Pure Conscience

Acts 23:1 - "And Paul, earnestly beholding the council, said, Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day."

Wow, what a statement! To live before God and even our fellow man with a good conscience is something that all Christians should strive to do. Before a watching world, our greatest witness is not so much what we say (although that is very important), but it is the way we conduct our lives, business, manners, and all or our interactions with our fellowman. To live before men in a way that glorifies God is the greatest testimony you can give. Let our conscience always bear witness that, what we do towards our fellow man, we do with a pure motive, and God, who sees the heart, will guard us in all of our actions and workings for His kingdom.

Practicing Apologetics

Acts 21:40-22:1 - "And when he had given him licence, Paul stood on the stairs, and beckoned with the hand unto the people. And when there was made a great silence, he spake unto them in the Hebrew tongue, saying, Men, brethren, and fathers, hear ye my defence which I make now unto you."

Here we have the Apostle making a defense of what he believes and why he believes it. This should be what every Christian is prepared to do. Peter wrote : "But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear (3:15)":
In other words, know and understand what you believe as a follower of Christ so that when a watching world asks you of this hope, you are ready with an answer. In my experience, a good number of Christians love church, listening to good preaching and teaching as well as worshiping corporately, but Sundays are as far as their knowledge of God goes, and when pressed with the tough questions of life, they have no answer of the hope that is within them. Let me state that I am offering no diatribe against us today, but trying to make us aware of a reality that is prevalent in American Christianity. We must remedy this. The Christian worldview takes a back seat to nothing and no one. Whether to the rich or poor, educated or uneducated, in the market place or at the university level, the Christian worldview has the answer. Sadly though, the case of Christians living out their beliefs and being able to defend them is lacking greatly. George Barna Research found out a couple of years ago that only 6% of professed believers actually live out a Christian worldview and the Pew Forum discovered last year that Christians in America are at the bottom of the list when it comes to knowing what they believe; the atheists and agnostics know more about Christianity than Christians in this nation. We have to right this course, I encourage you to seek after God and to apply your heart and mind to know Him, His word and the reason you hold to your beliefs. In other words, let us study to show ourselves approved. By the way, you have the greatest helper in doing this, the Holy Spirit who leads us into all truth.

Right mindset

Acts 20:22-24 - "And now, behold, I go bound in the spirit unto Jerusalem, not knowing the things that shall befall me there: Save that the Holy Ghost witnesseth in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions abide me. But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God."

Talking about having the right mind set, Paul displays it here. He knows that he is heading to Jerusalem and that once he arrives there, it will be trouble for him. How did he know this? The Spirit of God had revealed this to him. How would we react? How would this affect our plans in life? As a child of God, you need no reminding that this life is filled with tests and trials, but we know that "all of these things work together in our lives for the good purposes of God (paraphrase of Romans 8:28)." We must be willing to keep moving forward in Christ in spite of the struggles and testing. If we will walk on, we will always find that we never walk alone, for Christ said that He was with us always (Matthew 28:20) and that is a promise that you can trust in. Charles Spurgeon once wrote: "Walk with God and you cannot mistake the road. You have infallible wisdom to direct you, permanent love to comfort you, and eternal power to defend you." Let your mind be established in this truth, that adversity is always a part of life, but I am made more than a conqueror through Christ who loves me (Romans 8:37). Victory is ours because it was first His. Go forward in Christ!

The Way

Acts 19:23 - "And the same time there arose no small stir about that way."
No small stir about "that way" is true even of today's world. Throughout the Book of Acts you will see the phrase "they way" or "that way," which is what the teachings about Christ were called. Everywhere Christ was proclaimed and taught, there was always a stir, just as today, where we see Jesus is still the most controversial figure of human history. What makes Him so different from other religious leaders? He claimed to be God in the flesh, He claimed to be the only way to God, and as such, He is the only religious leader who dealt specifically with the human heart and the nature of man. His is not a teaching of good works but a call for us to renounce who we are and trust Him for our eternal hope and escape from destruction. It's faith in Christ that makes us citizens of heaven, for when we believe, we become part of "that way." This runs in direct opposition to the foundations of all other religions that stresses man's works as the "saving" power. Whether you hate Jesus or love Him, one thing we cannot do is ignore Him. He is more than a good religious man, He is the Savior of humanity. C.S. Lewis said it well: "I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: 'I'm ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don't accept His claim to be God.' That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic - on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg - or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to." I love the statement by Ravi Zacharias: "Jesus did not come to make bad men good, He came to make dead men live," that is what Christ does.

