Are You A Hypocrite?

Acts 15:5-6 -  But then some of the men who had been Pharisees before their conversion stood to their feet and declared that all Gentile converts must be circumcised and required to follow all the Jewish customs and ceremonies.  So the apostles and church elders set a further meeting to decide this question.

 

A debate had begun between the Jewish and the Gentile converts. The Jewish converts insisted that salvation was dependent upon keeping the Jewish laws and customs intact. Circumcision was one of the biggies. But the Gentiles were not sold on this idea completely and they went to Barnabus and Paul for their opinion. A meeting was called to discuss it at length…and it was finally decided that no Jewish law decided salvation…but that the laws that kept them from eating meat sacrificed to idols….and dealing with raw blood would need to be a part of their new thinking….for these would please God.

 

The laws were written based on the10 commandments.  They were meant to be a guide…a teacher of God’s ways…a way to understand the God they vowed to serve and show Him they loved Him back. They were meant to help them identify sin in their life.  They were never meant to bind…or confuse…to limit ones relationship with God. They were never meant to become a means of salvation….only the blood of an innocent animal and the confession of sins would do that.

 

Moses was given 10 commandments from God…and that is all we need to think about today to please God. Love God…only God…and never profane His name. Love each other as much as we love ourselves.  Pick a day to worship and rest. Respect and honor our parents and never covet anyone else’s things.  Don’t lie on others….cheat…or murder.  Respect the bonds you make with your spouse by not entering into adultery.

 

The world has tended to recreate that list of extra rules.  It seems that a simple 10 is not clear enough for some. God doesn’t want us to redefine what he meant by these rules…he meant for each of us to study His word and decide if what we were thinking about doing was a good thing or bad thing according to what he told Moses so long ago.

 

One last thought…this chapter ends with a great letter to the Gentiles that had asked the questions. Paul and James wrote a beautiful…loving answer that explained all that had been discussed. They knew how important it was to deliver the truth to these new Christians…so they could see and study for themselves. The choice would ultimately be theirs.  They never wanted to lose any respect by imposing their thoughts on others…they simply presented the truth and let them make their own decision. 

 

I needed the reminder today that God expects me to love him by keeping His rules of order and guidance.  He wants me to search the scriptures for my answers and meet with other Christians to hear their interpretation.  Then He expects me to make a choice…to follow what the Spirit and His word have guided me too. Those rules were made to help ME identify sin in MY life....not get on a soapbox and batter others with accusations.  Remember Luke’s words in 6:42 … How can you say to your brother, 'Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye,' when you yourself fail to see the plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.

 

Father….thank you for the reminder that I need to show my love for you by keeping the rules you gave Moses. Forgive me for the times that I have broken rules…..twisted rules…justified rules…or ignored them completely.  Help me to see the value in keeping all your rules…and delivering their truth to others in love only when you call me too. Amen.

Grow Your Faith

Acts 14:8-10 -  While they were at Lystra, they came upon a man with crippled feet who had been that way from birth, so he had never walked.  He was listening as Paul preached, and Paul noticed him and realized he had faith to be healed.  So Paul called to him, “Stand up!” and the man leaped to his feet and started walking.

 

Paul and Barnabus had become what we now call evangelists…their preaching full of power ….so intense that many people from many nations believed. They used every opportunity that God gave them to glorify the father…healing and giving God the glory …and allowing the miracle to seal the onlookers belief. 

 

I think it is curious that the scripture points out that Paul noticed the man’s faith…and that was the catalyst that allowed his healing. We had the same discussion in my Sunday School class yesterday….how faith was present before God works his miracles in our lives. Hebrews 11:1 defines it this way….  What is faith? It is the confident assurance that something we want is going to happen. It is the certainty that what we hope for is waiting for us, even though we cannot see it up ahead. If you read the whole chapter you are given a huge list of Bible greats that possessed the same faith this man had in Acts 14.

 

I wanted to remind myself how to keep my faith ever deepening…so I researched a bit and found these simple points.  Great faith is only possible with an ever deepening relationship with God. Hebrews 11:6 says…  But without faith [it is] impossible to please [him]: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and [that] he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. Great faith is full of humility that seeks God’s will. James 4:6 says simply…. God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Great faith also trusts completely…Mark 12:30 says…. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.

 

I am so glad that God reminded me this morning of my need to always work on increasing my faith. Faith will give my past purpose…my present courage and feet and my future hope. Faith will support me in all that God asks me to do.  Faith will give me what I need…even when I can’t see what it is. I admit that I don’t have enough faith to move that proverbial mountain yet. My microscopic portion needs some serious work in order to grow and multiply into the size of even that mustard seed.

 

Father…thank you for the reminder that faith is a critical component of a healthy relationship with you. Faith shows that I believe and trust in your promises.  Forgive me for settling for a small amount of faith…when I could have more if I ask. Help me to deepen my relationship with you so you can deepen the faith I have …allowing me to move every mountain that gets in my way quickly out of the way. Amen.

Set Apart...Sent Out To New Tasks In God

Acts 13:1-3 - Among the prophets and teachers of the church at Antioch were Barnabas and Symeon (also called “The Black Man”), Lucius (from Cyrene), Manaen (the foster-brother of King Herod), and Paul. One day as these men were worshiping and fasting the Holy Spirit said, “Dedicate Barnabas and Paul for a special job I have for them.” So after more fasting and prayer, the men laid their hands on them—and sent them on their way.

 

The church grew steadily…adding all who believed on Christ to their number.  They met often and prayed and fasted …and listened intently for God to tell them what to do. They were a mixture of cultures and races…all unified by their love of God and acceptance of the gift of salvation Jesus gave them when they believed on them. They were focused on leading others to Christ…so when the Holy Spirit spoke…they listened.

 

God split this group up…and sent two of them on their way to wherever the Spirit would tell them. They laid hands on them and prayed and even fasted to help focus their hearts on God’s purpose and leave the world’s agenda behind.  They did not know exactly what would happen …how God would use their friends as they left...they just knew that the Holy Spirit had spoken…and these two men needed to follow its directions.

 

I read this passage several times…not really letting the confirmation sink in. God has separated me for a special task…and that is why I have packed all my belongings…bought a house 130 miles away…and will leave the great weekly support of a church I love dearly in one more day. I know I have listened correctly…for I have an inner peace about the move…even though glitch after small glitch has tried to plant seeds of doubt. …even though God hasn’t revealed his purpose in moving me completely yet…or how I am to supplement my meager retirement income when I get there.

