datethewordtest

Tag: Acts

  • Verse to DATE the Word on December 5 (12/5) is Acts 12:5

    “Peter was therefore kept in prison, but constant prayer
    was offered to God for him by the church.” – Acts 12:5
    In a CRISIS the CHURCH CALLED ON GOD

    Acts 12 tells of the terrible RISE of persecution by King Herod.  For the context of our verse to DATE notice Acts 12:1-4 as it says, “Now about that time Herod the king stretched out his hand to harass some from the church. 2 Then he killed James the brother of John with the sword. 3 And because he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to seize Peter also. Now it was during the Days of Unleavened Bread. 4 So when King Herod had arrested Peter, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four squads of soldiers to keep him, intending to bring him before the people after Passover.”

    The scene is FRIGHTENING.  James is dead, the first disciple to be a martyr. Peter has been arrested and is in prison so that soon he can be executed.  Church leaders and members must be asking what should and can we do.  There are numerous answers that they might consider.  However, for the early church, their answer was PRAYER! Their first answer to the problem was PRAYER! Their first answer to the CRISIS was CALLING ON GOD.

    As Peter is confined in prison the church is constant in prayer!

    It is worth noting WHO the prayer was OFFERED TO.  It was offered to GOD!  It was offered to the One and only who could do the miraculous!  

    Where do you go for help? Where do you go first for help for yourself or for others?  My go-to is to take it to the LORD based on Psalm 121:1-2.  It says, “I will lift up my eyes to the hills — From whence comes my help? 2 My help comes from the LORD, Who made heaven and earth.”  I must tell you that I love how David added the part about the “Lord making heaven and earth.”  What a reminder that there is NOT ONE THING you will ever bring to God that He will be unable to handle!  

    Acts 12:5 gives us 12 words for responding to a crisis. Notice them again. “But constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church.” With prayer being offered God’s power was released, and Peter was miraculously released out of prison.  The church prayed to God and God answered in a powerful way!

    Verse to DATE the Word on December 5 (12/5) is Acts 12:5.  It says “Peter was therefore kept in prison, but constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church.”

    With Peter in jeopardy, the church believed in the POWER OF PRAYER!

    Continue Strong by taking EVERYTHING TO GOD IN PRAYER!
    And remember to DATE THE WORD

  • Verse to DATE the Word on November 26 (11/26) is Acts 11:26

    “And when Barnabas had found Paul, he brought him to Antioch. So it was that for
    a whole year they assembled with the church and taught a great many people.
    And the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.” – Acts 11:26
    Living up to your Name

    Our verse to consider speaks of three actions.  First, we read of Barnabas going to Tarsus to search for Saul (soon to be called Paul), and when he finds him, he brings him to Antioch, where God is working and blessing. Barnabas will be a tremendous encouragement to Saul in his spiritual development.  With Saul now in a place where God is working, we see the second action in which Saul/Paul and Barnabas start teaching.  And then a third action takes place as people begin to notice that people who follow the teaching about Christ are living like Christ and they are called CHRISTIANS.  A CHRISTIAN is one who is a FOLLOWER of CHRIST.  This name or title comes after a time in which those who followed Jesus had been called followers of THE WAY or Galileans or Nazarenes.  Now in Antioch, those who follow Christ are called CHRISTIANS.

    I would like to present two questions to you based on the word “Christian.”  First, are you a Christian?  In Acts 26:28, “Agrippa said unto Paul, you almost persuade me to become a Christian;” While King Agrippa knew the truth, he still was not a CHRISTIAN.  Are you almost persuaded to be a Christian?  Are you still considering the claims of Christ?  Or has there been a time when you understood you are a sinner in need of a Savior and that Jesus Christ is that one and only Savior and you called on Him for salvation?  I respectfully but seriously ask are you a CHRISTIAN?  

    My second question is for those who said yes to the above question.  Are you living like a Christian?  Are your beliefs and behavior like that of Christ?   Are you living up to your new title of being a Christian?

