BOLDNESS
Now Think On This
Steve Martin
“While they were still praying, the place where they
were gathered was shaken. They were all filled with the Ruach HaKodesh, and
they spoke God’s message with boldness.” (Acts: 4:31 Complete Jewish Bible)
Living these days in the USA would make you think
that Christians have no say in what goes on in our country. If you listened to
certain government “authorities”, daily newscasters, or the life-time educators
in our public school system, you would think that believers no longer have any
rights, that we are to “keep our opinions to yourself, in our church boxes on
Sundays, and not say anything to anyone”, or we are stepping out of line. Oh
really?
You know what will keep you from being bold? Believing
the lie that as believers we are just to “love our neighbor”, keep to
ourselves, and let whatever happens in our nation happen. After all, we don’t
want to step on another person’s toes, or be looked upon as trouble makers, now
do we?
Again, “Oh really?”
Where do you see that in your Bible?
Here is what my Bible says.
“So they called them and commanded them not to speak
at all nor teach in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John answered and said to
them, "Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than
to God, you judge. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and
heard." So when they had further threatened them, they let them go,
finding no way of punishing them, because of the people, since they all
glorified God for what had been done. For the man was over forty years old on whom
this miracle of healing had been performed.
And being let go, they went to their own companions
and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said to them. So when
they heard that, they raised their voice to God with one accord and said:
"Lord, You are God, who made heaven and earth and the sea, and all that is
in them, who by the mouth of Your servant David have said:
'Why did the nations rage, and the people plot vain
things? The kings of the earth took their stand, and the rulers were gathered
together against the Lord and against His Christ.'
"For truly against Your holy Servant Jesus,
whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the
people of Israel, were gathered together to do whatever Your hand and Your
purpose determined before to be done. 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."
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 4:18-31 NKJV)
That is what my Bible says. And yours too. Read it.
It brings me great courage, and boldness myself, to
hear men and women of God stand up, speak the truth, and let it be known that
our country, founded on the eternal godly principles that is was - those of Judeo-Christian – will not just lay
down and let the lies of the ungodly tell us what is to be.
It gave me great courage when our church opened its
doors during this election year to hold a forum, having one seeking the office
of the President of the United States to come and speak his mind. If we would
have listened to the lies of “politically correct” people, we would have just
had a one hour “sing and hold hands” meeting.
Enough already.
Believers, those of us empowered by the Living God
of Israel, are to get up, stand up, and proclaim the full Gospel that the Lord
Jesus Christ commissioned us to do. That begins
with the salvation message, but then we are to continue on in forth telling the
whole truth.
And here is another part of His whole truth.
1.
Killing the unborn, God’s creation, is murder.
2.
“Marrying” the same sex is wrong.
3.
Fornication, pornography and adultery is not to be practiced and accepted
in our society.
4.
Saying Bible-believing Americans have to keep “separated” from government
involvement is not the truth.
5.
Letting Israel stand alone is going against God’s plan.
6.
Sitting back and watching Christians be slaughtered by Islamic killers is
not acceptable.
7.
Letting America go to hell is not in the heart of our Lord.
The Living God of Israel, Whom has dramatically demonstrated
His eternal love and goodness in bringing the Jews back to their Promised Land,
is embolding His people in the other nations to stand up, let our voices be
heard, and share the full Gospel of salvation and redemption.
We are the ones being called upon to do that which
we have been apprehended to do.
I love it how the Scriptures proclaim this truth.
“But what things were gain to me, these I have
counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the
excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered
the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own
righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in
Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; that I may know Him and
the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being
conformed to His death, if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from
the dead.
Not that I have already attained, or am already
perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus
has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended;
but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching
forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize
of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:7-14, NKJV)
Now is the time. Now is the day. While it is still
light, let us be about doing all that we have been apprehended for and given to
do. The darkness is rapidly coming our way. In many cases it is smothering many
already.
In His strength, wisdom and power, let’s get doing what
He has commanded us to do.
So think on this, in the love of
Jesus,
Steve Martin
Love For His People, Inc.
P.S. I would be
most grateful if you'd share this encouraging word with your family and
friends. They might need it. You can easily use the social media icons below.
Thanks! Steve
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Now Think On This - In the New Year of our Lord 01.17.16 -
#234 –“BOLDNESS” – Sunday at 8:30 am
All previous editions of Now Think On This can
be found on this Blog, and on the website: Now Think On This
Again, I would be most grateful if you'd share this
encouraging word with your family and friends. You can easily use the social
media icons below. Thanks! Steve
Just recently, however, my perspective was transformed. God gave me a divine "sneak peek" back at myself in February. I was staring at myself from God's perspective – His lenses on my eyes. It was as if God came down and made an appointment with me, like when an earthly father speaks to his child. 
I was seeking the Lord on my schedule, when it was easy and comfortable, but I wasn't pursuing His presence the way He has asked of us – to give His goals for our day precedence over ours and have His guidance in every aspect of our lives. Unfortunately, the Lord was getting the crumbs of my time instead of the main course of my life. 
I hear the Lord say: 
"I desire to teach you how to walk with Me all over again. When I slow down, you want to walk faster. I want to be with you. Do you lead, or am I leading you? My steps are yours. Your feet are in My footprints. We are one – where I go, you go." 
What is His Kingdom will last! Value what is treasured in God's heart. By humbling ourselves, we gain the King's agenda for 2016. This establishes true Kingdom authority, granted by His heavenly courts. Nehemiah had everything needed from the king to get the Lord's work done. 
The enemy has worked hard to bring fear to the Church Body at large and I'm sure he will keep trying to do that...BUT we are not to live in fear nor believe his negative report!
