hey everyone! i know i havent been writing on this blog, but that is going to change. Im going to be honest, ive been having a hard time keeping up with my bible studies, i've been doing some but not all, and i wanted to share this story with you. Well first of all you guys need to know that it seriously hurts me that i have not been keeping into his word and have just been going back to my old ways of a repetitive prayer but tonight at 10:30 i had finished my homework and i was exaughsted because ive been up late doing homework lately, and a song came on my itunes when i was getting ready to go to bed. And i know a lot of you know it because everyone sang it while we were at camp. Its called How He Loves by Kim Walker, and towards the end of the song she stops and she just talks about how the love of god is "thick and tangible" and i honestly just stood in the middle of my room and closed my eyes while tears ran down my face, i was angry at him because i felt like he was touching the hearts of some of my close friends more than me and it was frustrating because i had fallen behind. God broke me tonight and im so glad he did so. I literally sat on the floor for 45 minutes and just poored into his word, and i cannot belive how amazing he worked in my life tonight. I read Acts 10 and in verse 34 it says "i see very clearly that God shows no favoritism". How crazy is that? He doesn't love one person more than another. He loves everyone no matter what! Tonight he knew what was on my heart and all it took was 1 verse in his word to reassure me. God's love really is thick and tangible.
if you guys could pray that i just keep my relationship growing with God that would be awesome.
i love and miss you all!
sam wolf
Monday, August 31, 2009
Acts 7
i know this chapter was a few days ago, but i can't get over it still. Reading Acts 7 just now and reading the account of OT history that Stephen gave, with his boldness and fervor in front of the council about how they were to be compared/associated with the Israelites who opposed God in the time of Moses and Joshua...i mean, that is BOLD. To basically call out the council and high priests and say, "You are just like they were! Turn your ways around..." and their anger caused him to be stoned. But Stephen took it just like Jesus did. The things he said as they were stoning him and the way he humbly received it, suffering for Christ's sake, it was a beautiful thing to read. I felt like something hit me in the chest.
I want to be bolder. I feel that God has caused me to get outside of my comfort zone in a lot of areas, such as with dance team girls or girls in my classes, but even with the dude that's riding in the elevator with me, or the girl across the hall I have yet to meet. I don't know what I'm waiting for. Why do we hesitate so much to be like Christ? What holds us back? My prayer is to learn to love like Him and be His hands and feet. In our hallway, our names are on our doors either on cut-out handprints or footprints. Today I was walking by and it's like God was saying, "See, be my hands and feet to these people." Man, God has the coolest ways of speaking to us (lingo!).
I want to be bolder. I feel that God has caused me to get outside of my comfort zone in a lot of areas, such as with dance team girls or girls in my classes, but even with the dude that's riding in the elevator with me, or the girl across the hall I have yet to meet. I don't know what I'm waiting for. Why do we hesitate so much to be like Christ? What holds us back? My prayer is to learn to love like Him and be His hands and feet. In our hallway, our names are on our doors either on cut-out handprints or footprints. Today I was walking by and it's like God was saying, "See, be my hands and feet to these people." Man, God has the coolest ways of speaking to us (lingo!).
ANSWER!?
Hey quest heres a question for you. in 2 kings 5, it talks about how Elijah told this man, with leprosy to go and wash in the Jordan 7 times and your skin will be restored. my question is, why did he have to do it seven times? why couldnt he just have done it once?? i want your opinion! please!
i love you! and praying for you, also i love how hayley put what she needed us to pray for, if you could tell me how i could start praying for you in specific ways that would be so awesome. i want to know how i can pray for you!
-love you lots
MADI!
i love you! and praying for you, also i love how hayley put what she needed us to pray for, if you could tell me how i could start praying for you in specific ways that would be so awesome. i want to know how i can pray for you!
-love you lots
MADI!
Sunday, August 30, 2009
dear quest,
so, lately I’ve been reading all of y'alls blogs- wow! everything you say really affects me and my day and it's just awesome. great job guys. anyways, i'm gonna give you the low-down on the Holy Spirit like I did with the angels- it’s a lot of information, but it’s good to know so bear with me and take it in! Holy Spirit. i'm so sorry it took me so long. i've been getting caught up in school, sports, drivers ed, and just feel like i've been failing a lot lately. i'm kind of confused about the Holy Spirit since i found so many different thing and it's been hard nailing it down, so PLEASE give me feedback, any more that you know or have experienced with it would be amazing.
1. So, to begin with, the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God. Acts 5:3, Matthew 28:19, John 4:24 I believe it is one of the Trinity (the Holy Trinity is, well, I guess a way to describe it is that the word Trinity is pretty much a title that describes the fact that God is a unity of three different ''people''- the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. While I was writing this, and researching, I realized that I can't really explain what exactly the Trinity is to begin with, thoughts please? I found this awesome picture that pretty much describes how I think of it even if I can't explain it though-
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Shield-Trinity-Scutum-Fidei-English.png )
It is referred to as the “Spirit of the Lord” or the “Spirit of God” or the “Holy Ghost” or the “Holy Spirit”.
3. Anyways, the Holy Spirit is basically a connection with God in you- the part of your mind that’s joined with the Mind of God. 1 Corinthians 6:17 It's that voice you hear in the back of your head when you're doing something wrong- your conscience. The Holy Spirit is a part of God’s children, but also technically God- it’s not separate from you, and is part of you so that’s why it’s crazy important to listen to it. In Matthew 11:15, the Bible says, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” I think that I need to be more aware of Holy Spirit through my thinking, then correcting my sinful thoughts, recognizing that voice in the back of my head, and then sharing that voice with others. Does that make sense? I mean, like, for me, I need to work on listening to that voice and recognizing that guilt I feel in the back of my mind whenever I’m doing something wrong, then stop doing whatever I was doing that wasn’t right. But yeah, I believe that people who haven't heard of Jesus can still hear that voice, and know morals and ethics even if they haven't read the Bible or been affected by the modern world. That’s what I believe but can I have your feedback? What are y'alls thoughts on that?
4. The Holy Spirit is in each of God’s children and can’t be taken out. I Corinthians 3:16. It’ll be with you forever. It’s a part of you that sees you and knows who you truly are since it is God and He is all knowing. Whenever I want peace in life, whenever God isn’t on my mind, and I remember the Holy Spirit, and that it knows who I am, and that it’s in me no matter what, waiting to join me up with the Lord, it brings me so much comfort and peace.
5. The Holy Spirit is referred to through metaphors and symbols. For instance, water signifies the Holy Spirit’s role in Baptism. 1 Corinthians 12:13 John 19:34 1 John5:8. It is referred to as fire, in the form of tongues ‘as of fire’; the Holy Spirit came into the disciples on Pentecost and enabled them to speak many languages Acts 2. The Holy Spirit comes to the Virgin Mary and Luke 9:34-35. It came in the form of a dove Matthew 3:16. It also comes in the form of wind. John 3:8, Acts 2:2-4.
6. The Holy Spirit is kind of how men receive power from God, through Jesus Christ bringing into fellowship with God. Acts 1:8
One more point I was gonna make was why the Holy Spirit was here, but I'm not so sure. I've tried peicing things together but haven't been able to come up with anything. Answers?
Anyway, here are some more verses just about the Holy Spirit, where it has occurred in the bible, and what it is. I’m not sure how to explain them so any help with that would be awesome.
Luke 3:16: John answered them all, “I baptize you with water. But one more powerful than I will come, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.”
Mark 1:7-10: And this was his message: “After me will come one more powerful than I, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. As Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending upon him like a dove.