 

It is the Holy Spirit that gives me the faith…the courage….and the ability to accept the promise of Jeremiah 29:11. He alone knows what plans he has to give me hope for my future. He alone knows how he will turn these bittersweet feelings I have in my heart… of love and pining for my friends in London KY…into prosperous relationships with family and new friends in Sevier County TN. God has the plan…I just have to walk in faith….pray …and perhaps find something to fast to show God I have fully accepted it…no matter what it is.

 

Father…thank you for the reminder that you have a plan for me.  Forgive me for the times that I have doubted that plan…and failed to accept it fully.  Help me with the next few days of moving…. goodbyes… hellos…listening….and walking completely in faith. Thank you for all you have done to get me to this point in my relationship with you…and thank you in advance for all the blessings to come as I walk in faith to a new season of life with you.  Amen.

Prayer...Powerful Communication With God

Acts 12:5-7  -  But earnest prayer was going up to God from the church for his safety all the time he was in prison.  The night before he was to be executed, he was asleep, double-chained between two soldiers with others standing guard before the prison gate,   when suddenly there was a light in the cell and an angel of the Lord stood beside Peter! The angel slapped him on the side to awaken him and said, “Quick! Get up!” And the chains fell off his wrists!

 

Peter had been arrested and scheduled for execution as soon as the Passover feast was over…but he wasn’t worried.  He was double chained to a dungeon wall….between two guards and a host of others posted throughout the prison….yet he was fast asleep. His faith was strong enough to understand that even this seemingly hopeless situation had some purpose in spreading the gospel. He let God calm enough to sleep through the discomfort of prison…and the hopeless thoughts of his impending death…that could tear his faith apart.

 

Peter also had many believers praying for him in a nearby home. We are not told what words they used to pray…just that they met together in fervent prayer. When they learned of the news of his wrongful sentence…they stopped everything and called a prayer meeting…one that lasted into the wee hours of the night….to ask God to grant him safety.

 

They could not see the angel God sent to Peter to answer their prayers…they just kept on praying. They could not see Peter loosed from the chains that held him until he was scheduled to die….they just kept on praying. They did not even believe the young girl who answered the knock on the door while they prayed…that Peter stood before her at the door….free of shackles.

 

The story reminds me of two important truths about prayer.  First…prayer should be our first defense against any thing that troubles us.  We should gather with other believers and pray for the safety of those that we know have met with darkness and trouble…. and we should be willing to spend all night praying…all day…all week…until we get our answer from God. I am also reminded that I should believe in what I am praying for. Those people had prayed all night for Peter…for safety…probably for his release….but they rejected the servant girl’s first message of his release…that God had actually found a way to release Peter while they prayed.

 

I admit that I needed both reminders….to pray more earnestly…with purpose for the ones God has let me know are in deep trouble. I am more guilty of doubting the outcome of my prayers….doubting that he will answer the prayers I send up in miraculous…even supernatural ways. I need to be more like Moses…constantly in God’s presence to petition for the people God called him to lead.  I need to be more like David…crying out to God every time I know of a need….sharing with him my deep sorrow for the ones he is allowing to go through dark times.  I need to be more like Daniel...praying three times a day with my face to the Heavens….asking God for strength to endure till he sends me the answers to my prayers.  I need to be more like Peter…so sure of God’s will…so full of God’s peace that  surpasses understanding… that he was able to sleep and rest thinking that his death was in just a few days.

 

Father…thank you for the reminder that prayer is a powerful tool of communication and healing.  Forgive me for all the times that I have underutilized the gift of prayer in my life….even prayed in doubt that your will would be close to my request.  Help me to be like these early Christians who were willing to pray all night and into the next day for their friend in Christ. Toss in a bit of Moses tenaciousness…David’s heart….and Daniel’s routine…to help me be a better prayer warrior for myself and others.  Amen.

Christian....Christ In Common

Acts 11:25-26 -    Then Barnabas went on to Tarsus to hunt for Paul.  When he found him, he brought him back to Antioch; and both of them stayed there for a full year teaching the many new converts. (It was there at Antioch that the believers were first called “Christians.”)

 

Many of the believers couldn’t believe Peter had actually sat and dined with gentiles. They were confused …  disappointed… even angry at him and began speaking out about this horrible thing openly with other Jews. Peter had to come home and let the Jewish believers hear from his own lips the wonderful truth that God wanted to save all people…before the people completely understood that God himself had ordained this practice of giving His love to all people.

 

When you combined Barnabus’ an Peter’s passion to preach to the gentiles…and the way God used the believers that fled Judea to spread the gospel… believers increased at an amazing rate. The zeal of the believers in Antioch prompted those that did not believe to tag them with a title… bringing the term ‘Christian’ into use for the first time.  The term was never used by Jesus…or the disciples….or any believer.  In fact...it is only used 3 times in the new testament at all. The term was invented by those looking on from a perspective of disbelief.  Some commentaries even said the term was imposed on them by the government…in an attempt to label what the leaders at that time did not understand.

 

I admit that I do not usually care for titles…they give the bearer a false sense of pride…puff up the ego so to speak.  And perhaps Jesus did not introduce the title Christian for the same reasons. Jesus did not promote a religion…but a deep faith and belief in Him…as the giver of eternal life through a sacrifice most of us have trouble completely accepting or even following fully. Titles and rules continue to separate believers into denominations…. the Center for the Study of Global Christianity at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary estimated 34,000 denominations in 2000, rising to an estimated 43,000 in 2012. That simply blows my mind….making me wonder how in the world there could be 43,000 different ways to worship the God that gave me life. BUT…then I remember that verse in Romans 8…  that says God works all things for good….and I stop worrying about it.

 

One thing I do like about the title…one thing I do think is good…is the literal meaning of the term. Those unbelievers saw a difference in those early ‘Christians.’ They saw that they all acted the way they did because they had Christ in common. Those early believers did not argue over which denomination of believers in Jesus to join…. They all worshiped together wherever they could find a home or field to gather.  They did not concern themselves with what set of rules should govern their worship….whether to sing hymns or contemporary music….whether raising your hands in worship…speaking in tongues…or reciting chants and prayers aloud was proper.  They let the Holy Spirit do whatever He wanted in their midst.

