Christian Life

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REVIVAL

Throughout the history of Christianity there have been times when the Holy Spirit has come in power among us, and multitudes of people have come to Jesus to be saves from their sins.  We call this move of the Spirit “revival”.  The first time the Holy Spirit came in this way was on the Day of Pentecost.  Thus, when we pray for revival, we seek to revive the events that happened on that day. 

(Acts 2:1-4) When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place.  Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting.  They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them.  All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.

This occurred in an upper room where the disciples and other believers were gathered together in prayer.  Acts 1:15 tells us there were about a hundred and twenty present.  As this miraculous event progressed, it flowed from the building to the street.  Many gathered to discover what was happening.  Peter stepped up and explained to the crowd that this is the Holy Spirit.  When he was finished explaining, about three thousand people gave their lives to Jesus.  The account in Acts goes on to explain that every day others were added to their number. 

Since this first manifestation of the Holy Spirit, God has caused these events to happen throughout the world.  The Good News of Jesus’ death and resurrection has been spreading from that time in Jerusalem till now.  From time to time, God, in his perfect timing, has used these miraculous events to draw people to himself.

Each time there is a revival there is a powerful presence of the Holy Spirit, miracles happen, people speak in other tongues, and supernatural healings take place.  The presence of the Holy Spirit is so strong that people sometimes become overwhelmed.  Yet the most significant outcome is that multitudes receive salvation. 

The movie “Jesus Revolution” does a great job of showing what happens during a revival.  I recommend that you see this movie.  I was personally revived and encouraged as I watched how God comes in power for the redemption of his people.

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FORGIVENESS OF SIN (3)

(Colossians 1:19-22) For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him (His Son), and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.  Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior.  But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation.

Isn’t it interesting that God’s plan of redemption is for all things both in heaven and on earth?  The Old Testament (Isaiah chapter 11) talks about what it will be like when God’s plan is completed.  He says things like “the lion will lay down with the lamb” indicating that there will be peace for all of God’s creation. We get to experience some of what is to come when we receive the peace that Christ brings to us through salvation.

Through faith in God’s Son we have become holy in God’s sight.  We are without blemish and free from accusation before God.   Jesus made this possible.  God our Father never intended to be without us, and he has gone to great lengths to bring us back to himself.  The guilt that we lived with when we were lost in our sins has been paid for.  We are free!  Our sins have been forgiven.  Praise to Jesus our Lord and Savior.

The conclusion of God’s plan is still to come.  This will include a new heaven and a new earth without evil.  We will live in the full presence of God.  However, there is still time for those who don’t know God to take advantage of the redemption that Jesus provided for all mankind.  We, his children, are given the opportunity to share the good news of our redemption with those who are still lost in their sins.  Jesus said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few.  Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.” (See Matthew 9:37&38)

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FORGIVENESS OF SIN (2)

(Romans 5:6-8) You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.  Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might dare to die.  But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Why was this time, roughly six to eight thousand years after creation, and some two thousand years before our time, the right time?  In our attempts to answer this question, we often refer to the “Pax Romana” which basically means the peace of Rome.  During the time from 27 BC to AD 180, The Roman Empire spread to its greatest extent. It was a prosperous time that was generally peaceful. The Roman roads covered the empire, and the Roman soldiers patrolled the roads to keep them safe.  The Roman Empire encompassed a wide variety of languages, but Koine Greek was widely spoken throughout the empire. In short, the Pax Romana provided a great opportunity for spreading the Gospel to most of the known world. This is man’s idea of why the coming of Jesus was the right time, but really, only God knows for sure. 

(John 3:16&17)  For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.  For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

We were powerless to save ourselves from our sins.  Justice demanded the death penalty for our sins.  We were in a hopeless situation.  God’s plan provided a way out of our predicament.  God loves us so much that he was willing to send his Son to take our place.  Jesus took our death penalty on himself.  He suffered a horrible death on our behalf.  He paid the price for all sinners.  Now that the price for sin has been paid, God can offer forgiveness to all of us.  This is how we enter into this forgiveness.

(John 3:18) Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.

The word “whoever” declares an open invitation.  All are invited to receive forgiveness of their sins and eternal life.  God has done his part, and he is waiting with open arms for us to return to him.  All we have to do is believe.   

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FORGIVENESS OF SIN (1)

  (Romans 3:23) For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

In order to understand forgiveness of sin, let’s look at sin, clarify what it is, and review how we all became sinners.  Disobedience to God is the base definition of sin. Sin came into the world when Adam and eve disobeyed God.  God told Adam and eve to not eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, or they would certainly die.  They ate of that tree. Death and self-awareness then entered into God’s creation.  From that time they and their offspring would be self-aware and have the knowledge of good and evil.  This opened the door to continued disobedience to God.  Humans wanted to satisfy themselves, thus they turned their back on God and sought their own way.  Their own way led them into evil. 

