"God? At General Assembly?": The Sequel.

Friends,

This week I will not be blogging on this past Sunday's sermon. I am asking that all of us pray earnestly, every day this week and especially Saturday, for the presence and power of God to be evident at General Assembly (the international gathering of the Church of the Nazarene). I am also asking that we pray specifically for Pastor Sam.

As delegates from all over the world come together for worship, praise, prayer, services, and administrative sessions, let's ask God to show mercy and pour out His grace on the planners and participants in this event.

General Assembly and Conventions will be held from June 24 through July 3rd in Orlando, Florida.

Pastor Sam is scheduled to speak at the "All the Nations" multicultural service which will be held on Saturday June 27. The service begins at 9:00 a.m., and he is one of two featured speakers for the service.

There are TWENTY-ONE overlapping or conflicting events occurring at the same time that the All Nations service is scheduled to be in session. My prayer is that the power of God will be so manifest that His Spirit will engage everyone at the convention center, regardless of what room they are in (see Numbers 11:25-30). I am also praying specifically that He will manifest His power even before Pastor Sam finishes speaking, just as we read in Acts 10:44.

Thank you for your prayers!

Sinning Against The Spirit: A Prophetic Warning.

Jesus says:

Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men. And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come. (Matthew 12:31-32)

Verily I say unto you, All sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and blasphemies wherewith soever they shall blaspheme: but he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation. (Mark 3:28-29)

And whoever shall speak a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but unto him that blasphemeth against the Holy Ghost it shall not be forgiven. (Luke 12:10)

Jesus said this in response to the accusation of the religious leaders of His day, who falsely claimed that Jesus was empowered to cast out demons by "the prince of demons" (see Matthew 12:22-37; Mark 3:22-30; Luke 11:14-23).

My friends, watch yourselves.

As we move forward into a critically important time in the life of Bronx Bethany, be very careful how you speak and how you react. "Do not despise prophesyings" (First Thessalonians 5:20). And, above all, take care that you do not falsely attribute the work of God's Spirit to the enemy of your soul.

Connotation.

Yes, we have more notes on Pastor Joy's sermon! I hope that you are able to seriously reflect on the implications of these phrases. I encourage you not just to read these blogs as information, but to think and pray about the undertones and implications these points have in relation to your life.

• If God is so important, what message are we sending when we are over-saturated in extracurricular activity that excludes God?
• How do we create a colony of heaven in our home? By being obedient to the Spirit of God!
• Do the people around you have an experience of your prayer life? Do they see you pray? Do they know that you are praying for them?

Let's embrace the spiritual disciplines: prayer, fasting, faith, obedience, waiting on God, confessing and renouncing sin... these simple things that create a healthy spiritual atmosphere for us and for those around us.

"Note"-orious!

Today we continue with our notes from Pastor Joy's sermon:

• A life of secrecy denies the power of transparency
• Does God get your firstfruits or your leftovers?
• Our behavior and lifestyle indicate what has priority in our lives
• We cannot raise our children in carnality and expect them to produce godly character

So, what's important to you? What are you modeling? What imprint are you making? Are your words and your actions congruent or divergent?

Lord, help us to live in the way of truth, to please You and to guide others into Your great salvation!

Duly Noted.

Here are a few more notes from Pastor Joy's sermon, "Secondhand Smoke, Sin, And The Spirit":

• "Involuntarily Inhaled": if it's in the air, you can't avoid it. What are we putting into the spiritual atmosphere of our homes?
• What are our children getting "secondhand" from us? What have we exposed to them that will affect them long after the event has occurred?
• "They're not listening"/"They don't understand" is not true. Children hear, know, and comprehend when their caretakers are engaged in a life of sin.
• Are you courageous enough to confess your shortcomings?

As we reflect on our roles in our households, let's pray for the courage to be obedient to God, so that our lives are a testimony of His love and grace.

Note Worthy.

This past Sunday we had the privilege of hearing a sermon from Pastor Joy. Over this week, we'll reflect on several of the points made during the sermon.

• Just as there is no risk-free exposure to secondhand smoke, in the same way there is no risk-free exposure to the sin of others in our household.
• Spiritual "secondhand smoke" is more dangerous because the consequences are eternal.
• Is life about what we don't do (don't drink, don't smoke, etc.), or about what we consistently do that still displeases God (lying, cheating, etc.)?
• We say our body belongs to God: does that include our mouth? Our mind? Our motives?

Tomorrow we'll continue with more thoughts from this powerful sermon.

