Now is the time to step forward.

I chose to revisit a bible study where I was a regular attendee at for several years, but while I wanted depth I was not getting it and moved on. I also have an irregular work schedule that took me away for a time.

I happen to think that God has everything planned out, and even my random choice to go the bible study was destined to be.

I walked in, and found everyone intently writing something down on paper. A couple of the men acknowledged me and one jumps up to give me a hug.

I can be terrible at times, and so I started harassing them about taking a test and how the test is now over, because I thought it was funny. They told me to wait and all would be explained in a moment, and I would get to take part.

The exercise is one that missionaries have told us that the Christians in a particular communist country, with limited bibles do.

They all copy the passage(s) exact, then recopy in a way that they might use to share this truth with others on the street, and then make a point of putting it into practice throughout the week.

Here is the passage:

Ephesians 4:17-24 NIV So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. (18) They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. (19) Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, and they are full of greed. (20) That, however, is not the way of life you learned (21) when you heard about Christ and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. (22) You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; (23) to be made new in the attitude of your minds; (24) and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

Asked to rewrite this, like Eugene Peterson might. I wrote this.

Because God is that important to me, and I am deeply concerned about the condition of your soul, I implore you to not live as the world does. 

I understand your want to be accepted and blend in, but you are choosing to follow their useless thinking when you do this. Think about the things they say, it is proof that their way of thinking is clouded and their actions prove that God has no place in their lives. They will only bring you down to their level.

The pursuits of those that do not believe are evidence that they have given themselves over to selfish desires, and they do not care who they injure in the process.

Their greed consumes their every thought, as they go through life. It is only themselves that they think about.

But living a wretched life like this is not what I taught you. You have been taught to rise above.

Using Jesus as the example of a truthful, rich, full life I showed you that there is a hope and satisfaction in knowing Him.

Remember that I explained how you became remade at the moment you gave yourself to Christ; Christ, the one who loves you and gave himself for you, desiring only the best for you as you emulate his life.

Clinging to that old way can do nothing more than destroy any progress you have made in him.

Pursue him wholeheartedly, allowing Him to create a new image on the inside of you and watch the changes overwhelm you as he trains you to be the king you were meant to be.

We then had to read this back to the group.

I will tell you that I wrote as if God/Paul had talked to me, and I was in tears before I could finish writing.

When I read it back I was in tears, because it spoke to me as well.

God moves through me as I give out words of encouragement to people.

This gift, if you must call it something, is not that difficult, for Revelation 19:20 tells us that the testimony of Jesus Christ, is the spirit of prophecy. Therefore, if you give someone encouragement from scripture, are you not prophesying over them. Declaring those things that be not, as though they were.

I stepped forward and spoke specifically into the lives of two men. Upon direction from the Holy Spirit I asked the younger of them, what is your dream and hope for the future? He responded with, I want to be a drug and alcohol counselor. I immediately stood to my feet, commanded him to stand, and when he did not, walked over to him, held out my hand, and lifted him up. I spoke words of life and wisdom over him, and anointed him by the laying on of my hands, to walk in the ways and wisdom of the Lord.

What will become of him? That is God s business, for I did my job.

I am writing this down as a legacy and instructions.

God has called you forth, and you have struggled, not knowing what to do or who to ask. There may be no one human that will be able to give you the answers that you desire outside of the Holy Spirit, and there will be more than enough detractors, telling you that you cannot.

You are going to have to learn to trust the Holy Spirits ability to speak into your life. Ask him to speak to in simple matters, He will. You will then have act upon those things. Do not get stupid on me, be real and reasonable. You already know when to use the toilet, but there is no doubt that He can use that moment as well.

There is nothing that we do that does not have God's hand involved.

Peter stood before the crowds, many of them detractors, and said,

Acts 2:13-17 NIV Some, however, made fun of them and said, "They have had too much wine." (14) Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: "Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say. (15) These people are not drunk, as you suppose. It's only nine in the morning! (16) No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: (17) "'In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams.

The last days are upon us, and that certainly includes you.

Now is the time for those who have the calling upon them, and those who want the best that God has to offer, to step forward. Be bold, and brave.

Will you suffer for it? No doubt. Killing off God s anointed has always been the response of the non-believing religious zealots.

Live for Him like there is no tomorrow. You will find it to be the most exhilarating thing you have ever done in your life.

If my God gets magnified then there is nothing minor.

A look into the book of Acts

Acts 7:42

Stephen, standing before the high council, is responding to their demand as to whose authority he is operating under. He presents them with the longest discourse in scripture, giving a fairly concise history of Israel.

Unlike the reaction that the Apostle got, where the council determined they were unlearned men, this is never said of Stephen. The things that Stephen said were not challenged until he pointed out that they were the murderers of Jesus Christ, the Just one.

Although I do not remember most of what he said, Dr. Chuck Misler, spoke about this discourse as one that carried the central themes, and some hidden treasures to be gleaned about Israel. An example: Stephen is the one that notes in Acts 7:18 that everything changed for Israel when “another king arose, which knew not Joseph.” Who was this guy? History has now shown us, but for centuries the answer to this question lay hidden in the earth.

Consider that gleaning comes after the normal harvest, and if you have witnessed a harvest then you know that something is always left, whether it falls to the ground, or is simply bypassed.

I got hooked into going to breakfast at the place where the “ex” goes. I used to go hang out there with the older men. Fortunately they are Christians, but we never talked about the goodness of God. Never! That did not stop me from trying, but I always got shot down. One of the brothers there had come out of a Christ based cult that operates in a militaristic fashion. In a sense he escaped. He now attends a church that is slightly more liberal, but still has a hard time with grace.

If I must be here then I will attempt to bring up my Lord, once again.

Don’t look at me like that!

I have come to realize that it is not just me, but anyone who is enthusiastic about something (motorcycles, cars, sports) will talk about it, constantly. I don’t do sports! So, I took my bible and note pad. Bert (I will call him that to protect his secret identity – evil grin.) glared at me.