Once again it’s personal for me. This new season of life where God is moving me to a new city…much like Peter and Barnabus… finds me leaving a church that allowed me to worship any way I wanted. I experienced moves of the Holy Spirit like I had never known before.  My heart already knows that God is calling me back to where I grew up… and to a different set of worship rules.  Well meaning ‘Christians’…who have put their own twist on the best way to worship have already ‘hinted’ that I will not be happy going back to the routine and order of that style worship.

 

My heart is going to believe that even this new season has a purpose.  It will be to learn even more about God and His plan for me. It won’t have anything to do with how I worship…but what job God gives me to do when I get there. Perhaps He let me experience a new way just to help me understand how desperately we all need to unite in these last days to worry more about telling people about God…not trying to get them to join a specific church. …to let the title Christian….Christ in common…be more literal.

 

Father…thank you for the reminder that I believe in you …not a certain religion. Forgive me when I have allowed the rules or procedures of where I worship contain me and limit what I experience about you.  Help me to keep my heart and mind open as I move… to let my concerns be your concerns …to let my heart hear you tell me what you have planned for me to do when  get there.  Amen.

Love All People...Be Obedient...And Work For God Without Judging

Acts 10:28 – 29 - Peter told them, “You know it is against the Jewish laws for me to come into a Gentile home like this. But God has shown me in a vision that I should never think of anyone as inferior.  So I came as soon as I was sent for. Now tell me what you want.”

 

Peter had been trying to rest on the roof of the home he was visiting before lunch when God sent him a life altering vision. He saw all the animals that Jews had considered unclean lowered in a sheet…and God told him to get up and kill any of them he wanted for food. The vision went beyond God erasing Jewish laws about food for the new Christians…it was also a message to accept and preach the gospel to all people.  Jesus died for the sins of all men…not just the Jewish chosen people of God.

 

Peter listened and was obedient….and as a result he went to the home of an Italian commander and shared the gospel to all who gathered in his home that evening. It was a moving sermon...and the Holy Spirit fell in the room….filling many gentile believers with the Holy Spirit…so full of the Holy Ghost that many of them spoke in tongues and were baptized.  It changed the hearts of many Jewish believers that thought they had God all to themselves. They were amazed at the sight of these gentiles speaking in tongues and praising God.

 

There are really three lessons in this story.  The first is that we can be godly…but not be a believer in God. Cornelius…the Italian commander…prayed….and even saw visions of angels.  The writer called him a godly man.  But God sent him Peter to recognize his need to believe on Jesus and be baptized. His conversion was so intense the Holy Spirit gave him the ability to speak in tongues. The second is to be obedient…even when our hearts are trying to hold on to past rules. God changes things up in visions and commands us to do things that seem uncomfortable to our past beliefs.  We need to rely on pure faith in those times…and let God change our hearts as we walk courageously to what he asked us to do.  If the Bible supports the task we have been called to do…we can be sure it was from God. The third is not to judge the others God sends us to minister too. It isn’t our job to play a movie of their past problems and mistakes and judge their worthiness of God’s love.  It is our job to love them with the power of God’s love in us…so that they can experience him and believe like we do.

 

I admit that I struggle with all three lessons. I know a lot of godly people and have no clue if some of them are believers because I never ask them. I struggle with being obedient to everything God asks me to do….sometimes I know I don’t even hear him tell me. And even though I know I am learning not to judge…I find myself doing it more than I know is godly. I needed the reminder this morning to let God control all three of these struggles…so that I can be more of a Peter to others.

 

Father…thank you for the reminder that your love is for all people.  Forgive me for the times that I have let godliness be a substitute for faith….been disobedient because I failed to trust you…and judged others that needed you instead of loving them with you. Help me to use the power of the Holy Spirit to overcome these struggles…and draw closer to you so I can hear and listen to what you need be to do more intently.  Amen.

Be A Barnabus

Acts 9:26-28  - Upon arrival in Jerusalem he tried to meet with the believers, but they were all afraid of him. They thought he was faking!  Then Barnabas brought him to the apostles and told them how Paul had seen the Lord on the way to Damascus, what the Lord had said to him, and all about his powerful preaching in the name of Jesus.  Then they accepted him, and after that he was constantly with the believers.

 

Paul…the most passionate destroyer of the Christian’s in the early church…had been converted. And as he returned to Jerusalem…he was met with disbelief and fear. No one believed that a man so bent on destroying the church could be actively trying to increase it now.  They thought it was fake….most likely to try and get closer to the ones that organized it now.   But one believer named Barnabus took Paul to the Apostles and testified of all that had happened to him on the road to Damascus…and how he had become as passionate a preacher as he had a jailer of Christians.

 

We all need that one person to believe in us no matter what. We need a person not afraid to hold our hand through anything…to believe the craziest of our stories…never doubting…always ready to support and speak out for us when we are wronged. We all need a Barnabus in our lives. We all need the support of a human friend or companion.  Having a friend like Barnabus makes everything easier. 

 

I am so very thankful that God has sent several Barnabus’ to support my life.  They have been there for me when I wanted to give up…enter a permanent pity party that would have destroyed what was left of the life God grants me. But here’s the thought I had when reading this morning.  Am I a Barnabus for others?  I get so wrapped up in my own needs…I sometimes forget that I was called to more than my own agenda.  I am quick to pray for God to send me a Barnabus…but am I as willing to be that Barnabus for others?

 

Father….thank you for the reminder once again…that Life is not all about me.  Forgive me for the times that I have relaxed in the support of all the people you have sent to help me….and not returned the support to others that you needed me too. Help me today to listen more closely…watch more intently…and learn to be a Barnabus for others.  Amen.

God Really Does Use All Things For Good

Acts 8:3-8 -  Paul was like a wild man, going everywhere to devastate the believers, even entering private homes and dragging out men and women alike and jailing them. But the believers who had fled Jerusalem went everywhere preaching the Good News about Jesus!  Philip, for instance, went to the city of Samaria and told the people there about Christ. Crowds listened intently to what he had to say because of the miracles he did. Many evil spirits were cast out, screaming as they left their victims, and many who were paralyzed or lame were healed,  so there was much joy in that city!

 

Stephen had been stoned for preaching….and Paul was capitalizing on his stoning by dragging family after family that professed Christ out of their homes and jailing them. Some were released after a time…others were beaten severely…and others died for their belief. The threat of jail or worse was too much for some and they fled to the surrounding areas to escape the dangers…but they never stopped preaching the gospel that made them run.

