Not Manufacturers but Distributors

^{Acts 3:9} When all the people saw him walking and praising God

Whenever there is a move of God it will attract attention, and here is where the believer is tested.

Proverbs 27:21
The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold, but people are tested by their praise.

When we are in the middle of where God is working people will associate us with His power. Our flesh will be tempted to accept some credit for what God has done through us. Let's face it there probably are certain things that we have done that got us to the right place at the right time with the right action or word that made some sort of difference. However we must never lose sight of the fact that it is God who is the author and finisher of our faith and our ministry to others. We are nothing apart from Him. We are merely distributors of the riches of His bounty. Not Manufacturers.
APPLICATION
To walk humbly with God loving mercy and keeping a look out for ways to distribute His Grace to others.

Emotions are Not Reliable

⁸ He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God.

Whenever we are touched by God there will always be an emotional response. Our emotions are responders to what is going on in our minds. As this man is physically healed he begins to register that he can walk and will have for the first time a prospect of a normal life he emotionally freaks out with exuberance.  Our emotions directly reflect our thoughts, for example if there is a man who is poor and he needs money to pay the rent, and he has a wife and children who need food and he has been out of work for months and he comes to me and asks for a loan, emotionally he will be sullen and serious. Say I write him a check for $2000. what will his emotional state be as he leaves my office? He will be elated maybe even giddy... because he has in his hand a real solution to a real problem and now his children will have a decent Christmas...etc. Until he gets to the bank and tries to cash that check, when the bank teller explains that the check was not good and could not be cashed, what do you think his emotional state would be? Previously he was elated because he THOUGHT he had $2000. but in reality it was just a piece of worthless paper. So he did not actually have a solution to his problem but his emotions which were real elation and even giddiness responded to something that was false. It is important to understand that our emotions are easily tricked and not reliable to make decisions upon. In the case of this man in the Temple well indeed he was elated and rightfully so because he was touched by God and God does not do things half way.
APPLICATION
I need to remember that my emotions can be manipulated and that they are not reliable to make decisions with. I need to be able to discern the difference between the leading of the Lord and my emotions, those are very different and must be distinguished from one another. 

Loose Grip

^{Acts 3:6} Then Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.”

So many times we think we know what we want and pursue one goal or another when God has something else in mind. We need to learn to have a loose grip on our idea of what is the direction for our lives. We cannot demand that we know God's will for our lives, instead we must consider a path, take a step and look up seeking confirmation and peace to take another, then to look up again and again always willing to be guided toward a new or different direction. Sometimes in order for God to get us to a particular place He may want us to meander through a variety of roads and byways to get there because the lessons along the way were essential to us accomplishing what we need to do at the destination. Consider the Israelites in the wilderness for 40 years, they could have navigated a straight path and arrived in 2 weeks, but God had a different plan altogether. And besides it is not the destination that is important but the journey where we learn and come in contact with others that shape our lives in Him.
APPLICATION
I need to keep a loose grip on my ideas and be open and willing to be redirected by the Holy Spirit.

The Big Get - Unity

^{Colossians 3:14} And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. 

According to the most infamous prayer of Jesus in John 17 His great appeal to the Father was for the unity of the believers. Unfortunately it hardly worked out that way with all the varying and sundry denominations, sects and christian "movements" down through the ages we do indeed agree on much however the things we disagree on apparently tend to separate us into our divisions and assemblies. The best we can do to work on in order to fulfill this great prayer of Jesus is to be unified within our own group first. This starts with the family, then to the church then to the rest of the culture. The big clue to accomplish that is to put on love which

according to 1 Peter 4:8

Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.

and to 1 Corinthians 13:4-7

⁴ Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. ⁵ It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. ⁶ Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. ⁷ It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres

Well now that we know what to do and how to do it it will be to our great blessing if we could do it.

APPLICATION
I believe, help me with my unbelief.

Peace, the Referee of our Soul

^{Col. 3:13} Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 

 Here is the building block of how to live at peace with one another. If we are not at peace with one another we are not at peace with God nor ourselves.

1 John 4:20 Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen.

We are to practice the lifestyle of living at peace with one another. The currency of peace is to bear with each other and to forgive one another as a constant matter of our personality and character. To strive for peace is our way of walking with God. When our peace is disturbed it is an indication of our path with God being off track and in need of adjustment. God will use our peace as a very strong way of directing our thoughts, our attitudes and our actions on our path.

Psalm 85:10
Love and faithfulness meet together; righteousness and peace kiss each other.

Psalm 119:165
Great peace have those who love your law, and nothing can make them stumble.


Proverbs 3:16-18
16 Long life is in her right hand;
   in her left hand are riches and honor.
17 Her ways are pleasant ways,
   and all her paths are peace.
18 She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her;
   those who hold her fast will be blessed.

 So as we peace is a characteristic that a christian is to constantly be mindful of as God uses it to keep us close to Him.

APPLICATION
I need to be more sensitive in recognizing the loss of peace and how it affects my decisions and attitude

Power Upon You

Acts 1:8 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.”

The primary demonstration of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit is that you are empowered by God to be a witness of Him and what He has done in your life. Indeed many times the gifts of the HS as in speaking in tongues is present at the time of the Batism of the HS but not always. However the boldness and confidence and also a God centered mindfulness of His presence is always the accompanying occurrence of the Spirit coming upon a person with Power to do God's will.

APPLICATION

I need to pray daily for the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. For apart from Jesus I can do nothing.

Usurper of God's Sovereign Authority

 ^{ACTS 1:7} He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority.

And ever since then we as humans want to know the times and the dates... We always want what we cannot have. "you can eat from any of the trees in the garden except this one ..."  "which one?"  It is just our nature to drive us toward the forbidden. So many have come along and declared oh on such and such a day is the day... To no avail. In fact in this verse it is by God's sovereign authority that the times are set. So for a man to make such a declaration is to usurp the authority that belongs only to God and He alone. How foolish even to attempt.  


APPLICATION
What are the things in my life that are under God's authority that I have foolishly usurped to myself what belongs to the Father. My will, my time, finances. I need to recondition my thinking on these matters.

Minutiae of our Little World

^{ACTS 1:6} Then they gathered around him and asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” 

This is revealing question as it uncovers the disciples true motivation to follow Jesus. All along the disciples were anticipating that Jesus would somehow transform into a political or military leader and overthrow the Roman occupation and rightly restore the government of Israel  back to the people of Israel and their God. You have to realize that this entire generation of Israelites were a people who did not know life apart from being under the rule of a foreign empire. It would be like if in the 1940 America lost the war with Germany and the German government took over and then you were born. You would have learned from your grandparents that there was a time when we were free to worship our God and did not have to be forced into the German way of doing things etc. Culturally we would be steeped in the search for the "one" who would come and free us from the oppressors.

So the disciples anticipated that Jesus was that "One" and the Scriptures foretold of the time when the Messiah would carry the government upon His shoulders. In fact we are still awaiting that to occur since it will happen when Jesus comes back to vanquish the oppressor of mankind, Satan not the Germans or the Romans.

APPLICATION
I need to be mindful of the big picture of what God is doing, and not be distracted by the minutiae of my little world.

Blind Faith?

^{ACTS 1:5} For John baptized with^[a] water, but in a few days you will be baptized with^[b] the Holy Spirit.”

