The Way

"Now Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest, and asked for letters from him...so that if he found any belonging to the Way...he might bring them bound to Jerusalem...and as he was traveling, it happened..." Acts 9:1-3

Saul, his name was rooted in the Hebrew word that meant "asked for" or "prayed for." It was a popular name, and many parents named their sons, after the first king of Israel, who lost his life defending Israel from her enemies. Saul was obsessed with destroying the followers of Jesus, and he went out of his way to murder anyone who believed He was "The Way, The Truth, and The Life."

NOTE TO SELF: When your enemies can clearly state what you believe, and still hate you for it, wear their hatred like a badge of honor.

Saul didn't frame the debate, between his views and those of the believers of Jesus. He released his hate against them. Hate never debates. Hate has no other mission, but to annihilate. The hatred for Jesus is ancient, and is rooted in the soul of hell and the heart of Satan. He is jealous of His Person, and His position, and intends to wipe His name from the lips of believers and the pages of history.

There is a misconception that hatred can be dispelled, by explaining more clearly the differences, between the dispensers of hate, and their victims. The pressure seems to always be on the victims, to explain themselves. If they would just not be so offensive, then there would be no offense generated against them. The Rodney King School of Theology 's vision statement is really an insipid question, "Can't we all just get along?" Not likely.

Jesus said, "I AM the way, the truth and the life. No man comes to the Father, but by me." John 14:6

Preachers who believe there is more than one way to a right relationship with God, have lost their way, and cannot be considered preachers of The Way. Saul knew the difference. He had no interest in walking across the street to break up a meeting of people who had no idea where they were going, but he would walk or ride a slow horse to Syria, to destroy anyone who knew Jesus was The Way. Hate still will.

Look at the strategy. "Breathing threats, and murder" escalated into a desire, to put muscle behind the breath, and carry out the murder. This is how it always begins. When intimidation doesn't silence the preachers of The Way, then the next step is annihilation. Remember, hate doesn't debate. Hate annihilates. Hate doesn't require a clearer explanation. It is clearly intent on one thing, the annihilation of those who get in their way. Don't be surprised if diversity and tolerance has no love lost for The Way, The Truth and The Life.

The strategy of the enemy has never changed, because it is very successful. Preachers who muzzle themselves, at the first sign of intimidation, may not die a martyr's death. Their fate is worth than death. They become death-defying, but they fail to be life-giving.

Saul hated the preachers and the people of The Way, because they wouldn't stop talking about Jesus. What's a preacher to do, when what he is called to preach, stirs up hatred? PREACH JESUS, anyway.

Preaching is a calling, not a career. Those who have a calling, will deliver a message. Those who have a career, are going to try and protect it. Some will do it, by changing the message. Others will study it, like a dead frog in a laboratory setting, until it is so dissected, and the frog hair sliced so fine, that there is no jump left in the frog. They end up talking The Gospel to death, and robbing it of the life-giving power of The Risen Christ.

I repeat. PREACH JESUS! It drove Saul crazy, and it will be like a bone in the throat and the rock in the shoe, to anyone who is heading in the wrong direction. Preachers care called to STAND UP! SPEAK UP! and never shut up, until their voices are snuffed out, like flames in the night, by those who can't stand to hear name of Jesus.

Saul exposed himself, by his hatred for those who follow Jesus. People still do. It simply doesn't matter, if people gag every time His name is spoken, or if they stumble over His name, when they choose the wrong way to God. Jesus is The Way.

Pray your way to the filling of The Spirit, and the courage to PREACH JESUS! Your preaching will improve, and your opposition will be intense, but...

TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

The Message

"The Spirit said to Philip, 'Go up and join this chariot.' Philip ran up and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet, and said, 'Do you understand what you are reading?' And he said, 'Well, how could I, unless someone guides me?' And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him...Philip opened his mouth, and beginning from this Scripture he preached Jesus to him. Acts 8:29-35

Charles Haddon Spurgeon was fond of telling his student preachers that he could find Jesus, in every text he preached. Unfortunately, some preachers can't find Jesus, no matter what text they use. Philip was a forerunner of Spurgeon's preaching strategy. PREACH JESUS!

Note to self: When you preach, let the Scripture be your starting blocks, and when the clock starts, run to Jesus.

When Jesus intercepted the couple on the Road to Emmaus, He walked them through Genesis to Malachi, and revealed God's redemptive story. He was convinced, it was all about Him, from start to finish. Good to know. Some preachers second-guess Jesus, looking for a second opinion, from people who know a great deal about the Bible, but don't seem to be able to find The Word. Listen to Jesus.

The Spirit pulled Philip out of a booming Spiritual Awakening in Samaria, and moved him down into the desert, to meet one man struggling with getting a grip on the word of God. In God's scheme of things, this made perfect sense. He always makes the wisest use of manpower.

"Philip ran up" to the man who was in the chariot. There is something about this statement that warms my heart, and gives me an appreciation for Philip. It would have been understandable, if Philip had been less than enthusiastic about taking an assignment that put him on the backside of the desert, instead of in the middle of a Great Awakening. He didn't drag his feet. He ran to meet the challenge. I want to be like Philip, when I grow up.

