Acts 10:7-8,20 “When the angel who spoke to him had departed, he called two of his servants and a devout soldier from among those who attended him, and having related everything to them, he sent them to Joppa…[The Holy Spirit said…] Rise and go down and accompany them without hesitation, for I [The Holy Spirit] have sent them.”
It is an amazing concept to think that we can enter into the actual work of God. To see God as Sovereign and actively working in His creation daily is awe inspiring in itself. To see His providence for His saints, His protecting and healing hands, His encouraging and strengthening through difficulties and His comforting us when we are downtrodden is grand and wonderful in itself, but to think that we are actually able to be a part of this work is truly amazing. That He would use us as people who are fallen and imperfect to bring about His mighty and wonderful plans is one that will astound and dumbfound us continually.
It is interesting to see in the work of God in speaking to Cornelius and to Paul in order to bring about His great purposes. Cornelius is seen as a man who is devout, who prayed continually, who feared God and served people, however he had not been presented with the truth of Jesus Christ and salvation through Him alone. Peter is also a man who knows God, who serves Him faithfully. Both are found to be in prayer and both are shown the action they ought to take. Cornelius is to send for Peter and Peter is to go to Cornelius. Out of a prayerful obedience they both act in accord with the will of God. One sends, the other accompanies and an entire household of people is saved in the process. We see this chiefly in the way that the Holy Spirit explains to Peter that HE has sent the messengers, even though they were sent by the hand of Cornelius. Cornelius is simply instructed to send, but the Holy Spirit takes the credit for it being part of His working. Through prayer and guidance by the Spirit and faithfulness to the work of God, His purposes and will is accomplished.
We can also see this in the person of Jesus Christ. Although He was God he is also the means by which God has ordained to bring about all of His purposes in salvation, in work to God, in relationship with God, in worship and honor of God as the Living and True God of the world. Christ submitted Himself to the will of God and devotes His time on earth to accomplishing God’s purposes exactly as He is directed. We also see Jesus being devoted to God in prayer and spending quality time speaking with His Father and seeking Him and His direction!
A third example of this is seen in the person of David. Although we do not see always the ways that God used him specifically we do have some insight to what he did and how he accomplished and entered into the will and work of God. In Acts 13 Paul in giving his “word of encouragement” to the people says this about David, “And when He removed him [Saul], he raised up David to be their king, of whom he testified and said, ‘I have found in David the son of Jesse a man after my heart, who will do all my will.(v. 22)’” and then in verse 36 he states “For David, after he had served the purpose of God in his own generation, fell asleep…” The language here is interesting, to see that he served the purpose of God. He did the work of God, he was able to fit into the will of God for what God had purposed him to do.
To see that it is God who works in us to will and to do for His good pleasure, but also that in our doing what He desires we are fitting into His sovereign work and will is one that should inspire and drive us to understand more and more what He desires, where He is leading, how He is guiding, and how to better follow Him. Are we devoting ourselves to prayer so that we might better understand what He desires and where He is leading? Are we willing and available to accomplish His purposes and be instruments to be used for His purposes? Can it be said of us that we are serving the purpose of God to our generation? I suppose we can never know until we begin to learn and be lead into what His divine purposes are.
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Real Joy, Real Fun
The world often pretends it has a monopoly on joy. They plan the biggest celebrations, they talk the loudest about their weekends, but they don't really understand what real fun is.
God is a God of joy. When He created Adam and Eve He immediately gave them a Sabbath, when He rescued Israel the people danced and sang for joy:
Then Miriam the prophetess, Aaron's sister, took a tambourine in her hand, and all the women followed her, with tambourines and dancing. Miriam sang to them:
"Sing to the LORD,
for he is highly exalted.
The horse and its rider
he has hurled into the sea." [Ex. 15:20-21]
When He established Israel He commanded them to celebrate:
So beginning with the fifteenth day of the seventh month, after you have gathered the crops of the land, celebrate the festival to the LORD for seven days; the first day is a day of rest, and the eighth day also is a day of rest. [Lev. 23:39]
When God gave us the Holy Spirit He also gave us the Spirit of Joy:
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. [Gal: 5:22-23]
Sometimes we as Christians can become mechanical in our faith. We may find ourselves reading the Word of God because we feel guilty if we don't, or we may go to church because we have the habit of going, or we sing the praise songs because we have to sing, but this kind of faith is not truly pleasing to God.