This must have seemed at best puzzling to the twelve, this term is one that they had never heard of, then again they are having dinner with a ghost which is freaky enough. Just think that one through for a minute, here is their leader who was brutally put to death before their eyes and now he is back conversing with them and walking through walls, showing them his wounds. No wonder they are mostly speechless, I would be too.  So when He says this new thing that they would be baptized by the Holy Spirit there is no question of what that is, they are probably just reeling in their minds no doubt somewhere between astonishment dumb founded.

Once the dust settled I'm sure they had to go over with each other their instructions, ok we need to stay in Jerusalem until this baptism of the HS...what? What's that? Oh too late to ask Jesus he's gone for now...

Sometimes we just need to listen and obey and not be all straight in our minds with the facts and logic and all. Many times God would call people into service with explicit instructions that were indeed incomplete instructions, their blessings followed their obedience.


APPLICATION
I need to be willing to be obedient even though I do not fully understand everything involved, and have peace with that.

Obedient Obedience- God's Thing, God's Way

^{ACTS 1:4} On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about.

Would you want to receive a gift from God the Father that Jesus himself tells you is awaiting you? What hangs in the balance is being obedient to Jesus' command. Obedience is the clearest route toward the gifts, blessings, prosperity of God. So why do we lose our way so easily? Impatience, lack of faith or perhaps even rebellion of sorts. If we can get a handle on this one it will clearly change the trajectory of our lives for the good. 

But what about this gift that Jesus told them about, the Holy Spirit. Up until this time the HS had not been poured out on mankind. So something new was about to happen for the first time in history. With this outpouring of the HS God would change the trajectory of the whole world.


APPLICATION
Obedience to doing God's thing God's way will always bring me closer to the very path He has ordained for me. I need to re establish my thoughts, actions and patterns to better reflect His Holy Spirit in me.

Proverbs 31:7 - Contentment

^{Proverbs 31:7} Let them drink and forget their poverty
   and remember their misery no more. 

Remember that this is not an invitation or permission to use alcoholic beverage as a lifestyle it is an instruction for a young king. His mother is drawing the distinction of who he is and how he should act and then there are the rest of the people that he needs to see as those who need him to be sober minded for them. For the most part the regular people lived in relative poverty compared to Solomon, so Bathsheba is saying that drinking wine to forget their misery is ok for them but not for him who is in the lap of luxury and has many responsibilities.

Application
Remain cognizant of the responsibilities that the Lord has given me and to find contentment therein.

Proverbs 31:6 - Play it Safe

^{Proverbs 31:6} Let beer be for those who are perishing,
   wine for those who are in anguish! 

So here is proof text for a sedative of some sort.  When we are in pain or our circumstances become difficult our tendency is to get more and more wrapped up in our own self and our own thoughts and in some respects our world gets real small, and as a relief of that anguish perhaps some calming drink may help. However as we all know it is not the occasional indulgence that is ever the problem but the chronic abuse that leads to devolution on many levels. All chronic abuse begins with just a harmless sip and the slippery slope begins. However not all harmless sips lead to abuse but all abuse begins with a harmless, benign beginning. Another form of this same circumstance is the epidemic of prescription drug abuse in our culture.
For many this is the path to destruction, for others not. The big question remains, "should I just play it safe and abstain altogether or take the chance and flirt with potential destruction".


Proverbs 6:27
How can you take fire into your bosom and not expect to get burned?

APPLICATION
I hereby re-commit to playing it safe.

Wisdom - Proverbs 31:5

 lest they drink and forget what has been decreed,
   and deprive all the oppressed of their rights.

The leader that God appoints needs to be careful to be sober and clear headed so that he may make right judgements.  For he is not only making decisions for himself but also for those who God has privileged him to serve. A leader needs to be able to ascertain the law properly and to bear in mind the rights of the people, especially those who are not powerful or wealthy. He must judge fairly, based upon principle and not upon emotion or "relational connections".

APPLICATION
I need to be careful of anything that distracts me away from my understanding of the principles of the Word of God. Knowledge of the Word is important but in order to properly apply the Word at the right time is wisdom.

A Leaders' Responsibility

^{Proverbs 31:4} 

It is not for kings, Lemuel—
   it is not for kings to drink wine,
   not for rulers to crave beer, 

This is considered some of the final instructions from Bathsheba to her son Solomon who became king at a young age of 16. Once he would become king his attitude regarding receiving instructions might change so these instructions are of high priority, and to be considered most valued instruction.


Apparently there is a distinction between kings, rulers or leaders and everybody else.  Everyone else makes decisions for themselves, however a leader needs to rightly be able to make decisions not only for themselves but also on behalf of others welfare. And he needs to be ready in season and out of season.
It brings to mind this area of Scripture:

2 Timothy 2:20-22

 ²⁰ In a large house there are articles not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay; some are for special purposes and some for common use. ²¹ Those who cleanse themselves from the latter will be instruments for special purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work.
 ²² Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. 

With responsibility comes great benefits, but also great sacrifice. In my youth I wontonly drank with indiscretion, now as a leader and pastor I have the benefit of being used by God in ways most people never get close to but with that benefit is responsibility. One of which is to be sober minded so as to be able to guide and direct my household as well as those who God has given me influence over.

APPLICATION
I need to continue to cleanse myself of any residue of evil desires of youth, and practice holiness out of reverence for God and His calling on my life.

If it be the Will of the Lord...

⁶ Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of me.”

The context of this passage is the remarkable crisis of faith that John the Baptist is having. John is confined in prison and he is hearing of the marvealous miracles that Jesus is performing. He is stuck there for preaching righteousness. His expectation is that Jesus, his cousin would any day now find a way to get him released, but that day does not come. And as he sits in his confinement his world becomes really small. Even though he grew up with Jesus and knew emphatically of his heavenly origin from the begining of his life, he still questioned if Jesus was the "one". John was the first spiritual leader to announce that Jesus was the Christ, the lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. His ministry was to make the path clear for the holy one of God. He preached repentance so that the people would be able to recognize the Messiah when his time was full. Jesus even declared that John was the greatest man ever and with all that John still wavered in his faith. How comforting it is to me to know that my waverings are not uncommon to even the personal eyewitness and family member of Jesus himself. 

We are blessed when we continue in our faith even when God does not move in the way we expect Him to. God's ways are higher than our ways so it is important to remember that we do not have all the pieces of the puzzle as God does so we need to be able to trust Him and not our own understanding. His big picture view will always be a more adventageous perspective, so we need to rest in Him.

APPLICATION
To cultivate a loose grip on my personal plans and defer to "if it be the will of the Lord" mode.

It just works.

^{Galatians 6:8} Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. 

I love the fact that this is an equation, a law that applies equally to everyone, this is the grace of God because He has revealed it to us.  Gravity always works, boyancy always works, aerodynamics always works for everyone, believer, unbeliever no matter. and so it is with this spiritual law. It just works.  This is great news. It is not a matter of being blessed. It is a matter of what seed have you planted. How well did you prepare the soil of your life, how patient you have been in nurturing and tending the garden of your life and then harvesting in due season.

It is not a matter of being "lucky" (especially since we do not believe in luck) it is a matter in your own hands, to leverage this law at your benefit or ignore it at your peril. However God does add the increase. We may plant a seed of corn but God will raise up a bountiful harvest of a stalk of corn with many ears and many many kernels in each ear. A stalk may have 6 ears on it or it may have 10, the increase is up to God and the quality of the seed planted and the value of how you nurtured and tended the garden. It still comes down to our personal responsibility with what God has entrusted us with, to bear fruit that remains.
APPLICATION
To be mindful of the way that I tend the issues of my life from my relationships to the words I speak to my finances. Ever striving to plant good seed in good soil.

