Showing posts with label Witness. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Witness. Show all posts

24 HOURS-Week 4: Jesus Took Our Place, and Now We Take His

Posted by Randy | Labels: , , , , , , , , , | Posted On Saturday, March 27, 2010 at 7:19 PM

As Jesus hung on the cross, darkness covered the land for three hours. And then, just before he died, he cried out, "...'It is finished.'..." (John 19:30 NLT2)

What did he mean? Was his life really finished? Did he mean he was a failure? John tells us he died after saying these words, but is that what Jesus meant? Fortunately, the Christian faith teaches us he was declaring something much more significant. In that moment, he had taken on the sins of the world.

"God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." (2 Corinthians 5:21 NIV)

The NLT2 translation puts it this way: "For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ." In that moment Jesus took our place, becoming our sin or the offering for our sin, the Bible tells us. He took our place, experiencing the effect of sin and its separation from God. He died our death so we wouldn't have to. As the prophet Isaiah predicted seven hundred years earlier, Jesus became our Suffering Servant, who took on our sins and paid the price for our sins, even though he had never sinned himself, so that we could be forgiven and freed from the power of sin.

"Yet it was our weaknesses he carried; it was our sorrows that weighed him down. And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God, a punishment for his own sins! But he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed." (Isaiah 53:4-5 NLT2)

He did it all for us – for you, for me, so we could be healed of the sin that ravages us, that ravages our world. He did it not just for those of us who typically read these words but also for those folks who aren’t in church, who don’t even believe in God, who even wage war against God. It was the ultimate sacrifice for us all, and that news is so good, so amazing, so incredible, that we when we understand the depth of Jesus' sacrifice we are driven to share it and help others experience it, too.

"God put the world square with himself through the Messiah, giving the world a fresh start by offering forgiveness of sins. God has given us the task of telling everyone what he is doing. We’re Christ’s representatives. God uses us to persuade men and women to drop their differences and enter into God’s work of making things right between them. We’re speaking for Christ himself now: Become friends with God; he’s already a friend with you." (2 Corinthians 5:19-20 Message)

Jesus took our place on the cross, but at the time no one understood that. Today many still don't understand, but for those of us who do, God tells us we are Christ's representatives, given the task of "telling everyone what he is doing." We are called to speak for Christ, to be his voice, his hands, his feet.

I feel inadequate to even begin this task, but the Good News is that Christ has not left me by myself to accomplish the mission he has given us. When we place our faith in him, his Spirit comes to live in us, empowering us, transforming us, enabling us to be and do what we otherwise could not do. In every step of this journey of faith we are completely and totally dependent on God, but He is able to do far more than we can even imagine...when I'm submitted to Him.

As Jesus died, he finished his work here on earth, but the mission was only beginning. Greater things were still to be done, by the power of his Spirit living in his followers to do his work. And we are called to continue his mission until either Jesus returns or we leave this earth and meet him face to face. Jesus took our place so that we could all take his place and fulfill his mission to seek and save all people.

Jesus Sometimes Creates Tensions in Our Families and Friendships

Posted by Randy | Labels: , , , , , , , , , | Posted On Thursday, October 29, 2009 at 12:01 AM

The Gospel of Mark is jam-packed with stories, and it's hard to pick out any one thing to write about in chapters 3-4. However, one thing did catch my attention - it's something many folks who follow Jesus discover, just as Jesus himself experienced.

"One time Jesus entered a house, and the crowds began to gather again. Soon he and his disciples couldn't even find time to eat. When his family heard what was happening, they tried to take him away. 'He's out of his mind,' they said." (Mark 3:20-21, NLT)

Obviously there was some tension between Jesus and his family at this point in his life. Mark has told us nothing about Jesus' family, including stories about his birth. But all the Gospel writers recognized being with Jesus would be a source of tension in many families and friendships. In Matthew, Jesus cautions about what happens when people follow him, and then he quotes the Old Testament prophet Micah:

"'Don't imagine that I came to bring peace to the earth! I came not to bring peace, but a sword. "I have come to set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. Your enemies will be right in your own household."'" (Matthew 10:34-36, quote from Micah 7:6)

Jesus didn't mean he came to intentionally create strife in families and friendships. But he realized that there was always a cost to being his follower. People would be uncomfortable with a follower's level of faith, with their commitment to Christ, with their moral and ethical choices, etc. It seems so radical, so extreme sometimes.

