Hawks for Christ

2010-07-13T08:58:00.000-07:00

Get excited for the fall!

Zambia Lessons - Drunkeness

2010-05-11T09:50:00.001-07:00

So often we try to find things to take the place of God.

One of the things that we often turn to is alcohol.

- Some people begin drinking to have something to do, because they are bored.

- Others begin drinking because it helps them deal with the world. They have personal tragedy or pain, and so they turn to alcohol for their comfort or source of strength. They try to escape from their problems by drinking.

Many of us think that we can handle it. We can drink and be fine. Alcohol will never control our actions. We are stronger than alcohol.

In Leviticus 10, we are told the story of Nadab and Abihu. Nadab and Abihu were the sons of Aaron, the high priest. They were also priests, but they did not take their job seriously. They thought they could get drunk before they went in to worship God.

“The the LORD said to Aaron, ‘You and your sons are not to drink wine or other fermented drink whenever you go into the Tent of Meeting, or you will die… You must distinguish between the holy and the common, the unclean and the clean…” (Leviticus 10:8-9).

God demanded their holiness. He did not want them to come before him drunk, because it meant that alcohol (and their sinful desires) was more important than God.

As Paul is writing to the Christians in Ephesus, he writes these words:

“Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery (wild/unholy living). Instead, be filled with the Spirit.” (Ephesians 5:18)

Paul started by saying, “Be very careful, then, how you live – not as unwise but as wise…” (Ephesians 5:18).

Paul tells them that it is not wise to play with alcohol, because it might start off innocently but eventually will consume you. Paul tells them that although they think they can handle it, they cannot. They cannot live as both a drunken life and a Christian life.

If we are filled with the Spirit, we cannot be filled with alcohol. The Spirit consumes us. The opposite is also true: if we are filled with alcohol, we cannot be filled with the Spirit. We cannot serve two masters. We cannot keep on drinking, thinking that God will approve of our actions. Through our drinking we are cutting God out of our lives. We make it impossible to be filled with his Spirit.

Jesus tells us, “The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing.” (John 6:63).

Paul says something similar in 2 Cor. 3:6, “The letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.”

We cannot have true life without the Spirit. We cannot have the Spirit if we are always drunk. If we are filling ourselves with alcohol and trying to live a Christian life, we are only pretending. We are not living as Christ would have us live. And we must STOP! You must put aside alcohol in order to follow Christ.

In Galatians 5:16-17, Paul writes: “So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want.”

We must live by the Spirit, because only through the Holy Spirit, given to us by Christ, do we receive true life. Alcohol is a false life, an idol, which promises us happiness but only leads to destruction.

My brothers and sisters, let us put aside our sinful nature so that we can follow Christ fully!

Zambia Lessons

2010-05-11T09:49:00.000-07:00

In Mark 5:1-17, we learn of a man who is possessed by evil spirits. Not just one evil spirit, but a large number of evil spirits, possibly as many as 2000. Everyone was scared of this man. He lived among the tombs, in the grave yard. Many people had tried to catch this man and subdue him, but no one was strong enough to lock him up. No matter how hard they tried or how many chains they used, he was always able to tear them apart. Nothing was strong enough to hold him, and no one was strong enough to withstand him.

These spirits also made the man hurt himself. He would cut himself with sharp rocks and cry out in pain. This man scared everyone around him, and no one wanted to be near this man.

This was his life. He had no hope, he had no control, and he had no future. That is, until he encountered Jesus.

Mark 5:6-8

“When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and fell on his knees in front of him. He shouted at the top of his voice, "What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? Swear to God that you won't torture me!" For Jesus had said to him, "Come out of this man, you evil spirit!"

Jesus saw a man in need of healing, and Jesus demanded that the spirits come out. It was one man, Jesus, against a large number of demons; yet Jesus was much stronger than the demons he was facing. Jesus has supreme power over the demons. They cannot face him, they cannot stand up to him, and they cannot overpower him.

Mark 5:9-13
Then Jesus asked him, "What is your name?"
"My name is Legion," he replied, "for we are many." And he begged Jesus again and again not to send them out of the area.
A large herd of pigs was feeding on the nearby hillside. ¹²The demons begged Jesus, "Send us among the pigs; allow us to go into them." ¹³He gave them permission, and the evil spirits came out and went into the pigs. The herd, about two thousand in number, rushed down the steep bank into the lake and were drowned.