Philip took this Isaiah 53 passage, about The Suffering Servant, and he pointed the Ethiopian eunuch to Jesus. IT ISN'T HARD...

"But the Lord caused the iniquity of all to fall on Him." Isaiah 53:7

"Yet He Himself bore the sin of many and interceded for the transgressors." Isaiah 53:12

See what I mean? A little more impressive is Philip's ability to lead the Ethiopian to a commitment to baptism. I have read Isaiah 53 over and over again, and can't find anything about it. Even more impressive, was Philip's ability to find water in the middle of the desert, so the Ethiopian could be baptized. Philip may be my new poster boy for Southern Baptists. But I digress.

"When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away, ...he kept on preaching the gospel to al the cities until he came to Caesarea." Acts 8: 40

Philip was 100% available to the Holy Spirit's agenda, and when he was given a task to perform, he ran to it. When Philip was given a text to explain, he ran to Jesus. Where ever he went, or where ever he ended up, one thing was a constant in the life of Philip. He preached Jesus. May his tribe increase.

TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

The Conjunction pt. 2

"So, when they had solemnly testified and spoken the word of the Lord, they started back to Jerusalem, and were preaching the gospel to many villages of the Samaritans. But..." Acts 8: 25-26

The Conjunction is that point in time, when the Holy Spirit refuses to be ignored, dismissed, or put on hold, by people who refuse to understand His mission and their commission. The Apostles remained in Jerusalem, while the church was scattered. Then, in their absence, the Spirit of God ignited The Samaritan Awakening. They did come down the mountain, from Jerusalem to inspect it, but they hadn't been a part of starting it. It wasn't long before "they started back to Jerusalem." v. 25

There may be a pattern emerging here that is not very flattering to The Apostles. When the persecution of the church scattered believers to the four winds, Philip, one of The Seven, not one of The Twelve, "went down to the city of Samaria and began proclaiming Christ to them." v. 5

Apparently he wasn't authorized to start an Awakening. "Now when the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent them Peter and John, who came down and prayed for them that they might receive The Holy Spirit." v. 14

The Apostles were not in on the start of this fresh movement of The Spirit. They had remained in Jerusalem, while the rest of the church was scattered. They had not expected it to happen. They had not planned for it to take place. When it did, they felt compelled to put it in its proper place, under their direction. Leading from behind is not new.

The history of Spiritual Awakening is filled with stories of the Holy Spirit's freedom of movement. He cannot be marginalized, by those who believe they were called to organize Him. The Holy Spirit moves through people willing to be used as instruments, for the honor and glory of God, in the name of His Son, Jesus.

Whenever a group of people believe they can mold and manipulate The Spirit of God, for their own purposes, they are in for a rude awakening, and they postpone the Great Awakening. This only happens...EVERY TIME!

The Sanhedrin, The Apostles, various versions of the religious elite, posturing political hacks, and well-intentioned denominational leaders, have often tried and failed to do it. The Spirit of God refuses to wear the logo or puff up the ego of people who refuse to obey Him, but want to direct and correct Him.

Note to self: It is always foolish, to be granted access to a fresh movement of The Spirit of God and then try to attach your logo, and ego to it. You don't own what you didn't create. STOP IT!

The last great movement of The Spirit of God, in this nation, was in the late Sixties and early Seventies of the 20th Century. It began outside the control of organized religious structures, creating angst and anxiety in most of their leaders, when it crashed the party they had painstakingly planned, and placed on their denominational calendars. For the most part, it was a youth movement. It was messy. It was potent, and it was real. It is now referred to as The Jesus Revolution. I miss it, mess and all, more than ever.

When The Apostles arrived on the scene in Samaria, they immediately began to supervise and sanitize what they found there. In this particular case, it is hard to separate what was in need of correction, from what they perceived to be out of order. They were convinced the Samaritans needed to have the same experience they had encountered, when The Spirit came upon them.

Certainly, there is no salvation without The Spirit of God, and there is no real Spiritual Awakening, without His Presence. In any event, in their own minds, the Samaritan Awakening didn't receive their blessing, until The Apostles had put their hands on it. The Spirit of God already had. That should always be enough.

When did The Apostles get enough of what The Spirit was doing in Samaria? Scripture says, "They started back to Jerusalem." For some reason, the capitol city held great attraction to Peter. For a country boy, raised in a rural seaside fishing village in The Galilee, he had acclimatized to big city life very quickly. He wouldn't be be last country boy to forget his roots, and come under the influence of the view from HQ. Denominational offices are filled with them.

Space will not allow me to expand on this, but let it be said. Peter struggled with expanding the grace of God beyond the lines, of his own prejudices and preferences. Could it be that pure-bred Peter was having a tough time swallowing what The Spirit was pouring out on people he had hated for years. Jonah had a problem with it, years before this. IT HAPPENS. Perhaps the greatest work in Samaria, The Spirit had in mind, was the work He wanted to do in Peter. More on that later.