Out Of 700, Can God Find One?

The book of Acts provides us a picture of the early church. The early church had the following among its characteristics:

-It was a saving church: the word of God was preached, and thousands came to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.
-It was a sending church: the Spirit of God spoke, and men left their regions of origin to engage in missions work, in obedience to the Lord.
-It was a signs church: God confirmed His word and His presence through signs, wonders, and miracles.
-It was a suffering church: men and women experienced persecutions and executions because of their unwavering loyalty to the Lord Jesus. They were ready to suffer and die for the sake of Christ.

Let's close this week with two appeals: one from Sunday, and one from Wednesday.

First, is anyone thirsty? On Sunday Pastor Sam reminded us of the passage in John chapter 7, where Jesus presents Himself as the living water and speaks of the role of the Holy Spirit as One who fills us to overflowing with the love and the power of God. (This is the same passage that inspired the title of my blog site.)

Second, is anyone hearing? During Wednesday evening's service I had the privilege of hearing a prophetic prayer in our small group concerning the dearth of African-American and Caribbean-American missionaries: Surely there must be one that God can send to fulfill Bronx Bethany's mission statement, "a redemptive influence in the Bronx and in the world to the glory of God".

Yes. I believe God, and I believe His prophets whom He has sent. "Believe in the LORD your God, so shall you be established; believe His prophets, so shall you prosper" (see Second Chronicles 20:20).

Yes, God. Out of 700 in Bronx Bethany, surely You can find one.

In The Mouth Of Two Or Three...

God is so good! He sent a prophet to confirm the words we heard (from Pastor Sam this past Sunday, and from the video we saw two Sundays ago).

Linda, a missionary who sits behind a desk and coordinates Church of the Nazarene media ministry in Africa, was our guest speaker this past Wednesday night. She came to Bronx Bethany all the way from Johannesburg, and what did she speak on?

Acts chapter 2.

Here are a few of the points she shared:

The Acts 2 Church was:

• bold;
• honest;
• in tune with the Holy Spirit;
• obedient to follow the promptings of the Holy Spirit;
• obedient to the law of the land;
• knowledgeable in Scriptures;
• not afraid to suffer.

In the mouth of two or three witnesses every word is established (Deuteronomy 17:6; Matthew 18:15-16; Second Corinthians 13:1).

Babel, Glossolalia, and "3 Days To Pray": Acts In The 21st Century.

Friends,

You may recall that back on May 20th, in the blog "3 Days To Pray", I called for a three-day fast specifically geared against the prospect of New York State legalizing "marriage" (civil unions) for homosexuals. My concern in this was for the upholding of Scripture, which reveals God's definition of marriage as a union between one man and one woman.

On Tuesday of this week, we began hearing news reports of confusion in the New York State Senate. Republicans in the State Senate have declared a political coup, and are stating that they have wrested control from the Democrats. In turn, the Democrats are indicating that they will not permit the Republicans to effect this change. On Wednesday afternoon reports flew back and forth regarding whether the Republicans would be permitted to even enter the Senate floor.

I see this strange turn of events as a manifestation of the hand of God moving in answer to earnest prayer. And it is no accident that these reports began to surface twenty-one days after our prayer began (see Daniel 10:12-13).

In this past Sunday's sermon Pastor Sam spoke of the relationship between the Tower of Babel incident (Genesis 11) and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2). In Babel, God used a multiplicity of languages to bring confusion and put an end to a project that men designed in an attempt to reach heaven on their own strength. In Jerusalem, God used a multiplicity of languages again: not to scatter the masses, but to declare to each man their need for God through the saving work of Jesus Christ. Pastor Sam succintly described this as "the reversal of Babel", and perhaps that is a good way to remember this point:

-In Babel, where people sought to make a name for themselves, God moved and the varied languages brought confusion.
-In Jerusalem, where people sought to exalt the name of Jesus, God moved and the varied languages brought cohesion.

And here we are in the twenty-first century, among people who still make attempts to bypass God in their decision-making process. But guess what? God is still God, and He still has the power to confound the works of the enemy. God sends confusion and scatters the proud (see Luke 1:51). It seems He is doing that now, and we continue to pray for His divine intervention to keep our state leaders from falling into error. Please don't stop praying.

This Is Your Captain Speaking!

"We must pay more careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away... how shall we escape if we ignore such a great salvation? This salvation, which was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard Him. God also testified to it by signs, wonders and various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to His will" (Hebrews 2:1,3,4).

