Answers

Acts 12
15 “You’re out of your mind,” they told her. When she kept insisting that it was so, they said, “It must be his angel.”

Peter has been placed in prison by Herod. Herod has recently discovered that by persecuting the disciples of Jesus, the Jews rally around him. James the brother of John has been put to death by Herod and now Peter will go on trial.

The Church is earnestly praying for Peter. The night before his trial God answers the prayers of the church by sending an angel to free Peter from prison. Freed,Peter goes to the home where the faithful are gathered and knocks on the door to be let in. Let's examine the response to Peter and the prayers they have been praying.

1. Peter knocks on the door, the servant girl recognizes his voice and goes and tells the others. There reaction? She must be out of her mind. The prayers they have been praying were answered and they did not want to believe it.
2. She insists it's Peter. Their next rationale? It must be his angel. Confronted with her urgency they now explain Peter away as an angel.

The disciples are sitting on answered prayer and continue to act as if their prayer wasn't answered.

Is this how we respond when prayers are not answered the exact way we had in mind? Does this thinking cause us to miss answers to prayers because the prayers are not answered in the time and manner we expect?

Understanding Meaning

Acts 1:8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.

The book of Acts records these words as the last ones spoken by Jesus before he ascended into heaven. Although the apostles and disciples didn't grasp the enormity of his words at the time, the lens of history allows us to see they began a mission that continues on to this day.

Their mission began at Pentecost when the power of the Holy Spirit came down on them just as Jesus said it would. At times they may have needed prodding,or doubted the effectiveness of their efforts, but they continued on.

Acts 2:12 Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, "What does this mean?"

Jerusalem was was filled with people from many different nations during Pentecost. Nations speaking different languages all gathered in one place. All of these people begin to hear the disciples speak to them in their own languages. Of course they are bewildered and confused wondering what it all meant.

It meant that the words of Jesus came to be. The Holy Spirit will come upon you and you will receive power. Prior to the Holy Spirit coming, the disciple did not have the power to complete the assigned mission. Going to ends of the earth required the ability to communicate and share the gospel message. The Holy Spirit enabled the disciples to speak in the tongues of the nations, paving the way fro the gospel to march forward.

"What does this mean?" It means, in that moment it became possible for all people, every tongue and tribe to become followers of Jesus.

Increase our Faith

Luke 17:5
The apostles said to the Lord, "increase our faith!"

The ones closest to Jesus, the ones he invested in the most, realized their need for a growing faith. The teachings of Jesus require increasing amounts of faith. Not because his teachings are outlandish and fictional but because his teaching are counter-intuitive to a me first world.

Me first thinkers never need to apologize or forgive. Me first always places the individuals needs in front of the needs and at the expense of all others. The problem with me first? Only one can be first; and yet so many strive to be first.

The disciples, as they learned and grew in understanding, came to the realization that Jesus and his teachings were radical. Forgiveness was a simple teaching flying in the face of me first living.

The more we know of Jesus and his teachings, the more faith we need. Faith not in ourselves but faith founded in him and his teachings.

Was Is Will Be

Rev 11:17
"We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty, the one who is and who was, because you have taken your great power and have begun to reign."

We worship god the almighty, who was and will always be. Before time and after forever he will be.

He is and has and will reign and rule over all for all time. There is no beginning and no end of Him and His greatness, love and power.

May the day come soon when we begin to understand.

Exalted

Ps 70:4
But may all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you; may those who love your salvation always say "Let God Be exalted."

Art imitates life. Like the the movies life is filled with storms, sadness, and death. Most often we cannot begin to comprehend the reasons behind each trial and tragedy. Our lack of comprehending does nothing to change the the inevitable.

In those times of testing there is a light, a light that calls and beckons to all. A light that turns night to day. A light that thaws the chill of winter. A light that loves; a light that is to be exalted always and forever.

The light that shines in blessings and abundance is the same light shining in fear and loneliness. This light never leaves us all alone. May God be exalted!

Exalt Him when our words fail us, exalt Him when the strength to do so has left. Above all exalt Him for who he is. May we rejoice and be glad in God.