In the middle of the last Spiritual Awakening, too many people who were not a part of starting it, tried to get out in front of it, and take credit for it. Before The Spirit was finished, they made plans to harness His efforts for their team, and "started back to Jerusalem." The history of Spiritual Awakening reveals that it begins with the hand prints of God all over it, and ends when the hand prints of man have contaminated it.

Note to self: The Father will not allow you, or anyone else, to put a feather in your cap, by taking credit for what The Spirit of Christ does. He refuses to allow The Dove to be treated like a plucked chicken. He will simply remove The Spirit from your grasp, and move on, in the lives of people who understand Spiritual Awakening must be received, with the gentle hands of stewardship, not ownership.

"BUT an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip saying, "Get up and go south to the road that DESCENDS from Jerusalem...So he got up and went; and there was an Ethiopian eunuch..." Acts 8:26-27 (CAPS are mine)

Oh my! Samaritans AND an Ethiopian eunuch! No wonder The Spirit of God sent Philip. Peter was probably already stretched to the max. The Spirit of God uses people who function best as flexible instruments of God's grace, in His hands. He searches the hearts of those who let go of their prejudices and personal preferences, to take hold of His mission, and embrace it, as their commission.

Prayer enables you to see the Spirit of God at work, at The Conjunction. Prayer transforms your dysfunction, into His function, by removing your prejudices and preferences, and replacing them with the privilege and passion of participation. Prayer prepares you to be part of something only The Spirit of God can do. Meet Him at The Conjunction of "But God."

TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

The Simonizers

"Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was bestowed through the laying on of the apostles' hands, he offered them money, saying, 'Give this authority to me as well, so that everyone on whom I lay may hands may receive the Holy Spirit." Acts 8: 18-19

The church has always held an attraction for those who have a religious bent, and a spirit of greed. These people can always see the sweet, untapped potential, in this holy hive of busy bees. They come up with a solid business plan, eye-catching logo, state of the art web-site, interest peaking book title, and an ad campaign that would make Madison Avenue blush with envy.

These chameleons, posing as preachers market the church like it was a "Sham WOW!" commercial on late night TV. In most cases, their "ministry" is more like "Scam Now!" Just because they are good at it, doesn't mean they were called to it. Just because they can't keep their hands off of The Body of Christ, doesn't mean they were meant to rub their hands all over it. They are like a moth to a flame. Sooner are later, they flame out.

The list is endless. Every time another scandal. involving a religious leader, guru, or celebrity, fires up, the entire church gets scorched, by their flames. Somewhere along the way, these posers turned, "I must be about My Father's business," into "I must make a buck in The Father's business." Eventually, they are successful in making a name, and making a buck, but they never make a difference, and the church gets Simonized.

Diane Sawyer, an aggressive, seasoned investigative reporter, explained why she has stopped exposing these bad apples. She observed that every time she reveals the rotten fruit, another crop emerges, worse than ever. No lessons ever seem to be learned, by the crop failures of others. Greed and avarice, fame and fortune always prove to be powerful fertilizers to the soil of a corrupt heart.

Note to self: Don't play with fire. The Holy Spirit intends to purify your heart, by burning up everything in you that can't be improved, by turning up the heat. Don't try to use the Holy Spirit, by warming your hands at His holy fire. He intends to consume you. Don't ever believe you can consume Him, and walk away, without being burned.

Simon didn't want Jesus. Simon wanted the power of The Spirit. He didn't want the consistent companionship and maturing of character that only comes with a life-time of intimacy with Jesus. He wanted immediate results. He was not looking for a long walk in the right direction. He wanted a short cut to swift satisfaction. Avoid short cuts!

Peter's response?

"May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money! You have no portion in this matter, for your heart is not right before God." Acts 8: 21

Peter's solution?

"Therefore repent of this wickedness of yours, and pray the Lord that, if possible, the intention of your heart may be forgiven you. For I see that you are in the gall of bitterness and in the bondage of iniquity." Acts 8: 22-23

There is so much pious drivel that passes for biblical insight. Some would have us believe that it is woefully judgmental for the church to inspect the fruit, it is responsible for bearing. It is not. Allowing rotten fruit to be passed on to people, without calling out the people who are producing it, is not piety. It is cowardice.

Don't get me wrong. Hating someone, for what they are doing wrong doesn't make you a better person. Praying for them will. Peter called out Simon. He didn't make it his calling in life to root him out, or set his orchard on fire. Throwing rocks at every barking dog you hear, prolongs your journey and gets you off course. To stay the course, pray for people who are in the ditch.

After Peter called Simon out, Simon asked for prayer. "Pray to the Lord for me yourselves..." (Acts 8:24). The litmus test of a person's piety is not how much wrong they can point out in another person's life. The Simonizers will always be stalking the church. When God gives you discernment about their dangerous activity, point it out, but don't stop there.

"Discernment is given for intercession, never fault-finding." Oswald Chambers

Praying for a person in the wrong, and pointing out a person who is wrong, are two different things. Make sure they become one in the same. Jesus did. You should too.

TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

The Cry

"Then falling on his knees, he cried out with a loud voice, 'Lord, do not hold this sin against them!' " Acts 7. 60

Just because you refuse to take offense, at something someone does to you, doesn't mean that it wasn't offensive. It was offensive. You just chose not to take an offense.

Don't misunderstand the process. The offense still exists. It happened. The questions remains, as well. What are you going to do with it?

Stephen was falsely accused, viciously slandered, the victim of a conspiracy to abort justice, physically assaulted, in a court of law, and summarily dragged out into the street and stoned to death. All in all, no matter how much the most positive saint could put a sanctified spin on it, it was a bad day. THEN...

Stephen prayed! He recognized what was happening to him was sin. He didn't try to spin sin into something other than what it was. He didn't pretend people were better than they really were, or just misunderstood. He knew they were sinners. Some of the most delusional people in the world are saints, who keep expecting sinless behavior, from sinful people. Don't be one of them. Stephen wasn't.

However, Stephen wasted no time building his case, defending his rights, clearing the record, setting things right, putting his house in order, or getting even. He prayed. Good to know.

More than using prayer to deliver a brief devotional thought, or deliver a clever catch phrase, Stephen cried out to God. This was no "bless the gift and the giver" mantra, he cried out to God, for mercy, FOR HIS ENEMIES. With the last breath in his lungs, he took the worst people could throw at him, and asked God to deliver to them, the one thing that mattered most, forgiveness. Sound familiar?

"Father, forgive them for they know not what they do." Jesus
Luke 23:34

This similarity, between the two prayers, was no coincidence. It was the consequence of consistent companionship, between Stephen and Jesus.

Prayer does not always transform the crisis, into the best thing that has ever happened to us. It takes the worst thing that has ever happened to us, and allows God to make something good out of it. As trite as it may sound, the truth remains. When crisis comes your way, or an offensive act hits your life, you have a choice. You can either let it make you bitter or better. Your call.

Prayer paves the way for the offended, to take the right path, and avoid the detour of retaliation. Prayer releases the offense into the right hands, and empowers the prayer warrior, to make the right response, rather than make the wrong reaction.

Stephen's cry to God, was a prayer of intercession. It closely resembled the cry of Jesus on the cross, for those who had put him there. This is no accident. Stephen was a man of prayer, and patterned his prayer life after the prayer life of Jesus. Jesus prayed, "Not MY will, but THY will." It was not lost on Stephen. When crisis came to him, Christ flowed out of him. Crisis reveals character. This only happens...EVERY TIME.

Prayer does not transform the crisis, into the image of our will. Prayer conforms us, to the will of The Father. Crisis reveals one of two things. It either reveals, the image of Christ, or exposes the absence of it.

Prayer can be crammed into any crisis, at the spur of the moment, but it rarely produces Christ's character, in the same span of time. That is why most prayers sound like a search for a quick fix, or reveal a toxic mixture of panic and whining. Prayer will turn your WHINE List into a THINE List. Don't get drunk on WHINE. Sober up!

Character is a result of consistent companionship with God, unbroken fellowship with The Spirit, and saturated sessions, in Christ's Presence. Praying to God, in the name of Jesus, and with the advocacy of The Spirit, may not transform the crisis, but it will conform you to Christ's character.

Prayer softens the ground of a hardened heart, by placing any crisis and every offense, IMMEDIATELY, into the hands of Jesus. Prayer warriors cannot grip The Sword of The Spirit, if they are holding on to grudges, or warrants for the arrest of those who have done them wrong. This may reveal why the enemy doesn't fear our retaliation, but our intercession. When we are praying in The Spirit, we have a grip on The Sword of The Spirit, which is the Word of God. Satan fears it. Draw it out, and throw away the scabbard.

Note to self: Letting go of an offense does not mean the offender is getting away with anything. For every real offense, there will be real consequences. Let it go, and let God take the offensive against your offender. If you don't turn an offense over to God, your life will become an endless DO IT YOURSELF project. STOP IT!

The Prayer of Stephen is not some "Prayer of Jabez" knock off. It is not about expanding yourself. It is all about dying to self. Praying to be magnified is not the same as praying to be crucified. The Prayer of Stephen resulted in a life that looked like Jesus. So should yours. His prayer turned MY will into THY will. So should yours. His prayer sought God's forgiveness, for his enemies, not his personal revenge, over them. So should yours.

TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

The Stand

"Behold, I see the heavens opened up and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God." Acts 7:56

Stephen's defense, before The Sandhedrin, is one of the most amazing displays of Spirit-filled courage found in the Bible. It is, also, the greatest summary or overview of the Old Testament story that has ever been made. It is a great outline for a complete and accurate introduction to The Old Testament. It provides the perspective, purpose and backdrop for the story of redemption. As they say, "It is a must read."

Still, the most intriguing verses, from my own personal point of view are found in v.55-60. Stephen's dramatic stand, in defense of His Savior, is surpassed only, by The Stand that Jesus took, on his behalf, in the middle of his crisis. ( v. 56)

As Stephen wrapped up his message to The Sanhedrin, he was not drenched in the sweat of man who had just vented his spleen, taking one last shot at his enemies. The Book of Acts describes him as...

