THE PUZZLE, by Dave Ness
October 1, 2008
Acts 2:42-47
And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved. (Ac 2:42-47)
The devotion was to what? The apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. The devotion was to Christ and to one another. Wonders and signs contributed significantly to the sense of awe in the Early Church.
So did the “together” part, and the mutual commitment.
Another key aspect was the “daily” gatherings, at the temple and in their homes.
Evangelism was a daily occurrence, and a natural one.
As I look through the little list above, I notice we are missing all of them, in America! The devotion isn’t there for the most part, the wonders and signs are missing, the “together” part is really spotty as well as the mutual commitment, and the “daily” aspect is not even “weekly” for many avowed Christians. Last of all, evangelism is a rare occurrence in the Church in America.
We don’t need to attempt to recreate Pentecost or the commune-type lifestyle of the Early Church in Jerusalem, but I think we need to go after the principles which helped to make the Early Church a wonderful force in society which also enjoyed the favor of the populace.
We need: Devotion to Jesus Christ, and to one another.
We need to come together in serving the Lord, on a daily basis.
We need to commit ourselves to one another in love, probably not on a “commune” type of basis, but one that at least provides some degree of accountability and a lot of love. Be aware of the pitfalls, but don’t let it stop the love.
We need to work on the “glad and generous hearts” aspect of the Early Church. There are things we could do to promote a better attitude toward following Christ, which would alter our emotions in a positive way, I think.
This isn’t directly from this passage, but I think we are to each have our own mission field, where we serve the world in Jesus’ name, and cultivate favor with unbelievers in this way. We are to be engaged with the world, at the same time we are in a continual relationship with other believers and with Christ.
We should be the nucleus of spiritual life in America. I see communities where Jesus is Lord, operating as Cities of Refuge. These Christian fellowships would be models to other communities in America. There would be power emanating from these circles of disciples which would point people toward Jesus. If the attitude resembled that of the Early Church, there would be a winsomeness in the Church which is presently lacking. We need to be those who practice Christianity on a daily basis, where everything else is peripheral to serving Christ. Currently, it’s the other way around, for the most part—people have established their priorities in life, and Christianity is just included somewhere on the priority list.
Where we fit is to be a spark which could revolutionize Christianity in America.
THE PUZZLE, by Dave Ness
October 2, 2008
Acts 3
But Peter said, “I have no silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!” And he took him by the right hand and raised him up, and immediately his feet and ankles were made strong. And leaping up he stood and began to walk, and entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God. And all the people saw him walking and praising God, and recognized him as the one who sat at the Beautiful Gate of the temple, asking for alms. Acts 3:6-10 ESV
Peter and John seemed to have been in the habit of going to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour (3 P.M.), each day.
The lame man would have been well-known to them, I think, since he was a daily visitor at the temple. The lack of money to give him alms turned into an opportunity for a miracle. It’s also interesting that they didn’t pray for the man, or ask him to do anything to show his faith. Peter said to him, “In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!” Peter also took him by the right hand and raised him up, which is when his feet and ankle bones received strength.
Absolutely all the credit for the miracle was given to Jesus. And his name—by faith in his name—has made this man strong whom you see and know, and the faith that is through Jesus has given the man this perfect health in the presence of you all. (Ac 3:16)
The call to repentance is not a call to a better life, or to “get some of this power for yourselves.” It is a call to turn around. It’s a call to accept the responsibility for our sins and to do something about it. It’s a call of conviction. People who repent aren’t just trying something new; they’re experiencing heartfelt remorse for their actions and the condition of their soul.
God sent Jesus to bless you by turning every one of you from your wickedness. (Ac 3:26)
If there’s no turning away from wickedness, there’s no true revival or awakening. And when something momentous happens, all the credit needs to go to Jesus.
We need Christians who are willing to go out on a limb for God. What would have happened if the lame man had not been healed? Peter didn’t seem to have considered that as a possibility. The miracle in Jesus’ name gave the apostles all kinds of opportunities to testify about Jesus, and Peter was more than ready to preach. He also didn’t do this little teasing sermon, but gave it to them straight: “You killed Jesus!” Even then, it wasn’t a sermon which ended with condemnation, but with hope: Have faith in Jesus, turn from your wickedness, you’ll be saved.
So, in America we need real Christians who are willing to do miracles in Jesus’ name, yet give all the credit to Him, and we need Christians who are willing to tell the truth about Jesus without mincing words, yet with love. We need disciples who are sufficiently acquainted with the scriptures to understand them and relate them to others in an intelligible manner.
We need miracles that only point in one direction—toward Christ, and not toward the “faith healer.”
And most of all, in America, we need to turn from our wickedness! (This means turning from our own wickedness, instead of trying to condemn others, which only breeds resentment. Kindness is the way to bring people to repentance).
See the opportunities for the miraculous. Remember, this is the same Jesus we’re calling on that Peter and John called on!
Be ready to share Christ. The miracle brought a crowd. The crowd brought on a sermon from Peter. The result was repentance and salvation.
Speak the truth to people about Jesus, but also be careful to start where they are, not where we are. Otherwise, they’ll just get confused.
Be sure to turn from wickedness.
We are witnesses—witnesses of Jesus’ power, of His love, of His grace, of His ability to do miracles. We are witnesses that those who refuse to listen to Jesus will be destroyed (No, there aren’t “many” ways to get to God).
We are ambassadors for Christ. I think He would like to do miracles through us, if we would exercise our faith in Him and give Jesus the glory. I know He would like for us to tell the world about His kindness and about salvation.
Worship and witness should be a daily part of our lives. How else is this world going to learn that God is good?
THE PUZZLE, by Dave Ness
October 3, 2008
Psalm 18
The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer,
my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge,
my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
I call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised,
and I am saved from my enemies.
This God—his way is perfect;
the word of the LORD proves true;
he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him.
Psalm 18:1-3,30 ESV
With the merciful you show yourself merciful; with the blameless man you show yourself blameless; with the purified you show yourself pure; and with the crooked you make yourself seem tortuous. For you save a humble people, but the haughty eyes you bring down. (Ps 18:25-27)
We need humility in America. I’m afraid to think of how we’ll get it. (And I wrote this in June)!
Humble ourselves before God, before He does it for us!
We can be the kind of people God wants to bless, or we can be those whom He brings down, along with the others. We are to be a humble people. I wish that were a term which comes to mind when I think of American Christians! It isn’t.
THE PUZZLE, by Dave Ness
October 6, 2008
Psalm 23
He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters.
He restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness
for his name’s sake.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD
forever.
Psalm 23 (ESV)
In this whole psalm, God is the “actor,” not man. The sheep doesn’t take upon itself a self-improvement program, after which transformation takes place. The sheep simply follows the Shepherd, and everything turns out wonderfully.
There is, however, a choice being made by the writer beyond simply following the Shepherd. It’s the choice of contentment: I shall not want. Until we are willing to make that choice, we are going to experience constant frustration, even while attempting to be led by the Shepherd. Something wonderful happens when we choose not to want anything except what the Master provides—we relax. The journey becomes enjoyable. Even the rough parts are blessed with peace. Contentment unlocks the door of enjoyment. Many of life’s circumstances are far beyond our control, but contentment is a choice we get to make. The choice to be content in God draws us up out of the whirlpool of bitterness which would like to suck us under. We find ourselves on a new, safer level, above many of the temptations and turmoil which used to surround us. “The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want” is a really good plan.