    A story is told of Alexander the Great that there was a day in which after a battle he saw a group of his men being marched to the back of the lines to be executed by his men.  The rules of battle from Alexander the Great was that if you deserted during battle you were to be executed.  Upon seeing the deserters Alexander the Great noticed one very young man, basically still a boy.  Alexander the Great rode up to him he asked the young man what had happened.  Trembling the young man said how he was in the very thick of the battle and seeing men die all around him he became fearful and he turned and ran.  

    At this moment Alexander the Great has compassion and extended a pardon to him.  Alexander the Great then asked the young man what his name was.  The young man lifted his head to say proudly that his name was like his, Alexander!   At this moment the smile on Alexander the Great’s face disappeared and he spoke firmly to the pardoned young man, “Either live up to your name or change it.”

    Are you living up to the name Christian?   The apostle Paul would write to the Philippians in Philippians 1:27, “Only let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ.”

    I trust you are a CHRISTIAN because you have been born again!  I trust that you are living up to the name Christian, giving clear evidence in belief and behavior that you are a follower of Christ!

    Verse to DATE the Word on November 26 (11/26) is Acts 11:26. Acts 11:26.  It says, “And when Barnabas had found Saul /Paul, he brought him to Antioch. So it was that for a whole year, they assembled with the church and taught a great many people. And the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.”

    Continue Strong Living up to the name Christian!
    And remember to DATE THE WORD

  • Verse to DATE the Word on November 24 (11/24) is Acts 11:24

    “For (Barnabas) was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith.
    And a great many people were added to the Lord.” – Acts 11:24
    What a DESCRIPTION of a follower of Christ (a life verse)

    Acts 11:24 is a verse that one should use as a guide for their character and their contribution during life.  It should be a verse one would want to have read and used to describe their life at their funeral!!  What an excellent description of a person!  

    Unpacking the verse we see Barnabas, the encourager, was a GOOD MAN!! Good instead of bad! Good because of doing right instead of doing wrong! Good as in UPRIGHT!  As well he was also GOOD because of his service. He was known for DOING good! 

    Barnabas was a good man who was good at doing good work as he did many good works! 

    Are you good? As the Christmas season grows closer, we pose the question to children “Have you been good this year?” However, this question is not a seasonal question. It should be a daily question. Are you good in character?  Are you doing good things in contributing to others?  

    BTW – It is said that Ben Franklin asked himself in the morning, “What good shall I do today?” And in the evening, “What good have I done today?”

    Not only was Barnabas a good man he was full of the Holy Spirit.  He was empowered by the Spirit of God to be and do good! He was filled – controlled – led by the Spirit of God! He walked and worked by the POWER of GOD!  He was DEPENDENT on GOD to do the GOOD that he did! 
    Are you described as a person full of the Holy Spirit?

    He was a man of FAITH! The faith spoken of here is not faith for salvation but faith to believe God to do what God was placing on his heart to do. He walked and worked by FAITH! He moved fearlessly forward! 

    And the results of such living we read that many were saved!  

    What a one-verse TESTIMONY! He was GOOD and he DID GOOD! Being FULL OF THE HOLY SPIRIT He was EMPOWERED by God! He lived and worked by FAITH in God!  AND because of his lifestyle, many are SAVED! 

    Some might say such a person is rare and maybe so but I would pray that there would be many who are Acts 11:24 people!  I pray you will be an Acts 11:24 person.

    Verse to DATE the Word on November 24 (11/24) is Acts 11:24. It says, “For (Barnabas) was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a great many people were added to the Lord.”

    Continue Strong following the example of Barnabas,
    And remember to DATE THE WORD

  • Verse to DATE the Word on November 23 (11/23) is Acts 11:23

    “When he arrived and saw the evidence of God’s blessing, he was filled with joy,
    and he encouraged the believers to stay true to the Lord.” – Acts 11:23
    The JOY of Testimonies

    There are numerous things that bring happiness and yes, true joy to our lives.  If I asked each reader to tell what has brought the most joy to your life, we would get a wide variety of answers.  For some, it would be the birth of a child.  For some, it could be a special celebration with your spouse.  It could be a sports team FINALLY winning a championship.  It could be getting a promotion at work.  It could be getting accepted at a desired school.  As you can see from the shortlist, there are numerous things that can bring happiness and joy to our lives.  I do however wonder if on your list of things that bring great joy is learning of God at work?  

