In the fourth chapter of Acts, we see the beginning of controversy between the newborn Church and the religious establishment of the Jews. In chapter three, the Apostle Peter and John had gone into the Temple, where God healed a crippled man, gathered a crowd together, and gave them the opportunity to preach about Jesus Christ. When many thousands heard what they had to say and believed it, the Jewish religious leaders responded by throwing Peter and John into jail for the night (Acts 4:1-4). The next day, they held a council to hear Peter and John's explanation of it all, with the intent of finding something to punish them for (Acts 4:5-7). Peter took that opportunity to preach Jesus to them, pointing out that though they had killed Him, God had raised Him from the dead, and that He alone was the source of salvation (Acts 4:8-12). As much as they wanted to shut the mouths of Christians like Peter and John, they could not punish them because of pressure from the people, but they threatened them and warned them not to preach about Jesus anymore (Acts 4:13-22).
To their credit, Peter and John did not run and hide out of fear of the Jewish religious leaders, but rather they went to the Church for a prayer meeting. Wherever Christians are gathered together, that is a Church and an opportunity to pray. The Bible explains that they "went to their own" (to other Christians), in order to report what had happened (Acts 4:23, NKJV). This drove them to pray together for a common purpose and for uncommon courage (Acts 4:24-30). This prayer is an example for the Church today, just as much as it was yesterday, teaching us what we should be praying for together.
First of all, they acknowledged God's sovereignty as creator and ruler over the Earth, pointing out that this resistance was not against them, but rather against His rule and His purpose in Jesus Christ (Acts 4:24-28). In fact, they quoted from a passage in Psalms that says, "Why do the nations rage, and the people plot a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD and against His Anointed, saying, 'Let us break Their bonds in pieces and cast away Their cords from us!'" (Psalm 2:1-3, NKJV) Not only does this explain that the Jewish leaders were acting like all those who oppose God and His Messiah, but this passage also points to what God thinks about such resistance. The Bible goes on to say, "Now therefore, be wise, O kings; be instructed, you judges of the earth. Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest He be angry, and you perish in the way, when His wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all those who put their trust in Him." (Psalm 2:10-12, NKJV) That's why the Church prayed, "Lord, look on their threats..." (Acts 4:29a, NKJV), because they wanted God to show what He thought about the resistance and threats of those who refused to "put their trust" in "the Son."
In answer to that prayer, "...the place where they were assembled together was shaken" (Acts 4:31a, NKJV). Some might try to explain this away as a spiritual experience, but the Greek word "saleuo," that is translated as "shaken," usually concerns something physical, such as the shaking caused by an earthquake. It appears that God literally shook the ground beneath their feet. Whether anyone beyond their meeting place felt the tremor or not is immaterial, because God had made a statement that He did indeed take offence at what was being done against Jesus Christ. Every earthquake should serve as a reminder of the judgment that God has promised will come on this world that opposses Him. In shaking their meeting place, God was reminding His Church that vengeance is truly His and that His enemies' day would come. The Church was praying then and the Church should be praying now for God's wisdom to see what is actually in opposition to Him and for God's justice to one day be served!
In the next part of their prayer, they focused on what they wanted God to help them do for Him in the meantime. The Church prayed, "Lord... grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word..." (Acts 4:29b, NKJV). They simply wanted God to give them the ability and the courage to deliver God's message concerning Jesus Christ. God directly answered that prayer, as the Bible describes, saying, "...they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God with boldness." (Acts 4:31b, NASB) The Holy Spirit is all the equipment a Christian needs to be able to speak the Word of God and do it boldly! This is exactly what Jesus had promised, saying, "But you shall recieve power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me..." (Acts 1:8a, NKJV). They were simply submitting themselves to the power and mission of the Holy Spirit once again, by praying that way. The Church was praying then and the Church should be praying now for God to equip us anew with the power and boldness of the Holy Spirit so that we will truly be witnesses for Jesus Christ!