"Being full of the Holy Spirit, he gazed intently into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God,..." v. 55

"Being full of the Holy Spirit" means that Stephen was not full of himself, but he was full of Jesus. His message was not a diatribe against his enemies. It was a glorification of his Savior. It is no secret that most preachers are better known for what they are against, than Who they are for, but Stephen cannot be counted among them.

When Stephen was confronted with the greatest crisis of his life, he was ready. That is the way a crisis works. A crisis does not develop character. It moves too quickly to do that. Crisis can only reveal the lack of, or the possession of character. Big crisis, weak character, big problem. Big crisis, great character, problem solved.

Great men have always known that genuine character is produced, when no one is looking. An image is a fantasy that is presented when everyone is looking. Take a wild guess which one our contemporary culture values the most. It has not always been this way.

In various fashions, forms and versions, the following quote has been attributed to a President who faced one of the greatest crises of our nation, and led it to ultimate victory, through The Civil War. Perhaps he said it. If not, the truth is still in it.

"I will prepare myself, and when my time comes, I will be ready." Abraham Lincoln

Certainly, Stephen was ready. His preparation? The seminary of The Spirit. He was so full of The Spirit, all he could see was Jesus, and all he could talk about was Jesus. He wasn't captured by his experience with The Spirit at Pentecost, but he was captured by the love of God, he found through Jesus.

I have dear friends all across the wide spectrum of evangelical Christianity. They may not share a great deal in common on the expression of the local church, or on every piece of doctrine on the Holy Spirit.

They do agree on this. Any doctrinal position that elevates the work of The Holy Spirit, but make less of Jesus is not to be tolerated. Any experience or education that a person claims to have had must be judged, by how their private and public lives elevate Jesus. What does that look like? Look at Stephen.

The Bible tells us that Jesus died on the cross, and The Risen Christ walked on earth for 40 days among His disciples, preparing them to receive The Promise of His Spirit. Ten days before The Promise was delivered in The Upper Room, The Risen Christ became The Glorified Christ. Until His return, Jesus is now seated at the right hand of The Father, and He lives to make intercession for us.

"He was received up into Heaven and sat down at the right hand of God." Mark 16:10

"He always lives to make intercession..." Hebrews 7:25

Note to self: Where ever you find Jesus, you find Him praying for others. Go thou and do like-wise.

Now, I could be wrong, and I may be making too much of what I read in the Book of Acts, but I must never be found guilty of making too little of it. One of the most profound insights I receive from the martyr's testimony is Stephen's perspective on Jesus. He said,

"I see... the Son of Man standing, at the right hand of God."

When it mattered most, God allowed Stephen to catch a glimpse of Heaven, but more than that, to see Jesus stand in his honor. Stephen is the first Christian martyr, and this is the only time Scripture records Jesus standing, NOT SEATED, at the right hand of God.

I can only speculate, but I am not entering into a flight of fantasy to believe, this is not a coincidence or a typo. It mattered to Stephen to know that Someone was standing with him, and he was not alone, in the middle of his crisis. Jesus knew this scene very well. He had lived it out, and now Jesus responded to it. When one of His friends, and family members was being attacked, in another kangaroo court, He took The Stand, and kept praying.

Jesus had said to His disciples, "No longer do I call you slaves...I have called you friends." (John 15:15) Scripture teaches that a friend loves at all times. This was a time in the life of Stephen, when he stood up and spoke up for the name of His Savior. It is not too big of a stretch to believe, He saw Jesus stand up for him.

We can disagree on this and still be friends, but I am comforted to know that when I am in the middle of a crisis, I am not alone. I know this much. Jesus took The Stand with Stephen, and He continues to intercede for me. For me to do less for others, is to be less of Who Jesus was to his friends.

Ron Dunn, friend and mentor, who is now in Heaven, wrote a book, "Don't Just Stand There. Pray Something!" Thanks Ron! I believe I will...

TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

The Seven

"Select from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may put in charge of this task." Acts 6:3

The early church and the contemporary church have at least one thing in common, The Complaint Committee. Their mission statement and life verse:

"A complaint arose." Acts 6:1

After 30 years as a pastor of a local church, and over 40 years in Christian ministry, I believe I can see a pattern. Usually, when a complaint arises, a whiner posing as a leader, will come up with this statement. "I have had two people come to me." They just lied. They don't really have two people who have come to them, with a complaint. It just means that you have not met their expectations, and they are framing the debate, by trying to frame you. Don't fall for it. Ask for names? Invite them to go with you to set the record straight with those "Two People." Expect amnesia to hit them. This only happens...EVERY TIME.

Many churches are not able to identify, with the Spirit-filled expressions, of The Body of Christ found in chapters 1-5 of The Book of Acts. Sadly, they can surely identify with what they find in chapter six. Sad, but true.

Rapid growth of the early church brought about a clash of cultures, loss of existing support systems, expulsion from families, financial crises and an influx of new people. All of these separate streams, coming together, created a patch of white water that threatened to sink the boat of the early preachers. They needed help, and they sought God for it.