    In our verse to DATE we see from Acts 11:23 that Barnabas was filled with joy because he had learned by seeing firsthand that God was blessing the ministry at Antioch.  Knowing that lives were being changed by God was exciting.  Knowing that God’s people were learning and growing and living like Christ and making Christ known to others was thrilling.   It brought to the heart of Barnabas true joy!!

    Barnabas, the encourager then did what he did best and he lived up to his name and spoke words of encouragement to the believers that they might stay true or fully committed to the Lord.   

    Putting this verse into personal action are you on the lookout for evidence of God’s blessings?  Do you ask people to share how God is working?  I encourage you to do so.     

    May I also ask how do you respond when you hear of God’s blessings to a ministry? Do you find yourself filled with joy or (you might need to brace yourself, put on some steel-toed shoes) or do you find yourself having feelings of jealousy?   It is a real possibility that upon seeing or hearing of God’s work and blessings you can become dismissive or jealous instead of filled with joy.  I hope you will be like Barnabas and be excited and overflowing with joy as you hear of God’s working and blessing!  Now I ask one more question.  Are you sharing with others what God is doing in your life?  As Christians, we do have to balance being boastful with being humble.  I would encourage you to make sure you are bragging on God, not self.  And I would encourage you to SHARE what God is doing!!  I heard a Christian leader say one time that if we don’t tell our story no one else will. 

    The sharing of a testimony will bring joy to other believers.  While we share your burdens with one another but also share your blessings with one another!  

    Verse to DATE the Word on November 23 (11/23) is Acts 11:23. It says, “When he (Barnabas) arrived and saw the evidence of God’s blessing, he was filled with joy, and he encouraged the believers to stay true to the Lord.”

    Be filled with joy when you hear of God working and blessing and share your testimony of God working and blessing so others will be filled with joy!

    Continue Strong looking for and affirming the evidence of God’s blessings,
    And remember to DATE THE WORD

    PS.  An easy question for Thanksgiving Dinner asking for testimonies of how has God been working in your life this past year.

    And HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

  • Verse to DATE the Word on September 26 (9/26) is Acts 9:26

    “And when Saul had come to Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples; but they
    were all afraid of him, and did not believe that he was a disciple.” – Acts 9:26
    CAUGHT BETWEEN TWO WORLDS, NEEDING A SPONSOR

    The story of Saul’s conversion has always fascinated me as he really found himself caught between two worlds.  As a Jewish leader leading the persecution of the church, Saul has this incredible encounter with the Lord that brings about his incredible conversion. He is now a Christian. He is a believer.

    Yet as people hear his story they are baffled.  On one hand, you have fellow Jewish leaders who are thinking that if this is true then HE NEEDS TO BE KILLED.  Notice Acts 9:22-23 as it says, “But Saul increased all the more in strength and confounded the Jews who lived in Damascus by proving that Jesus was the Christ. 23 When many days had passed, the Jews plotted to kill him,” On the other hand, you have the disciples here in Acts 9:26 who are also struggling to believe that Saul is a believer and wanted to keep their distance

    What a dilemma for Saul!  What is he to do? What can he do?  What can someone in the church do?

    As Saul starts his journey with Christ, he will need a sponsor.  Thankfully there is a verse 27 in Acts 9 that tells of BARNABAS.  It says, “But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles and declared to them how on the road he had seen the Lord, who spoke to him, and how at Damascus he had preached boldly in the name of Jesus.” 

    Thank God Saul had Barnabas.  Barnabas stood with Saul before he was THE Apostle Paul. Barnabas believed that Saul’s conversion was real and that he truly was a changed and a changing person!  Barnabas stepped into the gap to be a sponsor of Saul.  

    Maybe God would have you be a Barnabas, a sponsor, to someone today. Being a BARNABAS means stepping up and stepping in to stand with a new believer as they transition from the “lost” world to the “saved” world.  As a sponsor, you can help bridge the gap and make the transition easier.  