God is a God of Joy and heaven is His home; He doesn't just enjoy praise He commands it; He doesn't just give us rest and celebrations He commanded His people to observe them. When we become mechanical in our faith we need to step back and truly reflect on what God has done for us. We need to remember the power over sin and death itself, we need to remember that we have that power abiding in us, and we need to get up and celebrate.
Celebration is pure praise, it is a reflection of joy that everyone can see. We Christians often look for situations to take advantage of to spread the Word of God but sometimes we forget that in the fun of a celebration all of the world's stereotypes begins to crumble.
During my grandparent's fiftieth wedding celebration people of all ages, all races, and all backgrounds danced, ate good food, and laughed. We enjoyed that day and that joy gave a little glimpse of what heaven would be like. When we celebrated that great event we spoke to this truth: heaven is our home.
"After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands" [Rev. 7:9]
One day we will enter those gates and join that great multitude that no one can count, a multitude that has no dominant race, no dominant culture, and we will celebrate like we've never done before, but we don't have to wait until then to start celebrating.
So when we get a chance to celebrate let's enjoy that time with all our might. Let's praise God and show the world what true joy looks like. Let's show the world what true fun is.
God is a God of joy. When He created Adam and Eve He immediately gave them a Sabbath, when He rescued Israel the people danced and sang for joy:
Then Miriam the prophetess, Aaron's sister, took a tambourine in her hand, and all the women followed her, with tambourines and dancing. Miriam sang to them:
"Sing to the LORD,
for he is highly exalted.
The horse and its rider
he has hurled into the sea." [Ex. 15:20-21]
When He established Israel He commanded them to celebrate:
So beginning with the fifteenth day of the seventh month, after you have gathered the crops of the land, celebrate the festival to the LORD for seven days; the first day is a day of rest, and the eighth day also is a day of rest. [Lev. 23:39]
When God gave us the Holy Spirit He also gave us the Spirit of Joy:
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. [Gal: 5:22-23]
Sometimes we as Christians can become mechanical in our faith. We may find ourselves reading the Word of God because we feel guilty if we don't, or we may go to church because we have the habit of going, or we sing the praise songs because we have to sing, but this kind of faith is not truly pleasing to God.
God is a God of Joy and heaven is His home; He doesn't just enjoy praise He commands it; He doesn't just give us rest and celebrations He commanded His people to observe them. When we become mechanical in our faith we need to step back and truly reflect on what God has done for us. We need to remember the power over sin and death itself, we need to remember that we have that power abiding in us, and we need to get up and celebrate.
Celebration is pure praise, it is a reflection of joy that everyone can see. We Christians often look for situations to take advantage of to spread the Word of God but sometimes we forget that in the fun of a celebration all of the world's stereotypes begins to crumble.
During my grandparent's fiftieth wedding celebration people of all ages, all races, and all backgrounds danced, ate good food, and laughed. We enjoyed that day and that joy gave a little glimpse of what heaven would be like. When we celebrated that great event we spoke to this truth: heaven is our home.
"After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands" [Rev. 7:9]
One day we will enter those gates and join that great multitude that no one can count, a multitude that has no dominant race, no dominant culture, and we will celebrate like we've never done before, but we don't have to wait until then to start celebrating.
So when we get a chance to celebrate let's enjoy that time with all our might. Let's praise God and show the world what true joy looks like. Let's show the world what true fun is.
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Celebration
Psalm 84:1-2,12 “How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord of hosts! My soul longs, yes, faints, for the courts of the Lord; my heart and flesh sing for joy the living God… O Lord of hosts, blessed is the one who trusts in you!
