Go Home

In an animated email, a stick figure is beating his head against a stick wall saying, “I want to go home. I want to go home!” I’ve been there. You probably have, too. The frustrations of the workplace can be so overwhelming that we long for the comfort of home. Sadly, though, there are too many of us who don’t want to go home enough. If the frustrations of the work place don’t have us aching to leave, we stay, and stay, and stay, and stay.

Now, I want “Life at Work” to have some relevance for most who read it weekly, so let me say this generally: Though there is no Sabbath Day command for Christians to require us to rest for a period of time, the principle of the Sabbath Day is still pertinent. You need some rest. Take it.

But there is another reason for many of us to go home even when we could stay at work a little while longer. There is a family, a spouse and some children perhaps, who need some time with you. That time needs to be good time, play time, prayer time, family time. Not just hurry-you-to-bed time. Not just crash-out-on-the-couch-and-leave-me-alone time.

The Jews turned the blessing of the Sabbath rest into a burden. He told them, “The Sabbath was made for man; not man for the Sabbath.” We’ve turned the blessing of employment into a huge burden. God made work for you; not you for work. Take a break. Give your family some of your time and energy. That’s Life at Work!

Raised from the Dead

“He raised him from the dead.”

How do you respond to that statement? Maybe this week, approaching Easter, your thoughts are about the resurrection of Jesus and your first response is positive – a response of belief. Maybe you’ve been hearing recently about money-hungry false prophets who claim the ability to raise the dead, so your first response is negative – a response of disbelief. Many of us have been in both places. Many of us believe in the resurrection of Jesus, yet we realize how unusual a resurrection is. We are quick to reject claims that it happens now, prior to the resurrection of all the dead that Jesus told us about in John 5:28-29.

Acts 17 details the responses of various people to the claim that Jesus was dead, but is alive again. In Thessalonica, some Jews, a great number of Greeks including a significant number of women believed. In Berea, more Jews were at least interested in the news of the resurrection because they searched the scriptures to see if what Paul preached was true. In Athens, some sneered, others wanted to hear more, and a few believed.

I’ve heard some say that you can’t react with apathy to the message of the resurrection. They say you’ll either believe with a life-changing faith, or you will disbelieve and be unmoved in the pursuit of whatever it is you are pursuing. I disagree. I think some of the Athenians who were more interested in a philosophical slant on the resurrection idea were responding with apathy when they said, “We want to hear you again.” I think that many of us who grew up in the Bible belt constantly hearing the message of resurrection believe it to be true, yet don’t live the unusual lives that the unusual resurrection calls us to live. In fact, according to Barna (Index of Leading Spiritual Indicators, 1996) eighty-five percent of Americans believe in the resurrection of Jesus, yet only twenty-six percent of us read our Bibles once per week. That’s a sign of apathy. We should change that. That’s Life at Work!

How God Used an Earthquake to Save a Home

On January 17, 1994 at 4:30 in the morning, the Northridge thrust, a fault under Northridge, CA, shifted causing the first earthquake to strike directly under an urban area of the United States in over sixty years. The quake produced the strongest ground motions ever instrumentally recorded in an urban setting in the US according to the Southern California Earthquake Data Center.

The pictures that show the damage of that quake are not huge cracks in the ground that crossed some remote road in some far off deserted sand field. The pictures are of homes, neighborhoods in fact, and apartment complexes that were destroyed by the shaking and shift of the ground. This quake didn’t just collapse the home of a field rat; it collapsed the homes of people.

When we think of earthquakes, we think about the destruction of homes. God thinks differently.

Paul and Silas were on their way to the place of prayer and ended up in prison. There was a slave girl in Philippi who had been following Paul, Silas, Luke and the others around the city shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved” (Acts 16:17). Normally, Paul and his companions would have rejoiced at the testimony, but this girl was a possessed by an evil spirit. If you saw someone with a terrible acne problem pushing a face cleanser, you’re probably not buying in. A demon-possessed girl pointing the way to salvation is not effective advertising.

So one day – why he put up with it at all I don’t know – Paul cast the demon from the girl by the power of God. She was rescued, but her owners were outraged. They had been using her as a source of revenue, but now their money-maker was normal. They accused Paul and the others of causing an uproar. Paul and Silas were beaten, thrown into prison, and shackled.

What do Christians do when they’ve been beaten and locked up unjustly? These Christians sang. I don’t know what they sang, but I bet it wasn’t “Gloom, Despair and Agony on Me” or “Man of Constant Sorrow” or “Welcome to My Life.” It may have been a song that expressed distress, but it probably expressed confidence, too. They knew God could rescue them. And he did. He sent an earthquake that broke their shackles and opened the door of the prison. But that isn’t the greatest part of the story. When he sent the earthquake, he also saved a home.

The jailor took Paul and Silas home with him to learn what the slave girl said he could learn from them – how to be saved. He and his home were saved that very night.

I know there is a different between a house and home. Thanks for letting me play with the words here – I know you get the point. Buildings might have collapsed in Philippi, but a household was saved. That’s how God used an earthquake to save a home. Does anything need shaking up around you to get you asking “What must I do to be saved”? That’s Life at Work!

Step into the Real Life

The movie The Truman Show (1998) starred Jim Carrey as Truman who, since infancy, was the main character of a TV show about himself, but he didn’t know it. He didn’t know that everyone in his life was an actor until he bumped into a caterer backstage. Having learned that his life setting had been arranged and choreographed by his father who produced the show, he was faced with the reality that he needed to experience life for real. But he didn’t even know what that meant. Brian McLaren asked this question about Truman’s choice that is important for us: “If we stood poised, as Carrey's Truman did at the end of the film, ready to step out of our dome, leaving a safe and scripted world where we're the star and where it's all about us, would we take the step?”

Do you know that Jesus calls you to such a life? Life with Jesus is often unpredictable and it certainly isn’t about us. For some of you that idea is exciting and challenging. Some of you have already answered the call to the capricious life lived for God.

Others of you are scared to death at the idea. I understand. Jesus said, “Follow me,” but adds “the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” You might not be comfortable.

Jesus says, “Follow me,” and adds, “Let the dead bury their own dead.” Your life will be about bigger priorities than the normal life.

Jesus said, “Follow me,” and then adds “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom.” This life is different. Consider your choice carefully, and don’t start if you’re not going to finish.”

I can tell you that I’ve taken the step and the choice was the right one, without a doubt! The way to suppress your fear is to build your faith. We can help you with that. Then let God build your courage. When you step into the kingdom world, you’ll have lots of help. Those of us who have done it stick together. That’s Life at Work!

Motivated by Love

Drs. Henry Cloud and John Townsend, authors of various “Boundaries” books write in Boundaries with Children that we need to help our children move toward greater motives for doing the right things and making the right choices. They list motivation stages from those that are less mature to the more mature: (1) Fear of consequences, (2) Immature conscience, (3) Values and ethics, and (4) love.

It occurs to me, as it has to others, that motives for obeying God mature the same way for adults in their relationship to the Father. While fear of eternal punishment, internal coercion motivated by the desire to conform to the values of others, and personal ethics are compelling motivators for obeying God; love is the greatest motive of all. Surely Jesus was expressing that truth when he said “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments” (Matthew 22:37-40).

When you know what God has done for through Jesus, you can’t help but love him. When you’ve exposed yourself to the love of God, you develop a love for all people, because God loves all people. Love is the motive that will keep you on the “straight and narrow” when fear and coercion have lost their power and when ethics appear questionable.

Grow toward love. That’s Life at Work!

What, Why, and How We Do

We recently challenged our own attitude toward worship by comparing it to the attitude of those in Lystra who worshipped Paul and Barnabas as if they were Hermes and Zeus. The story of their devotion to false gods is a wake-up call for us. Are we so devoted to the true and living God?

In the worship assemblies of the South Yukon Church we practice the same things weekly. We practice these things because we are convicted that they are what we should be doing to worship God as he wants to be worshipped. Some of you are new additions to the body of believers here and to the church of Christ. Here is what you will see each Sunday here when we gather to worship.

We sing. We sing a cappella. Musically, that means purely vocal. Literally, that means in the style of the church. We sing without instruments because that is the only kind of music mentioned in the New Testament associated with spiritual singing (Eph. 5:19; Col. 3:16), and it is the kind of music that the early church closest to the time of the apostolic teaching employed. It is likely that instruments were not used because of the highly spiritual nature of New Testament Worship.

We pray. Privately and in community, God’s people pray. As we come together, our common adoration, confession, thanksgiving, and supplications go before God’s throne. We communicate what is in our hearts for God in this way.

We read and focus on God’s Word. The Bible is the communication of God’s heart toward us. Part of sacred scripture is read a couple of times in our assemblies. Comment is made on the word. While the comments are not the Word, they are considered that seriously before they are delivered because the speaker has been instructed: If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God” (1 Peter 4:11)

We give in proportion to our blessing through the week. God’s people have always brought their first fruit to God. Accordingly, following the example of the Corinthian Church (1 Cor 16:2), we give so that when the time comes to meet a need the funds are collected and ready.

We also eat the Lord’s Supper. We commune with the Lord weekly because that was the practice of the early church in response to apostolic teaching. We will also only eat the Lord’s Supper on Sunday – no other day. The significance of Sunday is that Jesus was resurrected on Sunday – we eat the Lord’s Supper on the Lord’s Day.

