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| The weather has been a bit funny lately as most you have been experiencing. Some days are cloudy, others are filled with incredible bright rays that penetrate through even the most gloomiest of minds. Speaking of minds, isn't it interesting that much of our actions actually birth out from a single thought? What you decided do today didn't just happen. There was some type of thought put into it before you even thought about what you thought about (haha).
Everyday, the weather changes because we cannot control it. Our actions can change each day because we don't control our minds.
Unless, there is a way it can be controlled!
And there is!
Who is the one who controls the weather actually? The Maker. And who made us also? Yes, you're right, our Maker. But the difference between the weather and us-- choice.
The Maker gives us a choice to let him take control. In a weird paradox, when we give up control to God, we regain more control that we would ever have thought of receiving.
But remember, it's you're choice to let Him or not.
Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And
do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing
of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which
is good and acceptable and perfect.
(Romans 12:2)
-B
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ok... now moving on............................
What is an "apostle?"
An Apostle is: a person sent by another; a messenger; envoy.
Here was the Apostle Paul, sent by God to speak at Ephesus (Acts 19: 1-10):
And it happened, while
Apollos was at Corinth, that Paul, having passed through the upper
regions, came to Ephesus. And finding some disciples he said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?”
So they said to him, “We have not so much as heard whether there is a Holy Spirit.”
And he said to them, “Into what then were you baptized?”
So they said, “Into John’s baptism.” Then Paul said, “John indeed baptized with a baptism of repentance,
saying to the people that they should believe on Him who would come
after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.”
When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied. Now the men were about twelve in all. And he went into the synagogue and spoke boldly for three months,
reasoning and persuading concerning the things of the kingdom of God. 9
But when some were hardened and did not believe, but spoke evil of the
Way before the multitude, he departed from them and withdrew the
disciples, reasoning daily in the school of Tyrannus. And this continued for two years, so that all who dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks.
Let's see what Paul did...
He met some disciples (believers) and asked them if they had "recieved the Holy Spirit when they 'believed."One would wonder why he would ask such a thing? Wasn't conversion enough? Apparently not, as you see him asking them "into what were you bapitzed?" When they mentioned about John the Baptist, it still wasn't enough, because they hadn't been baptized into the Holy Spirit. So what did Paul do? He laid hands on them the Holy Spirit came upon them, speaking in tounges and prophesying. Now, I'm not going to go into detail about spiritual manefestations...but the point was that Paul met these "converts" who did not have the power of the Holy Spirit.
Before you decide to take into the mentality to just go around preaching the gospel and get a million saved, let's look at the importance of what it means to be "baptized into the Holy Spirit."
The great commision says: Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. (Matthew 28:19).
The Holy Spirit is crucial in the health of a Christian (especially a new convert). When Jesus was alive, the Holy Spirit was not given to man as He is today. Why? Because they (the disciples, the people) had God in flesh among them. The Holy Spirit was given so that it could be a "counselor" to us... (John 14:16, 26). Not only that, the Holy Spirit is:
Spirit of Christ (1 Peter 1:11)
Spirit of Faith (2 Cor. 4:13)
Spirit of Glory (1 Peter 4:14)
Spirit of Holiness (Rom. 1:4)
Spirit of Life (Rom. 8:2)
Spirit of Adoption (sonship) (Rom. 8:15)
Spirit of the living God (2 Cor. 3:3)
Spirit of Truth (John 14:17)
Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation (Eph. 1:17)
... to name just a few... See the Holy Spirit has many beneficial characteristics (yea...)... When you are under the guidance of the Holy Spirit...you realize the power that is there for the using. The Holy Spirit helps you to press on (faith), reminds you that you are loved (adoption), convicts you of what's right (truth/holiness), takes you deeper into a heavenly understanding (wisdom/revelation). I could go on, but I'm sure you are getting the point by now.
Let's continue.. There were about 12 men that Paul was administering to. He stayed at the synagogue for three months, continually zealous about the truth of Christ. But once Paul saw that some was "hardened" he did not keep on torturing them with "you must believe," but "departed from them and withdrew the disicples.."
Okay, you see something interesting. Paul did not care to cater to these people who "spole evil of the Way (the "Way" refers to Jesus' followers), instead, he saw that there were the disiciples who genuinely wanted to learn more, and took them away from these influences. Good move Paul. Now, you see, he reasoned daily in the school of Tyrannus, continuing for two years..
You see the dedication/ love he had for the truth as he taught those who wanted to hear, daily, for two years...
But here is the best part (my opinion).. It was after he had trained them, "all who dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks..."
Now the men were about twelve in all. And he went into the synagogue and spoke boldly for three months,
reasoning and persuading concerning the things of the kingdom of God.
