6/22/14 YEAR OF EQUIPPING TO SERVE

Acts 5 -- Whose Way?  How are you going to live life?

    A very famous song recorded by one who sold more than 150 million records.   Frank Sinatra – My Way
    And now, the end is near;
And so I face the final curtain.
My friend, I’ll say it clear,
I’ll state my case, of which I’m certain.
    I’ve lived a life that’s full.
I’ve traveled each and ev’ry highway;
But more, much more than this,
I did it my way.
    Regrets, I’ve had a few;
But then again, too few to mention.
I did what I had to do
And saw it through without exemption.
    I planned each charted course;
Each careful step along the byway,
But more, much more than this,
I did it my way.
    Yes, there were times, I’m sure you knew
When I bit off more than I could chew.
But through it all, when there was doubt,
I ate it up and spit it out.
I faced it all and I stood tall;
And did it my way.
    I’ve loved, I’ve laughed and cried.
I’ve had my fill; my share of losing.
And now, as tears subside,
I find it all so amusing.
    To think I did all that;
And may I say - not in a shy way,
“No, oh no not me,
I did it my way”.
    For what is a man, what has he got?
If not himself, then he has naught.
To say the things he truly feels;
And not the words of one who kneels.
The record shows I took the blows -
And did it my way!
Songwriters: JACQUES REVAUX, CLAUDE FRANCOIS, GILLES THIBAUT, PAUL ANKA
My Way lyrics © CHRYSALIS MUSIC GROUP, S U I S A, COOPERATIVE SOC. OF MUSIC AUTHORS & PUBLISHERS, EMI Music Publishing
    This is a theme of a man who was arrogant and demanding that things go his way.  This message says “I am the standard for life”.  Get out of my way and let me live my life.
    This is the theme of people everywhere.  It is a popular theme of our modern culture.  I’m going to do what I want to do.
□    You can’t tell ME what to do.
□    I need my freedom.
□    That’s just the way I am.
□    God wants me to be happy, doesn’t He?
□    Since God is love He accepts me just the way I am, so leave me alone.
□    I don’t want any restrictions.
    This hunger to do anything we want is infiltrating churches across our nation.  Many things that the Bible calls sin are now accepted and promoted.  People have forgotten that God pays attention to what they do and holds them accountable.  It seems that the word “judgement” has been deleted from the dictionary.  Acts 5 gives us an amazing story of an attempt to deceive God and steal glory.
    At the end of Acts 4 we see a spirit of generosity and giving that came over the church.  They were giving many gifts to help out.  There was a couple who wanted to get in on the giving, but they weren’t really sold out to the sacrifice.  They thought they could get away with lying and deceit.
Acts 5:1-11 NIV
1 Now a man named Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, also sold a piece of property. 2 With his wife’s full knowledge he kept back part of the money for himself, but brought the rest and put it at the apostles’ feet.
3 Then Peter said, “Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land? 4 Didn’t it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn’t the money at your disposal? What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied to men but to God.”
5 When Ananias heard this, he fell down and died. And great fear seized all who heard what had happened. 6 Then the young men came forward, wrapped up his body, and carried him out and buried him.
7 About three hours later his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. 8 Peter asked her, “Tell me, is this the price you and Ananias got for the land?” “Yes,” she said, “that is the price.”
9 Peter said to her, “How could you agree to test the Spirit of the Lord? Look! The feet of the men who buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out also.”
10 At that moment she fell down at his feet and died. Then the young men came in and, finding her dead, carried her out and buried her beside her husband. 11 Great fear seized the whole church and all who heard about these events.
    What can we learn from this story?
    They schemed to lie and deceive, thinking they would get away with it.  The Bible says they lied to the Holy Spirit. Their desire was to gain honor and recognition (can you say pride?).  Ananias and Sapphira lied to the church about their giving trying to make themselves look very generous.
    Note: they did not have to give.  This was an offering the church was receiving.  God took note of their deception and  considered their lie a serious offense against the Holy Spirit.  This shows us a very important truth: sin is always against God.
    The deaths of Ananias and Sapphira show us God’s attitude toward pride and deceit among believers.  They forgot
Proverbs 16:18 NIV  Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.