John 1:32-34 Then John gave this testimony: “I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him. I would not have known him, except that the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is he who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’ I have seen and I testify that this is the Son of God.
7:37-39 On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood up and said in a loud voice, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.” By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.
Acts 2:33 Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear.
Roman 9:1 I speak the truth in Christ- I am not lying, my conscience confirms it in the Holy Spirit
1 Corinthians 12:3 Therefore I tell you that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus be cursed,” and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit. (What does this mean??)
Genesis 1:2 Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. (So...how does a spirit hover? Is it being literal??)
Isaiah 32:15 Til the Spirit is poured upon us from on high, and the desert becomes a fertile field, and the fertile field seems like a forest.
61:1 The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners.
The divine source of all life; a special manifestation of God’s divine Presences.
Anyways, one more thing- lately I feel like I’ve been failing- a lot (from school grades, to sports, to my driver’s ed test, to waking up wanting to praise the Lord, to struggling with sleeping and depression again) and am really nervous about starting a Bible study at my school. I’m starting it this Thursday and am really stressed. The Bible tells us “do not fear” so so many times, but it’s just been really hard to not be scared of failing or not being good for these people who I’m gonna be leading so I ask for your advice and prayer over this group? I love y’all so much!
2 Corinthians 13:14 May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
some of this information came from here: http://www.thevoiceforlove.com/holy-spirit.html
so, lately I’ve been reading all of y'alls blogs- wow! everything you say really affects me and my day and it's just awesome. great job guys. anyways, i'm gonna give you the low-down on the Holy Spirit like I did with the angels- it’s a lot of information, but it’s good to know so bear with me and take it in! Holy Spirit. i'm so sorry it took me so long. i've been getting caught up in school, sports, drivers ed, and just feel like i've been failing a lot lately. i'm kind of confused about the Holy Spirit since i found so many different thing and it's been hard nailing it down, so PLEASE give me feedback, any more that you know or have experienced with it would be amazing.
1. So, to begin with, the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God. Acts 5:3, Matthew 28:19, John 4:24 I believe it is one of the Trinity (the Holy Trinity is, well, I guess a way to describe it is that the word Trinity is pretty much a title that describes the fact that God is a unity of three different ''people''- the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. While I was writing this, and researching, I realized that I can't really explain what exactly the Trinity is to begin with, thoughts please? I found this awesome picture that pretty much describes how I think of it even if I can't explain it though-
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Shield-Trinity-Scutum-Fidei-English.png )
It is referred to as the “Spirit of the Lord” or the “Spirit of God” or the “Holy Ghost” or the “Holy Spirit”.
3. Anyways, the Holy Spirit is basically a connection with God in you- the part of your mind that’s joined with the Mind of God. 1 Corinthians 6:17 It's that voice you hear in the back of your head when you're doing something wrong- your conscience. The Holy Spirit is a part of God’s children, but also technically God- it’s not separate from you, and is part of you so that’s why it’s crazy important to listen to it. In Matthew 11:15, the Bible says, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” I think that I need to be more aware of Holy Spirit through my thinking, then correcting my sinful thoughts, recognizing that voice in the back of my head, and then sharing that voice with others. Does that make sense? I mean, like, for me, I need to work on listening to that voice and recognizing that guilt I feel in the back of my mind whenever I’m doing something wrong, then stop doing whatever I was doing that wasn’t right. But yeah, I believe that people who haven't heard of Jesus can still hear that voice, and know morals and ethics even if they haven't read the Bible or been affected by the modern world. That’s what I believe but can I have your feedback? What are y'alls thoughts on that?
4. The Holy Spirit is in each of God’s children and can’t be taken out. I Corinthians 3:16. It’ll be with you forever. It’s a part of you that sees you and knows who you truly are since it is God and He is all knowing. Whenever I want peace in life, whenever God isn’t on my mind, and I remember the Holy Spirit, and that it knows who I am, and that it’s in me no matter what, waiting to join me up with the Lord, it brings me so much comfort and peace.
5. The Holy Spirit is referred to through metaphors and symbols. For instance, water signifies the Holy Spirit’s role in Baptism. 1 Corinthians 12:13 John 19:34 1 John5:8. It is referred to as fire, in the form of tongues ‘as of fire’; the Holy Spirit came into the disciples on Pentecost and enabled them to speak many languages Acts 2. The Holy Spirit comes to the Virgin Mary and Luke 9:34-35. It came in the form of a dove Matthew 3:16. It also comes in the form of wind. John 3:8, Acts 2:2-4.
6. The Holy Spirit is kind of how men receive power from God, through Jesus Christ bringing into fellowship with God. Acts 1:8
One more point I was gonna make was why the Holy Spirit was here, but I'm not so sure. I've tried peicing things together but haven't been able to come up with anything. Answers?
Anyway, here are some more verses just about the Holy Spirit, where it has occurred in the bible, and what it is. I’m not sure how to explain them so any help with that would be awesome.
Luke 3:16: John answered them all, “I baptize you with water. But one more powerful than I will come, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.”
Mark 1:7-10: And this was his message: “After me will come one more powerful than I, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. As Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending upon him like a dove.
John 1:32-34 Then John gave this testimony: “I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him. I would not have known him, except that the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is he who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’ I have seen and I testify that this is the Son of God.
7:37-39 On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood up and said in a loud voice, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.” By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.
Acts 2:33 Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear.
Roman 9:1 I speak the truth in Christ- I am not lying, my conscience confirms it in the Holy Spirit
1 Corinthians 12:3 Therefore I tell you that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus be cursed,” and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit. (What does this mean??)
Genesis 1:2 Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. (So...how does a spirit hover? Is it being literal??)
Isaiah 32:15 Til the Spirit is poured upon us from on high, and the desert becomes a fertile field, and the fertile field seems like a forest.
61:1 The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners.
The divine source of all life; a special manifestation of God’s divine Presences.
Anyways, one more thing- lately I feel like I’ve been failing- a lot (from school grades, to sports, to my driver’s ed test, to waking up wanting to praise the Lord, to struggling with sleeping and depression again) and am really nervous about starting a Bible study at my school. I’m starting it this Thursday and am really stressed. The Bible tells us “do not fear” so so many times, but it’s just been really hard to not be scared of failing or not being good for these people who I’m gonna be leading so I ask for your advice and prayer over this group? I love y’all so much!
2 Corinthians 13:14 May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
some of this information came from here: http://www.thevoiceforlove.com/holy-spirit.html
Quest, I have a question...
First of all just want to let you guys know that this morning I really was not feeling reading my Bible... but then I got on the blog and reading your posts made me excited again to dive in and let the Lord speak to me. So sweet.
OK so my question is: Why is there so much healing in the life of Jesus and in Acts in crazy awesome ways and why are these types of miracles not as prevalent in my walk and journey with the Lord. I will admit I have never personally seen anything like any of these disciples did. Don't we have the same power as they do? What is going on here?
OK so my question is: Why is there so much healing in the life of Jesus and in Acts in crazy awesome ways and why are these types of miracles not as prevalent in my walk and journey with the Lord. I will admit I have never personally seen anything like any of these disciples did. Don't we have the same power as they do? What is going on here?