"While the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint arose." Acts 6. 1

Never trust church growth to solve all your problems. It creates more than it solves. It is a lot like marriage. It only takes one person added to your life, to reveal how selfish you really are. It only takes one. The early church had added thousands, virtually overnight. Get the picture?

At the risk of repeating myself, I feel compelled to inject what my early mentors told me, as I prepared to lead a congregation of Southern Baptists. "Where ever you find three Baptists, you will get five opinions." They weren't wrong. Good to know.

Experience has taught me this much. When "my way", "his way", and "her way", meet to find "our way", they seldom see it God's way, until they pray to "The Way." The more they talk, and the less they pray, the rougher the water and the leakier the boat. My advice? TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

When the first complaints hit The Twelve, they "summoned the congregation and said, 'It is not desirable for us to neglect the word of God in order to serve tables.' " v. 2

If this sounds like a form of elitism, or an unwillingness to do their part, or contribute their "fair share", let me refer you back to the regular beat downs the early preachers took for their passion for the Word of God. They may not have had dish-pan hands, but they had scars on their backs. Big difference.

Managing a crisis or meeting a pressing need of the church, is not the same thing as penetrating the darkness outside the church. The Twelve, knew instinctively, when they started focusing all of their attention, to the needs of those already in the church, the people who needed to hear The Word of God, outside the church, would be neglected.

Their solution? "Select from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Spirit, and of wisdom..." v. 3

The Seven were men, not chosen to serve in an official position or church office, but as more of a crisis management team. The Twelve needed men who could be trusted to supervise the distribution of food, to those in need, and to see that it was done fairly, and without prejudice.

The Seven were not chosen as deacons, but traditionally, they have become the model or prototype for those who would later be chosen to serve in that capacity. The standards for their selection were simple, and yet profound.

1. Men of good reputation: to be a witness, to bear witness, i.e. to affirm that one has seen or heard or experienced something, or that he knows it because taught by divine revelation or inspiration. This is the same word for a martyr.

2. Full of The Spirit: souls filled up, as opposed to empty, thoroughly permeated with, complete, lacking nothing in the content of their character of The Spirit of Christ.

3. Full of wisdom: broad and full of intelligence, a knowledge of very diverse matters that can be used to guide and counsel others based the mind of God.

To serve in time of need, in a local church, anything less will never be enough, and anything more will never be needed. These standards set the bar, and should never be lowered.

Notice the subtle emphasis made by The Twelve. They are not abdicating leadership to an ad hoc committee, or a self-perpetuating board of advisers. The Twelve are responsible for what happens to the church, and though The Seven are selected by the congregation, they answer to the leaders of it, not the followers in it. Read it carefully.

"We may put in charge of this task." v. 3b

If The Seven brought them relief, The Twelve would be freed up to "devote themselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word." v. 4

Recently, I had a rogue Chairman of Deacons bust up a prayer meeting I was having, with his pastor. When he burst through the door, of the pastor's study, he claimed to be carrying a complaint, as an elected representative, from the people. He was not lying, but he was also not being completely honest. His complaint was real, but it was from the mouth of his wife, not the voice of the people. That morning, she was on a holy terror, to have the Lord's Supper table put back where it belonged.

Don't get me wrong, this complaint was serious. Pastors have been fired over lesser offenses. However, the complaint was not about theology, but about genealogy. She had some flowers she wanted to put on the communion table, to honor her deceased parents. She wasn't going to be happy unless that table was put back where it belonged, right in front of the pulpit. Her flowers were going to be put front and center, in the middle of it, for everyone to see. In truth, it really wasn't about a table, flowers or her parents. It was about all about her. Based on even more recent reports, it still is. Pray for this pastor.

The early church leaders placed great value on devoting themselves "steadfastly to prayer and the ministry of The Word." v. 4

Their devotion to prayer and the preaching of The Word resulted in the conversion of thousands of people, and the immersion of them, into membership in the church. This kind of devotion to prayer and preaching was not an excuse to get out of serving or cleaning up after a potluck dinner at the church. The devotion of The Twelve was a passion to take prayer and preaching to the streets, not an escape route to their private study or library.

Prayer and preaching of The Word are still The Spirit's priorities for preachers of the contemporary church. HOW CAN YOU HELP? Pray for your preacher today. He needs it, and you need the practice.

TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

The Message

"The God of our fathers raised Jesus, whom you killed hanging him on a tree. God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, who God has given to those who obey him." Acts 5:30-32 ESV

The early preachers of the Gospel could deliver The Message in less than sixty words. They cut through the darkness that surrounded them, like a laser beam straight from the throne of God. They were not like dim bulbs of night lights, hoping not to offend the senses of those comfortable in the darkness. The Message they delivered was all about The Light. The result?

"When they heard this, they were enraged and wanted to kill them." v. 33

"Kip" Hollingsworth was one of the best deacons I ever had the privilege to serve with, during my first pastorate. He loved to rib me, Sunday after Sunday, with his favorite one liner, "Preacher, there is no such thing as a bad, short sermon." With all due respect, "Kip" was wrong. The first preachers of the Gospel got it down to less than sixty words, and still stirred up a lot of anger. It really only takes one word to split the house...JESUS.