Pastor Sam reminded us of a moment in the Old Testament where God showed Israel a key characteristic of the Holy Spirit: He is not confined to space and time. In Numbers 11, the LORD takes seventy men and shares with them the powerful Holy Spirit who was on Moses. In that transfer of power, the Lord spoke and the elders around the Tent of Meeting prophesied (Numbers 11:25). The Scripture specifically informs us that Eldad and Medad, two of the seventy elders, were not present at the location where Moses and the other sixty-eight elders were. But, Eldad and Medad were apparently exhibiting some sort of behavior that made it apparent that the Holy Spirit rested upon them- the report came from a young observer, "Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp" (Numbers 11:27).

The presence of the Holy Spirit was obvious.
The power of the Holy Spirit was observable.

The Hebrews 2 passage (above) reinforces this fact of the work of the Spirit as a phenomenon that is not private, but public. I said it last week, and today I will say it again. The Bible declares that God's testimony of salvation comes by signs, wonders, and miracles.

What would the world be like if every Christian believed what the Bible says? What would our services be like if every attendee at Bronx Bethany believed what the Bible says? What behavior do you exhibit while God is speaking? Do you prophesy, or do you just run around telling on people?

Meet The Real Time-Keeper.

As we continue reflecting on Acts 2, we'll spend the next few days remembering some of the points from Pastor Sam's sermon this past Sunday.

Perhaps we should call it God's sermon through Pastor Sam, because there were moments when the Lord caused Pastor Sam to say things that were not originally part of the planned sermon. Those moments were clear, obvious, prophetic warnings against those who regularly come to services and hear the word of the LORD, but who have made the decision to ignore the pleadings of God. As we have heard before, and this Sunday we heard it again, the day will come when God stops pleading: those individuals who continue to disobey God will be left to themselves.

My friends, can you hear the cry of Jesus? "You did not recognize the time of God's coming to you" (Luke 19:44). And, my friends, there is such a thing as "too late". The prophetic moments in the sermon brought to remembrance the "hall of shame", those men and women who missed their opportunity: people like Esau (Hebrews 12:15-17); the five foolish virgins (Matthew 25:1-13); and of course Judas (Matthew 27:3-5).

What's that I hear? Must be God's watch ticking.

Adding Thorns To The Nest.

This past Sunday was an unusual one in the life of Bronx Bethany, and it is so exciting to see that God is free to speak to His people in any way He chooses. It's especially exciting to have a pastoral staff that is not afraid to obey God, even if it means pushing themselves out of the "comfort zone" and doing church differently.

I was personally challenged by the Acts 2 reading: a passage we read pretty much every year on Pentecost, but this year I feel more of God's weight pressing on me in this matter of complete abandonment to God. Yes, I was obedient and resigned my full-time job in 2007 to go back to school- God said it, I did it. And I was obedient and said yes when He called me into full-time ministry. There is no doubt in my mind that, in time, God will make that a reality on earth just as it is in heaven. But today I had to ask myself the question: Have I really given up every bit of my personal agenda for the sake of the cross of Christ?

Apparently not. There are still traces of self-protectiveness, self-promotion, fear of what other people might be thinking... as if the word of God is not sufficient. I guess it's an every day battle, this dying to self.

Will you reflect on this question with me? Erase your job, your family, your pastors, and approach your Savior and Lord one-on-one. Find time to get alone with Him and get His assessment of what's really going on inside of you. Are you really engaged in the work of the Acts 2 church? You might be surprised by what you discover.

Apostle-Appropriate Accreditation.

Today let's reflect on some verses that give us a picture of the gifts and characteristics of those who hold the office of apostle.

"Men of Israel, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know" (Acts 2:22).

"The things that mark an apostle- signs, wonders, and miracles- were done among you with great perseverance" (Second Corinthians 12:12).

"To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder, a witness of Christ's sufferings and one who also will share in the glory to be revealed" (First Peter 5:1).

"So Paul and Barnabas spent considerable time there, speaking boldly for the Lord, who confirmed the message of his grace by enabling them to do miraculous signs and wonders" (Acts 14:3).

Miracles. Signs. Wonders. Appropriation of God's glory. It's all part of the work of the apostle.

Text. Message.

Luke, the converted physician who wrote Luke and Acts, works hard to describe the indescribable event of Pentecost- the moment many scholars describe as "the birth of the church". Let's consider some of the things Luke shares in Acts 2.

