God shake us!

God has been speaking to me through Acts in my time with Him in the mornings. And it's amazing that this weekend @ DNOW David Nasser spoke on messages from Acts. This morning in Acts 4:23-31, I noticed a prayer that I have adopted to pray for my family, my students, and my leaders. It is a prayer of boldness amidst the persecution that comes from the enemy when God is moving. It is a prayer of perseverance to keep going although things may get tough. It is the prayer that the believers prayed for Peter and John as they strived to do God's will. "And now, O Lord, hear their threats, and give your servants great boldness in their preaching. Send your healing power; may miraculous signs and wonders be done through the name of your holy servant Jesus!" Acts 4:29-30 And I pray we will experience the same result they did-"After this prayer, the building where they were meeting shook, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit. And they preached God's message with boldness." May God shake us to preach His message with boldness and win Alexander City for Him!

Can they tell we've been with Jesus?

Acts 4:13-"The members of the council were amazed when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, for they could see that they were ordinary men who had had no special training. They also recognized them as men who had been with Jesus." Do people recognize me as a person who has been with Jesus? That's a pointed question we must all answer. I guess I have to start with another question, "Have I actually spent time with Him today?" As a minister, there are times I rush through my day and struggle for answers to questions and situations and then realize that I rushed through or didn't take time to spend with God. That's nobody's fault but mine. I've tried to blame it on schedule, people, and everything else; but it's up to me to take time to spend with God. And I can tell when I haven't and so can everyone else. My oldest son recently came up to my youth group. Yeah, I'm old! And the thought hit me right between the eyes. Am I teaching him to study God's word? For so many years I've poured into teenagers and now I have one living in my own home. (Any advice would be helpful!) But to make it as a father, husband, minister, and in life in general-I have to spend time with God. Because people will never be able to tell I've been with Jesus if I actually haven't been with Him. Just a random thought for today's journey!