This is the season we celebrate the birth of our savior, Jesus Christ. We call it Christmas and somehow it got assigned December 25th as the day. But why the 25th of December?
It appears the Church of Rome deliberately chose December 25th as the date of Christ's birth to turn people away from a pagan feast observed at the same time. Pagan celebrations had always occurred throughout the empire. Since the time of the Roman Emperor Aurelian (270-275), December 25th was observed as "the birthday of the sun."
It seems Rome chose this same date to counteract this pagan feast of the sun god and turn people instead to the "Sun of Righteousness with healing in His wings" (Malachi 4:2; Luke 1:78). Or put another way, Julius chose December 25th so that the Son of God rather than the sun god would be worshiped.
Although there is no direct evidence that proves this, sermons from fathers of the church such as Augustine (354-430) and Leo the Great (440-461) both give this line of reasoning.
Therefore, this theory seems to be the probable one. December 25th was chosen not because it had somehow been proven from extra-biblical sources that Christ was definitely born on December 25th. Rather the date was chosen to counteract a very popular pagan holiday that had already been occurring on this date.
Here in the United States, Christmas is a joyful religious holiday when Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. The Christmas story comes from the Bible. An angel appeared to shepherds and told them a Savior had been born to Mary and Joseph in a stable in Bethlehem. Three Wise Men from the East (the Magi) followed a wondrous star, which led them to the baby Jesus to whom they paid homage and presented gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.
Yep, that is what the songs are all about and what the stories on TV all depict. But, is that what really happened? Their timing is not quite biblical.
Luke 1 - The Birth of Jesus Foretold
26In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee, 27to a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of King David. 28Gabriel appeared to her and said, “Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you!” 29Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean. 30“Don’t be frightened, Mary,” the angel told her, “for God has decided to bless you! 31You will become pregnant and have a son, and you are to name him Jesus. 32He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. 33And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!” 34Mary asked the angel, “But how can I have a baby? I am a virgin.” 35The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby born to you will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God. 36What’s more, your relative Elizabeth has become pregnant in her old age! People used to say she was barren, but she’s already in her sixth month. 37For nothing is impossible with God.” 38Mary responded, “I am the Lord’s servant, and I am willing to accept whatever he wants. May everything you have said come true.” And then the angel left.
Why did God choose this particular woman; why Mary?
The genealogy of a person was very important in those days. Proving where you came from was of primary importance. And Mary's lineage showed that she and therefore her offspring were descendants of King David and of Abraham as described in the first chapter of Matthew. And this is the lineage the Messiah was to come from as prophesied by Isaiah in the Old Testament.
Matthew 1 - The Birth of Jesus the Messiah
18Now this is how Jesus the Messiah was born. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. But while she was still a virgin, she became pregnant by the Holy Spirit. 19Joseph, her fiancé, being a just man, decided to break the engagement quietly, so as not to disgrace her publicly. 20As he considered this, he fell asleep, and an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. “Joseph, son of David,” the angel said, “do not be afraid to go ahead with your marriage to Mary. For the child within her has been conceived by the Holy Spirit. 21And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” 22All of this happened to fulfill the Lord’s message through his prophet: 23“Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and he will be called Immanuel (meaning, God is with us).” 24When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord commanded. He brought Mary home to be his wife, 25but she remained a virgin until her son was born. And Joseph named him Jesus.
It was important that Jesus be brought up in a loving family environment. And Joseph and Mary were truly in love with each other. That was tested when Mary confessed she was pregnant and, after his dream, Joseph agreed to marry her and raised Him as he did his other sons.
Luke 2 - The Shepherds and Angels
8That night some shepherds were in the fields outside the village, guarding their flocks of sheep. 9Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terribly frightened, 10but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news of great joy for everyone! 11The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born tonight in Bethlehem, the city of David! 12And this is how you will recognize him: You will find a baby lying in a manger, wrapped snugly in strips of cloth!” 13Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God: 4“Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to all whom God favors.” 15When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, “Come on, let’s go to Bethlehem! Let’s see this wonderful thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” 16They ran to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger. 17Then the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child. 18All who heard the shepherds’ story were astonished, 19but Mary quietly treasured these things in her heart and thought about them often. 20The shepherds went back to their fields and flocks, glorifying and praising God for what the angels had told them, and because they had seen the child, just as the angel had said.
God told a few, and they went to see for themselves, and then they told others.
Isn't that always the way. We need some proof. It is very difficult for us, as humans, to believe what we have not seen. Yet the full power of God is available to us every day if we only reach out and apply it without seeing proof first; apply it in faith.
Matthew 2 - The Visit of the Wise Men
1Jesus was born in the town of Bethlehem in Judea, during the reign of King Herod. About that time some wise men from eastern lands arrived in Jerusalem, asking, 2“Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We have seen his star as it arose, and we have come to worship him.” 3Herod was deeply disturbed by their question, as was all of Jerusalem. 4He called a meeting of the leading priests and teachers of religious law. “Where did the prophets say the Messiah would be born?” he asked them. 5“In Bethlehem,” they said, “for this is what the prophet wrote: 6‘O Bethlehem of Judah, you are not just a lowly village in Judah, for a ruler will come from you who will be the shepherd for my people Israel.’” 7Then Herod sent a private message to the wise men, asking them to come see him. At this meeting he learned the exact time when they first saw the star. 8Then he told them, “Go to Bethlehem and search carefully for the child. And when you find him, come back and tell me so that I can go and worship him, too!” 9After this interview the wise men went their way. Once again the star appeared to them, guiding them to Bethlehem. It went ahead of them and stopped over the place where the child was. 10When they saw the star, they were filled with joy! 11They entered the house where the child and his mother, Mary, were, and they fell down before him and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasure chests and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 12But when it was time to leave, they went home another way, because God had warned them in a dream not to return to Herod.
Here is where the story we hear goes off the timeline. We tell the story of the three wise men and yet there is no mention of how many. We tell the story of how they visited the "baby Jesus" in the manger yet the Bible tells that they visited him in a house, not in a manager.
It took over a year for those wise men, those astrologers and their entourages, to travel and find Jesus. God gave them a star to guide them. With their knowledge of the stars they were able to use that bright star to guide them to wherever Jesus was. And they found Him when He was two years old.