Praise Worthy

Rev 4:10-11
the twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits upon the throne, and worship him who lives for ever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say:

"You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being."

Falling in worship, awe, and praise, the elders who surround the throne exalt God. They lay their crowns before the throne, they submit themselves to the author of life. They humble themselves, they remove their crowns, pride, achievements, possessions, and accomplishments.

They recognize the will of Jesus-creator of all things, seen and unseen. May I also submit and humble myself to the same king in the same way.

Is this me?

Rev 3:1 talks about the church in Sardis. The Holy Spirit says (my para-phrase) "I know you and what you do. You have this reputation of being productive but your not."

The letter is addressing the church as a whole, but we as individuals are the church, we are the body and we make up the church. We can say all the right things and do all the right things and develop the reputation of being a productive Christ follower. But are saying and doing the right things enough?

1. Weekend worship
2. Daily personal study
3. Small group membership
4. Serving others

These are some of the things that are the "right" things. Sometimes if we are not careful it can also be merely going through the motions.

It's never about me. It's about loving God and others, and teaching them to do the same.

Inspired

The Old Testament and the New Testament are the inspired word of God. If I believe nothing else, I believe this. God has spoken to us in the past through scripture, He continues in the present to speak through scripture and He will in the future

God has always been speaking to us. He uses creation to reach us. David writes in Psalm 19 of the heavens declaring the glory of God. The skies are evidence of His handiwork. Nature point to the existence of God. Scripture teaches us of salvation.

All scripture is useful; useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness. Scripture equips us for good works. As Adam was placed in the garden to work, we are given scripture to prepare us for work. The work we are prepared for is found in the will of God, found in the word of God.

We read scripture with an end in mind, that God will speak to us. He does, we need to bring the good news of salvation to the world.

The Greatest

Romans 13:9-10
"Love your neighbor as yourself." Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is fulfillment of the law."

Jesus himself declared loving God was the greatest commandment. He went on to say the second greatest command is to love your neighbor as yourself.

Paul taps into this theme and concludes that love is fulfillment of the law. Love is fulfillment. We are therefore commanded and instructed to love. The law and its fulfillment are found in love.

What does love look like? Love has an endless array of faces.
Love is expressed, love is implied.
Love is given, love is received.
Love is silent, love is boisterous.
Love is weak, love is strong.
Love is the ageless mighty oak, love is the prairie grass yielding to gale force winds.
Love gives, love shares.
Love laughs, love cries.
Love holds on, love lets go.
Love knows when, love knows how.
Love does. Love is patient, love is kind.
Love is yielding.
Love is meeting our needs by meeting the needs of others.
Love is the greatest command, love is the fulfillment of the law.
Love is God's will.

In Spite...

Ps 78:32
In spite of all this they kept on sinning; in spit of his wonders they did not believe.

God is the sustainer. He doesn't hide his love in secret places like a clue to be discovered. God is love, abundant love and can be found where you are, no matter where you are or the circumstances of you life. God's love is in abundance. We run the risk of of misreading his love for us by confusing the way he loves us. We come to expect his love and gifts as inalienable rights.

Thirsty? Turn on the tap and drink, grab a bottle of water. Cold? Turn up the thermostat, put on warmer clothing, go inside to warmth and comfort. Hungry? Pick, you choose: open you refrigerator, go to the store, reach into your pantry, drop some coins into a vending machine, pick up a phone and have it delivered, cruise a drive through. Transportation? Hop on a bike, grab a train, jump on the bus, drive you car, fly across the country, try them all.

God's abundant love is pervasive in our lives. We should be left in awe and wonder. And we are, sometimes. We marvel at the promise of eternity, neglecting his will for us here and now. Belief requires action. Can we love God without loving others? Is God's abundance given to us only for us? Or are we to let it pass through our fingers and bless others with it? In doing so are we loving God back?

In loving others we love God. Loving others is an act of belief. God's love is abundant, may we also love abundantly with all we have and all we have been given.

Sustain

Psalm 55:22
Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall.

