Learned Techniques

Today I wanted to write a post, not necessarily on a specific Bible passage but rather a strategy when studying the Bible. Over the next three weeks I want to provide three different study techniques that I have learned from those who are much farther in their walk with the Lord. These techniques have Biblical backing and have helped me and I hope they help you.

Today we will be discussing the first technique; prayer should be first in our Bible study and we should ask for Jesus to teach us something. When we take a moment before we study and ask the Lord to be with us and teach us, we recognize who is the real teacher. No Bible study is self taught. There will always be two, the student and God.

Psalms 32:8-8 “I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go; I will counsel you with My eye upon you.”

Proverbs 3:11-12 “11 My son, do not reject the discipline of the LORD Or loathe His reproof, 12 For whom the LORD loves He reproves, Even as a father corrects the son in whom he delights.”

Asking the Lord to teach us at that moment only brings to focus the real relationship a believer has with the Lord. When non-believers read the Bible, they do not have the Lord guiding them and so it will be futile. The Word of God is the gift given by God for the believer and declaration of God’s judgement on the world. So take time to pray before your Bible study and ask Him to teach you. God loves you, this is why Jesus states in Matthew 7:7-11 “7 Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8 “For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. 9 “Or what man is there among you who, when his son asks for a loaf, will give him a stone? 10 “Or if he asks for a fish, he will not give him a snake, will he? 11 “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!” You will be surprised how quickly He answers when we ask Him at the start of our Bible study, “Lord please let me learn something today from you in the study.” God does not neglect those who are looking for Him, why would He neglect those who want to learn from Him as well? So as for the first technique, we should pray and ask Him to be in our study right then and there.

Hold until relieved, our Blessed Hope is coming,

Jl

Re-post Friday

Are you drifting? Read what can be learned on this HERE!

Good Repute

Being an ambassador for Christ in this current world, is not an easy one. The majority of the world would call us born-again believers as being in the way of progress. And so it is of no surprise that to the world, it is easy to cast a side-eye towards someone who has recognized their need for a Savior. So how are we to respond? The answer is found in Proverbs 3:3-4.

“3 Do not let kindness and truth leave you;
Bind them around your neck,
Write them on the tablet of your heart.4 So you will find favor and a good reputation
In the sight of God and man.”

The word kindness here is the same word for mercy. So this verse should read as “Do not let mercy and truth leave you”. So everyday our actions should show mercy, and the only way that we can understand mercy is by understanding that God has shown us mercy. We are all born sinners and yet, when we come to accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, God not only forgives us but forgets our transactions against Him. “12 As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our wrongdoings from us.” Psalm 103:12. That means we should have this same mentality to the world.

That is not to say that we allow the world to walk over us, to enforce their ideals unchecked. That is why we are also advised to not let truth leave you. The only truth that is in this world is “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.” John 3:16. God loves us and wants us to be reconciled to Him. This is the truth that we must continue to present to this world. These two characteristics should be bound around our neck. This means they are visible, our actions should always be presented as merciful but truthful. This is the only way that we will find favor and a good reputation not only in the sight of the world, but most importantly in the sight of God.

Seek the truth and encourage one another,

Alex

A Time For Action VII

Today is our last post regarding the series on the actions of the saints in the early church. I thought I would give you a little inside look at my own walk when it came to studying for this series. I know we didn't even get an opportunity to talk about 99% of what the early church did and that was on purpose. Ironically, what the early church did is important, but not as important as the fundamental truth that they gave us through God’s Word. Their first actions were always to seek Him first. Because of this, their actions after were able to be unique in character with precision and intensity that could only be brought together in the will of God. Today many believers think we need to clean ourselves before we come to God; or we need to be about helping those in society or even doing what needs to be done around the church. Now these things are all good on their own, but only after God is given the rightful place and time He deserves. I take Jiu Jitsu, which is a specialized fighting curriculum for hand to hand combat on the ground, as an example of this. One of my teachers told me that, “Being still is not the same as doing nothing.” Patience, and preparing yourself for the moment to act is as important as the action itself. When I was told this, I immediately thought of God’s Word in Psalms 46:10-11 which states, “10 “Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” 11 The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah”