When they did, they lavished great gifts upon Him. And I do not think it was just three little boxes as "Hollywood" depicts it. No, I believe there were many, many, many camels’ worth of gifts. Think about it. They were giving the King of Kings, the Messiah, the son of the almighty God himself an offering.
Jesus began His life in a manager, and started His childhood with wealth.
Soon it will be December 25th once again, and we will celebrate another year with Jesus as the Messiah. Mary had Jesus in her, but not in the way He is in you. She was a host for the creation of God's son on earth. And God had to bring Him to us in that way.
He fulfilled prophecy of old when Jesus was born of a woman. That is true. But why did He not just create the Messiah as a fully-grown man like He did with Adam?
If a "new man" dropped into town and told you he was the Messiah, would you believe it? I do not think so. It gets back to that "show me" mentality we all have. And that comes from doubt and fear. And doubt and fear do not come from God.
Looking back over the lineage, the words from God to both Mary and Joseph, the miraculous birth, the angel's message to the Shepherd’s, and the long pilgrimage of the wise men to worship Him one can see the "proof".
How does Jesus in Mary compare to Jesus in you?
John 3
5Jesus replied, “The truth is, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit. 6Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives new life from heaven.
Mary was a host. And "Humans can reproduce only human life ". She gave birth to the infant, the human baby Jesus. She nurtured that child as her own. She mothered Him through his childhood and beyond.
John 3
7So don’t be surprised at my statement that you must be born again. 8Just as you can hear the wind but can’t tell where it comes from or where it is going, so you can’t explain how people are born of the Spirit.”
As one who has accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you are born again.
John 3
16“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. 17God did not send his Son into the world to condemn it, but to save it. 18“There is no judgment awaiting those who trust him. But those who do not trust him have already been judged for not believing in the only Son of God. 19Their judgment is based on this fact: The light from heaven came into the world, but they loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil. 20They hate the light because they want to sin in the darkness. They stay away from the light for fear their sins will be exposed and they will be punished. 21But those who do what is right come to the light gladly, so everyone can see that they are doing what God wants.”
I remember a TV series called Star Trek: Deep Space Nine that ran from 1993 to 1999. There was a character called Jadzia Dax. She was referred to as a host for a simbiant. Dax was the name of the simbiant. And Dax was many, many, many years old. The simbiant took over a new host whenever the current one was too old to continue on. There was only one Dax and that simbiant could only be in one person at a time.
Jesus is not for just one of us. He is for all of us. But, He does not take over all of us. He might like to, but we are a reluctant people. We like the freedom of choice God gave us when He called the world and us into existence. So we give Him a little space by accepting His free gift of salvation.
With that gift comes life everlasting. With that free gift comes the ability to choose to let Him take over our bodies and to do His work through us. When that occurs, His power and authority flows to all who reach out, to all who reach out to Him.
Celebrate Christmas. Let Jesus into your heart and be Lord of your life.
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Scripture reference from the NLT
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Friday, December 19, 2008
The Widow Woman
While Jesus was in the Temple, he watched the rich people putting their gifts into the collection box. Then a poor widow came by and dropped in two pennies. "I assure you," he said, "this poor widow has given more than all the rest of them. For they have given a tiny part of their surplus, but she, poor as she is, has given everything she has." (Luke 21:1-4 NLT)
We read this and smile. Perhaps a tear begins to drop as we think of how this poor widow woman wanted to give something and did so, but not out of a legalistic leaning. She gave out of her heart even at the cost of perhaps her meals that day.
She was not motivated by a giving message that went on and on in the temple that day. Nobody passed a basket or asked people to come to the front to drop their offerings. At the entrance to the temple there was a collection box. We might call it an offering box. Those that came into the temple could drop their tithes and offerings into the box. The giving was done in secret. Unless you happened to be nearby and see who was passing the box, you did not know who put something in.
Jesus was nearby and noticed what she dropped in. Like with everything else, He used the observation to teach others. He did not embarrass the woman by shouting out to the crowd. No, He was speaking to His disciples who were with Him and always eager to learn.
When was the last time you gave all you had?
Most of us budget our money so we can meet expenses each month. We just hope we run out of month before we run out of money. Hopefully, this is what happens to you.
How does the offering fit into your budget? Do you wait until the end of the month to see how you did and then give what is left over? This is a good example of giving out of your surplus. Do you take that amount and give it over the next month a week at a time so others see you giving something? This is an example of giving out of pride.
The poor widow knew that she knew that her God would provide for her. She gave out of her heart knowing He would provide her needs. She had faith in the promises of God and was not worried about anything.
I don’t think it would be prudent to empty your savings accounts and retirement funds and give them at the next offering. And I do not believe in the teaching that tells us to give and God will return it back to us tenfold or better. God blesses us in His time.
Giving ten percent of your paycheck each week is certainly a tithe. But is that going to the church because you were taught a principle and given a formula? Or are you giving out of your heart, the result of your relationship with God?
I cannot give ten percent, you say. I have trouble meeting expenses each month with the twenty dollars I drop in the basket each week. What will happen if I give ten percent? I will go broke!
Remember the feeding of the five thousand and having baskets left over? Tithing is where God math takes over. His math has you giving ten percent and you getting through the month with all expenses covered and something left over.
Remember, this is not a formula. When you give your tithe from your heart to the Kingdom of God, You
We read this and smile. Perhaps a tear begins to drop as we think of how this poor widow woman wanted to give something and did so, but not out of a legalistic leaning. She gave out of her heart even at the cost of perhaps her meals that day.
She was not motivated by a giving message that went on and on in the temple that day. Nobody passed a basket or asked people to come to the front to drop their offerings. At the entrance to the temple there was a collection box. We might call it an offering box. Those that came into the temple could drop their tithes and offerings into the box. The giving was done in secret. Unless you happened to be nearby and see who was passing the box, you did not know who put something in.
Jesus was nearby and noticed what she dropped in. Like with everything else, He used the observation to teach others. He did not embarrass the woman by shouting out to the crowd. No, He was speaking to His disciples who were with Him and always eager to learn.
