December 21, 2012 by Pastor Jason Ritchie
What is the deal with “O Come Let Us Adore Him?”
I know, I just said that. Or wrote it, I guess.
You see, every year during the Christmas season, one of the most popular songs you hear being sung is the song “O Come All Ye Faithful.” And the chorus goes, “O come let us adore Him, O come let us adore Him, O come let us adore Him, Christ the Lord.”
Don’t get me wrong, I think it’s a great song. Besides personally liking it, when I plan our church worship services for December, I always plan to sing it here and there throughout the season. I think it’s an important song for corporate worship experiences.
But let’s be honest, for many of us it’s become rote. Something we do without thinking about it. Years and years ago, a lot of these classic Christmas hymns got moved over to the same shelf in our heart as all the other collections of words we sing or speak without thinking much about it, like “Amazing Grace” or John 3:16.
That’s why I’m writing about repristinating the Christmas hymns like “O Come All Ye Faithful.” Repristination is the idea of bringing something back to where it started, or making it pure again like it once was. It’s nobody’s fault really, and yet it’s everybody’s fault...”O Come All Ye Faithful” has been recorded by everyone from Nat King Cole to Josh Groban to Celine Dion to Art Garfunkel to the Hanson brothers, and it’s played in every department store, elevator, and Starbucks we find ourselves in as soon as Thanksgiving finishes and the holiday rush begins. How can it not get a little old and tired?
But do we want songs like that to lay sit on the shelf, or impact our hearts like they once did? My encouragement to all of us is to take a fresh look at these lyrics and blow the dust off ‘em this Advent season. First, start with the chorus... “O come let us adore Him, Christ the Lord.” “Adore” means to worship, to have a deep respect for, to love. Wow, OK, if I’m singing that, it should mean a lot, but let’s be honest, sometimes only when we take time to soak in the meaning of what we’re singing do we really get to where spiritual songs move our hearts like they should, or could. In corporate worship, it’s hard enough just to read and put a melody to lyrics as they fly by, let alone consider the meaning of what we’re singing.
So after we’ve mined the depths of what the chorus is saying, I encourage us to read the whole song afresh. When we read lyrics instead of singing them, often they hit us in a different way, with more impact.
So here are the lyrics to this Christmas hymn, the four verses that were translated from Latin and published in 1852, and widely popularized (especially the 1st, 3rd, and 4th). My hope is this blesses your Christmas as you think about what God has done for us in sending Jesus, literally taking on the form of man, that we could know Him and know His righteousness through Christ. Simple. Heartwarming. Beautiful. Christmas.
O Come All Ye Faithful
O come all ye faithful
Joyful and triumphant
O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem
Come and behold Him
Born the King of Angels
O come, let us adore Him
O come, let us adore Him
O come, let us adore Him
Christ the Lord
God of God
Light of Light
Lo, he abhors not the virgin's womb
Very God
Begotten, not created
O come, let us adore Him
O come, let us adore Him
O come, let us adore Him
Christ the Lord
Sing choirs of angels
Sing in exultation
O sing all ye bright hosts of heaven above
Glory to God
All glory in the highest
O come, let us adore Him
O come, let us adore Him
O come, let us adore Him
Christ the Lord
Yea Lord we greet Thee
Born this happy morning
Jesus to Thee be all glory given
Word of the Father
Now in flesh appearing
O come, let us adore Him
O come, let us adore Him
O come, let us adore Him
Christ the Lord
- This was taken from the Crossroads App, courtesy Crossroads Community Church, Vancouver, WA
Friday, December 28, 2012
Tuesday, December 25, 2012
Merry Christmas!
For God so loved the world
That He gave His only begotten Son,
That whoever believes in Him
Should not perish
But have everlasting life.
- John 3:16
That He gave His only begotten Son,
That whoever believes in Him
Should not perish
But have everlasting life.
- John 3:16
Friday, December 21, 2012
Thursday, December 20, 2012
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
Friday, December 14, 2012
Thursday, December 13, 2012
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
Sunday, December 9, 2012
All Other Ground Is Sinking Sand
This was quoted today in Pastor Ritchie's message:
My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly trust in Jesus’ Name.
On Christ the solid Rock I stand,
All other ground is sinking sand;
All other ground is sinking sand.