I've talked with many Christ followers who have family members and friends who just don't understand or get it. A wife or a husband who thinks it's weird going to church, a friend who doesn't understand why you're changing some of your old habits, a co-worker who wonders if she or he can trust you anymore. This can be a real struggle for some Christ followers, to the point where they end up compromising their faith for the sake of these other relationships.

Jesus clearly faced this with his family at this point in his life. He'd given up a safe job as a carpenter to be some kind of itinerant preacher. He didn't seem to care who he angered or upset, including very powerful men. Some of the folks he was hanging out with were clearly from the other side of the tracks, or worse, tax collectors and sinners. Even though his mother Mary knew he had been a special child from God, this may have been more than they had bargained for, and they thought Jesus just might have lost it.

In fact, a few verses later, when his mother and brothers come to see him and talk to him, he refuses to stop his teaching and go out to see them. He even calls those who do God's will his "'...brother and sister and mother.'" (3:35)

Sometimes those we love just don't get it. They don't understand what it means to follow Jesus and the difference he can make in a person's life. And our relationship with Jesus can set family members and friends against each other. Maybe that's what you're struggling with right now.

But, this story doesn't end here. John tells us, "Standing near the cross were Jesus’ mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary (the wife of Clopas), and Mary Magdalene." (John 19:25 NLT2) In fact, Jesus cared so much for his mother that as he hung there on the cross, he entrusted the care of his mother to the disciple John. Likewise, Jesus' brother James became active in the Jewish Christian church in Jerusalem. In fact, scholars believe that he ultimately led that church and wrote the Book of James in the Bible.

Sometimes family and friends don't get Jesus, but if we're patient and express the love of Christ to them, many of them eventually come around to become followers, too. It's always exciting to me to see a person come to faith in Christ, and before long see other members of their family and friends came to faith, because their witness was so encouraging. Sometimes it takes years, even decades. And sadly, some family and friends may never come around. While Jesus never compromised his faith and convictions for his family and friends, he also never gave up on them, and neither can we. We may be the very one God uses to reach that family member or friend.

Paul and the Journey of a Lifetime (and Even Longer)

Posted by Randy | Labels: , , , , , , , , , | Posted On Tuesday, October 27, 2009 at 12:01 AM

Today we come to the end of the Book of Acts, written by Luke, the author of the Gospel of Luke. Acts told us the stories of the Apostles, the coming of the Holy Spirit, the birth of the church, and the spread of Christianity beyond the Jews to the Gentiles. We meet the Apostle Paul, who wrote a significant portion of the New Testament. We learn about his powerful calling to follow Jesus and preach the Gospel, first to the Jews, and then to the Gentiles. An interesting side note is that in Acts 16:10 the story changes from third person to first person, for Luke apparently actually joins Paul on portions of the remainder of his journeys, recording some of these events first hand.

In a very eventful trip, Paul sailed from Caesarea, was shipwrecked in on Malta, bitten by a poisonous snake, healed many people, and eventually made it to Rome. There, he remained under guard, but he had the freedom to pick his own lodging and was able to welcome guests. "For the next two years, Paul lived in Rome at his own expense. He welcomed all who visited him, boldly proclaiming the Kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ. And no one tried to stop him." (28:30-31, NLT)

These last two verses tell us something significant about Paul and God's intention for all Christ followers: Paul welcomed all, and he boldly proclaimed the Kingdom of God and the Lord Jesus Christ. This is what the church is called to do: welcome all and boldly proclaim the Good News, because we live in a world dying for Good News!