When was the last time you gave all you had?
Most of us budget our money so we can meet expenses each month. We just hope we run out of month before we run out of money. Hopefully, this is what happens to you.
How does the offering fit into your budget? Do you wait until the end of the month to see how you did and then give what is left over? This is a good example of giving out of your surplus. Do you take that amount and give it over the next month a week at a time so others see you giving something? This is an example of giving out of pride.
The poor widow knew that she knew that her God would provide for her. She gave out of her heart knowing He would provide her needs. She had faith in the promises of God and was not worried about anything.
I don’t think it would be prudent to empty your savings accounts and retirement funds and give them at the next offering. And I do not believe in the teaching that tells us to give and God will return it back to us tenfold or better. God blesses us in His time.
Giving ten percent of your paycheck each week is certainly a tithe. But is that going to the church because you were taught a principle and given a formula? Or are you giving out of your heart, the result of your relationship with God?
I cannot give ten percent, you say. I have trouble meeting expenses each month with the twenty dollars I drop in the basket each week. What will happen if I give ten percent? I will go broke!
Remember the feeding of the five thousand and having baskets left over? Tithing is where God math takes over. His math has you giving ten percent and you getting through the month with all expenses covered and something left over.
Remember, this is not a formula. When you give your tithe from your heart to the Kingdom of God, You
Monday, October 13, 2008
The Twelfth Disciple
In Proverb 3:5, it tells us not to lean to our own understanding. In other words, do not jump ahead of the Holy Spirit. Let God direct our path and order our steps in all we do. Only He knows the entire plan. We only know our plan.
In Acts 1:15, even before the Holy Spirit came upon them, Peter addressed the remaining eleven disciples compelled to elect by lot a replacement for Judas who had betrayed Jesus. They knew that scripture said this would happen, so they made it so.
They used their best judgment and decided on two possibilities, Barsabbas and Matthias. Both had been with Jesus during His time on earth although not part of the inner circle of twelve. The disciples drew lots to pick Matthias.
As we read this, it seems logical to us. We would probably think the same way. However, as we think back over the gospels, we might remember that Jesus never did things to fulfill scripture. He did things that fulfilled scripture. He did not get ahead of the Holy Spirit.
I believe the disciples were leaning to their own understanding, anxious to fulfill scripture. We never again hear about Matthias in the remaining books.
God had another plan and it happened on the road to Demascus. He picked Saul as number twelve. And so Paul became the fulfillment of scripture. He became the twelfth disciple.
We must be careful not to lean to our own understanding and wait for God to direct our steps instead of deciding what God wants us to do.
Therefore, jumping ahead of God by leaning on our past experience or the teachings from where came from can be leading us right out from under the divine protection He has placed over our lives. Listening to the Holy Spirit is a discipline we all must learn. When this is our lifestyle we will not leap before our time.
In Acts 1:15, even before the Holy Spirit came upon them, Peter addressed the remaining eleven disciples compelled to elect by lot a replacement for Judas who had betrayed Jesus. They knew that scripture said this would happen, so they made it so.
They used their best judgment and decided on two possibilities, Barsabbas and Matthias. Both had been with Jesus during His time on earth although not part of the inner circle of twelve. The disciples drew lots to pick Matthias.
As we read this, it seems logical to us. We would probably think the same way. However, as we think back over the gospels, we might remember that Jesus never did things to fulfill scripture. He did things that fulfilled scripture. He did not get ahead of the Holy Spirit.
I believe the disciples were leaning to their own understanding, anxious to fulfill scripture. We never again hear about Matthias in the remaining books.
God had another plan and it happened on the road to Demascus. He picked Saul as number twelve. And so Paul became the fulfillment of scripture. He became the twelfth disciple.
We must be careful not to lean to our own understanding and wait for God to direct our steps instead of deciding what God wants us to do.
Therefore, jumping ahead of God by leaning on our past experience or the teachings from where came from can be leading us right out from under the divine protection He has placed over our lives. Listening to the Holy Spirit is a discipline we all must learn. When this is our lifestyle we will not leap before our time.
Friday, May 30, 2008
God Moves Today
It is interesting to see the abounding analysis of the current outpouring of God in Lakeland, Florida. In addition to the local news media in Lakeland, MSNBC has run a story on it. The comments are flying all over the place. It is being called wonderful by most who take the time to become involved either on site as part of the thousands flocking to Florida, on God TV (a channel available on some satellite networks), or more likely watching the live feed on the Internet.
What is a revival?
According to Wikipedia: "Generally speaking, a revival meeting consists of several consecutive nights of services conducted at the same time and location each night, most often the building belonging to the sponsoring congregation but sometimes a rented secular assembly hall, for more adequate space or an attempt to appeal to the unchurched in a setting that will presumably be less intimidating to them."
And now for a little while grace has been shown from the Lord our God, to leave us a remnant to escape, and to give us a peg in His holy place, that our God may enlighten our eyes and give us a measure of revival in our bondage. (Ezra 9:8 NKJV) The NLT reads: "… and granted us some relief from our slavery."
Revival is not a Biblical term. As a matter of fact it is only used once in the Bible and only in the NKJV translation. Revival is simply "Renewed interest in religion, after indifference and decline; a period of religious awakening; special religious interest." (Wiktionary)
And yet, many of us have our own definition of revival based on the teachings we have sat under, the old time books we have read of past revivals, and our own desire to see God move.
However, I believe God moves in many different ways, but what we see is usually not what we expect. Just because the last revival happened a certain way does not mean the next will be the same. God always finds a new way to reach a new generation. If we go back to our Bibles and read the red, the accounts of Jesus, we see many examples. Jesus did not heal the same illness in the same fashion each time, nor did He have a set pattern.
In the book of the prophet Isaiah, God said, "Look, I am sending my messenger before you, and he will prepare your way. He is a voice shouting in the wilderness: 'Prepare a pathway for the Lord's coming! Make a straight road for him!' This messenger was John the Baptist. He lived in the wilderness and was preaching that people should be baptized to show that they had turned from their sins and turned to God to be forgiven. (Mark 1:2-4 NLT)
God sent John the Baptist to come before Jesus to pave the way. John preached repentance. His message was for people to change their ways, to turn from their sinning lifestyles to God. He told them a savior would follow, and He did.