Casting our cares on the LORD, the creator of EVERYTHING, sounds simple and easy. Whatever it is we are fretting over or struggling with, we simply need to turn it over to God. We give him our burdens and he promises to sustain us. He will supply us, support us, maintain us. He will provide what we need. And with that promise, we try to and we mean to turn over our cares to the LORD.

And we wait. Temporarily and momentarily we wait. And then we pick up our burdens all over again forgetting the promise that he will sustain us. He will see us through. He will gives us what we need when he sees the need.

Reliance on God in the present is difficult. We lack faith. In hindsight and reflection it's almost too easy to see God sustaining us. We forget to remember. When we look back we can remember, we can see God's goodness.

No one, not one is righteous. And that's why the son came we are made righteous through Jesus and he will sustain us.

Posting Gaurds

Mt. 27:66
So they went and made the tomb secure by putting a seal on the stone and posting the guard.

The idea is, if the tomb is guarded the disciples cannot steal the body and stage a resurrection. Forget the healing, the miracles, and the teachings the rulers have witnessed over the last 3.5 years, these can be explained away. A missing body, that would only serve to add validity to the claims of Jesus and his followers. The claim that he would rise on the third day had to be prevented. And so the Romans posted a guard. And so, Jesus arose on the appointed day while guarded. Despite the efforts of the religious leaders, God's will took place.

I try to guard the tomb in my own way. Jesus commands us to love God and to love others. And so I do, when its convenient for me to do so. For me guarding the tomb is placing the teachings of Jesus that I don't like or that are uncomfortable for me, in a vault in my mind where I can keep them out of sight. Out of sight and out of mind, I am free to choose the commands I like to follow. I choose the teachings I like and I am free to forget the ones I don't.

God's will is different and will not be thwarted. He wants all to be loved, not just the ones I find lovable. And when I don't do as I should, God completes his will through someone else and I am diminished. Instead of going on the adventure, I read about it in a brochure. The experience is never the same when it is read about instead of lived.

The living are not found among the dead. The tomb needs no guards.

On the back of a donkey

Jesus enters Jerusalem on the back of a donkey, just as was foretold. This evidence is found in the writings of the Old Testament. The religious leaders of the day were keenly aware of the significance of this event. As he entered the people were shouting hosanna. Translated, they are shouting save us, help us. Something only the messiah could do. The religious leaders are uncomfortable indeed.

These leaders witnessed first hand the miracle power of Jesus. They heard his teaching and they saw his grace. There reaction is indignation. They urge Jesus to shush the children chanting Hosanna, they want him to silence the ones who understand the real significance of the moment, his triumphal entry.

Why do the religious leaders of the day want to silence Jesus and his message? All they saw and all they witnessed, why won't they embrace him?

Jesus is change, radical heart racing change. The status quo never does well with change. Which side should we be on? We've all probably been on both sides. I want the radical life directional change leap of faith required side. The status quo represents comfort. The leap of faith give comfort.

Equal Pay

In Mt. 20, Jesus tells the parable of the workers paid equally.
Jesus compares the kingdom of heaven to a landowner that goes out into the market place early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard. He, and they by accepting his offer agree on the wage for the day. Later in the day, three more times, the landowner returns to the market and hires more men with the promise that "I will pay you whatever is right." They to accept and go. When the day is over he calls the foreman and instructs him to pay the workers, starting with the last hired. The last are paid what the first agreed upon. Seeing this, those called first are now expecting a more generous settlement.

Each of them, however, receives exactly what they agreed upon earlier in the day. They, the first hired, begin to grumble and complain as if to say they deserve more than they had agreed to. The landowner poses this question: "Am I not giving you what you agreed to? Don't I have the right to do what I want to with my money? Or are you envious because I am generous?"

God's generosity and grace is both incomparable and incomprehensible. We do envy, we envy because we don't understand and we want more. We try to take something that was given to us, salvation, and put our rules and parameters around it. We want more because we were first. The whole time we disregard the notion that we really don't have any say in the matter. That's where it gets tricky. We want control, we want to establish the rules for meting out God's grace. We stumble wanting more.

