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This week, as part of the Advent Celebration, the fifth and final candle is lit on the Advent Wreath. This is The Christ Candle.
Take a moment to read Psalm 148:1-14:
1-5 Hallelujah! Praise God from heaven, praise him from the mountaintops; Praise him, all you his angels, praise him, all you his warriors, Praise him, sun and moon, praise him, you morning stars; Praise him, high heaven, praise him, heavenly rain clouds; Praise, oh let them praise the name of God— he spoke the word, and there they were!
6 He set them in place from all time to eternity; He gave his orders, and that's it!
7-12 Praise God from earth, you sea dragons, you fathomless ocean deeps; Fire and hail, snow and ice, hurricanes obeying his orders; Mountains and all hills, apple orchards and cedar forests; Wild beasts and herds of cattle, snakes, and birds in flight; Earth's kings and all races, leaders and important people, Robust men and women in their prime, and yes, graybeards and little children.
13-14 Let them praise the name of God— it's the only Name worth praising. His radiance exceeds anything in earth and sky; he's built a monument—his very own people! Praise from all who love God! Israel's children, intimate friends of God. Hallelujah!
Prayer: God, the candles have been lit. The light is here. The darkness is no more. We have walked too long in darkness, and now Your Son, the Light of the world, will show us the way. Welcome, God; You have been expected. Amen
This week, as part of the Advent Celebration, the fourth of five candles are lit on the Advent Wreath. This is The Angel Candle, or the Candle of Peace/Love.
Imagine for a moment that when the angels appeared to the Shepherds, not only were the shepherds frightened, but the sheep as well. Now, I don't believe the sheep ran off. I believe that God watched over them and gave them peace. But, if they did run off, the Shepherds may have filed a claim with their insurance company to cover their loss. I can only imagine a response like this:
To: Malachi, the Shepherd From: Bethlehem Life and Casualty Insurance Company
Dear Malachi:
We have had the chance to review your claim of lost sheep last month and are sending you this letter to inform you that your claim has been denied.
While we at Bethlehem Life and Casualty have always prided ourselves on being a friend to sheep herders and all those in the animal husbandry field, I'm afraid that this is the first time we have heard a claim of this sort.
To review, in your claim, you stated that you were watching your flocks by night with several other sheep herders when a "multitude of the heavenly host appeared in the sky and began singing glory to God in the highest; and peace on earth, good will toward men." You further claim that while you were distracted by hallucinations, several of your animals were frightened and ran off unbeknownst to you or your fellow sheep herders.
We cannot compensate you for your loss of animals based on the following reasons: - Safety regulations in your coverage manual clearly state that shepherding in done primarily during the day. If you were watching over your flocks by night, you were outside of the covered time period. - To pay out on this claim would recognize one religion over another, and BL&C has a long history of ecumenical work and does not put one faith above another. - If you refer to form 174-A, which you filled out with your application, among the tools of your trade section you listed "wineskin." We can only assume the wineskin was for carrying wine and, therefore, calls into question any angelic presence or multitude of the heavenly host. In addition, no one here in our office has ever heard of the HALLELUJAH CHORUS. - In further consideration, we determined that if we were to recognize your claim of a divine presence as the reason for the loss of your livestock, we could only write it off as an act of God in which case you would not be covered anyway.
We wish you the best of luck in your future shepherding endeavors. If you have any questions regarding this claim, feel free to contact us during normal business hours.
Sincerely,
Bethlehem Life and Casualty
Take a moment to read Jeremiah 33:12-16.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, give us wisdom, guidance and peace in addition to the understanding that you are in control and that you are Immanuel.
In the Jewish mind, inheriting the earth had to do with life in the age to come. For the time being, it was Caesar who was divvying up the earth. Or it is Donald Trump or someone like him who is dividing the earth, the wealthy, the powerful, the beautiful, the well-spoken, the haves, the “A” team. But Jesus announces that it is God who will divide the inheritance. And God will do it in God’s own way, not according to the world’s criteria. It’s tempting to turn Jesus’ words into a formula: If we get better at being meek, then we’ll be blessed. But Jesus isn’t giving a formula. He’s making an announcement. The have-nots, the “B” team, and the nobodies have a place in the age to come, and in Jesus, that age to come is breaking into the present.
Jesus’ listeners were well versed in the Old Testament. So his words about the meek inheriting the earth probably caused them to think of Psalm 37. Read Psalm 37. Where do you see “strength under control” in Psalm 37?
The way that God is ordering the world says that everyone has a share in the inheritance. Everyone belongs. Who do you know at work, in your community, in your school, in your church, or in your neighborhood who doesn’t seem to fit? What can you do this week to let them know that they are significant and that they belong?
This week, as part of the Advent Celebration, the third of five candles are lit on the Advent Wreath. This is The Shepherd Candle, or the Candle of Joy.
As we sat in church yesterday morning, I found myself deep in thought about some of the aspects of the shepherds' part in the story of Jesus' birth. Take a moment to read Luke 2:8-18.
I've got to think that these weren't the cleanest guys in the world. They were probably dirty, living most of their lives outside, and smelled like sheep. And, that didn't bother them at all. When they left for Bethlehem, there is no mention of getting cleaned up. Likewise, we don't need to get cleaned up to meet with Jesus.
It doesn't say the angel or host of angels that appeared to the shepherds were flying or even that they appear in the sky, although that's how we often picture the situation.
One angel scared the daylights out of the shepherds, and got the point across. Why, then, did the whole host of angels appear? Wasn't that overkill? I don't think so. I think it served to strengthen the testimony of the shepherds later on. I think it was also a great motivator to drop everything they were doing and get going!
What'd they do with the sheep while they were gone? What a risk they took in just leaving them behind, presumably unattended. I think it goes to show that if you trust and obey what God has called you to do, he'll take care of you!
The Bible records that the shepherds "ran to the village and FOUND Mary and Joseph." The word "found" implies that they had to do some searching. They had to put some effort into it. Also, it stands to reason that it may have been that the people they came into contact with in searching for Mary and Joseph were the same people that they "told what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child" when they were leaving. They planted a seed going in. They watered that seed going out.
As dirty and grimy as they were, why were they, of all people, the first to hear the announcement of the Savior's birth? Why did the angel appear to them? They wouldn't have been the first people on any guest list to the palace. They wouldn't have been invited to any banquet or dinner party. Yet, they were the first to be invited to the birth of Jesus Christ. Why? I think their actions answer that question. The Bible says when the angels left, the shepherds said, "Come on! Let's go!" and they RAN to the village to find Jesus. They didn't wait for a couple of days, trying to decide if it was the right thing to do. They didn't wait for a couple of hours, relishing in what just happened; "Dude, that was cool!" They RAN right away! AND, they told everyone they came in contact with after that about their experience. They shared their joy! The bottom line is this: I think God chose them because He knew he could count on them to spread the word about His son.
Makes me wonder: How many awesome experiences do I miss because God knows that I will keep it to myself and not spread the word to everyone that I come in contact with or because He knows I will be to busy to notice it to begin with? There's something to think about!
Activity: This week, as you brush your teeth in the morning, pray for someone in your life who is an outcast (like the shepherds) or groups of outcasts in our world who need to experience the joy and love of Jesus. In the evening when you brush your teeth, pray for someone who needs the joy of Jesus, including yourself. You can even write the names of those people on the handle of your toothbrush with a permanent marker!
Prayer: Lord Jesus, come and show us the way to salvation.
Take a look at Matthew 5:4. The words "blessed" or "God blesses" and "mourn" do not ordinarily go together. But, Jesus' point was not that a person needed to mourn to be blessed. In our deepest darkest moments of mourning, we can be blessed; we can be comforted. No pit is too deep. No rope is too short. No sorrow is too great for Jesus to bring comfort to the midst of. Surrounded by a group of hurting, broken people, who were well acquainted with mourning and unbearable sorrow, Jesus spoke these powerful words. He planted Himself right in the middle of them. He looked into their faces, reached out and touched them.
