Faking Faith

Have you ever read a story in the Bible and thought I want that!  In Acts I had that happen as I listened and studied the end of chapter 4 and beginning of chapter 5.  In verse 4:33 it says, "And with great power the apostles were giving testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and abundant grace was upon them all."  These are people who have just learned about the resurrection of Jesus from the apostles and had joined the first church.  They had already right out of the gate been threatened by Jewish leaders yet they continued to pray for boldness.  Here we see that they had abundant grace on them all.  The English Standard Version says "great grace".  I would love a life where I not only had the Lord's grace but great grace in my life.  This as I read is like the boldness these people had, it can only be given by the Holy Spirit.

As the story continues we learn about two similar acts for the church and one is filled with blessing and the other with death.  A man named Barnabas sold his land and gave all the proceeds to the church.  He would soon travel all over sharing the love of Jesus.  We also see another couple named Ananias and Sapphira, they would also sell their land for the church.  However, they kept a portion back for themselves and when they gave the money to the church they were immediately struck down dead.  I will admit that I used to believe it was because they kept money back and did not give it all to the church.  We see in chapter 5:4 the real reason they died.  "While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was old, was it not under your control?  Why is it that you have conceived this deed in your heart?  You have not lied to men but to God."   You see in this verse we see that it was the goal of Ananias and Sapphira to make the church and people think that they gave God everything from that purchase even though they kept a portion for themselves.  Here is a perfect picture of hypocrisy and desiring for people to think we are something we are not.  I love how my Pastor put it, he said that "who we are on the inside needs to drive what we do on the outside."  We see Luke warning us not to fake our faith, because no matter what we do it is always in front of God.

Another thing my Pastor said was, "We are dependent for the Spirit of God to do a work in our lives that has such an impact that it is reflected on the outside."  Each time we spend time in the Word, prayer or praise with our Lord we find ourselves growing, learning, being encouraged and strengthened.  As all this builds in our lives it will be reflected in our words, actions and lives on the outside.  I am constantly telling my 4th grade Sunday school class that we need to be living water.  We need to be a geyser that as we spend time with the Lord the joy, grace and love of Jesus cannot help but explode out of our lives.  We see this in Barnabus because as he gave this gift the Lord did such a work in his life that he left it all to travel and teach about Jesus.  On the other hand, Ananias and Sapphira just wanted to give the appearance of sacrifice without truly believing in and having true faith in what they were doing.  For them it was all about the show, they wanted people to pat them on the back and say wow aren't you "spiritual".  Thier problem is that God sees the heart and there was a real difference with both of these gifts.  Ananias and Sapphira had no living water.

One of the closing points my Pastor made was this, when the Holy Spirit is working in my life then I will begin to love people more and love my stuff less.  Do I value people coming to faith in Christ more than I love my things, my social status, and my money.  Is my life truly reflecting Christ?  What do you think the current church/people would be like if we all desperately asked the Lord to give us such great boldness, love for each other and grace like this first church had.  You see we are living in a broken world where millions and millions still have not heard the gospel.  What are we doing to spread the name of Jesus.  I am not saying that having nice things is wrong and I know that is not what my Pastor was saying either.  My point here is this, I want God to do such a great work in my life that my focus is not on getting a bigger house, a nicer car, wearing the latest fashions, because I know how naturally vain I am.  I want God to do such a work in my life that my goal is to reach a point I am doing all I possibly can to further the gospel in this world.  Not only by giving but by doing, by seeking the Lord for opportunities and most of all by making sure that what is in my heart is true faith and not hypocrisy.  I want to end with part of the lyrics from the song So Long Self by Mercy Me, to me it sums up the desires of my heart.  I want to leave my selfish desires and place all I have in Jesus.

Well if I come across a little bit distant

It's just because I am

Things just seem to feel a little bit different

You understand

Believe it or not but life is not apparently

About me anyways

But I have met the One who really is worthy

So let me say

So long, self

Well, it's been fun, but I have found somebody else

So long, self

There's just no room for two

So you are gonna have to move

True Acknowlegement

If you have been following my blog you know that right now I am sharing with you things the Lord is teaching me as I study through the book of Acts.  My last post was Are You Desperate For It?  Today's post will go along with that same section of scripture but focus on only a few verses.

In this passage of Acts Peter and John have healed a man, been arrested and taken before the Sanhedrin for trial.  In my last post I talked about how Peter spoke with boldness and then prayed for more boldness.  It is Peter's prayer that I want to talk about today.

"And when they heard this, they lifted their voices to God with one accord and said, 

“O Lord, it is You who made the heaven and the earth and the sea, 

and all that is in them,  who by the Holy Spirit, through the mouth of our 

father David Your servant, said,

‘Why did the Gentiles rage,

And the peoples devise futile things?

 

‘The kings of the earth took their stand,

And the rulers were gathered together

Against the Lord and against His Christ.’

