What we learn from Acts 1:1-11

The Book of Acts is in the New Testament. It could be named "The Acts of the Apostles" or "The Acts of the Christians in the Early Church" or even "The Acts of the Holy Spirit."

But no matter what the preferred title of the Book, it is an historical account of what happened in the 40 or so years after the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

The author, Luke, also the author of the Gospel of Luke, investigated thoroughly all the events of those beginning years of the Church. Often he was an eye-witness.

In the Gospel of Luke, we read, in the first verses, that he wrote his account to assure "most excellent Theophilus" so that he could "know the certainty of the things" he had "been taught" about the life and teachings of Jesus.

Now again in Acts, Luke refers to Theophilus and introduces his second work, the account of the early Church.

These documents were written on scrolls, and generally ran no longer than 35 feet in length.
Scrolls longer than that would be too bulky to carry around. (The Gospels of Matthew, Luke, and John would be about 35 feet in length on scrolls.)

So Luke divided his research for Theophilus into two scrolls - first, the Gospel of Luke centered in the earthly life and ministry of Jesus, and second, the genesis and early days of the new Church.

Here's how Acts begins:



     In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus
began to do and to teach until the day he was taken up to heaven,
after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles He had chosen.

     After His suffering He showed Himself to these men and gave many convincing proofs that He was alive.

     He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the Kingdom of God.

     On one occasion, while He was eating with them, He gave them this command: "Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift My Father promised, which you have heard Me speak about.

     "For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit."

     So when they met together, they asked Him, "Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?"

     He said to them, "It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by His own authority. But you will receive power
when the Holy Spirit comes on you and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."

     After He said this, He was taken up into the sky before their very eyes, and a cloud hid them from their sight.

     They were looking intently up into the sky as He was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them.

     "Men of Galilee," they said, "why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven will come back the same way you have seen Him go into heaven."
                     --- Acts 1:1-11


1. Who was "most excellent Theophilus"? We have no other references to this man. He was an official or person of importance of some kind. Perhaps he was a new Christian, or maybe he was a seeker, considering the claims of Jesus Christ, but unsure of what he was being told.

Luke wanted to re-assure him of the truths he was hearing. Maybe he was a convert of Luke.

In either case, he was someone like many of us.

2. Christ appeared on earth for 40 days after His resurrection and then ascended to heaven, telling His disciples to wait in Jerusalem to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, which would empower them to be witnesses for the good news "to the ends of the earth."

We know from other New Testament scriptures that Christ appeared personally to over 500 people. And we know that He appeared to "believers," His followers, not to "unbelievers." He didn't go to Pilate or Herod, which would certainly make a compelling narrative.

But it was not His intention to parade Himself in a bitter "I told you so" and "now you will be sorry" act of revenge. He revealed Himself to those who trusted Him and in Him.

He always displayed humility, not arrogance.

3. We see that the disciples still did not "get it." They still associated the Kingdom of God with an earthly restoration of the nation of Israel, the expulsion of Rome, and, probably, their own lofty positions of authority in the "Cabinet." 

But they finally "got it." A few days later.


4. The phrase Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth is a brief outline of the Book of Acts.

The first 7 chapters of the Book concentrate on the Church in Jerusalem.

Chapters 8 - 12 show the Church moving into Judea and Samaria.

Chapters 13 - 28 give the account of the Church expanding throughout the Roman Empire and beyond.

5. This same Jesus who was taken from you into heaven - I read great compassion in this statement.
The angels knew it was a heart-wrenching experience for the disciples to see Christ leave. He wasn't lost - He was taken from them.

But He didn't just disappear either - He went to heaven and they knew from His comments in the Upper Room before His crucifixion, that He was going to prepare a place for them to come and be with Him forever.

The messengers brought comfort and encouragement to them with their words - Yes, He was taken from you - but He was taken to heaven - as He told you!
And He will come back!


Luke tells Theophilus that Christianity is a religion based on historical facts. Even the fact of the resurrection was witnessed by hundreds of people.

So the resurrection in a fact.

That fact proves the deity of Christ.

The divine Christ must speak the truth, because God is truthful and must speak truthfully.

So we can trust everything God says in the Bible because He taught that it was the Word of God.

And that includes the fact that He will be

coming back to earth in the same

manner in which He left.

But that date is determined by God the Father.

Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus!
 (Revelation 22:20)

Even Little Children

"LORD, our Lord, how majestic is Your name in all the earth. You have set Your glory in the heavens. Through the praise of children and infants, You have established a stronghold against Your enemies, to silence foes and the avenger." (Psalm 8:1-2) 

We often don't take spiritual warfare seriously enough. Dare we underestimate the devil's hatred for our Lord and for His followers?

