June 30: A good place to start at the end of the first half of the year

2 Kings 17:1-18:12

Acts 20:1-38

Psalm 148:1-14

Proverbs 18:6-7

I don't know how the last couple of weeks in your life has been, but for quite a few people I know, things have been extremely challenging - from problems at work (or the lack thereof), to problems with kids, to problems with health, to just plain exhaustion...I have been coming into contact with a lot of people whom God appears to have called to continue to live their lives, albeit with some additional burden.  Some have borne their burdens extremely well - I admit I have struggled quite a bit the last few weeks.  What to do?

What I'd like to be able to do is emulate Paul.  He went where God sent him, and everywhere it seems he went, he had the added burden of people plotting against him simply for doing God's will and preaching His word.  And despite his crazy travel schedule, he did God's work extremely diligently...we read how, because he was scheduled to leave the next day, he stayed up talking, preaching till midnight, revived someone who had fallen to his death, then kept on talking and preaching till the sun came up.  Even more so, it seems he was doing all of this with a mind to obeying God's directions and making it to Jerusalem, even if he knew he wasn't going to leave alive.  Talk about an additional burden!  How did he do it?

1.  It seems he thought nothing of himself, and everything of God.  In Acts 20:19 he says "I served the Lord with great humility..."  And in verse 24 we read that he "considers [his] life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me..."

2.  He was connected to God.  In verse 22 we know he was "compelled by the Spirit" - which would make sense, because when one is certain of what God asks, it becomes easier to go and do.  

The last couple of Sundays Pastors Scott and Kenny have talked about maintaining and strengthening our connection with God.  Part of that - and it was a really good suggestion - was taking five minutes a day to think of each and every thing we can be thankful to God for.  For someone that has been feeling down the last few weeks, that seems like a really good place to start.

June 29

Psalm 147:3  He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.

Someone put this verse on my door last week so it has special meaning to me. I am very sensitive to broken hearts these days. But the Psalmist is obviously referring to the emotional or spirit component of our hearts. That is the part where the true you and me actually lives. It is the very center of our being and this part of us can be broken. I actually believe that brokenness of our emotional hearts causes greater pain than a physical break.

The three most frequent causes of broken heartedness in my life include:

1. When I'm disconnection from the people closest to me. When the arrows of hurtful words or actions hit my heart, it causes brokenness.  

2. When I become discouraged or disillusioned it breaks my heart.

3. When I fail to live up the standard God has set for my life, I feel broken.  

So what should we do when we find ourselves with a bad case of brokenheartedness? As quickly as possible get ourselves to the best heart doctor in town. There is not a wiser heart doctor than Jesus. His résumé is found in verses 4-6. He has great knowledge. He is the one who created the stars. Twinkie, Flash, Ray, Sunshine, Brightness, Splash are just a few of the names God might have given the stars. The amount of stars in the universe exceeds the number of grains of sand on all the beaches, on all the seashores, on the entire planet. It is hard for me to grasp the truth that God knows each one by name. That is the doctor I want to operate on my heart.

From stars to sighs He is familiar. From worlds to wounds, He can fix them all. So if you have a broken heart and you have dialed the heavenly doctor with a 9-1-1 call, you are in the right place.

--

"Multiplying leaders to change the world"

Saturday BlogPost (6/28/14)

Saturday, June 28, 2014 [by Keesha Sullivan]

"In the twenty-third year of Joash son of Ahaziah king of Judah, Jehoahaz son of Jehu became king of Israel in Samaria, and he reigned seventeen years. 2 He did evil in the eyes of the Lord by following the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, which he had caused Israel to commit, and he did not turn away from them. 3 So the Lord's anger burned against Israel, and for a long time he kept them under the power of Hazael king of Aram and Ben-Hadad his son. (2 Kings 13:1-4)

4 Then Jehoahaz sought the Lord's favor, and the Lord listened to him..."

 

Although Jehoahaz King of Israel did what was evil in the eyes of the Lord, God still listened to him when he sought favor. Many of my friends believe in God, but they are not ready to come to church or begin a relationship with Him. They feel as though God will not forgive them for their sins, and that the things that they did in their past were just too evil. Some of them even get emotional as they talk about their past.

 

It is my desire for them to know the true characteristics of God. In Nehemiah 9:31 it talks about God's wonderful attributes. It says, "But in your great mercy you did not put an end to them or abandon them, for you are a gracious and mercifulGod." One of the most amazing things that God does for His people is forgive them. There is no sin to big for God to forgive. If we "seek the Lord[our] God, [we] will find him if [we] seek him with all [our] heart and with all [our] soul."

