Silver and Gold I Have Not

Now Peter and John went up together to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour. And a certain man lame from his mother’s womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms from those who entered the temple; who, seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, asked for alms. And fixing his eyes on him, with John, Peter said, “Look at us.” So he gave them his attention, expecting to receive something from them. Then Peter said, “Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.” (Acts 3:1-6)

It's easy to become overwhelmed when we look at the need in the world around us. Millions in need of food, water, shelter, medical care... the list, sadly, goes on and on. Charities great and small crop up around these specific needs, and all vie for your attention -- and money. You can't even buy a Happy Meal without being hit up for a donation, and for the most part, the cause is always worthwhile and important. And maybe that's not so bad, a dollar here or there. Perhaps you're even making real sacrifices and giving even when it's inconvenient. But you still wonder if you're doing enough. Whether it's making a difference at all. 

Maybe you're like me and have serious doubts you'll ever be able to afford to make a real difference. But when I think that way, it's because I've forgotten one of a few very important facts about both need and the Call to help those in need. 

First, money is a tool. A gift. It is given to us that we might sustain our families and bless others. But it isn't the only tool. In fact, you may not have any money at all... but you can still be a blessing to those in need. When Peter and John went to the temple in Acts 3, they didn't have any money on them. But they did have the empowerment of Christ to give this man in need something even better. And that's the second fact we need to remember: if God calls us to help, He gives us the means to do so. Maybe it's not what you think it ought to be, or what the world think it's looking for... but it's nevertheless exactly the right thing at the right time. 

Maybe what you have to offer is comfort. A listening ear. The ability to care for others, to pray for others, to provide nourishment. You never know what the Spirit will lay on you, when you're willing to listen. Maybe, He'll even call you to heal. The point is to be available. The point is to stop worrying about what you can't do, and listen instead for what God wants to do through you. 

The third fact we learn from this story is that you don't need to worry about changing the entire world. Focus instead on those who God puts right in front of you. Love those people. Care for them. Do that, and you really are changing the world.

What shall we do?

Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?”

Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.” (Acts 2:37-39)

What shall we do? Those who listened to Peter's words -- that Jesus Christ had been killed and rose again, that His spirit, the spirit of the Living God, is dwelling in those who believe -- recognize they have a choice to make. Now that they've heard the Gospel, they could accept it or deny it. So they asked perhaps the most logical question that can be asked upon being confronted with the Truth: now what? What shall we do? 

Peter's response must have seemed, for those who heeded his words, too good to be true. That's it? It sounds so easy! Repent and be baptized and voila... we're right with God? Without even sacrificing a lamb or a young goat?

Now, we know, as did those who heard Peter's words, that repentance isn't as easy as it sounds. It's a daily -- even an hourly -- decision. But even then, as Peter tells them (and us), we don't need to rely on our own strength. Repent and be baptized, he says, and we will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. What a promise! Through Christ we can not only be forgiven our sins, but have the strength, in His power, to resist temptation!

That's the Gospel in a nutshell. And now the question remains: What shall we do with it?

Accused of Drunkenness

And there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men, from every nation under heaven. And when this sound occurred, the multitude came together, and were confused, because everyone heard them speak in his own language. Then they were all amazed and marveled, saying to one another, “Look, are not all these who speak Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each in our own language in which we were born? Parthians and Medes and Elamites, those dwelling in Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya adjoining Cyrene, visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabs—we hear them speaking in our own tongues the wonderful works of God.” So they were all amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “Whatever could this mean?”

Others mocking said, “They are full of new wine.” (Acts 2:5-13)

A friend of mine recently observed, "maybe the problem with Christians is that nobody accuses us of being drunk anymore."

When I was younger, I believed the mockers thought these believers were drunk because they were speaking in other languages. Now that I'm older, I know that couldn't have been the case, because we are told everyone heard it in his own language. My conclusion, then, is that this criticism was more directly related to the message these disciples were speaking, and the boldness with which they proclaimed it. Indeed, Peter's message to the crowd in the verses that follow bear this out.

It simply wasn't normal for a bunch of people to start proclaiming Good News to everyone who would listen. To begin talking about a Messiah as though He had already been among them (most Jews, after all, were still waiting for Him). It wasn't normal for people to be so fervent, so passionate, that all who heard them should be saved. 