We also see here the mission Jesus gave the early church moving toward it's fulfillment: "'But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere - in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.'" (1:8) Paul may not have reached the "ends of the earth," but he reached Rome, which was essentially the center of the earth (or at least of the western world). It was said that all roads led to Rome. In Rome Paul would meet people from the ends of the earth, and he would proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ, through the power of the Holy Spirit.

There's a lot about Paul that we really don't know. Some scholars believe Paul was sent to Rome around 60 A.D. From Luke's writings in Acts, we know he was there at least two years. During this time, he very possibly wrote what are sometimes called the Prison Letters: Colossians, Philemon, Ephesians, and Philippians. There is reason to believe Paul was released at the end of these two years. He continued to travel and preach as he most likely headed east to Macedonia and Ephesus. There are some indications that he then traveled west to Nicopolis on the eastern shore of Greece. During this period he appears to have written 1 Timothy and Titus. Some scholars think he then traveled to what is today Spain before being imprisoned again by Nero in a new round of persecutions of Christians. He was returned to Rome, where he probably wrote 2 Timothy, and penned some of his last words:

"As for me, my life has already been poured out as an offering to God. The time of my death is near. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful. And now the prize awaits me - the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on the day of his return. And the prize is not just for me but for all who eagerly look forward to his appearing." (2 Timothy 4:6-8)

It is believed Paul was executed in late 66 or early 67 A.D. in Rome, very possibly by beheading. Yet, Paul was confident that He lived his life well. He knew God had used him and he had remained faithful, even in the face of all kinds of adversity. Paul's life was anything but easy, yet he never gave up welcoming all and boldly proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ. And because of his faithfulness, the church has been blessed and encouraged down through the centuries.

The reality is, we follow in Paul's footsteps today, seeking to reach all people with the Good News of Jesus Christ. Paul let nothing stand in the way of the mission Jesus had given him. Not only do his writings teach us so much, but his life should teach us to never give up on the mission, never diminish it or reduce its significance. Like Paul, may we be found faithful at the end of our days!

Love and Disagreement

Posted by Randy | Labels: , , , , , , , , , | Posted On Sunday, October 25, 2009 at 12:01 AM

Chapters 21-23 focus on Paul's journey to Jerusalem and the events that will eventually lead to his imprisonment and travel to Rome. Along the way Christ followers worry for Paul, and he is confronted with prophecies that he will be jailed. Yet, Paul will not back down and continues on to Rome.

Paul had begun his ministry to Jews, but he soon discovered that his greater calling most often was to Gentiles. He had seen many Gentiles come to faith in Jesus Christ. And following the instructions from the earlier Jerusalem council (Acts 15), he had not required these Gentile converts to take on any of the religious requirements of Jews. This would have turned salvation by grace through faith into salvation by doing the right works, and this was not what Jesus or the apostles taught. Yet, this angered many Jews who thought he was subverting Judaism. So, they badgered him, beat him, ran him out towns, and even tried to stone him to death.

Now in Jerusalem, Paul was trying to demonstrate, as a Jewish follower of Christ, that he still fulfilled the Jewish Law, when Jews from what is modern-day Turkey arrived and stirred up a mob against him with lies. Paul is eventually arrested by the Roman authorities. When it is discovered that more than forty Jews had taken an oath to kill Paul, the Roman commander sent Paul west to the Roman city of Caesarea on the Mediterranean Sea. There, Governor Felix would hear Paul's case, alongside the complaints of the Jews.

It's interesting to me just how zealous these Jews were, yet how little love they show. I'm not saying false teaching should ever be completely ignored, for several places in the New Testament are warnings against false teachers. But, in the early church there was no sense of killing these false teachers - turn them out, absolutely, but don't harm them, for they were still called to love them. Sometimes making too much of false teachers actually gives them a platform to advance their cause.

