward you