Conversational or confrontational evangelism

Key Principle #9 : Confrontation

Acts Chapter 7

In Stephen’s defense of Christianity, he used a number of Old Testament references. While sometimes theologians can allegorize the Old Testament a little too much, the Bible actually does say that the Old Testament prophets, stories and events are for our examples (1 Cor. 10:6-16). As such, the following Old Tesatment character were much like missionaries. As you read these passages, ask yourself, "How were these like missionaries?"

Abraham ? (verses 2-8)

²”The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Haran, 3and said to him, ‘Get out of your country and from your relatives, and come to a land that I will show you.’’”

Joseph? (verses 9-16)    

⁹”And the patriarchs, becoming envious, sold Joseph into Egypt. But God was with him.

Moses? (verses 22-44)  

²⁹Then, at this saying, Moses fled and became a dweller in the land of Midian, where he had two sons.

Missionaries will confront things out of their comfort zones when they leave their home turf. It forces them to rely on God rather than their familiarity with their surroundings. 

Stephen was falsely accused of two things:

1) Speaking blasphemous things in regards to the temple and

2) Seeking to abolish the law. 

In reality, verse 48 indicates that the Jewish leaders were the ones guilty of blaspheming by turning the temple into an idol. Secondly, it was the Jewish leaders who were not keeping the law.  If you face confrontation and false accusations against you, pay sharp attention to whether those who are accusing you are actually revealing some of their own faults.

A caution about being too confrontational: Both Peter and Stephen used sharp and harsh confrontational evangelism in their witnessing to the Jewish leaders (read verse 51-53).

⁵¹ “You stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit; as your fathers did, so do you. ⁵²Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who foretold the coming of the Just One, of whom you now have become the betrayers and murderers, ⁵³who have received the law by the direction of angels and have not kept it.”

Stephen could have used more tact in confronting the rulers. Read what years of being too controversial and too confrontational taught the Apostle Paul:

“Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.” (Col. 4:6)

“Do not rebuke an older man, but exhort him as a father, younger men as brothers” (1 Tim. 5:1);  

“But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ.” (Eph. 4:15)

Do you think there are times when sharp, confrontational evangelism is needed? If so, there likely will be sharp consequences, hopefully not the degree that there was with Stephen! Generally, a soft answer turns away wrath (Proverbs

Old dogs and wineskins

A Chronological Harmony of the Gospels  2/26/2013

Mark 2:13-17; Luke 5:33-39; John 5:1-47; Matthew 12:1-21

     Have you ever tried to put new wine into old wineskins? Probably not. Sewed any new cloths on to old garments lately? Well maybe our quilting ladies have but then again they would be too smart for that.

Old dog new tricks was a line used in the latest James
Bond movie, but he was actually a new dog
using old tricks, like the Aston Martin DB5

     How about trying to teach an old dog new tricks? That would probably still be a no, but at least that is a little more something we hear and understand and relate to.

     Today’s reading is a lot about the Sabbath and the legalistic approach to it. But today’s devotional has to deal with change. Few except maybe the babies in the nursery like change. How many Baptists does it take to change a light bulb? Hey, what do you mean change?

     I don’t care for change and I like traditions. But when times change, we need to know how to take the timeless truths of God’s Word and apply them to the ever changing times. But we need to be careful and Jesus said if we try to change something in the wrong way, it may ruin both.

     More than the Sabbath, however, Jesus was addressing the question of fasting and why His disciples didn’t. Whether it is fasting or legalism or any of the new issues that have popped up and into the church, we need to ask ourselves a very important question: is what we want to do a new wine that we are trying to put into an old wineskin.

     I don’t think Jesus is saying there’s anything wrong (or necessarily right) with the old or that there's anything wrong (or necessarily right) with the new. There’s just a right time and a right place and a right way for change.

     So which one are you? If you or your ways are the new wine, are you trying to force it into a wineskin that cannot handle it? If so, Jesus said you are heading for trouble. Are you or your ways the old wineskin and are you seeing that things are just not the way they used to be? If so, and new things are coming, Jesus said get ready for a burst, a rip or a tear.