I hope this series as helped you understand the first action as believers needs to be Christ centered. That is, not helping others but rather being first with Christ in saved, and in relationship, only after our actions being done uniquely as called but still Christ centered. Believers can only truly help others when we are acting out our faith, this is why James states in James 2:18 “But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.” The early church recognized the need for action, yet the early church also recognized the need for Christ to be centered. This is why all their actions were only after their time in the Word with the Lord. This is why our actions can only truly be what is needed in this world only after we have separated ourselves and sought after the Word of God first. Our actions need to be precisely what is needed at the exact moment in the form exactly required for the perfect answer in that exact scenario. Doesn’t that sound impossible? And yet Paul makes the declaration of how we can answer this impossible task with Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” The impossible challenge you will see before you is possible when you have Christ centered in your actions. Before we act, we seek His word, we seek Him. Now how do we do this? Proverbs gives us a resounding declaration of the mindset we need to have. Proverbs 2:1-12  “My son, if you will receive my words And treasure my commandments within you, 2 Make your ear attentive to wisdom, Incline your heart to understanding; 3 For if you cry for discernment, Lift your voice for understanding; 4 If you seek her as silver And search for her as for hidden treasures; 5 Then you will discern the fear of the LORD And discover the knowledge of God. 6 For the LORD gives wisdom; From His mouth come knowledge and understanding. 7 He stores up sound wisdom for the upright; He is a shield to those who walk in integrity, 8 Guarding the paths of justice, And He preserves the way of His godly ones. 9 Then you will discern righteousness and justice And equity and every good course. 10 For wisdom will enter your heart And knowledge will be pleasant to your soul; 11 Discretion will guard you, Understanding will watch over you, 12 To deliver you from the way of evil, From the man who speaks perverse things.”  We need to ask ourselves, are we seeking the Lord first? Are we seeking Him like our ancestors in the early church did? I can tell you that when we act like the early church we will find results like the early church. So seek after Christ first and have Him be the source for all your actions and see what an amazing adventure this life can be.

Hold until relieved, our Blessed Hope is coming,

Jl

Re-Post Friday

When things are in chaos, where is your foundation? Read it HERE!

More to Learn

I am not sure why the book of Psalms is often overlooked. There are so many wonderful encouraging and enlightening verses all throughout the book. Some verses deal with characteristics of God, some encourage us to reflect upon our walk, some give insight into different aspects of history, and some encourage us to hold strong to our faith in God and His promises. Today, I want to share with you all some of my favorite verses that I have found in Psalm.

10 And those who know Your name will put their trust in You, For You, Lord, have not abandoned those who seek You. Psalm 9:10

What I have alway liked about this verse is it is such an encouragement. When we place our faith in Jesus Christ, He will not abandon us. I often reflect on this post in times of stress or uncertainty where I don’t know what God is wanting me to do.

17 My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise. Psalm 51:17

This is a great verse when I feel as if there is something that I need to do to earn my salvation. The major stumbling block when it comes to accepting Christ is that we are saved through His actions alone. Our human nature wants us to contribute something to our salvation, and this is something that we cannot do. That is why this verse is great to reflect on and remember that the only thing that God wants from us is acknowledging His sacrifice for our sins.

18 If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened; Psalm 66:18

Recently we have discussed James chapter 4, in this chapter we saw that if we ask with wrong motives God will not answer us. Psalm 66:18 is a great reflection of that same concept. When we pray and ask God for something, we need to make sure that we do it with pure motives and not selfish desires.

8 The Lord is gracious and compassionate; Slow to anger and great in mercy. Psalm 145:8

This verse is a great reminder of God’s character. He is gracious, compassionate, slow to anger, and great in mercy. The world tries to paint a picture of what God is and fails. It is wonderful that we have His word and are able to see His characteristics throughout.

This is in no means an exhaustive list, after all the book of Psalm has 149 chapters in it. I would encourage you all to go through the book and find verses that encourage you! I would also encourage you to look for the main theme of each chapter. Find the ones that show God’s character, ones that are great when you want to worship God, ones that describe events found elsewhere in the Bible and write the theme at the top of the chapter. I am sure soon you do, you will see how much we can learn from this book!

Seek the truth and encourage one another,

Alex

A Time For Acts VI

When the Church had first started, there was a man named Saul whose actions can be identified as antichrist in fashion. Saul, a devout religious man and strong supporter of the established religious order in Jerusalem, was known in the early church as an enemy. Saul actively persecuted believers of Jesus, and scholars believe he most likely was there at Jesus Christ’s illegal trial. Ironically, God reveals that in Himself all things are possible and He can turn the most wicked into something grand. Now this post is not about Saul’s conversion into Paul. But rather the actions taken after His recognition of Jesus as the Messiah of the Jews and Savior of the world. Like other posts in this series, we are examining the first accounts of the Church.

To bring context to the situation, we need to understand where Paul was at the time of the action we are going to discuss. Paul was in front of King Agrippa and is acting upon what Peter in 1 Peter 3:15 commands believers to be ready to do, “but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence.” Saul was very active as an antichrist advocate. However, it can be stated rather firmly that after his recognition and acceptance of Jesus Christ as the Messiah, He was even more active in helping the cause of the Church for Christ. We can see his own examination of his actions in Acts chapter 26, with his discussion with King Agrippa.

