Surprisiung Legacy - 2010 SYMC Saturday Night Session w/ D-Gray

Need to Live an UPWARD then INWARD then OUTWARD Legacy!
Matthew 22:37-39
*ONLY GOD Can do this Thru Us
*We WILL Leave a Legacy - What Kind?
*We will reproduce who we are
*In order to Live a Legacy, Must Embrace HIS Legacy of Love for Us!
*Need to Tatoo a Legacy on our students that tells them WE LOVE JESUS!
*What Defines Us?!~!
*TELL STUDENTS: You WILL be leaders in your schools because the Living God of he Universe lives in THEM!!!!!
*FIRST Ministry is to Spouse - If not, Get Out of YM!
*Our Character Must Outlive our Gifts
Kuddos again my bro!
Lord help me to live this out!!!!

Surprising Legacy - SYMC Saturday Half-Track w/ Jim Burns & Cathy Fields

Family First - Raising Kids in Ministry
This session was led by long-time family guy Jim Burns as well as Doug Fields wife and was EXCELLENT! The main 2 points from Jim were:
1) Don't Live Over Committed and Under Connected!
*Have regular date nights
*Limit how many nights a week you're out (2-3)
*Give my spouse veto power over my schedule
*We can "have an afaair" with the church/our job!
* Need A.W.E. in the home = Affection, Warmth, Encouragement
*Romans 9:32, Proverbs 10:9
2) Respect the Priority of Your Marriage
*Neglect these basics = tragic!
*Kids will struggle if it is neglected
*Need sexual, emotional AND Spiritual intimacy and ow am I leading this? How am I dsicipling my spouse and kids?
Then Cathy Fields shared that:
1) Our Marriage WILL be passed on to our kids
2) YM is the best flexible job ever to work with a family schedule
3) Be INTENTIONAL Parents
*Took kids to everything, but realize "dad is at work" - left her feeling like a single mom on weekends
*Let kids enjoy the perks of being at church
*Be sure we attend our own kids events
*Allow kids to be themselves. Even if others put expectations on them, we don't. *Expect expectations - there will be.
GREAT STUFF!!

Surprising Legacy - SYMC Saturday Half-Track w/ D-Gray

Igniting Your Passion for Christ and His Cause
This was the first workshop we attended taught by my good friend and home skillet Derwin Gray (yes, the evangelism linebacker). As always, he was passionate and his points were:
1) Before we can ignite the fire for evangelism, we must go to the SOURCE of the fire. That evangelism flows out of our view of God
2) Adam & Eve were created to share in the life and LOVE of God. That Good News starts in the garden and that God's Grace has always been present.
3) Mission Dei - The God of MISSION. Throughout the OT God has offered Grace - Noah, Abraham, The Passover, the day of Atonement, etc...
4) ISRAEL - A light to the Nations. That we, the CHURCH, are a community and there were never meant to be Lone Rangers in ministry.
5) Finally, he spoke on What is the Good News. JESUS! being RECONCILED to God! The RESURRECTION! Do we get excited about the Resurrection?!~!
Sharing the Good News is much more Impactful when we EXHIBIT the Good News!
Kuddos D-Gray!

Surprisiung Legacy - 2010 SYMC Saturday Morning Session

Ok, so at our Saturday morning session Rick Lawrence has us write down the top 10 people who have been most influential in our spiritual legacy. It was a tear jerker for both me and Jean! To take a moment and look back and see how God has used these people to help form us into who we are today. I had a hard time limiting it to 10! I AM SO GRATEFUL for all the students and people whom I have been privileged to enjoy this journey with! Then Bo Boshers talked about that legacy and how, like a huge boat leaving a wake, we are following in the wake of those who have lived out Jesus before us. He then challenged us as to whom we were leaving a wake for!
We then did the "6 steps of legacy" - kinda like we are all 6 steps from Kevin Bacon (he, he). Apparently we all come back to Jim Rayburn, founder of young life. Who knew?! Cool God Stuff!

Surprising Legacy - SYMC Day 1

I'm in Chicago with my gal and we are at the Simply Youth Ministry Conference and last night was AMAZING! The theme this year is "Surprising Legacy." I came to know Jesus Christ at age 21 and felt called to be a student pastor four years later. Looking back I had no idea what I as getting into (& still don't) but knew I wanted to spend the rest of my live Knowing Jesus & Making Him Known with students! It's been a privilege to do that for over 25 years now, and nearly 20 of them with Jean by my side! This is the "legacy" God is developing in me and in all who give their lives to Him!
Last night Doug Fields (a YM hero) welcomed us and we were led in worship by James Ward, a long-time worship leader at youth conferences, with a blues-jazz-funky sound. Then there were HILARIOUS performances by Johnny & Chachi as well as the Skit Guys. Then speaker Duffy Robbins spoke on the LEGACY OF JESUS from Philippians 2:5-11. His three points were:
1) Authentic Passion Always Looks a Bit Irrational (vs. 6)
2) Authentic Passion is not Just Irrational but Excessive (vs. 7)
3) Authentic Passion is Costly (vs. 8)
Understanding the passion of Jesus will help us to live a Passionate Legacy and to press on as well!
Anyway..... gotta' get some pics out & up! You can check out my facebook for more....
Humbled and privileged,
Mr. Bill
Acts 20:24

Acts 16 DEVO: Ministry & Persecution...Again

Chapter 16:
As we’ve been reading through Acts, two things that continue to go hand in hand are ministry and persecution. I believe that is at least one of the reasons Jesus told us to count the cost!
After ministering in Derbe, Paul & Silas head to Lystra where they meet a young man named Timothy, who will become a ministry partner with Paul. Because of not wanting to offend Jewish believers, Paul has Timothy circumcised (talk about counting the cost – ouch). So Timothy joins them in ministry and it says again that “…the churches were strengthened in faith and grew daily in number.”
Paul then has a dream of a guy from Macedonia begging him to come tell them about Jesus. He believes this is from the Lord and heads that way. This means the Gospel is now going to reach Europe for the first time, again fulfilling Acts 1:8 “…the ends of the earth.”
Then in Philippi, a lady named Lydia gets saved thru their message. Luke highlights the stories of three individuals who get saved in Philippi: Lydia, an influential businesswoman (14), the demon-possessed slave girl (16-18) and the jailer (27-30). The Gospel was affecting all kinds of people!
But as we’ve seen before, ministry can be met with conflict. Paul commands a demon to come out of a slave girl whose owners were making buck off of because she could tell the future. Now they’re torqued because they’ve lost their source of income so they drag Paul & Silas to town and have them stripped, severely beaten, flogged & thrown into prison! So they get humiliated, get the crud beat out of them and then they……………….pray & sing hymns to God! While this happening there’s an earthquake, the prison doors fly open. The jailer wakes up, thinks everyone has escaped and figures he’d rather kill himself than have the kings men do it. Paul shouts “Don’t harm yourself. We’re all here!” And God uses this event to save the jailer and all his family – Totally Cool!
Chapte 16 concludes with Paul & Silas being released from jail by the magistrates themselves (ha) and then heading once again to meet with fellow believers and encourage them about what God did!
SO WHAT?!
*What is it costing you to follow Jesus? In the USA, usually not much, maybe being made fun of or picked on. But what are we giving up to make Jesus a priority in our lives? He wants to be the hub of our life’s wheel, not just a spoke.
*We read over and over how Paul & his companions made it a point to ENCOURAGE other believers. When was the last time you sent someone a letter, note, email, text, etc… and encouraged them? This week I received a note in the mail from a friend in our church, letting me know he was praying for me and my family and it meant TONS! Take moment today and encourage someone, you never know how deeply your words will penetrate that persons soul!
* Finally, what must we do to be saved? Verse 31 tells us: “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved…” Almost sounds to simple doesn’t it? It’s a FREE gift, receive Jesus today if you haven’t already!

Acts 15 DEVO: What Must I Do To Be Saved?

Chapter 15:
Throughout it’s history, leaders of the church have met to settle doctrinal issues (what the Bible teaches) and the same is true here. The rapid progress of the Gospel among the Gentiles presented Jewish believers with a serious problem. Not whether or not Gentiles could be saved but did they have to adhere to the law of Moses and be circumcised? This is what is discussed in this chapter.
We read that P&B got into it with some Jewish peeps who were teaching that a person couldn’t be saved unless they were circumcised. So the church in Antioch sends P&B, along with some other believers to Jerusalem to meet with the apostles & elders about this. Side note – take notice that as they traveled to this meeting, they continued to share the gospel of Jesus!
They arrive and after much discussion, Peter stands up and speaks. He shares how God is accepting Gentiles & giving them His Holy Spirit just like He did the Jewish believers – by GRACE thru FAITH! We then read, “Now then, why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of the disciples a yoke that neither we nor our fathers have been able to bear? No! We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are." James (Jesus’ brother) speaks up, quotes the OT & expresses that God’s plan has always been to save Gentiles too. This council agrees and sends a letter back with P&B and some of their own men to the leaders in Antioch explaining just that. They gather the church there, read the letter and all “were glad for its encouraging message.” P&B then stick around and do more evangelism & discipleship!
The final portion of this chapter kicks off Paul’s second missionary journey. They decide to go back to the peeps they’ve shared Christ with and see how they are doing – again, more evangelism & discipleship! But it kicks off on a sour note. Barnabas wants to take John Mark along and Paul is like “no way, he deserted us” – which he had (13:13). It got so heated that they split and went their separate ways. Barnabas & John Mark went to Cypress, Paul & Silas left for Syria & Cilicia. So who was right? We read that Paul gets the blessing of the brothers and, since he was the apostle, maybe Barnabas should have submitted to his leadership? It doesn’t say though that Barnabas DIDN’T get a blessing. Are we shocked at all that Barnabas – Joe Encourager – once again sticks up for someone?!~! So who was right? I have no idea! God knows, and I’m ok with that. Hey, maybe both of them were right? Regardless, the Word of God was continuing to spread! And by the way, later on Paul again sees John Mark as vital (Colossians 4:10).
SO WHAT?!
*ALL believers are called to be able to know and handle God’s Word (1 Tim 4:16, 2 Tim 2:15). How about you? How about me? Are we IN our Bible enough so that we can both know truth and spot error? Keep up with our “260 in 2010” and it will help you to do so!
*We took note that Paul & Barnabas continued to minister as they went along. It wasn’t a “job” for them it had become their lifestyle. How about us? The call to “go and make disciples” means “as you go.” I think when we first begin to share Jesus and to serve Jesus it can be like a “job.” But the more & more we are involved in those ministries and others, the more and more it becomes a part of us! Let’s not be so focused on the destination that we miss out on the journey!
*Ever had the tendency to “add” to God’s grace? I mean, the feeling that if we read our Bible more or pray more or serve more or whatever more, that Jesus will accept us more?~! If you have put your trust & faith in what Jesus alone did for you on the cross, you could not be more accepted by God! When making Jesus known, don’t get sidetracked on drinking, smoking, cursing, baptism, etc… but keep bringing it back to Jesus. Let’s not add to what it takes to be saved, let’s share the truth, the Gospel truth and nothing but the Gospel truth!

Acts 14 DEVO: Paul's First Discipleship Journey

Chapter 14:
Ok – so for years we’ve called them Paul’s “missionary” journeys – and that they are. But because evangelism & discipleship are inseparable – like two sides of the same coin – we’ll continue to see, in this chapter and throughout Acts, an emphasis by Paul on discipleship as well.
Iconium – P&B (my little title for Paul & Barnabas) are, as usual, preaching in the synagogue and seeing Jews & Gentiles believe. Some unbelieving Jews though decide to spread some rumors about them, which only causes P&B to stay longer, preach stronger and do a few miracles – ha! It then says a “plot was afoot” to stone them, so God sent them on to….
Lysrtra – While here, God give Paul the power to heal a man who was lame from birth. This results in the people want to worship & offer sacrifices to P&B – yikes! P&B get wind of this and tell ‘em to stop because “we too are only men.” It takes a while to convince them to stop. Unbelieving Jews from Antioch don’t like this at all, so they stone Paul & drag him outside the city thinking he was dead. So the disciples gather around him and it says “he got up and went back into the city.” In the words from Princess Bride, I guess he was only “mostly dead!” He, he… The next day P&B leave for…
Derbe – It says that in Derbe “They preached the good news in that city and won a large number of disciples.” Each time the Gospel is preached, people believe. God is continuing the exponential growth of his church! They then headed for…
Lystra, Iconium, Antioch – Here they strengthened, encouraged & warned the disciples (this again is discipleship). They also appointed church leaders – prayed, fasted & committed them to the Lord and then left for…
Pisidia, Pamphylia, Perga, Attalia & back to Antioch – They had completed their first journey they were called to by the church leaders in Antioch in Acts 13:2. Verses 27-28 again give us more insight on early church growth & discipleship, “On arriving there, they gathered the church together and reported all that God had done through them and how he had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles. And they stayed there a long time with the disciples.”
SO WHAT?
*Where are you in your “journey” with the Lord? Are you sharing your faith in Christ with others? Often times we think that we need to know more, we need more discipleship. But making disciples who make disciples who make disciples is a constant process of both evangelism & discipleship. Read Philemon 6!
*When are you tempted to back down on your witness for Christ. At times God gave P&B boldness and at other times he moved them elsewhere – so how do you know when to do which? GREAT question! Not always sure myself of the answer. I’d say pray, listen to the Holy Spirit and don’t let fear be our motivation.
*Finally, when God does great things to & thru you, be sure to SHARE IT! It gives incredible encouragement and challenge to other believers!

Acts 13 Devo: Paul - Greatly Used of God

Chapter 13:
Today marks another turning point in the book of Acts. Chapters 1-12 focus on God’s work thru Peter, the remaining chapters focus on God’s work thru Paul. Peter’s focus was on getting the Gospel to the Jewish church in Jerusalem & Judea, Paul’s focus will be on getting the Gospel to the Gentile church beyond Judea – fulfilling Jesus’ command in Acts 1:8. Do you want to be greatly used by God? This chapter gives examples of how that can happen!
First – be involved in ministry right where you are (1-2a). We read that Paul & Barnabas were already involved in the Lord’s work – ministering and fasting.
Second – Follow the Holy Spirit’s leading in your life (2b). This could be a gut feeling, counsel from a godly person, a prompting as you read God’s Word, etc…. When these things occur, we need to, by faith, obey.
Thirdly – Include others (3-5). Paul included Barnabas, Silas, Timothy, Luke, etc… There were never meant to be “lone rangers” in ministry. So when you serve, grab someone and have them serve with you!
Fourth – Realize you’ll face opposition (6-8). If it’s the work of the Lord you can bet the forces of evil are not going to like it. They will do everything to deceive, distract & discourage (I’m listening on Sunday’s Mitch) us so that we will stop. Let’s pray for strength to persevere!
Fifth – Speak for God, even when it’s not popular (9-12). You may or may not have to be as blunt as Paul is here, but either way, speak the truth in love with gentleness & respect.
Sixth – Use your Bible to point people to Jesus (13-41). It’s all about HIM and we need to know God’s Word to lead people to Him. Hopefully this “260 in 2010” is helping you do just that!
Finally – Always remember that whenever the Gospel is preached some will be opposed, some may ask more questions but some will believe! (12, 42-52)
SO WHAT?
*In what ways are you currently involved in the Lord’s work? Are you active in sharing your faith? In serving? In praying? In teaching? Etc… If you are not, let me know and I can help you with ideas of how to get started so you can be greatly used of God! And be sure to include others in the process!
*What has the Holy Spirit been prompting you with lately? Is it reaching out to an outcast in your school or at your job or in your neighborhood? Maybe it’s sharing your testimony with someone? Follow God’s prompting today and I guarantee you that you won’t be sorry you did!
*If we will BE and DO these things and we will be “…..continually filled with joy and the Holy Spirit.” (52)

Acts 12 DEVO: Fighting God = Not Smart

Chapter 12:
Ever since Lucifer rebelled and Adam & Eve rebelled, there have been those who dare to shake their fist at God. This chapter records one of them: Herod. We read that he is arresting and persecuting believers in the church and is now credited with the murder of James – the first disciple of Jesus who was killed for his faith. After this, he has Peter arrested. This is his third arrest already. Because Peter got out last time (an angel let him out 5:19), Herod placed 16 guards on him this time around. Oh, of course, like that’s gonna’ stop an angel of the Lord!~!
We then read what was happening behind the scenes: “So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him.” What a great verse! We then read how God answered these prayers! Peter is in chains, snoozing between two guards when an angel of the Lord smacks him & tells him to get up – Ha! Peter is not really sure what’s happening but his chains fall off and the angel leads him out of prison and disappears. At this point Peter realizes “Now I know without a doubt that the Lord sent his angel and rescued me from Herod's clutches and from everything the Jewish people were anticipating." So he excitingly heads to the prayer meeting to tell everyone!
Picture this next scene with me: Peter arrives at the home where everyone is praying for him, knocks and little Rhoda answers. She’s so excited about Peter being here that she slams the door in his face as she runs to tell everyone. She tells everyone and they think she’s crazy. I’m imagining them saying, “Stop bothering us young lady, we’re praying for Peter to be released.” In the meantime, Peter continues to knock and Rhoda continues to tell them Peter’s really at the door. So they finally go to the door and – imagine that – it’s Peter! He quiets them down, tells them the whole story and leaves so these people won’t get busted for his being out of jail.
I gotta’ tell you, sometimes there are verses in the Bible that just crack me up and verse 18 is one of them: “In the morning, there was no small commotion among the soldiers as to what had become of Peter.” Total understatement! These guards had no idea what had happened but they knew their lives were toast, which is confirmed in verse 19!
So now you’ve got a really upset king, which is not good for the people (Proverbs 20:2). So the people conspire with Herod’s personal servant Blastus to “butter him up.” It works and Herod likes the attention, but it would be the last day of his life. The people started calling Herod a god and we read that “Immediately, because Herod did not give praise to God, an angel of the Lord struck him down, and he was eaten by worms and died.” Eewww! The main point comes next. As much as Herod was fighting against God and His will “…the Word of god continued to increase and spread.” Take note – fighting against God is futile!
SO WHAT?!
*Is there anything in your life you want so bad that you are willing to go against God to get it? Be warned, God is in control and His will WILL be done, with or without us! Let’s daily remember to hand our lives & plans to Him (Proverbs 16:1,3,9).
*As a fairly new follower of Jesus (3-4 years), Peter had been arrested 3 times, beaten, mocked and now was trying to be killed – all for telling other about Jesus. What are you and I willing to suffer for the sake of Jesus? Most of us don’t face anything like this, but would we be willing to speak the truth in love regardless if we’re made fun of for lose friends?
*Our Pastor Mitch challenged us yesterday with, “What are you praying for that ONLY GOD can do?” Good question to ponder.
*Finally, be encouraged that as we continue to make ourselves available to be used of God, His Word will continue to spread and increase!

Acts 11 DEVO: Peter Rehashes, Gentiles Believe & the Importance of Discipleship

Chapter 11:
Well, word got out about Peter going to Cornelius and the Jews didn’t like it. So Peter rehashes chapter 10. He finishes his defense in verse 17: “So if God gave them the same gift as he gave us, who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to think that I could oppose God?" Survey says…….hmmm……..good point. And so they gave no more objections and praised God!
We then read about a great number of Gentiles believing in Christ in Antioch. The Jerusalem church hears about this and thinks, hmmmm……….who could we send to encourage them in their new faith??? Ding – Joe Encourager = Barnabas! Yep, he is sent there to check it out and we read that he “…saw the evidence of the grace of God, he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts.” But Barnabas knows they need to grow in their faith and, knowing his own giftedness, realizes this is a job for Saul. So he heads to Tarsus, finds him and brings him back to help these new believers. And it says that, “for a whole year Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great numbers of people.” They shared Jesus with them, helped them learn more and they were even mocked for doing so, as the term “Christian” was really meant to degrade. The chapter ends on a final note of encouragement. There was a famine and the disciples decided to help and who better to send the financial help with than Barnabas (& Saul).
SO WHAT?
*Ever have to defend your actions? If your actions are godly, the best way to defend what you did is by using the scriptures just as Peter did!
*The early church is continuing to grow – without retreats, without programs, without powerpoint, etc… We must always remember that spiritual growth & church growth is a God thing and our job is to point people to HIM. We read in Acts that “the Lord added to their number daily” or that “3000 believed that day” or that “the church increased in number.”, etc… If you go to each place where this is written in Acts and look at what happened just before to cause this growth you find that each time it was a result of the Gospel being preached! This is why I am so committed to sharing the Gospel at every student ministry gathering. Our visitors and our own students need to regularly hear the good news and have opportunity to respond. (By the way, so do you & I)
*If someone ever needed encouragement, would your friends contact you to send you because you are such an encourager? Maybe, maybe not. But we ALL are called to encourage one another (Hebrews 10) even if it’s not our gift. Most of the time we only go to people if we have complaints. Why not spend some time today encouraging someone whom God lays on your heart?!
*Finally, helping someone grow in their faith is VITAL! When I put my trust & faith in Jesus Christ I walked to the front of this little Baptist church in Eldridge Iowa. My knees were shaking and I didn’t understand much except that I knew I needed Jesus. An older gentleman named Dale Arentson took me aside and talked to me about my decision. Then he gave me a booklet called “Knowing Jesus” (Navigators booklet). He asked me if I would go thru the first few pages, write down my answers and asked if he could get with me later that week. And for the next 2 YEARS he met with me once a week and helped me understand the Bible! I can truly say that I would not be a student pastor today if it were not for his help. You’ll read in Acts that Paul & Barnabas did this over & over with new believers as well. It was vital for them, it was vital for me and it’s vital for you. Who is helping you learn the Bible? If you don’t have anyone, let’s talk & pray & see how we can get that to happen. It will cost you – but the rewards are out of this world!
THIS WEEK’S MEMORY VERSES:
“Then Peter began to speak: ‘I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism but accepts men from every nation who fear him and do what is right.’” Acts 10:34-35

Acts 10 DEVO: Cornelius - More Proof that Jesus is for ALL People!