 

It is an amazing reminder that God uses all seemingly bad situations to His good and glory. Stephen’s death…brutal and horrible as may have been…expanded the early church beyond what could have happened if all those believers had stayed in one place. God used Stephen’s willingness to die for His Lord to spread the gospel…even through believers that were so scared they dared not stay where persecution was taking place.

 

What an amazing promise and truth of God that He can use me even when I am scared and going through tough times.  I just have to remember that when fear enters my heart…to speak God’s word over it…so He can use me despite my fear and weakness. I have read the rest of the story…and can’t help but think of how God is going to turn even the one who did most of the persecution around.  For Paul….Saul’s new name in Christ… wrote in 2 Corinthians 12:10… That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

 

Father…thank you for the reminder that the things that look the darkest to me...may be used by you to bring about good. Forgive me for the times that I see only bad in the dark moments. As the old hymn says…. Open my eyes so I may see glimpse of truth thou has for me… Open my eyes…illumine me   ….Spirit Divine. Amen.

Power Unlimited....If You Ask

Acts 7:51 – 54 -  Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost:  as your fathers did, so do ye.   Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted?  and they have slain them which showed before of the coming of the Just One;  of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers: Who have received the law by the disposition of angels, and have not kept it.  When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth.

 

Stephen had been released from jail… brought before the council of religious leaders and given an opportunity to speak to the charges against him.  His speech was more of a sermon that summarized the history of the Jewish nation.  He did not defend himself…but instead used his time to bring attention to the truth of what Jesus had to offer these leaders who just could not let go of the old…and believe in the new life that Jesus could give them.

 

His words were received by such hardened hearts ..ones that only saw truth as something that fit into the shape they decided was truth…that Stephen was taken from the room by an angry mob that immediately stoned him to death.  Stone after stone…thrown with anger and malice… battered his body till he breathed no more.

 

What is so amazing to me about this story is that Stephen drew so much power and strength from the Holy Spirit that he mimicked the character of Jesus as he gave up His Spirit to God…even praying that God forgive these people who just could not see the truth of what they were doing. He refused to return their anger with his own…fully accepting what was happening to him as the will of the father…trusting that this act of man would somehow glorify God...whom he had chosen to serve.

 

I admit that I have a hard time understanding this complete trust in God.  I want to be strong enough to be so subservient…. but know in my heart I have a long way to go before I could even come close to this kind of dedication and trust in God. One key I learned from Stephen….is to stay full of the Holy Spirit that God gives us…then remember to use it evry time I am faced with a situation that tests my faith. I know that is right because Jesus taught him how to do this…proving that all men have the same power Christ had to overcome any form of darkness.

 

Father…thank you for the reminder that I have power unlimited to overcome the trials and darkness you allow in my life.  Forgive me for the times that I have let the world trick me in to returning anger for anger….hate for hate…bitterness for bitterness…or unforgiveness for false witness against me.  Help me to learn to keep the Holy Spirit so full in my heart tat I always depend on it instead of myself to conquer and overcome what the world throws at my faith.  Amen.

 

Fill Up Your Heart With The Holy Spirit.

Acts 6:13-15 -  The lying witnesses testified again that Stephen was constantly speaking against the Temple and against the laws of Moses. They declared, “We have heard him say that this fellow Jesus of Nazareth will destroy the Temple and throw out all of Moses’ laws.”  At this point everyone in the Council chamber saw Stephen’s face become as radiant as an angel’s!

 

Stephen arose quickly as a great man of faith and used the power of the Holy Spirit to preach and do great miracles.  He was elected at first as one of the elected to take care of the widows…but let God do so much more with him than what man decided he was capable of.

 

One of the character traits that Stephen picked up on early in his Christian walk was humility. He was such a powerful link to the growth of the early Christian church that the religious leaders got a Jewish cult named the Freedmen to lie about his teachings in their council. He was accused of teaching the opposite of what the Jews believed….but he sat silently in the court…not making a huge deal of the accusations they brought bout him.  Maybe it wasn't so much humility as it was his ability to ask God to keep him full of the Holy Spirit at all times.

 

God was so pleased with Stephen that He allowed the essence of God to manifest in Stephen’s face while he sat before the court. They accused him of lies…but Stephen’s face shone as if he were an angel.  They brought him before the court with the intent to harm him…to stop his preaching….but God allowed the power Stephen had learned to use from the Holy Spirit to keep him calm….to allow God to use what man meant for harm to glorify the Father.

 

I admit that I need to learn to use the power of the Holy Spirit to help me in all kinds of situations….to show that I trust God no matter what happens in my life that seems to be harming me at the time. I am better…I will testify that since I have been using God’s power to write this blog each morning…my temper has quietened…I have more peace than I ever did in tough situations…but I have not reached Stephen’s level. I needed this great reminder that God has my back …if I am doing what He called me to do.  He can take all forms of hurt and keep me so calm and focused on God in that moment of hurt that my face can shine with the love God. 

 

Father….thank you for the reminder that you can give me all the power I need to do anything you ask me to do.  Forgive me for the times that I have lost control…or limited what you can do through me because I have forgotten to ask for the Holy Spirit to fill me with your power. Help me to stay so focused on you that I remember to always call on you to help me in all things. Amen.

Loving God Is A Priviledge

Acts 5:38-42 - And now I say unto you, Refrain from these men, and let them alone:  for if this counsel or this work be of men, it will come to nought:   But if it be of God, ye cannot overthrow it;  lest haply ye be found even to fight against God.    And to him they agreed:  and when they had called the apostles, and beaten them, they commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go.  And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name.    And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ.  

 

Peter and John had been arrested again ….for continuing to preach the gospel of Christ. An angel unlocked their doors that night and told them to go to the public square and preach some more. Large crowds gathered to hear them…or to beg them for healing.  The power of the Holy Spirit was so strong in Peter that some who just passed through his shadow were healed. God revealed to the frightened captain where they were when it was time for them to appear before the council…with the intention of having them killed. But God gave one of the Pharisees the courage to speak these wise words that Luke recorded ….to leave them alone and let time tell if they were truly of God.

 

The two were beaten and released…counting it a privilege to be persecuted for Christ’s sake. Then continued to preach and teach and heal…in spite of the strict warning from the religious leaders to stop.  They never backed down….they used every opportunity to teach something about God’s love. Every day they woke and used the power of the Holy Spirit to keep them strong…courageous…connected completely to God and His purpose for their lives.

