I want to start out this week by sending my happiest and warmest congratulations to my friends Kevin and Renee on the birth of their first born child, Kennedy. For those of you who have wondered if I was still doing the Basic Eternal devotional, I apologize. Kevin gave me a couple weeks off , but I'm back into the full swing of things again and writing each week for NRT.

This week, let's look at 2 Corinthians 10: 1-4. This is a powerful section of scripture that is both challenging and engaging. Paul writes to Corinth and tells them that he doesn't want to have to be "bold" with them as he would be with those who think and live by the standards of the world. The Corinthians were still living a worldly lifestyle. They were very caught up in the materialism of the day and they still frequently dabbled in the sexual immorality that was so prevalent in this region at this particular time. They were searching for what the answer to this life was and Paul was not afraid to give it to him.

If you have not actually read these four verses yet, do so before you go any further. After reading them I am hoping that you are already asking yourself the same question that I was asking myself; "Am I bold in my faith, and am I willing to be bold if the situation calls for it whether I look foolish or not?" I would say that most Christians fail in this area. We buy into the system of the world and we begin to be tainted by what it is that the world tells us we should and should not say, do and think. All of this is rubbish, pure and simple. We have to remind ourselves that we are not of this world, but we do live in it.

Look at verse 3, "For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does." Using words like war is fairly strong language. If I'm at war with someone, I'm in a pretty serious fight. I love that Paul is not afraid to use powerful, bold language to get through to his readers (which by the way includes us). Paul urges us that though we are here we do not resort to using the tactics of the world. What are some of the tactics of the world? Lying, cheating, stealing, destruction, slander, gossip, anger and rage, and the list could continue for quite some time. The point is that we are not supposed to use the tactics that seem to be so readily available to us.

We must realize that we have another alternative that is equally available to us if we would just be bold enough to use it. As Paul has said we do not wage war as the world does. We do not settle our own scores, we do not stoop to the selfish tactics that the enemy would have us stoop. We are called to bold in our lives as Christians.

There is an ad campaign right now for a car company in which the main slogan is "bold moves, they happen every day." Christians around this country need to take this type of attitude to heart and carry it with them into the world that they have influence upon. We have the opportunity to make bold moves, stand for truth and do it in a way that is so against the norm that people will stop and look at us and scratch their heads in wonder as they try to make out who we are and what we are doing. In the end they will see that we are not of this world and that we are willing to take a stand for the truth that can set the whole world free, even if the world laughs at us and thinks us to be foolish. We can't be afraid to stand boldly for what is right. However, when we boldly bring the truth to people we have to remember that we fight differently than the world does and we cannot resort to using their tactics or the weight of what we have to say will be nothing.

It is through prayer and following the word of God, all the while listening to what it is that our God in heaven is saying to us that we will accomplish his will and live boldly in a generation of people that are desperately seeking to follow someone who will be bold enough to stand, whether they are willing to admit or not.

Final Thought: I am stealing this one this week, but let this be your anthem every morning that you wake up. Ask God to give you a boldness in your walk with him and remind yourself that "Bold moves happen every day". The question is are you going to make one today?