It is not enough just to believe

 

Lauren Daigle – You Say (Official Music Video)

 

Here I am reading all about blood in Leviticus and all I can think of is communion. What do I take from that as a disciple?  If all I have is my belief on Christ for the forgiveness of sin, I am missing out on the constant, daily spiritual strength and nourishment that God offers through His word.

When I do not, could I fall into the same misstep where the people were found worshipping goat demons? This in the midst of everyone believing in the true worship of God and being discipled in that by Moses. How could they worship anything else – how could I – but we do, I do – especially if my relationship with God is not everyday.

Holiness is not a private business for just one compartment of my life. Every aspect of my life I want claimed by God. A weird thought – if I believe that Jesus is returning one day, how do I not see the harm in storing up treasure here on earth?

That brings me right back to Paul. He has this amazing experience with Jesus and asks one question – what would you have me do? It is good news for me today because it reveals the power of prayer – humbled sinner type of prayer for salvation. Moved from saying my prayers to praying them. Grace does that. I would like to think that you might as well find a person living without breath as a living follower of Jesus who does not pray. I am not trying to be too holy here – and I love Ananias for being such a great example, for even he staggered at the commands that were given to him. So I see that I live this way not because of who I am but because of who the Holy Spirit is – He takes away my scales of ignorance and pride and the sinner becomes a new person.

Hello Tabitha – what a great testimony of a life who came to serve. She did some amazing things for people, especially for the poor, an expression of active compassion and mercy. She did not organize events or activities, she personally performed these charitable expressions of deeds. I am challenged again today that believing is not enough. A changed life looks and seeks to be Jesus in their world, as I need to be in my world.
 

 

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Multiplying

 

Is it not true that when we have heard of a place where the followers of Jesus Christ are being persecuted that they are in fact multiplying? I wrote a little bit more about this as a writer for Sixty-six books in a year.

Such is the state of those following Christ in Acts chapter 8. Stephen has been put to death and is buried. The breaking point that pushed the gate open for persecution to come on full-bore. Many were forced to leave Jerusalem. We are introduced to Philip doing the same thing. He went to Samaria and preached the gospel there. They embraced God’s word, even the famous magician of the day – Simon Magus. It was wonderful to read about the Holy Spirit coming upon the believing Samaritans through the ministry of Peter and John. I am wondering if Simon Magus was the first to commit the unpardonable sin by offering money for the power of the Holy Spirit to be given to him. The gospel is also sent to Ethiopia by the eunuch. Philip is the one engaged with him. The eunuch believes and is water baptized. Believe it or not, Philip is transported quite a few miles north of where he was.

Both Stephen and Philip give me two great examples of what it means to be a disciple of Jesus and how that fits into the multiplying plan.

As a disciple, I must make myself available to God – to serve Him. What I do for Him, whenever I do something for Him, nothing is insignificant. No action, no person, no ministry in the Kingdom of God is insignificant.

Bobby Michaels was a Christian singer and composer. He was at a Bible conference one day when he noticed a young intern attending to them. His job was to get the coffee, clean up the tables, and generally stay out of everyone’s way.

At the end of the conference, another participant asked Bobby how his current album project was coming together. He replied that he needed one more song to finish the album, and his friend pointed to the intern and said, “That kid, the one cleaning up the table, he is writing some interesting stuff. Why don’t you talk to him?”

And so Bobby did and the young man shared with him the words that eventually became his final song for his album. The song was, “My Redeemer is Faithful and True”. The young intern was Steven Curtis Chapman, who has also become a successful Christian singer and song-writer.

As a disciple, I listen to God’s call. I can only be led if I am listening.

 Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Rise and go toward the south[d] to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” This is a desert place.  And he rose and went. And there was an Ethiopian, a eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasure. He had come to Jerusalem to worship  and was returning, seated in his chariot, and he was reading the prophet Isaiah.  And the Spirit said to Philip, “Go over and join this chariot.” – Acts 8:26-29  ESV

 

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Set to serve

 

Mumford and Sons: Sigh No More

 

In reading how God told Moses to set Aaron and his sons aside for the holy purpose of being priests – I learned something.  This was a decision that God had made for His service, and not for salvation. God called them to serve Him.