In the last part of their prayer, they described what they fully expected God to be doing while they boldly preached the Word of God. The Church said what they wanted to do "...while You extend Your hand to heal, and signs and wonders take place through the name of Your holy servant Jesus" (Acts 4:30, NASB). Some translations of this verse make it sound like they are wanting God to give them boldness to preach "by" performing these signs and wonders (see KJV & NKJV), but it is a better translation of this verse that explains that God will be doing these things "while" His Word is being boldly proclaimed by the Church.
It makes many uncomfortable to think of God actually performing miracles today, but it should not disturb the Christian. In fact, Christians should expect to see God do things that He is the only explanation for, when we are faithfully telling the good news of Jesus Christ. Some take this to the extreme and begin forming healing lines in their Church services, but this is not about a man laying his hands on a person, but rather about God laying His hands on a person. Miracles can come physically in the form of someone's cancer being completely taken away without a doctor's intervention, or miracles can come spiritually in the form of someone's personality being totally changed for the better through simply having faith in Jesus Christ. Miracles can come relationally in the form of a diverse group of people becoming a unified body of believers, or miracles can come numerically in the form of a small body of believers growing to include thousands. In whatever form the miracle comes, it is always something that only God could have done and that God alone deserves the glory for! The Church was praying then and the Church should be praying now that God will help us do our part, while He does His part among us!
There is a popular song by Casting Crowns that simply asks on behalf of God, "What if My people prayed?" That "what if" has no limit, because there is no limit to what God can do with the Church that prays in the right way for the right things. What you pray for all alone should be the same thing that you pray for all together in the Church, but only if you are praying for the right things. Let's pray...
"Lord God, please help us to pray like the early Church. Please help us to seek the boldness that You have provided in the Holy Spirit for us to be witnesses. And Lord, please show us the miracles of Your living presence in lives today! Amen."
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Salvation from the Cup
In the Old Testament, much is said about the wrath of God, promising that He sees the wickedness of men and that He does not let it go unpunished. For example, in the time of Noah, God's judgment was literally poured out on the Earth in the form of a flood. Humanity's sin had become so all encompassing that God's judgment became all encompassing as well. The only ones who did not literally drink in God's judgment and die were Noah and his family. It was not that Noah was more deserving, but rather that he "found grace in the eyes of the LORD" (Genesis 6:8, NKJV). Though Noah was a sinner, he trusted God and God showed him "grace," which is the kind of love that cannot be earned, but only received from God. Out of "grace," God provided a way for Noah and his family to avoid drinking the waters of judgment.
The Bible often describes God's wrath toward sin as a cup filled with judgment, which the wicked will drink down fully when God chooses to pour it out. That is what the Psalmist was contemplating when he wrote, "For in the hand of the LORD there is a cup, and the wine is red; It is fully mixed, and He pours it out; Surely its dregs shall all the wicked of the earth drain and drink down." (Psalm 75:8, NKJV)
This would give us nothing to be concerned about, if it were not for the fact that we are all wicked by nature. At the very core of our being as sinners, the Bible says that we are "desperately wicked" (Jeremiah 17:9, NKJV). So it was concerning all of us that the Psalmist wrote of God's cup of wrath, saying, "Surely its dregs shall all the wicked of the earth drain and drink down." If left to our own devices, to simply live in the way that seems best to us, we would "surely" drink the cup of God's wrath completely. There would be no avoiding it in the end!
But God has good news for the wicked today, just like He did in Noah's day. Out of grace, God has provided a way for us to avoid drinking the cup of His wrath, but this time it does not involve an ark. Instead of an ark, God provided a stand-in for us to drink the cup of God's wrath in our place. The Bible speaks of both the contents of the cup and the One who came to drink it in our place, saying, "For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 6:23, NASB) Death is best explained as separation. When a person dies, they are physically separated from their loved ones here on Earth. But if a person dies physically without having the eternal life that Jesus Christ gives, they are spiritually separated from the God who loves them. If we cannot be with God in Heaven because of our wickedness, then we must be separated from God in Hell as our punishment.
