Gifted

Acts 1:6 Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, "Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?" 7 And He said to them, "It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority. 8 But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." 9 Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. 10 And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, 11 who also said, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven."

Sometimes when we don’t get exactly what we want it leads to disabling disappointment. Jesus was planning for something else in the lives of His disciples.

They asked a reasonable question based on His presence in a resurrected body, and by His teaching that He had come to bring the kingdom of heaven to the earth. “Lord, is it time? Will we now be princes and rulers and such over all the earth?”

Jesus response was immediately off-putting and mind-changing at once. “It is not for you to know!”

But wait, there’s more! And rather than disabling disappointment, Jesus points to an enabling power, even explosive power. Rather than focusing on this world and your power in it, Jesus tells His disciples, (and us,) that He wants them and us to be focused on the next world and power from it.

‘Dunamis’ or “dynamite” power from heaven on earth, that we may be witnesses – or martyrs for Christ.

And we will need to be because in the next moment Christ ascended from earth to heaven and left His disciples, but not only His disciples to complete the work. And this is what He told them to wait for: Another Helper. Another helper just like Him, just like Jesus. A Helper who would work from the inside out rather than from the outside in. This would be the Holy Spirit. The Promise of the Father. The Spirit of Almighty God living in each human heart who would receive Him.

And this is what produces a witness who has seen the Lord, even in those who have not seen Jesus with the physical eye. Of all those re-born of repentance there is an inherent incumbent gift which is received, and it is the gift to see God with the eyes of the heart, and this gift is commendable and communicable. This is why Jesus has said we are to go into the whole world to share it.

- Pastor Bill

Wanderlust

Malachi 4:1 "For behold, the day is coming, Burning like an oven, And all the proud, yes, all who do wickedly will be stubble. And the day which is coming shall burn them up," Says the Lord of hosts, "That will leave them neither root nor branch. 2 But to you who fear My name The Sun of Righteousness shall arise With healing in His wings; And you shall go out And grow fat like stall-fed calves.

After Christmas, we do tend to feel a lot like fat, stall-fed calves, especially in the good ole U.S. of A. All our desires, (or at least most of them,) have been fulfilled. We’ve seen and visited with all the family and friends we can stand. All of our physical needs have been met – for the time being. (Especially once we’ve had the time to take back all the things that didn’t exactly meet with our desire, so we can get EXACTLY what does.)

I don’t know about you or the rest of the world – but that pretty much sums up what I believe to be the majority Christmas experience in America. Stall-fed calves are what we are. Never having to raise a hand to feed ourselves, or even to over-feed ourselves.

How natural it is to take our eyes off of God in times like these, as our flesh is more or less satiated. Satisfied. Filled to the brim. Filled to overflowing.

The main problem with being filled to overflowing with stuff is it leaves no room (in our thoughts and our hearts,) for the Holy Spirit. These are the times when the Holy Spirit is crowded to the side by truckloads of stuff. Trainloads of weariness.

We do really well looking forward to the coming of the Lord. Not so good looking back. What happens to the fervency we had leading up to Christmas?

God says, “Hey, wait – there’s more!” Not only did Jesus come to earth, as had been prophesied in Malachi 3:1-2, but He’s coming back. And just as the followers of Jesus were not certain of the timing of His advent, we cannot be certain of the time of His CERTAIN return. All we do know is it will be soon. All has been fulfilled for Christ to come for His church.

As the Christmas song professed of those awaiting Christ’s advent, they spent a lot of time wondering as they wandered, gazing into the night skies awaiting the One to be born of a virgin. Keep that wanderlust always. It makes the heart prepared for the True King. And it takes a prepared heart to receive Him still.

- Pastor Bill

Bragged On

Zech 9:12 Return to the stronghold, You prisoners of hope. Even today I declare That I will restore double to you. 13 For I have bent Judah, My bow, Fitted the bow with Ephraim, And raised up your sons, O Zion, Against your sons, O Greece, And made you like the sword of a mighty man." 14 Then the Lord will be seen over them, And His arrow will go forth like lightning. The Lord God will blow the trumpet, And go with whirlwinds from the south. 15 The Lord of hosts will defend them; They shall devour and subdue with slingstones. They shall drink and roar as if with wine; They shall be filled with blood like basins, Like the corners of the altar. 16 The Lord their God will save them in that day, As the flock of His people. For they shall be like the jewels of a crown, Lifted like a banner over His land-- 17 For how great is its* goodness And how great its beauty! Grain shall make the young men thrive, And new wine the young women.

Mal 3:17 "They shall be Mine," says the Lord of hosts, "On the day that I make them My jewels. And I will spare them As a man spares his own son who serves him." 18 Then you shall again discern Between the righteous and the wicked, Between one who serves God And one who does not serve Him.

If you had the blessing of growing up as I did, (with a loving mom and dad,) then you know the blessing of being “bragged on.” There is hardly anything better than to hear your mother or father telling someone else of something you have accomplished, and how they are proud of you. Now, as a father, I understand what that is like from the other side. How wonderful it is to be able to “brag on” my son for something he has done. Because I love bragging on my son so much, I watch him very carefully for any possible reason my chest may be filled with the joy of something brag-worthy that I can share with others.