Am I not called to do the same? When I read Jesus’ attitude it would seem so. He chose the disciples, they are only effective when they are dependent on Him. They are cleansed by His word, and they can do nothing of eternal significance or lasting worth apart from Jesus. This amazing, deep abiding love relationship they have with Jesus is a product of the regeneration and sanctification of the Spirit in their lives.

Is that not the point Stephen was trying to make when Luke recorded his speech, in detail, prior to his stoning?

And Stephen said: “Brothers and fathers, hear me. The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran. – Acts 7:2  ESV

But he, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. – Acts 7:55  ESV

The glory all belongs to God – I have been called to give glory to God and I do that by serving Him. I am to carry out God’s plan with a call to serve.

 

 

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New covenant

 

New Covenant

 

Interesting to note that Leviticus is clear on how the blood from the sacrifices were to be poured out at the bottom of the altar, in full view. The sacrifice giving me the sense of cleansing and renewal and the blood giving me a righteous, cleansed standing in the presence of God. This in fact is the new covenant I have with Jesus as He sacrificed His body for me and shed His blood for the remission of my sin.

As a disciple, this accepting and living in this new covenant causes me to grow. As a pupil, a student of Jesus, I learn from Him and actively seek, and strive, to be like Him.

When I read the story in Acts where seven were chosen to look after the food distribution – did you notice the two who did much more than that – Stephen and Philip.  They found a way to still effectively preach the gospel. I am sure the apostles did not anticipate this but in fact it was the work of the Holy Spirit. I love it that no person could take credit for what happened to them and how they grew boldly in their relationship with Jesus. I read this and pray that as I enter every day into a new day, a new covenant relationship with Jesus, that I can look to God to work in ways in my life that I could never have anticipated, asked for, or acted upon.

 

 

 

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What is the gospel?

 

G.O.S.P.E.L. – Propaganda

 

What was the gospel that Jesus preached? Good news – euangelion – that’s the gospel.

Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand;[a] repent and believe in the gospel.” – Mark 1:14-15  ESV

The good news of the gospel is that there is a kingdom and that I am invited to enter into that kingdom.

  •  If I want to enter into the Kingdom of God I am going to have
    to do something.
  • First, there is the need to repent. Repentance is a foundational doctrine of
    the gospel.

    • John the Baptist preached it preparing the way for the Messiah
    • Jesus preached it as a means into the kingdom
  • Second, belief in the gospel is necessary
    • Belief in the gospel is not simply believing in salvation
    • To believe in the gospel is to believe in Jesus as the one who
      brings that salvation,

Given that Jesus made the Kingdom of God such a central part of His teaching and preaching, as a disciple, I need to do the same.

“In the end, this story seems to be Jesus, stepping into the role that John the Baptizer has filled, taking the risk of being aligned with one who was just handed over and proclaiming the same message. Only now we see that this role involves preaching, saying, and walking along the shore to call disciples.” – D. Mark Davis, Left Behind and Loving It, 2015.

When John the Baptist was put in prison, that became the open door for Jesus to begin His public ministry. John had done what God called and prepared him to do, and his work was over. John had laid a sure foundation and it was that foundation that Jesus began to build on.

The proclamation of the Kingdom of God belongs to the heart of Jesus’ message and ministry. It was not just a symbolic place, or description of royal power, it refers to the kingly activity of God. It was the condition of living according to God’s will – His saving and liberating activity – through unconditional and unmerited love. Mark is the one who describes the powerful love of God which Jesus brings into my life and experience. It is both a gift and a task which demands a response. That response is repentance. While it may feel like the kingdom of God is something to walk into in the future, it is a timeless place, a place to experience here and now.

That is good news indeed!

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