The Bible NETWork ~ Impacting the World for Christ one post at a time!

SATURDAY DECEMBER 15
“Rise and stand on your feet.” Ac 26:16 NKJV
THE CALL TO LEADERSHIP (1)

If God has called you to leadership you’ll be unfulfilled in any other slot. God told Paul,
“Rise and stand on your feet; for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to make you
a minister.” Notice what the call to leadership requires: (1) Competence. You must recognize
your gifts, then channel your energies into where you’re most likely to succeed. That
means acknowledging your limitations and helping equip others to fill them. To do that,
you must be secure. (2) Courage. Scott Peck said, “The best decision makers are those
willing to suffer the most over their decisions but still retain their ability to be decisive.”
Good leaders are not necessarily the smartest or most creative people, they’re just the
ones with the courage to step out and go first. So, “Be thou strong and very courageous”
(Jos 1:7). (3) Clarity. Your life’s vision may come at once, but the steps are revealed over
time. Don’t allow a lack of answers to leave you paralyzed. Be clear about your goal, even
though you’re not certain as to the details. (4) Coaching.Without a good coach you’ll never
be as good as you could be. If you’re hoping to learn everything from personal experience,
good luck; you’ll have to outlive Methuselah! (5) Character. You can lead without character,
but you can’t be a leader worth following. Character provides the moral authority to
bring together the people and resources needed to get the job done. Your talent has the
potential to take you places where your character can’t sustain you. That thought should
keep you on your knees.

SUNDAY DECEMBER 16
“Teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you.”
Mt 28:20 NKJV
THE CALL TO LEADERSHIP (2)

If God has called you to be a teacher in the church, here are three principles you need
to live by: (1) Before you feed others, feed yourself. Don’t just go to the Bible for something
to say, go for something to eat. Jeremiah said, “Thy words were found, and I did eat
them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart” (Jer 15:16). People
know when you’re saying things that are not a reality in your own life. It’s what Dr. John
Maxwell refers to as “The law of the lid.” Nothing rises higher than its leadership! (2) Love
people, but don’t cling to them. They are God’s people, not yours! Your assignment to them
is for a reason and for a season; when it’s complete, release them into God’s care. Then
get a life, and center it on Christ. (3) Truth is timeless, but methods are temporary. What got
you to where you are won’t necessarily get you to where you need to be. To be “called”
means you’ll always be moving from something, toward something. If what you’re doing
isn’t working, seek God for fresh instructions. If your goal is to fit comfortably within the
framework of where you started and make no waves, you’ll never enjoy what God has for
you up the road. You can’t pray for growth and resist change. Do you know why Jesus
healed blind people in different ways? So we’d never be able to say, “This the only way.”
Acknowledging that keeps you sharp, keeps you humble, and keeps you credible as
a leader.

MONDAY DECEMBER 17
“The Lord said…‘Go on before the people.’” Ex 17:5
THE CALL TO LEADERSHIP (3)

To be a good leader you must do these two things: (1) Spend time with the people. For
four hundred years the children of Israel had been leaderless. As a result, they had no
identity or self-worth. Actually, they had a slave mentality. So Moses often walked among
them, because sheep gain confidence by smelling the shepherd’s scent and rubbing up
against him. Getting the idea? If you’re afraid to get close to people maybe it’s because
you’ve too much to hide—like pride, or insecurity, or weakness. Only when people feel
truly valued will they value you and follow you. (2) Get out ahead of the people. How do
you know when it’s time to move to new territory? “The people murmured against Moses”
(v. 3). That’s because there was no water where they were, and thirsty sheep always complain.
When the murmuring starts, you may have spent too long socializing. It’s time to
transition. “The Lord said unto Moses, ‘Go on before the people…smite the rock, and there
shall come water out of it’” (vv. 5-6). When you stop trying to fit in, and get out ahead of
them, God will give you supernatural resources equal to the challenge you’re facing. No
vision is permanently stopped by lack of finances, but by a lack of faith and courage, and
an unwillingness to step out and take risks. When you do, you’ll discover that God can
“supply all your need according to His riches in glory” (Php 4:19 NKJV). According to
what? His riches! And they are available when you’re willing to get out of your comfort
zone and act boldly.

