Questions from Acts 1

Hello Friends

Many of you can identify with my journey of beginning to question and then discard  firmly held convictions (mostly about how to do church).  Too many "Biblical principles" turned out to be cultural or institutional dogmas.  In this process I began to wonder about the early disciples and to look at the book of Acts through a big question mark-  What was their journey?

Luke writes the Acts account by simply telling the story.  He makes no value judgements.  He does not say whether something done was consistent with the teachings of Jesus or not.  He just tells the story.  We assume that everything he records the early apostles as doing was good,  but should we?  Acts begins with them asking Jesus,  "Lord will You at this time restore the Kingdom to Israel?"   They were still thinking of an earthly kingdom that would kick out the Romans and give them BMW camels.  They were still asking this question after a forty day seminar on the Kingdom of God!  They were on a learning curve and I do not think it ended with the Day of Pentecost.  

Jesus talked about building on rock or on sand.  Sand used to be rock.  Sand is bits broken from the rock.  You can choose bits of the scripture but what you build upon your favourite bits will fall.  We need to wrestle with the whole as revealed in the Rock, Jesus, if we wish to build something that will last.  The old saying  "Text without context is pretext." is accurate.  If you cut and paste, you can make the scripture say anything you like.  

Maybe the problem  is not just understanding the original historical context but seeing our own?  How much of what we see in the scriptures is because we are looking at them through the filter of  our present presuppositions and reading that back into them?  Or maybe just reading the scriptures through the lens of our own desire for significance, power, position and privilege? 

Is this what the early apostles did?  The church at Jerusalem was hugely successful but were having a problem feeding all the widows and orphans.  More accurately they were having a cultural problem in that the Jewish background widows and orphans were getting better food than those of Greek background (Acts 6). The apostles did not think it was desirable "that they should leave the Word of God and serve tables.....  but we will give ourselves continually to prayer and the ministry of the word."  so they appointed deacons to this task.   Luke says this  "Pleased the whole multitude"  but does not say if it pleased the Holy Spirit.  

These verses have been quoted over and over again in support of "full time ministry" but should we not question them?  How could the very men for whom Jesus made breakfast, the very men who heard Him say that even a cup of cold water given in His name would be rewarded, the very men who  helped Him feed the multitudes, the very men who received the  instruction that whatever was done unto the least was done unto Him.... How could these men think that serving tables was beneath them?   In appointing deacons were they forgetting the teachings and example of the Master and reflecting the privileges of the religious leadership culture all around them?

To ask questions through the book of Acts you may have to question some of your favourite bits and cultural filters.

You may have to acknowledge that you are on a journey.

You may have to question some of your security blanket convictions.

You may have to ask the Holy Spirit some questions.

Your brother

Steve

 

www.harvest-now.org

Not Yet, But...

“We do not yet see all things put under Him; but we see Jesus.”
HEBREWS 2:8,9

Today, Scripture acknowledges, we do not YET see all things submitted to Him. I must say I find that word “YET” terribly exciting! That word “YET” means that something is in store for everything that remains unsubmitted to the Lord Jesus Christ. The presence of the word “YET” means its manifestation is inevitable.

We are not pretending to see something that does not really exist – yes, we agree that we do not YET see all things submitted to Him, things are bad, and will probably get worse; BUT we do see JESUS, and for the Christian who seeks first the Kingdom of God, that revelation is sufficient. You may see every fact to the contrary and argue against Him, but we see Who He is by revelation, and by revelation we know that what we see happening in the unsubmitted earth today will be set in order when Christ and His Kingdom are manifest in all of creation.