But when some were hardened and did not believe, but spoke evil of the
Way before the multitude, he departed from them and withdrew the
disciples, reasoning daily in the school of Tyrannus. And this continued for two years, so that all who dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks. (Acts 19: 8-9)
A few things we see here:
1. Paul baptized those who were newly "converted" to Christ, with a Holy Spirit baptism. This proclaimed their new "Spirit of " benefits (I would call them benefits.. haha).
2. He taught in the synagogue and met resistance from some of the people. They were influental in a negative way.
3. He took those who were willing to learn aside and trained/taught them for 2 years.
4. These disiciples spread the gospel throughout all of Asia.
This parallels simmilarly with the way Jesus sent out the 70 (or 72) in Luke 10: 5-6.
But whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace to this house.’ And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest on it; if not, it will return to you.
During those times, it was custom to let people into your house... this was to show respect to God, the provider of the house... (thanks Joe). If the "son of peace," or person willing to let you stay, is present, you are seeing a person who is hungry for God (Holy Spirit working in them as well)...
In the same way, Paul taught in the synagogue and met resistance from some (those who reject him), but the disiciples he had (simmiliarily with the "sons of peace") were willing and hungry for truth.. therefore these types of people he had taken aside and trained them.. for they were willing to "abide in Him (Jesus)," and from seeing the gospel spread throughout Asia, "bore much fruit." (John 15).
Now.. the point is this...
You speak the news of the gospel or say something about the goodness of God. You see who is a person of peace. You then act, train them, disiciplining them...teaching them, because the "person of peace" is willing to learn. You teach them, baptizing them with the Holy Spirit, etc...Then you encourage them to go and do the same.
In other words... let us make the wineskins ready for the harvest... let us train those who are hungry.
For the harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few... pray for the laborers...
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| Notes from the Passion Retreat this past weekend:
Pastor Sam Lee from KFPC:
Day 1:
Sometimes our Christians lives are like this: we fell in love with God once, proclaiming to be changed, only to fall short of the expectations that we put on ourselves. And what is the result? Defeat.
Turning to Mark 8:22-25, we are faced with a situation. Jesus heals a blind man at Bethsaida.
22 Then He came to Bethsaida; and they brought a blind man to Him, and begged Him to touch him. 23
So He took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the town. And
when He had spit on his eyes and put His hands on him, He asked him if
he saw anything.
24 And he looked up and said, “I see men like trees, walking.”
25 Then He put His hands on his eyes again and made him look up. And he was restored and saw everyone clearly. Now the question remains... Why did Jesus heal him twice? We don't know. But all that is important is that the blind man once was touched by Jesus. But instead of being content with just "seeing trees," Jesus decides to touch him once more.
Do you want a second touch? Do you need another touch? Maybe perhaps once you were touched with God and it was good, and you walked in Him, yet the vision was still blurry, you stumbled, you didn't know where exactly you were going. Maybe the second touch will be that one that causes you to see cleary. But the question is... will you let Him touch you again?
Day 2:
Spiritual maturity comes as you balance four areas in your life: prayer, word, fellowship, and evangelism. Here is a visual diagram :
Now... as you can see, this is supposed to be a wheel continuously moving forward. There are four spoke that keep this wheel in action. The vertical spokes, prayer and reading of the word go hand in hand. The horizontal spokes, evangelism and felloship also are related and important in keeping this wheel of spiritual growth moving forward. If at any time, one spoke is broken or neglected, the movement of spiritual growth will either suffer through, or stop altogether.
Therefore, it is important to focus on all four aspects of spiritual growth, not just justifiying one or two over the other.
_______________
On FASTING:
It's interesting that in Matthew 6: 16-18, Jesus not only talks about having the right motives when fasting, but seemingly expected that fasting was to occur as a natural practice of one's spiritual life.
16 “Moreover, when you
fast, do not be like the hypocrites, with a sad countenance. For they
disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting.
Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. 17 But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, 18 so that you do not appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.
To future support this, let's look at Mark 9: 28-29:
28 And when He had come into the house, His disciples asked Him privately, “Why could we not cast it out?” 29 So He said to them, “This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting.”
We all know the story when the disiciples could not cast out the mute spirit in the boy. Jesus replied that some could be casted out by adding fasting to prayer. Now, think about this. Would it logically make sense that these disiciples would then just walk away, decide to fast a few days, come back and cast it out? No. How would these disciples have known when and where this specific type of situtation would arise? They couldn't. So what is Jesus saying when he said, "this kind can come out by nothing by prayer and fasting?"
