12:1 - The ESV (English Standard Version) translates this verse, "About that time Herod the king laid violent hands on some who belonged to the church." Violent hands...that is such a simple and powerful description. Everything that God has created in us, that was originally good, can be corrupted and turned towards evil if we choose it. The choice is up to each of us. Hands made to wash feet and embrace one another can be used to destroy and abuse. Eyes made to see the beauty of God's creation and see areas where we can make a difference for God ca be used to lust and covet. The list could go on indefinitely...are we going to follow the example of Herod or Jesus - the oppressive worldly king willing to do anything to maintain the status quot, or the King of kings who was willing to give everything to lead a revolution of love?
12:5ff - Prayer is powerful and effective. Do it.
12:19 - I find it interesting that when the king cannot figure out what happened with Peter, he skips town for a while. Maybe he fears an uprising from the Christians because of the unlawful arrest? He doesn't understand that the Christians don't care. He is caught up in political intrigue surrounding his throne that is just idiocy to a follower of Christ. He lives his whole life worried about how to get more power and more wealth and how to keep what he is got without being literally stabbed in the back by one of the many people he has crushed to get to the top...everything about who he is, is wrapped up in the few short years that he has on earth, and he cannot understand that people who could care less about that junk. The Christians aren't looking for revenge or payback, they are caught up in a much more important struggle...fighting to make an eternal difference. Living to pull back the veil in this world so that people they come in contact with can see that there is so much more to our existence than what we know. He can't fathom that, so he runs off to Caesarea and unwittingly to his grave. Which system do you find yourself more caught up in?
12:22ff - Does any of you remember learning this famous speech that Herod gave when you were in school? I mean we had to have learned it...when the people listening heard his speech they called him a god...we studied it in school, right? Wrong. Like Herod, his beautiful speech has become worm food for the ages, while the word of the Lord continue to bring power and change into the lives of people all over the world.
Monday, March 31, 2008
Friday, March 28, 2008
Acts Chapter 11 - March 28, 2008
11:18 - I think in every authentic believers life, there comes a time when you realize that the gospel really is for everyone, and it is a wonderful and terrible experience at the same time. It is wonderful to see the scales fall f your eyes/the calluses fall away from your heart as you open yourself to loving people you never thought you could. It is a terrible experience as you look back with shame on the years jaded by hidden internal hatreds. This verse really jumped out at me because the disciples fall silent (shame), yet they glorify God as they finally understand His love is for all.
11:26 - If you have a huge timeline of Christianity tacked up on your wall, here is where you mark, "First called Christians."
11:29 - When the first Christians saw that famine was coming, they immediately acted...no excuses...no empathy, followed by instantly forgetting...just action. Am I doing everything within my resources to address the famine issues in the world, whether they be spiritual or physical? No. How do I act? What is my next step?
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Acts Chapter 10 - March 27, 2008
10:2 - Cornelius was as good as good can get...he was a Gentile who somehow came to know that there was a God - one true God...he was a devout follower...he prayed constantly to God...not only did he honor God with prayers, but he allowed that top shape his life and give generously. He was awesome, but it still wasn't good enough - did you notice that? God comes to him and instructs him to find Peter so that he can hear the gospel of Jesus. No man can be good enough to save himself - the only way into heaven is through Jesus Christ.
*This does bring up an interesting concept, because it seems clear from the life of Cornelius that people can come to a knowledge of God and worship Him before they hear the gospel of Jesus Christ. Cornelius was a completely sold out God-follower, before he ever heard about Jesus. Paul tells us in Romans that people are without excuse in their unbelief, because nature itself cries out that there is a creator. The ultimate rhetorical question comes when you ask, "What happens to people that humbly understand that there has to be a creator God and they live to honor Him, when they die before ever hearing about Jesus Christ?" Well, Jesus sacrifice was once for all, correct? I do not believe that our just God will hold people accountable to a truth they have never heard...but at judgment, when faced with the truth the people who humbly and simply served God will accept the truth about Jesus and enter into salvation. Those who openly rejected God and Jesus while on this earth will continue their course and even when brought before the TRUTH - they will arrogantly choose their own way. This still leaves a huge mission for us as Christians, because people need to know about the hope of Jesus. People need to hear that message of salvation and true life. What of the people that are so blinded by their flawed cultures that they cannot see God until somebody shows Him to them. We have work to do. God thought it was so important that Cornelius understand the truth about Jesus that He sent angels to guide Cornelius to the way. Wow - that was long!