Like wind. No, not a wind, but a sound like wind. More specifically, a sound from heaven like a "rushing mighty wind" (King James Version) or like a "violent wind" (New International Version) (Acts 2:2).

Like fire. I am hoping for someone, someday, to preach on this: the connection between the sight of something like tongues split in half and on fire, and the subsequent experience of the disciples' manifestation of speaking in tongues (Acts 2:3-4).

The sound filled the house. One hundred and twenty people experienced this amazing sign: the sound of a violent wind, but no feeling of wind blowing as they sat indoors (Acts 2:2).

The Spirit filled their hearts. As the Holy Spirit allowed, men and women began to proclaim the works of God in languages they had never learned. The crowd outside did not hear the wind of God, but they certainly heard the word of God.

What a blessing that Luke's letters to Theophilus are part of Scripture, to instruct billions of men and women about the work of Christ and the ministry of the Spirit!

Apostles Against Apathy

"And fear came upon every soul; and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles" (Acts 2:43).

If I may paraphrase Scripture, there's a time to speak up, and a time to be quiet (see Ecclesiastes 3:7). I think today is a good day to speak up about the implications of Acts 2:43, the verse that makes the connection between the fear of the LORD and the manifestation of God's power.

Here in the western hemisphere, where many of us enjoy a comfortable existence, it's hard to find churches that still preach about the fear of the LORD. The word "fear" has gone out of vogue. But I think we would do well to have a sense of fear, awe, and holy reverence in the presence of God.

In the eastern hemisphere, particularly in nations that suffer extreme poverty and/or persecution, there seem to be more reports of the type of miracles we read about in Acts. A man prays earnestly for water and God answers by providing a lake in the middle of a drought-stricken land. A woman prays for healing and experiences the tumor on her face being instantly dissolved by the power of God.

And what do we Westerners do, over here in our nice sanctuaries? We complain incessantly and demonstrate indifference to the messages that are designed to educate and equip us.

I would like to propose a corollary: if there is an atmosphere filled with awe, holy reverence, and the fear of the LORD, then it will naturally follow that men and women will be witnesses to the kind of miracles, signs, and wonders that were common in the time of Acts.

But, it doesn't make sense to expect God to show up and demonstrate His mighty power where He's not welcomed. Warren Wiersbe says in his commentary that on five separate occasions, religious leaders asked Jesus for a sign that would verify whether He was in fact the Christ. Wiersbe notes, "the Pharisees and Sadducees did not lack evidence; they lacked honesty and humility" (from The Bible Exposition Commentary).

Well said, Warren.

God? At General Assembly?

What a tragedy.


In obedience to the law of Moses, which was given to Moses by God Himself, Jews from all over the world returned to Jerusalem for the Feast of Weeks (also known as Pentecost). These men were specifically showing up for a religious event, one of three that Jewish law required them to attend every year (see Deuteronomy 16:16). They brought their sacrifices and offerings, they came to the temple of God where the presence of God rested, and it seemed like just another "general assembly"... but then an amazing thing happened:


God showed up.


In the face of God showing up, what was the response of some?


These guys must be drunk. (see Acts 2:13)


How can it be that, in the midst of the community of God, there is no understanding of the presence and the power of God? It seems as if the people didn't recognize God because He showed up in a way that they were not accustomed to.


Fast-forward to 2009.


Guess what? We still have the same problem. There are some who associate themselves and align themselves with others in the community of faith, but they have not had the Upper Room experience. They have not taken on the garment of praise in preparation for Pentecost (Luke 24:53). They have not heard from the Lord (Acts 1:4). They have not prayed (Acts 1:14). They have not reorganized themselves in obedience to God's roster and God's template (Acts 1:20-26). So when God shows up and does something radical and powerful, they dismiss the activity of God as drunken foolishness.


In the Acts 2 passage we see that God graciously used Simon Peter to speak to the people and alert them to the prophetic significance of the events they were witnessing, and about three thousand of the listeners believed and were saved. But the crowd was more than three thousand people, and there were some in the crowd whose goal was to stop the apostles in their tracks. Throughout the book of Acts we read of the persecutions endured by the early church as they stood for Christ in the midst of a community that, after having crucified Jesus, sought to silence His followers as well. This is a long way of saying, "don't worry about the persecution you're enduring- it's part of the package" (thanks to Pastor Benji for the 'package' metaphor).


Where do you stand? I really wonder how you received this past Sunday's events. Were you able to see the hand of God in the events of the day, or did you just dismiss it all as foolishness?