The key is... to have a lifestyle which calls for periodic fasting. When you fast, you are preparing yourself to grow in faith. How? When you fast, certain things occur: 1. You realize your dependence on God 2. You begin to see things clearly 3. Strongholds are broken off. That is why, when you fast, you are able to cast off strongholds in your life that you couldn't before. Fasting is prepartion for spiritual power.
Like a car needs a wheel alignment periodically, fasting is an aligning of your spirit. If you do it regularly enough, coupled with prayer and reading of the word, you will become sensitive to the spirit and the desires of God.
Day 3:
The word "rock" or petros in the biblical form refers to the "land emerging out of the sea."
The wise man and the fool...
Matthew 7: 24-27 shows two men who built their houses on different foundations.
24 “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: 25
and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on
that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.
26
“But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them,
will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: 27 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.”
No matter how great of a house you can build, it the foundation is wrong, it will prove itself foolish. Choosing to disobey God's word and covering it up with ministry works, good deeds, exterior accents and attractive ways will not last. Obedience is better than sacrifice.
You cannot use a cookie cutter program to fit into any area and expect it to work. The foundation of that area must be strong, on a rock. That is the way ministry is supposed to succeed. The wise man and the fool both can build the same house, the same program, the same ministry, but when trials and tests come, the truth will be revealed.
When you go through persecutions, what are you built on? How will it affect you?
Once again, it is through those who "hears his words and puts them into practice." In other words... obedience. Need more examples? Let's look at Deuteronomy 6:1-4:
1 “Now this is the commandment, and these are the statutes and judgments which the LORD your God has commanded to teach you, that you may observe them in the land which you are crossing over to possess, 2
that you may fear the LORD your God, to keep all His statutes and His
commandments which I command you, you and your son and your grandson,
all the days of your life, and that your days may be prolonged. 3 Therefore hear, O Israel, and be careful to observe it,
that it may be well with you, and that you may multiply greatly as the
LORD God of your fathers has promised you—‘a land flowing with milk and
honey.’[a]4 “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one!
God has rules. He doesn't have these to make us miserable. He has them so that it may be well with us. The word "hear" in the previous Matthew 7 section is a Judeo-Christian concept. Hellenists refer more to "sight." But this "hear" of the Judeo-Christian concept entails more than just "hearing."
The orginal greek word is         "akouo" which has a connotation of not just "hearing" but "doing." The word "hear" then, is not just hearing, but also taking action.
Day 4
   
Now with all that said... how do you live a "shama" lifestyle?
It's simpler than you think.
All of the laws (that we are to obey) are encompassed into two components: to love God and to love others. The first and greatest commandment is found within many pages of scripture, but I'll just reference Luke 10:27:
"And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself."
Loving God and loving others are naturally synergized. The two cannot be disconnected. So, with that in mind, we should strive to love God in those areas, so that we may love others. Now the question is...How do you practically love God in those specific areas-- heart, soul, strength and mind?
Well... first let's look at what each area entails:
HEART: emotion-What moves you emotionally? What makes you passionate? Find something that captures your emotions and do it for God. For instance, if music moves you emotionally, praise the Lord with songs. If it is writing or photography, skate boarding, do it passionately for God.
SOUL: personality- Shape it. How do you act when no one is around? Inconsistency in other areas (work, school, relationships) determines how much you actually love God. Only being one sided on some days, and different on other days is not a genuine reflection of true love for God. Every good and perfect gift he gives (friendships, school, etc.) is also a responsiblity that he was given to us. If we fail to shape our personalities to become responsible (studying, adjusting our anal ways to love a friend, etc.) we are failing at loving God with all of our soul, our being, our personality.
STRENGTH: resources: time /talents /money- Where does all your time go? Where do you spend your God given talents on (say, teaching... do you teach for God's glory?). Where do you spend the most money on? (Clothes, expensive items for self, or giving to those in need?). Accurately gauge where you spend your resources, and you will see your strengths being used in those areas. If they are not intertwined with God's purposes, you are not loving God with all your strength.
MIND: thoughts- Metacognition means that you think about what your thinking about. Are your thoughts pleasing to God? Are they envious? Lustful? Are they full of hatred or bitterness toward someone? Are they distracting you from focusing on God? If they are, you are not loving God with all your mind.
Before Jesus, we couldn't match up to loving God with all our heart, soul, strength, and mind. The laws were showing us that we fall so short of the standards of righteous living. However, thanks be to Jesus Christ! Because of his death, we have what we call grace.
However, many times we live under the bondage of law-based thinking. If I slip and dont pray for a few days, I am a sinner. If I accidently break my fast, if i smoke i am an addict, if I drink I am condemned with guilt, if I do this, do that. That isn't the point. The point is that you can never attain full perfection here on this earth, and that is why this concept of grace is so amazing and profound. It's like a loophole. That doesn't justify that you keep on sinning, for Paul cleary states in Romans about that. But if you want to experience God to the fullest. Truly loving him and others with all that you have, it's simple.
