Jesus said, “Do this in remembrance of me.”   Luke 22:19

Communian services at our church are a wonderful blessing to me. As my thoughts focus on Christ’s sacrifice, my heart is filled with thankfulness for God’s amazing grace. Usually, after receiving Communion, I sit with head bowed and eyes closed, continuing in prayer while others are being served.  However, I have discovered a second blessing within the Communion service. After a brief time in personal prayer, I look around to see my brothers and sisters in Christ as they take Communion and pray. They represent a wide spectrum of ages, social status, and occupations. Some I know well; I know the joys and burdens they carry. Others, I do not know by name.

As I watch, I realize the double blessing of Communion: I am blessed by an overwhelming sense of being among family. I pray silently for each one as they partake at Christ’s table. For these moments, we are a family gathered together, experiencing God’s grace. What a foretaste of heaven it is!

Then all who heard were amazed, and said, “Is this not he who destroyed those who called on this name in Jerusalem, and has come here for that purpose, so that he might bring them bound to the chief priests?” (Acts 9:21)

The mere mention of the name Saul of Tarsus would send chills down the backbones of the believers of his day. His conversion was such a shocking, headline event that it’s mentioned three times in Scripture. British agnostic Lord George Lyttelton certainly couldn’t imagine such a transformation, and set out to prove that Paul was really never converted. He felt that if he could disprove the conversion of Paul, then he could essentially undermine the entire Christian faith. So he went to work on his treatise, entitled Observations on the Conversion and Apostleship of St. Paul. But a funny thing happened. He ended up meeting the same God that Paul had met. He had set out to disprove Paul’s conversion, but ultimately became converted himself after honestly looking at this amazing story. Lyttelton concluded, “Paul’s conversion and apostleship alone duly considered are a demonstration sufficient to prove Christianity is a divine revelation.”

In Saul, we see a man formerly controlled by hate who became controlled by love. In fact, this notorious persecutor of Christians wrote one of the most beautiful passages on love anywhere in literature, and one that certainly stands out in the pages of Scripture: 1 Corinthians 13.

After his encounter with Jesus, Paul blazed a trail that left behind many churches and converts. He preached to philosophers, Pharisees, rulers, soldiers, sorcerers, sailors, slaves, and probably to Caesar himself.

Paul wasn’t some superhuman who was above temptation or incapable of falling. But he was a man who dared to follow Jesus Christ wholeheartedly as both Savior and Lord. And history has shown us the amazing results of that loyalty.

“So commit yourselves completely to these words of mine. Tie them to your hands as a reminder, and wear them on your forehead. Teach them to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are away on a journey, when you are lying down and when you are getting up again.” Deuteronomy 11:18-19

People sometimes ask me to sign their Bibles, which is not something I like to do, because I didn’t write it! But when someone insists, I usually write this inscription in his or her Bible: “Sin will keep you from this book, and this book will keep you from sin.”

I have found that sin will always keep you away from the Bible, because the devil wants to keep you out of God’s Word. He doesn’t care if you read magazines, watch television, or read the latest novel on the bestseller list. But the minute you pick up the Bible and crack it open, you’d better believe that he will try to distract you with everything he has. He doesn’t want you to read it.

On the other hand, if you follow what the Bible teaches, it will keep you from sin. That is why we need to know the Word of God and study it. While it’s a great idea to carry a Bible in your briefcase, pocket, or purse, the best place to carry it is in your heart. Know it well. Fill the memory banks God has given you with Scripture, because the devil will attack you in the realm of your mind. The best defense is a mind that is filled with God’s Word.

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Acts 1:8

What comes to mind when you hear the word dynamite? I automatically think of something explosive. And when something is described as dynamic, I know it is something unusual or special, something that stands out.

Jesus told the disciples they would receive power when the Holy Spirit came upon them. The word that Jesus used for power is from the Greek word dunamis, the same word from which we get our words dynamite and dynamic.

Have you ever seen a fire hose on the loose? It can knock people and things over. It can be very destructive. But if you get hold of it and aim it in the right direction, you can do a lot of good.

Power is exciting if it is used for something productive. In the same way, God has given us the power of the Holy Spirit for a purpose. God’s power is practical. He didn’t give us the Holy Spirit so that we would behave strangely. He gave us the Holy Spirit to be His witnesses and to effectively share our faith. It is power with a purpose.

When the Holy Spirit came upon those first-century believers on the Day of Pentecost, the Bible says that about 3,000 people made commitments to Jesus Christ (see Acts 2:41). Peter made an important statement about the Holy Spirit back then: the power they had received was not only available to them, but would be available to future generations of believers as well (see Acts 2:39).

This means that the same power is available to us to change our world.

Who knows? Perhaps you have come to royal dignity for just such a time as this.  Esther 4:14

“I prayed that you would stop to help me,” the woman said, as she stood by the spouting geyser created by a broken lawn-sprinkler head. I had interrupted my morning walk to offer my advice on handling the mishap, but mechanical help wasn’t all that she needed. “My husband died six months ago, and I just don’t know what to do about anything.”

Two things struck me about this encounter. The first was that God had brought together someone involved in ministering to those whose spouse had died (me) and this woman who was a widow in need. The second thought, much more disturbing, was how close I had come to walking on by–or even worse, crossing to the other side of the street.

I’m convinced there are circumstances every day in which we come into contact with those who need a special touch that we can give. It’s up to us to be open to these opportunities and to actively look for them. Who knows? Perhaps that’s why we’ve come to a particular place and time.

Dear God, help us to actively look for opportunities to serve others, to respond to needs wherever we find them. Amen.