We talked about a gun that blew up because of Chinese bullets. He showed us a picture of it on his new phone; others talked about life in general. In the last couple of minutes that I was there, the opportunity arose to say something about my Lord so I pointed to my pad, mentioning that I write constantly, and this is one of the latest things I have been looking at, Stephens discourse to the high council.

Quickly pointing out the amazing wealth of information that one can gain from the briefest of stops. (An example for me is, writing six pages on one verse. Not that I set out to do that, but I write what the spirit is showing me.) My old buddy Bert (as Ernie from Sesame Street used to say.) immediately goes into a quiet tirade about people that major on minor things that are not essential to our Christian walk.

1. That makes the huge assumption that you know what I am talking about. Seeing as I had not made any point at all before he jumped in, he was operating on pure assumption.
2. If what I was talking about was so minor, and no I did not even get that out of my mouth before he dove in. Why then was it important enough for Stephen, under the influence of the Holy Spirit to divulge this information to the High council? And why does the Holy Spirit seem to think that we needed to know this? You cannot deny that it is in here. There is information given in Stephens discourse that we do not readily see anywhere else in scripture.
3. I am standing right there in front of him, and yet he made his tirade generic, as though I did not exist, and therefore would not notice how extraordinarily hurtful his comment was, especially directed at another Christian.
   “Why do people focus on minor things that have little to no impact on our Christian walk?”
   I tapped on my pad, looked him in the eyes, and said, “are you talking about this scripture I am referring to?”If you have something to say, then say it to my face. I am not a good apologist and everyone around you will probably think that you won your battle by humiliating me, and really, isn’t that the point; you making every else think that your right and dominant. Perhaps then they will worship you too.

I just turned and walked out. Dad was the one that brought me, and he is now getting into his car. Catching up quickly, I reiterated to him why I will probably never go back there again.

A thought just popped into my head, so I am writing it. This example that I just gave is indicative of the Laodicean church. They are lukewarm, lazy, and do not care. I am not a pastor, for if I were then my heart would cry out daily in pleas for them to repent and return to the Living God. And yet, if you read my posts, I believe that this is exactly my heart.

I know this about me, I do not have the patience to beat my head against such walls of apathy.

If my God gets magnified then there is nothing minor!

Now to the passage.

Open your bibles to Acts 7:42. I always wanted to say that.

Acts 7:42 KJV Then God turned, and gave them up to worship the host of heaven; as it is written in the book of the prophets, O ye house of Israel, have ye offered to me slain beasts and sacrifices by the space of forty years in the wilderness?

Before I carry on, I have something I need to say. I have been looking at this for several days, pondering its significance, and weighing the negative inputs. In other words I am taking an internal beating in which Satan, if I may say that, is trying to get me to back down.

I don’t know what to call it, depression, insecurity, or the possibility that my ex-girlfriend was right; I am just full of myself. If you knew me, then you would know how much of an internal struggle I go through, and what a lack of confidence I have.

It is the feedback that I get from others, across the globe, that tells me otherwise. I truly believe that I am doing what God has asked me to do. That being said, and gotten off my chest, I plow on.

Still considering Stephens recap of Israel’s history, he describes the scene when Moses comes off the mount to find most of Israel worshiping a golden calf that they created. (A sorry aspect of this scene includes Aaron’s lame excuse of throwing the gold into the fire, and this popped out. Who would have thought. - My judgmental side would have eliminated Aaron along with them.)

Stephen gets rather specific with the identities of these gods, Molech and Rephan.

Molech, though having several spellings is easy enough to find,

Molech - Fire-gods appear to have been common to all the Canaanite, Syrian and Arab tribes, who worshiped the destructive element under an outward symbol, with the most inhuman rites.

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According to Jewish tradition, the image of Molech was of brass, hollow within, and was situated without Jerusalem. "His face was (that) of a calf, and his hands stretched forth like a man who opens his hands to receive (something) of his neighbor. And they kindled it with fire, and the priests took the babe and put it into the hands of Molech, and the babe gave up the ghost." (Smith’s bible dictionary)

Leviticus 20:2-3 KJV Again, thou shalt say to the children of Israel, Whosoever he be of the children of Israel, or of the strangers that sojourn in Israel, that giveth any of his seed unto Molech; he shall surely be put to death: the people of the land shall stone him with stones. (3) And I will set my face against that man, and will cut him off from among his people; because he hath given of his seed unto Molech, to defile my sanctuary, and to profane my holy name.

Leviticus 20:5-6 KJV Then I will set my face against that man, and against his family, and will cut him off, and all that go a whoring after him, to commit whoredom with Molech, from among their people. (6) And the soul that turneth after such as have familiar spirits, and after wizards, to go a whoring after them, I will even set my face against that soul, and will cut him off from among his people.

If this is what Moses saw, as he came down off the mountain, then it is surprising to me that Aaron was not consumed with most of Israel that day, or at the least, Moses did not throw the tablets directly at Aaron’s head.

Do you not begin to get a feel for God’s possible reasons for anger if he finds them;

1. Acting against explicit instructions,
2. Dancing around a cow headed idol called Moloch,
3. Roasting their children in this monstrous things arms. All of which is horror, whether God told them not to or not. When you factor in Jesus receiving little children you should get a better feel for the heart and character of God.

Matthew 19:13-14 GNB Some people brought children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and to pray for them, but the disciples scolded the people. (14) Jesus said, "Let the children come to me and do not stop them, because the Kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these."

The word Rephan, which is the other name that the NIV translators used, has caused me some grief.

Just try and find a direct reference to this spelling; you won’t. The KJV spells it Remphan, and that one will score a hit in the Strong’s concordance. This is also a reference to Amos 5:26, but here the god mentioned is Chiun, the star god, which they made.

Two things to note here:

“...God turned, and gave them up to worship the host of heaven;..”