 

Jehoahaz had sinned greatly against God. The Lords anger burned against him as well as the people of Israel, yet when Jehoahaz turned to God, he heard his cries. In fact, God sent His son in order to make sure that we know about the forgiveness that He so lovingly offers. Jesus says in Matthew 26: 28 "This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins."

 

If we seek the Lord our God the way that Jehoahaz sought the Lord, God will listen to us too. The same grace that was provided for Jehoahaz can be provided for us as well.

 

Lord, God, thank You so much for your forgiveness and mercy. You are a gracious, holy God. We thank you that no matter how evil our sins are that we commit that you still forgive us. Thank You for allowing us to turn our faces to You and to seek you. Please help us to share Your power to forgive with others as well as to "be merciful, just as [You are] merciful" (Luke 6:36).

---------

Kenny Sullivan

soli Deo gloria

June 27th

(Today's post is written by Katia Piorkowski:)

Friday, June 27th, 2014

2 Kings 10:32 - 12:21
Acts 18:1-22
Psalms 145:1-21
Proverbs 17:26

God desires courageous men and women to proclaim his truth.

One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision and told him, "Don't be afraid! Speak out! Don't be silent! For I am with you, and no one will attack and harm you, for many people in this city belong to me." So Paul stayed there for the next year and a half, teaching the word of God.

From the moment I re-dedicated my life to following and serving Christ, I began to have many internal conflicts. I was having a difficult time finding a church I felt I belonged in, I wanted to move to another town, and I wanted to find another job. All of these wants came down to one thing; I did not think I would be able to serve the Lord how I was and where I was. It was a very frustrating time for me and I had a lot to learn. I did the only thing I knew to do; I prayed.

Soon after, I was given a message that said, "Bloom where you are planted." I don't know if this is biblical, but this message was for me and I knew it came from God. I started changing my perspective a bit and everything started falling in to place. First I ran into Chuck and shared my spiritual crisis. He invited me to come to Grace and I did. What a wonderful blessing that was. Not only did I feel I belonged, but I was given the opportunity to help with GYRO. That was yet another blessing! I felt I was reaching a very important audience and doing God's work.

The next task would prove a little more challenging. How could I bring God to work? I so desperately wanted to shout about him to everyone I came across. You see, I work at a doctor's office and my boss is Jewish. I feared talking about God would be inappropriate and I certainly did not want to offend anyone, particularly my boss. I decided that I was going to talk about God anyway. What a leap of faith that was!

I started by thanking God out loud for good things that were happening. When a patient opened up to me about a difficulty they were experiencing, I would share about what God was doing in my life. Most recently, I was taking care of a patient who had been experiencing a lot of pain. While giving him therapy, I asked him about his pain levels. His response was that it was not bad at that time, but the night before it was a 26 on the scale of 1-10. I asked him what he did to help the pain to go away. His response was, "I prayed."

I talk to my boss about Jesus all the time now, and I often hear him repeating things I have shared to patients. What I have been finding is that when you open up about your beliefs, others will be more comfortable speaking with you about theirs. It is a great way to help strengthen each other's faith.

I hope this inspires you to speak out. Don't be afraid.

Thursday, June 26

THURSDAY, JUNE 26, 2014

2 Kings 9:14–10:31

Acts 17:1–34

Psalm 144:1–15

Proverbs 17:27,28

 

 

“Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said:  ‘People of Athens!  I see that in every way you are very religious.  For, as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription:  to an unknown god.  Now, what you worship as something unknown, I am going to proclaim to you.

 

“The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands.  And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else.  From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times for them and the exact places where they should live.  God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us.  ‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’  As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’

 

“Therefore since we are God’s offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone – an image made by human design and skill.  In the past, God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent.  For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed.  He has given proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead.” (Acts 17:22–31)

 

 

Paul’s sermon pointedly addresses the prevailing philosophies and ethos of first-century Athens.  As the center of Greek culture, Athens gathered together the leading thinkers of Epicureanism and Stoicism, and Paul received the opportunity to counter these camps – and the “religious” background of the idol-strewn city – in his visit to the Areopagus.

 

It appears that philosophy peppered public conversations:  “All the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there spent their time doing nothing but talking about and listening to the latest ideas.” (21)  Paul clearly did his homework in order to speak into this cultural mien.

