Acts 13:14-15, NIV

On the Sabbath they entered the synagogue and sat down. After the reading from the Law and the Prophets, the synagogue rulers sent word to them, saying, "Brothers, if you have a message of encouragement for the people, please speak."

I like these church services. I love sharing time with other believers. I think that the most powerful thing for us to do in order to show true, honest authenticity to nonbelievers is to share our stories. The story of God in our lives. Don't leave out any details, it's those specifics that God allowed to happen in order to touch another heart. I've seen this first-hand in my small group of late. When one woman shared her testimony, sparing no information, it resulted in one of the breakthroughs of a new face who has now felt more comfortable in our group. In fact, this new young woman said that she was intimidated by our group when she first met us. She said we all seemed to have it together and was worried that we might judge her if we knew her imperfect past. When she heard the authenticity of one of our stories, she realized that it's not that we're perfect, it's that God has given us new life and we have chosen to live as best we can to His will.

So never hesitate to speak up and share you story, no matter what the personal outcome might be, because it will most likely bless and minister to more people than you can imagine. Glory to God alone!

Acts 13:1-12, The Message

The governor invited Barnabas and Saul in, wanting to hear God's Word firsthand from them. But Dr. Know-It-All (that's the wizard's name in plain English) stirred up a ruckus, trying to divert the governor from becoming a believer. But Saul (or Paul), full of the Holy Spirit and looking him straight in the eye, said, "You bag of wind, you parody of a devil—why, you stay up nights inventing schemes to cheat people out of God. But now you've come up against God himself, and your game is up. You're about to go blind—no sunlight for you for a good long stretch." He was plunged immediately into a shadowy mist and stumbled around, begging people to take his hand and show him the way. When the governor saw what happened, he became a believer, full of enthusiasm over what they were saying about the Master.

Acts is the record we have of how the Church began. Because their only way of spreading the good news was word-of-mouth or first-hand experiences, it's the stories like this one from chapter 13 that caught the attention of all the people who didn't know the Lord and wanted to find out more about His love and power.

Because we have developed so many advanced methods of communication, shouldn't be be using them as much as possible to spread the news of what God is doing and is capable of? What is my excuse for not sharing more stories? Even if I don't e-mail or blog or create websites, has the original method (word-of-mouth) lost it's appeal or attraction? I don't think so. In fact, just like with any other "juicy" or exciting news, I always want to tell my family, friends, coworkers, about what I've heard. Let's do the same thing with God's activity in our lives.

Whether it's a bible story that you've rediscovered (for me, it's been Tamar and Jacob recently), or God touching someone in a powerful way (one of my coworkers is coming back to her faith and seeing her family join her, it's awesome!), or just an encouragment from your own heart - take the time to spread the news and build up His Church!!

Acts 12:9-10, NIV

Peter followed him out of the prison, but he had no idea that what the angel was doing was really happening; he thought he was seeing a vision. They passed the first and second guards and came to the iron gate leading to the city. It opened for them by itself, and they went through it. When they had walked the length of one street, suddenly the angel left him.

I love this story. It's true. God does awesome things. God also does some stuff that doesn't at first seem awesome or significant. Hardships within a family, a financial loss, death, illness, etc. But the crazy thing about believing in God is that I still know that in spite of all the bad, I know down to my core that He is still good. I'm taking comfort in that today... and tomorrow too.

Ecclesiates 3:1, The Message

There's an opportune time to do things, a right time for everything on the earth.

I felt the need to read something different than Acts tonight. I had a great night with my best friends and am feeling pensive afterward. I didn't realize how difficult it is for me to just be "friend Katie" now. I'm involved in so many things as a leader that it's hard to switch gears and just be me. As the night wore on and we had many conversations, during all of it I was wondering if the conversation was going in the right direction, if everyone was having a chance to talk, if there was another question I should ask. It wasn't very relaxing.