 For truly in this city there were gathered together against Your holy servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose predestined to occur.  And now, Lord, take note of their threats, and grant that Your bond-servants may speak Your word with all confidence, while You extend Your hand to heal, and signs and wonders take place through the name of Your holy servant Jesus.”

Acts 4:24-30

It is apparent in the first 4 chapters of Acts that the Apostles are devoted to prayer and seeking the Lord in all they say and do.  You may be like me and want to be the same way in your life.  There are times I think I have a good and strong prayer life and then I come across a passage like this and realize I want my prayer life to be so much more.  In this passage we see this prayer right after Peter and John  had been released.  What captured my attention is how they started the prayer...“O Lord, it is You who made the heaven and the earth and the sea, and all that is in them..."  Here we see them acknowledging who they were praying to.  They realized how big, great, powerful, holy and mighty God is and that is who they cried out to.  Is that who you pray to?

I would love to say yes to that question but many times when I am truly acknowledging who God is, is when I am in crisis for I am praying for someone in crisis.  What would my life be like if I prayed like this every time I prayed.  What would my life be like if we all truly acknowledged how amazing our God is in how we live our lives.  You see these men did not cry out to be saved.  They did not cry out asking for their persecution to be taken away, they cried out for boldness.

In church I had the privilege of hearing a letter written by a 16 year old boy to his friend who is struggling to survive after a brain aneurysm.   Oh how I was blessed by the love, heart and faith in the words.



Dear A,
I’m not sure how soon you will read this, or whether or not it will be read to you, but I’m writing to assure you that you are most certainly not alone in this battle. There must have been at least 60 people all praying for you that day you were rushed to the hospital! And I've almost never heard such praying! You’d have been flattered, A. I've never heard such concern for one your age (and certainly never so many compliments! You would probably have blushed a vibrant shade of pink!)


I don’t pretend to give assurances, or advice of any sort. I've never been in your position, so there is literally NOTHING that I could tell you.

Well, there is one thing. Don’t despair for your health, don’t let your mother cry for you. God is using you for something, brave A! Maybe He wants to show His power through you, or maybe he wants to give you an amazing testimony! Or perhaps, He wants to welcome you into His glorious kingdom a little bit earlier than you might have wanted at first.

I apologize for the shoddy quality of this letter, but I truly wanted you to know that YOU…ARE…NOT…ALONE! You have the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords, sitting right by your side. To be honest, you are in a position that I have desired for years!

You are completely, utterly, entirely at the mercy and love of Christ. You are utterly dependent on Him! Though you may see it as a curse now, I believe He is trying to show you his power!

Do you remember the lines from, “Build Your Kingdom Here”? The ones I’m thinking of say:

“Increase in us, we pray. Unveil why we’re made. Come set our hearts ablaze in full, like wildfire in our very soul.”

“Holy Spirit, come, invade us now!”

I believe you were made for great things, A! I believe that, on the day that you stand before our Father, he will look upon you and say, “Well done, my good and faithful servant.”

And aren't those worth anything that we might suffer here?

My prayers will be with you and your family, A. My prayers, and my thoughts. Don’t forget the one who is watching over you! He has more power in the nail of His little finger than Satan can ever be allowed to have!

“I am God and there is no other. I am God and there is none like me.” Isaiah 46:9b

We love you A! Our prayers will carry your name for as long as you may need them!

Your friend,
As you pray and seek our Lord I pray that we will realize how big He is and how small we are knowing that He truly has our best in mind no matter the outcome.  I want to close by asking a question:  How would my prayers and life change if my goals and desires would all be for Jesus to be exalted no matter what?

The Joy of Slowing Down

It is amazing how you can get so swept up in the schedules we all have and forget to truly slow down. This past week we went to my in-laws to spend some time.  They live in a little country house and have around 200 acres of land.  My favorite part is it is out in the country and even though there are neighbors relatively close, you can't see them or hear them.  We are surrounded my beautiful tree lines and lovely open spaces.  Many morning I woke up to this being my view.

What I love most about being in the country is it forces us to slow down and unplug.  Now that being said, my father in-law has put a wifi connection out in the barn.  It made it fun because I was able to plug the Ipod into speakers and turn on Pandora.  We would sit outside with our bonfire and enjoy chatting, reading and just being together.  This was our fire. By the end of the week this syrup pot was full of ash.  It is one of my favorite things to do because we just hang out spending time together.   

However my girls were blessed that their Uncle and Poppy helped them with a special project.  They made American Girl Doll beds.  I found the the instructions on Pintrest here.  I have no words for how wonderful the beds are and they are really sturdy so I know they will last for years to come.  Here are some great pics of that adventure.

Are You Desperate For It?

