ACTS 4:20

"We cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard."

I love this verse of scripture. Well, what verses don't you love? You're right. But some hit home more frequently. Some hit too close to home as I'm finding out in our Seeking Him Bible study. What I mean by that is some verses point to our shortcomings and failures, while others inspire us in different ways.

Acts 4:20 does a little of each.

When we hear a good story we love to share it. Yesterday a former student turned friend called and told me about his baby daughter. He lives in St. Louis and his parents in MTV, so he hooked up one of those cameras to his computer. His parents have one on theirs as well and they get to see and hear their son and new granddaughter. As Jason was holding his daughter close to the camera, she spit up all over the keyboard. The new father yelled, the dog started barking, the baby became frightened and his parents didn't know what to think. End of story. See, I shared a somewhat funny story that we can identify with.

It's the same with a great play made by a blitzing linebacker, a great sale where I purchased a pair of shorts for $4, a great movie, ad infinitum. We can't stop sharing about what we've seen and heard.

John and Peter were the same way. They had been with Jesus for nearly three years. They wanted to tell others about Him. Even when threatened with arrest, their zeal for the Lord was such that they could not be quited.

We should be the same way. We should act as if someone's life depends on it. Because it does. We should talk openly and freely about the good news of the gospel just as we'd share a great recipe, a travel experience, a story about family and friends.

Matthew tells us in chapter 10 verse 30 '"that whoever acknowledges me before men, I will acknowledge him before the Father." If that's not reason enough, I don't know what is.