At some point we need to realize that salvation is reward enough. Who God decides to reward is not cause for our concern. We have been blessed through the Son and that is enough. Individually, we need to put aside our preconceived ideas of justice and fairness. It's not a justice issue, it's a grace issue. Justice says you get what you have coming, for us that's eternal separation from God. Grace says I know what you deserve, I chose to give you what you don't deserve. It's not a fairness issue, never was. God is the landowner and He determines the wages.

Crossing T's

Lost and wandering, missing the main point, we focus on the mundane. We miss out on the story, while dotting I's and crossing T's. As our days go, our lives follow.

May we see and hear. Allow us to perceive your will. Enable us to act upon that will in the ways and manner you have equipped us.

The world longs to know the story of truth, send others, send us.

Obedience

Rare is the individual who passes on the chance to hand a setback to his or her nemesis. Maybe it's human nature, maybe our flawed logic justifies missteps.

Saul, hunting David, tries to kill him at every turn. The LORD delivers Saul into David's hands. Amazingly, David honors God with his righteousness by refusing to strike God's anointed one.

Ps 57:10 For great is your love, reaching to the heavens, your faithfulness reaches to the sky.
Mt. 8:8 The centurion replied, "Lord I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But say the word and my servant will be healed."

We live out our faith by obeying what God commands. David emulates God's righteousness. The centurion displays a faith so strong, scripture records Jesus is astonished. Jesus doesn't astonish easily.

Faith is more than belief. By faith we accept what Jesus has done for us. We receive him as the only one who can save us from our sin, and we live out this faith by obeying what he commands. David obeyed, the centurion obeyed, in obedience we encounter God.

Encounter

How do we encounter God? The question assumes there is a programmatic way or formula that we can follow or adhere to that will assure such an encounter. Certainly, setting time aside each day for study, contemplation, and prayer helps. Is there more to it?

What if we chose to take God out of the box we call quiet time? What if we recognized He was never limited to the brief and fleeting minutes we assigned to Him every day? What if we began to live with the expectation that we could encounter God regularly and frequently throughout the minutes and hours that make up our days? What would happen if we quit compartmentalizing God? What happens when we purposefully seek an encounter with God? Do we have the courage to seek?

Would God show up on our jobs and in the quality of our efforts and our workplace relationships? Would we see God in the faces and places we go each day? What if we spent our days seeking God?

Would we do unto others? Would we find the good? Would we see the opportunity? Would we take the chance? Would we act? Would we love unconditionally? Would we discover the power at work within us?

Would we glow in a shekinah kind of way? Would people know we encountered Him? Could that encounter lead to other meaningful encounters? Could we change our little corner of the world? Could we change the whole world? Would there be a difference?

I want to know.

Focus

Studying scripture and the teachings of Jesus can be a perilous undertaking. Not because it's difficult to do and beyond us; rather the peril comes into play when we ask ourselves, as we must, what is it we are going to do with the truths presented? If you believe the voice and will of God is found in scriptures as I do, you will be challenged by the Holy Spirit to change.

Jesus teaches about worry, his position on it, don't. We are told not to worry about food, drink, clothing or even our bodies. Jesus goes on to say that worrying will not add anything to our lives, not a minute or even a hair on our head. Worry, actually takes away from our lives, it distracts and divides our focus. Worry causes things to matter, that don't. Worry drains and derails our God given purpose.

Jesus said in Mt 6:33, "But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." Our priorities are not to be on things and possessions, or even necessities. When we seek God, his kingdom and his righteousness, we are focused and our attention is where God wants it. The promise? Pursuing the things of God leads to growth, knowledge, and life change in ourselves and others.

We read.
We pray.
We listen.
We act.

When we focus, all things are given to us because our Father in heaven knows our needs.

Weakness

Nowhere in our culture is weakness valued or esteemed. Power, strength, self-reliance, these are the qualities we admire. These are the qualities we wish for ourselves, these are the qualities on the altar of self.

These qualities allow us to be bold in speaking of ourselves. I built this, or I have this, I control my world. In our strength we need no one or nothing. Relying on our strength and wisdom allows us to forge onward, to be the captains of our own destinies. Strengths allow us to be about self. In strength, we can lose sight of the Almighty.