Being the time of year for commencements of all different types I find it fitting to focus on the concept of the idea of celebration. This weekend was marked with several different occasions in which to celebrate, from individuals making small milestones with graduation from college and looking forward to where God is directing their future, to the anniversary of two individuals celebrating 50 long years of marriage and how God has continued to sustain and keep their marriage for this time in order to allow them to be a testimony to His grace and work in their lives, to the celebration of a woman’s life as she nears the end of a battle with cancer. All these opportunities give us the ability to both praise God and consider: What are we doing with the life we have been given, how are we continuing to serve God through all of the ups and down in our lives?
As I sat at a high school graduation and looked on as 54 individuals received their diplomas and are being turned out into the “real” world if you will, it was remarked by one of the speakers that, although corny, “On a tomb stone it is not the date at the beginning that matters most or the date at the end that matters most but the dash in between.” Another author put it this way, “if we view eternity as a line, our lives are like a dot on that line.” As I looked at two individuals who have lived full and lengthy lives together as they celebrated their anniversary of 50 years and as I talked with a woman who is dying of cancer this truth could not have been more apparent. We see individuals live their lives for or against the will of God and that dot is defined by a love for God and a desire to serve Him or a disobedience and hatred (whether apparent or not) towards God. It really is true that it matters how we live our lives in relation to God that matters. We see this mentioned continually within Paul’s prayers for others as he prays, “that they would walk in a manner worthy of their calling.”
Albert Mohler, president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, recently spoke in his commencement address about the “eschatology of the Christian mission.” All that is is a fancy way of speaking about the end of the Christian mission. He spoke about how the work of the Lord is not one that is ever completed while on this earth. How many people have lived and died and have that “dash” to account for the work they have done on the earth. We know the final completion of the work of God IS coming and WILL be summed up in the coming of the Lord and the end of the age…but until then we are a people called out to live lives that bring glory and honor and praise to God. We as Christians are not given the luxury of neglecting our calling or disregarding the work God has gifted us to complete. The work is at times difficult and brings ridicule and misunderstanding but perseverance in the grace and work of God will always be a rewarding and gratifying one. As we continue to enter into the work of God we continue to be a part of His will and work. As we continue can it be said of us that our soul longs and faints for the courts and the presence of God?
As we come to various times of celebration and joy we see this continual truth held within Psalm 84…How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord of hosts! To dwell in and continue in the presence of God is one that is to be pursued and sought after in all of the various areas and times of our lives. We seek to remain with and walk with God, to commune with him in prayer and to walk in obedience, grace and righteousness that comes through Christ. As the psalmist says ‘at Your right hand is fullness of joy and at Your right hand are pleasures forever more’. Seek to walk and dwell in the courts of the Lord, place your trust in Him; for as Psalms 84 says… “Blessed is the man who puts his trust in the Lord.”
Being the time of year for commencements of all different types I find it fitting to focus on the concept of the idea of celebration. This weekend was marked with several different occasions in which to celebrate, from individuals making small milestones with graduation from college and looking forward to where God is directing their future, to the anniversary of two individuals celebrating 50 long years of marriage and how God has continued to sustain and keep their marriage for this time in order to allow them to be a testimony to His grace and work in their lives, to the celebration of a woman’s life as she nears the end of a battle with cancer. All these opportunities give us the ability to both praise God and consider: What are we doing with the life we have been given, how are we continuing to serve God through all of the ups and down in our lives?
As I sat at a high school graduation and looked on as 54 individuals received their diplomas and are being turned out into the “real” world if you will, it was remarked by one of the speakers that, although corny, “On a tomb stone it is not the date at the beginning that matters most or the date at the end that matters most but the dash in between.” Another author put it this way, “if we view eternity as a line, our lives are like a dot on that line.” As I looked at two individuals who have lived full and lengthy lives together as they celebrated their anniversary of 50 years and as I talked with a woman who is dying of cancer this truth could not have been more apparent. We see individuals live their lives for or against the will of God and that dot is defined by a love for God and a desire to serve Him or a disobedience and hatred (whether apparent or not) towards God. It really is true that it matters how we live our lives in relation to God that matters. We see this mentioned continually within Paul’s prayers for others as he prays, “that they would walk in a manner worthy of their calling.”
