Thursday, May 31, 2012

260 in 2012 DEVOS - Day 109 - Acts 20: Loving God & His People – To The Very End!

This chapter is one of the more emotional chapters recorded in the life of Paul. Love God, Love People – that was Paul’s life – a paraphrase of Matthew 22:37-39.

We see Paul’s love for believers as he over & over spent time with them, “speaking many words of encouragement.” Even late into the night he spent time loving them, helping them to know Jesus and even healing those who fell asleep as he spoke and fell out of third story windows – HA!

Then came his farewell to the Ephesian elders, those whom he had poured his life into. Paul humbly reminds them that he not only made the Jesus of the Bible known to people, but he lived out the call of Jesus before them as well. That often it was painful (tears) but that didn’t stop him from declaring “to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus.”

He continues to tell them that the Holy Spirit is leading him toward even harder times ahead. Paul’s reaction in verse 24 has become a life verse for me: “However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace.” Following this he basically tells them they won’t see him anymore, exhorts them to “keep watch…..be shepherds…..be on your guard” and then commits them to “God and the word of his grace.” Wowsa – no wonder they were bummed! As tears flowed, they took him to the ship, knowing they might not see him again!

SO WHAT?
*How does it show in our actions that you & I love God & His people? Do you look forward to church? Student Ministry? Service Projects? When you are around God’s people, do you lift them up or tear them down?

*How faithful are we to go to God’s Word to find our answers in life? Or is it easier to check Google? Or some blog? We must always remember that our words, our friend’s words, our leaders words, etc… are not living and active BUT GOD’S WORDS ARE! Let’s go to THE Book for our answers!

*Finally, are you ready to die? Paul’s words in verse 24 seem to indicate he was. None of us know when our time will be up – can’t prepare for that actual day. BUT we can live now in expectation of being with Jesus. I don’t’ know about you, but I’m living my entire life to someday be with Jesus. If somehow Jesus showed up today and gave me the choice of being with Him or staying here – Sorry Jean, Drew, Jessica and students, I love you – but if I’d be soooo outta’ here!!! For what it’s worth, I don’t believe I have much time left – could be totally wrong, but I keep having these dreams. Anyway, it’s causing me to not want to waste the time I have. How about you? Let’s live for Jesus like today is our last and share Him with someone!

Wednesday, May 30, 2012

260 in 2012 DEVOS - Day 108 - Acts 19: God’s Word Reaches A Country!

On June 7th I will celebrate 22 years of ministering to students in Katy Texas! I am humbled and grateful for the privilege of helping Students Know Jesus & Make Him Known! Why would I stay in one place so long? There are many reasons: I feel called here, benefits of long-term ministry, good relationships with the community, etc… but most of all I still have a heart to see Katy reached for Jesus! Is that unrealistic? According to today’s passage it’s not! As a matter of fact, maybe it’s too small of a desire?!~!

Paul arrives in Ephesus and finds “disciples.” He didn’t assume they were believers so he asks them if they had received the Holy Spirit? They had not so he prays and God’s Holy Spirit comes on them! He then continues his practice of boldly preaching God’s Word and persuading people to believe – and as always, some believe, some do not. Then comes an incredible verse: “This went on for two years, so that all the Jews and Greeks who lived in the province of Asia heard the Word of the Lord.” Wow – ALL of Asia Minor heard! Katy is a lot smaller than Asia Minor!

GOD’S WORD is powerful (Rom 1:16, Heb 4:12-13) and can penetrate an entire people! You don’t want to play around with it though, and that’s what we see with the seven sons of Sceva! Many Ephesian Jews were into exorcism and the occult (magic) and they thought they’d try out using the name of Jesus as well. Ha – it results in a demon beating the crap out of them!!! Nowhere in scripture does it say believers have the power to cast out demons or “bind” them and nowhere in scripture are we commanded to do so. The name of Jesus is not meant to be a magical charm to be used by whoever wants to use it and so the demons questioned their authority and then pummeled them! The result? “The Word of the Lord spread widely and grew in power.”

Next we see that a riot breaks out against believers in Jesus because of their witness. Which should be of no surprise!

SO WHAT?
*What are you passionate about? We get pumped for sports events, or excited about new movies coming out, or want the latest technology coming out – the list goes on. But are you passionate about lost people? Passionate about the hell they’re going thru and the hell they’re going to without Jesus? This is not meant to be guilt trip theology, but a chance for all of us to ask God to break our hearts for the things that break His!

*Who are you praying for to come to know Jesus? Let’s ask God for KATY TEXAS - or whatever city you’re in! He’s big enough to give everyone a chance to hear, understand and respond to the Good News of Jesus! And then get ready, because His means of doing that is thru you and I!!!!!!