Come to think of it, it's not normal now. Even among the Church. But back then, it was unprecedented. So much so that the boldness of these few people caused this new religion to spread like wildfire. Here we are, 2000 years later, and nearly everyone on the planet has at least heard the name "Jesus." 

Imagine the possibilities if His church now were to carry His message with the same boldness as they did back then. If each of us were to follow the example of Peter and speak the truth with confidence, uncaring of any consequences!

God, that we might be blessed with the boldness and spirit of the early church!

A Rushing Mighty Wind

When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. (Acts 2:1-4)

I've noticed something about the Holy Spirit in Scripture. Whenever you read in the Word that "The Holy Spirit" comes upon somebody, you know something big is about to happen. Often, something world-changing.  

In Numbers 11, Moses needed to make a point. 

So Moses went out and told the people the words of the Lord, and he gathered the seventy men of the elders of the people and placed them around the tabernacle. Then the Lord came down in the cloud, and spoke to him, and took of the Spirit that was upon him, and placed the same upon the seventy elders; and it happened, when the Spirit rested upon them, that they prophesied, although they never did so again. (vs 24-26)

In Judges 3, the Spirit of the Lord comes to the judge Othniel to deliver Israel again. In fact, the entire book of Judges is filled with references to the Spirit empowering men to deliver God's chosen people. 

In Judges 15, we read about Samson:

Then the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon him; and the ropes that were on his arms became like flax that is burned with fire, and his bonds broke loose from his hands.  He found a fresh jawbone of a donkey, reached out his hand and took it, and killed a thousand men with it. (vs 14-15)

Samson already had great strength already, but it took the Spirit to put him into action.

In 1 Samuel 10, Saul is annointed with these words (in verse 6): "Then the Spirit of the Lord will come upon you, and you will prophesy with them and be turned into another man."

Time and again, throughout Scripture, we read about the Spirit of God -- the Holy Spirit -- empowering man to do God's will. Indeed, it was by the power of the Spirit (Luke 1:35) that Mary conceived the Savior of mankind, Jesus Christ, in the flesh.  

So, we come to Acts 2, and the Spirit coming upon the Disciples in the upper room. For what purpose? As we shall see, for the purpose of accomplishing God's will. The Holy Spirit has a specific mission. This is the testimony of Scripture, in passage after passage: that the work of the Holy Spirit, in each of us, is that we might be empowered to accomplish God's will.

Waiting On God

And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, “which,” He said, “you have heard from Me; for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” (Acts 1:4-5)

Waiting. It seems like so much about following God has to do with waiting on Him. The Israelites waited in captivity, waited for the Promised Land, and waited for the Messiah. The Disciples waited for the promised Holy Spirit. We wait now for Christ's return. 

Sometimes, it makes you wonder: why the wait? The Disciples, for example: couldn't Jesus simply have baptized them in the Spirit right then and there?  Why make them wait for it? 

Well, for one thing, the waiting builds us into stronger people. It builds up our patience. It changes our character. Waiting builds anticipation, which makes us even more grateful for that which is to come. Waiting helps us to reflect on what's coming, on our own motives for wanting it. Waiting, in short, transforms us from those merely waiting into those who are ready. 

And finally, waiting builds reliance on the Giver. When we wait on God to come through on His promise, we also rely on Him to get us through the waiting.  

There's a good chance you are waiting on God today. There's a chance you're waiting on a decision from a prospective employer or perhaps on a bank loan. Maybe you're waiting on word from a doctor. Maybe you're waiting on God to provide any number of things. That's good. Keep waiting. And as you wait, take the time to reflect on the Giver of all that is good, thank Him for the waiting, and allow Him to prepare you for whatever He has in store. 

Happy Willing To Lend A Hand Day

Possibly the most important lesson I'm having trouble teaching my children is the importance of helping. We don't help because it's our job to help. We don't help only when we get something out of it, or because we're simply cleaning up after ourselves (although this last would be great if done more often, too!). Maybe one of the reasons it's so important to me that my kids learn this lesson is that I've met adults who seem to have not learned it.