Albert Mohler, president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, recently spoke in his commencement address about the “eschatology of the Christian mission.” All that is is a fancy way of speaking about the end of the Christian mission. He spoke about how the work of the Lord is not one that is ever completed while on this earth. How many people have lived and died and have that “dash” to account for the work they have done on the earth. We know the final completion of the work of God IS coming and WILL be summed up in the coming of the Lord and the end of the age…but until then we are a people called out to live lives that bring glory and honor and praise to God. We as Christians are not given the luxury of neglecting our calling or disregarding the work God has gifted us to complete. The work is at times difficult and brings ridicule and misunderstanding but perseverance in the grace and work of God will always be a rewarding and gratifying one. As we continue to enter into the work of God we continue to be a part of His will and work. As we continue can it be said of us that our soul longs and faints for the courts and the presence of God?
As we come to various times of celebration and joy we see this continual truth held within Psalm 84…How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord of hosts! To dwell in and continue in the presence of God is one that is to be pursued and sought after in all of the various areas and times of our lives. We seek to remain with and walk with God, to commune with him in prayer and to walk in obedience, grace and righteousness that comes through Christ. As the psalmist says ‘at Your right hand is fullness of joy and at Your right hand are pleasures forever more’. Seek to walk and dwell in the courts of the Lord, place your trust in Him; for as Psalms 84 says… “Blessed is the man who puts his trust in the Lord.”
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Fifty Years
Today my grandfather and grandmother celebrate their fiftieth wedding anniversary. Its such an amazing accomplishment but the event got me thinking: what allows two people to stay with each other for fifty years?
I'm not sure I know all the answers to that question, so I'd like to see if we can get some of our commenters to answer that question: what allows two people to stay together for fifty years?
Fifty years is a long time, but that time length should grant us a measure of wisdom. Fifty years of life, the good and the bad. Fifty years of raising children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren. Fifty years on this earth - these are blessings from God that teach us something.
We all need to make sure that we do what it takes to build those long lasting relationships. We have to aim for that deep abiding love that reaches that fifty year mark and keeps on growing. We have to have that patience that we want others to have with us and we have to exhibit an attitude that people would love to be around for fifty years.
These are all tall tasks but I think it just makes us praise God all the more. In the end we know there's only one power that can make a relationship so rich and fulfilling for so long. God loved us in the eternity past, He knows what it takes to establish and grow a meaningful relationship. Let's not make relationships that last for a moment, let's strive to create relationships that last for a lifetime.
What do you think?
I'm not sure I know all the answers to that question, so I'd like to see if we can get some of our commenters to answer that question: what allows two people to stay together for fifty years?
Fifty years is a long time, but that time length should grant us a measure of wisdom. Fifty years of life, the good and the bad. Fifty years of raising children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren. Fifty years on this earth - these are blessings from God that teach us something.
We all need to make sure that we do what it takes to build those long lasting relationships. We have to aim for that deep abiding love that reaches that fifty year mark and keeps on growing. We have to have that patience that we want others to have with us and we have to exhibit an attitude that people would love to be around for fifty years.
These are all tall tasks but I think it just makes us praise God all the more. In the end we know there's only one power that can make a relationship so rich and fulfilling for so long. God loved us in the eternity past, He knows what it takes to establish and grow a meaningful relationship. Let's not make relationships that last for a moment, let's strive to create relationships that last for a lifetime.
What do you think?
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Discernment
Psalm 37:37 “Mark the blameless and behold the upright, for there is a future for the man of peace.”
Discernment, the ability to distinguish good from evil or even wise and unwise actions, is one that is a difficult practice as well as a much needed practice especially in this current age of the Christian Church. In a time where the validity of the message of Christ is challenged over every major form of communication, from T.V., to newspaper, to Movie the Christian Gospel and the Christian worldview are constantly under attack. With Christians desiring to live godly our wise and unwise decisions are continually being weighed upon, and discernment is a MUST for our continual walk with God.
