Acts 12 finds the followers of Christ facing persecution. One is killed by the sword and another now in jail. The believers gather in the middle of the night to pray. God answers the prayers and Peter is delivered from jail by an angel. He shows up at the house of the prayer meeting and no one believes it is him.
There are some great things we all would benefit from learning out of this passage.
First...what is persecution. It says that Herod had intent toward Peter. Intent to kill him. Persecution is intention not rejection. Quit making yourself a martyr and embracing the role of vicitm. Rejection is not persecution it is rejection. Christians are too often the worst about this when it comes to our faith. Someone disagreeing with you in a mean-spirited way is not persecution. It is rejection. Move foward and tell someone else.
Second...The believers gathered together and prayed EARNESTLY. This is a big word here because it has rich meaning and we can learn a lot about life from this one word.
Earnestly means urgency with sincerity. Understand that urgency is less about immediately and more about priority. Something urgent gets attetnion, but too often what gets attention does not get sincerity and what gets sincerity does not get attention. Being earnest means giving both. It will take time, conviction, and passion.
If you earnestly desire a better marriage you will be urgent and sincere about the changes that will cause it.
If you earnestly desire your children to live lives that honor Jesus you will urgently and sincerely honor Jesus with every facet of your life.
If you eanestly believe that Jesus is the sole Savior of the world you will urgently and sincerely share the Gospel with others.
What are you being earnest about in life?
My thoughts on life as a Christ follower.
Monday, June 11, 2012
Friday, June 8, 2012
Sundays Coming
Acts 12 is week. Great passage about prayer. Peter is in prison...the believers are praying earnestly...God delivers Peter...the believers are shocked.
Food for thought "Why are we surprised when God does what we earnestly and sincerely asked him to do?"
This week we will explore our own hearts and the Word of God in seeking out what it means to pray earnestly and what faith looks like when it becomes sight.
I'll give you this preview line Earnestly is urgent sincerity.
What are you both urgent and sincere about in your life? Urgent not because you are being selfish but because of the depth of your sincerity?
Food for thought "Why are we surprised when God does what we earnestly and sincerely asked him to do?"
This week we will explore our own hearts and the Word of God in seeking out what it means to pray earnestly and what faith looks like when it becomes sight.
I'll give you this preview line Earnestly is urgent sincerity.
What are you both urgent and sincere about in your life? Urgent not because you are being selfish but because of the depth of your sincerity?
Thursday, June 7, 2012
Jacket On...Jacket off
If you have seen the newer Karate Kid movie you know that a jacket on and off enough can teach a kid kung fu. Much like waxing cars, painting fences, and sanding decks. Depends on which era you grew up in.
Well I read a Scripture about armor on and armor off that I wanted to share.
The king of Israel answered, "Tell him: 'One who puts on his armor should not boast like one who takes it off.'" 1Kings 20:11
This quote hit me. Why? It is great advice.
Our words before a battle is fought should sound very different than our words after a battle is won.
One of my biggest pet peeves in life is trash talk. I cannot stand it. I have always believed if you are really that good you should not need to tell anyone. Plus it is the epitome of poor sportsmanship. But this truth is much larger than sports and war.
You should guard your words before you go out. You never know what lies ahead. Often the humility necessary for success was lost before the endeavor ever began.
Well I read a Scripture about armor on and armor off that I wanted to share.
The king of Israel answered, "Tell him: 'One who puts on his armor should not boast like one who takes it off.'" 1Kings 20:11
This quote hit me. Why? It is great advice.
Our words before a battle is fought should sound very different than our words after a battle is won.
One of my biggest pet peeves in life is trash talk. I cannot stand it. I have always believed if you are really that good you should not need to tell anyone. Plus it is the epitome of poor sportsmanship. But this truth is much larger than sports and war.
You should guard your words before you go out. You never know what lies ahead. Often the humility necessary for success was lost before the endeavor ever began.
Monday, June 4, 2012
Sunday Recap 6.4.12
Acts 10-11 is an interesting story. Peter sees a vision of unclean animals (meaning animals that God had instructed his people not to eat in the Law). Peter was told by the Lord to get up, kill, and eat. He refused because he had always obeyed these laws. After the vision Peter finds out that some folks just showed up looking for him because God told them to come find him. He goes with them to a house of a Gentile and brings the Gospel to those outside of the Jewish nation. God is doing strange things in this portion of the book of Acts.
God breaks wide open the grace, love, and hope found in Jesus. Much of the prejudice and issue that Peter had to deal with were man made addition to the Laws of God while other sentiments were the misunderstanding of the Law. The Law was intended to set aside a holy people to God, but they became a way for the People of God to feel like they deserved that place with God...which they did not. The chosen people of God had always been intended to be a blessing to every nation...to all peoples. Yet they had chosen to simply be a blessing to themselves.