TUESDAY DECEMBER 18
“Great persecution broke out…and all…were scattered.” Ac 8:1 NIV
WHEN GOD LIGHTS A FIRE UNDER YOU

Jesus never intended His disciples to get comfortable in Jerusalem and stay there. He told
them, “Forgiveness of sins will be preached in [my] name to all nations, beginning at
Jerusalem” (Lk 24:47 NIV). They were only supposed to remain in Jerusalem long enough
to be infused with power, then take the gospel to the world. But they “returned to
Jerusalem…And…stayed continually at the temple, praising God” (vv. 52-53 NIV). Now
it’s okay to wait on God for directions and the power to carry them out, but not to keep
repeating some earlier experience you’ve had. Jesus said, “You will receive power…and
you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all of Judea and Samaria, and to the ends
of the earth” (Ac 1:8 NIV). So how did God get them out of their comfort zone? By lighting
a fire under them! “Great persecution broke out against the church at Jerusalem, and
…Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went” (Ac 8:1-4 NIV).
We all believe the gospel must be preached to every nation, but few of us want to leave
home and take it to them. We’re willing to pray, and even pay, as long as we get to stay.
But when God has a mission for you He will do whatever it takes to get you moving.
Before He will let you miss out on your destiny, He will permit trouble to uproot you. You
can’t freeze-frame the past or relive it. And you can’t keep God’s blessing to yourself. When
God lights a fire under you He’s saying, “It’s time for you to move!”

WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 19
“But we all…are changed…by the Spirit of the Lord.” 2Co 3:18
PRAYER, NOT PRESSURE, CHANGES PEOPLE

Jesus asked the question, “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s
eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?” (Mt 7:3 NIV). Expecting more
out of people than they’re able to give will hurt your relationships, not help them. People
need the freedom to be who they are. That doesn’t mean they don’t need or want to
change. But nobody appreciates being given the message, even subtly, that they must
change in order to be loved and accepted. We’re more likely to change for those who are
willing to accept us with our shortcomings, than for those who demand we live by their
rules. One thing’s for sure: God won’t change the people we’re trying to change until we
adopt a “hands off” policy. We must get out of His way and let Him work! Even when we
think we’re hiding our disapproval, people still feel it. It’s in our voice and body language.
Prayer is the great change agent, not pressure. If we truly love people we’ll pray for them
and allow God to work on them His way, on His schedule, and for His glory. Many of those
who irritate us are simply being themselves; their personality just doesn’t mesh with ours.
Sometimes we want them to change when we need to change. Often the things we require
in other people are already available for us to enjoy, if we’ll just stop judging them. For
change to be lasting, it must come from the inside out. And only the Spirit of God can bring
that kind of change.

THURSDAY DECEMBER 20
“Who are you?” Jn 1:22 NKJV
KNOWING WHAT GOD’S CALLED YOU TO DO

When asked, “Who are you?” John the Baptist replied, “The voice of one crying in
the wilderness: Make straight the way of the Lord” (v. 23 NKJV). After listening to
John for a while, his disciples left him to follow Christ. And that was okay with John, because
he knew what he was called to do. Do you? You can only go on for so long “trying
things.” At some point you’ve got to discover what God’s called you to do and give yourself
fully to it.
Apparently Paul wasn’t a particularly great speaker: “I came to you…timid and trembling…
my message and my preaching were very plain” (1Co 2:3-4 NLT). But what Paul
lacked as a speaker, he more than compensated for as a writer. He wrote the inspired
word that enabled others to preach! Something so powerful was released through Paul’s
writings that even when they threw him in jail he didn’t ask for a lawyer or a gourmet meal
because he was tired of prison food. No, he wanted paper so that he could keep writing.
In fact, Paul wrote all the way to the end of his life. And because he did, lives are still
being changed today. What a legacy! And all because one man discovered his calling
and devoted himself to it. So the question is: have you discovered your calling and devoted
yourself to it? George Bernard Shaw wrote: “Life is no brief candle to me. It is a sort of splendid
torch which I get to hold for a moment, and I want to make it burn as brightly as
possible before turning it over to future generations.”