Tuesday, May 29, 2012

260 in 2012 DEVOS - Day 107 - Acts 18: Ministry In The Trenches

As we read about Paul and the church in Acts, we continue to see Paul in the trenches of ministry, the daily grind of living to let others know about Jesus. As one who is also in ministry, there are a number of things to note from this chapter:

*Paul was constantly persuading people to believe! (4)

- Again & again he spent his days knowing Jesus and making him known (wow – this would make a great mission statement)

* Paul was constantly including others! (3,5 & all over)

- He never wanted a “lone ranger” ministry but saw the importance of the body of Christ.

*Paul constantly saw the same three responses to the Gospel: Hostility, Questioning, Belief! (4,6,8…)

- Although the hostile and questioning peeps burdened him, the joy of seeing others truly believe has to be exciting.

*Paul received encouragement from the Lord for his faithfulness! (9-10)

- A passionate calling brings with it the burden of ministry. And at just the right times, God gives encouragement!

It’s hard to even think of ministering for the Lord as a “daily grind” because it is such a privilege to serve & represent the King of Kings and Lord of Lords!~ But it must have been hard at times for Paul. I mean come on, he’s been beaten, left for dead, flogged, tossed in and out of jail numerous times, etc… But Paul was committed, even making vows to the Lord (verse 18 totally sounds like something a youth pastor would do!).

SO WHAT?!
*Paul was called into ministry & ALL those who have put their trust & faith in Christ are called as well. You may not be paid staff at a church, but we’re all God’s ambassadors to a foreign country (earth)! In what ways are you & I currently involved in ministry? If you’re not already, talk with me. I’d love to help you see how you can serve your Lord where you are!

*Who are you & I burdened for to know Christ? Let’s daily beg God for their souls? He cares for them more than even we do! In each student ministry I’ve been a part of, we challenge students to Pray-Persue-Persuade:

- Pray: Daily beg God for at least 3 friends to know Jesus!

- Pursue: Just begin to “bring God up”!

- Persuade: Friends toward Jesus!

Monday, May 28, 2012

260 in 2012 DEVOS - Day 106 - Acts 17: Turning Conversations to Spiritual Things

Turning conversations to Jesus is something I’m always wanting to do, and yet sometimes I’ve have had some pretty rough transitions. Conversations like, “It’s sure hot out…………..It’s hot in hell too, are you going there?” - are not the most effective transitions!~ In this chapter Paul gives us a great example of how to very naturally take something cultural and transition into sharing the good news of Jesus.

Before we get there, we see Paul & Silas again preaching Jesus and that message of Christ was making some angry. So when it got dark, they left for Berea. We can learn a lot from the Bereans for it says that they “received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.” And it tells us that because they did this that many believed! And again, as a result, they run Paul out of town for preaching Jesus.

Paul arrives in Athens and is “distressed to see that the city was full of idols.” His heart is broken for these people and I believe that the Holy Spirit gave him the words of transition in verses 22-23: “Men of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. Now what you worship as something unknown I am going to proclaim to you.” He then proceeds to share Christ and as always, some believe, some sneer and some want to hear more.

SO WHAT?!
*When you heard your pastor preach yesterday, what did you do? Did you fall asleep? Maybe you were bored and acted like you’d heard it before? Let’s be like the Bereans who were eager & excited to hear what GOD had for them! Let’s check out what our pastor says – it helps us grow, as well as keeps them in check., and that’s ok! As a pastor, I want to be sure to be teaching the TRUTH of God and not my opinions!
*One of the best ways to become better at turning conversations to spiritual things is to just keep praying and going for it! Let’s ask God to break our hearts for the lost and then be active in sharing our faith in Christ. He’ll do it! I know the more I ask, the more opportunities I have. When I’m not asking, I miss those opportunities. My friends at Dare 2 Share are GREAT at helping us in this area! Check out their free resources at http://www.dare2share.org/culturecommission/archives/
*Finally – Whenever the Gospel is preached, some become hostile, some ask more questions and some BELIEVE! Don’t get discouraged if as you share you’re not seeing people believe. Be faithful because God’s Word will not return without eternal impact of some kind. Some day in heaven you’ll get to fully see!!!

Thursday, May 24, 2012

260 in 2012 DEVOS - Day 104 - Acts 15: What Must I Do To Be Saved?

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? 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 – or wrong?! 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 2012” 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!

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

260 in 2012 DEVOS - Day 103 - Acts 14: Paul’s First Discipleship Journey

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.” 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 we see 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!

Tuesday, May 22, 2012

260 in 2012 DEVOS - Day 102 - Acts 13: Paul – Greatly Used of God

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 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 2012” 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)

Monday, May 21, 2012

260 in 2012 DEVOS - Day 101 - Acts 12: Fighting God = Not Smart

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. Why, 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 others 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?

*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!