There is nothing polite about the word turned, as used here. The Greek word is strepho, meaning to literally turn around. That would imply a previous face to face relationship, at least on God’s part.

As I looked for a defining association to Rephan I kept noticing this aspect of giving them up to “worship the host of heaven”. That sounds benign enough, and after all, that is where God lives, right. But the inquiring mind should also be thinking about other aspects that have been included in the “host of heaven”.

1. We know that there are a host of angels in heaven. The shepherds got a dose of their singing when Jesus was born.
2. Originally Lucifer/Satan, along with another third of the “host of heaven” got tossed out.
3. And there are the physical objects of heaven, such as stars, planets, and an expanding universe.

As I looked at translations that could help define this host of heaven aspect, it seemed that no one really hit the nail on the head for me, therefore I give you a couple of them.

Acts 7:42 GW "So God turned away from them and let them worship the sun, moon, and stars. This is written in the book of the prophets: 'Did you bring me sacrifices and grain offerings in the desert for 40 years, nation of Israel?

This would certainly be in line with the meanings implied in both the word Remphan and Chiun.

As I continued pondering this passage, the other aspect that jumps at me almost looks like a question. But why would God ask them a question, unless it is one that does not require an answer. When I looked at other translations it appears as a statement, and suddenly it makes not only more sense, but at the same time rocks my assumptions of how Israel lived, during those 40 years of wandering. I give you the adjoining verse to help clarify this.

Acts 7:42-43 CJB So God turned away from them and gave them over to worship the stars -- as has been written in the book of the prophets, 'People of Isra'el, it was not to me that you offered slaughtered animals and sacrifices for forty years in the wilderness! (43) No, you carried the tent of Molekh and the star of your god Reifan, the idols you made so that you could worship them. Therefore, I will send you into exile beyond Bavel.'

Forty years of acting out a part. This tells me that the majority still had their hearts and heads embedded in Egypt, and the pagan ways they lived there. God rescued them for something better. My Sunday school education did not convey this to any degree. The way Israel performed is beyond my imagination. They carried, and set up their own temple to Molekh, at the same time Aaron was setting up God’s temple. This is something that you do not see until you get to Stephens discourse.

I can hear many of you challenging this concept. Even stating that if it is not clearly stated in scripture then it did not happen, and should not be considered. Consider this. Stephen made these statements before men more skilled in the law and prophets than he, and NONE of them contradicted or disputed with him about these aspects. They did have Stephen murdered because he called them murderers, in reference to Jesus.

“So God turned away from them and gave them over ...” Verse 43 of chapter 7 says, “..Therefore, I will send you into exile beyond Babylon.”

If you have read the saga of Israel’s trek through the wilderness, did you ever see God leaving them, or abandoning them? No, and God does not lie, so you do eventually see them go into captivity.

This has to be another one of those situations where God makes a clear cut statement, but withholds his judgment, because of some act of repentance and contriteness of heart. Read the story, and you will find that the only heart that God gives consideration to is Moses, who pleads with God on behalf Israel.

If you are looking for an example to back this concept up then look no further than Jonah.

Jonah’s entire angst over delivering this prophetic word of destruction, which he most likely was all in favor of, had to do with his understanding that God would show these people mercy, which is exactly what he did, at that time. Don’t kid yourself, God did not let their bad behavior pass. Nineveh was consumed, and only recently have they uncovered traces of that place.

There has to be point or there is no purpose. In reading a book about better writing, they instruct you to know your audience. Do I know you? Only in the spirit. God has been very specific about telling me about you. There are those who have a strong understanding of scripture and gain much encouragement from these words, but there are those who live there whole lives in church, dependent upon someone telling them what they can and cannot do. Does that mean you are incapable of making decisions? No, for some of you run your own businesses, but you do not have a clue as to the heart and character of God.

Many of you are absolutely shaken by the events around you, and know this, they are only going to get worse. In opposition to the unfounded belief that there is no hope for you if should miss the “rapture”. (Trust me on this, you will know when it happens, whether you go or stay.) The Holy Spirit is not taken off this earth, for God is continuing to draw people unto himself, and that is a clear cut act of the Holy Spirit.

Joel chapter 2 tells us:

Joel 2:28-29 KJV And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: (29) And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit.

This entire chapter, which Peter quoted in the second chapter of Acts, saying, “this prophecy has been fulfilled in your ears”, is about the second coming of Jesus Christ, and is a time of judgment upon the earth, as well as a time of darkness and gloom. A time after the rapture of the church.

Those that come to him now, have the advantage of this age of grace that we are under. That all ends on that day. And anyone wishing to live a life with the Father, after the rapture, will have to pay full price for admission. Jesus paid with his life and blood so that we do not have too. I fully recommend that you take full advantage of that.

God turned his back on Israel, because they turned their backs on him. Will God turn his back on you? Never, for you see, Christ died for us while we were ungodly, and unlovable, paying that horrid price to give us life.

Religion will tell you that you are a sinner. Oh, you sin, of that there is no doubt, but God paid the price for that sin, regardless of when or where. Do your sins affect others? Certainly, are you stupid. You can see the look on their faces as they limp away, but for sin you will not be judged.

Religion will fight me on this. Why? Because religion does not believe that God is capable of doing what he said he would do, and that is not losing you to the world, and it’s ways. At some point you have to decide that God is big enough, and truthful enough to do what he said. He already proved himself when Jesus gave up his life on that cross.

Scripture does tell me that there is a judgment coming, but it is based upon people’s actions and heart. We are so ready to send people to hell. Yes, there is a hell, but it was not made for you, therefore you have the choice not to go there. Hell was made for Satan and the angels that rebelled against God. Those that follow him, are doing exactly what Satan had hoped for, and that was to make that loser their god. As a follower of Satan you are entitled to the same reward that he has coming.

