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Sunday, May 31, 2015

Follow Into Acts

into   ACTS

Stop thinking you have nothing to give.

Acts 3:1-10

New International Version (NIV)

Peter Heals a Lame Beggar

One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer—at three in the afternoon. Now a man who was lame from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg from those going into the temple courts. When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money. Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, “Look at us!” So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them.
Then Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.” Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man’s feet and ankles became strong. He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God. When all the people saw him walking and praising God, 10 they recognized him as the same man who used to sit begging at the temple gate called Beautiful, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.

What an amazing change has been wrought in the life of these disciples since the coming of the Holy Spirit.  These twelve have stood on a porch and preached about the Lord to large crowd. 3000 people were saved and baptized in a day. More importantly, their own resolve and faces are set to follow their Lord and Savior. He is no longer here. He has left them to go back to the Father. Something about their Lord not being in their presence any longer seemed to change these fishermen and tax collectors. Thy seem to realized that it on them to keep this going. This message of the Kingdom of God is real to them now. They aren't focused on someone rescuing them from Roman rule. God wants to rescue them from the rule of sin in their hearts. Now they understand. Now they know what to say. Now they realize what they have to offer. And, that has made all the difference. 

What about us?
Do we realize what we have to offer? Do we truly realize what the message is about?
Is the Kingdom of God a reality in our hearts and minds? Has the Holy Spirit fallen upon us?


It is usually as we go about the normal routine of our daily lives that the opportunities to explore our gifts and abilities arise. We find out what we have to offer while simply doing what we do. That's John & Peter are doing. It sounds like they are going to church. Three in the afternoon was prayer time in the temple on a daily basis. Think of it as Wednesday night prayer meeting. It just what you do. You go. On the way there they come across one of those everyday situations. Somebody in need. The need we read about is not something we commonly come across. We come across beggars everyday. They call us up looking for help. They stumble to our front door or our offices. This man cannot stumble anywhere. He can't even walk. He has to be carried to the temple gates everyday. His friends or family leaves him there and comes back to get him, everyday. What's it going to hurt? Maybe someone will stop and bless him with a few coins. It's not like he can go anywhere or hurt anybody. 

You've seen it. But, look at it again. How many times do people we run into have this need to be fulfilled, but it not the right need. It's not actually what they need. They seem to miss the mark when it comes to having their particular need satisfied. Maybe they've given up on the idea that the thing they truly need can actually be given to them. 

Therese Daoud is an Israeli woman with just that kind of story.
The Blaze.com tell the story of this devout Christian woman who believed she was given a sign that she should fore-go medical intervention and instead pray. Miraculously when she arrived at her next screening five months after her initial diagnosis, doctors discovered her tumor had completely disappeared. “If someone had told me this story, I would have said that both the patient and doctor were psycho. It’s impossible,” Dr. Jacob Bickels told Israel’s Channel 2 of the high school science teacher whose violently spreading cancer simply disappeared with no treatment whatsoever. “I felt pain in my foot, ankle, along with swelling.  At first I ignored it,” Daoud recounted. Doctors ran an MRI and discovered a large tumor the size of an orange. She was taken for an immediate biopsy which further revealed that the tumor was a malignant sarcoma and spreading fast. “It was a huge shock,” Daoud told Israeli television. “I started thinking about what my life would look like without a leg.”

Many of us know the horrors of being diagnosed with cancer. We have either experienced it first hand or know someone who has or is going through it. Not taking treatment or going through surgery is not a decision you make simply because you heard the story of someone else who did. You need to truly feel as if that's what God wants for your life. The point here is that people going through trying circumstances such as this can feel as if the possibility of their need being met will never happen. They will never be healed. They will never walk again. They will never experience life without pain. So, they look for something else. Lets just see if I can get enough money to get something to eat. Instead of focusing on what they really need, the desire to meet a baser need is what comes forth. A focus might surface on drowning the sorrow. Alcohol is needed for that. A focus might come out of the pain on ending it all. A gun might be needed for that. Sorrow turns to depression. Depression turn to anger. Anger turns to desperation. Desperate people do desperate things to meet those needs.