If anyone hears me and doesn't obey me, I am not his judge – for I have come to save the world and not to judge it. (John 12:47 NLT) Everyone who believes in me will have eternal life. For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God did not send his Son into the world to condemn it, but to save it. (John 3:15-17 NLT)
Jesus came to show the way to salvation. However, it was not just those who had repented that became followers. Sure, according to John's account, Jesus' first two disciples had been disciples of John the Baptist; they were following the message of repentance. Their hearts were ready for revival.
The Lord proved their message was true by giving them power to do miraculous signs and wonders. (Acts 14:3 NLT)
Signs and wonders come from God. First comes the Word and then comes the manifestation of the Word. Does the recipient have to be a follower before receiving? Not in Jesus' time, so why now?
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for he has appointed me to preach Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the downtrodden will be freed from their oppressors, and that the time of the Lord's favor has come. (Like 4:18-19 NLT)
Jesus healed the sick. In His own words, He tells us that those who are well do not need to hear His message. He came for the sick. All need to hear, but Jesus knew only those who were ready would receive it.
He healed them all and did not have a single formula for doing so. All the stories we read are about healing non-believers. He even complained about the fact that many wanted to see miracles before they would believe. But He kept on keeping on; He healed them all. And when He did, He told them to go and sin no more. He warned them that if they continued to live their sinful lifestyle they could be right back at that same place and even worse off.
So if we look for a formula, it looks more like this. Listen to the message preached, the word of the Lord, the testimony of those who have come before us, then humbly come before the Lord and ask for our healing. The manifestation of that physical healing, that miracle from the hand of God, is real. The result will either bring us to repentance and change us bringing us to a deeper relationship with God, or not.
It is the repentance God is looking for. He heals us and wants us to live our life with Him. Sometimes this happens, but often the recipient gets the healing and moves right back to the same old same old. Eventually, they may even get that same old sickness back or have some other issue to deal with. This is not because God moved away from them, but that they moved away from Him. They have closed the door to Him and left themselves open to Satan and the demons he anxiously desires to send their way.
Many have commented on Todd Bentley in the negative. This is not a revival they say. Todd is not of God they say. Satan heals and this is a move of him, not God.
Like I said above, God does not move as we expect Him to. How do we know it is God? We know from the fruit that results from the encounter. Are lives changed? Are people brought into a deeper relationship with God?
For some it is all about the sizzle. There are people all over the world that chase the anointing. If it looks like God, they want to be right there to feel the buzz. They follow man from location to location hoping to get a glimpse of God. This is not about repentance or revival. This is about the show.
The institutional church is not the church—the body of Christ. The body is made up of two or more believers; they are the church. Many preach about the box that God is placed in and then preach against a move of God like Toronto, Brownsville, or Lakeland because it does not fit their box.
God moves in many different ways and it is up to us to catch the wave of change. Revival does not change us. Repentance is change and it must come from within. As the church (the body of Christ) changes and focuses on God, revival comes. To get to that place, to be seeking God for change, we may come from many different places and follow many different paths.
The road to salvation is bumpy because of us. We continue to find ourselves looking too good in our worldly ways and take our focus off God. As we focus away from Him, we sin. And sinning is not an on/off switch. We never stop sinning because of the human condition we are in. We cannot help it.
Only God can change us and that change is referred to as transformation. If we allow Him, we are transformed into a more Christ like being. However, transformation is a process. We all begin at a different place and no two take the same journey. But all who continue down the path find the Kingdom of God.
What is a revival?
According to Wikipedia: "Generally speaking, a revival meeting consists of several consecutive nights of services conducted at the same time and location each night, most often the building belonging to the sponsoring congregation but sometimes a rented secular assembly hall, for more adequate space or an attempt to appeal to the unchurched in a setting that will presumably be less intimidating to them."
And now for a little while grace has been shown from the Lord our God, to leave us a remnant to escape, and to give us a peg in His holy place, that our God may enlighten our eyes and give us a measure of revival in our bondage. (Ezra 9:8 NKJV) The NLT reads: "… and granted us some relief from our slavery."
Revival is not a Biblical term. As a matter of fact it is only used once in the Bible and only in the NKJV translation. Revival is simply "Renewed interest in religion, after indifference and decline; a period of religious awakening; special religious interest." (Wiktionary)
And yet, many of us have our own definition of revival based on the teachings we have sat under, the old time books we have read of past revivals, and our own desire to see God move.
However, I believe God moves in many different ways, but what we see is usually not what we expect. Just because the last revival happened a certain way does not mean the next will be the same. God always finds a new way to reach a new generation. If we go back to our Bibles and read the red, the accounts of Jesus, we see many examples. Jesus did not heal the same illness in the same fashion each time, nor did He have a set pattern.
In the book of the prophet Isaiah, God said, "Look, I am sending my messenger before you, and he will prepare your way. He is a voice shouting in the wilderness: 'Prepare a pathway for the Lord's coming! Make a straight road for him!' This messenger was John the Baptist. He lived in the wilderness and was preaching that people should be baptized to show that they had turned from their sins and turned to God to be forgiven. (Mark 1:2-4 NLT)
God sent John the Baptist to come before Jesus to pave the way. John preached repentance. His message was for people to change their ways, to turn from their sinning lifestyles to God. He told them a savior would follow, and He did.
If anyone hears me and doesn't obey me, I am not his judge – for I have come to save the world and not to judge it. (John 12:47 NLT) Everyone who believes in me will have eternal life. For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God did not send his Son into the world to condemn it, but to save it. (John 3:15-17 NLT)
Jesus came to show the way to salvation. However, it was not just those who had repented that became followers. Sure, according to John's account, Jesus' first two disciples had been disciples of John the Baptist; they were following the message of repentance. Their hearts were ready for revival.
The Lord proved their message was true by giving them power to do miraculous signs and wonders. (Acts 14:3 NLT)
Signs and wonders come from God. First comes the Word and then comes the manifestation of the Word. Does the recipient have to be a follower before receiving? Not in Jesus' time, so why now?