Acts 26:19-23 states,  “19 So, King Agrippa, I did not prove disobedient to the heavenly vision, 20 but kept declaring both to those of Damascus first, and also at Jerusalem and then throughout all the region of Judea, and even to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds appropriate to repentance. 21 “For this reason some Jews seized me in the temple and tried to put me to death. 22 “So, having obtained help from God, I stand to this day testifying both to small and great, stating nothing but what the Prophets and Moses said was going to take place; 23 that the Christ was to suffer, and that by reason of His resurrection from the dead He would be the first to proclaim light both to the Jewish people and to the Gentiles.”

We can see that Paul at the very start does what the believers after the ascension did. Like the early church, Paul wanted to obey Jesus Christ. However, to obey you must be listening, no one can obey something that they have not heard. So what was he doing? He was immediately seeking the Lord and being in His word. Paul’s relationship with Christ is the foundation for everything that happens next. Only after Paul was listening does God tell him to declare the gospel, which we can tell in verse twenty, “but kept declaring both to those of Damascus first, and also at Jerusalem and then throughout all the region of Judea, and even to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds appropriate to repentance.” Many believers today believe we need to wait before we can tell others about Christ. That we need to be more “mature.” I have found no area in scripture identifying that we should wait, but rather to quickly become ready.

Naturally, the world does not like believers, and when we declare God’s word we will naturally have opposition in the world. This is unfortunate, but a truth that Jesus has made perfectly clear in the gospels but also stated by the apostles. For Paul, telling people about the gospel caused him to become very unpopular with the very crowed that formerly supported him. “For this reason some Jews seized me in the temple and tried to put me to death.” Yet, because Paul sought Jesus first, Paul’s source of energy, life purpose, and direction was Heavenly designed, sustained, and guided.

Paul gives us further details regarding how he proclaimed the gospel message. He used the scripture; specifically, he used the Old Testament, “22 “So, having obtained help from God, I stand to this day testifying both to small and great, stating nothing but what the Prophets and Moses said was going to take place; 23 that the Christ was to suffer, and that by reason of His resurrection from the dead He would be the first to proclaim light both to the Jewish people and to the Gentiles.”

What does this mean for us? Paul’s first actions were to seek after God. It actually wasn’t to go help the poor, feed the sick, or even help the widow (all things that we are commanded to do) but he sought to listen to what God had to say. Ironically, this seems much like the church in the first hours after Christ ascended into heaven. Believers should recognize who is the source of their strength and act upon it. This means following with a laser focus of Jesus Christ’s actions, words, and intentions for our lives. Only after this does Paul start to preach the gospel. As believers in Jesus, we need to keep our first love, so that we are not uprooted by the trials and tribulations of this world. The devil can keep you from Christ by keeping you busy with church aid. I am always reminded of this truth when I am on an airplane. When they do the security checklist and they remind everyone on the flight that in case of emergency to place their own mask on before the people around them. This is to ensure you can continue to help those around you, while being sustained with life needing air. As believers if we are not first involved in Christ, how are we to help others accurately, effectively, and with the power of God behind us? The answer is, we can’t. This is why our actions first need to be centered on Christ. This is why this pattern in the early church is so important for us today. This is why Christ must be first above all things in our life. We cannot be the loving, supporting people we are commanded to be unless we have the root and source of this love and support in our lives. So take a note from the early church and recognize the importance of what we should always do first before we take any other action.

Hold until relieved, our Blessed Hope is coming,

JL

Re-Post Friday

Join us as we review the third warning in the book of Hebrews! Read it HERE!

Written For The Future

There are many out there who would claim that the Bible has some good teachings but is ultimately out of date and irrelevant for today. These individuals believe that the Bible was written for believers in the past but does not hold much for them now. How could a book written thousands of years ago be written for individuals today? Well, allow me to show you just two examples that proves that God had us future believers in mind even all those years ago.

First, probably the most well known verse of the two that I am going to discuss. John 19:26-27.

“26 So when Jesus saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing nearby, He said to His mother, “Woman, behold, your son!”27 Then He said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” And from that hour the disciple took her into his own household.”

So here we have Jesus, nailed to the cross and in pain; and yet His instinct is to ensure that His mother is provided for. You see, at this time Mary was a widower and her other children did not come to acknowledge that Jesus Christ was the Messiah until after His death. So Jesus took measures to ensure that she would be provided for in the future, by telling John to bring her into his household and treat her as his own mother. Even accomplishing the will of the Father, Jesus took steps to ensure that His mother would be taken care of in the future. If this was the actions of Jesus on the cross, what makes you think that He does not have the desire to care for those who believe in Him now?