Friday, May 18, 2012

260 in 2012 DEVOS - Day 100 - Acts 11: Peter Rehashes, Gentiles Believe & the Importance of Discipleship

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, as well as 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 VERSE:
“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

Thursday, May 17, 2012

260 in 2012 DEVOS - Day 99 - Acts 10: Cornelius – More Proof that Jesus is for ALL People!

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 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?!

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

260 in 2012 - DEVOS - Day 98 - Acts 9: The Gospel Transforms!

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 the believers and 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 – Barnabas - steps in again. 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. Barnabas 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.”

Side note - Saul is gonna get shipped of to Tarsus for 3 chapters and Peter will come back on the scene in the meantime. Chapter 9 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. Wow – these are lessons Peter (and all of us) needed to learn & is learning (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!

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

260 in 2012 - DEVOS - Day 97 - Acts 8: More Persecution and the Ministry of Phillip

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. Twice now Jean & I have sensed God was calling us to a new ministry and each time it’s been painful! But both of us want God’s will over being comfortable! And we know that God will bless 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!

Monday, May 14, 2012

260 in 2012 DEVOS - Day 96 - Acts 7: Stephen – Defender of the Faith

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 – to 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, in doing so, became the first recorded Christian martyr.

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 and 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." When he had said this, he fell asleep. 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 teach 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!

Friday, May 11, 2012

260 in 2012 DEVOS - Day 95 - Acts 6: Spiritual Organization & Transition

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. The next chapter gives 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!

Thursday, May 10, 2012

260 in 2012 DEVOS - Day 94 - Acts 5: First Youth Service Project, Great Fear & More Persecution

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. One 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 might happen to all those students who heard of Christ at the mall if we had just stopped talking about Jesus?!~!

Wednesday, May 9, 2012

260 in 2012 - Day 93 - Acts 4: Persecution & A Good Joe

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 our selfish pride, need for acceptance, or status. In fact, letting believers live self-centered, complacent, worldly lives is much 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 the question them and Peter & John basically tell ‘em that THEY (these religious leaders) 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! How awesome is that?!~

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! That wasn’t his name, but that’s what they called him because it defined him!

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 policemen & the firemen – 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 2012” 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!!!

Tuesday, May 8, 2012

260 in 2012 DEVOS - Day 92 - Acts 3: Miracle & Message

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 says to him, “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!

Monday, May 7, 2012

260 in 2012 DEVOS - Day 91 - Acts 2: Happy Birthday to………….The Church!

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 youth night with our students!!!

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 was attempting 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 – how many came to Christ in your church this past Sunday?!~ 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 & faith in Jesus alone, then YES you do, and He wants others to witness Him 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 your church a loving, generous, sacrificial, joyful place?

Friday, May 4, 2012

260 in 2012 DEVOS - Day 90 - Intro & Acts 1 - Witnesses for Jesus!~

INTRODUCTION: ACTS
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.

Acts 1: Witnesses for Jesus
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 powerful “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 a soveriegn rock-paper-scissors. Regardless, they trusted God with the decision! (See Proverbs 16:33)
SO WHAT?!
*In what way are you & I involved in God’s “unfinished work?” How about taking a 48 hour challenge with me? Let’s ask God to give us an opportunity to talk to someone about Jesus within the next 48 hours. Lets keep asking God to give us these opportunities 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!

Thursday, May 3, 2012

Chapter 21: Resurrection Life & Restoration Life

Talk about going from ultimate high to ultimate low. Jesus has been resurrected, they got to see Him and He gave them their calling “As the Father has sent me, so I am sending you…” (20:21). And what do they do? They look at each other and go back to what they know “I’m going out to fish,” Simon Peter told them, and they said, “We’ll go with you.” WHAT?!~ Jesus was not with them and so they went back to what was comfortable and familiar. The worst place to be in life is outside of God’s will. Maybe that’s why these experienced fisherman didn’t catch anything all night.!?~

Jesus had something bigger for them – so he shows up and asks “Friends, haven’t you any fish?” They don’t recognize it’s Jesus (go figure), but frustrated tell Him “no” but then go with His suggestion and suddenly have the biggest catch of fish ever! Yeah, this will make you recognize it’s Jesus!

So they meet on the beach and have what I call “The Last Breakfast.” The had caught 153 large fish and ate together with Jesus. Totally cool that God records the number of fish they caught. Maybe it’s because He wants them to understand that He came to make them “fishers of men” and that every “fish” is significant to God!~ This is truly resurrection living. Jesus is wanting them to see that His calling on someone’s life goes far beyond their occupation!

The book of John concludes with an incredible scene of restoration. Peter denied knowing Jesus three times and once he realized it he was devastated. If Peter was at all like you and me, he probably felt continual guilt about it. And because Jesus offers true forgiveness, even of the guilt of our sin, He takes time to love & restore Peter. Three times Jesus asks Peter “Do you love me?” – correlating, I believe, to the three times he denied His Lord. To no one else does Jesus tell to take care of His little ones. What a great honor for Peter!