Likewise, I think "mourning" also refers to grieving over the things that grieve God, such as the unfaithfulness, immorality and cruelty that is so rampant in the world today. Those who mourn over sin and its effect on people's lives - and commit themselves to helping rescue people from evil - are comforted by receiving God's "righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost." (Romans 14:17)
What are some things that you've mourned in your life? What kinds of things did people say or do to try to comfort you that weren't helpful? What was helpful? Who do you know right now that has something to mourn? How can you be a comforting presence in their life this week? Do that!
This week, as part of the Advent Celebration, the second of five candles are lit on the Advent Wreath. This is The Bethlehem Candle, or the Candle of Faith, or the Candle of Preparation. This candle commemorates the faith of Mary and Joseph, going on their pilgrimage to Bethlehem, and their belief that what was about to happen was a miracle!
If you think about it, the entire Christmas story is about interruptions, and how people responded to those "God gifts" of interruption. Mary and Joseph's plans for marriage were interrupted when an angel came to visit and foretold their role in the coming of the Messiah. (Think about the preparations that were put on hold.) Mary's ninth month of pregnancy was interrupted by their trip to Bethlehem. The innkeeper, whose time was no doubt being spent accommodating all of the guests in the inn, was interrupted by the arrival of Mary and Joseph. The shepherds were interrupted by an angelic visit. (By the way, who watched after the sheep when they left?) The wise men were interrupted by the star. Herod was interrupted by the wise men...
Think about the interruptions you've had in your life; today, this week, this month, this year? Are you willing to receive the gift of interruption? Are you willing to allow God to interrupt your plans, your thoughts, your ideas, your hopes, your dreams? Are you willing to trust and obey? Are you willing to follow Him? Are you willing to go where He sends you? Are you willing to do what He asks? Are you prepared for Jesus' coming?
Activity: This week, consider EACH individual character of the Christmas story (Luke 2; Matthew 1-2). Consider what it would have been like to be THAT character in the story of Jesus' birth. View the story from their perspective. For example, Joseph: What was it like to be visited by an angel? What were his parents' reactions? What was he thinking in continuing with the plan to marry Mary? How was it then, in the midst of all this, to plan a trip to Bethlehem with a 9-month pregnant woman? What would it be like to raise the Son of God?
Prayer: Jesus, feel free to interrupt us. Prepare us. Come and save your people.
Take a look at Matthew 4:23-5:3. A little background: Jesus was walking throughout Galilee, preaching in synagogues, healing the sick, and delivering the demon possessed. As you can imagine, word spread quickly about what was going on! As a result, large crowds followed him wherever he went. Some, I'm sure, just wanted to hear him preach. Others, no doubt, wanted something; healing, deliverance, etc. Still others probably showed up just to watch the spectacle.
Galilee, a large region in northern Israel - hot, arid, rocky, rural - was full of really broken people. It was here that Jesus spoke these words. Jesus could have focused His ministry on the beautiful cities and towns of the surrounding area, but he didn't. That wasn't His style.
While His words may not seem to make a lot of since otherwise, knowing a little of that background helps. When He said, "Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven" it wasn't just a teaching; it was an announcement. The teaching, touching, healing, deliverance that had just taken place was exactly that: God coming, in Christ, to teach and touch the "least of these", the poor in spirit. The Kingdom of God came to them! How cool is that?!
And, if He chose those people then, isn't it likely that He does the same today? The drunkards, the addicts, the broken, the needy, the poor, the hungry - to anyone who is willing to humble themselves, He's there. Not because they've "earned" it, but simply because blessing, God's grace - getting what you don't deserve/unmerited favor - is what God does, and everybody, everywhere is fair game!
Take some time this week to reflect on what God has done for you. How has He touched you in your brokenness?
This week we started a new teaching series on Sunday mornings on the Sermon on the Mount. We'll bne here for the next 13 weeks.
The Sermon on the Mount, Jesus' longest "sermon" is found in Matthew 5 through Matthew 7. It contains a powerful yet practical revelation of the principles and standards by which God expects all Christians to live. Of course, this life is only possible through faith in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, and through the power of the Holy Spirit. In this message, Jesus teaches a large group of potential followers what it really means to follow Him and be a part of God's Kingdom. All who belong to the Kingdom are to demonstrate godly character and have an intense hunger and thirst to do what is right and maintain a right relationship with God. Enjoy!
Sometimes we use the word "Pentecostal" to describe this church. There is one main reason for that. We believe that on the Jewish holiday of Pentecost that Christians were baptized in the Holy Spirit and were given supernatural gifts from Him.
Take a look at Acts 2:1-4. The gifts God give to us as ordinary Christ-followers are extraordinary, strengthening the church and helping us to reach the lost.
There’s an old saying that "More is better". As it relates to gifts, wouldn't you agree?! With very few exceptions, if we are given a choice to have more or less of something, we’ll choose ‘more’. With that in mind, take a moment to answer the following questions:
1. To be fair, sometimes more is not better. What are some examples where more is NOT better?
2. Still, most of the time, it’s true – more IS better. And one particular example of this is our relationship with God. The Bible tells us over and over again to seek God, and the natural result of seeking God is being filled with more of the Holy Spirit. What are some signs in our lives that we have more of God?
3. Read Acts 1:14 and Acts 2:1-4 again.
4. Being used by God in the gifts of the Holy Spirit can seem intimidating, but it really is as simple as wanting more of God in our lives. If we’re constantly seeking to be closer to Him, we will be filled with more and more of His Spirit, and the gifts of the Spirit are the evidence of that. Do you think the people in the upper room knew what to expect when Jesus said they would receive the Holy Spirit?
5. What do you think they might have been more likely expecting?
Read Matthew 7:9-11. We can be confident that the "more" God has for us is in our best interest. Take a few minutes and make a list of good things God has given us. It can be a big step of faith to put the gifts of the spirit into practice in our lives, but if our focus is on having more of God in our lives, it will be a natural step, and will change our lives for the best. Having the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives is the only way to make an extraordinary difference in the world around us.
Been away from the blog for a while, but what better time to restart than the first week of Advent!
Being in a church that doesn't celebrate Advent or other liturgical calendar events like Epiphany and Lent has created a curiosity in me that I decided to act upon this year. Most of the people in my community are devout Lutherans or Catholics and adhere to these events "religiously", no pun intended. I think it's important for us to know what "they" believe and why it's important to them. Helps us become a more united Body of Christ. Besides, and for the record, it's not that we don't believe in these "celebrations" as much as it is that our focus is not on religious practices, but on our relationship with Jesus Christ.
Advent, as I understand it, marks the beginning of the church year; the beginning of the liturgical year. Advent is a slowing down time. It's a time of waiting and preparation for the come of Jesus. We live in a world that starts putting out Christmas stuff at Halloween and starts playing Christmas carols before Thanksgiving. The purpose of Advent is to prepare you, on the four Sundays preceding Christmas, to get ready for the coming of King Jesus. Back in the day, Advent was a period of fasting in preparation of the coming of Christ.
Advent provides us an opportunity to retell the story of Jesus. In the busyness of the year, it's good to set aside a specific time of the year to dedicate to the teaching and telling of the birth of Christ.
This year, Advent began on November 29 and ends on Christmas Eve. To give a brief overview of how that affects the church calendar, Christmas Day begins the "Twelve Days of Christmas", the Christmas Season, ending on January 5. January 6 begins Epiphany. As Advent prepares us for the coming of Christ on Christmas, Epiphany celebrates the revelation of God in human form in the person of Jesus Christ. It commemorates the visitation of the three wise men, Jesus' childhood, His baptism in the Jordan River, bring the Light to the Gentiles, and His first miracle at the wedding feast of Cana. Epiphany lasts for about 40 days and is immediately followed by Lent.
The traditional purpose of Lent is the preparation of the believer - through prayer, penitence, almsgiving and self-denial - for the annual commemoration the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The 40 days of Lent begin on Ash Wednesday (February 17, 2010), and conclude on "Holy Saturday" (the Saturday between Good Friday and Easter Sunday; April 3, 2010). The six Sundays in Lent are not counted among the 40 days because each Sunday represents a "mini-Easter", a celebration of Jesus' victory over sin and death.