You know some of those people: they're the men who watch football while their wives fold laundry, do dishes, make supper, and carry in the groceries. They're the people who see a person in need standing on the street corner and cluck their tongues in disgust. They're the people who leave a church because they aren't "being fed," even though they've done nothing themselves to feed others. They're the ones who complain the loudest about whatever problems are happening in church, but have yet to hold a paintbrush, or work with the children, or make themselves available to assist on any level beyond that which they might consider their personal "ministry," assuming they even have one.

But as always, we needn't look to other people to provide an example of selfless, helpful love. We can look to God. If you want to see love in action, picture Jesus: exhausted, emotionally and even spiritually drained. He's been preaching. He's been calling disciples. He's been healing. And we know from Mark 5 that when He heals, he can feel the power flowing out from Himself (verse 30). And yet, called to the bedside of a dead girl, He will still summon the strength to command her to awaken.

When He left this earth physically, He sent His spirit -- who He named "Helper" (John 14:26) to aid us. Think of it! The God of the Universe -- the God who made Himself flesh and allowed himself to be crucified, to take upon Himself the punishment designed for us, in retribution of our sins -- would continue to help us, even now!

We're a needy people. Thank God we have a Loving Helper.

You Don't Know Unless You Know

I have a sister who is now several months along in her first pregnancy. It's fun to watch her experience all those things moms-to-be experience for the first time, seven years now since the first time my wife experienced them. Yesterday, it was baby hiccups. She posted on Facebook about how weird it was to feel that tiny person hiccuping inside of her. "But it's Wonderful!"

A mutual friend, who has never experienced a pregnancy was curious: "Why is that wonderful?"

"Because," I started to answer, and stopped. How do you explain it to somebody who doesn't know? Especially when I, myself, have only experienced it vicariously, through my wife? I understand it. I've felt the baby hiccuping in my wife's womb, and have been pleased and awed and amused. A hiccup, as annoying as it is to an adult (and, let's be honest, probably an unborn baby, too!), is also a wonderful reminder of the little life growing within. Intellectually, I get it. But how do you explain it to somebody who has never had the experience. Why is it wonderful? "Because it is."

It can be just as difficult trying to find words to explain to people why your life is better with Christ. 1 Peter 3:15 tells us to "always be prepared to give an answer" when people ask us about the hope we have. But how? How do you explain it to somebody who simply doesn't know? It's like trying to describe how something looks to somebody who was born blind.

In fact, Paul comments on exactly that problem in 1 Corinthians 2:14:

The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit.

The truth is, without asking for the guidance that can only come from God's Holy Spirit, we ourselves can only touch on the outer edges of explaining our hope in Christ. Just as my wife, who experienced her own pregnancies, and my sister, currently going through it, were far more able than I to explain the simple joy of a hiccuping baby, it is only through the Spirit of God that we can begin to describe for others who God really is. 

Even then, it can be discouraging as your friend tries to understand what you're telling them, because, unless he or she knows through the experience of the Spirit, he or she simply can't really know.  Like my friend who won't fully understand pregnancy until she experiences it for herself, we can't understand God without being given that understanding directly from the source.

So, be encouraged. It isn't our job to guarantee understanding when we tell others what Christ has done for us. We simply need to let the Spirit of God speak through us and, when they're ready, He will give to others the understanding He has given us.

So... THIS Is Love.

My 4-year-old daughter said something profound yesterday. "I love Jesus because He is in my heart," she said. The simple faith and trust of a small child, and it made my wife and me smile. But she didn't stop there. "That is why I can love him," she said. "That's why I can love everybody."

We had,  in fact, been talking that evening with friends about how God often speaks to us the same way we speak to our children. Sometimes simply. Sometimes bluntly. Sometimes with an air of exasperation. What we didn't talk about was how often God speaks through our children.

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect. (Matthew 5:43-48)

Anyone can love somebody who loves them back. Only in Christ can we love those who do not. I've been learning lessons about love and forgiveness in my own life, slowly realizing that I need to forgive as I am forgiven, and to love as I am loved. It took my daughter to remind me that I can't do it without the Spirit of the Living God.

2 Timothy 1:7 reminds us of this: "For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline."

Galatians 5 reminds us that Love is a fruit of the Holy Spirit. 

Are you having a hard time forgiving somebody who, maybe, doesn't even know they need it? Is it hard, sometimes, to love the unlovable? In our own strength, this can be -- it is -- an impossible task. But, because Jesus loved us first, we can love everybody. Just ask my daughter.