Showing posts with label Holy Spirit. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Holy Spirit. Show all posts

"Spiritual Breathing" from Bill Bright

Posted by Randy | Labels: , , , , , | Posted On Sunday, November 10, 2013 at 6:48 AM

In my message on Sunday, November 10, I talked about the importance of the Holy Spirit in helping us grow as disciples. In fact, we cannot grow with the Holy Spirit - He brings the growth.
2 Corinthians 3:18 (NLT): “…the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.” (emphasis added)

The Holy Spirit works with us as train ourselves spiritually through spiritual disciplines, but the Holy Spirit takes it one step further, acting as our personal spiritual trainer all throughout our day, helping us turn everything we do and experience into an opportunity for Him to guide us and empower us.

Bill Bright, who founded Campus Crusade, wrote of a spiritual exercise that offers us one way to do this throughout our day. He called it "Spiritual Breathing," and below is an excerpt from Campus 
Crusade's website about Spiritual Breathing:

Spiritual Breathing
by Bill Bright

By faith you can continue to experience God's love and forgiveness.

If you become aware of an area of your life (an attitude or an action) that is displeasing to the Lord, even though you are walking with Him and sincerely desiring to serve Him, simply thank God that He has forgiven your sins - past, present and future - on the basis of Christ's death on the cross. Claim His love and forgiveness by faith and continue to have fellowship with Him.

If you retake the throne of your life through sin – a definite act of disobedience – breathe spiritually.

Spiritual breathing (exhaling the impure and inhaling the pure) is an exercise in faith that enables you to continue to experience God's love and forgiveness.

  1. Exhale – confess your sin – agree with God concerning your sin and thank Him for His forgiveness of it, according to 1 John 1:9 and Hebrews 10:1-25. Confession involves repentance – a change in attitude and action.
  2. Inhale – surrender the control of your life to Christ, and appropriate (receive) the fullness of the Holy Spirit by faith. Trust that He now directs and empowers you; according to the command of Ephesians 5:18, and the promise of 1 John 5:14, 15.

(Adapted from Have You Made the Wonderful Discovery of the Spirit-Filled Life? by Dr. Bill Bright, co-founder of Campus Crusade for Christ. © Campus Crusade for Christ. All rights reserved. http://www.cru.org/training-and-growth/classics/the-spirit-filled-life/)


Give it a try and see if the Holy Spirit doesn't work with you all through your day!

7 Reasons You May Never Accomplish Something Significant

Posted by Randy | Labels: , , , , , , , , | Posted On Monday, January 16, 2012 at 7:41 AM

Like most of us who blog even some, I read other people's blogs, including pastors. One of the best blogs for church leaders is one by Perry Noble. He shared the following recently that applies to all of us:


7 Reasons You May Never Accomplish Something Significant


1. Procrastination! (Remember, procrastination is assassination on the amazing future God has for you - James 1:22!)


2. You are allowing your past to identify you rather than Christ to identify you! (See 1 Chronicles 6:9-11!) You are not who you were...you are who you are in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17), and if you don't let your past die, then it won't let you live.


3. You are more obsessed with what others think about you rather than what Christ thinks about you! (See Colossians 3:2-3, Galatians 1:10)


4. You do not understand the fact that God's Holy Spirit lives inside you (Ephesians 1:13-14) and has gifted you and is calling you to do something greater than you could ever imagine (Ephesians 2:10, Ephesians 3:20)


5. You are afraid (see Isaiah 41:10) - and remember, anyone who ever accomplished anything significant for Christ had to take a significant step of faith (Hebrews 11:6!)


6. You believe the lie from hell that says you are an accident when Scripture says that God custom designed you (Psalm 139:13-16) and that you were clearly created on purpose, with a purpose and for a purpose.


7. You are obsessed with things that have ZERO significance when it comes to eternity (1 John 2:17).

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.

Struggling with Leviticus...and Holiness

Posted by Randy | Labels: , , , , , , , , , | Posted On Tuesday, February 9, 2010 at 9:26 AM

Right now our Old Testament Life Journal readings are coming from Leviticus. Starting in the second half of Exodus and running through Leviticus, Numbers and portions of Deuteronomy, we read what appears to mostly be trivial details about the Tabernacle and rules for the Israelites, with an occasional short narrative thrown in.