If we would only acknowledge and follow the Shepherd! Everything would be O.K.! He wants to bless us, but if we refuse to be blessed, and if we take off on our own, we are going to end up in trouble.
And Christians need to choose contentment!
Follow the Shepherd. He is good.
Choose contentment. Repeat after me, The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
We are the sheep, the people of His pasture. There’s not a lot we need to do except choose to be content in the Shepherd, and obey.
THE PUZZLE, by Dave Ness
October 7, 2008
Humility Precedes Revival
Our nation is awash in pride—pride in our wealth, in our military power, in our “culture,” our superpower status, our economy. The list could go on and on. Unfortunately, some of what we are proud of is not even good, according to the Bible! Our nation, whose coins still bear the motto, “In God we trust,” is at the same time gleefully proud of its sin, its tolerance of evil, its deviancy. This might be expected of those who don’t know Jesus, but the spirit of pride is all too frequently found within the Church, too. We’re proud of our buildings and programs, our pastors, our denominations, our music. We can hardly help assuming that if anything significant arises within Christendom, it will begin in America, since we have the money, the books and schools and, of course, the answers. The reality is the reverse: With a thousand revivals taking place these days around the planet, not one of them is in the U.S. That some would become irate at that statement is only more evidence of what we have in place of revival: We have pride.
Here’s a spiritual principle the Church in America would do well to heed: Humility precedes revival. It just does! We don’t have to look very far in scripture to see what God thinks of pride. Meanwhile, humility attracts Him. Every revival in history has begun with people humbling themselves before God. No revival has ever begun because someone came up with a new power strategy, communication method or program, as helpful as those things can sometimes be. Revival always starts with humility. Always. How do we get to humility? Repent of our pride! Confess our need before God. True humility is when our focus is not even on ourselves, but on God and others, and we’re not even thinking about ourselves or how humble we are. If nothing else, we get personal revival, whenever we humble ourselves before God and surrender our rights and our pride. We can’t change the whole country, and it’s not our job to deal with other people’s pride, but when we deal with our own, it’s like a small flame. A cleansing fire which would sweep the nation could start in your heart!
*Repent of personal pride. Humble yourself before God. He’ll deal with the nation.
Psalm 18:25-30
Psalm 25
Psalm 31:23-24
2 Chronicles 7:13-15
THE PUZZLE, by Dave Ness
October 8, 2008
Acts 4:1-22
Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus. But seeing the man who was healed standing beside them, they had nothing to say in opposition. But when they had commanded them to leave the council, they conferred with one another, saying, “What shall we do with these men? For that a notable sign has been performed through them is evident to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it. But in order that it may spread no further among the people, let us warn them to speak no more to anyone in this name.” So they called them and charged them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John answered them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge, for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard.” And when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding no way to punish them, because of the people, for all were praising God for what had happened. For the man on whom this sign of healing was performed was more than forty years old. Acts 4:13-22 (ESV)
It’s like Peter told the rulers: It’s by Jesus! “And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” (Ac 4:12)
The bold witness of Peter and the others gave clear evidence to the rulers that they had been with Jesus. The wonderful miracle performed, complete with the man standing beside them and the people rejoicing, left the rulers with few options. They threatened them and let them go.
We need some miracles, I think, but I don’t know if we’ll get many, since every time something happens, it seems some “Christian” jumps on it and takes the credit, then turns it into a freak show. But there always seem to be people who will never be convinced, until they have some sort of encounter with the miraculous. If we were as careful to give all the credit to Jesus as the apostles were, I think we’d see much more of His power, and more people would believe.
For other people, it’s going to take boldness before they believe. People with my temperament just don’t get any credence from some folks; they need in-your-face evangelists.
For yet others, nothing will get through to them except genuine love and acceptance. I’m thinking of groups like the homosexual community, who take a bold witness as nothing more than “hate speech,” and who would probably not be impressed with miracles, either. The only thing that gets through is consistent, gentle, accepting love.
So, we need missionaries—ones who are willing to spend time in jail, if need be, in order to witness for Jesus.
We need God’s power—which I think He will give to us if we put ourselves in a situation where it’s needed, instead of hovering around our safety zones while asking God for power with which to show off.
Most of all, the focus needs to be on Jesus, instead of on ourselves, our churches or our “power.” The apostles didn’t take even a little percentage of the glory for themselves; it all went to Jesus. We need to do like that.
Focus on following Jesus, being faithful witnesses for Him.
We are His witnesses, in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and to the end of the earth. People need to be able to look at our lives and know without asking, “They’ve been with Jesus.”
THE PUZZLE, by Dave Ness
October 9, 2008
Acts 4:23-31
When they were released, they went to their friends and reported what the chief priests and the elders had said to them. And when they heard it, they lifted their voices together to God...
And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness, while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus. And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness. Acts 4:23-24,29-31 (ESV)
After their release, the disciples didn’t pray that God would take away their enemies; they didn’t pray for spiritual transformation for their community; they prayed for boldness. They got it. They also prayed together for the Lord’s healing and signs and wonders to continue. God liked their prayer, judging from the earthquake or whatever that followed, and the answer to their boldness prayer.
Where are the bold Christians? I’ve seen a few obnoxious ones, who seemed to enjoy negative attention, but I haven’t encountered very many who were just plain bold, and still Christlike kind at the same time.
If the Church would come together to pray for boldness, instead of not coming together at all, or coming together to pray that their enemies would disappear or that life would be easier, we’d probably see some significant results. Until we do that, we’re probably not going to see much more than the arm of man can deliver, which is not much.
Come together for prayer.
Pray for boldness.
We are those whom God is counting on to be a witness to an unbelieving world. We need boldness. We need to ask for it.
THE PUZZLE, by Dave Ness
October 10, 2008
Acts 4:32-37
Now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own, but they had everything in common. And with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all. There was not a needy person among them, for as many as were owners of lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold and laid it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need. Thus Joseph, who was also called by the apostles Barnabas (which means son of encouragement), a Levite, a native of Cyprus, sold a field that belonged to him and brought the money and laid it at the apostles’ feet. Acts 4:32-37 (ESV)
The people in the Early Church were of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own,... (Ac 4:32)
The next verse says, And with great power the apostles were giving their testimony...
I wonder how much of the power was linked to the unity? Can there be much power in witness without much unity? How about the “commune” type lifestyle? That seemed to be short-lived, yet it was very effective, particularly as a witness. (Otherwise, Ananias and Sapphira would not have made their move to try to join).
There was not a needy person among them,... (Ac 4:34) That statement alone makes for a great witness! I don’t think we need to have a commune system in order to make it a fact, though.
Barnabas makes his first appearance, already with the nickname, “son of encouragement.” His generosity bolstered that reputation.
Principles? Unity. Mutual commitment. Encouragement and generosity. Channels of authority enter into this, too. The power seems to have flowed most of all through the apostles. And when Barnabas sold his property, rather than deciding what to do with the money himself, he laid it at the feet of the apostles.
Where is the commitment in the Church in America? I don’t see a great deal of commitment to Christ, in the life of the average Christian. I see even less commitment to one another. Contrast this to the scene in the Early Church, where people are selling off their property and bringing 100% of the proceeds for the apostles to dispense as they see fit. They are ready to endure persecution or death for the name of Jesus, and they are willing to sink the only financial security they have into the Church. These were committed people! Us? Not so much!
The Church in America needs to get serious about commitment. Most of what we have now is “pretend” commitment.
I don’t think we need to go all the way to “commune,” but I think we need to definitely move in the direction of more commitment, to the Lord and to one another. I think each believer is supposed to be connected with other believers in such a way as to provide a safety net, in terms of accountability, friendship, and whatever else is needed. This “every man for himself” philosophy of Christianity stinks. It’s also pretty unbiblical. So, maybe we don’t need to go as far as “commune,” but we could at least do “community.”
We’ll have some decent power in our witness again when we start taking care of the needy among us, and we commit to one another as an act of devotion to Christ. The Church will also appear to society as much more gracious than it currently does. The “one heart and one soul” part, we really need to work on.
In my county, we’ve recently taken the step of recognizing the servant leaders among us, which I think helps us in regaining a little of the sense of authority present in the Early Church. It has enabled us to act in concert more quickly on issues, and it has freed up people God has called to lead at a community level by giving them permission to lead with a servant’s heart.
I think we’re pretty much in need of 21st century pioneers, those who are willing to live as the Body of Christ in America, in the 21st century. And I think that it’s futile to try to uproot those who have flourished for decades in the status quo, and force them into a “new” system which is foreign and unpleasant for them. When the great Westward expansion of our nation took place, it was the pioneers who led the way—people who were interested in a new start. Those who liked life the way it was were not forced to come along.
THE PUZZLE, by Dave Ness
October 13, 2008
Psalm 25
O my God, in you I trust;
let me not be put to shame;
let not my enemies exult over me.
Indeed, none who wait for you shall be put to shame;
they shall be ashamed who are wantonly treacherous.
Make me to know your ways, O LORD;
teach me your paths.
Lead me in your truth and teach me,
for you are the God of my salvation;
for you I wait all the day long.
Psalm 25:1-5 (ESV)
*Note: This entire devotional was written July 30, 2008, prior to the financial malaise currently being experienced.
None who wait for you shall be put to shame. (Ps 25:3)
Good and upright is the LORD; therefore he instructs sinners in the way. He leads the humble in what is right, and teaches the humble his way. (Ps 25:8-9)
There are more verses that elaborate on how God leads those who want Him to lead them. Basically, it boils down to, “Trust in God, and you’ll be all right.”
Here’s “humility” again. We are so lacking in that department! Even within the Church we are filled with pride (and wealth). In society outside the Church, the pride is ridiculous! People are boastful and proud about their sin! Once again, I’m afraid of what it will take to bring America to her knees. And I’m not sure that a series of major catastrophes would even do it, since the reaction of many would simply be more anger, instead of anything resembling repentance. I’d rather we go the kindness route, myself! I think it would have a better chance of getting through the bitterness than if tragedy were supposed to be the trigger.
Another thing which needs to happen in America is that the Church needs to become dependent upon Christ, again. We’re not. We depend on ourselves, pray a little to try to spiritualize our agenda, and just go on, hoping God will help us. The fact is, for many Christians and many churches in America, God is optional. We’re going to do what we want to do, regardless, but it would be nice if God would bless us, too. We need to get back to “In God we trust.”
Repent. Humble ourselves before God. Start looking to Him for guidance, and going with that guidance as more than some sort of second opinion!
Wait for God. We need to quit charging ahead without Him!
We are the people who are looking to God for deliverance, for guidance, for mercy. We are God’s people! We need to stop trying to mimic the stinking world, with all that goes with it, and just live like God’s people. We need to humble ourselves before God and repent of everything that might stand in the way of our relationship with Him. We need to commit ourselves to God, fully, then live that way.
Lord, we are so in need of your mercy! “Repentance” is a word seldom heard in America, even within the safe walls of the churches. If we don’t repent soon, I don’t think the churches will be safe anymore, nor will there be anywhere else “safe.” We are a nation in need of repentance, and a Church in need of humility. Help us to go toward you, not away from you. Help us to seek your guidance and live by it. Help us to be willing to stand apart from the rest of society, and be identified with you. Help us to live as the people who belong to God. Amen.
July 30, 2008
THE PUZZLE, by Dave Ness
October 14, 2008
Intercession for Mercy
Do you know the incredible power of intercession? Through intercession (praying for others) entire nations have been affected. One such example is Daniel, a man who was in exile from his homeland of Israel, yet who so powerfully interceded for his native land that God sent the angel Gabriel to personally deliver the answer to his prayers! Hmm. The best thing Israel had going for it at the time was a man praying for them who didn’t even live there!
Another example of the power of intercession is Abraham. If you read the account of Abraham’s nephew Lot, living in the city of Sodom, you find that the best thing Lot had going for him was an uncle willing to bargain with God Himself for Lot’s life! (And God loved it!) The reason God confided in Abraham His plans for the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah was that He knew Abraham would pray. God was more than willing to grant Abraham’s requests of intercession!
What about us? What do you suppose God would have us do when we observe sin and frightening problems all around us? He wants us to pray! That way He can answer our prayers. The reason we even know about these things is so we can intercede for our loved ones. God loves it when we pray for other people. He loves it when we take the responsibility to pray for our nation, rather than simply complaining or whining. He loves us! That’s why He loves intercession. It shows we’re not just thinking of ourselves, that we love the very same people God does. Some selfish prayers don’t get answered, for obvious reasons. Intercession is different. God loves to answer unselfish prayers of intercession. Pray for other people. Pray for our whole country. Now you’re praying the way God loves to hear His children pray!
Pray:
*For whomever God puts on your mind. Pray particularly for their soul needs, not just physical.
*Intercede for this nation. God hears you. He loves prayers of intercession.
*Pray for the upcoming election. So much is at stake!
Genesis 18:22-19:29
Daniel 9:1-23
THE PUZZLE, by Dave Ness
October 15, 2008
Acts 5:1-11
But a man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property, and with his wife’s knowledge he kept back for himself some of the proceeds and brought only a part of it and laid it at the apostles’ feet. But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back for yourself part of the proceeds of the land? While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not at your disposal? Why is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God.” When Ananias heard these words, he fell down and breathed his last. And great fear came upon all who heard of it. Acts 5:1-5
God is able to handle His own Church. Instead of a screening process to root out cheaters, the Holy Spirit just told Peter what was going on, and God dealt with the situation pretty dramatically, on His own! That’s all it took, to shield the Church from future fraud, in their mutual commitment.
All of this is not to say that we shouldn’t have screening processes, or checks and balances in the Church. The principle is that God doesn’t need us, in order to police the ranks; He’s able to do it on His own, if He so chooses.
Right now there are investigations going on concerning half a dozen high-profile ministries, and a senator or congressman is conducting the investigation. Sadly, I think there is cause to think that maybe the politician is on to something. Why did the Church let it get this far, in the first place? There are frauds and people who are basically out of control who need a fellow believer to get in their face and just tell them, “God knows what you are doing, and He’s not going to put up with it any longer.” But it has to come from those whom God has instructed to do just that! (Maybe He isn’t instructing anybody to do it, these days, or maybe He is, but they won’t go). The real mess comes when guys who love to get in people’s faces for any and every reason take it upon themselves to set everybody straight, according to them, then call it “ministry.” This is probably why I know of very, very few interventions like Peter and Ananias and Sapphira, or like Nathan going to David after the Bathsheba affair. This is the kind of job nobody wants, except for people who shouldn’t be doing it! Sigh. I don’t know the solution. I just know that God can deal with it, if He wants to, and unless we’re guided every step of the way by Him, probably all we’re going to see is more trouble, if we try it on our own.