Hebrews mentions important truths when it comes to Discernment, in verse 14 of chapter 5 it states, “But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.” We see a few key truths in this section. The first is that discernment comes both to the mature and those who PRACTICE it. The maturing process of a believer involves the conforming of our minds to the Word of God as well as our actions; for maturing to be accomplished we must continue to add to our faith that which will produce works glorifying to God. As we discern more and more what is excellent and praiseworthy we also need to grow in the applying and living out of that truth. The practicing of discernment is seen in the recognizing and acting on our understanding of what is evil. Romans 12:9 states, “Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good.” This is the practicing of our discernment. Seeing and understanding what actions, thoughts and desires are evil and which are good. Once we know what they are the practice comes in DOING and SPEAKING that which is in accord with godliness and Gods commands and desires.
Distinguishing good and evil is also applicable in the sense of wise and unwise actions. Discernment seeks to establish a framework from which to analyze all decisions that we make. We seek to have our discernment trained so that when situations arise that may not be directly spoken of in the Scriptures we can still make informed godly decisions. Wise and unwise decisions are rarely spoken about due to the influence of legalism in our churches, for legalism seeks to destroy wise decision making as well as discernment as well as seeking to establish a new rule and order which will take away all questions of good and evil, right and wrong, wise and unwise. So as the church seeks a direction out of legalism, our old frame of mind must be trained in discernment! Wisdom is also influenced by our faith in our actions. Romans says also that whatever does not proceed from faith is sin, in the circumstance of doing things which are not directly prohibited in the scriptures. Are the decisions that we are making in line with the Scriptural commands, in line with the Wisdom of God and the Direction of the Holy Spirit, or are we seeking our own methods, thoughts, and desires separate from God…Discernment will only help in these situations, not hinder.
A Biblical example of discernment can be seen in the story of Ananias and Sapphira. Peter was able to discern, although more acutely than most people, the hearts, motives, and truth of the situation when they brought to him the offering from their sale of land. He was able to see that they sought to lie, not only to the Apostles and the other believers but also to the Holy Spirit. Peter was able to see directly what was good and what was evil, to discern the thoughts and intentions of their hearts. He was not only able to discern that they were not upright and blameless but he was willing to call it out for the what the truth was also. We as Christians ought to seek more of this type of speaking truth in our churches and lives for then we will continue to sharpen one another as iron sharpens iron.
Are we willing to label what is good and right and pure as opposed to what is bad, and evil and perverted. Are we willing to as Psalms 37:37 states to “Mark the blameless and behold the upright.” We must be able to discern who is upright and blameless in order to “mark” them and walk with them. Discernment is a must in our society today, are we willing to mature to use it, or do we prefer the easier route of not searching and seeking the direction of God? Begin to discern the world around you and you will undoubtedly be surprised at just how much Christ, the Christian Faith, and the Christian Worldview are truly under attack.
Discernment, the ability to distinguish good from evil or even wise and unwise actions, is one that is a difficult practice as well as a much needed practice especially in this current age of the Christian Church. In a time where the validity of the message of Christ is challenged over every major form of communication, from T.V., to newspaper, to Movie the Christian Gospel and the Christian worldview are constantly under attack. With Christians desiring to live godly our wise and unwise decisions are continually being weighed upon, and discernment is a MUST for our continual walk with God.
Hebrews mentions important truths when it comes to Discernment, in verse 14 of chapter 5 it states, “But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.” We see a few key truths in this section. The first is that discernment comes both to the mature and those who PRACTICE it. The maturing process of a believer involves the conforming of our minds to the Word of God as well as our actions; for maturing to be accomplished we must continue to add to our faith that which will produce works glorifying to God. As we discern more and more what is excellent and praiseworthy we also need to grow in the applying and living out of that truth. The practicing of discernment is seen in the recognizing and acting on our understanding of what is evil. Romans 12:9 states, “Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good.” This is the practicing of our discernment. Seeing and understanding what actions, thoughts and desires are evil and which are good. Once we know what they are the practice comes in DOING and SPEAKING that which is in accord with godliness and Gods commands and desires.