Christ is the Answer

Acts 18:28 - "For he mightily convinced the Jews, and that publicly, shewing by the scriptures that Jesus was Christ."
This verse is somewhat a summation of all that takes place in this chapter as well as Paul's ministry as a whole, which is, that these disciples made much of Jesus Christ and by doing so, they turned the world upside down (Acts 17:6). The Lord Himself told us that when He is lifted up, men will be drawn to Him (John 12:32)and that the purpose of the Spirit was to testify to the world the person and work of Jesus Christ (John 14:26). Yet, what seems to be lacking today in Christian circles is the preaching and teaching about the person of Christ. We find more books, songs and even sermons that instruct us how to find happiness, get rich, overcome depression, etc; than we find on what Christ has accomplished and that our lives find true fulfillment only in Him. Is it possible that we see so few conversions to Christianity in America because we preach so little of Christ? Money, fame, popularity, possessions,pleasure or religion has never quenched the deepest thirst of humanity, only the Living Water (Jesus Christ) can do that. He is the source of true peace, forgiveness, joy, and fulfillment. Do you know Him today?

Engaging

Acts 17:28 - "For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring."
(Read the entire account of Paul on Mar's Hill (Areopagus) found from verse 16 to verse 34).
Here we have Paul, addressing the leading Greek philosophical classes of the day and doing it on their own turf. The Greeks were not far from truth in their search for it. But here Paul brings them to the God that on whose door they were knocking, so to speak. The apostle preached to these men the one true God and His coming in the person of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, revealing to them that He is the end of their searching for ultimate truth and reality. Some accepted and some rejected, which will always be the case in evangelism. Our job is to present the truth of the gospel and be ready to meet the challenges head on. We need to prepare our hearts with knowledge and reliance upon the Spirit of Truth who will guide us in our tasks. But He must have something to work with and that falls on us to study to prepare ourselves to engage the market place of ideas. You don't have to be afraid, we have the upper hand, for we have the Truth, or rather, He has us.

Stirred Hearts

Acts 17:16 - "Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was stirred in him, when he saw the city wholly given to idolatry."

This is a sobering question but it is one that must be asked to all who name the name Christ, when was the last time that our hearts were stirred and grieved by what is going on around us? But not only stirred, but it caused us to get involved more in the market place of life in order to reach a world with the Gospel of Christ. Our orders are simple, Jesus said that we should be salt and light in this dark world. Salt preserves and creates thirst and light illuminates and expels darkness. This is what a life lived with Christ does to a world under the influence of the fall. So, whether a business owner, employee, politician, an athlete or a student, let your heart be stirred by the need around us and purpose in your mind to live the Christian life in the eyes of a cynical watching world. You and I are called to be the salt and light, and nothing else will take that place in God's plan for us.

Be a Berean

Acts 17:10-11 -- "And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews. These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so."

The Jews of Berea were men of nobility, which means that they lived according to a Jewish maxim of that day that "none was of a noble spirit who did not employ himself in the study of the law.” With an attentive mind, they listened to the gospel of Jesus Christ presented by Paul and found, in their search of the scriptures, that this doctrine was truth, therefore many of them believed as well as honorable Greeks. The lesson for us here is that we as Christians should be people who give ourselves to the study of scripture and of educating ourselves in ideas that we encounter in this world. With intellects and hearts devoted to God and His word, we can have a ready answer (1 Peter 3:15) to all who ask of, desire to learn from, or even challenge our beliefs and convictions as followers of Christ. Truth will always keep us from error, and my Lord, we see so much error in nominal Christianity today. I encourage you to know what you believe and study to show yourself a servant of Christ, for what you believe will affect your life here and in eternity.