Something to note is that Peter did not tell Ananias he was going to die; all he told him was that he knew the truth (and Ananias died). By the time Sapphira showed up, Peter knew what was going to happen to her, and he did tell her she was going to die. The point is, Peter didn’t kill anybody, he just told one of them what was going to happen.
Be honest! Ananias and Sapphira could have just said, “We want to be part of the Church, but we’re afraid for our own financial security, so we’re giving part of the money to the Church, but we’re keeping some back for our own use.” The money would have been received as a gift, they would have gotten at least some acknowledgment of their generosity, and they would have stayed alive. It wasn’t the lack of generosity that got them; it was the lie, especially the collaborated, premeditated lie.
We are people who are to be totally committed to Christ. Along with that comes a commitment to each other. The commitment to each other is not to be as strong as the commitment to God, but it is to be substantial; it is also to be honest. One didn’t have to sell off all property in order to be part of the Early Church, but it was expected that people be honest regarding their level of commitment.
When I look at this paragraph, I see the Church in America presently lacking in all counts! Totally committed to Christ? No comment needed. Committed to each other? Not hardly. Honest with one another? Rarely. You know, we could start anywhere on this list of three things and try to make improvements, and it would help us. We ought to be the kind of people who are admired from afar, because there is such power in our lives that no one dares to try to slide in as an impostor and steal some of the glory. What is stopping us from living the way they did?
THE PUZZLE, by Dave Ness
October 16, 2008
Acts 5:12-16
Now many signs and wonders were regularly done among the people, by the hands of the apostles. And they were all together in Solomon’s Portico. None of the rest dared join them, but the people held them in high esteem. And more than ever believers were added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women, so that they even carried out the sick into the streets and laid them on cots and mats, that as Peter came by at least his shadow might fall on some of them. The people also gathered from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing the sick and those afflicted with unclean spirits, and they were all healed. Acts 5:12-16
The apostles were not just preaching machines; their ministry was accompanied by signs, wonders and healing on a consistent basis. This would draw a crowd, and the Bible says “all” were healed, so it wasn’t hit-and-miss, either.
The Church was distinct from the world: “None of the rest dared join them, but the people held them in high esteem.”
The Church met regularly. And they were all together in Solomon’s Portico.
Evangelism was a regular occurrence, apparently daily. Believers were being added, multitudes of them!
Here we have again the principles of “daily,” “divine power in evidence,” “together.” We also have the principle of the Church being holy, in the sense of being set apart and distinct from the world. Those who were believers knew who they were. The lines weren’t blurred with people claiming to be believers but with one foot in the world. The Church had a remarkable reputation with the world. (Does today’s Church in America?) There was a constant outflow of ministry: healing, for one thing. It wasn’t just believers who were healed. People by the thousands were healed, and many then became believers. Evangelism was something which took place, constantly, outside the meetings. There was a steady influx of new believers being added to the Body.
We need to apply the principles of the Early Church in the way we operate. Right now our reputation in the world is often odious, sometimes for good reason. We could rescue the reputation of the Church in America by nothing more than just acting like believers in Christ, and if we would quit trying to pretend that attenders and believers were the same thing. If believers started consistently acting like Christ, we’d get our reputation back in a hurry. And I think that at least a bunch of us ought to quit trying to do evangelism through public meetings, and get back to evangelism as something we do all the rest of the time when we’re not meeting together! Presently, we have it the opposite: The only time we’re trying to do evangelism (in many churches) is when we’re in our meetings “at church,” and the rest of the time, we don’t even think about it!
We need to be clean channels through which God can do signs, wonders and healing, if He so chooses, as a way of drawing people to Himself. The glory needs to go to Jesus, though.
We need to be together with other believers. Freestyle, solo Christianity is not working. We need to be together, spiritually. Our weekly gatherings often have very little to do with true spiritual life; they’re mostly about “church.” They are consumer-driven, not Spirit-led. There is very little commitment involved or expected. We all need people with access to our soul, who love us, know us and are not our employees or employer.
We need to get away from the extremely inefficient method of evangelism where we try to lure people into our expensive buildings with our expensive, exhausting programs and our music, etc., and we ought to focus on living a Christlike life where we are constantly on the alert for ways to testify to God’s goodness. Then the church meeting becomes the time of the week when we just minister to God and each other, instead of the rest of the world.
Holiness. Daily. Evangelism as a continuing lifestyle. Focus on evangelism outside the church meeting, instead of reserving it for the meeting place setting.
THE PUZZLE, by Dave Ness
October 17, 2008
Acts 5:12-16, (continued)
This is something to pray about, because I’m pretty sure we won’t all get the same answer. Some have already been led out of institutional church settings into other types of Christian fellowships which seem “new” to Americans, yet which may actually bear more resemblance to the Church in Acts. Others are in the process of seeking ways of living out the Christian faith in community with others that seem more faith-building and challenging than what they have previously experienced. For still others, it is clear that, for them, the place God wants them to remain is within the realm of the established church system.
I think it all goes back to “follow Jesus.” Wherever He leads you will be the right direction for you. And we must realize that His individual plan for our life will not necessarily be applied to everyone else who is sincerely trying to follow Him, so we’re in need of much grace when it comes to accepting one another, both those in the traditional Church and those in the one sometimes termed “organic.” (By “institutional Church” I’m talking about the organized, established Church with which most of us are familiar; by “organic Church” I’m referring to small fellowships of believers who gather for worship and community without many of the trappings of the institutional Church).
Let’s look for a moment at the practical implications of both of these options. It may help us in seeing where we fit, and what God would have us to do.
I don’t think everyone in the Church in America is supposed to abandon their buildings and their traditions, leave their denominations, etc. I don’t think they would migrate toward the “organic” Church, anyway, and I don’t know if they would find any comfort at all in the huge changes which would face them. We also still have a whole lot of building payments to make, across this land! We have thousands of men and women who have been trained to lead the church as we know it, who wouldn’t have a clue as to what to do, when it came to a new structure, even if it was “older” and more biblical. For all those who love the established church structure and feel that it’s the most effective place in which to serve, please stay put! If you are moving into what is for you “uncharted” territory, it needs to be because God called you out. Otherwise, you’re liable to be even more frustrated than before! Contentment is key. We get contentment when we pray through about God’s will for us, obey Him completely, then choose to be content wherever He puts us. If He leads you to stay in your present situation, choose to be content (or at least at peace) in it. If God leads you to launch out into something new, trust Him enough to obey, and let your spirit be content in this new journey. Don’t let fear or disappointment rule your life! If we know what to do, and we obey, we are able to choose contentment, regardless of the circumstances. It doesn’t happen automatically; we choose contentment.
So why would God lead people in different ways, when it comes to something as big as “institutional Church versus organic Church”? Because we are individuals, and He loves us!
There are people who fit the institutional Church like a glove. They love everything about it! Ministry is a delight to them. The church building is one of their favorite places. It all makes sense to them. They are very effective in ministering to people within this framework. Why would God want them to abandon something which brought such joy to their lives, only to replace it with something frustrating and strange to them?