The man on the steps of the temple seems desperate to me. He also has given up on asking for someone to heal him. He has asked again and again. No one seems to be able to bless him with that favor. So, life has come to the point of simply asking for money. Maybe someone can help him get a bite to eat with the few coins a stranger will toss his way. All hope is lost. This is life now. Sitting here by the this temple gate with nothing more than a hand to toss toward anyone that will stop and listen.

Today, there are two such people who will stop and listen. This beggar of a man looks up into the faces of John and Peter and asks for a few coins. Anything they can spare. Peter looks straight at the man. This is one of those blunt moments. My dad asked me the other day is he could be blunt with me. I paused for a moment. "Well, usually when you get blunt, I have to go crawl under a rock somewhere." In the course of trying to meet people's need there will be moments when we have to direct. Sometimes blunt. The purpose is not to hurt. The purpose is to get their attention so as to make sure they are listening. Peter wants to make sure this man is listening. He wants to make sure he truly realizes what is going to transpire here in these next few seconds. What is going to happen will change his life forever.

Then Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.”

What do we have to give others? Do we have what they need?
There is a feeling that courses through us that suggests we don't have anything good to give. Don't believe that lie. You have plenty to give. There is much good that can be done. The question now arises - Do you want to do any good? Do you want to follow your Lord and Savior? Our Master & Friend is leading us to people who are lying there without any way to get up. They have given up on seeing their healing become a reality. You and I have the answer to what they seek. We have a Savior who can heal their sin sick soul. By his stripes we are healed. By his sacrifice we find the hope we are seeking. 


In the everyday of life, he leads us. 
He leads us to people who need what we have to offer. 
Hope. Healing. Purpose. A new lease on life. 
We just have to be willing to be used. 
The Kingdom of God is within you. Follow & Share.

Sunday, May 10, 2015

What Did I Tell You?

Mother's Day 2015

Ephesians 6

New International Version (NIV)
Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. “Honor your father and mother”—which is the first commandment with a promise— “so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.”
The scriptures tell us to listen to our parents.
As children, we are reminded again and again to listen to our mothers.
We are told that what comes from our mother's mouth is the word of God. What she says goes.
"When Mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy." And, that's usually true.

What did Mom tell us as we grew up? What came from her lips that we could hang on to?
What follows is a bit of truth. A bit of sarcasm. A bit of scripture. And, an appreciation for all that this special woman has to deal with as she tries so hard to be "mom". 

I got some help from Brook Hall, a mom and contributor over at the Scary Mommy Blog.
I embellished upon her list and added a bit of my own thinking. Brook created an exhaustive list of things mom say and then provided some interpretation about what those phrases actually mean.

1. “Don’t make me come over there.” I really don’t want to get up or stop what I am doing to come over there.
2. “Because I said so.” And I can’t think of another reason.
3. “If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all.” I am hoping that you won’t come up with anything to say at all for at least 30 seconds.
- See more at: http://www.scarymommy.com/things-moms-say/#sthash.PREIi7uT.dpuf
“Don’t make me come over there.” 
 I really don’t want to get up or stop what I am doing to come over there.
Oh, and what would happen if she did come over there? Believe me, you don't want to find out.
You probably should stop what you're doing now before she takes those foreboding steps to where you are.

“Because I said so.” 
 Which really translates into...And I can’t think of another reason.
Didn't that phrase drive you crazy. The sheer absoluteness of it while being so vague.
There was no clear reason to stop doing what we were doing. Other than the fact that mom didn't like it. And, truly, sometimes that was reason enough to re-evaluate what we were doing.

“If you don’t have anything nice to say don’t say anything at all.” 
 Which truly means - I am hoping that you won’t come up with anything to say at all for at least 30 seconds. How many mothers have had that one child that just says the darndest things? Do you remember the Quaker Chewy commercials? It showcases kids saying those kind of things. Here, child, have a granola bar and give us some piece for a few minutes.

Here's our first scripture reference that I think fits with one of these sayings. Luke Chap 6 gives us another version of the some of that Sermon on the Mount material we popularly find in Matthew's gospel. Luke 6.31 says to us "Do to others as you would have them do to you." Our mothers maybe are the one person who shows us what it means to say the right thing at the right time and in the right tone. Even when she herself might not have the greatest attitude in the moment she knows enough to teach her children what is the right thing to say. 

