Month: February 2014

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Acts 3 “A Divine Interruption or Appointment?”

ImageHow do you handle interruptions when you are late, on your way, ready to go to church or prayer meeting, Bible study? If we all would stop and investigate our responses we would more than often see them as just that; interruptions but not as divine appointments. Peter and John teach us some valuable lessons as they are on their way to prayer.

First, these two disciples were on their way just as they have always done, three times a day. It was their regular walk to the temple at specified times, morning, noon and at 3 pm. They had passed this gate many times and probably took note of the many alms beggars there. But, why this one day did their gaze fall upon this one beggar out of all the rest? Why did they stop and talk to him? Why this day, why not yesterday or why not wait until tomorrow? Why did Jesus only heal the one infirmed man at the Pool of Siloam when there were many there? The answer lies in this: Joh 14:31 “but I am doing just what the Father commanded me,” It was the Father’s will for that man at the pool to be healed “that” day and not another, and it was the Father’s will that this beggar out of all the others be healed on “this day.” Only in eternity can we know the answers to the “why’s.” For now it is that the Father reached down from heaven this one day and chose to place His favor upon this one man.

So when God sends you an “interruption—appointment” remember that it was the Father’s will and His plan. You may just be meeting a beggar in need of redemption, in fact a beggar not even looking for eternal life. But if your faith is strong and you are willing to be used, God will give you the privilege as he gave Peter and John to offer the cup of living water, the bread of consolation and healing in the name of Jesus so that the words spoken by Peter would bear fruit: “And on the basis of faith in Jesus’ name, his very name has made this man – whom you see and know – strong. The faith that is through Jesus has given him this complete health in the presence of you all.”

Are you looking for a divine appointment? It often does not come as roaring thunder to stop us in our tracks but instead the still quiet voice that Elijah heard as he waited in the cave. 1Ki 19:12 After the earthquake, there was a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. After the fire, there was a soft whisper.

 

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“Happy Birthday Church”

ImageBirthdays are wonderful times of each year, complete with presents, cake and candles. God loves to celebrate as well and today in Acts 2 we see how he sends the Holy Spirit as the present and tongues of fire as the candles. The icing on the cake comes from seeing how God will use this to bring 3000 members to his flock in one sitting. What a party!

The Birthday day was Pentecost. It is the Jewish celebration 50 days after Passover known as Shavuot in Hebrew. It is one of the three feasts when all men near enough to Jerusalem come to present themselves and thus this is why we can ascertain that there were so many Jews present in that city. We remember from Acts 1 that Jesus spent 40 days with his disciples “presenting himself alive with many convincing proofs” and that he commanded that they stay put in Jerusalem until the promise of the Father. Thus we are about 10 days after his ascension. 

God’s “present” to his church was the infilling of the Holy Spirit who is the third person of the Triune God; sent to teach and recall the all things that Jesus taught his disciples. When Jesus was baptized he was anointed with power with the Holy Spirit who descended upon him in the form of a dove. Now God will send the Holy Spirit to anoint the beginning of the church with tongues of fire and power.

God’s “Birthday Candles” were the tongues like a fire appearing to them and rested upon each one. We recall from the OT that God put a pillar of fire to guide his children and now it appears that this pillar has divided into many parts to anoint each part of the body with His power and gifts; one of which was the gift of spoken languages. AQ

Within the city the sound came and “a crowd gathered and was in confusion, because each one heard them speaking in his own language.” They were baffled and responded in two ways which is the same way people respond today. Some were astounded and asked “What does this mean” while others jeered and said “They are drunk on new wine.” Lest they be without excuse God sends his message of love and forgiveness to the listeners through Peter—the one who denied, was restored and now is empowered. That is often our path as well.

God’s “cake,” that is His message, was offered and some partook of what the Holy Spirit revealed which had three parts: (1) Jesus was the anointed of God as the Messiah proven by powerful deeds, wonders, and miraculous signs, (2) He was crucified but raised on the third day according the scriptures, and (3) he ascended and sits at the right hand of God. God then sent his Holy Spirit to prove to them they were  “wrong concerning sin and righteousness and judgment –“  Peter reiterated: “we are witnesses of it.” As a result 3000 were acutely distressed or pricked in their hearts and asked “what shall we do?”

God’s gift is shared: “Repent, and each one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit”

Beloved this party was not just for a few for remember Jesus’ promise: “and repentance for the forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.”   Let’s celebrate together!

