Scripture Reading:

“And [pray] for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.”
— Ephesians 6:19,20

In our modern day there is a great demand for instant success. We read frequently of how many have risen to fame and fortune practically overnight. Seldom, however, do we hear of the hours of labor, practice, sacrifice and discipline it took to build that career. Most times we only hear and see the end result. Many have been deceived and disillusioned to think that they can have fame and fortune with little or no effort.

In these days in which we live, the world seems to have a powerful influence over the lives of many believers. For this reason many members of the Body of Christ are looking for that book, conference or seminar that will be a shortcut to spiritual maturity. When it comes to our spiritual lives and having boldness of faith we want instant results with little or no effort put into it. As a Pastor, I would have to say that to have boldness in the faith as the Apostle says, there must be three key ingredients.

Time:

Just as physical growth takes years, spiritual growth also takes time. As we come to spiritual maturity we become more and more confident to speak out for the Lord. It takes time to learn that we have to take our eyes off of ourselves which causes us to be reluctant to speak because of the fear of men.

Discipline:

It takes discipline to sit down with the Word of God and study to acquire a knowledge of the Scriptures. We don’t mean just reading the Bible devotionally. It is said that we retain only about 20 percent of what we read. But, if we read and study, we retain about 60 percent when comparing Scripture with Scripture. The better equipped you are in the Word of God the more comfortable you will be to share the truth, rightly divided.

Consistency:

If we are to gain the respect of others in order to more effectively minister the gospel, we must be consistent with the truth. Don’t sound an uncertain trumpet, be able to substantiate what you teach with the Blessed Book. Not only should we speak the truth in love consistently, we must also live the truth. Our lives are the only Bibles some men see. That’s why the Apostle Paul warns us to put “away lying, [and] speak every man truth with his neighbor: for we are members one of another” (Eph. 4:25). True boldness in the faith does not come naturally, it is something we grow into as we increase in the knowledge of Him Who has called us into the glorious light.

To the Reader:

Some of our Two Minutes articles were written many years ago by Pastor C. R. Stam for publication in newspapers. When many of these articles were later compiled in book form, Pastor Stam wrote this word of explanation in the Preface:

"It should be borne in mind that the newspaper column, Two Minutes With the Bible, has now been published for many years, so that local, national and international events are discussed as if they occurred only recently. Rather than rewrite or date such articles, we have left them just as they were when first published. This, we felt, would add to the interest, especially since our readers understand that they first appeared as newspaper articles."

To this we would add that the same is true for the articles written by others that we continue to add, on a regular basis, to the Two Minutes library. We hope that you'll agree that while some of the references in these articles are dated, the spiritual truths taught therein are timeless.

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