    This couple was guilty of conspiracy.  And they thought they could get away with it.  The basic cause of their sin against God was their love for money and the desire to receive praise.  When these prideful things take over -- the love of money and praise -- people become open to all kinds of evil influences.
I Timothy 6:10 NIV
10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.
Matthew 6:24 NIV
24 No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.
    In verses 5 and 10 we see God’s judgement.  It happened right there and then.  Ananias fell over and died. God did this to show His deep hatred of sin, of deceit and dishonesty.  This has no place in His kingdom.  God despises self-promotion and a claim of deep spirituality that is not there.  This sin shows an absence of the holy fear and awe of the Lord that believers must have.  It brings dishonor to God.  As a result, these offenses bring God’s judgment.
    God has always judged sin.  Look at these biblical examples from the very beginning.
Genesis 3:23 NIV
23 So the LORD God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken.
Genesis 4:13, 16 NIV
13 Cain said to the LORD, “My punishment is more than I can bear.”
16 So Cain went out from the LORD’s presence and lived in the land of Nod, east of Eden.
Jonah 3:4 NIV
4 On the first day, Jonah started into the city. He proclaimed: “Forty more days and Nineveh will be overturned.”
    The story of Ananias and Sapphira must be told to our modern world, and especially the church world.  It should be combined with the story of Jonah.  Jonah was judged for his disobedience.  God got his attention and he went to Nineveh to give them God’s message.  It was a message of judgement.
    Our modern world needs to respond like Nineveh did.
Jonah 3:5 NIV
5 The Ninevites believed God. They declared a fast, and all of them, from the greatest to the least, put on sackcloth.
    There was a call for repentance.
Jonah 3:8-9 NIV
8 But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth. Let everyone call urgently on God. Let them give up their evil ways and their violence. 9 Who knows? God may yet relent and with compassion turn from his fierce anger so that we will not perish.
    This message desperately needs to be heard today.  The response of repentance desperately is needed.
    Back to Acts 5.  The response of the church, verse 11.
Acts 5:11 NIV
11 Great fear seized the whole church and all who heard about these events.
    Great Fear!!  I would think this would be an obvious result of two deaths.  It is interesting to note that church growth continued.  Note that this was God’s judgment on sin.  His immediate judgement on the sin of Ananias and Sapphira caused a response of fear among the believers.  They were reminded of their accountability to God.  They were struck with a holy awe and reverence to God.  People need a proper fear of God and His anger against sin.  They must never forget His judgment of sin.
    When believers do forget about God’s judgement and anger against sin, they quickly tend to conform to the ungodly ways of the world.  Then they cease to experience the power and blessings of the Holy Spirit and God’s supernatural presence.  The fear of the Lord is a necessary component of faith.
    We have looked at two different approaches.  Living life:
My Way
God’s Way
    Everyone in the world must make a choice.
    I came across an old story, I can’t verify the source.  It has a good point.
    In the American frontier days, there was a settlement in the West whose citizens were engaged in the lumber business. The town felt they wanted a church. They built a building and called a minister. The preacher moved into the settlement and initially was well received. Then one afternoon he happened to see some of his parishioners dragging some logs, which had been floated down the river from another village upstream, onto the bank. Each log was marked with the owner’s stamp on one end. To his great distress, the minister saw his members pulling in the logs and sawing off the end where the telltale stamp appeared.
    The following Sunday he preached a strong sermon on the commandment “Thou shall not steal”.  At the close of the service, his people lined up and offered enthusiastic congratulations: “Wonderful message, Pastor.” “Mighty fine preaching.” “Keep up the good work.”
    It wasn’t the response he expected, so he went home to prepare his sermon for the following Sunday. He preached on the same text, the same commandment, but gave it a different ending. He said, “Yes, thou shall not steal, but thou shall also not cut off the end of thy neighbor’s logs.” When he got through, the congregation ran him out of town.
Haddon Robinson, “Grace and Truth in Application,” PreachingToday.com
Do we HAVE to do things God’s way?  Can’t we do what we want?

    The Law of the Stop Sign.  This law was written by people to control traffic.  It says the traffic safety requires drivers to stop at the intersection.  Those in authority declare that to run the sign will cost you a specific amount of money.  If the traffic changes, they can take the sign down.  The authorities control the law of the stop sign.
    The Law of Fire.  The law of fire says if you put your hand in the fire, you’ll get burned.  What if legislatures and dictators all around the world voted and declared that fire would no longer burn. What would happen?
    People would quickly discover that the law of fire is different than the law of the stop sign.  Within the nature of fire is the penalty for abusing it.  It doesn’t matter what anyone says or tries to change, fire burns.
    Here’s the critical application of this message:  the moral law of God is like the law of fire.  It doesn’t change.  You can try to break God’s laws.  You will get burned.  God never changes.  He won’t change the penalty, because the penalty for breaking the law is bound up in the law itself.

Discussion
Why is God so concerned with obedience and disobedience?
Where did Ananias and Sapphira go wrong?
What speaks to you about the two laws -- stop sign and fire?
Prayer for our world to see the necessity of repentance.
Prayer for the church world to see the necessity of submission to
God’s laws.

6/15/14 YEAR OF EQUIPPING TO SERVE

Godly Fathers -- God’s Solution

    A thought on fathers.
    Tony Dungy, a Super Bowl winning coach (2007), retired from football in 2009 to invest more in his family and to positively impact husbands and fathers. When reflecting on the role of men, Dungy goes back to a statement he heard from Chuck Noll. Noll was the Pittsburgh Steelers’ head coach and Dungy was one of his assistants. Noll told him, “As a coach, your only job is to help your players play better.” In the family, God has given men the responsibility of focusing on their wife and children with the purpose of bringing about their success. Dungy says, “Your job is to help your family be the best they can be, to help your kids grow up better, to help your wife be a better woman.”
Decision, September 2013, p.31
    These are some excellent statements.  And yet, we live in a very confused world.  From the pit of hell we are hearing declarations of how unnecessary men are to life. This is a direct attack against God’s plan for life.  God made BOTH men and women, and BOTH men and women are vitally necessary for an orderly life and society.
    If you have paid attention at all, you have seen the cultural promotion of women and the attacks against men.  This has brought us to amazing confusion regarding the importance of and the responsibilities of men and women.  The roll of and the involvement of fathers is absolutely critical.  Can a single mother raise children?  Absolutely.  But, it was never God’s design.
    I found a rather long, but amazing article on a government web site that deals with child welfare.  Let me share several thoughts from it.
The Importance of Fathers in the Healthy Development of Children
Fathers and Their Impact on Children’s Well-Being (edited)
    A noted sociologist, Dr. David Popenoe: “Fathers are far more than just ‘second adults’ in the home. Involved fathers bring positive benefits to their children that no other person is as likely to bring.” Fathers have a direct impact on the well-being of their children. It is important for professionals working with fathers —especially in the difficult, emotionally charged arena in which child protective services caseworkers operate—to have a working understanding of the literature that addresses this impact. Such knowledge will help make the case for why the most effective CPS case plans will involve fathers.
    See the connection between fathers and child outcomes, including cognitive ability, education achievement, psychological well-being and social behavior. The chapter also underscores the impact of the father and mother’s relationship on the well-being of their children.
    The Impact of the Mother-Father Relationship on Child Outcomes
    One of the most important influences a father can have on his child is indirect—fathers influence their children in large part through the quality of their relationship with the mother of their children. A father who has a good relationship with the mother of his children is more likely to be involved and to spend time with his children and to have children who are psychologically and emotionally healthier. Similarly, a mother who feels affirmed by her children’s father and who enjoys the benefits of a happy relationship is more likely to be a better mother. Indeed, the quality of the relationship affects the parenting behavior of both parents. They are more responsive, affectionate, and confident with their infants; more self-controlled in dealing with defiant toddlers; and better confidants for teenagers seeking advice and emotional support.
    One of the most important benefits of a positive relationship between mother and father is the behavior it models for children. Fathers who treat the mothers of their children with respect and deal with conflict within the relationship in an adult and appropriate manner are more likely to have boys who understand how they are to treat women and who are less likely to act in an aggressive fashion toward females. Girls with involved, respectful fathers see how they should expect men to treat them and are less likely to become involved in violent or unhealthy relationships. In contrast, research has shown that husbands who display anger, show contempt for, or who stonewall their wives (i.e., “the silent treatment”) are more likely to have children who are anxious, withdrawn, or antisocial.
    The Impact of Fathers on Cognitive Ability and Educational Achievement
    Children with involved, caring fathers have better educational outcomes. Fathers who are involved, nurturing, and playful with their infants have children with higher IQs, as well as better linguistic and cognitive capacities. Toddlers with involved fathers go on to start school with higher levels of academic readiness. They are more patient and can handle the stresses and frustrations associated with schooling more readily than children with less involved fathers.