Elements for victory

Acts 16:25 - "And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them."

We should all know this story well. Paul and Silas are imprisoned for delivering a servant girl from a demonic spirit. They were beaten with many stripes as well. Now this would seem like a good occasion to fault God, to complain and grumble and become angry and bitter. That is not the case at all here. These two Spirit filled men did something that no doubt was a common part of their lives, they had a wonderful church service. Prayer here was there petitioning God and singing was not just them bellowing out the latest Christian songs, but rather was most likely some of the Psalms of the Old Testament. Maybe it was "Bless the Lord, O' my soul (Ps. 103) or even "God is my refuge and strength (Ps. 46) or even some of the early church hymns (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). The point is this, prayer and scriptural truths sustained these apostles in their dark hour and that is exactly what will sustain you and me in the storms of our lives. Cultivate a life of prayer and scripture reading and you will stand the tests of life, for in these you will know Christ in His nearness.

Act 15:1-2 - "And certain men which came down from Judaea taught the brethren, and said, Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved. When therefore Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and disputation with them..."
Here we have the classic example of man trying to attain salvation through his own works and accomplishments. As we can clearly see, the early church had to contend with the mind set that salvation was something attainable by human efforts. Let me state very adamantly , you nor I can do anything that will justify us or even make us holy before God. Only faith in what Jesus Christ accomplished on the cross can produce such an experience. When we do or don't do something in an effort to earn God's love and acceptance, we at the same time leave our faith in Christ and try to establish our own righteousness by laws. The problem with this is that it produces a life of condemnation and despair. As born again believers, we must accept the reality that all I need comes through Christ and His love and now, I live a lifestyle by not trying to earn His acceptance, but rather because I love Him. Salvation is through faith alone, by grace alone, because of Christ alone. Peter said it so well in this same chapter of Acts:
"But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they (15:11)." So live a lifestyle becoming Christianity, but not because you're "earning" salvation, but rather because you have freely received. Anything else is religion at it's best and remember, the religious crowd were the greatest enemies of Christ.

Perseverance

Act 14:21-22 - "And when they had preached the gospel to that city, and had taught many, they returned again to Lystra, and to Iconium, and Antioch, Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God."
Paul made it clear to the church in the cities mentioned above, "continue in the faith." The Amplified Version says that Paul was "urging and warning and encouraging them to stand firm in the faith." Basically, we as Christians have to learn and develop perseverance (patience). Trials and affliction are part of this life and just because we are born again does not exclude us from the reality of disappointment, struggles, heartaches and pain. We will enter eternity trough "much tribulation" in this life. Paul said it well in Romans 5:3-5: "...we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience (character); and experience, hope: And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us." There is a purpose in the pain, so don't despair traveling pilgrim, for Jesus made it clear when He spoke: "These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world (John 16:33)." What a consolation, I will over come through Jesus Christ!

In His Care...

Acts 12:1-2 - "Now about that time Herod the king stretched forth his hands to vex certain of the church. And he killed James the brother of John with the sword."
This is what satan tries to do best, vex and kill the church. Here we read the death account of the first apostle to be martyred and if you read on in this chapter, you will see Herod's attempt to do the same to Peter (who, by the way, has a miraculous escape). What we have here is the death of an apostle and the deliverance of another. This reveals to us something so true and applicable for our lives as Christians. That is, regardless of satan's schemes and plans, God is the one who calls the final shot over our lives. James finished his course, yet God wasn't through here with Peter and his martyrdom would come much later as an old man. Whatever you're doing for the kingdom of heaven, remember, God will guide and lead you and will perform in you His great plan until the day of Christ. Satan may try to ve and stop, but walk with God and you will overcome through Jesus, the one who was manifested to destroy the works of the devil (1 John 3:8).

