History Repeating

By Carla Castro

Acts 6 starts out with a situation similar to that which I see occurring at Anchor.

Acts 6:1-7

"In those days when the number of disciples was increasing, the Grecian Jews among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food. 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. Brothers, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word." This proposal pleased the whole group. They chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit; also Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas from Antioch, a convert to Judaism. They presented these men to the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them. So the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith."

Now, let's look at it in terms of today:
 
The number of Anchorites are increasing and people have seen the need increasing as well for those in the church and the neighborhood. Up until now, a large amount of responsibility has been set upon the shoulders of Pastor Tim and he found himself trying to balance ministry and helping the needy, leading to a large workload. He has succeeded in doing everything and doing it well; however, as we all know, doing too much all the time leads to burnout. Instead of neglecting any responsibitilies, he opted to hire me on staff to Anchor to assist with helping with the people's needs. He saw in me the experience and knowledge of the social service world and the desire to love people in a Christlike manner. When I began the work at Anchor, Pastor Tim pulled my family and I to the front of the church during service to pray for us and the service that I could offer Anchor. Through this, we hope to see the number of followers increasing and movement towards the ideal circumstances that people at Anchor are no longer needy.
 
History often repeats itself, from small situations to large historical events. In Acts 6, the basic beginnings of the church is described. In the present at Anchor, we are hoping to make a small impact in the world. But, isn't it interesting as we read, how we can draw these connections? Often, I turn to the Bible in times of trouble and just flip it open instead of reading a specific passage, I allow God to show me what he would like me to see. And more often than not, the page or chapter I turn to is more help than I could ever have imagined. How amazing is it that he provides us His wisdom through the Bible when we allow him to?
 
I would be lying if I said that I have ever been devout and good about reading the Bible daily. Until recently, when Tim has shown the value of reading the Bible in our lives, have I realized what I was missing. I'm far from achieving what I would like to in regards to following the Word, but would hope that through the weekly readings of Acts, I continue to form a habit. And I hope that as you follow the reading and blogging, we can together learn more about God, the history of Christianity, and find how truely important it is in our lives as Christians.
 
And I am so grateful to everyone that has supported Anchor's decision to hire me to help with the needs of the church and look forward to the time to come in serving the church and the neighborhood.

Chill Out

By Steve Dennie
Acts 5:33-42

People freak out way too easily.

When the year 2000 rolled around, thousands of people horded freeze-dried food and built underground shelters, fearing the Y2K bug...which turned out to be nothing.

I’ve seen people get all worked up about End Times prophecies. A high school friend told me he didn’t intend to go to college, because his church told him Christ would return in a couple years. That was in 1973.

People get way too worked up about politics. They see George Bush, or Barack Obama, or the Tea Baggers, or whatever sinister forces Glenn Beck imagines, as leading to the end of America. They see socialists, communists, Nazis, gun confiscators, progressives, fundamentalists—whatever they fear--lurking under every bush.

Today, people keep talking about the Mayan calendar, which ends in 2012, implying that that’s when the world ends. The Mayans themselves pretty much ended in the 1400s, so I’m not too concerned.

Working for the denomination, I’ve seen younger ministers, excited about a certain proposal, grow apocalyptic when it doesn’t pass. As if the whole Great Commission is now stymied.

Anyway, people need to chill out.

That was Gamaliel’s advice in Acts 5. People in Jerusalem saw all these people flocking to Christianity, and verse 33 says, “They were furious and wanted to put them to death.”

I don’t know what Gamaliel thought of the Christians, whether he was for or against them. But here, he was the voice of reason. He stood up and basically said: “Hey, everybody—take a breath. Chill.”

He told people that this Christianity thing, if it’s false, will die out on its own. Just give it time, and it’ll go away. Prophets have come and gone, leaving no lasting impact. This Jesus will probably be the same way. So don’t get all worked up.

He also added that if it was the real thing, then there was nothing they could do to stop it. Which turned out to be the case.

But regardless, it was good advice. We need to quit listening to the alarmists who tell us the sky is falling, and just chill out. Things will work out.

YES FEAR!

By Matt Kennedy

Acts 5:11 

“Great fear seized the whole church and all who heard about these events.”

Have you ever seen those shirts that have “No Fear!” printed on them? I remember when they first came out. I never did buy one but I liked the premise of that logo – “Fear is for wimps. I am not a wimp. I can face anything without fear. Nothing, not even you, can scare me!”


Maybe, given this particular meaning, having fear is a bad thing. Yet when we read this story of Ananias and Sapphira we see something happen that is, in my opinion, the best thing that could have happened to the church. God instills within them fear.

This made me think about the end game for God. I mean, what was he thinking? When you read a story like this one you can become so enamored by the fact that these two people drop over dead (literally) that we miss the fruit of what God’s discipline brought… FEAR.

Why fear? What is it that God wants us to be afraid of? Well, actually nothing. At least nothing with regard to the way we typically think of fear. After all “God did not give us a spirit of fear, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.”

One of my go-to theologians is Wayne Grudem. He always has an answer to all my questions that challenge me or explains things in a way that help me make sense of things. So, I looked up the Fear of God in his book “Systematic Theology” just to see what he had to say. I found out he had very little to say about the ‘Fear of God’. In fact, none of the theologians I looked at had much to say about it, if they even bothered to address the issue at all. Yet what Mr. Grudem did say about the Fear of God caught me by surprise. He mentions it under the heading “Motives for Obedience to God in the Christian Life”. “Motives for Obedience?” Where was he going with this?

Well, Grudem defines the Fear of God this way: “the desire to avoid God’s displeasure and discipline on our lives”. And wouldn’t you know it; among the dozen passages he lists as biblical examples of this ‘motive for obedience’, Acts 5:11 is at the very top. After reading this I began to think about the fear of God in a whole new light. I mean how many of us when tempted to sin stop and say, “I cannot do this. It would not make God happy and I would not want to displease Him.” I confess I do not do this very much at all. Oh I’ll come up with good reasons not to, “This is sin. It would hurt more than myself. The pleasure from this sin will only last a short time. The consequences are worse than the immediate, fleeting pleasure of my actions. I’m going to get caught! Etc. ” Yet I am ashamed to admit that very few times have I ever said, “I am not going to do this bad thing because it would displease God.” I do not know many who do. Do you?

In fact, I could only think of one person who did this in all the Bible. His name is Joseph. He is the 2nd youngest of the 12 sons of Jacob. He was sold into slavery by his brothers and eventually found himself the slave to a man named Potiphar. Potiphar had made Joseph head over everything in his house with the exception of his wife. Repeatedly she tried to seduce Joseph and repeatedly he refused. His reason can be found in Genesis 39:6-10 but here is the reason he gives her, v. 9 “How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?” He would sin against God. That was his reason. In other words, “I cannot do this because it would make God unhappy.” Joseph had the Fear of God!

So what about you? Are you afraid of God? I hope not. Do you fear Him? I hope so!

Persecution.

By Carla Castro
Acts 5:12-32

In reading this selection from Acts 5, I see the disciples being persecuted for teaching the people about the Resurrection. They are jailed for their faith and sharing it.

It's a story told over and over and over in the Bible. 

I just wonder, what would I do if I didn't live in a country where I was free to practice the religion of my choice? What if I knew I would be faced with a horrific punishment due to speaking and freely practicing Christianity?

I mean, the disciples actually got it easy at first by simply being put into jail. But in some other Biblical experiences that we learn in Sunday School, it wasn't usually that simple. Daniel was thrown into a den with hungry lions. Shadrack, Meshack, and Abednego were thrown into a fiery furnace.

Would I be strong enough to face the political leaders and say, "I don't care what you want to do to me; I will follow and speak of my faith." I wish I could say that there's no doubt in my mind that I would.

What would you do if the President came and told you that you would be faced with your biggest fears and the most torturous death unless you stopped being a Christian and didn't talk about the promise that Jesus can give if you just accept Him as your personal Savior?

Pastor Tim pointed out on FB a very important point to me: "You can't oppress people who don't fear death." Whoa. Almost knocked the wind out of me. And it causes me to question: Why would it matter what they threatened me with? I have an eternal promise that no matter how much power or political leadership they have, they cannot take it away. I can endure anything I am faced with here on earth because I will have a glorious eternity. Really puts things into perspective about persecution, eh?

Some Gave All

By Steve Dennie
Acts 4:32-37

I'm giving Pastor Tim a choice. Which would he prefer?