    BTW: Personally, Acts 9:26-27 resonates with me.  I am thankful for the Crawford family of Madison Heights, VA who were my Barnabas as lost friends did not want me around anymore and Christians did not know if I was serious.  The Crawfords stepped up and took me in and helped me get started on my new Christian journey.

    Verse to DATE the Word on September 26 (9/26) is Acts 9:26. It says, “And when Saul had come to Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples; but they were all afraid of him, and did not believe that he was a disciple.”

    Acts 9:27  “But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles. And he declared to them how he had seen the Lord on the road, and that He had spoken to him, and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus.”

    Continue Strong by being a BARNABAS, a sponsor, to a SAUL who will become THE apostle Paul
    And remember to DATE THE WORD

  • Verse to DATE the Word on September 20 (9/20) is Acts 9:20

    “Immediately Saul preached the Christ in the synagogues,
    that He is the Son of God.” – Acts 9:20
    From Persecuting Christians to Proclaiming Christ

    Saul, who as you know would soon be known as Paul, has an ENCOUNTER with the Lord Jesus Christ on the Damascus Road that CHANGED his life as he goes from being an UNBELIEVER to a believer.  With that decision, he went from the feared persecutor of the faith to the fearless preacher of the faith!  He went from persecuting Christians to proclaiming Christ!   

    What a reminder to us that no matter how far someone may be from Christ or even how much they may be against Christ they can come to know Christ and then start making Him known! Persecutors can become preachers!  Resisters can repent. The hardhearted become soft! The one who rejects Christ receives Christ! 

    In pondering Acts 9:20 where we read that Saul is immediately preaching Christ, we should consider that earlier in Acts 9:1-2 Saul had other plans.  Acts. 9:1-2 says “Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest, 2 and asked for letters from him to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, both men and women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.”  Saul does not sound like a preacher of the gospel here. With that passion to persecute Christians who would have ever believed that we would read 18 verses later he is preaching in synagogues that Jesus Christ was the Son of God!   

    Please let this change in the life of Saul remind you to keep praying and keep witnessing to that person who right now is the farthest from Christ (the closest to hell) and the most against Christ, His church, Christians, and Christianity.  They are one decision from EVERYTHING CHANGING, changing so much that family and friends will surely be saying they can’t believe the change!!  

    Verse to DATE the Word on September 20 (9/20) is Acts 9:20. It says, “Immediately Saul preached the Christ in the synagogues, that He is the Son of God.”

    Keep sharing the salvation story with sinners so that they might know the Savior!

    Continue Strong being a fearless witness for the Lord!  
    And remember to DATE the WORD!

  • Verse to DATE the Word on July 31 (7/31) is Acts 7:31

    “When Moses saw it, (the burning bush) he was amazed at the sight. As he went to
    take a closer look, the voice of the LORD called out to him,” – Acts 7:31
    Pausing to TURN ASIDE AND SEE and HEAR what GOD is up to.

    Acts 7 is the recounting of the history of Israel by Stephen, and one cannot talk about the history of Israel without talking about Moses.  A reading of the life and times of Moses easily reveals that he had many unusual moments with God.  Acts 7:31 tells of his encounter with God at the burning bush.   As a refresher of the story let’s look back at it in Exodus.  

    Starting with Exodus 2 and verse 1 we find “Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian. And he led the flock to the back of the desert and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. 2  And the Angel of the LORD appeared to him in a flame of fire from the midst of a bush. So he looked, and behold, the bush was burning with fire, but the bush was not consumed. 3 Then Moses said, “I will now turn aside and see this great sight, why the bush does not burn.”

    Stephen says that as Moses saw the burning bush, he WENT TO TAKE A CLOSER LOOK.  Exodus 3:3 says MOSES said he would TURN ASIDE AND SEE this great sight.  

    While you and I do not have literal burning bushes I do believe believers will have what is called “burning bush moments.”  These will be times when God will be stirring your heart about doing some work for Him.  The question is what will we do when that stirring begins?  The challenge for us who are part of “the rushed generation” is whether we can PAUSE to TURN ASIDE and SEE and HEAR what God is doing.  My personal fear is that I have already set my agenda of “tending the flock” so firmly that I may pass by the burning bush moment and thus miss what God has next.  Maybe you can relate.  