Distinguishing good and evil is also applicable in the sense of wise and unwise actions. Discernment seeks to establish a framework from which to analyze all decisions that we make. We seek to have our discernment trained so that when situations arise that may not be directly spoken of in the Scriptures we can still make informed godly decisions. Wise and unwise decisions are rarely spoken about due to the influence of legalism in our churches, for legalism seeks to destroy wise decision making as well as discernment as well as seeking to establish a new rule and order which will take away all questions of good and evil, right and wrong, wise and unwise. So as the church seeks a direction out of legalism, our old frame of mind must be trained in discernment! Wisdom is also influenced by our faith in our actions. Romans says also that whatever does not proceed from faith is sin, in the circumstance of doing things which are not directly prohibited in the scriptures. Are the decisions that we are making in line with the Scriptural commands, in line with the Wisdom of God and the Direction of the Holy Spirit, or are we seeking our own methods, thoughts, and desires separate from God…Discernment will only help in these situations, not hinder.
A Biblical example of discernment can be seen in the story of Ananias and Sapphira. Peter was able to discern, although more acutely than most people, the hearts, motives, and truth of the situation when they brought to him the offering from their sale of land. He was able to see that they sought to lie, not only to the Apostles and the other believers but also to the Holy Spirit. Peter was able to see directly what was good and what was evil, to discern the thoughts and intentions of their hearts. He was not only able to discern that they were not upright and blameless but he was willing to call it out for the what the truth was also. We as Christians ought to seek more of this type of speaking truth in our churches and lives for then we will continue to sharpen one another as iron sharpens iron.
Are we willing to label what is good and right and pure as opposed to what is bad, and evil and perverted. Are we willing to as Psalms 37:37 states to “Mark the blameless and behold the upright.” We must be able to discern who is upright and blameless in order to “mark” them and walk with them. Discernment is a must in our society today, are we willing to mature to use it, or do we prefer the easier route of not searching and seeking the direction of God? Begin to discern the world around you and you will undoubtedly be surprised at just how much Christ, the Christian Faith, and the Christian Worldview are truly under attack.
Do you understand Grace?
Do you understand grace? Is it difficult to wrap your mind around it?
Grace is such a hard thing to understand because it is so foreign to the way humans interact on a daily basis. Biblical grace is "unmerited favor" or if we say it the way I like to explain it: "power straight from God that we don't deserve; we don't know why God gave it but we thank Him because we know we need it". Neither of those definitions fit anything we run into in our daily lives.
Consider your job: if you work hard you expect the boss to treat you kindly, if you have a poor work ethic you expect the opposite. Consider the law: you do something bad you get punished, you obey the laws and the law tends to leave you alone. Relationships tend to work the same way: if you treat your significant other right they'll treat you right; if you start fights they'll fight back.
Every human interaction is based on this concept: "get what you deserve", and we are offended if anyone's actions transgress this unwritten human law. Now I don't point out this unwritten law to criticize it because we couldn't survive in this world without it. If we simply gave our money to whoever wanted it we'd be poor. If we gave our time to whoever happened to walk past us we'd get taken advantage of. Part of wisdom is learning how to get the best return on your time, attention, money and affections, but part of being a Christian is understanding that little of that applies to God.
"While we were yet sinners Christ died for us". This isn't normal human behavior, we don't just give people things especially when their behavior offends us, but God is different. He gives grace to those who could never deserve it and His power to those who could never earn it, at the same time, however, He alone has the right and authority to judge those who are outside of His grace. He's more than any human could be; He is God.
As Christians we have to realize this point: you can't earn God's love because He gives it freely. If we sin we have to recognize that we must confess and repent but throughout that process God will still be good to us. If we do good and dedicate ourselves wholly to the work of God He will still be good to us. The reason for Him being so good to us isn't us, its Him.
So if you get confused about grace or find it hard to understand don't fret. "His ways are higher than our ways". Let's just thank God for His wonderful gifts!