     Change? It’s inevitable. No matter how much we may long for the ways of old, we need to see what benefits and good things come with the ways of new.

Pray: Thank you Jesus that with your arrival, we are no longer under the law but under grace. This world is in desperate need of a change, and perhaps nothing but Your glorious return could ever usher in the change that needs to happen. Until then, grant us the grace to adapt and grow to our ever changing circumstances.

For more on today's reading from John 5, go to Do You Want to Be Made Whole and Past, Present, and Future

My one foot perimeter

 

A Chronological Harmony of the Gospels  2/25/2013

 

Matthew 6:9-34; Matthew 7; Mark1:40-45; Luke 5:1-11; Mark 2:1-12

    Today’s headlines can be troubling. In years passed, there were problems in the world that we hoped one day we would be able to come out of them. A world war (or two)? It will soon be over. A Great Depression?  We’ll work it out. Nuclear annihilation? Duck and cover. The social change of the 60s? All you need is love. Inflation and malaise of the 70s? Ronald Reagan is coming.

     Maybe those issues were just as troubling at the time as ours are today and maybe even more so. The threat of nuclear war in the atomic age had everyone nervous. But today’s troubles don’t seem to have a solution on the horizon. Does anyone think that the radical terrorists are going to someday grow up and go back to their lives? Do you think that our government is going to wake up soon and say, “Gee, I think it’s high time to pay off our debts.” Are you nervous about sequestration, cutbacks, climate change, deficits, immorality, hatred of Christianity, media bias?

     Or maybe you are going through a personal crisis. Do you feel your life is so out of control that no solution, no miracle, no victory is in your future? Has your sin finally caught up with you and found you out? Does the word “terminal” permeate your doctor visit?

     Matthew 6:24-34 has a solution for all those things: do not worry.

     “Do not worry? Jesus are you serious?”

    You better believe He is serious. You see, the command of “Do not worry” is predicated on prayer (Matt. 6:9ff), a heavenly perspective (6:19ff), and an unswerving focus on God (6:24), followed by a sober reminder that our concentration should be on the things we can change within a foot perimeter of our body (Matthew 7:1ff)

     When a leper came to Jesus (Mark 1:40ff), he said “if you are willing, you can cleanse me.” I give you full permission to turn to page 330 in your copy of The Story (TNIV) and mark through where it says, “Jesus was indignant.” If that jars you as it did me when I read it, you might want to do what I did and look it up in the Greek. Go to blueletter.org and type in Mark 1:41 and you won’t find another translation anywhere which says Jesus was indignant to the leper. My NKJV says “Jesus was moved with compassion.” Those infamous “bowels of compassion” was the first century’s equivalency of what we call “the heart” today.

     My point is not Bible translation, but rather “When you cannot see God’s hand, trust His heart.” I have friends who get rather lathered up about politics, but seriously, if we cannot change that one foot perimeter, what can we do about our nation and world?

     So what do we do? Give up? Resign ourselves to the inevitable? Hunker down for the storm and enjoy the ride? Not at all. We do what Peter did in Luke 5:5. We let down our nets at the Master’s bidding. We do what the friends of the man stricken with palsy did in Capernaum in Mark 2:4. We tear off a roof.

     What does that mean? It means we pray the Serenity Prayer.

Pray: God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference.  Living one day at a time; enjoying one moment at a time; accepting hardships as the pathway to peace; taking, as Jesus did, this sinful world as it is, not as I would have it; trusting that He will make all things right if I surrender to His Will; that I may be reasonably happy in this life and supremely happy with Him forever in the next.  Amen.

The Story, chapter 23

The Story, Chapter 23. Jesus’ Ministry Begins

Read the following as part of the readings from the Story, Chapter 23

Matthew 3:1-2, 4-6, 13-17; 4:1-11;
John 1:19-51; 2:1-11; 3:1-18, 4:4-30, 39-43;
Mark 1:21-45, 2:1-17, 3:1-6;
Matthew 4:23-25;
Mark 3:9-19;
Luke 8:1-3;
Matthew 11:2-14

     Good services today, as there were decisions in every service, including Children's Church (BLAST). As heard today, Jesus is not just a good man or even a prophet, but rather the Son of God and the Son of Man. Today we read about the beginning of Jesus' Ministry from The Story.