 

Briefly, it is helpful to review the philosophical underpinnings of Epicureanism and Stoicism.  Epicurean philosophy held that happiness, yet not marked by only momentary pleasure of gratification, represented the supreme good in life, but this ethic had devolved into a more sensual approach by the first century.  Stoicism taught that people may be self-sufficient and independent and, while living in accord with nature, should suppress their desires.  Both philosophies had devolved into systems of pride, and it appears that Athens featured competitions among philosophers in the public square.

 

In addition, Paul mentions the “very religious” Athenians, who had built altar even to an “unknown god.”  Greek mythology involved an elaborate understanding of natural and spiritual phenomena, but, in practice, it boiled down to idolatry.  Paul therefore sought to introduce the Athenians to the sovereign and personal Lord of the universe.

 

This one God “made the world” and did not require human craftsmanship to come into being.  His power had determined the watercourse of human history and “determined the times” and “places where they should live.”  The world had a definite telos (end), and history is not merely the result of Chance, as the Epicureans held.  Psalm 33:10 declares: “The LORD foils the plans of the nations;/ he thwarts the purposes of the peoples./ But the plans of the LORD stand firm forever,/ the purposes of his heart through all generations.”

 

Paul then challenges his hearers to consider the personal call of God in their lives:  “God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us. “ (27)  Not only does God have sovereignty over history, His imminent presence draws men to Himself on an individual basis.

 

He concludes the sermon with a call to repentance, in light of the Resurrection.  God had previously overlooked the “ignorance” human idolatry but now had sent His Son to bring redemption.  In Romans 1:20, Paul explains that, “since the creation of the world, God’s invisible qualities – his eternal power and divine nature – have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.”  His argument continues that, “although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile, and their foolish hearts were darkened.” (Romans 1:21)  This futility of thought devolved in idolatry, sexual immorality, and “every kind of wickedness, evil, greed, and depravity.” (Romans 1:29)

 

A. W. Tozer wrote that “what comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.”  Paul invited his hearers to begin that searching after God’s heart.  The crowd reacted in three ways:  1) distaste and rejection; 2) openness but procrastination; and 3) acceptance and commitment.  How will you respond to God’s call on your life?

 

 

Lord God, thank You for setting the course of human history and allowing us to reach out to You.  Call our hearts into a deeper communion with You and grant us the full experience of Your Presence.  May we understand the shortcomings of the world’s philosophies and Your greatness.  We commit our lives to following You and serving Your people.  In Jesus’s Name, amen.

________________________________________
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June 23: Praying for elephants...repeatedly

2 Kings 4:18-5:27

Acts 15:1-35

Psalm 141:1-10

Proverbs 17:23

This past week it seems so much has happened in our church that has needed prayer to God, for help, for healing and other requests.  Trouble, illness and difficulty seem to have been such a recurring theme.  When faced with such unrelenting need, I used to think I asked too much of God, that it wasn't my place to ask, that instead I should await what He wants to give me.  And then yesterday we heard our pastor's wife talk about being confident enough in our relationship with God to "pray for elephants", citing the story of a child who wanted an elephant for a birthday present; and today, we read about all these people who seem to bombard God, through Elisha, with various requests - for food, for healing, even for resurrection - a prayer for an elephant, if I ever saw one.  And God, through Elisha, answers every single one of those prayers.  Then we read in today's psalm "I call to you Lord, come quickly to me; hear me when I call to you."  And I went back to the massive Father's Day Card my daughter gave me, covered with verses reminding me we can turn to God in times of trouble.  And then I remember, I realize all over again - we can always, should always call on God; we can always, should always pray for elephants.

He wouldn't have it any other way.

June 22

Psalm 140

The past week might have been the most life altering week of our lives. Kathie and I have experienced the high point of celebrating my 60^th birthday with dear friends to the low of having a heart attack on Tuesday. We are still trying to process everything that occurred and even today it is surreal to us. But we have been asking God to teach us each step of the journey. Here are a few lessons we have learned.

1. Give glory to God for his mercy and grace. We can come up with a 100 different scenarios where the ending to the story is drastically different. All we can say is that God is good, and He is good all the time.

2. God's presence makes a huge difference when we go through the storms of life. We don't get to select the storm but we do get to select our guide through the storm. God's presence at each step of this journey has brought us peace, comfort and even joy.

3. Every day is precious. There are no guarantees for tomorrow. So live life intentionally today. When I was on the operating table I didn't think about  my house, my car, my bank account, my upcoming Triathlon; what I thought about was Jesus, my wife, my family and my incredible friends. Those are the things that really count.

4. Simple acts of kindness make a huge difference. (These two stories illustrate the first point of Kenny's sermon today about doing the little things.  They had already been written before hearing the sermon.)