The Great Tribulation time is not going to be anything less than horrific, but those that call upon the name of the Lord will be saved. There will be those that are not killed because of their (possibly new found) faith. And even then, I see a merciful God sorting out those that demonstrated a God like heart when they offered a drink of water, visited someone in prison, fed the poor, and generally acted in some manner other than pure selfishness.

Stephens discourse is meant to show us what not to do, plain and simple. Is it easy? Generally yes. Are there speed bumps along the way? Absolutely, but knowing that God will never leave you or forsake you should give you a little comfort, as you pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and re-educate yourself.

I wrote a note to a friend recently and quoted from a powerful source. Allow me to give it to you now.

Ten Bears: These things you say we will have, we already have. Josey Wales: That's true. I ain't promising you nothing extra. I'm just giving you life and you're giving me life. And I'm saying that men can live together without butchering one another. Ten Bears: It's sad that governments are chiefed by the double tongues. There is iron in your words of death for all Comanche to see, and so there is iron in your words of life. No signed paper can hold the iron. It must come from men. The words of Ten Bears carries the same iron of life and death. It is good that warriors such as we meet in the struggle of life... or death. It shall be life.
(Memorable quotes for The Outlaw Josey Wales)

Here is the truth in the above quote. No signed paper can hold the words of life, they only come from God. Fortunately he had those words put on paper so that we can quickly find them, and run back to the life in them. God words are words of iron. Do you realize what that means? Strength unimaginable. These are not mere words, but words paid for by the blood of His son. Paid for to guarantee a life for those who will run to the words of life.

Stephen told that council that God gave Israel lively words. When you pursue the depth of meaning in what Stephen said, you find that it means following those words, words of iron, bring life.

Run to life.

It is not right that we should leave the word of God.

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Looking at the book of Acts

Acts 6:2 KJV Then the twelve called the multitude of the disciples unto them, and said, It is not reason that we should leave the word of God, and serve tables.

As most of you know, Judas is no longer, and so the guys thought it made sense to replace him. It sounds like they flipped coins until it got narrowed down to Matthias. (I am sure I am over simplifying this decision making process, but it says, after much prayer they drew lots, and Matthias was chosen.)

“Then the twelve called the multitude of the disciples,...”

The twelve Apostles are now finding it necessary to delegate responsibility. It sounds as though they had been doing all the work, and it has begun to take them away from preaching (I will use the word here, but it is much to sterile. They were sharing the life they knew and understood. They shared what they learned at the feet of the Master.)

Whether they felt called to or not, the job of being a pastor, with all it’s demands was suddenly thrust upon them, and now it is taking a toll. Again, what would anyone of them have known of this? Nothing outside of watching Jesus communicate with people, both great and small. They watched how he cared for and loved the unlovely. They watched him respond to the request of the Roman centurion, and they saw what he did for the woman with the issue of blood. They saw the true pastor (a shepherd, in action.) Add to their education the fact that Jesus told them that the Holy Spirit (an unseen breath like entity, sent from God, in my name) would bring all the things that he had taught them back to their remembrance, and lead them and guide them into all truth. We also know that they watched him go up into the mount of Olives, his favorite place, to pray (communicate, speak with, listen to, and revitalize, because it had to have taken a toll on him too.)

I want to add something here. We hear the word prayer quite frequently, and if your like me, it means taking some huge space of time, secluded away from others, doing what?

Typically our prayers may be God help me, do you see what’s going on here, I am in so much pain. And while that is probably true, and not insignificant, it is only one aspect of prayer. I do not always seem to have the time to escape, and I find that after a while, even I get tired of hearing my own whining about the pains, most of which I have brought on myself. While we all have issues that we need to take before God, (and I would suggest you do that before the mole hills turn into mountains,) things like the relationship break-ups, job stresses, anger, and tribulations because of the word (I get mocked upon occasion because of my sharing, but really it is nothing compared to what our brothers and sisters in Christ suffer in the middle east and African nations.)

So while I am walking around moping about the loss of a ten year relationship with my girlfriend, (by the way, God is in control of that as well.) my Christian friend at work lost his best friend/wife to cancer. Suddenly my moping seems very insignificant. This event alone, more than any other caused me to refocus. I have now focused my prayers on things like: God use me, hopefully as some form of a good example; let my words bring life; give me a boldness like I have never known, and a backbone to stand in the face of tribulations.

Whether right or wrong, I find that when I pay attention, I have been praying all day long. I hear my spirit speaking about something, or talking to God about a customer that came through the store. I find myself with a compassion and love for the homosexual couples that I never had before. The world just wants to hate, not only them, but hate in general. Hate is so natural and easy. Now, how would I know this? I was taught by an expert, and I was good at it. To feel love and compassion, is to feel God’s heart. I know this because even in my worst moments I feel his arms being thrown around me.

We do know that over 3000 were added on the day of Pentecost. We also know that God was adding to the church daily. (Acts 2:47)

We do not know how many people are involved here, but where two or three people are gathered there can also be discord, and it did not take long.

Acts 6:2 NIV So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, "It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables.

One of the things I wanted you to see, even though this verse seems simple enough, is the word arestos. The KJV used the word reason.

Webster’s dictionary defines reason as: That which is thought or which is alleged in words, as the ground or cause of opinion, conclusion or determination.

To some degree I could see how this works, but my mind needs to have something more concrete. Thayer’s Greek definitions defines the word as agreeable. Now that makes volumes of sense to me. Considering the numbers of people that the Apostles are now having to deal with. Keep in mind that it says the disciples were now in the multitudes, and that was just the men folk they were counting, the logistics of what they were doing is becoming a full time job in itself.

Did anybody else notice that service work is not necessarily what they were called to do.

Our focus now shifts.

“.. that we should leave the word of God, ...”

Now the questions come. One of the pastors that I am involved with uses the terminology “quiet time” to include his daily study time. During that time he is clearly looking at God’s word.