A few weeks ago I published a post called Are You Willing To Ask?  In this post I talk about the first part of the book of Acts where the Apostles are baptized with the Holy Spirit an they begin preaching with boldness. I summarized my post by saying that I don't want to be comfortable, I don't want my girls to be comfortable, I want my family to be ready, willing and able to truly seek out opportunities to show and share the love of Jesus.  I want to have my heart in a place I am willing to seek for the Holy Spirit to truly baptize me with boldness.  

Today during my personal study time I was challenged to take this question even further.  In Acts 3:1-26 and 4: 1-31, I looked at a second time the Holy Spirit granted boldness.  In these passages we see Peter and John heading to the temple when they come across a lame man asking for money.  Instead of giving him money, Peter tells him in the name of Jesus to walk.  Peter then grabs his hand and pulls him up.  The man then gets up and walks into the temple with them praising God.  The people are amazed and the leaders are freaked out.  Peter begins preaching and in the course of his sermon they get arrested.  When they stand before the ruling leaders they do not back down but again speak boldly for Jesus.  Then when the leaders let them go the first thing they do is begin praying asking God for even more boldness, and the Holy Spirit granted them boldness.

As I read and studied through this passage a couple things stuck out to me.  One was in chapter 4 verse 13 which says this: "Now as they observed the confidence of Peter and John and understood that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were amazed, and began to recognize them as having been with Jesus."  I wrote down in my notes the question...do people look at me and see that I have been with Jesus?  Do people look at me and see that I am truly different and so changed by my personal experience with the Living God that it shines boldly through my life?  

In 4:20, Peter and John say "for we cannot stop speaking about what we have see and heard."  They were so impacted by their experience with Jesus and his resurrection that nothing will stop their speaking out.  I love how my pastor talked about how they did not form a committee to discuss how to be politically correct, they did not talk about ways to change their approach so people would not be offended by what they were preaching, and they did not cower back and agree to the demands of the elders for them to leave and never preach Jesus again.  Instead they  did this...

"And when they heard this, they lifted their voices to God with one accord and said, 

“O Lord, it is You who made the heaven and the earth and the sea, 

and all that is in them,  who by the Holy Spirit, through the mouth of our 

father David Your servant, said,

‘Why did the Gentiles rage,

And the peoples devise futile things?

 

‘The kings of the earth [c]took their stand,

And the rulers were gathered together

Against the Lord and against His Christ.’

 For truly in this city there were gathered together against Your holy servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose predestined to occur.  And now, Lord, take note of their threats, and grant that Your bond-servants may speak Your word with all confidence, while You extend Your hand to heal, and signs and wonders take place through the name of Your holy servant Jesus.”  And when they had prayed, the place where they had gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God with boldness." Acts 4:24-31

They prayed!  Here we see that they began praying and you can see in this passage they they prayed with boldness and power.  They gave honor, credit and glory to God knowing that it was the Lord who had made all that occurred possible not them. My favorite part of they prayer is where they ask for even more boldness to speak the name of Jesus.  Wow!  They were not worried about what people thought.  They were not worried about being politically correct.  They were not worried about whether speaking out would cost them their lives.  No...they spoke out with boldness and when trouble came, they asked for even more boldness.

I want this in my life, I want to be a person who not only asks the Lord to give me boldness but asks in almost desperation.  I do not want to be a Christian who is comfortable and lives my life doing church.  Our world is not getting better and the Bible tells us that over time it will only get more lost and depraved.  But the Bible also tells us that the Lord desires that none perish.  What am I doing to spread the gospel?  Am I seeking to live a life that boldly speaks Jesus?  Am I adjusting my walk to make sure I do not offend people when I speak of Jesus?  Now understand I do not believe being bold means being blunt, rude and pushy.  No, I believe that being bold means speaking truth with the love and grace that we see Christ give all throughout the gospels.  I want people when they see me to see the love and grace of Christ in all I say and do, but I want to be brave enough to not adjust my words or actions because I am fearful of "rocking the boat".

To me this is where our daily Bible study time, prayer time and relationship with Jesus becomes so important.  You see as we seek boldness we are not to seek for ourselves but so that the Holy Spirit can come and do His work through us.  When we allow that to happen then I believe we will know when to speak, when to be silent and when to walk away.  I have friends who claim to know Jesus because they did church but it is obvious they don't have a relationship with Him.  I can think of times where the Holy Spirit provided me opportunity to boldly speak of Jesus and other times where I truly knew I was to be silent and pray.  You see our impact on this world will never be because of our own actions and words.  Our impact on this world will be through our allowing the Holy Spirit to come and work through us as we continually point people to Jesus.  It all comes back to that simple rule.  Everything always comes back to Jesus and when we point people to Him then we allow the Holy Spirit to do His work in His time.

So again I want to ask you...are you willing to truly ask for boldness?  Are you desperate for it?  Do people see you and know you have been with Jesus?