     The reading, which prepares us for the teaching and preaching next week, ranges from John the Baptist, the baptism and the temptation of Jesus, and the calling of the first disciples. We also see Jesus' first miracle of turning the water into wine, the conversation with Nicodemus, including the famous John 3:16, some of His miracles and the casting of John into prison.

     While it is hard to single out one overall lesson from this week's reading, as you read and share with your family, a good question to raise is "which of these stories is most important to you? Why?"

     Whatever the answer you may choose, it is likely because somehow, Jesus' story, though 2,000 years ago in another country and culture, somehow, it relates to us all. Temptation, sickness, weddings, questions, doubts, wonder, even demons and imprisonment, all gives us areas of relation to Christ.

Pray: Jesus, Anointed One, thank you for humbling yourself to my level to meet my needs, most of all my need of salvation. Walk 

Are you blest or bless-sed?

A Chronological Harmony of the Gospels Leading to Easter  2/23/2013
(Click on link below for readings.) 

Luke 5:25-30; Mark 1:23-39; Matthew 5:1-48; Matthew 6:1-8

     When people ask me how am I doing, I often say, “I am blessed” as in “blest.” I do not say, “I am bless-sed.” There is a difference.

     Today we look at the Beatitudes, and we ask, “What does it mean to be blessed?”

     Rather than give a definition, let’s look at Jesus description of those who are blessed. Blessed people are poor in spirit, they mourn, are meek, they hunger and thirst after righteousness, they are merciful, they are pure in heart, they make peace, are persecuted for righteousness' sake, they are reviled and persecuted.

     The bless-sed people are those who have those things as Jesus described, but if you were to merely look at the descriptions, you would not say those people are blessed/blest. Consider Mary the mother of Jesus was bless-sed, so told first by Gabriel, then Elizabeth, then even Mary said generations afterwards would call her bless-sed. Yet look at the heart-ache she endured in seeing her Son die on the cross.

     Luke quotes Jesus as saying that bless-sed people hunger, weep and are hated. In Luke 14:14, Jesus said we are bless-sed when people don’t pay us back with good things when we do good things for them. Matthew 25 says the bless-sed are those who feed the hungry, give to the thirsty, host strangers, give clothes to the needy, visit the sick and those in prison. Those without children are bless-sed as are those who never have seen Jesus but believe.

     Hmm. Just to be on the safe side, I may start saying “I’m fine.”  

Pray: "Dear God, make me a blessing in blessed times and bless-sed times. Let me count those blessings one by one and for those things that are blessings in disguise, let me give thanks to you in all things."



What is your meat?

A Chronological Harmony of the Gospels Leading to Easter  2/22/2013
(Click on link below for readings.) 

John 3:23-36; John 4; Mark 6:1-6; Luke 4:16-24

Jesus said to them, "My meat is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work."

John 4:34

     Okay, today's title may be a bit strange for a devotional, but today is Friday in the midst of Lent. Some people won’t be eating beef today and instead have a fish sandwich. Some people in the world today are thinking their getting black angus, but in reality, they may be getting Black Beauty. But in today’s devotional, Jesus doesn’t eat anything at all because He is so wrapped up in telling a woman, a Samaritan woman, about God.

      It makes me wonder, what gives us the nourishment for our soul? Are we thinking we are eating meat, while Satan is really substituting our food with junk? Jesus didn’t even notice it was passed His mealtime because He busy doing what the Father wanted Him to do.

     Earlier in John 3, John the Baptist was confronted with the fact that Jesus was getting more popular than he was. That didn’t bother John. His meat – John’s sustenance – was no more about who was baptizing the most people than it would be if a best man of a wedding were to be jealous because the groom (or the bride) was getting more attention. John the Baptist said:

“29 He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom's voice. Therefore this joy of mine is fulfilled. 30 He must increase, but I must decrease.”

John Chapter 3

      Isn’t the point of a wedding the bride and groom? John knew it wasn't about him.

