Do we begin again to commend ourselves? Or do we need, as some others, epistles of commendation to you or letters of commendation from you? You are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read by all men; clearly you are an epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of flesh, that is, of the heart (II Corinthians 3:1-3).
A friend’s post read, “Page 1 of my 365 days of 2015 has almost been totally written.” Each day represents a page of our lives.
Each day people read our lives. What do the pages say? Our words and our actions confirm our commitment to Jesus or our lack of commitment to Jesus.
At home, at work, at school, at church and throughout the community we need to shine for Jesus. People are reading our pages. Again, what do the pages say?
Do the pages say, “We have been with Jesus?” Notice the account given in Acts 4:8-14:
Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders of Israel; If we this day are judged for a good deed done to a helpless man, by what means he has been made well, let it be known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by Him this man stands here before you whole. This is the stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone. Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus. And seeing the man who had been healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it.
If we have been with Jesus, we will declare Him as the source of salvation. We will also be able to touch others with the Gospel despite opposition. At Thessalonica, the disciples were accused of turning the world upside down. Likewise, our witness should at least shake things up a little.
Do the pages say, “We are worshipers?” Again, we see Cornelius’ description in Acts 10:1-2:
There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of what was called the Italian Regiment, a devout man and one who feared God with all his household, who gave alms generously to the people, and prayed to God always.
Cornelius was known as a worshiper. We know this because:
He was devout. He feared God.
He was generous. He prayed constantly.
Being an instrument of worship can influence people throughout generations. Matthew 26:6-13 gives us a beautiful illustration:
And when Jesus was in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper, a woman came to Him having an alabaster flask of very costly fragrant oil, and she poured it on His head as He sat at the table. But when His disciples saw it, they were indignant, saying, “Why this waste? For this fragrant oil might have been sold for much and given to the poor.” But when Jesus was aware of it, He said to them, “Why do you trouble this woman? For she has done a good work for Me. For you have the poor with you always, but Me you do not have always. For in pouring this fragrant oil on My body, she did it for My burial. Assuredly, I say to you, Wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will be told as a memorial to her.”
Real worship says, “Lord, you are worth more than anything.” Real worship says, “I will not give you something that costs me nothing.”
Do the pages say, “I am a doer of His Word?” James 1:22 says, “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving ourselves.” His Word is the authority we live by. As doers of the Word, we desire the house of God. As doers of the Word, we support the work of God and the leaders God gives to us. As doers of the Word, we really want others to know the Lord.
It has been said, “We may be the only Bible that others read.” We may not be Bibles, but we certainly want the pages people read to be pages that glorify God.
Dave Snyder is an Ordained Bishop with the Church of God – Cleveland, Tennessee. Before entering the ministry on a full-time basis, he was a school teacher. He also coached middle school basketball for eight years.
Dave and his wife, Sara, have two children — Craig and Karen. They also have one ten year old granddaughter — Breanna.
Dave and Sara pastored in West Virginia for thirty-six years. Sara is now retired from the banking industry, and Dave is retired from pastoring. However, Dave currently serves as prison Chaplain for the West Virginia Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation.
Writing essays, articles, and devotionals is a real passion for Dave. He also enjoys playing musical instruments and singing.
by leaps and bounds 
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