Since Satan was cast out of heaven, his mission has been to ruin everything and everyone the Lord loves.

But we have weapons and we can take heart. Even little children can defeat the devil when they speak or sing words of praise to God. The evil one is dispelled and defeated when our hearts, homes, and sanctuaries are praise-filled.

As all of us participate in worship, study and obey His Word, and dedicate ourselves to prayer and praise, we can 'silence the voice of the foe and the avenger.'

Have praise-filled commands ready to shout at Satan whenever he appears.

And we have powerful custom-made armor to wear to "stand against the schemes of the devil." Described in Ephesians 6.

And remember how Jesus defeated Satan? By quoting scripture. And then we are told, 'the devil left Him.' 

Read about it in Matthew 4: "And Jesus said to him, 'Be gone, Satan, for it is written, You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only shall you serve.'"

And 'the devil left Him.'

We always succeed when we imitate our Savior!

The Scientist and the Theologian

Where did the scientist find the theologian? 

What's the end of the story?

Robert Jastrow's nightmare:

Robert Jastrow was a famous and highly influential astronomer and physicist. He was the founder and director of NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies. He was a self-described and proclaimed agnostic, and sometimes atheist. He died in 2008. But before he died he wrote this:

    "For the scientist who has lived by his faith in the power of reason, the story ends like a bad dream. He had scaled the mountain of ignorance; he is about to conquer the highest peak; as he pulls himself over the highest rock, he is greeted by a band of theologians who have been sitting there for centuries."

"Tetelestai" - It Is Finished!

 "Later, knowing that everything had now been finished, and so that Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, 'I am thirsty.' A jar of wine vinegar was there, and so they soaked a sponge in it, and put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant and lifted it to Jesus's lips. When He had received the drink Jesus said, 'It is finished.' With that He bowed His head and gave up His spirit." (John 19)

The Greek word translated as 'it is finished' in our English Bibles is 'tetelestai,' a word of various usages.

On many ancient invoices (from the time of Christ) we find that word verifying that the bill had been 'Paid in full - no balance due.' Today we often pay a bill and our receipt is stamped "Paid in full." Same idea: The debt has been fully satisficed.

Other ancient documents (military) we have found show the word is also used to announce that the army has had victory! 'The war is over --  We have won!' A cry of rejoicing!  'Victory is ours!'

Also it can mean a task or assignment has been completed;  we have records of servants reporting back to their masters that they had finished their assignment. 'Tetelestai' -- The job was complete!

Also, an artist, when finally completing their masterpiece, used the word to indicate their work was finished --  there was nothing more to be added. (Sort of like God pronouncing His creation 'Good'!)

Another use of the word relates to a prisoner who has finished his sentence. 'Tetelestai' on his certificate meant: 'no other penalty or punishment required.'

Tetelestai is the present tense, meaning the action was completed in the past, but the results continue into the present and into the future.

All of these meanings have significance for us! 

Just look at what Jesus was telling us  -- with His last breath!

                               *************

"It is finished," was His cry! Hallelujah! What a Savior!

He Knows Us By Name

 In the Old Testament we find many examples of God's grace and patience.

Reading Exodus 32 and 33 this morning. Moses is up on the mountain talking with God. The Hebrews, recently freed from slavery in Egypt, are waiting for him. They get impatient and decided to just stop waiting for him and talk Aaron into making a god for them, a golden calf, reminding them of the false religions they had in Egypt.

(Making your own god is never a good idea! I know from experience. You probably do, too!)

"You know how prone these people are to evil," Aaron reminds Moses.

God tells Moses He will reject the people for their sin.

But Moses intercedes and reminds God that they were chosen to be His special treasure, a people through whom all the world will be blessed. And that God had told Moses, 'I know you by name and you have found favor with Me.' "If You are pleased with me teach me Your ways so I may know You and continue to find favor with You. Remember this nation is Your people."

God listens to Moses and agrees to forgive and accompany them to the Promised Land. Moses had said, "I don't want to go with them unless You go with us."

Then, "The LORD replied, 'My presence will go with you and I will give you rest.'"

What a sacred moment. God tells him 'I will be with you. I know you. I am pleased with you. I know you by name. Just take a deep breath and relax. I will not leave you.'

We know from the New Testament that He knows us by name, too. He is our Good Shepherd. And we recognize His voice and follow Him and He will always be with us. Always.

Just relax. Take a deep breath. He's with us.

What Should We Be Doing Now? C S Lewis

 

How should we be living in these difficult days as we wait for Jesus to come back?