Now – ya’ gotta love what happens next! Jesus then predicts the kind of death Peter will die, so Peter looks around, sees John and says “Lord, what about him?” LOL!~ – I’d have probably asked the same thing! Jesus basically says He’s in charge of how John goes – you just live for Me!

The Gospel of John, which has had 20:31 as it’s theme, now concludes with this: “Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written.”

SO WHAT?!
*What is your current occupation? Full-time student? Engineer? Accountant? Coder? Regardless of your occupation in life, if you are a believer, your higher calling is to Know Jesus & Make Him Known! Occupation is natural living. Representing Jesus is the abundant, supernatural, resurrection life that God calls all those who are His! Let’s live it!

*A while back we had a guest preacher who challenged us one Sunday to write down the names of people we wanted to see come to Christ and to pray for them. I was in charge of gathering those names and making prayer lists of them. I counted them twice to make sure but guess how many we had? Yep – 153 “fish” whom we committed to pray for! Numbers DO matter to God!

Wednesday, May 2, 2012

260 in 2012 DEVOS - Day 88 - John 20: Jesus is ALIVE!!!

As painful as reading the last chapter was, it pales in comparison to the WHOOHOO of this chapter! What separates Christianity from all other beliefs? It’s the Empty Tomb! Our Leader is ALIVE! My good friend Greg Stier puts it this way: “You can visit the graves of every founder of every other religion, and unless someone dug them up and sold them on E-Bay, they should still be there. Jesus’ grave was a three-day rental, and it has been empty for nearly 2000 years.”

What a great scene – The ladies head to the tomb, see the stone rolled away and go tell Peter & John. These two disciples run to the tomb. John, apparently in better shape than Peter, gets there first but doesn’t go in until after Peter, but when he does enter, he sees & believes! Then they just leave?!~ But Mary sticks around (just like a mom) and is greeted by two angels AND Jesus (whom she doesn’t recognize – God only knows why). So Mary gets the honor of seeing Him alive first – totally cool!~

Later, Jesus “drops in” on His disciples. (Apparently, resurrected bodies can go through walls as the scared disciples were locked in their house.) The first thing he says is “Peace” – Yeah – they’re freaking out! They are overjoyed to see him and go to tell Thomas who was not there. He is a bit skeptical until he sees the nail driven hands and pierced side of Jesus and says ““My Lord and my God! Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” – This is AWESOME stuff!

Then we come to our theme verse that I have referred to over and over again in these Devos: “But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” – DOUBLE AWESOME!

SO WHAT?!

*As a follower of Christ, my entire faith depends on the resurrection! If Jesus is still dead, then I’m still stuck in my sin and headed to hell! But 1 Corinthians 15 is clear – Jesus DID rise from the dead, was here for 40 days and MANY saw Him alive after He was dead! Believe it! Jesus is ALIVE and all the “other guys” who led belief systems are not.

*The disciples literally saw Jesus alive and believed. But isn’t it cool to know that when you & I, who don’t literally see Jesus, believe, we are called blessed (29).

*Ready for a challenge? Why not give out a “Gospel of John” booklet to your friends this holiday season? If this book is written so that people can believe in Jesus and have eternal life, then what greater gift could we give them?!~ Here is a link:
LifeBook

Tuesday, May 1, 2012

260 in 2012 DEVOS - Day 87 - Chapter 19: Crucifixion, Death & Burial of Jesus

This is a painful chapter to read regarding the suffering that Jesus endured, along with His crucifixion. Jesus was stripped, tied to a post & beaten with whips made of leather straps & shards of metal & glass that would rip the skin and expose muscles, veins & bones. They mocked Him with words, slaps & a crown of thorns. Horrific! Apparently, Pilate had Jesus flogged in an attempt to draw sympathy & have Jesus released. Didn’t work: “As soon as the chief priests and their officials saw him, they shouted, “Crucify! Crucify!”

Ticked at Jesus’ silence through it all, Pilate says, “Don’t you realize I have power either to free you or to crucify you?” Jesus answered, “You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above.”
Pilate then turned Him over to be crucified. They made Him – in His shredded condition – carry His own cross, the very one He would die on, up a hill. TONS of scriptures are fulfilled, some of which are: Isaiah 53:3-6, Psalm 22:18, Zechariah 12:10, Psalm 34:20.

In the midst of this, Jesus tells John to take care of his mom (27) - and he did. Finally, “Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.” The chapter ends with “At the place where Jesus was crucified, there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb, in which no one had ever been laid. Because it was the Jewish day of Preparation and since the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there.”

SO WHAT?!
*Lets all take a few minutes today to get away, read this chapter again, and thank our Lord.