Saturday, August 29, 2009
falling asleep & beautiful feet
So I caught up tonight by reading Acts 7 & 8, and I can't wait to read chapter 9 - Saul's conversion to Paul, one of my favorite parts of Acts. :]
I loved the history that Stephen the martyr went through before he was stoned... a good summary of a good chunk of the OT for sure! Stephen's last words as he was being stoned paralleled so much to the last words of Christ: "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit," and, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them." Jesus spoke words very similar when He was being crucified, "Father, into Your hands I commit my spirit," and "Father, forgive them for they know not what they do." Sound familiar? :]
I never really understood why Luke wrote in Acts 7:60, "And when he said said this, he fell asleep" in reference to Stephen's death. I mean, why not just say he died? I looked at my commentary on this verse and read that the phrase "fell asleep" is a Christian expression for death, which reflects assurance of a future resurrection. Wow! I don't know about y'all, but that definitely struck a chord. There are so many other instances in Scripture where someone's death is referred to as "falling asleep," but we know that the death we die is temporary, for we will be resurrected with Christ and reign on earth with Him in the end! SO COOL. So, when we die, we will be merely "falling asleep," to awaken when Christ returns and we reign with Him. Thoughts on this?
In chapter 8, I love the part about the Ethiopian eunuch ("treasurer" or trusted royal servant, probably a God-fearer, a Gentile who worshiped God but had not become a full convert; as a eunuch, he would have been barred from the inner courts of the temple) and Philip. Philip is so obedient to the Spirit's leading in this situation - the Spirit tells Philip to go join the eunuch as he is reading from Isaiah 53 (did it look familiar to y'all? hope so! :))
Philip asks the eunuch if he understands what he is reading. The eunuch says, "How can I, unless someone guides me?" What a perfect opportunity for Philip to witness. This part reminds me of the passage in Romans 10:14-15: "How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!"
The eunuch asks Philip who the passage is referring to, so Philip opens his mouth and tells him about the Good News of Jesus Christ! Upon seeing some water as they are traveling together, the eunuch simply says, "See, here is water! What prevents me from being baptized?" (8:37) so Philip baptized him. Wow. This is the work of the Holy Spirit. It reminds me of Behind Closed Doors and how we talked about atheism. It's nothing of our own accord that converts people, but it's the Holy Spirit inside of us that does the work. The Spirit will use us (our words, actions, etc.) but ultimately the Spirit must change the heart of a nonbeliever. It's so cool to see the Spirit's work in the eunuch. It says that after the baptism and after Philip was taken away, the eunuch went on his way rejoicing. It was a genuine change of heart for him.
Anyway, just a few things to share. :] Praying for y'all - keep seeking Him and being bold for His name!
I loved the history that Stephen the martyr went through before he was stoned... a good summary of a good chunk of the OT for sure! Stephen's last words as he was being stoned paralleled so much to the last words of Christ: "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit," and, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them." Jesus spoke words very similar when He was being crucified, "Father, into Your hands I commit my spirit," and "Father, forgive them for they know not what they do." Sound familiar? :]
I never really understood why Luke wrote in Acts 7:60, "And when he said said this, he fell asleep" in reference to Stephen's death. I mean, why not just say he died? I looked at my commentary on this verse and read that the phrase "fell asleep" is a Christian expression for death, which reflects assurance of a future resurrection. Wow! I don't know about y'all, but that definitely struck a chord. There are so many other instances in Scripture where someone's death is referred to as "falling asleep," but we know that the death we die is temporary, for we will be resurrected with Christ and reign on earth with Him in the end! SO COOL. So, when we die, we will be merely "falling asleep," to awaken when Christ returns and we reign with Him. Thoughts on this?
In chapter 8, I love the part about the Ethiopian eunuch ("treasurer" or trusted royal servant, probably a God-fearer, a Gentile who worshiped God but had not become a full convert; as a eunuch, he would have been barred from the inner courts of the temple) and Philip. Philip is so obedient to the Spirit's leading in this situation - the Spirit tells Philip to go join the eunuch as he is reading from Isaiah 53 (did it look familiar to y'all? hope so! :))
Philip asks the eunuch if he understands what he is reading. The eunuch says, "How can I, unless someone guides me?" What a perfect opportunity for Philip to witness. This part reminds me of the passage in Romans 10:14-15: "How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!"
The eunuch asks Philip who the passage is referring to, so Philip opens his mouth and tells him about the Good News of Jesus Christ! Upon seeing some water as they are traveling together, the eunuch simply says, "See, here is water! What prevents me from being baptized?" (8:37) so Philip baptized him. Wow. This is the work of the Holy Spirit. It reminds me of Behind Closed Doors and how we talked about atheism. It's nothing of our own accord that converts people, but it's the Holy Spirit inside of us that does the work. The Spirit will use us (our words, actions, etc.) but ultimately the Spirit must change the heart of a nonbeliever. It's so cool to see the Spirit's work in the eunuch. It says that after the baptism and after Philip was taken away, the eunuch went on his way rejoicing. It was a genuine change of heart for him.
Anyway, just a few things to share. :] Praying for y'all - keep seeking Him and being bold for His name!
prayer in numbers
hey quest, can you do me a favor? if you get a chance, please please please pray for my best friend. i know that her faith is so, so strong, but she's going through some hard times in her life right now, and some prayers would be greatly appreciated. thank you, my sky ranch family. (: hope you're all having a great start of the new school year.
-haley
-haley
Friday, August 28, 2009
Rejoice
Acts 5:39-42
"They were convinced by him, and when they had called in the apostles, they had them flogged. Then they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. As they left the council, they rejoiced that they were considered worthy to suffer dishonor for the sake of the name. And every day in the temple and at home they did not cease to teach and proclaim Jesus the Messiah."
The apostles were flogged = brutally beaten for teaching in Jesus's name...and they REJOICED that they were considered worthy to suffer dishonor for the sake of the name!
For one, let's look at the word rejoiced: v. intr.
1. To feel joyful; be delighted: rejoiced at the news; rejoiced in her friend's good fortune.
2. To fill with joy; gladden.
[Middle English rejoicen, from Old French rejoir, rejoiss- : re-, re- + joir, to be joyful (from Vulgar Latin *gaudīre, from Latin gaudēre; see gāu- in Indo-European roots).]
ok, so the apostles were filled with JOY and exuded that joy when they left the temple after being flogged by the high priests.
then, the word worthy: –adjective
1. having adequate or great merit, character, or value: a worthy successor.
2. of commendable excellence or merit; deserving: a book worthy of praise; a person worthy to lead.
the apostles found it a cause to rejoice that they were worthy enough to suffer dishonor for the sake of Jesus Christ. have you ever thought "man, am i worthy/deserving enough to receive this punishment right now"? that's basically saying that you have to earn or be deserving enough to be punished...and the disciples were rejoicing that they were found deserving enough and worthy enough to suffer for CHRIST.
let this be a lesson to us all, that when we suffer for the sake of Christ, it is something to be rejoiced over...that we were found worthy enough by God to suffer for His name's sake.
yesterday i had dinner with a guy named Mike. Mike is a big man on campus and does a lot of business-y things and entertainment stuff for his fraternity and for students at TCU. I always thought he was kind of a heartless fraternity prick, and didn't ever take the chance to get to know him. we ended up doing Frog Camp alongside each other and I saw Mike for who he is, and not what others or I think of him from just a surface viewpoint. we had dinner last night and seriously, this guy made me feel like i was doing Behind Closed Doors. I wouldn't say he is an atheist, for he believes in God, but he doesn't believe that we have to give our entire lives over to Him/values the importance of believing in oneself more than believing and depending on God. He kept firing questions at me left and right-- "why are the 4 gospels so different?" "why do you believe in God?" "why do you say things like 'depend on' and 'need' when talking about God? don't you believe that faith and belief in oneself is meritable?" "why does the old testament contradict the new testament as far as laws and viewpoints?" "why do you say that humans aren't inherently 'good' people? I think we all are good. i don't think we are born evil."
stuff like that.
i was so blown away, because not only was God there for me in that moment and spoke through me (John 14!) but i felt prepared because of the Behind Closed Doors activity that we did each week where I pretended to be an atheist. whaaaat? going into the dinner with Mike, i did NOT...NOT...expect our conversation to rotate around the Lord, at all. it was one of those moments that you realize that "everything works for the good of those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose..." like, this was ONE small reason why I was in Quest this summer, why there was an activity called Behind Closed Doors, why I did the atheist role every week, so that in the near future i could sit down at Panera with Mike and he could fire questions at me and i could sufficiently answer. god, you, are too cool.