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for he has appointed me to preach Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the downtrodden will be freed from their oppressors, and that the time of the Lord's favor has come. (Like 4:18-19 NLT)
Jesus healed the sick. In His own words, He tells us that those who are well do not need to hear His message. He came for the sick. All need to hear, but Jesus knew only those who were ready would receive it.
He healed them all and did not have a single formula for doing so. All the stories we read are about healing non-believers. He even complained about the fact that many wanted to see miracles before they would believe. But He kept on keeping on; He healed them all. And when He did, He told them to go and sin no more. He warned them that if they continued to live their sinful lifestyle they could be right back at that same place and even worse off.
So if we look for a formula, it looks more like this. Listen to the message preached, the word of the Lord, the testimony of those who have come before us, then humbly come before the Lord and ask for our healing. The manifestation of that physical healing, that miracle from the hand of God, is real. The result will either bring us to repentance and change us bringing us to a deeper relationship with God, or not.
It is the repentance God is looking for. He heals us and wants us to live our life with Him. Sometimes this happens, but often the recipient gets the healing and moves right back to the same old same old. Eventually, they may even get that same old sickness back or have some other issue to deal with. This is not because God moved away from them, but that they moved away from Him. They have closed the door to Him and left themselves open to Satan and the demons he anxiously desires to send their way.
Many have commented on Todd Bentley in the negative. This is not a revival they say. Todd is not of God they say. Satan heals and this is a move of him, not God.
Like I said above, God does not move as we expect Him to. How do we know it is God? We know from the fruit that results from the encounter. Are lives changed? Are people brought into a deeper relationship with God?
For some it is all about the sizzle. There are people all over the world that chase the anointing. If it looks like God, they want to be right there to feel the buzz. They follow man from location to location hoping to get a glimpse of God. This is not about repentance or revival. This is about the show.
The institutional church is not the church—the body of Christ. The body is made up of two or more believers; they are the church. Many preach about the box that God is placed in and then preach against a move of God like Toronto, Brownsville, or Lakeland because it does not fit their box.
God moves in many different ways and it is up to us to catch the wave of change. Revival does not change us. Repentance is change and it must come from within. As the church (the body of Christ) changes and focuses on God, revival comes. To get to that place, to be seeking God for change, we may come from many different places and follow many different paths.
The road to salvation is bumpy because of us. We continue to find ourselves looking too good in our worldly ways and take our focus off God. As we focus away from Him, we sin. And sinning is not an on/off switch. We never stop sinning because of the human condition we are in. We cannot help it.
Only God can change us and that change is referred to as transformation. If we allow Him, we are transformed into a more Christ like being. However, transformation is a process. We all begin at a different place and no two take the same journey. But all who continue down the path find the Kingdom of God.
Sunday, March 30, 2008
The Life Journey
Most believe in God, but want Him to support them in their quest through life. They want to live their life on their terms and be able to turn to Him when they have a problem. God becomes the problem solver and they expect instant solutions. After all, He is God.
They go to an institutional church during those times of crisis. Perhaps they go regularly as a way of staying in contact with God; their obligation to meet with Him fulfilled in that visit to where in the teaching of man they were taught He hangs out.
When one listens to that still small voice and takes that small step of faith to believe Jesus Christ rose from the dead and follow Him, they are forever changed. I am not speaking about one who follows man's logic regarding "the sinner's prayer". Just repeating after me may get you into the club called Christianity today.
Believing without reservation that Jesus Christ is Lord and following Him gives you eternal life. You are born again and on the true road to salvation. A journey takes the rest of your life. A journey takes you through life with God as your guide.
He is no longer on the sidelines, at your beck and call, in your time of need. He is no longer the one who you feel obligated to "visit" on Sunday in the institutional church. You go to join in worship to God with others.
Jesus Christ asked the Father to send His followers, those that are born again, to send the Holy Spirit to live in them. He baptizes each follower in this way–He baptizes with the fire of the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit is our comforter, our guide through this journey of life, our teacher, and our life long friend. He is that still small voice from deep within us.
We are to listen to His voice and obey Him. Does this change our quest through life? Yes and no, as we follow Him, He knows out hearts desire and knows the gifts He gave us before the beginning of the world. He will guide us through our life quest and show us how best to utilize those gifts to His glory and our success here on earth.
As we let Him lead us through the minefield of life, we will arrive at the end of this mortal existence fulfilled and ready for the eternal journey.
They go to an institutional church during those times of crisis. Perhaps they go regularly as a way of staying in contact with God; their obligation to meet with Him fulfilled in that visit to where in the teaching of man they were taught He hangs out.
When one listens to that still small voice and takes that small step of faith to believe Jesus Christ rose from the dead and follow Him, they are forever changed. I am not speaking about one who follows man's logic regarding "the sinner's prayer". Just repeating after me may get you into the club called Christianity today.
Believing without reservation that Jesus Christ is Lord and following Him gives you eternal life. You are born again and on the true road to salvation. A journey takes the rest of your life. A journey takes you through life with God as your guide.
He is no longer on the sidelines, at your beck and call, in your time of need. He is no longer the one who you feel obligated to "visit" on Sunday in the institutional church. You go to join in worship to God with others.
Jesus Christ asked the Father to send His followers, those that are born again, to send the Holy Spirit to live in them. He baptizes each follower in this way–He baptizes with the fire of the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit is our comforter, our guide through this journey of life, our teacher, and our life long friend. He is that still small voice from deep within us.
We are to listen to His voice and obey Him. Does this change our quest through life? Yes and no, as we follow Him, He knows out hearts desire and knows the gifts He gave us before the beginning of the world. He will guide us through our life quest and show us how best to utilize those gifts to His glory and our success here on earth.
As we let Him lead us through the minefield of life, we will arrive at the end of this mortal existence fulfilled and ready for the eternal journey.
Sunday, January 06, 2008
Search Engines
When I was growing up, if you did not know how to spell a word, you looked it up in the dictionary using a trial and error method. Since you did not know how to spell it, you took a guess and checked to see if you were correct. Eventually you got close enough to find the word. Then to avoid having to go through all that again, you made sure you remembered the spelling for the next time.