When darkness seems to hide His face,
I rest on His unchanging grace.
In every high and stormy gale,
My anchor holds within the veil.
On Christ the solid Rock I stand,
All other ground is sinking sand;
All other ground is sinking sand.
His oath, His covenant, His blood, Support me in the whelming flood.
When all around my soul gives way,
He then is all my Hope and Stay.
On Christ the solid Rock I stand,
All other ground is sinking sand;
All other ground is sinking sand.
When He shall come with trumpet sound, Oh may I then in Him be found.
Dressed in His righteousness alone, Faultless to stand before the throne.
On Christ the solid Rock I stand,
All other ground is sinking sand;
All other ground is sinking sand.
- Edward Mote
Friday, December 7, 2012
Thursday, December 6, 2012
Wednesday, December 5, 2012
Tuesday, December 4, 2012
Friday, November 30, 2012
Thursday, November 29, 2012
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
Friday, November 23, 2012
Thursday, November 22, 2012
Wednesday, November 21, 2012
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
Monday, November 19, 2012
Give Thanks
The Thanksgiving
Solution
By T. M.
Moore Published Date: November 18, 2012
For although they knew God, they did
not honor him as God or give thanks… Romans 1:21
We conclude this series on “The
Thanksgiving Solution” with the same passage of Scripture with which we began.
You will recall that we saw ingratitude as the hinge by which unbelievers turn
away from God and descend into His wrath, as He gives them up to deeper and
deeper snares of sin and corruption.
Ingratitude leads to rebellion, drifting from God, and the inevitable
consequences of a life of sin. But
to what might the practice of thanksgiving lead? If failing to give thanks marks the pathway to separation
from God, can thanksgiving light the way to a deeper knowledge and love for the
Lord?
I believe this is so, and the
reasons for it should be obvious.
First, since we can only grow in the practice of thanksgiving as we grow
in our relationship with God, the desire to be obedient in giving
thanks in all circumstances will lead us to spend more time with the Lord,
meditating in His Word and seeking Him in prayer. We can’t “gin up” thanksgiving just because we want to; it
must flow from within our minds and hearts, where the knowledge of God and love
for Him are faithfully nurtured through the disciplines of Scripture and
prayer. So the more we long to practice
thanksgiving, the more we will turn to Scripture and prayer as the wellspring
of this discipline.
Further, the more we practice
thanksgiving, the more aware we will become of the blessings of God on every
hand. The whole cosmos depends on
the Word of God, and He is manifesting His glory and power in every part of it
(Ps. 19:1-4). As we reflect on the
everyday blessings of God, our understanding of His wisdom, might, beauty,
goodness, and love will grow. The
more these grow, the better we will know Him, and the more inclined we will be
to give Him thanks and praise, thus reinforcing what is becoming an upward
spiral of growth in the knowledge of God.
The more we learn of the Lord through
thanksgiving, the more we will want to know of Him by every other means. All the disciplines whereby we grow in
the knowledge of God—our daily devotions, public worship, reading and
meditation—will be strengthened and enlarged, so that we might gain greater
access to His glory. God will draw
us to Himself as we walk in obedience to His Word; when we seek Him with all
our hearts, He will be found of us, and no small part of that seeking entails
faithful obedience in giving thanks.
If you wish to know the will of God
for your life, begin by giving thanks.
If you wish to grow in the knowledge of God, which is eternal life (Jn.
17:3), persevere in giving thanks.
Thanksgiving is the solution for spiritual confusion, anxiousness of
soul, and uncertainty of direction in life. Thanksgiving enlarges our souls,
enriches our daily experience, and extends the grace and goodness of God to
fellow members of the believing community. Is it possible that a lack of thanksgiving is keeping you
from a more fulfilling experience of Jesus Christ? A more joyful and peaceful walk with the Lord? Greater faithfulness in seeking
Him? Indeed, it may well be.
Thanksgiving
is the solution to a multitude of spiritual ills, but we must be willing to
take the medicine. Do not wait to
feel thankful before you begin practicing thanksgiving as a way of life. And don’t wait to be invited to give
thanks; let thanksgiving rise from you naturally, sweetly, specifically, and
consistently at every opportunity, in every situation. Your Christian life will be
dramatically transformed if you will take Paul’s simple exhortation to heart:
“give thanks in all circumstances, for this is the will of God for you in Jesus
Christ.”