Jesus drove the demons out of the man. What is amazing is how different the man is from then on.

Mark 5:15

When they came to Jesus, they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons, sitting there, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid.

The man’s entire appearance was changed. Now he was sitting calmly, clothed, and in his right mind. No longer does he live among the tombs; now he can live among the people, because Jesus has set him free!

The people were more afraid of the power of Jesus than they were of the demons he had cast out!

We find another story of Jesus’ power over demons in Mark 9. In Mark 9 there is a story of boy who had been possessed by an evil spirit.

This spirit wanted to cause him harm and even kill him. It took away his speech and made him mute. When the evil spirit takes over his body, it throws him to the ground, makes him spit and foam at the mouth, and makes his body go into seizures. Nothing has been able to drive out this spirit, and it has been happening since this young man was very little.

Let’s listen to the story:

Mark 9:17-20
A man in the crowd answered, "Teacher, I brought you my son, who is possessed by a spirit that has robbed him of speech. Whenever it seizes him, it throws him to the ground. He foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth and becomes rigid. I asked your disciples to drive out the spirit, but they could not."

"O unbelieving generation," Jesus replied, "how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy to me."
So they brought him. When the spirit saw Jesus, it immediately threw the boy into a convulsion. He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth.

Mark 9:21-27

Jesus asked the boy's father, "How long has he been like this?"
"From childhood," he answered. ²²"It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us."
" 'If you can'?" said Jesus. "Everything is possible for him who believes."
Immediately the boy's father exclaimed, "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!"
When Jesus saw that a crowd was running to the scene, he rebuked the evil^a]">[a] spirit. "You deaf and mute spirit," he said, "I command you, come out of him and never enter him again."
The spirit shrieked, convulsed him violently and came out. The boy looked so much like a corpse that many said, "He's dead." But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him to his feet, and he stood up.

No one had been able to heal this young man. Jesus, however, drives out the demon with his power.

No demon is supreme over Jesus. No demon is more powerful, no demon has more authority, and no demon has more ability, because Jesus is supreme.

Paul promises us this in Romans 8:38-39:

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written:
"For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:35-39)

Jesus is supreme! James tells us that even the demons believe there is only one God, and that makes them shudder and tremble (James 2:19). Jesus is supreme over all powers, over all the universe. He has power over demons, power over sickness and disease, power over death.

Jesus is LORD!

So why are we so afraid? Why do we live in fear of sickness? Why do we visit the witchdoctors when we need to turn to the LORD? Why do we wear the charms, amulets, and protective spells that are supposed to keep demons away?

If we believe and trust in Jesus, we have nothing to fear. We don’t need to be afraid of the demons, because the demons are afraid of Jesus!

If we are living in Christ, we have nothing to fear! We do not need to fear curses. We do not need to fear ancestors. We do not have to keep trying to make them happy; the only one we need to live for and make happy is Jesus Christ!

New Hawks for Christ Video

2010-04-09T07:46:00.000-07:00

Enjoy!

New HFC Video

2009-08-18T11:19:00.001-07:00

Hey guys, here's the new HFC Video that we will be using this year. I put it here for your preview. I hope you enjoy it!

Update, 6/5/09

2009-06-06T15:28:00.000-07:00

Hey guys, we just wanted to keep you updated with some pictures and some posts to tell you about readers we are spending time with. Today Daniel and Mindy share their stories of time they spent with readers this week:

From Mindy: Of the many people I have gotten the chance to sit down and read with, one sticks out in my mind. This young woman came to our information meeting and sat down at my table. We visited for a couple hours and set up a time for the next day…she hasn’t missed a day yet. She doesn’t have much of a religious background, and even told me that the story of the virgin conception was hard for her to believe, but she comes every day with a smile and an eagerness to sit down and read. An important aspect in this culture is to form and maintain relationships, and she definitely has with me. One evening she came and told me that one of her best friends had just returned to Lima for the first time in two years and had stopped by to say hello to her. He invited her to go out with him but she told him that she had to come to the church because she had promised her new friends that she would be there. We’ve made plans this weekend to play some volleyball and I’m excited to see God’s plan for this woman he has placed in my life!

