Stephen Full of the Spirit of Wisdom and of Faith.
Acts 6:3 "Look ye out therefore, brethren, from among you seven men of good report, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business."
Acts 6:4 "But we will continue steadfastly in prayer, and in the ministry of the word."
Acts 6:5 "And the saying pleased the whole multitude: and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolaus a proselyte of Antioch;"
Pastor's Blog
What does it look like to be full of the Spirit or of wisdom or even faith? Whatever it is it must have been visible because the Apostles asked the people to choose men who possessed these attributes.
We saw in part what happened at Pentecost with the initial filling of the Spirit upon the Church, but what is it to be full of the Spirit and what does it look like? We know from the teaching of the Gospels that the Spirit of God is a gift given to us in which we play no part. It is based solely upon the grace of God and we only need to receive. Wisdom and faith are different though. Wisdom we are told to ask for in James 1 and it too will be given, but if we doubt we will receive nothing. So asking and not doubting are our part although wisdom is still a gift given. With faith we are told “faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God”. Romans 12:3 says “to each man is given a measure of faith” so we see like the Spirit and wisdom, faith is also a gift but it comes in seed form and must be nurtured by hearing. All three are gifts given that can not be acquired by any other means except God Himself , yet the last two require something from us. Wisdom that requires a lack of doubting, which is directly connected to faith and faith which needs the wisdom to know how to nurture it. It might seem all twisted up and in a way it is but not so twisted that it does not make sense. Wisdom also needs asking and faith also needs hearing and both of these are foundational components of communication. When we are communicating with God we call that prayer. We find wisdom in the scriptures as well as our ability to hear comes from them as well, so the Word of God is also critical to our being full of the Spirit of wisdom and of faith.
The Word and prayer go together and can not be separated. If one leans on the Word they will have knowledge/information but without prayer they might well lack the revelation to use it to the glory of God. If they lean on prayer they may receive revelation but lack the knowledge of where it comes from, maybe not from God.
Being full of the Spirit and being full of the Word both have the same outworking according to scripture. In Ephesians 5:18-6:9 and Colossians 3:16-22 we see that being filled with the Spirit and being filled with the Word produce the same result and it is visible and verifiable in the relationships closest to us, our families. This should also extend to our Church family but must start in our homes. I felt the Spirit of God once tell me “if you can not run your house why would I want you to run mine”. Being gifted by God does not mean matured in God. We need the Word of God building us up and at the same time we need prayer to keep us humble that we might become what a dying world needs, full of the Spirit of wisdom and of faith.
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Monday, November 8, 2010
November 8, 2010
A Simple Assignment or is It?
Acts 6:7
"And the word of God increased; and the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem exceedingly; and a great company of the priests were obedient to the faith."
Pastor's Blog
The task of serving the widows tables may at first glance seem needful but how could it possibly further the Gospel.
There is a single stream of thought from verse 1 through verse 10 which then flows into the trouble that starts in the 11th. The problem for the Hellenistic Jews was not just that their widows were being overlooked, but it in fact had become a point of division that was creeping into the Church. The Apostles saw their need for the Word and Prayer and at the same time saw the needs of the widows and the growing problem of racial tension. They rightly understood that the simple feeding of the widows would not heal all the troubles. They told the “all the congregation” Hellenistic and native Jew alike to select men to take charge of the task. Not just any men, men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and of Wisdom. The disciples saw that the true need was greater than meeting the physical needs of the poor and helpless. By allowing the people to choose the men the racial tension would have been eased. The entire congregation would have felt their voice was heard and equal interest would be given to their situation. By giving the qualifications for the men the Apostles knew the Spirit of God would guide these men to bring about unity which was lacking between the two groups.
In other words the unequal distribution of food becomes an opportunity to bring about true unity which had never before existed in the Jewish community in Jerusalem.
Is it possible that by devoting themselves to the Word and to Prayer the apostles were able to discern all the needs, not just those needs that were manifest outwardly. What if we were to spend more of our time devoting ourselves to the Word and Prayer, not just doing them but really devoting ourselves, the totality of our being to them, would we then be able to discern the real true needs of those around us?
We are all given the “ministry of reconciliation” what we need is to be able to clearly see what the root problem is and how to heal it. This only comes when we devote ourselves to both the Word and Prayer.
Acts 6:7
"And the word of God increased; and the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem exceedingly; and a great company of the priests were obedient to the faith."
Pastor's Blog
The task of serving the widows tables may at first glance seem needful but how could it possibly further the Gospel.
