ACTS-ion - The Series (This Same Jesus)

In chapter 1 of the Book of Acts we read about the ascension of Jesus (Acts 1:9-11). For me these are some of the most hope filled words in all of scripture. The scripture says that two men appeared beside the disciples (angels/heavenly messengers) and said "why do you stand looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven." The words "this same Jesus" impact my existence as a follower of Christ. I try to picture myself standing there with the disciples looking up as Jesus is taken up and away. I am filled with comfort knowing my Savior sits at the right hand of the Father and that His heavenly messengers have PROMISED that He will come back "in the same way." Jesus left in power and glory and in the same way He will come back in power and glory. His promise to come back reminds me of his promise in John 4:18 when He said "I will not leave you orphans; I will come back for you."
Here is the application: If you truly believe in Christ and His atoning work on the cross for the forgiveness of your sins, then you believe this world is not all there is. Meaning your mind should be consumed with His coming Kingdom in which He will reign as the King of Kings and fully redeem mankind to Himself. Believing that Christ will come back "in the same way" means you are able to live your life by faith and not by what you can feel and see. It means you should have complete peace with God and His sovereign rule over this universe, to include the circumstances and direction of your life. When you truly believe that Christ is coming back "in the same way" you will want to know Him in a deep intimate way while you surrender every aspect of your life to Him. You will never do another thing for God out of obligation or sense of duty, but you will begin to serve Him out of natural obedience. This is the life of a Christian, you are misunderstood often, you will be mocked and slander on occasion, but you will know you are waiting with anticipation for Christ to return "in the same way."
Seek first the kingdom of God and not your own!

ACTS-ion - The Series (Infallible Proofs)

The Book of Acts begins with a promise...the promise of the Holy Spirit. Over the next several months I will be working through and demonstrating the practical application of the book of Acts and how this application will empower us in our Christian walk.
During his introduction Luke states that Jesus presented Himself alive by many "infallible proofs" (Acts 1:3). We should get excited about the word "proofs." Christianity is not about blind faith, it's faith reinforced by evidence, eye witness testimony, and archaeological discoveries. In fact no other religion in the world has any "infallible proofs" nor can any other religion be defended. This should give us a tremendous amount of confidence. The "infallible proofs" spoken about by Luke in Acts 1:3 are written about in 1 Corinthians 15:5-7. But before I briefly describe what those proofs are, lets understand the word "proofs." The Greek word for "proofs" is a technical term from logic, meaning "demonstrative proof, evidence." So we can trust in the "proofs" of Jesus Christ. Jesus appeared on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-32), to Peter (Acts 24:34), and then to the disciples (Luke 24:36-43). The post-resurrection appearances occurred over a period of 40 days. Ultimately, Jesus was seen by over 500 brethren at once (1 Corinthians 15:6), who needs more proof than that!
Here is the application: When you follow a Savior like Jesus, who has overcome death and sin, this instills confidence, because we place confidence in what Jesus did on the cross and not in something we are going to do. But here is the bottom line, the disciples became bold and courageous! After they saw their risen Lord and received the Holy Spirit, they were on fire! Once they experienced the "infallible proofs" of Christ, they went from being fearful to fearless, they were willing to risk everything for Christ. In fact, they were imprisoned, beaten, rejected, and eventually faced martyrdom (except John). Jesus became alive physically, but He also came alive inside of them.

Allow the power of Christ and His "infallible proofs" to come alive inside of you. This is my source of confidence, the resurrected incarnation of God, Jesus Christ. He was no ordinary man!
Jesus is who empowers me to speak up when no one else will, who empowers me to stand for what is right when no one else does, Jesus lives inside of me and the same Holy Spirit allows me to risk everything for Him! My life belongs to Him, thus a piece of Him controls my life.
Embrace His "infallible proofs" and come alive!

Day of Hope 2014

If you live in the Charlotte area please tune in tomorrow and check out the broadcast. I will be answering phone calls from 4:00 - 7:00 pm at the radio station to answer questions about Christianity and serve as a counselor. We are praying for big things to happen tomorrow and that God will move in the hearts of those who don't know Christ. If you know of an unbeliever please encourage them to listen tomorrow as relevant questions about Christianity will be answered. It could be life changing for them! Oswald Chambers once wrote that "the majority of us cannot hear anything but ourselves. And we cannot hear anything God says. But to be brought to the place where we can hear the call of God is to be profoundly changed.” This could happen tomorrow for many and I am praying it does!

Going Deeper in 2014

Occasionally I will come across a person who leaves me amazed with their level of spiritual understanding. These individuals will leave and have left behind a legacy with their words and actions that is simply immeasurable. In 2014 I want to decrease for Him, so Christ can increase in me. I want to go deeper with God than I ever have. I want to know Him in ways I couldn't have imagined in 2013. I want Him to consume every fiber of my being. I want every aspect of my life to be fully surrendered to His Lordship. I want the Lord's breath to breathe all over my life. What I am saying is that I don't want to leave any aspect of my life unsurrendered to my Lord. If Christian's are to impact the world, its not going to be done in the flesh. God must be first and above all in our lives, our marriages must be strong (or Fireproof), our children must be instructed in the Word of God and they must be taught the power of prayer, we must be able to defend our faith, and we must pick up our crosses and follow Christ so we can lead those in our care. I want to encourage you to loose yourself in God so Christ can be hidden in you. We must keep our lives open to God and learn to set aside temporal nonsense that hinders the Spirit.
Resolve to not let a busy lifestyle disrupt your relationship with Christ. Vow to yourself that you are utterly useless without Christ and adopt a vision of what God wants for your life. Then He will open your eyes to what you couldn't see spiritually in 2013.

Have a Spirit Filled New Year!