Choice

Judas traveled with the apostles after the resurrection of Jesus Christ.  When the gospels were finally written many years later, God refers to him as a betrayer more than 26 times. It is also recorded in Luke and John that the adversary had a hold of his thinking.  He covenanted with the chief priests whom Jesus had confronted. He spoke up about the precious oil poured on Jesus saying that the money which could have been gotten for it could help the poor. Judas traveled with Jesus and saw the many things that he did for people, healing, blessing, teaching, boldly proclaiming freedom for anyone who believed.  What was the matter with Judas!! Why does anybody refuse to see good? (I'm not going to answer that.)

Yes, he betrayed Jesus Christ and even  when he saw Jesus Christ up and alive, he still chose another path. None of us can judge the heart of a man.  It is the in Lordship of Jesus Christ that men and women exhibit their fruit.  Judas could have turned his life around and done what Jesus Christ said in Acts 1:8.

But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

Instead he chose his own path again and that was it. I don't know why. Whatever his reasons were, the power of God was made available to anyone who believed. Paul spells it out in Romans 10:

Romans 10:9-10 (Amplified) Because if you acknowledge and confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and in your heart believe (adhere to, trust in, and rely on the truth) that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart a person believes (adheres to, trusts in, and relies on Christ) and so is justified (declared righteous, acceptable to God), and with the mouth he confesses (declares openly and speaks out freely his faith) and confirms [his] salvation. 

It is a free-will choice.

New Testament Reformation

True reformation occurred because of the death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ. When one looks back at the gospels, it can be seen that Jesus Christ lived the Word as it was to be lived and God's desire for fellowship on a personal level was realized. He brought life into the temple not because of it's grandeur and symbolic history, but because of who he was. Whether he was in a home outside of Jerusalem, on the shores of the sea of Galilee, or traveling around Judea, that life was manifested.

Jesus Christ's ascension to the right hand of God brought in a new direction for people who love God. Acts is the historical record of the change from the old to the new as recorded by Luke. The apostles couldn't put together what had happened or where they were headed. Jesus Christ began showing them the direction in Acts 1:8

Acts 1:6-8 When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power. But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

When Jesus Christ sent them out during the gospel period, they had the power upon them to carry out great works.  It had amazed them then, but now  permanent spiritual power was soon to be made available to them,to do even greater works.  They would be given spiritual authority. The day of Pentecost gave them what they needed to realize this power, holy spirit in each one of them.

John 14:12Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father. 

His ascension to the right hand of God secured the release of holy spirit through which anyone who believed could enter into the throne room of God. and have full access to creator for themselves and in helping others. We are privileged to be living in this new testament (see link)of God.

Influence

The apostle Paul is a great example of one of the greatest leaders of human history. (Read Ephesians if  you doubt this) In the course of his life he became more and more committed to God's infinite grace. He understood the way, Jesus Christ, and as a result grew to be one of the great influences in Christianity. He was a leader in the true sense of the Word (no pun intended). His leadership qualities of continuing to 'press toward the mark' drove his growth. The mark was the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Paul's heart was:

Philippians 3:10-14 That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. 

A lot of books have been written on leadership in the hopes of isolating a set pattern to identify with. 'Leader' does not mean the same as a manager.  A manager maintains and directs the status quo. 'Leader' does not mean the same as head 'honcho' or 'super brain' or 'front man'. Leadership is not  necessarily positional.   A leader may not be a great salesman.  Salesmanship sells the moment, leadership instills enduring growth in others (Read Ephesians again!). A true leader is hardly aware of the tag 'leader' in his life. He is not a leader for the sake of being a leader, he is way too busy going somewhere.  Paul is a great example.

In the Old Testament, Israel was always looking for a King. Lots of problems resulted. It was not God's heart to set up a monarchy. Theocracy (God's in charge) was His first choice! Paul was not a king.  What position did he hold? At the end of his life he had absolutely no title! He only wanted to share his love for God and what God wrought through Jesus Christ.  The New Testament is quite different from the Old Testament.


The book of Acts tells the story of the growth of the 1st Century church as it matured and grew from the momentous day of Pentecost endued with the power of God. Men and women rose up to influence their day and time with the power of God as a vital part of their resume. The book of Acts ends with Paul in Rome:

Acts 28:30-31 And Paul dwelt two whole years in his own hired house, and received all that came in unto him, Preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ, with all confidence, no man forbidding him.

There are no more chapters in the book of Acts, but the ones we write today as we believe. As we read through the history of the first century church it points us in the direction of the seven church epistles written by Paul that tell us how to live with the same heart today.

Uttermost?