"Stop this instant!"
The translation - If you stop now before I have to get up and come over there, we can forget this ever happened. How many a mom has stood at the bottom of the steps looking upstairs, not wanting to travel up all those steps, but being willing to take the trip if necessary. Trust me. You want to stop now.


"Don't make me turn this car around" 
What this means - I'm totally bluffing. If we turn around now, we will be going home without groceries, diapers and wine. We need to keep this car in route to it's destination, so please just fall for my bluff and we'll get through this safe and sound. Yes, there might be moment where Mom sounds as if she is bluffing. But the ultimate truth is this. You still have to come back home. And, Dad is still going to hear about what you did. 

"Don't forget to say please and thank you"
I'm really not sure what I'm going to do if you don't say these things,so please just say them. You will be polite. I will look like a good Mom. We all win. Ah, manners. What does the scriptures teach us about manners? Well, a quick search through Google showed me a page with more than 40 mentions throughout the scriptures with verses pertaining to manners. And, here's a real good one one our speech. Matthew 15.11 - "It is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth; this is what defiles a person." So, say those please and thank yous when they are necessary. Make yourself look good. And, your mama will be proud. 

"You are just fine"
Is there blood present? No? Ok, you're fine then. 


"I am the parent. You are the child."
Oh my, how many times have we had to make sure that the child in our house knows the natural order of things. Here comes the most real description of what it means to be in a relationship with God. This life causes us to take a moment to realize that God is truly in control. Not us. It might take a lifetime for us to finally come to that epiphany. And, then we have to help these little ones in our presence to learn this eternal truth as well. 

"Lets try to not eat of the floor"
Why is it that children seem to think that if it's food and they can pick it up, hey, it must go in the mouth. It doesn't matter where we found it. It doesn't matter how long it has been on the floor. In many cases it doesn't even matter if there is hair on it. 


"I would have never gotten away with that when I was your age."
Interpretation - I don't actually remember ever being your age, but it sounds legit anyway. 

"I'm going to count to three and then you better be in bed."
What it means is - I literally have no energy left. It's the end of the day and I just want all of us to go to bed. I'm going to count to three very slowly and hope that it works, because after that, I got nothin'. Actually, counting to three works very well, if your child understand one thing. That you mean it. That you actually will do something. That you will actually take action if your orders are not followed. My parents were never afraid to take something that meant a great deal to me. A boom box. A radio. A bicycle. Something they knew I really wanted. SO, count to three. And, then be prepared to be the parent you know you can be.

"Goodnight. Stay in bed!" 
How many times have we called up the stairs? Told so and so to stop heading to the bathroom, to stop getting a drink, to shut off the blasted light on the stairs and GO TO BED?! Yep, we've all been there. 