    As you DATE Acts 7:31 and ponder on HE WENT TO TAKE A CLOSER LOOK I trust you will be challenged to not rush by the burning bush moment.  Pause.  Turn aside.  See.  Listen. 

    Verse to DATE the Word on July 31 (7/31) is Acts 7:31. It says, “When Moses saw it, (the burning bush) he was amazed at the sight. As he went to take a closer look, the voice of the LORD called out to him,”

    On our spiritual journey, there will be for us what I call “God moments.” They will come to us in unusual ways. They invite us to TURN ASIDE from what we are doing and SEE and HEAR WHAT GOD is doing and what He then will want us to do.

    Continue Strong turning aside and drawing near to hear God,
    And remember to DATE the Word

  • Verse to DATE the Word on June 4 (6/4) is Acts 6:4

    “But we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the Word.” – Acts 6:4
    ESTABLISHING PRIORITIES

    Acts 6:4 offers several vital lessons regarding the best use of our TIME.  The context of Acts 6:4 finds the disciples being drawn into disputes that, well, distracted them from their main purpose.  While the concerns expressed by the Hellenistic widows were valid (Acts 6:1) the disciples had to decide whether they should handle getting food to them or could this be something delegated.  They had to consider what was their top priority.  They had to determine what they were going to be giving their time to.  In doing so they realized that they needed to give themselves continually to prayer and the ministry of the Word. 

    What are you giving yourself to?  I will tell you that this question is not a one-time question.  It is a question that needs to be asked occasionally.  My management of time calls for me to schedule a time to schedule my time.  In earlier days I attended several seminars on time management and read several books and listened to several lessons from Dr. John C. Maxwell.   One of the earliest lessons stressed the importance of Beginning with the End in Mind.  This helped me to think about WHAT I WAS GIVING MYSELF TO base not on a day or a week or a month or a year or even 5 years but rather on ETERNITY. Because I wanted to be found faithful and hear Jesus say well done my good and faithful servant, I had a filter for how I would use my time.  The usage of my time needed to be for eternal purposes, not temporal purposes.   

    Knowing what my top priority was helped me to decide what to do with the seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, and years.  I determined that to be found faithful I would need to be growing in my relationship with God.  I was to be seeking Him first!  In order to make Him known I needed to know Him.   For me this meant that first thing in the morning I would find “my chair” and there give worship to Him, get wisdom from Him, and then and only then go to work for Him.   

    In determining my priorities, I understood clearly from Scripture that after the Lord came my relationship with my wife.  Once I said, “I do” and heard the pronouncement “you are husband” I knew I had a new role filled with new responsibilities.  To be found faithful meant being a responsible husband.  A little over two years of marriage brought the blessings of being a father. Having read the roles and responsibilities of a father in the Bible I determined to be found faithful meant fulfilling those responsibilities and decisions were made for both quality and quantity time to be spent with each of our four children.  

    Then came my work.  And work is essential as it helps to fulfill the responsibility of taking care of one’s family and hopefully, the work you are doing is a work for the Lord, that is your work is according to the will of God.  What must be prioritized with work though is how much it demand of us to neglect our relationship with God and our responsibilities with family.  This then is where evaluating our priorities occasionally becomes a necessity.  I can’t tell you how often you do this, but it has to be done more than once a year.   

    So, what are you giving yourself to?   What ADJUSTMENTS need to be made so that first things will be first and the main thing stays the main thing?  I can tell you that you can’t do everything, and God has not called you to do everything.  Like the disciples in Acts 6, you must decide what is the best use of your time!

    Verse to DATE the Word on June 4 (6/4) is Acts 6:4. It says, “But we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the Word.”

    Continue Strong with Established Priorities,
    And remember to DATE the Word
     
  • Verse to DATE the Word on May 31 (5/31) is Acts 5:31

    Verse to DATE the Word on May 31 (5/31) is Acts 5:31

    “Him (Jesus Christ) God has exalted to His right hand to be Prince and Savior,
    to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins.” – Acts 5:31
    EXALTED in Heaven and in our HEARTS!