From Daniel: The reader who sticks out to me the most is Paola. Paola walked in off of the street five days ago. She came to the church building with her two friends. All three of them are studying English at a local institute; Paola’s friends are Christians (of some denomination), but she has very little Christian background. One of the questions on the LST form is “Religion.” When I asked what religion she was, she replied, “Umm… Catholic, I think…” She kinda believes in God, but isn’t sure about the Christianity thing. We have only read for three days, but she has had great insights into the story. When we were talking about the Virgin Birth, and I asked what two impossible things happen in that story. (#1: A virgin becomes pregnant. #2: An old woman becomes pregnant.) When I asked her how these things could happen, she quickly replied, “Because God can do anything he wants!” I was so excited to hear this answer from someone who isn’t sure what they believe about God, Jesus, and the Bible! Please keep us in your prayers as we continue our conversations!
God bless you guys! Thanks for the prayers!

2009-06-02T11:36:00.000-07:00

Just a few pictures so that you can see our lives in Peru! God bless you today!

Seven Days Down, and a Short Reflection

2009-06-01T22:32:00.000-07:00

Hey guys, I hope everyone in America is doing well! Actually, I have been told (multiple times) that I am not an American. I am actually a Estadios Unidenses (a “United States-zian”). I am not sure how that works, exactly, but whatever; it makes them happy here.

Things are going really well. We have been here for exactly one week now, and things are moving right along. Each of us has a pretty packed schedule. Most of us have 8-10 readers now, and all of our time slots throughout the day are filled. LST wants us to have 15 apiece, but that is difficult when we will only be here for three weeks and we hope to make a lasting impact with those that we do see.

But things seem to be going well so far. We have had a lot of interest in conversation. People often walk into the church from off of the street asking to read. Unfortunately, with the way Peru works, they want to read right then. If we are full of readers they say they will return but often do not. We have probably signed up enough readers to fill three schedules apiece, but many people commit to things here and never come back.

But please don’t think we are discouraged. Far from it. Things seem to be going well. I have had a number of great conversations with readers since I have been here. I have heard all sorts of stories: stories of personal loss, personal growth, the loss of family members, the deaths of friends, the challenges of living in Peru… Yet most of my readers have a deep love for God. Out of all of my readers only one isn’t a Christian of some sort. He is a 16 year old kid who believes but has never really had a Christian experience outside of LST. The other day he talked about how he prays many nights before he goes to bed, even though his family does not attend church, but he was afraid he didn’t believe in God enough because he often fell asleep while he was praying. I told him that if that was a mark of our belief in God then ALL of us fail! Tonight we talked about how we could follow Jesus this week, and he told me that he wants to pray with his family and try to learn more about Jesus! What an awesome blessing!

I want to include some pictures from this last week in LST. So here they go!

Also, we will focus one blog on the party we held on Saturday. Look for that manana.

Vaya con Dios, mi hermanos en Cristo!

Hello!

2009-05-28T12:51:00.001-07:00

Greetings from Peru, dear family and friends! We made it safe and sound and we are already working away. The following blog is from Josh:

Hello from Peru!!! I am finally getting a chance to write to you after being here a few days. We have been here since Monday night/Tuesday morning at 12:30 or so. Needless to say we did not get to bed till about 2. But it was still good to finally to rest in a bed. Then on Tuesday we went and found all the supermarkets and the bakery for our food supplies. Then we rested finally. Tuesday night we had a meeting to get our readers to sign up. However the number was a little lower than expected it was still a good turnout. We each have about 3, 4, or 5 readers. After the meeting we sat around and talked about the meeting and then went to bed to rest up for our first day of reading. It was a little rough for me to get up at seven in the morning to get ready and eat breakfast because being a college student, I am used to sleeping in till y classes at about 10. Therefore I would get up at 9:50 and still be on time. But here I force myself to get up because I need to be awake and alert so I can understand my reader. I have my first one at nine and he is actually very good with his English. The others not so good. But that is fine I am here to assist with that. Now that I have done this a few times I am getting more and more comfortable with being here and talking to the people. I am actually remembering a lot of Spanish from when I took it in high school my freshman year. I think its because I am around it all the time. But I have now started to speak “spanglish” and I like it. But I have also started to develop a Spanish accent with my English words and it just sounds weird and I catch it after the fact that I do it. But I guess that is the joy of living in another country. So far we are all having a good time and are eager for the next two weeks to come. I will try to report something about every other day or so to let you guys know how we are doing and what we have done. I may also ask Vern, Daniel, or Mindy to write something to you as well like one of their experiences or favorite moment. But that is all for now so I hope you will follow up on us and pray for us. We thank you all for caring and we love you. God Bless!!!! =)