There is a lot more juicy theological stuff in this chapter, but I want to hear from you - so go comment on what I have written or on what God placed on your heart through your reading.
*This does bring up an interesting concept, because it seems clear from the life of Cornelius that people can come to a knowledge of God and worship Him before they hear the gospel of Jesus Christ. Cornelius was a completely sold out God-follower, before he ever heard about Jesus. Paul tells us in Romans that people are without excuse in their unbelief, because nature itself cries out that there is a creator. The ultimate rhetorical question comes when you ask, "What happens to people that humbly understand that there has to be a creator God and they live to honor Him, when they die before ever hearing about Jesus Christ?" Well, Jesus sacrifice was once for all, correct? I do not believe that our just God will hold people accountable to a truth they have never heard...but at judgment, when faced with the truth the people who humbly and simply served God will accept the truth about Jesus and enter into salvation. Those who openly rejected God and Jesus while on this earth will continue their course and even when brought before the TRUTH - they will arrogantly choose their own way. This still leaves a huge mission for us as Christians, because people need to know about the hope of Jesus. People need to hear that message of salvation and true life. What of the people that are so blinded by their flawed cultures that they cannot see God until somebody shows Him to them. We have work to do. God thought it was so important that Cornelius understand the truth about Jesus that He sent angels to guide Cornelius to the way. Wow - that was long!
There is a lot more juicy theological stuff in this chapter, but I want to hear from you - so go comment on what I have written or on what God placed on your heart through your reading.
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Acts Chapter 9 - March 26, 2008
9:1 - He is breathing threats and murder against people...and he considers it godly work! When confronted with the gospel of Jesus Christ, everything changes...he becomes a man who faces violence against his person with prayers for his abusers and praises on his lips. The message of Jesus Christ is foolishness to the world, but it is powerful - it is far more powerful than oppressive violence...Paul understood that after his conversion. It is dangerous for us as Christians to get into the mindset of forcing people to believe what we believe through power...whether that be in the voting booth or through the legal system. Christianity thrives when it is lived out as unshakable love- unmovable faith...in the face of persecution and worldly oppression. The power is stripped from the sacrificial servant message of Jesus when we become the dominators trying to force people to bend to our will.
9:16 - Those are some real words of comfort. But there should be comfort in the fact that we know what we have to face. If we truly live as followers of Christ - we will suffer for the sake of his name. We will give up things we like...live according to a different standard than the rest of the world...we will be mocked and considered ridiculous for our beliefs...we will suffer, but that is part of what it means to take on the name of Christ. As a Christ follower, we are plugged into the way and the hope and the life that comes along with Jesus, but we are also plugged into the suffering and the sacrifice of Jesus. Paul transitions from a Jewish belief system with a code of behavior that you can save yourself with and look down on others because of...into a belief system where man seeks to humble himself and understands that he will never be good enough, but he will always be loved.
9:20ff - I love how Paul just goes...he understands he was wrong, and he completely pulls a 180. Everything changes. He came to imprison Christians and a few days later he is converted people into Christianity. He doesn't wait for proper training or get a few years under his belt before he begins evangelizing...he just does it - immediately.
9:39 - I think this is beautiful, and it always makes me ask, "What is my legacy?" When I have gone on - will people notice a difference, because I was reflecting Jesus Christ into the lives of people I came in contact with?
9:16 - Those are some real words of comfort. But there should be comfort in the fact that we know what we have to face. If we truly live as followers of Christ - we will suffer for the sake of his name. We will give up things we like...live according to a different standard than the rest of the world...we will be mocked and considered ridiculous for our beliefs...we will suffer, but that is part of what it means to take on the name of Christ. As a Christ follower, we are plugged into the way and the hope and the life that comes along with Jesus, but we are also plugged into the suffering and the sacrifice of Jesus. Paul transitions from a Jewish belief system with a code of behavior that you can save yourself with and look down on others because of...into a belief system where man seeks to humble himself and understands that he will never be good enough, but he will always be loved.
