To the Ends of the Earth

The book of Acts is nestled in the Bible just after the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. After Jesus died and was resurrected, he appeared to his disciples and followers for 40 days. In the book of Acts, he instructs them to go to Jerusalem and wait for the promised Holy Spirit to come. He said that the Holy Spirit would give them power to be his witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. I'm sure they wondered what he meant. By the way, Judea was the larger region surrounding the city of Jerusalem, and Samaria was the area just north of Judea.

Illogical Instructions


His instructions probably shook them up a bit. The apostles were from Galilee. (Acts 2:7) In the Galilean culture of that time, everything revolved around local community/village life. Villages were "inward focused" and its residents looked out for one another.  In addition, God had told the Jews that they were his chosen people. They were proud of that fact and felt tremendous animosity toward those on the “outside.”  Samaritans (a mixed race with one Jewish parent/one non-Jewish parent) and Gentiles (no Jewish lineage) were all outsiders. Gentiles were the people living at “the ends of the earth” beyond Judea and Samaria. Do you think it might have been difficult for them to do what he was asking - to go to those people they felt such animosity toward?

A New Way of Thinking

Some believe Jesus’ primary intent was to instruct his followers to minister and preach first in their hometown – then go out from there. But was there more to it than that? As he spoke his last words before his ascension, was he trying to break their inward-focused mindset? Was he trying to get them to see God’s heart? Was his intention to stretch their thinking and help them see what he had been revealing along the way – that the gospel was meant for the outsiders too? 

                                                           

The Early Church is Born


In Acts chapter 2, the Holy Spirit came from heaven and filled the apostles permanently. Through the power of the Holy Spirit they began speaking in foreign languages so that many could understand their words. About 3,000 people put their faith in Christ that day, and the church was born. Those who followed the way of Christ shared their possessions with one another. They were devoted to learning, loving, worshipping, praying, and evangelizing together. Individual churches supported and encouraged other churches. They were one in heart and mind. 


The Early Church - An Example For Today


This unity is something I don’t see much of today. Denominations divide us. Church walls divide us. People become angry when members leave one church to go to another – even when it’s for constructive reasons. Many churches in America today have adopted a “we” versus “them” mentality. It seems that a huge number of churches view each other as competition – and it’s killing us. We’ve forgotten that we’re on the same team. If we were to remember the one who links us, and love one another like the early church did, we just might see God “add to our number daily those who are being saved” - like he did back then. Unfortunately, too many people have been damaged by the church and have run for the hills.

The Gospel Spreads

Meanwhile, back in Jerusalem, a man of faith named Stephen, was stoned to death after speaking to the religious elite – the Sanhedrin. On that same day, great persecution broke out against the church at Jerusalem. The believers fled town to avoid being imprisoned or murdered. And guess what? They fled to the surrounding areas of Judea and Samaria. As they uprooted their lives and made their way to safer places, do you think the words of Jesus ran through their minds? Instead of questioning their faith as they endured persecution, I wonder if his words brought them comfort because things were unfolding just as he said they would. Is it possible that his words in Acts 1:8 weren't so much a command as they were a statement or prophecy of what was to come?

“. . . and you shall be my witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest parts of the earth.” Acts 1:8

As they established new lives in these areas, they took their faith with them - and shared it.

Paul - Preacher to the Gentiles

What about those at “the ends of the earth?” Well – along came Saul. Among the Jewish religious leaders, he was royalty. He had the right lineage, understood the scriptures . . . and viciously persecuted Gentiles and Christians. One day as he was traveling to Damascus to persecute Jews who had escaped to that area, he encountered Jesus and everything flipped. Instead of being a persecutor, God made him a preacher to the Gentiles. What a turnaround! His name was changed to Paul.

Paul's Journeys

Here’s a quick rundown of the places Paul traveled and the letters he wrote during that time. These letters are now “books” in the Bible.

1st Missionary Journey:

After Paul’s first missionary journey to Galatia, he returned to Antioch and wrote Galatians. He had heard that false teachers had come into the new church and were teaching a false gospel. He wrote to the Galatians defending the truth of the gospel and encouraging his readers to live the Christian life in the power of the Holy Spirit.