    As you read through the book of Acts you will find the apostles preaching four key things about Jesus Christ.  They preached about His CRUCIFIXION; His RESURRECTION; His ASCENSION and His EXALTATION. For instance, as Peter preached on the day of Pentecost you will find in Acts 2:22, “Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, .. you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, (CRUCIFIXION) and put to death; 24 “whom God raised up, (RESURRECTION) 33 Being therefore exalted (EXALTATION) at the right hand of God (ASCENSION),…34 For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he himself says, “’The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand, 35 until I make your enemies your footstool.”’ 36 Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.“

    As you can see, one of the key points of the Apostle Peter’s Pentecost message was the EXALTATION of Christ.  In our verse to DATE, Acts 5:31, he again includes with the crucifixion and resurrection the EXALTATION of Christ.  Notice starting at Acts 5:30, “The God of our fathers raised up Jesus whom you murdered by hanging on a tree. 31 “Him God has exalted to His right hand to be Prince and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins.”

    The Apostle Paul would later write not only about His crucifixion but also His EXALTATION as he wrote to the Philippians in Philippians 2:6-11:
    6 Who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, 7  but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.  8  And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.
    9  Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, 10  that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, 11  and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

    What does the knowledge of Jesus Christ loving you so much that He becomes obedient unto death, dying for you and then conquering the grave by rising from the dead and then offering to you – you – a filthy, ungodly, unrighteous, wicked, evil person the forgiveness of your sins and the gift of eternal life do for you?  I trust that there is within your heart a desire to EXALT Him!!  To cry out worthy is the Lamb!!! 

    Let us put into action Psalm 34:3 “Oh, magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt His name together.”

    Verse to DATE the Word on May 31 (5/31) is Acts 5:31. It says, “Him (Jesus Christ) God has exalted to His right hand to be Prince and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins.”

    If heaven has EXALTED Him then we should surely EXALT Him in our hearts!

    Continue Strong EXALTING our SAVIOR!
    And remember to DATE the Word
  • Verse to DATE the Word on May 30 (5/30) is Acts 5:30

    Verse to DATE the Word on May 30 (5/30) is Acts 5:30

    “The God of our fathers raised up Jesus whom you
    murdered by hanging on a tree.” – Acts 5:30
    Jesus is ALIVE!  

    The Apostle Peter as well as other apostles are being questioned about preaching Christ and filling the city of Jerusalem with this NEW teaching.  Peter responds to the council that is headed by the Chief Priest that even though the Chief Priest and the Jewish leaders had murdered Jesus by calling for Him to be crucified GOD – their GOD – had RAISED JESUS UP – raising Him up from the dead!! 

    Pause to consider this scene.  Picture it.  Peter and the Apostles are being questioned about preaching the gospel.  Can you see Peter?  He does not back up or back down but proclaims clearly that JESUS CHRIST IS ALIVE!   Peter proclaimed the RESURRECTION of Jesus!  

    From Acts 5:30 let us be reminded that the message of the GOSPEL is the DEATH (CRUCIFIXION) in which Christ died for our sins as our substitute. He tasted what every person must taste in tasting death. He was BURIED (BURIAL). And He was RESURRECTED as God raised Him up (RESURRECTION).  The gospel is the DEATH, BURIAL, and RESURRECTION of Jesus Christ.  (1 Corinthians 15:1,3-4 “I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, 3 For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures,)

    Now CHRIST is EXALTED to the right hand of God and He offers salvation to anyone who believes the gospel and will call upon Him.   (Romans 10:9-10, 13 “that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 13 For “whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved.”). 

    I trust you have called on Jesus Christ for salvation!  

    I trust if you have called on Jesus Christ for salvation you are telling others! 

    Verse to DATE the Word on May 30 (5/30) is Acts 5:30. It says, “The God of our fathers raised up Jesus whom you murdered by hanging on a tree.” 

    Without the resurrection, we do not have a gospel message!

    Continue Strong proclaiming the resurrection of Jesus,
    And remember to DATE the Word