The great Jewish teacher and Pharisee Gamaliel had cautioned against these very actions regarding the early Christians in Acts 5:38-39 (NLT): "'So my advice is, leave these men alone. Let them go. If they are planning and doing these things merely on their own, it will be overthrown. But if it is from God, you will not be able to overthrow them. You may even find yourselves fighting against God.'"

And now the Jews really were fighting God, though they didn't realize it. I've found it wise to never rush to quick decisions regarding the faith of others. God doesn't just work in and through me, and His ways are not my ways. The Bible calls Christ followers to unity, but not uniformity. I don't want to major on the minors. That doesn't mean there aren't beliefs and doctrines worth fighting for, but too often we try to make mountains out of molehills. Doctrines establish the foul lines - what's inbounds and what's out-of-bounds - but they leave a fair amount of room for discussion and even disagreement that don't compromise overall unity. Love is still the underlying motive in everything.

I read this week about a church in Virginia that planned to burn translations of the Bible that weren't the King James Version (KJV), as well as works by Billy Graham and Rick Warren, for this church believed these two men had strayed from the Bible. I don't know about you, but I'd love to have just a smidgen of the faith and love of these two great men of God. This church's narrow approach to the Gospel only serves the enemy. When Christians fight among ourselves, we hurt our witness to those outside the faith. Actions like this burning make us look like buffoons. I'm ok if you want to disagree, but can't we disagree agreeably, in the spirit of Christ and his love? Paul would talk about this with the Corinthians:

"If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing. If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing." (1 Corinthians 13:1-3 NLT2)

Jesus hung on the cross, but he did not revile his tormentors - instead he asked the Father to forgive them. He always loved, and if we can't love, we aren't followers of Christ. That doesn't mean it's easy, and we definitely require the work of the Holy Spirit in us to move in this direction. And love doesn't mean anything goes. But, the attitude of love should undergird all our actions and attitudes. If the Jews had lived this love, they might have still disagreed with Paul, they might even have banished him from the Temple and synagogues, but no one would be taking a vow to kill him.

Likewise, today Christ followers are still called to love. We may disagree and even believe that another person's beliefs and teachings are beyond the bounds of Christianity, but that doesn't give us permission to stop loving them. In fact, when it's hardest to love another, when they put us down and seek our harm is the very time we must most love. The kind of love Jesus calls us to is a choice, a decision, not a feeling, and as a choice, it requires action on our part. We're called to choose love and act on it even when we fundamentally disagree with another, even when they have hurt us, or we find ourselves in the same boat with the Jews who badgered and threatened Paul.

The witness of love has never been overcome. Paul never stopped loving. Jesus never stopped loving. And neither can we! It's radical - I know! But it's also right!

Meeting People on Their Terms and Turf

Posted by Randy | Labels: , , , , , , , , | Posted On Friday, October 23, 2009 at 12:01 AM

Acts is an amazing and extremely relevant book for anyone seeking to follow Jesus Christ. Every chapter is jam-packed with information about how the early church dealt with issues that are just as real today.

For instance, in our reading today in Acts 17-18, we read of Paul's encounter with the Greek philosophers in Athens. These were men who sat around all day pondering the meaning of life and the universe. They were intrigued by Paul's message about a foreign god. These men were searching for answers and meaning in life, but they hadn't found it yet. Acts 17:21 says that everyone in Athens "...seemed to spend all their time discussing the latest ideas."

That statement sounds so much like 21st Century America to me. While there are many Christians in our land, there are many others who are searching for answers in all the latest fads and philosophies. Maybe they were exposed to a strange form of Christianity, and assumed that was the norm for all of Christianity. Maybe they're just rebels and want to figure it out for themselves. I'm sure you can think of more reasons why some folks seem to be intent on trying the religion or spirituality du jour.

Not much has changed in 2000 years! So, Paul's approach to the Athenians may give us some insight into trying to reach folks today who still haven't made a decision to follow Jesus Christ. And the first thing Paul didn't do was antagonize or belittle the Athenians' beliefs. He took them seriously, rather than just dismissing them as wrong. He complemented them and affirmed them, knowing that God cared about these men as much as He cared about anyone else.