Then there’s the other side. For a great many unbelievers, and even some believers who have grown up in the institutional Church, the Church has little appeal to them. Why? A lot of reasons, but the point is, the institutional Church is not reaching them. They may tolerate what we do in the buildings with the steeples on top, but it is of no interest to them. Something much more likely to get their attention is the thought of a fellowship of people committed to each other, who are sincerely trying to find the answers to spiritual questions, but without the authoritative setting and some of the turn-offs they associate with the institutional Church.
We need to apply maximum grace to those who sense God leading them into serving Him in smaller, less organized settings, which may not look or feel very much like “church” to those of us who have spent our entire lives in the traditional setting. I also want to strongly caution those in leadership to not take away from people the things they have long loved, which in their minds constitutes “church,” replace them with substitutes completely foreign to them, and expect them to like it! The end result is pretty predictable: Nobody will like it, and the lost aren’t attracted to this train wreck, either. Here’s my summary: Stay in the institutional Church unless God leads you out of it. Follow Jesus wherever He leads, even if it’s unfamiliar territory. Apply lots of grace to everyone, without judging them. Pray! And try not to react against things you don’t like—God may be using them to bring people to Him. Remember that all of us who love Jesus are on the same team. Ask Him where He wants to play you, then make up your mind to be content there.
THE PUZZLE, by Dave Ness
October 20, 2008
Acts 5:17-18
But the high priest rose up, and all who were with him (that is, the party of the Sadducees), and filled with jealousy they arrested the apostles and put them in the public prison. Acts 5:17-18 (ESV)
The current religious leaders never like it. If they are the rare person like John the Baptist, willing to decrease for Jesus and humbly accept the loss of prestige and power, they can be tremendously helpful in the awakening; if they are not of that caliber, they will become jealous every time. When John Wesley encountered riots which almost cost him his life, the rioters were sometimes paid by local clergymen. It’s just always been that way—those in power don’t want to lose what they have.
Had the Early Church submitted to the wishes of the high priest and the Sadducees, they would have gotten absolutely nowhere, and the Church would have disappeared. Strengthened by the Holy Spirit, they just burst forward, in God’s power. They weren’t deliberately obnoxious or rebellious; they simply obeyed God rather than men. It got them jail time and revival.
America is a weird setup. Because we have democracy, in theory we can get pretty much whatever we want if we just get a majority and elect the right people. In practice, this means we spend a lot of time and energy in unsuccessfully trying to get “our” people in office, and when we manage to pull it off, we’re usually still disappointed. If they are genuinely good politicians and not ruined by the process, they still can’t accomplish much because they need the cooperation of a majority in the other branches of government, too; in the extremely rare occasion when that’s the case, they usually still manage to sit there and focus more on their reelection than on accomplishing anything!
The apostles skipped the whole thing. I’m sure they would have faithfully voted, had they been handed a democracy, but since they had government not of their choosing (which was corrupt pretty much all the way up), they just lived with it or ignored it, as the case might be, and served Jesus without putting any trust in government as an agent for societal change. In that aspect, it was a blessing that they didn’t have a vote! It made it so they didn’t waste any time on trying to change the system; they just changed people’s hearts, one by one (which eventually changed the entire system). But one of the worst things that ever happened to the Church was when they “won” politically at the “conversion” of Emperor Constantine, and were suddenly awarded all kinds of political power, plus buildings, finances and all the rest. It quickly sucked the power right out of the Church!
Here’s what I think needs to happen in America. I think believers should be more involved than ever in politics, at every level of government. I think Christians who are elected should focus on serving the people, with a strong emphasis on integrity and serving God, with the assumption that they’ll only do this for one term, and with little or no effort toward getting re-elected. I think believers should vote their conscience and be at the highest level of participation in society, when it comes to voting.
So.... Believers involved in every level of government service, and the highest level of voter participation in society. Meanwhile, believers putting their hope fully in Jesus Christ, without illusions of political change being the solution.
Pray, then vote.
Be willing to run for public office, if directed by the Holy Spirit. Focus on serving the people more than on gaining political power or being re-elected.
Serve God without waiting for any kind of governmental change or even ecclesiastical change to grant “permission” to do what you know God has called you to do. Be willing to go to jail rather than disobey God.
We are people who can make a difference. We have freedom to elect our own officials in America. We have freedom of worship, so at this point we don’t get thrown in jail for preaching the Gospel or healing people. But we still need to keep in mind, that our fiercest opponents in a spiritual awakening are probably going to be those on “our side,” who will be filled with jealousy when they see their own institutions falling down and their power receding. It wasn’t the Romans who threw the apostles in jail, it was the Sadducees and the chief priest—the religious leaders. Obey God, but don’t be surprised at a backlash from others who also claim to be serving God. Obey God, anyway. That’s what really changes society.
THE PUZZLE, by Dave Ness
October 21, 2008
Encounters with Jesus
My greatest wish for the United States is that every person in America would have a personal encounter with Jesus Christ. If they could just meet Him and somehow get to know Him, I think tens of millions would turn to Christ. Sadly, many in America have never had a true encounter with Christ. They’ve done a little church, but never met Jesus. They don’t even realize God is good! A disappointing brush with Christianity may have convinced them that the whole thing wasn’t worth pursuing, or they swallowed the propaganda which poisoned them against the idea of even needing a Savior.
God has His ways of turning things around. Saul of Tarsus was a pretty unlikely candidate for the next apostle, seeing as how he packed a hit list of Christians everywhere he went, but being knocked down, blinded and having Jesus call him by name with a voice from heaven would change most minds, and it effectively transformed Saul into Paul, the missionary. It’s rare that God does it that way, though. Customarily, Jesus just uses His Body, the Church, to encounter the world with the truth of His truth and His compassion. Even in Saul’s case, once He got him on the ground, Jesus tag teamed Ananias to finish the job of welcoming Saul into the Kingdom of God. If people just knew how good God is, and how good it is to serve Him and know Him and love Him, we couldn’t keep them away.
Pray:
*That people all across the nation will encounter the real Jesus
*That Christians would be a good reflection of His character
*For the greatest Awakening in our history
Psalm 34:8
John 1:35-39
Acts 9:1-19
THE PUZZLE, by Dave Ness
October 22, 2008
Acts 5:19-41
But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and brought them out, and said, “Go and stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this Life.” And when they heard this, they entered the temple at daybreak and began to teach. Acts 5:19-21 (ESV)
It was God who arranged the apostolic jailbreak. Once again, the Lord does the unexpected: Instead of urging the men to head for the hills, so the leadership of the Church won’t be killed, the angel tells them to go preach in the temple! That would be right under the noses of those who had jailed them, and also the building which was directly under their control! I would have thought, maybe somewhere out in the woods?
Their bold obedience was part of God’s plan to save them. The supposed spiritual gatekeepers of Jerusalem can’t very well murder unarmed miracle workers in the middle of a sermon they are preaching to adoring fans, so they quietly cart them off and beat them up, warn them not to talk about Jesus anymore, and let them go.
Another part of God’s plan was the presence of Gamaliel, who successfully reasons with the Council, and prevents further harm from coming to the disciples.
The courage of Peter and the apostles disarmed the religious leaders: “We must obey God rather than men.” (Acts 5:29) This is a principle which needs to be applied!