When we needed to find some facts about someone or something, we went to the library to look it up in shelves of resource material starting with an encyclopedia. At that time many made a living selling encyclopedias door to door. The super markets often had deals where you could by the next volume for a great price when you shopped with them. A new volume would come on sale each week. After twenty-six weeks you had the entire collection of A-Z.
Today we have the Internet and search engines. It checks spelling, does math, looks up phone numbers to find names and addresses, displays satellite imagery of addresses, gives directions, researches anything asked, and much more. Google is so popular its name has become a verb in our language. You hear others say “Google it” meaning use the Google search engine to find out.
Have you ever had something, like someone’s name, on the tip of you tongue? You knew exactly who they were but could not remember their name. Finally you gave up and moved on to something else. Then, at some time in the future, their name popped into your mind.
You had engaged your personal search engine. Thinking about them was like typing in the request to an Internet search engine. When you let go and moved onto something else, your brain continued the search in the background and did not give up until it found the results you were looking for. Then in the middle of a conversation with someone else, their name came up like a pop-up screen and you blurted it out to the confusion of the person you were with.
We were made in the image and likeness of God. He tells us we have the wisdom of the Bible inside, we just cannot get to it until we are born again and filled with the Holy Spirit.
When we need to know about our past, our internal search engine can be called on. When we need to have God’s wisdom and knowledge, the Holy Spirit searches for us, and reveals the results as we allow Him. It is up to us to let Him in, communicate our needs, wait patiently for the results, and then use what He reveals.
When we needed to find some facts about someone or something, we went to the library to look it up in shelves of resource material starting with an encyclopedia. At that time many made a living selling encyclopedias door to door. The super markets often had deals where you could by the next volume for a great price when you shopped with them. A new volume would come on sale each week. After twenty-six weeks you had the entire collection of A-Z.
Today we have the Internet and search engines. It checks spelling, does math, looks up phone numbers to find names and addresses, displays satellite imagery of addresses, gives directions, researches anything asked, and much more. Google is so popular its name has become a verb in our language. You hear others say “Google it” meaning use the Google search engine to find out.
Have you ever had something, like someone’s name, on the tip of you tongue? You knew exactly who they were but could not remember their name. Finally you gave up and moved on to something else. Then, at some time in the future, their name popped into your mind.
You had engaged your personal search engine. Thinking about them was like typing in the request to an Internet search engine. When you let go and moved onto something else, your brain continued the search in the background and did not give up until it found the results you were looking for. Then in the middle of a conversation with someone else, their name came up like a pop-up screen and you blurted it out to the confusion of the person you were with.
We were made in the image and likeness of God. He tells us we have the wisdom of the Bible inside, we just cannot get to it until we are born again and filled with the Holy Spirit.
When we need to know about our past, our internal search engine can be called on. When we need to have God’s wisdom and knowledge, the Holy Spirit searches for us, and reveals the results as we allow Him. It is up to us to let Him in, communicate our needs, wait patiently for the results, and then use what He reveals.
Tuesday, January 01, 2008
Baptized in the Holy Spirit
Acts 2 (NLT)
I recall all of the Star Trek series, as most of us do. There have been many variations of the original television series, even a few great movies. In their travels trough the universe, they encountered many alien beings and were faced with the challenge of understanding what they were saying. In the early series, they developed what was referred to as a universal translator. When present they heard the aliens in English and the aliens heard them in their native tongue. As the series evolved over forty or more years, the sophistication of the translator reached a level where we forgot it even existed.
1 On the day of Pentecost, seven weeks after Jesus' resurrection, the believers were meeting together in one place. 2 Suddenly, there was a sound from heaven like the roaring of a mighty windstorm in the skies above them, and it filled the house where they were meeting. 3 Then, what looked like flames or tongues of fire appeared and settled on each of them. 4 And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages, as the Holy Spirit gave them this ability.
Why did it take so long for Jesus to send the Holy Spirit as He had promised? We can ponder that question and come up with various scenarios, as they do in many of the crime fighting shows we see on television these days. But the truth is we do not know. What we do know is they all met together in one place. And when to or more believers are together in one place, they are the church. They are the bride of Christ.
The truth is that it is not about the wait, it is about the unity. The upper room is where they were staying, but they were not chained to it. Jesus had told them not to leave Jerusalem. He had not said to stay in your room. I believe they moved about the city as they usually did. Some stayed and prayed while others where out and about. They key is not the 144 days or seven weeks since Jesus had ascended, it was about all of them being in the upper room at the same time and in unity, probably all in prayer. Then the Holy Spirit came with the evidence of them speaking in tongues.
5 Godly Jews from many nations were living in Jerusalem at that time. 6 When they heard this sound, they came running to see what it was all about, and they were bewildered to hear their own languages being spoken by the believers. 7 They were beside themselves with wonder. "How can this be?" they exclaimed. "These people are all from Galilee, 8 and yet we hear them speaking the languages of the lands where we were born! 9 Here we are – Parthians, Medes, Elamites, people from Mesopotamia, Judea, Cappadocia, Pontus, the province of Asia, 10 Phrygia, Pamphylia, Egypt, and the areas of Libya toward Cyrene, visitors from Rome (both Jews and converts to Judaism), 11 Cretans, and Arabians. And we all hear these people speaking in our own languages about the wonderful things God has done!" 12 They stood there amazed and perplexed. "What can this mean?" they asked each other. 13 But others in the crowd were mocking. "They're drunk, that's all!" they said.
There was much confusion as others heard what was happening in that upper room.
When speaking in tongues, as the Holy Spirit gives utterance, the words are truly words from another language. They are not just babble like from someone who cannot talk or mutterings from an animal. They are not words made up by the person speaking. They are words from an unknown language, that is to say a language unknown to the person whose mouth the words are coming from. Those understanding the words as their own language will understand the message spoken from God Himself.
In addition, God gives believers at times a gift to understand these strange words. Some even hear them as though spoken in their own language. In other words what is being spoken in an unknown tongues is heard by them in English. They do not hear the other language at all, just the translation.