      Jesus then goes to His home town. After leaving the “despised” Samaritans, who came out en masse to see the man who told the woman “everything she had ever done”, His own people were offended by him.

     On the way, Jesus heals a nobleman’s son a day’s journey away, but because of their disbelief, His own hometown people (spoiler alert for tomorrow’s reading) try to throw Jesus off a cliff! They could not get accept the fact that Joseph and Mary's boy was now a prophet, let alone the Messiah, and could not give Him the honor afforded to Him elsewhere. Pity, because it was their loss. 

 

     So what is your meat? Are you willing to lose the real food for that which is merely carnal? Here’s what Jesus’ mandate was from today’s reading.

 

18 "The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed;  19 To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord."

Luke Chapter 4

 

     Whether you eat a hamburger or catfish today, make sure your real food is what Jesus’ was. Let us get the focus off of us and onto Christ. Let us go and do likewise.

Pray: I confess today, Jesus, that I need to abstain from spiritual junk food and feast on the food You ate. I must decrease, as You increase. Let me preach, anoint me to heal broken hearts, give me the power to liberate those held captivated to sin, suffering and all the other sorrows of this world. Give me the privilege to lead those who are spiritually blind to the glorious vision of salvation. In Your name I pray, Amen.

For the love of Christ

A Chronological Harmony of the Gospels Leading to Easter  2/21/2013
(Click on link below for readings.) 
John 1:15-51; 2; 3:1-22

"For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ."

John 1:17

 

    Too much to share from today’s reading, so I’m not even going to try.

 

    Okay, just kidding. But in just three chapters we go from John the Baptist’s testifying of Christ, the water to wine, money changers, and Nicodemus’ call to be born again. This is getting way ahead on The Story but we’ll catch back up next week. Today I want us to focus on love, especially the love of Christ.
 

     First, look at the tender love we see when the disciples, John and Andrew, follow Christ. “What do you seek?” When we follow our Lord, He’ll invite us tenderly to “Come and see.” The love of Christ bids us come and follow Him.
 

     Second, the love of Christ is seen in meeting the needs of the marriage. This miracle is not insignificant in that it shows us that Jesus loves us in caring for our inadequacies and short-fallings. Jesus did the miracle, but Mary did the asking and the servants did the filling. Someone said, “If you’re praying for rain, why aren’t you carrying an umbrella?” And notice what results from the love of Christ, followed by faithful obedience: God is glorified and the disciples are edified in their faith (John 2:11). We are saved by faith alone but saving faith is never alone.

     Thirdly, the love of Christ is seen in passionate zeal for the Father and His house. The religious people of Jesus' day thought they could make some money on God, but Jesus turned the tables on them (don’t groan, please). Are we zealous for God's House for Him or for what we get out of it? To be honest some just want to get out of God's House period. Never complain, "Oh, I didn't get anything out of service today." That reflects a sad and selfish heart, much like the money changers. We go to God's House for service, not "serve us." It's not what we get but what we give and I'm not just talking about money.

     Brevity, Tim, brevity. Devotional, not a sermon ... 500 words...Whew. Okay.

     But notice the common denominator in chapter 2 in the water to wine and the turning over of the tables: it increased the faith within the disciples (2:11 and 22).

     Finally, the love of Christ is seen in the kingdom of God being seen by being born again. “For God so loved…” Love gives forgiveness and a future. Religion has man seeking to ascend to heaven, but Christianity has Christ seeking humanity by descending to our level (3:13). He doesn’t condemn, we are already condemned by our hateful disobedience. Yes, every time we sin, we are showing our hatred of the light (3:20).

     For the love of Christ, we follow, we have faith, we have forgiveness and we have a future.

Pray: God, give me heart that says “Where You go, I’ll go,” when You say “fill pots,” I fill pots. Give me a heart that is zealous for You and Your house. And let me be born again in You today. Amen.

For more on these rich chapters, go to johnoneday.blogspot.com.

How important is it that Jesus was fully human?