1. Quiet time; is that what the Apostles are talking about?
2. What is meant by “the word” here?
3. These guys were bringing life and freedom to the new believers, many of which were Jews. Where did they get this information from?
4. What kind of access did they have to the written word?
5. If their access to the written word is limited, not only to them, but to their audience as well, then what are they relying upon?

In the passage given the Greek for word is logomachia, meaning disputation or to strive about words. Using the word logomachia causes me a little grief, because I found it the Vine’s expository dictionary of New Testament words, and yet I could find no other reference stated in this exact way. What troubles me about this is not that Vine’s uses it, but that Pastors stand before us and say, “this is what the Greek word is, and what it means.” Even my Greek friend will give us the spectrum of meaning when defining a word for us. That does not cause confusion, but helps to clarify the definition.

An example of this spectrum came to me when I asked my Greek friend about the word “ministry” in Acts 6:2. The word in Greek is diakonia and means to be in attendance to as a servant.

But what is one of the typical things we picture when we hear someone say, “I am in the ministry.”?

Having been involved in a mega-church for a short period. I got the full dose of pastor talking about his Scottish golf vacation, his very expensive suits, and how disgusting it is to eat common food, from local restaurants. The implications of someone in that church, using the terminology ministry, has a huge price tag attached to it, and a snobbery that you could carry. This scenario is so far removed from what the word, in this verse means. 

My point here is, that even a minimal grasp of how to look up things like this can help you comprehend how basic the motivation was, as the Apostles ministered the word.

To dispute with the word, sounds like a fight to me. Considering where they were standing most of the time (Solomon’s Porch), I would not be surprised, but fighting does not tend to win anyone over.

Apologists defend of the gospel, through knowledge, facts, evidence, and real life application which occasionally takes on the argument status, but really, it is merely holding your ground against those who refuse to acknowledge truth. You are defending God’s word (Whether God needs it or not).

What we can ascertain is that the Apostles teaching was somewhat confrontational with Jewish leadership and apologetic at the same time.

They had no written word that they could carry around with them. The “word” was the scrolls in the synagogues. These were bulky, hand copied and rolled transcriptions of the Torah. Very few had a copy.

Considering that the scrolls only contained the law, that which brings about a sin consciencenous, these guys preached freedom from it.

How would one find freedom in the law? Only by knowing the character of the one who decreed it.

So what then did the Apostles mean when they said they should not leave the word of God.?

With only their memories, the Holy Spirit, and 3 years of walking with God himself, they taught the world. They had nothing else to lean on, but faith in the Holy Spirit, faith in their memories, the time they spent with Jesus, and the occasional access to the scrolls, if the priests allowed. They shared what they heard, and watched Jesus do.

The Apostles walked with Jesus, the Word, and they left that legacy for us.

God's word is alive, just ask Stephen.

Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost - A brief study in the seventh chapter of Acts.

False accusations have been brought against Stephen and now we find him before the high council of the Jews.

While most would react in anger, especially after being falsely accused, Stephen is just standing there placidly. So much so, that the scene is described as if they all saw the face of an angel as they glared at him.
Interesting, though the men with Daniel did not see the angel they fled in fear. Perhaps we are talking about a size issue. After all the men of Sodom went chasing after the angels that showed themselves there.

When the council finally asked Stephen to respond he gives them a very precise history of God’s hand in the salvation, sins, birth, and bondage of the nation Israel.

2 things have caught my attention as I read the seventh chapter. (I will pursue the second aspect in the near future, as exhaustion is rapidly gaining upon me.)

Acts 7:38 KJV This is he, that was in the church in the wilderness with the angel which spake to him in the mount Sina, and with our fathers: who received the lively oracles to give unto us:

As I read through the various translations, one might say “living words”, and there should be no doubt that they are, while the other translates it as “life giving words.” Life giving has a completely different meaning.

The phrase lively oracles in Greek is: logia zonta – meaning living doctrines that give life upon obedience to them. Here, in this passage, the term applies to Moses’ law. “In Romans 3:2 it refers to the O.T., in general. In Hebrews 3:12 and 1Peter 4:11 it encompasses all of scripture.”(Vines expository dictionary of Bible words)

Romans 3:2 NIrV There is great value in every way! First of all, the Jews have been given the very words of God.

Hebrews 3:12 KJV Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.

1 Peter 4:11 NIV If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.

Considering that I never thought of the law as anything other than a form of bondage, I have to now re-think my understanding.

One of the things that crossed my mind a couple of years ago, as my bible study group stumbled through Romans, was that Paul taught these concepts that we read in Romans based upon the old testament law and prophets, of which he was very familiar, and a personal/spiritual meeting with the living God.

Conceptually, the idea of living doctrines conveys: teaching or instructions that are alive.

We perceive alive as something that breathes, moves, and has some variable, visible aspect like tree growth.

A tree might be a great example in that it, from a simple, miniscule start, develops into a foundational plant with developing characteristics of what it’s potential can be.

Does the tree change? Not in it’s designed characteristics. Initially it could look no different from any other tree until it leafs out. The changes in the tree are growth enlargements as it gets taller, wider, stronger, and with maturity, produces fruit.

Most trees go through seasons where they leaf out, drop their leaves, go dormant for a time, and then produce leaves again. An irony in our comparison could be the Sasanqua Camellia. For it’s dormant season, a time of presumed bleakness and inactivity, is when it produces it’s spectacular floral displays. Consider that when it comes to our lives in Christ.

If we have grown, allowing God and time to mature us, then when a time of dormancy occurs, all the work involved in that growth may now be producing some fruit or foliage in the life of someone completely out of our field of view.

As a side note: I really enjoy listening to Dr. Chuck Misler, and I heard him teach a bit on Stephen’s discourse a few years ago. I think Chuck makes a statement like this about every aspect and book of the bible, and he was just as excited about Stephen’s exposition before the Jewish council, saying, this is one of the most significant and revealing looks into the history of the Nation Israel. 
 