I'm so grateful for these friends. They are patient with me. They know me better than almost anyone -- they knew I was distracted tonight and a little high strung. I knew there would be a verse in Ecclesiastes to help explain how I feel. That's why I chose this verse, I need balance the balance of understanding the times in my life. I need to understand that I can be a friend and it's okay if I need to talk because it's my turn. I don't need to feel guilty for taking up too much time talking about me. (Although anyone who knows me will say that I usually don't have a problem with talking about myself, haha!)

Even more, the time of my life right now is different from my friends. And I'm okay with it. We live very diverse and sometimes opposite lives and yet it's okay to be content where I am and not stress out or get upset because we may not be able to share everything like we used to. This is what makes our friendships strong and our appreciation of God's omniscience more profound.

Proverbs 22:7, NIV, The Message

The rich rule over the poor,
and the borrower is servant to the lender.

The poor are always ruled over by the rich,
so don't borrow and put yourself under their power.

I cut up my credit card. I didn't really need to, I can resist using it if I need to. However, why tempt myself that way? Why keep it an ever-present thought? We talked tonight at Financial Peace University about how you spend your money is evidence of your value system. My thoughts and my actions with money can reflect to others how I view my relationships with people and my relationship with God. And I felt that it would honor God if I admitted that sometimes a credit card can control me and it's best to destroy it rather than fight it.

Acts 11:27-30, The Message

It was about this same time that some prophets came to Antioch from Jerusalem. One of them named Agabus stood up one day and, prompted by the Spirit, warned that a severe famine was about to devastate the country. (The famine eventually came during the rule of Claudius.) So the disciples decided that each of them would send whatever they could to their fellow Christians in Judea to help out. They sent Barnabas and Saul to deliver the collection to the leaders in Jerusalem.

The weekly womens bible study that I lead had a discussion two weeks ago about money. Is it really evil, or is just the love of money evil? Is it wrong for Christians, who are called to be generous and live simply, to save away money? I felt like the discussion was sensitive to several people, the conversation and thoughts didn't flow as normal. However, I liked the few thoughts that were shared. And, given the verses above, it's okay to prepare for emergencies and times of famine. It's okay to help out each other and to give of your resources. All these things are biblical teaching and, in my humble opinion, a spiritual necessity.

I'm currently participating in Financial Peace University at my church, which conveniently started the same week as my new car payments, haha! I'm having a hard time with my inner devil and inner angel. I want to save, be wise, financially prepared for the unexpected. But at the same time, I want to be social, I want to be generous and I want to not put my security in money. I think I need to start seeing the way I use my money as a part of my testimony, part of my story in God's book. Perhaps then I will learn to balance responsibility and generosity with my finances.

Acts 11:15-18, New Living Translation

“As I began to speak,” Peter continued, “the Holy Spirit fell on them, just as he fell on us at the beginning. Then I thought of the Lord’s words when he said, ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ And since God gave these Gentiles the same gift he gave us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to stand in God’s way?”

When the others heard this, they stopped objecting and began praising God. They said, “We can see that God has also given the Gentiles the privilege of repenting of their sins and receiving eternal life.”

Unfortunately, I have seen this behavior (objections about who is worthy to follow Christ) in the Christian community today. You'd think that 2000 years would have given us enough time to learn to live like Christ! I hate that I judge people and stereotype them or fail to give them a fair chance to be themselves by putting them in a box in my mind. Prejudices and preconceived ideas are still a daily part of life on earth. I hate that it takes me time and hard work to do what should be natural to me - treat others fairly, as I would like to be treated. But we all know that often Christians are seen as the worst abusers of hypocrisy. I don't know what we get so territorial with what we believe and become so self righteous that we think the gift of God is given to every single human. I'm glad that this story in Acts was recorded for future generations of Christians to use as a "how to" guide for letting go of your ownership of God's grace and realizing that because God chose you, it doesn't mean that He didn't also offer the same thing to everyone.

Acts 10:34-36, The Message

Peter fairly exploded with his good news: "It's God's own truth, nothing could be plainer: God plays no favorites! It makes no difference who you are or where you're from—if you want God and are ready to do as he says, the door is open. The Message he sent to the children of Israel—that through Jesus Christ everything is being put together again—well, he's doing it everywhere, among everyone."