If becoming a Christian were about having all the right facts, then showing the Athenians how they were wrong might have made sense. But becoming a Christian is about developing a relationship with God through Jesus Christ. It starts and ends with relationship, and that also gives us a great insight into how we share our faith with others - through relationships. We don't win friends and influence enemies by pounding them over the head with a Bible or telling them they're going to Hell because they don't believe in Jesus Christ. We influence people as we share the love of Christ with them, as we demonstrate we care about them. Jesus died for those far from him, just as he died for me and you. We're all saved by grace, through faith, so none of us can brag about how good we are or how much better we are than anyone else (Ephesians 2:8-9).

When we show love and respect to someone who believes differently than we do, who perhaps is caught up in the latest spiritual fad, we gain the privilege of being heard. As trust grows, we can go deeper and deeper in our conversations. As the relationship grows, we can share our own experiences and understandings of the Christian faith in honest, straightforward ways. We can have genuine conversations where the love of Christ works in us and through us. I've always heard that loving people into heaven is almost always more effective than scaring them out of hell. Jesus always had time for the sinners - what bugged him were the religious elites who thought they knew it all.

I've been a pastor for over twenty years now, but the more I know, the more I know I don't know. The longer I walk this journey the more the Holy Spirit tries to push that unholy pride out of me. I really am no better than the person far from God, but I am saved by the grace of God - and that makes all the difference in the world. Paul was no better than the Athenians, but he loved them through Jesus Christ, and he tried to meet them at their point of interest and need. Then he walked them along, with integrity and respect. Some laughed at him, "...but others said, 'We want to hear more about this later.'" (17:32) And Verse 34 says, "...some joined him and became believers."

Paul met the Athenians on their terms, on their turf, and some eventually chose to become followers of Jesus Christ. That model is just as relevant today as it was 2000 years ago. Who do you know that needs the love of Christ in their life? How can you love that person and meet them at their point of interest and need? It may take months, even years, but I know that God honors all our efforts, and no relationship with a Christ follower by a person seeking the truth ever comes back void.


Just Take the Next Step

Posted by Randy | Labels: , , , , , , , , , | Posted On Wednesday, October 21, 2009 at 12:01 AM

Our reading today in Acts 13-14 tells us about what has historically been called Paul's first missionary journey. He would ultimately take four of these, and this was the first and shortest (in distance). From this journey we learn several things about sharing the story of Jesus Christ.

First, notice that Paul doesn't travel alone. He begins with Barnabas and John Mark. Also, notice that the Holy Spirit led them out - they didn't do it on their own. And the Holy Spirit used the church to dedicate these men to their mission. (Acts 13:2-3 NLT)

Second, notice that Paul and his companions always started out in the local synagogue when they arrived in a new town. Paul started with those who would have the most connection with the Christian faith - the Jews. In fact, as we see here in Acts 13, Paul's typical pattern was to ground the story of Jesus in the history of Israel. Jesus Christ, the Messiah, was the fulfillment of all God had been working toward in what we call the Old Testament. The early Christians discovered this and always attempted to reach Jews by showing them their common history and how Jesus fulfilled prophecy. "'Brothers, listen! We are here to proclaim that through this man Jesus there is forgiveness for your sins. Everyone who believes in him is declared right with God - something the law of Moses could never do.'" (13:38-39) And Acts tells us many did listen and turned their lives over to Jesus Christ.

Third, we notice to see that not everyone liked what Paul and his companions were doing. Some of the Jews became very upset, slandering them and arguing with them. A mob ran them out of Antioch of Pisidia and Iconium, and in Lystra Paul was stoned nearly to death. (14:19-20) Jesus warned that the Gospel would divide friends and families. Today there are folks who are vehemently opposed to Christianity, and they'll do whatever they can to ridicule it or discredit it. When we run into those folks, we just need to realize we're in good company with Paul and other missionaries.