I opted to read through the books of Acts, as I had not been here for a little while, and I knew that it would be refreshing. Much like the fact that Jesus did more things than the bible could hold, each trip through a book I have not visited for some time, reveals things like I have never seen them before. I had started a paper on an aspect of chapter six, which I will post in the future, but this one verse in chapter seven speaks volumes to me. 
 
If you take the time to meditate upon it. Meditate: to chew upon it as a cow chews cud. (Now there is a visual for you.) It is stunning the things you find. I can now tell you with confidence that God's word or law will bring life, but then why wouldn’t it, isn’t Jesus the Word, and life himself? 
 
Enjoy the journey while we can. Next stop, heaven.
Hope to see you there.
Oz

This is supposed to be a Nation founded on freedoms

  

You have done and said things

Here it is Sunday morning, and I am having a tremendous battle with depression. I did not sleep well, and had dreams that included stressful people in my life to add to it. I brought this on myself. Still, I got myself ready to go to church.

I have been thinking about being here, at this church, everyday since I learned that I would have the day off. What I love about this place is their heart for worship and the spiritual freedoms I find or should I say found here. (To be perfectly honest, I could go without most sermons.) At this place though, worship always gets my batteries recharged.

That being said, the depression like feelings were overwhelming this morning. I was there, but not in a mood to participate. Just the fact that I came should demonstrate my willingness to allow God to bring about some form of healing in me.

Two things happened this morning in worship:

• During worship I suddenly got quiet. At that moment the Spirit began to speak to me – I will elaborate in a moment.
• The other thing is that someone, on stage, said, “nothing can separate you from the love of God.” Although that statement may be something that I am keenly aware of, (it has been a while since I dove into Romans.) and so remarkable that it should be a part of my everyday thinking, it did not cross my mind. Even if it had, would it have had the same effect prior to that moment?

As I stood in worship this Word began to come to me.

“You have done and said things that caused great devastation, not only to those around you, but to your mind and spirit as well.”

At this moment there are those that totally relate to what I just said, and I feel that I am compelled to remind you, Nothing can separate you from the Love of God. I truly felt that this is what I was supposed to post tonight.

As I stood, hearing this I said, “Lord my anger has surely driven people from you and made me look like a fool.”

As the Spirit replied, in my spirit I saw Peter in the garden that night slicing off the man’s ear.¹ God said to me, “in your time they call that attempted murder, and at the least assault, which carries a hefty prison term. Was I able to take care of that situation?”

Of course my answer was yes.

“Then give me the opportunity to take care of this, as well. As for those you feel you have chased away. They are in my hands and are not your concern. The choices they make concerning me are theirs alone.”

“There is nothing to difficult for me.”²

As he continued, he said, “just as management asked you to not be angrily involved with that other employee, and you did that. I want you to remember how relaxed you became once you realized that someone else was in control and you did not have to worry about him anymore.I am asking you now to no longer respond in anger, regardless of the situation, for there is no situation that I do not have a firm grip on the outcome. I am asking you to relax, listen to my voice inside of you, respond according to the voice of faith that I know you hear.

There is no situation that I will not step into on your behalf! There is nothing that prevents you from calling upon my name; as you do you get to relax and watch the mediator do what he does best; you will be stunned. I am telling you this because of my deep love for you, and the fact that my approach is close at hand.

The onslaughts are going to come with the purpose of distracting you from me, and the path that I have put you on. I urge to be awake and watch for me.

Listen for the trumpet blast, you will hear it.

“Many will read this and scoff. To those I say, sleep on. I will know where your allegiance lies. No man will be denied my life and presence who calls upon my name.”

Allow me to explain something to you. When I get a word from the Lord, it seems that I sometimes only get two or three words. Sometimes it is an impression of some need. Occasionally, I am just told to go and be obedient and He fills in the blanks. Although much of what I received was at church this morning, during a time I tend to be listening best, I was not in the best position to write this down. So let’s just say that some time passes and now you have the opportunity to recollect what was said.

One of my greatest desires would be to give the word exactly as I heard it, with clarity, and emotion, but in truth, much of that emotion is me.

If you are going to analyze the prophetic then you must remember that God uses people, and there is not a one of them are not broken; some are retrained under the masters hand, but still broken, so there is always a measure of humanness involved.

These broken people are the same ones that God used to convey this book we call the bible. An example: God told Jonah to convey a message to Nineveh. If you will read the book you will see that Jonah’s brokenness got involved, for he says, “even when you told me to go, I knew you be merciful to them.” What is the problem with that? Nothing, mercy is a good thing, and thankfully God showed mercy on all of us, by having Christ shed his blood for us, but Jonah had some strong motivations to have these people dead, and was probably rooting for it.

I will tell you then that I left there, drove for almost an hour, and stopped to eat. There I pulled out the pad and started transcribing what I remembered, and what he was now telling me as I wrote.

I you have not read my writings then you may not know my background, or should I say, heart. I was a young man when through combination of factors, I felt that God called me to be a prophet. In my minds eye I feel that God has called me to bolster staggering believers, those who may not even feel like believers, and those who are asleep. While this calling aspect may have happened over 30+ years ago I ran from it.

Now why would I do that? Well, one, most folks, like many of you, balk at the idea. And some can down right mean.

About seven years ago I made a foray into giving words that I felt were from the Lord publicly. While most were received well, there was a learning curve involved (I guess), and the last time I was really loud. Some took that to mean that God was mad at them, and they complained. (God will speak to you in a manner that you understand. If he snaps at you to get your attention, then you would be wise to think of him as a Father that is correcting you, and nothing more. I would recommend a positive response from you, should he speak to you like that, because he is all likelyhood trying to save your life from some non-sense.) Anyway, the complaints got me shut down by the pastor that had originally encouraged me. What an odd world, but money talks.