Acts 14-16

2009-04-16T09:59:00.000-07:00

Acts 14
Acts 14 opens with Paul and Barnabas in the midst of their first missionary journey. In Acts 13 we find Paul having his first confrontation with Jews who refuse to listen to Jesus. In Acts 14 we find the Jews again refusing to listen, but they also go one step further: "[they] stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brothers." In the midst of their opposition Paul and Barnabas spend a considerable amount of time there teaching about the grace of God. The opposition didn't let up, however, and Paul and Barnabas had to leave to save their lives.

Acts 14 also shares an incredible story where the people believe Paul and Barnabas are Greek gods. They are dismayed and they use it as an opportunity to correct and teach them about God; unfortunately, Paul is stoned for his effort!

In the midst of all of the difficult circumstances that Paul and Barnabas encountered, here's how they respond when they return to their sending church in Antioch: "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" (14:27)

Wow! I am amazed by their dedication, and I hope that I can respond in the same way in difficult circumstances.

Acts 15
The question that always faced the early church was who was in and who was out. In Acts 15 the Jew/Gentile conflict comes to a head. The Jewish Christians thought of Christianity as a sect of Judaism. Thus, converts to Christianity had to become Jewish (i.e. through circumcision) in order to be good followers of Christ.

Paul takes the issue up before the disciples in Jerusalem. Peter also speaks up on behalf of the Gentiles. Finally, James the brother of Jesus spoke, and the church decided there were only four requirements:

Abstain from food sacrificed to idols
Abstain from food with blood still in it: this was to allow Jewish background and Gentile background Christians to eat together. Jews let all of the blood out of their meat before they ate; the Gentiles would often cook the meat with all of the blood still in it.
Abstain from the meat of strangled animals: This really flows from the first two; Gentile sacrifices were then sold in the butcher shop. The way you sacrificed to the Greco-Roman gods was to twist the neck of the animal and then offer it as a sacrifice. Thus, this retains the blood in the animal. All of these are tied together.
Abstain from sexual immorality

Thus, they decided that Christians don't have to become Jews to be followers of Christ.

How does this apply to us today? Well, in some ways it doesn't. But I do think the IDEA applies today. So often we bind things on people that they must do: they must have their lives together to be a follower of Christ. They must not do anything wrong. They must look perfect. I think this tells us that we DON'T have to have it all together; we simply have to follow Christ and his commandments.

What are your thoughts?

Acts 16
I am always amazed by the role the Holy Spirit plays throughout the book of Acts. We find the Holy Spirit calling people to ministry (Acts 13), falling on the disciples and empowering them (Acts 2ff), falling on Gentiles before they were converted (Acts 10), etc. Now we find the Holy Spirit NOT allowing Paul to go into upper Asia Minor. Instead, the Holy Spirit directs Paul to Europe, to the area of Macedonia and Greece, where Paul makes his first European convert.

What we find is the story of two conversions:
First, Lydia is converted (and probably becomes a prominent member of the church that begins to meet.)

Second, Paul converts his jailer after God releases him from prison. (More on this tomorrow.) But here is his conversion story. The jailer is amazed by Paul and Silas, and asks them "What must I do to be saved?" Paul tells him to believe, then he immediately takes him and baptizes his whole household. Throughout the book of Acts salvation is tied to both faith and baptism.

We will discuss this story more later, but I love his humble response. God shakes up his world, and immediately he looks for salvation. I think that is the story of so many in our community. God is constantly working in their lives in amazing ways, and we must be on the lookout for those that God is touching.

What are your thoughts on these chapters?