"I love you."
I love you more than you could know and I really hope I'm doing ok at this Mom thing.
“Stop that this instant!” If you stop now, before I have to get up and come over there, we can forget this ever happened. - See more at: http://www.scarymommy.com/things-moms-say/#sthash.PREIi7uT.dpuf
4. “Stop that this instant!” If you stop now, before I have to get up and come over there, we can forget this ever happened. 5. “Don’t make me turn this car around!” I am totally bluffing, if we turn around now we will be going home without any groceries, diapers or wine. We need to keep this car in route to it’s destination, so please just fall for my bluff and I’ll give you a cookie at the grocery store.
6. “Don’t forget to say please and thank you.” I’m not really sure what I’m going to do if you don’t say these things, so please just say them. You will look polite, I’ll look like a good Mom and we will all win.
7. “Eat your veggies and you’ll grow up to be big and strong!” I really don’t want to have to admit to your pediatrician that I can’t get you to eat healthy foods, but I also don’t want to have to lie, so please eat just a couple bites. I’m begging you. I’ll give you a cookie.
8. “You are just fine.” You are okay, right? Go run around and play, jump off the couch or refuse to eat your veggies, so I know that you are acting normal.
9. “Do you want a little cheese with that whine?” I wonder if I could teach you to go pour me a glass of wine?
10. “I am the parent and you are the kid.” I am aware that this is super condescending and that you already know who’s who around here, but I’m actually just giving myself a pep talk out loud, I’m not really even talking to you.
11. “Let’s try to not eat off the floor.” I don’t really care if you eat off of the floor, just don’t tell anyone that I let you.
12. “I would never have gotten away with that when I was your age.” I don’t actually remember ever being your age, but it sounds legit anyway.
- See more at: http://www.scarymommy.com/things-moms-say/#sthash.PREIi7uT.dpuf
4. “Stop that this instant!” If you stop now, before I have to get up and come over there, we can forget this ever happened. 5. “Don’t make me turn this car around!” I am totally bluffing, if we turn around now we will be going home without any groceries, diapers or wine. We need to keep this car in route to it’s destination, so please just fall for my bluff and I’ll give you a cookie at the grocery store.
6. “Don’t forget to say please and thank you.” I’m not really sure what I’m going to do if you don’t say these things, so please just say them. You will look polite, I’ll look like a good Mom and we will all win.
7. “Eat your veggies and you’ll grow up to be big and strong!” I really don’t want to have to admit to your pediatrician that I can’t get you to eat healthy foods, but I also don’t want to have to lie, so please eat just a couple bites. I’m begging you. I’ll give you a cookie.
8. “You are just fine.” You are okay, right? Go run around and play, jump off the couch or refuse to eat your veggies, so I know that you are acting normal.
9. “Do you want a little cheese with that whine?” I wonder if I could teach you to go pour me a glass of wine?
10. “I am the parent and you are the kid.” I am aware that this is super condescending and that you already know who’s who around here, but I’m actually just giving myself a pep talk out loud, I’m not really even talking to you.
11. “Let’s try to not eat off the floor.” I don’t really care if you eat off of the floor, just don’t tell anyone that I let you.
12. “I would never have gotten away with that when I was your age.” I don’t actually remember ever being your age, but it sounds legit anyway.
- See more at: http://www.scarymommy.com/things-moms-say/#sthash.PREIi7uT.dpuf
4. “Stop that this instant!” If you stop now, before I have to get up and come over there, we can forget this ever happened. 5. “Don’t make me turn this car around!” I am totally bluffing, if we turn around now we will be going home without any groceries, diapers or wine. We need to keep this car in route to it’s destination, so please just fall for my bluff and I’ll give you a cookie at the grocery store.
6. “Don’t forget to say please and thank you.” I’m not really sure what I’m going to do if you don’t say these things, so please just say them. You will look polite, I’ll look like a good Mom and we will all win.
7. “Eat your veggies and you’ll grow up to be big and strong!” I really don’t want to have to admit to your pediatrician that I can’t get you to eat healthy foods, but I also don’t want to have to lie, so please eat just a couple bites. I’m begging you. I’ll give you a cookie.
8. “You are just fine.” You are okay, right? Go run around and play, jump off the couch or refuse to eat your veggies, so I know that you are acting normal.
9. “Do you want a little cheese with that whine?” I wonder if I could teach you to go pour me a glass of wine?
10. “I am the parent and you are the kid.” I am aware that this is super condescending and that you already know who’s who around here, but I’m actually just giving myself a pep talk out loud, I’m not really even talking to you.
11. “Let’s try to not eat off the floor.” I don’t really care if you eat off of the floor, just don’t tell anyone that I let you.
12. “I would never have gotten away with that when I was your age.” I don’t actually remember ever being your age, but it sounds legit anyway.
- See more at: http://www.scarymommy.com/things-moms-say/#sthash.PREIi7uT.dpuf