 A Chronological Harmony of the Gospels Leading to Easter  2/20/2013
(Click on link below for readings.)
Matthew 2:16-23; Luke 2:39-52; Luke 3:1-20; Matthew 3:13-17; Luke 2:23-38; Luke 4:1-15

"Jesus tarried behind in Jerusalem and Joseph and his mother knew not of it"

 

   Seriously, don’t you love it when a preacher gives a sermon illustration about a child? Aren’t you drawn to facebook pages with pictures of kids? I’m sure there’s a few curmudgeons out there that don’t care that much for l'il tots (okay, even I get a little strained when I’m at a restaurant or, ahem, in church and a child starts doing what children do naturally).

  

   Still, we can all relate with kids. The children’s choir Sunday night was great, especially when they sang “There’s a Sweet Sweet Spirit In this Place,” a closing anthem for almost every church I was a part of in the 1970s.  I noticed Rief did the old “and I know that it’s the” pause “of the Lord.” (We are never sure if it’s “presence” or “spirit” and the words were vacant on the screen).

  

    Today’s devotional is about the childhood of Christ and especially the story of Mary and Joseph losing Jesus. Someone in our church said they had that terrifying moment when they couldn’t find their child at the carnival the other night. Can you imagine losing the one and only, only begotten, totally unique, virgin-born Son of God (and you’re the virgin!). For three days?

    I confess, we lost our oldest once at the Houston airport. And another time, Melissa and I left both boys (under ten years old, mind you) at church by themselves and didn’t realize it until we got home! But three days? Can you imagine how Mary felt? Talk about self-doubting, low self-esteemed feelings of inadequacies. And don’t even think about Joseph coming out of this unscathed. Something tells me the whole three days was somehow Joseph’s fault, at least in Mary’s mind.

  

   You better believe it’s important that Jesus was not only divine, but totally human. It makes God somehow more approachable. “He was tempted in every way, just as we are, yet without sin” (Heb. 4:15). “He is able to come to the aid of those who are tempted” (Heb. 2:18). Are you dieting? Jesus went 40 days and nights! Are you lusting? Jesus attracted prostitutes and had women falling at his feet (literally). Are you angry? Please don’t get mad at church like He did! Frustrated? Can you say “12 clueless disciples”? Betrayed? Hello, Judas’ kiss. Shall I go on?

  

    In the book Life of Pi (much, much better than the movie, by the way), Pi cannot get over the frailty and suffering of God in the flesh. And yet, such tender love amidst apparent weakness drew Pi to Christ. “Why would (God) send his only son to atone for the sins of the whole world?...That made no sense…But I could not get this Christ out of my mind. The more I got to know Christ, the more I liked Him.”

  

    Love demonstrated is oh so much greater than love declared. Love in action is far more comely than love in abstraction. Was Jesus human? Never was there anyone more human than Christ! That’s why I love Him so! He loves me not despite my humanity, not even because of my humanity; He loved me through HIS humanity.

  

Pray: Dear Jesus. Thank You for clothing Your deity in humanity. Thank You for being tempted. Thank You that You had no tears for Your own griefs, but You sweat drops of blood for mine. How marvelous, how wonderful is Your love for me.

How Important Is It That Jesus Fulfilled Prophecy?

 A Chronological Harmony of the Gospels Leading to Easter  2/19/2013
(Click on link below for readings.)
Luke 1:61-80; Matthew 1:18-25; Luke 2:1-38; Matthew 2:1-15

"“that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet…”

   Did anyone notice the asteroid which narrowly missed the earth, coinciding with a meteor which actually fell to the earth on the same day? The two were not related, as they came from opposite directions, but they coincided with one common intersection (thankfully, not an exact intersection) on the same day. 

   Did I say "did anyone notice..."? How does that not make anyone and everyone wake up and notice how precariously perched we are? How vulnerable? How fragile?

   If script writers can put Bruce Willis to move an asteroid, I know +God was able to put both on course years and years ago (how many? I have no idea) and perhaps even just nudged one to come perilously close to us but not too close to get us to be looking up.

   (By the way, there is a prophecy that a heavenly body is coming that will in fact collide with the earth and the destruction of it will be one third of the waters and like Pompeii and worse, many will die as a result--See Rev. 8 and also Rev. 6.)