Acts 11-13

2009-04-14T13:59:00.000-07:00

Hey guys, sorry it has been so long. I am posting 11-13 here, and 14 and 15 tomorrow, then we will be caught up. Again, sorry about the delay. Hope you are keeping up with your reading.

Acts 11:
I love the story of Barnabas, "The Son of Encouragement." Barnabas seems to have the gift of discernment and encouragement; he always seems to know those who have the best hearts and those who are truly seeking to follow God. Here's what we know about him: "He was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith, and a great number of people were brought to the Lord." What an amazing thought! Barnabas was the one who spoke up for Paul before the disciples; he was the one sent to Antioch to encourage the new Christians and to teach them in their faith. And he was the one who brought Paul to Antioch to minister to the people there.

I hope I can be a Barnabas in the lives of other people.

Acts 12:
During this time we begin to see the church being truly persecuted. Herod gets in on the action, having the apostle James killed for his faith and jailing Peter. He surrounded him with soldiers, and yet God STILL managed to pull of a miraculous escape.

One of the things that always sticks out to me about this story is the actions of the church. Luke tells us that the church is gathered together praying for Peter's release. Yet when Peter shows up they are sure that he had died! Rather than believing their prayers worked, they instead think that the worst has happened!

Don't we sometimes pray like that too? I know I do. I pray that God will act, but then I try to explain it away when he actually does. It seems like I could have been an integral part of this church's ministry!

Acts 13:
How do you make decisions in your own life? How did you decide to go to KU? How did you decide what to major in? How do you know what God wants you to do in your life?

These are important questions to consider.

In Acts 13 we find the church in Antioch engaged in worship and fasting. It seems like this is a typical part of their practice. In the midst of their worship the Holy Spirit told them to send Paul and Barnabas out on a trip to spread the Gospel.

It doesn't seem like Paul and Barnabas are looking to leave; it doesn't even seem like the church is looking to send people out as missionaries. However, when the Holy Spirit speaks, they listen!

What do they do next? They continue to do what they were doing before! They continued to fast and pray about the Lord's decision, then they decided to obey. They blessed Paul and Barnabas and then sent them out to do the Lord's work.

I sometimes think that I refuse to listen to God's leading in my life. Sometimes I spend all of my time praying about the future and forget to listen for God to lead me!

Ultimately, however, I think God's guidance comes from a life of worship, fasting, and prayer. These practices don't seem to be new for the church; rather, they seem to be a part of their system of worship. I believe that our hearts become attuned to the heart of God as we worship him and seek to honor and glorify him.

What are your thoughts on our passages?

Acts 9-10

2009-04-11T08:53:00.001-07:00

Imagine a complete transformation, where God totally makes a person turn 180 degrees from the way they were going.

Jeffrey Dahmer was a mass murderer, killing (and eating) 17 boys over 13 years. (Sorry to be graphic.) Dahmer was convicted and sentenced to 15 consecutive life sentences (totaling over 900 years). While in prison God changed the heart of Dahmer; he began to read and study the Bible and came to faith in Christ. He repented of his sins and was baptized by a local Church of Christ minister in 1994. What an amazing story! God's transforming power is for ALL people, not just those who the world thinks of as "good." No one would have ever imagined that Dahmer would feel sorry for what he'd done, let alone become a follower of Christ. God truly works in amazing ways.

2000 years ago we would have encountered another murderer. This man took pride in dragging people out of their homes and throwing them in prison, even in having them killed! Yet on the road to Damascus God caused Saul to have a transformational experience. Jesus blinded Saul (aka Paul) in order that he might truly SEE God. Ananias baptized him into Christ three days later. From that moment on Paul becomes passionate about the Gospel of Jesus. God caused him to have a transformational experience that transformed not only HIS life, but the history of the entire world.

Isn't God good! What did you learn?
-------------

Who's in and who's out? That's the real question in Acts 10. Before this most Christians had been former Jews or God-fearers (people who believe in God but didn't take the drastic circumcision step.) In Acts 10 God tells Peter to stop trying to decide who is in and who is out of the church. God sent Jesus to save everyone who believes and chooses him as their LORD and Savior. Peter sees the Holy Spirit poured out on these Gentiles and he baptizes them on the spot!