4. “Stop that this instant!” If you stop now, before I have to get up and come over there, we can forget this ever happened. 5. “Don’t make me turn this car around!” I am totally bluffing, if we turn around now we will be going home without any groceries, diapers or wine. We need to keep this car in route to it’s destination, so please just fall for my bluff and I’ll give you a cookie at the grocery store.
6. “Don’t forget to say please and thank you.” I’m not really sure what I’m going to do if you don’t say these things, so please just say them. You will look polite, I’ll look like a good Mom and we will all win.
7. “Eat your veggies and you’ll grow up to be big and strong!” I really don’t want to have to admit to your pediatrician that I can’t get you to eat healthy foods, but I also don’t want to have to lie, so please eat just a couple bites. I’m begging you. I’ll give you a cookie.
8. “You are just fine.” You are okay, right? Go run around and play, jump off the couch or refuse to eat your veggies, so I know that you are acting normal.
9. “Do you want a little cheese with that whine?” I wonder if I could teach you to go pour me a glass of wine?
10. “I am the parent and you are the kid.” I am aware that this is super condescending and that you already know who’s who around here, but I’m actually just giving myself a pep talk out loud, I’m not really even talking to you.
11. “Let’s try to not eat off the floor.” I don’t really care if you eat off of the floor, just don’t tell anyone that I let you.
12. “I would never have gotten away with that when I was your age.” I don’t actually remember ever being your age, but it sounds legit anyway.
- See more at: http://www.scarymommy.com/things-moms-say/#sthash.PREIi7uT.dpuf
“Stop that this instant!” If you stop now, before I have to get up and come over there, we can forget this ever happened. - See more at: http://www.scarymommy.com/things-moms-say/#sthash.PREIi7uT.dpuf
“Stop that this instant!” If you stop now, before I have to get up and come over there, we can forget this ever happened. - See more at: http://www.scarymommy.com/things-moms-say/#sthash.PREIi7uT.dpuf
“Stop that this instant!” If you stop now, before I have to get up and come over there, we can forget this ever happened. - See more at: http://www.scarymommy.com/things-moms-say/#sthash.PREIi7uT.dpuf
“Stop that this instant!” If you stop now, before I have to get up and come over there, we can forget this ever happened. - See more at: http://www.scarymommy.com/things-moms-say/#sthash.PREIi7uT.dpuf
“Stop that this instant!” If you stop now, before I have to get up and come over there, we can forget this ever happened. - See more at: http://www.scarymommy.com/things-moms-say/#sthash.PREIi7uT.dpuf
“Stop that this instant!” If you stop now, before I have to get up and come over there, we can forget this ever happened. - See more at: http://www.scarymommy.com/things-moms-say/#sthash.PREIi7uT.dpuf
1. “Don’t make me come over there.” I really don’t want to get up or stop what I am doing to come over there.
2. “Because I said so.” And I can’t think of another reason.
3. “If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all.” I am hoping that you won’t come up with anything to say at all for at least 30 seconds.
- See more at: http://www.scarymommy.com/things-moms-say/#sthash.PREIi7uT.dpuf
1. “Don’t make me come over there.” I really don’t want to get up or stop what I am doing to come over there.
2. “Because I said so.” And I can’t think of another reason.
3. “If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all.” I am hoping that you won’t come up with anything to say at all for at least 30 seconds.
- See more at: http://www.scarymommy.com/things-moms-say/#sthash.PREIi7uT.dpuf
1. “Don’t make me come over there.” I really don’t want to get up or stop what I am doing to come over there.
2. “Because I said so.” And I can’t think of another reason.
3. “If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all.” I am hoping that you won’t come up with anything to say at all for at least 30 seconds.
- See more at: http://www.scarymommy.com/things-moms-say/#sthash.PREIi7uT.dpuf
1. “Don’t make me come over there.” I really don’t want to get up or stop what I am doing to come over there.
2. “Because I said so.” And I can’t think of another reason.
3. “If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all.” I am hoping that you won’t come up with anything to say at all for at least 30 seconds.
- See more at: http://www.scarymommy.com/things-moms-say/#sthash.PREIi7uT.dpuf
1. “Don’t make me come over there.” I really don’t want to get up or stop what I am doing to come over there.
2. “Because I said so.” And I can’t think of another reason.
3. “If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all.” I am hoping that you won’t come up with anything to say at all for at least 30 seconds.
- See more at: http://www.scarymommy.com/things-moms-say/#sthash.PREIi7uT.dpuf
1. “Don’t make me come over there.” I really don’t want to get up or stop what I am doing to come over there.
2. “Because I said so.” And I can’t think of another reason.
3. “If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all.” I am hoping that you won’t come up with anything to say at all for at least 30 seconds.
- See more at: http://www.scarymommy.com/things-moms-say/#sthash.PREIi7uT.dpuf
1. “Don’t make me come over there.” I really don’t want to get up or stop what I am doing to come over there.
2. “Because I said so.” And I can’t think of another reason.
3. “If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all.” I am hoping that you won’t come up with anything to say at all for at least 30 seconds.
- See more at: http://www.scarymommy.com/things-moms-say/#sthash.PREIi7uT.dpu