FRIDAY DECEMBER 21
“He faced all the same testings we do.” Heb 4:15 NLT
HE UNDERSTANDS (1)

The Lord understands what you are going through today because He has been where
you are. The Bible says: “This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he
faced all the same testings we do…So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious
God. There we will receive mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most”
(vv.15-16 NLT). That means: (1) Jesus understands your family problems. He had a family
of His own. And on one occasion they said, “He’s out of His mind” (Mk 3:21 NLT). (2) Jesus
understands when you feel overwhelmed. “Then Jesus said, ‘Let’s go off by ourselves to a
quiet place and rest awhile.’ He said this because there were so many people coming and
going that Jesus and his apostles didn’t even have time to eat” (Mk 6:31 NLT). Jesus not
only dealt with on-the-job pressures, He had to organize, train, and correct His own followers,
including a bunch of uneducated fishermen, a bigot, and a despised tax collector.
(3) Jesus understands when you feel rejected. The town He grew up in had no use for Him:
“He came unto his own, and his own received him not” (Jn 1:11). When Philip said, “‘We’ve
found the One Moses wrote of…Jesus…from Nazareth!’ Nathanael said, ‘Nazareth…
You’ve got to be kidding’” (v. 45 TM). And Jesus’ family tree was nothing to write home
about either. Rahab was a prostitute, Jacob was a crook, David was an adulterer—to name
just a few. Yes, Jesus understands. He knows where you’re at today and He’s able to help
you. So talk to Him!

SATURDAY DECEMBER 22
“He faced all of the same testings we do.” Heb 4:15 NLT
HE UNDERSTANDS (2)

Are you disappointed in people? Jesus understands, because in the final analysis those
He loved and counted on let Him down. Judas, His treasurer, sold Him out, then sealed
the deal with a kiss. Even in His darkest hour, Gethsemane, His closest disciples, Peter,
James and John, couldn’t stay awake and pray with Him for an hour (See Mt 26:40). Are
you tired of all the demands? Jesus understands. “A vast crowd brought to him people who
were lame, blind, crippled, those who couldn’t speak, and many others. They laid them
before Jesus, and He healed them all” (See Mt 4:23-24). You say, “But if Jesus was God
how could He get tired?” Because He was both God and man. He had to be God in order
to save us, and man in order to die for us. “Jesus, tired from the long walk, sat wearily
beside the well about noontime” (Jn 4:6 NLT). Have you been falsely accused? Jesus understands.
They accused Him of being “a lush, a friend of the riff-raff” (Mt.11:19 TM). Up until
the time of His death they were still trying “to find something false…so they could kill
him” (Mt. 26:59 NCV). And Jesus said, “The servant is not greater than his lord” (Jn 15:20).
When you decide to follow Jesus you’re signing up for a life of advancement—and
adversity! So why did Jesus go through these things? “Since he himself has gone through
suffering…he is able to help us” (Heb 2:18 NLT). He walked the path you’re on today so
that you could go to Him knowing He understands, and that He is able to help.

SUNDAY DECEMBER 23
“Give all your worries…to God, for he cares about you.” 1Pe 5:7 NLT
GOD WILL TAKE CARE OF YOU

Think about the things you worried about last year, or even last week. How many came
to pass? Statistically,10 percent at most! And did all your worrying make them better
or worse? And what about the physical and emotional toll worry is taking on you? Dr.
Charles Mayo, founder of the famous Mayo Clinic, said, “Worry negatively affects the circulation,
the heart, the glands, and the whole nervous system. It profoundly affects your
health. I have never known a person who died from overwork, but many who died from
worry.” So when are you going to face up to the fact that you worry too much, and do
something about it? “What can I do?” you ask. The Bible says, “Give all your worries and
cares to God, for he cares about you.” By committing each day to the Lord, you are trusting
Him to go before you and work things out for the best. It’s the only way to live! Worry
doesn’t work. It’s like a rocking chair; it will give you something to do and keep you going,
but it won’t get you anywhere! Life is too big for any of us to handle alone. So when worry
comes to prey on your mind, attack it with the promises of God. Go ahead, bring your fears
to God and watch them shrivel and die: “It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces
worry at the center of your life” (Php 4:7 TM). George Muller said, “The beginning
of anxiety is the end of faith, and the beginning of true faith is the end of anxiety.”