For this or other
devotions by T.M. Moore, please visit the ColsonCenter.org or click on the
following link:
This week we’ll
continue reading through Second Corinthians, Chapters 5 – 8.
Friday, November 16, 2012
Thursday, November 15, 2012
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
Saturday, November 10, 2012
Bold Witness
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Seeing the Kingdom
By T. M.
Moore Published Date: November 10, 2012
“But you will receive power when
the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses…” Acts 1:8
The Kingdom of God suddenly broke
into human history on a Pentecost morning 2,000 years ago, when the Holy
Spirit from God invaded the hearts of all who were gathered, seeking the
Kingdom Jesus had promised. The Kingdom of God comes with power, Paul wrote
(1 Cor. 4:20), and that power is embodied in the Holy Spirit of God. He is a
power from beyond this world and brings into our experience a realm of
righteousness, peace, and joy that makes all things new. He begins to work
within the lives of those who have been transferred into the Kingdom of God’s
dear Son, making them willing and able to do what pleases God, leading them
beyond any of their previous experience or hopes into greater glory and
transformation (Phil. 2:13; Eph. 3:20).
One of the primary means whereby
the power of God’s Kingdom – the power of the Holy Spirit – is expressed in
those who have come to know it is through bold witness on behalf of the
Kingdom and its King. We see this consistently throughout the book of Acts.
Not only the apostles, but even the humblest believers could not contain the
proclamation of the Good News of the Kingdom of God. They spoke to neighbors,
they testified to authorities, they bore witness to strangers, and everywhere
they went, talking about Jesus and the Kingdom seems to have been an integral
part of their daily lives.
We can know that we are in a place
where the Kingdom of God has come and is advancing when we see people from
every walk of life talking about Jesus, encouraging others to consider Him,
and leading friends, neighbors, and strangers to a saving knowledge of the
Christ. The power of the Spirit, Who brings the presence of the Kingdom,
flows like a river of living water through the lives and words of those who
have truly entered the Kingdom of God (Jn. 7:37-39). So rich, full, and real
is their experience, that they cannot help but talk about it with others.
Why don’t we see more of this
particular evidence of the Kingdom in our day? Why are Christians today so
reluctant to talk freely, boldly, and consistently about their faith in the
Lord? There are at least two reasons.
First, our culture has informed us
that it’s not interested in our message. At least, that’s what we’ve come to
believe. Why bother talking to unsaved people about the Lord if we have
already concluded they don’t want to have anything to do with Him? For most
of us, I suspect, this notion is based on an assumption and provides a
convenient excuse for not talking to others about our faith in the Lord. The
fact is that people today are just as willing to talk about the Lord as
they’ve ever been. An outspoken and intimidating few may give a different
impression, but most people will be more than willing to consider what we
have to say. If only we could muster the courage to speak with them.
The second reason we don’t bear
bold witness for Christ is because our churches have told us, implicitly or
explicitly, that they’ll take care of witness-bearing for us. Just let them
make a few adjustments here and there, so that their unsaved neighbors feel
more at home, and soon enough any real “seekers” out there will find their
way here, and then we’ll win them. You don’t have to go tell them; just help
us encourage them to come here and see for themselves.
But if
you’ve really tasted of the power of the Holy Spirit, and if you truly
delight in the glory of God and the all-things-new way of life which is the
Kingdom of God, no threats from the culture – real or perceived – and no
discouragement from church leaders will be able to keep you from bearing bold
witness to Jesus and His Kingdom of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy
Spirit.
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Friday, November 9, 2012
Thursday, November 8, 2012
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
Sunday, November 4, 2012
Working Out Our Salvation...
Seeking the Kingdom
of God (7)
By T. M.
Moore Published Date: November 04, 2012
But that is not the way you
learned Christ – assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in
him, as the truth is in Jesus, to put off your old self…and to be renewed in
the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the
likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness. -Ephesians 4:20-24
Christians are called to seek the
Kingdom of God and His righteousness as their highest priority in life. The
Kingdom of God itself is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit, as
we have seen (Rom. 14:17, 18). It makes sense, therefore, to believe that
wherever we are laying aside the ways of the world and putting on the
righteousness of Jesus Christ, there the Kingdom of God is being found and is
advancing.