9:20ff - I love how Paul just goes...he understands he was wrong, and he completely pulls a 180. Everything changes. He came to imprison Christians and a few days later he is converted people into Christianity. He doesn't wait for proper training or get a few years under his belt before he begins evangelizing...he just does it - immediately.
9:39 - I think this is beautiful, and it always makes me ask, "What is my legacy?" When I have gone on - will people notice a difference, because I was reflecting Jesus Christ into the lives of people I came in contact with?
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Acts Chapter 8 - March 25, 2008
8:5 - One word...SAMARIA. The Jews hated the Samaritans. They were considered half-breeds because they were Jews who had intermarried with other non-Jewish Arabic people. They had created their own temple in Samaria so that they could continue their own form of Judaism, which enraged the Jews even more. But the power of the gospel enabled Philip to overcome his bias and hatred and share the truth about Jesus with the people of Samaria. Who is my Samaria? What do I need to do to overcome my bias and live out the gospel like Philip?
8:13 - Simon is a con-artist...he has seen it all...he knows every trick in the book...he knows how to put on a good show and wow the crowds, but when he is faced with the reality of the power of God at work he is truly amazed. It is so easy to get caught up in the things of this world...to think they are meaningful and powerful and awe-inspiring (Right now, I'm thinking of March Madness...the drama, the Cinderella stories, the passion for the game, the athleticism)...but when we catch a glimpse of God at work int he lives of people and the world around us - I think we like Simon understand what it truly means to be amazed and inspired. God's power makes everything else seem so ephemeral (Good word, huh?)...it makes all the stuff we get jazzed about seem so unimportant - because it is. Nothing can hold up to the magnitude of the reality of the power of God working in our lives.
8:30ff - Again, Philip is such a great example of what it means to really "live it." After taking the gospel to his once hated religious enemies, we now see that he is completely open to the Spirit of God at work on him and he is willing to listen and follow the Spirit's prompting. He goes where the Spirit leads him and he is ready when an opportunity to present the gospel makes itself available. God, I want to be so plugged into you that I am always ready...always ready to follow your urging...always ready to leap into the opportunities that you create for me to expand your kingdom.
8:36 - Baptism - let's throw all the hypotheticals aside...all the theological debates aside...look at the simple statement from the Ethiopian eunuch. "Hey there's some water, what is holding me back from getting baptized?" He believes in the truth of Jesus that Philip has shared and he is ready to act. He believes - there's some water - what is holding him back? Why wouldn't he get baptized? That is what he is saying - I believe, why wouldn't I follow in the footsteps of Christ? That is what the baptism debate comes down to for me...if you are a believer and nothing is physically holding you back, why wouldn't you get baptized? It's what Jesus did...it's what we do to make our allegiance. Does it save you - no, Jesus does! Do we do it for church membership - I sure hope not...I hope we do it because we believe and because of that belief we act. Why wouldn't we?
8:13 - Simon is a con-artist...he has seen it all...he knows every trick in the book...he knows how to put on a good show and wow the crowds, but when he is faced with the reality of the power of God at work he is truly amazed. It is so easy to get caught up in the things of this world...to think they are meaningful and powerful and awe-inspiring (Right now, I'm thinking of March Madness...the drama, the Cinderella stories, the passion for the game, the athleticism)...but when we catch a glimpse of God at work int he lives of people and the world around us - I think we like Simon understand what it truly means to be amazed and inspired. God's power makes everything else seem so ephemeral (Good word, huh?)...it makes all the stuff we get jazzed about seem so unimportant - because it is. Nothing can hold up to the magnitude of the reality of the power of God working in our lives.
8:30ff - Again, Philip is such a great example of what it means to really "live it." After taking the gospel to his once hated religious enemies, we now see that he is completely open to the Spirit of God at work on him and he is willing to listen and follow the Spirit's prompting. He goes where the Spirit leads him and he is ready when an opportunity to present the gospel makes itself available. God, I want to be so plugged into you that I am always ready...always ready to follow your urging...always ready to leap into the opportunities that you create for me to expand your kingdom.