C S Lewis reminds us that some, or many, of the things we see in the world today are contrary to God's will. He says: "Christianity is a fighting religion. It thinks God made the world -- that space and time, heat and cold, colors and taste, animals and vegetables, are things He created. But it also thinks that a great many things have gone wrong with the world He made and He insists, and insists very loudly, that we put them right again! (From "Mere Christianity").

Then again, in the Narnian Chronicles, after the evil witch has entered Narnia, Aslan, the great Lion, gathers the Narnians around and says, "But do not be cast down. Evil will come of that evil, and I will see to it that the worst falls on Myself. In the meantime, let us make this a merry world. And as Adam's race has done the harm, Adam's race will help heal it."

Looks like that's how we live in these ungodly times -- we start putting things right again! Looks like quite a task for us! But the worst, by far, fell on Jesus!

We want to work now and then hear Him say to us, "Well done, good and faithful servant!"

Maranatha, Lord Jesus!

No Ordinary People

 Everyone is immortal. Everyone is going to live someplace forever...

   "There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal.

Nations, cultures, arts, civilizations -- these are mortal and their life is to ours as the life of a gnat.

But it is immortals whom we joke with, work with, marry, snub, exploit --immortal horrors or everlasting splendors.

This does not mean that we are to be perpetually solemn. We must play. But our play must be of that kind (and it is in fact the merriest kind) which exists between people who have, from the outset, taken each other seriously -- no flippancy, no superiority,  no presumption.

And our charity must be a real and costly love, with deep feeling for the sin,  in spite of which we love the sinner." 

                                   -- C S Lewis, The Weight of Glory.

Everyone we see -- on the street, in the stadium or theater, in the grocery store, on Facebook -- everyone will live forever -- someplace.

The most loving and kind thing we can do is to ask them if they understand that.

Why don't we just ask?

Quoteworthy - Miracles - Albert Einstein

"There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle." - Albert Einstein


I was weeding. One sturdy little seedling, perhaps 6 inches tall, stood erect as a telephone pole, daring me to pull it up. I tugged and yanked. Out it came - with a pecan at its root! Left alone, that little soldier, in a few years, would have become a great pecan tree, sheltering birds and insects and providing food for squirrels.  A miracle in the making - just needing a few years to present itself as a for-real, authentic, bona-fide miracle!


Does a "miracle in the making"  still qualify as a miracle?  If a giant tree had grown up overnight, we would have taken pictures, called journalists - announcing the amazing news that a great pecan tree had sprouted and reached mature growth  in just a few hours! It would be like seeing a time-released photo show on the Nature channel. Growing and leafing out and producing pecans before our very eyes.


It would be a miracle!


Does that mean the only difference between miracles and just "normal" nature is time? Is that the only way to distinguish? Just time elapsing?


I don't know about you, but I think it is all a miracle! Everything around us,
every moment of our day......just one miracle after another.....

Here dies another day

During which I have had eyes, ears, hands,

And the great world around me;

And with tomorrow begins another,

Why am I allowed two?

   - G. K. Chesterton

Please Restore My Joy

 

Restore My Joy....

I'm reading Psalm 51 this morning. David wrote it after Nathan confronted him about his sin with Bathsheba and Uriah.

It's, I think,  the clearest expression of confession and repentance and total forgiveness in Scripture.

It's  so universal, and yet so personal that this psalm has touched the hearts of God's people for centuries.  I have read that in the early church it was recited, as a group, at every Lord's Day service.

Look at verse 12. After his sincere confession, David is confident of God's faithful forgiveness, and now prays: "Restore to me the joy of Your salvation."

When I first read this verse some years ago, I was startled by David's nerve! He is saying that even after the horrible sins he committed, 'Please, God, bring me back to that joyous relationship with You again!' 

How could he have the nerve to ask that? After all he'd done! And notice the expression, "Your salvation."....not "my salvation."

This wording appears throughout Scripture. Why? Because everything about salvation is from God. We don't initiate anything.

Beginning with our search for God, because He first loved and called us, our seeing ourselves as the sinners we are, even our very repentance  is a gift of God. 

We do nothing, absolutely nothing, to achieve His salvation, except accept the gift. It's all about God.

"Amazing grace...grace that taught our hearts to fear and grace our fears relieved."

So why do we love this psalm so much? Because it is our experience, too. We are just as hardened and sinful as David. And we also stand in desperate of God's mercy and grace.

And we have it: Remember Hebrews 4:16? "Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may find mercy and receive grace to help us in our hour of need."

What Was Elijah Praying For?

 Elijah was weary and frightened. He had faithfully obeyed God and challenged the evil pagan world around him. He was exhausted. And now Queen Jezebel was going to kill him. He ran for his life into the wilderness, sat down under a bush, and prayed that he might die. "I have had enough, LORD", he prayed. "Take my life." (1 Kings 19)

But God didn't answer his prayer. God had another plan, and important work left for Elijah. Sometimes God does not give us precisely what we pray for. But He will many times give us something better -- something we would much rather have!