All you have to do is ask yourself: Am I loving God with my heart, soul, strength and mind when I engage in this activity, this thought, this job, this class, these people, __________?
And if the answer is "no," reconsider your action.
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Have you ever procrastinated on a paper? Of course you have. Let's say this paper is worth 99% of your total grade and you have a month to do it. When will you start on it? The day of? Two weeks? The night before? And how do you feel when you finish it in advance, having enough time to revise and edit. Then waiting paitently to be graded. I would assume you would feel a lot more relaxed than if you had typed it the night before (especially if it's worth that much) Am I right?
Well, though this is a silly illustration, much of our lives may reflect the frantic procrastinator more often than not, and Im not referring to papers. When it comes to preparing our hearts before the Lord, is he worth that much? How much time do we set aside to read, pray, reflect on His goodness?
Luke 1: 16
The coming of John the Baptist
"Many of the people of Israel will he bring back to the Lord their God. And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the rigtheous-- to make ready a people prepared for the Lord."
Though this verse is talking about the character of John the Baptist--
we can learn a great deal from it. We see that God had chosen John the
Baptist to "go before the Lord;" in other words, to prepare for the
coming of Jesus. He was responsible for softening the soil on which God
was ready to work on. He prepared the way for Jesus. How? By convicting the "disobedient" to the "wisdom of the righteous" in order to "make a people prepared for the Lord."
What does it mean to be truly be a people set apart for God, to be a people prepared for the Lord? When was the last time you prepared yourself? God is working around you, but there needs to be preparation in order to experience God to a deeper level.
How is the state of your heart? Have you been told by someone that God had used to convict and not have heeded the warning? We like to do things our own way and would rather not listen to those God has placed in our lives. So you might have been feeling down recently? Yea, I understand, me too. Even judged? Yep. Misundersttod? Burned? Bitter? Angry?
Whatever the issue, it causes a pain that is real and unpleasent. But have you considered the words of those around you? Even if they are sharp. Is there substance? Constantly, I have to check myself and my pride. When the rebukes (and criticisms) of others hurt enough to become embittering, something is definitely wrong.
How much you set time aside for God will determine how much you can hear Him.
How fast you are willing to obey the warnings of God will determine how much you can experience Him.
Let us be used by God. Let's be prepared.
Listen for his voice, forgive them as Christ forgave you, and start to grow again.
God is looking for hearts that are prepared for Him.
Is your heart ready?
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| 6/31/06 July 31 7:35am Monday
"why, Lord, do you make us wander from your ways and harden our hearts so we do not revere you?"
"You come to the help of those who gladly do right, who remember your ways. But when we continue to sin against them, you were angry. How can we be saved? All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away. No one calls on your name or strives to lay hold of you; for you have hidden your face from us and made us waste away because of our sins."
"Yet, you are our Father. We are the clay, You are the potter; we are all the work of Your hands."
"After all this, Lord, will you hold yourself back? will you keep silent and punish without measure?"
(Isaiah 63&64)
"give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever."
"they CRIED OUT to the Lord in their trouble, and He delivered them from their distress."
"give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing Love and His wonderful deeds for us. for He satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things. "
"some became fools for their rebelious ways and suffered affliction because of their inquities. they CRIED OUT to the Lord in their trouble, and He saved them from their distress."
"the upright see and rejoice, but all the wicked shut their mouths. whoever is wise, let him heed these things and consider the great Love of the Lord."
(Psalms 107)
in times of such painful moments, afflictions, distress, they help us realize that we need God. He puts us in tough situations because He's calling out for us to rely on him. to cry out to him. to depend on his love for you and I. when we come to our senses, it brings us to moment of decisions. I am a very introverted person. I tend to hold things in, no matter how tough life seems to become. it starts to build up and leave a burden and guilt in my heart. for I am a selfish human, I tend to take matters in my own hands, thinking that I can solve my problems and put God at a lower level than I, when in reality, it will never work out that way because God is in complete control. I need to constantly remind myself to be woman of humility, putting him first than anything else. for He is the potter and we are the clay. Let him mold us. our job is to put complete faith in what he is doing and leave the results up to him. the scripture says to CRY OUT to God in such afflictions for he hears your cry and comes to those that surrender. "they cried out to the Lord in their trouble; He delivered them out of their distress" (ps 107:6)
though, I may be going through a tough, rollarcoaster-like spiritual dryness in my life, my heart rejoices for this is when God loves me the most. he disciplines those he loves.
-A | | |
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