   In today’s reading, +Matthew 1:22 says “that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet…”

   One of the exciting things about reading through “The Story” is that we see that the entirety of history is His Story, God’s Story, with a beginning, middle, climax, resolution and ending.

   Well, maybe not an ending…more like the end of one segment of an ongoing cliffhanger, only to be filled with hints of an upcoming sequel.

   As often has been said, the Old Testament is the New Testament concealed and the New Testament is the Old Testament revealed.

   That God knew Jesus was coming is self-evident for an omniscient God. But that He gives hints and prophecies and foreshadows is a craftsman of authors indeed. Concealed in the Old Testament are promises of a coming Messiah. Not always explicit, but like a good mystery writer, enough to elevate the interest of us all.

   Prophecy shows that God is in charge. He didn’t just wind up the universe like a Jack-in-the-Box toy and wonder when something would pop out. God is sovereignly in charge.

   God is in charge of the universe. God is in charge of history. God is in charge of the future. And He is the author of the Bible. Look at how many times in just a few short passages, the Bible says “that it might fulfill”. Click on the link to see the actual readings.

Mat 2:15,23; Mat 5:17; Mat 8:17; Mat 12:17; Mat 13:35,21; 1Ki 8:15,24; Ezr 1:1; Luk 21:22; Luk 24:44; Jhn 10:35; Jhn 12:38-40; Jhn 15:25; Jhn 17:12; Jhn 18:9; Jhn 19:36,37; Act 3:18; Act 13:27-29; Rev 17:17

   There are books almost ad infinitum about the various prophecies about the coming of Jesus 2,000 years ago and also His return which I believe to be soon and very soon. Revelation 19:10 says the very “testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.”

   Jesus’ first coming was a fulfillment of prophecy. His second coming will be a fulfillment of prophecy.

Pray: Heavenly Father, thank you for giving us a book that is so holy and so God-breathed that we can trust it when everything else fails. Thank you that in a world where life can seem upside down, Your Word can give us an assurance that our very hairs are numbered and that Your care for the sparrow, for the lilies of the field and for us. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

How Important Is The Deity Of Christ?

 A Chronological Harmony of the Gospels Leading to Easter  2/18/2013
(Click on link below for readings.)
  John 1:1-14, Matthew 1:1-17, Luke 1:1-60

I was on a run with my dog Rocky this morning (okay, a walk with bursts of occasional slow jogs and more than occasional stopping to sniff interesting smells in the ground along the way) when I thought that perhaps I should write daily devotionals to go along with the chronological harmonious readings of the Gospels during Lent (and yes, I meant the dog was stopping to sniff, with no encouragements from me).

So a day late here is a brief word to go along with the readings (found with a link at the bottom of the page).

How important is the deity?

We love to cling to the humanity of Jesus, but how important was the deity of Christ? After all, Jesus often referred to Himself as the Son of Man. What difference does it make?

Plenty!

Looking at the harmony of the gospels, isn’t interesting that Matthew traces Jesus’ royal lineage (that through Joseph, the son of David back to Father Abraham), Mark emphasizes the humanity of Christ, Luke traces Jesus’  human lineage (that through Mary, we presume and back to Adam), but John traces Jesus’ divine lineage, back to “in the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning.”

Without the divinity, Jesus’ was merely another in the long line of philosophers and religious leaders, albeit deceived or deceiving as He clearly proclaimed His own equality with God and not only did He testify of Himself, but pointed to numerous other “testimonies” or witnesses.

Without the divinity, Jesus’ life was merely another in the long line of great moral leaders, not unlike Gandhi, Lincoln, or Mother Teresa, who taught as much with their lives as they did with their lips. True the miracles are hard to explain without the divinity, but not unique as tall tales often accompany great men and women.

And without the divinity, Jesus’ death was merely another in the longest of lines of mere mortals. His death, while tragic, was not uncommon of martyrs. Didn’t Socrates and Joseph Smith of the Latter-day Saint faith, also die an untimely death? Isn’t there a song that only the good die young? Sad? Yes. Tragic? For sure. But earth shattering? Hardly, some think.

