Posts

On the Move

Leviticus 23-24; Psalms 24; Acts 21   “Who may ascend the hill of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy place?...Lift up your heads, O you gates, be lifted up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in.” Psalm 24:3, 7 There are two movements in this Psalm: we are invited as worshipers to ascend the hill of the Lord, and the King of glory is riding up through the gates into the citadel. The gates are commanded to “Lift up your heads” (Psalm 24:7), reminding us of fortifications that have a personality. The repeated command to the gates is to open for the King of glory. Jesus declared he would build his Church and the gates of hell would “not overcome it” (Matthew 16:18). The gates represent authority which must submit to Jesus, the King of glory. Even as our King comes to rescue, deliver, and save, we are invited to come into his presence, but on his terms, not ours. The hill of the Lord is for those who have consecrated themselves to the King and received his righteousnes...

Committed to God’s Grace

  Leviticus 20-22; Acts 20   “Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified.” Acts 20:32 We get a window on Paul’s confidence in the Lord to care for disciples in this farewell speech on the beach outside Ephesus. Paul committed the elders of the Church to “God and to the word of his grace”, rather than an apostolic leader as a replacement. Paul was clear that the spiritual warfare against this Church would continue to be intense. In the days ahead, “Savage wolves” were coming - internal leaders who would distort the truth and lead to divisions and doctrinal splits. Paul’s confidence was in the grace of God operating through the team of elders, or under-shepherds of God’s Church, to discern the attacks of the enemy and to resist them. When we understand the grace of God in our own lives, we can commit our teams and those we serve and lead to the word of God’s grace as well. What relat...

Pass On What You Have

Leviticus 18-19; Psalms 13; Acts 19   “While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus. There he found some disciples and asked them, ‘Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?’ They answered, ‘No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.’” Acts 19:1, 2 Apollos knew only the baptism of John, a water baptism of repentance of sin. That was what Apollos taught in Ephesus. When Paul arrived and asked the disciples about whether they had received the Holy Spirit, they didn’t know what he was talking about. We can only take others in ministry as far as we ourselves have gone. When the seven sons of Sceva, the Jewish chief priest, tried to pray with demonized people, they commanded demons to flee in the name of Jesus, “whom Paul preaches”. They did not know Jesus personally through the Holy Spirit. We can only pass on to others what we ourselves have. Paul laid hands on the Ephesian disciples and they received the Holy Spiri...

I Am Clear of my Responsibility

  Leviticus 15-17; Acts 18   “But when the Jews opposed Paul and became abusive, he shook out his clothes in protest and said to them, ‘Your blood be on your own heads! I am clear of my responsibility. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.’” Acts 18:6 Paul was clear about his responsibility to first communicate the Gospel to the Jews before turning to the Gentiles. In each community, he ministered first in the synagogue, building on the foundation of the law and the prophets. Paul understood God’s word to Ezekiel, that the watchman is accountable for the blood of those he is sent to if he fails to blow the trumpet and warn them (Ezekiel 33:6). However, if he blows the trumpet and the listeners do not take warning and respond, the watchman is released from his responsibility. Are we clear in understanding who we are responsible to share the Gospel with? Our family, neighbors, and those we work with must know the Gospel. If they are unclear about the Gospel, we might be unclear...

Gospel Confidence

Leviticus 13,14; Acts 17 “As his custom was, Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and proving that the Christ had to suffer and rise from the dead.” Acts 17:2, 3 Paul was gospel-centered in his ministry strategy, keeping his focus on Jesus wherever he traveled. What are we focused on? The Macedonians had poverty, political reform issues, education issues, and many other challenges we could relate to; yet, Paul knew the most important need they had was for a relationship with Jesus Christ. The Scriptures were Paul’s tool, his weapon in a spiritual battle for the hearts and minds of a city. His subject was Jesus. Are we confident that Jesus is the best answer for the challenges in our communities today? Are we able to clearly communicate the Gospel in every context? This gospel-confidence will change our lives and ministry if we will live gospel-centered lives wherever we are. “Lord Jesus, you are the Good News the ...

God’s Presence is an Earthquake

Leviticus 10-12; Acts 16   “About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everybody’s chains came loose.” Acts 16:25, 26 The presence of the Lord is more powerful than the chains and prisons of darkness. Paul and Silas sought and enjoyed the presence of the Lord because they understood that was where true freedom was found. In what ways are we seeking freedom today? Many are indulging in television binging, too much alcohol, or exotic vacations to pursue freedom. Paul and Silas enjoyed the freedom of the presence of the Lord in a dark dungeon, chained to a wall! The resulting earthquake was both physical and spiritual as the jailer’s family found freedom in Christ and the Kingdom of God broke into the darkness of Philippi. Many of our cities need to be shaken by the reality of ...

The Glory of the Lord

Leviticus 7-9; Acts 15 “Then Moses said, ‘This is what the Lord has commanded you to do, so that the glory of the Lord may appear to you.’…Moses and Aaron then went into the Tent of Meeting. When they came out, they blessed the people; and the glory of the Lord appeared to all the people. Fire came out from the presence of the Lord and consumed the burnt offering and the fat portions on the altar. And when all the people saw it, they shouted for joy and fell facedown.” Leviticus 9:6, 23, 24 What is the point of our worship services, consecration, and sacrifices to God? Is it our encouragement, training, edification, and renewal? The point of the priestly consecration and sacrificial system as given to Moses was “that the glory of the Lord may appear to you”. Worship is not about us, it is about God and his manifest presence among us. The glory of God must re-orient all of our religious activities from us to our King. The fire of God came from the presence of the Lord and consumed the o...