Chapter 10:
If any story in the Bible wreaks of God’s grace given freely without favoritism, this one does! Wow – which part of this chapter do I start with?! Mama Mia ~ There’s this Cornelius guy who is in charge of 100 soldiers and it says he & his family were “devout and God-fearing” but were not believers in Jesus (yet). He sees an angel who tells him to send some men to go get Peter so he can hear about Jesus. In the meanwhile, Peter gets hungry, falls into a trance and God spreads out a sort of tablecloth full of animals and tells him to eat them. Peter looks at what’s for dinner and reminds God that some of these things are not pure, to which God basically replies that He’s saying it’s ok. This goes on for a bit and suddenly Cornelius’ men show up. Peter is a bit baffled (I’ll bet) but the Holy Spirit tells him to go see these men. They tell Peter that Cornelius sent them to hear about Jesus. Peter then takes advantage of this witnessing opportunity and then next day leaves for Cornelius’ house. As Peter enters Cornelius’ home (one small step for Peter, one HUGE step for world missions), Cornelius falls at his feet. Peter, realizing he’s only a man tells him to get up and proceeds to share the good news of Jesus with him! What is that good news? That God “…does not show favoritism but accepts men from every nation…” It’s the “…good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all.” And they believe! God is saving Gentiles!!! Whoohoo – because that’s me!
SO WHAT?!
*It was a HUGE step for Peter to invite Gentiles into his home. But as God introduced a new standard, Peter responded with obedience. Change can be hard. In what area of thinking is God asking you to change? If we are daily being conformed to HIS image (Romans 8), that means we need to change. As we read these messages, let’s ask God to help us to obey them!
*Have you experienced God’s peace? Sure, we can have things going on in our lives that are unsettling but I’m talking about the peace that makes us right with God. Jesus offers that peace TODAY! All we can do is believe & receive!
*Is there someone or a group of people you “look down on”? Maybe there are some students at your school who are outcasts. Maybe where you work there are some who don’t get invited to lunch. Why not make today the day we start to agree with God – who shows no favoritism – and reach out to them?!

Acts 9 DEVO: The Gospel Transforms!

Chapter 9:
Church history is packed with examples of the power of the Gospel to change lives! Two off the top of my head are Josh McDowell & Lee Strobel – both who set out to prove Christianity wrong but instead the good news of Jesus transformed them. The same is true of Saul.
Saul was out to get Christians – arrested, killed, whatever, until in the middle of it all he meets Jesus – LITERALLY! Saul is confronted by Jesus and asked “Why do you persecute ME?” Get that? If you persecute God’s people, you are persecuting Him! Saul goes blind and is led to Ananias (not the dead one from chapter 5) just as Jesus told him. He is told “Brother Saul, the Lord—Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here—has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit." Suddenly he can see, gets baptized, hangs out with then begins to PREACH the very Jesus he was against! Both INNER & OUTER TRANSFORMATION takes place!
This news gets out and the people are both astonished at his message and trying to kill him. Even the disciples freaked out at the thought of Saul joining them! That’s when Joe Encourager steps in again – Barnabas. He encouraged the believers by selling land in chapter 4 and now is source of encouragement to Saul when no one else would stick up for him. He explains how Saul is different now and so the disciples then accept him. Kuddos Barnabas! During this time of preaching it says that the church “…enjoyed a time of peace. It was strengthened; and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, it grew in numbers, living in the fear of the Lord.”
Saul is gonna get shipped of to Tarsus for 3 chapters and Peter will come back on the scene in the meantime. The chapter then concludes with Peter miraculously raising a godly woman named Tabitha from the dead which again leads many to put their trust & faith in Christ. One last thing, the final line of the chapter is short but powerful: “Peter stayed in Joppa for some time with a tanner named Simon.” A tanner was a person who made animal hides into leather. Ok, so what’s the big deal? Well, since tanners worked with dead animals they were seen as “unclean” and so Simon would have been shunned by the religious peeps. It's so cool to see Peter learning these lessons (10:34).
SO WHAT?!
*I too am an example of a transformed life. I came to faith in Jesus in October of 1982 and I can totally relate to Paul’s words in 1 Timothy 1:12-17. And if you have put your trust & faith in Christ, you too are being transformed. The question is, would people who look at our lives be “astonished” at the way we live and be drawn to Jesus. Or, do our lives look no different that the life of an unbeliever so that they have no way to see Jesus?
*When was the last time you stood up for someone? We remember when people stick up for us, it leaves a deep Mark. Let’s be Barnabas’ today!
*Who are the outcasts in your circles of influence: Your school? Your neighborhood? Your workplace? Be Jesus to them today……..you could save a life!

Acts 8 DEVO: More Persecution & the Ministry of Phillip

Chapter 8:
We read in Acts 1:8 that the purpose of the Holy Spirit’s coming is to give believers the power to be witnesses for Jesus – “…in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." And it’s happening: Acts 1 = Jerusalem, Acts 2-7 = Judea and now in chapter 8 = Samaria! How cool is that?!~!
We read that on the day Stephen was killed for his faith, a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem that scattered everyone except the disciples. It also says that a man named Saul (whom we will discuss tomorrow in Acts 9) was leading this charge.
The rest of the chapter tells us about the ministry of Phillip. This is not Phillip, the disciple of Jesus, but is Phillip the deacon chosen in Acts 6:5. He had been scattered and is now taking the good news of Jesus to Samaria! God did healings & miracles thru him that brought great joy to this city.
Also in Samaria was a magician named Simon who was also amazing all the people – enter here: competition. It says that people believed Phillip’s message and believed and were baptized and followed him – even Simon. When he noticed the disciples laying hands on people and the people receiving the Holy Spirit, he wanted in on the action. But Peter’s reply revealed Simon’s heart, “May your money perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money! You have no part or share in this ministry, because your heart is not right before God. Repent of this wickedness and pray to the Lord. Perhaps he will forgive you for having such a thought in your heart. For I see that you are full of bitterness and captive to sin." And Simon’s reply? “Pray to the Lord for me so that nothing you have said may happen to me."
Ok, so Phillip is having this great ministry in Samaria and then God tells him to go somewhere else and he obeys. So he’s heading down this road and meets this big wig treasurer for the queen of Ethiopia. Phillip hears him reading the book of Isaiah and asks him if he understands it. He basically says no, I need help and so Phillip used Isaiah to tell him about Jesus! Totally cool – the Ethiopian eunuch (ask your parents what this is) believes and when he sees some waters asks to get baptized! As he’s coming out of the water the Holy Spirit (I vision Star Trek here) transports Phillip outta’ there and he appears later in another city preaching the Gospel – sweet!
SO WHAT?
*God is fulfilling His Word (acts 1:8), spreading the good news of Jesus through his people! Are you involved in this good work? We can come up with lots of excuses – “I’m not outgoing”, “I don’t know what to say”, “I’m busy serving the Lord in other ways”, etc… but ALL believers are called to be fruitful, multiply and fill the earth. God is in the business of scattering us - one way or another. Let’s enjoy the AWESOME privilege share Jesus today!
*So……was Simon a believer or a make-believer? Did he truly believe & then sin, or did he never really believe? Good question! I don’t know his heart – but you know your heart and I know mine – and God knows every heart. What is your motive for following Jesus?
*Has God ever called you to a new place? It’s tough to leave the “comfortable” and obey God. When Jean & I felt like God was calling us to a new church it was painful! But both of us wanted God’s will over being comfortable! And God has blessed our obedience! Is there an urging in your life you believe is from God? Pray, get godly counsel, then go for it and trust the Lord!