The spiritual firestorm swirling in Jerusalem centered around the witness of the disciples. Had they been content to just do a little teaching, and not get in people’s faces with the power of Jesus, a less powerful form of the Church might have been relatively unmolested for quite a while. Instead, the rage of the Sanhedrin was incited by the direct preaching of Peter and the others. Sometimes, that’s just the way it needs to be! The apostles were called to be witnesses of Jesus’ resurrection. Are we called to be something different? Sure, we didn’t see Him in bodily form, either before or after the Resurrection, but where is the bold witness in the Church, today? And where are those who are willing to stand for Christ, even if it means they get beat up or killed?
Some of the principles from this passage: A bold witness for Christ; God’s miraculous provision; “We must obey God rather than men.”
Part of our problem in America is that we are neutralized by our freedom. This nation was founded on religious freedom, yet the Constitution is used today as an excuse to shut Jesus out of public life. Our situation isn’t so far off from that of the apostles—“It’s fine to do miracles and stuff, but don’t use the name of Jesus, at least not in public. What you do in your church buildings is different; we don’t care so much about that, so long as you keep it to yourself.”
So, we have religious freedom—regulated. It’s quarantined, it’s banned from the public square, it’s personalized so that if you try to tell anyone else about it, you are looked upon as infringing upon their rights.
What if there were no religious freedom in America? What if, like some other countries, we could be tried and executed for speaking the name of Jesus in public (or even private)? Americans are naturally rebellious enough that it would be like Prohibition! People would be defiantly skirting those laws all the time! Maybe what we need in America is a law that punishes anyone who speaks the name of Jesus in love, anywhere. Maybe then we’d start talking about Him!
For much of the U.S., it’s as if the courts had said, “Don’t speak of Jesus anywhere unconverted people might hear you—just do it in your church buildings,” and our response was, “O.K., we’ll be good.”
I don’t think we’re supposed to go out and pick a fight. But neither do I think we’re supposed to ignore God’s commands to us, and surrender to the dictates of a society which would very much like for Jesus to just go away and leave them to their sin. If we were supposed to be protected by God in the process of being His witnesses, He would take care of it. If we were supposed to become martyrs for the faith, He would give us courage and grace for that, too. Right now, though, it feels as if the American Church has been neutralized by our freedom. We have just enough of it to think the best thing is to not make any waves, and to enjoy our quarantined “freedom” to speak the Good News to one another in our buildings, which gives us the perfect excuse not to bother being witnesses anywhere–not even in church. Somehow, it’s hard to picture the apostles taking this route.
THE PUZZLE, by Dave Ness
October 23, 2008
Acts 5:19-41, (continued)
But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men.” Acts 5:29 (ESV)
We must obey God rather than men. That’s what we do! The catch comes in that we have to be sensitive to how the Holy Spirit wants to use us in this society, in this age.
If the Church in America approached the world with a bold kindness that unflinchingly pointed to Jesus, observed the secular society rules that prevent other religions from forcing their faith on people or having our tax dollars pay for their buildings, even as it prevents Christians from doing the same, we have plenty of freedom to get the name of Jesus out without even breaking any laws. Fighting for prayer in public schools or at high school graduations? I guess it’s O.K. for some people to try to regain some of these privileges, but it looks like we’d be much further ahead if we just focused on praying more when we weren’t at school—as in praying in our homes, unfortunately a rare occurrence among Christians. I guess my point is, we have plenty of opportunities to witness for Christ in ways that don’t break any laws and are winsome to society, rather than obnoxious. If we would just do that, it would have more of an effect on getting the laws reversed than any kind of protest or whining is going to have. It would also be a more powerful witness. There is a time to get in people’s face with the Gospel—the apostles were talking to the very individuals who had condemned Jesus to death only months earlier; we’re not talking to those people. We’re talking to Gentile pagans and cultural Christians who don’t know anything much about Jesus; they just know they can’t stand Christians who impose their values on others for reasons they can’t understand. The approach of a “bold witness” is not needed nearly so much in our case as is genuine compassion—and that’s not even against the law! (You just have to be careful with the name, “Jesus.”)
What we’ve found with things like Servant Week (hundreds of Christians from dozens of churches coming together to do acts of service for their community) are that compassion and kindness open lots of doors, and Jesus becomes welcome because Christians are showing they care. The city council used to hate to see us coming, because we only showed up when we had a problem; now they invite us to the meeting so they can present us with an award for all we’ve done to help the community! Go figure.
Yes, we’re supposed to be witnesses. But witnessing and demanding our rights are not the same thing. Kindness carries a lot further than shoving public officials into uncomfortable positions because we no longer have most-favored status.
What do we do? Obey God rather than men. And God said, “Love one another—even your enemies.”
We are people on a mission. The main thing is that we’re getting our signals from God, not from men. That’s a very tricky thing, especially in a culture where organized Christianity still holds considerable sway. We need to pay attention. We need to be bold enough to ignore the regulations of the world when they contradict God’s commands, and we need to be sensitive enough to God to discern whether what is being said is from Him or just from the church hierarchy or the surrounding culture. The people who listen to God and obey Him–that’s the group of which I want to be part!
THE PUZZLE, by Dave Ness
October 24, 2008
Acts 5:42
And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ. Acts 5:42(ESV)
Daily. I can’t think of a single revival that was “weekly.” It was always daily. The focus was on Jesus as the Christ, not on church growth, not on political change.
This is not a handful of apostles teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ; this is the whole Church! Most of today’s Church is on the sidelines, and most of the professional pastors and evangelists are occupied with preaching to the choir, so the world isn’t hearing much from the Church about Jesus—only an occasional flyer or media program about their latest, greatest thing. And we wonder why we have such minimal results.
They never stopped telling about Jesus. This is immediately after they were beaten and threatened with worse if they continued! They rejoiced to suffer dishonor for the Name.
They also did not confine their teaching and preaching to a secluded sanctuary, separated from the world, like we do. They spoke in a very public place—the temple, and they taught and preached “from house to house,” the more intimate, friendly settings where there could be one-on-one exchanges. No evangelism programs were needed, no advertising, no scheduled services with an evangelist. They just made talking about Jesus a part of all their daily lives, and the rest is history. Something to learn, here?
All of the above! We need to practice Christianity on a daily basis, rather than isolating it from the rest of our lives and keeping our faith “at church.”
The expression of faith on a regular basis should be part of every believer’s life, not just the ordained, seminary-educated few. The professional clergy need to allow and affirm this.
Our faith needs to be expressed by all in the public settings, not just the clergy, and it needs to be expressed by all in the more private settings, on a continual basis.
The faith we express to one another and to outsiders needs to be focused on Jesus the Christ, rather than our peculiar doctrines about Him, our traditions or our churches, programs or leaders. These days, America isn’t hearing enough about Jesus from the Church; they’re hearing about us, and it’s not working.
The Early Church continued to teach and preach Jesus Christ even after they’d been beaten and threatened with death. We’re not saying much about Him to anyone (not even each other), and we haven’t even been threatened!
Daily.
Focus on Jesus, not anything else.
Do it everywhere, both the public places and the private: Teach and preach Jesus as the Christ.
Don’t be intimidated from lovingly proclaiming how great our God is.
Who is going to tell the world that God is good? Are they going to just figure it out? We are to be witnesses, everywhere, all the time.