 

What a great reminder to wake every morning and thank God for the privilege of loving Him. It is an honor to have been chosen to experience His love…I should count every opportunity to show His love to others that I can. His love was not meant to keep me protected in bubble wrap ….keeping me from ever experiencing adversity.  His love was meant for me to learn to walk through that adversity holding His hand…so others can see what it can do to give them life.

 

I am guilty of making it more about me that Him most days.  I wake and thank Him for another day…but I sure don’t thank Him for the possible bad that will happen that day.  I am learning to give thanks for the past trials and sufferings that He has allowed in my life. It is a very hard thing to do…but it releases a new kind of love and respect for who God is when you do it. It is one thing to thank God for the things that I perceive to be wonderful…the blessings that are obvious.  It is entirely another thing to thank God for the things we perceive to be bad. As Laura Story’s great song asks…What if your blessings come in teardrops? I have found that those teardrops open your heart to a whole new level of understanding of God’s mercy.

 

Father…thank you for reminding me that it is a privilege to love you. Forgive me for all the times that I have let my selfishness keep me from thanking you for what I perceive to be a bad thing. Help me to thank you in all things… so you can deepen my love for you and help power me like you did Peter and John to do your work. Amen.

Love The Person...AND...Take A Stand Against The Sin

Acts 4:16-20 - Saying, What shall we do to these men?  for that indeed a notable miracle hath been done by them is manifest to all them that dwell in Jerusalem;  and we cannot deny it.   But that it spread no further among the people, let us straitly threaten them, that they speak henceforth to no man in this name.   And they called them, and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus.  But Peter and John answered and said unto them, Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye.   For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard. 

 

Peter and John had healed a man lame from birth….and used the miracle to show the power of the Holy Spirit.  They preached with a boldness that nothing could touch…and ended up in jail when the religious leaders saw the crowd they drew. Peter had made a lot of mistakes…but the Holy Spirit gave him power after Jesus returned to Heaven to stand against any power that satan threw at him. He internalized the power that God sent him through the Holy Spirit and used it to never back down again.

 

What a great reminder to never live in our past.  We can make all the mistakes in the world…but when we let Jesus into our heart…those mistakes can be erased.  And when we tap into the power that the Holy Spirit can give us…we can become bold… courageous apostles that are not afraid to take a stand for the truth of Christ.  God gives us the power to claim victory over any hold satan eve had on our heart and life.  The Holy Spirit gives us the power to overcome any adversity that satan means to destroy our connection with God.

 

Satan will lie to you and trick you into believing that you have no power over the world. But the truth is that God will allow you to overcome anything that weakens your ability to love and follow Him.  I admit that it is hard to take a stance in this world that seems to be passing law after law that is clearly contrary to what the Bible teaches.  I also admit that there is a very fine line between taking a stance against something and still loving the people who have been tricked into following the lies.  I struggle daily with that fine line ….of learning to love the people who need Christ and finding a way to stand up for the truth that the Bible left us to live by.  We are called to love everyone in the world…but not be of the world.

 

Father thank you for the reminder to let you be in me so that I can be exactly what you need be to the world you are trying to save. Forgive me for the times that I never tap into your power….or let the world control my choices.  Help me to be bold and courageous like Peter and John…because they let you fill them with power from the Holy Spirit. Give me an ability to love the person who has been tricked into sin…so that I can let God use me to reveal the truth. Amen.

Don't Judge...Just Glorify God

Acts 3:2-6 -  And a certain man lame from his mother's womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms of them that entered into the temple;   Who seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple asked an alms.    And Peter, fastening his eyes upon him with John, said, Look on us.    And he gave heed unto them, expecting to receive something of them.    Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none;  but such as I have give I thee:  In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.  

 

Peter and John had gone to the Temple for the afternoon prayer time.  They encountered a man lame from birth who laid by the most used gate of the Temple to beg each day. He asked them for what he asked everyone else that entered that gate…an alm…his only means of support in life.

 

Little did he know that his life was about to be changed forever by the two disciples that saw it as an opportunity to glorify God. He asked for the smallest thing…but got a complete healing …the ability to walk where no ability had ever been before. Peter and John took that moment to ask in Jesus’ name for a mighty miracle….giving the man way more than a simple piece of money to support him.

 

It sure expands my thoughts about the many beggars I see from time to time.  I can remember the signs they held…. need a ride….haven’t eaten for a week….need gas to get back home….stranded with my family and need diapers. Sure I stopped when I felt led and did what I could…I have also passed by many that I let my heart think was bogus….but I have never been so bold as Peter and John…asking in Jesus name for Him to provide what they needed.  I simply shoved the thing I bought….or the money I got out of my purse…or followed them to the gas station to fill up their tank…then left them with a simple blessing.

 

I needed the reminder that it is not my place to judge or wonder who really needs what they are asking for.  It is my responsibility to bring them as much of God’s love as I can…not stopping with the obvious giving of what they asked for. God has so much more than I have ever imagined….I limit Him so many times because I don’t think more like Jesus….I don’t see the fullness of what God can do when we ask in Jesus name.

 

Father…thank you for the reminder that you are capable of anything.  Forgive me for the times that I have limited what I receive from you…and give less than I could to others.  Help me to stay so in touch with the presence of the Holy Spirit that I remember to pray in your name for what I and others need from you. Amen.

Tap Into The Power Of The Holy Spirit

Acts 2:1-4 -  Seven weeks had gone by since Jesus’ death and resurrection, and the Day of Pentecost had now arrived. As the believers met together that day,  suddenly there was a sound like the roaring of a mighty windstorm in the skies above them and it filled the house where they were meeting. Then, what looked like flames or tongues of fire appeared and settled on their heads. And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in languages they didn’t know, for the Holy Spirit gave them this ability.

 

The followers had waited 7 weeks.  They met with each other to gain strength….pray for guidance and wait for the promise of the Holy Spirit. It came when they least expected it….. in a dramatic display of sound and visual effects.  A mighty roar…like a great windstorm…then flames settled on their heads that looked to all to be in the shape of a tongue.  Then they all started speaking in languages they did not know as the Holy Spirit filled them all with the power of God.

 

It had a great purpose.  Many Jews from many nations had come to the Festival of Weeks. The apostles only knew Greek and Hebrew…and possibly Aramaic.  But as the Holy Spirit filled them they spoke in the languages of all that had assembled there.  Each person in attendance heard the gospel in the clearest form of his/her language.