• That the people of Anchor share the same heart and mind.
• That the people of Anchor freely share all their possessions with each other.

Which is harder to pull off? One is measurable, the other abstract and mental.

Acts 4:32 says those early Christians did both. We Americans, so conscious of money and possessions, focus on the second part. But the verse actually starts by saying, "All the believers were one in heart and mind." Wow, that's pretty significant. And we just skip over it and go right to the money part.

What were they one in heart and mind about? This Christianity thing was all new to them. They were sort of making it up as they went, feeling their way along, trying to discern how they should now live their lives. There were no classes to take, no books to read. Nobody had written out a set of doctrinal beliefs. So there probably wasn't all that much to agree on. But I'm guessing that their heart-and-mind agreement included these things:

1. Jesus really did rise from the dead just a few weeks before.
2. Everything must change.
3. The Holy Spirit has revolutionized their lives, and they'll never be the same.
4. They've got to tell others about what has happened in their lives.
5. Loving others is really really important.

Those early believers shared the same passion for Christ and for loving others, and they could never go back to the way things were before. They had been transformed. And one result was that they shared everything they owned. But it started with sharing the same mindset.

What would that look like at Anchor? It goes way, way beyond liking the same music, dressing casually, and agreeing that Tim's a pretty nice guy.

Now, as commendable as it was to share all their possessions, this is not a command that we must follow. Acts just tells what happened in the early church. They did some good things, and some misguided things. Like I said, they were figuring things out as they went. Only here, in the very early days after Jesus ascended, does the Bible tell about believers sharing all their possessions, and even selling land and homes to share with other believers. They were fallible people operating purely on unbridled passion.

Should Pam and I sell our house, bring the money to Pastor Tim, and say, "Distribute this to other people in need"? After all, that's what the early Christians did.

Well, it's quite possible that we should. Can't rule it out. Jesus did tell one fellow that to sell everything he had and give it to the poor. Following Jesus isn't supposed to be safe and convenient and full of bling.

But (back to Acts), a few years later, in Romans 15, the Apostle Paul is going around Macadonia and other places taking up an offering for the believers in Jerusalem. What's that all about?

Let me be very contrarian. Could it be that, in liquidating their assets, those Jerusalem Christians did something foolish? It was certainly done out of a good heart. But was it wise in God's eyes? They gave away their assets, and now they needed a bailout. How did God view it?

I'm asking, because I don't know. I'm just wondering.

And yet, I'll bet that those people who sold land and homes had no regrets. God takes care of his people. You find that out when you give until it hurts. That's what those early Christians did. They weren't giving out of their abundance, but giving everything.

And maybe, in being freed of taking care of property and hoarding possessions, those early Christians felt a true liberation. They were now free to throw themselves fully into changing the world.

Which is what they did. What started with a handful of people, then grew into a few thousand people, now accounts for several billion people throughout the world. I would say that that's worth selling a few acres.

Ask...And You Shall Recieve

By Carla Castro

" 'Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. Stretch out your hand to heal and perform miraculous signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.' After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.

Not often do we ask and immediately recieve what we are asking for. If you are a parent, you hold the power to deny the inobtainable, and often, unreasonable requests of your child.

"Can I eat the entire box of cookies?"
"Please, can I climb the shelf to reach the books on top?"
"If I brush my teeth, can I have candy before breakfast?"
"I see the lightening, but, please, please, please, can I go swimming in the pool?"

No.

And how often does God answer our requests, sometimes not so inobtainable or unreasonable, because He has a better plan for us?

"God, please make my marriage easier."
"Lord, I just need you to help me pay these credit card bills."
"I love my house, Father, please stop the forclosure."
"Make this path of following you an easy one, dear Lord."

No.

But in Acts 3, the people cried out. They begged God.They didn't understand why people were turning against them and asked for His help, for the ability to speak His word and to minister to others. And as soon as they asked, they recieved the gift of the Holy Spirit.


Now, this is not a one time thing. It's a reoccurring theme. Earlier in Acts, the disciples asked and they too recieved the Holy Spirit. It is seen time and time again, people genuinely ask God to be with them, to give them the Holy Spirit and to use them to do His Will, and for this question, He will say "Yes."

If you say "yes" to God and want to be a tool for Him, he will use you. And it's never a decision to be made lightly. It leads to a life full of bumps and bruises, trials and tribulations, but in the end, the jounry is worth it. But it is up to each person whether they want to ask for the journey, no matter how inobtainable or unreasonable, and God will provide his answer.

Yes.

If it Ain't Broke . . .

Bree Johnson

I once had a pastor tell me that if I didn’t give my heart to God, I would one day walk out a door and fall head-first into the pits of hell. Imagine being fifteen years old and having to cope with that! Isn’t it funny the tactics some Christians use to scare or shame others into accepting Jesus? And isn’t it interesting that such tactics always fail?

In Acts chapter three we read about the crippled man who waited at the Beautiful Gate, hoping to receive alms from those going to pray in the Jewish Temple. Along came Peter and John to heal the man in the name of Jesus in the plain sight of countless unbelievers. The man was instantly healed and leaped off, praising God all the while. This got everyone’s attention and opened the door for Peter and John to share the Good News of Jesus with all that would receive it.

And apparently, there were many who wanted to receive it. Acts 4:4 states, “But many of those who had heard the word believed, and the number of the men came to about five thousand.” (ESV)

Men. The number of MEN came to five thousand--as in five thousand heads of households, as in men with wives and children. So, the number of believers could automatically be tripled into ten to twenty thousand easily when women and children are added to the equation. That’s a lot of people to suddenly convert from Judaism to Christianity and the Jewish priests no doubt felt threatened--threatened so much in fact that they found it imperative to silence Peter and John.

This Jesus, this Man everyone now sought after, He challenged everything they ever believed or taught others to believe. The Sadducees taught that there was no life after death and these men, Peter and John, were contradicting everything with their talk of a Savior who promised that this life was just the appetizer before the succulent entrée to come. The priests couldn’t have their faith rivaled and Peter and John were imprisoned.

What happens next is interesting: When Peter and John sit before the Counsel of the Jewish rulers and elders, it is never questioned whether or not the miracle actually took place but by what authority they, two fishermen, performed the miracle.

Acts 4:8 says that Peter was filled with the Holy Spirit when he addressed the Counsel. Interestingly, Jesus promises His assistance for this very moment back in Luke 12:11-12: “And when they bring you before the synagogues and the rulers and the authorities, do not be anxious about how you should defend yourself or what you should say, for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.” (ESV)

Last year, Stephen and I participated in a FAITH ministry. FAITH promised to teach believers how to convince non-believers of Jesus and show them how they could be saved. For weeks, we struggled to memorize verse after verse that would help lead others to Christ. When the time came to go door-to-door (something I’ve always hated doing-- I see it that if you’re unsaved, the last thing that’s going to convert you is some sweaty bible thumper disturbing your dinner to share the Good News of Someone you don’t even believe exists) we would get so nervous that we couldn’t remember the verses and would stand there looking like fools as we searched for something to say. Needless to say, the twelve weeks that followed were long and cumbersome and not a single soul was saved as a result.

The problem stemmed from not being prepared for reality. On our FAITH visits, we were armed with a script and a list of responses for what unbelievers said to us before they slammed the door in our faces. We didn’t speak from the heart and we didn’t trust the Holy Spirit to guide us. We tried to script our way to saving souls and our efforts failed miserably.

I wish we could’ve been more like Peter. He wasn’t afraid or nervous because he was filled with the Holy Spirit. He just told them how it was, he didn’t quote countless bible verses and try to outsmart them. He didn’t try to scare them with the threat of demons or hell. He was bold and straight-forward just as we should have been.

A pastor made a statement in a sermon a few months back that Stephen quotes all the time. It’s a statement that the pastor probably doesn’t even remember making but one that Stephen and I will never forget. He said, “The only way to be saved is through Jesus. You’re welcome to try alternate methods if you want to. They won’t work, but you’re welcome to try.” We liked that. It was clear and to the point. The statement wasn’t meant to mesmerize or scare anyone, it was just the plain and simple, shoot-from-the-hip truth. And it was a lot like what Peter told the counsel when asked by what authority they healed the man.