I have to confess that early in my Christian journey, when I started reading these pages, I felt so bogged down. In fact, these can be the kinds of things that cause many of us to stop reading our Bible. Until we get over into Deuteronomy and then into Joshua do we start to again read narratives that seem more interesting as they tell ongoing stories in the life of the Israelites.

Starting with the Ten Commandments, given for the first time in Exodus 20, we read of more and more rules. We read of God giving Moses very explicit plans for building the Tabernacle. Then a few chapters later we read Moses giving the same explicit plans to the Israelites. Why does this get repeated twice? Why so much detail about different kinds of offerings? And in Numbers we get to all the counting of the Israelites. Does any of this mean anything to us today, with the New Testament and our commitments to Jesus Christ?

I'm certainly no expert, but I know God has given us the whole Bible and told us, "All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives." (2 Timothy 3:16 NLT2) In other words, God says there is value and purpose in all that we read, and when we ignore or dismiss any portion of the Bible, maybe because we don't understand it or don't like what it says, we are not taking Scripture seriously. Some portions of Scripture may be more pertinent or more timely or more important for salvation, and Scripture always has to be read in context, but all of it has value and is here because God desired for us to have it.

So, what do we make of all this "stuff" in Exodus - Deuteronomy? Well, for me, today's reading in Leviticus helps me gain a lens through which to read and understand a lot that's being reported here.

Leviticus 11:44-45 (NLT2): "'For I am the LORD your God. You must consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am holy. So do not defile yourselves…. For I, the LORD, am the one who brought you up from the land of Egypt, that I might be your God. Therefore, you must be holy because I am holy.'"

Let's look at two words that God uses in this passage. The first is "consecrate." The Hebrew word here literally means "to be set apart" (i.e., from that which is common or unclean). The second word is "holy," and it has the same root word as "consecrate," which literally means "separateness, withdrawal." God is telling the Israelites to separate themselves apart from all that is common or ordinary or unclean to become like God: separate and unlike anything or anyone else. The Bible develops this idea of holiness by showing that God is love, absolutely just, full of mercy, etc., which clearly goes beyond anything we human beings are consistently capable of being and doing on our own, because of sin in our lives. Yet, God lifts holiness up as the goal for every person who seeks God, and it is an important lens for reading some of these passages we've been looking at.

In the Old Testament (or Old Covenant), God provided ways for Israel to be forgiven of these sins in order to be different from all the other peoples around them. He offered them sacrifices they could perform - giving up something of value to them to seek to be made right again with God. That's why God is so particular about the quality of the sacrifices. An animal must be unblemished with no defects. Other offerings must be of the highest quality and the first of the harvest. Forgiveness and holiness never come cheap - there is always a cost. But when we start taking this cost for granted, when we fail to offer God our best, we aren't taking seriously what He has done for us. We start living like everyone else - we are no different from everyone else!

In the New Testament (or New Covenant), God provided an even more profound way to forgive us of our sins. Instead of constantly offering sacrifices every time we sinned, God offered the one, full, complete sacrifice for all people for all time. Jesus, the perfect sacrifice, who was unblemished by sin in any way, became our sacrifice. And because He was God, His sacrifice was sufficient for all time for all people. This in itself is amazing, and for Christ followers this put an end to the need for ongoing animal or grain sacrifices. But God took it a step farther - when we trust Jesus and put our faith in him, his Spirit comes to live in us, to work to change us from the inside out. Rather than living a legalistic life of obeying the rules or Law of the Old Testament (where we often start doing it just to gain God's favor, rather than to live in a manner that is pleasing to Him), God's Spirit transforms our heart so we want to live as Jesus lived, to be separate and different...and holy. Interestingly, the New Testament term for Christian is "saint," and in the Greek it carries much the same meaning as holy - set apart for God.