Acts 7 DEVO: Stephen - Defender of the Faith

Chapter 7:
You & I have been called to represent God to a lost generation. And to reach friends, family and even strangers effectively with the Gospel, we must be able to defend our faith – know what we believe and why we believe it! Stephen does this very thing in chapter 7 by answering the accusations in 6:13-14 and becomes the first Christian martyr recorded.
1-19: He begins by explaining that he believes fully in the God of Israel. From Abraham thru Joseph he explains that Jesus is the perfect fulfillment of the old testament.
20-39: Then he goes from Moses to the Babylonian captivity explaining that he indeed does honor Moses and it was actually THEY who rejected him (39).
40-43: Basically Stephen communicates that he believes in the law and that Moses was the recipient!
44-53: Finally, Stephen explains that he does respect the temple – but hey, “God doesn’t live in houses made by men.” i.e. you look good on the outside but inside are “unclean.” And then to be clear he states, “You stiff-necked people, with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You are just like your fathers: You always resist the Holy Spirit! Was there ever a prophet your fathers did not persecute? They even killed those who predicted the coming of the Righteous One. And now you have betrayed and murdered him— you who have received the law that was put into effect through angels but have not obeyed it." And you can guess what the next verse says………yep……………they were “furious and gnashed their teeth at him. But he doesn’t stop he continues by telling them He sees Jesus! And yep, this pushed them over their limits. They drug Stephen out of the city, stoned him to death. Stephen was so focused on Jesus his only replies were “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." Then he fell on his knees and cried out, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them." What a witness for Jesus! And oh, take note that the one holding the clothes of the stone tossers was Saul……
SO WHAT?!
*What do you believe about Jesus? Do you know what you believe and why? If the only answer we give in Sunday school is Jesus, God or the Bible, then it’s time to pray and start digging into God’s Word. Each of us must take ownership of our faith. Our parent’s faith, our pastor’s faith and the faith of our friends will never make us right with God. We must each own our faith!
*When is it hardest for you to stand up for what you believe? Is it in classes that tach things contrary to the Bible? Maybe it’s with your friends whom you want to like you? Or a boss that you respect? Ask God for boldness to speak the truth with gentleness and respect – He wants to give it to you and me!

Acts 6 DEVO: Spritual Organization & Transition

Chapter 5:
God’s church had been experiencing some pretty amazing & explosive growth. By now, the estimated number of disciples was in the range of 20,000! And if you’re gonna’ meet the spiritual & physical needs of a group this size, it requires organization!
Some cultural issues were beginning to divide the church, specifically some widows got overlooked while they were passing out food. The enemy has tried to corrupt, persecute and now divide believers – and still works at that today. The process we see in verses 1-7 can teach us a lot about choosing spiritual leaders.
First, they responded to needs and what the Holy Spirit had been doing. That is what a church should do. Apostles could no longer do it all and so they sought leadership help.
Secondly, these leaders were to be:
- Men
- Believers
- Spirit Filled
- Wise
Thirdly, we learn what a shepherd’s priorities should be: Prayer & the Word of God! Whenever, as pastors, we get away from those two things, the flock will suffer.
Finally, these men are approved & supported by the church as the leaders “prayed and laid their hands on them.”
One of these men was Stephen, an amazing man whom God will use in the book of Acts as a transition between Peter & Paul. Up ‘til now, Peter has been the leader in the early church, but that baton is about to be handed to Paul.
Stephen was “full of God’s grace and power” and those who apposed him could not stand up against the Holy Spirit’s message he spoke. Because of that, they start a rumor that he was against Moses & God which stirs up enough controversy to get him arrested. Then they produce false witnesses against him as well. While the Sanhedrin are listening to all this garbage, they keep looking over at Stephen and it says ”they saw that his face was like the face of an angel.” Basically, they weren’t buying it so they asked Stephen if the charges were true. On Monday we’ll read His response!
SO WHAT?
*Although the reference is to shepherds, having a focus on the Bible and prayer would be a great focus for all of us. Having said this, how’s your focus? Since you’re probably already reading thru Acts, why not start a specific list of things you can be praying about so that you can pray more? It will be a blessing!
*In what way are you serving in your church? Doesn’t matter what age you are, we were “created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
*Have you ever stood up for God and been accused of things that are false? This happens at times with God’s people. When it does we can trust God to be our defender!

Acts 5 DEVO: 1st Youth Service Project, Great Fear & More Persecution

Chapter 5:
Well it didn’t take long for sin to show itself in the early church. Right after we read of the “sharing of the saints” in 4:32-37, we kick off chapter 5 with a “sins of the saints” incident. So you’ve got Ananias & Sapphira who decide they want to sell some land in order to give money to the Lord – totally good thing. Then, they kept some money for themselves and gave the rest - still good. BUT – they made it LOOK like they gave it all – NOT good. This was deception and Peter said to Ananias that he had “lied to the Holy Spirit.” As a result, the first youth ministry in the church was started: Carrying out dead people! (rings of Monty Python’s “Bring out your dead”…) Anyway, so in toodles Sapphira a few hours later, Peter confronts her as well, and yep, she drops dead! And it says that “Great fear seized the whole church and all who heard about these events.” I’ll bet!In spite of all this, the apostles keep performing all these miraculous signs and teaching Jesus. The religious peeps become jealous and so again they arrest the disciples and throw them in jail. But this time an angel of the Lord opens the doors, releases them and basically tells them to get back out there and share Christ! This REALLY upsets the religious peeps: “We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name…………yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to make us guilty of this man's blood." You gotta’ love the boldness of the Holy Spirit in their reply: "We must obey God rather than men! The God of our fathers raised Jesus from the dead—whom you had killed by hanging him on a tree.” Let me translate – yep YOU ARE guilty! Ok - now they are FURIOUS with the disciples.
Insert wisdom from Gamaliel – who basically says look, let them be, “For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God." They buy his speech, but still beat the disciples before their release and tell them (for the third time in 2 chapters) to stop talking about Jesus! And the disciples reaction? Whoohoo - they beat us up for telling others about Jesus, lets keep it up! (ok….. a Mr Bill paraphrase)
SO WHAT?!
*Sin is horrible. And sin in the church is horrible. I am thankful for God’s amazing grace & forgiveness but that should never cause us to wink at our sin. God doesn’t, it kills Him (pun intended). Ananias & Sapphira were guilty of trying to look better than God knew they were. Ever done that? Yeah, the youth should be carrying me out too! Let’s stop trying to look so good and be more concerned about our heart, God certainly is. We need to have a holy “Fear” toward sin.
*Have you ever been discouraged about sharing Christ with someone? Been rejected, ignored, made fun of or told to stop? I regularly take students to the mall to share Christ with people. It’s not my favorite way of sharing Jesus, but it is A WAY. We’ve been stopped numerous times by mall security (even escorted out at Memorial City once). Each time they’ve asked what we were doing and each time we’ve shared the gospel with them. And each time they’ve said that although they couldn’t keep us from sharing our faith, that it didn’t mean they wouldn’t be stopping us again. On mall cop even told us to keep it up! Whenever the Gospel is shared, some will be hostile, some will be indifferent and others will believe. For the sake of those who will believe, let’s be active in sharing our faith and not let Satan discourage us! What would be of all those students who heard of Christ at the mall if we had just stopped talking about Jesus?!~!