Second, I ask that you look at the beginning of the book of Galatians.

“3 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, 4 who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, 5 to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.“

Galatians 1:3-5

Galatians is a wonderful book filled with encouragement to believers to stay true to the faith, however, did you notice one thing? It is such a simple word that it is often overlooked in the message that Jesus gave Himself for our sins. The word that I am talking about is “present”. Look at verse 4 again, “4 who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father,”. This book which discusses topics such as believing the true gospel, that we are justified by faith, shows what the fruit of the Spirit is, and how to restore someone who has walked away from the faith; was written with the present age in mind! Paul, through the Holy Spirit, wrote this book not only for the believers in Galatia but also for those living today and those who will come. The book of Galatians was written to show believers that we are free in Christ, not by our own works, but by the work that He did on the cross!

So the next time you feel as if the Bible only offers advice, or simply holds no relevance to current times, I ask that you remember this. Remember that before Jesus said that His work was completed, He ensured that his mother would be provided for. Remember that the Bible was written for the present age, and so it is under no time constraint. God cared for His children then and He cares for His children now.

Seek the truth and encourage one another,

Alex

A Time For Acts V

When studying the church original acts, it is easy for us to forget that the book of Acts is not the only source of information we have. The letters to the churches help us understand the actions of the early church as well. Today, I want to cross examine two separate groups of saints and see how, even though they are in different locations and people groups, their actions were centered on Jesus Christ.

The Thessalonians and Colossians were two groups of believers whose actions can be defined as monumental. Let us see what Paul states regarding their actions. Ironically, the similarities are subtle at first glance, but glaring once you see it.

First, we will start with the Thessalonians.

1 Thessalonians 1:2-10 “We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly mentioning you in our prayers, 3 remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. 4 For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, 5 because our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction. You know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake. 6 And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you received the word in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit, 7 so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. 8 For not only has the word of the Lord sounded forth from you in Macedonia and Achaia, but your faith in God has gone forth everywhere, so that we need not say anything. 9 For they themselves report concerning us the kind of reception we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, 10 and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.”

There are three characteristics that I want to point out. First, is they became imitators of the Lord, “And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you received the word in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit.” Second, their actions were centered on understanding who Christ was and implementing Him to others. They turned from the world, “and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God.” Finally, they allowed God to use them, “so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. 8 For not only has the word of the Lord sounded forth from you in Macedonia and Achaia, but your faith in God has gone forth everywhere, so that we need not say anything.”

The Thessalonians allowed their love and actions which were centered on imitating Christ and following only Him to be utilized to help strengthen other believers.

Now let us examine the Colossians.

Colossians 1:3-8 “We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, 4 since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, 5 because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. Of this you have heard before in the word of the truth, the gospel, 6 which has come to you, as indeed in the whole world it is bearing fruit and increasing--as it also does among you, since the day you heard it and understood the grace of God in truth, 7 just as you learned it from Epaphras our beloved fellow servant. He is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf 8 and has made known to us your love in the Spirit.”

Once again we have the saints becoming imitators of God, for their actions are centered on faith in Christ which has developed into actions of love towards others. This is a fruit of imitation that Christ first exemplified with the washing of the feet and later on with dying on the cross, “since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints.” The first action quickly follows into the second with implementing their understanding of Christ with others. It is why their actions could be defined as not only “love” but love that was defined as a Christian love, “love in the Spirit.”  Third and finally, like the Thessalonians, the Colossians allowed God to use them; they were willing to follow. This willful obedience is identified when you see their study of Jesus Christ. Let us go a little deeper and see exactly what I am talking about. In verse 6 we read, “which has come to you, as indeed in the whole world it is bearing fruit and increasing--as it also does among you, since the day you heard it and understood the grace of God in truth.” The word, “understood” helps us identify something rather unique about the Colossians. They studied God so that they could discern what He wanted to use them for in action. The word “understood” is the key. The Greek word is, “epegnote” which means “to perceive, discern, recognize and find out.” They sought knowledge of Christ, and by doing so allowed His Spirit to transform them so that their actions were identifiable as being Christian love!

You see, something that the early church and even today can be found with saints that are Christ centered, is their actions will undoubtedly declare Jesus Christ! It is why I have found this study so rewarding, it helps us understand our own history and see how God used amazing brothers and sisters in Christ for amazing work. He is still doing that work today, in fact over the past couple months I have had fortunate moments to see Christ work in marvelous ways. Sometimes through other brothers and sisters in Christ, and other moments through His Word in moments of personal reflection. No matter what, Christ is still acting through His saints. What a blessing for us. So if you ever want to examine your walk and see if you are Christ centered, ask yourself three simple questions. First, am I imitating Christ? Second, do I desire to understand Christ and what He wants me to do? And third, am I allowing God to use me? If you can answer those three like the Thessalonians and Colossians than keep up the good work and continue to strive for Christ.