Fourth, we see that when the Jews would reject the Gospel message, Paul would then take the message to the Gentiles. He started with those who would most easily connect with his message, but he discovered that God had also been working in the hearts of the Gentiles, who had no history or connection to Jesus. "'...since you have rejected it and judged yourselves unworthy of eternal life, we will offer it to the Gentiles.'" (14:46) Paul then quoted from the prophet Isaiah to show that even this extension of the mission to the Gentiles had always been a part of God's plan: "'"I have made you a light to the Gentiles, to bring salvation to the farthest corners of the earth."'" (14:47, from Isaiah 49:6)

Interestingly, the Gentiles, who had little or no common history with Jesus, were often the most grateful ones to hear this Good News. "When the Gentiles heard this, they were very glad and thanked the Lord for his message..." (14:48) Sometimes we may overlook folks around us who are the most eager to hear Good News. They are different from us, in any number of ways, and we presume we have nothing to say or offer them. But Paul discovered otherwise. We make a grave mistake when we presume we know whom God is trying to reach. The Holy Spirit can work in us and anyone, and sometimes all God desires is for us to open that door, to share our story and offer hope and healing to folks who are looking for answers.

Because Paul was faithful in his journey, many Jews and Gentiles came to faith in Christ. I'm sure the journey did not go at all the way Paul had anticipated, but he left himself open to the leading of the Holy Spirit, and God took care of the rest. It was not an easy journey - he nearly died - but lives were transformed forever. By faith, many times all we can do - and should do - is just take the next step, and trust God to work out His plans through our faith and obedience. We don't have to worry about where it will all end, or what might happen - just take the next step, and leave the results to God. That's really all walking by faith is - taking the next step.

Taking My Witness Beyond My Limits

Posted by Randy | Labels: , , , , , , | Posted On Monday, October 19, 2009 at 12:01 AM

Today's reading from Acts 10-11 shows us a watershed moment in the spread of the Christian faith. Up until this point, the apostles had limited their teaching and preaching to specific Jewish audiences. After all, they were Jewish, Jesus was Jewish, and so they had no real reason to go further. For Jews, the world was divided into two basic camps: Jews, and everyone else, whom they called Gentiles. Some Gentiles had probably come to faith in Christ, but the apostles weren't seeking them out. With the persecutions in Jerusalem (that killed Stephan), the apostles and disciples began to fan out, beyond the Jewish lands and culture. At the same time, God opened a new door through a Gentile named Cornelius.

Cornelius was a Roman centurion or army officer in Caesarea who was seeking after God. He was a part of a class of people the Jews called "God-fearers," who were Gentiles but seeking the God of the Jews. Cornelius receives a vision from an angel to seek out Simon Peter. Shortly afterwards, Simon Peter also has a vision, where he was shown animals that had been forbidden for Jews to touch or eat. Now a voice says to him, "'Get up, Peter; kill and eat them.'" (10:13 NLT) Peter cannot imagine doing this because it goes against so much that he had been taught as a faithful Jew. But the voice says to him, "'Do not call something unclean if God has made it clean.'" (10:15) Simon Peter was being challenged to freedom in his faith in ways he had never imagined. He was being challenged to put behind him rules for rules' sake, and instead look at life and existence from God's point of view.

Immediately after his vision, Peter is summoned to visit Cornelius, and he goes. Entering the home of a Gentile again went against so much Peter had been taught as a Jew, but God was expanding his vision. He shared the story of Jesus with Cornelius and his guests, and the Holy Spirit fell upon them. "The Jewish believers who came with Peter were amazed that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles, too." (10:45) And immediately afterwards, they were all baptized. Peter and his Jewish friends were discovering that the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of David, was not just the God of the Jews - He was the God of all people.