8:36 - Baptism - let's throw all the hypotheticals aside...all the theological debates aside...look at the simple statement from the Ethiopian eunuch. "Hey there's some water, what is holding me back from getting baptized?" He believes in the truth of Jesus that Philip has shared and he is ready to act. He believes - there's some water - what is holding him back? Why wouldn't he get baptized? That is what he is saying - I believe, why wouldn't I follow in the footsteps of Christ? That is what the baptism debate comes down to for me...if you are a believer and nothing is physically holding you back, why wouldn't you get baptized? It's what Jesus did...it's what we do to make our allegiance. Does it save you - no, Jesus does! Do we do it for church membership - I sure hope not...I hope we do it because we believe and because of that belief we act. Why wouldn't we?
Monday, March 24, 2008
Acts Chapter 7 - March 24, 2008
7:1-50 - If you ever wanna take somebody through a summarized history of God and the Israelite people...there you go.
7:49-50 - Isaiah puts it beautifully (66:1-2), "What kind of house could you build for me?" Is that not so simple and so true at the same time? Nothing a human being could ever make or devise could house God. What kind of arrogance does it take for us to think that we could build something big enough or beautiful enough to contain our own creator? He is the creator of our intellect, how could we ever reason or explain God? We can't, and I like that I can't house him physically or spiritually or intellectually, because then He wouldn't be God...he would be a god that could be constrained within the understanding or abilities of a flawed man...not all that impressive.
7:51ff - Stephen has the guts to do something with his captors that few of us have the guts to do with ourselves; he looks back at what God has done for them and how they consistently turned their backs on Him even in the midst of His faithfulness and he calls them on it. I hope that when I get caught up in doubt and confusion and worry and complaining about the way things are going in my life, that I will look introspectively back at my history with God, see his faithfulness and turn from my stiff-necked obsession with immediately questioning Him. I want to be a man like Stephen, who in the face of lies and violence is completely at peace (See 6:15). He understands that God is in control and even when they are stoning him to death he is following in the footsteps of Jesus and crying out for the forgiveness of his murderers. I want to live in the knowledge of the faithfulness of God and let that dictate my reactions to the circumstances of the world around me.
7:49-50 - Isaiah puts it beautifully (66:1-2), "What kind of house could you build for me?" Is that not so simple and so true at the same time? Nothing a human being could ever make or devise could house God. What kind of arrogance does it take for us to think that we could build something big enough or beautiful enough to contain our own creator? He is the creator of our intellect, how could we ever reason or explain God? We can't, and I like that I can't house him physically or spiritually or intellectually, because then He wouldn't be God...he would be a god that could be constrained within the understanding or abilities of a flawed man...not all that impressive.
7:51ff - Stephen has the guts to do something with his captors that few of us have the guts to do with ourselves; he looks back at what God has done for them and how they consistently turned their backs on Him even in the midst of His faithfulness and he calls them on it. I hope that when I get caught up in doubt and confusion and worry and complaining about the way things are going in my life, that I will look introspectively back at my history with God, see his faithfulness and turn from my stiff-necked obsession with immediately questioning Him. I want to be a man like Stephen, who in the face of lies and violence is completely at peace (See 6:15). He understands that God is in control and even when they are stoning him to death he is following in the footsteps of Jesus and crying out for the forgiveness of his murderers. I want to live in the knowledge of the faithfulness of God and let that dictate my reactions to the circumstances of the world around me.
Saturday, March 15, 2008
Acts Chapter 6 - March 21, 2008
* I am unable to access the Internet. Read the chapter and comment please.
Acts Chapter 5 - March 20, 2008
* I am unable to access the Internet. Read the chapter and comment please.
Acts Chapter 4 - March 19, 2008
* I am unable to access the Internet. Read the chapter and comment please.
Acts Chapter 3 - March 18, 2008
* I am unable to access the Internet. Read the chapter and comment please.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