Acts 4 DEVO: Persecution & A Good Joe

Chapter 4:
Throughout history the church has faced persecution: Christians thrown to wild animals, crucified, turned into human torches, and tortured in all the cruel ways evil men could devise. Instead of destroying the church, however, persecution merely served to purify and strengthen it.
Today, the church in America is rarely faced with physical persecution. Satan’s attacks have become much more subtle, aimed at the our selfish pride, need for acceptance, or status. In fact, letting believers live self-centered, complacent, worldly lives is more effective in keeping people from the Christian faith than killing them. Acts 4, 5, 7, 8, and 12 record persecutions in the early church.
We read again that the holy heavies were “greatly disturbed” that the apostles were telling people about Jesus and many were believing! So they toss Peter & John in jail. The next day they question them and Peter & John basically tell ‘em that THEY are the ones who killed the only source of salvation! So these holy heavies tell ‘em to stop talking about Jesus, to which they basically reply “we can’t!” And not only that, but they pray, “Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness.” In other words, were not stopping no matter how rough it gets!
I love verse 13: “When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.” Yeah – they were buffoons, but because they spent time with Jesus, He transformed them!
Verses 32-37 are another reflection of the amazing, sacrificial devotion & unity in the church already discussed in 2:42-47. They mention a guy named Joseph who was part of this community. Apparently he had such a reputation that they called him Barnabas – Son of encouragement!
SO WHAT?!
*Are you being persecuted for your faith? It should come as no surprise, Jesus warned us to expect it (Jn 15:18-20, 2 Tim 3:12, 1 Peter 2:21). The real issue is how are we responding? Often times when we are told we can’t talk about Jesus, either at school or in the workplace, we just don’t because we don’t want to get in trouble. But there are times when we must respond like Peter & John who declared, “Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God's sight to obey you rather than God. For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard." Could there be consequences? Yes. But the rewards for faithfulness to God in eternity far outweigh them. Twice I was asked to speak on career day at my son’s school. It was me, the policeman & the fireman – I love it! Each time I shared the Gospel of Jesus and handed out Bibles to each kid! They asked me to be there and tell them what I do and so I did - in KISD! Was I a bit nervous about what consequences I might face? Ummmm………………..more like freaked out! But I prayed & went for it. And I say to you too – PRAY & GO FOR IT!
*How’s transformation going in your life? Verse 13 gives me hope because it is proof that God can do a lot with not much! But it WILL mean spending time with Jesus! This “260 in 2010” is meant to help us do that. As our relationships with Jesus grow, more & more transformation will take place!
*When was the last time you were “Joe Encourager” to someone? As I meet with students & parents I am amazed at how many hurts there are, and how far a kind word or an encouraging remark will go. Call, text, email, fb, or write someone right now and encourage them! Do it! And hey, maybe you’ll get some back as well!!!

Acts 3 DEVO: Miracle & Message

Chapter 3:
In this chapter we begin with the first recorded miracle done by the disciples now turned apostles. As the disciples are headed to pray, they come across a beggar placed at the temple. This man was totally helpless - crippled from birth bad enough that he had to be carried & dropped off each day. It was a strategic place to be, as the pious religious peeps would give $ to poor & crippled people in order to look good. As this man asked Peter & John for money, what he got instead was a far greater deal! Peter replies, “Look at us……Silver and Gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.” Immediately they helped him up and he walked – to the astonishment of everyone!
So as news of this gets out, they all come running to the disciples. Now this would have been a great opportunity for Pete & Johnny to show off by doing a few more miracles. But since it is no longer they who live but Christ who lives in them (Gal 2:20), and since they represent Jesus not themselves (2 Cor 5:20), they give a powerful message from God! We then read of Peter’s second recorded message:
Three times in verses 13-15 he says “You” – telling them again that THEY were responsible for the death of Jesus! And, like his first sermon, it’s not your “how to make friends and influence neighbors” message. No, he gives them the same basic message: Repent! Turn from self to God! Why? “…so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, and that he may send the Christ, who has been appointed for you—even Jesus.” ALL of us need forgiveness for our sins in order to be made right with God and "Indeed, all the prophets from Samuel on, as many as have spoken, have foretold these days.” Much more could be said, but we are beginning to see the priorities of the early church: Preaching Jesus & Repentance!
SO WHAT?!
*God is just as much a God of miracles today as He was in the time of the apostles. Do we believe it? What are you trusting God to do that is humanly impossible? Are you in need of a miracle in your life today? Like the beggar we too are totally helpless to change our situation. But GOD is not, so lets ask Him! 1 John 5:14-15
*How well are you (and I) representing our Lord? When we are given opportunity to give credit for awesome things, it’s tempting to take the Lord’s credit ourselves? Let’s follow the example of Peter (vs 12) and point people to Jesus!
*Repentance is both a turning FROM and a turning TO. To just stop doing/saying/thinking whatever is only a partial repentance. True transformation takes place when we turn from things and TO GOD! Lord please help us to turn towards You daily!

Acts 2 DEVO: Happy Birthday to.......The Church!

Chapter 2:
The birth of God’s church begins a major turning point in the history of God’s Kingdom!
Ch. 1 = disciples to wait for coming of Holy Spirit Ch. 2 = He comes!
Ch. 1 = Disciples are equipped. Ch. 2 = They’re Empowered.
Ch. 1 = Disciples were held back. Ch. 2 = They’re sent forth.
Ch. 1 = Savior ascended. Ch. 2 = Spirit descends.
Ch. 1 = The Promise is given. Ch. 2 = The Promise is fulfilled.
If we do the math right - Pentecost was 50 days after Passover, Jesus was on earth 40 days after he rose from the dead………… so that places the promised Holy Spirit, arriving here in chapter two, at 10 days after Jesus ascended into heaven.
So the disciples are hanging out and all of the sudden it gets really windy, these like tongues of fire come resting on each of their heads and then they all become experts in different foreign languages – your basic & ordinary Sunday afternoon. THIS would have been a really cool reFuel or FUSION night with our youth!!!
They needed God’s POWER to do God’s WORK and so God gives them Himself – His Holy Spirit to live inside them! Why? Verse 11 says in order to “…declare the wonders of God…” The disciples were given POWER to tell others about Jesus! And since there were people from all over the place, God caused them to speak in each person’s language so they could hear the Good News of Jesus!
Then Peter (yeah, the one who ditched Jesus earlier) steps up to the plate and explains just that! Taking them through prophecy and all the events of Jesus death, burial & resurrection, Peter preaches the first sermon of the church! It’s a 1 point sermon: “…God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord & Christ.”, with one application: “Repent & be baptized.” If Peter were wanting to make friends and influence neighbors he blew it. No, he knew he was God’s representative now and He is called to speak God’s Words not his own. So what were the results? 3000 people came to Christ - not a bad day! And then they were tossed into this loving, generous, sacrificial, joyful community called the church!
SO WHAT?!
*Do you have the Holy Spirit of Jesus living in you? If you have put your trust in Jesus then YES you do and He wants to witness to others through you and me!
*How do you respond to the Word of God? Are you “…cut to the heart?” Or is it boring to you? Ask God to give you spiritual desire to be conformed to His image!
*In what ways are you actively involved in the body of Christ? How are YOU helping make Redeemer (or your church) a loving, generous, sacrificial, joyful place?