To share Jesus with others, we need not offer a shock-and-awe factor. There’s no need for theatrics and Roman chants to play in the background. We don’t need to nag unbelievers to the point that they run for cover every time they see us walking their way. We just need to tell them the truth--the unashamed, it-is-what-it-is, take-it-or-leave-it truth: there is no other name by which one can be saved. Once the unbeliever wraps his or her mind around that fact everything else will fall into place.

It’s not up to us to make this or any other moment a moment of epiphany for unbelievers. We just need to tell them what we know and if we want to add a few words from personal experience for extra sustenance, that’s great. But the best way to share Jesus is by example, just like Peter and John did. They lead thousands to Jesus and they didn’t make up stories or prey on people’s fears to do it. They showed them what Jesus was capable of and shared with them what they knew. And despite having walked with Jesus on earth and witnessing first-hand His miracles, they weren’t holier-than-thou about it. They shared Jesus with truth and simplicity-- by example and their methods have worked for thousands of years. I think I’ll stick with what works.

Beyond Baptism

by Steve Dennie
Acts 3:17-26

Peter has just got done reading people the riot act. "You killed the Holy One. You asked that Barabbas--a murderer, for heaven's sakes!--be released! You killed the One who created all life!"

But then, in verse 17, he lets them off the hook. "Hey, I realize you didn't know what you were doing. Neither did your leaders. You didn't mean it. You're good people at heart. If you had known the scoop, I'm sure you would have behaved differently."

I don't usually think of Peter as being diplomatic. But here, a whiff of tact leaked out. Interesting to see.

In verse 19, Peter tells people: "Repent and turn to God, so that your sins may be forgiven." Contrast that with Acts 2:38, where he tells people, "Repent and be baptized, for the forgiveness of your sins."

He left out baptism. Why was that? Was he all worn out with baptizing 3000 people a few days before? Maybe his body was still all wrinkly from being in water for hours on end, and he just couldn't stomach the thought of descending back into the water to dunk a bunch of people again.

If they repented, that was between them and God. But if they also wanted to be baptized, then Peter got dragged into doing the baptism. So he was saying, "Just repent. That'll be good enough for now."

I'm obviously speculating. I don't know why Peter omitted the baptism part. I'm sure he hadn't decided it was unnecessary.

On the other hand, he added the command, "Turn to God." Start looking to God for direction, and follow him.

This is discipleship. I'm sure Peter wasn't casting aside the idea of baptism, but he knew that baptism wasn't the culmination. He was looking beyond baptism to the ongoing life-change he wanted to see in people. "Turn to God, and never take your eyes off of him." I suspect that's what he wanted to see happen.

The Truth Hurts

When arguing with my husband (or anyone for that matter), nothing hurts more than when they point out the truth. It stings, and at times, I would rather be straight up punched in the gut. I would rather be in an arguement with someone and them accuse me of all sorts of insane and unrealistic allegations than to point out the cold hard facts to me. I cannot justify or brush away the truth.

Could you imagine how hard it was for the people in Acts 3 to swallow Peter's words to them? (Acts 3:13-15)

"The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus. You handed him over to be killed, and you disowned him before Pilate, though he had decided to let him go. You disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a murderer be released to you. You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. We are witnesses of this."

GULP! Oh, man.

But his next words were of hope, for the people then and for people now. Whether it is something minor, like realizing that it was my turn to do the dishes and I did not, or something huge, like responsibility for the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, there is hope.

"Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord."

I subscribe to this daily email (All Pro Dad's Play of the Day) and yesterday it talked of the difference between saying sorry and asking for forgiveness (in respect to parenting, but very true for our lives as well).

" 'Sorry' is OK for accidents, like spilling milk or bumping into someone. But when your kids do something on purpose -- calling their brother or sister a name, not sharing -- then they have to say, "I was wrong -- please forgive me." And they have to do it without making excuses and without a bad attitude. Asking for forgiveness is an experience that teaches humility and responsibility. And that's nothing to be sorry about.

I wish I could offer words of wisdom and advice on how to make it easier to hear the truth and react, especially when it's truth that we're ashamed of or reality that we do not want to face, but in all honesty, I still struggle with this. It's a day to day thing to look in the mirror without the smokescreen and say, "I messed up and now, I need to fix it." If you feel like this is an area that hits home to you, maybe today is the day to repent to God and ask Him to wipe away your sins. If He can forgive the death of His son, why wouldn't he be able to forgive you?

Clueless

I’ve always been a praying person. Even as a little girl I prayed, often asking and sometimes begging God to “let me have this” or “let this happen for me.” And when my prayers were answered, I was thankful and in awe, but for a moment before something new captured my attention. But when God would neglect to answer my prayers in the time I felt appropriate, I would often get frustrated--sometimes even angry-- that I didn’t get my way. And I’m ashamed to admit, I get very impatient now when my prayers aren't answered in my time, much in the same way I did as a child.

My dad has always told me that God has three answers to prayers: yes, no and not now. Not now means that God will answer my prayer, but in His time, not mine. This works to teach me patience. Yes means yes but may not be for the best, a kind of “be careful what you wish for” scenario at times. And no means that God has something even better in store for me. While I’ve never found any biblical evidence to support my dad’s thinking, I’ve found that the “rule of three answers” has always been pretty accurate in my prayer life.

I can certainly handle the “yes” answers and I’m starting to get used to the “not now” but I’m still a big cry baby when God tells me no. After all, don’t I know what’s best for me and my life? Shouldn't I be the one to make the really big decisions? Aren't I a big girl now?

Unfortunately, I don’t have a clue what’s best most of the time. I didn’t create me, therefore I can’t possibly know what’s best for me. My future is not in my hands and pretending to know what’s best is like driving a car blindly, not knowing where to turn because I don’t know the final destination.

It was only after I began to realize that “no” really meant “ask for something else” did the finality of a “no” answer become not-so-final after all. Instead, “no” is more of a new beginning--a change in course, a detour to a destination far better than the one I had originally thought ideal.

In the first third of Acts chapter three, we find Peter and John at the Temple precisely at the hour of Jewish prayer. They watch as a man, lame from birth, is carried to the Beautiful Gate--not by strangers, no doubt, but by people fully aware of the severity of his affliction. The man obviously made it a habit to come to the Temple at the busiest time of day--the Hour of Prayer--to beg from those going to worship.

The man sees Peter and John and asks to receive alms. Peter instructs the man to look at them and tells him that he has no silver or gold but he will give him what he does have and, in the name of Jesus, heals the man. A man who was crippled since birth, an obviously well-known man, unable to walk or work, was immediately healed in plain sight of countless onlookers. The man then stood and began to walk and leap, praising God all the while.

But he didn't ask the men to heal him; all he wanted held mere monetary value. He had probably never even entertained the idea that his condition could ever be cured. Instead he spent day after day at the Beautiful Gate, begging for whatever the others around him could spare. And he was no doubt content with what he received, never realizing what he was missing. He probably could’ve spent the rest of his life carrying on much in the same way he always had without even daring to think of what his life could be. He was content with mediocrity and satisfied with the mundane.

The lame man didn’t receive what he wanted from Peter and John, instead he received something far greater than he could’ve ever imagined. He just didn’t know what to ask for. Romans 8:28 says, “And we know all things work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose.” (ESV) It's my favorite verse and the one that's gotten me through many bouts of "this is so unfair" and "why is this happening to me?" So while my life and it’s direction may be somewhat out of my hands, I know that God is saying to me, “I’ve got this. Just trust Me.” Now when I pray, I pray with purpose but with a fuzzy image of the outcome because I know, in the end, it’s all in God’s hands and it will all come together just as He intends. And chances are, it’ll be far better than anything I could’ve imagined for myself. That’s one of the many wonderful things about God; He always knows what’s best for me and what I need, precisely when I need it.

Explaining the Incredible, and Getting Wet

By Steve Dennie
Acts 2:29-47

Peter is giving his impromptu sermon on the day of Pentecost. The Holy Spirit had descended, people were speaking in languages they didn't know, and people were understanding languages they had never understood before. Some kind of explanation was required, don't ya think? So Peter got up and launched into an impromptu and, apparently, very lengthy sermon, trying to help people understand.

The thing is, Peter had never seen anything like this happen before, either. Nobody had. This dumb fisherman was probably as blown away as everyone else. Who was he to explain it? On a clueless scale of 1-10, with everyone else being a 10, Peter was probably at least a 7. So when he started talking, it was probably a case of, "I'm going to talk until I figure out what I want to say."