Living for God means our lives are markedly different from those who don't. For all God has done for us, especially through Jesus Christ, we desire to give Him our best in every way, including our gifts and our lives. We become "living sacrifices" for Jesus Christ, and I guarantee you any life that is lived that way will be strikingly different from the lives of others. We are still called to be holy. "But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy. For the Scriptures say, 'You must be holy because I am holy.'" (1 Peter 1:15-16 NLT2)

So, in these passages in Exodus through Deuteronomy, God is showing us just how important holiness is. He goes into great detail, He repeats things, He sets out significant punishments. Maybe today we don't need all the details to live holy lives, because in Jesus Christ we have the Holy Spirit living in us, but we need to know it's important - in fact, vital to the life Jesus has called us to live. And it's one of the biggest criticisms of Christ followers today - our lives often seem no different from anyone else. Where's the holiness?

In the journey with Jesus there is always a tension between knowing God as friend who loves us very much and desires a personal relationship with us, and being filled with awe and reverence and wonder and gratitude for who God is and all He has done for us. In some ways, it's the tension between Christmas and Easter. Christmas tells us God is with us and on our side, while at the same time Easter shows us the power of God to overcome death and tells us there is a horrific cost for our sins, and only the Holy One, Jesus Christ, could pay that cost for us for all time.

God is with us, but because God is holy, He also calls us to be holy. Both are important. Both matter. And the Bible affirms and demonstrates both throughout its pages. And with Christ, holiness is more than an impossible ideal - it's the life he calls us to aim for, with his help!

Mark and the Invitation of Jesus

Posted by Randy | Labels: , , , , , , , , , | Posted On Wednesday, October 28, 2009 at 12:01 AM

Today we move into the Gospel of Mark, looking at the first two chapters. But I want to first share a little background about Mark.

Most scholars believe that Mark was the first of the Gospels written (but not the first writing of the New Testament - some of Paul's writings date to the late 40s), somewhere between 55 and 65 A.D. It was written by John Mark, a disciple of Jesus, but not one of the original twelve. He is mentioned in Acts as accompanying Paul on his first missionary journey (Acts 13:5), but he did not stay for the whole journey (13:13). As Paul prepared to depart on his second missionary journey with Barnabas, Barnabas wanted to take John Mark along, but Paul strongly disagreed since John Mark had left them on their first journey. Barnabas ends up taking John Mark with him to Cyprus, while Paul takes Silas with him on his second missionary journey.

Sometime after that Mark probably wrote his Gospel. Many scholars believe that while Mark probably knew Jesus firsthand and followed him, he depended on the Apostle Peter for many of the details of his Gospel, giving it the credibility of one of the greatest apostles. Mark's Gospel is the shortest of the four Gospels, and was written to Gentiles (probably in Rome) instead of Jews. Therefore, he wanted to emphasize that Jesus was the Son of God who came not as a conquering king but as a humble servant. For that reason, unlike Matthew, he is less concerned to show how Jesus fulfilled Jewish prophecy. His focus is on what will make the most sense to Gentiles who may know little or nothing about Judaism and the one true God, and it may explain why he shows us more miracles than any other Gospel. Interestingly, Mark is the only Gospel that tells us absolutely nothing about Jesus' birth or coming into this world.

Most scholars believe that both Matthew and Luke had copies of Mark as they wrote their own Gospels, for virtually all of Mark is repeated in one or both of these other two Gospels. This explains why we often read the same stories in these three Gospels, though Matthew and Luke added their own insights and purposes to make them distinctively different. These three Gospels are sometimes called the Synoptic Gospels, differentiating them from John, which has little overlap.

Mark begins his Gospel with John the Baptist announcing the Messiah, the anointed one of God, is coming. Jesus comes to John, his older cousin, and is baptized by him in the Jordan River. "As Jesus came up out of the water, he saw the heavens splitting apart and the Holy Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice from heaven said, 'You are my dearly loved Son, and you bring me great joy.'" (Mark 1:10-11, NLT)

The very first words Mark records out of Jesus' mouth are these: "'The time promised by God has come at last!' he announced. 'The Kingdom of God is near! Repent of your sins and believe the Good News!'" (1:15) These words sum up Jesus' message throughout Mark - repent and believe!

