Holy Boldness

"And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness. Acts 4:31 I've been hearing the words "Holy Boldness" in my spirit lately. I fear that, as Christians, we have been operating from a place of comfort and complacency. That is simply not enough! If we are to claim and proclaim the promises of God, we must act with boldness and grab hold of what He has for us. Our efforts to share the Gospel must be intensified. Time is short for Jesus' return and the world is a dark and ugly place. Sin is rampant in our nation and world. Abominations are paraded in front of us and accepted as the norm. Children and the elderly are dying at the hands of those who are commissioned to love, care for and protect them. Political corruption and racism abound. People are hungry and homeless. Where is the Church in all of this? We're sitting back on our blessed assurances and watching it all unfold, apparently unconcerned. If we are not concerned about those around us, then where is our love for our fellow man? If we are not doing somthing to improve their circumstances, are we not complicit in their demise? Are we living from a place of fear and timidity, or do we believe what the Bible says? Where do we find strengh, boldness and a call to action? "Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need." Hebrews 4:16 "I will lift up my eyes to the hills—From whence comes my help? My help comes from the Lord, Who made heaven and earth." Psalm 121:1-2 We find our strength through time spent with God and in His Word. We find our strength in prayer and through communion with those of the faith. It isn't enough to simply talk about the issues, we must take action! We must exercise Holy Boldness. We must put on the full armor of God and be ready to engage in battle on Heaven's behalf. Change only happens when there is a change taking place. It's up to us, as God's ambassadors here on earth to bring about change. It is not the government's responsibility. Had the Church been the church, the governemet would not have had to step in. We are the body of Christ. We must get out of our comfortable, air-conditioned sanctuaries and hit the streets to escort in a time of change, not religion--simply being the hands and feet of Jesus, making Him known to a lost an dying world. There is hope! His Name is Jesus! It is up to us to boldly make Him known!

Looking for Love...

"But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8 Those of us of a certain age will recall the country song, "Looking for Love" sung by Johnny Lee back around 1980--which seems like a lifetime ago now, although I was an adult when it came out. So, yeah--I guess I'm getting old. I've had that old song on my mind for some reason lately. Anyway--in it, he talks of looking for love in all the wrong places, playing a fool's game just hoping to win, telling lies & losing time and time again. Obnviously, he was looking for romantic love and apparently wasn't very successful. There's a spiritual parallel there. We waste valuable time in life trying to find fulfillment in what the world has to offer. There is a void within us that only God can fill, but we attempt to fill it with things that aren't made or meant to satisfy that great need we have. "But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear." Isaiah 59:2 As for me--I tried to find fulfillment in the world. I sought to be popular and make myself known. I looked for fulfillment in romantic relationships. I thought a good job and being in a position of power would meet my needs. When that didn't work, I amassed possessions--which still left me empty. I tried drugs, alcohol and sex--but, they only caused more (and worse) problems in my life. Ironically, I had grown up in church and attended a Christian school. I knew God's Word. I just didn't want to heed it. In my mind, it seemed like a list of "Thou shalt nots" that would rob me of the freedom to enjoy life and all it had to offer. Still, life and poor choices robbed me of the same. "Then I looked on all the works that my hands had done And on the labor in which I had toiled;And indeed all was vanity and grasping for the wind. There was no profit under the sun." Ecclesiastes 2:11 I knew what I needed to do, I simply did't want to. I ran from the calling God had on my life, made a myriad of bad choices and sent myself into a cycle of depression and despair. However, when I hit rock bottom and had the presence of mind to reach out to God, He was there, waiting for me just as He had been for all those years. I couldn't run or wrestle with Him any longer. He wasn't willing to renegotiate--I had to do it on His terms. I surrendered and accepted what I should have many years before and could have avoided much pain and heartache if I had. "Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!" Psalm 139:7-8 He separated me from the old, called me out and made me new. He cleaned me up. He gave me purpose. "But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light." 1 Peter 2:9 Here's the truth of the matter--what He's done for me, He'll do for you. He offers us a free gift of salvation. Jesus gave His life and blood to make a way of reconcilliation for sinful man--and we are all sinners. All we have to do is receive the gift He offers. Like the father received back the prodigal son, God will willingly open His arms and heart to you. You've made mistakes. You've done terrible things. Maybe you're caught in addiction--to drugs, alcohol, porn, gambling, sex, codependency, etc. He already knows and He loves you anyway. The first step is siply calling out to Him. He is waiting for you, just as He waited all those years for me. Stop looking for love in all the wrong places--reach out to God and receive true, unconditional love like you have never known before. Become a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17) in Him. Let go of the baggage that the world has weighed you down with and fall into His overwhelming love an peace. There's also a line in the song that says, "You came a-knockin' at my heart's door. You're every thing I've been lookin' for." It reminds me of another Scripture, "Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me." Revelation 3:20 What are you waiting for? You're looking for love and love has a name, His Name is Jesus--The One Who gave His life for you!