Category: PASSION Reflections
An Effective Witness
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
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
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.
Meditate on the Word
Last week, we talked about delighting in the Word. If we delight in the Word, we will want to spend time in it. We will want to read it. We will want to meditate on it. I have added a new page to the site with a Bible Reading Plan. You read from different portions of the Bible six days a week. Day seven is to catch up on a day you missed or to review ways that God has challenged you during the last six days.
There are of course a lot of reading plans out there. This one works for me, because the review/catch-up day helps keep me from falling behind. But whatever approach you take, the important thing is to read and meditate on the Word. With that in mind, here are a few ideas for meditating on the Word:
- Pray your way through the passage as you read it.
- Read slowly. Ponder what God is saying to you.
- Record what you are learning in a journal.
- Look for repeated words or ideas.
- Ask: What is the main idea of this passage?
- Write down the main points of the passage.
- Ask: What does this mean? And How should I respond?
- Use a study Bible to explain things you don’t understand.
- Ask more questions:
- What does this passage teach me about God?
- What examples do I see of God’s grace?
- What does this passage teach me about ____? (any theme)
10. Ask more application questions:
- Is there a truth to believe?
- Is there a promise to claim?
- Is there an example to follow (or not follow)?
- Is there a command to obey?
- Is there a sin to confess?
11. Try Luther’s contemplative method by asking three questions:
- How does this show me something about God to praise?
- How does this show me something about myself to confess?
- How does this show me something I need to ask God for?
(Adoration, Confession, Supplication)
Applying Our Delight in the Word
In the last post we looked at three reasons from Psalm 119 regarding why we should delight in the Word. Today, I want to consider three ways we should apply our delight in the Word:
- Meditate on the Word. If we delight in the Word, we will want to meditate on it, or fix our eyes on it (v14-15). To meditate is to think about the passage, to ponder it, to chew on it. If we delight in the Word, we will regularly read it, meditating on its meaning, and its application in our lives. Do you regularly meditate on God’s Word?
- Memorize the Word. The Psalmist says he delights in God’s Word and will not forget it (v16). Rather he has stored up the Word in his heart (v11). We too need to regularly memorize the Word, so that we might always have it available in times of need or temptation. Are you memorizing God’s Word?
- Live the Word. It is not enough to merely meditate on and memorize the Word. We must also walk in it; we must keep it (v1-2). You can’t tell me you delight in God’s Word if you are not following it. Are you seeking to live out the Word?
If we delight in the Word, we will mediate on it, memorize it, and live it. As the New Year approaches, this is a good time to reconfirm your commitment to God’s Word. And if God’s Word has not been a commitment in your life, now is a great time to commit yourself to the Word for 2013.
Delight in the Word
Psalm 119 is a psalm of delight in the Word. Again and again the Psalmist declares his delight in God’s Word (v14, 16, 24, 70, 77, 92, 111, 143, 162, 174). He also gives us at least three reasons why we should find joy in God’s Word. God’s Word is:
- A Guide to Life. We should delight in God’s Word because it gives us counsel (v24). The Word gives light for our paths (v105). It shows us how to live a pure right life (v9). It teaches us to lives as we were created to live. How many messes in our lives could have been avoided if we had simply followed the Word? We should find joy in God’s Word because it is a guide for our lives.
- A Help In Trials. In the midst of his affliction, the Word of God gave him life; it kept him from perishing. In our trials, the Word gives us something to hold onto, to cling to. It gives us hope, peace, comfort, strength, encouragement, joy. It gives us life. Even in our afflictions, we can find joy in God’s Word. We should delight in God’s Word because it is a help in our trials.
- A Word from the Lord. The law is not just any law. It is the law of the Lord (v1). It comes from God. He has written us a letter. God speaks to us in his Word. If we love God, we will love his Word – we will delight in it as we delight in Him. We should delight in God’s Word because it is from God.
As we ponder these three reasons, and use the Word as our guide and help and word from God, may God cause our delight in His Word to grow!