These are not activities unattached to hearts and lives. We sing with all of our hearts to God and with the goal of teaching and building up each other. In fact, everything we do together has the goals of glorifying God in our devotion to him and mutual strengthening. We pray because prayer brings closeness to God and prayer in community brings us close to each other as we join with others in their rejoicing and sorrow. We give generously, feeling good about giving to God and others. We read and focus on the Word because we love the Word and want the worship experience to bring a change for good to our lives. We eat together, remembering our oneness, remembering the sacrifice given for us, and declaring our belief that Jesus will return to take us home.

And all of this is done in the clothing of love, because it is by our love that the world will know that we are his disciples (Col 3:14; John 13:35). That's Life at Work!

Down to the River to Pray

As I went down in the river to pray
Studying about that good old way
And who shall wear the starry crown
Good Lord, show me the way !

O sisters let's go down,
Let's go down, come on down,
O sisters let's go down,
Down in the river to pray.

That’s a pretty old song. Many of us were reminded of its beauty when we heard Alison Krauss sing it on the sound track of ”O Brother, Where Art Thou!”

I don’t think it is old enough that Lydia and the other women with her would have been singing it as they went down to the river near Philippi, but wouldn’t it be cool if they had. It is the perfect song for that!

There are actually five verses to the song. The first, the verse above, invites sisters to go to the river. The second invites brothers, the third invites fathers; the fourth, mothers; the fifth sinners. It’s interesting to me that the sisters are invited first. I wonder if that choice had anything to do with the story of Lydia’s conversion to Christ in Acts 16.

Paul with his companions, including Luke, went down to the river because they knew that other people went down to the river to pray. Read Luke’s eyewitness account in Luke 16:13-15

On the Sabbath we went outside the city gate to the river, where we expected to find a place of prayer. We sat down and began to speak to the women who had gathered there. One of those listening was a woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth from the city of Thyatira, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul's message. When she and the members of her household were baptized, she invited us to her home. "If you consider me a believer in the Lord," she said, "come and stay at my house." And she persuaded us. (NIV)

Did you notice that the people who came down to the river to pray were women? That is so typical! Women often lead the way, calling others to follow, in spiritual matters. Wives instruct their children, they encourage their husbands, and they grow themselves. And they do it without being prodded, preached at, and threatened with hell. Women are often more interested in the spiritual than men, very often.

Is there a woman in your life calling you “down to the river to pray.” Maybe it’s time to join the procession. That’s Life at Work!

God's Stories

I can tell you that I was born in the same town as Elvis; that I’m married to JeannaLynn; that Brad and Brittney are my kids; that I preach for the South Yukon Church of Christ; and that I like roast with carrots and potatoes. I can tell that I don’t get mad too easily, I’ve never had a drink of beer in my life; but I’ve got an addictive personality, and I talk to myself way too much. I can tell you all those things and you know me. Understand, that is some of the more significant personal information about me. If you know those things, you don’t just know about me – you know me on some level.

If I got a chance to tell you some of the stories about me, you would learn much more about me that can be revealed through a description of who I am. If you got to hear about some of my experiences from childhood to adulthood, you would know how I behave consistently and what values I hold. Stories are important. Our stories reveal us.

I could point you to passages like Nahum 1 where God reveals how he feels about his foes and his friends. You are aware that God is love and that the Lord God Almighty is holy, holy, holy. There is great value in learning these things. We know God by knowing those things about him. But God has consistently revealed himself in a fuller way; a more complete way. God has revealed himself through stories. He has inspired stories about creation and destruction; life and death; mercy and punishment; heaven and earth; and stories about bondage and deliverance.

These stories are for us to read and learn from. You can read them at home and that’s important. It is also important to read them in a community of other readers who are interested in knowing God. Come learn the stories and let’s know God together. That’s Life at Work.

Saints Exaggerate What the World Neglects

It’s interesting that this bit of poetic style would appear in the text of 1 John. In it, John transitions from the darkness of hatred to darkness in general. He compares that darkness exhibited in the priorities of most with the realities of the saints.

1 John 2:9-17
Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates his brother is still in the darkness. Whoever loves his brother lives in the light, and there is nothing in him to make him stumble. But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness; he does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded him.
I write to you, dear children,
because your sins have been forgiven on account of his name.
I write to you, fathers,
because you have known him who is from the beginning.
I write to you, young men,
because you have overcome the evil one.
I write to you, dear children,
because you have known the Father.
I write to you, fathers,
because you have known him who is from the beginning.
I write to you, young men,
because you are strong,
and the word of God lives in you,
and you have overcome the evil one.
Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world-the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does-comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.

G. K. Chesterson commented, “A saint is one who exaggerates what the world neglects.” That is right on. Look at the John’s list of realities for those in the light: forgiveness, knowledge of God, triumph over the evil one, strength, indwelling of the word, and eternal life. On the other hand, those who are in darkness don’t know where they are going, and they their priorities are the cravings of their bodies, their lustful vision, and pride in temporary stuff. The way John puts it, I can’t help but think that he believes that these differences are more than obvious – they stand out. Saints exaggerate what he world neglects.

How does that happen? I think a spotlight in a theater is a good illustration of how the evil priorities of the world are set in contrast to the life of light. Like a spotlight shines on the stage object that needs to be clearly seen, Christians call attention to the godly things that people need to see. We draw attention in our conversations and sermons to forgiveness, mercy, compassion, justice, love, and righteousness. We say, “Look at these things! They are important! They are eternal values." Then people look more carefully at the heavenly objects to which we are pointing.

Sometimes, it is not the godliness to which we point like a spotlight that exaggerates what the world neglects. You’ve probably turned toward a spotlight and noticed from your dark seat the brightness at the source. Instead of pointing to good things and saying to the world, “Pay attention to that,” the world sees the saints from the darkness of the seats and the light is incredibly bright at its source.

Point out to the world around you what is being neglected. Call attention to those things as if you were a spotlight. Then, live powerfully what the world neglects so that when a backward glance is cast, the brightness of your godly life will shine incredibly bright in the darkness of the theater that is the world. That’s Life at Work!

Baptism

Down with the old man, up with the new
Raised to walk in the way of light and truth
I didn't see no angels, just a few saints on the shore
But I felt like a newborn baby, cradled up in the arms of the Lord.

Kenny Chesney’s song "Baptism" reminds me of my own baptism in a creek in Alabama on March 26, 1977. My Dad was in the water with me because he baptized me. My mom and others from the church who made their way out to the Coil’s house were standing along the grassy shore or on the cement bridge. Everyone was all smiles and I got a ton of hugs when I stepped up out of that water. They were true saints!

The old man/new man imagery like you find in Ephesians was real to me. Raising to walk a new life, the picture from Romans 6 and Colossians 2, was my experience. There is good reason for him to sing about feeling like a newborn baby. Jesus said that baptism was a new birth – the unsaved has been immersed and has been reborn of the water and the Spirit (John 3). A new relationship with Jesus was mine.

I saw recently where a brother wrote that some others who had the same experience as me were not a part of the New Testament Church. Though they believe and confess that Jesus is the Son of God; though they accept the Bible as God’s only word to the world; and though they were immersed to have their sins forgiven, they were not a part of the New Testament Church.

According to Acts 2:41 and 47, when people responded to the gospel they were added to the number of the saved, which is the church. That makes them a part of the New Testament Church, which by the way, in the way we use the term church, is the only kind of church.

Be very careful about judgments regarding differences in practice and the impact they have on whether one is in the church of God. If I make the judgment that only Christians who practice everything just right are going to go to heaven, then that same standard will be used for me. None of us measure up to that standard. None of us. That's Life at Work.

Keep It Simple

Pharisees: “The Gentiles must be circumcised and obey the law of Moses.”
James: “We should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God.”

The council went with James – and with the Holy Spirit.

Yet, what they wrote to the Gentiles is one of the most puzzling letters that Christians have attempted to interpret. Modern day Christians at least. No doubt, the original readers knew exactly why the Jerusalem Church communicated what they did.

They distanced themselves from those who were demanding that Gentile Christians submit to circumcision and the Law of Moses. “We didn’t send them,” they said.
Then they said that all they wanted was for the Gentiles to:

1. Abstain from food polluted by idols
2. Abstain from sexual immorality
3. Abstain from the meat of strangled animals
4. Abstain from blood

Those four things are recorded by Luke in the conversation in Jerusalem, his reproduction of the letter sent with Paul and the others (15:29), and later in remarks by Jerusalem Christians about how Paul can be protected when he arrives in Jerusalem (21:25).

Why did they ask the Gentiles to abstain from these things? At least three arguments stand out (see: John Proctor, “Proselytes and Pressure Cookers: The Meaning and Application of Acts 15:20,” International Review of Mission, vol. 85). These things could have their origin in Leviticus 17-18 where sojourners in Israel (Gentile God-fearers) are given instructions about living in the Promised Land. Others have suggested that these are linked to the commands given after Noah’s flood. They suggest that these predate the covenant with the Hebrews and are, therefore, for all people and for all time. Still others, including me, suggest that eating food sacrificed to idols, sexual immorality, eating the meat of strangled animals, and eating blood were practices affiliated with idol worship that were particularly offensive to Jews. Abstention from these things was important, then, for the sake of continued fellowship with Jewish Christians. Secondly, abstention was important because while Jews were not to mix Christianity with the law of Moses, neither were Gentiles to mix Christianity with their idolatrous practices of life before Christ.

