What can I do?

“Repent,” Peter said to them, “and be baptized, each of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins,” ... So those who accepted his message were baptized, and that day about 3,000 people were added to them. (Acts 2:38a, 2:41 HCSB)

About seven weeks before this powerful sermon that yielded incredible results, Peter denied knowing Jesus and hid like a coward. Throughout his time with Jesus he showed moments of great potential but also showed moments of no potential.

So what changed in those seven weeks? Peter encountered the resurrected Christ. All his hopes were realized and his doubts were erased. This resulted in Peter's obedience and his obedience was rewarded with the supernatural equipping to spread the message of salvation.

This entire second chapter of the book of Acts is miraculous. The Holy Spirit was poured out on the believers that gathered and waited in obedience to Jesus. They were filled with the ability to speak and their speech was understood by people of different languages. Peter spoke boldly, not fearing embarrassment or rejection.

At the end of Peter's three minute sermon (if the entire sermon is recorded in scripture) the people, "Were pierced to the heart and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles: "Brothers, what should we do?'" (Acts 2:37) The results were astounding. I imagine Peter and the the other apostles being filled with joy and some level of disbelief; not doubting the message or God's ability to save, but having one of those moments where you are left speechless and awe struck, perhaps asking yourself, "Did that really just happen?'

Not all of us are called to proclaim the message the way Peter did and few--if any--of us will see the immediate results that the apostles witnessed that day. But 3,000 souls saved through our obedience is possible, even probable, if we use our gifts in service to the One who gave us those gifts.

If you have the gift of hospitality and use it for God's glory, perhaps one person will be impacted by your hospitality and come to know Christ as Savior and Lord. Then that person receives the gift of teaching and empowers other to join in the work of the church. Then among his disciples one receives the gift of evangelism and leads countless people to the Lord. The spiritual family tree that starts with you will show branches that include thousands of people who have the gift of eternal life. Page after page of names of souls rescued from eternal damnation will be added to the Lamb's Book of Life and it all started with one simple act of obedience.

"What can I do?", you ask. You can abide in Christ, pray for the lost, share the love that was freely given to you with someone else and see the amazing work of God in the lives of thousands.

The Old Testament is irrelevant

Then everyone who calls on the name of Yahweh will be saved. (Joel 2:32a HCSB)

I heard a preacher say that he only preaches from the New Testament since it reveals grace and the Old Testament shows the futility of keeping the law. He said he would rather look at the transfiguration since it showed Jesus' increasing glory instead of looking at Moses's appearance when he came down from the mountain since it showed his fading glory. To suggest that God's mercy and His grace are not evident in the Hebrew scripture is sad.

The passage in Joel was quoted by Peter during his sermon following Pentecost. A similar statement appears in Paul's letter to the church in Rome.

Contrary to common misconception, God did not evolve. The God of the Old Testament is not an angry, war-mongering God with His hand forever poised over the "smite" button and the God of the New Testament is not some pacifist that rescinded the law or its consequences. They are One, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and They are consistent throughout eternity. God has always been the God of mercy, grace and justice and only He is capable of balancing these attributes.

Jesus Christ is present throughout the Hebrew scripture. In theological terms there are types and anti-types; people and situations in the Old Testament that serve as prophecies of the coming Messiah. There are Old Testament appearances of Jesus. These are called theophonies or Christophanies. Whenever we see God in human form we are seeing Christ.

The early apostles preached from the Hebrew scripture--what we call the Old Testament--since the New Testament had not been written yet. They also preached from Jesus' teachings. He was and is the Word of God. In Genesis when it says, "God said, 'Let there be...", this is Christ. This is preceded by the first five words in the Bible, "In the beginning God created,". We see the first three of these words again in the first chapter of John. "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God." It goes on in verse 3 to say, "All things were created through Him." This means Jesus.

Jesus said, "Don’t assume that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill."

Mercy and grace are woven throughout the entire Bible. Christ is found throughout the entire Bible. The message of salvation as a gift of grace through faith in God is found throughout the Bible.

Without the Old Testament the New Testament does not make sense. Dig into His word, all of it, and find treasures that really matter.

Prayer must be overrated

"All these were continually united in prayer, along with the women, including Mary the mother of Jesus, and His brothers. (Acts 1:14 HCSB)

A great way to get people to church is to have a potluck dinner. Nothing brings people in quite like food. If the fellowship after the meal carries on too long and you need to get people out, call an impromptu prayer meeting.