 

For some reason…God allowed me to miss a connecting flight on my way home from CA…so I have some layover time in Charlotte NC this morning.  As I wait for a possible standby seat on the earliest flight out…I can hear the roar of the engines of the planes outside the gate where I wait. There are several others around me…of different nationalities around me as a wait…so I can hear them all converse in their native languages. The sun is shining bright through the window where I sit…but that is as close to the scene as I can get in this moment.

 

I am reminded that our world still needs the power the Holy Spirit can give us.  I know that I am depending on it right now to stay calm and not worry about the possibility that  might be hanging out in the airport till 10:00pm tonight….(its only 8:00 am right now). I know my friend who just texted me for prayer needs a huge dose of Holy Spirit to help her stay calm as she deals with some pretty serious health issues that her mom is going through. And I am sure that someone in this airport needs some Holy Spirit for something….possibly something that God will use me to help with as I wait.

 

The Holy Spirit is not limited to giving us new languages to speak in.  It gives us strength…. courage…. boldness….confidence…..self-control…insight….new abilities….authority….just to name a few powers it gives to believers. I am guilty of not remembering to ask God to fill me daily with its power…so I can be the most effective worker for him.  I can just imagine what I could do for him if I tapped into the Holy Spirit’s power more each day.

 

Father…thank you for the reminder that you gave us a powerful tool to help us be the best that we can be.  Forgive me for the times that I forget to call on it for help and do things in my own power.  Help me to be more aware of my need to depend on your power…and let you guide me as you did these great new Christians that were the first to experience the power the Holy Spirit has to help us live and do your work.  Amen.

You Can Be Replaced

Acts 1:23-26 -  The assembly nominated two men: Joseph Justus (also called Barsabbas) and Matthias.  Then they all prayed for the right man to be chosen. “O Lord,” they said, “you know every heart; show us which of these men you have chosen as an apostle to replace Judas the traitor, who has gone on to his proper place.”  Then they drew straws, and in this manner Matthias was chosen and became an apostle with the other eleven.

 

Jesus had disappeared into the clouds and left the disciples with the promise of the Holy Spirit to take His place till He returned. So they left the Mount of Olives where they watched Him rise into the clouds ….returned the short way back to Jerusalem…and gathered in the upstairs room where they were staying to pray. They stayed there for many days…praying….waiting for the promise …and letting God help them know what to do in the meantime.

 

One of the things He revealed to them was the need to replace Judas…the one who had betrayed Jesus.  They nominated two men that God laid on their hearts….then drew straws to let God let them know which one would be best.  Then Peter began to speak to them about the importance of all that had happened while they had been with Jesus.

 

I am reminded by this time in the disciple’s lives that when I choose not to do what God has asked me to do…I will be replaced with someone that is willing and ready to follow Him anywhere and everywhere. Judas chose self over God…and even though God used it as part of His plan …(remember God knew what Judas was going to do)….it could not go unjudged.

 

I also find comfort in the promise of the Holy Spirit. It empowers all believers to have extra strength…courage…confidence….boldness….insight…..ability…and authority on Earth to do what God leads us to do.  We don’t have to wonder about what God is thinking…we can use the Holy Spirit to know…that we know…that we know what He is telling us He wants us to do.  I don’t have to depend upon my own strength and will…I have access to the Holy Spirit’s power to help me accomplish all things through Christ.

 

Father…thank you for the reminder that your love includes a 24/7 hotline to the Holy Spirit. Forgive me for the times that I have chosen self over Your will….and you have replaced me with someone more willing to do your desire.  Help me to always remember that my ways will never accomplish your full will...so I will call on you to give me strength and courage to follow you no matter what.  Amen.

Grow Up...Feed God's Sheep....Not Yourself

John21:17-18 -  Once more he asked him, “Simon, son of John, are you even my friend?  ”Peter was grieved at the way Jesus asked the question this third time. “Lord, you know my heart; you know I am,” he said.  Jesus said, “Then feed my little sheep. When you were young, you were able to do as you liked and go wherever you wanted to; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands and others will direct you and take you where you don’t want to go.”

 

Jesus appeared to a few of the disciples that went fishing on the Lake of Galilee one morning. Even though they had not caught any fish…they followed Jesus’ directions to cast the net on the other side of the boat and caught so many the net should have torn from the weight.  They sat and ate a breakfast of fish and bread while they visited for the third time since His resurrection.

 

He pulled Peter off by himself to chat about His true feelings.  He asked Him three times if Peter was His friend. Perhaps to remind Peter about the three denials he had made before His crucifixion….perhaps to meet Peter at His level of dedication for the moment…..perhaps just to let Peter know He loved him no matter what he had done. Then He spoke the strong message tat it was time for Peter to let go of the past….enter into a new frame of mind that was more self-sacrificial….and follow Christ the same way He had loved him.

 

What a great reminder that Jesus calls us all to a new level of love when we come to know him. We can be children…demanding our own way …pitching that tantrum…crying in the isles of life for what we want…crying and having pity parties when things go south so bad we just don’t understand.  OR…we can follow Jesus’ directions and grow up …stretch out our hearts and hands to what God called us to….be a servant to others like Jesus modeled for us.

 

I admit that it is not the easy road to take.  I admit that I can’t count the many times that I have failed to be the grown up. I take so much comfort in the promise that God will never leave or forsake us….He takes us back with open arms …just like He took Peter back after His epic failure to keep the promise He made to the best friend He ever had. Jesus allows us to be human…He forgives what we ask and reinstates us to use our failure to speak His love to others.

 

Father…thank you for the reminder that you love us beyond what we can understand. Thank you for the reminder that love calls me to be a grown up in Christ…to let go of my childish ways and be strong in the love that only you can give me.  Forgive me for the many times that I have let the world trick me into sitting in my failures and pain for longer than I needed to learn the lesson you intended when you allowed that pain and failure in my life.  Help me to lean completely on you…and let your love strengthen and guide me to a deeper understanding of your love for me.  Amen.

Do You Recognize Jesus' Voice?

John 20:11-14 -  and by that time Mary had returned to the tomb and was standing outside crying. And as she wept, she stooped and looked in and saw two white-robed angels sitting at the head and foot of the place where the body of Jesus had been lying.  “Why are you crying?” the angels asked her.  “Because they have taken away my Lord,” she replied, “and I don’t know where they have put him.” She glanced over her shoulder and saw someone standing behind her. It was Jesus, but she didn’t recognize him!