2nd Missionary Journey:

On his second missionary journey, Paul traveled to Thessalonica, Athens, and Corinth. While in Corinth , he wrote 1^st and 2^nd Thessalonians to encourage, commend, answer questions, and call his readers to hope and greater excellence in Christian living.


3rd Missionary Journey:

On his third missionary journey, Paul wrote 1 Corinthians from Ephesus to address factions in the church, immorality in their midst, unjustified lawsuits, and questions. He wrote 2 Corinthians from Macedonia to commend believers who had changed their ways, to encourage them to give funds to help believers in Jerusalem, and to defend his authority.  Paul had a strong desire to preach Christ in Rome. He traveled back to Corinth and wrote Romans – the most theological of all his letters that included a thorough explanation of Christian doctrine and its application to everyday life.


4th Missionary Journey:

Paul’s fourth missionary journey took him to Rome as a prisoner. He wrote Ephesians, Colossians, Philemon, and Philippians.

After his release from prison, he wrote 1 Timothy and Titus.

During his final imprisonment in Rome, he wrote 2 Timothy - his last letter before being executed for his faith.

When I look at the books of Act, I see strong faith, earnest prayer, great courage, tenacity, unity, and tremendous perseverance. Christians in the book of Acts were committed believers who boldly proclaimed Christ and loved one another well. Love that!! Want to be like that! I am so thankful for their example and for their faithfulness so that the message of the gospel could come to us today. Now it's our turn to be his witnesses even to the remotest parts of the earth, and we know Jesus will be with us as his Holy Spirit empowers us to do so. 


Blessings,


Lisa~

1+1+1=1? Exploring the Trinity

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Living from the Inside Out

A Prayer . . .


Oh God, we stand in wonder as we consider the mystery of you.


With a word, you formed the heavens, the earth, and everything in it. With great finesse, you created every living thing with an intricate design. Just as no two mountains are alike - their peaks, elevations, and faces taking their unique place in your landscape - no two humans are alike - each created in a distinct way for a distinct purpose in your kingdom. 


We marvel at another great mystery of you . . . your ability to be three persons in one - God the Father; Jesus, the Son; and the Holy Spirit. God the Father, you are perfectly holy, righteous, and just. You are all-powerful, all-knowing, and cannot be contained. You are faithful and loving to all you have made. Jesus, you are God with us. You make the Father's heart known to us, demonstrate unearthly compassion, endure our punishment, clear our name, and reclaim us as your own. Holy Spirit, you are the breath of heaven empowering, guiding, teaching, comforting, convicting, molding, and restoring us. We acknowledge your personal presence within us, and are so grateful for the joy of being close to God through you. You are his presence within us.


Another great mystery that perplexes us but also makes us grateful, is the mystery of your love for man. Even though we are imperfect and unworthy, through Jesus you gave your life to save us. Through your Holy Spirit, you implant special God-given abilities within your followers. There are many gifts, but there is one Spirit that empowers us.  Though we each have unique purposes, it is one God we serve.


We celebrate the mystery and the "bigness" of you, oh God. It keeps us searching, pursuing, discovering . . . 


Amen.


The Trinity . . .


Christianity is the only religion that believes in a triune God. God doesn't just exist. He came to be with us in human form through Jesus Christ. He lives within us through the Holy Spirit. It is because God is triune that we are able to live from the inside out.


1+1+1=1 . . .

    The three persons - God, the Father; God, the Son (Jesus Christ); and God, the Holy Spirit are each God - and together are one God. 


There are not three separate Gods; nor one God who appears in three different forms; nor three persons who exist in some sort of hierarchy. There is unity, diversity, and equality. They are each fully self-sufficient yet fully interwoven. 


Like a perfume consisting of three floral essences that combine to form a unique fragrance; if any one of the floral essences is removed, the fragrance is not the same. It becomes something altogether different. The three (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) commingle to form the one. 1+1+1=1


The Lord our God is one Lord. (Deuteronomy 6:4)  
      
I am the Lord, and there is no other, beside me there is no God." (Isaiah 45:5)


Evidence and Proof . . .


God gives us evidence of the trinity in the Old Testament. 


"Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness . . ." Genesis 1:26

 God provides proof of the trinity in the New Testament when Jesus, the Son of God appears; and later when he reveals himself as the Holy Spirit.


As God, they all have the same attributes but different roles. Each is precious, personal, and essential to living from the inside out.