I learned a long time ago that the quickest way to get a pastor to quit asking you to join some type of ministry is to tell the pastor, "I'll pray about it." I was called out on this once. I explained ad nauseam that I was not called to the ministry we were discussing. To end the conversation I fired my shot. "I''ll pray about it."

Without missing a beat, the response came, "Most people who say they will pray about something never really do."

What makes people reluctant to pray? What makes them more reluctant to pray in public? If they have a good private prayer life then it seems praying in public would be a natural extension of an established conversation with God.

The first church--before it could be considered a church--was a praying church. The prayers of this gathering united them. The disciples that followed Jesus, except for Judas Iscariot, were gathered and united in prayer. Along with them were women, including Jesus' mother, as well as Jesus' brothers. His brothers were skeptics about their older brother's deity during His earthly ministry and now they were praying leaders within the emerging church.

The Christian faith is divided among denominations. Our country, a nation abundantly blessed by God, is divided along political parties, race, religion, and ethnicity. Only prayer can heal this country. This does not mean interfaith prayer meetings hosted by celebrities. It means the Christian church must set the example and become, once again, a church that is united in prayer. If we become a praying church there are two possible outcomes. One outcome, the unity of the praying church will draw people to God. The other outcome, the church will be strengthened and ready to endure the real persecution that sits on the horizon. Or, it could be both.

The praying church will grow. Souls will be won to the Lord and names will fill the Lambs book of life. The church will grow numerically and in spiritual strength and the enemy will be rallied to increase his attacks. The end times will draw closer and the church will suffer genuine persecution. All this sound ominous but fear is not a factor. Our Lord and Savior has already secured the victory. 

Take it easy

"Then [Jesus] told them, 'The Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath.'" (Mark 2:27)

In Genesis we learn that God created the universe in six days and rested on the seventh. In Exodus we are reminded of this when God gave the Ten Commandments. He told us to remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy. Then God tells us, "For the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and everything in them in six days; then He rested on the seventh day." (Exodus 20:11)

Did God really need to rest? Was creating the universe so taxing that God felt exhausted and decided to take a day off? Absolutely not! God spoke the universe into existence ex nihilo, out of nothing. So why did He declare the Sabbath as a holy day?

Jesus answered that question when he said, "The Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath."

Earlier that day Jesus and His disciples were walking along a grain field and His disciples picked some of the grain and ate it. This was a common practice to pick from the edge of the field. The Pharisees, a group of religious leaders that tried to strictly follow the law, challenged Jesus about the actions of His disciples violating the Sabbath. The Pharisees were so concerned about keeping the law they became very legalistic about every nuance of the law.

When Jesus said the Sabbath was made for man, he was saying that the Sabbath was God's way of telling mankind that they had to let their bodies rest. Rest is necessary to good health. A good night's sleep and a regular day off are important for physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual health.

Our society has become so busy we no longer have time for God. But our business is of our own making. With the invention of the electric light bulb, people are able to stay up much later than they were 200 years ago. With television and the Internet, we have entertainment at our finger tips to occupy our minds. Some people believe they cannot sleep without the television running and others are on some type of electronic device until the early morning hours. They spend their days sleepy and unproductive. The have to nap during the day which means they have difficulty sleeping at night and the cycle of sleep deprivation due to electronic gadget addiction is repeated. A worn out body and a worn out mind is ineffective at so many things including working for the Lord.

The Sabbath (rest) was not God putting a legal restriction on us. He gave us that command because it's for own own good. It's also for His glory. If we are well rested and we take time to step away from all our work, we should devote that time to strengthening our relationship with Jesus.

Do an honest assessment of how much time you spend watching television, streaming videos, being distracted and "killing time" watching mindless programs or viewing materials that do not build you up. Now take a fraction of that time and add it to your prayer life and your time in God's Word. How much stronger will your spiritual life become?

Or, one final question to ask yourself: If you gave your spouse only the same amount of time you give God each day, how strong would your marriage be? Your relationship with the Lord is just that; a relationship. Relationships are meant to be relational which requires un-distracted time with those you love.

He'll never change

"When [Saul] came to Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples, but they were 

all afraid of him, not believing that he really was a disciple." (Acts 9:26 HCSB)

After his conversion experience, Saul had his vision restored through Ananias and then he was baptized. He started proclaiming the gospel in Damascus; the same place he came to arrest Christians and take them back to Jerusalem as prisoners. He did return to Jerusalem but not in the way he originally intended.