Kathie was in the hallway at the hospital composing herself after getting choked up during a phone call.  A staff physical therapist who was walking by stopped and hugged her and talked with her for several minutes to make sure she was okay. 

When I was at the Tully Immediate Care Center I was very close to losing consciousness. By that time I knew I was having a heart attack and I was in grave danger. The pain of the attack was a "9" on the 1-10 scale, I selected 9 because I didn't want to run out of options for numbers. But in the process of being treated, a single little tear formed at the side of my right eye. As I was being wheeled out of the room on the stretcher, a kind doctor took her hospital gown and dabbed that tear.

These were such simple acts yet they touched us deeply.

The Psalmist says that righteous people praise God and live their lives with the reality of his presence. May our experience encourage you to do the same.

--

"Multiplying leaders to change the world"

Saturday BlogPost (6/21) by Keesha Sullivan

Saturday, June 14, 2014 [by Keesha Sullivan]

On Tuesday evening, I celebrated the promotion of my eighth grade students. Although I was incredibly excited for my students, a deep sadness came over me as the chorus sang a song that made me long to tell them the truth. The song's lyrics spoke about wanting to matter in this world and to be special. It spoke about working really hard to be different and to stick out, so that they mattered.

            The truth is that my students matter more than they could ever fathom, and they are incredibly special. In our reading today, David talks about how God made each of us unique. It is written in Psalm 139:13-16:

¹³ For you created my inmost being;
    you knit me together in my mother's womb.
¹⁴ I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
    your works are wonderful,
    I know that full well.
¹⁵ My frame was not hidden from you
    when I was made in the secret place,
    when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
¹⁶ Your eyes saw my unformed body;
    all the days ordained for me were written in your book
    before one of them came to be."

            God intentionally designed each one of us for a special purpose. As the gospel singer J Moss says in his lyrics, "Nobody is a nobody, because God doesn't make mistakes." Each of us was fearfully and wonderfully made by the ultimate Artist. God made each one of us to carry out His specific will for our lives. Nobody can replace anybody else. In fact, according to our DNA, we are different from everyone alive now and everyone who has ever lived.

            I believe that David knew his worth. He knew that God had plans to prosper him and that every day of his life was written in God's book before they even came into being. Even though some of David's own sons tried to kill him and acted like he didn't matter, David mattered to God. We ALL do.

            Lord thank You so much for creating us in Your image. Thank You for uniquely designing each person in their mother's womb for a special purpose. Thank You that we are special and that we matter to You. We love You Lord, and we thank You for the privileges of being daughters and sons of the Most High God!

--

"The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace" (Numbers 6:24-26)

Kenny Sullivan

(201) 218-0751

שלום

June 20th

June 20th

For three years there was no war between Aram and Israel. Then during the third year, King Jehoshaphat of Judah went to visit King Ahab of Israel. During the visit, the king of Israel said to his officials, "Do you realize that the town of Ramoth-gilead belongs to us? And yet we've done nothing to recapture it from the king of Aram!" Then he turned to Jehoshaphat and asked, "Will you join me in battle to recover Ramoth-gilead?" Jehoshaphat replied to the king of Israel, "Why, of course! You and I are as one. My troops are your troops, and my horses are your horses." Then Jehoshaphat added, "But first let's find out what the LORD says." (1 Kings 22:1-5 NLT)

The most important line in this passage is the last one. "Let's find out what the Lord says." Here is where the difference between a good king and a horrible king shines through clearly. Who do they turn to when faced with a decision? (Good leader vs. horrible leader) Ahab turned to 400 "prophets" that he appointed. Jehoshaphat turned to the Lord. The outcome in this story is quite unique. Ahab tricks Jehoshaphat into wearing his robes, while Ahab disguises himself, and it almost worked. But God had other plans. One stray arrow. Prophecy fulfilled. Blood licked up by dogs. God is supreme. He doesn't lie. His plans come to fruition. The light of God shines through men of faith like Jehoshaphat, and it reveals the filth of the men that are far from Him, like Ahab.

Sent from my iPad

Thursday, June 19

THURSDAY, JUNE 19, 2014

1 Kings 20:1–21:29

Acts 12:24–413:15

Psalm 137:1–8

Proverbs 17:16

 

 

“While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, ‘Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them’  So, after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off.” (Acts 13:2,3)

 

 

These verses mark the continued fulfillment of Acts 1:8, as the Gospel spreads beyond Jerusalem and into Judea and Samaria.  Please recall the Risen Jesus’s prophecy and promise in Acts 1:8:  “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”  These widening circles for the Gospel will come to greater and greater fruition in the coming chapters.