This process is called,
“sanctification,” and it is a work of grace in us by God, Who, using His Word
and Spirit, works within and through us to make us increasingly fit for His
Kingdom. Sanctification and growth in the Kingdom is all of grace; it is a
wondrous work of our loving Father. But while this is a work of God, it’s one
that we must engage as well, “working out our salvation”, as Paul put it
(Phil. 2:12) in fear and trembling before the Lord.
The harder we work at this, in
every area of our lives, the more we find that our outlook, thought life,
attitudes, priorities, and practices begin to reflect the very character of
Jesus. Through sanctification we are actually “putting on Jesus” and, as we
become more like Him – as He increases in us and our old self decreases (Jn.
3:30) – we reflect more the reality of the Kingdom of God to the watching
world. What, then, does the process of sanctification involve on our parts?
Put another way, what must we make careful to attend to each day, so that
God, Who is at work within us, can shape and transform us into children fit
for His Kingdom?
Sanctification begins in the Word
of God, where, through reading, meditation, and study, we submit our minds to
be formed by the worldview of Scripture, open our hearts to the searching
scrutiny of the Spirit, and dedicate our consciences to following the Lord’s
agenda rather than our own. If we will not make reading and study of God’s
Word the bulwark and launch pad of each day, then how shall we expect the
power of that Word to do its work in or through us?
Sanctification also involves being
silent before the Lord, praying earnestly, but also listening for Him to
prompt us to action, disclose any previously hidden sin, or guide us in
specific paths of repentance and renewal. This waiting on the Lord in prayer,
staying silent before Him, is very hard to do. But we will have a hard time
hearing the “marching orders” of our King if, in our time together, we’re
always jabbering on about what matters to us.
Further reading and study from
Christian writers of the past and present can also help us to learn what the
righteousness of Jesus requires in our families and marriages, the
stewardship of our treasure, our lives at work, in a community, and as
citizens of this nation. Reading and study take time, time we’ll have to
plunder from some other activity in our lives – such as watching too much
television. TV, while not entirely without value, won’t contribute much
toward fitting us for service in the Kingdom of God. And if we are going to
take up the task of seeking that Kingdom, then some of these familiar
hindrances will have to go.
Seeking
the Kingdom of God is serious business. But it’s also extremely rewarding,
immensely satisfying, and wholly exhilarating to know that God Himself – even
our King, Jesus Christ – is at work within us, willing and doing of His good
pleasure (Phil. 2:13) and advancing His Kingdom of earth, as it is in heaven.
For the daily devotional from T.M. Moore, visit: www.colsoncenter.org/the-center/columns/viewpoint
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Saturday, November 3, 2012
Here's a great article concerning what we've been reading...
Seeking the Kingdom of
God (6)
By T. M.
Moore Published Date: November 03, 2012
No temptation has overtaken you
that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be
tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the
way of escape, so that you may be able to endure it. - 1 Corinthians 10:13
Martin Luther is reported to have
said concerning temptation, “You can’t stop the birds from flying over your
head; but you can keep them from making a nest in your hair.” All Christians
can expect to be confronted with temptations of various sorts. Temptation is
not sin. When temptation comes, the goal is to grow through it into
a stronger experience of Kingdom righteousness, rather than to fall through
it into some spiritual or moral setback. We need to be on the lookout for
temptation, so that we recognize it when it comes. But we also need to find
the way of escape Paul mentioned as the key to growing through temptation.
In Psalm 73 Asaph reports on a
powerful temptation that almost snared him in sin. Here he was, a dedicated
servant of the Lord, daily submitting to all manner of spiritual disciplines
and rigors, and, so it seems, largely unappreciated for his work. Certainly
he wasn’t getting wealthy being a largely negative prophet in an age of great
wealth and spiritual complacency. When he looked around at the comforts rich
people enjoyed, and at their cavalier attitude toward God and His Law, he was
tempted to covet their ease and despise his calling.
But at just the right moment, he
recognized this temptation for what it was, and, in the process of
maintaining his righteousness, Asaph shows us six places to look in finding
the way of escape from temptation, so that the Kingdom of God can continue to
advance in and through us.