Acts 1 DEVO: Witnesses for Jesus

Chapter 1:
How cool would it be to have a name hat means “lover of God?!” Luke addresses this letter to just that man – Theophilus. Interestingly, Luke says that his first book was about all what Jesus “began” to do. Wait – is Jesus not done? The work of Jesus is both finished and unfinished. Redemption is finished – Jesus paid it all. Letting others know (the Holy Spirit’s work through believers) is unfinished!
The disciples/apostles needed the power of God to do the work of God and here Jesus promises to send that “gift.” Jesus reminds them again of their calling: “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." And off to heaven Jesus went…..leaving them watching, at least until two angels show up to remind them He’d be back!
The remainder of the chapter focuses on the disciples replacing Judas. This section gives us some great principles in regards to decision making. They devoted it to prayer (12-14), went to the Bible (15-20), laid out the qualifications (21-22), again sought guidance from God (23-25) and then made a choice (26). Ok…..casting lots was their version of our rock-paper-scissors. Regardless, they trusted God with the decision!
SO WHAT?!
*I what way are you & I involved in God’s “unfinished work?” Wednesday night at ELEVATE I challenged all of us to talk to someone about Jesus within the next 48 hours. Lets keep asking God to give us that opportunity and then the boldness to take advantage of it! Be a Peter and “stand up among the believers.”
*Got any tough decisions to make? Try out the steps above that the disciples made!
*Lord, please make us “Theophilus’!” May it be said of us that we are lovers of YOU!

Introduction to the Book of Acts:

INTRODUCTION:
It is the second part of a two-volume work written by Luke, a companion of the apostle Paul. Originally the two volumes circulated together as two parts of one complete writing. LUKE and ACTS make up about 30% of the material in the New Testament – more than Paul’s writings and more than John’s writings. This book does not contain all the acts of all the apostles. Could better be titled, “Certain Acts of Certain Apostles.”

Written A.D. 63-64ish, probably during Paul’s first imprisonment. It covers approximately 30 years: - the story of the church from it’s explosive beginning on the Day of Pentecost to the imprisonment at Rome of it’s greatest missionary (Paul). To Theophilus (Theo = God, Philus = lover of), and all who love Jesus Christ.

I believe the purpose of this book is to record the spread of Christianity, through the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit, to Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and to the ends of the earth. Some of it’s themes include:

Church Beginnings → How Christianity was founded, organized, empowered and how it solved its problems within the community. Began by faith in risen Christ, then empowered by the Holy Spirit.

Holy Spirit → Demonstrated that Christianity is supernatural.

Church Growth → Acts shows a dynamic growing community of believers.

Witnessing → These people shared their faith; by personal testimony, preaching, defense. Strengthens our faith as we are confronted by those who challenge it.

Responses to the Gospel → Some believe, some doubt, others are antagonistic.

Opposition → Imprisonment, beating, plots and riots – YET Christianity grew!

Missionaries → Acts is what real missions work is all about!

THE BOOK OF ACTS PICKS UP WHERE THE GOSPELS END. IT IS THE ‘SO WHAT’ OF THE GOSPELS, THE REAL LIFE APPLICATION OF ALL JESUS TOLD US AND SHOWED US. IT IS A CLEAR EXAMPLE OF WHAT THE CHURCH (THE BODY OF CHRIST = BELIEVERS = CHRISTIANS), OUGHT TO BE AND OUGHT TO DO. THE ZEAL, THE FAITH, THE JOY, THE COMMITMENT, AND THE OBEDIENCE OF THESE EARLY SAINTS IS AN EXAMPLE TO ALL BELIEVERS.

Mayoral Proclamation - Katy, Texas 3rd of February 2010

HISTORIC DAY IN KATY TEXAS!
Maybe it wasn't on your calendar, but it was certainly on God's! Today I had a Katy Area Pastor's lunch with some of the greatest guys on the planet! During our pre-lunch worship and praise, Mayor Don Elder read a proclamation and presented the Keys to the City of Katy to JESUS CHRIST!!! I can't describe with words the feeling of the Holy Spirit's presence. It totally ROCKED! We are truly blessed to live in a city with a mayor, a fire chief, a superintendent and a police chief who all profess Jesus as their Lord & Savior!!! Please Lord, bring a revival to Katy, Texas and start with me!!! Needless to say, I signed it!

WHEREAS, the undersigned, Christian Pastors, Leaders, and Ministry Directors of the City of Katy, Texas, by God-given charge over the citizens, in agreement establish this 3rd Day of February in the year of 2010 as the day The Keys to the City of Katy are Given Unto Jesus Christ; and,

WHEREAS, all Christian Pastors, Leaders, and Ministry Directors by their signature below exalt Jesus Christ in our city by giving Lordship to Jesus Christ in our families, in our schools, in our marketplace, our churches, and in the seat of government; and,

WHEREAS, as Jesus is given rule and reign to bring under the headship of Jesus Christ and His direction the local churches and all citizens,

WHEREAS, only King Jesus offers to the lives of all citizens eternal salvation and enables victory over the spiritual forces of darkness which are bound this day from stealing, killing, and destroying the citizens of this city by the authority of His Kingship, Jesus Christ and the blood of the Lamb; and

WHEREAS, the authority of Scripture declares and we all the undersigned agree that unless the Lord, Who is Jesus, watches over our city, we, the watchmen watch in vain;

LET IT BE RESOLVED, King Jesus is this day proclaimed and declared King of Kings and Lord of Lords of the City of Katy and all her citizens and every aspect of the life of Katy, including every household, the education, the economy, commerce, trade, and government.

The Keys were placed in the prayer chapel of Grace FUM Church.

Luke 24 DEVO: Jesus is Alive!

CHAPTER 24:
You can visit the graves of every religious founder such as Joseph Smith, Mohammed, Buddha, Confucius, etc…. And why? Because they are DEAD. Yep, all of them. Not so with Jesus! He and He alone rose from the dead – an event verified by many witnesses (1 Cor 15:3-7).
We read today that early in the morning (after keeping the Sabbath from sundown Friday to sundown Saturday) women came to bring spices to complete Jesus’ burial. They arrived to find Jesus gone and angels reminding them what happened. The women, in turn, went back and told the disciples. The disciples didn’t believe them, yet Peter ran to see for himself and was still baffled!
I love the next story! Two guys are walking on the road to Emmaus, talking and discouraged about all that had happened in Jerusalem (to Jesus). Then, like out of nowhere, Jesus is walking with them…..listening…..hmmm……..I see………..hmmm…..and they begin to tell Jesus their twist on the story. Side note – Jesus has a better grip on how things are. Anyway, Jesus sets them straight in sort of a Helllo duh, didn’t Jesus have to suffer & die?! Then, He took them through the scriptures to show them, ate with them and as He broke bread they recognized Him and poof – He was gone!
Later, while the disciples were talking about all this, Jesus pops in and says, “Peace be with you.” And yeah, you & I would have freaked out too! They think it’s a ghost, Jesus tells them to look at his hands & feet (I believe in order to see the scars), and then asks for some food.
Then in verse 45 we read, “Then he opened their minds so they could understand the scriptures.” We all need the Lord to understand the scriptures! Then He gives them their calling: Preach in His name, be His witnesses and I’ll give you the power to do it! After that Jesus ascended into heaven and the people worshiped & praised God!
SO WHAT?!
*Faith in Jesus Christ alone rests completely on the validity of the resurrection! If Jesus is still dead, then, as Paul puts it, “…if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men.” – 1 Corinthians 15:17-19. Do you believe it? Let’s remember, as we tell others about what Jesus did for us, not to leave Him in the grave! HE’S ALIVE!!!!! Maybe instead of wearing crosses we should be wearing open tombs?
*Do you have a hard time understanding the Bible? Pray before you read your Bible and ask God to “open your mind” so you can understand. That’s the Holy Spirit’s job and He loves to do it!
I've LOVED growing with y'all thru Luke's gospel. Tomorrow we begin our study in the book of Acts, Luke's "second gospel."