 

As the Gospel expanded throughout the known world, the early disciples became more adaptable and began reaching across cultures:  Jew to Gentile, Semitic to Hellenic, and Near Eastern to Greco-Roman.  God initiated this process of reaching out from His chosen people, and He would use the disciples’ ingenuity, compassion, and diligence to turn the world upside down.

 

This intermingling of culture represents a partial reversal of the curse of the Tower of Babel, bringing people together as brothers in Christ.  This idea caused some strife between Jesus and the people of His hometown, Nazareth.  Please recall how “all the people in the synagogue were furious when they heard” about God’s pursuit of the Gentiles through both Elijah and Elisha (Luke 4:24–29).

 

In Psalm 67, we find a prayer that all the peoples of the earth would “praise” God and “be glad and sing for joy.”  This fulfillment would come to fulfillment under the Lord Jesus Christ:  “Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent….  There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all….  Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.” (John 17:3; Ephesians 4:4–6; Colossians 4:11)

 

God receives great glory when diverse people come together in the Gospel, living in harmony in submission to one another and to the Lord (Ephesians 5:21).  We have the great opportunity and joy of participating in this process, given the diversity of just our local communities.  Pastor Scott speaks of multiple “tribes”:  people who like soccer, parents of small children, folks from the Indian Subcontinent, Russian-Americans, and Latinos, for example.  Yet, we must intentionally seek out “the other” and go beyond our own comfortable existence to love from the heart of Christ.

 

In order to love people – from another background or just down the street – it helps to grow in our knowledge:  to understand the deep desires of their hearts; to recognize their fears, their dreams, their ambitions, and their hopes; and to sense where their hungers and mourning emanate.

 

Whom may you come to know better?  How may you seek out a friend who is not like you?  To which “tribe” are you drawn?  How may you extend the love of Christ to this “tribe”?

 

 

Father God, thank You for spreading Your Word throughout all the world, among all people, and giving us the joy of participating in the process.  Clarify our vision and deepen our compassion for all people, drawing us near to one or more tribes who need Your love.  Set us apart for this purpose through the guidance of the Holy Spirit and the saturation of Your Word.

 

Also, we lift up our beloved Pastor, Scott Taylor.  Strengthen and heal his heart by the power of Your outstretched arm.  We know that nothing is too difficult for You and that “the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.”  Make this verse come alive for Scott, our great friend and constant counselor.  In Jesus’s Name, amen.

________________________________________
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Tuesday June 17

1 Kings 18

Acts 11

Psalm 135:1-21

Proverbs 17:12,13

The Contest on Mount Carmel.

This was a contest that wasn't really a contest. This was not a fair fight. Baal's prophets had lost this before they even started. And Elijah knew this. He had complete and total confidence that his God would be shown to everyone as the one true God. And that's exactly what happened.

I look at myself and I realize that I believe in the same God that Elijah believed in. He was the same God then as He is now. So why is it so hard for me to have that same confidence? Why do I worry about the outcome of my own trials? Why don't I look at every trial as a contest that has already been won by God?

We know that even Elijah had his moments of weakness. There were times where he succumbed to fear and depression and self-pity. But in the those weak moments God was always there watching over him and giving him everything he needed to carry on.

I just saw the email about Scott being in the hospital. Let's pray with confidence to our loving and powerful Father for our brother and friend.

June 16: Summer Exercise

1 Kings 15:25-17:24

Acts 10:23b-48

Psalm 134:1-3

Proverbs 17:9-11

I read the story of Elijah and am amazed at the sufficiency of God's provision in times of need, and how it is premised on obedience.  God instructed Elijah clearly - get out of here, hang a right and hide in this ravine - I have sent water, and have instructed ravens to meet you there with enough food.  And while one would think Elijah was already in a good place, God lets the brook dry up, so He can then keep Elijah going - this time to a widow expecting to die, together with her son.  When Elijah gets there, she, too, is obedient - she hears a stranger ask for food, looks at the last of her flour and oil - and decides to trust in the stranger's words...and in their collective obedience God provides them with enough food to last through the drought and famine.  Even more, God listens to Elijah's prayer and restores the boy to life, and to his mother, when he falls ill and dies.