Now when Jesus looked at him, He said, “You are Simon the son of Jonah. You shall be called Cephas” (which is translated, A Stone). (John 1:42)

John’s Gospel tells us that when Andrew brought his brother Simon to Jesus, He looked at Simon. I find it interesting that the word looked used here could be translated “He saw right through him.”

Have you ever had someone look at you that way? Mothers seem to have this special ability. But Jesus didn’t have this ability in only a figurative way. He literally could look into a person’s soul, see what was going on, and know everything about him or her.

So Jesus looked at Simon and said, “Your name is Simon. But I’m giving you a new name. It’s Peter.” I wonder what Andrew and John were thinking when Jesus said this. They knew Simon. And if there was one thing Simon was not, it was a rock. The name “Simon” means “listener or hearer.” So Jesus was saying, “You are no longer going to be a listener or a hearer. You will become a rock.” Jesus had looked right through him and not only saw Simon for what he was, but saw him for what he could be.

In the same way, Jesus knows the real you—not the “you” that you’ve created for yourself, the persona or mask that you hide behind. Jesus knows what you think about late at night…what you dream about…what troubles you…what you hope for and wish for. And He knows what needs to happen in your life to make you the person He wants you to be.

That’s the key, isn’t it? He not only knows you, He knows how to complete you. The best thing any of us could ever do is to commit our lives into His hands.

He first found his own brother Simon, and said to him, “We have found the Messiah”…. And he brought him to Jesus. (John 1:41, 42)

In the first chapter of John’s Gospel, we see John the Baptist pointing to Jesus and directing his disciples to follow Him. Andrew and John heard him and followed Jesus. Then Andrew went to tell his brother Simon and brought him to Jesus.

The thing about Andrew is that once he was convinced, he was convinced. He saw for himself. He believed. And he immediately went out to tell his brother Simon. How we need more Andrews today! If we had more Andrews, we would have more Simon Peters. One person bringing another person to Jesus—it’s so simple. It’s so effective. And it is so neglected.

Mark 2 gives an account of four men who brought their paralyzed friend to Christ. As Jesus was teaching inside a house overflowing with people, these four persistent men climbed up to the roof and lowered their friend inside. Jesus was so impressed with their demonstration of faith that He forgave the man of his sins and healed him (see Mark 2:3-5).

When a person comes to Christ, it’s often because of contacts he or she has had with a number of believers…perhaps going back years. As Paul said, “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase” (1 Corinthians 3:6). We all have a part.

Andrew was brand-new in the faith, and often the newest converts are the most zealous evangelists. That’s probably because they are so aware of the fact that they have just been saved from a miserable lifestyle. That was Andrew. We may find ourselves becoming stronger witnesses for Jesus if keep reminding ourselves time and again of what God has done for us.

“To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.” (John 10:3)

As you get to know your Shepherd, you will come to realize that when He calls you, it is always worth obeying. When He says something, it is for your benefit. If He says, “Go this way,” it’s because He has green pastures and still waters for you. If He says, “Stop! Don’t do that,” it’s because He’s trying to protect you from potential danger, possibly something that is even life-threatening.

The fact that God speaks to us is clear throughout the pages of Scripture. To some, like Moses, God spoke audibly. To others, like the prophet Elijah, He spoke quietly on at least one occasion.

Often we look for the big events, the earthshaking circumstances in which God speaks. And many times He is speaking to us, but it is in a still, small voice. We should try turning off the television, the radio, and the telephone and just listen. With all the noise in our world, with all the information that bombards us, we can hear all those voices but miss the most important voice of all. Maybe one reason we don’t hear Him is because we never stop and listen. We should heed the words of Psalm 46:10, which says, “Be still, and know that I am God.”

Once we have heard the voice of God, we need to follow. Jesus said, “The sheep follow him, for they know his voice” (John 10:4). The word “follow” means to deliberately decide to comply with instruction. It is a deliberate choice for sheep to follow the shepherd. We need to deliberately decide to follow our Shepherd, to do what He tells us to do.

When God speaks to you in that still, small voice, will you listen? Will you follow Him?

Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith.  2 Corinthians 13:5

True faith in Christ is lived out by the things we do each and every day. And by our example, we can either push someone away from God, or bring them closer to knowing the life-changing truth of Jesus Christ.  Because of the eternal importance of our example, we have to regularly revisit what’s right and what’s wrong in our behavior. We have to make sure that our moral compass is dialed into the clear standards of God’s word, and not the murky gray version of right and wrong that the world has created. 

As you walk through each day, take some time to take an honest look at your actions and investigate the level of influence your faith has on others. Are you doing all that God has asked of you? Are you truly in the faith?

Dear God, As I go through life each day, help me to properly examine my actions and motives. Help me to increase my faith in you and my influence on the lives of others. And help me discover what it truly means to live out my faith in you. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect. 1 Peter 3:15

To recognize opportunity is the difference between success and failure. When opportunity knocks, we have to get up and answer the door. And we never know when it will knock.

If we as Christians are going to obey the Lord’s command to go into all the world and preach the gospel, then we must know what we believe and how to present it. Sadly, many Christians are unable to do that. They have little to no understanding of why or what they believe. The Bible warns that “we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting” (Ephesians 4:14). When we don’t know what we believe, we are vulnerable. And because of this spiritual deficiency, we are ineffective witnesses for the Lord.  In Acts 7, we read about a man who was prepared for a significant moment in his life—which turned out to be a defining moment for the young church of Jesus Christ. When Stephen was hauled before the Sanhedrin, he was ready for the opportunity God dropped in his lap. He seized the moment and made a difference.

You can do the same…because you never know when those golden opportunities will come your way. As they would say in the 19th century, “Trust in God and keep your powder dry.” Be ready for that opportunity, because you never know when the Lord will drop it in your lap.