Jesus didn't come to build a consensus, but to build a church. His mission, and His message have not changed. Like the old Steve Green song says, "Across the street / Or around the world / The mission's still the same / Proclaim and live the Truth / In Jesus' name." PREACH IT!

When the early preachers were dragged back in front of the religious elite and guardians of their contemporary culture, they didn't mince words, parse phrases, massage nuances, or leave anyone in doubt. They fixed the blame on sinners, and the solution on Jesus.

Preaching that does anything less than point people, friend or foe, to Jesus as The Way, and The Holy Spirit as The Promise, is not New Testament preaching. Don't get me wrong, this preaching may not make enemies, and it may even draw a crowd. By stroking the egos of disobedient, self-absorbed rebels, a preacher can make a name for himself, as a positive, and politically correct poser. His posturing, as a not-for profit prophet, has very seductive, fringe benefits. His preaching may leave people feeling good about themselves, but it won't change their lives.

Sunday, I tuned in to hear one of the current, wonder boys of positive preaching. He was leading his congregation into a series of repetitive "I AM" declarations. They were not the seven declarations made by Jesus, in the Gospel of John. They were self-declarations of perceived importance derived from the pride of man. Big difference.

It reminded me of the character, Stuart Smalley, whose pop-psychology parody made Al Franken famous, before he became a joke of a Senator.

"I'm good enough, I'm smart enough, and doggone it, people like me." Stuart Smalley

One of the first lessons learned in Elementary Greek is the definition of "EGO" is translated as "I AM." Good to know. Ego-centric preaching is not Christ-centered preaching.

Note to self: If your preaching ever begins to resemble a session of a "Stuart Smalley Twelve Step Seminar", STOP IT!

The enemies of The Message will always hate hearing a messenger declare from the Word of God what Jesus said about Himself.

1 ) John 6:48 I am that bread of life. KJV

2) John 8:12 Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. KJV

3) John 10:9 I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. KJV

4) John 10:11 I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. KJV

5) John 11:25 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: KJV

6) John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. KJV

7) John 15:1 I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. KJV

The only EGO-centric preaching ever appropriate for The Message of any preacher is Christ-centered preaching. Preaching centered on Jesus will change lives. Preaching focused on man may improve the reception of The Message from the enemies of The Gospel, but it will only prolong the deception of those who hunger and thirst for The Gospel.

Preachers need to pray for the courage to preach nothing less than Jesus. People in the pews need to pray for discernment and expect, and accept nothing less from the pulpit.

TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

The Attraction

"We must obey God rather than men." Acts 5:29

When Peter and the apostles made this statement, they stepped across a line in the sand, and crossed over into the land of absolute freedom. From this moment on, there was no turning back. Regardless of the consequences, they would hear and obey one voice. They had discovered the difference between the intimidation of distractions, and intimacy with The Attraction. We should be so wise.

Fear of man is a huge distraction to the messenger of The Gospel. When fear of God should be the main attraction of a preacher's life, the enemy constantly uses a side show of hand puppets to distract shepherds and saints and take their eyes off of Jesus, "The Author and Finisher" of their faith.

Listening to the wrong counsel, and reading the wrong authors, leaves shepherds full of knowledge, and saints drained of discernment. When the crisis comes, all of the distractions come with it, and drown out The Voice needed the most, the voice of Jesus.

When the legendary Bobby Knight was still coaching The Indiana Hoosiers, I recall watching a very very close game, as it was coming down to the finish. With seconds left on the clock, the crowd was going crazy, and the announcers could barely be heard. The Indiana point guard was walking the ball up the court, passing by the Indiana bench, as his other four team mates were fanning out towards their side of the mid-court line, preparing for the final play.

Coach Knight stood and spoke to his point guard, as he passed by. As he did so, all five heads on the shoulders of the Hoosier players swiveled, in synchronized motion, towards the sound of his voice. For me, this was the most memorable moment of the game. In an arena filled with thousands of distractions, five players kept their ears attentive to the one person who called the shots, Coach Knight. They had practiced, long and hard, and learned, long before the crisis, only one voice could be trusted to get them through it. He spoke. They heard. They followed. They won.

Jesus said, "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me." (John 10:27) When His shepherds and saints cannot hear His voice, they have allowed other voices to drown out the "still, small voice" of His Spirit. Prayer puts a shepherd or a saint in close proximity to the voice of Jesus. Through prayer, He becomes The Attraction of their lives, and the only voice that matters.

The shepherd must be able to hear the sound of sandaled footsteps walking next to his, and to sense the slightest touch of the hand of The Spirit of Jesus Christ, on his shoulder, directing, protecting, and correcting him every step along the way. This kind of hearing is developed, by spending prolonged periods of time, in the presence of the only voice that matters. This is the primary purpose of prayer, not just learning what to say, but hearing what to obey. Praying and obeying are two sides of the same coin. Spend it freely.