That's where the Holy Spirit comes in, and divine inspiration. The Holy Spirit gave Peter the right words. And Peter's thinking, "How do I know this stuff?"

As he told about the resurrection of Christ, the people asked in verse 37, "Okay, so what do we do now?" A valid question. They'd heard this amazing stuff about the Son of God who was crucified and came back to life. So now what? What does it MEAN?

And Peter spewed out the perfect, theologically sound answer. Before the Holy Spirit, Peter's answer would have been, "Duh, beat's me." But with the Holy Spirit, Peter says, "Repent and be baptized…and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."

You could ask lots of people born and raised in the church today, and they couldn't give you that answer. But Peter KNEW. And he was probably as amazed by his words as anyone.

"Repent and be baptized...." Step 1, and Step 2.

At Anchor, we practice "believer's baptism," which means the person getting baptized has already made the decision to follow Christ. As opposed to an infant who gets sprinkled. If these two things go together--repent, get baptized--then to me, it points very strongly to a choice you make when you're old enough to make it. Since the first part is to repent, you have to ask, "How does a baby repent?" Well, a baby can't. A baby can barf and poop and cry, but not repent. This whole issue is a whole lot more theologically complicated than that, but I'm a simple person, so I'll view my simple logic as bulletproof, and defer all questions to Pastor Tim.

For me, baptism occurred at age 10, when my pastor dunked me in a swimming pool on an extremely hot day in Chambersburg, Pa. I swallowed some water and came up coughing, and kept coughing long after I'd climbed out of the pool. But baptism was my choice, and it came after, the summer before, I went to an altar and gave my life to Jesus.

This Sunday at Anchor, a dozen people much older than 10 will be baptized. It's their choice. And I'm jazzed about it.

Acts says about 3000 people were baptized that day in Jerusalem. Where'd they do that? Was there a nearby river? Did they use a pond? Whatever the case, it must have been a really big deal in Jerusalem, something lots of people came to gawk at. And I'm sure the Jerusalem Post reporters got it all wrong. They had no clue that what was happening there that day, with all these Jesus freak fanatics, would change the world forever.

Are You Shaken?

How often have you shared your faith only to be ridiculed or laughed at? How many times have you been in a situation and have hesitated to share that you are a Christian because of the reaction you might recieve?

How did you respond? What did you end up doing?

In Acts 2, once the disciples recieved the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages - languages that they hadn't know until that point - and they begain sharing the gospel to people in all different tongues, some were receptive. Some were not.

Haven't you been in that position with your faith?

I know that, as a child raised in a church with my mom being the Sunday School teacher and the youth group leader and doing VBS and Christmas pageants, I knew my faith. I knew what I believed in. I went to a conservative Christian college. I knew what I believe in.

So why is it that in certain situations, when I'm approached and have the opportunity to share the gospel, I hesitate? I worry about what people will say about me and my faith.

Everyone ends up in situations as a believer, where their faith is questioned and ridiculed. It's tough. There are all types of names for Christians that the secular world uses:
"Bible Thumper."
"Bigot."
"Hypocrite."
"Holy Roller."

A study by the Barna Group that I found on the internet said that only 16% of non-Christians in their late teens and early 20's have a positive view of Christians. That is less than one in five.

So, how do you respond?

I know that when I used to be teased or called names or looked down on because of my faith, I did not know how to stand up for it. I didn't know what to do. And generally, I clammed up, looked down, and tried to leave the situation as quickly as possible to avoid the discomfort.

In Acts 2: 17-21, Peter stood up when the people accused the Disciples of being drunk with wine, and quoted scripture. In verse 22, he explains further, and quotes scripture again. Ultimately, he defended Christianity and their faith in it.

Now, I share my faith a lot more than I used to. I do not consider myself to be a hardcore, preachy, "Bible thumping" Christian, but I try to live like Christ and love like Christ, and, when appropriate, share that good news that I am saved.

We, as believers, should represent our faith, not by telling people where they fall short in the eyes of God or judging them by their actions or lecturing them on their failures, but we should praise their good works and love them despite their wrong doings and help them grow to become better. If every Christian reacted to the world in love, instead of judgement, maybe we could erase some of those negative views of our religion.

Acts 2:25-28 - "David said about him: 'I saw the Lord always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will live in hope, because you will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay. You have made known to me the paths of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence.' "

May I Have Your Attention, Please?

About ten years ago shortly after Stephen and I were married, I agreed to tutor his seven year old nephew, Dakota. Dakota was a bright kid who just had a little trouble reading and keeping up in school. After only one tutoring session I realized why he often fell behind; he had never gotten a good grasp of the alphabet or that each letter, or group of letters, corresponded to a particular sound. It soon became apparent that we would have to start from the very beginning, with letter recognition, before we could make any real progress toward grade-level reading.

Now, I knew if I just told Dakota that he would have to learn the alphabet from the beginning he would’ve shut down and refused to work with me. He would assume that I didn’t know what I was doing or that I was trying to baby him and he’d lose respect for me almost immediately. I realized I had to get his attention . . . in a big way. I had to make the tutoring sessions so unlike any class he had ever been to or any other lesson he had ever learned that he would have no excuse not to participate. So . . . I resorted to bribery.

As newlyweds Stephen and I always kept a large jar on our kitchen counter for spare change just in case our checking account ever ran low, which it often did. Every day when Stephen got home from work, he would drop his spare change in the jar and by the time I started tutoring Dakota, it was nearly half full.

One day when Dakota came over for his tutoring session, I asked him if he wanted to earn a little money. His dark brown eyes-- root beer eyes, I always called them because they reminded me of root beer barrel candies--grew into saucers and sparkled like diamonds. Of course he wanted to earn some money! He had toys to buy and video game machines to feed. I brought out the big jar and his eyes danced as a big smile curled his lips.

I promised Dakota that for every letter he could recognize, I would give him a coin from the jar. Sometimes I would give him a quarter and sometimes I would just give him a penny or two, but each time he recognized a letter, I would give him something. Before long it became such a game to him, he could spout off letters, giggling all the while, before I could get my hand out of the jar.

I had gotten his attention by speaking to him in a language he could understand. If I would have just said, “Dakota, I’m your aunt and you’re going to learn your alphabet,” I would have lost him. I had to get his attention in a big way and I only had one opportunity to do it.

I thought of Dakota as I read Acts 2:1-13. The Holy Spirit was making His debut and He was doing it in a big way. “And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like the mighty rushing wind and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. And at this sound the multitude came together and they were bewildered, because each one was hearing them speak in his own language. They were amazed and astonished . . .” Acts 2:2-7 (ESV)

I didn’t understand the significance of each audience member understanding, in his own language, what was said until I did a little research. Unsurprisingly, languages of the world in that time were as complex then as they are today. It would have taken even the most intelligent men and women years to master a particular language. Because all twelve apostles were from Galilee, they didn’t have access to distant languages. It wasn’t as simple as dropping by Barnes & Noble for a quick study guide or enrolling in a summer foreign language class at the nearby community college that would provide them with enough of an understanding to “wing it”.

Then I began to think of why God must have felt it was important for this to be the Holy Spirit’s first miracle. It wasn’t to take the complexities out of communication--it was to convince them that He was among them. He got their attention and He did it by speaking to them in languages they could understand. He got his point across and did it in such a profound way they wouldn’t likely forget the experience or the incredible feelings that accompanied it.

With Dakota I had to speak to him in his own language to get him to listen to me. I had to find a way to get through to him even if I had to resort to unconventional methods. Isn’t it interesting how God will often deal with us in the same manner? He gets down on our level and speaks to us in ways we can understand Him. He may not speak to me in the same manner He speaks to others because He, in His infinite wisdom, knows that I’m stubborn and am unlikely to respond to convention. Just like a mother or father knows what methods of love and discipline work for their children, our Heavenly Father knows what methods work for us. He doesn’t expect us to conform to another’s way of thinking, instead, He acknowledges that we’re all different, just as He intended.

We serve a mighty God--a God who is not too out-of-reach to love us, comfort us, or communicate with us. And He’s still communicating today just as He was back then. The key to hearing Him is to accept that He’s willing to come down to our level to reach us. I find it incredible that the God who created every particle of existence, the God who hung the stars in the sky and breathed breath into all living things finds me significant enough with which to communicate and He’s willing to do it wherever I am, whenever I want and in ways that I can understand and relate. How humbling is that?