The gift of eternal life is God's solution to our hopeless situation, but it was a costly gift to provide. Jesus came to take our place, knowing full well that drinking the cup of God's wrath toward sin meant a certain death. Jesus did not look forward to what He would suffer, but He was willing to do what it would take to save you and I. That's why the Bible records those final moments before Jesus was arrested, saying, "He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, 'O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.'" (Matthew 26:39, NKJV) The Bible also says, "Again, a second time, He went away and prayed, saying, 'O My Father, if this cup cannot pass away from Me unless I drink it, Your will be done.'" (Matthew 26:42, NKJV) He was so resolved to drink that bitter cup for us, that when Peter unsheathed his sword and attacked one of those who came to arrest Jesus, Jesus said, "Put your sword into the sheath! Shall I not drink the cup which My Father has given Me?" (John 18:11, NKJV)
The wicked would have no hope of avoiding that cup of God's wrath, if Jesus had not grasped it and drank it down in our place. Every blow to his face, every stripe on his back, and all three nail piercings were each a swallow from that bitter cup. The Bible explains the amazing grace that God showed us all, saying, "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8, NKJV) The most important word in that sentence is "for," which is translated from the Greek preposition "huper." That word literally means "on behalf of," or "in place of." By drinking the cup of God's wrath for us, Jesus died instead of us, on our behalf!
I have personally trusted Jesus Christ with my life, not only because I wanted to be spared that cup of God's wrath, but because I was tired of living life separated from Him. If He loved you enough to save you from going to Hell in the hereafter, what do you think His love can save you from in the here-and-now? My friend, quit trying to take that cup back out of the hands of Jesus and then give your life to Him by faith. All you have to do is tell Him that you believe that He is your Savior and then surrender your life to Him as your Lord. To do the alternative is to take that cup of God's wrath into your hands and start drinking it now in life and continue drinking it later in death. The excruciating pain that Jesus suffered in drinking that cup for you is nothing in comparison with the physical and spiritual suffering that you will bring upon yourself in this life and in the life to come through simply rejecting the salvation that He has provided from the cup of God's wrath.
"Lord Jesus, I thank-you for taking that cup for me and drinking it in my place. May my life be a reflection of the mercy that You have shown and an example of what You can do for all those who choose to believe. Amen."
The Bible often describes God's wrath toward sin as a cup filled with judgment, which the wicked will drink down fully when God chooses to pour it out. That is what the Psalmist was contemplating when he wrote, "For in the hand of the LORD there is a cup, and the wine is red; It is fully mixed, and He pours it out; Surely its dregs shall all the wicked of the earth drain and drink down." (Psalm 75:8, NKJV)
This would give us nothing to be concerned about, if it were not for the fact that we are all wicked by nature. At the very core of our being as sinners, the Bible says that we are "desperately wicked" (Jeremiah 17:9, NKJV). So it was concerning all of us that the Psalmist wrote of God's cup of wrath, saying, "Surely its dregs shall all the wicked of the earth drain and drink down." If left to our own devices, to simply live in the way that seems best to us, we would "surely" drink the cup of God's wrath completely. There would be no avoiding it in the end!
But God has good news for the wicked today, just like He did in Noah's day. Out of grace, God has provided a way for us to avoid drinking the cup of His wrath, but this time it does not involve an ark. Instead of an ark, God provided a stand-in for us to drink the cup of God's wrath in our place. The Bible speaks of both the contents of the cup and the One who came to drink it in our place, saying, "For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 6:23, NASB) Death is best explained as separation. When a person dies, they are physically separated from their loved ones here on Earth. But if a person dies physically without having the eternal life that Jesus Christ gives, they are spiritually separated from the God who loves them. If we cannot be with God in Heaven because of our wickedness, then we must be separated from God in Hell as our punishment.