Hold until relieved, our Blessed Hope is coming,

JL

Re-Post Friday

Continuing our study on the time that the church is in. Read it HERE!

On Judgement and Future Plans

Have you ever found yourself judging someone according to the law? Are you so obsessed with future plans that you aren’t focused on your present actions? This is what the last six verses of the fourth chapter of James discusses; and true to form, James causes us to reflect upon our own actions in light of what the Word of God describes.

Do not speak against one another, brothers and sisters. The one who speaks against a brother or sister, or judges his brother or sister, speaks against the law and judges the law; but if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge of it. 12 There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the One who is able to save and to destroy; but who are you, judging your neighbor?

13 Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit.” 14 Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. For you are just a vapor that appears for a little while, and then vanishes away. 15 Instead, you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that.” 16 But as it is, you boast in your arrogance; all such boasting is evil. 17 So for one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, for him it is sin.

We have already seen in the previous sections of this chapter that James warns against lusting after what other Christians have, causing strife with other Christians, and seeking after the world. In verse eleven, we see that James is continuing to discuss actions of Christians towards other Christians. Here we see James turning to the topic of speaking against fellow believers as well as judging them. James makes it clear that we should not speak against one another, this I believe connects back to James 4:1-2a, “What is the source of quarrels and conflicts among you? Is the source not your pleasures that wage war in your body’s parts? 2 You lust and do not have, so you commit murder. And you are envious and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel.” James has already established that the source of conflict comes from our own desires and so when we speak against another Christian, James he points out that we do so to again fulfill our own desires. We need to keep in mind what James states about the tongue, that the smallest part of the body directs our ways. Our words needs to reflect Christ.

James is pointing out here that we should not be speaking against or judging another believer who does not follow the “law”. I placed the law in quotations on purpose and that is because many believers will judge another based on their own interpretation of how a Christian should behave. And so we see James pointing out that those who judge a believer based on their own interpretations of how a Christian should act, are not doers of the law but judges. James continues to point out that there is only One who is able to Judge. Jesus Christ. When we judge others, Christians based on our own interpretation of how they should behave, we place ourselves as the ultimate judge.

This is not to say that we should not inspect a person’s fruit. After all, it is by a person’s actions that we will know if they are a born-again believer. “You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes, nor figs from thistles, are they? 17 So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit.” Matthew 7:16-18. What James is discussing, is that we should not be based on our own ideals but rather through what the Scriptures, the Words of the true judge, states.

James then ends this chapter with a remark towards the future. Often times, we believe that we have all the time in the world to complete tasks that we want to do. We forget that our lives are ultimately fleeting. I think the final verse of James chapter four is the ultimate key for when we think of the future. “17 So for one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, for him it is sin.” If we know that God is calling us to do something, following what His scripture states, and we do not do it then we are resulting back to what is discussed in James 4:4. “You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.”. We have the Word of God as our ultimate authority, if we ignore what the Word states then we are practicing sin. We must continually reflect upon the scriptures and our actions to ensure that we are following the authority of the One who has the right to judge us all!

Seek the truth and encourage one another,

Alex

A Time For Acts IV

It had been exactly fifty days since Jesus Christ had laid down His life in the crucifixion and picked up His life in the resurrection. His ascension completed, the Holy Spirit had brought God’s power in a new marvelous way to man which had never been seen before. Yet now Peter and John are once again in the cross roads of acting in a manner that many in the Church today have forgotten. Peter had just healed a lame man, Acts 3:3-10 “Seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, he asked to receive alms. 4 And Peter directed his gaze at him, as did John, and said, “Look at us.” 5 And he fixed his attention on them, expecting to receive something from them. 6 But Peter said, “I have no silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!” 7 And he took him by the right hand and raised him up, and immediately his feet and ankles were made strong. 8 And leaping up, he stood and began to walk, and entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God. 9 And all the people saw him walking and praising God, 10 and recognized him as the one who sat at the Beautiful Gate of the temple, asking for alms. And they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.” As amazing as this is, this is not the focus of today’s post! Peter’s real act to examine comes in the following verses.