It Just Is

 ^{GAL. 6:7} Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.

This is a law, it is not a suggestion, or an observation it is as true as gravity or any other law of physics. It is true whether you are a jew a greek or a muslim it is true regardless of your financial status or any other circumstance. It is not partial nor is it arbitrary it just is. Some people reap lavishly from the abundance of the good seed they have sown. Others may look on and become envious of what they have been blessed with. This is sin. Where you are in life is the result of the seeds you have sown in the previous seasons. If you are not content with what you have then you need to sow the right seed now and patiently expect a harvest in due season.
APPLICATION
I need to be consistently planting good seed so as to expect to reap a fruitful harvest.  Today I will sow a seed of patience by asking pertinent questions as apposed to telling others what to do.

Be Teachable

^{Gal. 6:3} If anyone thinks they are something when they are not, they deceive themselves.

We are champions at thinking more of ourselves than we ought. There are lessons that we should learn over ba ba and bankey that our parents should teach us such as how to share, that there are "others" most notable that we are not the center of the world. Big big lessons, that if we are not schooled in early on become increasingly difficult to learn. Our prison systems and the entire rehab industry is full of people learning these very lessons. God is always teaching, the question is are we in the mode of learning?
APPLICATION
My prayer is that I would cultivate a teachable spirit and particularly today I would be on the lookout for those teachable moments.

Forever Begins NOW

^{Psalm 23:6} Surely your goodness and love will follow me
   all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the LORD
   forever. 

In the twinkle of an eye we will pass from life to life. Our spirits, the part of us that communicates with God the inside part of us, our personality will not pass through death. We will be translated from this earthly life to the heavenly life the moment our spirit departs our worn out bodies. Eternal life begins now.
APPLICATION
I need to cultivate an eternal perspective, keeping my mind on heavenly things.
 

^{Collosians 3:1} Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. ² Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. ³ For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.

I'm Overwhelmed

 ^{Ps. 23:5} 
You prepare a table before me
   in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
   my cup overflows. 

The good shepherd cares for the sheep. He protects them and stands between the sheep and the enemies who seek to devour them. He cares for them lavishly by pouring out on them his love and tender kindness unmatched in all the earth. When we are faced with the reality that the King of kings, the creator of the universe really is the one who desires to love us and to care for us we begin to become overwhelmed. We have created a trite and ever present saying in our culture, "God Loves You". We have barely a concept of what is wrapped up in those three simple words. I believe that David began to understand the depth of God's great love for him as he penned these words.
APPLICATION
To be mindful of the fact of God's love for me and all that that means and matters to.

Emmanuel - God With Us

 ^{Isa. 55:6} Seek the LORD while he may be found;
   call on him while he is near. 

In the time of Isaiah, to seek the Lord was an arduous task beginning with the selection of one of your sheep or goats from you flock which would have to be killed on behalf of your personal sin, then an overland hike most times on foot to Jerusalem where the temple was with your family and animals, and then the process of paying the temple tax or exchanging your money into "acceptable" temple currancy and then going through the cerimonial cleansing and then on to the priest who would slit the throat of your animal while you rest your hand on its head. Then your conscience would be clear for you to be acceptable to your God. When Christ died on the cross the temple curtain that separated the inner sanctuary from the rest of the temple was torn from top to bottom. This signified that the holiest place that only the high priest was allowed to enter to plead for the forgiveness of sins for the people was now open and available for all to boldly enter in to find mercy and grace for themselves.
Now with the new covenant, the new agreement between God and man we have a dispensation of grace and all that is needed for us to access this presence with God is to focus our minds and appeal to Him in our hearts or to open our mouths and speak for He is with us indeed in us, and we, our bodies are the temple of the HS. So when Isaiah pleads with us to seek the Lord while He is near we are to relish in the access we have grown so accustomed to that those of old would not even begin to comprehend. Let's not take for granted that which we have been so lavishly and freely given.
APPLICATION
To be mindful of the precious gift we have in prayer and to cultivate a mindset of the presence of the HS, being willing and ready to keep Him at the forefront of my heart and mind.

Definitive Study on Servanthood

So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, 'We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty. Luke 17:10

We see here in these four verses of Luke 17:7-10 the quintessential formula for servanthood, which as discussed before is ever elusive in our culture and so patently difficult for us to truly grasp and live out.

Found in this passage are five distinct characteristics which are highly instructional for believers in Christ everywhere, especially for those going cross culturally into the mission field... so listen up and take note.

The servant first of all has to be willing to perform task upon task. In this narrative the servant worked all day in the field and then came in and was expected to prepare the meal for the master and then also to serve him at table. so the first characteristic of a servant is to perform thing upon thing.

Secondly it is not mentioned but obviously implied is that the servant did not deem the master selfish for this presumed blatant disregard of the servants "rights". The servant after all has no rights, they have been voluntarily given up. Also the servant does not look on at another servant and say "hey, what about him, why do I have to do more than he?" No the true bondservant does thing upon thing and does not entertain the inward struggle of judging his master on his fairness toward him.

Next is the fact that the servant is not thanked and that the idea of the servant even expecting to be thanked is out of place since he is only doing what is right and just for him to do. Therefore we have the servant doing thing upon thing, not thinking ill of the master, and not expecting to be thanked, so far so good, let's proceed.

The fourth characteristic found in the true bond servant is that he does not pat himself on the back for a job well done, he does not allow pride to elevate himself by thinking that he has done anything noteworthy or especially meritorious. For fifth and the last characteristic of a true bondservant who is rightly attuned to the Spirit of God is that he knows that he is in all of this merely performing his duty, and nothing more.

So in a nutshell:

1-Thing upon Thing.

2-Not thinking the master selfish.

3-Not expecting to be thanked.

4-Performing these and not becoming prideful.

5-Inherently knowing that his position is that of a servant.

APPLICATION
I need to meditate and imprint into my heart and therefore transform my mind to grasp these 5 characteristics, to wear them like a garment to strive to walk in this way and to measure myself against these un-American yet quintessentially Christian attitudes and character traits.

Principals in this devotional found in Roy Hession's Calvary Road

Thanks, I don't think so?

Would he thank the servant because he did what he was told to do? Luke 17:9

So as this saga unfolds we have the servant first recieving task upon task, he worked all day and then comes in and is expected to prepare the meal and wait on master as he eats, then he should do all this and not expect to be thanked.  Wow.

How often do we do things with an ulterior motive of something in return. From the insignificant hand wave when we let a driver cut in front of us to the favor or act of service we may perform, scratch my back and I'll scratch yours... We automatically expect some sort of acknowledgement in response. The great I, Me or Self is always looking for that nod or recompense.

Self is inclined to keep score and demand its rights, those rights which should no longer exist if indeed we belong to Christ. It reminds me of the scene when Mother Theresa was at the banquet to receive her Nobel Peace Prize. She was not found on the dias or at any special table eating the lavish banquet prepared in her honor, but was out in the galley and hallways with the help eating a bowl of rice for it was all she needed. That is a picture of laying down rights, she had the right to that meal but she deliberately decided not to avail herself though her flesh would enjoy and even revel in it.

APPLICATION
I need to check my motives. I need to be able to become satisfied that the laying down of my rights is my goal and should be sufficient for me, and to discipline my flesh to not expect anything in return for any service or favor I perform for anyone.