Jesus had said, “"No one tears a patch from a new garment and sews it on an old one. If he does, he will have torn the new garment, and the patch from the new will not match the old” (Luke 5:36; NIV). I think that helps us understand what James and the others intended with their abstentions. Basically, they were saying “We are not requiring that you mix Moses with your turn to God. Don’t mix your idol worship with it either. That will make it easy on all of us.”

Are you mixing any of your own preferences with your approach to God and expecting others to conform? Keep it simple for yourself and others. That’s Life at Work!

In The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat, Oliver Sacks wrote about patients that came through his office for psychological evaluation and help. One of the stories was about a musician and music teacher who, it was discovered, had a condition that hindered him from seeing the whole of an object. He would look at a face and see two eyes, a nose, a mouth, cheeks and chin, but could not on occasion tell who the person was even if it was a student in his class. He looked at a glove and could tell the color, that it was leather, that it had five appendages in varying lengths, but he could not tell that it was a glove. Sometimes we embrace the rules of Christianity as though they were the essence of discipleship. In doing so, we fail to see the whole picture. Christianity is more that a conglomeration of rules. It is a relationship. It is more than a religious system; it involves a Savior. It is more than a project with various parts; it is centered on a person - Jesus of Nazareth. Our obedience is our expression of faith in the person, the Savior, and the relationship. When we see the whole of Christianity instead of just parts, obedience will be what God intended it to be - a real blessing to our lives. That’s Life at Work!

(It is worth saying that I found the Sacks story in Leadership Journal a few years back)

Cold Water and Good News

“Like cold water to a weary soul is good news from a distant land” (Proverbs 25:25). I love that. I live fourteen hours from my parents. Twelve hours from the small town where I grew up. Ten hours from my nearest sibling or from my wife’s siblings. Our family dynamics don’t call for a whole lot of communication with me, the fourth of four children. No animosity, just a lot of independence.

Bad news from my past has no trouble reaching me. I’ve got a good friend who is on his death bed. A couple of churches that I love have had major struggles. A college buddy left his wife. Sometimes I feel like I could say, “Like a desert wind to an already parched soul is bad news from distant land.”

It’s not that I don’t want to know the bad news. How can I pray if I don’t know the difficulties? But I want the good news to travel fast to my ears like the bad news seems to.

So what do I do with Proverbs 25:25 besides acknowledge its truth and remember some recent good news from far way? I’m going to take some time to let someone I love know about some good news that will be important to them. I’ll email some family and let them know about some of the good things happening in my life. I’ll call a friend and surprise him with encouraging news. And maybe I’ll do it often enough that they will actually long for contact from me, like a weary soul longs for cold water.

Dear Son, I know I ain’t written,
But sittin' here tonight, alone in the kitchen, it occurs to me,
I might not have said, so I’ll say it now
Son, you make me proud

I hold it up and show my buddies,
Like we ain’t scared and our boots ain’t muddy, but no one laughs,
'Cause there ain’t nothing funny when a soldier cries
An' I just wipe me eyes
I fold it up an' put it in my shirt,
Pick up my gun an' get back to work
An' it keeps me driving me on,
Waiting on letters from home.

(John Michael Montgomery, “Letters from Home”)

That’s Life at Work!

Blue Skies on the Inside

John was on his knees peering out the living room window. His mouth was drawn into a frown, his brow was wrinkled with anger, his eyes were dull with disappointment. “This rain is really making me mad! I hate the rain!” he said. “I want to be riding my bike, but now its raining and after a rain like this the grass will be too wet to ride in for the rest of the day. This rain is really making me mad!”

John’s mother was hearing him while she fixed his lunch. “Why don’t you get out your Lincoln logs and build a log house, John.”

“Because I want to ride my bike outside,” John answered. “All this rain is making me mad.”

“The anger is all in your own heart,” John’s mother said. “If there were blue skies on the inside then you wouldn’t be so angered by the rain on the outside.”

“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable-if anything is excellent or praiseworthy-think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me-put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you” (Philippians 4:4-9; NIV).

Paul is in prison, yet he is encouraging the arguers, the worriers, the harsh, and the doubters. His reasons for them to be encouraged include the fact that their names are written in the book of life and that the unbelievable peace of God will guard them.

The path to happiness is prayer in the difficult times, thinking on the true, noble, right, pure, lovely, and admirable things, and rejoicing in them. In other words, have blue skies on the inside.

Next time you find yourself with your mouth drawn into a frown, your brow wrinkled with anger, and your eyes dull with disappointment, getting really angry because you are focusing on the outside things, STOP IT! “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable -- if anything is excellent or praiseworthy -- think about such things.” That’s Life at Work!

We're Not Worth! We're not Worthy!

“We’re not worthy. We’re not worthy.” It’s possible that when you think of those lines, you picture Wayne and Garth on their knees in front of Alice Cooper. They were sure that they did not deserve to be in his presence. There are better stories, though. Stories like Isaiah falling to his knees because he is before the throne of God. Then there is the story about the Centurion whose servant was sick. He sent messengers to Jesus with the words, “I am not worthy to have you in my house.” The great man of God, John the Baptist said that he was not worthy to untie Jesus’ sandals. Each of those stories reflects humility. The people in those stories believed that they had reason to be incredibly grateful to be in the presence of their heroes.

As Paul spoke at the synagogue in Pisidian Antioch, the Jews got jealous in their hearts and abusive in their language. Paul told them he had to speak to them first, but because of their rejection of the Word, he was going to turn to the Gentiles. He said, “You don’t consider yourselves worthy of eternal life.” Did they not consider themselves worth saving? Were they having a self-esteem crisis? No, they weren’t. They were not about to expel Paul from town because they had too low a view of themselves. Their actions were not prompted by humility. What does it mean that they did not count themselves worthy of eternal life?

When Jesus was sending out the twelve to the lost sheep of Israel, he told them, “Whatever town or village you enter, search for some worthy person there and stay at his house until you leave. As you enter the home, give it your greeting. If the home is deserving, let your peace rest on it; if it is not, let your peace return to you. If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, shake the dust off your feet when you leave that home or town” (Matthew 10:11-15; NIV).

Later, Jesus told a parable about a man who hosted a wedding banquet for his son. He sent out messengers with invitations, but those he invited didn’t come. Some just went on with their own business; others actually killed the messengers. The man killed those who had harmed the messengers, burned their city, and then gave this explanation and command: “The wedding banquet is ready, but those I invited did not deserve to come. Go to the street corners and invite to the banquet anyone you find” (Matthew 22:8-9; NIV). According to the parable, the banquet was filled to capacity, with good and bad people.

The people who were originally invited didn’t deserve to come. But people good and bad, who were not originally invited, were worthy. Why is that? What made the home worthy for the apostles to stay in on their journey? Worthiness in these contexts is based entirely on willingness to listen to what is said, and willingness to accept the invitation that is offered. Neither those who would not listen, nor those who rejected the invitation were deserving. Understand, it isn’t that their lack of worthiness was discovered by their rejection. It was the rejection that made them unworthy.

Why didn’t the Jews consider themselves worthy of eternal life? It was more pride than humility, I promise. They were unworthy. They were unworthy because they would not believe.

Are you worthy? You are if you’ll listen, follow, and believe. That’s Life at Work?

What God Promised He Has Fulfilled

As we watched the video in the “Measure of a Man” class on Wednesday night, I considered my character. We listed some ways that we already know we may have harmed our reputation. We are supposed to think about things that we might do to have a better reputation – to be above reproach. I need to be sure that I follow-up on things that I say I’ll do. Sometimes I’ll say I’m going to do something – make a call, check on someone, perform some task, or complete some project – but when there is a glitch, or a slow beginning, I forget about what I was doing and get busy doing something else. The people to whom I said I would do something don’t know why I haven’t done what I said – they just know I haven’t done it. I need to get better at following up. I don’t want to be known as someone who doesn’t do what he says he’ll do.

Paul told the Jews and the God-fearing Gentiles who had gathered to hear him, “What God promised our fathers he has fulfilled for us…” (Acts 13:32-33; NIV). God told Abraham that all the nations of the world would be blessed through his seed. From the time that he made that promise to the time that Paul preached at this synagogue in Pisidian Antioch, God had done a lot of other stuff and a lot of time had passed. God wasn’t lying when he made the promise, though, nor did God let all the other stuff he did cause him to forget the promise he made to Abraham.

God followed up with a loving sacrifice and a powerful resurrection. Because he is so thorough, the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. Paul says that is good news. He’s right. That’s Life at Work!

Do You Ever Scoff?

Do you ever scoff? I asked myself that question the other day when I read

“’Look, you scoffers,
wonder and perish,
for I am going to do something in your days
that you would never believe,
even if someone told you.’”
(Acts 13:41;NIV)

I scoff at weather reports. My family loves cold temperatures and snowy days. We used to get excited when the local weather forecasters would tell us snow was likely. Not anymore. I find myself saying, “They don’t know what they’re talking about. They won’t know what it is going to do on Friday until Friday.” I make fun of their confidence, and I laugh cynically when they get their forecasts wrong. It’s a weakness, I know.