Toward the end of the Old Testament, God looks out prophetically to a time when His people will be “His jewels.” Think about what that means for a moment. In both Zechariah and Malachi, (the last two books in the Old Testament,) the Lord proclaims His people will be made into something extraordinary – even made as jewels.

What will make God’s people God’s jewels? According to His Word, it is because they have finally learned to discern between the righteous and the wicked. In learning THIS discernment, the Lord declares He will MAKE those who have learned this lesson His jewels.

We may wonder exactly what is meant by this - but why not accept the plain meaning? He is making us into something He proclaims to be worthy of examination, something worthy of being handled, something worthy of being placed in the light so all the facets may shine forth brightly for all to see and value. It sure sounds all like those who learn God’s discernment will one day make God brag. I’m guessing He can’t wait!

- Pastor Bill

Time Out

Malachi 3:1 "Behold, I send My messenger, And he will prepare the way before Me. And the Lord, whom you seek, Will suddenly come to His temple, Even the Messenger of the covenant, In whom you delight. Behold, He is coming," Says the Lord of hosts. 2 "But who can endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears? For He is like a refiner's fire And like launderer's soap. 3 He will sit as a refiner and a purifier of silver; He will purify the sons of Levi, And purge them as gold and silver, That they may offer to the Lord An offering in righteousness.

One of the modern forms of discipline for an unruly child is known of as a ‘time out.’ The loving parent places their misbehaving child in a quiet corner by themselves, and there they remain alone and without communication until a time known only to the parent has expired.

How similar this is to the quiet time which existed between the Old and New Testaments. God was dealing with an unruly people – His people – and He just set them aside to wait in a 400 year period of preparation. (The blank page in your Bible between the Old and New Testaments represents this period.)

What had happened? God had been dealing with His children for about 2,000 years, (since the time of Abraham.) They had continued in cycle after cycle of rescue, wealth, distraction, estrangement, idol worship, rebellion, downfall, repentance and finally - rescue - to begin a new cycle. These cycles seemed dependent on the leaders the people chose, which in fact were a reflection of where the people were in the cycle when they chose their leaders. God would respond accordingly with a desire to draw the people, His people, back to Himself.

Now, upon nearing the appointed time for the coming of the promised Messiah, God set His people in a sort of “Time Out.” They were placed in a corner by themselves, and God drew very quiet. Silent, in fact. For hundreds of years the Lord had provided direction, correction, and comfort by the words of His prophets. Now, the last prophet (Malachi) speaks with the sole intent of preparing the hearts of the people for the season. The season? The season of the coming of Christ. Sounds familiar, doesn’t it?

As we approach the time we set aside in our hearts to celebrate the birth of Christ, (the literal coming of God into the world He created,) we are provided the opportunity to witness the things God desires we hold in our hearts as the birth of Christ draws near. Those things are not parties, presents, family visits, foods, candies and desserts - but holiness and purity. And here and now we are given a ‘time out’ to think about that. (‘Tis the season!)

In their case the ‘time out’ lasted 400 years before the Messenger (John the Baptist) spoke.

- Pastor Bill

The Point

Nehemiah 8:2 So Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly of men and women and all who could hear with understanding on the first day of the seventh month. 3 Then he read from it in the open square that was in front of the Water Gate from morning until midday, before the men and women and those who could understand; and the ears of all the people were attentive to the Book of the Law. 4 So Ezra the scribe stood on a platform of wood which they had made for the purpose; and beside him, at his right hand, stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Urijah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah; and at his left hand Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchijah, Hashum, Hashbadana, Zechariah, and Meshullam.

The “point” of ministry should not be a secret, but these days it seems to be.

I don’t see many promotional materials or flyers about churches which speak of their desire to read the Word of God together as a church. As a consequence our society has drifted. We can blame the government or court cases which have promoted atheism, but the truth is the Church no longer lives and breathes the Word of God. As a direct result, people in the Church don’t know the Word of God, and so they are and have been easily influenced and moved by an agenda of secular humanism and moral relativism.

The same was true in Nehemiah’s day. Interesting to me is what Nehemiah did with his presumed power. He had been appointed governor of Jerusalem in Judah by king Artexerxes, and he had come to Jerusalem and been wildly successful beyond anyone’s imagination – rebuilding the walls of the city in only 52 days. To say he was a popular figure in those days is probably a large understatement. Nehemiah’s popularity was probably off the charts, as he had accomplished what they thought could not be done, and he had done it in record time. He could easily have proclaimed himself ruler of that part of the world.

Instead, Nehemiah calls the people of God together in a sacred assembly. To hear a great speech by Nehemiah? No, Nehemiah calls the people together that they may have the Word of God read to them aloud by Ezra, the chief scribe. Amazing, considering the history of this people and how far they had drifted into secular humanism and moral relativism. But Nehemiah knew building stone walls around the city would accomplish nothing unless the people also built walls in their hearts.

Nehemiah 8:7 Also Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodijah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, and the Levites, helped the people to understand the Law; and the people stood in their place. 8 So they read distinctly from the book, in the Law of God; and they gave the sense, and helped them to understand the reading.

There has never been a time when it is more important for people to know and understand the Word of God than right now. Much has changed over time, but the need for the Word to be the very center and foundation of our lives has not. That should be the whole point of ministry. Everything else should flow from that.

- Pastor Bill