Lord, sometimes it’s almost discouraging to look at the Early Church and compare ourselves to them. Their boldness, their fruit—what do we have in America which compares? I look around, and we have unimaginable resources available to us, great freedoms, tools for communication, gigantic buildings which are beautiful and comfortable, professional training available for people,... the list goes on and on. And the Church in America acts bored and lethargic, and for the most part isn’t even trying to reach their own communities for you! They are satisfied to be comfortable, spend most of their time complaining; years go by and the “converted” remain unchanged and basically unhappy. What is our problem?
We need you. We act like you’re not there. We depend on ourselves, on our own wisdom. We are lifeless and pitiful. We’re like the church in Laodicea, “rich,” yet poor. Father, we need a great awakening, and we need a great transformation. Please help us. We’re pretty wretched in our pride. Save us from ourselves, I pray. Amen.
THE PUZZLE, by Dave Ness
October 27, 2008
Psalm 31:23-24
Love the LORD, all you his saints! The LORD preserves the faithful but abundantly repays the one who acts in pride. Be strong, and let your heart take courage, all you who wait for the LORD! Psalm 31:23-24 (ESV)
It has been said that humility attracts the presence of God. I think that’s true. If you have saints who are focused on love for God, who are faithfully, humbly, courageously waiting for Him, these are people who are not going to be disappointed in the end.
Meanwhile, pride is something which God brings down.
We need to exchange the odious pride that characterizes our whole nation for a spirit of humility and submission to God. And if the Church would focus on loving God and letting Him call the shots, there would be transformation in America, starting with the Church.
Love God, do what He says, wait on Him, humble ourselves before Him, lay aside our pride. Be strong, and let your heart take courage!
We need to be in the humble camp, not the prideful one. Sometimes I think there’s more humility in much of the world than there is in the Church. Of course, there is a great deal of pride in the world, too—even pride in sin; what I’m talking about are those folks who truly are tolerant, and even though they don’t know Jesus, their lives are at least characterized by humility. The Church ought to do better than that. If we did, those humble refugees in the world would be free to seek out the Church, knowing they would be safe among us. As it is, too many times they are put off by a self-righteous pride they sense coming from Christians, which keeps them from God. Humble people who love God—that’s who we should be. If we are genuinely like that, we’ll be many times better evangelists than we are, now.
Dear Lord,
Once again, it’s pride that jumps out of the scripture at us. It’s not hard to see why many people who are not people of faith would be put off by what they observe in the attitudes of Christians. Not only is it repulsive to them; it’s repulsive to you, too. Please forgive us, Lord!
We should be so much in love with you that it infects every aspect of our lives, but that’s rarely the case, it seems. Instead, we charge on ahead. We’re not very good at waiting on you, and it’s far too infrequently that “humility” would be what others observe in our lives.
We need a new birth in our attitudes, Lord. Love, gratitude, sincerity, humility. All of these things (and more) are lacking, when it comes to the Church in America. We need an awakening that cannot be engineered or managed by man, one unmistakably from you. Please change the heart of America, especially the Church. Amen.
THE PUZZLE
Dave Ness
October 28, 2008
Those who honor me, I will honor
“Those who honor me, I will honor” was the message contained on a slip of paper given to Eric Liddell, Olympic runner representing Great Britain at the 1924 Olympics, shortly before the race. Liddell had drawn the ire of many for refusing to participate in an Olympic event which necessitated running on Sunday. The shift to a different race gave him the opportunity to run without going against his convictions. A fellow runner wanted to remind Liddell of the promise from God which is also a principle: Those who honor me I will honor (1 Sam 2:30). Eric Liddell won the gold medal in the race he ran to honor God. The great runner’s love for his Master didn’t fade with fame; he left running to become a missionary to China.
People who choose to honor God will be honored by God. Period. Sometimes it is in this life, sometimes they have to wait until they arrive in heaven. Standing by our convictions in order to honor God is the right thing to do, whether it costs us an election, a gold medal, a relationship, freedom or our life. Those who honor me I will honor. It’s true.
Pray:
*For courage for those who are under pressure to compromise, particularly in the political field, that they would do the honorable thing, no matter the cost
*That at every level of society, people would stand for their convictions and honor God
*That we, as a nation, would honor God
1 Samuel 2:30
2 Chronicles 16:9
Psalm 33:10-22
THE PUZZLE
Dave Ness
October 29, 2008
Psalm 32
I will counsel you with my eye upon you.
Be not like a horse or mule, without understanding,
which must be curbed with bit and bridle,
or it will not stay near you.
Many are the sorrows of the wicked,
but steadfast love surrounds the one who trusts in the LORD.
Psalm 32:8-10 (ESV)
Repentance and confession bring forgiveness and healing to the soul.
Many are the sorrows of the wicked, but steadfast love surrounds the one who trusts in the LORD. (Ps 32:10)
With pride in the way, we can forget about spiritual transformation.
“The sorrows of the wicked” are on the increase in America, as the wages of our sin begin to accumulate like maybe never before. The frightening thing is that for so many, rather than this resulting in repentance, it simply results in more anger and bitterness. We need for the Church to show up with the real answer (hint: It’s not church growth). We need for the people of God to show their transparency, even as they genuinely trust in God and praise Him openly. It’s high time for the Church in America to give the world a glimpse of the way the Church is supposed to live. Much of our culture no longer considers the Church as any sort of viable option, when it comes to the solutions to life’s questions and problems. I don’t think that’s their fault; it’s ours. We have often shown them a pretty poor substitute for following Christ as a way of life. It’s time to live out the real thing.
We need to be completely honest before God. We also need to be accountable to each other. We need to trust in the LORD with our whole heart, and be glad in Him. The world will notice.
We are the people of God. We need to live like it.
Father,
You know what we need, in America. It’s easy for me to come up with “We should’s,” but when it comes to changing the human heart, only you can make any progress at all! It is so obvious that we need change, though, on a massive scale. But most of all, we need change on an individual scale. It would be helpful if large numbers of people would really become converted, and society started to move in a good direction, but if the revival/awakening didn’t touch our own heart, we would still be in need of personal revival.
What I pray for today is a personal encounter with you for each person in America. They need to meet you! If they ever really encountered you, so much would change. I have a suspicion you will use the Church to accomplish this, but I know you could just do it, too, miraculously, like you did with Saul of Tarsus. They need to know how good you are, Lord! Right now, so many don’t trust you, and they don’t know you’re good. Would you please give every person in America a personal encounter with you, Lord?
Amen.
THE PUZZLE
Dave Ness
October 30, 2008
Psalm 33
he frustrates the plans of the peoples.
The counsel of the LORD stands forever,
the plans of his heart to all generations.
Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD,
the people whom he has chosen as his heritage!
Our soul waits for the LORD;
he is our help and our shield.
For our heart is glad in him,
because we trust in his holy name.
Let your steadfast love, O LORD, be upon us,
even as we hope in you.
Psalm 33:10-12,20-22 (ESV)
God loves righteousness and justice (Ps 33:5)
This whole psalm is about how God spoke the world into existence, and how nothing will withstand His word. Military strength is no match for our God.
Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD,... (Ps 33:12)
Behold, the eye of the LORD is on those who fear him, on those who hope in his steadfast love, that he may deliver their soul from death and keep them alive in famine. Our soul waits for the LORD; he is our help and our shield. For our heart is glad in him, because we trust in his holy name. Let your steadfast love, O LORD, be upon us, even as we hope in you. (Ps 33:18-22)
Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD,... (Ps 33:12) That’s what needs to happen in America.