Jesus said, "My grace is sufficent for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." In weakness we can see strength. In the slums of Nairobi, daily bread is a miracle. In strife and constant fear, with nowhere to turn, peace can be found. It is when we decide that our strengths have become our greatest weaknesses, that we can turn aside from them. Strengths cause us to lose our sight, we become spiritually blind.

When we choose weakness we can seek God.

Endings and Beginnings

Amazing what happens when your in the right place at the right time. Amazing because we can't plan on being in the right place at the specific right time. It just happens. Serendipity is a word some use to describe this phenomena. Some call it destiny, others would say coincidence sums up these chance alignments.

Endings
Hours before her 90 year life span drew to completion, I was there.

Weddings
The ceremony that will unite them for life took twenty minutes, I was there.

Baptisms
35 people obediently publicly proclaiming faith in Christ, I was there.

Each one of these events was an ending and a beginning. Life drew to a close eternity dawned. Two became one in the eyes of the Lord. People died to self and were born anew.

Blessed
God will put us in the right place at the right time for His purposes. We are fortunate to be His.

Who's Power?

Judges 6:14
The LORD turned to him and said; "Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian's hand. Am I not sending you?"

Psalm 44:6-7
I do not trust in my bow, my sword does not bring me victory, but you give us victory over our enemies, you put our adversaries to shame.

Often I have thought to myself, has God really called me to do His work? Who am I that the Lord would call on me or use me for His purposes? I inventory all my strengths, then doubt creeps in. The other side of the ledger is filled beyond capacity with all of my weaknesses, short comings, and failures. The entries on the weak side of the ledger always seen to out number the strength side, and I become afraid. Afraid that I will fall short of what I have been called to do. Afraid that I do not posses all the gifts and skills that will be required of me. The truth is I don't. Relying on myself will never allow me to fulfill God's calling on my life because I do not have what it takes, only God does.

God uses our strengths. While I sit and focus on my weaknesses and failings, God says my strength is your strength. Go with the strength you have, I am sending you. There is a weakness or flaw in me that whispers I need to be self-reliant. I need to be able to go it alone. But God says, I am sending you, and I am sufficient.

The psalmist writes, "I do not trust in my bow, and my sword does not bring victory. But you God, you give us victory." Kings and warriors felt inadequate in all their strength and might. Yet for them, as it is for me it is God alone who says I am sending you and if I send you, rely on Me.

We are all sent. The last command Jesus gave us was to Go! With this command he goes with us. Weaknesses and fear disappear into the awesomeness of His power. God as we are sent as we go in obedience, humble us so that rely on you and your strength alone.

Take Courage

As the book of Acts continues to unfold, Paul and the testimony he shares continues to place him repeatedly in harm's way. Time after time Paul is beaten, stoned, pursued, plotted against and in great peril. Amazingly he never waivers. He forges on without ever taking his eye off his mission. Paul accomplishes this by continually leaning into and relying on the power of the Holy Spirit. He writes time and time again about praying without ceasing, giving joy in all circumstances. That intense focus and joy can only come from reliance on something greater than himself.

Tucked away in Acts 23:11, the Lord appears to Paul and says "Take courage! As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome." To the cynic, the words might have sounded more along these lines. Your persecution is going to go indefinitely... To Paul, it's validation the God is not yet through with him and from that, he draws strength and the will to go on. Paul never waivers.

The Lord may never appear to us the way he appeared to Paul. We have something Paul didn't, we have the full counsel of God found in the bible. God appears to us in ways he never appeared to Paul. We have God's entire plan at our disposal. Just as the Lord told Paul to take courage, he tells us the same through scriptures.

In the same way that God confirmed upon Paul he had more to accomplish, we too have that confirmation. God is never done with us, His plans for us go even beyond this life. Each opportunity God gives us, every time we yield to the leading and the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives we are being prepared for future service to God. He created us, we are His to use, if we allow Him to use us.

God used Paul's trials, tribulations, and suffering to prepare Paul to bring God even greater glory. To this day God uses the same methods to prepare us for greater service to Him. As the Lord said to Paul, "Take courage!"