But in fact Jesus was divine and yes, His death was literally earth shattering (“The earth shook and the rocks split” Matt. 27:51). From his prophetic coming, His miraculous birth, the sinless life and death without blemish, all point to His divine origins, but nothing greater than His resurrection points to the eternality of our Lord and our Savior and our God, Jesus Christ.

Pray: Father, Son and Holy Spirit, we confess our faith in you as the Holy Trinity without our fully understanding how You are, we receive and accept the fact THAT You are who You always have been, the Great “I am”. We confess that Jesus Christ is the same, yesterday, today and forever. Let that truth sink into us today. In the holy name of Jesus, Amen.

When your strengths become your weaknesses

Key Principle #8: conflict Resolution

      Now in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplying, there arose a complaint against the Hebrews by the Hellenists, (Grecians-KJV) because their widows were neglected in the daily distribution.

Acts 6:1

     In anything, even in Christianity, there will be conflict. When there is a problem, go to the source and address it. Don’t gripe about it. Always remember, “It’s better to light a candle than curse the darkness.” Previous to Acts chapter 6, one of the greatest strengths of the church was its unity. However, here it is division that is causing the problem.

     Hellenists were those who did not speak the Hebrew language as well or at all; in this case, they were Greek Christian converts. The widows were apparently being neglected in distribution of food. Maybe Meals on Wheels didn’t go by that part of the membership in the church’s distribution. Whatever was the problem, it apparently stemmed from racial or religious prejudices and an apparent lingering on of legalistic taboos from Judaism and not eating with the Gentiles.

     Satan doesn’t always attack us in our weaknesses. Sometimes he attacks us in our strengths, and that was true in the early church and true today; just look at the proliferation of churches and denominations. Even after a church splits or a denomination is formed, it is not long before that congregation becomes involved in some turmoil.

     Some people have left the church altogether because of conflict. But even that is not the solution to conflict, it is merely avoidance. In fact, avoidance of conflict and dropping out of the church is perhaps the worst type of response to conflict. One person humorously spoke about the old adage of conflict within marriage: “Don’t go to bed mad, stay up and fight—it’s much more fun!”

     Having had my full share of conflict within marriage and within churches, I strongly disagree that it is more fun, but it is healthier to work through conflict. The resolution of conflict and not the absence of conflict is truly the mark of God’s presence in the church, and it is a key principle in church life and personal discipleship.

     After Peter, we see the next leader in the church was James, the half-brother of Christ. The problem of conflict did not go away after Acts chapter 6, and as almost everyone who has been in churches over the last 2,000 years can attest; it still has not been vanquished from the body of believers.

      James wrote this in chapter four of his epistle to all of the churches which were scattered abroad. “Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members? You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.” And you thought your church fight was bad!

     The Holy Spirit through the apostle James essentially gives us three reasons why we have conflict:

1. Because we are different

2. Because we are the same

3. Because we are selfish.

     There are undoubtedly more reasons than that, but in Acts 6, we see all three of those reasons evident in the first recorded major conflict. Suddenly the church’s major strength, unity, is about to become its major weakness, division. As you read this conflict today, ask God to reveal both your strengths and weaknesses and how both of these can become a source of attack from the enemy.

     There was grumbling and complaints in the early church and when it came to the leadership, there was such a degree of trust between the leaders and those within the church that the apostles told the people to do the right thing. They said “seek out from among yourselves seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom.”

    If you experience conflict, it may mean that God is about to multiply your ministry, especially if you resolve it in a godly fashion. Notice that sandwiched on either side of the conflict is a multiplication of ministry (verses 1 & 7). Once the leadership prayed over conflict and the congregation worked together to solve the problem under the leadership of God, the ministry exploded.

    ¹ Now in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplying, there arose a complaint against the Hebrews by the Hellenists,* because their widows were neglected in the daily distribution… ⁶ whom they set before the apostles; and when they had prayed, they laid hands on them. ⁷ Then the word of God spread, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were obedient to the faith.

     Read Acts 6:8-15. Because Stephen was faithful to serve in the waiting of tables, God used him in a powerful way. However, again a conflict erupted, this time outside of the church. List a description of what Stephen’s face and countenance was when he faced conflict (verse 15):

      If conflicts are inevitable, the key question is not if but when, and when it comes, how will you handle it? When faced with conflict or opposition, ask God to allow your face and countenance to appear as the face of an angel.

