All About GOD - Growing Relationships with Jesus and Others

I've got a fire.... here's why!

Listen along here: https://www.pastorwoman.net/podcast/episode/21c6e541/ive-got-a-fire...

Every once in a while, it is good to stop and find the arrow that says 'you are here' on the map. This is such a time.

We are walking through the New Testament book of Acts which comes right after the gospels. Like the gospel of Luke, this book is also written by the careful historian and covers the start of the early church and the spread of Christianity. But, that sounds so dry and factual, when in reality it is filled with so much action-packed, real life adventure, and that which teaches us a lot about flourishing as believers.

In my last Morning Briefing, I talked about personal training - specifically training our hearts and minds by reading God's Word and talking with God every day. Truly, this will grow our relationships with him, but we can glean so much more from these first nine chapters of Acts--things that we can apply!

Our story, [and yes, the book of Acts is our story], continues yet today as the church of Jesus marches forward.

Just for a moment, let's consider that we were one of those standing on the Mt. of Olives with our resurrected Lord, [in Acts chapter one] as Jesus tells us--his followers--to go back to Jerusalem and wait for the gift the Father had promised, the Holy Spirit,1 and that then we were to tell others what we had experienced of him.2 And.we.obeyed. Why? Because we were eye witnesses of Jesus' teaching, his crucifixion and miraculous resurrection; and as if that was not enough, we were standing there when he went up into Heaven before our very eyes!

Jesus is who he said he was, and there was no denying it. He changed our entire world.

Anyone who meets Jesus Christ is never the same.

Continuing on, 10 days later the Holy Spirit came with power, and individual believers saw, felt and experienced the change his presence made.3 Peter stood up and passionately preached to those gathered, quoting from the prophets that Jesus was indeed the Messiah they had awaited. Along with us, they believed it, and about 3000 people were added to our group of Jesus followers.4

Those who believed repented of their sins, intent on following the way of Jesus Christ. [That is the gospel in a nutshell.]

The Christian church was born! We were committed to the teaching of the Word, prayer and meeting together regularly. We simply could not get enough of it.

But with the imparting of the Holy Spirit, who now resided in each of us believers, God enabled the apostles to do the miraculous in Jerusalem. Why, because one man, a paralytic, was told to 'get up and walk', he did just that!5 The curious came to listen to Peter's message at the Temple, and another 5000 men believed!6

The establishment, that is, the Jewish rulers, did not like it, so they first jailed Peter and John, but subsequently, sternly warned them to stop talking about Jesus.7 As the pair returned to our home group,8 Peter and John shared their experience and we erupted in prayer and praise to God! Our tight knit community grew, and we made sure we took care of one another too--food, clothes, shelter, whatever was needed.

The pressure was mounting however; the Jewish ruling council wanted this Jesus movement stopped. When one of our church leaders, Stephen, would not keep still, but instead called out the hard heartedness and sin of the Jewish rulers, they killed him.9 Oh, he could have avoided it--'just stop talking about Jesus'--but who could turn away from the love, grace and mercy found in Him? Jesus had changed everything!

As greater persecution broke out against us [the Church], folks moved out from Jerusalem10, which actually spread the Good News, and word of the wonders the apostles performed spread like wild fire.

Huh, what really grabbed my attention in Acts 8 was the obedience of Philip. Think of it - he was being so effective where he was, but for some reason which God did not disclose, He told him to go down to the desert road near Gaza. So Philip went. God knew a traveling African man would 'just happen' by, ready for the gospel--Philip was right where he was meant to be and the man believed in Jesus and was baptized.11 Obedience of Philip -->>> heavenly results! God got his man.

God got another traveling man by stepping directly into the path of one Saul of Tarsus, proud Pharisee and persecutor of the Christ followers.12 It was while he was on his way to Damascus to confront zealous believers, that he became the confronted. Jesus Christ spoke loudly and clearly, and forever changed the trajectory of his life. And the man Saul/the apostle Paul impacted every believer in Jesus Christ who would come after him, so great was his thinking, speaking and writing of what it means to be a true disciple of the Lord.

Once Saul returns to Jerusalem, the hunter becomes the hunted, and is shipped up the coast to Caesarea though ultimately, Saul goes home to Tarsus for a number of years.

Just look at the truths we can glean and take to heart!

->Christianity was born in Jerusalem because of the eye witnesses of Jesus Christ, making the accounts of him and his life credible. Christianity is a faith based on reason because it is true.

->Truth is contagious; the truth of the gospel was so compelling, people had to have it, and still do today! It gives our lives hope, meaning and purpose, and makes our eternities certain.

->Obedience was/and is key in the life of the believer.

->Holy Spirit power is meant to be ours; and without him, we are impotent.

->Community - gathering regularly is a natural outcropping of real Christian faith; we are stronger when we worship and when we 'do life' together. Do you have a group?

->Miraculous wonders were a part of the early church and are still being done today, in the name of Jesus, through the power of the Holy Spirit.

->It is always God's will to save - just as he did the Ethiopian on the desert road, so too when he stepped into Saul's path on the Damascus road. Do not give up praying for someone you love who is far from God. And one more thing, look for opportunities to point people to God, to tell them what you have experienced of his great love.

listen, watch, smile!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zIl8zN_2jN4&list=RDzIl8zN_2jN4&a...

Walking in faith with you,

Christine

PastorWoman.net

1 - Acts 1.4,1.6

2 - Acts 1.8

3 - Acts 2.2-4

4 - Acts 2.41

5 - Acts 3.1-10

6 - Acts 3.11-4.4

7 - Acts 4.3-18