    The influence of a father’s involvement on academic achievement extends into adolescence and young adulthood. An active and nurturing style of fathering is associated with better verbal skills, intellectual functioning, and academic achievement among adolescents.  Highly involved biological fathers had children who were 43 percent more likely than other children to earn mostly As and 33 percent less likely than other children to repeat a grade.
The Link Between Marriage and Fatherhood
    Caring, involved fathers exist outside of marriage. They are more likely, however, to be found in the context of marriage. There are numerous reasons for this, not the least of which being the legal and social norms associated with marriage that connect a father to the family unit. That may also explain, in part, why research consistently shows that the married mother-and-father family is a better environment for raising children than the cohabitating mother-and-father family.
    It is interesting to note that, contrary to stereotypes about low-income, unmarried parents, a significant majority—more than 8 in 10 of urban, low-income fathers & mothers are in a romantic relationship when their children are born.  Most of these couples expect that they will get married. One study found that more than 80 percent expected they would get married or live together. However, only 11 percent of these couples had actually married a year later. Why they do not marry is an interesting question open to conjecture. However, as Dr. Wade Horn, Assistant Secretary for Children and Families at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has pointed out, it may be because these couples receive very little encouragement to marry from the health and social services professionals with whom they come in contact.
Author(s): Office on Child Abuse and Neglect, U.S. Children’s Bureau Rosenberg, Jeffrey., Wilcox, W. Bradford.
https://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/usermanuals/fatherhood/chaptertwo.cfm
    This is an amazing article.  It goes on.  There are many biblical principles expressed there. This is God’s design, fathers are vitally important.
    As we continue to look at the book of Acts, let’s see the impact and actions of godly men.  These are good examples of how to live.
Acts 3 NKJV
1 Now Peter and John went up together to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour. 2 And a certain man lame from his mother’s womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms from those who entered the temple; 3 who, seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, asked for alms. 4 And fixing his eyes on him, with John, Peter said, “Look at us.”
5 So he gave them his attention, expecting to receive something from them. 6 Then Peter said, “Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.” 7 And he took him by the right hand and lifted him up, and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength.
8 So he, leaping up, stood and walked and entered the temple with them--walking, leaping, and praising God. 9 And all the people saw him walking and praising God.
. . . . . 12 So when Peter saw it, he responded to the people: “Men of Israel, why do you marvel at this? Or why look so intently at us, as though by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk? 13 The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified His Servant Jesus, whom you delivered up and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let Him go. . . . 16 And His name, through faith in His name, has made this man strong, whom you see and know. Yes, the faith which comes through Him has given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all.
. . . . . 19 Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord,
Acts 4 NKJV
1 Now as they spoke to the people, the priests, the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees came upon them, 2 being greatly disturbed that they taught the people and preached in Jesus the resurrection from the dead. 3 And they laid hands on them, and put them in custody until the next day, for it was already evening. 4 However, many of those who heard the word believed; and the number of the men came to be about five thousand. 5 And it came to pass, on the next day, . . . were gathered together at Jerusalem.
7 And when they had set them in the midst, they asked, “By what power or by what name have you done this?” 8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders of Israel: 9 If we this day are judged for a good deed done to a helpless man, by what means he has been made well, 10 let it be known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by Him this man stands here before you whole. 11 This is the ‘stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone.’ 12 Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
13 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus.
14 And seeing the man who had been healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it.
(The statement of the religious rulers)
17 But so that it spreads no further among the people, let us severely threaten them, that from now on they speak to no man in this name.
18 And they called them and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus. 19 But Peter and John answered and said to them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God, you judge. 20 For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.”
. . . . 23 And being let go, they went to their own companions and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said to them.
. . . . 31 And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness.
PLEASE NOTE:
❏    Godly men will turn the world upside down.
❏    Our world desperately needs more godly men.
❏    What identifies a Godly man?
❏    All men, not just fathers, must be Godly and seek to be a positive influence on the next generation.
❏    Manliness is not found in sinning. “I’m a worse sinner than you are.”  Many men have bragged about their sinful activities and conquests. Proud to be crude and rude.
❏    Everyone benefits from the impact of godly men.
❏    The men in the Bible that are true heroes lived and encouraged godliness.