The gift of eternal life is God's solution to our hopeless situation, but it was a costly gift to provide. Jesus came to take our place, knowing full well that drinking the cup of God's wrath toward sin meant a certain death. Jesus did not look forward to what He would suffer, but He was willing to do what it would take to save you and I. That's why the Bible records those final moments before Jesus was arrested, saying, "He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, 'O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.'" (Matthew 26:39, NKJV) The Bible also says, "Again, a second time, He went away and prayed, saying, 'O My Father, if this cup cannot pass away from Me unless I drink it, Your will be done.'" (Matthew 26:42, NKJV) He was so resolved to drink that bitter cup for us, that when Peter unsheathed his sword and attacked one of those who came to arrest Jesus, Jesus said, "Put your sword into the sheath! Shall I not drink the cup which My Father has given Me?" (John 18:11, NKJV)
The wicked would have no hope of avoiding that cup of God's wrath, if Jesus had not grasped it and drank it down in our place. Every blow to his face, every stripe on his back, and all three nail piercings were each a swallow from that bitter cup. The Bible explains the amazing grace that God showed us all, saying, "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8, NKJV) The most important word in that sentence is "for," which is translated from the Greek preposition "huper." That word literally means "on behalf of," or "in place of." By drinking the cup of God's wrath for us, Jesus died instead of us, on our behalf!
I have personally trusted Jesus Christ with my life, not only because I wanted to be spared that cup of God's wrath, but because I was tired of living life separated from Him. If He loved you enough to save you from going to Hell in the hereafter, what do you think His love can save you from in the here-and-now? My friend, quit trying to take that cup back out of the hands of Jesus and then give your life to Him by faith. All you have to do is tell Him that you believe that He is your Savior and then surrender your life to Him as your Lord. To do the alternative is to take that cup of God's wrath into your hands and start drinking it now in life and continue drinking it later in death. The excruciating pain that Jesus suffered in drinking that cup for you is nothing in comparison with the physical and spiritual suffering that you will bring upon yourself in this life and in the life to come through simply rejecting the salvation that He has provided from the cup of God's wrath.
"Lord Jesus, I thank-you for taking that cup for me and drinking it in my place. May my life be a reflection of the mercy that You have shown and an example of what You can do for all those who choose to believe. Amen."
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
An Unexpected 7-7-7
Last week, I was asked if I thought there was any prophetic significance to July 7th, 2007. This person was wandering if the Lord could return on that day. My answer was simply, "No," because He is supposed to return in a time when no-one is expecting Him to. In fact, based upon that fact, I said that Jesus is more likely to return on Ground Hog's Day than on 7/7/2007. In all actuality, Jesus could just as easily return today or tomorrow.
The Biblical support for the unexpected return of Jesus Christ is clear. For example, the Apostle Paul reminded believers, writing, "For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words. But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you. For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night." (1 Thessalonians 4:16-5:2, NKJV) This event which is best known as "the rapture," will come suddenly and at a time when it is least expected, much like the invasion of a thief into one's home. It would be ridiculous to think of a thief calling the home of his next planned victims to tell them when he will arrive to take their belongings away from them. To think that we can set an expected date for the Lord's return is equally ridiculous.
Though He will come unexpectedly like "a thief in the night," He will be coming to retrieve that which belongs to Him. That is why we must be ready and watching for His return by faith, so that we will be prepared for that retrieval. Because the date of His return is set by an unknown schedule, the urgency on us all to be prepared is that much greater. That is why Jesus warned us time and again, saying, "Therefore be on alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming!" (Matthew 24:42, NASB) To be prepared and watching for His return only comes through being saved, that is, through giving your life to Jesus Christ and becoming one of His.
Without the preparation of salvation, His return will only usher in a time of judgment rather than rejoicing for you. Paul spoke of what the unexpected return of Jesus Christ will be like for those who have not accepted Him, saying, "For when they say, 'Peace and safety!' then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape." (1 Thessalonians 5:3, NKJV) Once labor pains have begun, there is no stopping them until they have reached their conclusion. Those who reject Jesus Christ before His return, can expect judgment to follow afterwards. So if He could return at any time and His return is that important for your future, why not be prepared for it to happen? It is the most logical choice.
Some agree that it is important to be prepared for the Lord's return, but they also say that it will come after God's time of judgment on this world. This time of judgment is called "the Tribulation period" and is defined as an exact seven year time period in the book of Daniel and in the book of Revelation. There are many theologians who say that the Lord will return unexpectedly to rapture His Church after the seven years have ended, but that makes an unexpected time impossible. Jesus said, "But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of Heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone." (Matthew 24:36, NASB) If the Tribulation began tomorrow, you would know it and would be able to count down to the day it would end seven years later. Someone would be out proclaiming the Lord's return on something like 7/7/2014, but just like proclaiming the Lord's return on 7/7/2007, it would be wrong because it would be expected. That is why the Lord will come unexpectedly on an average, ordinary day, when no one expecting Him to. That's when He will secretly return for His own, openly bring judgment on the world for seven years, and then visibly appear to claim the throne of the world.