The people of Damascus were perplexed. "All those who heard him were astonished and asked, 'Isn’t he the man who raised havoc in Jerusalem among those who call on this name? And hasn’t he come here to take them as prisoners to the chief priests?'" (Acts 9:21)

We all know those people. Some of us might be those people: The ones who can never change, lifelong miscreants that took depravity to ever sinking levels and now we claim to be servants of God. Paul was more than a miscreant. He was a conspirator to murder and an outspoken critic of those who claimed Jesus as Messiah.

One can only speculate what some people thought. The believers didn't trust him. His supporters might have thought this was a ploy to get closer to members of the Way so he could trap more of them and gain evidence against them. But eventually those who despised Christians realized his conversion was real and they sought to kill him. The local believers helped him escape and he returned to Jerusalem, not with his bounty of arrested believers but with the power of the Holy Spirit and the message of eternal life. His arrival in Jerusalem was met with disbelief and distrust by the believers but Barnabas, a known disciple, vouched for Paul. Paul began preaching and debating with Greek speaking Jews and once again, he had to flee because his life was being threatened.

A bad reputation is hard to overcome and a good reputation is destroyed in a moment. Paul had a hard time overcoming the distrust of the believers but no problem making enemies of his former colleagues.

It's easy to get frustrated when we walk with the Lord; trying to overcome our past and convincing people we really have changed. Well meaning friends might even remind us of some of our past, not always in a mean-spirited way but as reminder of the good-ole' days. Perhaps it's better if we let our actions prove the change and not just our words.

Paul was able to overcome his bad reputation with the help of believers who were willing to extend him a hand of fellowship and vouch for him among the other believers. He also overcame that bad reputation through persistence in living the Christian faith and serving the Lord. He did not go back to his old ways, a familiar life and a comfortable life. He endured and became one of the true heroes of the Christian faith, a sinner saved by grace, a recipient of God's mercy, and a powerful tool in the hand of a mighty God.

We must all follow Paul's example. We can be changed through sanctification and we can be used to do great things for God. We must be persistent in walking with the Lord and serving him. We must guard our ways lest we fall and give our critics, God's critics, the ability to say, "See, I knew he'd never change."

Shall I go or shall I stay?

That is why I have been prevented many times from coming to you.  But now I no longer have any work to do in these provinces, and I have strongly desired for many years to come to you whenever I travel to Spain. (Rom 15:22-24)

Paul was a missionary. After his miraculous salvation experience he spent time with the early disciples learning about Jesus. While at the church in Antioch, God commanded the church to set aside Barnabas and Saul and send them on their first missionary journey. (Acts 13:1-3)

Paul made three mission journeys and during the third he stayed for three months in Corinth. While there he wrote his letter to the church in Rome. Here we can see Paul's heart to declare the gospel to, "the ends of the earth," in obedience to the Great Commission.

Paul had a noble desire. His vision to preach the gospel extended all the way to Spain but God had other plans. Paul also desired to visit the church in Rome on his way to Spain. (Rom 15:22-24, 28) It's unknown if Paul ever made it to Spain but his trip to Rome was made while under arrest and exercising his right to appeal his case to Caesar as a citizen of the Roman Empire. (Acts 25:11-12)

God gave a command--the Great Commission--and Paul sought to obey. So why would God not honor Paul's desire to do that which God commanded? There is no evidence that Paul went to Spain nor is there evidence that he did not. God was honoring Paul's noble desire to serve Him but God directed Paul's steps. God wanted it done His way and in His timing.

Trying to discern the specific will of God for our lives can be frustrating. We're told God has a specific plan for each of us yet we cannot quite figure out what that plan might be. Some people spend their entire lives trying to figure out the plan. Adrian Rogers wrote, "God's plan for us is not road map but a relationship."

Find out what are your spiritual gifts are. Identify what you are passionate about. These are the first indicator's of God's will for your life. Build and maintain a vibrant relationship with Christ. Maintain a healthy prayer life and be in His word daily. Prayer is talking to God and His word is one of the primary ways He talks to us.

Dream big. Cast a vision that reaches far. Follow your heart and the leading of the Holy Spirit. Since it's the relationship and not just a road map, God will open doors and He will close doors. Be ready to hear go; be ready to hear no; and be ready to hear wait.

I just need to vent

For there is one God and one mediator  between God and humanity, Christ Jesus, Himself human,... 

1 Tim 2:5 HCSB

There is much talk about mental health these days, and this is a good thing. People suffer with depression, anger, loneliness; all these are unhealthy and are not part of the abundant life God desires for His children. Mental health professionals are in high demand and, it seems, in short supply. Even secular people use phrases such as, "battling our demons," as a metaphor to describe mental health issues.