When God did choose to bring Elijah home it would not be in the wilderness, alone, under an ordinary desert bush. It would be in a miraculous chariot of heavenly fire with horses of fire, appearing from God's own domain, harnessed by a whirlwind -- in front of many witnesses! Certainly a more exciting way to go! That was God's plan.

Someone has said, "If God doesn't pay in silver, He will in gold. If not in gold, He will in diamonds."

When God doesn't give us exactly what we ask for, when we ask for it, be prepared for something much more exciting! Something we would rather have anyway! 

It's All About Jesus!

 "For in Him  all things were created; things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers, rulers, or authorities, all things have been created through Him and for Him (Colossians 1:16).

Jesus is the goal of all things. All creation  and all history have been fashioned with Christ in mind, for they achieve their intended purpose through Him and exist for Him. All of life and all creation draw their meaning only from Jesus Christ. That includes us!

It's amazing - the hands that hold history are nail--scarred; the heart from which history beats is love-filled; and the mind that plans history is grace-filled!

And He holds US in His nail-scarred hands!

Where Is Jesus Right Now?

God gives us some information that brings us great joy! Jesus, our resurrected, glorious Savior, is in heaven, at the right hand of God the Father. Right now!

1 Peter 3:22 -- "Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at God's right hand -- with angels, authorities, and powers in submission to Him." 

And Mark 16:19, "After the Lord had spoken to them, He was taken up into heaven, and He sat at the right hand of God."

Luke 24:51 and Acts 1:9-11 describe His bodily ascent into heaven - while the disciples gazed in wonder.

There are many other references to Jesus' presence in heaven, "seated at the right hand of God."

Acts 7:55 describes Stephen's vision of Christ in heaven as he is being stoned to death -- this one is a little different: Christ is "standing," not "seated," at God's right hand. 

(Maybe He is standing because, as Stephen is dying, Christ is getting ready to receive him into His glory and kingdom - personally greeting him, welcoming him  --- honoring him for his sacrifice.  ?)

Anyway, Jesus is in an actual place called heaven, a place of glory, surrounded by angelic hosts.

He is honored and glorified at God's right hand!

Our Savior, the tortured, mocked and crucified One, is now receiving cosmic glory. (We can only imagine!)

What joy we have! Our crucified Savior is now bring worshipped and adored -- and will be forever. 

And someday we will be there, too!

It's an Upside-Down World!

Things seem so upside-down now, so confused and mixed up. Donald Grey Barnhouse, in his book on Revelation, makes these comments --

  "There are four things out of place in the universe.

   The church is out of place. She should be in heaven.

   Israel is out of place. She should be occupying the land sworn to her and occupying every part.

   The devil is out of pace. He ought to be in the lake of fire.

   And Christ is out of place. He should be through with intercession and seated on His throne, reigning, instead of at His Father's throne, interceding.

   But in Revelation we begin to see all of these things that are out of place being put in their rightful place, right where they were meant to be.

   The church is in heaven.

   Israel is about to  be given back her kingdom and the promised land.

   The devil is going to be bound and cast into the lake of fire.   

   And Christ is about to reign."

And those in heaven know this. They are waiting, too.

And finally everything will be put back the way it was intended to be! 

And we will be where we were meant to be - with God  in our forever home!

Even so, come quickly Lord Jesus!

My Heart - Christ's Home?

"Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent.

 Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with Me" (Revelation 3:20).

                      Thoughts from Charles Spurgeon --

 "Are you saying, 'I wish that He would live in my heart and make it His dwelling place forever'?

Open the door, beloved, and He will come into your soul. He has been knocking continually.  He wants to eat with you because you provide the home, your heart, and you with Him because He brings the meal.

You would have an empty table if He did not bring the food.

Fling wide then the doors of your soul. He will come with that love you long to feel, that joy you seek to revive your spirit, and that peace to restore your life. Only open the door to Him, drive out His enemies, give Him the keys, and He will live there forever. What wondrous love that brings such a guest to dwell in such a heart!"

     It's time to make your heart Christ's home! (Ephesians 3:17).

[Remember, you have to open the door yourself -- the latch is on your side -- and invite Him in....and there is only room for One - it is not a lodging house!]

The Real Challenge

Yes, The Real Challenge!

Psalm 19:14 -- "May the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable to You,  my Rock and My Redeemer."

  The first part, about my words (all of them?) seems really hard. But the second part seems almost impossible -- my secret thoughts, casual wonderings, mental impulses - how can we make them acceptable to our holy Father God? 

