Obediance

Acts 5:29. Often quoted by those who break the law. Wrongly.

Peter and John have been imprisoned for preaching the Gospel (and blaming the religious leaders for killing Jesus). They are, once again, hauled before the whole Jewish council to account for their actions and are told to, "never again teach in this man's name." To which they reply, "we must obey God rather than any human authority..." And there you have it. Every christian person who has been arrested for breaking the law uses this passage as their "get out of jail free" card. But they're wrong.

I wonder how many people have been arrested for doing what the Apostles were doing? Preaching the Gospel in a public place is not against the law. Unless you break the law in another way. Inciting a riot. Impeding traffic. Being too close to a school or something. See, Peter and John were not breaking ANY laws, and yet were thrown in jail and told not to preach (lawfully) to the people, when they made their defiant statement.

I know ministers who have rejoiced over the fact they got arrested protesting an abortion clinic and broke the law by getting too close to the clinic. That is not what Peter and John were talking about. Or, many Christians simply break the law for their own benefit and then claim that they only answer to God... and they will.

The Bible clearly states in several places that as Christians we are to obey the laws of the land we are in and every authority that has been placed over us. We can not use the Bible for our own personal benefit. We can not break the law and then claim that God told us to do it, or fool ourselves into thinking He is proud of it.

If you are lawfully presenting the Gospel Message of hope and life in Jesus Christ and are arrested (having broken NO laws) then you can claim, "I must obey God rather than men." But God does not condone breaking the law. He does not condone killing to stop killing. He wants us to live, "such peaceful and quite lives among the lost that they see our good deeds and glorify our Father in heaven."

It's about time we got so on fire that our preaching was once again so powerful to transform lives that the only way to get us to stop would be to put us in jail. Then, having obeyed every law and being punished wrongly for the cause of Christ, we could rejoice that we had been counted worthy to suffer.

We often stop too soon.

I don't enjoy confrontation. Often my prayers go like, "God, did you hear what so-and-so said? That was crazy! Please convict them and shut them up so that I don't have to hear what Satan has to say through them."

My goal in prayer is to get my opposition to be quiet or that God would remove them so they won't "get in His way" anymore. I'm really small minded.

In Acts 4 Peter and John just spent the night in jail for healing a dude who'd been crippled and begging for 40 years. They were sternly warned the next day not to speak in the Name of Jesus anymore and set free. They go back to the house where the church met and told them what happened and then they prayed.

To my surprise they prayed just like me! Really! They prayed, "Lord, consider their threats..." Cool! They want God to get involved with those who would seek to shut them up or oppose them. They are asking God to consider the threats against them as threats against Him. Just like me! But then they go on...

"...and enable your servants to speak boldly." Crap. See, I often stop too soon in my prayers. I want God to get involved but I don't ask Him for boldness to continue speaking, or help to overcome my own fear so that Satan doesn't get the victory. You see, Satan doesn't need to kill us or destroy us or treat us like Job from the Bible. He just has to scare us enough to shut up. Then he's won.

So, how is Satan coming against you? Is it financial? The threat of loosing a car, your home, your job? My prayer today was, "God, consider Satan's threats against You and help me to continue to preach your word and share the Gospel no matter what. No car. No house. No income. No problem. As long as I continue to do what You've called me to do. Help me speak Your Word with great boldness."

Acts 2 - God's part/our part

It is really easy to get caught up in the story of Acts 2, storm sounds, lightning, fire, it's ever kids dream - a pyrotechnic miracle! But I'm praying that God will help me see Him and hear Him through His Word so I'm looking deeper than just the cool story of birthday of the Holy Spirit in the lives of men.

I see several things going on in this story that the church today could benefit from. First it seems that God caused a stir - that was His doing. There was a violent and loud sound that brought everyone running to where they heard the sound coming from. It was a different sound than they had heard before in Jerusalem so they all wanted to know what was going on.