14 Then Peter stepped forward with the eleven other apostles and shouted to the crowd, "Listen carefully, all of you, fellow Jews and residents of Jerusalem! Make no mistake about this. 15 Some of you are saying these people are drunk. It isn't true! It's much too early for that. People don't get drunk by nine o'clock in the morning. 16 No, what you see this morning was predicted centuries ago by the prophet Joel: 17 'In the last days, God said, I will pour out my Spirit upon all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, and your old men will dream dreams. 18 In those days I will pour out my Spirit upon all my servants, men and women alike, and they will prophesy. 19 And I will cause wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below – blood and fire and clouds of smoke. 20 The sun will be turned into darkness, and the moon will turn bloodred, before that great and glorious day of the Lord arrives. 21 And anyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.'
Peter stepped forward as a leader and calming the confused mob, he explained with scripture what had occurred, ending with a salvation call.
I notice here that the scripture speaks clearly about all men and women, and not about the apostles alone. We are all called to be followers of Christ and all called to do the Father’s work. Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to fill each and every believer and all we have to do is ask. The evidence being speaking in an unknown language referred to as tongues.
This is one way God speaks to us today, through the translation of tongues by a gifted spirit filled believer. It is also a language we use to communicate with God the Father, a prayer language only He can understand that opens up a direct connection to Him. Paul tells us later that praying in the spirit if for personal edification because as we pray, God fills us and changes us from the inside out.
22 "People of Israel, listen! God publicly endorsed Jesus of Nazareth by doing wonderful miracles, wonders, and signs through him, as you well know. 23 But you followed God's prearranged plan. With the help of lawless Gentiles, you nailed him to the cross and murdered him. 24 However, God released him from the horrors of death and raised him back to life again, for death could not keep him in its grip. 25 King David said this about him: 'I know the Lord is always with me. I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me. 26 No wonder my heart is filled with joy, and my mouth shouts his praises! My body rests in hope. 27 For you will not leave my soul among the dead or allow your Holy One to rot in the grave. 28 You have shown me the way of life, and you will give me wonderful joy in your presence.' 29 "Dear brothers, think about this! David wasn't referring to himself when he spoke these words I have quoted, for he died and was buried, and his tomb is still here among us. 30 But he was a prophet, and he knew God had promised with an oath that one of David's own descendants would sit on David's throne as the Messiah. 31 David was looking into the future and predicting the Messiah's resurrection. He was saying that the Messiah would not be left among the dead and that his body would not rot in the grave. 32 "This prophecy was speaking of Jesus, whom God raised from the dead, and we all are witnesses of this. 33 Now he sits on the throne of highest honor in heaven, at God's right hand. And the Father, as he had promised, gave him the Holy Spirit to pour out upon us, just as you see and hear today. 34 For David himself never ascended into heaven, yet he said, 'The LORD said to my Lord, Sit in honor at my right hand 35 until I humble your enemies, making them a footstool under your feet.' 36 So let it be clearly known by everyone in Israel that God has made this Jesus whom you crucified to be both Lord and Messiah!"
Peter continues to preach scripture to the masses and explain what had just happened in the that upper room.
Jesus continues to pour the Holy Spirit out upon us. As we confess with our lips that Jesus is Lord and Savior in our lives, and ask Him for the baptism of the Holy Spirit, we receive the Holy Spirit from Him with evidence of speaking in tongues.
37 Peter's words convicted them deeply, and they said to him and to the other apostles, "Brothers, what should we do?" 38 Peter replied, "Each of you must turn from your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 This promise is to you and to your children, and even to the Gentiles– all who have been called by the Lord our God." 40 Then Peter continued preaching for a long time, strongly urging all his listeners, "Save yourselves from this generation that has gone astray!" 41 Those who believed what Peter said were baptized and added to the church – about three thousand in all.
His words made sense to many and they asked what they should do next. Peter tells them the promise is for all of mankind, not just the male Jews. Three thousand came to their salvation that day.
42 They joined with the other believers and devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and fellowship, sharing in the Lord's Supper and in prayer. 43 A deep sense of awe came over them all, and the apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders. 44 And all the believers met together constantly and shared everything they had. 45 They sold their possessions and shared the proceeds with those in need. 46 They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord's Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity – 47 all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their group those who were being saved.
And the church grew—not an institutional church as we think of it today with the thousands of seats in a large auditorium and set programs and schedules. No, he was referring to the church as in the body of Christ. The church as in those that gathered together in unity as believers devoted to learn what Jesus had taught the disciples, and sharing in communion and prayer.
They shared with each others, worshipped God daily, and went from house to house sharing meals enjoying each other’s company. As with any good thing, word traveled from mouth to mouth, and many were saved.
I recall all of the Star Trek series, as most of us do. There have been many variations of the original television series, even a few great movies. In their travels trough the universe, they encountered many alien beings and were faced with the challenge of understanding what they were saying. In the early series, they developed what was referred to as a universal translator. When present they heard the aliens in English and the aliens heard them in their native tongue. As the series evolved over forty or more years, the sophistication of the translator reached a level where we forgot it even existed.
1 On the day of Pentecost, seven weeks after Jesus' resurrection, the believers were meeting together in one place. 2 Suddenly, there was a sound from heaven like the roaring of a mighty windstorm in the skies above them, and it filled the house where they were meeting. 3 Then, what looked like flames or tongues of fire appeared and settled on each of them. 4 And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages, as the Holy Spirit gave them this ability.
Why did it take so long for Jesus to send the Holy Spirit as He had promised? We can ponder that question and come up with various scenarios, as they do in many of the crime fighting shows we see on television these days. But the truth is we do not know. What we do know is they all met together in one place. And when to or more believers are together in one place, they are the church. They are the bride of Christ.
The truth is that it is not about the wait, it is about the unity. The upper room is where they were staying, but they were not chained to it. Jesus had told them not to leave Jerusalem. He had not said to stay in your room. I believe they moved about the city as they usually did. Some stayed and prayed while others where out and about. They key is not the 144 days or seven weeks since Jesus had ascended, it was about all of them being in the upper room at the same time and in unity, probably all in prayer. Then the Holy Spirit came with the evidence of them speaking in tongues.