Paul said to be sure that we are not the fulfillment of the prophecies that warned against scoffing. Something great has happened – something you wouldn’t believe. Jesus, a descendant of David is the Son of God. He resurrected from the dead because God would not let his body see decay. He is the fulfillment of the blessing that God promised would come to the world through Abraham’s descendants. Paul said Jesus brought forgiveness of sins and the way to be justified before God.

Did you scoff? Did you say, “Jesus wasn’t God’s Son”? Did you wrinkle your nose thinking that it is ridiculous to believe that Jesus resurrected? Do you think that God’s promises are nothing to bank on? Do you doubt that you can be forgiven – or that you need to be?

Don’t scoff. Though it’s too good to believe, it is all true. That’s Life at Work!

Keeping them from Faith

Elymas was not interested in following the way of faith. That’s not really a surprise, I don’t guess. I thought of a few things that might have turned Elymas off. For instance, he probably knew that the faith that Paul and Silas professed stood in opposition to his false prophecy and trickery. If, in fact, his relationship with Sergius Paulus was his way of lining his pockets, he had to choose between God and money. He wouldn’t have been the first to choose money. Maybe Elymas had some kind of warped idea that despite his false prophecies and his sorcery, he was still a Jew in good standing, and he opposed Paul in defense of the Old Law. Don’t laugh, there were several times in Jewish history that the Israelites had an “I’ll break it, but don’t you knock it” attitude. Maybe Elymas, whose father was named Jesus, had a crummy childhood and swore he would never follow anybody named Jesus again.

There are hundreds of reasons why some choose to avoid the Way. But Elymas didn’t just shun faith himself, he tried to keep Sergius Paulus from faith. The Pharisees tried to keep people from believing in Jesus, too. Jesus told a gathering of the hypocrites, “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the kingdom of heaven in men's faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to” (Matt 23:13; NIV). Similarly, Jesus warned, “Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to sin! Such things must come, but woe to the man through whom they come” (Matt 18:7; NIV)

Some of you have friends who have mentioned an interest in spiritual things, but you’ve deliberately changed the subject. Maybe your adult son told you he was going to take his family to church, and you asked him to go fishing with you on Sunday morning claiming it was the only time you could go. Has your daughter ever asked you to take her to Bible School on Sunday morning and you slept in instead? Have you ever tried to convince a buddy that laughing with the sinners is better than crying with the saints?

Twice Jesus gave a “woe warning” about influencing people away from faith and righteousness. Don’t ignore the warning. He knows people will reject him, but he has special plans for the hellbound who are hellbent on convincing others to go with them. That’s Life at Work.

The Sword and the Sorcerer

Elymas the Sorcerer lived in Paphos on the island of Cyprus. The word “sorcerer” is related to the words used to describe the men from the east who followed the star that led them to Jesus. Elymas’ name means magician, but it is his behavior, not his name, that distinguishes him from wise men. It is his behavior that identifies him as a sorcerer rather than a wiseman.

Elymas was a false prophet. He had gotten in with Sergius Paulus, a leader in Paphos. Most likely, the curiosity of the intelligent proconsul Paulus prompted him to surround himself with magicians of various backgrounds. Elymas falsely represented Yahweh, no doubt telling Paulus exactly what he wanted to hear.

He also tried to turn Paulus from the faith. Paulus, you see, asked to hear what a couple of visitors to Paphos were saying. Those visitors were Paul and Silas. They were spreading the word in Cyprus and had arrived in the city of Paphos. It is not clear in the text of Acts 13 whether Elymas actually tried to keep Paulus away, or if he attempted to discredit the message. It is clear that that the Sword, the Word of God, had power over Elymas, because Paul blinded Elymas, and Paulus believed the teaching about the Lord.

You would never play the role of keeping someone from the word, would you? Do you have people in your family who have asked to learn about Jesus, but you have kept them away or attempted to discredit the message? Have you fought the drive that you have within yourself to pursue knowledge about Christ? You can be closer to the life of a sorcerer than the life of a wiseman even without the name Elymas. It is your behavior that makes the difference. Are you pursuing Jesus? That’s Life at Work.

Holiday Rules

Remember that Jesus is always worthy of celebration! Despite the higher regard for church attendance, this time of year brings with it temptations that we must resist.

First, resist the temptation to be wild. Drunk driving arrests will go up in the next couple of weeks. Wild parties will increase, and the Christian is to avoid the works of the flesh prominent at such parties. Practice love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and especially, self-control.

Next, resist the temptation to argue, and determine to be kind. Family time is intended to be fun, but we often end up fighting and being harsh. Put away the hurt from years past and develop happy traditions for the future.

Finally, put away self-indulgence and put on generosity. It is so easy to be jealous of the gifts of others. It is easy to think mostly of yourself. I want ... I want ... I want.... That is the theme of the day for so many. Is it what you are teaching your children? Be diligent to turn your thoughts away from yourself, and be generous to others. That’s Life at Work!

Play it Again, Luke!

Grammar rules don’t change much. There was a time that in a formal article like this, using a contraction like I did in that first sentence would’ve been taboo, but it isn’t anymore. The need for subject/verb agreement, the proper use of pronouns, the form of an infinitive, are all the same. When we were in school, we reviewed them year after year! That was most obvious in high school for me when we spent half the year reading literature we had never read, then half the year in grammar studies reviewing what we had always reviewed.

In Acts, Luke does some repeating. I suggest he repeats for the same reason we repeat: to reinforce something that is important. After Luke told the story of the conversions of Peter (to be willing to go the Gentiles with the gospel) and Cornelius (to the Way), he used the report of Peter to the critical, circumcised believers in Jerusalem to repeat the message to the readers of Acts. What message did Luke want his readers to get? He wanted them to know that God intended for the gospel to be preached to non-Jews. He wanted them to know that God wanted to save all of the lost.

Notice the effectiveness of Peter’s explanation: “When they heard this, they had no further objections and praised God, saying, ‘So then, God has granted even the Gentiles repentance unto life.’”

Praise from their lips was not all they offered, though. Luke tells us that those who had scattered in connection with the stoning of Stephen only told the message to the Jews. Now, however, “Men from Cyprus and Cyrene, went to Antioch and began to speak to Greeks also, telling them the good news about the Lord Jesus. The Lord's hand was with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord."

Be careful not to read Acts simply from an historical perspective. If you read this as simply an historical account, you will conclude, “The gospel really began to be preached to the Gentiles here.” If you read it like you need to, you will conclude, “I need to be telling the message to all the lost.”

Luke will play this same song again. Look for it. But don’t just look for the message - do what you see! The poor and the rich, the majority and the minority, the regular and the not-so-regular people need the gospel that you’ve received.

Don't Weary God

I’ve seen the look of weariness in the face of people that I’ve disappointed – again. I’ve seen the look of weariness as I’ve looked in the mirror after someone disappointed me – again. I’m not talking about weariness that comes from a ten mile uphill walk to school in the snow. I’m talking about the weariness that you feel when the physical and emotional investment that you’ve made in the life of someone else seemingly fails. When you are this kind of weary, the energy scale in your heart, your mind, and your muscles registers zero. Your shoulders stoop and the brightness in your eyes fades like it has been overcome by spiritual cataracts. Most of us have experienced that kind of weariness. Did you know that God has, too?

God’s people spent seventy years in captivity as punishment for their idol worship and immoral lives. Yet when they returned home through the intervention of God in national affairs, they married people in the land who were idol worshippers, the priests practiced corruption, and the general population followed sinful paths. God sent Malachi to call the people back to God. He told them that they had wearied God.

“How have we wearied him?” they asked.

“By saying, ‘All who do evil are good in the eyes of the LORD, and he is pleased with them’ or ‘Where is the God of justice?’” (Malachi 2:17).

You don’t want to weary God, do you? You don’t want him to feel like his investment in you – which is huge, by the way – is lost. Don’t close your eyes, then, to what God wants so that you call good evil and evil good. God has told us what is good, and now he has shown us what is good through Jesus. Don’t confuse evil with good. Second, don’t question whether God is just or fair when you experience some difficulty in your life knowing that self-evaluation would reveal that you haven’t had a mindset for doing his will. It wearies God when those who are supposed to follow him, don’t; and then criticize him because they experience the pain of their path. That’s Life at Work!

Don't Reduce God

I heard a guy on the radio say that OU and USC uniforms are “universally known across the country.” Then he listed something else and said that was “universally known across the country.” Now, I’ve messed up plenty of sentences in radio work myself, and I’m confident that I’ve inadvertently made some boneheaded phrase faux pas in my sermons. This comment, though, “universally known across the country” hit me funny. The universe became the United States! I realized that we reduce our God to something smaller than what he is. In fact, we do that a lot.

1. He can save the world, but my sins are too many to forgive.
2. He can cause nations to rise and fall, but he can’t rescue me from my distress.
3. He can give “life abundant” and he can “do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us…,” but he can’t use me for very much in the kingdom.
4. He can raise the dead, but he can’t revitalize my marriage.
5. He can be the Father of the faithful, but he can’t offer anything to help me bring up my children.

