Saturday, October 30, 2010

Silence of Fear or Confession of Faith

Yet at the same time many even among the leaders believed in him.  John 12:42a

I’m excited when people believe in Christ.  But, this story told by John continues, revealing that “because of the Pharisees they would not confess their faith for fear they would be put out of the synagogue; for they loved praise from men more than praise from God” (John 12:42-43). 

Too often people simply believe in the goodness of Jesus, yet are fearful to confess him through faith alone.  Jesus often loses his savory appeal, the moment we realize that “it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved” (Rom 10:10)—we get cold feet due to a prideful heart and our lips become tight.  This was the case of the synagogue leaders; possibly a similar story for someone you know, or possibly you. 

The leaders in Jesus’ day apparently believed who Jesus was, the Messiah, but their pride induced fear of what others thought about them.  Because they “would not confess their faith”—they received from God what they were willing to confess, … nothing.

What do you want from God?  Confess it! 

Confessing Christ as God, my healer, my deliverer, my Savior,

Owen <><

Saturday, October 23, 2010

Mission of Intercession – Not Intermission

“… give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word.” Acts 6:4

The early church in Jerusalem had miraculous growth.  Remember, the church grew by about 3,000 on her first day (Acts 2:41).  With the continued growth came a need for the Apostles (the Twelve) to attain help overseeing and serving the people.  This duty required that they be “full of the Spirit and wisdom” (Acts 2:3); thus, the Twelve delegated a portion of their ministry and authority over the church to well qualified, Spirit filled servants of the Lord.  The Church grew as more people were born again in Christ (nope, no switching churches or denominations); and enabled leaders were birthed from within.

So, what was the key to Apostolic leadership?  What was the key to evangelism?  What was the key to Chruch growth?  What was the key to retaining people and growing leadership in the body?  What is the key to the same questions for today?
 
1.  The growing body of believers “devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer” (Acts 2:42).  Note when the church was devoted to the apostles teaching and prayer; with fellowship in the middle, great things happened.    
2.  The Apostles wanted to give their “attention to prayer and the ministry of the word” (v 6:4). 

Common to Acts 2 and 6 was prayer.  The results of disciples being taught and Spirit lead by Apostles reveals a common thread to church health and growth:  PRAYER. 

Indeed, Jesus prayed all night before his atoning death for us.  His prayer was intercession for His disciples, and as He added, “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me” (John 17:20)—those “who will believe,” that’s you and me today!  Jesus and the Apostles engaged in prayer, intercessory prayer.  Intercessory prayer was for the past, it is for this moment, and it is for God’s “kingdom come” and that His “will be done on earth as it is in heaven” (Matt 6:10).

In the early church, interceding in prayer for the leadership and body had a glorious result:  “Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles” (2:43).  Why would you expect any less today, for this very moment?  Today, as with the early church, intercessory prayer is needed.  In prayer, intercede for the church, the leadership and body; and for empty souls needing Christ’s filling.  The result:  Everyone will be filled with awe, and see many wonders and miraculous signs.

Interceding for you,

Owen <><

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Live Humble - Live in the Mighty Power of God

So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor. Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you. 
— 1 Peter 5:6-7 (NLT)

I was once asked, “Why teach about humility, wouldn’t teaching about pride show us how not to live?”  Before I could speak I felt God begin to answer through me, he had me to simply reply, “Why would I teach you how to be Satan when I am to teach you to be Christlike?”

So how does one conquer pride? Be humble to God. 
There are two things a Christ follower needs to do:
1) Humble yourself—Do as God says
    ... do all things “under His mighty power,” not by your might or means.
2) Humble yourself—Trust God in all things
    ... receive his whispers into your spirit, live by His Word. 

The will of God becomes manifest, fulfilled in humility. 

Humility isn’t weakness, but strength to do all things through Christ—Philippians 4:13
o       I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. (NKJV)
o       I can do everything through him who gives me strength. (NIV)
o       I can do everything God asks me to with the help of Christ who gives me the strength and power.  (TLB)
o       Whatever I have, wherever I am, I can make it through anything in the One who makes me who I am. (The Message)

When I decrease, He will increase … in Christ,

Owen <><

Saturday, October 2, 2010

Servant of the Gospel


I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God's grace given me through the working of his power.  - Ephesians 3:7

Being a servant is a wonderful gift of God, a reflection of Christ (Phil 2:7), a means of helping those with need.   Servanthood is more than acts of generosity, kindness, caring, and works of assistance.  Such service is important.  However, as Paul wrote to the Ephesians, we are to be servants of the gospel.  The gospel, the good message, the good news, is the message of the salvation through Christ Jesus alone—the truth and the way to God the Father.

A born again, Spirit filled disciple is a servant who is being transformed into Christ’s likeness.  In example we are to respond as Jesus does, when Jesus “saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd” (Matt 9:36).  This story, in context, is preceded with telling how Jesus was “preaching the good news [the gospel] of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness” (v35); then, in the next verse, Jesus shares with his disciples that “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few.  Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”  Thus, in the midst of going to people in compassion and healing them is the essence of Jesus’ service, it is evangelism.    

To be like Jesus is to realize beyond the earthly need, and seek to heal the evil one’s harassing, to give the helpless the bread of life found in the gospel.  As we go to the needy, provide care and comfort, the apex of our caring work is to give opportunity for true spiritual healing. 

The last thing said to the disciples by Jesus was a command, he said, “Go into all the world and preach the good news to all … And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; [and they will] place their hands on sick people, and they will get well”; then Jesus went into heaven [and the] “disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signs that accompanied it.”

As a disciple we are a servant of, and a servant to Christ, in turn, a servant to the needy.  Servants attend to the needs of the harassed through true servanthood which attends to earthly needs as we practice servanthood evangelism.  As Paul said, he was a “servant of the gospel” not by his might, but by “God’s grace [and] power” (Eph 3:7).  So, we are to grow in Christ, show his compassion, serve by sharing the gospel story, and by God’s power serve as a channel of the Holy Spirit to heal the needy in body and spirit.

In His service,

Owen <><        

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