Peter directs the star struck crowed towards the true source! Acts 3:11-12 “While he clung to Peter and John, all the people, utterly astounded, ran together to them in the portico called Solomon’s. 12 And when Peter saw it he addressed the people: “Men of Israel, why do you wonder at this, or why do you stare at us, as though by our own power or piety we have made him walk?” Peter is directing the people to who they really should be focused on, he is taking them to scripture, he is taking them to Jesus. No more was Peter afraid to address the crowds, no more was he focused on his own self ambitions; but rather focused on having people understand who Christ was. Ironically, he does this in what many “number seeking pastors” today would argue against, he tells them they have sinned! He tells them they have made a huge mistake leaving the true God of their Fathers. Acts 3:13-18 “13 The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified his servant Jesus, whom you delivered over and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he had decided to release him. 14 But you denied the Holy and Righteous One, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, 15 and you killed the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead. To this we are witnesses. 16 And his name--by faith in his name--has made this man strong whom you see and know, and the faith that is through Jesus has given the man this perfect health in the presence of you all. 17 “And now, brothers, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did also your rulers. 18 But what God foretold by the mouth of all the prophets, that his Christ would suffer, he thus fulfilled.”

Yet, this action of Peter is not done, he recognizes what the Jewish community had already started to reject, that their Messiah was in fact murdered. Jesus Christ was the expected King of the Jews, and yet He was killed. The majority of nation had left the way and had turned to their own religious idolatry. This is why Peter tells them in verse 19 “come back.” Some English translations say “convert” but this does not fit with the Greek meaning as much as “turn back”, Peter is exporting them to turn back to the true way Judaism was designed to be, Acts 3:19-20 “19 Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out, 20 that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus.” Peter is recognizing the Jewish cultural foundation that is Christianity. People today see them as two different religious ideas. However, the following of Jesus Christ has been the same since the beginning. Nothing has changed, even God’s plan with Israel in the end times has not changed. Daniel the prophet spoke of those days, and other prophets spoke of what Christ would do. This is why Peter identifies the Old Testament as important as the coming New Testament. Acts 3:21-26 “whom heaven must receive until the time for restoring all the things about which God spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets long ago. 22 Moses said, ‘The Lord God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brothers. You shall listen to him in whatever he tells you. 23 And it shall be that every soul who does not listen to that prophet shall be destroyed from the people.’ 24 And all the prophets who have spoken, from Samuel and those who came after him, also proclaimed these days. 25 You are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant that God made with your fathers, saying to Abraham, ‘And in your offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed.’ 26 God, having raised up his servant, sent him to you first, to bless you by turning every one of you from your wickedness.” 

So what can we take from this incredible action? Three huge take always. First, that our actions should always be centered on Jesus Christ. No matter what God does through us, we bring the glory, honor and praise back to Jesus Christ. Second, we articulate our words to help those around us see their sin is not cleanable by themselves. They need Jesus Christ. Third, direct them to scripture. Allow them to see how God’s Word is truth and life. Nothing made by mankind is capable of being identified in the same category as the 66 books of the Bible. Peter’s actions would bring five thousand men not counting women and children to the Lord that day. And yet, all he did was act on his faith and lean on Christ for what was needed. I would ask you, can you and I do that today? Can we stand in front of a crowed who is eagerly wanting to listen to us and point them back to Christ? Take some time and see what the Lord is calling you to do. You might be surprised that maybe Christ is calling you to your own small crowd or even an individual and declare to them what Peter declared in Acts chapter 3.

Hold until relieved, our Blessed Hope is coming,

Jl

Re-Post Friday

Join us as we look at the second warning found in the book of Hebrews! Read it HERE!

Where Does Your Friendship Lie?

We have all been around them, those fake friends who smile at your face but talk behind your back. Those who try to play it both ways and present themselves to each group differently. I am sure we can all think of how poorly things have gone when the lies have been exposed. However, did you realize that there are those who practice this misguided behavior when it comes to their walk with Christ? This is the next topic that James discusses in his fourth chapter.

“You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. 5 Or do you think Scripture says without reason that he jealously longs for the spirit he has caused to dwell in us? 6 But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says:

“God opposes the proud
    but shows favor to the humble.”

7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.9 Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.”

James 4:4-10

Once again we see that James does not mince his words, he attacks the issue head on. And once again, I wish that the topic he discussed was only prevalent in the church of that day; but this is simply not true. James begins this topic by pointing out that those who claim to follow God but still seek to be apart of the world, are adulterers. James is quick to remind the readers that to keep one foot in the world, to follow the desires that lead us to sin, places us in enmity against God. God is pure, He can have nothing to do with sin. 1 John 1:5, “This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.” 1 John also continues with a message similar to what James is stating here, 6 If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.” 1 John 1:6. You see, we can’t have it both ways. We cannot follow after the things of the earth which keep us bound to sin, and also follow God who wants to free us and have a relationship with us. This is why James uses the word “chooses”. We all have a personal choice, we can either follow the world or follow God. It cannot be both ways.