Source: The Irresistible Kingdom by Chip Brogden

The Classroom of the Cross

October 13, 2013 Hello Dave! A new blog post has just been added to the site... The Classroom of the Cross by Chip Brogden Our temptations, tests, and trials are doing the work of reducing us to Christ. Each wound we receive strikes a blow to our pride and weakens our independent spirit. The things that we think are there to humiliate, weaken, and destroy us are the very things that God uses to strip, refine, purify, purge, and mold our character into the very image of Christ. We do not have to seek these decreasing experiences; they come to us automatically by reason of our existence in the world. Jesus said that “in the world you will have tribulation” (Jn. 16:33). And since this is the case, we might as well make the best possible use of every difficulty and circumstance we find ourselves in. These difficulties will either makes us better, or make us bitter. Ultimately, the outcome depends upon how we choose to respond... Read the rest of this article: http://theschoolofchrist.org/articles/the-classroom-of-the-cross.html

Our ability to influence whole communities or villages for the gospel is greatly enhanced by how we treat the leadership of the community.

Are You Loved in Your Community?

By Ron Thiesen Give everyone what you owe him: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor. ~ Romans 13:7
READING: Romans 13:1-7
Our purpose for planting a church in a community is to influence the whole community for Christ, to reach all strata of the community. Our ability to influence whole communities or villages for the gospel is greatly enhanced by how we treat the leadership of the community.
In our reality in the villages along the Amazon River and tributaries, it is essential that we “give honor where honor is due” with the village leadership. The very first thing that we do, even before presuming to disembark equipment from the boat, is to converse with the mayor (lieutenant governor), head of the PTA or school principals and get their permission to do our event.
Often they will come to the evangelism event and many times they receive Christ as their personal Savior. When the village leadership receives Christ, or when we simply find favor with them, we have real advantages in planting a church. They are often more prepared to influence their own people and can promote in the process of planting the church. If, on the contrary, we offend them, they are very capable of closing many doors for us and the people of the local community to the gospel.
What about your influence in the target community where you are planting a church? Do you have influence with the powers that be? What could you do to befriend them or become an asset to their positive purposes in the community? Get with your team and prayerfully make a plan to obtain the favor of your community leadership.
Our Heavenly Father, We pray for the leadership of the community. Open their hearts to hear your voice. Give us wisdom in reaching their hearts for you. Amen. 

Dynamic Church Planting International (DCPI) “Equips Leaders to Plant 5 Million Churches Worldwide.” Learn more

We need to plant churches among unreached and unengaged people groups.

Planting the Church Where the Church Is Not

By Paul Becker It has always been my ambition to preach the gospel where Christ was not known, so that I would not be building on someone else’s foundation. ~ Romans 15:20
READING: Matthew 24:9-14
Today I challenge you to "plant the church where the church is not." Jesus said, “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come” (Matt. 24:14). The phrase "all nations" means all ethnic groups. All ethnic groups must have dynamic, soul-winning, disciple-making churches reproducing within them.
We need to plant churches among unreached and unengaged people groups! As of this writing, 639 unengaged, unreached people groups with populations over 100,000, together numbering over 535,000,000 souls, are still beyond the reach of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. They are spiritually lost and helpless, like sheep having no shepherd.  
Will you try to reach one of these groups?
How I thank God for a recent report from one of our Tanzanian DCPI Certified Trainers, Bishop Williams Yindi. “We have just returned from the outreach among those who have never heard about the Saving Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. It took us about 20 hours on the bus to reach this group near the Mozambique border. We planted a very good church among a previously unreached people group, the Matengo. This brings us to a total of 172 churches planted at this writing.” WOW!
Unreached people groups may be closer than you think. European nations are once again unreached, as are large portions of the next generation in the USA. Most cities have pockets of unreached immigrants who have never heard the gospel.
Ask God to open your eyes to see what part he wants you to play to break new ground for the Kingdom.
Dear Lord, Help me to plant a church where the church is not. Amen. 
Dynamic Church Planting International (DCPI) “Equips Leaders to Plant 5 Million Churches Worldwide.” Learn more

Not By Might

“Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt? O my Lord, I am not eloquent... but I am slow of speech, and slow of tongue.”
EXODUS 3:11; 4:10

We know that in fact Moses was mighty in words and in deeds (Acts 7:22). But he no longer saw that as an asset anymore. That is exactly the type of person that God is looking for. He is not searching for those naturally gifted souls who think they can do it and then set out in their own strength! It is those who embrace the weakness of the Cross and allow God’s strength to be perfected in them that He is looking for.