There is a single stream of thought from verse 1 through verse 10 which then flows into the trouble that starts in the 11th. The problem for the Hellenistic Jews was not just that their widows were being overlooked, but it in fact had become a point of division that was creeping into the Church. The Apostles saw their need for the Word and Prayer and at the same time saw the needs of the widows and the growing problem of racial tension. They rightly understood that the simple feeding of the widows would not heal all the troubles. They told the “all the congregation” Hellenistic and native Jew alike to select men to take charge of the task. Not just any men, men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and of Wisdom. The disciples saw that the true need was greater than meeting the physical needs of the poor and helpless. By allowing the people to choose the men the racial tension would have been eased. The entire congregation would have felt their voice was heard and equal interest would be given to their situation. By giving the qualifications for the men the Apostles knew the Spirit of God would guide these men to bring about unity which was lacking between the two groups.
In other words the unequal distribution of food becomes an opportunity to bring about true unity which had never before existed in the Jewish community in Jerusalem.
Is it possible that by devoting themselves to the Word and to Prayer the apostles were able to discern all the needs, not just those needs that were manifest outwardly. What if we were to spend more of our time devoting ourselves to the Word and Prayer, not just doing them but really devoting ourselves, the totality of our being to them, would we then be able to discern the real true needs of those around us?
We are all given the “ministry of reconciliation” what we need is to be able to clearly see what the root problem is and how to heal it. This only comes when we devote ourselves to both the Word and Prayer.
Friday, November 5, 2010
November 5, 2010
Problems of Family Living
When the Family Just Can’t Get Along
“As the believers rapidly multiplied, there were rumblings of discontent. The Greek-speaking believers complained about the Hebrew-speaking believers, saying that their widows were being discriminated against in the daily distribution of food.
So the Twelve called a meeting of all the believers. They said, 'We apostles should spend our time teaching the word of God, not running a food program. 3 And so, brothers, select seven men who are well respected and are full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will give them this responsibility. 4 Then we apostles can spend our time in prayer and teaching the word.' . . . . So God’s message continued to spread. The number of believers greatly increased in Jerusalem, and many of the Jewish priests were converted, too.” Acts 6:1-7 (NLT)
It often happens in families that some feel slighted by others, that some are favored over others and jealously and suspicion arises. The bigger a family gets, the more likely this is to happen. God led this early family of Christians to address this problem in the following way:
• The spiritual leaders saw that it was all the more important that they stay grounded in the “Word of God”. They thought it was more important than ever that took responsibility for knowing what God says and then telling this new expanded family how to live it.
• The spiritual leaders saw also that they needed to pray more, not less. They needed God. They couldn’t do without them.
• They delegated responsibility. Not only does everyone need to take responsibility for making a family work, but it is simply true that in a large group of people, things get complicated and life needs organized and administered.
On a side note, I bet Jesus is glad he didn’t have to live to 60 and have to move into the administration of large groups of people!!)
Making a family work is really, really, really hard. But these three actions apparently addressed the situation. The family grew even more!
When the Family Just Can’t Get Along
“As the believers rapidly multiplied, there were rumblings of discontent. The Greek-speaking believers complained about the Hebrew-speaking believers, saying that their widows were being discriminated against in the daily distribution of food.
So the Twelve called a meeting of all the believers. They said, 'We apostles should spend our time teaching the word of God, not running a food program. 3 And so, brothers, select seven men who are well respected and are full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will give them this responsibility. 4 Then we apostles can spend our time in prayer and teaching the word.' . . . . So God’s message continued to spread. The number of believers greatly increased in Jerusalem, and many of the Jewish priests were converted, too.” Acts 6:1-7 (NLT)
It often happens in families that some feel slighted by others, that some are favored over others and jealously and suspicion arises. The bigger a family gets, the more likely this is to happen. God led this early family of Christians to address this problem in the following way:
• The spiritual leaders saw that it was all the more important that they stay grounded in the “Word of God”. They thought it was more important than ever that took responsibility for knowing what God says and then telling this new expanded family how to live it.
• The spiritual leaders saw also that they needed to pray more, not less. They needed God. They couldn’t do without them.
• They delegated responsibility. Not only does everyone need to take responsibility for making a family work, but it is simply true that in a large group of people, things get complicated and life needs organized and administered.
On a side note, I bet Jesus is glad he didn’t have to live to 60 and have to move into the administration of large groups of people!!)
Making a family work is really, really, really hard. But these three actions apparently addressed the situation. The family grew even more!