A Study in True Servanthood

  LUKE 17:7 “Suppose one of you has a servant plowing or looking after the sheep. Will he say to the servant when he comes in from the field, ‘Come along now and sit down to eat’

The one true measure of being a servant is to test your heart when you are indeed treated as a servant. What happens on the inside? Does the ugly, fleshly self demand his rights? Do the words "how dare you" begin to form on your lips? Do you think "who do you think you are?" " I don't have to take this..." 

These are all catchphrases that we have learned from our ME centered culture. Our american culture is unique as we are "the people" who elect our own leaders and they are to be civil servants. We are adorned with freedoms such as the freedom of speech which allows even encourages us to question our leaders, to disagree with our leaders, even to ridicule and denigrate them. 

But first we are to live under the banner of Christ. First and foremost we are christians, then americans then our nationality of heritage (italian in my case) and then last we are to be labeled as our party affiliation such as republican or democrat etc. 

So chief among the characteristics of a christian is to be a servant. We in our culture really do not know how to actually do that. These next few verses will shed some much needed light on this all important subject.


APPLICATION
I need to find deliberate ways to humble myself to take on the nature of a servant not just do things that are servant-like from time to time but to renew my mind into the mindset of servant-hood. I will do my best today to do whatever is asked of me right away without any delay. Immediate obedience is a sign of a true servant.

Faith = Obedience

Luke 17

 ⁶ He replied, “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it will obey you.

At the intersection of obedience and God's will we will find the awesome power of God. Faith is the vehicle in which we can drive through that intersection. How does obedience = faith you may ask? 

We see in the account of the Israelites in the desert having no faith was counted against them as disobedience.

² For we also have had the good news proclaimed to us, just as they did; but the message they heard was of no value to them, because they did not share the faith of those who obeyed.^[a]

⁶ Therefore since it still remains for some to enter that rest, and since those who formerly had the good news proclaimed to them did not go in because of their disobedience,

 By faith we trust God for salvation, by faith we walk in obedience to His purpose and plan for our lives, by faith we have the grace to endure hardship and accomplish the things He sets out for us today, by faith we persevere through an unbelieving generation vexed in our spirits yet we continue in obedience by faith knowing that our calling and election is sure and there we find peace.

APPLICATION
Like the disciples I need to pray that the Lord would increase my faith, and that it would work its way out in greater obedience. Therefore today I need to perform an act of obedience by faith that is just between me and the Lord.

His Abundant Provision

²⁸ Anyone who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with their own hands, that they may have something to share with those in need.

God has not ordained a welfare system organized by the government. The fact that we have not only federal as well as state sponsored assistance programs is an indication that the church has lapsed in its responsibility to carry one another's burdens, and to share with those in need.  In previous generations it was considered distasteful, or even shameful to accept government assistance, yet now in this generation close to 50% are on some form of government assistance. From college students on food stamps to farmers on subsidies to plant or not plant certain crops to whole industries like auto manufacturing being propped up by the government.

The underlying issue is that what we earn is NOT all ours to consume as we see fit. That notion has led to an over indulgent ME centered society. What we earn is God's provision to meet our own needs and then to seek Him for how we can bless others by the leading of His Spirit, according to His Word. God has blessed the USA beyond any stretch of the imagination in order for us to be a blessing toward others. That is why I am grateful to work for PFM because we exist to lead people toward serving the Lord with His provision by blessing others. May God continue to guide and direct us toward even greater impact in the months and years to come.

APPLICATION
I need to re-examine my finances to see where I can direct even more funds toward the expansion of the Kingdom. And I need express gratitude toward God for the ways that He has so abundantly lavished His provision on me.

Is It Possible To Affect God's Heart?

²⁵ Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body.

The first thing I think of when I read this verse is that Love rejoices with the truth. Pr. 13:6b If we are not honest with each other then our relationships are corrupt and hypocritical. The results of a community that is unable to trust anyone would eventually lead to isolation and therefore an utter lack of intimacy or relationship on a "real" level. This state of affairs over the course of generations would lead to total dysfunction. Relationships are based on trust, trust that what you are saying is true and not contrived or manipulated. That trust once broken is very difficult to re establish.  If trust is not present in a community it is like a body that works against itself, like an auto immune deficiency also known as a disease that harms and eventually kills the body.

APPLICATION
I need to place a guard over my mouth to be careful to speak only what is true and right.

Pr 23: ¹⁵ My son, if your heart is wise,
   then my heart will be glad indeed;
¹⁶ my inmost being will rejoice
   when your lips speak what is right.

Renewing of Your Mind

²³ to be made new in the attitude of your minds;

The attitude of the mind is to be renewed.

^{Romans 12:2} Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

How do we renew our minds? Well how do we renew furniture or how do women renew their nail polish? We carefully and delicately take off the old finish and then apply the new. How does that relate to our minds? As we meditate on the Word of God and keep His Statutes and principals in front of our eyes, if we bind them on our hearts and speak of them when we rise and when we recline and have our hearts filled with spiritual songs and hymns then we can remove the old and put on the new. Just like a bank teller who handles true real currency all day long can tell the counterfiet just by feel so also we will be able to discern the truth from the lie when we handle truth so much and so often that it makes a difference in the attitude of our minds. The lie just sticks out because it is not congruent with what we know as true.

APPLICATION
As a leader I must recommit myself to advocating the daily intake of God's Word. I must be careful to make sure everyone who I have any influence over is engaged in the gathering of fresh manna each day.

The Ultimate Corruption, Death.

²² You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; 

The old self, once we are born again we inevitably end up with the "two of me" the former self that lived and had its existence solely in the realm of the flesh, wantonly motivated by comfort and the unattainable desire for satisfaction in regards to career, sex, fulfillment etc. with continual lust for more. Once in a while I would gorge on one thing or another and it would not satisfy but disgust me because of my inability to limit my over indulgence.  Then there is the other me, once born again could look back on the former me and see a stark difference. The new me has an inner voice a conscience that guides me and is now my motivator toward what is good and right. As I walk in the path of His guidance I find peace and joy in the fulfillment thereof. However the old self tries to rise up and entice me to attempt again to find fulfillment in the things of the flesh, but just as the flesh is corrupt and will eventually rot so are the desires of the flesh corrupt.

^{James 1:14} but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. ¹⁵ Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.

According to this verse the pattern is clear, fleshly desire is evil and corrupt but can be enticing, by it we are temped if our desire is not put in check then that desire when it is fully grown leads to death, the ultimate corruption.

APPLICATION

To recognize that the desires of my old self are corrupt, and the fulfillment of them is fleeting if not impossible therefore the only thing that can come of it is sin and eventual death.

Make it Happen?

^{Romans 12:
11} Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. NIV

¹¹Never give up. Eagerly follow the Holy Spirit and serve the Lord. CEV

¹¹ Never let the fire in your heart go out. Keep it alive. Serve the Lord. NIRV

How do you create zeal?
How do you form enthusiasm?
Can you design eagerness?

I think that we run the risk of becoming insincere or a phony "poser" when we try to make zeal or enthusiasm happen. True zeal or eagerness springs from the heart as a response or a reaction to something that inspires. In order to be inspired we need to have our hearts open and willing to be moved. Now here is where we can make something happen. We can be open to the Lord to make ourselves be willing.

Philippians 2:13
for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.

God is always willing to work in us even to help us to be willing, we on the other hand need to be open for Him to do that work in us.

It always comes down to the condition of the heart.