Questions for discussion:
What stood out to you from the article I read at the beginning?
Why do you think that masculinity has been so defined by brute force and sinful activities?

Prayer for raising up Godly men to impact our city and region.

6/8/14 YEAR OF EQUIPPING TO SERVE

The Empowering of the Holy Spirit

The Cross and the Switchblade: 50 Years of Miracles
    Possibly one of the most difficult issues to deal with is gang violence and drug addiction.  Those who are controlled by these seem to be in an impossible situation.  And, control is a good word to use.
    Over fifty years ago a young unknown Assemblies of God pastor went to New York to try to help some gang members.  His first attempt failed.  Then God opened some doors.  Eventually a book was written about it and become a best-seller with more than 11 million copies sold in 10 years.  It is the story of David Wilkerson coming to New York City to share the love of Jesus with seven teenagers on trial for the murder of Michael Farmer, as told in the book The Cross and the Switchblade.
    Instead of being able to witness to those seven teens, Wilkerson was thrown out of court on Feb. 28, 1958, and ended up with his picture on the front page of New York City newspapers the next morning. But that failure was part of God’s plan to use David Wilkerson to help more than just seven young men. In the months that followed, Wilkerson founded Teen Challenge, a ministry to youth, adults and families affected by drug addiction and other life-controlling problems.
    Wilkerson’s passion for evangelism soon produced results. In July 1958, Nicky Cruz and members of his gang, the Mau Maus, committed their lives to Christ in a rally sponsored by Wilkerson.
    Today there are more than 200 Teen Challenge facilities in the U.S. and 1,000-plus ministries in 94 other nations.  In the past 50 years The Cross and the Switchblade has been published in more than 40 languages.
    In 2006 Christianity Today listed The Cross and the Switchblade as one of the 50 most influential books in Christianity during the previous 50 years. The book continues to be used as an evangelism tool to share the message of hope that God can change the broken lives of addicts.  And, God DOES change broken lives.
    David Wilkerson concluded The Cross and the Switchblade by saying, “The Holy Spirit is in charge. As long as He remains in charge, the programs will thrive. The minute we try to do things by our own power we will fail. This is the guiding principle of the Center here in New York. ... The Holy Spirit is in charge here. We should write it for all to see on the lintels of every doorway we build. But since that might seem like so many words, we will do better: we will write it on our lives. And in all the lives we can reach out to and touch and inspire with the living Spirit of God.”
Info taken from Pentecostal Evangel article
    The Holy Spirit is in charge.  In learning about the history of this ministry, the foundation has always been the power of God to change lives.  Without that, nothing worthwhile happens.
    For the past many weeks, on Wednesday nights we have been studying the topic of the two kingdoms.  The Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of Satan.  They are opposites and there is a battle.  The only way to win is with God’s power and weapons.
    Recent report from Rocky Grams:  Memorable service tonight at IBRP. I got to preach from Romans 16. The students were very receptive. We’ve been under spiritual attack, including curses and marches with drums at 3:00 A.M. around our property. But God! We ask that you intercede for us. For the leadership, teachers, staff and students. Many students are having problems sleeping and when they do get to sleep are having terrible nightmares when they do get to sleep.
    The battle is just as intense here in Western Wisconsin.  We need God’s power.
    The thing I have found myself praying more than anything over the years is this: Lord, we need the strong sense of your presence and power.  My desire is that God will get people’s attention.  He is the only One Who can do it.
Acts 2:1-4 NKJV
1 When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. 2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
Acts 2:14-18 NKJV
14 But Peter, standing up with the eleven, raised his voice and said to them, “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and heed my words. 15 For these are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. 16 But this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:
17 ‘And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your young men shall see visions, Your old men shall dream dreams.
18 And on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days; And they shall prophesy.
Acts 2:37-39 NKJV
37 Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?”
38 Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.”
    It is easy to look at the challenge of God’s work and say it just can’t be done.  This is true, but, for God.  When David Wilkerson went to New York, he was totally over his head.  It was impossible.  But, for God.  Let’s get a quick picture of what he faced, short clips from the film The Cross and the Switchblade.
Show clip.
    It is easy to say that we face an impossible challenge here in Wisconsin.  Yes, that is true.  But, for God.
    We read from Acts 2.  It was the Day of Pentecost. Pentecost was the second festival on the Jewish calendar. It was a celebration when the first fruits of the harvest were given as offerings to God.  This is a picture for the church, the beginning of God’s spiritual harvest of souls in the world.  This Pentecost celebration in Acts 2 marked a dividing line between the Holy Spirit’s occasional presence and temporary empowerment, and his continual presence and sustained empowerment now available to all of God’s people.
    Let’s go back and look in more depth at the verses we read.
*****
    What does God want to give us?  A spiritual harvest.  He wants to use us to reach large numbers of people for Jesus.  He wants to give us His power to serve Him.  Can it be done?
    Let me share from a recently received missionary letter.
Ted Heaston: An A/G missionary with Global University.  Writing about Tanzania.
    Tanzania has 28 church planting centers and expects to have 32 by this year end.
    Ted met with Tanzania General Superintendent, Barnabas Mtokambali. He is leader over 6002 AG churches in the nation. Every year they are planting between 600-700 new churches. Pastor Mtokambali expressed great appreciation for the work of Global University’s training of pastors. Brother Bar-nabas stated, “Of course the emphasis is not on the church buildings, it is on the move of the Holy Spirit, because if the power of God is moving – the people don’t care about the building they just want to participate in what is happening. People will pass up church structures to come to the place where God is moving.” While being the General Supterintendent he also pastors a church located in Morogoro, a center for witch-craft and Islam. His church has 3 all night prayer meetings every week. As a result the church has grown large and they have planted 249 new churches out of their own congregation.
Please Pray:
For pastors to continue their training after churches are planted.
Books for their libraries
The training of 10,000 ministers & the winning of 2 million souls to Christ.
Safety as we travel
Needed support for budget.