Very soon after that Jesus begins calling his disciples, and his invitation then is the same as his invitation today. To Simon Peter and his brother Andrew, Jesus said, "...'Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!'" (1:17) He would repeat that same basic invitation, Mark tells us, to the brothers James and John, and to Levi (Matthew), the tax collector: follow me!

Last night our Life Group finished watched the three-part video series "Simple" by Pastor Andy Stanley. The three messages were: "Follow," "Believe," and "Obey." Our group really enjoyed all three, but it helped to hear Stanley talk about where Jesus began with people. Not do this, or follow these rules, or jump through these hoops. He simply said, "Follow me." Go with me, get to know me, discover who I am and what I'm about. Walk with me. I love that! Let's get to know and trust each other first. That's the way all relationships begin - walking through life together.

Mark tells us Jesus invited five disciples this very way, but my guess is he used this same basic invitation with everyone. Too many folks want to make it hard - they want to make Christianity a religion of rules, when it all begins with a relationship. That doesn't mean there isn't a place for doing the right things - Stanley got to that in his third message, which we watched last night, and it was obedience. But obedience comes after a relationship is established and we come to believe and trust Jesus. In the beginning, we just follow.

Because Mark wrote to people who may have known little or nothing about Jesus, his emphasis on Jesus' invitation is a great way for us to begin today with those around us who aren't sure about Jesus. Just come check him out, start following him, and see where he leads you. Don't worry about all the rules, etc. - just get to know Jesus himself. We can tell our own story of how we began to follow him, and not try to force things. We might just be surprised by how much happens when we simply do things Jesus' way.

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!

Jesus' Spirit is the Difference Between Moralistic Religion and a Relationship of Freedom

Posted by Randy | Labels: , , , , , , , , , | Posted On Saturday, October 24, 2009 at 12:01 AM

Today's reading takes us through Acts 19-20. Paul is on his third missionary journey and he comes to Ephesus, where he found several believers. However, their belief and knowledge was incomplete. They had received only the baptism of John and not baptism in the name and power of Jesus.

The "John" being referred to here is John the Baptist, the older cousin of Jesus. John began his ministry before Jesus, calling people to repentance. The word "repentance" means to change your mind, to turn around and go in a different direction. It's important to understand that repentance is not simply changing your mind, but changing it so that you actually act and go in a different direction.

John baptized those who sought to repent and change their lives. Their repentance was to turn away from sin and turn to God, but it was a human endeavor. It was, "give it your best shot," "try your hardest," etc. Even John knew that what he was doing was only an intermediate step. John explained it this way: "...'I baptize you with water; but someone is coming soon who is greater than I am—so much greater that I’m not even worthy to be his slave and untie the straps of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.'" (Luke 3:16 NLT2) John knew something more was coming, but it wasn't in his power to give it.

Jesus told his followers he would need to leave so that the Holy Spirit could come and live in them. After Jesus' death and resurrection, just before he ascended into heaven, he promised that his followers would soon receive the Holy Spirit: "'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.'" (Acts 1:8, italics added)

In Acts 2 we read of the coming of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost. The coming of the Spirit brought the presence and power of Jesus Christ into the lives of his followers. No longer would a person have to try to repent and do better on their own, in their own power. Now, the Holy Spirit came to live in those who received Christ into their lives to empower them and transform them increasingly into the image and likeness of Jesus himself. "...the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image." (2 Corinthians 3:18)

What Paul discovered in Ephesus were believers who were trying to live good, moral lives in their own power. They were moving in the right direction, but without the power of Jesus Christ living in them through the Holy Spirit, they were still enslaved to sin. This is still often the case in the church today. Good hearted people are sorry for their sins and turn away from sin, trying to do better on their own. But they get worn out and feel like failures, because eventually they realize they never can live up to the standards Jesus set for us. They have not completely sold themselves out to Jesus Christ. They have been trapped in a moralistic religion rather than a relationship of freedom.