The book of Acts is a descriptive history of what happened after the ascension of Jesus Christ. When Jesus Christ walked the face of the earth he was involved with Israel. What would his disciples do after he left? He prepared them:

Acts 1:8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

Their lives were going to extend farther geographically and culturally. They would receive from God spiritual ability to reach out far beyond the boundaries of Judaism. Every person who believed, believes or will eventually believe would be strengthened by the spirit of God within to carry it out. 

1 Corinthians 2:7-8 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory:Which none of the princes (spiritual opposition) of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 

Jesus Christ could only be in one place at one time. After the day of Pentecost, people with 'Christ in' could be anywhere! It started out in Jerusalem then Samaria and Judea and later, we find centers of outreach in Antioch, Asia Minor, Europe and eventually Rome. What does that mean for us today? Rome was not the uttermost part of the earth! Jesus Christ used a truly inspiring phrase in Acts 1:8: 'the uttermost part of the earth'! That is us today in ways that could hardly be imaginable in the New Testament time. They didn't have airplanes, buses or trains then. There were no cell phones (let alone telephones), printing presses, tv, radio, blogs, facebook, skype and whatever is coming next!

Blogger has a new data map that shows in what places someone has read your blog. I looked at my data map and was amazed. Here's a list: United Kingdom, Brazil, Japan, Poland, Ukraine, Finland, Taiwan, Burundi, Canada, Vietnam and the United States. (Burundi? I had to look this one up. It is in the middle of Africa!) On another list the Philippines, Australia, France, UAE, Latvia, Morocco and Russia showed up! I'm not sure how far uttermost is, but I guess when I get one from Antarctica, that will be close to uttermost. Who would have guessed it back in the first century?

'No Respecter of Persons'

‘All roads lead to Rome’ is common phrase used today in our culture.  It’s origin stems back to the time of the great Roman empire that was flourishing at the time of the Book of Acts. It was the time of Pax Romana.  Augustus Caesar set up a secure and functioning framework of government that provided for a strong centralized government while allowing independent governance in local areas. The strength of the central government provided safety, transportation, and prosperity through abundant safe trade routes and laws that protected the Roman citizen. The apostle Paul was a Roman citizen and it was advantageous to him when he encountered persecution for his beliefs.

In addition to the Roman civilization, Greek and Hebrew cultures contributed to the atmosphere and efficacy of the evolvement of the first century church. Naturally the Hebrew religion was a vital part of the changes made in moving from the Old Testament to the New Testament. The Greeks added language, communication, intellectual qualities and navigation to help the spread of the Word. Three uniquely different cultures provided the fertile ground for the seeds of the new administration that was ushered in after Pentecost.

The book of Acts opens in Jerusalem and closes in Rome. Chapters one and two which describe the ascension and day of Pentecost occurred in 28 AD. The record of the book of Acts ends between 61AD and 64 AD. The burning of Rome by Nero occurred in 64 AD.  The time span of the book is 33-36 years.

The new church in the New Testament was made up of people; not mortar, stained glass, and stone. It was a church very different from the cultures of pagan idolatry and the Pharisaical religion of the Judean world. It became the one body of Christ thus tearing down the walls between Judean and Gentile.

In Chapter 10, of Acts Peter referred the unity of Christians regardless of culture:

Acts 10:34-35 Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: But in every nation he that feareth (respect) him, and worketh righteousness (Romans 10:9-10), is accepted* with him.

* Link - 'respecter of persons'  respecter of-Digging Deeper  

New Birthday!

A change came about as the result of the death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ on the day of Pentecost. A new church was born and it was not a church made of mortar, stone or stain-glass windows! It was a group of people and how they grew into what God made available for the first time, holy spirit.

The book of Acts is a description of people, places and events in the post resurrection/ascension climate of the early church. There are a lot of people mentioned in the book of Acts. Two major influences in the early church were Peter and Paul.

Peter was a fisherman by trade.  He traveled with Jesus Christ. He was one of the twelve. In Acts 4:13, it is recorded:

Acts 4:13 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.

 Paul did not travel with Christ.  He actually persecuted the men and women who were filled with holy spirit after the day of Pentecost. His background was quite different from Peter’s. He received the spirit from God later as a result of a huge event that happened on the road to Damascus. His background is recorded in:

Philippians 4:4-6Though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more: 5Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee; 6Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.

Yet they had the same spirit of God in them and commitment to stay faithful despite their human shortcomings. Peter wrote of Paul:

2 Peter 3:15-16And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you; 16 As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.