We so often decide who can and can't come to church based on their outward appearance or their background. Maybe we should trust that God's Spirit is at work in the world in the lives of those TOTALLY unlike us and look to see where God is moving. Just a thought.

What do you think about these two chapters?

Acts 8

2009-04-08T16:45:00.001-07:00

Hey guys, what were your thoughts on Acts 8?

Here's one of mine:
I love the story of Philip and the Eunuch. Philip is just minding his own business in Samaria when an angel appears and tells him to go to the road between Jerusalem and Egypt. When he gets there he discovers a eunuch riding along reading Isaiah 53:
He was led like a sheep to the slaughter,
and as a lamb before the shearer is silent,
so he did not open his mouth.
In his humiliation he was deprived of justice.
Who can speak of his descendants?
For his life was taken from the earth.

Philip uses this as an opportunity to preach the Gospel, and the Eunuch becomes a Christian by being baptized into Christ. Philip disappears and the eunuch continues on his way, rejoicing in the LORD.

This is where the biblical story of the eunuch disappears, but Ethiopian tradition says that this official went on to found the Ethiopian Church, which has existed since early in the first century.

I hope to be so bold as to proclaim Jesus to those who are seeking him. May God lead us to those who are wanting to know more about him.

What is something that struck you?

Acts 7

2009-04-07T08:53:00.000-07:00

One man is hauled in front of the Sanhedrin on trumped up charges. He is accused of blasphemy and wanting to destroy the Temple of the LORD. The religious leaders are afraid that he (and the movement he is a part of) will overthrow their power and bring about a new religious revolution.

Sound familiar? This sounds a lot like the story of Jesus, which played out this week two thousand years ago. Jesus is hauled up in front of the religious leaders, who have been looking for a way to kill him for years. They accuse him of blasphemy, present false witnesses (a breaking of the Ten Commandments), and then arrange to have him murdered (yet another break with the 10 Commandments.)

And the exact same thing happens to Stephen. Stephen is a man full of the Holy Spirit who serves the church in Jerusalem. The religious leaders are afraid of the miracles he is doing in the name of Christ, and they arrange to have him killed.

Stephen sums up the story of the Old Testament in his sermon. As he traces the history of the people of Israel, he talks about all of the times they were "hard-hearted," turning their backs on the LORD and his messengers.

What really riles them up, however, is the fact that he downplays the Temple. "However, the Most High does not live in houses made by men. As the prophet says: 'Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. What kind of house will you build for me?' says the LORD. 'Or where will my resting place be? Has not my hand made all these things?'"

This totally ticks off the religious elite, who are holding Stephen based on his blasphemy of the Temple. Then Stephen attacks their stubbornness, and reminds them that the Jews killed most of their prophets, and now they've killed the Son of God. At this point, they have him killed.

One of the things that stands out to me in this passage, however, is who was there. Saul (later known as Paul) is standing there giving his approval. After his conversion, Paul comes to the city of Athens and looks up at the Parthenon, a temple to Athena (and the other gods of Greece.) As he speaks to the Areopagus in the shadow of the Parthenon, he tells them: "The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands." Wow, that sounds a lot like Stephen's statements in Acts 7. Isn't it amazing to think that Paul, the man who holds their coats while they stone Stephen, takes Stephen's words to heart in Acts 17 and uses them in a sermon of his own?

Isn't God good, that he can use tragic events to bring about amazing consequences.

What did you learn from this chapter?

Acts 4-6

2009-04-06T15:46:00.000-07:00

Sorry it has taken me all weekend to post. We are back on schedule now!

Acts 4:
It is interesting that Peter and John are hauled up before many of the same people who tried Jesus in the Gospels. Annas, the High Priest, and Caiphas, who once served as High Priest, are there, as are many members of his household. Peter shows his new-found guts and presents the gospel to them, the very men who had Jesus killed!!!

As they listened, we are told what they observe: "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." It is my hope that people will say the same things about us! May it always be said that we have been with Jesus.

The priests tell Peter and John to stop talking about Jesus, but Peter replies, "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." Wow! What amazing faith! May we always have the same courage and conviction when confronted by those who would rather shut us up than listen to the Gospel.

Acts 5:
Many people have a problem with the story in Acts 5. Ananias and Sapphira sell their field and pretend to give all of the money to the church. They want the same credit that others are getting, but without much personal cost.