"They were convinced by him, and when they had called in the apostles, they had them flogged. Then they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. As they left the council, they rejoiced that they were considered worthy to suffer dishonor for the sake of the name. And every day in the temple and at home they did not cease to teach and proclaim Jesus the Messiah."
The apostles were flogged = brutally beaten for teaching in Jesus's name...and they REJOICED that they were considered worthy to suffer dishonor for the sake of the name!
For one, let's look at the word rejoiced: v. intr.
1. To feel joyful; be delighted: rejoiced at the news; rejoiced in her friend's good fortune.
2. To fill with joy; gladden.
[Middle English rejoicen, from Old French rejoir, rejoiss- : re-, re- + joir, to be joyful (from Vulgar Latin *gaudīre, from Latin gaudēre; see gāu- in Indo-European roots).]
ok, so the apostles were filled with JOY and exuded that joy when they left the temple after being flogged by the high priests.
then, the word worthy: –adjective
1. having adequate or great merit, character, or value: a worthy successor.
2. of commendable excellence or merit; deserving: a book worthy of praise; a person worthy to lead.
the apostles found it a cause to rejoice that they were worthy enough to suffer dishonor for the sake of Jesus Christ. have you ever thought "man, am i worthy/deserving enough to receive this punishment right now"? that's basically saying that you have to earn or be deserving enough to be punished...and the disciples were rejoicing that they were found deserving enough and worthy enough to suffer for CHRIST.
let this be a lesson to us all, that when we suffer for the sake of Christ, it is something to be rejoiced over...that we were found worthy enough by God to suffer for His name's sake.
yesterday i had dinner with a guy named Mike. Mike is a big man on campus and does a lot of business-y things and entertainment stuff for his fraternity and for students at TCU. I always thought he was kind of a heartless fraternity prick, and didn't ever take the chance to get to know him. we ended up doing Frog Camp alongside each other and I saw Mike for who he is, and not what others or I think of him from just a surface viewpoint. we had dinner last night and seriously, this guy made me feel like i was doing Behind Closed Doors. I wouldn't say he is an atheist, for he believes in God, but he doesn't believe that we have to give our entire lives over to Him/values the importance of believing in oneself more than believing and depending on God. He kept firing questions at me left and right-- "why are the 4 gospels so different?" "why do you believe in God?" "why do you say things like 'depend on' and 'need' when talking about God? don't you believe that faith and belief in oneself is meritable?" "why does the old testament contradict the new testament as far as laws and viewpoints?" "why do you say that humans aren't inherently 'good' people? I think we all are good. i don't think we are born evil."
stuff like that.
i was so blown away, because not only was God there for me in that moment and spoke through me (John 14!) but i felt prepared because of the Behind Closed Doors activity that we did each week where I pretended to be an atheist. whaaaat? going into the dinner with Mike, i did NOT...NOT...expect our conversation to rotate around the Lord, at all. it was one of those moments that you realize that "everything works for the good of those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose..." like, this was ONE small reason why I was in Quest this summer, why there was an activity called Behind Closed Doors, why I did the atheist role every week, so that in the near future i could sit down at Panera with Mike and he could fire questions at me and i could sufficiently answer. god, you, are too cool.
Thursday, August 27, 2009
holy delegation
Pretty cool to see common leadership principles played out by the disciples. They were called to preach the good news. They were apostles who knew and walked with Christ, their testimonies were so powerful. They recognized the need for feeding the widows and poor and knew that they would spend all their time there so they found men of sound reputation, full of the spirit and wisdom to take their task and run with it.
And these new seven men were faithful in feeding the widows. Look what the Lord did when Stephen was faithful with little; God gave him an incredible stage to share the gospel. It all started with Stephen being faithful in the little things.
I don't know about you guys but I don't have a "stage" right now so this passage encourages me to continue to serve and be faithful in the little things. For example, I would love to teach the word somewhere at some level to whoever because I love it but that door is not open. They need kindergarten helpers at my church and this is where the need is for me. So I will be faithful and go serve the little ones, God will bring me to teach or he may not but I am going to be faithful with the small things now.
And these new seven men were faithful in feeding the widows. Look what the Lord did when Stephen was faithful with little; God gave him an incredible stage to share the gospel. It all started with Stephen being faithful in the little things.
I don't know about you guys but I don't have a "stage" right now so this passage encourages me to continue to serve and be faithful in the little things. For example, I would love to teach the word somewhere at some level to whoever because I love it but that door is not open. They need kindergarten helpers at my church and this is where the need is for me. So I will be faithful and go serve the little ones, God will bring me to teach or he may not but I am going to be faithful with the small things now.
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
One Accord
Throughout Acts the phrase i have seen repeated is "one accord" check it out:
Acts1:14 "These (the disciples) all conitnued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers." This just describes the beginnings of a bible study group Peter is about to lead and how they got together in an upper room to pray before it started. Just as it is important to pray with other believers before we try to step out and lead or face the challenges of our lives. It's like preparing for battle haha.
Acts 2:1 "When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place." The day of pentecost=crazy awesome holy spirit action about to happen :) the most noteworthy thing: they were all together when it happened.
Acts 2:46-47 "So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate thier food with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved." Here we see the amazing work the Lord has been doing through the daily ministry of the apostles. Although, even in their daily work for him, they make sure to spend time together, once again. They need this fellowship to fill them with the holy spirit so they can continue to pour it back out into the lives of others. To me, this seems like the role of the church...is the church necessary to have a relationship with God and witness to others? no. But it gives us a place filled with believers whom we can connect with and have that "one accord" experience with. A place for "refreshment" of the holy spirit from vs 3:19 ;)
Acts 4:24 "So when they heard that, they raised their voice to God in one accord and said, "Lord, You are God, who made heaven and earth and the sea, and all that is in them..." " Basically, after being told they were forbidden to speak in the name of Jesus, Peter, John, and their "companions" gathered together to pray. Notice that they are all praying the same thing...praying in "one heart and one soul" (vs 32) There is so much power in a multitude of prayer...It is one thing that the devil cannot face, that makes him powerless. It's this insane power that fills them all wth the holy spirit!!! (the amazingness of vs 31.) THAT is the power of prayer.
Lastly, in todays reading...Acts 5:12 "And through the hands of the apostles many signs nd wonders were done among the people. And they were all with one accord in Solomon's Porch." This vs is another great example of the supernatural powers of the holy spirit, and once again...they are tied with the idea of "one accord."
Honestly, after reading this so many times in Acts, I am convinced that the holy spirit moves when we are in "one accord" with other believers. Coolest thing happened today actually...at our youth group. Instead of our normal sermon and ending prayer, we broke off into groups by our schools, and prayed. One topic at a time (a lot like see you at the pole...if you have ever done that) It's times like those, with so much prayer at one time, that the stresses of my life, the temptations of the devil to buy into the lies that I'm not strong enough to make an impact on my campus, are gone...It was a great experience and I couldnt help but smile the entire time as I thought of Acts. Power in prayer!!!