Thursday, November 4, 2010
November 4, 2010
Problems of Family Living
When Beliefs within the Family Clash
“The high priest and his officials, who were Sadducees . .. . . . arrested the apostles and put them in the public jail. But an angel opened the gates of the jail, and told them, 2'Go to the Temple and give the people this message of this life!' 21 So at daybreak the apostles entered the Temple, as they were told, and immediately began teaching. .
They then rearrested the apostles . . . . 'Didn’t we tell you never again to teach in this man’s name?' . . . . 29 But Peter and the apostles replied, 'We must obey God rather than any human authority'. . . . .. When they heard this, the high council was furious and decided to kill them. 34 But one member, a Pharisee named Gamaliel . .. .. . said to his colleagues . . .. 'my advice is, leave these men alone. Let them go. If they are planning and doing these things merely on their own, it will soon be overthrown. 39 But if it is from God, you will not be able to overthrow them. You may even find yourselves fighting against God.' Acts 5:17-42
Pastor's Blog
Like this family of Jews, some of whom rejected Jesus and others of whom had begun to follow Him, our families can also experience a “split” based on religious beliefs. It’s a tough thing to face, especially when loyalty to a particular belief trumps loyalty to family. Blame, accusations and mistrust can replace family unity.
Within Judaism there were two approaches to this kind of problem. The “school” of Shammai was harsh: get rid of those who defect to another faith. The “school” of Hillel (the teacher of Gamaliel) said, “Torah is a matter of the heart”. We must “live and let live (my words). (on a side note, the apostle Paul trained under Gamaliel of the “liberal” Hillel “school”)
.
The result of this family spat? It turned out that Gamaliel was wise. If this new faith was not from God , it would fail. If it was from God it can’t be stopped.
From Hillel to Gamaliel to Paul, the New Testament leans away from legalism. The early followers of Jesus were adamant about what they had seen and heard. Sometimes they were “in your face” about it. Yet their heart was to tell everyone they knew, even those who fought them. For the traditionalists “whose world was rocked”, who foundation for living was called into question, Gamaliel was a more than a moderating voice. His was a wise one.
God seems to intervene in all kinds of ways: an angel one day, a leader from the opposition on another day.
Family unity matters. So does loyalty to Jesus. It’s not easy to negotiate these things.
When Beliefs within the Family Clash
“The high priest and his officials, who were Sadducees . .. . . . arrested the apostles and put them in the public jail. But an angel opened the gates of the jail, and told them, 2'Go to the Temple and give the people this message of this life!' 21 So at daybreak the apostles entered the Temple, as they were told, and immediately began teaching. .
They then rearrested the apostles . . . . 'Didn’t we tell you never again to teach in this man’s name?' . . . . 29 But Peter and the apostles replied, 'We must obey God rather than any human authority'. . . . .. When they heard this, the high council was furious and decided to kill them. 34 But one member, a Pharisee named Gamaliel . .. .. . said to his colleagues . . .. 'my advice is, leave these men alone. Let them go. If they are planning and doing these things merely on their own, it will soon be overthrown. 39 But if it is from God, you will not be able to overthrow them. You may even find yourselves fighting against God.' Acts 5:17-42
Pastor's Blog
Like this family of Jews, some of whom rejected Jesus and others of whom had begun to follow Him, our families can also experience a “split” based on religious beliefs. It’s a tough thing to face, especially when loyalty to a particular belief trumps loyalty to family. Blame, accusations and mistrust can replace family unity.
Within Judaism there were two approaches to this kind of problem. The “school” of Shammai was harsh: get rid of those who defect to another faith. The “school” of Hillel (the teacher of Gamaliel) said, “Torah is a matter of the heart”. We must “live and let live (my words). (on a side note, the apostle Paul trained under Gamaliel of the “liberal” Hillel “school”)
.
The result of this family spat? It turned out that Gamaliel was wise. If this new faith was not from God , it would fail. If it was from God it can’t be stopped.
From Hillel to Gamaliel to Paul, the New Testament leans away from legalism. The early followers of Jesus were adamant about what they had seen and heard. Sometimes they were “in your face” about it. Yet their heart was to tell everyone they knew, even those who fought them. For the traditionalists “whose world was rocked”, who foundation for living was called into question, Gamaliel was a more than a moderating voice. His was a wise one.
God seems to intervene in all kinds of ways: an angel one day, a leader from the opposition on another day.
Family unity matters. So does loyalty to Jesus. It’s not easy to negotiate these things.
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
November 3, 2010
Problems of Family Living
When Others think Your Faith is Weird.
“The apostles were performing many miraculous signs and wonders among the people. And all the believers were meeting regularly at the Temple . . . . . . But no one else dared to join them, even though all the people had high regard for them.