There are huge implications in this event for us today. Sometimes I find myself trapped by old ways of thinking, that only certain people could or would put their faith in Christ. When I see folks who have lived very far from God, when I see folks from other religions and lands, I sometimes have a hard time seeing them as potentially being followers of Christ. So, I do nothing. But God led Peter from the Jews to the Gentiles, to open the door of faith to people Peter would have never imagined could or would respond. Who am I overlooking today? Who do I dismiss as someone who would never be interested in faith in Christ, who could never change? How much am I limiting how God wants to work in and through me?

I've discovered that because God gives me free will, my thoughts can often prevent me from being open to all God wants to do. Yet, the Bible shows us there is no one beyond God's reach. Every single human being born on this planet is a sacred creation of God's, whether they recognize that or not. And every single person needs what Jesus Christ has to offer, because he came for all.

When Peter explained to the remaining apostles and believers in Jerusalem what had happened, they were at first concerned. But as soon as they heard that the Holy Spirit had come into the lives of these Gentiles too, they realized God was doing a new thing. "...'We can see that God has also given the Gentiles the privilege of repenting of their sins and receiving eternal life.'" (11:18)

With this event, the apostles began to understand for the first time that Jesus died for all people, not just the Jews. It would radically change their outreach in the coming years. Today we need to ask ourselves if we are unintentionally standing in God's way to reach people that we never imagined could be reached. Just because they don't look like me, or have different backgrounds, or have sinned more than I think I have doesn't mean they are outside God's love or reach. And if God wants to reach them, am I willing to be used by Him if that is His will. Will I go where it's uncomfortable for me, as Peter did, in order to be faithful to my calling from God to carry out His witness? I know I need to be a lot more open to how God wants to work. What about you - who could God use you to reach?

Am I Going to Live by Fear or Faith?

Posted by Randy | Labels: , , , , , , , , , | Posted On Thursday, October 15, 2009 at 12:01 AM

In Acts 4 the Apostles Peter and John are confronted by the religious leaders, many of whom had been instrumental in Jesus' death. They were disturbed that Peter and John were teaching that through Jesus there is a resurrection of the dead. They were also disturbed by the healing of a crippled beggar (3:1-11, NLT2), and so they had them arrested.

Before these religious leaders the next day, Peter testifies, "'There is salvation in no one else (but Jesus)! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved.'" (4:12) Salvation comes only through Jesus Christ, God's own Son. Acts tells us that the religious leaders were amazed at the boldness of Peter and John, but since the man they healed was standing there with them, clearly healed, they were left with little they could say or do. So, they warn Peter and John to never speak or teach in the name of Jesus again.

Peter and John were faced with a crossroads in their faith at that moment. Two months earlier Peter wouldn't even stand up to a servant for his faith, and now he was facing some of the religious leaders who had dealt with Jesus. I understand Peter's denial. Call it peer pressure or call it fear or call it a desire to please people and fit in, but I've been there. I've downplayed my Christian faith to look cool or to avoid a put-down. I'm not bragging about that - in fact, I'm ashamed that I've done that. But I understand where Peter was coming from.

Now, Peter is faced with another opportunity to stand up for his faith, and this time the response he and John give is very different: "...'Do you think God wants us to obey you rather than him? We cannot stop telling about everything we have seen and heard.'" (vss. 19-20, italics added) This time, Peter makes the decision to obey God rather than give in to his fear of what others will think or do. This time, he acts in faith, not knowing what the outcome will be, but deciding he can't do otherwise. This is the answer I want to give, and it's the answer I'm going to try to live, by the grace of God.

Peter and John remind us that we are called to obedience in our walks of faith. We won't do it perfectly - we're human, and we still struggle with sin. But, at the same time, if we made a decision to put our faith in Jesus Christ, his Spirit lives within us, working within us, empowering us to go far beyond what we ordinarily think we're capable of. However, we don't discover this until we have to live it, until we have to act "in faith" on it. Talk is cheap until we're faced with real life and its consequences. It's only then that we can truly walk by faith, or give in to fear.