Unfortunately we still struggle to breakdown similar traditions in our lives today. We can get so caught up in what God has told us to do that we totally fail to be who God has called us to be. Faith becomes routine and meaningless.
So here are the main points from Sunday...
Lives that honor God are truth-focused not tradition-filled.
One of the saddest issues in Christianity today is that the world sees it through the lives of many people who simply honor the traditions of the faith but do not honor the truth it is based on. That is why they have such a low opinion and terrible understanding of the Gospel and Jesus. Please note that this is not a truth against having some traditions. We have some in our family like me cooking muffins every Sunday. It is church day and my kids know it is special because I make it so. But don't just have a Sunday church attendance tradition in your life. Live a truth filled life that includes a Sunday tradition.
When we practice tradition without presenting the truth we set a trap.
We trap ourselves and those who come behind us. Statistically it is more likely that a child that does not hear about Jesus in their home will grow up to be a faithful follower of Christ than a child that grows up in a home of a lukewarm person professing a false version of Christianity.
Remember the practices of your life will always speak louder than the proclomations of your mouth.
Tradition breaking is typically seen as truth abandoning, initially.
When I began a church that was more modern in its strategy and music, I found out that some heard that I was liberal. Which, if you are around me long, you will know is pretty ridiculous. But people confused tradition with theology. An old song sung does not make for a conservative message preached.
So those are some lessons from this part of the narrative of the early church. It is a great story found in the book of Acts. I encourage you to read it all in one sitting. The story comes together but the reading takes some time.
God breaks wide open the grace, love, and hope found in Jesus. Much of the prejudice and issue that Peter had to deal with were man made addition to the Laws of God while other sentiments were the misunderstanding of the Law. The Law was intended to set aside a holy people to God, but they became a way for the People of God to feel like they deserved that place with God...which they did not. The chosen people of God had always been intended to be a blessing to every nation...to all peoples. Yet they had chosen to simply be a blessing to themselves.
Unfortunately we still struggle to breakdown similar traditions in our lives today. We can get so caught up in what God has told us to do that we totally fail to be who God has called us to be. Faith becomes routine and meaningless.
So here are the main points from Sunday...
Lives that honor God are truth-focused not tradition-filled.
One of the saddest issues in Christianity today is that the world sees it through the lives of many people who simply honor the traditions of the faith but do not honor the truth it is based on. That is why they have such a low opinion and terrible understanding of the Gospel and Jesus. Please note that this is not a truth against having some traditions. We have some in our family like me cooking muffins every Sunday. It is church day and my kids know it is special because I make it so. But don't just have a Sunday church attendance tradition in your life. Live a truth filled life that includes a Sunday tradition.
When we practice tradition without presenting the truth we set a trap.
We trap ourselves and those who come behind us. Statistically it is more likely that a child that does not hear about Jesus in their home will grow up to be a faithful follower of Christ than a child that grows up in a home of a lukewarm person professing a false version of Christianity.
Remember the practices of your life will always speak louder than the proclomations of your mouth.
Tradition breaking is typically seen as truth abandoning, initially.
When I began a church that was more modern in its strategy and music, I found out that some heard that I was liberal. Which, if you are around me long, you will know is pretty ridiculous. But people confused tradition with theology. An old song sung does not make for a conservative message preached.
So those are some lessons from this part of the narrative of the early church. It is a great story found in the book of Acts. I encourage you to read it all in one sitting. The story comes together but the reading takes some time.
Saturday, June 2, 2012
Sunday's Coming
Sunday I will be preaching from Acts 10-11.
The narrative of the early church continues as the Gospel spreads to the Gentiles. Basically the faith had not moved beyond the Jews and the Samaritans yet. God forces Peter out to the uttermost parts of the Earth through a vision and some visitors.
This Sunday we will be talking about Tradition and Truth and the fine line between them.
Here are some questions to ponder...
1. Is my faith more about tradition or more about truth?
2. Why do what I do before God? Tradition or truth?
3. Do the traditions in my life help or hinder my faith?
4. Do I even know the truth behind the traditions I observe? Are there any?
Tradition is good. Truth is great.
See you Sunday!
The narrative of the early church continues as the Gospel spreads to the Gentiles. Basically the faith had not moved beyond the Jews and the Samaritans yet. God forces Peter out to the uttermost parts of the Earth through a vision and some visitors.
This Sunday we will be talking about Tradition and Truth and the fine line between them.
Here are some questions to ponder...
1. Is my faith more about tradition or more about truth?
2. Why do what I do before God? Tradition or truth?
3. Do the traditions in my life help or hinder my faith?
4. Do I even know the truth behind the traditions I observe? Are there any?
Tradition is good. Truth is great.
See you Sunday!
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