We have such confidence in our superpower military and economic status, but it’s sorely misplaced! If we could somehow trust in God, instead of ourselves, we would be blessed beyond belief. If we don’t come around to where at least the Church is putting her trust in God, it doesn’t look good for our national future.
There’s a high emphasis on praise in this psalm. It’s something we often neglect, or else we tie it tightly to circumstances—“What’s there to praise God about?” We need to praise as a discipline of the heart, as well as when great things happen to us. I need to do this, personally! It would really beat moping, or letting my heart be tormented by stress and concern.
We praise the LORD, we trust in Him, we wait for Him, we hope in Him.
We are those whose trust is in the God who made the heavens and the earth. We are not those who put our trust in military power or political power or human wisdom. We are people who praise God on a continual basis, regardless of circumstances. We’re waiting on Him, trusting and hoping in Him. He will not fail us.
THE PUZZLE
Dave Ness
October 31, 2008 (#1)
Psalm 34
his praise shall be continually be in my mouth.
My soul makes its boast in the LORD;
let the humble hear and be glad.
O magnify the LORD with me,
and let us exalt his name together!
I sought the LORD, and he answered me
and delivered me from all my fears.
The eyes of the LORD are toward the righteous
and his ears toward their cry.
The face of the LORD is against those who do evil,
to cut off the memory of them from the earth.
When the righteous cry for help,
the LORD hears
and delivers them out of all their troubles.
The LORD is near to the brokenhearted
and saves the crushed in spirit.
Psalm 34:1-4,15-18 (ESV)
The discipline of praise goes a very long way toward spiritual transformation. I will bless the LORD at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth. (Ps 34:1)
Calling out to God works—He hears and answers!
The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them. Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him! Oh, fear the LORD, you his saints, for those who fear him have no lack! (Ps 34:7-9) What great promises! Divine protection and provision, and all we have to do is fear God.
The “fear of the LORD” is something which can be learned! Come, O children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the LORD. (Ps 34:11)
Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit. Turn away from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it. (Ps 34:13-14) The fear of the LORD appears to start with the tongue, and the rest of the body follows.
More promises: The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD delivers him out of them all. (Ps 34:18-19)
The LORD redeems the life of his servants; none of those who take refuge in him will be condemned. (Ps 34:22)
Beautiful promises. All we have to do is serve God, look to Him and fear Him, take refuge in Him. He will take care of us. That includes transforming us in whatever ways He sees fit.
Revival among the Christians, awakening among the population. America needs to come to believe that God is good, that serving Him is good. Here would be a good plan for us as a nation: Turn away from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it. (Ps 34:14)
Bless and praise the LORD at all times. Quit boasting in ourselves and boast in the LORD, instead. Seek the LORD. Taste and see that He is good! Keep your tongue from evil. Turn away from evil and seek peace.
We are God’s children. He wants to protect us and help us, lead us, comfort us, but if we refuse His help and choose to rely on ourselves, we’re setting ourselves up for heartache. There are a lot of promises in the Bible—God would really like to be able to fulfill those in our lives, if we would just trust Him and live by His direction.
THE PUZZLE
Dave Ness
October 31, 2008 (#2)
Single-issue Voters
A lot of disparagement has been thrown around in this election cycle, but one of the most deeply despised entities is the “single-issue voter”—the hapless individual who only seems to care about one thing, ignoring all the other pertinent issues of the day. Deemed narrow-minded, stupid or both, by those who style themselves as too sophisticated and intelligent for such an approach, one-issue voters (and other “lunatics”) are elbowed to the fringe of the political realm and left to die. Let me tell you how I became one.
Fourteen years ago, my wife was pregnant with triplets. Shock at our situation quickly turned to anticipation. We were excited, none more so than our three-year-old daughter, poised to become the world’s best big sister.
At 21 weeks gestation, my wife began to hemorrhage, resulting in her rapid transport to the hospital, where it was discovered that one of the triplets had already expired. The other two were healthy and growing, but not quite within the window of viability. For five days we hung on, trying to prevent premature birth, with thousands praying for us, but finally it was as if God was saying, “Thank you for respecting life, but I’m taking over, now. It’s O.K.” My wife’s water broke and she delivered a girl and two boys. Jocelyn was born first. She never took a breath but her heart continued beating for half an hour. My wife’s first words when she saw her were, “How can anyone say that’s not a baby?!” About twelve inches long, she already had fingernails, toenails and eyebrows. She was a tiny, perfect replica of her big sister, right down to facial expressions. I placed my little finger in our daughter’s palm. Jocelyn curled her fingers around mine.
Part of us died, too, that day in August, fourteen years ago, but it wasn’t our faith in God, who held us up through the loss, then blessed us with a son through adoption, the result of another brave young woman’s choice to honor life, even as my lady had. God has healed our hearts, in indescribable ways, and we praise Him!
Up until this time, I had always been pro-life, anyway, but experiencing the birth of Jocelyn, Jonathan and Jeremiah locked it in to the extent that I could no longer bear to vote for a political candidate who took a “pro-choice” stance, regardless of whether I might be in agreement with their other views. I became a single-issue voter! I don’t care if they are running for dog-catcher—if they are not in support of the sanctity of human life, they don’t get my vote! Once in a while, usually in a primary, I have the luxury of choosing between two pro-life candidates, which allows me to consider other factors. A good number of times, I have had to leave part of the ballot blank, because there were no pro-life candidates available.
Does my single-issue voter philosophy mean I don’t care about anything except the question of abortion? No, it just means that I have come to see it as having such vital importance that it trumps every other issue. The right to life is such a basic issue—it is literally, “life or death.” Somehow, “Whose tax cut is more advantageous?” doesn’t deserve the same degree of consideration, in my book. If you allow the potential tax-payer to be killed, it doesn’t too much matter what their rate would have been, had they been allowed to live! I’m also thinking that at the Judgment, the tax advantages we thought we gained by voting for a pro-choice candidate might not be a good thing to bring up, when trying to explain to God why we shouldn’t be considered something of an accomplice in the murder of over 40 million unborn babies in America.
So am I an extremist? Probably. A day in 1994 when I held in my hands a perfectly formed baby younger than the age legal for abortion in many places, made it impossible for me to any longer rationalize the practice of abortion or supporting such a practice, no matter how much that life might represent an inconvenience to someone. Some day we will personally answer to God regarding this question. We will answer as individuals, and as a nation. What will we say? The election to take place on November 4 is, to me, a watershed event for our country. Never have the choices been so stark, from the presidential race on down through Congress and various state issues. I’ve been talking about a “cliff” for years; if America chooses to go over the cliff on November 4, disregarding biblical values in favor of “change,” “tolerance” or whatever, by voting for candidates or ballot measures that will take our country in ever more ungodly directions, my prediction is that within one year’s time we will live in a nation which is nearly unrecognizable from the one in which we live, today. This is why I and many others have been fasting and praying for weeks, and will continue fasting through Election Day. (Today, I switched from a 40-day Daniel Fast (fruits and vegetables only) to a 4-day complete fast (water only).
The answer is not in politics, but in America, politics reflects the direction the country is already going. This is another reason this election cycle is so difficult for many of us—the mere fact that some issues are even on the ballot indicates that our culture is in severe trouble, such as the California ballot proposition necessary to restore traditional marriage between one man and one woman. Pray for America! We are so in need of God’s mercy!
And remember, whatever happens, God will still be God. He’s not even up for re-election!
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