Paul wrote this letter (1 Timothy) to his protégé, Timothy. (A more Biblically correct title for protégé is disciple.) The purpose of the letter was to encourage Timothy to stand firm in the faith and be able to stand up against false doctrine and false teaching that was infesting the church in Ephesus. How frustrating it must have been for Timothy to have to constantly correct false teaching from a crowd that was, perhaps, looking for someone to tickle their ears and tell them what they wanted to hear.

Early in this letter, Paul wrote, "Timothy, my child, I am giving you this instruction in keeping with the prophecies previously made about you, so that by them you may strongly engage in battle." Paul then writes to Timothy instructions on prayer.

Counselors, whether secular, humanists, atheist, or Biblical counselors are sometimes asked who they go to when they need someone to talk to, someone to help them vent, someone to give them advice and direction in dealing with problems, in combating their demons. Some talk to friends, some to peers, some secure the services of another counselor, and some just bottle it up inside. 

I am not dismissing the mental health profession as irrelevant. Science continues to reveal some of the mysteries of God including the physiological foundation of emotion that is found in the human soul. But there is one Counselor who is greatly ignored; God Himself.

It is good to have to have friends to talk to when you feel perplexed provided they will give you sound Biblical advice. It's okay to speak with a therapist as long as their advice does not conflict with the teaching of scripture. It is better yet to speak with God.

There is one mediator between God and humankind; Jesus Christ. Fully God; fully human. His advice will always be Biblical. He will never turn you away because you don't have the right insurance. He will never put you on hold while He looks for His next available appointment for you. He does not need to consult with His peers (He and His peers are One). 

With the tearing of the temple veil during Jesus' crucifixion, all of mankind gained access to the Holy of Holies. There is no longer the need for a priest to intercede on our behalf. We have access to the ultimate Counselor, the great Physician, the author and sustainer of life, the Lord God. Try talking to Him. Tell him what's on your heart and on your mind. Many people feel better after they've had a chance to vent yet they never really vent to God. They offer a quick, dispassionate prayer then open their eyes frustrated because they did not experience a miraculous event, after which they dismiss God as irrelevant.

For there is one God

and one mediator between God and humanity,

Christ Jesus, Himself human,

who gave Himself—a ransom for all,

a testimony at the proper time. (1 Tim 2:5-6 HCSB)

Counselors and the counseled will do well to make God their primary mental health provider. After all, how many human counselors can claim they gave themselves as a ransom for their clients?

Suffering persecution

Falling to the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?" (Acts 9:4 HCSB)

Prior to this confrontation, Saul of Tarsus was a persecutor of the church. He was, "breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord," and he was on a mission to take all Christians back to Jerusalem as prisoners. His persecution was against, "any who belonged to the Way," that is, people claiming that Jesus was the Messiah and that He was resurrected after His crucifixion. (Acts 9:1-2) But the Lord did not ask Saul why he was persecuting Christians.  He asked, "Why are you persecuting Me?" When Saul asked who was speaking to him, the reply was, "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting." (Acts 9:5)

When the church suffers severe persecution, it is not Christians that are the targets; it is the Lord, Jesus Christ. He said, "Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and falsely say every kind of evil against you because of Me." Genuine Christianity has an eternal focus, a worldview based on the promises found in scripture that our reward will be great in heaven. Should we seek persecution to secure these blessings? No. That would be foolishness. Persecution will come. Persecution has come. But where?

Western churches and western Christians are not heavily persecuted. In the United States many Christians are inconvenienced but this is not the same as persecution. There are instances of persecution but they are generally isolated. For example, if a young woman explores Christianity and her family is part of a different world religion, she could be punished, including beaten, for leaving the faith of her family. However, if local law enforcement finds out and intervenes the young woman can be removed from the household and the family prosecuted for child abuse or neglect.

Our brothers and sisters abroad suffer far more persecution. For example, in Nigeria Fulani herdsmen attack Christians and specifically target pastors.* In Sri Lanka, a mob, including local government officials, threatened a local church and the pastor stopped the worship service since he feared for the safety of the congregants.**   In India, two pastors were arrested and charged with running a conversion racket, illegally converting people from Hinduism to Christianity.***

So, if a local school board raises the rent of a church plant using a public school, consider our brothers and sisters abroad before we call ourselves persecuted. If neighbors complain about our friends' cars when we hold a weekly Bible study at our house, remember the church that was attacked by a mob including local government officials. If your family makes fun of you and calls you a Bible-thumper, think of the unpaid pastors across the globe who sit in jail simply because they led a Bible study.