APPLICATION
Each day I need to keep my heart in the right condition to be inspired by the fire of the HS to will and to do His good pleasure.

Sincere Love is...

⁹ Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.

It has been said that if you ask 1000 people what love is you are likely to come up with 1001 different answers. Does it not stand to reason that if God is love and He has a book out, should we consider perhaps what God says love is?

^{1Cor. 13:4} Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. ⁵ It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. ⁶ Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. ⁷ It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.  ⁸ Love never fails.

According to Websters 1828 the word sincere is defined as follows:

1. Pure; unmixed.
2. Unhurt; uninjured.
3. Being in reality what it appears to be; not feigned; not simulated; not assumed or said for the sake of appearance; real; not hypocritical or pretended. This is the present use of the word. Let your intentions be pure and your declarations sincere. Let love and friendship be sincere. No prayer can avail with a heart-searching God, unless it is sincere. 

 When we love like this it is sincere. Learning to love like this will take a lifetime. However if we learn to empty ourselves and be led by His Spirit we can love sincerely now, in the moment and consistently.

APPLICATION
To actively deny self and allow the Spirit to lead the thoughts and intents of my heart. Trusting that I will have the mind of Christ and love others with sincerity.

No Greater Value

^{Mark 8:37} Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?

In a transaction there are usually at least two parties, the buyer and the seller for example. The price of the sale is agreed upon based on the perceived value of the item being bought or sold. So if I walk into a store and see an item I want, I then look at the price and if the item is more valuable to me than the stated price I am likely to buy that item. In the same way according to 

1Cor. 6:19 You are not your own; ²⁰ you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.

We have been bought at a price, what is that price that purchased our souls? The price is the blood of Christ. If we look at it in a transactional way then God thought our souls were more valuable  to Him than the sinless blood of our savior.
How much more shall we value our own souls. In the 13th chapter of the book of Hebrews we see that as leaders we are charged with the stewardship, care and nurturing of the souls of our flock.

^13:17 Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account. Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you.

And since the price that was paid is so dear to God's heart we as leaders will be held accountable as to the way that we tended the souls of those He has given us charge over.
APPLICATION
To be reminded as to how precious our souls are to the Father and that I am to regard their value as He does. Therefore carrying out His will on earth as it is in Heaven.

The Righteous Will Live by Faith

Acts 8:35 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it.

This really comes down to faith. Do you really believer that God exists and that what He has said is true. If we do not believe that His promise of heaven is absolutely true then we will look for some heaven here on earth, we will tend to see this verse about losing your life as the same thing as wasting your life. However by faith if we believe that what He has promised is indeed true the things of this world grow strangely dim and have no power over me. If I keep my mind on heavenly things and not on earthly things my perspective becomes aligned with His and my thoughts and considerations rhyme with heaven.
APPLICATION
I need to be reminded that my life is not my own, that it was bought with a great price and that as a bondservant I have agreed to die to self willingly and joyfully moment by moment day by day in the littlest things to the greatest. and by doing this I demonstrate my faith, for without which it is impossible to please God.

Deny Self - Fast

^{ACTS 8:34} Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.

What does it mean to deny oneself? Websters 1828 dictionary definition of deny is:
DENY, v.t.

1. To contradict; to gainsay; to declare a statement or position not to be true. We deny what another says, or we deny a proposition. We deny the truth of an assertion, or the assertion itself. The sense of this verb is often expressed by no or nay.

2. To refuse to grant; as, we asked for bread, and the man denied us.

The human being is comprised of three significant parts, a trinity, body soul and spirit. Our body is the obvious flesh and blood visible part of us that is born, then wears out and then eventually expires. Our soul is our intellect our emotions and our volition, the part of us that has the capacity to learn, to love and where we have our personality it is also where we make our decisions from. However our decision making process does share its place also with our spirits, which apart from being born again are dead and non existent. Without our spirit having life we are merely body and soul, much like the rest of the other animals. This is probably why the atheists who do not have life in their spirits conclude that we are evolved from the monkeys etc. but that is another argument for another day.  Our spirit once it has the life of God animating it is the part of us where we are able to communicate with the Lord and where we are able to receive conviction, comfort and guidance from Him as well.
Self is the body and soul part of us, when we deny self we are allowing our spirit to rule, to be the dominant part of us. As one person put it recently, it is like a tug of war within ... Indeed it is and as we deny self we allow our spirit to have control over our decision making part of us and as we follow His leading we find our purpose for our lives and our peace and our joy for living.

The simplest and most effective way to deny self is to fast from food for a particular amount of time. A christian should fast as a matter of lifestyle. When asked when was the last time you have fasted a christian should respond in days or weeks ago, not months or years that would be too long to allow the flesh to reign unchecked.
APPLICATION
I shall fast sometime this week to refresh my spirit and deny self.

Mindset of Obedience

^{ACTS 12:9} Peter followed him out of the prison, but he had no idea that what the angel was doing was really happening; he thought he was seeing a vision.

Sometimes the Lord will lead us to go somewhere or do something that we do not fully understand.
Proverbs 3
⁵ Trust in the LORD with all your heart
   and lean not on your own understanding;
⁶ in all your ways submit to him,
   and he will make your paths straight.^[a]

Here we see Peter in just such a circumstance in fact Peter is not even sure if he is conscious, or if he is just seeing a vision.
^{Yet Peter is obedient, and quickly obedient. Hesitation is disobedience, it is a sign of disbelief. When we are confronted with an urging from the Lord and we doubt and hesitate, we are giving the enemy a "card" he can play on us at his whim. It will be on small insignificant things at first but when it matters and the decision has great effect on our lives we can become prone to hesitate. Because we have become comfortable with the hesitation our doubts can become unbelief. This is how people find themselves in the wilderness, not knowing how they got there. Doubt, missed opportunities for obedience, the voice of the HS becomes more and more faint and we miss the way.
APPLICATION
I need to be pro-active and ready myself to be willing to be quick to obey, so that it is not a debate or decision but more of a reflex and attitude or mindset of obedience, or lifestyle of obedience.}




 

Acts 12:8 Then the angel said to him, “Put on your clothes and sandals.” And Peter did so. “Wrap your cloak around you and follow me,” the angel told him.

This encounter by Peter with an angel of God is somewhat unique in that most other encounters with angelic beings and humans usually result in the human freaking out, like John in Revelation or when Daniel saw the angel and fell as though he was dead, here Peter just does what the angel says to do and it is no big thing. Perhaps we are able to encounter angels in our everyday lives and not know it.
Hebrews 13:2
Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.

Also in Hebrews 1:14
Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation? 

So as we continue to walk out our faith and find ourselves in the center of God's will do not be surprised to find angels assisting us to accomplish God's plans.

APPLICATION
To strive to be in God's will knowing that He is willing to strengthen me as I continue to serve His purposes.

Doubt your Doubt not your Faith

^{Acts 12:6} The night before Herod was to bring him to trial, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries stood guard at the entrance.

