Boldness in the Spirit and Truth

And with many other words he testified and exhorted them, saying, “Be saved from this perverse generation.” Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them. (Acts 2:40-41)

God honors boldness in His name. The Truth, spoken in Love, must yield good fruit. For me, this is a key lesson in Acts 2:40-41. Christians -- particularly Christians in the West -- have gotten this idea that it's our responsibility to make the Gospel more palatable. That we must offer rewards with the Gospel: a life of abundance instead of an abundant life. We downplay the cost of relationship with Christ, just as we downplay the cost of a life lived in slavery to sin. 

Is it any wonder that so many new Christians lack depth in their faith, when the faith they learned has such an unsteady foundation? Can it be any wonder when we fail, in our hemming and hawing and constant concession, to win strong, new disciples?

Peter spoke the truth. He spoke it with authority (he had a good Teacher, after all). He spoke it in love, but he spoke it forcefully and unequivocally. And, through him, the Spirit moved through the crowd and people believed. 

Romans 1:6 says, "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek."

The very Power of God. And yet, so many of us act as though we must be ashamed. Why else would we tweak it to be less offensive, or try to make it somehow more attractive to the temporally-minded? Do we not understand that Eternity is at stake?

Embrace the truth of Christ. If you claim to follow Him, don't be ashamed of the True Gospel. Celebrate being called out of a life of sin, into a life of Service to God. Understand that He wants to offer the very same -- through YOU -- to others.

I-dol worship

 “You shall have no other gods before Me.
“You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments. (Exodus 20:3-6)

We hear a lot about modern idolatry. Possibly not enough, actually. But when we hear about it, we always hear about cars or jobs or other material things. Things, in short, that we put above God. Things we worship through our time and attention and even financial sacrifices. But, just as with the graven images God spoke of on the top of the mountain, the real object of idol worship is ourselves. 

With the ancient idols, it was a question of "what can this little god do for me?" Israel created a golden calf to worship because they wanted a god. It wasn't about God, or even the calf. It was about them. 

And still today, idolatry is really about ourselves. And it takes many, insidious forms. I was once mailed a paper prayer rug. Put my name on it, I was told, and pass it around, and I would be blessed. Take a trip through Social Media and count the number of posts promising the blessings of God by simply passing them on to your friends. 

This is not God. This is idolatry. It is idolatry because we are placing our own needs at the forefront of our worship. It is idolatry because in seeking tips and tricks to discover God's "blessings" we cease to worship God and begin to view Him as a cosmic genie. 

God doesn't exist to make you happy. And how blessed we are that He doesn't! Man is a fickle creature, happy with one thing one day, and dissatisfied the next. But the God we worship -- the Almighty, the Magnificent, the All-knowing, all Powerful -- the Creator and Shaper of the Universe wants instead to love you. He wants not to give us what we think we want, but what He knows we need: a restored relationship with Him, and an inheritance, not of temporary treasures that moths and rust destroy, but of an Eternity by His side.

Your Best Life Now!

Fact: God never promised us an easy life. He never promised us earthly prosperity or good health or even
happiness. At least, not in this world, as it is now.

A whole lot of Christians are looking for God to provide for them an enriched earthly existence, free from the burden of debt. In excellent health, with a perfect family and 2.5 kids and maybe a dog. A whole lot of Christians believe they can have all their materialist dreams come true, and all they have to do is think positive. Think -- no, believe -- prosperity into existence, and God will come out of His lamp, nod His head, and grant your wishes. After all, Jesus came that we might have life, and have it more abundantly, right?

Okay, sure. But I fear there may be some confusion here. Life doesn't mean prosperity. Abundance doesn't mean prosperity. An abundant life is one lived in Christ. An abundant life is a life lived in service to the Creator. Not a life of health, wealth, and happiness.

Just ask the Disciples. They moved around place to place, gave up everything to follow Christ and survived on the good will of fellow believers. All but two were ultimately martyred.

Or, go straight to the source and see what Jesus had to say. Sure, He said something about "abundant life." But He also said, "Blessed are those who mourn --" because there will be mourning -- "for they shall be comforted." 

He said, "blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake --" persecution! That doesn't sound an awful lot like health and wealth -- "for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven."

Paul talked about his health and wealth thanks to following Christ: 

From the Jews five times I received forty stripes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been in the deep; in journeys often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils of my own countrymen, in perils of the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; in weariness and toil, in sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness— besides the other things, what comes upon me daily: my deep concern for all the churches. Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to stumble, and I do not burn with indignation? (2 Corinthians 11:24-29)

Man. Talk about your "Best Life Now." 

... maybe he just didn't have enough faith...  

But praise God, because our reward is Heaven. Our reward is a life full of Christ and His great love and mercy. Our reward is an eternity by the side of our creator. I'll take that over The Eternal Genie any day.