14 Yet more and more people believed and were brought to the Lord—crowds of both men and women. 15 As a result of the apostles’ work, sick people were brought out into the streets on beds and mats so that Peter’s shadow might fall across some of them as he went by. 16 Crowds came from the villages around Jerusalem, bringing their sick and those possessed by evil spirits, and they were all healed." Acts 5:12-16
Pastor's Blog
Do your neighbors ever wonder why you spend so much time at church? Do they fear joining you because they don’t want to “go overboard” like you have?
It’s even worse when they hear about really weird things happening which they associate with the “televangelist faith healer frauds”. Peter’s shadow healed people!!!! How weird is that, not to mention simply not believable.
Yet this New Community didn’t seem to think there was anything odd about all these healings. Luke says quite matter of factly in vs. 16, “they were all healed”. These believers seemed to think that God was free and able to do whatever He wanted. Nor were they burdened by modern democratic thinking which asks and demands, “if God does it for one, why not for all”. Nor does God’s power appear to be connected to the devotion or the holiness of those involved. They simply believed and God did even more than they expected.
It’s okay to be “weird” like the early Christians were weird, it that means believing that God is free to do what God wants. Just don’t act weird. Be yourself (if you’re a weird person by birth that’s okay, you’re stuck with that) , be humble, be a servant to your neighbors, ask God to unleash his power for them too just don’t’ pray out loud in weird ways on their doorstep).
When Others think Your Faith is Weird.
“The apostles were performing many miraculous signs and wonders among the people. And all the believers were meeting regularly at the Temple . . . . . . But no one else dared to join them, even though all the people had high regard for them.
14 Yet more and more people believed and were brought to the Lord—crowds of both men and women. 15 As a result of the apostles’ work, sick people were brought out into the streets on beds and mats so that Peter’s shadow might fall across some of them as he went by. 16 Crowds came from the villages around Jerusalem, bringing their sick and those possessed by evil spirits, and they were all healed." Acts 5:12-16
Pastor's Blog
Do your neighbors ever wonder why you spend so much time at church? Do they fear joining you because they don’t want to “go overboard” like you have?
It’s even worse when they hear about really weird things happening which they associate with the “televangelist faith healer frauds”. Peter’s shadow healed people!!!! How weird is that, not to mention simply not believable.
Yet this New Community didn’t seem to think there was anything odd about all these healings. Luke says quite matter of factly in vs. 16, “they were all healed”. These believers seemed to think that God was free and able to do whatever He wanted. Nor were they burdened by modern democratic thinking which asks and demands, “if God does it for one, why not for all”. Nor does God’s power appear to be connected to the devotion or the holiness of those involved. They simply believed and God did even more than they expected.
It’s okay to be “weird” like the early Christians were weird, it that means believing that God is free to do what God wants. Just don’t act weird. Be yourself (if you’re a weird person by birth that’s okay, you’re stuck with that) , be humble, be a servant to your neighbors, ask God to unleash his power for them too just don’t’ pray out loud in weird ways on their doorstep).
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
November 2, 2010
Problems of Family Living
When Family Members Take God For Granted
“There was a certain man named Ananias who, with his wife, Sapphira, sold some property. 2 He brought part of the money to the apostles, claiming it was the full amount. With his wife’s consent, he kept the rest. 3 Then Peter said, 'Ananias, why have you let Satan fill your heart? You lied to the Holy Spirit, and you kept some of the money for yourself. 4 The property was yours to sell or not sell, as you wished. And after selling it, the money was also yours to give away. How could you do a thing like this? You weren’t lying to us but to God!'
As soon as Ananias heard these words, he fell to the floor and died.. . . . Later Peter said to Sapphira, 'How could the two of you even think of conspiring to test the Spirit of the Lord like this?'. . . .. she fell to the floor and died.
Great fear gripped the entire church and everyone else who heard what had happened."
Acts 5:1-11
Pastor's Blog
In our society which “spins” everything and tells half truths, God has warned us. Lying to Him is dangerous.
We can’t have it both ways. If we love the generosity, power, boldness, and miracles generated by God in the early church . . . if we love how the New Community had become the new holy residence of God, then we must not be surprised when God takes his church, us, seriously enough to make it clear that there is no such thing as cheap grace. God is not mocked.
The New Testament tells of the same God we read of in the Old Testament. He is still holy and still dangerous. Check out Leviticus 10 about Aaron’s sons taking God lightly. Or Joshua 7 where Aachan bends the rules. Same thing in 2 Chronicles 26 with King Uzziah.
Annanias and Sapphira lied to their church family (which is the new temple) and to God.