It's easy to think of how wonderful it was God provided for them.  But I cannot help but imagine the fear, the worry amidst the uncertainty of their next meal.  I mean, seriously - ravens?  And an empty jar of flour, and an empty jug of oil?  The only way one survives the famine ulcer-free is if one is able to look past the ravens, the jar and the jug, the bread, the meat, the flour and the oil, past the gifts, to see the Giver.  And I have to tell you, speaking for myself, that is still so very difficult, no matter how often God has come through.  It is difficult to hear His word, and recognize His voice.  

How then to learn to recognize Him and His guidance, the way Elijah did, the way Peter did when God instructed him about Cornelius?  Pastor Scott talked about it yesterday, when he preached on staying connected to God through the summer doldrums, and he cites Elijah's experience from readings later on this week.  To build the spiritual hearing muscle, we need to stay healthy enough to hear Him, to slow down the pace of our lives and filter out the distractions, and listen for His word (or read His word)...and when we hear, go and do what He asks.  Summer is a wonderful time to be out and active.  I hope to not only exercise my physical muscles, but my spiritual hearing muscles as well.  

Thursday, June 12

THURSDAY, JUNE 12, 2014

1 Kings 9:1–10:29

Acts 8:14–40

Psalm 130:1–8

Proverbs 17:2,3

 

 

“Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet.  ‘Do you understand what you are reading?’ Philip asked.

 

“… The eunuch asked Philip, ‘Tell me, please, who is the prophet talking about, himself or someone else?’  Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus.” (Acts 8:31,34,35)

 

 

Acts 8 marks the beginning of the fulfillment of Acts 1:8, as the Gospel spreads beyond Jerusalem and into Judea and Samaria.  Please recall the Risen Jesus’s prophecy and promise in Acts 1:8:  “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”  These widening circles for the Gospel will come to greater and greater fruition with the continuation of the Book of Acts.

 

Directed by an angel, Philip encounters the Ethiopian eunuch, who had traveled to Jerusalem to worship.  This man came upon Isaiah 53, a passage that many of us have read and studied.  The passage clearly delineates the Passion and Crucifixion of Jesus.  Remarkably, the Holy Spirit compelled Isaiah to write these words about 900 years before the events transpired.

 

Similarly, the Holy Spirit guides Philip to assist the Ethiopian in understanding this crucial passage of Scripture.  Philip appears to have taken the Spirit’s lead and presented the “good news about Jesus” from a series of Scripture passages.  You may recall that the Lord Jesus revealed the truth in Himself to the disciples on the road to Emmaus in a similar manner:  “And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.” (Luke 24:27)

 

It is important to recognize that Philip did not “save” the Ethiopian eunuch.  Rather, he served as a vessel by which God, in His grace, revealed truth through the Word and His Holy Spirit.  The man’s faith in Jesus and trust in His saving power unlocked salvation; like Abraham, his faith became “credited as righteousness:”  Philip’s willingness and faithfulness played a key role in allowing God’s plan for this man, who would bring the Gospel to his people.  The Ethiopian translation of these verses suggests that this Queen ruled from ca. 42 to 52.

 

This passage and others in Acts suggest that the spread of the Kingdom will indeed come through the power of the Word and the power given by the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit will make the proclamation of the Word effectively, opening hearts and minds to truth once hidden.

 

Hebrews 4:12,13 clearly explains the rich power of God’s Word:  “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.  Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.”

 

Likewise, John 16:12–15 indicates the truth-revealing purposes for the Holy Spirit:  “I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear.  But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth.  He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.  He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you.  All that belongs to the Father is mine.  That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you.”

 

Let us rejoice in God’s gracious provision of His Word and the Holy Spirit.  May we see the Kingdom advance in Stamford and beyond according to this pattern from Acts.

 

 

Father God, thank You for revealing truth to us through Your Word and the Holy Spirit.  Just as in the Book of Acts, we wish to see greater revelation of Your truth and the power of Your Word, displayed through turning of hearts in faith and signs of Your glory.  We wish to glorify You today and to open Your Word to hungry hearts.  Guide us, as Your Spirit guided Philip, where we may go and serve as a blessing to others.  Help us to take on a servant’s attitude and love all the people You have created.  In Jesus’s Name, amen.

 

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Saturday BlogPost (6/14/14)

Saturday, June 14, 2014 [With Jesus]

 

"39 …The room was filled with widows who were weeping and showing him the coats and other clothes Dorcas had made for them. 40 But Peter asked them all to leave the room; then he knelt and prayed. Turning to the body he said, "Get up, Tabitha." And she opened her eyes!

(Acts 9:39b-40a, NLT)

 

Dèjá vu:  a French term, which literally means, "already seen." 