Lisa~

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Celebrating Christmas

Nativity my mother painted (Dad cut the figures out of wood)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SWEET JESUS!

So glad you were born! Can't imagine what my life would be like without you - don't want to imagine it. 

Made a cake for you today . . . 

One red layer for the blood you shed for us on the cross as you stepped in to take the punishment for our sins . . .

One green layer for the eternal life we can have because of what you've done for us . . .

Yellow icing for the birthday of the Son of Righteousness

A white taper candle in the center representing you as the light of the world. Candles around the edge of the cake for each member of our family with you at the center . . . our lives revolving around yours. We lit our candles with yours because it's your light that shines in each of us.

Had fun celebrating your birth at home in our new jammies!

Love you Lord Jesus!!!

So very thankful to God for sending you to us!

Merry Christmas!

Lisa~


The cute cake idea in this post came from Lisa Whelchel's book, The Adventure of Christmas. You can find it here:

How do you celebrate Christmas?

Crossing Borders

Mountain View ~
Stealing Your Breath With Views of the Heart of God

A friend of mine heard about the distressing predicament of many Russian orphans. She interrupted her life to cross the borders of her country to be with them. She could have  ignored their needs, but instead she placed herself smack-dab in the middle of their lives. She ate with them, conversed with them, listened to their stories, held them in her arms, and wiped their tears. While she was among them, the scales fell from her eyes. She came to understand their fears, their living conditions, and their needs. She made their suffering her own. During this time she connected with a boy named Andrei. 

When the day came for her to leave Russia, she shares that she placed her right palm against the window from inside the van, carefully extending each finger to align with Andrei's on the opposite side of the glass. She looked into his face full of promise and possibility against the stark, gray background of the Russian countryside and tried to memorize each feature.

Andrei reached up with his right hand and wrote two Russian words on the van window, wet with condensation.  As the van slowly rolled forward, she kept her hand pressed tightly to the glass.  Andrei moved alongside the van until he could no longer keep up.  

She strained to see him standing there waving until the van rounded the corner of the building. Pine trees passed by in a blur.  She watched the windowpane intently until she could no longer read the two words he had written on the window.  “Come back." (Story shared by Tarissa Helms)

God has memorized every feature of our faces (Psalm 139). He designed us with huge promise, and potential. Like the pane of glass in the van’s window, our disobedience and rebellion places our relationship with God in a state of separation. He tries to get our attention, but often we ignore Him and go our own way. His heart is deeply grieved as He watches us move further and further in the opposite direction. There are times when I have grieved God's heart in this way. My choices and my strong will have pulled me away from him.

When we begin to understand the extreme holiness and perfection of God's nature, we realize there is no way we can make ourselves good enough for him. There is no way to remove that distance between us by our own efforts. Our choices, mistakes, and human nature make us orphans, and leave us with a longing in our hearts for him to come back and claim us (whether we realize it or not).

To resolve our predicament, God did something unthinkable. Through the birth of Christ, he became present in our daily existence.                                                                                                           


The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel – which means, “God with us.” Matthew 1:23

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Jesus inconvenienced Himself and crossed the borders of heaven in order to be present with us. He was perfect and could have turned His nose up at all of us, but He placed Himself smack-dab in the middle of the lives of imperfect human beings from all walks of life. He ate dinner with tax collectors, touched the lepers, conversed with a Samaritan woman, listened to the story of a bleeding woman, defended an adulterous woman, patiently taught ordinary men, and wiped away tears.

As a result, He gained an intimate understanding of who we are as human beings. He understands our struggles, fears, insecurities, and temptations; our loneliness, pain, and suffering; our regrets, sadness, and despair; our circumstances, dreams, hopes, and joys. He came to make our suffering his own. 

“He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering.” Isaiah 53:3 (NIV)

“Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.” Hebrews 2:18 (NIV)

“For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are – yet was without sin.” Hebrews 4:15 (NIV)

At Christmas time, we remember that God couldn’t stand to leave us alone and orphaned so He came to be with us. 

The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. John 1:14

Through Christ, God makes us a part of his family. (Romans 8:15; 1 John 3:1)

In love, he predestined us to adoption as sons (and daughters) through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will . . . Ephesians 1:4-5

When you think of the baby in the manger, keep these things in mind:

• God came to be with us so that we could be with him. 
• Without him, we are all orphans.
• He yearns to draw us into his "family." 
• If you are feeling lonely, alienated, and estranged from family this holiday season, remember there is a place where you "belong". If you would like to join his family, see my page (in menu at the top of blog) entitled, "Knowing Jesus."