   I remember once someone shared a brilliant thought: 'You can't keep birds from flying over your head, but you can keep them from building nests in your hair'! 

   So simple! Yes, sinful thoughts, fueled by envy, anger, hatred and pride, can assault our thoughts. But we can stop them at their first appearance by immediately turning our thoughts to honor and glorify God. 

   Turn to Him with words and thoughts of praise and gratitude. Thank Him for His forgiveness, for His Spirit that is re-creating us into His image, for His righteousness that now covers us because of what Jesus did. (We can tell Satan to shut up and we can start talking to God!)

  Turn the negative unholy thoughts that dishonor God into positive holy thoughts that glorify Him!

   It works -- for sure -- but we have to be vigilant and move fast!

The Miracle We Already Got - Frederick Buechner

For what we need to know, of course, is not just that God exists, not just that beyond the steely brightness of the stars there is a cosmic intelligence of some kind that keeps the whole show going,

but that there is a God right here in the thick of our day-by-day lives who may not be writing messages about Himself in the stars

but in one way or another is trying to get messages through our blindness as we move around down here knee-deep in the fragrant muck and misery and marvel of the world.

It is not objective proof of God's existence that we want but the experience of God's Presence.

That is the miracle we are really after, and that is also, I think, the miracle that we really get.

                          -- From The Magnificent Defeat,
                                              by Frederick Buechner

For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom His whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name.  

I pray that out of His glorious riches He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.  

And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep in the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge

-- that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

                                    Ephesians 3:14-19 

                 

But does He really like me?

I know God loves us all.

               I know He loves me.

In spite of all these years of trusting God for my forgiveness and thanking Him for making me a part of His family, I still sometimes wonder, "But does He really like me?"

I remember my mother saying to me, "Yes, you know I love you...but I just don't like you right now!"

As I recall her words, they were certainly justified!
I was not displaying lovable conduct at the time.

Now I think I have brought that idea into my adult life.

Sometimes I wonder, "But God, how can You like me today? I have not behaved in a godly way. I know I disappointed You several times. I keep pestering you with selfish requests.  You must be displeased with me. I keep worrying about things I know You said You would take care of....I am anxious and difficult to reason with...how can You stand it?

This is about sin - not someone else's sin against me and not about my sin against another. It is about my own sin against God, against my Father.

That sin, daily, I am afraid, brings a sense of guilt and deep regret.

I think I know the answer. It's about the gospel -

Too often we are short-sighted when it comes to the good news - we think of it gratefully as bringing us into God's family, as the door that brings the unsaved into His kingdom, but fail to realize the gospel is what we need every day.

We need to preach the gospel - the good news of God's forgiveness - to ourselves - every day!

It's not a once-in-a-lifetime experience. It's not for the unbelievers only.

This is what I forget:

     Not only has God forgiven us our sins, He also
     credited us with the perfect righteousness of
     His Son. This is what we call the "Great
     Exchange" - He took away our sins and gave us
     righteousness. This forgiveness includes all sins --
     past, present and future - ALL OF THEM!

PAST - We have been saved (freed) from sin's guilt

PRESENT - We are being saved (freed) from sin's power

FUTURE - We will someday be saved (freed) from sin's very presence.

HAVE BEEN - ARE BEING - WILL BE

Past -  Present - Future

     There is nothing I can do to make Him love me
     less and nothing I can do to make Him love me
     more.


His love is not only eternal, but day to day - He is always waiting for me to return to Him, to run into His arms and seek His love and compassion for our frail, misguided attempts to lead the life He wants for us.

An old popular pioneer hymn, written about the time of the American Revolution, proclaims it:

I will arise and go to Jesus,

He will embrace me in His arms.

In the arms of my dear Savior,

O, there are ten thousand charms.

Why would our loving Savior, who brought us into His family, foreseeing our earthly journey before us, knowing we would constantly fail, not also keep loving us day to day? Yes, loving us, and liking us....day in and day out...always waiting for us to return to His arms.

Every morning when we awake, every evening when we fall asleep, and throughout the day.....let's preach the gospel to ourselves!


Remember 1 John 1:9 was written, not to unbelievers, but to Christians:

           If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just
           and will forgive us our sins and purify us from
           all unrighteousness.

That's really good news!

      

How to Get Ready for Church

I get my hair done on Saturday and make certain my clothes are ready, preparing to go to church Sunday. But I don't seem to be  as concerned about preparing spiritually to join my church family in worship of our Creator God of the Universe! 

I fix my hair, but not my heart! I clean my clothes, but not my soul! How silly is that! 

Before there can be honest, true worship, there must be honest, true hearts.