Grace is such a hard thing to understand because it is so foreign to the way humans interact on a daily basis. Biblical grace is "unmerited favor" or if we say it the way I like to explain it: "power straight from God that we don't deserve; we don't know why God gave it but we thank Him because we know we need it". Neither of those definitions fit anything we run into in our daily lives.
Consider your job: if you work hard you expect the boss to treat you kindly, if you have a poor work ethic you expect the opposite. Consider the law: you do something bad you get punished, you obey the laws and the law tends to leave you alone. Relationships tend to work the same way: if you treat your significant other right they'll treat you right; if you start fights they'll fight back.
Every human interaction is based on this concept: "get what you deserve", and we are offended if anyone's actions transgress this unwritten human law. Now I don't point out this unwritten law to criticize it because we couldn't survive in this world without it. If we simply gave our money to whoever wanted it we'd be poor. If we gave our time to whoever happened to walk past us we'd get taken advantage of. Part of wisdom is learning how to get the best return on your time, attention, money and affections, but part of being a Christian is understanding that little of that applies to God.
"While we were yet sinners Christ died for us". This isn't normal human behavior, we don't just give people things especially when their behavior offends us, but God is different. He gives grace to those who could never deserve it and His power to those who could never earn it, at the same time, however, He alone has the right and authority to judge those who are outside of His grace. He's more than any human could be; He is God.
As Christians we have to realize this point: you can't earn God's love because He gives it freely. If we sin we have to recognize that we must confess and repent but throughout that process God will still be good to us. If we do good and dedicate ourselves wholly to the work of God He will still be good to us. The reason for Him being so good to us isn't us, its Him.
So if you get confused about grace or find it hard to understand don't fret. "His ways are higher than our ways". Let's just thank God for His wonderful gifts!
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Son of Encouragement
Acts 4:36-37 “Thus Joseph, who was also called by the apostles Barnabas (which means son of encouragement), a Levite, a native of Cyprus, sold a field that belonged to him and brought the money and laid it at the apostle’s feet.”
Barnabas as a son of encouragement is an interesting and yet encouraging example to us of our ability to encourage and the necessity to encourage. The new converts in Acts 4 were all selling what they had and giving to the apostles and to others who have needs, among these people is Barnabas who also sells a field and gives the money to the apostles. Barnabas is a good example to us of what it looks like to trust God and what it looks like to encourage the brothers.
Barnabas as an individual who trusts God is probably not something that we attribute to him directly from his reference in Acts 4 but when we look at what was being done we can see that he is an individual who trusts God both to provide and to protect. Barnabas as an individual who trusts God to provide is seen in the concept that he is willing to sell of his possessions to help those in greater need than himself and to give to the apostles. It seems as though this might be a foreign concept because in our culture to sell and give of our property to the needy of the church is ok when it is “extra,” and by no means does this not include myself. We are good at giving out of the abundance of what God has given us but we have a difficult time considering selling what God has given us for the benefit of others…especially if it is NOT out of the abundance of what we have. Barnabas trusted God in the midst of selling a field he owned…he trusted God to provide for him similar to the church in 2 Corinthians 8 which gave according to their means and even beyond their means. This is not to say we must live in a destitute state but it is asking…what we are cherishing above the benefit of the believers who are in need, and are we willing to trust God to provide for ALL of our needs and to sustain us?
Barnabas also trusted in God for protection due to fact that he was willing to meet with the newly converted Saul when no one else would. Acts 9:26-27 states, “And when he [Paul] had come to Jerusalem, he attempted to join the disciples. And they were all afraid of him, for they did not believe that he was a disciple. But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles and declared to them how on the road he had seen the Lord, who spoke to him, and how at Damascus he had preached boldly in the name of Jesus.” We see a different mentality that Barnabas had toward Paul than the rest of the disciples, he was willing to meet with and talk with Paul even before the church in Jerusalem believed that he was truly a convert…this is a type of trust and boldness which we rarely have to deal with. The concept that earlier the same man who was partially responsible for the death of a faithful member of their ministry [Stephen] as well as seeking to persecute and throw in prison other faithful members is now claiming salvation and seeking to join into fellowship is foreign to most of us, however, Barnabas still meets him, talks with him and then defends his claim of salvation to the other apostles.