Acts1:14 "These (the disciples) all conitnued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers." This just describes the beginnings of a bible study group Peter is about to lead and how they got together in an upper room to pray before it started. Just as it is important to pray with other believers before we try to step out and lead or face the challenges of our lives. It's like preparing for battle haha.
Acts 2:1 "When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place." The day of pentecost=crazy awesome holy spirit action about to happen :) the most noteworthy thing: they were all together when it happened.
Acts 2:46-47 "So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate thier food with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved." Here we see the amazing work the Lord has been doing through the daily ministry of the apostles. Although, even in their daily work for him, they make sure to spend time together, once again. They need this fellowship to fill them with the holy spirit so they can continue to pour it back out into the lives of others. To me, this seems like the role of the church...is the church necessary to have a relationship with God and witness to others? no. But it gives us a place filled with believers whom we can connect with and have that "one accord" experience with. A place for "refreshment" of the holy spirit from vs 3:19 ;)
Acts 4:24 "So when they heard that, they raised their voice to God in one accord and said, "Lord, You are God, who made heaven and earth and the sea, and all that is in them..." " Basically, after being told they were forbidden to speak in the name of Jesus, Peter, John, and their "companions" gathered together to pray. Notice that they are all praying the same thing...praying in "one heart and one soul" (vs 32) There is so much power in a multitude of prayer...It is one thing that the devil cannot face, that makes him powerless. It's this insane power that fills them all wth the holy spirit!!! (the amazingness of vs 31.) THAT is the power of prayer.
Lastly, in todays reading...Acts 5:12 "And through the hands of the apostles many signs nd wonders were done among the people. And they were all with one accord in Solomon's Porch." This vs is another great example of the supernatural powers of the holy spirit, and once again...they are tied with the idea of "one accord."
Honestly, after reading this so many times in Acts, I am convinced that the holy spirit moves when we are in "one accord" with other believers. Coolest thing happened today actually...at our youth group. Instead of our normal sermon and ending prayer, we broke off into groups by our schools, and prayed. One topic at a time (a lot like see you at the pole...if you have ever done that) It's times like those, with so much prayer at one time, that the stresses of my life, the temptations of the devil to buy into the lies that I'm not strong enough to make an impact on my campus, are gone...It was a great experience and I couldnt help but smile the entire time as I thought of Acts. Power in prayer!!!
Acts 5
A few things about Acts 5...
Acts 5:28-32
"But Peter and the other apostles answered and said: 'We ought to obey God rather than men. The God of our fathers raised up Jesus whom you murdered by hanging on a tree. Him God has exalted to His right hand to be Prince and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. And we are His witnesses to these things, and so also is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey Him.'"
Acts 5:38-39
"And now I say to you, keep away from these men and let them alone; for if this plan or this work is of men, it will come to nothing; but if it is of God, you CANNOT overthrow it-lest you even be found to fight against God."
I love this verse...basically saying that "all things are possible with God" (Matthew 19:26), and that ultimately God cannot and will not be overthrown.
And another thing to remember...in Acts 5, the apostles are arrested for once again speaking the name of Jesus and proclaiming the gospels. Then, an "angel of the Lord" opens the gates and sets them free, instructing them to continue speaking God's word. Sometimes we may feel like the world is still pulling us down even after we have done a good thing. The apostles sure were doing a good thing by preaching about Jesus in the temple, but, of course, society pulled them down and arrested them time after time. HOWEVER, God will ultimately prevail--always; no one can
overthrow God (Acts 5:38-39). In the end, the apostles were freed and called to continue Christ's mission. They kept fighting for what they knew was right even though the world pulled them down again and again and again...God keeps fighting for US; He is always there. He will always prevail. Even when the world seems to be pulling you down, with Christ you have everything. Always remember that.
-Haley
Acts 5:28-32
"But Peter and the other apostles answered and said: 'We ought to obey God rather than men. The God of our fathers raised up Jesus whom you murdered by hanging on a tree. Him God has exalted to His right hand to be Prince and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. And we are His witnesses to these things, and so also is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey Him.'"
Acts 5:38-39
"And now I say to you, keep away from these men and let them alone; for if this plan or this work is of men, it will come to nothing; but if it is of God, you CANNOT overthrow it-lest you even be found to fight against God."
I love this verse...basically saying that "all things are possible with God" (Matthew 19:26), and that ultimately God cannot and will not be overthrown.
And another thing to remember...in Acts 5, the apostles are arrested for once again speaking the name of Jesus and proclaiming the gospels. Then, an "angel of the Lord" opens the gates and sets them free, instructing them to continue speaking God's word. Sometimes we may feel like the world is still pulling us down even after we have done a good thing. The apostles sure were doing a good thing by preaching about Jesus in the temple, but, of course, society pulled them down and arrested them time after time. HOWEVER, God will ultimately prevail--always; no one can
overthrow God (Acts 5:38-39). In the end, the apostles were freed and called to continue Christ's mission. They kept fighting for what they knew was right even though the world pulled them down again and again and again...God keeps fighting for US; He is always there. He will always prevail. Even when the world seems to be pulling you down, with Christ you have everything. Always remember that.-Haley
random reminder.
I know we've all read these verses plenty of times before, but I still think they're so powerful. Just a little random reminder; something I've been thinking about a lot for these past few days. As we all go back to school and as our summers come to an end, remember these verses ALWAYS...look to these verses for guidance when you're having trouble with relationships in your life (friends, family, boyfriends, girlfriends...anything). Love you <3 Best of luck to everyone this year!
1 Corinthians 13:4-8
"Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in inquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away."
-Haley
1 Corinthians 13:4-8
"Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in inquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away."
-Haley
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
We can't help but talk about Jesus! Acts 4
Acts 4 is my FAVORITE chapter in Acts. I absolutely LOVE it, and when I am feeling defeated or discouraged, I read it and immediately the Spirit gives me encouragement and boldness. It's so incredible. I hope y'all read it.
Here's a few things from my commentary:
v. 3 - talking about the Sanhedrin arresting Peter & John and putting them in custody until the next day, for it was already evening.
-The Sanhedrin was the Jewish high court, and they met in the mornings. Since it was evening, the two apostles were placed in detention for the night. Detention for Jesus, though! :] I'd take it!
v. 11 - "This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone." cross referenced with Isaiah 28:16 & Psalm 118:22
v. 13 - "Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, they perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus."
Boldness (Greek - parresia) is an important word in Acts which depicts Spirit-inspired courage and confidence to speak in spite of any danger or threat. "Uneducated" and "common" ("nonprofessional") men like Peter and John were not expected to speak so confidently before the supreme court of the land. The two words do not mean that they were illiterate or unintelligent but rather that they had not gone through the advanced training of the rabbinic schools.
"they had been with Jesus" - It is impossible to imagine how much the disciples would have learned from spending three years in close association with the Son of God living on earth, listening to him teach, hearing him pray, and watching him interact with the most difficult challenges. They knew Jesus, and in knowing him they knew much more than all the learned scribes of the Sanhedrin.
v. 16 - "What shall we do with these men?" - The religious leaders didn't know what action to take, since the healing of the man was well known and punishing his healers would displease the people. Official leaders often act from fear of the people rather than from fear of God. Interesting.
v. 23-31 - The Christian Community Prays for Boldness in Witness
I love this. Even though Peter and John displayed amazing boldness in front of the Sanhedrin, they got home, grabbed some friends, and prayed for more boldness! What passion they had for Christ and the spreading of His name.
v. 25 - "who through the mouth of our father David...said" - Scripture is truly and totally the word of God even though it comes through flawed men like David. Even as they are persecuted, they address God as master and are in service to His will.
v. 28 - In their prayer, reported with approval by Luke, the believers affirm both God's sovereignty and human responsibility. Whatever includes all of the evil rejection, false accusation, miscarriage of justice, wrongful beatings, mockery, and crucifixion that both Jews & Gentiles poured out against jesus. These things were predestined by God, yet the human beings who did them were morally "lawless"(see 2:23, 36); they were responsible for their evil deeds (see 3:13-15) and they needed to repent (see 2:38, 3:19). This prayer reflects both a deep acknowledgment of human responsibility and a deep trust in God's wisdom in His sovereign direction of the detailed events of history.
v. 29 - their prayer for boldness in witness shows a determination to directly disobey the command of the Sanhedrin. I love it. They do not pray against those who persecute them but pray for their own faithfulness in witness.