Max Lucado talks about preparing our hearts for worship through cleansing our hearts of sin as we prepare to come before our holy, sinless God, and it begins with confession:

"Confession does for the soul what preparing the land does for the field.

Before the farmer sows the seed he works the acreage, removing the rocks and pulling the stumps. He knows that seed grows better if the land is prepared.

Confession is the act of inviting God to walk the acreage of our hearts. 'There is a rock of greed over here, Father, and I can't budge it. And that tree of guilt near the fence - its roots are long and deep. And may I show You some dry soil, too crusty for seed?'

God's seed grows better if the soil of the heart is cleansed.

Confession invites the Father to work the soil of the soul, digging and pulling, preparing the heart to produce fruit."

                          So now we can get ready for church!

What does 'inspired' mean? James Montgomery Boice

All scripture is God-breathed and useful for teaching, rebuking, correction, and training in righteousness.

   -- 2 Timothy 3:16 


The first thing 2 Timothy  tells us about Scripture is why it is useful -- because Scripture comes from God.

Old translations of the verse use the word inspired, reading "All scripture is inspired by God."

The Latin Vulgate translated the Greek as divinitus inspirata, and inspirita passed into  English as "inspired" through the translation of Wycliffe.

The interesting thing about the Greek word is that, strictly speaking, it does not refer to inspiration at all.

That is not to say that inspiration is not a valid theological term. It is.

When we think of inspiration we think of the power of God guiding the writers of the Bible so that what they wrote, even though they wrote in their own language and with their own vocabulary and on the basis of their own experience, was nevertheless exactly what God wanted written.

The word inspiration refers to this. Inspiration means "breathed into," from in meaning "in" or "into" and spiro meaning "breathe."  It describes the process of God's revelation of Himself in Scripture from a human point of view. However, this is not the meaning behind the underlying Greek word in 2 Timothy 3:16.

Theopneustos, the Greek word used, combines the word for "God" (theos) and the word for "breath" or "spirit" (pneustos). It means "God-breathed," and

is the translation used by the New International Version.

It teaches that Scripture is the result of this breathing out of God. Much as God created man by breathing into him and making him "a living soul," God also breathed out the Scriptures so they became a living revelation.

Paul is not talking about how human authors of  Scriptures received God's revelation. He is talking about Scripture itself, saying that the words of Scripture are the words of God, and this is what makes Scripture so useful.

A book containing merely human words might be true and useful to a point.

An instruction manual for your new dishwasher helps you run the appliance. The operator's book on your new car is useful.

If you want to learn Latin, a book teaching you Latin will be useful.

But there is no comparison between human books, useful in limited ways, and the Word of God useful in the ways Paul spells out in 2 Timothy 3:16.


   -- James Montgomery Boice, Standing on the Rock,

        Chapter 6, The Most Useful Thing in the World

The LORD God formed the man from the dust of the ground

and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life,

and the man became a living being....

  Genesis 2:7

Enemy-Occupied Territory

From C S Lewis --

   "One of the things that surprised me when I first read the New Testament seriously was that it talked about  a Dark Power in the universe -- a mighty evil spirit who was held to be the Power behind death and disease and sin. 

The difference is that Christianity thinks this Dark Power was created by God, and was good when he was created, and then he went wrong.  

Christianity agrees with Dualism that this universe is at war. But it does not think  this is a war between independent powers. It thinks it is a civil war, a rebellion, and that we are living in a part of the universe occupied by the rebel. 

Enemy-occupied territory - that's what this world is. Christianity is the story of how the rightful King has landed, you might say in disguise, and is calling us to take part in a great campaign of sabotage. When you go to church, you are really listening in on the secret wireless from our comrades, that is why the enemy is so anxious to prevent us from going."

(Note: When the rightful King returns, He will not be in disguise this time -- 'every knee shall bow and every tongue confess' that He is the rightful King!  Come quickly, Lord Jesus!)

Days of Awe - A Life of Awe

Days of Awe

The "Ten Days of Awe," or "High Holy Days," are celebrated by Jews each year in the fall, usually September and early October.

They begin with Rosh Hashanah (New Years, Feast of Tabernacles) and conclude with Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement), the holiest day on the Jewish calendar.

(This year Rosh Hashanah begins at sundown on Friday, September 11, and ends at nightfall on Sunday, September 13).

These ten days are celebrated to remember God's powerful holiness,  to worship Him with reverent awe, and to repent of sin and seek and bestow forgiveness. They recognize the incredible truth of God's reconciliation with man -- ten days to focus on bowing down before Him in humility, meditating on Him and celebrating their special relationship with Him, always with great joy.