CHRISTMAS EVE – MONDAY DECEMBER 24
“Where is He who has been born?” Mt 2:2 NKJV
DON’T MISS CHRISTMAS

Matthew records: “Now after Jesus was born…wise men from the East came to
Jerusalem, saying, ‘Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have
seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him…when…they saw the young
Child with Mary His mother, [they] fell down and worshiped Him” (vv.1, 2, 11). Because of
the International Date Line you can fly from America on December 24th and arrive in
Australia on December 26th, missing Christmas Day altogether. But you can also stay
home and miss it, end up exhausted, broke, glad it’s over, and not experience the joy it
brings. Don’t let that happen to you. Try something different this year. Before you dive
into gift giving, partying or watching parades and ball games on television, gather your
loved ones around and read them the Christmas story. Your children will never forget it.
They might even make it a tradition they carry on with their children too: (1) Tell them that
whether you are rich like the wise men or poor like the shepherds, Jesus loves you. Your
social status makes no difference; He values you just as you are. (2) Tell them that when
Jesus came, He never left. His Word says, “I will never leave you nor forsake you. So we
may boldly say: The Lord is my helper” (Heb13:5-6 NKJV). (3) Tell them every prophecy
concerning Christ’s first coming came to pass, and that the prophecies in the Bible concerning
His second coming are being fulfilled right now. So if they’re wise they’ll seek
Him, surrender to Him, serve Him and be ready when He comes.

CHRISTMAS DAY – TUESDAY DECEMBER 25
“Good news…for all the people.” Lk 2:10 NIV
THE BEST GIFT EVER!

For many people Christmas is a sad time. Author Jon Walker writes: “I’m sitting in a fast
food restaurant observing a young girl celebrating an early Christmas with her mother.
Her presents are spread out across the booth and she just said, ‘I miss you, Mommy.’ ‘I miss
you too, Baby,’ her mother says. Beyond the booth…a woman casually, but carefully
watches them. Using my journalist’s eye, I put it all together. The watching woman is a
social worker supervising a structured visit for a mother and child who are doing their
best to celebrate Christmas…a few minutes later foster parents arrive and take the little
girl home. The mother leaves alone. There’s a darker side to Christmas we rarely acknowledge.
We create this fantasy that seldom matches reality, even in the best of homes
…many Christmas memories are full of tension, not tinsel…the holidays are just another
excuse for Mommy to get drunk, or Daddy to be with his new family…yet another reminder
that the one we love is far away or perhaps never coming back…The suicide rate
is extraordinarily high in December…depression as common as ‘Joy to the World’…
more people hurt at Christmas than we initially imagine. For those tired of the hollow
hope and false fantasies of Christmas, the good news is, God is with us.” Jesus came to
earth to “bring…good news…for all the people.” Regardless of your situation, Christmas
is the best gift you’ll ever get, because: (1) it’s the costliest you’ll ever receive because it
cost Jesus His life; (2) it’s the only gift that lasts forever; (3) it’s one you can enjoy for the
rest of your life.


Merry Christmas...To all and your Family..

WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 26
“Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.” Lk 5:16 NIV
MAKE PRAYER A HABIT (1)

Habits are powerful things. We form our habits and then our habits form us. So this
coming year decide to stop talking about it, and make it a habit to spend time with
God in prayer each day. If your desire is truly to be like Jesus you must pray regularly, for
He “often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.” Don’t let the word “lonely” intimidate
you. Once you cultivate an awareness of God’s presence you’ll prefer His company to that
of anybody else. And don’t let the word “withdrew” intimidate you. Just shut off your TV,
your computer and your PDA and you’ll make a wonderful discovery: “In thy presence is
fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore” (Ps 16:11). John Wesley
said, “I have so much to do that I must spend several hours in prayer before I am able to
do it.” Martin Luther said, “Prayer is the most important thing in my life. If I should neglect
prayer for a single day, I should lose a great deal of the fire of faith.” The hymnist wrote,
“Sweet hour of prayer, sweet hour of prayer—that calls me from a world of care. And bids
me at my Father’s throne, make all my wants and wishes known. In seasons of distress and
grief, my soul has often found relief. And oft escaped the tempter’s snare, by thy return,
sweet hour of prayer.” When the disciples asked Jesus about prayer, He began by saying,
“When you pray” (See Mt 6:9-15). He assumed they’d have a regular time for prayer. Could
He assume that about you?