Once they arrived to where the sound had originated they heard the Apostles speaking in their own language and telling of the Good News of Jesus resurrection so that those who came because of the sound, might hear the Word and believe and then respond appropriately by being immersed - putting to death the old self, the physical self (like Jesus did on the cross) and being buried signifying their death (as did Jesus in the tomb) and being reborn through the water into a new creation (as Jesus was upon His resurrection).

The people were so excited when they heard the message because it was clearly understood, the "wonderful things You [God] have done."

So I'm praying for several things today:
1. That God draws a crowd. That He does something among us that our community has never seen before so that they want to come and discover for themselves what is going on.
2. Once they are here I pray that we speak to them in their language - not super spiritual language that they don't understand, but like the opposite of "lost in translation" I pray that through God's Spirit each person "hears" exactly what they need to hear, supernaturally, so that they can make a decision for Jesus.
3. That we proclaim the message of Jesus Christ so that it is "clearly understood." We don't want to get the message mixed up and jumbled together, but to keep it clear so that those who hear would hear of, "the wonderful things You have done."

God draw a crowd. Speak to each one exactly what they need to hear. And help us to keep the message clear so that they hear about what You have done. You must increase, we must decrease.

3 thoughts from John 21/Acts 1

Just a few observations about what is going on in this chapter that you might find interesting.

1. in vs 3 - Jesus has revealed Himself in resurrection glory to the disciples a number of times already but the disciples, while believing He had been raised from the dead, didn't move. They didn't do anything but sit around together in the upper room. They had seen the Lord, but not been moved to action yet. Then all the sudden Peter says, "I'm going fishing." And many of think that is a good idea so they get up and go with him.
-- observation -- when things get boring spiritually, you're not growing or going anywhere for Jesus it is easier to fall back into the same pattern of behavior you were in before you accepted the gospel message. Peter knew fishing so when things cooled down and they were just in coast mode he went back to what he knew. We often go back to the familiar, the things that once defined us when there is a pause in our spiritual growth. Jesus had to make the same call to Peter and the others that He did the first time he called them to be "fishers of men." This time though He said, "feed my sheep." Keep moving for God or you might slip back into your old habits and behaviors.

2. In vs 21 Jesus is talking to Peter and they are having a good conversation when Peter turns and looks at John and says to Jesus, "what about him?"
-- observation -- do you ever get the feeling we are so concerned about what everyone else is doing or where they're going or what our position is relative to theirs that we miss our own target? My prayer for this passage was, "God help me to focus on what You have called ME to do - not on what you've called someone else to." I see other ministers with big salaries and churches it get easy to say to God, "what about him?" But I need to let God take care of His business and I need to focus on mine.

3. Jesus finally makes His last accession to heaven and Peter and the others are standing there looking up into the sky when a couple of angles appear (unknown to the group who were busy) and say, "why are you staring up into heaven?"
-- observation -- I'm not sure why the group was just standing there but Jesus had left them with instructions, there was work to do! I wonder if sometimes we spend too much time staring up into heaven waiting on God's next move, His next big thing, another miracle or answer to prayer... but while were staring God is stewing. Get to work! There's stuff to do! This same Jesus whom you've seen go up into heaven will come back as you saw Him go, until then, get busy!

Couple thoughts on Goliath

1. Reading 1 Samuel 17 preparing for tomorrow's message. Goliath was a giant of a man. He was between 9'10" and 10'6" depending on who you read and the length of a cubit. The tip of his spear weighed 15lbs - imagine how big the shaft would have to be to hold that thing and carry it through the air, let alone how far Goliath could throw it! I'll bet that thing would fly! His shield was even 125lbs! Not even the men of Sparta with their rock-hard abs could carry shields that big! Goliath must have been impressive as he stood out in the valley alone and taunted the Israelites.

Wait, he wasn't alone. The end of verse 7 mentions something I never paid attention to before. It says, "His armor bearer went ahead of him." This was a common practice I'm sure, though maybe not the going before. I thought the armor bearer stayed to the side or behind. Usually the armor bearer was for kings, though I guess Goliath deserved one as the great warrior for the Philistines.