There is a point to this. God is calling me back again, and if he tells me to put a word from the Spirit on the blog, then I trust that he is speaking to someone directly. To be more direct, as I was receiving this word this morning, not only was I the target, but a brother that just recently found my blog, who lives in Greece, was heavily upon my heart. I could see your face “lizam”.

Father, I ask now in the name of Jesus Christ, your Son, who gladly offered himself up in our behalf, to step into the life of my Athenian brother. I do not know how bad off he is right now, but I am asking you Father to touch his body, his soul, his mind, and his pocket book. Help him, heal him, and cover his bills. Father there are so many of us that struggle with anger, because this world is not a perfect place and we are broken. Remind those that read this that you love them deeply, with an everlasting love, and that you have already proved your love for them on the cross. Make Jesus Christ and the power of his name real to them, and give them an isatiable desire for your word. Father if all they have for your word is my blog, then cause even the simplest passage that I put on here, bring a light into their life that is able to shine through to someone else. Father I ask that my words become something that they can use on a daily basis. I this is you Father then bring those to this place that need to hear you. Grow inside of them like some kind of a dynamo. As it spins, it creates more energy, and that energy is your life inside of them. Father, I ask that you fill their minds and hearts with visions of your glory, and if they do not know hook them now, and pull on them, until they find a believer to tell them about the Love that I have found in you.

The Spirit and the bride say come!³ Behold, he is at the door⁴. Awaken and watch for his coming. I long so much for you to be there, and not have to go through the tribulation that is coming. Look around you, and you can see the devastation approaching. Some already have it at their doorstep, and we need to pray God’s protection over them when ever possible.

Those who have a heart for him will come.

1John 18:10 Then Simon Peter having a sword drew it, and smote the high priest's servant, and cut off his right ear.

2Jeremiah 32:17 ...there is nothing too hard for thee:

3Revelation 22:17 BBE And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him who gives ear, say, Come. And let him who is in need come; and let everyone desiring it take of the water of life freely.

4Revelation 3:20 KJV Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.

Where can I get some oil?

Matthew 25:1-13 NIV "At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. (2) Five of them were foolish and five were wise. (3) The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. (4) The wise ones, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. (5) The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep. (6) "At midnight the cry rang out: 'Here's the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!' (7) "Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. (8) The foolish ones said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.' (9) "'No,' they replied, 'there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.' (10) "But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut. (11) "Later the others also came. 'Lord, Lord,' they said, 'open the door for us!' (12) "But he replied, 'Truly I tell you, I don't know you.' (13) "Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.

I have a very sporadic schedule, so on occasions I stop very early for breakfast. That is my quiet time before work, and something that I find essential. I have to spend time with the Lord each day. The more the better.

It was on one of these morning stops that I met Rick and Demetri. These men have been meeting two days a week at this restaurant for quite some time now. I know this because for several years I have avoided them. Now why would I do that?

Three reasons:

1. I had my own agenda, spending time with my Father, and really did not want to interrupt that.
2. This collection of men bring in a small mountain of study books, and I felt like this was going to be way over my head.
3. I knew one of the men personally. The man I know has a Doctorate in Theology, and has used it as a club against me on several occasions. One of those clubbings' was after I had read the book “The Shack”. That book changed my outlook on who God was. I had never known such a loving God prior to that, but when I began to converse with my Doctorate “friend”, he informed me rather quickly that our conversation was over, as he did not have time such weak theology. Obviously he did not have time for me either. This was not the first time he had been so blatantly rude to me, but I thought I would give it one last try.

I had not seen my Doctorate friend at the restaurant for some time, and he was not there on this particular morning either. I came in with my rather large and obvious bible (as a side note – many now have the Bible on their phones and Ipads. Hey, that's great, but I want you know who I am and what I stand for. Not religion, but Jesus Christ, our salvation and soon coming king. With a phone stuck in my face, I am just another rude person, tuning everybody else out with their toy.), and they invited me to join them. At first I turned them down, but after several seconds passed I asked what the topic of discussion was that day. Rick responded with, “the end times.” Now you have my attention. So I told them to bring on the battle, because I am in.

There was no battle. I found these two men to be very sincere, desirous of the knowledge of God, as I am, and both have hearts that love God. Demetri is Greek, and offers tremendous help with words and insight in the culture. Rick worked in finance and was a Pastor. I am not sure if he still is or not. I do know that he loves to talk, a lot. I have met with them on several occasions and recently asked for Rick's input on what the oil represented in Matthew 25's parable of the ten virgins.

It had only been a few days since I had mentioned this question to Rick, and I knew that he had other more pressing demands upon him, but he gave me a one page, handwritten answer. I was surprised and immediately began reading it.

Oh my; his response, was safe, non-nondescript, lacking in power, and said absolutely nothing. He either missed the point, did not get the point, or did not have time. If I do not know the answer to the question, I will not stop until I find out what the answer is. - I happen to think that the answers are here in this book we call the Bible, if you are willing to look for them. (This makes me think of the Xfiles television show. I actually liked it, a lot.)

First, there may be nothing more to the oil, than something that helps to create light, but we will explore that. Secondly, I am not so sure that I have a solid answer yet, but at least I will tell you that, and I will not let that stop me from exploring logical possibilities.

How's that for an introduction. Now let's dive in.