Through a life committed to Jesus (not just to trying to repent and turn away from sin), the power of sin is broken, and his Spirit begins to work in us as we profess our faith in Christ so that not only is the guilt of past sins taken away, but the power of sin is reduced in our lives. The love of God begins to replace the self-centered sin-filled nature that we're all born into. This is why Jesus is not simply a great moral teacher. As Jesus said, "'I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.'" (John 14:6) There is no Christianity apart from Jesus, and there is no genuine, lasting life change unless we commit our lives to Jesus Christ, trust him with our whole hearts, and welcome his Holy Spirit to come and live within us to guide and teach and empower us.

As the Ephesian believers understood the difference between their baptism by John, and the baptism of Jesus, the Holy Spirit entered their lives and gave them the gift of tongues and prophecy. (As we look through Acts, we find that this is one of only three conversions that specifically mentions the receiving of the gift of tongues - seven others do not expressly state this.) From that day forward, as they cooperated with the working of the Holy Spirit in their lives, they began to be transformed increasingly into the image and likeness of Jesus himself - the goal for all Christ followers.

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.

We All Need a Little Help Along the Way

Posted by Randy | Labels: , , , , , | Posted On Sunday, October 18, 2009 at 12:01 AM

Our reading for today is Acts 8-9, and there's so much good stuff here that it's hard to pick one thing to write about. The story of Saul's conversion is one of the great events of the Bible, and we will see him telling it on three different occasions in Acts, with Acts 9 being the first time.

However, I felt drawn to the story of Philip and the Ethiopian for today, so that's where I'm going to camp out. Philip, like many of the disciples, left Jerusalem because of the persecution that had begun with the stoning of Stephen (Acts 7). So Philip went to Samaria, a region between Jerusalem and Galilee that had once been part of the Northern Kingdom of Israel, but was now an area that included many folks who had mixed Jewish heritage. These folks were looked down upon by the pure-blooded Jews in Jerusalem and Galilee.

After a time, though, an angel of the Lord came to Philip and sent him south (8:26 NLT). As he traveled, he encountered an Ethiopian government official traveling in a carriage. He apparently had become a Jew and had gone to Jerusalem to worship at the Temple, and was now headed home. As he traveled, he was reading aloud from the book of Isaiah when the Holy Spirit led Philip to walk over alongside the Ethiopian.

Philip asked the man, "...'Do you understand what you are reading?'" (vs. 30) "The man replied, 'How can I unless someone instructs me?'..." (vs. 31) So, Philip joined him in the carriage and proceeded to explain to the Ethiopian how the Scriptures pointed to Jesus Christ as the Good News.

As the Ethiopian learned of this Good News, he wanted to be baptized, and Philip baptized him. The Holy Spirit then sent Philip on his way farther to the north. The Ethiopian continued home, but now he was so excited because he had invited Christ into his life.

Here was this man who was seeking to know more about God and His ways, but he needed someone to help him understand. So, God sent Philip to come alongside him and help him for a time. I have discovered that God often nudges many of us to seek one-on-one help from another Christ follower in our journey, and at other times He nudges us to come alongside someone and talk with them about our faith journey and Jesus. Sometimes we hear God's nudge, but sometimes we think we don't know enough or the other person might think we're weird, etc.

But I've come to believe that all of us need someone to come alongside us from time to time in our lives and just help us talk through and walk in our faith. Sometimes a person is still checking out Christianity, and sometimes they've made a decision to trust Christ. Either way, God wants to take them further (as He does all of us), but they need some help. Reading their Bible, going to worship, even being in a small group are all great and necessary. But sometimes a person just needs another person to come alongside them and help them take the next step or steps in their faith journey. We call this mentoring.

I know I sometimes need some extra help, and there are other times when I see someone who could really use a little extra one-on-one help with their Christian journey. Are we willing to ask for some help? How can we come alongside another person, not as someone better or smarter, but just a fellow traveler who happens to be a little further along the journey, at least at this point? This isn't about pride or arrogance but love and compassion. It's recognizing that the journey of becoming more and more mature in our faith requires all of us to get help sometimes, and give it at other times. Sometimes we're the Ethiopian, and sometimes the Holy Spirit wants to use us as a Philip.