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Chapter Two: From Heaven to Earth

ImageToday as part of our year’s reading of the NT, Psalms and Proverbs,  we begin the study of the book of Acts. Of all of the NT authors, Dr. Luke is by far the most complete as to the life of Christ here on earth from his announcement to his ascension. In Luke we find Christ in the living walking breathing man; in Acts we find Christ’s living active Spirit (Holy Spirit) indwelling each believer. In Luke Jesus presents himself as the suffering servant; in Acts he presents himself through the suffering yet rejoicing servants. In Luke Jesus tell the disciples: You are witnesses and in Acts Jesus tells them you will be my witnesses. Luke covers about 30 yrs of time from the announcement to the ascension of Christ and in Acts about 30 yrs from Jesus’ ascension to Paul’s two year imprisonment in Rome. Thus in just two short books we will cover a span of 60 yrs—for many a person’s lifetime–of what transpired as the church began its ministry. In Luke we walked beginning from Nazareth and ended up in Jerusalem. In Acts we begin in Jerusalem and end up in Rome.

As we begin this journey with Luke there are some notable things of which we need to take notice:

In Luke 24: he, that is Christ, opened their minds so they could understand the scriptures, in Acts 1: he [Christ] presented himself alive with many convincing proofs so they could visualize the scriptures.

In Luke 24: it stands written that the Christ would suffer and would rise from the dead on the third day, in Acts 1: as proof that this was fulfilled, He was seen by them over a forty-day period

In Luke 24: repentance for the forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem and in Acts the disciples are anointed with power to accomplish this by being his witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the farthest parts of the earth.”

In Luke the disciples see the risen Christ; then he vanished out of their sight. In Acts the risen Christ was with them 40 days; then was lifted up and a cloud hid him from their sight.

In Luke “Didn’t our hearts burn within us while he was speaking with us on the road, while he was explaining the scriptures to us?” But in contrast, in Acts: they excitedly began to ask him, “Lord, is this the time when you are restoring the kingdom to Israel?”

No angels are present when Christ reveals himself to the disciples in the upper room but in Acts: suddenly two men in white clothing stood near them. There is a saying that goes like this: You can be so heavenly minded that you are no earthly good. In Acts we see them gazing heavenward and two men are sent to guide them back to earth. That is perhaps why the two angels reminded them: “Men of Galilee, why do you stand here looking up into the sky? This same Jesus who has been taken up from you into heaven will come back in the same way you saw him go into heaven.” Translation: you are to be His witnesses until he returns so why are you wasting time gazing at the clouds? He will be back but the work is still unfinished. Get Busy!

And thus now as His witnesses we are to long for his appearing but until he comes back we are to be busy about the Master’s business. So the question as we begin this week is this: where is our focus—on heaven or the earth where the work must begin and end.

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The Heart of the “Meter”

ImageWhy study Proverbs 3? This chapter is  one of the most excellent in all this book as it teaches us to be wise, discerning, and gives us directions on how to bring it about. It begins with these words “My child.” And we are all children—But to all who have received him – those who believe in his name – he has given the right to become God’s children [John].  As God’s children we need wisdom and counsel to direct our steps, our thinking and our decisions. The author Solomon begins by stating two commands in verse one that every child should heed. (1) Do not forget his teaching and (2) Let your heart keep my commandments.

Jesus taught that where our treasure is, there our heart will be also. [Matt] What is this heart; what is the underlying meaning? It is the inner man, the center for our moral, spiritual, intellectual life. Thus it encompasses who we are. Our heart can be uncircumcised or circumcised; it can be hardened or softened; wicked or pure; deceitful and desperately wicked defiling our entire being or it can be renewed by God’s love and grace making it tender towards him and his love.   

Chapter 3 is thus filled with precepts and principles that will guide us and it all begins in the heart. If we choose to follow that step we will be rewarded to see this truth:  Rom 11:33 Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how fathomless his ways! It is because of that principle we can trust that although our own understanding may lead us astray God’s never will because he plainly says: “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” [Is 55]. That is why we can trust in Him to guide us in the proper direction, to instill in us the proper understanding. God would never lead his own children astray! Remember this truth: God may not reveal to us each step we take but asks us to trust Him as we take each step. It is then that we can know without a shadow of doubt that “he will make our paths straight.”

So how is your heart meter registering today?

 

 

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