Source: Embrace the Cross by Chip Brogden

When to break fellowship 6

Hi all,

I began this series saying Christians often break fellowshipfor wrong reasons while ignoring the actual reasons given in scripture. Many of us have had friends drop us like radioactive waste when we changed churches or did the slightest thing to offend them, leaving us clueless as to what we did wrong!.

 

Confusion in the body of Christ

Let us not forget people who refuse to break fellowship when they should: They stay loyal to a minister after he divorces his wife and mother of their children to marry their nanny and is right back in the pulpit after the honeymoon. Or they remain loyal to the pastor who weekly manipulates their hard earned money out of their pockets to line his own, or the pastor who creates a church culture so toxic that if anyone raises the slightest question about anything, they are the ones accused of having a demon.

 

I want to teach the Word in context. So I don't want anyone to think Paul's list of habitual sins in I Corinthians 5 that qualify as reasons to break fellowship includes family members, co-workers, is license for divorce, or other situations outside the context in which he was writing.

 

Not talking kids and workplace situations

He was not sharing (nor was I) about adult children who once walked with the Lord but are now living in one or more of those various sins, nor was he talking about co-workers at the job.

 

For co-workers, you were hired to work, not witness or discuss spiritual things, so work. They aren't persecuting you, they just want you to do what you were hired to do; work. Paul said to work not with eye service as a man-pleaser, but unto the Lord who sees and knows all. Let your witness be your quality work.

 

For adult children I will suggest this; They know they are living in sin, or are an addict, and that you are praying for them. They don't need mom and dad expressing their disapproval every time you see them, nor do they need to hear a sermon. What they need is for you to be mom and dad. Romans 2:4 says, 'Do you not know it is the goodness of God that leads to repentance.' Show them God's goodness in you.

 

Let them see the Lord's faithfulness in your life, and talk wisdom to them. Help them make right decisions, and know that none of their behavior caught the Lord by surprise. Pray for them what Paul prayed, and I pray this for myself regularly, according to Ephesians 1:17-18 and Colossians 1:9 - that they may receive the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in Him, that the eyes of their understanding would be opened, that they may be filled with all spiritual wisdom and understanding.

 

The good news is the man repented

There is good news with the man of I Corinthians 5. You'll recall he had an ongoing sexual relationship with his step-mother, Paul pronounced judgment on him and turned him over to Satan for the destruction of his flesh for an early death so he would be saved - but he repented and was restored. Don't let that point be lost - after judgment was pronounced, he repented and it was accepted. So what indicates a true repentance?

 

Paul says in II Corinthians 7:8 of the effect of his first letter to them: "Though the letter caused you sorrow I do not regret it, though I did a little for I see it caused you grief and sorrow, though only for a little while."

 

He said he caused them 'grief' or 'sorrow', which is the Greek word 'lupe'. the Amplified Version says 'pain'. This is not just emotional pain and grief, but deeper, spiritual grief. It may take a sharp, confrontational word to them, as Paul's letter was, that caused the 'wake up' moment.

 

Godly grief

II Corinthians 7:9 continues: "I am glad now, not that you were pained, but that you were pained to repentance, for you felt a grief that God meant for you to feel, so that you might not suffer any loss..."

 

Godly grief and repentance is all about God and draws us to Him. False repentance is focused on self keeps a person from God. There is a Godly sorrow and that draws us to Him which allows us to receive mercy and grace to help in time of need - restoration. It is a healthy part of repentance.

 

And the next verse defines it even more: "For godly grief and the pain God is permitted to direct, produce a repentance that leads and contributes to salvation and deliverance from evil, and it never brings regret. But worldly grief is deadly (the hopeless sorrow characteristic of the pagan world)." (Amplified Version)

 

The people we must break fellowship with need to experience a Godly pain of the heart which directs them to Him. God is permitted to direct a godly sorrow because our hearts are turned to Him to give Him that permission. Have they given the Lord permission to deal with them on this subject? Have they experienced that grief God wants them to experience? David did. The man and the congregation of I Corinthians 5 did.