Back to Advent, Week 1. This week, as part of the Advent Celebration, the first of 5 candles are lit on the Advent Wreath. This is the Candle of Expectation/Hope; also called the prophet Candle. This candle reminds us of the hope that the Light is coming into our darkness. Hope that God is in control and has the future in His hand. Hope of things already and not yet. Hope that all things will be made new. Hope in a baby, born in a manger, who is THE ONE true King! Hope in the Messiah!
Activity: This week, consider the ways you can bring hope to your little piece of the world. Pray for areas and people in you/our world that need the hope of Jesus today. Take some time and read through the worlds of the prophets that reveal the coming of Jesus, like in Isaiah 9:1-7.
Prayer: Jesus, King of Kings and Lord of Lords, come and dwell among us!
Wow! We've finally reached the end of our 28 Day emphasis on the POWERFUL Book of Acts!
Can you imagine reading a great novel and getting down to the end of the book only to discover that there was no last chapter. No end of the story. No "happily ever after" tag line? You're left with not knowing what ever happened to the romance between the main characters, or who really killed that guy in Chapter 4, or how the bad guy was finally caught, or how the characters ended up dealing with that tragic loss of a close family member. That would be so frustrating!
And yet, that's sorta how the Book of Acts concludes. Acts 28:30-31 say, "For two whole years Paul stayed there in his own rented house and welcomed all who came to see him. Boldly, and without hindrance he preached the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ." That's no way to end a book! You know why? BECAUSE IT DOESN'T END THERE!
The POWERFUL Book of Acts breaks off suddenly, with no formal conclusion to what God did through the Holy Spirit and the New Testament believers. Why? Because God intends that the acts of the Holy Spirit and the preaching of the gospel continue in the lives of Christ's people until the end of time! Luke, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, has revealed God's pattern of what the church should be and do. He has given us examples of the faithfulness of believers, the triumph of the gospel against the opposition of the enemy and the POWER of the Holy Spirit operating in the church and among people. This is God's pattern for present and future churches as well, and we must faithfully proclaim and live it! All churches must measure themselves by what the Spirit said and did among the earliest believers. If the POWER, righteousness, joy and faith found in our churches are not the same as what we read about in Acts, then we must ask God once more for a renewed faith in the resurrected Christ and for a fresh, new outpouring of his POWERFUL Holy Spirit!
As for Paul...Paul remained in confinement for two years. He was able to receive visitor and preach the gospel to them. During this time, he wrote the letters to the Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians and to Philemon. In approximately AD 63, Paul was acquitted and released. For the next few years, he continued his missionary endeavors, perhaps going to Spain as he had planned (Romans 15:28). During this period, he wrote 1 Timothy and Titus. Paul was again arrested, about AD 67, and was taken back to Rome. He wrote 2 Timothy during this second imprisonment at Rome. Paul's imprisonment ended with his martyrdom (tradition says by beheading) under the Roman emperor Nero.
It's been a POWERFUL journey through Acts. Can't wait for 28 next year!
Acts 27 rivals any Hollywood movie for action and adventure. Paul is being kept prisoner, set to appear before Caesar, put on a ship bound for Rome. Along the way, the going gets tough. In verses 10-12Paul, still a prisoner, says, "Men, I can see that our voyage is going to be disastrous and bring great loss to ship and cargo, and to our own lives also. BUT, the centurion (INSTEAD OF LISTENING TO WHAT PAUL SAID) followed the advice of the pilot and of the owner of the ship. Since the harbor was unsuitable to winter in, THE MAJORITY decided that [they] should sail on, hoping to reach Phoenix and winter there."
I can imagine how incredibly humble the centurion would had to have been to listen to Paul, but because he didn't they ended up sailing into a storm, tossing all of their cargo, all of the ship's tackle, even their food overboard. They cut away their lifeboat, cut away the anchors and even tied the ships ropes under and around the ship itself to try and hold it together, before finally running aground. Sometimes, running with the majority is not the way to go!
In the midst of all that, God spoke to Paul. He said, "Do not be afraid, Paul...God has graciously given you the lives of ALL who sail with you." As long as God has a place and purpose for one's life on earth and that person is seeking God and following the POWERFUL guidance of the Holy Spirit, the Lord will protect him or her from death. It doesn't mean that you still won't go through tough times, just that He will be with you through them. All of God's faithful have the right to pray, "Lord, I am yours. I serve you. Be my protector." (Psalm 16:1-2)
God kept his promise to Paul then, saving each one of the 276 people on board the ship. And, He'll do the same for you today!
Acts 26:17-18, in the words of Jesus, "I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the POWER of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me."
These verses are a classic statement of what Jesus desires from the preaching of the gospel to the lost!
1. "Open their eyes" The lost are blinded by Satan to the reality of their lost and perishing condition and to the truth of the Gospel. Only preaching Jesus Christ in the POWER of the Holy Spirit will open their understanding.
2. "Turn from the POWER of Satan to God." Satan is the ruler of the world, and all those without Christ are under his control and enslaved to his POWER. Satan's spirit works in all "sinners"; all those who are lost/disobedient. Check out Ephesians 2:1-10! Preaching Jesus Christ in the POWER of the Holy Spirit will rescue men and women from the power of Satan and bring them into the Kingdom of Christ.
3. "That they may receive forgiveness of sins." Forgiveness comes through faith in Jesus Christ that is based on his sacrificial death on the cross.
4. "A place among those who are sanctified by faith in me." Everyone who is forgiven, delivered from Satan's POWER, and filled by and baptized in the POWER of the Holy Spirit is set apart from the world and now lives unto God in fellowship with all those saved by faith in Jesus Christ.
"Ignorance of the law excuses no man: Not that all men know the law, but because 'tis an excuse every man will plead, and no man can tell how to refute him." John Selden, English antiquarian & jurist (1584 - 1654)
As Paul appears before three "judges" in Acts 25, He knew the law. He knew the customs. He knew his rights. He knew the system. At the same time, He knew of no offense that he had committed against the Jews or the law. His detainment wasn't fair.
I know that there are a lot of criminals out that there that would say "I'm innocent" and "I didn't know that was against the law!" and "My continued detainment isn't fair!", but that really was true for Paul. Paul indeed kept the moral law of the Old Testament. He knew that the law's moral standards never change, any more than God himself does. To him, the law was holy, good and spiritual, expressing God's requirement of a righteous life. And yet, Paul did not keep the law simply because it was the law. He didn't keep it simply as a set of codes or standards by which to measure himself as being righteous.
Paul knew that a righteous life requires the POWERFUL work fo the Holy Spirit. Paul knew that successfully obeying the law was an expression of our desire to please God. The same is true for us today!
Acts 24:16, "So I strive always to keep my conscience clear before God and man."
What a POWERFUL goal!
Whenever I think of my "conscience" I can't help but remember Disney's Jiminy Cricket in Mickey's Christmas Carol who was fond of dancing around in his crooked little top hat and umbrella singing “and always let your conscience be your guide.” While that sounds all fine and good, what if you have a poor conscience? What if it's a lousy guide? By what standard is your conscience set?
A clear conscience is listed in Scripture as one of our essential weapons for successful spiritual life and ministry. A good conscience involves a freedom that comes when we know that God is not offended by our thoughts and actions. When a good conscience is corrupted (by being calibrated to a lower "standard"), one's faith, prayer life, communion with God and life as a whole is seriously damaged. If people reject a good conscience, that will result in the shipwreck of their faith. (1 Timothy 1:19)
With all due respect to Jiminy Cricket, I believe the better choice is to always let the Holy Spirit be our guide.
Talk about a witness protection program...take a look at Acts 23:23-35. A little background: Earlier in the chapter, Paul appeared before some religious leaders and said a few things that ticked them off. Things got so bad that the commander was afraid Paul would be torn to pieces and ordered that he be taken, by force, from the crowd, into protective custody. Even still, there were some Jews (more than 40 of them) that conspired to kill Paul while in protective custody.
Hearing of this, the commander decided to send Paul to Caesarea. With him, the commander sent 200 soldiers, 70 horsemen, and 200 spearmen! 470 army guys! All to protect ONE man! That's POWERFUL! Can you imagine? This wasn't the leader of the country. He wasn't a diplomat. He wasn't a government official. He was a chosen man of God; a "religious fanatic". What protection!
Just goes to show: God will continue to protect his people even under the most adverse of circumstances. Thank God for that!