5 Godly Jews from many nations were living in Jerusalem at that time. 6 When they heard this sound, they came running to see what it was all about, and they were bewildered to hear their own languages being spoken by the believers. 7 They were beside themselves with wonder. "How can this be?" they exclaimed. "These people are all from Galilee, 8 and yet we hear them speaking the languages of the lands where we were born! 9 Here we are – Parthians, Medes, Elamites, people from Mesopotamia, Judea, Cappadocia, Pontus, the province of Asia, 10 Phrygia, Pamphylia, Egypt, and the areas of Libya toward Cyrene, visitors from Rome (both Jews and converts to Judaism), 11 Cretans, and Arabians. And we all hear these people speaking in our own languages about the wonderful things God has done!" 12 They stood there amazed and perplexed. "What can this mean?" they asked each other. 13 But others in the crowd were mocking. "They're drunk, that's all!" they said.
There was much confusion as others heard what was happening in that upper room.
When speaking in tongues, as the Holy Spirit gives utterance, the words are truly words from another language. They are not just babble like from someone who cannot talk or mutterings from an animal. They are not words made up by the person speaking. They are words from an unknown language, that is to say a language unknown to the person whose mouth the words are coming from. Those understanding the words as their own language will understand the message spoken from God Himself.
In addition, God gives believers at times a gift to understand these strange words. Some even hear them as though spoken in their own language. In other words what is being spoken in an unknown tongues is heard by them in English. They do not hear the other language at all, just the translation.
14 Then Peter stepped forward with the eleven other apostles and shouted to the crowd, "Listen carefully, all of you, fellow Jews and residents of Jerusalem! Make no mistake about this. 15 Some of you are saying these people are drunk. It isn't true! It's much too early for that. People don't get drunk by nine o'clock in the morning. 16 No, what you see this morning was predicted centuries ago by the prophet Joel: 17 'In the last days, God said, I will pour out my Spirit upon all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, and your old men will dream dreams. 18 In those days I will pour out my Spirit upon all my servants, men and women alike, and they will prophesy. 19 And I will cause wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below – blood and fire and clouds of smoke. 20 The sun will be turned into darkness, and the moon will turn bloodred, before that great and glorious day of the Lord arrives. 21 And anyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.'
Peter stepped forward as a leader and calming the confused mob, he explained with scripture what had occurred, ending with a salvation call.
I notice here that the scripture speaks clearly about all men and women, and not about the apostles alone. We are all called to be followers of Christ and all called to do the Father’s work. Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to fill each and every believer and all we have to do is ask. The evidence being speaking in an unknown language referred to as tongues.
This is one way God speaks to us today, through the translation of tongues by a gifted spirit filled believer. It is also a language we use to communicate with God the Father, a prayer language only He can understand that opens up a direct connection to Him. Paul tells us later that praying in the spirit if for personal edification because as we pray, God fills us and changes us from the inside out.
22 "People of Israel, listen! God publicly endorsed Jesus of Nazareth by doing wonderful miracles, wonders, and signs through him, as you well know. 23 But you followed God's prearranged plan. With the help of lawless Gentiles, you nailed him to the cross and murdered him. 24 However, God released him from the horrors of death and raised him back to life again, for death could not keep him in its grip. 25 King David said this about him: 'I know the Lord is always with me. I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me. 26 No wonder my heart is filled with joy, and my mouth shouts his praises! My body rests in hope. 27 For you will not leave my soul among the dead or allow your Holy One to rot in the grave. 28 You have shown me the way of life, and you will give me wonderful joy in your presence.' 29 "Dear brothers, think about this! David wasn't referring to himself when he spoke these words I have quoted, for he died and was buried, and his tomb is still here among us. 30 But he was a prophet, and he knew God had promised with an oath that one of David's own descendants would sit on David's throne as the Messiah. 31 David was looking into the future and predicting the Messiah's resurrection. He was saying that the Messiah would not be left among the dead and that his body would not rot in the grave. 32 "This prophecy was speaking of Jesus, whom God raised from the dead, and we all are witnesses of this. 33 Now he sits on the throne of highest honor in heaven, at God's right hand. And the Father, as he had promised, gave him the Holy Spirit to pour out upon us, just as you see and hear today. 34 For David himself never ascended into heaven, yet he said, 'The LORD said to my Lord, Sit in honor at my right hand 35 until I humble your enemies, making them a footstool under your feet.' 36 So let it be clearly known by everyone in Israel that God has made this Jesus whom you crucified to be both Lord and Messiah!"
Peter continues to preach scripture to the masses and explain what had just happened in the that upper room.
Jesus continues to pour the Holy Spirit out upon us. As we confess with our lips that Jesus is Lord and Savior in our lives, and ask Him for the baptism of the Holy Spirit, we receive the Holy Spirit from Him with evidence of speaking in tongues.
37 Peter's words convicted them deeply, and they said to him and to the other apostles, "Brothers, what should we do?" 38 Peter replied, "Each of you must turn from your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 This promise is to you and to your children, and even to the Gentiles– all who have been called by the Lord our God." 40 Then Peter continued preaching for a long time, strongly urging all his listeners, "Save yourselves from this generation that has gone astray!" 41 Those who believed what Peter said were baptized and added to the church – about three thousand in all.
His words made sense to many and they asked what they should do next. Peter tells them the promise is for all of mankind, not just the male Jews. Three thousand came to their salvation that day.
42 They joined with the other believers and devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and fellowship, sharing in the Lord's Supper and in prayer. 43 A deep sense of awe came over them all, and the apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders. 44 And all the believers met together constantly and shared everything they had. 45 They sold their possessions and shared the proceeds with those in need. 46 They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord's Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity – 47 all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their group those who were being saved.
And the church grew—not an institutional church as we think of it today with the thousands of seats in a large auditorium and set programs and schedules. No, he was referring to the church as in the body of Christ. The church as in those that gathered together in unity as believers devoted to learn what Jesus had taught the disciples, and sharing in communion and prayer.
They shared with each others, worshipped God daily, and went from house to house sharing meals enjoying each other’s company. As with any good thing, word traveled from mouth to mouth, and many were saved.
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