First, Asaph remembered that we
never sin alone: He reflected that sin on his part would be a betrayal of the
community of faith (v. 15). When we are confronted with temptation, we need
to remember that others are looking at us, taking their cues from us. If we
take sin into our souls it will affect not only us, but them, and the demands
of neighbor-love should help us to resist temptation and, thus, advance the
righteousness of God’s Kingdom in our lives.
Second, though, Asaph took his
temptation to the Lord (vv. 16, 17). By coming into His presence, undoubtedly
through prayer, He put his own temporal circumstances into an eternal and
heavenly perspective. It would be hard for sin to control him as long as his
heart and mind were fixed on and communing with the Lord.
Third, Asaph contemplated the
effects of sin (vv. 18-20). Sin, he reflected, is a slippery slope. One sin
leads to another, which leads to another, and so forth, until we’re so altogether
miserable and burdened with sin that we’re no good for any Kingdom
enterprise.
Fourth, Asaph expressed disgust with himself, that he would even contemplate descending into sinful behavior (vv. 21, 22). He became embittered in his soul to reflect that he was contemplating something more characteristic of brutes and fools than of a servant of the Lord. Fifth, Asaph sought the counsel of the Lord (v. 24). He turned to God’s Law so that he could see the ugliness of his covetous inclinations and nip them in the bud before they had a chance to bloom. Finally, he lingered in the presence of the Lord, until once again he began to know the fullness of joy and pleasures forever more which are to be had there (vv. 25-28; cf. Ps. 16:11). Perhaps he sang some hymns or took in some of the glory of God in the creation around.
The Kingdom of God advances as we overcome temptation. All
these ways of escaping temptation can make us stronger in the Lord through
the experience, and keep us growing through adversity in our pursuit of the
Kingdom of God.
Here’s an exercise for you to do
between you and the Lord only: Read Psalm 73. Do you have a besetting sin?
Using your tongue in a harsh or critical way? Stretching the truth? Lust?
Covetousness? Expect that you’re going to be tempted in this area, because
the devil knows your weaknesses, and he knows that this sin can keep you from
making progress in the Kingdom. Lay out a strategy for dealing with this
temptation. How will you recognize its presence? How will you make your
escape through it? What will you say to God on the other side of temptation,
so that you can continue to grow in the righteousness of His Kingdom?
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Friday, November 2, 2012
Thursday, November 1, 2012
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
Friday, October 26, 2012
Thursday, October 25, 2012
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
Friday, October 19, 2012
Thursday, October 18, 2012
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
Tuesday, Oct 16 - 1st Corinthians 1
We're going to take on 1st and 2nd Corinthians...just keep on keeping on :) These letters were written by Paul, just as Romans was, so count on some deep thinking and look forward to being challenged!
Friday, October 12, 2012
Thursday, October 11, 2012
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
Thursday, October 4, 2012
Friday, October 5th - Romans 12
V. 20 is clearly responsible for that whole "kill them with kindness" attitude. But really how kind,loving are you for your enemy if in the back of your mind you're heaping burning coals on their head?
I do like the ealier verses wrt to everyone being given different gifts and talents.
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
October 2 - Romans 9
This Chapter expresses the sovereignty of God. Who are we to question His purpose? I like the imagery of the Potter and the vessels.
This Chapter directly refutes the idea that Christians have replaced Jews as God's chosen people. Those of us who have come to Christ are essentially adopted as children of Abraham - heirs of the promise. For this reason Christians have a common heritage with Jews.
Friday, September 28, 2012
September 28 - Romans 8
This chapter is amazing. How priveleged we are to be called children of God! Though we ought to be slaves, God adopts us as his own.
Thursday, September 27, 2012
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
Monday, September 24, 2012
Thursday, September 20, 2012
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
September 19 - Romans 2
Ah, judgment. Paul appeals to all of us in this chapter. How often do I find myself looking down on someone or inwardly accusing, blaming others. Only to later make excuses/justify my own behavior. This reminds me of when Jesus said, you point out the speck in your brothers eye though you have a beam in your own. Verse 11 is a sobering reminder: there is no partiality with God.
The end of the Chapter is Paul's reminder to us all - make sure your faith is inward and not outward. "...circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit, not in the letter; whose praise is not from men but from God". How can we apply this to our Christianity?