For whatever reason, I got a severe case of writers block as we concluded our '28 - Powerful' theme. In many ways, the whole blogging thing each day was an experiment from the start and while it went well for the most part, I learned some things that will help into the future. Bottom Line: Sorry for the delay, but we're back on track!
Acts 22. Take a look at verse 16 for a moment. Ananias is speaking to Paul when he asks, "WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on his name." What are you waiting for? That loaded question has a lot of punch behind it. Consider it. What's holding you back? What's preventing you from moving forward? What's keeping you from doing what God wants you to do? What's stopping you from living a POWERFUL Christian life? What's keeping you from daily communion with the Holy Spirit? What's keeping you from using the Spiritual Gifts that God has uniquely equipped you with? What's preventing you from telling your friends about Christ?
WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?
It's storta like the questions why vs. why not. Some people (3-year olds are notorious for this) ask the question "why" over and over and over again. Instead, I think, especially as Christ-followers, we should take a "why not" approach. I wonder if God doesn't get sick of hearing us ask him "why" all the time... The question isn't, "why should I tell my friends about Christ?" it's "why am I not telling my friends about Christ?" Asking "why" sorta suggests that you need an excuse to do it. What if we asked "why not?" instead?
One of my favorite “Modern Marvels” is the Sunshine Skyway Bridge in Tampa, Florida. It is the world’s longest bridge with a cable-stayed main span, with a length of 29, 040 feet; exactly 5.5 miles! In the form of useless information, the Sunshine Skyway Bridge contains the 47th tallest "hill" in the state of Florida. Besides being an engineering masterpiece, I think it is a beautiful work of art.
It also serves a function. It crosses Tampa Bay, connecting the St. Petersburg peninsula to the mainland. Prior to the bridge’s existence, to drive from Palmetto, FL to St. Pete would have taken a couple of hours at a distance of over 70 miles. A ferry across the Bay cut that time to about an hour, but the trip now takes only about 15-20 minutes.
In Acts 21, we can see Paul becoming a human bridge. That’s a difficult place to be. There are at least three challenges that he faced as a result of standing in the gap.
First, people walk on bridges. They treat them roughly. Crisics are hard on a human bridge. Some Jewish believers criticized Paul. But what was Paul’s goal? He was trying be a bridge between Jewish and Gentile believers. He succeeded. Secondly, a bridge connects two opposing sides and it must relate to both. There were serious tensions between Jewish and Gentile believers. It was Paul’s desire to bring all believers closer together. He was trying to unite people on opposite ends of the bridge. Finally, people walk aross a bridge one step at a time. People cross cultural bridges slowly. That means progress is often slower than we’d like it to be.
So, here’s the big question: How do different people relate to each other? How do different believers relate to each other? How do rich believers related to poor believers? How do educated believers relate to uneducated believers? How do mature Christians relate to babes in Christ? How do the strong relate to the weak? How do those with new ideas relate to those with old ideas? How do youth relate to old people? HOW CAN WE BECOME BRIDGES?
Acts 20:28 contains an interesting picture of what the job of a pastor really is. It says, “KEEP WATCH over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. BE SHEPHERDS of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood.”
I’ve always thought that one my primary responsibilities as a pastor is to feed the sheep. After all, Jesus said in John 21 to “feed my lambs”, “take care of my sheep”, and “feed my sheep.” As such, I need to promote the faith. I need to preach the Word. I need to correct, rebuke and encourage, carefully and patiently, but refusing only to say what people what to hear. However, if you think about it, that’s not what shepherds do. Now, I’m not saying preaching the Word is not a part of what I need to do as a pastor, but consider this. The shepherd doesn’t go out and cut the grass and hold it out in his hand for the sheep to eat. The shepherd simply leads the sheep to green pastures and they eat.
A bigger responsibility is perhaps “keeping watch over the sheep.” God, through Christ and by the Holy Spirit, is so concerned about each of his children, that he desires us to love, care for, protect, guide and be near to each child of God, just as a good shepherd does for his own sheep.
I’ve had a fair number of parents over the years get on my case about watching over their precious little lambs. How dare I tell their kids what they should and shouldn’t do. How dare I hold their kids accountable for their actions. How dare I discipline their kids. How dare I correct their children. How dare I… After all, I’m JUST their YOUTH PASTOR.
I am responsible for each sheep entrusted to my care. If that sheep leaves the flock, I am responsible. If that sheep gets hurt, I am responsible. If that sheep dies, I am responsible. I must protect them. It is my job. It is my duty. It is my calling.
Acts 19 is the fifth time in Acts we see believers baptized in the Holy Spirit.
Acts 2:1-4 (The Day of Pentecost): All 120 spoke in tongues as soon as they were filled with the Holy Spirit
Acts 8:14-19 (Samaria): Luke doesn’t specifically say that the Samaritans spoke in tongues, but SOMETHING happened that Simon saw and wanted himself. He most likely saw them speaking in tongues.
Acts 9:17-19 (Saul’s Conversion): Again, Luke doesn’t specifically say that Saul spoke in tongues, but we do know that Paul often spoke privately in tongues (1 Corinthians 14:18).
Acts 10:44-46 (Cornelius’ House): They spoke in tongues
The purpose of Pentecost is not tongues. It is POWER. And the message of Pentecost is not tongues. It is Jesus. Tongues is just the first, outward evidence of the baptism in the Spirit. Tongues show that the Holy Spirit has prepared a believer with the POWER to witness for Jesus.
Today, God saves us in the same way He saved the first believers. We are baptized in water the same way they were. And God still fills us with the Spirit in the same way He filled them. When we are baptized in water, we get wet. That’s part of the experience. When we get baptized in the Spirit, we get tongues. That’s part of the experience.
Good Christian friends are something to be treasured. Jesus called his followers friends (John 15:14-15). Since that time, people have understood better the value of hanging out with fellow believers.
Paul made many friends. At the beginning of Acts 18, Paul made two new friends: Aquila and Pricilla. Some of Paul’s other friends include Barnabas, Mark, Silas, Timothy, Luke, Titus, Tychicus, Trophimus, Sopater, Aristarchus, Secondus, Gaius, Epaphras, Epaphroditus, Artemas, Apollos, Zenas, Onesiphorus, Eubulus, Pudens, Linus, Claudia, Philemon, and Onesimus. And most of those names aren’t listed among his 30 friends in Romans 16!
Sometimes, it takes a little work to make a friend. It’s natural for some to make friends. Others must learn the skill of making friends. Here are five steps that could help you make friends:
Meet a new person.
Talk and listen to that person.
Find something in common.
Go visit that person.
Help them know God better.
Friendships do not just happen. If you want a new friend, you must take steps to get to know that person. If you want friends, you must act friendly. Are you a social person? Do you try to make new friends in the church? Or do you just wait for others to take steps toward you? Do you greet new people? Do you take time to find out about their background, family, and interests? Have you learned the skill of making new friends?
Culture can be defined as a particular society at a particular time and place; 21st century American culture vs. 17th century Asian culture, Pop Culture, Post-Moderns vs. Baby Boomers, Suburban-American culture vs. Rural-American culture, Midwestern Living vs. Southern Hospitality. There are huge differences between these cultural groups.
When it comes to doing ministry and sharing Christ with others or what our worship service looks and feels like and how we communicate with people, cultural difference must be considered. What works in one culture won’t necessarily work in another. What works in the big city, won’t necessarily work in small-town Nebraska.
Paul realized that in Acts 17 as he ministered in three cities. He only had one message, but he used different methods to communicate it based on the culture he was in. The method he used in the synagogue was not the method he used in the marketplace. In the synagogue, people knew the Scriptures. So, he taught from the Scriptures they knew. But, the people in the marketplace did not accept the Jewish Scriptures. Therefore, Paul did not quote from them. It’s not enough to have the right message. We must also have the right method to present the message.
Have you ever gotten lost and had to ask for help or directions? Maybe you were lost in class and needed to teacher to redirect you as to where you needed to be. Maybe you were separated from your parents in a public place and needed to ask for help in finding them. Maybe you got lost going someplace and had to stop and ask for directions. It happens to everyone. When it does, we hate to admit it because in that lies some fault of our own. It takes a humble person to admit you are lost and ask for directions.