But what this means is that Goliath was not alone as he stood in the valley. Goliath was impressive but imagine how strong his armor bearer would have had to be to carry all that stuff! You've got this 10' guy standing there taunting and then this regular sized guy who surely had muscles for his muscles! My guess is the armor bearer for Goliath could have bested most of the fighting men in any army. Today, he stood before Goliath.

If the guy who carries the shield for Goliath is huge and muscular and built in his own right, what chance do the Israelites have against the man Goliath himself?

Sometimes I think we get so afraid of the wind we never face the storm. Satan wants to intimidate us into never picking up a stone to fight. The only way for Satan to win is to convince us the fight isn't worth the risk. But (I don't want to give it all away!) opposition is one dimensional. That's all I'll say for now.

2. Here's the other thing. We get so caught up in the story of David fighting Goliath that we don't think about what would have happened if he would have lost and how strongly the fighting men of Israel must have tried to get David to stay with them. It seems strange that Saul would send this boy out knowing the outcome if he lost!

Goliath's challenge was that the loser becomes the slaves of the winner. Had David lost the whole Nation of Israel would have become the slaves of the Philistines! Wow! The men of Israel must have tried desperately to get David, this young, inexperienced, boy not to go and fight.

You see, as long as the Israelites stayed on their line... as long as they never sent anyone out to meet Goliath they didn't have to fear becoming his slaves. They thought (wrongly) that by not moving they kept him at bay. But Satan doesn't always have to beat us or even fight us, he just has to get us to stop moving forward! If we aren't advancing, we don't have the chance to win... we let hundreds, thousands, millions or the next one, die in their sin.

Satan's goal? Make the fight "look" to difficult so he doesn't have to fight at all or simply keep the armies of God from moving forward. From advancing. From gaining ground. Satan has already lost the battle, he's only got tricks left. How many have you fallen for? I've lost count. But not any more.

A Quickie on Faith and Belief

John 16:30,31
Jesus has been unloading a bunch of spiritual Truth on the disciples becasue He is getting ready to face His death. This is natural in fact, in verse 4 Jesus tells them He didn't say anything earlier becasue there was time... now the time is up and He's got to get them prepared.

After unlaoding all this stuff the disciples finally say, "...from this we believe that you came from God." But Jesus knows better and responds, "...do you finally believe? But the time is coming when you will be scattered and each of you will leave me alone."

Here's some quick thoughts on belief and faith - don't hang me by them, just quick thoughts.

You can believe in God all day but what do you do when when its dark and scary?
Faith takes over when what your belief in something runs out.

Belief is mental - faith has feet.

It's easy to believe when there is no pressure. Pressure reveals the faith belief talks about.

Faith happens where your belief and the unknown make contact.

If you believe in God but never have to test it through trial there is no faith. Belief comes natural, faith is developed in the fire.

That should get you thinking!

Prayer - it doesn't matter... (read carefully)

Spent some time in the hospital with a friend over the last few days. He's a biker. Yep. And been in to everything you are probably thinking a biker might get into. But he's also a believer in Jesus. Tattoos, prison time and all. I prayed with him before I left each day. This morning he's having open heart surgery and I stopped in to see the family. I knew they were there because there were a couple of bikes with ape-hangers in the parking lot. His daughter told me that before the ambulance got to the house to pick him up last week she asked him if he would like her to pray. His response, "I've been waiting for that."

So I was thinking about prayer on the ride back to the church. In some religions of the world you have to approach god in a certain way. If you don't, he won't hear your prayer. You have to spin something. Ring a bell. Wear a certain hat. Rub some beads. Assume a specific posture. Or face a certain direction. If you do everything right, god might hear you. Of course, you'd better make sure that your heart is pure and that your deeds are goods and your motives just.