Filling Time Between Jesus and the Holy Spirit

By Steve Dennie

Acts 1:15-26 occurs during an in-between time: Jesus had just ascended, but the Holy Spirit hadn't come yet (that would happen soon on Pentecost). I imagine Peter and Friends were pretty stumped about what they were supposed to do. Jesus was gone, so…what next? The Holy Spirit hadn't come yet to give them direction.

I imagine God did that very intentionally. The coming of the Holy Spirit would be a Really Big Deal. But first, God wanted them to know what it was like to NOT have the Holy Spirit, nor Jesus. To be alone. He let them, for a short time, flounder.

All they could think of to do was to "play church." They got together, probably had a potluck, they prayed, and they held a business meeting. Kind of what churches do today when they lack the Holy Spirit's presence.

Acts says there were 120 people. That's pretty much the size of Anchor's congregation on a typical Sunday. So when you imagine Peter standing up front and speaking, think of Pastor Tim at the front of Anchor. Did those 120 include kids? Or were there 120 adults, PLUS kids? Don't know.

Jesus had chosen 12 disciples. Now they were down to 11. Was it important to fill the vacancy? They thought so. Peter pulled out an obscure reference from the Psalms that said, "May another take his place of leadership." It had nothing to do with Judas, and it was not a piece of prophecy, but everyone apparently considered it a compelling argument. Peter made a motion to replace Judas, and Andrew seconded it. Or something like that.

Hey, they didn't have anything else to do.

They also settled on some qualifications. They decided the New Guy had to be someone who had been with Jesus from Day One (Christ's baptism) until the ascension. You can just imagine them sitting around, arguing about qualifications. Maybe John suggested they get some newer blood, someone who hadn't been following Jesus for more than six months or so. But the Old Guard won out. It would be a long-timer.

They didn't, it seems, draw up a job description beyond "apostolic ministry." I suspect there were already 11 guys who didn't understand their job or what they would do the next day. But they felt they needed one more clueless person to make an even dozen.

Somehow--I'd love to know their process--they settled on two names, Barsabbas and Matthias. Were they the only two qualified persons? We don't know. Maybe several other persons were nominated, but they said, "No thank you. I'd rather not get crucified or sawn in half."

Barsabbas, or Matthias--which should it be? In America, of course, we would vote, because we're all about democracy and we're sure that is God's preferred method. But those First Century Christians did the Jewish time-honored practice of casting lots, the same practice that got Jonah thrown into a whale. What does it mean to "cast" lots? I'm not sure. But it was similar to drawing straws, which is more familiar to us. Matthias "won."

My Bible notes that this is the last time the Bible mentions casting lots to make a decision. A few verses later, the Holy Spirit arrives, and maybe this "inner voice" replaced lots. Or maybe Peter and Paul, who predominate in the rest of the New Testament with their strong personalities, just made executive decisions. Whatever the case, I don't see that the practice was made obsolete.

In these verses, this in-between time, we see fairly ordinary people. But then the Holy Spirit comes, transforming these men into spiritual commandos. In the rest of Acts, there is no more "playing church."

God's Perfect Timing

I have spent the past two days reading and re-reading the passage that I was asked to blog on. Waiting on some understanding, for something to click and "just make sense." I read the passage in the New International Version, The Message version, the New Living translation, the English Standard version. Just waiting for the message that I needed to pop off the page and grab my attention.

This last time, while reading The Message version, I re-read the previous passage and there it was.

The beginning of Acts 1:9 reads, "These were his last words." So often, emphasis is put on last words. A prisoner being put to death gets to state his last words. Wise rulers manytimes has infamous last words. Numerous quotes talk about last words. We always try to get the last word in an arguement. There is significance in last words.

So, I looked at the previous verses to see what Jesus' last words were before the ascention. They were, "You don't get to know the time. Timing is the Father's business. What you'll get is the Holy Spirit. And when the Holy Spirit comes on you, you will be able to be my witnesses in Jerusalem, all over Judea and Samaria, even to the ends of the world."

I know that Jesus is speaking of his return to earth, the time when everything will end, but to me, it rang true for everything in life.

So often, we try to make things happen at certain points in our life. Teenagers try to find their spouse, couples try to have children, adults try to live in financial stability, the unemployed try to find jobs...in all circumstances, so often, we try to control when things happen. We also try to control when things don't happen. We do everything possible to "proof" our lives, to protect them from things that we do not want. We create savings accounts in case of emergency, we try to ensure our jobs, we attempt to protect our marriages, be healthy, but things happen no matter how hard we work to stop them. Lay offs happen. Affairs happen. Fires and natural disasters happen. Cancer and disease happens.

When you step back from the emotionality of your life and your situation, you are better able to see God's perfect timing in it all. From the thousand dollar check that comes as your cupboards become bare, to the life altering reality that leads you to a new relationship with Christ, God is the one controlling it all. And we must allow and open our hearts to the Holy Spirit in order to use our lives to grow and understand and be able to witness to others. We must pray for understanding and when He knows the timing is right, he will use you in the lives of others in ways that you could never have imagined. His timing truely is perfect, but of course, it is God we are talking about. It would never be anything less.

Saying Good Bye

Isn’t it interesting that it’s often easier to be the one leaving rather than be the one left behind? There’s just something about that bitter, oft times, all-consuming feeling of loneliness that occurs in the wake of another person’s absence that’s enough to soften the shell of even the most rugged exterior. Few experiences can carry the same flood of raw emotion as that of missing someone; to have a desire to be with another, to see his or her face, to touch his or her hand, yet not have the ability--whether separated by physical distance or physical death.

As I read through Acts 1:1-9, I asked God to help me read between the lines and see something in the text that I had never considered in the past. I didn’t want to feel the way I would “expect” to feel; joy at the ascension of Jesus to the right hand of God, or excitement for the Holy Spirit; I wanted to experience the emotions I would feel if I were standing there on the mountain watching my Savior leave me behind.

I began to think about the people most prevalent in the last sixty or so days of Jesus during His time on earth. They spent precious moments with this incredible Man; the Son of Almighty God, the Great Healer, the Alpha and Omega. They sought His counsel and watched Him perform miracle after miracle for those society had deemed unworthy. They stood in the presence of His greatness and power and in helplessness as they watched Him suffer and die on a cross for them. They mourned His death and grieved for His absence. And they were, no doubt. astounded by His resurrection.

For forty days following His resurrection, they knew He would leave them again and during these forty days, He revealed to them the tools they would need after His ascension. He would leave them with everything they needed to carry on His Great Commission without His physical presence; though He promised there would be One to take His place--the Holy Spirit. But I can’t help but wonder about what these people really felt. These men and women had touched the face of God, they had taken their meals with Him, walked with Him, and experienced time with Him in physical form that no living man or woman has experienced since then. And yet He would soon leave them behind.

I wonder how they felt as they stood in those last few moments on the mountain with Him. Did they feel as we feel when we’re about to lose someone so dear to us that we can’t imagine an existence without him or her? Did they try to memorize the lines of His face, the exact color of His eyes, the way He stood, His mannerisms? Did they hang on His words to play back his voice in their minds? Were they tempted by their imperfect human emotions to beg Him to remain just a moment longer so that they may drink in His fragrance? Did they want to cast aside their selflessness for a moment to just lean on Him one more time?

And after His ascension, were they left with the bitter emptiness of having lost a loved one? I would imagine that without ever having experienced the Holy Spirit one would be rather unbelieving of the comfort His presence can afford. Did they doubt that this intangible Spirit, this invisible Being could offer them the same comfort and help as the Living God in the flesh? Were they as inconsolable as I would have been if faced with the sadness of watching my Savior physically leave me behind?

As I can’t imagine a day without the Holy Spirit’s presence in my life and without the ability to call out to God, speaking with Him and seeking His help, I can’t imagine what it would have been like to give Him up in His physical form and cling to something intangible, something that I could only see through the eyes of faith. I wonder if over time they didn’t feel as I feel now; I wouldn’t trade that “something” for anything in this world, not even a moment with Him in person, and I’m thankful that I never have to.

Anchor & the Acts

Where did the Church come from? More importantly, what is the Church supposed to be all about?

With all the bad experiences so many people have had with church, it's easy to understand why many Christians quit going to church, and why most Americans don't attend church on a regular basis. If churches were going to make some big changes, what should they do different? I suggest for Anchor that we look long and hard at where we came from. I mean that we ought to look back, past 1998, all the way to AD28.