Prolonged periods of prayer provide hearing aids that increase the volume and the quality of the voice of The Spirit of Christ, and seal off the ears of shepherds and saints, from the distracting calls that come from intimidating people and immediate circumstances.

Prayer prepares for the inevitable distractions, by seeking intimacy with The Voice that matters most, before the distractions begin. Prepare to pray and obey. Delaying praying leads to straying and disobeying.

Note to self: Distractions will come, and they will be intimidating. Focus on The Attraction. Pray and obey His voice, the first time you hear it. Don't pretend you didn't.

Prayer develops the sensitivity of shepherds and saints to The Attraction, and lowers the volume of the distractions. Jesus was certain, only one voice matters. Listen to His. If you listen closely, you can hear Him praying for you, by name. He never stops praying for you. Never stop listening to Him. TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

"A man, intimate with God, will not be intimidated by men." Leonard Ravenhill, (English Revivalist of the 20th Century, mentored by Samuel Chadwick, and mentor of Keith Green)

The Price

"And all the more believers in the Lord, multitudes of men and women, were constantly added to their number, to such an extent that when Peter came by at least his shadow might fall on any one of them." Acts 5: 14-15

When war weary saints, get a glimpse of the history of Spiritual Awakening, most race to the bottom line, and pray, "Lord, do it again!" They ignore the cost, pound on the counter, and ask God to bring relief, results, and revival. Everyone wants to be a part of a movement of God marked by constant additions and cultural transformation. It has a price.

In the First Great Awakening, Jonathan Edward's church led the way. When God ushered in the Awakening. His church ushered him out. Little known fact. Some churches just don't want to perpetuate, what God's Spirit initiates.

Note to self: If you get fired for it. Wear it like a badge of honor. Edwards did.

The fifth chapter of the Book of Acts, contains the price-tag for a movement of God. Changing the price-tag doesn't reduce the cost of the next Great Awakening, it only delays it.

The cost, of of Spiritual Awakening to the contemporary church, is no different than the price that was paid, by the 1st Century church. It begins with simple subtraction, not awesome additions.

Case in point. Ananias and Sapphira, Acts 5:1-11. When these two posers, lied to themselves, to God and the apostles, about their gift to the church, they dropped dead in church. Perhaps the greatest understatement of all time is contained in this passage of Scripture.

"And great fear came over the whole church, and over all who heard of these things." Acts 5:11

You think? Really? In this day of cultural compromise, easy believism, and constant calls for tolerance and diversity, you would think the church would have vanished. Instead, it cast a giant shadow. Today churches put up huge billboards, slick advertising campaigns, and savvy websites. This is called, doing whatever it takes. Not likely.

The price for Spiritual Awakening? The people of God are honest to God. "Honest to God!" I remember hearing this for the first time, when I went to elementary school in Dallas, Texas. Up until that time, I had been raised to say yes or no when asked a question. I soon learned there was a way to add weight to these two words. When I repeated, to my parents, the three words I had learned from my new friends, I received another learning experience. Apparently, at my house, there was no need to add gravitas, to veritas, by taking God's name in vain. At my house, adding "Honest to God" was a come to Jesus moment, but not in a good way. Good to know.

Still, "Honest to God" cannot be over-rated, when applied to the need for a child of God to keep short accounts with God. This is the price of initiating and maintaining continuous, personal revival, and it is the breath of life to a Great Awakening. Public piety, far from being self-righteous posing, is simply an outward sign of private, personal integrity before God.

Pious posers, from the very beginning, have always felt comfortable, attaching themselves to the church, like barnacles on the bottom of a ship. They don't really contribute much, but they consume a great deal. The are just along for the ride, devouring the integrity of the timbers of the church, one bite at a time. They simply aren't who they appear to be. If left unchallenged, they bore their way into membership, then into leadership, and eventually sink the boat. This only happens...EVERY TIME!

Lying. God hates it! This should come as no surprise to a student of Proverbs. Out of the "six things which the Lord hates." (Proverbs 6:16), a "lying tongue" (Proverbs 6:17) is right up there at the top, at number two. Like the old Avis rental car ad, in The Sixties, locked in at number two behind Hertz, they proclaimed, "We try harder." Word to the wise: STOP IT!

Simply put, liars are not "Honest to God." The leadership of the 1st Century church put it to Ananias this way, "You have not lied to men but to God." (Acts 5:4). Nothing has changed in the last 2100 years. The Spirit of God has not reduced the price, or felt compelled to hold a "Fire Sale" or a "Final Sale" to bring in new customers or initiate the next Great Awakening.

The church, not the world, is still held accountable for the price for the next Great Awakening. It doesn't begin with the world coming to Jesus, as much as the church being "Honest to God." The confessing Christian admits to God what He already knows about Him. Get it? HONEST TO GOD!

When believers stops confessing their sins to God, believers stop professing Jesus Christ to the world. When former professors, become perpetual posers, there is little hope for a Great Awakening. The Spirit of God calls on the people of God to be "HONEST TO GOD!" His call is not new, and God's price for Awakening remains the same...

"If my people who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray..." 2 Chronicles 7:14

Will you pay the price? Only God's people can.

TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!