Reminds me of our childhood catechism -- Q: What is the chief end of man? A: The chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever!

I love the name of these days: Days of Awe. I can't think of a more perfect title for them.

We Christians can celebrate these days, too -- especially the reconciliation of God and man, accomplished through Jesus -- and bringing us all our Days of Awe! Forever and forever. Amen.

Let's have a  Day of Awe today - and the first day of a Life of Awe!

An Almost Lost (and Last) Song - From Daniel

                                                

                         Almost Lost Song - From Daniel

I ran across this beautiful hymn recently. Legends say that this was the hymn sung by the three young Hebrew boys -- Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego -- while they were in the firey furnace in Babylon during the reign of Nebuchadnezzar. Scholars date it as over 2000 years for certain (except for the last two lines which were added by early Christians).

Glory to you, Lord God of our fathers;

Glory to you for the radiance of your holy Name;

We will praise you and highly exalt you for ever.

Glory to you in the splendor of your temple,

On the throne of your majesty, glory to you.

Glory to you, seated between the Cherubim.

We will praise you and highly exalt you for ever.

Glory to you, beholding the depths;

In the high vault of heaven, glory to you.

Glory to you, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,

We will praise you and highly exalt you for ever.

Remember the story (Daniel 3)?
So Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came out of the fire, and the satraps, prefects, governors and royal advisors crowded around them. They saw that the fire had not harmed their bodies, nor was a hair of their heads singed; their robes were not scorched, and there was no smell of fire on them.

Then Nebuchadnezzar said, "Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who has sent his angel and rescued his servants! They trusted in him and defied the king's command and were willing to give up their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own god....no other god can save in this way...".

The King's letter "To the peoples, nations and men of every language, who live in all the world: It is my pleasure to tell you about the miraculous signs and wonders that the Most High God has performed for me.

How great are his signs,
How mighty his wonders!
His kingdom is an eternal kingdom;
His dominion endures from generation to generation

No other God can save this way.......words from Nebuchadnezzar....and he didn't even know the half of it!

What Makes Us Different?

 

                                                     What Makes Us Different?

Other religions tell their adherents to practice righteousness, to try to be good, and then maybe God will then allow you to approach Him. Our God tells us to come as we are, sinful and needy.  Now.  And He will make us good. 

We  don't try to make ourselves good to come to God. We come to Him and He makes us good!

And He is reaching out to us, drawing us to Him. Coming to rescue us.

What a contrast! What an offer!

There is an old hymn, written almost 300 years ago, a favorite among our pioneer  ancestors, that described in detail that message. It was a favorite of Daniel Boone and his people.

It is titled, "Come, Ye Sinners, Poor and Needy" -- here are some of my favorite lines - -- "Come, ye sinners, poor and needy, weak and wounded, sick and sore. Jesus ready stands to save you, full of pity, love, and power. Come, ye weary, heavy-laden, lost and ruined by the fall. If you tarry till you're better, you will never come a all! Let not conscience make you linger, nor of fitness fondly dream. All the fitness He requireth, is to feel your need of Him!"

Chorus: "I will arise and go to Jesus -- He will embrace me in His arms..."

I love this old hymn . Wish I could hear it sung today just as generations did in the past.

We need to remind each other of what it reminds us of.......Now is the day of salvation....don't wait. Come just as we are.

(We would never be good enough! And we can never be too bad!)

As a Father Disciplines His Son

 As a Father Disciplines His Son

"Know then in your heart that as a man disciplines his son, so the LORD your God disciplines you" (Deuteronomy 8:5).

The Bible teaches that God disciplines those He loves -- His precious children. When we suffer hardships and afflictions in this life He uses it to conform us to the likeness of Jesus who suffered indescribably.

God's fatherly discipline never seems pleasant at the time, but when we understand it is for our own good we can submit to it and say with Hezekiah, "Surely it was for my benefit that I suffered such anguish" (Isaiah 38:17).

But often we see that only when we look back. In the present, though, we can, if we choose, "Glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us  to shame, because God's love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us" (Romans 5:3-5).

It's About Noah!

 

A friend just came back from touring the Ark Encounter in Kentucky. He loved it!

Other popular replicas of the ark are in Hong Kong and the Netherlands -- they appeal to millions of people who are entranced with the account of Noah and the ark that that saved him and his family from the flood!

Great research goes into these replicas: exact wood, measurements, proportions, windows, door, food supply and storage, endless details to present the  models as perfect as possible.

And think about toy stores --they have models children can put together themselves! Games, puzzles, coloring books -- people for years have been fascinated with the ark.

Favorite topics for VBS and Sunday School!

But maybe we should change our focus -- maybe we need to focus on Noah himself. The ark saved Noah's family, but more Noahs could save more of the world! 