The Bible includes a book called The Acts of the Apostles. It's a collection of events and stories pieced together to convey how Peter and Paul extended the teachings and commands of Jesus. The church was born out of Jesus-followers who met together to live out His teachings in their world. But not only that, to announce to their family and friends the good news about Jesus, what he has accomplished, and what he intends to do in the coming days and decades and centuries.

If we want to know what churches ought to be remembered for, we ought to look back to what the first churches were famous for. Two thousand years is a big time gap, and yet people are still pretty much the same, the sins are still similar, the need for a savior is still evident, and the capacity for good is still remarkable! In becoming more familiar with the Acts of the Apostles, we'll become more clear on what ought to define our churches these days.

Join the readings - one chapter out of Acts a week. We'll also tie in to that chapter Scripture from the Gospel of Luke, other New Testament letters, as well as material from the Old Testament. It all links together to tell a powerful and engaging story. By doing these readings, you'll become more informed on what story God is telling, and more inspired to join Him in his ongoing work. Our knowing and understanding is crucial to our being sent to serve.

Some friends and I will be posting on this blog each week, sharing insights from the chapters, as well as background information to the story. Check in several times a week, feel free to post your comments or questions. Don't agree with something? Let us know! Have your doubts, share them. Have some ideas to share, then post them!

Day Forty: Living with Purpose

What was helpful to you in the reading today?

It's taken more than forty days to work through this book! But the forty days I have spent reading through these chapters have been encouraging and convicting for me. How about for you?

This last chapter hits on some core issues that are very important to me:

Most people struggle with three basic issues in life. The first is identity: "Who am I?" The second is importance: "Do I matter?" The third is impact: "What is my place in life?"

These are questions I cycle through on a frequent basis. It's one of those insecurity things I need to solve. In the weeks I have spent working through this book, I have made progress in answering those three questions. I've been learning to accept myself, I've been seeing more clearly my value to others, and I've become more energized by the difference I have already made, and will continue to make in the world.

A common theme for me lately is "focus". I have to move beyond curiosity and good intention, I have to focus on what is central and vital and not get distracted by lesser opportunities. In gaining clarity about myself and God's purposes, I must do it.

"Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them." Once you know what God wants you to do, the blessing comes in actually doing it. As we come to the end of our forty-day journey together, now that you know God's purposes for your life, you will be blessed if you do them! 

This probably means you will have to stop doing some other things. There are many "good" things you can do with your life, but God's purposes are the five essentials you must do. Unfortunately, it's easy to get distracted and forget what is most important. To prevent this, you should develop a purpose statement for your life and then review it regularly. 

Here are some ideas on what is a "Life Purpose Statement", why you should develop one, and how it would help you stay on course:

It's a statement that summarizes God's purposes for your life.

It's a statement that points the direction of your life.

It's a statement that defines "success" for you.

It's a statement that clarifies your roles.

It's a statement that expresses your shape.

I really, really, really liked these questions - very helpful to me "catching" what the five purposes are all about and how they play out in my life:

What will be the center of my life?
This is the question of worship. When you committed your life to Christ, he moved into the center, but you must keep him there through worship. How do you know when God's at the center of your life? When God's at the center of your worship. When he's not, you worry. Worry is the warning light that God has been shoved to the sideline.


What will be the character of my life? 
This is the question of discipleship. What kind of person will you be? God is far more interested in what you are than what you do. Make a list of the character qualities (like the Fruit of the Spirit) you want to work on and develop in your life.


What will be the contribution of my life? 
This is the question of service. What will be your ministry in the Body of Christ? Knowing your combination of spiritual gifts, heart, abilities, personality, and experiences, what would be your best role in the family of God? How can you make a difference?


What will be the communication of my life?
This is the question of your mission to unbelievers. Your mission statement... should include your commitment to share your testimony and the Good News with others. You should also list the life lessons and godly passions you feel God has given you to share with the world. As you grow in Christ, God may give you a special target of people to focus on reaching.

If you are a parent, part of your mission is to raise your children to know Christ, to help them understand his purposes for their lives, and to send them out on their mission in the world. Of course, our lives must support and validate the message we communicate.


What will be the community of my life?
This is the question of fellowship. How will you demonstrate your commitment to other believers and connection to the family of God? To which church family will you be joined as a functioning member? The more you mature, the more you will love the Body of Christ and want to sacrifice for it.

There are few books that I can recommend that are better than this one in providing a gracious, focused, well-thought-out, helpful outline of how to grow as a vibrant, God-centered, neighbor-loving Christian. I've read through this book several times since my Dad gave it to me a few days after the 2004 New Year's Day. I know that I will work through it again and again in the decades to come. And I will continue to highly recommend it.

Live on Purpose. Live for God. Live out Love. Everyday.

Day Thirty Nine: Balancing Your Life

What was helpful to you in the reading today?

This was a good summary of the book, of how the five purposes are action plans of the Great Commandment and Great Commission of Jesus:

1. "Love God with all your heart": You were planned for God's pleasure, so your purpose is to love God through worship.

2. "Love your neighbor as yourself": You were shaped for serving, so your purpose is to show love for others through ministry.

3. "Go and make disciples": You were made for a mission, so your purpose is to share God's message through evangelism.

4. "baptize them into...": You were formed for God's family, so your purpose is to identify with the church through fellowship.

5. "teach them to do all things...": You were created to become like Christ, so your purpose is to grow to maturity through discipleship.

A great commitment to the Great Commandment and the Great Commission will make you a great Christian. Keeping these five purposes in balance is not easy. We all tend to overemphasize the purposes we feel most passionate about and neglect the others. Churches do the same thing.

The point of this chapter was to help the readers make an action-plan for putting these purposes into practice on a daily basis. There are four suggestions: join a small group for accountability, regularly evaluate your spiritual health, record your progress in a personal journal, pass on what you learn from others.

We learn best in community. Our minds are sharpened and our convictions are deepened through conversation. A small reading group provides many benefits that a book by itself cannot. You can give and receive feedback about what you're learning. You can discuss real-life examples. You can pray for, encourage, and support each other as you begin to live out these purposes. Remember, we are meant to grow together, not separately.

God places a high value on the habit of self-evaluation. For your spiritual health you need to regularly check the five vital signs of worship, fellowship, growth in character, ministry, and mission.

Writing helps clarify what God is doing in your life. "Thoughts disentangle themselves when they pass through your fingertips." Don't write down just the pleasant things. As David did, record your doubts, fears, and struggles with God. Our greatest lessons come out of pain, and the Bible says God keeps a record of our tears.

Whenever problems occur, remember that God uses them to fulfill all five purposes in your life: Problems force us to focus on God, draw you closer to others in fellowship, build Christlike character, provide you with a ministry, and give you a testimony. You owe it to future generations to preserve the testimony of how God helped you fulfill his purposes on earth.

If you want to keep growing, the best way to learn more is to pass on what you have already learned. Those who pass along insights get more from God. God is calling you to be his messenger. The more you know, the more God expects you to use that knowledge to help others. Knowledge increases responsibility.

The reason we pass on what we learn is for the glory of God and the growth of his kingdom. God wants us to introduce people to Christ, bring them into his fellowship, help them grow to maturity and discover their place of service, and then send them out to reach others, too.

It takes hard work, perseverance, focus, and delight in the rewards to make and sustain change. And it doesn't have to be all guesswork. Our five purposes dovetail with one another, giving helpful guidelines for the direction God wants us to take, the goals he wants us to accomplish with him.

As you pursue these purposes in your home, at work, at school, at church, you will initiate a good change within yourself and those around you. The same trust and obedience you had in God to start the change is the same trust and obedience that will sustain the change. The Spirit that prompts you will not mislead you. Go with confidence. Go in humility. Go in love.

Day Thirty Eight: Becoming a World-Class Christian

What was interesting or thought-provoking to you from the reading today?

Some estimate that there are over 2 billion Christians in the world today! It's the fastest growing religion in some parts of South America, Africa, and Asia. As the world's largest religion in a world of over 6 billion people, Christians can have enormous influence for good.

Even with so many people adhering to the Christian faith, there are still more than 4 billion people that haven't made a decision for Christ or haven't heard the Good News (or heard a version that made sense, delivered with authenticity, perceived with credibility...).