Paul wrote of Peter:

Galatians 2:7-8, 7But contrariwise, when they saw that the gospel of the uncircumcision was committed unto me, as the gospel of the circumcision was unto Peter; 8(For he that wrought effectually in Peter to the apostleship of the circumcision, the same was mighty in me toward the Gentiles:)

The common denominator for them was the gift of holy spirit.  It was God that worked in them. Some people call the book of Acts the Acts of the Apostles but in reality, spiritually it should more appropriately be titled The Acts of the Holy Spirit.  Holy spirit is available today for all Christians just as it was in later chapters in the book of Acts. Every person has access to the very same power when they declare Jesus Christ Lord and believe in his resurrection. 

As Peter said on the day of Pentecost:

Acts 2:38-39 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the LORD our God shall call.

Purpose

In the movie 'The Graduate', Benjamin has the following  dialogue with his father:
Mr. Braddock: What's the matter? The guests are all downstairs, Ben, waiting to see you.
Benjamin: Look, Dad, could you explain to them that I have to be alone for a while?
Mr. Braddock: These are all our good friends, Ben. Most of them have known you since, well, practically since you were born. What is it, Ben?
Benjamin: I'm just...
Mr. Braddock: Worried?
Benjamin: Well...
Mr. Braddock: About what?
Benjamin: I guess about my future.
Mr. Braddock: What about it?
Benjamin: I don't know... I want it to be...

Mr. Braddock: To be what? 

Benjamin: [looks at his father] ... Different.

Haven't we all gone through this thinking at some time or another? Why are we here? What should we do? Haven't we all desired to have some meaning to our existence?  God, our very own Father, has provided some very satisfying answers to this question. 'Satisfying' is a very good descriptive of the following verse: 

Ephesians 2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

Effective, productive work stimulates the mind. It is the 'meat and potatoes' of life. Are we supposed to guess about this? My earthly Dad (and Mom too!) wanted the very best for my life. Our Heavenly Dad can go beyond 'best', being the designer and creator of the universe. He has all the resources to go 'exceedingly' beyond anything we could ever ask of think (another Ephesians verse!)

To do what?  We enter into a relationship with the most powerful force in the universe to walk in His good works, in things that are satisfying and whole. God does not control us, He offers it to us. The only thing that limits us is the ceiling that we put on our own lives. Man has been around this world long enough to construct many limitations that end up controlling us in some way or another.  These things always end in over-doing and producing flat, dull outcomes.

There are plenty of wonderful things around to remind us of God's desire for man. Look at the sky on a beautiful fall day for example. It's color, crispness and overall immensity reminds us that it is not the limit!

GOD IS REAL!

Just recently, I was reading a book by Jay Adams, From Forgiven To Forgiving.  It is a tremendous book and many of his points reminded me of the Joseph record in the Old Testament. Several years ago, I did a study on Joseph, one of the sons of Jacob. Many chapters in Genesis are devoted to the events in this man's life. His life was not easy but to his credit he is described as a man on whom the spirit of God resided. Perhaps because of this he had huge challenges, but through them all God guided and strengthened him as he handled them one by one. He is an amazing example of how forgiveness is brought about. He handled things God's way.  He had the humility to not try to outdo God and thus was able to be an instrument of true deliverance.


Forgiveness is a much written about subject. There is no question in my mind that the adversary wants to muddle and twist people's ideas in this particular area.

Ephesians 4:32 (King James Version)And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.

'Even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you'.  That sets the standard. Jesus Christ died for our sins once and for all.  This doesn't mean we have to be crucified to serve God but it does mean that we have answers to life's challenges and that we extend those answers to others. When we teach God's word to others and help them to apply God's word to every situation we are 'kind'.


Joseph's goal was restoration.  His brothers were pretty much a mess and had displayed very cruel behavior toward him in the past.  God worked in Joseph's heart to help facilitate the change that was necessary to cause them to see what changes they needed to make. God knew how to handle them and Joseph carried it out. God knew also that Judah would change and he showed Joseph how to bring that out. Several steps were needed. At one point Joseph spoke roughly to them and threw them in prison. It was there that they started to admit their lives had not been sterling and they repented of what they had done to their brother. It is a great record, one to be digested and re-digested.


God is real and he knows the best way to deal with life's issues. In the age that we live in of secular humanism, we need to take heed to a man like Joseph and how he did things. Our relationships with others should be based on truth, not feeling. Our goal is to help others come up and out of the quicksand of this world. It is  a world of competition, strife, ambition, greed and control. We can't just do that by patting someone on the head and saying nice things. We need to help people by giving them the words of God and telling them how Jesus Christ stood in the gap for us and that we have full access to the throne room of God. That is the promotion of true forgiveness!

Bloom where you are planted but don’t let any grass grow under your feet!