Tonight, I'm also fairly bursting with this good news! How exciting that these words are still true today! I love reading about the beginning of the Church and how this new concept of a God that no longer has a specific race as His "chosen" was so foreign to men and women. It's crazy to realize that this was the first time these people had ever heard that. I'm blessed to serve a God who doesn't seen any difference between me and anyone else because of my race, my family, etc... He has an open door waiting for every person. His Message is being carried out through imperfect people all over the world.

Acts 9:21-22, NIV

All those who heard him were astonished and asked, "Isn't he the man who raised havoc in Jerusalem among those who call on this name? And hasn't he come here to take them as prisoners to the chief priests?" Yet Saul grew more and more powerful and baffled the Jews living in Damascus by proving that Jesus is the Christ.

It's hard to imagine a drastic life change like Saul's. It proves his committment to God and the power the Lord has to change someone but at the same time, I can't help but think about this in today's context. How many people want to change but don't? Diets, habits, addictions -- they can all be conquered, but more often than not I tend to think that, when people try to change, not much time will go by before they slip back into their old way of living.

I'm glad that the change God produces in someone, if sincere, is longer lasting than a trendy diet or giving up an addiction cold turkey. But this story of Saul reminds me that this might be the exception. Without proper encouragment from the Body, new believers are often left alone and might either (a) not show any outward change of their decision or (b) slowly crumble and go back to their old ways when the difficulty of changing your entire thought process, decisions, speech, etc. proves to be too much to do "alone" with out the Body.

I'm going to pray right now for new believers, whoever or wherever they are, to have the confidence of Christ and encouragement of the Body to stick out the race marked for them.

Acts 9:10-16, NIV

In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord called to him in a vision, "Ananias!"
"Yes, Lord," he answered.

The Lord told him, "Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying. In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on him to restore his sight."

"Lord," Ananias answered, "I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your saints in Jerusalem. And he has come here with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name."

But the Lord said to Ananias, "Go! This man is my chosen instrument to carry my name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel. I will show him how much he must suffer for my name."

I like the conversation replay between Ananias and God. For some reason I thought Ananias was a prophet, but clearly just a disciple of the Lord. He doesn't seem significant in wealth or position or character; he doesn't even have a lot of gumption. He is just obedient, he even needed some coaxing! Sometimes my own conversations with the Lord go the same way.

God - "Katie."

Me - "Hey God! What's up?"

God - "Not much, just wanted you to know that you need to go and do this."

Me - "Well, thanks, but I don't really want to. It might be hard or scary."

God - "Are you seriously arguing with me?"

Me - "Are you buying it?"

God - "Just go."

Me - *sigh* "Fine, but I'm not happy about it."

--- hours/days/weeks later...

Me - "Okay so that was a really good idea, I'm glad I did that."

God - "You're going to give me the credit, right?"

Me - "Right! Yes, thank you! Good job!"

Acts 8:34-39, NIV

The eunuch asked Philip, "Tell me, please, who is the prophet talking about, himself or someone else?" Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus. As they traveled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, "Look, here is water. Why shouldn't I be baptized?" And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him. When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him again, but went on his way rejoicing.

I'll never forget hearing a sermon by Jeff Jones at Chase Oaks Church about baptism. He was telling the church that baptism is one of the first acts of obedience that a believer can participate in. What better way to declare or prove your decision than a public declaration? If you really think about it, from an unfamiliar point of view, baptism is weird. What normal sane adults would dip into a miniature pool in front of men and women sitting their seats dry and comfortable?! Personally, I love baptism. It's the purest example of washing away the sinful old self and walking away and into the new clean life you've chosen as a Child of God. I remember fully understanding what a big deal it was for me to be baptized when I was in the first grade. I was so proud of my decision and the support I heard in the cheers and claps of everyone sitting nearby. I encourage everyone who has never done this to not waste another moment! It's biblical, it's an act of obedience to God, and there is no reason not to!