Anticipating the celebration of his gift to us,
Lisa~

Sharing Jesus

Who is Jesus? Religions outside of Christianity say Jesus was a prophet, an enlightened teacher, or a spirit child created by the Father and “mother” in heaven. Some believe he was a man who displayed the Christ idea but was not God, did not suffer, and could not suffer for the sins of mankind. Others believe he was symbolic of “all the gods to which you pray,” was not crucified, didn’t really die, and did not rise from the dead.

There is clearly some confusion about Jesus. So who is Jesus? Truly, this is the most important question anyone can ever ask or answer for himself or herself; therefore, it is critically important for those of us who are followers of Jesus Christ to share the truth about who Jesus is and what he's done for mankind.

There are many ways to share the gospel message. Here are a few.

The Romans Road http://gotquestions.org/Romans-road-salvation.html#

The Four Spiritual Laws http://campuscrusade.com/fourlawseng.htm

The Bridge Illustration http://navigators.org/us/resources/illustrations/items/The%20Bridge%20to%20Life#
Evangelism Explosion   http://evangelismexplosion.org/resources/answers-to-tough-questions/

Social media (i.e., Facebook, Twitter, podcasts, blogs, etc.)

Through our lifestyle (living in such a way that others see Christ's influence in our lives)

In our relationships 

Sharing personal testimony

Street evangelism

Servanthood (acts of service/love that minister to the whole person)

Street evangelism is the most troublesome for me because it doesn’t allow others to see how we live our lives under the leadership and influence of Jesus Christ.  It’s often a forced conversation. In Matthew 28, Jesus clearly instructs us to make disciples of all nations. With street evangelism there is typically no follow-up, continued relationship, or discipleship.

In a recent study conducted by the Barna Group, there were absolutely no favorable comments about street witnessing among all the people they interviewed. Barna found that street witnessing actually creates barriers – mental and emotional obstacles – to Jesus. (Kinnaman, Dave and Lyons, Gabe, “Unchristian”, Grand Rapids, Michigan, Baker Books, 2007, p. 70) Barna concludes that the most effective evangelism efforts are relationship based.

Servanthood evangelism is most natural for me because I have experienced God’s compassion. It is a beautiful reflection of the solidarity God has demonstrated as he came to walk alongside us in our troubles, our pain, and the ugliness of our sin through the life of his son, Jesus Christ. In compassion, he chose to suffer with us. This reveals the sincerity of his love. Romans 2:4 accurately teaches that God’s kindness leads us to repentance. As we enter into difficult situations and serve others, our actions prove the sincerity of our love as well. “People don’t care how much we know until they know how much we care.”

In my lifetime, I have shared my faith through teaching, preaching, serving, and sharing my testimony in the local church, at Christian women’s events, during mission trips to other countries, in para-church ministries, through my blog, and in the way I live my daily life. Yes – it can be scary to share your faith and I don’t do it perfectly. I have definitely experienced anxiety in some of these situations, I certainly don’t have all the answers, and I’m still a complicated mess as a human being. BUT - I am extraordinarily grateful for all that Jesus Christ has done for me. My life has been pockmarked with some really ugly mistakes and bad choices. Through his death on the cross Jesus took the punishment for all of my sins. He did for me what I could not do for myself. He made me clean and made it possible for God to forgive me for all I’ve done wrong so that I can be at peace with myself and experience life with Him forever. He has also healed my heart from some very deep pain. I absolutely love sharing the greatness of who he is with other people.