Barnabas is an excellent example of encouraging other believers. Not only does he seek to benefit and give to the apostles whose sole work was for the proclaiming of God’s word. They received support from some of the people of God and Barnabas is seen laying his proceeds down at their feet. We see Barnabas also encouraging the other believers since he was part of the group that would sell what he had and give it to those in need. He was refreshing to the people of God and was dubbed by the apostles, the son of encouragement, almost as if his nick name was to remind people of the encouragement that he is in real life.
We can continue to look to individuals and see their unique ability to encourage people. Encouragement is necessary among the believers especially as we go through different difficulties. Seek to encourage one another, to trust God the way that Barnabas trusted Him, with both, our possessions as well as our safety and protection. We are in His care and provision continually even when it seems as though nothing good can come from the situation. Remain faithful, continue in fellowship, encourage one another to be strong in the Lord.
Barnabas as a son of encouragement is an interesting and yet encouraging example to us of our ability to encourage and the necessity to encourage. The new converts in Acts 4 were all selling what they had and giving to the apostles and to others who have needs, among these people is Barnabas who also sells a field and gives the money to the apostles. Barnabas is a good example to us of what it looks like to trust God and what it looks like to encourage the brothers.
Barnabas as an individual who trusts God is probably not something that we attribute to him directly from his reference in Acts 4 but when we look at what was being done we can see that he is an individual who trusts God both to provide and to protect. Barnabas as an individual who trusts God to provide is seen in the concept that he is willing to sell of his possessions to help those in greater need than himself and to give to the apostles. It seems as though this might be a foreign concept because in our culture to sell and give of our property to the needy of the church is ok when it is “extra,” and by no means does this not include myself. We are good at giving out of the abundance of what God has given us but we have a difficult time considering selling what God has given us for the benefit of others…especially if it is NOT out of the abundance of what we have. Barnabas trusted God in the midst of selling a field he owned…he trusted God to provide for him similar to the church in 2 Corinthians 8 which gave according to their means and even beyond their means. This is not to say we must live in a destitute state but it is asking…what we are cherishing above the benefit of the believers who are in need, and are we willing to trust God to provide for ALL of our needs and to sustain us?
Barnabas also trusted in God for protection due to fact that he was willing to meet with the newly converted Saul when no one else would. Acts 9:26-27 states, “And when he [Paul] had come to Jerusalem, he attempted to join the disciples. And they were all afraid of him, for they did not believe that he was a disciple. But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles and declared to them how on the road he had seen the Lord, who spoke to him, and how at Damascus he had preached boldly in the name of Jesus.” We see a different mentality that Barnabas had toward Paul than the rest of the disciples, he was willing to meet with and talk with Paul even before the church in Jerusalem believed that he was truly a convert…this is a type of trust and boldness which we rarely have to deal with. The concept that earlier the same man who was partially responsible for the death of a faithful member of their ministry [Stephen] as well as seeking to persecute and throw in prison other faithful members is now claiming salvation and seeking to join into fellowship is foreign to most of us, however, Barnabas still meets him, talks with him and then defends his claim of salvation to the other apostles.
Barnabas is an excellent example of encouraging other believers. Not only does he seek to benefit and give to the apostles whose sole work was for the proclaiming of God’s word. They received support from some of the people of God and Barnabas is seen laying his proceeds down at their feet. We see Barnabas also encouraging the other believers since he was part of the group that would sell what he had and give it to those in need. He was refreshing to the people of God and was dubbed by the apostles, the son of encouragement, almost as if his nick name was to remind people of the encouragement that he is in real life.
We can continue to look to individuals and see their unique ability to encourage people. Encouragement is necessary among the believers especially as we go through different difficulties. Seek to encourage one another, to trust God the way that Barnabas trusted Him, with both, our possessions as well as our safety and protection. We are in His care and provision continually even when it seems as though nothing good can come from the situation. Remain faithful, continue in fellowship, encourage one another to be strong in the Lord.
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