***v. 31 - one of my favorite verses.
"And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness."
The place they gathered was SHAKEN!! My commentary says: God answered the believers' prayer. The place where they were gathered was shaken as if by an earthquake, and the Spirit descended upon them in a way they could perceive. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit indicates that people could be "filled" with the Holy Spirit more than once, for Peter was among them and he had already been "filled with the Holy Spirit" (v. 8) and all the disciples present at Pentecost had been "filled" with the Spirit as well (2:4). The Holy Spirit's power did not come on them automatically but in answer to their expectant, believing prayer.
INCREDIBLE.
v. 34 - there was not a needy person among them... - there should be no poor in the community of faith. How cool that Christians would sell some of their goods and bring the proceeds to the apostles for distribution to the needy. This should not be seen as communal ownership, but instead as what we are called to do. Over and over Scripture tells us to care for the needy and the poor and oppressed. Through loving and serving these people, we are loving and serving Jesus Christ. How cool that the Christians there were so selfless and sacrificial. It's beautiful.
v. 36 - interesting info on Barnabas: Barnabas would not have been cited as an example of sharing if the practice had not been voluntary. Barnabas is introduced in the Acts narrative at this point; he is a major character in later chapters, particularly as Paul's companion on his first mission. That mission began on Cyprus, the home of Barnabas. The nickname son of encouragement fits his personality well. He introduced the newly converted Paul to the apostolic circle when everyone else was suspicious of him (9:27). He brought Paul to Antioch to participate in the outreach to the Gentiles (11:25-26). And he stood up for the young John Mark when Paul did not want to take him with them (15:36-39).
I love how this chapter emphasizes the power of prayer, the power of community, and such boldness. I absolutely love how Peter & John challenged the Sanhedrin in v. 19&20, "Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge, for we cannot help but speak of what we have seen and heard." May we have that kind of boldness - we can't help but share what Christ has done and what He is currently doing in our lives!
*commentary taken from the ESV Study Bible.
Keep seeking His Word, y'all. This is awesome. :]
Much love.
-Keri
Here's a few things from my commentary:
v. 3 - talking about the Sanhedrin arresting Peter & John and putting them in custody until the next day, for it was already evening.
-The Sanhedrin was the Jewish high court, and they met in the mornings. Since it was evening, the two apostles were placed in detention for the night. Detention for Jesus, though! :] I'd take it!
v. 11 - "This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone." cross referenced with Isaiah 28:16 & Psalm 118:22
v. 13 - "Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, they perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus."
Boldness (Greek - parresia) is an important word in Acts which depicts Spirit-inspired courage and confidence to speak in spite of any danger or threat. "Uneducated" and "common" ("nonprofessional") men like Peter and John were not expected to speak so confidently before the supreme court of the land. The two words do not mean that they were illiterate or unintelligent but rather that they had not gone through the advanced training of the rabbinic schools.
"they had been with Jesus" - It is impossible to imagine how much the disciples would have learned from spending three years in close association with the Son of God living on earth, listening to him teach, hearing him pray, and watching him interact with the most difficult challenges. They knew Jesus, and in knowing him they knew much more than all the learned scribes of the Sanhedrin.
v. 16 - "What shall we do with these men?" - The religious leaders didn't know what action to take, since the healing of the man was well known and punishing his healers would displease the people. Official leaders often act from fear of the people rather than from fear of God. Interesting.
v. 23-31 - The Christian Community Prays for Boldness in Witness
I love this. Even though Peter and John displayed amazing boldness in front of the Sanhedrin, they got home, grabbed some friends, and prayed for more boldness! What passion they had for Christ and the spreading of His name.
v. 25 - "who through the mouth of our father David...said" - Scripture is truly and totally the word of God even though it comes through flawed men like David. Even as they are persecuted, they address God as master and are in service to His will.
v. 28 - In their prayer, reported with approval by Luke, the believers affirm both God's sovereignty and human responsibility. Whatever includes all of the evil rejection, false accusation, miscarriage of justice, wrongful beatings, mockery, and crucifixion that both Jews & Gentiles poured out against jesus. These things were predestined by God, yet the human beings who did them were morally "lawless"(see 2:23, 36); they were responsible for their evil deeds (see 3:13-15) and they needed to repent (see 2:38, 3:19). This prayer reflects both a deep acknowledgment of human responsibility and a deep trust in God's wisdom in His sovereign direction of the detailed events of history.
v. 29 - their prayer for boldness in witness shows a determination to directly disobey the command of the Sanhedrin. I love it. They do not pray against those who persecute them but pray for their own faithfulness in witness.
***v. 31 - one of my favorite verses.
"And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness."
The place they gathered was SHAKEN!! My commentary says: God answered the believers' prayer. The place where they were gathered was shaken as if by an earthquake, and the Spirit descended upon them in a way they could perceive. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit indicates that people could be "filled" with the Holy Spirit more than once, for Peter was among them and he had already been "filled with the Holy Spirit" (v. 8) and all the disciples present at Pentecost had been "filled" with the Spirit as well (2:4). The Holy Spirit's power did not come on them automatically but in answer to their expectant, believing prayer.
INCREDIBLE.
v. 34 - there was not a needy person among them... - there should be no poor in the community of faith. How cool that Christians would sell some of their goods and bring the proceeds to the apostles for distribution to the needy. This should not be seen as communal ownership, but instead as what we are called to do. Over and over Scripture tells us to care for the needy and the poor and oppressed. Through loving and serving these people, we are loving and serving Jesus Christ. How cool that the Christians there were so selfless and sacrificial. It's beautiful.
v. 36 - interesting info on Barnabas: Barnabas would not have been cited as an example of sharing if the practice had not been voluntary. Barnabas is introduced in the Acts narrative at this point; he is a major character in later chapters, particularly as Paul's companion on his first mission. That mission began on Cyprus, the home of Barnabas. The nickname son of encouragement fits his personality well. He introduced the newly converted Paul to the apostolic circle when everyone else was suspicious of him (9:27). He brought Paul to Antioch to participate in the outreach to the Gentiles (11:25-26). And he stood up for the young John Mark when Paul did not want to take him with them (15:36-39).
I love how this chapter emphasizes the power of prayer, the power of community, and such boldness. I absolutely love how Peter & John challenged the Sanhedrin in v. 19&20, "Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge, for we cannot help but speak of what we have seen and heard." May we have that kind of boldness - we can't help but share what Christ has done and what He is currently doing in our lives!
*commentary taken from the ESV Study Bible.
Keep seeking His Word, y'all. This is awesome. :]
Much love.
-Keri
Monday, August 24, 2009
Acts 2
So I know we were supposed to read Acts 2 yesterday, but I'm still trying to catch up...so here a few verses that really stuck out to me in this chapter:
Acts 2:21
"And it shall come to pass that whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved."