So Peter, after following Jesus his Lord and Master for three years, witnesses first hand the earthly rulers of the day brutally torture and kill Him. Then his young friend Stephen is similarly killed this time by his fellow countrymen the Jews. Fresh in his mind is the execution of James the son of Zebedee Peter's fishing partner, and now here he sits awaiting trial in the morning, destined to be a pawn in the show trial, Herod's plaything. The prophesy that Jesus spoke over Peter was probably echoing in his mind that he would be led where he did not want to go.... was this it? Although Peter did see the risen Lord, he did witness all of the miracles, then again John the Baptist's head was served cold, on a platter to please this Herod's demonic whim. The throes of doubt can become vivid and awfully convincing. It is at the crossroads of doubt that we decide to either remain a believer or enter onto the path of unbelief. This is where we find Peter.
APPLICATION
When I come to the place of doubt I need to doubt my doubts and not my faith. I need to develop the discipline to question my fears and insecurities and fall back on the things I know by faith to indeed be true, such as I can do all things in Christ who strengthens me, that God's will for my life is to prosper me, and that when I trust in Him with all of my heart and lean not to my own understanding He will make my path straight. Doubt the doubt not my faith.

Acts 12:5 So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him.

So even though the forces of this world were constraining Peter, the believers continued to boldly present their request for Peter's freedom in the Throne Room of God. There is comfort in the Throne Room. When something is going on that is troublesome or vexing, the believer will find himself seeking the Lord in prayer. When something happens that is difficult for a community of believers they will naturally band together in sweet fellowship and join together to pray and be comforted by God and by one another.
APPLICATION
As a leader I need to be ready to call together the team whenever there is trouble for in our prayers and fellowship there is comfort and peace.

Matthew 15:27 “Yes it is, Lord,” she said. “Even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.”

At first blush this scene can be considered a harsh and heartless expression by Jesus, even racist by modern standards. Referring to a needy person as a dog is indeed not something that would be acceptable in this day and age. I would consider it the ultimate irony however once you realize that if it were not for the teachings of Jesus and the prosperity of the church down through the ages it most probably would be completely acceptable to treat one another in a harsh and racist manner. Let us not forget that it was the conviction of the HS that ushered in the movement driven by the British politician William Wilberforce who led the way to abolish the slave trade in the mid 1800's. Let's not also forget even in this country women were not considered full citizens until the suffrage movement in the 1920's - less than one hundred years ago. Although in the book of Ephesians God gave women the same value as men where we are to submit to one another as unto the Lord, it was Jesus Christ and His church which has led the way on matters such as this. All one has to do is look around the world and note the countries and territories where Christianity has taken root and you will find all manner of prosperity, equality, liberty and justice. Even the American experiment was founded on the principals of Scripture in light of freedom of opression and the pursuit of religious and personal freedom.

APPLICATION
I need to remain mindful of the big picture that our faith has had an enormous affect on humankind and that I am playing a vital role in the story of what God is doing. I need to be about my Father's business, as it is the most important business in the universe.

Acts 8:31 “How can I,” he said, “unless someone explains it to me?” So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.

This is the proof text for the need for the bible scholar. The one who spends his time and effort analyzing the text and sorting out all of it's ramifications. This is also a proof text for one of my favorite axioms "in order to learn one must be willing to be taught". The eunuch invited Philip to explain the passage of Scripture thereby setting himself in the place of humbly being willing to receive instruction. That is the place of teach ability, the place of learning.

APPLICATION
I, first need to cultivate and maintain an attitude of teach ability for without it I cannot progress, secondly I need to remember to refrain from instructing others unless I am invited to do so.

Acts 8:30 Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. “Do you understand what you are reading?” Philip asked.

Phillip was told to "go that chariot and stay near it" so Phillip ran. His obedience was such that he immediately sprang to action without hesitation eager not to miss the opportunity the Lord was giving him. His attitude was eager and zealous, in the right direction. Unlike Moses who was obedient but eager in the wrong direction, he struck the rock twice when he was instructed to speak to it, he did more than he was asked and with the wrong attitude, it cost him dearly. He portrayed to the children of Israel that the Lord was angry. However with the right attitude we see Phillip doing more than asked and he is rewarded accordingly.

APPLICATION
I need to be obedient quickly and to also cultivate the right attitude.

ACTS 8:29 The Spirit told Philip, “Go to that chariot and stay near it.”

Many times the Lord will give us instruction to just get us to a starting point where we can then be maneuvered to the next place He wants us to go. He might say go to A and when we get there it becomes obvious what B is all about so we go to B and then C becomes clear. He may do this because there may be lessons we need to learn on the journey from A to B and then to C that we would not have experienced if we just went to C in the first place.
Like Joseph and Mary going to Egypt first then to Nazareth, in that instance it was God protecting them. For Moses and the children of Israel the 40 years in the desert were a time of stripping away and purging of sin. Even for Jesus who only went where the Father told Him to go or who said only what the Father gave Him to speak was led of the Spirit into the wilderness first to be tempted and then into His ministry.
APPLICATION
I need to be careful to be quick to be obedient to the directives the HS gives me even if it seems to be unusual or not enough information.
Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;

Defy Logic or Conventional Wisdom

^{ACTS 7:57} At this they covered their ears and, yelling at the top of their voices, they all rushed at him, 

A physical manifestation of an ademant unwillingness to hear any more from Stephen. Seems immature to me. Driven by this emotional outburst these leaders had a foregone conclusion in mind and just wanted to get on with it. How many time have we done something similar by refusing to let facts get in the way of what we wanted to do?  We have become champions of justification, excuses and finding the extenuating circumstance that exonerates our direction in the face of reality and facts which clearly could guide us otherwise.

There is something about rebellion of this sort that can be attractive, how many times does the hero of the story go against the odds and prevail and in the end somehow that elevates him even further because he defied logic and conventional wisdom. Thank God we have the Scriptures and the HS to keep us on the track of godliness which will sometimes cause us by faith to do the thing that could seem erratic or outrageous.
APPLICATION
I need to seek God for discernment to hear His voice and to be willing to do the things that defy logic or sound judgement if indeed He is calling me to.

Power of Encouragement

^{Hebrews 10:25} not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching. 

All the more as we see the day approaching.... very interesting, this means that the further along in this age we get the more prevalent we as believers should be in the posture to encourage one another. Now in order to encourage one another we need to get past the acquaintance stage and progress further to a more deeper level of relationship. Since it is necessary to know what is going on in another person's life in order to sincerely encourage them.
If we are to be known as Jesus' disciples we will be known for our love for one another. How can we love one another if we do not know one another?

So our kinship in Christ is the rail upon which our relationships with one another will ride but our fellowship with one another is where our encouragement will spur us on toward love and good deeds, this will manifest our spiritual growth and maturity.

APPLICATION

I want to be an encourager.  In order for this to be so I need to deliberately clarify my intentions in this regard and I believe that once I do that the opportunities will appear.

Our Last Breath

^{ACTS 7:56} “Look,” he said, “I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.”

Stephen knew God, and recognized the Son of God, this is one of only depictions where a man sees God and does not fall down like dead from fear and awe. Perhaps it was because Stephen at this very point is in the process of using every fibre in his being and every mental capacity to pour out his heart and preach to these leaders the Word of God for the sake of their own souls and for the sake of all of Israel whom they have charge over.

Surely it would be a fabulous moment for any of us to come to our last breath in the midst of performing our greatest act of service for the Lord. selah

On the other hand how hard hearted for these religious leaders to commit murder of an obvious holy man of God while he was receiving revelation from heaven. What a dichotomy. When we are not in tune with the Spirit, God can be doing a wonderful thing right in front of us and we will be blind to it.

APPLICATION
To keep my heart sensitive to the Spirit so that I do not lose my way and miss what God may be doing right in front of me.

Be Filled

^{Acts 7:55} But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. 