Finding Joy
Christmas is a time of joy, yet many struggle to find it. In the midst of the trials and sufferings of life, where can we find joy? The writers of the Psalms tell us places where they found joy – places where we too can find joy even in the midst of the struggles of life. We can find joy in:
- God’s love (90:14)
- God’s salvation (51:12)
- God’s deliverance (126)
- God’s protection (63:7)
- God’s reign (97:1)
- God’s people (16:3)
- God’s Word (119:14-16)
It is not hard to see what all of these joy-bringers have in common. All come from God. Every good thing that brings us joy comes from God. Each joyful blessing comes from the river of his delights (Psalm 36:8). God is the source of joy. We find our joy ultimately in him:
You have put more joy in my heart
than they have when their grain and wine abound.
– Psalm 4:7
You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy;
at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
– Psalm 16:11
For you make him most blessed forever;
you make him glad with the joy of your presence.
– Psalm 21:6
Then I will go to the altar of God, to God my exceeding joy,
and I will praise you with the lyre, O God, my God.
– Psalm 43:4
In the presence of God, we find exceeding joy beyond any other joy. The joy found in God’s blessings is good; the joy found in God himself is better. This Christmas, no matter what struggles you are facing, you can find joy in the presence of the Lord. Won’t you draw near to him?
Sandcastles
My family found an incredible sand castle on the beach this past summer. By the time we had left, we had added on to it, making it even bigger. Making sandcastles can be a fun activity on the beach, but eventually the waves or rain will wash them away. What is fun on the beach is tragic in life. Too many people build their lives on things that won’t stand the test of time. They waste their life building sandcastles that won’t last.
Many people build their lives on their own feelings or desires. Rather than build their lives on what God says has eternal value, they build their lives on what they want to do in the moment. They waste their lives building sandcastles that won’t last.
Other people build their lives on things. They live to get more – as much stuff as they can. They lay up for themselves treasures on earth that will rust or rot or break instead of laying up treasures in heaven. They waste their lives building sandcastles that won’t last.
Still others build their lives around fame or popularity. Perhaps it lasts for awhile, but then it’s gone. It is fleeting. And it has no eternal value. They waste their lives building sandcastles that won’t last.
There are many ways to build our lives around things that won’t last, to waste our lives building sandcastles. But Jesus calls us to lay up treasures in heaven. He bids us seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness. He calls us to love God with all of our being, and to love the people around us. He bids us to live our lives for his glory instead of our own.
What sandcastles are you building? Isn’t it time you started building something with more substance, something that will stand the test of time?
How We Give Glory To God
In an earlier post, we looked at four reasons to give glory to God from Psalm 115. Today, we want to consider four ways we give glory to God from the same psalm. How do we give glory to God?
- We give glory to God as we serve him (v2-8). Followers of idols serve their idol, giving their obedience and allegiance. As followers of the one true God, we should serve him, giving him our full obedience and allegiance. Does he have your complete allegiance? As we show that he alone is worthy of our total service, obedience, and allegiance, faithfully serve him each day, we give him glory.
- We give glory to God as we trust him (v8-11). Those who follow idols, trust in their idols. But we trust in the Lord as our help and shield. Are you trusting him in your current circumstances? As we show that he alone is worthy of our complete trust, and we trust him in each situation, we give him glory.
- We give God glory as we seek to be good stewards of his blessings (v12-17). God has blessed us with countless blessings. He has given us the resources of the earth. He has given us whatever time we have here on earth. How are you using his blessings? His resources? The time he has given you? Are you using his blessings for selfish pursuits for your glory? Or are you using his resources for the kingdom for his glory? As we show that he is worthy of our stewardship, and we daily live as good stewards, we give him glory.
- We give glory to God as we praise him (v12-18). In response to his many blessings, we ought to praise him. We ought to be grateful. In our limited time here on earth, we should praise God. We should give ourselves to singing his praises as we gather together as his people. We should give ourselves to praising him all week longs as we talk about the great things he has done for us. Are you giving yourself to praising God? As we show that he is worthy of our praises, and we praise him each day, we give him glory.
God is worthy. Will you give him the glory he deserves today?
Brian J. Mikul 