What do we need to see and apply today? (Open for your comments)
This is God’s work.  We are involved in God’s work.
God has all power to do anything necessary to complete His work.
God wants to empower us to be used for His work.
God wants to empower YOU.
No task is too great or no opposing power to intimidating for God.
God equipped David Wilkerson and he impacted millions.
God is equipping millions of believers in Africa today and they are reaching millions.
God is here to equip us to turn western Wisconsin upside down for Jesus.  Again, let me share this verse:  Acts 17:6 NKJV
. . . These who have turned the world upside down have come here too.
NLT  . . . “Paul and Silas have caused trouble all over the world,” they shouted, “and now they are here disturbing our city, too.”
    What we find throughout the book of Acts is that the outpouring of the Spirit included the believers speaking in tongues as the Spirit gave them the enabling.  Here is a prayer I want to challenge us all with, for today and every day.  Lord, fill me with your Spirit and keep on filling me.  Believers filled with the Holy Spirit make the difference.

5/25/14 YEAR OF EQUIPPING TO SERVE

Acts 1 - The Launch of the Church

    How in the world can we do it?  This is a real challenge.  This question and statement have been asked for many situations.  When there is something new we want to learn, we can take a class, or watch a video or read a book.  We can’t just say that it’s impossible.  We have to be willing to learn.
    Some times we can learn from someone who doesn’t know our own specific specialty. For example, here’s a story of a group of ER docs who learned from a Formula One Team.
    What could a team of medical doctors possibly learn about practicing medicine from a Formula One racing team? If the doctors remain teachable, maybe they could learn a lot. That’s what happened at Great Ormond Street Hospital in London. After completing a twelve-hour emergency transplant, the head doctor watched a Formula One race. As a car pulled into the pit, he noted that the crew changed the tires, filled it with fuel, cleared the air intakes, and sent it off in seven seconds.
    It struck him that it often took thirty minutes for his team of doctors and nurses to untangle and unplug all the wires and tubes and transfer a patient from surgery to ICU. He wondered if a racing team could teach a hospital how to run an emergency room.
    Imagine the pushback from the highly trained medical staff when the McLaren and Ferrari racing teams showed up to advise them on how to improve their emergency services. After all, what did they know about surgery or patient care? Nothing. But what did they know about speeding up complex processes? Everything.
    As a result, after visiting with the Formula One racing team, the hospital staff initiated major changes, including better training, new procedures, a step-by-step checklist covering each stage of the handover, and a diagram so that everyone knew their exact physical position as well as their precise task. It almost halved handover errors.
    The hospital team’s problems were solved by a group of people who knew nothing about the practice of emergency room medicine. But the Formula One team’s expertise allowed them to easily spot what the hospital tribe had missed. And the medical team had the humility and teachability to learn from the outsiders.
Larry Osborne, Innovation’s Dirty Little Secret (Zondervan, 2013), pp 130-131
    Here’s an insight: no matter who we are we can learn and things we do can improve.  Here’s an illustration of how quickly they can change the tires on a race car.  (Video) Wow, that’s amazing.
    Now, let’s look at the beginning of the church.  We recently celebrated Easter.  We rejoiced at the victory Jesus won over death and the grave.  What He did was amazing.
    Then, we read that the command was given to the church to go out and spread the good news.   It would do no good for Jesus to come and die on the cross if no one heard about it.  We are told God expects us to be involved.  We are to build the church, spread the gospel, do God’s work.  And the big question comes up: HOW?????
    Another thinking point: how did they do it right away at the beginning of the church?  They had no history.  They had no organization or structure.  They had no financial backing.  They were starting from scratch.
    That is the story we find in the Book of Acts.  We find the story of the triumphant spread of the Gospel through the power of the Holy Spirit.  God equipped and empowered the believers from the beginning.  He is still doing the same today.
    Jesus left this world and returned to heaven forty days after the resurrection.  In Acts 1 we se this story.
Acts 1:9-11 NIV
9 After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.
10 They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. 11 “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”
    Jesus came to the world and left in miraculous ways.  He was born without a human father and welcomed with a multitude of the heavenly host praising God.  He returned to heaven by simply lifting up out of their sight.  He left with the promise that He would return some day.  We look forward to that day with excitement.  Yes, some day we will see Jesus.
    We know that the early church shocked the world with their message.  We read:
Acts 17:6 NLT
6 Not finding them there, they dragged out Jason and some of the other believers instead and took them before the city council. “Paul and Silas have caused trouble all over the world,” they shouted, “and now they are here disturbing our city, too.
    Another translations says they turned the world upside down.  How did they do it? How did the early church make such an impact?
    Let’s go back to chapter 1.
Acts 1:8 NIV Jesus said:
8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.
    The power of the Holy Spirit was promised to the church.  We are enabled to do what God commanded and what the world needs more than anything else through the power of the Spirit of God.  The Spirit empowers us to DO God’s work.  The church spoke the Word of God with boldness because of the Spirit.
    This key verse tells us we will be used by God where we live and spreading out to around the world.  We as believers become the carriers of life and hope.  People will know the forgiveness God offers through our work.  And it will accomplish eternal purposes because God does the enabling.
    Here’s another key the early church learned to win the spiritual battle.
Acts 1:14 NIV
14 They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.
    The church learned to join together constantly in prayer. The Greek word here is that they joined together in the same mind or spirit.  The believers faithfully joined together in one accord, in one mind, obeying Jesus’ command to wait for the Father’s promise of the Holy Spirit.  They were totally focused together in prayer with extraordinary unity and purpose.  When God’s timing came they were clothed with supernatural, tremendous power.  The experience of receiving the baptism in the Spirit empowered them to do God’s work.  God’s people got together and prayed.  This was not the only time they prayed.  We see throughout the Book of Acts that the church prayed.  They prayed with power and things happened.
    Acts is a history book.  It tells the opening chapters of the church.  The book is still being written in the sense that the church is still alive and well.  What was the purpose?  Why did Luke write?
    At least some of that answer is found in two parts.
    He shows how the gospel of forgiveness and eternal life through belief in Jesus was spread capably beyond the Jews who first believed to the Gentiles.   They faced severe opposition and persecution.  Yet, they saturated most of the Roman Empire.
    The Holy Spirit played a central role in the believers’ lives and purpose.  This book emphasizes the importance of the baptism in the Holy Spirit to empower the church to spread the message of Jesus.  The baptism in the Spirit was the normal experience in early Christianity.
    For us today in western Wisconsin:  What God started He will complete.  The last thing Jesus promised as He left this earth was that believers will receive power for service.  We will serve Him and win the world because of God’s empowering.
Discussion:
Who was Jesus talking about in Acts 1:8?
I’m going to give you a hint.
8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.
You = YOU!!!!  God wants to use all believers.
What parallels can you see between the situation the early church faced and what we face today?
Can we expect to see a spiritual breakthrough in western Wisconsin?
What must we do to see the breakthrough come?
Let’s pray specifically for the spiritual breakthrough.  Praying with faith and expectation that we will see it, that we will disturb our cities for Jesus.