God loved his created ones, and he wanted to save them from themselves.  Living in a land of evil is not what he wanted for them.  His plan to redeem them was set in motion.  The goal of his plan was to make a way for forgiveness of sins and open the door for his beloved to return to fellowship with him.  The Old Testament scriptures walk us through how God patiently worked his plan.  All the time he was working toward our redemption.

Evil filled the earth and God brought a flood to reboot creation.  Noah built an ark as God commanded him.  He and his family stayed on the ark till God rescued them.  The world Noah and his family found when they left the ark was greatly changed.  Mankind’s life expectancy was shortened; meat was now part of their food, and the earth began the process of repopulation.

Time moved on, and the people began to fill the earth.  God called Abram to father a people who he chose to carry out his plan.  The story of these chosen people then filled the pages of the Old Testament scriptures.  Next week we’ll look into the culmination of God’s plan. 

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WHO CAN BE SAVED?

(Matthew 19:26) Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

Jesus said this to his disciples in response to their question, “who then can be saved?”  Do you have someone that you have been praying for that shows no inclination to accepting Jesus?  I have a small group of people I pray for that have not shown any apparent move toward salvation.  This scripture has been an encouragement, and it has helped with my resolve to keep on praying.

My wife’s mother use to say, “Remember, everyone is just one prayer away from salvation.”  This is true, and salvation can happen at any time.  We don’t know what is taking place in a person’s heart, or what circumstances they will encounter on their path, but God does.  We pray, and God does the work.  God’s timing is perfect.  He can bring them to that place where they see their need for him.  As for us, we trust in God’s ability, have faith in his goodness and mercy, and we patiently wait upon him. 

We can also find strength in knowing that we are praying in God’s will, because he desires that none would perish, but that all should have eternal life.  Therefore, we can be encouraged knowing that “with God all things are possible”.

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WAITING ON GOD

(Isaiah 40:31 MSG) But those who wait upon God get fresh strength.  They spread their wings and soar like eagles; they run and don’t get tired, they walk and don’t lag behind.

About six years ago, my son Ben came and cut down a tree in our back yard.  In order to use the area for a vegetable garden, the stump needed to be removed.  I drilled holes in it and used all the recommended chemicals to cause it to rot, but it remained solid, then came the drought.  Without moisture, the stump maintained its rock hard composition, and the ground around it was equally rock hard.  Each year in the spring I’d take my axe and strike it.  The result was always the same.  The axe simply bounced back at me.  So, I waited.

This year, the rains came, and the ground soften.  The soil was so easy to dig that I was able to approach the stump differently.  I dug around the stump and discovered that though the stump was still hard the roots had rotted.  Within 20 minutes, the stump was out.  The time was right, and the task became easy.  Patience had prevailed.

I share this thrilling adventure to address the topic of waiting.  Oh, I know that waiting is not that thrilling, because it requires patience.  Waiting on God requires patience, but in faith we know and trust God’s perfect timing.  The Bible is filled with stories of humans waiting on God.  Abraham and Sarah and the son that God promised them (found in Genesis chapters 15-21) provides an excellent example of humans waiting on God.  They were patient for a long time, but then they tried to come up with their own solution which greatly complicated the situation.  Yet, when the time was right, the son God promised them was born.

Waiting on God doesn’t always mesh well with our human nature, but in the end patience brings about the best and most often simplest solution.

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LOVE ALWAYS

(Matthew 5:44) But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.

(1 Corinthians 13:4-7) Love is patient, love is kind.  It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered.  It keeps no record of wrongs.  Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Jesus taught us to love our neighbor as ourselves.  His last command to his disciples was to love one another.  He also taught us that we should love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us.  My conclusion then is that we should love everybody.  How often should we love?  Love always seems to be the answer.

I am grateful to the Apostle Paul for his definitive description of what love is, but knowing what love is doesn’t make following the teaching any easier.  Now that I know I’m to love always, I ask myself, “Do I do this in all my encounters with others?”  Not really is the true answer.  As a teacher, I wonder what grade I might receive.  Actually, I don’t want to know.  I think I’m going to need to retake the class.  I’ve come up short in application of the lesson.

Love is a lesson that requires daily and continuous application.  There are many obstacles, moods, fears, emotions, prejudices, and cultural attitudes to name a few.  Oh, and there is always my self-seeking nature.  In order to love always, I’m going to need a lot of tutoring.  Thanks be to Jesus that he sent the Holy Spirit to be constantly with me.