This is where you come in: we always want to think local when we think of mission, of sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ. When we serve and care for others in our community, we are living out the Great Commission. But we also want to always think global in our evangelism as well.

We ought to be considering where in the world we can serve and be Good News to communities with none or small Christian communities. When we show up somewhere in the world with Good News and supplies for a fresh-water well, mosquito nets, farming equipment, or medicine, we earn the opportunity to share about Jesus.

Have you ever been on a short-term or long-term mission trip? If so, how did it go? What was it like? Why did you go? What was the outcomes of it? If you have not gone yet, why not? When will you go? What is stopping you? What excites you about going?

It's been too long since Anchor has sponsored some short-term mission trips. It's time we started planning some to happen soon.


Here are some thoughts from the reading today that I though were helpful:

The Great Commission is your commission.
"Jesus said to his followers, 'Go everywhere in the world, and tell the Good News to everyone." Mark 16:15 (NCV)

Worldly Christians look to God primarily for personal fulfillment. They are saved, but self-centered. Their prayers focus on their own needs, blessings, and happiness. It's a "me-first" faith: How can God make my life more comfortable? They want to use God for their purposes instead of being sued for his purposes.

In contrast, world-class Christians know they were saved to serve and made for a mission. They are eager to receive a personal assignment and excited about the privilege of being used by God. World-class Christians are the only fully alive people on the planet. Their joy, confidence, and enthusiasm are contagious because they know they're making a difference. They wake up each morning expecting God to work through them in fresh ways.

It has never been easier in history to fulfill your commission to go to the whole world. The great barriers are not longer distance, cost, or transportation. The only barrier is the way we think. To be a world-class Christian you must make some mental shifts. Your perspective and attitudes must change.

Shift from self-centered thinking to other-centered thinking.
The Bible says, "My friends, stop thinking like children. Think like mature people." Of course this is a difficult mental shift because we're naturally self-absorbed and almost all advertising encourages us to think of ourselves. The only way we can make this switch is by a moment-by-moment dependence on God.

Fortunately he doesn't leave us to struggle on our own. "God has given us his Spirit. That's why we don't think the same way that the people of this world think." Begin asking the Holy Spirit to help you to think of the spiritual need of unbelievers whenever you talk to them.  Your goal is to figure out where others are in their spiritual journey and then do whatever will bring the a step closer to knowing Christ.

Shift from local thinking to global thinking.
God is a global God. He has always cared about the entire world. "God so loved the world...".  Much of the world already thinks globally. We are more connected than we realize. Prayer is the most important tool for your mission in the world. People may refuse our love or reject our message, but they are defenseless against our prayers. Prayer makes you a partner with others around the world.

Another way to develop global thinking is to read and watch the news with "Great Commission eyes." Wherever there is change or conflict, you can be sure that God will use it to bring people to him. People are most receptive to God when they are under tension or in transition. Because the rate of change is increasing in our world, more people are open to hearing the Good News now than ever before.

The best way to switch to global thinking is to just get up and go on a short-term mission project to another country!

Shift from "here and now" thinking to eternal thinking.
To make the most of your time on earth, you must maintain an eternal perspective. This will keep you from majoring on the minor issues and help you distinguish between what's urgent and what's ultimate. Paul said, "We fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." What are you allowing to stand in the way of your mission? What's keeping you from being a world-class Christian?

Shift from thinking of excuses to thinking of creative ways to fulfill your commission.
If you are willing, there is always a way to do it, and there are agencies that will help you. Many Christians have missed God's plan for their lives because they have never even asked God if he wanted them to serve as a missionary somewhere. If you are tempted to say no, you ought to check out all the different ways and possibilities that are now available (this will surprise), and you ought to seriously pray and ask God what he wants from you in the years ahead.

If you want to be like Jesus, you must have a heart for the whole world. The Great Commission is your commission, and doing your part is the secret to living a life of significance.

Day Thirty Seven: Sharing Your Life Message

What was encouraging or convicting to you in the reading today?

For such a difficult subject, I think this chapter was brilliantly written. Most Christians I know are very uncomfortable with talking about their faith, and many are even petrified of praying with a friend to become a Christian. It's a weird scenario, when you think about it. What's the big deal talking with others about why you are a Christian and how they can become one?

As I've thought about the issue, a lot of it comes down to assumptions: publicly there is plenty of hostility towards Christians, so we assume that others we know are hostile as well. There is also a public frown against proselytizing: you believe what you want to believe, I'll believe what I want to believe, who are you to imply that your way is better than mine? This kind of attitude compels an assumption of social awkwardness when it comes to talking about personal faith. Also, what if when you start talking about your faith, others ask questions you can't answer, so you end up looking stupid?

It's possible that all three of those scenario's could get played out when you talk about your faith. Or not. Regardless, here are some thoughtful ideas from the chapter that I liked:

God has given you a Life Message to share. When you became a believer, you also became God's messenger. God wants to speak to the world through you. Paul said, "We speak the truth before God, as messengers of God."

Your Life Message has four parts to it:
* Your testimony: the story of how you began a relationship with Jesus
* Your life lessons: the most important lessons God has taught you
* Your godly passions: the issues God shaped you to care about most
* The Good News: the message of salvation

Your testimony is the story of how Christ has made a difference in your life. Peter tells us that we were chosen by God "to do his work and speak out for him, to tell others of the night-and-day difference he made for you." This is the essence of witnessing - simply sharing your personal experiences regarding the Lord. In a courtroom, a witness isn't expected to argue the case, prove the truth, or press for a verdict; that is the job of attorneys. Witnesses simply report what happened to them or what they saw.

You may not be a Bible scholar, but you are the authority on your life, and it's hard to argue with personal experience. Personal stories are also easier to relate to than principles, and people love to hear them. Shared stories build a relational bridge that Jesus can walk across from your heart to theirs. Many people who won't accept the authority of the Bible will listen to a humble, personal story.

The second part of your life message is the truths God has taught you from experiences with him. These are lessons and insights you have learned about God, relationships, problems, temptations, and other aspects of life. While it is wise to learn from experience, it is wiser to learn from the experience of others. There isn't enough time to learn everything in life by trial and error. Imagine how much needless frustration could be avoided if we learned from each other's life lessons. Mature people develop the habit of extracting lessons from everyday experiences.

As you grow closer to God, he will give you a passion for something he cares about deeply so you can be a spokesman for him in the world. It may be a passion about a problem, a purpose, a principle, or a group of people. Whatever it is, you will feel compelled to speak up about it and do what you can to make a difference. You cannot keep yourself from talking about what you care about most.

God gives some people a godly passion to champion a cause. It's often a problem they personally experienced such as abuse, addiction, infertility, depression, a disease, or some other difficulty. Sometimes God gives people a passion to speak up for a group of others who can't speak for themselves: the unborn, the persecuted, the poor, the imprisoned, the mistreated, the disadvantaged, and those how are denied justice. The Bible is filled with commands to defend the defenseless.

God uses passionate people to further his kingdom. He may give you a godly passion for starting new churches, strengthening families, funding Bible translations, or training Christian leaders. You may be given a godly passion for reaching a particular group of people with the gospel: businessmen, teenagers, foreign exchange students, young mothers, or those with a particular hobby or sport. If you ask God, he will burden your heart for a specific country or ethnic group that desperately needs a strong Christian witness.  God gives us different passions so that everything he wants done in the world will get done.

What is the Good News? "The Good News shows how God makes people right with himself - that it begins and ends with faith." "For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people's sins against them. This is the wonderful message he has given us to tell others." Most important, you must learn to love people the way God does. God has never made a person he didn't love. Everybody matters to him. We must care about unbelievers because God does. If you've been afraid to share the Good News with those around you, ask God to fill your heart with his love for them.

The Bible says, "[God] does not want anyone to be lost, but he wants all people to change their hearts and lives."Don't miss the opportunities God is giving you.

Day Thirty Six: Made for a Mission

What was insightful or convicting to you in the reading today?

You were made for a mission. God is at work in the world, and he wants you to join him.

This is such an important idea. It is God's world, and it is his work - and he wants to work through us to accomplish his mission. This brings relief - we are not ultimately responsible for how it turns out. But it also brings energy - God is the one with the power and strategy for moving his work forward.

The mission Jesus had while on Earth is now our mission because we are the Body of Christ. What he did in his physical body we are to do as his spiritual body, the church. What is that mission? Introducing people to God! The Bible says, "Christ changed us from enemies into friends and gave us the task of making others his friends also."