Pray now over your strengths and weaknesses and ask God to protect you from conflict in both areas.

When the Church is united, Christ is delighted

Key Principle #6: Communion-ity (part 3)

“And through the hands of the apostles many signs

and wonders were done among the people. 

And they were all with one accord in Solomon’s Porch…

(and the unchurched) people esteemed them highly.”

Acts 5:12

A Powerful Witness And Great Grace

        I mentioned in a previous blog posting something about getting in a support group like Celebrate Recovery. What I like about C.R. is that you can go there and absolutely be yourself and for some of us, that is not always a good thing! But it sure beats superficiality.

        That wonderful sense of communionity provided such a powerful witness for the Resurrection to the church leadership and the apostles. When the church is united, Christ is delighted. When the church is divided, Christ is so slighted.

        Acts 4:33 talks about great power and great grace. The Great Power was given in providing a witness to Christ. Being of "one heart and one soul" (Acts 4:32) can provide a marvelous platform. Was it that the body of believers had nothing about which to divide themselves? Hardly! Remember the disciples were constantly divided when they walked with Jesus, refusing to wash one another's feet and jockeying for a seat at Jesus' right hand and at His left hand. Someone pointed out to me just today that if a disciple was in fact to be seated at Jesus' left hand, he would be sitting in the very lap of Jehovah! Talk about "be careful what you ask for." 
       So what made the change in the apostles and the early believers to where people like Barnabas, a nickname meaning the "Son of Encouragement," would want to be with this newly formed faith? To paraphrase a line from Spiderman, "with great power comes great grace." It was the grace and favor of God which brought about that communionity. 

       Sometimes it’s hard to know what type of “grace” the Bible is speaking about. In this case, it seems that the people had more patience, forgiveness, and understanding with others, especially those who were in financial need. If someone needed something, there was plenty of gracious people who were willing to help out. Where did the church get that type of grace? From God, yes, but from God within, the Holy Spirit. One Bible dictionary defines grace as "of the merciful kindness by which God, exerting his holy influence upon souls, turns them to Christ, keeps, strengthens, increases them in Christian faith, knowledge, affection, and kindles them to the exercise of the Christian virtues."
       Once you truly receive that type of grace, it's easy to give it but you cannot give it away. Why can't you give it away? Because the Lord will replenish more grace when you give it. What happens if you "hold back" on grace? I think it is interesting that the death of Ananias and Sapphira occurs right in between two passages on grace. Nowhere does it say that God killed them. No! It was sin that killed them, perhaps a stressed and guilt-ridden heart led to a sick body and heart attack. 
       Be a dispenser of grace and you will likely find you will live longer and certainly you will live more freely. Last time I looked, no one appointed you or me to be the dispenser of guilt. But God has appointed us to be dispensers of grace. Great grace.

        John Maxwell preached a sermon years ago called “Five Things I Know About People” which was broadcasted on Focus on the Family. In every church I’ve been at since then, I’ve tried to get my leaders to listen to these five principles, because the early church knew them so well. The five principles are:

1. Everybody Wants Be Somebody

2. Nobody Cares How Much You Know, Until They Know How Much You Care

3. Everybody Who Belongs to the Body of Christ Belongs to Everybody Who Belongs to the Body of Christ

4. Anybody Who Helps Somebody Influences A Lot of Bodies

5. God Loves Everybody.

        It was especially principle number four that helped the early church grow. No one was too low to help another and the ministry to “the least of these” never escaped anyone’s attention, especially the Lord’s (see Matthew 25). The apostles were literally hands-on in the ministry. "And through the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders were done among the people. And ... the people esteemed them highly" (Acts 5:12a, 13b). Neither did it escape the attention of others.

        Five times in the first five chapters of Acts, Dr. Luke records that the believers were of "one accord." Ask God to give you a sincere love for every Christian and that as a result, you will “have all things in common” with one another, meaning that everyone will be on the same level in everything.