Christ gave us two commands that impact evangelism:

1) The great commission: Go, share the greatest news the world has ever known, and make disciples of all nations. (Matthew 28:19-20)

2) The great commandment: Love God and your fellow man. (Matthew 22:37-40)

It’s so important for us to carefully steward the image of God and to be accurate reflections of his heart. My personal belief is that we are called to become the embodiment of the gospel message through our whole lives as we follow both of these commands and abide in Christ. Through our actions we bring the concepts of forgiveness, reconciliation, and love to life. (See 2 Corinthians 3:3)

Remember:

It’s God’s will for us to share what we know. (Matthew 28:19-20)

We don’t have to do it eloquently. (1 Corinthians 1:17)

We are not to hinder the gospel. (1 Corinthians 9:12)

God opens the door for us. (2 Corinthians 2:11-13)

We are to be known by our love. (John 13:34-35, 1 John 3:17-18, Ephesians 4:15)

We sow the seeds, but God is the Lord of the harvest and brings growth. (1 Corinthians 3:4-7, Matthew 9:37-38)

Jesus is with us as we share His message. (Matthew 28:20)

There is no other name by which to be saved. (Acts 4:12, John 14:6)

If you have never known the joy of a relationship with Jesus Christ and would like to learn more, see my page - "Knowing Jesus".

Love you all! Thanks for sitting a while with me here at The Warming House.

Lisa~

At His Feet

Mountain View - Stealing Your Breath with Views of the Heart of God

Many of you are familiar with the story of Mary and Martha - sisters who were personal friends of Jesus. One day when Jesus was visiting, Martha (a great hostess) was naturally busy in the kitchen “distracted with all the preparations that had to be made” while Mary lounged at Jesus’ feet listening to what he had to say. Martha became indignant. She went to Jesus and demanded that he do something about her sister. “Tell her to help me!” she said. Jesus patiently informed Martha that Mary had "chosen what was better."

For the most part, this story teaches us the importance of setting aside distractions and busyness to spend time with Jesus. I’d like to suggest that there may be something more.

The rabbis of that day believed it was inappropriate for women to learn. They interpreted Deuteronomy 11:19 to mean “and you shall teach them (words of God) to your sons and not your daughters.” Deuteronomy 11:19 actually says, “Teach them to your children . . .”

And “Rabbi Eleizer is quoted as saying, “They shall burn the teachings of Torah rather then convey them to women” (ySot 3.4, 19a). Rabbi Eliezer also stated, “A woman has no wisdom except in handling her spindle, for it is written, ‘And all the women that were wise-hearted did spin with their hands.'” (From the book Every Woman in the Bible by Sue and Larry Richards; copyright 1999 by Lawrence O. Richards)

So culturally, Mary’s actions were extraordinary and bold. She had stepped over the line, out of her comfort zone, and into unknown territory - but she didn’t care. While Martha was distracted and busy, Mary was focused on one thing - the heart of Jesus. She loved him and wanted nothing more than to drink in every word he said.

In Luke 10:41 Jesus noted that Martha was upset and worried about many things. Martha understood and embraced the traditional roles of women in Jewish society. Could it be that she was upset about more than just the fact that her sister wasn’t helping her? Is it possible that she was upset because Mary had stepped outside the culturally acceptable boundaries that had been established for women of that time? Was she frightened and embarrassed to see Mary act this way? Was Martha really asking Jesus to put Mary in her place?

In verse 42 Jesus replied, “Only one thing is needed” and “Mary has chosen what is better.” He also said, “and it will not be taken from her.” What do you think he meant?

" . . . for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you." John 15:15

“He (Jesus) replied, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.” Luke 11:28

"Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away." Matthew 24:35

"For I am convinced that neither death nor life . . . nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8:38-39

 Martha saw a woman’s role (as defined by society) as being “better”. She most likely believed that she and Mary should stick to that role.

When Jesus said Mary had chosen what was better, he wasn’t denigrating a woman’s role in the home. We all know that a woman’s role in the home is crucial to the health and well-being of her family.

In this passage, Jesus was simply affirming women and inviting them to something new and wonderful – studying scriptures and learning directly from Him (i.e., sitting at his feet). His view was in direct opposition to the views of the religious leaders.

In this story it's important to recognize Jesus’ deep love for women. He values their company and wants them to know him personally. Their spiritual development is extremely important to him. He has a fervent desire to teach each of us individually. Bottom line: He's sweet on us girls!

What about you? Do you spend time “sitting at his feet” as you pray and study the Bible? Depending on the part of the world you live in . . . or the college you attend . . . or the culture around you . . . or the family you’re a part of . . . it may take courage. You may have to step across the line and out of your comfort zone. You might be ridiculed and it might even be dangerous. But the reward is more than worth it! You will encounter the very real, very safe, and very loving, Jesus Christ.   

With great confidence in the character of God . . .
Lisa ~