John tells us that the God of the universe, "loves us so much..." That loves compels Him. Instead of insisting that we approach Him in a proper manner, He says, "draw near to me and I will draw near to you... I will never leave you" and "ask and it will be given to you, seek and you will find, knock and the door will be opened." What does that mean to you and me and everyone else? It doesn't matter where you are or what you are doing, what direction you are facing, what you're wearing or what you were doing the second before you said, "Dear God." He hears your prayer. Whether you've never done anything wrong or you've never done anything right, He's listening.

So, remember this truth about prayer.
Anyone. Anywhere. Anytime. For any reason. In any circumstance or setting.
God is listening and wants to answer... He loves you.

Where's the bait?

Do you remember that little old lady in those commercials who would come in and say, "Where's the Beef?" Who knew how that little statement, intended to sell hamburgers, would catch on?! Of course the point was to show that the "beef" was at Wendy's and also to show you where it wasn't, those "other" hamburger joints. So, the bait was more beef and it was intended to get you to come to their restaurant.

Bait has become a multi-billion dollar industry. Commercials, info-mercials, political ads, they are all the same. I remember watching the old black and white movie, The Swiss Family Robinson. Do you remember that? The family that got shipwrecked on an island and built these elaborate tree houses to live in and had all these exotic animals for pets? Every kid's dream! In that show they caught a tiger. They dug a hole in the ground and covered it with branches, etc., then they hung some bait from a tree right over the center of the hole. The tiger was so interested in the bait that he didn't pay attention to the hole, until he was in it.

I think that Satan has mastered bait. He is so good at making the bait too tempting to pass up. Satan designs his bait to do two things.
1. It's designed to catch and keep our focus. He knows if we so busy looking at the bait, we won't see the hole.
2. It's designed to be so desirable that its determined to be worth the risk. You hear a lot of, "yea, butt..." kind of statements.

I think you see this in the life of Billy Ray and Miley Cyrus. When that father/daughter duo started out a few years ago they were very focused on remaining a Christan witness and not letting the "lime light" of fame and fortune distract them. Billy Ray made several statements about how he was going to keep his daughter grounded. But you probably know what happened if you've seen Miley lately.

I know so many Christians who have started out in their faith walk well, only to fall in the trap. Usually it is money. Satan baits his hook with dollar signs, a better job, a bigger salary, more power or popularity. They are so focused on the bait that they simply can't see the downside, longer hours means less time for bible study or personal growth. Pretty soon Sunday is the only day they "don't have to get up early" so church attendance starts to slip. And having money is a big deal today so I hear things like, "yea butt, if I make more money I'll be able to give more to God." News flash for you, God isn't depending on you alone to meet the needs of His church.

So what do we do? We continue to point out the scheme. We look at the surroundings and not just at the bait. We explore possibilities AND potential problems. We desire to be used of and know God so much that the bait can't compare.

And maybe we in the church take a lesson and put a little more thought into how we attract the lost. Since were calling them to experience not loss or pain or death, like Satan, but Real Life!

What's the test for successful ministry?

I was talking with some preacher friends of mine last weekend about a conference we had gone to recently. We hear a lot that it's not the size of your church but your faithfulness that matters. But the only guys teaching anything are the guys with 1000's of people in their churches. Seems a little inconsistent.

In this day and age it seems to be a lot about the size of your church. If you pastor a big church you must be a good leader, teacher, scholar, etc. But if you pastor a smaller church, well, nobody wants to go to a conference and learn how to be a small church pastor. In fact, television preachers would have you believe that if you are faithful then you are successful too. If you are faithful to God and let Him direct your path then you will have the job, car, home, family you want.

But is that really true? It is pretty clear that just because someone does what God wants them to in the Bible it almost NEVER means that they are successful.

Take John the Baptist. What do we know about him? Well, he was filled with the Holy Spirit from birth - only other person we could say that about is Jesus Himself. We know that he did exactly what God wanted him to do. We know that he never performed a miracle of any kind. We know that he lived alone in the wilderness. We know he wore camel hair clothes (imagine the stink and itchiness of that!) and that he ate locusts and wild honey.