Steady Hands

Exodus has a passage I think about often lately. The Amalekites come and attack the Israelites. Moses sends Joshua and some men to go fight the enemy. He tells Joshua he will stand on the top of the hill with the staff of God in his hands. So Joshua goes to fight as he was ordered. Moses along with Aaron and Hur go to the top of the hill. When Moses holds his hands up the Israelites prevail, when his arms get tired and he lowers them, the tide of battle turns. Now Aaron and Hur realize Moses is getting tired. They go and get a stone for him to sit on. Then Aaron and Hur held his hands up. One on one side, one on the other side-so that his hands remained steady until sunset. So Joshua defeated the Amalekite army with the sword.

Several observations can be made. First, even under the power and direction of God, we will be attacked. Second the leader isn't the one in the hand to hand combat, but they are the one to come up with the plan of action. Thirdly, the people fighting the battle and the leader all have to make contributions. Fourth, even leaders need help. Aaron and Hur supported Moses so that Israel could win the battle.

I think of this passage and wonder who's arms am I holding up? Who needs me to support them and help sustain them so they are able to accomplish the grand vision God has for them. Notice Joshua's success is made possible because Moses is supported. Without Aaron and Hur, the battle is lost. Who's Aaron am I?

I want my life to have an impact on others, I want to change peoples eternities. Aaron and Hur don't receive the glory from winning the fight on the battle field. They aren't heralded as the brilliant strategist and leader of Israel. Yet through supporting Moses, they change eternities, in the unsung annals of history, they are history makers. Sometimes we lead, sometimes we fight, other times we support. If today I am Moses, let me lead. If I am Joshua, let me fight. If I am Aaron, let me steady another's hands.

Two Reactions

Luke tells the story of Zaccheus,a small man, who climbs a tree to see Jesus. Jesus calls him down from the tree and says "tonight I will eat at your house."

Luke 19:7
All of the people saw this and began to mutter, "He has gone to be the guest of a 'sinner'."

Zaccheus is a hated man, he is a Jew by birth, but is now in league with the occupying Romans. He is a hated tax collector and a traitor, a collaborator with the enemy, not a real popular guy.

Our individual world's are filled with immoral, untouchable, and unworthy people. At least the way we see them. We decide in our minds what is good and pleasing to God. We also decide who is good and pleasing to God. We decide who God can and cannot use. We read in the following verses, after that encounter with Jesus, Zaccheus changes. He immediately gives half of all he has to the poor, he's willing to pay back anyone he cheated four times the amount. I'm not sure about how much money Zaccheus started with, I know he ends up with a lot less.

After an encounter with Jesus, Zaccheus walked away a changed man, he reacted to the truth.

Later in the same chapter we read of Jesus going into the temple where he witnesses the "rulers" of the temple, the ones who are supposed to get it, the churched people, cheating and stealing from those coming to worship God. The very people that should be setting the example are just like Zaccheus, they not only steal money they also steal hope.

In theory, these are the people closest to God, they of all people should know how to act. They do react to Jesus, quite differently from the previous example of Zaccheus. They plot to kill Jesus.

God decides who he will use. He uses immoral and untouchable people to change the world. Meanwhile the pious go through life unchanged and unrepentant.

Jesus came to be the guest of sinners, that means all of us. May we change as Zaccheus did.

Cost

There is a cost in following Jesus. There is a cost when Jesus goes from being an abstract concept or a symbol represented by a cross, to the ruler of our hearts. The price of putting Jesus on the walls or our homes or the bumpers of our cars is far different the the cost of submission to Jesus.

Submission cost everything. Our time, talents, money, other resources, make up the price we pay to submit to Christ. Everything we have is required of us to be a disciple. The security and comfort we may have, or think we may have in our wealth, also needs to surrendered. We avail all of these things to the work and the yielding of the Holy Spirit. We release our resources, and in doing so we are free from the chains we have placed on ourselves.

Submitting and surrendering everything allows us to witness miracles first hand. A warm blanket, a hot meal, clean water, a roof for some who don't have their own. Our resources become something far greater than we could every imagined.

Becoming a disciple has a cost. Everything, time, money, talent, are all paid to follow Christ. Our resources, in the hands of the architect of the universe, build His kingdom.