It feels like this moment has already happened previously in the history of the early church.  However, it has not.  What has already happened is the raising of Jairus' daughter from the dead.  This was a miracle performed by Jesus, Himself (see Mark 5 or Luke 8).  Jesus went to Jairus' house, even after it was reported that Jairus' daughter was dead.  He dismissed everyone from the room except Peter, James, John, and the girl's parents.  Then, Jesus said to the girl, "Talitha koum," which means "Little girl, get up!"  Miraculously, she arose from the dead.

 

Peter was there that day.  He saw what Jesus did and I think that Peter was also amazed to see the authority and power that Jesus wielded for the glory of God.  Peter was one of those who were sent out by Jesus to preach the gospel, heal the sick, and raise the dead.  He was there at the miraculous feeding of the 5,000 and the 4,000; he saw Jesus walk on water; he heard Jesus handle the questions and arguments of the Pharisees and still proclaim the kingdom of God; he was there when Jesus was crucified and there when Jesus appeared in His resurrected body three days later.  Peter was not perfect.  He was impulsive, he denied knowing Jesus, and he was depressed when Jesus was crucified.  However, he was a part of Jesus' inner-circle, the ones who always seemed to be around.  As Peter entered the house where the deceased Tabitha lay, I can imagine him remembering the time when he was with Jesus and Jairus' daughter had been pronounced dead.  Similar to Jesus, Peter dismissed everyone from the room, he knelt down, prayed, and then said, "Tabitha, get up."

 

Yesterday, Travis wrote about Ananias, a regular guy, who followed the leading of the Holy Spirit.  What I took away from Travis' blog was that extraordinary things happen when ordinary people listen and follow Our Extraordinary God.  Peter was another one of those ordinary people – a regular person like you or me.  However, one of the biggest differences between Peter and us is how much time he spent with Jesus.  Flaws and all, Peter spent time with Jesus.  Though he was imperfect, he was with the Savior…listening and watching - questioning, but following.  Peter didn't have superpowers.  Instead, like all believers, Peter had a relationship with an amazing Savior.  That relationship was nurtured by the time they spent together, time being aware of Jesus' Presence and being sensitive to His Heart.  We all have the same amount of time each day – 24 hours.  The difference was how much authority Peter gave Jesus over his 24. 

 

In what areas of your daily life do you need to be more sensitive to Jesus' presence and His desires for your life?

What are some ways that you can be more sensitive to Jesus for more of your day?

 

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"The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace" (Numbers 6:24-26)

Kenny Sullivan

(201) 218-0751

שלום

June 13th

'The Lord said, "Go over to Straight Street, to the house of Judas. When you get there, ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul. He is praying to me right now. I have shown him a vision of a man named Ananias coming in and laying hands on him so he can see again." "But Lord," exclaimed Ananias, "I've heard many people talk about the terrible things this man has done to the believers in Jerusalem! And he is authorized by the leading priests to arrest everyone who calls upon your name." But the Lord said, "Go, for Saul is my chosen instrument to take my message to the Gentiles and to kings, as well as to the people of Israel. And I will show him how much he must suffer for my name's sake."' (Acts of the Apostles 9:11-16 NLT)

Ananias, God's instrument. God told Ananias to reach out to Saul. God had already begun Saul's heart-transformation, but this story needs an Ananias. This guy Saul had struck fear in all of the believers in the entire region. He was out to get them. He believed that he was doing God's work in protecting Judaism as he knew it. He was well trained in all of the Jewish texts, and he was brought up to be a leader in the Jewish faith. He was young, and stubborn, and sent on a mission by the leading priests, including Caiaphas and Annas, the Chief Priest. These followers of the Way were upsetting the Jewish religious apple-cart. Saul took it upon himself to stop it. Ananias knew what Saul had been up to, everybody did. So of course, when God gives him this particular instruction, he questions it. He is scared for his life. He is scared for the lives of all his brothers and sisters in Christ. But if Saul was going to become God's instrument, someone needed to reach out to him, to be the first to say they believed God was transforming him. This non-leader, or maybe "insignificant" guy from Damascus would be a tool of God. He wasn't one of the big name players. He wasn't one of the Apostles. He was just a guy who believed, and God used him to reach out to someone that needed his help. The point I wanted to make here really has nothing to do with Saul, and nothing to do with how huge this was for the foundation of Christianity and the spread of the Gospel, the point here is you don't have to be a Scott Taylor or a Billy Graham or a Charles Stanley to be used by God. Ananias was just a regular guy, not even a teacher as far as we know, but when God prompted him to go and help somebody he didn't even know, he accepted the challenge. God had to convince him, because of the gravity of the situation, but he still listened and went. And all he did was make himself available for God to use him. Throughout history, the way that God's kingdom has been advanced was not from people bringing others to Church, although that sometimes works, but God's kingdom is advanced when Steve, or Nikkie or Apryl or Kenny or John or Travis or Louise or YOU, listen for God to speak, make themselves available, and be a friend when someone is in need. If we make ourselves available and willing to do whatever it is that God is whispering in our ear to do, that is when God will use us.