The spiritual applications to this are significant. The very first step in becoming a Christ-follower is to admit that you are lost. Admit that you are separated from God. Then, you must ask for directions to get back on the right track to meet Him. As you walk that path with Him, you’re faced with new opportunities to turn from God, requiring that you again admit you are lost and figure out what you need to do to get back to Christ. That requires a humble attitude toward God.
In Acts 16, we find that Paul had a humble attitude toward God. Paul did not demand clear directions from God. Rather, he started walking. If he’d asked and waited for directions from the beginning, perhaps his journey would have been more productive and efficient. But, sometimes God wants us to step out in faith, believing that He will guide, and to just start walking. This is what Paul did. He wanted to preach in Ephesus, but the Holy Spirit said NO! This did not discourage Paul. He didn’t know where God wanted him to preach next, but he knew He didn’t want him to walk west. The timing wasn’t right. So, Paul turned north and kept walking. He’d already walked over 400 miles! After a while he turned east toward Bithynia. I’m not sure how far he walked this time, but after a while the Holy Spirit said NO again! Paul did not complain or get upset. He turned and walked west again. In time, God gave him a vision to go to Macedonia.
God does not need to guide us if we are walking in the right direction. But, He tells us if we take a wrong turn. Paul was humble toward God. He did not become upset when God said NO. Paul knew that a closed door can be as much of a blessing as an open door. A NO from God is as helpful as a YES from Him.
It’s always important to solve problems. When I worked in the business world, one of my jobs was to solve problems in the most efficient, productive and profitable way possible. For that, we used a business management strategy called Six Sigma. The basic method consists of the following five steps:
DEFINE: high-level project goals and the current process
MEASURE: key aspects of the current process and collect relevant data
ANALYZE: the data to verify cause-and-effect relationships
IMPROVE: the process based upon data analysis
CONTROL: to ensure that any deviations are corrected before they result in defects
Skipping any one of these steps may have resulted in a bigger problem than you had to begin with!
Acts 15 provides a biblical pattern for problem solving. Consider these five steps:
Identify the problem before you try to solve it! This may seem like a no-brainer. What is the problem? That is the first question to ask. It’s also important to realize that what initially appears to be the problem may not really be the problem. You may have to dig deeper than you initially expected to find the root cause. Make sure the “problem” really is “THE Problem.”
Allow full and open discussion at a meeting. Notice the words “after much discussion” in Acts 15:7. This shows they gave people time to talk. That took time. But to solve problems, people must discuss things. Tips: be polite, and talk about issues, not people.
Listen to those with experience related to the problem. The people took time to listen to the experience of Paul and Barnabas (Acts 15:4). Experience does not always solve the problem, but we do listen to it. It’s a good teacher.
Apply the Scriptures to the problem. The Word is a light for our paths (Psalm 119:105). The Scriptures are our guide. They are the foundation of our faith (2 Timothy 3:16).
Separate the greatest issue from the lesser parts of the problem. I heard a quote recently that said, “What matters most must never be at the mercy of what matters least.” This goes back to Step 1 and making sure you’re solving the right problem to begin with. The biggest question here was “How can Gentiles be saved?” The answer was by trusting in Christ rather than the Law of Moses. The lesser question was “How can Gentile believers related to Jewish believers and their strict rules?” This meeting actually solved both problems, but the greatest question was addressed first.
The next time you have a problem, try following these steps and see how it works out for you!
There’s a new show on Spike called “1000 Ways to Die” I happened upon a few nights ago. It caught my attention. It intrigued me for a moment. The basic premise of the show is to factually recreate different ways people have actually died and interview with experts that describe the science behind each death.
The bit I watched included a sword-swallower. Apparently, this particular guy was being heckled at a show once when a man stepped from the audience and persuaded him to swallow his umbrella. He did, but once he got it down, his throat triggered the release mechanism and the umbrella opened up. No more gory details necessary…you get the picture.
Aside from something stupid like this, I have to think that the three worse ways to die are by drowning, by fire, or being stoned; mainly because death is not immediate and, I can only imagine, very painful.
Stoning refers to a form of capital punishment where an organized group throws stones at the convicted individual until the person dies. These weren’t small stones either.
There are a half dozen or so accounts in the Bible of people being stoned. One unique account occurs in Acts 14:19; unique because Paul didn’t actually die.
The important lesson to be learned from Paul’s stoning here is that God does not always protect his servants from harm. That’s still a valid truth today. The Kingdom of God often advances at a great cost to God’s servants. Around the world, people face persecution for their faith daily. Do they give up? No! Do they quit? Never!
Did Paul give up? Did he quit? No, he was filled with great courage. He stood up. He wiped the blood off himself. Then he went back into the city that had stoned him (Acts 14:20). Paul was not a quitter. The Spirit gave him great courage to face suffering and persecution.
To grow spiritually, we need the attitude Paul had towards suffering. Don’t quit when people take advantage of your kindness, desert you, don’t appreciate you, or criticize you. Endure! Persevere! Keep climbing! Grow in grace. The person who endures to the end will be saved. Don’t be easily offended. Have the courage to continue. Encourage yourself from time to time. Don’t be a quitter.
We’ve come to the third and final part of Acts. In part one, we saw the gospel spread in Jerusalem [Acts 1-7]. In part two, we saw the gospel spread into Judea and Samaria [Acts 8-12]. In the final part, we’ll see the gospel spread “to the ends of the earth.” [Acts 13-28]
In Acts 13-21, Paul takes three missionary journeys. If you examine each of them closely, you’ll find that each new journey takes the gospel a little further than it went before. Sometimes, we need to be reminded to take things one step at a time. In Acts 13:2-3, we see a step by step process for sending Paul out on his first missionary journey.
The Holy Spirit said
They (Paul, Barnabas, prophets and teachers) fasted
They prayed
They placed their hands on them (in prayer)
They sent them off
The order of these steps is extremely important. Missionary activity must be initiated by the Holy Spirit. It’s also important to note that these steps were taken one at a time.
Do you want to grow into what God has called you to be? Take small steps. Agree to responsibilities that are only one step in front of you. In school, you move up one grade at a time. In life, you grow older one year at a time. If you’re faithful with the small steps God calls you to take, he will honor and bless you and will give you greater responsibilities into the future.
Acts 12 tells an awesome story of Peter being miraculously rescued from prison by an angel. Great story. But, it’s important to understand WHY that happened. At the heart of “why” was “the church” who “was earnestly praying to God for him.”
What is “the church”?
The Greek word ekklesia (church) refers to “a meeting of people called out and summoned together; the congregation of God’s people in Christ, who come together as citizens of God’s kingdom for the purpose of worshipping God.” The word church can refer to a local church or the universal church.
So, one may ask, what makes a church, the church? I’m glad you asked!
The church must consist of people, united by the Holy Spirit, seeking a faithful personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
Through its POWERFUL witness, sinners will be saved, born again, baptized in water and added to the church; they will partake of the Lord ’s Supper and await Christ’s return.
The baptism in the Holy Spirit will be preached and communicated to new believers.
The Holy Spirit’s gifts (including wonders, miraculous signs, and healings) will be operational in the church.
Believers will drive out demons.
There will be absolute loyalty to the gospel.
The congregation will meet weekly to worship God and edify each other.
The church will stand in humility, awe, and fear before the presence of a holy God.
There will be observable love and fellowship in the Spirit among the members.
The church will be a praying and fasting church.
Believers will separate themselves from the prevailing world view and culture.
There will be suffering, affliction and persecution because of the world and its ways.
The church will actively help send missionaries to other lands.
Wow! Do you know a church like that? Are we really meeting and following those standards? What can you do to BE the church?
The word “Christian” (Gk christianos) occurs only three times in the New Testament; Acts 11:26, Acts 26:28, and 1 Peter 4:16. It was originally a term meaning “a servant and follower of Christ.” Many of Paul’s letters capture his desire to be described in this way, even if he didn’t use the term “Christian”; “I, Paul, a SERVANT or SLAVE of Christ Jesus.”