“Then the kingdom of heaven will be like 10 virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the groom. Five of them were foolish and five were sensible. When the foolish took their lamps, they didn’t take olive oil with them. But the sensible ones took oil in their flasks with their lamps. Since the groom was delayed, they all became drowsy and fell asleep. “In the middle of the night there was a shout: ‘Here’s the groom! Come out to meet him.’ “Then all those virgins got up and trimmed their lamps. But the foolish ones said to the sensible ones, ‘Give us some of your oil, because our lamps are going out.’ “The sensible ones answered, ‘No, there won’t be enough for us and for you. Go instead to those who sell, and buy oil for yourselves.’ “When they had gone to buy some, the groom arrived. Then those who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet, and the door was shut. “Later the rest of the virgins also came and said, ‘Master, master, open up for us! ’ “But he replied, ‘I assure you: I do not know you! ’ “Therefore be alert, because you don’t know either the day or the hour. (Matthew 25:1-13, HCSB)

1. The lamps were quite small and had to be filled frequently. Taking more oil would have the been the only wise choice. An obvious factor here is that there is not an inexhaustible supply, and the lamps must be filled.
2. The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia states: the Figurative Use of "Lamp" is in the sense of a guide in Ps 119:105; Prov 6:23, and for the spirit, which is called the lamp of Yahweh in man (Pr 20:27), and it of course often signifies the light itself. It is used also for the son who is to succeed and represent his father (1Ki 15:4), and it perhaps is employed in this sense in the phrase, "The lamp of the wicked shall be put out" (Job 21:17; Prov 13:9; and perhaps Job 18:6).
3. The sensible or wise ones took extra oil in their flasks. If this represents the Holy Spirit, we have nothing that tells us that we have the ability to store up extra for future usage. It occurs to that it, like manna, is given for the short term. Manna had to be gathered daily; it did not store; you had to consume it all, and it gave you sustenance for a duration. The Holy Spirit is so like that. Much like food, it drives the spirit of man for a time, but some aspect tends to burn out and needs to be refilled. Ephesians 5:18 tells us, “be not drunk with wine, ..; but be filled with the Holy Spirit. Read that and ponder the contrasts between wine, the reasons, the excess, and what God is offering us in exchange. Out of their bellies shall flow rivers of living water.
4. The unwise, or non-sensible ones had to go to those who sell the oil and attempt to buy more. Just the fact that oil was needed implies that it was dark outside. Where were they going to buy oil in the middle of the night? If the oil is representative of the Holy Spirit, then who is trying to sell the Holy Spirit? If you will recall Peter and John had to deal with such an incident when Simon the “former” sorcerer asked if he could buy the gift of laying on of hands. That got him in some hot water. Sadly, I believe that some evangelists border on such nonsense. They will in a round about way try to sell you anything. The Holy Spirit is freely given, therefore while it may play a role in this scenario, it is not the primary aspect.
5. The fact that the lamps were small and required frequent refillings should be a clue as to how our lives should be lived. I believe our lives should be lived as though we are in a pursuit. A.W. Tozer has a book, which I have not read, called Knowledge of the Holy. I am on a daily pursuit of knowledge about the one that chose to redeem me and call me his own.
6. The five, had no oil because: The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep. (Matthew 25:5 NIV) I have been accosted with argument even with my writings. They say stuff like, it has been over 2000 years, relax, don't get so worked up, have fun, and this is from a pastor acquaintance of mine. I do not believe that we are to do anything but live life on the edge, and trust me, putting yourself out there and living like Peter did in the book of Acts, is about as on the edge as you can get. When I step outside myself, outside my little protective mode, and throw myself on the line in faith, I have never felt so alive.
7. One last aspect to ponder is that all ten thought they were going to the wedding. We might equate that to the rapture of the church, or perhaps the harpazo/snatching away works better for you.

The five that were not prepared is attributed to being drowsy and falling asleep.

I have had the opportunity to hang out with another bunch of senior citizens, that happen to all be Christians as well, but there is a difference, they do not meet because they wish to expand their horizons and knowledge with a discussion about the living God. In fact they will divert rather quickly if it gets to intense.

Strangely, I have had a couple of very interesting moments hanging out with them. A young Christian man, from the university across the street used to come in and sit close by. On two occasions I gave him a word that I felt was from the Lord. I get as much pleasure out of doing that as the person receiving the word might. But I will tell you that even as I was delivering this word to the young man, in a public place, the Pastor that was sitting with us, was giving me the stink eye.

I have tried to talk with this Pastor about end times events, and he wants no part of it. All he seems to want to say to me is, “just be happy, enjoy life, and there is no real trouble.” Good Lord, that man is asleep at the wheel. An interesting thing, my Dad went on a cruise recently with his church group, the pastor included. The pastor told them that he did not want anyone asking him religious questions or referring to him as pastor while they were together on the ship. Is there something terribly wrong with this picture. Although this is where I used to attend church when I was young, I have had no compulsion to go there for a long time. I wonder why.

I get excited because God's word make me feel alive. I have always had a desire to understand end times and now suddenly, in this last year things have become so clear to me. I have gained an understanding of what Islam believes, and how they parallel our end times prophecy with precision. The players in the prophecies of Islam fit like a glove when you read the Revelation. To be honest, I do not understand why God has not come yet. When I tell people about the timing of things, I tell them we are no longer generations away, the clock is down to mere minutes, Jesus return is that close.

The President of Iran, Ahmadinejad, has stated openly on three occasions, as he addressed the United Nations general assembly, that he has been called to usher in the entrance of the awaited one, the Mahdi. This man is said to come in the midst of confusion and chaos, and he is willing to make that happen. Has anyone looked around the world lately. Folks, chaos is coming in the form of Islam, and it is riding a war horse. Just today, 1/10/2012, Yahoo posts a picture of an obscure nuclear production site in Iran that is heavily defended with surface to air missiles. Why would you need that level of protection for an electric plant? You don't, you need it for an atomic bomb production facility.

I could go on for pages on this stuff, but here is the point. If these five, who were wanting to go to the wedding, gathered in the same place as those that went, ran out of oil, then I want that oil. Maybe the oil is little more than desire, and anxious pursuit. I watch for him as a watchman on guard duty might. Scanning the horizon I see what is going on in the distance (The middle East. Folks, if you are watching the middle east, do not for a minute think that what is happening there is not quietly creeping up into your back yard.)

The Bible tells us what to look for and Israel becoming a nation is a major clue. Jesus said:

"Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it is near, right at the door. Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened.

(Matthew 24:32-34 NIV)

The tree is in full bloom, and it almost seems as though the fruit is about to plucked off the tree.