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I Kings 8, Acts 7:51-8:13, Psalm 129, Proverbs 17:1

Wednesday June 11, 2014

I Kings 8, Acts 7:51-8:13, Psalm 129, Proverbs 17:1

 

I can think of pivotal moments in my life where my faith has been challenged, exploded and defined.  These turning point moments were usually based on events that shaped who I was: my camp counselor tragically dying when I was in sixth grade, the night before I went to Spain on a missions trip, 9/11, experiencing my church split in 2002, etc.  There is one even that specifically stands out and it was the week that followed April 20, 1999.  I was 15 and finishing up my freshman year at Rio Rancho High School.  Up to that point in my life, I had never really been worried for my safety, and didn't' know the ugliness that could happen to people my age in suburbia USA.  The shooting at Columbine High School shattered that sense of security and I asked my 15-year-old self if I too, could be a martyr?  That week my school was flooded with bomb threats, herding 3000 students to the football stadium for safety, and the stories of faith were the headlines on the news following the shooting.  This event opened my interest in the stories of those who had died for their faith or because of their faith in history.  Reading about the early church is the beginning of those who died for the name of Jesus and Acts 7 is the story if Stephen.

 

                 As we have been studying the book of Acts, we know that the early church was based on community.  They were truly brothers and sisters who (as Scott has preached) ate together, prayed together, and showed love to one another.  They shared the life of Jesus and faith began to explode across the lands.  In Acts 6:5, we see the first mention of Stephen.  He was hand picked by the 12 disciples as being "Of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom…a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit." (Acts 6:3, 5)  Through Stephen and the others disciples were multiplied in the city of Jerusalem, and the word of Jesus Christ began to spread, enraging the Pharisees.  Stephen was arrested on charges of blasphemy, and was still described as "full of faith and power, [doing] great wonders and signs among the people, (Acts 6:8) and "all who sat in the council, looking steadfastly at him, saw his face as the face of an angel." (Acts 6:15)  This is what radical faith looks like to me.  Stephen was so consumed by the Gospel, that he was on fire…shining on all who saw him.  This was not a super power, but he lived according the word and Spirit.  I can only imagine that he had a relationship with God that I can only hope for.   His purpose was to love God, love people, and make disciples.  Sounds familiar, right?  He was stoned to death by an angry mob, and the Pharisees allowed it.  The irony in the story is that we see the first mention of Saul of Tarsus, later to be known as Paul, The Apostle, who was somewhat behind the death of Stephen.      

 

            We know the story of Stephen as being "the first martyr," but the points I want to share are those that maybe missed.  Stephen ran the race and he finished it well.  He went against what society said was right and had a radical faith that did not shake when presented with death.  His story is not about his death, it is about the life he lived.  He loved God and shared it with others.  He lived in community with fellow believers and dedicated his life to this ministry.  My favorite part and verse in the story is moments before his death.  Acts 7:55-56, "But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at he right hand of God… Look!  The Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!"  When I welcome someone into my home, I stand and greet them.  It is a way of showing love, warmth, and welcoming.  The moments before Stephen entered the presence of God, Jesus was there standing, welcoming him home.  This is so amazing and awesome to me that I sit here typing, coffee at my side, in tears.  This image moves my heart to emotions and thoughts of "Well done my faithful servant."  Jesus's last prayer on Earth was that of forgiveness for his persecutors, as was Stephen.  He prayed for those who killed and hated him, he "feel asleep" and went home. 

 

I know this is a longer blog, but I have so much to say.  I used to wonder if I would one day be faced with death because of my faith.  I used to focus on that and imagine it.  I do have a crazy morbid mind, but moments in my life messed with me.  As I sit now, I learn that it's not about the death.  It's about the life.  It's about running the race in obedience, perseverance, and with a radical faith.  I pray that one day when I die, whenever and however that may be, Jesus will also be standing to welcome me.  He will say, "Well done my faithful servant."  But I also know it's not an instant thing.  I pray that my heart and my life will be filled with the Spirit that it over flows.  I pray that I would give up control that God can use me in mighty ways.  I pray.