Acts 2:25-28
"For David says concerning Him: 'I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for He is at my right hand, that I may NOT be shaken. Therefore my heart rejoiced and my tongue was glad; moreover, my flesh will also rest in hope. For You will not leave my soul in Hades, nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption. You have made known to me the ways of life; You will make me full of joy in Your presence."
Acts 2:38-39
"Then Peter said to them, 'Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call."
To me, these verses are so reassuring. (: They really speak to me, reminding that me that God is ALWAYS there for us. All we have to do is love Him. So simple, yet so challening in our world today.
Love you all <3
Haley
Acts 2:21
"And it shall come to pass that whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved."
Acts 2:25-28
"For David says concerning Him: 'I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for He is at my right hand, that I may NOT be shaken. Therefore my heart rejoiced and my tongue was glad; moreover, my flesh will also rest in hope. For You will not leave my soul in Hades, nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption. You have made known to me the ways of life; You will make me full of joy in Your presence."
Acts 2:38-39
"Then Peter said to them, 'Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call."
To me, these verses are so reassuring. (: They really speak to me, reminding that me that God is ALWAYS there for us. All we have to do is love Him. So simple, yet so challening in our world today.
Love you all <3
Haley
Acts 1-3
Things I found interesting, looking at it in an inductive bible study-esque way:
-Jesus says in 1:7 that "it is not for you to know the times or preiods that the Father has set by his own authority." Talking about His second coming, Jesus himself states that it is not for any of us to know, but for God alone who has set it
-Jesus did descend into Hell after He died before His ressurection: seen in 2:24 and 2:31-32. Jesus conquered death and Hell = Jesus conquered sin so that our sins would be forever paid for...death/sin could not hold Him
-There are comforting words from David quoted here in 2:25-26: "I saw the Lord always before me, for he is at my right hand so that I will not be shaken. Therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced; morever my flesh will live in hope." I love this. I want to find what Psalm it is located in...
Basically is saying: -The Lord is always before us, He is always here. He never leaves or will leave. He is at our RIGHT HAND-- meaning, He is RIGHT THERE at all times, there for us to hold His hand or grab Him or touch Him or find Him when we seek for Him. Thus, we cannot be shaken. If God is always with us, at our right hand (basically at our fingertips, for lack of better metaphors), we should not fear.
-My flesh will live in hope = Think about this for a second. My FLESH will live in hope. Our flesh = our human nature/earthly selves/sinful/gratifying to ourselves and not to the Lord...because the Lord is always before us at our right hand, our flesh can live in hope. Our earthly, disgusting, sinful flesh can live in HOPE because our God has sent His son as that hope, to cover our flesh with His blood. Man. I love it.
Chapter 3:11-12 has a lot of names for Jesus, including: servant, Holy and Righteous One, Author of Life, Messiah. Jesus is so many things; actually, He is ALL things. He is all-encompassing. I really like "Author of Life," it isn't mentioned as often as others. Author= writer over specific texts or stories; Jesus is the writer over the specific text, of LIFE
Chapter 3:19-20: "Repent therefore, and turn to God so that your sins may be wiped out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord..." Mmm. It's saying that Jesus is a refreshment, that the Lord's presence should bring our hearts/minds/souls refreshment. I like this because today, first day of classes/first day of my senior year of college, I am not feeling refreshed, I am feeling down and like I am losing what God did in my life this summer by being bogged down by things here, but reading this, and being in the presence of the Lord, has refreshed me. Yes!
-Jesus says in 1:7 that "it is not for you to know the times or preiods that the Father has set by his own authority." Talking about His second coming, Jesus himself states that it is not for any of us to know, but for God alone who has set it
-Jesus did descend into Hell after He died before His ressurection: seen in 2:24 and 2:31-32. Jesus conquered death and Hell = Jesus conquered sin so that our sins would be forever paid for...death/sin could not hold Him
-There are comforting words from David quoted here in 2:25-26: "I saw the Lord always before me, for he is at my right hand so that I will not be shaken. Therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced; morever my flesh will live in hope." I love this. I want to find what Psalm it is located in...
Basically is saying: -The Lord is always before us, He is always here. He never leaves or will leave. He is at our RIGHT HAND-- meaning, He is RIGHT THERE at all times, there for us to hold His hand or grab Him or touch Him or find Him when we seek for Him. Thus, we cannot be shaken. If God is always with us, at our right hand (basically at our fingertips, for lack of better metaphors), we should not fear.
-My flesh will live in hope = Think about this for a second. My FLESH will live in hope. Our flesh = our human nature/earthly selves/sinful/gratifying to ourselves and not to the Lord...because the Lord is always before us at our right hand, our flesh can live in hope. Our earthly, disgusting, sinful flesh can live in HOPE because our God has sent His son as that hope, to cover our flesh with His blood. Man. I love it.
Chapter 3:11-12 has a lot of names for Jesus, including: servant, Holy and Righteous One, Author of Life, Messiah. Jesus is so many things; actually, He is ALL things. He is all-encompassing. I really like "Author of Life," it isn't mentioned as often as others. Author= writer over specific texts or stories; Jesus is the writer over the specific text, of LIFE
Chapter 3:19-20: "Repent therefore, and turn to God so that your sins may be wiped out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord..." Mmm. It's saying that Jesus is a refreshment, that the Lord's presence should bring our hearts/minds/souls refreshment. I like this because today, first day of classes/first day of my senior year of college, I am not feeling refreshed, I am feeling down and like I am losing what God did in my life this summer by being bogged down by things here, but reading this, and being in the presence of the Lord, has refreshed me. Yes!
Lets Play the Name Game..
How powerful is the name of Jesus? We hear "Jesus is the name above all names" and we end our prayers in "In Jesus name I pray..." There's so many songs about his name, and how sweet it is, but what does that even mean?! Well... Check this out.
"Now Peter and John went up together to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour. And a certain lame from his mother’s womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms from those who entered the temple; who, seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, asked for alms. And fixing His eyes on him, with John, Peter said, “Look at us.” So he gave them his attention expecting to receive something from them. Then Peter said, “Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ ofNazareth
Here we see a crippled man who is healed by and every day disciple of Jesus, like you and me.
Peter and John saw this man and faith began to stir and the holy spirit began to move in them and the went over there and proclaimed healing over this man. Guys arise in faith and cast out all hopelessness and disbelief as far as the name of Jesus is concerned. "Suddenly ‘In Jesus Name’ is no longer a phrase that is meant to just end your prayer, but your power and connection to heavenly anointing to release God’s glory into your life and situation."
Last verse I want to share with you about the sweetest name in the World.
Acts 4:12 "Jesus is the only one who can save people. His name is the only power in the world that has been given to save people. And we must be saved through him!"
Wow! I hope this made you realize just how powerful and how beautiful and wondrous the name, just the NAME of Jesus is. It made me think twice.
i want your feedback my dear family! :]
i love you
Blessings, Madi Greer
"Now Peter and John went up together to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour. And a certain lame from his mother’s womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms from those who entered the temple; who, seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, asked for alms. And fixing His eyes on him, with John, Peter said, “Look at us.” So he gave them his attention expecting to receive something from them. Then Peter said, “Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of
Here we see a crippled man who is healed by and every day disciple of Jesus, like you and me.
Peter and John saw this man and faith began to stir and the holy spirit began to move in them and the went over there and proclaimed healing over this man. Guys arise in faith and cast out all hopelessness and disbelief as far as the name of Jesus is concerned. "Suddenly ‘In Jesus Name’ is no longer a phrase that is meant to just end your prayer, but your power and connection to heavenly anointing to release God’s glory into your life and situation."