Acts 8:26-31, The Message

Later God's angel spoke to Philip: "At noon today I want you to walk over to that desolate road that goes from Jerusalem down to Gaza." He got up and went. He met an Ethiopian eunuch coming down the road...He was riding in a chariot and reading the prophet Isaiah. The Spirit told Philip, "Climb into the chariot." Running up alongside, Philip heard the eunuch reading Isaiah and asked, "Do you understand what you're reading?" He answered, "How can I without some help?" and invited Philip into the chariot with him.

I love when you get a nudge (or, in this instance, a direct order) from the Holy Spirit. Sometimes the hint is so faint that we make excuses for why we might have made a certain decision, unaware that it was actually God or divine providence or whatever you prefer to call it. No matter how you define it, God spoke directly to Philip in this passage and made sure that he was in the right place at the right time. I think that tonight I will pray that when God's Spirit directs me to a certain place that I will be listening to the questions of those around me and pray for wisdom to answer what I can.

**does anyone else think the image in these verses is hilarious?! Philip stands alone on a desolate road, then runs alongside the lone chariot before hopping on. Not to mention the man in the chariot is "reading" from an Old Testament scroll? hahaha!

Acts 8:14-17, NIV

When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them. When they arrived, they prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit, because the Holy Spirit had not yet come upon any of them; they had simply been baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. Then Peter and John placed their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.

This idea caused me many sleepless nights and inner turmoil when I was in college. There was a select group of students who firmly argued that there was a difference between salvation and the "second baptism of the Holy Spirit." For me, it was something I had never heard taught in any church or Christian event in my entire life. As such, I figured that if it were an actual requirement for Christians... someone would have said something to me earlier. Scripture has been around too long for something claimed to be this crucial to be left out.

These verses stir up the memories of debates and passionate pleadings from those years of confusion with close friends in college. Why couldn't we agree on this topic? Why did they insist that a person only receives a fraction of the Holy Spirit at salvation, and to receive the rest you have to have another separate experience? My belief, and it has taken me six years to work it out, is that there is not an "step two" to becoming a Christian. You believe, you're a believer. Plain and simple. God isn't a God of complication or confusion, He made things just right for our human-sized brains.

That said, I believe that when we become Christians we immediately "receive" the Holy Spirit. This does not mean that we know what that means as soon as we understand what Jesus did. I know from personal experience that the Holy Spirit immediately becomes an active part of your life whether you are aware of it or not. In time and through study you may comprehend more of what that really means, and the power that the Holy Spirit has and can manifest in and through you. The Holy Spirit is a part of God and, just like with any relationship, you come to understand more about it and fall more in love with it and appreciate it more as you go through life together.

I can't explain the verses above to you the way a seminary student or seasoned pastor might be able to, but I can explain what I wrote above... the meager offering I have of what I've learned in my years as a humble Christ follower.

Acts 8:3-4, The Message

And Saul just went wild, devastating the church, entering house after house after house, dragging men and women off to jail. Forced to leave home base, the followers of Jesus all became missionaries. Wherever they were scattered, they preached the Message about Jesus.

I'm impressed that the Christians here went on to talk about Jesus after being mistreated because of their faith in Him. I wonder if I were persecuted and forced to leave everything familiar if I would share with new people the reason I was chased out of my "home base" as I began to settle in a new location. It seems like most people would prefer to go into the Witness Protection Program in order to hide their identity and maintain their safety and the safety of their family rather than risk losing it all again. It's interesting to think that if these Believers hadn't spoken out and share the Good News wherever their feet landed them, we might not have ever heard of Jesus. Years would have gone by and the story of Christ would not have left a mark in history and the years that Jesus caused such stir would have faded from memories like an child actor from the 80s. I'm certainly glad that God had a bigger plan for the world and that he used frightened, weak, and humble people to accomplish that plan. I pay better attention to people from those means than people of wealth and influence.

Acts 7:54-58, New Living Translation

The Jewish leaders were infuriated by Stephen’s accusation, and they shook their fists at him in rage. But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed steadily into heaven and saw the glory of God, and he saw Jesus standing in the place of honor at God’s right hand. And he told them, “Look, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing in the place of honor at God’s right hand!” Then they put their hands over their ears and began shouting. They rushed at him and dragged him out of the city and began to stone him.