James continues by reminding the readers that God is jealous. He wants our undivided attention and to have a relationship with Him, it is why He sent His spirit to dwell in us. But do to free choice, there are some who choose to ignore Him for the desires of the world.

If the passage were to end here, the outlook would be pretty bleak. However, James continues to remind the reader that while God is a jealous God, He also gives us grace an aspect that no distraction in the world can offer. How do we receive this grace? By humbling ourselves and realize that we are trying to be a fake friend to God. We try to devote our time to Him but at the first chance we get we run for what separates us from Him. This is why James says that we must submit to God. When we come before Him and acknowledge that we are pursuing things that draw us farther from Him, we become humble. In this humility we receive the strength to resist temptations and then draw nearer to God! How amazing is that? This process simply proves that salvation cannot be won on our own merit, but by the grace of God! When we turn from what is causing us to sin, we begin to hear Him more, we are no longer the double-minded individuals that James discusses in verses 1:8 and 4:8.

Again, if the passage were to end with the acknowledgment that we are double-minded and adulterers, we would lose hope. This is why I love how James ends the discussion on this topic, “Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you” James 4:10. How amazing is it to think that the God who created heaven and earth will exalt us! And the only thing that we need to do for this to occur is to acknowledge that He wants a relationship with us, not one that is fake and double-minded, but a pure and true relationship that strives to know Him more!

Seek the truth and encourage one another,

Alex

A Time For Acts III

Typically when a moment in history is discussed we look at the “BIG” picture moments. The moment when the hero or villain does their feat, forever changing the affairs of the time or even the world. Ironically, when reviewed people skip the minor actions and details of what had been leading to the larger spoken of events. This happens to Peter. When people think of the first acts of the Church they jump to the Pentecost in Acts chapter 2. However, they first miss Peter standing up for the Word in a different environment. Let us look at Acts chapter 1.

Imagine, Jesus has left and all 120 of them are praying and waiting for what Christ had promised when He said, “You have heard from Me for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” Acts 1:5. Now they wait. Acts 1:12-14 identifies what is going on. “12 Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day’s journey away. 13 When they had entered the city, they went up to the upper room where they were staying; that is, Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon the Zealot, and Judas the son of James. 14 These all with one mind were continually devoting themselves to prayer, along with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers.” For more details about the significance of this go back two weeks and see our first post in the series.

While praying and being in fellowship, Peter realizes he needs to speak. While we do not know the details of how or why specifically him, we know Peter knew the calling. I can only imagine the moment he recognized what was going on, it was God’s word coming alive in his mind. We can be sure of one thing, it was as clear as when Peter first heard Jesus talk to Him, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men” Matthew 4:19 or when God the Father revealed to him who Jesus really was, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven” Matthew 16:17. This is not something caused by the Pentecost but rather a relationship with Christ, nurtured by the Holy Trinity.  His heart must have been racing, we do not know his thoughts and if there was any doubt if he should talk or not; but what we do know is when he stands up, we have a new Peter. The Peter of the Pentecost did not start on the Pentecost, but rather in a room filled with prayer with other brothers and sisters. Instead of bringing the attention to himself, he goes directly to scripture; and because of Doctor Luke, we have the capacity to read what was said.

Acts 1:16-26 “Brethren, the Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit foretold by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus. 17 “For he was counted among us and received his share in this ministry.” 18 (Now this man acquired a field with the price of his wickedness, and falling headlong, he burst open in the middle and all his intestines gushed out. 19 And it became known to all who were living in Jerusalem; so that in their own language that field was called Hakeldama, that is, Field of Blood.) 20 “For it is written in the book of Psalms, ‘LET HIS HOMESTEAD BE MADE DESOLATE, AND LET NO ONE DWELL IN IT’; and, ‘LET ANOTHER MAN TAKE HIS OFFICE.’ 21 “Therefore it is necessary that of the men who have accompanied us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us-- 22 beginning with the baptism of John until the day that He was taken up from us--one of these must become a witness with us of His resurrection.” 23 So they put forward two men, Joseph called Barsabbas (who was also called Justus), and Matthias. 24 And they prayed and said, “You, Lord, who know the hearts of all men, show which one of these two You have chosen 25 to occupy this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place.” 26 And they drew lots for them, and the lot fell to Matthias; and he was added to the eleven apostles.”