I'm convinced the Christian journey needs more of us being mentored and mentoring others. Faith is caught more than it's taught, and that means experiencing it personally in the life of another Christ follower. We don't need permission from the church or a pastor to look around us and identify someone who can help us, or someone we can help.

The Good News is that the Holy Spirit always works in these mentoring settings, giving us what we need, and enabling us to give to another, even when we aren't aware that we have something to give. Trust Him to work in you, whichever side of the conversation you find yourself. In fact, many times when we're in a mentoring relationship, we discover ourselves being both the Ethiopian and Philip at one time or another. Like Philip, listen to those subtle leadings, and join someone else on the journey - you'll be amazed what God does!

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 Holy Spirit Changes Everything

Posted by Randy | Labels: , , , , , , , | Posted On Tuesday, October 13, 2009 at 12:01 AM

Acts 2 is one of the great chapters of the Bible. In it we see the coming of the Holy Spirit, as promised by Jesus, and the birth of his church. Both of these related events have great significance for you and me.

In Old Testament times it was rare for a person to receive the Holy Spirit. God typically did this for specific reasons for specific periods of time. It was not an ongoing experience, even of the prophets. But, the prophet Jeremiah foresaw a time when things would be different:

"'The day is coming,' says the LORD, 'when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and Judah. This covenant will not be like the one I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand and brought them out of the land of Egypt. They broke that covenant, though I loved them as a husband loves his wife,' says the LORD. 'But this is the new covenant I will make with the people of Israel on that day,' says the LORD. 'I will put my instructions deep within them, and I will write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.'" (Jeremiah 31:31-33 NLT2)


A new covenant through Jesus Christ was established, and on Pentecost (originally, the Jewish Feast of Weeks or Harvest, coming 50 days after Passover) the mark and power of this new covenant was given to the followers of Christ - the presence of the Spirit of Jesus, the Holy Spirit. This new covenant wouldn't be recognized through external laws and rules but through an individual, personal relationship with Jesus Christ through His Spirit residing "deep within" the follower of Christ. The prophet Joel heard God say that He would pour out His Spirit to empower His people: "…I will pour out my Spirit upon all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your old men will dream dreams, and your young men will see visions." (Joel 2:28) The coming of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost marked the birth of the church, and it continues to be the sign of God's church today.


The Holy Spirit enables Christ followers, forgiven by God through Jesus' death on the cross, to live new lives. He comes to live within us to actually change us, to change our hearts and desires. I remember thinking at one point in my life that there were a lot of things about being a Christian that didn't seem very appealing or interesting to me. I didn't want to give up some things that I was doing in my life. However, when Jesus entered my life, his Spirit didn't condemn me, but He did begin to transform me from the inside out. And a few years later I discovered that the things I used to think were such a big deal, that I would never want to do, had become some of the things I most wanted to do. The Holy Spirit, living in me, changed my heart through this new covenant.


We receive God's Spirit not simply as a place-holder so that someday we can get into heaven - we receive God's Spirit to begin changing us now! He has the power to do it, as we see in Acts 2. Here was Peter, who fifty days earlier was afraid to stand up to servants and admit he knew Jesus, now preaching about Jesus before a crowd so large that three thousand of them committed their lives to Jesus Christ, received His Spirit, and became "charter members" of the church. Verses 42-47 paint an amazing picture of Christian faith and community. And it was because of the Holy Spirit.


Of course, the Holy Spirit can't make any of us do anything we don't want to do. Which is why we see a lot of folks who talk about being followers of Christ who really don't look much like followers of Christ. We have to cooperate with the Spirit and trust Him as He leads us forward. We have to have faith that what God teaches us through the Bible is best for us and allow His Spirit to lead us to be obedient. Yet, it's never obedience to earn God's favor - it's obedience in gratitude to Jesus for what he's done for us. It becomes our joyful duty to serve Christ, by the power of his Spirit, and we do that by loving God, our neighbors, and ourselves. In fact, the presence of the Holy Spirit in a follower of Christ is one of the greatest affirmations we can ever receive - Jesus cares so much for us that His Spirit comes to live within us.



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