Sound like a successful ministry to you? Oh yea, and he never "saved" anyone because salvation wasn't possible until the death and Resurrection of Jesus - which didn't happen for a few years after John's beheading! Another great sign of a successful ministry! You lose your head!

So, John the Baptist is NOT the poster child for getting into the ministry. But was he successful even though he didn't have a home, didn't eat in good restaurants, didn't have many friends, never grew a church or healed a disease? Yes. He was successful because he did exactly what God created him to do.

Sometimes I wonder why the church I pastor isn't bigger. Why people aren't asking me to speak at conferences. Well, Jesus said in John 6, "the work of God is to believe in the one that He sent." So that's what I'm gonna work on. If I've got that right then none of that other stuff matters. What are you trying to accomplish for the Kingdom? Don't be discouraged, believe and do. That's what you've been called to. Get that right and everything else is just gravy.

Confirming Signs

I know God's will for my life. Know Jesus and make Him known. But sometimes the road can get long and difficult. Doesn't mean that God isn't there. Or that I'm on the wrong path. Just means that Satan is active. But sometimes, with the passing of time we can get frustrated and begin to wonder if we're doing the right thing, especially when we're facing pressure! So it's nice when God gives confirmation of His plan.

That's what He did for John the Baptist. I was reading today in John 1:19-34 and saw something very interesting. A confirmation. A really cool confirmation!

So John is preaching and baptizing around the Jordan river and he's getting hammered by these religious leaders who are asking him a bunch of questions and probably hacking him off a bit. So he says (I hadn't caught this before), "right here in this crowd is someone you do not recognize...I'm not even worthy to be his slave and untie his sandals." That meant this mystery person was pretty important! But the next day John sees Jesus coming toward him and says, "behold the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world! I did not recognize Him... but... I saw the Holy Spirit descending on Him like a dove... I didn't know He was the one...but when God sent me to baptize He told me, 'the one on whom you see the Holy Spirit descend is the one.'"

So, for 30 years Elizabeth (John's mom) had been telling him that his cousin Jesus was the Messiah. The day before when the leaders where questioning him John saw his cousin Jesus in the crowd but did not reveal him. The next day, as Jesus approached John, John saw the Holy Spirit - in the form of a dove - come down from heaven and rest on Jesus. Confirmation. His whole life and ministry had been lived up to this point with nothing from God. He did exactly what God wanted and yet lived in the desert. Was called a crazy man. Wore crudely fashioned clothes from camel's hair (itchy!) and he ate locust and wild honey (which means no one cooked for him, he was a loner). His whole adult life was lived as an outcast. Yet he was faithful. He was waiting. And though he knew his cousin, Jesus, was supposed to be the Messiah, and he knew that Jesus was in the crowd that day. He did not point Him out. He did not call Him to his defense. He waited for the confirmation. And He got it. Just like Moses. Just like Elijah. Just like Gideon. Just like Paul.

Don't assume that your circumstances are any indication of God's favor or punishment on your life or ministry. So often we confuse our present situation or circumstances or ministry success (or failure), with God's blessing or punishment. If God were pleased with my life and ministry He'd bless me is the thinking. Not correct. John "made clear the way for the Lord" for what could have been years with nothing in his life or ministry that would prove God's favor. He didn't perform miraculous signs or wonders. He wasn't financially blessed. He was comfortable. He probably didn't have friends (cause he stunk!). And he was opposed by the religious leaders and the general population. But he was faithful and received the confirmation that what he was doing had been the right thing.

Wrap up: Be on the lookout for God's confirmation. He will give them. It's your job to notice them when they happen.

a Wordle of this blog

Heard of this site (Wordle) through the Batterson Blog and thought I'd give it a try. These are the words you will find here on this blog. The key is that the bigger and bolder the word the more it is used... Can you figure out what I talk about most?