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
September 18 - Romans 1
I found this chapter to really compliment what we just talked about - it is calling us to examine ourselves. Do we worship God? Or do we worship things, or our own lives. What is truly first in our lives.
Thursday, September 13, 2012
September 13 - Acts 28
The Islanders are quick to assume that Paul must be a terrible person because of his "bad luck". Not unlike us. It is fairly common to believe those who "seem" to have everything going for them are wonderful people and vice versa. The fact of the matter is, "God causes the rain to fall and the sun to shine on the just and the unjust".
Paul preached with boldness and power yet in all situations some believed and some didn't. God doesn't ask us to save people or change their minds - that's His job. God simply asks us to speak the truth.
So was Paul chained to a guard the entire two years? That poor guard.
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
September 11 - Acts 26
Paul's story is amazing and his ability to present it is just as impressive. Festus' exclamation seems to show his discomfort and embarrassment. Yet Paul is cool and respectful. Notice how Paul doesn't try to debate them or show off how brilliant he is - he simply tells them how Jesus had changed his life.
Not much else is really said of Festus, Agrippa, and Bernice. I wonder if any of them were changed by their encounter with Paul?
Thursday, September 6, 2012
September 6, Acts 25
It seems what is being disputed isn't really about crimes that Paul committed but whether or not Jesus was resurrected from the dead.
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
Friday, August 31, 2012
Thursday, August 30, 2012
Thursday, August 30th. Acts 21
So I don't know about you - but I had to read Acts 22 as well - and even that kind of leaves you hanging! But Liam's poop pulled me away.
Paul doesn't even seem scared. I think that is amazing. He is a true martyr - and while I am not 100% sure, I can pretty much guarantee that I would be terrified!
I think it is interesting how all of the riots we have read about, the accused gets to offer his defense to the crowd. I suppose it's not a far cry from our current judicial system with a jury - but it is dramatically different. Was Paul a Roman citizen then? I can see where it would be valuable to be more aware of the laws that applied to different classes of people/citizens. It seems odd to me that a Roman citizen is treated different than any other Jew, and that Egyptians and others are also treated so dramatically differently. I suppose that in that region of the world this is still the case...
When everyone begged Paul to stay away from Jerusalem but then the succumb to "God's will be done." I can't help but question my ability to REALLY live that way versus having my own agenda.
Paul doesn't even seem scared. I think that is amazing. He is a true martyr - and while I am not 100% sure, I can pretty much guarantee that I would be terrified!
I think it is interesting how all of the riots we have read about, the accused gets to offer his defense to the crowd. I suppose it's not a far cry from our current judicial system with a jury - but it is dramatically different. Was Paul a Roman citizen then? I can see where it would be valuable to be more aware of the laws that applied to different classes of people/citizens. It seems odd to me that a Roman citizen is treated different than any other Jew, and that Egyptians and others are also treated so dramatically differently. I suppose that in that region of the world this is still the case...
When everyone begged Paul to stay away from Jerusalem but then the succumb to "God's will be done." I can't help but question my ability to REALLY live that way versus having my own agenda.
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
Wednesday, August 29 - Acts 20
The resurrection of Eutuchus happened as if it wasn't a big deal! Can you imagine? Why was it so underplayed?
Paul's ministry is truly amazing. I like V.33 - it is one thing to be a missionary, and another to be a self-supporting missionary that sells their belongings and works to support themselves and their mission. I feel like the latter is a rarity.
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Friday, August 24, 2012
Thursday, August 23, 2012
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
Tuesday, August 21 - Acts 15
This Chapter clearly shows the freedom that is given to those who put their faith in Jesus Christ, for "He made no distinction between us and them, cleansing their hearts by faith" (15:9).
Notice that they didn't just say these men should keep the law of Moses now that they are saved but rather they can't be saved apart from it. This is a huge contrast that obviously had to be dealt with.
I really like what Peter said in the very next verse as well: "...why make ye trial of God, that ye should put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?"
This statement is what EVERY religion eventually leads to. It's so easy to regularly justify ourselves via our own actions, yet in so doing we place a burden on ourselves and others that we are unable to handle. And inevitably such a burden leads to unwarranted pride and unfair judgment. It's very important to always be reminded that it is by the grace of God and faith in Jesus Christ ALONE that we are saved.