Speaking the truth in love involves a mature balanced approach to relationships. Ephesians 4:15 enlists God’s wisdom without which we could not flourish. In the Bible speaking the truth is really ‘truthing it’ in the Greek and it involves integrity, commitment  and oftentimes loving courage to carry out. As we lean on God and his magnificent gift of holy spirit we blossom into strong individuals capable of achieving more than we ever expected.

God’s sufficiency is ours for the asking by simply believing what he has made available. Believing is assertive action and is never static. We can never allow ourselves to become passive followers of God.  That condition is for ‘pew potatoes’. As we act by walking out on whatever limb is set in front of us, God supports us all the way. Think about when Jesus beckoned Peter to walk out on the water. As Peter kept his eyes on him he walked on water. He could have been the star of the Cypress Garden Water ski team!  The minute he looked down he went down! Human beings were designed to go towards the way they are looking. Just look at how the eyes are positioned in the human body. It is God’s sufficiency we look to in absolutely every situation  and our feet carry us toward that sufficiency by putting one foot in front of the other.

In Ephesians we are exhorted to walk in love, walk in light and walk circumspectly.

Ephesians 5:16-17(Amplified)Making the very most of the time [buying up each opportunity], because the days are evil. Therefore do not be vague and thoughtless and foolish, but understanding and firmly grasping what the will of the Lord is. 

We have the great reassurance of God, who He is and what he has done for us through the written word. We need not waste our time any longer in cringing insufficiency. In this administration we are not only able to walk on water. We are able to handle the ski jumps!

September 11, 3 BC

Another September 11 has come and gone and the impact of that day 2007 years ago will continue forever to effect our lives. Of course, I’m talking about the birth of Jesus Christ: September 11, 3 BC.  No, I haven’t got my dates screwed up. Actually December 25 in those days was the time of the winter solstice, when the earth’s axis was pointed away from the sun. It was a pagan feast. It was longest night of the year too. Doesn't sound like too cool of a birthday date to me!

September 11, 3 BC was Rosh-sha-shana or the Feast of Trumpets in the Judean religion. It seems like that was a good day for God  to select for the birthday of His only-begotten Son. 

                                         ♫♥♪♫•♥♫♥♪♫•♥♫♥♪♫•♥

He is a proud Father and blowing trumpets would be a great way to celebrate.                                                                
The record shown in the stars is stellar (pun or no pun intended)! Adam named the constellations  back in Genesis. God gave Adam the names and groupings: 

Psalm 147:4 He telleth the number of the stars; he calleth them all by their names.

On August 12th, 3BC the king planet Jupiter and the 'bright and morning star' Venus were in conjunction in the king constellation Leo (the constellation of rulership in Judea). On September 14, the king planet, Jupiter and the king star, Regulus were in conjunction in the king constellation Leo. Coincidence? Hmmmmm...........

Happy Birthday to the Son of God!

Commitment: The Integrity of the Word

Everybody knows what a bible is and represents. The words 'Holy Bible', however, written on the front cover are misleading. No version or translation of the Bible really can be called the Word of God because there are no original texts in existence today. At best all we have are copies of ancient scripts. The text from which the King James Version was translated is the Stephen's Greek text. The first copy is the translation, anything after that which is tweaked or modified is called a version. In fact if you look at everything, copies, translations, versions etc, you wonder whether any of them can be trusted to present the Word of God without bias, politics, and yes! religion. God knew this problem ahead of time (He's omniscient, all-powerful and all-knowing you know! That means He's pretty smart!) so he incorporated  in the Word certain keys to unlock it's undeniable truth. He has given us a totally ingenious search engine called holy spirit to magnify the truth in our hearts as we read. The Word is not just words on a page, it is a living breathing reality. The Word rightly divided has life!


Man has a tendency towards complication; with God things are simple.  The Word of God is not about man's ideas about God. It is about God and His love to man. God gives freely to those who ask, but many of us have been led to believe the common person cannot access God except through a certain translation or version, denomination, non-denomination or whatever.  People who have truly shown me how to access the Word for myself are people who are genuinely excited about God and it is pretty evident in the way they live! The Word of God is a living reality in everyday living. God is the most powerful force in the universe. Man really needs to believe that!


Real commitment is based on the integrity of God.  We love Him because He first loved us. How can we love Him if we don't know what He is about? The integrity of God can be seen by His creation. Included in His creation are His Word and His Son.

Psalm 138 I will praise thee with my whole heart: before the gods will I sing praise unto thee. I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name. ³In the day when I cried thou answeredst me, and strengthenedst me with strength in my soul.

Having the keys to tapping the Word of God is vital.  God meant us to know all about Him and in knowing all about Him we realize how much he has loved us, is loving us and and will love us. In the knowledge of God is true freedom and sufficiency!