Scripture tells us "Noah was a righteous man, the only blameless person living on earth at the time, and he walked in fellowship with God"(Genesis 6). NLT

Then in Hebrews 11 we read "By faith Noah when warned of things not yet seen, in holy fear, built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that is in keeping with faith."

We live in a corrupt world, too! Evil is valued as good and good is called evil. Yet in that dark world Noah lived for God and exhibited righteousness.

 So can we -- In our corrupt world we can still have fellowship with God -- we can exhibit righteousness and glorify God ....and condemn the world. 

Let's concentrate on replicating Noah, not the ark!

We, too,  have been warned of 'things not yet seen'. We know what is ahead.

We can help spread God's kingdom right here, right now!

"Thy will be done, on earth, as it is in heaven!"

PS Genesis 6:22 -- "Noah did all that God commanded him to do." Obedience! That will likely not appear on my grave marker!

[If there had been a lot of Noahs, there would not have been a flood!]

The Guilty Woman

She was 'caught in the act.' 

She couldn't claim innocence. 

She was alone! Not even the guilty man was with her! 

She didn't come to Jesus to beg forgiveness -- she was dragged there by her accusers for ridicule and punishment -- and especially to accuse and discredit Jesus. Surely He wouldn't forgive her -- after all, she was caught in the act!  They demanded she be stoned. She had no hope. After all, she was caught in the act!

Jesus didn't pick up a stone. He issued His famous challenge: "Whoever of you is without sin, you cast the first stone." 

They began to walk away.  Finally she and Jesus were alone. "Neither do I condemn you," Jesus said. 

Did she look at Him? I imagine she did lift her downcast eyes to meet His. I imagine she gazed at Him in wonder and amazement. The only one qualified to condemn her didn't. 

He gave her mercy when she was too hopeless to even ask for it! 

"Turn your eyes upon Jesus. Look full in His wonderful face. And the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace." 

She could have spoken those words. I do...almost every day! And I, too, have been caught in the act!  But all my sin grows 'strangely dim....in the light of His glory and grace'!

 

What Do We Worship?

Who do we worship?


The gods we worship write their names on our faces; be sure of that.

A person will worship something, have no doubt about that.

We may think our tribute is paid in secret in the dark recesses of our heart, but it will out.

That which dominates our imaginations and our thoughts will determine our lives, and our character.

Therefore it behooves us to be careful of what we worship, for what we are worshiping we are becoming.  

                                  -- Ralph Waldo Emerson



And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into His likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. 

                               -- 2 Corinthians 3:18

Just Fix It! C S Lewis

Words from C S Lewis:

"Christianity is a fighting religion. It believes and teaches that God made the world. But it also thinks that a great many things have gone wrong with the world that God made and that God insists, and insists very loudly, on our putting them right again."

Sometimes people tell me that they can't believe in our God of love because the world is such a cruel and hateful place. So we need to tell them to join us and help us fix it! 

It is only logical that we put things right, since we are the ones who messed up the good and perfect world He created.

What's first on your list?

It's Beginning Already!

 

                                         Looking for Jesus

As children, we memorized Romans 12.  Verse 2 is still stuck in my mind like a sticky note: "Be not conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind..."

I remember reading that verse in the J.B. Phillip's paraphrase: "Don't let the world around you squeeze you into its mold."

It's still a battle. The world is so anxious to squeeze us into its mold!

I remember being taught that "conforming" comes from outside pressure, but "transforming" comes from activity - the Holy Spirit - within.

The Greek word translated "transform" is the same word we translate "metamorphosis."

It's used here in Romans 12:2 and also in the accounts of Jesus when He was "transfigured" when He took Peter, James, and John to witness that special miracle.

We call the place it happened "The Mount of the Transfiguration."

Same word.  Metamorphosis. Same miracle.

Just as the lowly worm  is transformed into a butterfly, we are transformed into the image of Christ.

Same word, Same miracle.

The word is used only one other place -- 2 Corinthians 3:18: "We who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into His likeness..."

Sounds like it's beginning to happen already! Let's look for Jesus in each other today!

Love Hurts

  "There is no safe investment.

   To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything and your heart will certainly be wrung and possibly broken.

   If you want to make sure of keeping it intact, you must give your  heart to no one, not even an animal.

   Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements; lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness.

   But in that casket -- safe, dark, motionless, airless  -- it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable.

   The alternative to the risk of tragedy is damnation. The only place outside Heaven where you can be perfectly safe from all the dangers of love is Hell."

                                      -- C. S. Lewis, The Four Loves

{1 John 4:19 -- "We love Him because He first loved us"}