We do our brothers and sisters a disservice when we compare our perceived persecution against their severe persecution. We do them a greater disservice when we fail to pray for them.

We live in the information age and knowing how to pray and who to pray for is easy. Voice of the Martyrs can keep you informed of real persecution and urgent prayer needs. Why not pray now. First, praise God if you live in a country where perceived persecution is merely an inconvenience. Next, pray for our brothers and sisters across the globe who are targets of genuine, severe persecution. The church you pray for today might be your refuge when Christianity becomes illegal where you live. Also, pray for western churches that they might take this time to grow strong in the faith so we are equipped to engage in the battle that draws closer everyday, and the battle that is being fought even now. 

*     Fulani herdsmen
**   Sri Lanka mob
*** India pastors arrested

I can never be forgiven

And the witnesses laid their robes at the feet of a young man named Saul. ... Saul agreed with putting [Stephen] to death. (Acts 7:58, 8:1 HCSB)

Stephen was one of the first deacons of the church (Acts 6:5) as well as one of the church's early apologists. (Acts 6:9-10) An apologist is someone that offers a defense of something; in this case the claims of Christianity. He was accused of blasphemy--speaking offensively of God or sacred things. He did not back down. He delivered a powerful sermon and a rebuke of the corruption of the sacred by those charged with keeping and teaching the law of God. The result was his death by stoning. It was not a state sanctioned execution but a brutal murder by a mob.

Among those present was Saul of Tarsus. Participants of this mob laid their robes at Saul's feet. This was no small matter. The coat or cloak was of great value in Bible times since it often provided the only source of protection or shelter from the elements especially at night.

Whether Saul threw a stone or not, he was complicit in Stephen's murder. He admits this later. "And when the blood of Your witness Stephen was being shed, I myself was standing by and approving, and I guarded the clothes of those who killed him." (Acts 22:20) Saul also sought letters from the High Priest so he could bring all professing Christians to Jerusalem as prisoners. (Acts 9:1-2) By his own admission, Saul was the worst of all sinners. (1 Timothy 1:15)

Saul was met by Jesus on the road to Damascus with the letters of arrest issued by the High Priest. In a miraculous conversion experience, Saul became a model missionary planting churches throughout the known world and he was the most prolific writer contributing to the New Testament. He was beaten, persecuted, arrested, shipwrecked, chased out of several towns, all for the same faith he once sought to destroy. Yet he continued to move forward.

There is no shortage of people that choose not to go to church claiming if they ever walked through the doors of a church that church would burst into flames. There are countless others that seek forgiveness but feel their sins are too great. "If you knew half of what I did...".

There is no sin that God cannot and will not forgive if you seek His forgiveness. If God is so great that He can speak the universe into existence out of nothing, He can forgive your sins. If God can redeem a nation of slaves and lead them safely across a great desert while the world's most powerful army pursues them, He can forgive your sins. If God can take on the form of a human being, suffer death by crucifixion and rise from the grave, He can forgive your sins. If God can take the least likely people and use them to forever change the world and build His church, He can forgive your sins and use you to do great things for Him, bring glory to His name, and advance His kingdom.

"My sins are too great," is the lamest excuse in all of human history. Put your past behind you. Seek God's forgiveness and start living a life of victory though Him and for Him.

Look at me.

The Lord  answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has made the right choice, and it will not be taken away from her.” (Luke 10:41-42 HCSB)

Jesus was travelling and stopped in a village where Martha and Mary lived. They were sisters. Martha welcomed Jesus and the disciples that were travelling with Him and showed much hospitality while Mary sat at Jesus' feet and listened to His teaching. Martha complained to Jesus and asked Him to convince Mary to help. The Lord did not meet her request. Instead, He corrected her.

At first glance this seems to show a lack of appreciation on Jesus' part for Martha's hard work and hospitality. It was not just the Lord she was serving but His entourage as well ("While they were travelling...). 

Martha was, "distracted by her many tasks," and, "worried and upset about many things." Perhaps she went above-and-beyond, serving a larger variety of food than was necessary. Perhaps her concern was over how much more she was doing to serve the Lord than Mary, and perhaps she was trying to highlight how hard she was working for the Lord as compared to Mary. There are times to serve and there are times to sit at Jesus' feet and listen to His teaching.

Only God knows the attitude of her heart that was part of her request. But one thing is certain: Whenever we compare ourselves to others we will bring about the Lord's rebuke. If you feel compelled to compare yourself to someone else to highlight how good you are, compare yourself only to the Lord, Jesus Christ.