I will say this for the number seven, it is an important number in the Bible that symbolizes divine completion, or those things that only God can personally plan and complete. With that in mind, no matter what the actual date is when the Lord returns unexpectedly it will become a perfect day for believers, in which God will have begun the completion of His work with humanity. When that happens, it will have become the perfect year, the perfect month, and the perfect day, a divinely appointed 7/7/7 on God's calendar.
"Lord, my heart sings: 'What a day that will be, when my Jesus I shall see, and I look upon His face, the One who saved me by His grace. And when He takes me by the hand, and leads me through the promised land, what a day, glorious day, that will be!' Oh Lord, come quickly and help more of us to be ready for that day. Amen."
The Biblical support for the unexpected return of Jesus Christ is clear. For example, the Apostle Paul reminded believers, writing, "For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words. But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you. For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night." (1 Thessalonians 4:16-5:2, NKJV) This event which is best known as "the rapture," will come suddenly and at a time when it is least expected, much like the invasion of a thief into one's home. It would be ridiculous to think of a thief calling the home of his next planned victims to tell them when he will arrive to take their belongings away from them. To think that we can set an expected date for the Lord's return is equally ridiculous.
Though He will come unexpectedly like "a thief in the night," He will be coming to retrieve that which belongs to Him. That is why we must be ready and watching for His return by faith, so that we will be prepared for that retrieval. Because the date of His return is set by an unknown schedule, the urgency on us all to be prepared is that much greater. That is why Jesus warned us time and again, saying, "Therefore be on alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming!" (Matthew 24:42, NASB) To be prepared and watching for His return only comes through being saved, that is, through giving your life to Jesus Christ and becoming one of His.
Without the preparation of salvation, His return will only usher in a time of judgment rather than rejoicing for you. Paul spoke of what the unexpected return of Jesus Christ will be like for those who have not accepted Him, saying, "For when they say, 'Peace and safety!' then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape." (1 Thessalonians 5:3, NKJV) Once labor pains have begun, there is no stopping them until they have reached their conclusion. Those who reject Jesus Christ before His return, can expect judgment to follow afterwards. So if He could return at any time and His return is that important for your future, why not be prepared for it to happen? It is the most logical choice.
Some agree that it is important to be prepared for the Lord's return, but they also say that it will come after God's time of judgment on this world. This time of judgment is called "the Tribulation period" and is defined as an exact seven year time period in the book of Daniel and in the book of Revelation. There are many theologians who say that the Lord will return unexpectedly to rapture His Church after the seven years have ended, but that makes an unexpected time impossible. Jesus said, "But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of Heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone." (Matthew 24:36, NASB) If the Tribulation began tomorrow, you would know it and would be able to count down to the day it would end seven years later. Someone would be out proclaiming the Lord's return on something like 7/7/2014, but just like proclaiming the Lord's return on 7/7/2007, it would be wrong because it would be expected. That is why the Lord will come unexpectedly on an average, ordinary day, when no one expecting Him to. That's when He will secretly return for His own, openly bring judgment on the world for seven years, and then visibly appear to claim the throne of the world.
I will say this for the number seven, it is an important number in the Bible that symbolizes divine completion, or those things that only God can personally plan and complete. With that in mind, no matter what the actual date is when the Lord returns unexpectedly it will become a perfect day for believers, in which God will have begun the completion of His work with humanity. When that happens, it will have become the perfect year, the perfect month, and the perfect day, a divinely appointed 7/7/7 on God's calendar.
"Lord, my heart sings: 'What a day that will be, when my Jesus I shall see, and I look upon His face, the One who saved me by His grace. And when He takes me by the hand, and leads me through the promised land, what a day, glorious day, that will be!' Oh Lord, come quickly and help more of us to be ready for that day. Amen."
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