I can't get over how foolish the Jewish leaders must have looked when the pure rage of the Truth Stephen spoke caused them to throw their hands over their ears and yell. What a pitiful and desperate attempt to ignore God's voice. It would be comparable to a court judge and jury all reacting the same way to a suspected criminal on trial for what he believed. Some people simply don't want to hear the truth and, as a result, will never know how stupid it is to deny what your heart knows is true.

Don't let a possibly negative reaction keep you from speaking what is True.

Acts 7:48-52, The Message

However, the Most High does not live in houses made by men. As the prophet says:
" 'Heaven is my throne,
and the earth is my footstool.
What kind of house will you build for me? says the Lord.
Or where will my resting place be?
Has not my hand made all these things?'
"You stiff-necked people, with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You are just like your fathers: You always resist the Holy Spirit! Was there ever a prophet your fathers did not persecute?

I love the affirmation in these verses that state God is bigger than any building and cannot be contained by anything, especially something made by men. Not to mention how awesome it is that in these verses Stephen is letting them have it. First he summarizes the Old Testament without taking a breath, now he is letting the Spirit speak through him to remind them of how it should be.

Seriously though, what kind of house have I built for the Lord? What does His resting place look like in my life right now? I'm not sure that we're supposed to have either of those. God simply can't be contained. There is something about our culture that makes us feel like we must have control, we have to know what to expect and what will come next. I don't know about you, but I have to work really hard to not attempt to take the reins from God. It's hard for me to take the freefall into the unknown adventure God has in store. I think I fear that I won't get to do things that I feel are important to me, or I fear that I know better.

Putting those thoughts on this blog make me realize how foolish they are. Haha! That's a little embarrassing. Truly, I do have faith that God will do what is best for me even if it's the exact opposite of what I would elect... now it's just a matter of applying my faith while ignoring the temptations of the culture and of my self.

Acts 6:8, 10, 15; New Living Translation

Stephen, a man full of God’s grace and power, performed amazing miracles and signs among the people...None of them could stand against the wisdom and the Spirit with which Stephen spoke...At this point everyone in the high council stared at Stephen, because his face became as bright as an angel’s.

The chapter ends with those last words, which seems abrupt - I wanted to jump ahead to chapter seven, but I decided it would be fun to prolong the suspense of the captivating story of superhero Stephen even though I know what happens next. OK, anyway. I know that in the Christian faith our supreme and ultimate hero is God, but I love to learn more about the heroes and sidekicks that came along the way in His story. The sidekick in this story, Stephen, was introduced rather quickly in this chapter. But his description is one that I am jealous of. You didn't have to know Stephen personally to know Who he served or what he believed. Stephen had the bold confidence that comes from an obedient heart. I believe that Stephen knew exactly what God had called him to do - speak truth, do God's work, and love people.

I have definitely failed to be the strong sidekick in my part of the story at times. In the midst of debate, my confidence has wavered. My fear for what other people think has prevented the Truth from coming from my lips. When I have felt the nudge to pray healing for someone, I let a skeptic attitude withhold my hand from praying over them. All that aside, I'll admit that I haven't always failed. When I take the leap away from "self" and let God write the story, it's always a different, but better, ending than my imagination could have ever created.

Acts 6:3-6, The Message

They said, "It wouldn't be right for us to abandon our responsibilities for preaching and teaching the Word of God to help with the care of the poor. So, friends, choose seven men from among you whom everyone trusts, men full of the Holy Spirit and good sense, and we'll assign them this task. Meanwhile, we'll stick to our assigned tasks of prayer and speaking God's Word."

The congregation thought this was a great idea. They went ahead and chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, Nicolas, a convert from Antioch. Then they presented them to the apostles. Praying, the apostles laid on hands and commissioned them for their task.

These were the verses I needed to read today. What they say to me is "you can't do it all Katie." Even in the early days of the Church, it was known that certain responsibilities could not be abandoned and tasks would have to be delegated.