THURSDAY DECEMBER 27
“He knelt down…three times [a] day, and prayed.” Da 6:10 NKJV
MAKE PRAYER A HABIT (2)

Peter, whom God used to help build the church, and John, whom God used to write
the book of Revelation, made time in their daily schedule for prayer. “Peter and John
went up together to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour” (Ac 3:1 NKJV). The
apostle Paul, who wrote much of the New Testament, said, “Never stop praying” (1Th 5:17
NLT). Daniel’s habit of praying was so well-known that his enemies used it to trap him. “He
knelt down on his knees three times [a] day, and prayed and gave thanks before his God,
as was his custom since early days. Then these men assembled and found Daniel praying”
(Da 6:10-11 NKJV). End of story? No, Daniel’s prayers shut the mouths of lions and
caused a heathen king to say: “’Men must tremble and fear before the God of Daniel. For
He is the living God…His kingdom is the one which shall not be destroyed…He delivers
and rescues, and He works signs and wonders in heaven and on earth, Who has delivered
Daniel from the power of the lions.’ So…Daniel prospered” (vv. 26-28 NKJV). The Psalmist
wrote, “He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow
of the Almighty” (Ps 91:1 NKJV). Once you identify your “secret place” and begin to use it
regularly, a kind of aura surrounds it. You will grow to love it, and eventually it will become
the most important place in your life. The power of prayer defies calculation. Nothing lies
beyond the reach of prayer, except that which lies outside the will of God.

FRIDAY DECEMBER 28
“God has surely listened and heard my…prayer.” Ps 66:19 NIV
MAKE PRAYER A HABIT (3)

The Psalmist wrote, “If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened;
but God has surely listened and heard my…prayer” (vv.18-19). The character
flaws you are working on, and your tendency to stumble from time to time, don’t disqualify
you from God’s blessing. The sin you “cherish” does that! In prayer the first thing
God will want to talk to you about is usually the last thing you want to talk to Him about—
namely, the sin you don’t want to let go of. It will actually keep you from the place of
prayer. When Adam sinned he hid from God, saying, “I heard Your voice…and I was afraid
because I was naked” (Ge 3:10 NKJV). Billy Graham said: “The Christian should have an
appetite for prayer. He should want to pray. One does not have to force food upon a
healthy child. Exercise, good circulation, health and labor demand food for sustenance. So
it is with those who are spiritually healthy. They have an appetite for the Word of God and
for prayer. A little girl committed a certain offence and when her mother discovered it,
she began to question her daughter. Immediately the child lost her smile and a cloud
darkened her face as she said, ‘Mother, I don’t feel like talking.’ So it is with us, when our
fellowship with God is broken by sin in our lives. We do not feel like talking to Him.” So,
if you don’t feel like praying today, it’s probably a good indication that you need to.

SATURDAY DECEMBER 29
“They soon forgot his many acts of kindness to them.” Ps 106:7 NLT
HOW SOON WE FORGET

The story of the Israelites is a lot like our own story. God blesses us, and then we forget
Him—not totally, just until we get into the next mess. Then we call for His help
again and He intervenes on our behalf. Now, you would think we’d see the light, change
our ways and give God His rightful place in our lives. But often we don’t. We just repeat the
pattern, keeping God in the basement like a janitor, calling on Him when we’ve another
mess to clean up. The Israelites were no different. “He rescued them from their enemies
and redeemed them from their foes…Then his people believed his promises. Then they
sang his praise. Yet how quickly they forgot what he had done! They wouldn’t wait for his
counsel! In the wilderness their desires ran wild, testing God’s patience” (vv.10-14 NLT).
Someone has said, “We’re not slow learners, we’re just quick forgetters.” Why do we forget
God so easily? Busyness. We don’t take time to read His Word and pray. Compartmentalization.
We keep God in a Sunday morning slot, or a brief devotional time.
Selfishness. “Their desires ran wild, testing God’s patience.” We refuse to govern our minds
by the principles of Scripture. Realizing his tendency to forget God, the Psalmist wrote:
“You are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing…I will praise the Lord who counsels
me…I have set the Lord always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not
be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices” (Ps16:2, 7-9 NIV).