I’m reminded that the closer I am to Jesus, and the more I am able to receive the Father’s love, the easier it will be to give love to others.  I have my work cut out for me.  I not sure I have enough to get a decent grade for this lesson, but I’ll keep taking the class as long as I can.  It’s worth every effort.

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WALKING BEFORE GOD

(Genesis 17:1) When Abram was ninety-nine years old, The Lord appeared to him and said, “I am God Almighty; walk before me faithfully and be blameless.”

(Matthew 5:16) In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

When I read what God said to Abram, “walk before me,” I pictured in my mind Abram walking along a path, and God the Father watching over him like a proud Father.  Imagine, when you go out to start your day, God your Father is there watching over you like a proud Father.  He is looking to see you walking out as his faithful and blameless child.  Wouldn’t that modify your view of the day?  Your Father is watching over you, and he’s smiling a pleased smile over you.

With this image of walking before God in your mind, it seems easier to envision being a shining light to everyone you encounter.  God’s smile yields a smile in you that flows forth into your world, shining a light of good deeds throughout the day, and bringing glory to your Father in heaven.

I woke up the other day quite grouchy.  Then, slowly, the topic that I planned to write about this week began to creep into my awareness.  Oh yes, I’m walking before God my Father,  He’s smiling over me,  I’m going to let my light shine and bring glory to him.  Sheepishly, I turned to the Lord for help.  It took a while, but I finally got a dim light going.  The more I thought about walking before God, the brighter my light and the more pleasant my encounters.  My wife and others were the recipients of good rather than evil that day.  I felt good about the victory that the Holy Spirit led me through. Then the questions started forming. Will I be able to humble myself before God tomorrow?  Will I remember that I’m walking before my Father God?  Will those I encounter be blessed?   I hope so! 

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THE SECRET TO A SUCCESSFUL NEW YEAR

(Matthew 6:9-13)    This, then, is how you should pray:

Our Father in heaven, hollowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.  Give us today our daily bread.  And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.  And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.

Jesus taught this prayer to his Disciples.  It is amazingly comprehensive.  It starts out with the way we should address God.  “Our Father” clarifies that God wants a personal and relational interaction with us.  Then Jesus leads us into the praise and recognition that God is holy. 

Does watching world news lead you to despair?  “Your kingdom come and your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” is the best prayer we can offer for the devastation we hear from news reports.  We find comfort in God’s will.  We trust in him for all things.

“Give us this day our daily bread.”  This covers not just our food but the provisions we will need for the day.  Jesus told us to not worry about tomorrow.  Today has enough for us to deal with, so we pray for today.

“And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.”  I prefer the word sins over debts; it seems to be more pointed.  God has every right to demand justice and claim revenge over us for our sins.  Instead, he sent his son to pay the debt for our sins.  Justice has been served.  In his grace and mercy, he forgave our sins and forgot his claim to revenge.  Now he expects us to do the same for those who sin against us.  Jesus paid the price for their sins as well as ours.  We need to surrender our claim for justice and revenge to the Lord and forgive those who sin against us.

Forgiving others is difficult.  As in all things we need Jesus’ help to overcome our flesh.  The importance of forgiving others cannot be overemphasized.  After his prayer, Jesus said, “For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.  But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins (Matthew 6:14&15).  Forgiveness, difficult as it may be, is required of God’s children.

“And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.”  We have a weakness called our sinful nature.  Jesus ends the prayer by asking for God’s help to overcome our weakness. We seek God’s protection from the one who would tempt us.  

Jesus’ prayer is a personal pray for God’s children.  It is not meant to be the only prayer.  We also pray for the sick, lost souls, and many other important things that we want to bring before our Father in heaven.  This prayer covers our daily need to connect with our heavenly Father, and it sets the tone for the day.  Starting our day the way Jesus taught us to pray will definitely improve each day of the year for us.  Living the way Jesus’ prayer directs us will definitely make 2023 more successful.  Praying for and trusting in God’s will, trusting in God’s daily provision, actively forgiving others, and asking for God’s help and protection will go a long way towards that success. 

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A CHRISTMAS PRAYER

I pray that we be full of joy and thankfulness as we celebrate the Arrival of your Son and the realization of your great love for us.  Father, we celebrate what you have planned for us and the grace and mercy you have granted to us.  We approach you in humble amazement as we join together in our Christmas celebration.  All glory, honor, and praise be unto you, our Heavenly Father. Amen!

Have a very merry Christmas, and may God’s blessings be yours throughout the New Year.