Friday, August 17, 2012
Friday, August 17th - Acts 14
Very grateful that we don't tear our clothes as a sign of dismay....
The perseverance of the apostles is amazing to me. They were up against crowds that loathed them enough to stone them yet they continued preaching in city after city. Pretty amazing. We also see the healing of the lame in verse 9/10. Again, it wasn't that Paul healed him but his faith that healed him. I always think of the question of whether miracles such as this happen today - but how many mysteries are their in medicine where the only explanation is faith? Granted their are some healings/recoveries that maybe will have some sort of logical explanation but there are many more where the statistical games say here are less than 1% that live etc and they survive even after losing a couple limbs from a shark. And that boy grows up to say it was a blessing.
The perseverance of the apostles is amazing to me. They were up against crowds that loathed them enough to stone them yet they continued preaching in city after city. Pretty amazing. We also see the healing of the lame in verse 9/10. Again, it wasn't that Paul healed him but his faith that healed him. I always think of the question of whether miracles such as this happen today - but how many mysteries are their in medicine where the only explanation is faith? Granted their are some healings/recoveries that maybe will have some sort of logical explanation but there are many more where the statistical games say here are less than 1% that live etc and they survive even after losing a couple limbs from a shark. And that boy grows up to say it was a blessing.
Thursday, August 16, 2012
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
Tuesday, August 14 - Acts 11
This Chapter we see the Gospel being spread outside of Israel for the first time by those other than the Apostles. The term "Christian" is used for the first time. Prior to this it was a Jewish sect (for lack of a better word). I think it's important to remember that Christianity, though rejected by orthodox jews, is a jewish religion.
Notice about Barnabas it is written, "full of the Holy Spirit and of faith". It reminds me of the verse: without faith it is impossible to please God.
I like the reaction to Peter's account - immediate acceptance! I believe this is a definite sign of the Holy Spirit working. It was a huge deal to all of a sudden accept the Gentiles into the faith (as seen in Ch. 10). We ought to be discerning yet willing to heed the voice of God. Again, without faith it is impossible to please God.
Back to Peter's vision (I forgot to write this last Friday): What was the significance of the different varieties of animals? Why do you think it was significant to state that the sheet full of animals was lowered by four corners?
Friday, August 10, 2012
Thursday, August 9, 2012
Wednesday, August 8, 2012
Tuesday, August 7, 2012
Friday, August 3, 2012
Friday, August 3rd: Acts 6
We read of expansion of the church, selecting seven men to "wait on tables", with a lot of focus on Stephen. A suspenseful ending regarding Stephen and what will come of his trial
Thursday, August 2, 2012
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
Wednesday, August 1st - Acts 4
While the apostles were able to do many miracles, the true sign of the Holy Spirit is the proclamation of Jesus Christ. I like the verse "For there is no other name under heaven, given among men, by which we must be saved".
This Chapter emphasizes the power of coming together to worship and pray as well as the necessity of giving to those in need.
Interesting how miracle after miracle - first with Jesus and now the apostles - the religious leaders of that day were so blinded by their own beliefs.
This Chapter emphasizes the power of coming together to worship and pray as well as the necessity of giving to those in need.
Interesting how miracle after miracle - first with Jesus and now the apostles - the religious leaders of that day were so blinded by their own beliefs.
Monday, July 30, 2012
Tuesday, July 31st Acts 3
Peter heals in the name of Jesus - he does so in such a way as to not take any credit for the miracle in stating "...his name itself has made this man strong... through Jesus has given him this perfect health in the presence of all of you." I find that this really points out a key component of our lives - to behave as instruments or Jesus rather than to try to do so much on our own.
The necessity of repentence is also emphasized, as well as the concept that Christ's suffering was a foretold plan.
The necessity of repentence is also emphasized, as well as the concept that Christ's suffering was a foretold plan.
Friday, July 27, 2012
Friday, July 27th - Acts 2
The Spirit was poured out initially at Pentecost but from that point on it was given immediately to those that repent, or turn, from their wicked ways and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ (as Peter declares to the multitude).
What was the significance of the Apostles speaking in different tongues (languages), declaring the works of the Lord?
Thursday, July 26, 2012
Thursday, July 26th ACTS 1
Why was it necessary that Judas was replaced? Why not just run with 11? What is the significance of witnessing the ascension into heaven?
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