Now what did Luke the writer of Acts see in Stephen at this moment to declare that he was filled with the HS? It was not the speaking in tongues, it was not holy laughter, nor was it being slain in the spirit etc. no it was that Stephen had an unmistakable boldness to testify to the facts of the gospel and the risen Jesus even in the face of those who were clearly about to put him to death. Also Stephen by the power of the fullness of the HS received revelation.

Rev. 12:11
We overcome by the blood of the lamb, the power of testimony and not loving our lives unto death.

Stephen in this moment is fulfulling these very verses perfectly.


APPLICATION
To yearn to be filled with the power of the HS in order to have the ability to do God's will. To seek the infilling of His Spirit in order to be His man on the scene whatever scene that is.

^{Acts 7:54} When the members of the Sanhedrin heard this, they were furious and gnashed their teeth at him.

People in authority have an obligation to make sound judgements, basing their decisions in truth. Emotions, power and the "mob mentality" tend to cloud sound thinking. That is the case here with this ruling council. Men with authority, became emotionally charged up especially at the point when Stephen accused them of murdering the Savior. This caused them to lose touch with reason and sound mind.
When confronted by a harsh truth the flesh is prone to become defensive. When we are defensive we will grasp at any point for "cover" We will tend to "dig in" to our side of the arguement and minimize the value of the truth coming from the other side. This is human nature, and it is poision to our Christian walk. Our judgements and decisions need to be grounded by the truth and not influenced by the culture "mob" or even our own emotions which can lead us astray. 

^{Matt 5:21} “You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder,^[a] and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ ²² But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister^[b][c] will be subject to judgment.

In saying this Jesus is putting anger on the same ladder as murder only just a few rungs lower. We find it to actually be true as the scenerio of Stephen being stoned at the hands of this council plays out.

APPLICATION
I need to soberly consider my judgements, not to let emotions cloud my thinking, to stay focused on truth even if it is counter to my arguement 

The Right Attitude

^{ACTS 2:46} Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts,

A certain humble and grateful joy seems to have been the attitude of this newly formed group of believers. They must have been excited about all the new and exciting things that had been occurring in their midst. It is interesting how we see this new group of interns here at the ranch gelling together and having joy and gratitude be the pervading attitude as well. There is much to be said for a "new thing" to spur the right attitude of hope and expectation. The challenge is how to keep the right attitude over the long haul well after the newness has worn off.


APPLICATION
I need to be mindful that my relationship with God is a lifelong endeavor, I have given Him my life and I expect that it will take a lifetime to become the person He has created me to be.

Amazing Leadership is Easy to Follow

 ⁷ “Do all that you have in mind,” his armor-bearer said. “Go ahead; I am with you heart and soul.” 

I find it interesting that the armor bearer without hesitation declares affirmatively to Johnathan that he is willing to follow him into battle regardless of the horrendous odds against them being successful. Johnathan must have been an amazing leader in this man's life for him to react that way. We know that Johnathan has the capacity to be a friend as we see how he is willing to lay down the inheritance of his future kingship for David.
A true leader will also have the capacity to be a great friend, one who looks after the best interest of the other, one who is willing to go out of his way for the other even at a cost to themselves. A leader in God's economy will take on the nature of a servant as we see in Philippians 2

⁵ In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:
 ⁶ Who, being in very nature^[a] God,
   did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
⁷ rather, he made himself nothing
   by taking the very nature^[b] of a servant,
   being made in human likeness.
⁸ And being found in appearance as a man,
   he humbled himself
   by becoming obedient to death—
      even death on a cross!

APPLICATION

I need to be more mindful of the people around me. I need to an encourager to as many people as I can. To get to know people on deeper levels than the acquaintance stage, to learn their goals, their direction and their concerns so that that encouragement comes from a sincere heart and can serve them by helping them to achieve the next thing God has for them. To learn to be a friend.

God is Faithful

⁴⁵ and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need.


Imagine the richness of the fellowship between this community of believers, they were willing to sell possessions to help others in need. These young believers  had to be close enough to each other to become aware of each other's needs. This was done spontaneously without needing to be instructed or coerced. Led by the newly in-dwelt Sprit of God those who had more were moved to help those who had need. Person to person, how different that is from our modern system of benevolence. Nowadays our culture relies on the government to aid those who are in financial need in our society, even our churches have developed benevolence ministries to do this but in the beginning it was sponteneous and person to person not through some sort of beauracracy as an intermediary.  I also find it worthy of note that they helped others who were in need not out of their wants or desires but out of their needs, God has promised to fulfill our needs.


Phil ^4:19 And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus  


APPLICATION


By faith I know that I can trust God to meet my needs. I need to walk in that reality.

Real Community - Acts 2:44

^{Acts 2:44} All the believers were together and had everything in common.

When there is a group of people who gather together and share important elements of life such as shared values, shared space/geography, shared faith or beliefs we call that a community. Such as the medical community or the black community or the community of Whitefish.  Community is a word that derives from the word commune which speaks of unity and continued commitment to that unity. In order to maintain a community there needs to be commitment. That commitment is served properly by not thinking more highly of self but considering others better than oneself and thereby putting the needs and desires of the community over personal needs. When this is done consistently the community will thrive.

I need to be mindful of the community I live in and to respect that God has ordained it and to be careful to nurture unity and to take responsibility for it since it is pleasing to Him.

"Awesome"

^{Acts 2:43} Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. 

Websters 1828 Dictionary of the english language describes the word AWE as follows:

awe

1. Fear mingled with admiration or reverence; reverential fear.

Stand in awe and sin not. Ps. 4.

2. Fear; dread inspired by something great, or terrific.AWE, v.t. To strike with fear and reverence; to influence by fear, terror or respect; as, his majesty awed them into silence.

Certainly this is one of those words that has been hijacked by the common vernacular and seriously "dumbed down" I think of the ridiculous movie "Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure" where a young Sean Penn uses and re uses the phrase "awesome" most times referring to some idiotic marijuana induced figment of his imagination in the irredeemably useless plot. Since that movie came out in 1989 our culture has used the word "awesome" to describe things that have less and less value.
I believe that some words should be reserved for the things of God. The term "awesome" is a perfect example of this. To inspire awe due to greatness mingled with admiration and reverential fear seems to me should be reserved for God and God alone.

APPLICATION
It will be my goal to only use the word "awesome" as it is expressly connected to the Lord or of His works, in my heart only He deserves my true awe.

A Welcome Fresh Renewal - Acts 2:42

ACTS 2:42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.

This was a community of people who were interdependent on one another like all agricultural communities. They daily drew water from a communal well, they were, clan by clan, family by family often related through marriage and had many common interactions and dependencies with one another all of the time.

Lets consider that this very group of people experienced the resurrection of Christ personally, or if not personally then they indeed knew someone close to themselves who did. At this point in time the crucifixion and resurrection had just occured in their midst,  we are talking within weeks of this time period. Many personally saw the risen Jesus. I am sure this had a profound effect on the whole community.
These new converts were hungry believers, devoted to what the Apostles were teaching, perhaps they were all in such awe at the evidence of the resurrection of Christ that they were eagerly devoted to the things of God, the fellowship of the believers, breaking of bread together enjoying each others encouragement and prayer times where they would pour out their hearts and sense the Lords presence. Also let us not forget that the indwelling Holy Spirit was at work in the hearts and lives of these new converts for the very first time in the history of mankind, I am sure they sensed that something amazing was happening.

APPLICATION
I recall when I had a newness to my faith and experienced some of these very same things. That indeed was a sweet time I like King David cry out to renew a steadfast spirit within me, to revive me to a fresh love and excitement of what God is doing today in my life.