The problem in this story is not the money. Instead, the problem is their heart. If they told the church that they could only give part, then I think that would have been appreciated and accepted in gratitude. The story, however, sounds a lot like the story in Leviticus 10. The new priests decide that they will treat God lightly, like he doesn't matter. As a result, Nadab and Abihu are killed for their disrespect. God does not tolerate when we think he is common or lightweight.

I love how the early church functions in the story, also. They all work for the good of the community. God uses their actions to bring others to faith. It creates such a stir that the Pharisees have them arrested and thrown in jail. An angel delivers the apostles, however, and the very next thing they do is go and proclaim the Gospel in the Temple again! How ballsy is that?!?!?

Luke closes out the chapter with, "The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name. Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ."

Acts 6:
Acts 6 discusses how we deal with internal problems in the church. The Greek widows are being ignored in favor of the Israelite widows. Seven men are appointed as servants (διακονος, "deacons") to serve their needs. God uses them in amazing ways to bless the people.

What are your thoughts on these passages?

Acts 3

2009-04-03T08:34:00.000-07:00

"Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, stand up and walk."

What powerful words! And true to our form, too. My guess is that none of us have the money to change the world. We can give pocket change to a beggar or maybe buy a hamburger. But Peter and John take it one step further. They offer him hope and healing.

I think we are called to do the same. We need to meet the needs of people, but the greatest need in everyone's life is the spiritual. Let us offer hope and healing to everyone we meet this week.

What stood out to you?

Acts 2

2009-04-02T08:27:00.000-07:00

I wonder what it would have been like to hear twelve seemingly-uneducated men speaking my language (and dozens of others) in the middle of the crowded square. The people who were listening realized that they were Galileans (which instantly meant they were from the boondocks and were nothing more than backwoods hicks!) What would I have thought? How would I have reacted? What would I think about this sight?

The story we find in Acts 2 is the story of the very beginning of the Church. The apostles, filled with the Holy Spirit, begin to proclaim the Good News in languages they had never studied before! Jews and God-fearers from throughout the Roman Empire were assembled in Jerusalem to celebrate Pentecost and they were amazed at what they heard.

As Peter begins to preach to the people, he does say what we think he should say. Peter isn't very PC and he quotes a LOT of scripture. And we find through his simple presentation of the Gospel that three thousand people came to faith in Jesus Christ.

As Peter proclaimed the Good News, the people's hearts were touched and they wondered how they could be saved. Peter's response is this:

"Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."

What an amazing story. From the humblest of beginnings the new church grew into an international movement within one generation.

What stands out to you from this chapter?

Acts 1

2009-04-01T08:46:00.000-07:00

Acts 1:

In Acts 1 Luke gives us the background information for what happens between Jesus' ascension and the Day of Pentecost. Luke gives us details on the discussions that take place between the disciples and Jesus before he ascends, the actual ascension of Jesus and the conversation with the angles, as well as the choosing of another Apostle to take Judas' place.

What stands out to you from this chapter?

Here is something that stood out to me:
"In my former book, Theophilus (i.e. the book of Luke), I wrote about all of the things Jesus began to do and to teach until the day he was taken up into heaven..."
- What do you think Luke means by this statement? For me, I hear Luke discussing how the church is a continuation of Jesus' work. We are, in essence, the Body of Christ present on the earth, and we are called to continue Christ's work until he returns. That means we are to bring healing, freedom from oppression, proclaim the good news, touch the lives of people, and bring peace and renewal to people who feel lost or abandoned in turmoil. What else is the church supposed to do?

Acts in April

2009-03-23T09:33:00.000-07:00

Hey guys, we will be conducting a read-through of the book of Acts throughout the month of April. Look for a reading guide to be published by Wednesday, both here and on the Facebook page.

Acts tells the story of the early church, how a small, ragtag band of disciples began a movement that changed the course of history and the world. Acts begins with the words, "In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all of the things Jesus began to do and to teach before he was taken up into heaven..."

As we read through the book of Acts we hope to learn what God is calling us to do as a movement of his people.

Join us for our reading of the book of Acts! Those who finish the reading will have a desserts on April 30th... Stay tuned for more information...