5/18/14  YEAR OF EQUIPPING TO SERVE

Some Practical Applications of the Christian Life

    How do you actually do it?  We live in a marvelous technological age.  We have computers, tablets, smart phones, digital cameras, DVR recorders for TV, remote control start for our cars.  You can use your phone to start your car remotely, turn on the lights and heat at home, and see the security cameras around your house.  You can sit at your computer and have a video conference with people around the world.  You can watch life news events around the world.
    In 2010, when thirty three miners where trapped in a cave-in 2,300 feet under the ground in Chile for sixty nine days, I watched live on my computer as they were pulled up in a specially made metal tube.  It was amazing.
    Now,  questions for you as we talk about this technology.
What percentage of your computer’s capacity do you actually know how to use?
Can you use every feature of your cell phone?
Are you confused by your TV remote?
Do you know everything your car radio does?
    For most of us, we learn the basics of how to use the things we own and then muddle through the rest.  Somehow, we make it.
    Now, that’s OK for technological things, but, how about your walk with Jesus?  Do you muddle through the Christian life?  Do you struggle and wonder how to live it?  The Bible is filled with information and directions.  Yes, it will take our whole lifetimes to study and continue to grow.  But, we can learn and apply the Bible so that we live a growing and spiritually mature life with Jesus. Today we are going to look at some practical applications of the Bible for daily life.
Colossians 3:1-17 NLT
    1 Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. 2 Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. 3 For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 And when Christ, who is your life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all his glory.
    Where is your focus in life?  What fills your mind?  What is your identity?  Christians need to focus on our relationship with Jesus.  Set your mind on spiritual matters and let your attitudes be influenced by eternity.
    Think of your priorities and affections.  Will they store up treasures in heaven?  This chapter gives us a practical outline for our Christian lives. 
Seek spiritual things, 1-4
Resist sin, 5-11
Develop Christ’s character, 12-17
    God will help us accomplish our spiritual goals.  Keep asking, seeking and knocking for God’s help.  He will help you stay true in your commitment to Jesus.  You will have confidence in your eternal home.
    We have died to this life and sin.  The Bible clearly teaches that believers have died to sin and should have no connection with active participation in it.  Yes, we are tempted.  Yes, we can yield.  But, Yes, we have victory over it through Jesus.
    Sin, wickedness, transgressions against God – this is all NOT a part of the daily and victorious Christian life.  The essence of sin is selfishness, rejecting God’s commands or the welfare of others.  Sinners become cruel in their rebellion against God.  It often leads to moral corruption.
    What are we told to do?  Bury the old sinful nature through the power of God in our lives.  Resist sin, 5-11
    5 So put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you. Have nothing to do with sexual immorality, impurity, lust, and evil desires. Don’t be greedy, for a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world. 6 Because of these sins, the anger of God is coming. 7 You used to do these things when your life was still part of this world. 8 But now is the time to get rid of anger, rage, malicious behavior, slander, and dirty language. 9 Don’t lie to each other, for you have stripped off your old sinful nature and all its wicked deeds. 10 Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him. 11 In this new life, it doesn’t matter if you are a Jew or a Gentile, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbaric, uncivilized, slave, or free. Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us.
    Resisting sin.  That is something we must continually do and develop our skills in.  A couple of verses for us to ponder:
Romans 6:12-14 NLT
12 Do not let sin control the way you live; do not give in to sinful desires. 13 Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin. Instead, give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God. 14 Sin is no longer your master, for you no longer live under the requirements of the law. Instead, you live under the freedom of God’s grace.
James 4:7 NLT
7 So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
1 Peter 5:8-9 NLT
8 Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. 9 Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your Christian brothers and sisters all over the world are going through the same kind of suffering you are.
    This last section from Colossians 3.
Develop Christ’s character, 12-17
12 Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. 13 Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. 14 Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony.
    15 And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful. 16 Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts. 17 And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father.
    Let God’s word live in you.  Read, study, reflect on the Bible.  It will influence you in a good way.  This will help you to do everything for God and His glory.
    Where did we start today?  With some interesting questions.
What percentage of your computer’s capacity do you actually know how to use?  Can you use every feature of your cell phone?  Are you confused by your TV remote?  Do you know everything your car radio does?
    We have talked about some practical applications of the Christian life.  These are important so we can live a holy life.  God gives us His guidelines.
    We have talked about:
Seeking spiritual things
Resisting sin
Developing Christ’s character
    How do we do each one of these?  Discussion time.
Ask yourself the question:  Which of these do you need to work on first?
How will you go about it?
Let me leave you with a quick true story.
    A man brought a violin to a pawn shop and asked for an appraisal. According to the man’s story, he had purchased a piece of property that included a house and a barn. Shortly after his purchase, he opened an old chest in the barm and discovered the violin safely tucked inside. As he dusted off the near-perfect instrument, he found the word “Stradivarius” clearly inscribed on the violin. The man was hoping the “Stradivarius” was worth millions of dollars.
    However, after the pawn store owners examined the violin and then also had it appraised by an expert, they told the man it wasn’t a genuine Stradivarius. Instead, it was a cheap imitation produced in the early part of the 1900s, worth around five or six hundred dollars. The appraiser concluded by telling the crestfallen violin owner, “Just because something has a label doesn’t mean it’s real.”
Pawn Stars, History Channel (2-7-07)
    That’s an awesome insight.  God wants to help us not only wear the label, but be the genuine article.
PRAYER for us to identify areas of growth and apply what God shows us.