Today, the term “Christian” has become a more general term, almost completely devoid of its original meaning. Rarely do people who flippantly use the term “Christian” recognize the connection between themselves and Jesus Christ as it pertains to His paying the ultimate price for their sin. Rarely do they have an intimate relationship with Christ. Rarely do they recognize Christ as the Lord and Master of their lives. Rarely do they realize that He is the source of their salvation and eternal life. Rarely do they accept Christ as their supreme authority and only source of future hope.
In business, when you’re working to improve something, the high-level improvement is known as the “Big Y.” This is your goal. This is what you want to achieve. For example, a fast food restaurant may want to improve the taste of its hamburger. That would be the Big Y. All of the little things that must be improved on in order to achieve the Big Y improvement are called the “little y’s.” In our example, the “little y’s” may be the quality and freshness of the vegetables or meat, processing and cooking time, cleanliness of the cooking and preparation area, etc.
When it comes to using the term “Christian” I wonder if we could differentiate between Christ-following "Big C" Christians and general use "little c" christians. What do you say? Are you a “Christian”, or are you a “christian”?
Imagine a silent witness in court. The witness is called to the front of the room. The lawyer asks the witness if he has seen something. The witness nods his head yes and smiles. Then the lawyer asks the witness to tell what he knows. The witness just smiles and says nothing. Every time the lawyer or judge asks a question, the witness just smiles. That would be dumb! How can we know what a witness knows if he doesn’t tell it? To witness for Jesus, we must speak the right words for Him at the right times. Christ-followers should not be afraid to witness for Jesus.
What do witnesses do? They tell what they know about something. They describe what they saw, heard or felt. As Christians, we are witnesses that Jesus has risen from the dead. We are witnesses that He has saved us from sin. Our main business is to tell others about Christ. God wants us to tell everyone that Jesus saved us from sin and gave us eternal life. He wants us to tell the world the message of John 3:16.
In Acts 10:23 and 11:12, Peter took witnesses with him to Caesarea. In Matthew 18:16, Jesus taught us to take witnesses with us when attempting to work out a disagreement. Deuteronomy 19:15 says we must take multiple witnesses to establish an accurate testimony against the accused.
There are many things that are God’s business, not ours. But witnessing about Jesus is our business, not God’s! The main work of the Church is to witness that Jesus is either the Savior or the Judge of each person.
Are believers you know fulfilling God’s plan to witness?
Most kids’ favorite Bible stories are like Adam and Eve, David and Goliath, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, Daniel and the Lions Den, Jonah and the Whale, Jesus’ birth, etc. Stories that are filled with wonder and excitement. Stories that seem unbelievable in nature, where the main character seems almost superhuman or experiences something supernatural.
So it shouldn’t surprise me that for as long as he has been able to express what his favorite Bible story is, Matt, my nine-year-old son, has cited the story of Saul’s conversion found in Acts 9. It’s unbelievable. Something supernatural happens. It’s just not a “kids” story.
It’s unbelievable. After Stephen appeared before the Sanhedrin, the people drug him out of the city and stoned him. “Saul was there, giving approval to his death.” He later “breathed out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples.” In fact, when he was knocked on his rear, Saul was on his way to Damascus to see if he could find any Christ-followers and put them in prison. This was one bad dude!
It was supernatural. A bright light, brighter than the sun, caused he and all of his companions to fall to the ground and he heard a voice speak to him, but saw no one. He was blinded for three days. After being filled with the Holy Spirit, something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he could see again.
Cool story. Here’s the point. If Christ could love and care so much for a person that instigated and approved of murderous violence against believers, that He would reach out, speak to, save, and fill with the POWER of the Holy Spirit, then set on the right path, send out to preach the Gospel to “the ends of the earth”, and use to write most of the New Testament (Saul later became Paul), Christ can love and care for anybody, regardless of what they’re doing, where they’re doing it, or how “bad” they are!
Jesus loves you (right where you’re at) and there’s NOTHING you can do about it!
Many years ago, there was an organization that promoted wearing a pin with two question marks on it to spark conversation about your relationship with Christ. So, someone might ask, “why are you wearing that pin?” or “what do the two question marks on that pin mean?” To which, you could respond, “Do you know for sure that you are going to be with God in Heaven?” and “If God were to ask you, “Why should I let you into My Heaven?” what would you say?”
Acts 8 is a key chapter. It is a chapter about evangelism. Evangelism comes from a Greek word that means “to tell the good news.” To evangelize is to tell someone the good news about Jesus Christ. Acts 1-7 shows how the good news spread in Jerusalem. That is where Jesus said the disciples would begin to witness. Acts 8 tells how believers began to scatter as a result of persecution and began to evangelize in Judea and Samria. Remember Luke’s greatest purpose. It is to show how the gospel spread from Jerusalem to Rome by the POWER of the Spirit.
1 Peter 3:15 says, “ALWAYS be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have, why you’re living the way you are.” ALWAYS be ready to explain it. ALWAYS is another extreme word I pay particularly close attention to when it is being used. Especially when used in Biblical text. “ALWAYS” allows for no exclusions or exceptions. It is whole. It is full. It encompasses the entire extent of subject it references. It means “in EVERY case.”
Are you ALWAYS prepared to give an answer for what you believe? Do you know what you would say if someone asked about your faith in Christ? Check out our FOLLOW CHRIST link for more information!
OK, so, this morning we’re talking about something a little more serious than tot rejection. But, that is pretty funny! Rejection. Have you experienced it? Maybe from someone you wanted to go out with or hang out with. Maybe from a potential employer. Maybe on the playground at school, when you divide into teams and you’re the last one to get picked for kick ball. It hurts. It’s painful. It happens.
What if you flip the coin? What have you rejected? Who have you rejected? Acts 7 gives a POWERFUL account of Stephen’s speech to the Sanhedrin, which was sort of like the Supreme Court of ancient Israel. Understand, Stephen hadn’t done anything wrong. In fact, he did “great wonders and miraculous signs among the people.” He was there because he’d ticked off some of the members of the Synagogue. They lied. They distorted his words. They produced false witnesses. They rejected him.
Stephen points out how, throughout history, Israel repeatedly refused to obey God, rejecting truth. The Israelites repeatedly rejected the forefathers of their faith. The ancestors of the 12 tribes of Israel rejected their brother Joseph. The Israelites rejected Moses. They made idols to worship, rejecting God. They resisted and rejected the Holy Spirit. They killed the prophets called for their repentance and who prophesied about the coming of Christ. And when He came, they even rejected and murdered Him. Rejection. Rejection. Rejection.
Just as the Israelites repeatedly rejected God, many Bible-believing, church-going “Christians” reject him today. They live a very different life in church and out of church, at home, in school, at work and among their friends.
Have you rejected God? Have you rejected the teaching of God’s Word? If you are to accept the POWER God promises in Acts 1:8, you must stop rejecting your faith.
I heard a quote recently that states “If you’re green, you’re growing. If you’re ripe, you rot.” How true that is. We all get excited when we see things grow; flowers, garden vegetables, our bank accounts, puppies, children, our church. Growth creates momentum. Momentum produces excitement.
But, with growth comes growing pains. I remember experiencing these growing up; right behind my knees. I had trouble going to sleep at night; painful. And when growth stops happening, things begin to ripen, and ripening leads to rotting.
Have we lost sight of those things and began to ripen and rot? That’s what seems to have happened to the church and the disciples in Acts 6. They apparently lost focus. They hit a bump. In their growth, some important ministries were neglected. So, they refocused, delegated some of their responsibilities, prayed over the delegates and rapidly experienced new growth in the church.
We all want to experience growth in our lives; physical growth, spiritual growth, mental growth, social growth. It’s during cycles of growth that organisms or organizations are most healthy. Are you growing or are you rotting?
While growing up in central Florida, there was a prominent Christian radio station I was fond of listening to; WCIE – “Where Christ Is Everything.” One of the on-air personalities was a lady named Rita Christie. She was perhaps best known for her sign-off tag-line, “Have a Jesus-filled day!” Over the years, I’ve adopted that line myself when sending emails, birthday greetings, notes of encouragement, etc.