You get the point, don’t you? God is bigger than you. God is bigger than your abilities. God is bigger than your trouble. God is bigger than your sin. God is bigger than the United States. God is bigger than the universe. No one – nothing – is bigger than God. Yet, he cares for you. That’s Life at Work.

Everyone Needs

Paul had the incredibly religious background, but in ignorance he attempted to destroy God’s work. Because of his blasphemous and violent past, he considered himself the chief of sinners. The beginning of his story just precedes the story of Cornelius.

Cornelius was a Gentile – a race of people whom Paul described as “separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world” (Ephesians 2:12). Cornelius was all that, but he was devout and generous.

So there are people with strict religious backgrounds and those without them. There are those who are so interested in the way of God that God sends someone to them knowing they will hear. There are others so opposed to the way of God that God has to blind them to make them see the error of their ways.

What people need, regardless of their past or present, is Jesus. What if your upbringing was far from godly like Cornelius’ likely was, and you are now blasphemous and violent like Paul definitely was? What if you had a strict religious background like Paul, but are devout and generous like Cornelius was? You need Jesus.

When you tell a doctor your health history, he listens carefully, evaluates, and then prescribes the medicine he believes will work. When God examines you, he prescribes what he prescribes to every other person – oneness with Christ. For your sin sickness, which all of us has – or had – there is one cure, the precious blood of Christ. No evaluation. No questions about potency. No consideration of other cures. Jesus is the Life.

Where you’ve been doesn’t change what you need. Where you are doesn’t change what you need. What decision will you make today about life with Jesus?

Consumed With Consumerism

Once there was a man, or a woman, or a child who made a long, long Christmas list! I want …, I need…, I saw…, My friends have … began the lines of desire that filled the college-ruled notebook sheet. When Christmas morning came, it was all there! Every request, regardless of value, was under the tree, waiting for its turn to be unwrapped and used! Everything!

The man, or woman, or child said, “Cool! I got everything I wanted! I’m going to have to clear out some closet space for all my new stuff! I might even have a garage sale to see if any poor people want the toys/tools/trinkets that I got last year! Now I can eat, drink and, finally, I can be happy!

What if, on the day after Christmas, we hear this the trumpet call of God, and the voice of the archangel announces that the return of Jesus has come? What will he say to us about how we’ve spent the weeks between Thanksgiving and December 25? What will he say you about what you thought about the things that were or were not under your tree? We certainly don’t want him to call us fools!

If you don’t want to come across as foolish, keep in mind what Jesus said before he told the Parable of the Rich Fool, “Life is not about the things that you possess” (Luke 12:15). Maybe those words will help us resist the temptation to become consumed with consumerism. Maybe this year we won’t spend ourselves into the slavery of debt. Maybe this year our families and friends will see real life at work in us, and Jesus will say, “Good, job you faithful and wise servant!” That’s Life at Work!

Give Thanks in All Circumstances

“Give Thanks In All Circumstances, For This Is God’s Will For You” (1 Thessalonians 5:18)

This Thanksgiving season, be attentive to the need to express and share an attitude of gratitude. You’ll have to be vigilant. Thanksgiving certainly hasn’t been commercialized like some of the other holidays, but the theme is often neglected. Maybe the theme has been neglected when the paramedics who have been called because you are lethargic find that you have a “gravy blood level” of eighty percent. It is a good thing to be grateful for overflowing food, football, and early bird specials at the Thanksgiving sales, but there are many other things for which we should express our thanks. Here are two things I really want to encourage you to do in Thanksgiving: (1) Pray a lot - more often than before the major meal. Seriously, commit to praying when you first are up and around; before you go to bed; when you find that you are all in the same room; when you’ve heard someone express a concern about something. Go ahead and pray alone if you are by yourself or together if you are with family. (2) Tell other people some of the stories you have that give reason to be thankful. The people around you, especially the children around you, need to know the stories about God blessing you so that they are more aware of the array of blessings they have.

Can you do those things for the remainder of the week? Pray more than you’ve ever prayed in a four day period. Tell the stories that build an attitude of gratitude in the people who spend some time with you this Thanksgiving. That’s Life at Work!

The People We Meet

It was like Saul/Paul used the death of Stephen as the catalyst to destroy the church. He went on a rampage, conducting a house to house search for disciples so he could drag them to prison. He led the way, but he wasn’t the only one out to persecute the disciples. Though the apostles stayed, many of the Christians in Jerusalem got outta Dodge.

Still, they didn’t leave just to survive. One thing they learned watching Peter, John, the rest of the Apostles, and Stephen – don’t forget Stephen – was that people need to hear about Jesus. They scattered with hearts full of good things and the saying of Jesus came true in their lives, “Words from your mouth are the overflow of your heart” (Matt 12:34).

Philip’s heart was overflowing. Luke tells the story about Philip’s preaching in Samaria and along a lonely road. We learn a lot from Luke’s account of Philip’s travels, including the kind of people that we are likely to encounter as we live and allow the overflow of our hearts reveal what Jesus has done for us.

You will encounter people who have a need that you can help meet, and who pay attention to what you say because they see power working through you. You may help them overcome defeat from sickness, financial struggle, family breakdown, lonely times, emotional crash, tough temptation, or moral failure. Because you care, and because you can help them, they listen with softened hearts to the words about Jesus that come from your mouth.

You will encounter people who have a hard time renewing their minds. When we’ve been brought up in a particular way, when we’ve lived by the same code for a long time, it is hard to change. Even when people really want to change, it is hard. If a man has lived his life for the attention of others because that attention brought power and wealth, it is hard to shake that drive for attention. You will likely say things like “With God everything is possible.” Philippians 4:13 will be overflowing, no doubt. You will patiently, sometimes sternly perhaps, one decision at a time, help someone in their metamorphosis to Christ likeness.

You will encounter people who know that the Bible says something about their situation and need some help understanding the text. Philip dealt with an Ethiopian who, very possibly, was reading the Isaiah scroll where it was written, “He was led like a sheep to the slaughter” because he wanted the context of a passage that spoke to his situation:

"To the eunuchs who keep my Sabbaths,
who choose what pleases me
and hold fast to my covenant--
to them I will give within my temple and its walls
a memorial and a name
better than sons and daughters;
I will give them an everlasting name
that will not be cut off.
(Isaiah 56:4-5; NIV)

Philip began where he was, and told him the good news. Man, people need that! They’ve got that tune in their heads from when they were young, “My Jesus knows Just What I Need” but they need some help finding Jesus’ answer and you can help.

Sick, struggling, and searching – those words describe people who we encounter who need help getting well, overcoming, and finding the answers to their important questions. You’ve been where they are. Can Jesus count on you to help?

What's Inside

There is a sense of fairness, justice, and moral obligation that is on the inside of normal people of all generations in every part of the world. Different cultures drive on different sides of the road, but all cultures recognize that there are rules of fair play, issues of loyalty, and principles regarding truth. C. S. Lewis says specifically that we expect people everywhere to understand the standard behind a statement like, “I was sitting there first.” Everybody knows that you don’t desert you comrades in battle. All societies understand that you don’t lie. Selfishness is perceived across generations to be immoral.

Think about a couple of things while those thoughts cross your mind this week. Think first about the implications about our creator from the morality that the creation possesses. God created us with a sense of right and wrong and a conscience to guide us in choosing the right even when powerful natural instincts would lead us toward the wrong decision. That says something about what kind of God made us. What do you think that says about him?

Second, think about the importance of allowing that moral sense in you to have its way. Paul told Timothy about some hypocrites whose consciences have been seared (1 Timothy 4:2) If you kick a dog every time he comes to your feet for some petting, he’ll quit coming so often; and, eventually, will quit all together. Your conscience is like that. If you beat it away as it moves you to the right choice, it will quit coming so often. Eventually, it will quit all together. Like the dog, your conscience will still exist, it will have just been burned so much that it has hardened and has become useless. Don’t let that happen to you. That’s Life at Work!

Veteran's Day Prayer

Yahweh-Sabaoth, God of Hosts, commander of Heavenly armies, we beg you to guard the men and women who are serving in dangerous fields in effort to punish evildoers and provide freedom to the oppressed. We beg you to give peace, comfort, health, and joy to veterans who have served in prior days. As we give honor to whom honor is due today, please give your favor to American soldiers, past and present. We look forward with longing to your everlasting peace. Amen.

You're Holding My Heart

Clair, a nurse, was telling her new friend Daniel that while she was at work, a man who she was helping keep alive with heart massage suddenly looked at her and said, “You’re holding my heart.” Later, when Daniel was trying desperately to get to Helen, the love of his life, he was protected from the authorities who were after him by Clair. He knew he would not get away from those who were pursuing him without Clair’s help. He told her, “You’re holding my heart.”

That great line, “You’re holding my heart” from Forever Young (1992, Warner Brothers) expresses the feelings we have about those things that are in our core. Our heart keeps us alive. Those precious things in our hearts are what we live for – and would die for.