Luke 23 DEVO: The Crucifixion, Death & Burial of Jesus

CHAPTER 23:
A few years back I took an unbelieving friend with me to see “The Passion of the Christ” and it was like no other film we’d ever been to. It was not your laughing, popcorn eating, sit back & enjoy type of movie. I will never forget exiting the theatre afterwards…………..it was dead silent. The somber look on people’s faces is still etched in my brain. My friend didn’t even want to talk about it with me for weeks. Why is it we can watch people get blown up and splattered in films all the time but yet have this one grab us – believer or unbeliever - so deeply? It’s Jesus. He is like no other.
We begin with the unfair trials of Jesus. The “whole assembly” was the Sanhedrin, consisting of probably 70 men. These were the “holy heavies” of the day. They bring Jesus to the governor Pilate accusing Him of “subverting our nation.” It was a deliberate lie to say He apposed paying taxes because they had addressed this before(20:20-25). He was indeed Christ (Messiah) – so guilty as charged. YES “He stirs up the people all over Judea by His teaching” because it made the religious peeps look bad, but NO the sinless Jesus was not guilty of any crime. Pilate knew it (vs 4) but because he was afraid of the people, sent Jesus on to further trial. Jesus became a problem to both Herod & Pilate, ironically uniting them. And eventually, Pilate granted the cries of the crowd to crucify Him.
Being led away to be crucified, Jesus profoundly tells the mourners they should really be more concerned about where they and their offspring are headed when they die than Him! Then as they were crucifying Him, the mercy of God again shows itself in Jesus’ words, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” And as the guilt-ridden thief on the cross asks Jesus to remember him, Jesus again mercifully tells him that “…today you will be with me in paradise.” Amazing how Jesus is constantly thinking of people to the very end!
The time of His death had come. It was preceded by a sunless darkness darkness and as Jesus committed Himself to His Father, we know from other gospels that there was an earthquake as well. Those there gave praise to God. They realized this was no ordinary man. Some left the scene in anguish, others stood at a distance in shock.
Finally we are told that not all of the Sanhedrin agreed to put Jesus away, at least not this Joseph. He took Jesus down from the cross and properly buried Him in a tomb.
SO WHAT?!
*Just like the reactions of those who saw the Passion movie that day, the crucifixion of Jesus should sober us. The cross is a symbol like no other. Think about it. If someone today were to wear a guillotine or an electric chair around their neck, we’d be a bit freaked out & wonder if they might be the next school gunmen or terrorists. But to wear a cross is ok? Again, it’s symbol is Jesus. This unique death & event is the ONLY way by which we can be made right with God. Have you ever put your faith & trust in Jesus ALONE for the forgiveness of your sins? There’s a big difference between knowing OF Jesus and KNOWING Jesus. He’s still offering you the opportunity today! Romans 10:9-10
*Today’s message is “Good Friday"…………but…………Sunday’s comin’! Tomorrow ROCKS!

Luke 22 DEVO: Last Supper, Betrayal, Denial & Jesus' Confession

CHAPTER 22:
These last three chapters in Luke record the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ – the Savior of the world. No event in history has had more impact or ever will until He returns. I pray these last three chapters sink deep into our souls and transform us!
Cool start - wouldn’t it have been tight to be Peter & John looking for the guy carrying water and everything be just as Jesus told them!?~! Ha – would love to have been there!
Anyway, we first read about Jesus’ passion to have one last moment & Passover celebration with his disciples. I’m ever amazed at His desire to spend time with people – even those who betray Him. Amazing how someone could spend three years with Jesus and still turn on Him like Judas did. Jesus continued and will continue to reach out, but woe to those who don’t repent!
Jesus then addresses greatness. Our world’s system of leadership brings out a lot of selfishness & arrogance, but God’s system is quite opposite. The way up is truly down. You want to be great, you be a servant of all. Humility is God’s way and Jesus exemplified it!
Then we read of Peter’s painful denial of Jesus. Fear had overtaken his call to follow and three times he denies his Lord. Jesus told him he would, but lest we condemn Peter, Jesus also predicted he would turn back. And certainly God used him greatly!
Then there is the garden. At the most crucial time in His life, Jesus asks his disciples to pray. He returns to find them nodding off – not that any of us would ever nod off in church……. What a lonely & trying time for our Lord this must have been.
The chapter ends with Jesus’ confession that He is God! If the religious leaders were not peeved by now, this would do it. To claim to be God was the ultimate blasphemy………unless of course you ARE God, which they refused to believe He was!
SO WHAT?!
*I believe that just as Jesus had a passion to spend time with His disciples, He has that same passion for us. Yet often times, the first thing to go when we get busy is our Bible reading & prayer time. How’s your 260 in 2010 going? Lets not let the busyness of life to allow us to ditch our time alone with our Creator!
*Are we guilty of denying Jesus? Do your friends, co-workers, family members know that HE is what you live for? Let’s be like Paul who was “not ashamed of the Gospel.”
*Who are your “garden friends?” Friends who will be there in our time of greatest need, who will be Jesus to you & weather storms with you. You need ‘em and so do I. And who are WE that friend to? As believers we were never meant to be “lone rangers”……….. and hey, even the Lone Ranger had Tonto!

Luke 21 DEVO: Back to the Future

CHAPTER 21:
Luke spends most of this chapter talking about “future stuff” which is not a new topic. Three times already Jesus has predicted his death, we’ve been warned to be ready for His return, warned about coming judgment, etc… so this is not a new subject.
We first read a short story about giving. Jesus is watching those who give and notices a poor widow who gave “two very small copper coins.” Although these two coins probably had a value of less than a penny, Jesus tells us SHE gave the most! It’s a good reminder that God is more impressed with our heart in giving than He is with our amount!
Then, as the disciples were impressed with the temple, Jesus bursts their bubble by letting them know that it would be completely destroyed (and it was in AD 70). Intrigued, they ask Jesus when all these things are gonna’ take place and what the signs would be. Luke spends the rest of this chapter recording Jesus’ reply. It sort of goes like this:
*Don’t be deceived…
*It’s gonna’ get worse….
*You will be persecuted…
*I’ll tell you what to say….
*Be strong, it’s gonna’ get worse….
*Keep an eye on Jerusalem….
*Panic will abound for unbelievers…
*Don’t hang on to stuff here…
*It’s gonna’ be really bad for pregnant & nursing moms…
*Celestial signs means it’s getting close…
*These signs bring joyful expectation for believers…
*Be watchful….
Ok…..so is this all clear? Yeah, whenever the Bible talks about future stuff I’m always a bit confused on the details (I do however take great comfort in knowing that many of the commentaries I read are all over the place on the details as well). Only God knows the exact details of the future, but ONE THING He makes very clear: Jesus IS coming back someday, this time not as meek & mild Jesus, but as King & Judge Jesus! This is clearly understandable. And my role? Be ready!!!
So What?!~
*How’s your heart toward giving? “God so loved the world that He gave…” Is it out of your abundance or sacrificial? Lord, please help me to give sacrificially like you gave Jesus sacrificially for me!
*Are you ready for Jesus to return? It could be today! Are you ready? We can better prepare ourselves for His return by Knowing Him and Making Him Known! Are you growing deeper today in your relationship with Jesus and wider in telling others about Him? Let’s put Nike theology into practice and just do it!