Last week, in my weekly email communication to my youth parents, I mistakenly said, “I hope this finds you and your family having a wonderful, Jesus-FELLED week!” instead of a “Jesus-FILLED week! Spell check didn’t catch it because FELLED is a word:
felled \’feld\ transitive verb meaning to cut, knock or bring down
filled \’fild\ transitive verb meaning to put into as much as can be held or conveniently contained
At least one of my parents caught my mistake. The question then became:
Am I wishing that they have as much Jesus as they can contain this week? OR,
Am I wishing that they have a week in which Jesus knocks them on their rear?!
Hmmm…fast forward to Acts 5. Ananias and Sapphira misrepresented their earnings and offerings to God. They lied; not to men but to God. As a result, they both fell down and died. God harshly knocked them on their rear in order to reveal his hatred for all deceit and dishonesty in the Kingdom of God. One of the most offensive sins among believers is to misrepresent your relationship which Christ among His people. We sometimes call this “riding the fence.” The verses immediately following God’s judgment of Ananias and Sapphira reveal that “a great fear seized all who heard what had happened.” The Church’s respect for God grew after the deaths of Ananias and Sapphira. People had an increase in humility, awe and fear. People didn’t want to come under that judgment. They decided in that moment that they were either going to be Christ-followers or they weren’t. There was no more riding the fence. People were either in, or they were out.
What if we truly understood and lived life with that same sort of fear and conviction? Without a proper fear of God and His anger towards sin, we soon return to the ways of the world, stop experiencing the POWER of the Holy Spirit and God’s presence, and are cut off from the flow of God’s grace.
What kind of week are you having? One where you are experiencing as much Jesus as you can contain? Or, one where Jesus is needing to knock you on your rear?
In light of yesterday’s post on responding to the needs of people around you, you should know that your help won’t always be met with open arms of acceptance. In Acts 4:1-3, the Sadducees were pretty upset that Peter and John had healed the crippled beggar in the name of Jesus and that they were teaching the people that Jesus is the Messiah. The Sadducees were a group of extremely conservative Jewish leaders that believed and followed the Hebrew Bible strictly and literally. They did not believe in the resurrection, miracles, or a personal Messiah. (They were very “sad, you see?!”) Therefore, the Sadducees put Peter and John in jail!
Consider this. Thomas was not as blessed as most other children. From birth he could neither hear nor talk. When he was about 5-years old, he began learning how to work in the field. Year after year he worked long hours in the field. Some believers heard about Thomas and took him to church. There, God completely healed him. Later, he got married and began to testify about his healing. But many people opposed him. Why? Because their churches taught that God does not heal today. Never mind that Thomas was living proof! One night, the Lord awakened Thomas and warned him to leave his house immediately. He and his wife left and climbed a large hill nearby. A short time later, people from the village surrounded their house. They blocked all the doors and windows so no one could escape and they burned the house to the ground. Thomas and his wife were shocked! Was this the people’s response to the Good News?! Why did people hate them?
Bottom line is this: Do not expect praise from everyone you do good deeds for. After all, nine out of the ten lepers did not even say “thank you” when Jesus healed them (Luke 17:11-19).
The question was simple: What do you think would occur, hypothetically, if one of the world's great violinists performed incognito before a traveling rush-hour audience of 1,000-odd people? The Washington Post set out to answer that question.
One Friday in January, against a bare wall outside the Metro train station in Washington DC, stood one of the finest classical musicians in the world, Joshua Bell. Three weeks before, he had filled the house in Boston's Symphony Hall, where "pretty good" seats went for $100. Two weeks later, he would play at the Music Center at Strathmore, in North Bethesda, to a standing-room only audience that held their coughs to the silence between movements.
For 43 minutes Joshua Bell played six classical pieces in a T-shirt and baseball hat, at the train station, as a mere "street musician." He always performs on the same instrument, and he ruled out using another for this gig. Called the Gibson ex Huberman, it was handcrafted in 1713 by Antonio Stradivari. Bell reportedly paid about $3.5 million for it a few years ago. The final haul for 43-minutes of playing was $32.17; some gave only pennies. 1,097 people passed by, that day, a man whose talents can command $1,000 a minute. Too busy. Too focused. Too stressed. Too late.
In Acts 3, we get a story about a crippled beggar. This man, over 40-years old, had been crippled from birth. Not able to run and play as a child, being riddiculed by his peers, learning to be a beggar, being treated less than human in a place that was smelly and dirty, bored and broken, he sat. Every day. Watching people. Waiting. Hoping. How many people passed him by without noticing him? How many people altered their daily commute to purposefully avoid him?
Beggars aren't the only people with needs. All around us there are hurting people. Some are crippled, blind, deaf, or mute. Others are poor, sick, hungry, or homeless. Some are rich and healthy, but empty and lonely. Others are discouraged or depressed. MANY ARE LOST WITHOUT CHRIST! Do you notice the people around you that are hurting or in need?
Each of us has something to give those in need. Peter didn't have silver or gold, but gave what he had; POWER in the name of Jesus Christ! Sometimes, your faith in Jesus Christ is the best thing you can give someone in need. Pray for God to open your eyes and your heart to see the needs of people around you. Then, do what He speaks to your heart. Sow the seed, and leave the rest to Him. He often does more than we expect if/when we listen and obey.
If you're tracking with us, you should be reading through Acts, one Chapter a day. You should have read Chapter 1 yesterday. Read Chapter 2 today!
This week, we're focusing on "the beginnings of the church." Genesis tells about the beginnings of the world. Acts tells about the beginnings of the church. Although the author of Acts is not identified by name, most would agree it was Luke. Luke has at least two purposes for writing about the church's beginnings:
He shows how the Gospel victoriously spread from a relatively small area towards "the ends of the earth" in spite of opposition and persecution.
He reveals the role of the Holy Spirit in the church’s life and mission, emphasizing the POWER of the Holy Spirit to proclaim the Gospel
Acts is full of action and stories that basically give a history of the first 30 years of the Church. Luke didn’t tell EVERYTHING he knew, but he did include some important information that is foundational to our faith. Think of Acts like a newspaper. A newspaper has many stories that give a brief snapshot of what’s going on any given day in the world. Luke chose a few POWERFUL stories for special reasons. Imagine how many books it would have taken to tell all that happened in the church in the first 30 years!
Something I learned in the business world is how to give an “elevator speech.” An elevator speech is a brief, but POWERFUL overview of the project that you’re working on. As the name implies, it should be able to be delivered in the span of an elevator ride (30 seconds or so). The idea is, if you’re ever on the elevator with the President or CEO of the company and they ask what you’re working on, you’re prepared with a quick snapshot of your project, its value, and your value to the President and to the company.
Here’s today’s challenge: Write out, think through and memorize a POWERFUL “elevator speech” of how Jesus POWERFULLY saved your life and how the Holy Spirit has EMPOWERED you to share your faith with others.
We live in some crazy times. Our nation, which was founded on Christian principles, has become increasingly hostile to those who openly follow Christ. Teens are especially under assault. In every aspect of their life, from their education to their entertainment, is telling them that their faith in God is useless and irrelevant. Because of this, God has placed it on my heart to put together a special emphasis that challenges our teens to live a Spirit-filled, POWERFUL life according to Acts 1:8. Thus, the idea of “28” was born.
“28” represents the 28 days of February, during which we will be encouraging our students to read one chapter of Acts and pray every day. 28 Chapters. 28 Days. There will be daily emails and text messages to encourage this. Students will be encouraged to memorize a weekly memory verse. All of my messages in February will center around the book of Acts. Every Friday in February, we’re going to have an “Underground” Bible study at secret, undisclosed locations around town. We’re partnering with other youth ministries in our section, and on Saturday night, February 28, we will be having a final celebratory Youth Rally in South Sioux City, NE.
Please pray for us throughout this journey, that the Holy Spirit would speak to students like never before, and that Christ would truly come alive in their lives this month.
I recently heard a story about a guy named John Goddard. One rainy afternoon an inspired 15-year old boy named John Goddard sat down at his kitchen table in Los Angeles and wrote three words at the top of a yellow pad, "My Life List." Under that heading he wrote down 127 goals. These were not simple or easy goals. They included climbing the world's major mountains, exploring from source to mouth the longest rivers of the world, piloting the world's fastest aircraft, running a mile in five minutes and reading the entire Encyclopedia Britannica. Now, a generation later, he has accomplished 109 of these quests, and has logged an impressive list of records in achieving them. Click here to view the list of goals and achievements.