 

Experience the Holy Spirit, or knowing God?

Because true repentance flows from this revelation from God that we have sinned, I wonder if because so many churches provide a church experience instead of a God experience, people learn church-based repentance and formula repentance rather than a heavenly revelation based repentance the Bible describes.

 

People are trained to go to an auditorium to experience God rather than first experiencing God through the week in their personal lives. A whole congregation following a "Pray this prayer after me" instruction has become 'repentance'. They are trained to experience God corporately through worship or teaching, but once they walk out that door they don't know Him individually - they only know His presence corporately.

 

Because sin is personal between the human heart and God, the auditorium can offer little help as they try to battle sin. Repentance requires a person to pray their own prayer from their heart, not follow someone else's idea of what they think a person's heart should express.

 

As a result, millions of Christians are stuck powerless in a love/hate relationship with themselves and God wondering why He won't deliver them, ignorant that the power over their sin flows from revelation of the Father on a personal basis, not on a corporate basis.

 

If not corporate anointing, then...

I've seen people come forward week after week to altar calls yet are nothing bettered. Some years ago I began discreetly asking a few about their lives and found a common trait - each came forward expecting the pastor (prophet, teacher) to lay hands on them and if they kept coming forward, one day, Lord willing, hopefully, if the anointing is heavy enough and there is an open heaven that night, and the pastor holds his tongue just right, God will touch them and deliver them.

 

This culture of 'someone laying hands on me is the key to my breakthrough' is in contrast to scripture. Repentance is the first word of salvation. Hebrews 6:1 lists repentance as the first characteristic of the foundation of faith. Has the seeker friendly, politically correct, don't pressure anyone, and don't mention 'sin', culture robbed people of a true salvation experience involving repentance?

 

We were created sovereign beings which means neither God nor the devil are able to make us do anything. Many in the body of Christ need to find backbone, find determination, and stop waiting for some anointed magic beans to solve their sin problem, and just repent. Often though, they love their sin more than our presence in their lives, and would rather stay in sin than seek God with their whole heart.

 

It's always harder work to seek God than seek sin. The standard life line the church throws to people in need of repentance is, 'Come back next week and hear the message' (or the guest speaker) because many pastors have lost or never had in their own lives the knowledge of how to seek God, so can't lead others.

 

Just talk to Him from your innermost heart

Again, for many in the body of Christ, they know how to pray corporately, worship corporately, receive teaching corporately, even repent corporately.

 

But they don't know how to just talk to the Father conversationally one on one (nor repent on a one to one basis). Find reasons to talk to Him - tell Him of the beautiful morning, on the great timing of something good in your life, and of that issue you are struggling with. Don't get into the habit of you and He struggling with a sin yet never actually talking to Him about it - be blunt, be honest - He can handle it. He has invested in you for the long haul - eternity.

 

He knew of our struggles at this time before He even created the world, yet Jesus still died for us. He not only loves you, He likes you. Wow. Once you share your heart to Him openly and honestly, be quiet, and let Him share His heart openly and honestly with you, which may take weeks or months. Walk with Him in that. That revelation leads to a repentance that will never be regretted, and will draw you closer to Him than you ever have been before.

 

Blessings,

John Fenn

 

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Taking Authority Over Your Thoughts #1

Transform Your Life by Transforming your Thoughts

Many people struggle with a negative mind set towards themselves and towards life, yet don't know how to achieve a final life-changing breakthrough. In the first part of this 2-part series, John shares his own experience on overcoming a negative self image and ‘my life counts for nothing’ thinking. You will understand the process of changing your thoughts and how His life in your spirit flows out into your soul and emotions. This series will provide insights and direction into breaking the momentum of the past and building a momentum towards life.