God lies down his Marker. Lying is a way of saying “I don’t trust God”. In our society which “spins” everything and tells half truths, we have this warning.
DO NOT TAKE GOD FOR GRANTED
When Family Members Take God For Granted
“There was a certain man named Ananias who, with his wife, Sapphira, sold some property. 2 He brought part of the money to the apostles, claiming it was the full amount. With his wife’s consent, he kept the rest. 3 Then Peter said, 'Ananias, why have you let Satan fill your heart? You lied to the Holy Spirit, and you kept some of the money for yourself. 4 The property was yours to sell or not sell, as you wished. And after selling it, the money was also yours to give away. How could you do a thing like this? You weren’t lying to us but to God!'
As soon as Ananias heard these words, he fell to the floor and died.. . . . Later Peter said to Sapphira, 'How could the two of you even think of conspiring to test the Spirit of the Lord like this?'. . . .. she fell to the floor and died.
Great fear gripped the entire church and everyone else who heard what had happened."
Acts 5:1-11
Pastor's Blog
In our society which “spins” everything and tells half truths, God has warned us. Lying to Him is dangerous.
We can’t have it both ways. If we love the generosity, power, boldness, and miracles generated by God in the early church . . . if we love how the New Community had become the new holy residence of God, then we must not be surprised when God takes his church, us, seriously enough to make it clear that there is no such thing as cheap grace. God is not mocked.
The New Testament tells of the same God we read of in the Old Testament. He is still holy and still dangerous. Check out Leviticus 10 about Aaron’s sons taking God lightly. Or Joshua 7 where Aachan bends the rules. Same thing in 2 Chronicles 26 with King Uzziah.
Annanias and Sapphira lied to their church family (which is the new temple) and to God.
God lies down his Marker. Lying is a way of saying “I don’t trust God”. In our society which “spins” everything and tells half truths, we have this warning.
DO NOT TAKE GOD FOR GRANTED
Monday, November 1, 2010
November 1, 2010
Problems of Family Living
The Promising Early Years
“They felt that what they owned was not their own” Acts 4:32
“All the believers were united in heart and mind. And they felt that what they owned was not their own, so they shared everything they had. . . . . There were no needy people among them, because they would bring the money to the apostles to give to those in need.” Acts 4:32-37 (NLT)
Pastor's Blog
If you are fortunate you starting your family by sharing everything, holding all things in common, and you dreamed that it would always be like this. The early church family started off great. It was becoming exactly what the Old Testament had foretold. God had made them into generous givers exactly as the Old Testament had predicted.
With this passage Luke is making the dramatic claim that what is happening here in Jerusalem in this Christian Community is exactly what God has intended all along. Luke does this by basing vs. 34 on Deuteronomy 15, especially vs. 4. Jesus had set this very same agenda in Luke 4 by quoting Isaiah 61.
My wife, Kathy, likes to quote Revelation where Jesus tells us to remember our first love. Luke is writing long after these events and he has by now seen many things go wrong in the church. Perhaps, by recounting the beginnings of the church he wants to remind us how believers behave.
Luke shows us what kind of generosity and charity is generated when the Holy Spirit has His way. These people where demonstrating the fruit of the resurrection in way that many Christians today, who often sadly balk at even giving a tithe of their income to the church, can only dream of.
The Promising Early Years
“They felt that what they owned was not their own” Acts 4:32
“All the believers were united in heart and mind. And they felt that what they owned was not their own, so they shared everything they had. . . . . There were no needy people among them, because they would bring the money to the apostles to give to those in need.” Acts 4:32-37 (NLT)
Pastor's Blog
If you are fortunate you starting your family by sharing everything, holding all things in common, and you dreamed that it would always be like this. The early church family started off great. It was becoming exactly what the Old Testament had foretold. God had made them into generous givers exactly as the Old Testament had predicted.
With this passage Luke is making the dramatic claim that what is happening here in Jerusalem in this Christian Community is exactly what God has intended all along. Luke does this by basing vs. 34 on Deuteronomy 15, especially vs. 4. Jesus had set this very same agenda in Luke 4 by quoting Isaiah 61.
My wife, Kathy, likes to quote Revelation where Jesus tells us to remember our first love. Luke is writing long after these events and he has by now seen many things go wrong in the church. Perhaps, by recounting the beginnings of the church he wants to remind us how believers behave.
Luke shows us what kind of generosity and charity is generated when the Holy Spirit has His way. These people where demonstrating the fruit of the resurrection in way that many Christians today, who often sadly balk at even giving a tithe of their income to the church, can only dream of.
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