 

Jesus had been raised…just as He had told them many times.  They went to the tomb and even saw for themselves…but Mary Magdalene did not immediately recognize the truth of what had happened.  She went back to the place where they had laid him and cried over her loss…even more so because she could not anoint His dead body as she had planned. She did not let the carefully folded grave clothes give her hope like John and peter…she held on to her grief and continued to mourn. God even sent two angels to speak the truth to her heart…but even that hit a wall of tears.

 

It took the voice of Jesus to bring her heart to full belief. She thought He was just a gardener at first…but when He spoke …she recognized Him at once. She reached for Him but Jesus warned her not to cling to Him…He had to be transformed somehow in a return to Heaven before human touch would be allowed. Instead of a hug or touch of comfort He quickly gave her a job….to go and tell the disciples that she had seen him.

 

I understand Mary so well in this passage. I had flashbacks of my own loss in Mitchell as soon as I read about her deep emotions that morning. She was so disturbed that two angels could not convince her to stop mourning... it took a visit by Jesus Himself to dispel the misery she felt in losing her best friend. God did the same thing for me…letting me crawl up in His lap for days till I had let go of all the sadness and tears that I needed too. Then he gave me a new purpose for life…calling me to begin a new task…writing about His marvelous story…testifying how he comforted me and changed my life to be more full than I ever imagined with His love.

 

My guess is that I am not alone…we have all had an experience like Mary Magdalene at some point in our life.  Perhaps God has been sending you angels…but you are still having trouble accepting your loss as anything allowed by God.  Try crawling up in God’s lap and letting Him hold you while you cry it out…then listen for the job He will give you to help give your pain some purpose. His voice will be softer than you have ever heard it…but if you listen as Mary did…its love will power you through the pain that holds you in mourning.

 

Father…thank you for reminding me that your voice and love contain all that I ever needed.  Forgive me for allowing my pain to blind me to the angels you sent to help me. Thank you again for not allowing me to stay in my pain…but letting me stay in your lap as long as I needed to feel strong and bold once again.  Help me to listen even closer to the still small voice that tells me how to use it to testify and give glory to you for how you have changed my life. Amen.

Jesus Accepts Us Any Way We Come To Know Him

John 19:38-39 -  Afterwards Joseph of Arimathea, who had been a secret disciple of Jesus for fear of the Jewish leaders, boldly asked Pilate for permission to take Jesus’ body down; and Pilate told him to go ahead. So he came and took it away. Nicodemus, the man who had come to Jesus at night, came too, bringing a hundred pounds of embalming ointment made from myrrh and aloes.

 

Jesus stumbled soon into His way to Golgotha at the weight of His cross…..requiring another man…a simple bystander to bear it the rest of the way. The soldiers continued to taunt and mock Him ….gambling for His clothes at the foot of the cross.  Jesus maintained complete control throughout the whole ordeal.  He picked a caregiver for His sweet mother…then uttered His last words and He left this world to pay the heavy price for the sin of the world.

 

Some people believed in Christ from the moment they met Him. Many people maintained their worldly connection and refused to believe in the power of Christ…even though they saw the great miracles that God allowed Him to do. But there were at several people that were changed forever in the last moments of Jesus’ life…..from the experience of watching His physical suffering and the reaction of God to His creation.

 

There was the criminal that Luke spoke of in His writings.  He was so touched by the presence of Jesus next to him that he believed …Jesus allowing Him access to Heaven the very same day.  Recorded in Matthew 27 there was the Roman captain and His soldiers that gazed on the afternoon’s happenings and believed that He surely God’s son when the earthquake shook the world during His death. Then there were the two leaders….Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus…who held back for fear when He was alive…but used Jesus death as a catalyst to be bold and help bury Him properly.

 

It is a reminder that all of us come to know Christ in different ways.  Some of us will learn of Him and develop deep relationships from the moment we meet Him.  Some go the way of the world and meet Him in the last moments of their lives. Some hold back in fear of how the world will react to our decision to follow Christ…but eventually let go of the world and completely surrender to God’ will for our lives. Each decision is unique…. precious to God and seen equally in His eyes.

 

What a great truth of God that it doesn’t matter how or when you come to know Him. What matters is that you believe on Him and the precious gift of salvation He provided through His death on the cross and  resurrection. Death bed conversions are real….and so are all the other ways that God gets His children’s attention so that they will believe on His son.

 

Father…thank you for the reminder that no one conversion experience is the same. Forgive me for the times that I have judged and refused to accept someone’s faith because of how they said it happened.  Help me instead look more at the heart that was changed…like you looked upon the criminal on the cross next to you…..so that more people will understand the deep love you had to give all of us such a precious gift of eternal life. Amen.

Make The Bold Choice...Use the Truth To Do The Right Thing

John 18:28-29 -  Jesus’ trial before Caiaphas ended in the early hours of the morning. Next he was taken to the palace of the Roman governor. His accusers wouldn’t go in themselves for that would “defile” them, they said, and they wouldn’t be allowed to eat the Passover lamb.  So Pilate, the governor, went out to them and asked, “What is your charge against this man? What are you accusing him of doing?”

 

Jesus had been arrested late in the evening…then passed from official to official during the night.  Each one would find Him innocent and give Him back to the Jewish leaders that arrested Him.  Pilate was their last hope of a crucifixion sentence …. the last to examine the possible guilt of this man that they wanted to be crucified so badly. They had to have his approval according to the laws of that day.

 

Pilate wasn’t a believer …but He knew in His heart from his questions that Jesus was as innocent as any man he had ever tried. He wanted to let Him go…but after several attempts to free Him…he gave in to the leaders and crowd they had gathered to shout for His death.  He tried to release Him by using a scapegoat named Barabbas…. tried to appease the leaders with compromise in beating Jesus terribly….then finally washed His hands and gave permission…shirking the responsibility of His death back to the Jewish leaders.

 

Pilate reminds me so much of myself…when I know the truth…but choose to do it the wrong way anyway.  I too shirk my responsibility in things….trying to get someone else to do what I know is my job all along. I too try to find scapegoats….blaming other people for what I did.  I too succumb to peer pressure way too many times…when I know that I should really take a stand and speak out.  Pilate reminds me how very wrong it is to sometimes twist the truth to be whatever keeps me happy…and in control.