“And His name, through faith in His name, has made this man strong, whom you see and know. Yes, the faith which comes through Him has given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all. Acts
Last verse I want to share with you about the sweetest name in the World.
Acts 4:12 "Jesus is the only one who can save people. His name is the only power in the world that has been given to save people. And we must be saved through him!"
Wow! I hope this made you realize just how powerful and how beautiful and wondrous the name, just the NAME of Jesus is. It made me think twice.
i want your feedback my dear family! :]
i love you
Blessings, Madi Greer
greater things have yet to come
this is kind of from a few chapters back, but it's been on my heart ever since i read it my last week at sky this summer, and then it happened to be in our quest reading in John 14.
John 14 is all about how Jesus is the way to the Father, and about how He is going to leave soon and go to the Father--but that although He is leaving, His works will continue to be done through us as believers. He also touches on the baller fact in verse 10 that "The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own, but the Father who dwells in me does his works." This is Jesus giving glory to the Father by not claiming to do anything on His own apart from God, but giving all the credit to our Father in Heaven for anything He says and does. SO COOL. We should be more like Jesus in this regard-- that nothing we do or say or are comes from us alone, but the God in us--especially if we are believers. 2 Cor. 3:5 says "Not that we are sufficient in ourselves, to claim anything for ourselves, but our sufficiency comes from God." This means that we cannot claim ANYTHING for ourselves...especially when we are doing His work. We can't take the credit. It is GOD within us that causes great works to happen...nothing within our sinful, depraved selves as human beings leads us to do such good things. It is God alone--and we should rejoice in that fact!That God loves us that much and trusts us as His chosen children that much to allow Himself to work in and THROUGH us...to minister to others and to continue to do his works.
This is shown in verse 12: "Very truly, I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these, because I am going to the Father." I love this verse so much. I remember reading it one morning during breakfast on the back porch my last week at Sky and tears rolling down my face. Because we BELIEVE, God entrusts the Holy Spirit to dwell within each of us and do great works--and Jesus says, to do even greater works than He HIMSELF did on earth. How crazy is that?? This strongly encouraged me my last week at Sky because I realized that I was not doing this for myself or to bring glory to Whitley Leiss, but to God above...and that the works I was doing were all because of the Spirit living within me! God stirs and works within each of us, and we have to remember that greater things have yet to come. When Jesus left, the Spirit was allowed to enter us as humans and work within...something that had not yet been ordained by God.
So, dear friends, recognize the Spirit that is dwelling within you--GOD within you, CHRIST within you, the HOLY SPIRIT within you--and do His work. Do it all for His kingdom and further it with the intentions of praising Him and bringing Him the utmost glory. Acts has a lot to do with the Holy Spirit and its presence/affect in the lives of the apostles/Christians, and we cannot deny the fact that the Holy Spirit is currently dwelling within each of us and is ready to go to WORK.
John 14 is all about how Jesus is the way to the Father, and about how He is going to leave soon and go to the Father--but that although He is leaving, His works will continue to be done through us as believers. He also touches on the baller fact in verse 10 that "The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own, but the Father who dwells in me does his works." This is Jesus giving glory to the Father by not claiming to do anything on His own apart from God, but giving all the credit to our Father in Heaven for anything He says and does. SO COOL. We should be more like Jesus in this regard-- that nothing we do or say or are comes from us alone, but the God in us--especially if we are believers. 2 Cor. 3:5 says "Not that we are sufficient in ourselves, to claim anything for ourselves, but our sufficiency comes from God." This means that we cannot claim ANYTHING for ourselves...especially when we are doing His work. We can't take the credit. It is GOD within us that causes great works to happen...nothing within our sinful, depraved selves as human beings leads us to do such good things. It is God alone--and we should rejoice in that fact!That God loves us that much and trusts us as His chosen children that much to allow Himself to work in and THROUGH us...to minister to others and to continue to do his works.
This is shown in verse 12: "Very truly, I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these, because I am going to the Father." I love this verse so much. I remember reading it one morning during breakfast on the back porch my last week at Sky and tears rolling down my face. Because we BELIEVE, God entrusts the Holy Spirit to dwell within each of us and do great works--and Jesus says, to do even greater works than He HIMSELF did on earth. How crazy is that?? This strongly encouraged me my last week at Sky because I realized that I was not doing this for myself or to bring glory to Whitley Leiss, but to God above...and that the works I was doing were all because of the Spirit living within me! God stirs and works within each of us, and we have to remember that greater things have yet to come. When Jesus left, the Spirit was allowed to enter us as humans and work within...something that had not yet been ordained by God.
So, dear friends, recognize the Spirit that is dwelling within you--GOD within you, CHRIST within you, the HOLY SPIRIT within you--and do His work. Do it all for His kingdom and further it with the intentions of praising Him and bringing Him the utmost glory. Acts has a lot to do with the Holy Spirit and its presence/affect in the lives of the apostles/Christians, and we cannot deny the fact that the Holy Spirit is currently dwelling within each of us and is ready to go to WORK.
couple of my thoughts on the holy spirit
So the last few weeks the Lord has been teaching me alot about the Holy Spirit. Especially in John 16 when we read:
The Work of the Holy Spirit
... I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for h if I do not go away, i the Helper will not come to you. But j if k I go, l I will send him to you. 8 m ... 13 When t the Spirit of truth comes, u he will v guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but w whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. 14 He will x glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. 15 y All that the Father has is mine; z therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.
This passage got me really excited about the Helper (holy spirit) that lives inside of me. Especially when he says "it is to your advantage that I go away" so that he may send him to us. It says the Helper will guide us into all truth.
I have noticed alot lately how Satan is the "father of all lies" and I listen to them more often than I thought I did. Since I have been back from camp he is telling me:
-I am worthless because I'm not living for him every second like I was at camp
-I have to have a girlfriend to really enjoy this life
-My roommates don't want me to be hardcore about the Lord
-I am selfish when I am in college
.... And the list goes on. Usually I dwell on these thoughts and do not even idenify them as lies from the devil. But since I have read John 16 I know that those thoughts have no place in my mind because the Spirit of Truth lives within me. I have been able to take those lies captive in the power of the holy spirit.
I'm excited about continuing to read in Acts and see how the Lord uses the apostles through the Holy Spirit to do amazing things (like heal the lame in chapter 3).
The Work of the Holy Spirit
... I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for h if I do not go away, i the Helper will not come to you. But j if k I go, l I will send him to you. 8 m ... 13 When t the Spirit of truth comes, u he will v guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but w whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. 14 He will x glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. 15 y All that the Father has is mine; z therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.
This passage got me really excited about the Helper (holy spirit) that lives inside of me. Especially when he says "it is to your advantage that I go away" so that he may send him to us. It says the Helper will guide us into all truth.
I have noticed alot lately how Satan is the "father of all lies" and I listen to them more often than I thought I did. Since I have been back from camp he is telling me:
-I am worthless because I'm not living for him every second like I was at camp
-I have to have a girlfriend to really enjoy this life
-My roommates don't want me to be hardcore about the Lord
-I am selfish when I am in college
.... And the list goes on. Usually I dwell on these thoughts and do not even idenify them as lies from the devil. But since I have read John 16 I know that those thoughts have no place in my mind because the Spirit of Truth lives within me. I have been able to take those lies captive in the power of the holy spirit.
I'm excited about continuing to read in Acts and see how the Lord uses the apostles through the Holy Spirit to do amazing things (like heal the lame in chapter 3).
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