There are things – more than one thing – that are in our center. Those things include other people and the relationships that tie us to them. Those things include values like loyalty, love, and virtue. For men like Polycarp and Justin Martyr and women like Anne Askew, those things included faith. They all died – execution style – because their faith was more at their center than was life itself. Christian history is full of their stories. Books so old they are available in full text online like Foxes Book of Martyrs and newer books like dc Talk’s Jesus Freaks or John MacArthur’s Twelve Ordinary Men tell us the stories of people who have given up the breath of life for Jesus because to give up faith would have been to give up their soul – their entirety.

Stephen was such a man. He couldn’t accept God’s grace, yet hold his tongue. He wouldn’t keep the Spirit silent within him though he knew stones would be thrown at him. Faith oriented his eyes to see the Son of Man standing in concern and confirmation. Faith molded his heart to forgive those who were throwing stones. Faith was fundamental.

Your salvation is so important to God that he “gave his one and only Son.” If getting you to be in his presence forever is so important to him, shouldn’t it be to you? Furthermore, if Jesus is who he says he is and can do what he says he can do, doesn’t it make sense that we should say with Paul, “For me to live is Christ”? Would you give up your breath to hold on to your faith? When threatened with the wild beasts, Polycarp said, “Let them come. My purpose is unchangeable.” He meant that he couldn’t deny his faith, it was too much of who he was. How can we have that kind of faith?

How Then Can Anyone Understand?

It was the week before Halloween in 1999 when my family and I moved to Yukon. Before we even got completely moved in, we were in Piedmont in a hay-filled wagon being pulled by a tractor when someone whispered to me that a man from our church had passed away that evening. Every October, I think about moving here and about the Christian lady who became a widow that very first week.

I preached recently, near the end of October, from several texts in Proverbs that educate us about God’s plan and purpose for the world, and his involvement in the daily events of life – your life and my life. We ended with this proverb, “A man's steps are directed by the LORD. How then can anyone understand his own way?” It’s a given, in this wise saying, that God directs things from above; so the question is rhetorical. We won’t always understand his way. God moves in mysterious ways. His ways are above our ways. We know those things.

But wisdom, insight, and reflection into our own experiences can help us sometimes to understand where we are and what God has done in and through the events in our lives. I know that because as I preached that sermon on God’s plan, purpose, and involvement I noticed a lady sitting with her new husband on a different pew than she occupied five years ago. I noticed her because she was nodding and smiling with one of those “I understand” kinds of smiles. I smiled, too, when I saw her. She gets some of it – now – five years later. You probably already get that she is the lady that I think of every year about this time. How has God worked in your life? Have you done any reflection today? That’s Life at Work.

"So the Word of God Spread"

“So the Word of God spread” (Acts 6:7) I really need that assurance. I know I am not the only one who thinks about failure when I here complaint. Samuel Johnson wrote, “The usual fortune of complaint is to excite contempt rather than pity.” My own experience reveals that complaining, whether I’m giving or receiving, often ends with frustration. Even some of the Bible stories that we tell reveal the connection between complaint and relationship brakes. How many people died between Egypt and Canaan because they complained?

Why did this complaint from the Grecian widows result in good when so many complaints bring frustration at a minimum and sometimes downright evil? Here are a couple of my ideas about that:

First, it was the first complaint. I’m aware that there could have been some things that caused friction in the early days of the church that Luke doesn’t reveal, but this is the first time someone in the church grumbled about the way something was happening as he tells the story. Complaining doesn’t seem to have been a prominent part of the Christian’s linguistic experience in these early days, neither as a whole or individually. If you will be heard, you have to be sure you are not constantly making a grumbling sound. People who complain constantly are major turnoffs both to the subjects of their complaints and to any others who are in position to deal with the complaint. Like the boy who cried wolf, those who constantly complain often find their words falling on deaf ears.

Second, it was a legitimate complaint. The Israelites wanted to go back to Egypt thinking their best days were behind them. They were so wrong. They saw an approaching army, or faced other scary circumstances, and did not consider the salvation of the Lord. Actually, the best days were yet to come. God and Moses knew. The Israelites would not listen. They grumbled because they were not seeing what was real. Likewise, sometimes a complaint is couched in terms like “he always” or “she never” and it is dismissed immediately because those terms don’t reflect reality. The Grecians were right apparently. There was unbalanced attention given to the Hebraic widows. That’s what they grumbled about. Legitimate complaints, expressed in reasonable language, get deserved attention.

There are other things about the approach and about how the complaint was received that contributed to the positive result though the “grumbling” was negative. What do you see in the passage that you would include in an explanation for this super turn of events? What would you suggest to people, or what would you adopt for yourself, as part of a good conflict management style?

What's Important?

Shor Toots was a popular restaurant owner in New York City and a Giants Fan, when the Giants were a baseball team in New York. One night, Alexander Fleming, the inventor of penicillin came for dinner. Toots and Fleming were chit-chatting when an employee walked over and whispered in Toots ear that the Giants' manager, Mel Ott, had just arrived. Toots glanced over toward the door and said to Fleming, “I’ve got to leave you. Somebody important just came in.”

Importance, to us, is relative. To a healthy Giants fan in New York, Ott is more important than Fleming. One of the rules of communication is that the importance of an issue is directly proportional to the proximity of your audience. We will walk away from a TV news story about an earthquake in Croatia that killed five thousand people to watch the local fire department get a cat out of a tree down the street. Importance, to us, is relative.

So when is Jesus important? When your family is disintegrating? When you’ve heard the doctors say how sick you are? When your drinking has gotten out of control? When your finances are in shambles? When you’ve been caught in an embarrassing sin? When your kids start running with shady friends, their grades plummet and they’ve developed an attitude? Yes, Jesus is important at these times!

But Jesus’ importance is not to shift with the winds that spin your head around. Jesus is important when your family is healthy, you are healthy, you drink water at dinner, you have the ability to be generous, you are practicing self-control, and your kids are walking straight paths. Jesus is always important!

If you are in a spot where you realize you need Jesus, he’ll take you as you are. Don’t wait for the disaster to see his importance, though. He’s not a tool to fix your problems, though he can. He is to be the King of your life, every day!

“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matt. 6:33). That's Life at Work!

Death and Rescue

“Here, Peter.”
“What’s that?”
”The money from the sale of some land Sapphira and I owned. I brought it to help balance things out; you know, between those who have plenty and those who have needs.”
“Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land? Didn't it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn't the money at your disposal? What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied to men but to God.”

“Peter!”
“Yes, Sapphira.”
“I see our pouch, but not Ananias.”
“Tell me, is this the price you and Ananias got for the land?”
“Yes, that is the price.”
“How could you agree to test the Spirit of the Lord? Look! The feet of the men who buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out also.”

There are two stories that dominate Acts 5. One is the story of Ananias and Sapphira, both of whom died for lying to God about the money they were giving from the sale of their land. The other is the twice-rescued apostles. They were rescued first when they were miraculously released from jail by the angel. They were rescued again when God used Gamaliel, a Pharisee, to convince the Sanhedrin to calm down and let God deal with the apostles and the movement they were trying to advance.

It’s not unusual for someone to die at the beginning of a great advance of God – look at the Read Sea and Sinai stories. You don’t goof around with God and what he is going to accomplish. A godly fear is a very healthy thing in the hands of the living God.

Just as God demands reverence, he offers rescue. Those who take God’s work seriously have as their help the kind of power that has raised the dead. If rescuing you is the way to advance his cause, to let the world know that what you are doing really is from God, he will do it.
Death or rescue -- that’s an easy enough choice for me. I’ll take God seriously. That’s Life at Work.

Why Did She Have to Die?

“Why did she have to die?” Many of us have heard that question asked from a heart filled with grief. Not a few of us have asked the question ourselves. None of us have had an adequate answer at the time that the question is asked. You still won’t when you get through reading this. When we are feeling less emotional and more contemplative – when our “issue is separate from the event” – thinking about some things written by Richard Swinburne in The Existence of God is valuable. Maybe even it will be helpful at those times in the future when we will be asking “Why did she have to die?”

Swinburne gives three reasons why he believes God made people mortal – made them so that they could die - whether by natural causes or at the agency of others. Let me tell you what they are, then I’ll offer a thought about them that I’ve been considering today. First, if people were immortal, if they did not die in this world, I could never hurt you enough that I would deprive you of existence; and God wants us to be able to be trusted with the power to take someone’s life, yet refuse to do it. Second, a world in which no one dies is a world in which the supreme sacrifice – a man laying down his life for his friends – cannot be done. Third, if I never died, I would not be as serious as I am about my contribution to the world. Since I know I only have a number of years to do the good I want to do and undo as many of the screw-ups as I can, I take my opportunities more seriously. I live like I am dying.

If you want to argue with Swinburne regarding the problem of evil especially as it relates to why God lets people die, you’ve got some room. But I was struck by these things as I read them today because though the subject is death, they all have their meaning in the importance of life.

You hold the lives of others in your hand. Are you trustworthy to respect that life so much that you won’t destroy it regardless of how you feel about that life today? Since you can die, you can die for others. Have you grown to be the greatest kind of hero and lover who would give up what is so important to you in order to protect another person or an important ideal? Finally, considering the limited time you have, what you do with today is incredibly important. You wouldn’t waste it, would you? Don’t waste it! We all have to die. That’s Life at Work!

