Author: Brian

Follower of Jesus, Husband, Dad, Grandpa, and Pastor

Passion Points

On By BrianIn PASSION Points

Here are some good posts for your weekend reading to help you grow in the Lord:

23 Reasons To Be Joyful – Paul Tautges
Re-training your heart for joy.

10 Point Inventory – Steve Cornell
Ten questions to examine your heart.

How Do We Grow In Holiness – Part One and Part Two – Tim Chester
Excerpts from You Can Change – highly recommended!

The Pursuit of Holiness – Part One and Part Two – Desiring God
Discussion on video between John Piper and Kevin DeYoung

Hope you have a great Lord’s Day with your local church!

An Effective Witness

On By BrianIn Book of Acts

One of the main themes of Acts is witness.  Jesus called the disciples to be his witnesses, and we trace that witness throughout the book.  In the first five chapters, we see five characteristics of an effective witness which we should apply to our lives and churches today:

  • Proclaim the message.  This may go without saying, but we see again and again in these first few chapters the proclamation of the gospel.  Clearly we need to be looking for opportunities to proclaim the gospel today.
  • Pray for the gospel to go forth.  In Acts 4, after being threatened for proclaiming the gospel, the early church prays.  They pray for boldness to continue to proclaim the gospel.  Their prayer is centered on a desire to see the gospel spread.  We too ought to be crying out to God for the gospel to be spread.
  • Be filled with the Holy Spirit.  After praying, they were all filled with the Holy Spirit.  We are reminded that we cannot save anyone, only God can.  And so for an effective witness, we need the Holy Spirit to be active in our lives, and indeed in the lives of those who are hearing the good news.
  • Be generous with one another.  The early church was known for its generosity (Acts 4:32-37).  This made their message attractive and real – they were showing generosity toward each other even as God had shown great generosity toward them.  Jesus said people would know we are his disciples by our love and good deeds (John 13:35, Matthew 5:16).  Our love for one another will help to draw people to the gospel.
  • Live in the fear of God.  An important part of the gospel is that we have died to sin and been raised to righteousness.  We are to live a new life turning from wickedness to follow Jesus.  When we fail to live out this new life, we deny the power of the gospel.  We begin to look like the rest of the world.  And why should the world care what we say if our lives don’t match our words? This was part of the problem with Ananaias and Sapphira’s sin (5:1-11).  But God dealt very decisively with them, so that the church might fear God and live a new life according to the gospel.

The witness of the early church showed these five characteristics, and multitudes were saved (5:14).  May our witness look like this, and may God grant to us this year many who will be saved!

The Fear of God

On By BrianIn Book of Acts

Seeing others sell their land and give the money to the church, Ananias and Sapphira decide to the same (Acts 5:1-11).  But they choose to keep some of the money.  Nothing wrong so far.  But then they further decide to pretend that they are giving all of the money.  They decide to deceive the church.  They choose to lie.

When Peter confronts them, he makes clear that they are not merely lying to the church, but by application they are lying to God.  They are testing God by sinning in his face.  There is no fear of God before their eyes.  And God punishes their sin by taking their lives.  Great fear came upon the church.  What Ananias and Sapphira lacked, the rest of the church now received in abundance.

This passage is a stern reminder that God is not to be trifled with.  He is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.  He is our Creator.  And as such, we owe him respect, reverence, awe, fear, and obedience.  How dare we ever think that we can sin against God, and God won’t notice!  How dare we ever consider testing God by parading our sin in his face!  We dare not treat God flippantly.  Those who are living in sin are living in dangerous territory.

We live in a world that thinks nothing of sin.  Sin is celebrated in the media and everywhere you look.  And this carefree attitude toward sin has in too many ways infiltrated the church.  We need a fresh dose of the fear of God.  We need to take sin seriously – like God does.  We may need to repent and seek God’s forgiveness.  We need to pursue righteousness.  We need to live in the fear of the Lord.

Growing in Generosity

On By BrianIn Book of Acts, Virtue Miscellaneous

We see the generosity of the early church in Acts 4:32-37.  People were selling what they had and giving it to the church to meet the needs of their fellow Christians.  Our churches too should be marked by generosity.  How might we grow in this area?  Four suggestions:

  • Look for opportunities.  Each Sunday after church, ask yourself some questions:  What needs did I see or hear about today.  How might I respond with generosity this week?
  • Remember that generosity takes many forms.  You might generously give of your money as the early church was doing.  You can also generously let others borrow items that you have.  You might also generously give of your time.
  • Do what you can.  If you become aware of a need for $100, but you can only give $20, give what you can.  Even the little you can give will be an encouragement.  And God may be leading several others to give small amounts that will add up to meet the entire need.
  • Follow the Lord’s leading.  If God impresses upon your heart that you should meet a need, do it.  You can’t do everything, and God doesn’t expect you to do everything.  But when God moves your heart to give, do it.

Over 50 Million

On By BrianIn Current Collection

Since Roe vs Wade 40 years ago, over 50 million babies have been killed by abortion.  Fifty million.  That is a number hard to grasp.  50 million people we should be rubbing shoulders with, working with, going to school with, going to church with.  Gone.  Killed.

Instead of Passion Points this week, here are some good posts to explore and ponder as we remember those who have died and cry out to God for mercy and change.

10 Questions a Pro-Choice Candidate Is Never Asked by the Media – Trevin Wax

Why Your Friends Are Pro-Choice (And What To Do About It) – Scott Klusendorf

Do Pro-Life Policies Even Matter – Kevin DeYoung

Washington Post Article Shows Pro-Life Progress – Michael New

9 Things You Should Know About Roe v Wade – Joe Carter

It Has Fingernails – A brief clip from the movie “Juno”

Thank You, Mr. President, for these Pro-Life Marching Orders
Okay, so our president was talking about another tragedy, but it fits remarkably well.

Prayer Week – Saturday

On By BrianIn Prayer Guides

Saturday – Sanctity of Life
Read Proverb 24:11
Pray for an end to legal abortion.
Pray for women considering an abortion.
Pray for our local Pregnancy Care Centers.
Pray for the overturning of the current policy requiring many businesses and non-profits to provide abortion-inducing contraceptives to their employees.

Prayer Week – Thursday

On By BrianIn Prayer Guides

Thursday – Global Life
Read Colossians 1:9-11
Pray for solid teaching, growth, fruit, and revival in the global church.
Pray for the persecuted church to be strengthened with power to persevere with joy.
Pray for missions to people groups having no gospel witness.
Pray for a great spiritual awakening around the world.