I spent tonight with good friends. I had no obligations, responsibilities, to-do's... it was just a nice for me. I can't tell you how nice it was. Not only am I blessed with wonderful friends who are a pure JOY to be with, but I also discovered that it had been far too long since i had a night of simple fellowship. I'm confident that it's good for me to have these nights, and to have them more frequently than I currently do.

In that same vein, the reason I don't have many of these nights is because I often don't delegate or say no. I need to pray for God to show me the task He would have me continue and the responsibilities He might have me give up for a time. It sounds hard and I'll be sad to discontinue something that I'm involved with, but I can't do it all--only God can.

Acts 5:38-39, The Message

"So I am telling you: Hands off these men! Let them alone. If this program or this work is merely human, it will fall apart, but if it is of God, there is nothing you can do about it—and you better not be found fighting against God!"

I'm very blessed to have been a part of churches and ministries throughout the years that are joined in the mission of God. So many people are scarred by experiences where seemingly well meaning individuals have lost sight of Who is really in charge and taken too much ownership in a program or their work. This always equals failure.

It's a good reminder for me to remember that I'm merely an Employee for God's Company. He is the boss, He calls the shots, and He will ultimately have victory (with or without me). There is no use trying to fight it or take out God's position.

Acts 4:32-35, New Living Translation

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. The apostles testified powerfully to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and God’s great blessing was upon them all. There were no needy people among them, because those who owned land or houses would sell them and bring the money to the apostles to give to those in need.

I'm just a week away from starting Financial Peace University. I'm eager to learn how to better manage the resources God has given me. Someone did ask me a good question regarding FPU though; as Christians, is it wrong to save lots of money when there are people in need? The early Church in Acts show that people were not just tithing a percentage, but actually selling their possessions in order to help with the needs of those in their Church.

Our current culture is not one that makes it easy for us to think that what we own is not our own. If anything, it suggests that we not only own our stuff, we rule it. I don't want to have that mindset. I want to be wise and a good steward of my resources; but I don't want my security to be in that fact either. I desire to be generous, prepared, faithful and content. Because I am a very open person, I think a lot of people know a lot about my spending habits and money patterns, haha! But, that fact gives me an incredible opportunity to use this chance as a way to witness and minister to others.

I hope that in the next 13 weeks I will be able to change my bad habits before they become problems and use this course as a ministry to those in my life.

Acts 4:29-31, The Message

"And now they're at it again! Take care of their threats and give your servants fearless confidence in preaching your Message, as you stretch out your hand to us in healings and miracles and wonders done in the name of your holy servant Jesus."

While they were praying, the place where they were meeting trembled and shook. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak God's Word with fearless confidence.

If I didn't title my blog with just the scripture reference I would title this one "fearless confidence." It's such a good phrase. I doubt many people do anything in life with such a bold faith and unwavering conviction. That is of course with the exception of Christians. Because of the power God gives those who believe in Him, we have the ability, the supernatural ability, to trust solely in Him to speak through us, perform miracles through us and give us the words to spread His message.

There have been embarrassingly few times when I have felt that fearless confidence. I believe that God gives us this confidence in the moments when we can surrender to Him and become completely obedient to His will. In those times we have to ask for this confidence because God knows how helpless we are and part of the humbleness of being His servant means admitting when we need Him. Therefore, I believe that the reason there are so few of these fearless moments for me is because I am afraid to ask for it and reveal the power that God could choose to manifest through me. I'll try and do better to boldly ask God for this confidence in the future.

Acts 4:20, NIV

"For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard."

Peter and John were so eager to share the things God had done. Not only the things they had seen but also the things they had heard from others.

One of the key phrases in 'He's Just Not That Into You' dealt with women always hearing about women who were "the exception;" someone who defied the odds and was able to find love in the midst of situation where "the rule" is the opposite. In that same vein, Christ-followers are often witnesses to "exceptions" in our society and miracles that can't be explained by man. As these stories spread, just as Peter and John spread what they had heard, the proof gives me confidence that our lives are not the "rule," but rather God's grace gives us a chance to be part of the "exception."