As we get to know Jesus, his life, his teachings, his patterns, way of life, we become more informed and more inspired to follow in his steps. His mission is our mission, we are not left to guess what kind of work God wants to do through us. Just as Jesus helped connect people to God, so we help others know God. Not through "hit and run" conversations or events, but through the life we build with others, and through the opportunities God gives us in everyday life.

In the Great Commission Jesus said, "Go to the people of all nations and make them my disciples. Baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and teach them to do everything I have told you." This commission was given to every follower of Jesus, not to pastors and missionaries alone. This is your commission from Jesus, and it is not optional.

God wants you to share the Good News where you are. As a student, mother, preschool teacher, salesman, or manager or whatever you do, you should continually look for people God places in your path with you you can share the gospel.

Paul said, "My life is worth nothing unless I use it for doing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus - the work of telling others the Good News about God's wonderful kindness and love." There are people on this planet whom only you will be able to reach, because of where you live and what God has made you to be.

To fulfill your mission will require that you abandon your agenda and accept God's agenda for your life. You can't just "tack it on" to all the other things you'd like to do with your life. You must say, like Jesus, "Father, ... I want your will, not mine." You yield your rights, expectations, dreams, plans, and ambitions to him. You stop praying selfish prayers like "God bless what I want to do." Instead you pray, "God help me to do what you are blessing!"

You hand God a blank sheet with your name signed at the bottom and tell him to fill in the details. The Bible says, "Give yourselves completely to God - every part of you ... to be tools in the hands of God, to be used for his good purposes." If you will commit to fulfilling your mission in life no matter what it costs you, you will experience the blessing of God in ways that few people ever experience.

Day Thirty Five: God's Power in Your Weakness

What was encouraging or insightful to you from the reading today?

This is a chapter that a lot of us need to read and reread in the months to come. Where we are weak in our lives, that is a great place to begin trusting God. Since we often feel powerless to improve our weakness, letting God bring good out of it is a wonderful miracle. What's been your attitude towards God and your weaknesses? One of frustration? Of indifference? Or anticipation?

Here's some of the quotes I liked, ideas that were helpful to me:

God loves to use weak people.

Everyone has weaknesses. The more important issue is what you do with these. Usually we deny our weakness, defend them, excuse them, hide them and resent them. This prevents God from using them the way he desires.  We think that God only wants to use our strengths, but he also wants to use our weakness for his glory.

The Bible is filled with examples of how God loves to use imperfect, ordinary people to do extraordinary things in spite of their weaknesses. If God only used perfect people, nothing would ever get done, because none of us is flawless. That God uses imperfect people is encouraging news for all of us.

When you think of the limitations in your life, you may be tempted to conclude, "God could never use me." But God is never limited by our limitations. In fact, he enjoys putting his great power into ordinary containers. The Bible says, "We are like clay jars in which this treasure is stored. The real power comes from God and not from us."

When it comes to letting God further his work in the world through our weaknesses, there are some key actions we need to take, some things we need to let happen:

Admit your weaknesses.
Own up to your own imperfections. Stop pretending to have it all together, and be honest about yourself. Instead of living in denial or making excuses, take the time to identify your personal weaknesses.

Be content with your weaknesses.
Paul said, "I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may work through me. Since I know it is all for Christ's good, I am quite content with my weaknesses."...contentment is an expression of faith in the goodness of God.

Paul gives us several reasons to be content with our inborn weaknesses. First, they cause us to depend on God. Whenever you feel weak, God is reminding you to depend on him. Our weaknesses also prevent arrogance. They keep us humble. God often attaches a major weakness to a major strength to keep our egos in check. A limitation can...keep us from going to fast and running ahead of God.

Our weaknesses also encourages fellowship between believers. While strength breeds an independent spirit, our limitations show how much we need each other.  Most of all, our weaknesses increase our capacity for sympathy and ministry. We are far more likely to be compassionate and considerate of the weakness of others.

God wants you to have a Christlike ministry on earth. That means other people are going to find healing in your wounds. Your greatest life messages and your most effective ministry will come out of your deepest hurts. The things you're most embarrassed about, most ashamed of, and most reluctant to share are the very tools God can use most powerfully to heal others.

Honestly share your weaknesses.
Ministry begins with vulnerability. The more you let down your guard, take off your mask, and share your struggles, the more God will be able to use you in serving others. Vulnerability is emotionally liberating. Opening up relieves stress, defuses your fears, and is the first step to freedom. Vulnerability is an endearing quality; we are naturally drawn to humble people. Pretentiousness repels but authenticity attracts, and vulnerability is the pathway to intimacy.

This is why God wants to use your weaknesses, not just your strengths. If all people see are your strengths, they get discouraged and think, "Well, good for her, but I'l never be able to do that." But when they see God using you in spite of your weaknesses, it encourages them to think, "Maybe God can use me!" Our strengths create competition, but our weaknesses create community.

At some point in your life you must decide whether you want to impress people or influence people. You can impress people from a distance, but you must get close to influence them, and when you do that, they will be able to see your flaws. That's okay. The most essential quality for leadership is not perfection, but credibility.

People must be able to trust you, or they won't follow you. How do you build credibility? Not by pretending to be perfect, but by being honest.

Day Thirty Four: Thinking Like a Servant

What did you read today that was helpful to you?

The attitude we choose to have makes all the difference. We either make the choice based on how we feel, or we make the choice based on what we think. Actually, it's usually a mixture, but one or the other predominates. There is nothing wrong with feelings, they are very important.

For many of us, we make choices based on how we feel because we give so much authority and credibility to our feelings. Following our feelings will lead us to a very selfish attitude. But when we choose a good attitude of service, no matter how we feel, we'll be doing the right thing, and our feelings will probably change in accordance!

I write this as an important reminder to myself. Maybe you needed the reminder as well. Here are some other thoughts that I needed to read again.

Service starts in your mind.

Servants think more about others than about themselves.
This is true humility: not thinking less of ourselves, but thinking of ourselves less. Unfortunately, a lot of service is self-serving. We serve to get others to like us, to be admired, or to achieve our own goals. That is manipulation, not ministry. The whole time we're really thinking about ourselves and how noble and wonderful we are.

Thinking like a servant is difficult because it challenges the basic problem of my life: I am, by nature, selfish. I think most about me. That's why humility is a daily struggle, a lesson I must relearn over and over. The opportunity to be a servant confronts me dozens of times a day, in which I'm given the choice to decide between meeting my needs or the needs of others.

Servants think like stewards, not owners.
Servants remember that God owns it all. Servanthood and stewardship go together, since God expects us to be trustworthy in both.

To become a real servant you are going to have to settle the issue of money in your life. Jesus said, "No servant can serve two masters.... You cannot serve both God and Money." Money has the greatest potential to replace God in your life. When Jesus is your Master, money serves you, but if money is your master, you become its slave. Servants of God are always more concerned about ministry than money. How you manage your money affects how much God can bless your life.

Servants think about their work, now what others are doing.
They don't compare, criticize, or compete with other servants or ministries. They're too busy doing the work God has given them. Paul said, "We will not compare ourselves with each other as if one of us were better and another worse. We have far more interesting things to do with our lives. Each of us is an original."

If you serve like Jesus, you can expect to be criticized. The world, and even much of the church, does not understand what God values. Your service for Christ is never wasted regardless of what others say.

Servants base their identity in Christ.
Because they remember they are loved and accepted by grace, servants don't have to prove their worth. They willingly accept jobs that insecure would consider "beneath" them. If you are going to be a servant, you must settle your identity in Christ. Only secure people can serve. 

Insecure people are always worrying about how they appear to others. They fear exposure of their weaknesses and hide beneath layers of protective pride and pretensions. The more insecure you are, the more you will want people to serve you, and the more you will need their approval.

When you base your worth and identity on your relationship to Christ, you are freed from the expectations of others, and that allows you to really serve them best. The closer you get to Jesus, the less you need to promote yourself.

Servants think of ministry as an opportunity, not an obligation.
They enjoy helping people, meeting needs, and doing ministry. They "serve the LORD with gladness." Why do they serve with gladness? Because they love the Lord, they're grateful for his grace, they know serving is the highest use of life, and they know God has promised a reward.

Albert Schweitzer said, "The only really happy people are those who have learned how to serve."