Man of God

Acts 11:24 - "For he was a good man, and full of the Holy Ghost and of faith:"

This is what our church (and secular) world needs desperately in this hour; a good man. The Marines motto for years was "A Few Good Men." This is exactly what Jesus desires to make us into...good men, full (lead and directed) of the Holy Ghost and faith. Albert Barnes in his commentary on Acts states concerning this verse: "It is not said that he was a man of distinguished talents or learning; that he was a splendid or an imposing preacher; but simply that he was a man of an amiable, kind, and benevolent disposition - a pious, humble man of God.... He was filled with the influences of the sacred Spirit, producing zeal, love, peace, joy, etc... He had confidence in the truth and promises of God. He confided in God. He depended, not on his own strength, but on the strength of the arm of God." This is what it will take to change our homes, neighborhoods,cities and nations...men and women who match this verse here. This is accomplished only as we walk with Christ and surrender to Him in love. Lord, make me that man!

Jew nor Gentile

Acts 10:34-40 - "Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him. The word which God sent unto the children of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ: (he is Lord of all:) That word, I say, ye know, which was published throughout all Judea, and began from Galilee, after the baptism which John preached; How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him. And we are witnesses of all things which he did both in the land of the Jews, and in Jerusalem; whom they slew and hanged on a tree: Him God raised up the third day, and shewed him openly;"

Here is the true Israelite Peter preaching the gospel message to the unclean Gentiles. Why, because earlier in this chapter Peter had received the vision from God that all who trust in Him are accepted and cleansed through Christ. Not only are these of Cornelius' house cleansed but they are Spirit filled, revealing to us that this gift of power was not just for the Apostles but for all who would receive. This is the hope of the gospel, not that it offers eternal life to the Jews alone, but also to the Gentiles as well. Paul, that great Jewish missionary to the Gentiles wrote that in God's kingdom: "...there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all (Colossians 3:11)." Aren't you so thankful that God's love is not bound by race, ethnicity, position or wealth? Praise God, He really does love the world!

True Conversion

Acts 9:20-21 - "And straightway he preached Christ in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God. But all that heard him were amazed, and said; Is not this he that destroyed them which called on this name..."
Saul the persecuted has met Christ whom he was persecuting and now the tide has turned, now he is preaching the faith he once so vehemently attacked. The result, people are amazed. This is a powerful example of a true conversion to Christ (a born again experience). Paul (Saul) is not the same man, his life is now radically different and history (mostly New Testament) attests to this fact. How many today in Christianity have never truly been born again? How many are just religious, which is what Paul was (don't believe me, check out Philippians 3:4-6). There is a great dichotomy between being religious and being truly born again. In scripture, this bifurcation is clearly seen. We have left darkness and entered His light; we were dead, now we're alive; we were lost, now we're found; we were alienated from God, now we are His children; we stood in condemnation, now by faith in Christ we are justified. Wow, what a change! We should all examine our lives to see if there has really been a change from the person we once were before we were "saved." Paul said it so well, " Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature (creation): old things (previous moral and spiritual condition) are passed away; behold, all things are become new." Our transformed life will always amaze those who knew us before and this changed life is a powerful witness that can't be refuted.

Acts 9:4-5 - " And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest:"
Here we have the meeting between Saul of Tarsus (the persecutor of the church) and Jesus Christ (the risen Savior and the author of Christianity). And as you know, the rest is history as Saul became Paul and the world was turned upside down by the Christian message. Now, what catches me heart in this passage is the words of Christ when He states to Paul: "I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting." It's such an encouraging reality that Jesus takes my suffering and battles as His own. Saul was persecuting Christians, and yet Jesus made it clear that it was an affront and assault against Himself. That is the power of a covenant relationship. His victories are my victories, His peace is my peace, my struggles become His and my sufferings are His. What consolation this is! This is the message of the book of Hebrews, that the death and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth instituted a New Covenant between God and men and all that He accomplished in those acts are for the transformation of the world...and in this world, all I face as a Christian, He has already endured and defeated on His cross, and demonstrated this truth in the resurrection.

It's all about Christ

Acts 8:35 - "Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus."