Let me make a simple observation: if John Goddard hadn’t set those goals he would have never achieved those goals. I doubt he would have done half of what he did if he hadn’t set a goal in the first place. Goals help you know where you want to end up at the end of life’s journey. This week, we discussed 10 Steps to Setting Life Goals. Here they are:
Start with prayer. There is no limit to what dreams and prayer can achieve.
Check your motives. Is it necessary? What’s your motivation? Goal setting is making the most of your time, talent, and resources.
Get ideas from others. Don’t just copy them, but let them inspire you.
Think in categories. It may be hard to pull life goals out of thin air. Starting with categories may make things easier.
Be specific. Getting in shape is not a goal. It’s a wish. Make it measurable.
Write down your goals. Do you remember your grocery list three weeks ago? If you want to remember it, you need to write it down.
Include others. A lot of my goals include my family. It’s all about shared experiences and creating memories.
Celebrate along the way. If your goal is to save $1,000 emergency fund, celebrate when you hit $500. That small victory will help carry you to the end.
Think big. Michelangelo once said, “the greater danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it’s too low and we reach it.”
Keep dreaming. It’s never too late to be who you might have been.
Where are you going in life and how are you going to get there?
I recently heard a great story about a guy named Garry Kasparov. Kasparov won his first world-championship chess match in 1985 and he dominated the chess world for several decades. Through that experience, there were some lessons he learned. Here is one of them: “A Grandmaster makes the best moves because they are based on what he wants the board to look like ten or twenty moves into the future.” That’s a great picture of what goal-setting is all about. It is making moves now based on what you want your life to look like 10 or 20 years from now.
As we cross into a New Year, what do you want your life to look like at the end of the year? By knowing what the goal is, you can plan better the journey you must take in order to get there. The goals you set will help establish a track in your life; a roadmap to follow.
In youth this week, we talked through five qualities of a SMART goal. Here they are:
Spirit Given – God must give our goals to us. It is His roadmap for our lives that we must follow.
Measurable – It must be quantitative and objective in nature.
Adjustable – Like a rudder on a ship or a steering wheel on a car, goals need to be adjustable with time.
Realistic – A sumo wrestler probably won’t set a world record for the 100m dash or open a successful clinic to help anorexics.
Timeframe – Understand a goal may be accomplished a lot sooner or may take more time than originally anticipated.
Read Philippians 3:12-14.
How does this passage of Scripture challenge you in the area of goal setting?
What are some goals have you set and already accomplished in life?
What actions or behaviors did you have to take in order to meet those goals?
What are some goals that you've set and not yet accomplished?
What do you need to do in order to accomplish those goals?
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This week, as part of the Advent Celebration, the fifth and final candle is lit on the Advent Wreath. This is The Christ Candle.
This week, as part of the Advent Celebration, the fourth of five candles are lit on the Advent Wreath. This is The Angel Candle, or the Candle of Peace/Love.
This week, as part of the Advent Celebration, the third of five candles are lit on the Advent Wreath. This is The Shepherd Candle, or the Candle of Joy.
This week, as part of the Advent Celebration, the second of five candles are lit on the Advent Wreath. This is The Bethlehem Candle, or the Candle of Faith, or the Candle of Preparation. This candle commemorates the faith of Mary and Joseph, going on their pilgrimage to Bethlehem, and their belief that what was about to happen was a miracle!
This week we started a new teaching series on Sunday mornings on the Sermon on the Mount. We'll bne here for the next 13 weeks.
Sometimes we use the word "Pentecostal" to describe this church. There is one main reason for that. We believe that on the Jewish holiday of Pentecost that Christians were baptized in the Holy Spirit and were given supernatural gifts from Him. 
Been away from the blog for a while, but what better time to restart than the first week of Advent!
Wow! We've finally reached the end of our 28 Day emphasis on the POWERFUL Book of Acts!
Acts 27 rivals any Hollywood movie for action and adventure. Paul is being kept prisoner, set to appear before Caesar, put on a ship bound for Rome. Along the way, the going gets tough. In verses 10-12Paul, still a prisoner, says, "Men, I can see that our voyage is going to be disastrous and bring great loss to ship and cargo, and to our own lives also. BUT, the centurion (INSTEAD OF LISTENING TO WHAT PAUL SAID) followed the advice of the pilot and of the owner of the ship. Since the harbor was unsuitable to winter in, THE MAJORITY decided that [they] should sail on, hoping to reach Phoenix and winter there."
"Ignorance of the law excuses no man: Not that all men know the law, but because 'tis an excuse every man will plead, and no man can tell how to refute him." John Selden, English antiquarian & jurist (1584 - 1654)
Acts 24:16, "So I strive always to keep my conscience clear before God and man."
One of my favorite “Modern Marvels” is the Sunshine Skyway Bridge in Tampa, Florida. It is the world’s longest bridge with a cable-stayed main span, with a length of 29, 040 feet; exactly 5.5 miles! In the form of useless information, the Sunshine Skyway Bridge contains the 47th tallest "hill" in the state of Florida. Besides being an engineering masterpiece, I think it is a beautiful work of art.
Acts 20:28 contains an interesting picture of what the job of a pastor really is. It says, “KEEP WATCH over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. BE SHEPHERDS of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood.”
Acts 19 is the fifth time in Acts we see believers baptized in the Holy Spirit.
Good Christian friends are something to be treasured. Jesus called his followers friends (John 15:14-15). Since that time, people have understood better the value of hanging out with fellow believers.
Culture can be defined as a particular society at a particular time and place; 21st century American culture vs. 17th century Asian culture, Pop Culture, Post-Moderns vs. Baby Boomers, Suburban-American culture vs. Rural-American culture, Midwestern Living vs. Southern Hospitality. There are huge differences between these cultural groups. 
Have you ever gotten lost and had to ask for help or directions? Maybe you were lost in class and needed to teacher to redirect you as to where you needed to be. Maybe you were separated from your parents in a public place and needed to ask for help in finding them. Maybe you got lost going someplace and had to stop and ask for directions. It happens to everyone. When it does, we hate to admit it because in that lies some fault of our own. It takes a humble person to admit you are lost and ask for directions.
It’s always important to solve problems. When I worked in the business world, one of my jobs was to solve problems in the most efficient, productive and profitable way possible. For that, we used a business management strategy called Six Sigma. The basic method consists of the following five steps:
There’s a new show on Spike called “1000 Ways to Die” I happened upon a few nights ago. It caught my attention. It intrigued me for a moment. The basic premise of the show is to factually recreate different ways people have actually died and interview with experts that describe the science behind each death.
We’ve come to the third and final part of Acts. In part one, we saw the gospel spread in Jerusalem [Acts 1-7]. In part two, we saw the gospel spread into Judea and Samaria [Acts 8-12]. In the final part, we’ll see the gospel spread “to the ends of the earth.” [Acts 13-28]
Acts 12 tells an awesome story of Peter being miraculously rescued from prison by an angel. Great story. But, it’s important to understand WHY that happened. At the heart of “why” was “the church” who “was earnestly praying to God for him.”
The word “Christian” (Gk christianos) occurs only three times in the New Testament; Acts 11:26, Acts 26:28, and 1 Peter 4:16. It was originally a term meaning “a servant and follower of Christ.” Many of Paul’s letters capture his desire to be described in this way, even if he didn’t use the term “Christian”; “I, Paul, a SERVANT or SLAVE of Christ Jesus.”
Many years ago, there was an organization that promoted wearing a pin with two question marks on it to spark conversation about your relationship with Christ. So, someone might ask, “why are you wearing that pin?” or “what do the two question marks on that pin mean?” To which, you could respond, “Do you know for sure that you are going to be with God in Heaven?” and “If God were to ask you, “Why should I let you into My Heaven?” what would you say?”
I heard a quote recently that states “If you’re green, you’re growing. If you’re ripe, you rot.” How true that is. We all get excited when we see things grow; flowers, garden vegetables, our bank accounts, puppies, children, our church. Growth creates momentum. Momentum produces excitement.