Ruler of the Land and Sea

“Then the angel I had seen standing on the sea and on the land raised his right hand to heaven. And he swore by him who lives for ever and ever, who created the heavens and all that is in them, the earth and all that is in it, and the sea and all that is in it, and said, ‘There will be no more delay!’” (Revelation 10:5-6)

The image of God’s angel standing with one foot on the land and one foot on the sea was a vivid reminder for God’s people that Rome did not rule the world, God did. The perception that people can “rule the world” by their might or wealth existed before the rise of the Roman Empire, and exits even since its fall. Sir Walter Raleigh wrote in “A Discourse of the Invention of Ships, Anchors, Compass, &c.,” “Whosoever commands the sea commands the trade; whosoever commands the trade of the world commands the riches of the world, and consequently the world itself.” That’s just wrong. Wealth doesn’t determine rule. The one who created wealth created everything, and it is by the nature of creation that he rules the world.

The Revelation of John reminds us that the creator of the land and sea – and everything in them – is active in the world even now, and will cause this heaven and earth to pass away. Rome would not submit voluntarily to the rule of God in its day. That was a problem. It’s a problem now for you, too, if you don’t voluntarily submit. It’s true that no one wants to submit to a cruel dictatorship. Jesus is so loving, so merciful, and so willing to bear your burdens, though. Give the right to rule your life to the one who created you and cares for you. Eternal life will be your inheritance. He rules in heaven, too, after all. That’s Life at Work!

Keep the Good Going (Part One in a Series from Acts 4)

"What are we going to do with these men?" they asked. "Everybody living in Jerusalem knows they have done an outstanding miracle, and we cannot deny it. But to stop this thing from spreading any further among the people, we must warn these men to speak no longer to anyone in this name." Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus.”

“You’ve got to be kidding!” That’s how I think I would have responded if Luke were actually sitting in my living room telling me what he wrote for us in Acts 4. “They know they can’t deny the miracle, but they still are desperate to stop them from talking about Jesus?” How can they justify that? Why are they trying to stop something that is obviously good? Peter and John did a nice thing, showing tremendous power, for a crippled man!”

Why would people try to stop something this good from happening? One reason, in this case, is that they had a bogus belief to which they were committed. That’s true, at least for the Sadducees. “There hasn’t been a resurrection; there isn’t a resurrection; there never will be a resurrection. Do all the miracles you want, you can’t convince me that someone can raise from the dead.” It was their rejection of any teaching based on the idea of resurrection or including the promise of a resurrection that motivated them to threaten Peter and John.

In our churches, people with bogus beliefs sometimes try to stop good from happening because of conviction to those beliefs. Sometimes the evidence against their belief is as plain as the healing of a crippled man, but not usually. They believe they’ve got a good argument to make, but will deny the possibility of other positions that might have good argument, too. “I just can’t see how it can be any other way,” someone might say.

Before you diligently labor to stop some good that someone is trying to do; before you threaten anyone with anything – ask yourself this question: “Do a significant number of others with whom I usually agree (for instance the people with whom you assemble) believe something differently about this issue?” If you answer that question affirmatively, you would do well, for yourself and for others, to recognize that there other legitimate possibilities. You may not see them, but others may. You have right, and perhaps an obligation, to teach and persuade people to believe what you believe with an attitude of love. You have no right, however, to expect that because you can’t see the possibility of something being true, others who disagree must conform to your dogmatism – especially if a significant number of others with whom you regularly agree, disagree with you in regard to this issue.

Truth is not determined by the number of people who believe a thing, but if a number of people with whom you regularly agree don’t believe what you believe, it might just be your conviction that needs adjusting.

Amateurs

An amateur is good, just not good enough to be paid yet. One of these days she’ll be good enough to be paid, and she will be a professional. We are right to use the word “amateur” in that way. Current usage dictates meaning. Maybe we can understand the positive side of “amateur” when we consider the Latin word that is root to our English word. Amator means “lover.” An amateur loves his past-time, role, hobby, or sport so much that he doesn’t need pay to play.

Amateur husbands, preachers, parents, deacons, wives, elders, Bible school teachers, friends, servants, administrators, assistants, and leaders sound pretty good in that context, don’t they? I can’t think of any of those “jobs” in which I haven’t known a number of people who have and will do them without pay because they love them.

What about you? You fill some of those roles. Do you allow your love for people to fill you up so that the “jobs” you do for them, you would do as an amateur – as if there were no payoff? Do your kids know that you are an amateur by the way you handle your role as a parent? Can the people that you do “nice” things for know that they are dealing with an amateur, or would they think they are dealing with a professional with some obligation to be nice? From this perspective, an amateur’s skill will likely excel that of the professional. Join the amateur ranks. That’s Life at Work!

Two Ears

“You never learn anything while you are telling the other person off,” says Robert Cook. One of Stephen Covey’s best chapters in The Seven Habits is, “Seek First to Understand, Then to be Understood.” I don’t know who the wise man was that said, “Maybe the reason God gave us two ears and one mouth was so that we would listen twice as much as we talk.” Jesus spoke about discerning listening often with the phrase, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

Have you used your ears much today? Did you listen to your spouse this morning? Did you really hear what your kids had to say? What has your co-worker, or boss, or employee said today that you didn’t really pay much attention to? What did God mean in that passage that you read allowed or heard from the audio Bible as you drove today? Did you misunderstand someone? We’re you already thinking about your response before you heard their heart? Did they even really get a chance to express themselves or were you in such a hurry, or being so impatient, that you settled the issue with your mouth before you understood it with your ears?

All of these are questions that we should review regularly. Why? Because plenty of wise people, including the most wise, have said that we need to hear the people around us. Why? Because you may be answering questions that no one is asking and leaving unanswered the inquiries that really matter to the people you love and need. Why? Because your Creator did you give one mouth and two years. What’s your ratio of talking to listening today? That’s Life at Work!

I've Seen A Good Man Sin

We don’t always do what we intend to do. In their vile hit “What It’s Like” Everlast sings about a beggar who never pictured himself begging; and a young girl considering an abortion who never dreamed that the man she’d been dreamin’ of would have dumped her when she got pregnant. They offer this rhyme that describes what all of us would likely admit we’ve seen with our own eyes and heard with our own ears:

I've seen a rich beg
I've seen a good man sin
I've seen a tough man cry

I've seen a loser win
And a sad man grin
I heard an honest man lie

Can you be a good man and sin? Can you be an honest woman and lie? Yes, you can. If that doesn’t describe you, it describes someone you know. Christians have a mindset for doing the things the Spirit desires, but we have bodies that wage a war against our wills. And sometimes, our bodies win a battle.
Thank God that he looks at my “want tos” instead of my win/loss ratio. There is no condemnation, Paul says, for the person of faith – the person who because of their trust in Jesus has decided to live for him.
Don’t beat yourself up because your decision hasn’t led to sinlessness. Don’t beat anybody else up because they don’t have it all right either. There’s no doubt that you will see some growth in your walk with Christ, but you will always see sin in your life, too. And there will always be sin there that you don’t see. The ultimate difference isn’t that you’ve got it right. The ultimate difference, the difference that brings “no condemnation,” is that the Spirit inside you keeps you spiritually alive despite your acts that used to lead to death. The difference in you isn’t you; it’s the Holy Spirit. Give God the glory. That’s Life at Work!

My First Ad

I saw one today. Maybe they’ve been around for a while, but I saw my first one today. It was an advertisement on TV prompting me to vote for a lottery in Oklahoma. I’m not sure who funded it, but I know various pro-lottery groups want my vote. If the lottery comes to Oklahoma, I’ll see a lot more ads. Millions of dollars will be spent by my state government to entice you and me to hustle down to the local ticket retailer to purchase as many tickets as we can afford. Millions of dollars will be spent by the government to get you and me to do that. I want the government of this state to do some things to make marriages last longer. Oklahoma does. I want my state government to promote charitable giving, and it does. I want my state government to advance the cause of justice. Oklahoma does. Now, some want the state of Oklahoma to entice me to spend my family’s money in a game it hopes I lose. They want to keep more money than they give. Now, some in state of Oklahoma wants me to stand in line next to my neighbor, whom Christ calls me to “love as myself;” watch him spend his hard earned money on a game of chance, and hope that he loses that money so that I can win. If the lottery comes to Oklahoma, the state government will spend millions of dollars trying to get me to play this game. That isn’t right. That’s Life at Work!

How Impressed Are You?

Cripple him, and you have a Sir Walter Scott.
Lock him in a prison cell, and you have a John Bunyan.
Bury him in the snows of Valley Forge and you have a George Washington.
Raise him in abject poverty, and you have a George Washington.
Subject him to bitter religious prejudice and you have a Disraeli.
Afflict him with Asthma as a child, and you have a Theodore Roosevelt.
Stab him with rheumatic pains until he can’t sleep without an opiate, and you have a Steinmetz.
Put him in a grease pit of a locomotive roundhouse, and you have a Walter P. Chrysler.
Make him play second fiddle in an obscure South American orchestra and you have a Toscanini.
At birth, deny here the ability to see, hear, and speak, and you have a Helen Keller.
-- Abigail Van Buren

Greatness despite adversity – some would say, “because of adversity.” That’s Life at Work. But I noticed something about the folks on this list from “Dear Abby.” To know some of them, you need to have come from a particular generation or be interested in a particular field. Try this one from me, and countless others:

“Kill him on a cross then raise him from the dead, and you have a Jesus of Nazareth.”