Ephesians 3:12 In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence.

In Him and through faith in Him. This is an amazing concept. When we look at the Law of God we find only the plumb line of righteousness. The perfect and unmoving standard of all that is right. Problem is that in itself the Law consistently shows what a perfect life should be but does not shed any light on HOW to live up to it. It is like a meter of sorts like a gas gauge on your dashboard. It shows you how much gas you have in the tank precisely, but does nothing, not one whit to show you how to get gas or where to get gas or anything of the sort. The Law, like the gauge merely gives a snapshot of truth. Now when we look at the incomparable life of Christ we see not only the perfect example of how to live and how the Law is fulfilled in a human life but more importantly we have the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit to guide us and teach us and to empower us to lead holy and righteous lives. This is the paramount difference that separates our faith from all other creeds or religions. The Law which is the perfect standard coupled with the great grace of God to accomplish it. All for the benefit of fulfilling His purposes on earth and coincidentally as we do so we enjoy great peace and joy in ourselves. In Him and through Him.

APPLICATION
To seek to get self out of the way and allow the Holy Spirit to truly lead my life today.

Ephesians 3:11 according to his eternal purpose that he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord.

It is comforting to know that the eternal purposes of God are being accomplished even despite the depravity of man, the free will of man and even the blatant militism of the new atheists. God's will will prevail on earth as it is in heaven. Our peace and fulfillment rely on our agreement with His purposes and even more so by attuning our lives to His purposes and our role in them.  A friend of mine asked the simple question: What would you do with your life if you knew that you only had 12 months to live. I replied to him that I would do exactly what I was doing and he agreed that he would as well. Then I mused that when you seek and find God's will for your life His purpose and your purpose align in the the things you pursue in your life and you have peace. It is for those that are not in tune with God's purpose that a question like this may stir all kinds of emotions like fear, regret and perhaps resistance.  God will not be mocked, His will will prevail so why not get in step with His Spirit and enjoy the ride?


APPLICATION
To have the confidence to know that God will work out all things to achieve His purpose and to be useful to Him with my word and deed in His accomplishing that today.

Ephesians 3:10 His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms,

I find it quite interesting that Paul would know or presume to know the intent of God. Intent is a very difficult thing to perceive. So Paul with reliance on the Holy Spirit for inspiration has been given revelation of this truth. The unveiling of the mystery of God held quietly through the ages up until his writing of this epistle from that dark and dank Mamartine prison cell in Rome. There is much to be said about isolation and reflection in the quiet place where the still small voice of God may become amplified. Our modern existence is a difficult and continuous bombardment of input from every corner of our lives. To be one like Paul or Jesus who only spoke the words the Father has given should be the goal of every Christian.

APPLICATION
To be intentional in getting away to a quiet place today to reflect and listen to the voice of the Lord.

Ephesians 3:9 - God is Answering the Call for Wisdom, are you Listening?

⁹ and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things.

It is the glory of God to conceal a matter; to search out a matter is the glory of kings.
Proverbs 25:1-3

We as Christians have the glorious ability to search out a matter, by this I mean that we can seek and indeed find truth. We do this through study of the Scripture, guided by the Holy Spirit and through divine revelation as God sees fit. This is a powerful gift that we can enjoy the fruit of if we apply ourselves to engage  our minds in this way.

James 1:5
If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.

 APPLICATION
What a great benefit we have in this, I recommit to seek Him for the answers I need to lead my family into the path of His purpose and will for us.

Ephesians 3:8 - Keeping Spiritual Lines of Communication Clear

⁸ Although I am less than the least of all the Lord’s people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the boundless riches of Christ,

Accepting Christ as the Messiah was a giant leap for the establishment Jewish leadership to digest. To make matters even worse, the apparent inclusion of the gentiles into this group was anathema, an unscalable wall of prejudice separating the two groups for generations had been deeply embedded into the fabric of their way of life. Culturally the Jews could not conceive of including the gentiles into their neat little collective society, with all its exclusivity and family tree and all. Years and years of the "us vs. them" mentality coupled with disdain and disgust ushered in the sin of  prejudice.  This sin prevented them from seeing their own Messiah right before their eyes.  Sin will always cloud our judgment and interfere with our ability to connect with God.

Psalm 66:16-18
¹⁶ Come and hear, all you who fear God;
   let me tell you what he has done for me.
¹⁷ I cried out to him with my mouth;
   his praise was on my tongue.
¹⁸ If I had cherished sin in my heart,
   the Lord would not have listened;

APPLICATION
To cherish my connection with the Holy Spirit and to confess quickly my sin so as to keep the lines of communication open and clear.

Ephesians 3:7 - Holy Enough?

⁷ I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace given me through the working of his power.

From the point of Paul's Demascus Road encounter with Christ to the point that He was penning this letter to the Ephesians some 30 to 40 years had elapsed. So when Paul says that he became a servant of the gospel it was something that occured over the majority of his adult lifetime. We become the person that God has designed us to be as we refine out of our lives the selfish issues and sins that hinder our growth in Christ. We are all a work in progress the question is are we truly, actively at work in the process? So if you are a Christian for say, 10 years, have you been walking with the Lord, learning and growing, changing and developing continually for ten years or have you been learning the same lessons of the first year or two over and over for ten years?  There is a ginormous difference. Let's examine ourselves and be honest, I think for most of us we have a bit of both, some things we have grown out of and others are still with us and we tend to get into a comfort zone of making amends with being what I call "holy enough"- better than who I was but not perfect yet. I would like to challenge us to take it up a notch and seek him for victory over the things that easily beset our progress.

APPLICATION
To seek him for victory over the things that easily beset our progress and resolve to tackle it.

Ephesians 3:6

⁶ This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus. 

 Who's invited to join the kingdom of God? "Whosoever will" respond to God's invitation--that is, anyone who accepts the Gospel of Jesus and gives their life over to God! 

None are excluded all are eligible, no race, nationality, no lineage not even heinous former lifestyles can render anyone ineligible to partake in the riches of the glorious gift of eternal life found in Christ.

Up until Paul writing this out there was a closed and exclusive bond around Judaism, the fact that God was now making His appeal to all men was an enormous upheaval in the culture of the day.

APPLICATION
To know that God may want to do something new, something counter cultural, and that I need to be open to be guided into it.

Ephesians 3:5

⁵ which was not made known to people in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God’s holy apostles and prophets.

Revelation:  The act of disclosing or discovering to others what was before unknown to them; appropriately, the disclosure or communication of truth to men by God himself, or by his authorized agents, the prophets and apostles. Websters 1828 dictionary

God had a specific revelation for the generation that Paul preached to and He also has a specific revelation for this generation. Whatever the age there is a particular agenda that God is working on, and accordingly His revelation will define and shape what He wants His people to be doing. If for example we are to see the return of Christ then He will prepare us to walk in that, if we are to continue to occupy and build the Kingdom on earth for another millienia then so be it but His revelation will speak to that, and guide us with all wisdom.

The apostles and prophets were given this special revelation back in the first century. Now in the latter days the prophets and apostles do not have the titles as such we do have people in the body of Christ with these abilities.

^{Romans 11:29} For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.

APPLICATION
I need to be open to the Lord giving me revelation or to be open to someone in the body expressing revelation.

^{Prov 29:18} Where there is no revelation, people cast off restraint;
   but blessed is the one who heeds wisdom’s instruction.