This is where the scriptures will always lead us to, the person of Jesus Christ. Think about this: the bible is actually 66 different books and letters written over a 1500 year span and by more than 40 different authors. It was written in 3 languages (Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek) and on 3 continents. It was written in times of peace and war, famine and prosperity, freedom and slavery. The authors ranged from fishermen, kings, shepherds, priests, scribes, and historians, as well as a tax collector, a physician and a former Pharisee, just to name a few. It's books range from personal letters, to laws and commands, to songs and poetry and history and prophecy. But what is truly amazing is the fact that from Genesis to Revelation, Christ is it's grand subject. The one theme that runs throughout is redemption for mankind through the person of Jesus Christ. So, if you want to know Christ more intimately, you will find Him in the Holy Scriptures. He is all you need to answers the questions of life for as Paul stated, in Jesus are "hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge (Colossians 2:3)."

The Dark Night

Acts 7:34 - "I have seen, I have seen the affliction of my people which is in Egypt, and I have heard their groaning, and am come down to deliver them."
Here we read of Stephen giving a summary message before the Sanhedrin of God and His dealings with Israel in the Old Testament. For those of you who don't know, this sermon cost Stephen his life as he was stoned to death and became known as the first Christian martyr. But my focus today is to remind you, that God sees and hears and knows exactly where you and I are at today. As His child, our struggles, frustrations, heartaches and failures are not hid from Him. The Lord sees every tear, hears every groan and in His perfect time will conclude the matter in our lives. Christ is the high priest who is touched with our feelings and infirmities (Hebrews 4:14-16) and yet at the same time supplies us with grace that is sufficient and strength that is made perfect in our weaknesses (2 Corinthians 12:9). So child of God, take courage and know that, you are not alone, the darkness won't last forever and God is performing a deeper work in you and me than what we can see as of now. But realize that there is a purpose for the "Dark night of the soul." It was St. John of the Cross who penned these words:
"God takes us into a dark night. He weans us from all pleasures by giving us dry times and inward darkness. In doing so He is able to take away all these vices and create virtues within us. Through the dark night pride becomes humility, greed becomes simplicity, wrath becomes contentment, luxury becomes peace, gluttony becomes moderation, envy becomes joy, and sloth becomes strength. No soul will ever grow deep in the spiritual life unless God works passively in that soul by means of the dark night."

Minister's Needed

Acts 6:4 - "But we will continue stedfastly in prayer, and in the ministry of the word."

This is the foundational responsibility of the minister of God. It's upon this that we as pastors, evangelist, teachers, etc, stand or fall. In order to reach and minister to a world that is empty and hurting, the servant of God must be filled with the power of God's Spirit, sensitive to God's hear and able to answer the challenges of life with the Holy scriptures. This is only possible as we study and pray. One of the greatest assessments given of the apostles was actually given by those who opposed their preaching and teaching, the Sadducees. They stated that it was obvious that these men had been with Jesus (Acts 4:13). As we give ourselves to prayer and the reading and study of scripture, it will be obvious to a world around us that, we too have been with Jesus. This is what a hurting society needs, Christ and His glorious gospel.

Obedience

Acts 5:29 - "Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men."

This is the fundamental principle to relationship with God, obedience. We see throughout scripture the blessings of God upon the lives of those who obeyed His commands. From Noah to Paul, God works through those who obey Him. "Obedience is better than sacrifice but rebellion is as witchcraft," said Samuel to Saul. This brings us to the text today. The Apostles had been arrested before for preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ and now they are being threatened once more. Their response to those who commanded them to refrain from preaching was, "we will obey God rather than man." Is that our heart's desire today, to obey God even when it seems to be costly? It may seem that the route of obedience goes against common sense or even what is the safe way, but you will find that it is the only path to the blessed life with God. I believe that if you will look, you will see that the list of those who would concur with this truth is long: Noah, Abraham, Joshua, Gideon, David, Daniel and his three companions, Peter, John and Paul just to name a few. I pray that today, our names can be added to this list, and it will be as we walk in obedience to God.