You also have the Savior of the world – your Savior. He is the greatest man who ever lived among us. He is known by every generation since his time among us; and he is important to every individual regardless of any field of interest. Does your life express how impressed you are with his story? That’s Life at Work!

B-E-A Utiful

“… A man crippled from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful.” He was hoping to find some beautiful hearts who would prompt some beautiful hands to dig deep in some beautiful pockets and bring out some beautiful coins to place in his crippled hand. It was three o’clock – time for the closing prayer. God’s people would be passing by. I wonder if he said, “I hope they are feeling beautiful today.”

The gate to the temple area that he chose was made of Corinthian brass. It was more costly than other gates that were made with gold and silver. This gate was incredibly heavy; so heavy that twenty men were called on to open and close it. Maybe to the perfect people, the man was out of place; his physical condition might have caused them to turn their heads. He couldn’t even serve as a doorman. But they probably anticipated his presence. This day at the gate called Beautiful was likely not his first. It would be his best!

Peter reach down toward the man with a hand empty of gold and silver, but full of love and the power of God. That was beautiful! The ankles and feet of the crippled man became instantly strong. That was beautiful! With a heart full of joy, the man walked and jumped throughout the temple area, praising God. That was beautiful! Peter and John used the interest of the observers who came running to see the formerly crippled man to tell the story of Jesus. That was beautiful! The murders of Jesus learned that their sins could be blotted out and that they could know about the times of refreshing from the Lord. That was beautiful!

Ultimately, Beautiful was just another gate. The entrance was just another entrance. But beautiful things happened that day that we are still reading about today. And the beauty continues because the love and power of God are still evident; the weak are still made strong; people impacted are still jumping and praising; the story is still being told; and times of refreshing are still here. See the beauty. Be the beauty.

Interruptions!

Rod Serling spent his life trying to communicate messages. Some of you may know that he did more than just the Twilight Zone gig. He said one occasion, “It is truly difficult to produce a television documentary that is both incisive and probing when every twelve minutes one is interrupted by those dancing rabbits singing about toilet paper.”

I bet Jesus understands his frustration. You talk about someone trying to communicate a message – we call Jesus the Logos, the Word. He has a message! It is a message of love, justice, mercy, service, judgment and faithfulness. After he personified this message among our forefathers, he provided it in writing for future generations, including our generation. I wonder what he thinks about the interruptions.

A wise man wrote a song about a strong, righteous person: “But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night.” The courageous man wrote, “In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust….” The individual determined not to sin affirmed, “I have written your word in my heart.” The one who loved to obey proclaimed, “I will not neglect your word.”

How would your life be different if soccer was interrupted by study? Do you think you would benefit if you allowed making money to be interrupted by meditation? How honored do you think God would feel if you stopped hustling to the next appointment, and let him come into your heart to refresh and rebuild you? That’s Life at Work!

Price-paying Devotion

We have a Bible Study group early on Monday mornings. Right now, we are looking at Paul’s second letter to Timothy. That Paul was a devoted man. He was devoted to the people to whom he preached, to the gospel that he preached, and to the God who saved him to preach. He told Timothy that he would endure any suffering, even being treated like a criminal, though he had done nothing wrong, as long as people got to hear the story of Jesus and his resurrection. The gospel is worthy of that kind of devotion.
John Kennedy spoke of that kind of devotion in his inaugural address in January of 1961: “Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and success of liberty.” Liberty is certainly a noble cause, worthy of that kind of devotion, too.
You’ve got other things in your life that, likewise, deserve that kind of devotion. Building a strong marriage, rearing children who are well taught and motivated, and personally growing to a Christ-like maturity all deserve a price-paying, burden-bearing, hardship-enduring fully involved devotion from you.
Our careers, hobbies, homes, and Hummers (or whatever else you drive) get way too much of our time and energy. Be devoted to the really important things. That’s Life at Work!

Let the Retaliation Stop

A wife screams and scratches at her husband, and the husband belligerently yells back and raises his hand like he would slap her. A teenager shouts, “I hate you! You never let me do anything!” Her mother bursts through the bedroom door and bellows her retort, “My whole day is ruined the minute you walk in that front door!” It happens in the home, on the road, at the work place, in school, on the church pew, in the check-out line, and at the neighborhood meeting. Anywhere that you have potential for conflict there is the potential for someone to return ugliness for ugliness. Responding to harsh words and abuse with more harsh words and abuse is the wrong response.
Martin Luther King tried to drive that point home in Where Do We Go from Here: Chaos or Community. He wrote, “The ultimate weakness of violence is that it is a descending spiral, begetting the very thing it seeks to destroy. Instead of diminishing evil, it multiplies it…. Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate. Only love can do that.” He was right. You might temporarily subdue the yelling and abuse that others heap by topping what they are doing; but the bitterness will return soon. When the opportunity for retaliation arises, retaliation is likely to take place. Let the retaliation stop with you.
Jesus taught to turn the other cheek and pray for those who harm us. Peter used the Passion story to call us to refuse to return insult for insult. Paul instructed us to let the Lord take whatever vengeance might need to be taken, but we are to live at peace with everyone. He said to overcome evil with good.
Today, and this week, when your spouse or your teenager is harsh, respond with a kind word. When the maniac cuts you off as you are driving home, back off and let him have plenty of room. When someone lies about you to another, tell the truth gently, and don’t return the slander. Do these things because it is the best way to stop the descending spiral. Do these things because it reflects the kind of person you are and the Savior that you committed to imitate. That's Life at Work!

The Importance of Group

"Church" is the English word in religious context translated from a Greek word with a more general meaning. "Ecclesia," refers to an assembly - a group of people. Twice in Acts 2, Luke says that as people accepted the message, were baptized and were saved, they were "added to their number" by the Lord. "Ecclesia" is not found in Acts 2, though the idea of a group is obvious. We will find ecclesia and its English religious equivalent "church" for the first time in Acts in chapter 5.
From the beginning of the assembly of the saved, God intended that "group" should be a significant part of the Christians life. Our use of the accepted English words has played a part in our failure to understand the importance of group. For us, the assembly is the Sunday morning gathering. For us, the church is the building where we assemble.
These Christians were numbered together, as opposed to being numbered with the rejecters of the word, the unbaptized and the unsaved. These Christians who were numbered together experienced things together. They met, ate, learned, saw miracles occur, praised, grew, and gave their possessions together. Together, they enjoyed the favor of all the people. These Christians were afraid together, raised their voices in courage and thanks together, prayed together, were filled with the Spirit and spoke the Word boldly together.
Next year, Alcoholics Anonymous will celebrate 70 years of helping alcoholics stay sober. Their strength, above everything else that may be taught and emphasized, is their group. The greatest benefit of joining Alcoholics Anonymous is that the alcoholic becomes a part of a group whose purpose is to keep its members away from alcohol and its destructive consequences.
Research indicates that individual education and personal growth through individualized counseling may help an alcoholic stay away from his poison, but its not likely. For a real chance, you’ve got to have a group whose sole purpose is to help you quit drinking.
The church, the assembly, the group of the saved has a soul purpose. From the beginning of the group God has said, "This is not an ‘alone’ thing." You’ve been added to the number.

KEEP YOUR PRIZE!

They wanted him to give up his prize! After Hamm won the all-around competition in men’s gymnastics, a scoring error was found that would have given a South Korean gymnast the points needed for the gold. One editor I read implied that Hamm would be a goat if he didn’t offer to give up the gold medal.
All that fuss is about a “prize that won’t last.” We train for a “prize that will last forever.” Would you give that prize up? Paul thought he could give it up, in a sense. He knew how important self-control was in his training to get the prize. If he treated his training like it had no purpose, or if he lost control of himself, he knew he could become disqualified for the prize.
In another context, Paul spoke of his love for his countrymen. He knew that many of them were lost in their unbelief. He wrote regarding his love for them that he could wish that he was cut off from Christ for their sakes. For those Gentiles who thought that Paul had abandoned the Jews to preach to Gentiles, his words of sustained love had to be convincing.
The truth is, you can give up your award. You can disqualify yourself from your eternal prize by neglecting your training and turning from your decision to control yourself in holy ways. Don’t do that! Another truth is that you can’t give up your prize so that another can have it. Paul knew that forfeiture was not the way to bring his loved ones to faith. He understood that his own faith was one of his greatest tools in his efforts to bring them to Christ. Those things are true for you, too. Keep your prize! That’s Life at Work!

What Does this Mean?

They had heard that the Holy Spirit was going to come. They knew that they were supposed to wait in Jerusalem until it happened. He did come! “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.” The reaction of those watching isn’t surprising to us. It’s the same reaction we would have had. We might have asked, “What’s going on here?” They asked, “What does this mean?”
The gift, the prophecy, and the promise shout out the same answer! The gift was the ability to speak on languages never learned. The prophecy was that God would pour out his Spirit on all people. The promise was, and is, that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.
God wants you to hear his message in your own language so that you can understand it and respond to him indescribable gift. God will give you, regardless of race, color, former religion, gender, national origin, or disability his Spirit. God will save you, regardless of who you are, when you call on his name.
He is the God of Equal Opportunity under His Grace. That’s Life at Work!