Proverbs 4:20-22, The Message

"Dear friend, listen well to my words;
tune your ears to my voice.
Keep my message in plain view at all times.
Concentrate! Learn it by heart!
Those who discover these words live, really live;
body and soul, they're bursting with health."

I just did my measly little five pound hand weights at home and my arms are tired. Just a minute earlier I had weighed myself on my bathroom scale. Sounds obsessive, right? But I've realized that it takes hard work, concentration, discipline to see results. According to this Proverb, the same goes for spiritual growth and spiritual health. I think my spiritual health is benefiting from this blog and my time reading the Word each day. I would like to work more on memorization and taking the time to celebrate the things God has done in my life and the lives of people I know.

Since I'm thinking of the analogy of physical habits/diets/training and spiritual health - how great is it that God is the perfect Personal Trainer? He doesn't charge you too much, He encourages you, celebrates your progress, and corrects you when you do something wrong. He never gets impatient with you, He knows you can do it and supports you through the entire process. I'm pretty excited that my time with God doesn't have an expiration date or renewal period - He's always there.

Acts 4:7,10b-12, NIV

They had Peter and John brought before them and began to question them: "By what power or what name did you do this?"

"...It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed. He is 'the stone you builders rejected, which has become the capstone. Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.'"

The bad guys in this story were eager to dissolve this case, they didn't want the attention given to these men and the God they represented. On the other side, it seems like these Godly men were more than willing to claim that they were "guilty as charged" if it meant that admitting that Jesus is Lord.

I believe that the TRUTH is such a threat to so many nonbelievers that they will work overtime to question, debate and ridicule Christians as if they are on trial. It makes me wonder if I am prepared to jump up on the chopping block and proclaim Christ. This chopping block could be a conversation at work, walking away from a compromising position, or something like a private thought. Claim Christ, things may or may not get easier on a day-to-day or case-by-case basis; however, you will have the confidence of knowing that you are Saved by Grace and that living for Christ is worth any trial this life may bring you.

Acts 3:24-26, New L iving Translation

“Starting with Samuel, every prophet spoke about what is happening today. You are the children of those prophets, and you are included in the covenant God promised to your ancestors. For God said to Abraham, ‘Through your descendants all the families on earth will be blessed.’ When God raised up his servant, Jesus, he sent him first to you people of Israel, to bless you by turning each of you back from your sinful ways.”

I wish I could copy and paste this entire passage, it's so good, you should go read the whole thing. I love that what I was reading last week in Genesis has now come up in what I'm reading in Acts; about the covenant promised to Abraham. I've had a few interesting discussions this weekend with friends regarding the old and new covenants and something (one of many) that I love about the new covenant is that I'm able to be a part of it, to live under it. God chose the timing of things the way He did for a reason, to fulfill the Old Testament prophecies, and I'm eternally grateful that I was born under the new covenant. :-)

Let's not take the gift of grace for granted. Having read some of Genesis lately has made me thrilled that I can have intimacy with God with complete freedom. No OT rules about sacrifice and worship and Temples and priests - now it's just God and me. Don't ruin our privilege through meaningless acts or heartless words. Embrace God; be passionate about Him. It's a gift to be close to Him and serve Him until Christ's return.

Acts 3:10b-12

...they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him. While the beggar held on to Peter and John, all the people were astonished and came running to them in the place called Solomon's Colonnade. When Peter saw this, he said to them: "Men of Israel, why does this surprise you? Why do you stare at us as if by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk?"

Does anyone else think onlooker traffic is the worst? But, if you're like me, you complain about it but still contribute to the congestion when you pass an accident. The onlookers in this New Testament story were causing some frustration with Peter and John as they tried to move along on their mission.

Naturally, healing a cripple from birth is a miracle worth attention. But what seems to have frustrated Peter and John in this story was the celebrity-like attention. This wasn't the point! The only point that was being made here was the power of God. Don't you hate how stupid humans are sometimes? :-) Especially these people, they were just years away from Christ's time on earth and yet they still easily forgot about Jesus and the fact that His power was still at work through the Disciples.

In my life, when have I been a distracted onlooker in the midst of God's work instead of taking time to praise Him?!