5/11/14 MOTHERS’ DAY

    As we all know, this is Mothers’ Day.  There are countless stories about mothers.  Some of them are funny.  Some are very emotional and touching.
    This week, floating on the net: If at first you don’t succeed, try doing it the way Mom told you to do it in the beginning.
    Mothers are very important in the lives of children as they grow.  The relationship of mother and child usually lasts very strong all throughout life.  This day of celebration is a large economic boom to restaurants, florists, candy makers and long distance companies.
    A question that is running through my mind is this: why did God make mothers and fathers?  He could have created the human race to multiply like trees and flowers that simply spread seeds and new growth happens.  And yet, for human life to continue, it takes a mother and a father.  For life to flourish and be successful, it is best with a mother and a father.  We see that, after the creation of everything, the first institution created on the earth was the family.  God’s creation of the family allowed for the powerful and blessed relationships we can enjoy.  The family gives us a place where we really belong.  And, belonging is one of the most basic needs of every person.
    I think a good answer to the strange question I just asked is that we are designed for healthy and loving relationships.  Through marriage a man and woman have the foundation for that relationship.  Out of their love and relationship come the children.  Together the family finds fulfillment in their relationships.  They then can grow and establish new families and relationships.
Genesis 1:27-28 NIV
27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.
28 God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”
Genesis 2:20-24 NIV
20 So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds of the air and all the beasts of the field. But for Adam no suitable helper was found.
21 So the LORD God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man’s ribs and closed up the place with flesh. 22 Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man. 23 The man said, “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called ‘woman,’ for she was taken out of man.” 24 For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh.
    God’s awesome plan from the very beginning was marriage and the family.  You may have heard the term “leave and cleave”.  God’s plan is for a man to leave the home he grew up in and start his own family.  Both the husband the wife are very important.
    The Bible says that people were made in God’s image.  That helps us to understand our value.  This enables us to respond to a unique personal relationship with God.  We can reflect His love and character.  We have a moral likeness to God in that we can understand right and wrong.  We can also have loving hearts and the desire to do right.  This allows us to have a personal relationship with God.
    The family is God’s channel to pass on His truths.  The husband and wife were created to have a family and pass on godliness to the next generation.
    God had a wonderful idea when He first established the family.  It is possibly the greatest gift we have as humans for our existence on this earth.
    God uniquely created both Adam and Eve.  He uniquely made men and women to be different and have equally important roles in the world.  So, both the husband and the wife are needed.
    Ladies, don’t listen to the world when it is trying to tell you that being “only” a mother is demeaning.  Sadly, there is basically nothing in our culture or in our education that encourages girls to desire or expect to grow up and get married and stay home with the children.  Being a loving wife and mother is not considered a worthy goal.
    Discussion for us:  What creates the most important impact?  Climbing the corporate ladder?  Shaping the lives of your children?
    I read a great thought:  Leaving children to discover their own values is a little like putting them in a chemistry lab full of volatile substances and saying, “Discover your own compound, kids.”
Christina Hoff Sommers, The War Against Boys (Simon & Schuster, 2013), page 201
    What does God think of mothers?
Proverbs 15:20 NIV
20 A wise son brings joy to his father, but a foolish man despises his mother.
    It is foolish to despise or not give real respect and honor to your mother.
    God created the comfort gene.  He used it to explain how He would one day bring comfort to Jerusalem.
Isaiah 66:13 NIV
13 As a mother comforts her child, so will I comfort you; and you will be comforted over Jerusalem.
Discussion:
***We know that the ten commandments tell us to honor our father and mother.  What does it mean to give your mother honor?  Think beyond this specific day we remember today.
***What should we do to encourage the mothers of our culture?
***What piece of wisdom do you hope your children have grasped and actually applied in life?
***Let’s share some of our best “mother” stories.
Prayer

5/4/14 YEAR OF EQUIPPING

Being God’s People of Prayer

    In a recent issue of Christianity Today (January 2013), a Muslim man describes his commitment to follow Isa al Masih, Jesus the Messiah. Surprisingly, a miracle caused this man to open his heart to Jesus. Here’s how he described the miracle:
    One night the only food my wife and I had was a small portion of macaroni. My wife prepared it very nicely. Then one of her friends knocked on the door. I told myself, The macaroni is not sufficient for even the two of us, so how will it be enough for three of us? But because we have no other custom, we opened the door, and she came in to eat with us.
    While we were eating, the macaroni started to multiply; it became full in the bowl. I suspected that something was wrong with my eyes, so I started rubbing them. I thought maybe my wife hid some macaroni under the small table, so I checked, but there was nothing. My wife and I looked at each other, but because the guest was there we said nothing.
    Afterward I lay down on the bed, and as I slept, Isa came to me and asked me, “Do you know who multiplied the macaroni?” I said, “I don’t know.” He said, “I am Isa al Masih [Jesus, the Messiah]. If you follow me, not only the macaroni but your life will be multiplied.”
Gene Daniels, “Worshipping Jesus in the Mosque”, Christianity Today (January-February 2013)
    There is no limit to God’s power.  The Bible tells the stories of when Jesus multiplied a small lunch to feed thousands.  Jesus never changes.  He has no problem in supernaturally intervening in the lives of people and doing the “impossible”.
    We are going to take a few minutes and be reminded of the importance of and the power of prayer.  Let me share a few pictures of my trip to Brazil, ministering with Pastor Richard.
    End pics, powerful times of prayer.  This is what we must seek, expect and live in. Powerful prayer makes all the difference.
Isaiah 56:7 NKJV
7 Even them I will bring to My holy mountain, And make them joyful in My house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices Will be accepted on My altar; For My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations.
Luke 19:45-46 NKJV
45 Then He went into the temple and began to drive out those who bought and sold in it, 46 saying to them, “It is written, ‘My house is a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’ ”
    God’s house is a house of prayer.  There were people who were corrupting God’s house back then. There are still people corrupting God’s house.
    Let’s focus on the part that talks about prayer.  God wants a  house of prayer for all nations.  It is clear that God’s house is designed to be a singular place where God’s people will gather with Him for prayer and worship.  There should be nothing that interferes with coming close to God.  Don’t let anything make it difficult to pray, to worship and seek God.
    It is through prayer that we see the supernatural intervention of God in our lives.
Mark 11:22-26 NKJV
22 So Jesus answered and said to them, “Have faith in God. 23 For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. 24 Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them. 25 And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses. 26 But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses.”
    Another passage where Jesus tells us that nothing is impossible with Him.  We must believe for anything.
Matthew 21:21-22 NKJV
21 So Jesus answered and said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but also if you say to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ it will be done. 22 And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.”

1 John 5:13-15 NKJV
13 These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God. 14 Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. 15 And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.
Matthew 7:7-8 NKJV
7 Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.
    Prayer is what we must believe in, it is what we must do.  Think about this: one of the most difficult things to do it to pray.  The enemy works very hard to keep us from praying.  It seems unimportant.
    But, history tells us that every time there is a powerful move of God, prayer is behind it.  We must be people of prayer.
    We will take time to pray for your needs and requests.