 

How very comforting that Jesus died for people like Pilate and me in spite of our twisted hearts….so that we could experience His full forgiveness and mercy in salvation. It rocks me to the very core to think that I have ever thought that acting like Pilate was okay. I want a fresh resolve to not just know the truth….but use it to power me to take a bolder stand in situations that I have recently let suck me too much into the world.

 

Father….thank you for the reminder that my human flesh wins out in way too many situations where I should be taking a stand for you.  Forgive me for the times that I have let selfishness keep me from choosing the truth.  Help me to rest in your perfect forgiveness and mercy and let it give me the discernment to know the truth. Let the truth give me confidence to bold and strong and stand the right stand…the one that will glorify you the most here on earth.  Amen.

Intensify Your Prayers ...Then Turn Your Worries Over To God

John 17:9-11 -  “My plea is not for the world but for those you have given me because they belong to you.  And all of them, since they are mine, belong to you; and you have given them back to me with everything else of yours, and so they are my glory!  Now I am leaving the world, and leaving them behind, and coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your own care—all those you have given me—so that they will be united just as we are, with none missing.

 

Jesus had been teaching them…trying to help them understand the fullness of the sacrifice He was about to make for the world. When He finished saying all He felt they needed to know to process His death….days of separation form them….and His retain to life in resurrection…He turned His face toward Heaven and spoke aloud to His father. It was one of the rare times that Jesus did not go off by Himself to pray in private.  He wanted the 12 men who had become His closest friends…His students…the future preachers of His story of great love and truth to hear this important conversation with God.

 

It was time for His finale…for Him to give His life in the last blood sacrifice to save the world. He knew how difficult it was going to be for them to be left alone for even the three days they were separated…for they would all think that He was gone forever…that they had failed….misinterpreted  everything that He had said to them. So Jesus prayed out loud…in front of them….and thanked God for them….turned them back over to His care…asked Him to protect them from satan’s power….and continue to teach them how to glorify God and become holy and pure like He was about to do. 

 

As a mom…I immediately thought of the deep connection God granted to me in three great children…and the precious life of two grandchildren. The children God gave to me have all grown up and made lives of her own. They make the choices I turned them over to God a long time ago….which gives this mom a great deal of peace. But I don’t remember my prayers for God to keep them safe being quite this intense….and for sure it has been years since they have heard me verbalize a prayer aloud for their safety and growth.

 

One last thought….Jesus was fixing to go through the hardest part of the job God had given Him to do….but in this moment he was praying for His disciples. I know just a few hours from now He will intensify the prayers to His father for Himself…but it is huge in my mind that He took the time to stop and let these men know just how intimate His love for them had become. It wasn’t just a simple thank you God and help me out here…it took John a whole chapter to describe its powerful contents.

 

I feel a deep need to intensify my prayers.  I need to thank God more frequently for the gift of them in the first place….pray for God to protect them from the power of satan in the world…and ask God to help them grow in faith each day He allows them life on the earth.  I need to intensify my simple prayers to God of thankfulness and protection into a full blown pleading for their faith in God to grow into a testimony of glory to God….a way to give them the power and courage to be in the world but not of the world.

 

Father thank you for the reminder that you gave me the precious gift of children…and that they still belong to you. Forgive for the times that my prayers to you for them were weak models of what you intended when you taught me to pray.  Help me to intensify my prayers so that they are intense pleadings of love for the safety and protection of the world’s crazy problems and temptations.  I will thank you in advance for the peace that you give me in this moment to handle whatever happens after I turn them completely over to you.  Amen.

No Veil...No Limits...We have A 24/7 Direct Line To God

John 16:23-24 -   At that time you won’t need to ask me for anything, for you can go directly to the Father and ask him, and he will give you what you ask for because you use my name. You haven’t tried this before, but begin now.  Ask, using my name, and you will receive, and your cup of joy will overflow.

 

Jesus had used riddles….parables to teach so many truths that He wanted His followers to grasp before He took His seat next to God after His resurrection. Sometimes the disciples understood... but others they scratched their head in confusion.  This particular time….Jesus was trying to help them understand the reason the Holy of Holies veil was going to be torn when He died on the cross.

 

Up until that time no one but a select few could handle the pure presence of God….and no one could look upon His face. God always appeared in a watered down form… a burning bush…a cloud of smoke….a dove….to name a few of the first ones that come to my mind.  Jesus was really blowing their minds with this teaching…praying directly to God…with no blood sacrifice or priest to take their petition to the father was radical to say the least.

 

I admit that I take for granted my direct line to Heaven…even though I know I have it…and depend on it in times of storm…I sure don’t take advantage of it on a regular basis. I have learned to be pretty content in my adult years…feeling that my cup of joy is maybe two thirds full…most of the time.  But this morning’s reminder has me wondering what it would feel like if I let this great gift that God gave us to speak to Him directly…to be in His presence any time we want …start filling my cup to the brim so that it would really overflow.

 

The key seems to be embedded in Jesus’ words to His closest friends.  Even though He knew that they were all going to abandon Him….He wanted them to know that they could visit with Him in spirit any time they wanted…to draw comfort…to draw strength and courage…to draw wisdom…to draw power. The world was going to split over the death of Jesus.  Many would believe and draw courage to continue  to teach His truth and resurrection from the Holy Spirit….and many would rejoice that their ideas of a blasphemous false prophet was true….twisting the truth so that many would run from the one thing that would save them from eternal death.  We might as well be talking about this moment in time….for things haven’t changed much in the years God has watched us since. 

 

One last thought…or let me present the thought in the form of a question.  What if I spent as much time with God as I do on my mobile device? That smacks me right in the fat fingers that type so many misspelled words a day that I am ashamed. I carry that phone around with me 24/7…and lift my head at the slightest ding from a notification.  How sad that I don’t have my ears and heart tuned to God’s notifications on a 24/7 basis. How convicted I am that my intent nightly Bible reading and morning reflection to the blog are simply a vapor compared to what Jesus was talking about here.

 

Father…thank you for the reminder that you opened a way for me to experience you fully through the death and resurrection of your son Jesus Christ. Forgive me for the times that I have taken that powerful connection for granted…letting the world’s disbelief limit the power I have received from your precious Holy Spirit.  Help me to remember to stay in an attitude of prayer 24/7…to jump at the chance to come into your presence and worship you….to spend intent time with you as much as I can. Amen.