This time around Peter and John walked by faith, and the religious leaders ended up letting them go. When Peter and John returned to the other Christ followers, they prayed to God for even more power and boldness: "'...give us, your servants, great boldness in preaching your word. Stretch out your hand with healing power; may miraculous signs and wonders be done through the name of your holy servant Jesus.'" (4:29-30)

And this prayer became reality time after time after time in the early church. And, through God's Spirit, it's still happening today, if we live this faith. The Holy Spirit is no less active today than He was two thousand years ago - but too often we're just more timid in seeking Him and living by faith. We don't experience God's power in our lives because we back down too quickly. We don't pray for boldness and we don't act "in faith." But I don't want to live that way - I want to live by faith. I want to be bold. I want to see God's miraculous signs and wonders at work today. And, by faith, I'm praying that God will do this work in me, so He can do it through me. How about you - will you join me in this prayer...and this walk of faith?

The Power to Witness

Posted by Randy | Labels: , , , , , | Posted On Monday, October 12, 2009 at 12:01 AM

Today we turn to the Book of Acts, looking at chapter 1. Scholars tells us that originally the Gospel of Luke and Acts were one book, written by Luke, a doctor (and most likely a Gentile, or non-Jew) who traveled some with the Apostle Paul. As in his gospel, Luke is writing this to "Theophilus." This name literally means "lover of God," and may be the actual name of an individual, or a more general letter to those who love God.

Luke writes Acts to show us the growth of Christianity from a few dozen followers of Jesus after his death to a movement that within thirty years had reached Rome, the center of the western world. He shows us that God's hand was involved in every step of this expansion, through the Holy Spirit, and he will show us the coming of the Holy Spirit almost immediately, in chapter 2. He shows us that Christianity spread, in spite of all kinds of hardships and persecutions. It spread, even converting some of its worst enemies into its biggest advocates.

In Jesus' last appearance to the disciples, he gives them this promise: "'But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere - in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.'" (1:8 - italics added) Jesus says his followers are to be his witnesses, through the power of the Holy Spirit.

To be a "witness" is to be one who observes something and testifies to others. This is really the basic calling of every Christ follower - to be a witness for Christ; to share the Good News of who Jesus is and what he has done. But, as a witness, while we should tell what we know, even more important is what we've experienced.

It seems like many times when Christ followers hear they are called by Jesus to "go and make disciples" or be his "witnesses," they freeze or think that, surely, Jesus is talking to the "trained professionals." He couldn't be talking to me, could he? Yet, a witness is simply someone who recounts their own experience. What is your experience of Jesus? There's a simple and basic formula to telling your witness or story: (1) what was my life like before I met Christ? (2) How did I meet Christ? (3) How has my life changed since I met Christ? Notice, there are no deep theological explanations - it's just telling my story. That's what Jesus desires for us to do.

But, he doesn't leave us to witness all by ourselves. He tells us we will receive the power to witness through the Holy Spirit - Christ's living presence with every Christ follower. When I become a Christ follower, his Spirit comes to live within me, to guide me, to encourage me, to convict me (when I make the wrong choices), and to empower me to do God's will, even when I don't think I can. He empowers me to be His witness, but I have to act on this by faith. I have to believe that He is working in me and will use my witness to affect the lives of others.

In fact, this is one of the greatest privileges you or I have - to be used by God to open the door of eternity for another human being. It's one of the few things we can do here on earth that lives on forever, that has eternal implications. I may think I am just telling my story, but, the truth is, much more is going on. The Holy Spirit is empowering my telling, and He is empowering the hearing of my story, my witness, in the heart and mind of the listener. He is coordinating my witness with the witness of others, working to give that person every opportunity to accept Christ into his or her own life. I may not see the results of this - I may be just one witness in a string of witnesses - but my witness will not be wasted, for God is empowering it and using it. And with God, all things are possible!

So, you and I need to take seriously Jesus' expectation to be his witness. We are never saved for ourselves but always for the sake of others. How will the Holy Spirit use you today to be His witness? Are you looking for opportunities? Are you listing for leadings of the Holy Spirit? Today God just might use you to change another person's eternity!


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