Peter recognizes that scripture must be fulfilled. The courage to stand up here amongst those who knew him, those who knew his sin and his shame only a month prior, in abandoning and denying Jesus appears to not even be calculated. This Peter is different, this Peter is the Peter Christ called him to be. The believers recognized the moment and acted accordingly. Instead of doubting they examine the word and act accordingly. What a testimony to you and I! Listen, compare the scripture to what we have heard, and act accordingly. The Pentecost has not even happened and yet we are starting to see a foundation established of what the Church should be acting like. Separated from the World in our thoughts, actions, and attention to be laser focused on the Lord and His Word. Not influenced by the world, but influencing the world to recognize that Jesus is the answer to it all. We need to make sure our actions are based out of an abundance of time and study in God’s Word. So that we may know when to speak and when not to, the moment to stay still and then the moment to act.

Hold until relieved, our Blessed Hope is coming,

Jl

Re-Post Friday

Understanding the age we are in gives hope to the future! Read it HERE!

Source of Conflict

As James begins the fourth chapter in his book, he turns to the source of conflicts. And just as James does not shy away from any other hard topics, he makes it clear where the source of conflict stems from.

What is the source of quarrels and conflicts among you? Is the source not your pleasures that wage war in your body’s parts? 2 You lust and do not have, so you commit murder. And you are envious and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have because you do not ask. 3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask with the wrong motives, so that you may spend what you request on your pleasures.

James 4:1-3

We can see pretty quick that James points to individual motives as the source of conflicts. An individual wants what they cannot have so the conspire to get it. Someone is jealous of a role that another has so they spread vicious rumors. We do not come before God to ask that He help us, or when we do ask it is with a motive that stems from self rather than a desire to serve God.

When looking at this passage in James 4, I am reminded of Cain and Abel.

3 In the course of time Cain brought to the Lord an offering of the fruit of the ground, 4 and Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions. And the Lord had regard for Abel and his offering, 5 but for Cain and his offering he had no regard. So Cain was very angry, and his face fell. 6 The Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen? 7 If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is contrary to you, but you must rule over it.”

Genesis 4:3-7

Both brothers brought an offering before God, but only one was accepted. I do not believe that Abel’s offering was much more impressive than the of Cain; but it came down to the motives behind the offering. Abel brought his with the desire to serve and honor God, while Cain brought his with the desire to serve and honor himself. We see the result of this motive in the death of Abel by Cain’s own hand and his callous answer when God asked where Abel was. The source of Cain and Abel’s conflict stemmed from a desire to serve self rather than glorify God!

Now this is not to say that sometimes conflict isn’t necessarily a good thing. After all, if someone is misusing the word of God and teaching false doctrine we need to stand up to it. This act will no doubt cause a conflict, but in the end the difference is in the motive behind it.

So if you find yourself in the middle of a conflict, I ask that you take a moment and really consider why you are in this situation. Are you seeking your own glory or are you wishing to follow after God?

Seek the truth and encourage one another,

Alex

Treasure In His Word

Recently I had the opportunity to be reminded about a truth that I believe all saints need to hear from time to time. The mystery is still in God’s Word. You might be wondering what I am talking about, but take a moment and think of all of the scholars, theologians, pastors, students, teachers, critics, and even casual bystanders for centuries who have read God’s Word. Yet we are still learning new things. Science is developing and advancing to find out what God’s Word has already known. As Robert Jastrow once stated, “For the scientist who has lived by his faith in the power of reason, the story ends like a bad dream. He has scaled the mountains of ignorance, he is about to conquer the highest peak; as he pulls himself over the final rock, he is greeted by a band of theologians who have been sitting there for centuries.”

As prophecy of the Last Days approaches, we advance our knowledge of the accuracy of His perfection in declaring future events. Daniel 12:8-9 “I heard, but I did not understand. Then I said, “O my lord, what shall be the outcome of these things?” 9 He said, “Go your way, Daniel, for the words are shut up and sealed until the time of the end.”

This promise does not have an ending, but rather is a declaration without limits or boundaries. Proverbs 25:2 “It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, But the glory of kings is to search out a matter.” Like the rest of God’s Word, His declarations of His character and how He interacts with us is unchanging. Malachi 3:6  “For I, the LORD, do not change; therefore you, O sons of Jacob, are not consumed.” With this understanding we can take each day with God’s Word and study it with the intensity that we are possibly looking at a discovery that has never been seen before. This is unique only to His Word because it is alive. Hebrews 4:12 “For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” So as we study God’s Word and we believe we have found something new, look at God’s Word in other sections and see if it collaborates your theory. Talk to other believers but most importantly pray! Ask the Lord to guide you.

So you might be wondering what caused me to be reminded by this lesson? The answer is simple and a series that I am planning for this coming late summer/early fall.

Hold until relieved, our Blessed Hope is coming,

Jl

Re-Post Friday

Join us as we go over the first warning found in the book of Hebrews! Read it HERE!