You will receive power... and you shall be witnesses to me (Acts 1:8).
It's stated as fact. Not a command, not even a possibility, but real, actual. We have received power, enablement, the ability to act; the Holy Spirit has come and indwells every Christian. What do I do with this power of the the Living God who abides within me? I watch tv, fool around in the garage, work on the computer, watch the game, go for a walk...I have received power, but what do I do with it?
I am a witness to Him, but what sort, how much, how often, how effective, how intentional? Whether timid or bold, confusing or clear, I want to be more Christ's witness. Like Paul said in the end of Ephesians, let me speak the gospel boldly as I ought to speak. I'm cooped up in the church too much, let me get out and put myself in the path of people. Let me speak up more because people around me need to know Jesus as savior, and faith comes by hearing.
Could it be that God intends to save them, and He intends to use me as His witness?
Living in Real Life
I just reads a news story about conflict at work. A woman was arrested for putting a sedative into her bosses coffee because she felt "he needed to chill out" a little. Maybe he did...Maybe you do... Ephesians 5 and 6 confronts three places in which who we are as new in Christ Jesus, is lived out in real life. You can be whoever you want to be on Sunday mornings, but who you real are is best known by your spouse, your parents or your children, and those you work with 40 or more each week.
In each of these sets of relationships: wife/husband, child/parent, worker/boss; the naturally tendency towards "me first" sets us up for conflict. On the other hand, submitting ourselves to one another in reverence to Christ (Ephesians 5:21) will turn any of these relationships upside down. God says to submit or set aside my own agenda and instead devote myself to my wife, my kids, those who work with me, for their good. When I do, I am living the mind of Christ before them and for them. This may not eliminate conflict, but it could change the direction of it...
As far as the woman and the coffee--maybe she should have just tried decaf...
In each of these sets of relationships: wife/husband, child/parent, worker/boss; the naturally tendency towards "me first" sets us up for conflict. On the other hand, submitting ourselves to one another in reverence to Christ (Ephesians 5:21) will turn any of these relationships upside down. God says to submit or set aside my own agenda and instead devote myself to my wife, my kids, those who work with me, for their good. When I do, I am living the mind of Christ before them and for them. This may not eliminate conflict, but it could change the direction of it...
As far as the woman and the coffee--maybe she should have just tried decaf...
a sweet fragrance in a garbage dump?
Ephesians 5:2-4 speaks very strongly about the difference in our lives while living in a sinful world. We are not called to be isolationists, but to be light. We want to engage our culture, and even be aware of its "arts" and media, and yet often we don't like what we see and hear.
I've learned about a new way to watch DVDs, that can make them cleaner than airplane movies, its called ClearPlay. Using a downloaded file, you can play any DVD in a ClearPLay enabled player, and it will seamlessly skip scenes or language, according to settings you set, for the content you don't want to hear or see? See the video at: http://www.familysafemedia.com/clearplay_in_the_news.html
(click on the play button for Clear PLay in the News)
Have you used ClearPlay? How has it worked for you, what do you think? I would appreciate hearing your experiences. It seems like this could be a great way to help families keep from being "surprised" by a scene in what they thought was a clean family movie...
I've learned about a new way to watch DVDs, that can make them cleaner than airplane movies, its called ClearPlay. Using a downloaded file, you can play any DVD in a ClearPLay enabled player, and it will seamlessly skip scenes or language, according to settings you set, for the content you don't want to hear or see? See the video at: http://www.familysafemedia.com/clearplay_in_the_news.html
(click on the play button for Clear PLay in the News)
Have you used ClearPlay? How has it worked for you, what do you think? I would appreciate hearing your experiences. It seems like this could be a great way to help families keep from being "surprised" by a scene in what they thought was a clean family movie...
living out new life - ephesians 4 17-32
We heard things were going to be new, different, not like the past, and yet it looks like the same old thing we've known before. That's not what we wanted to see in DC; thats not what we wanted to see closer to home, in my home, in me! God has clearly said the past is enough for the old, it's time to live new (1 Pet 4:3). Paul agrees, and inside of you and I, the new you agrees too.
Because we've been made new, we can live new, and we should, we must, others need to see Christ in us. Given the chance to live, why slip back into the old default of everyday death?
In this passage, godly living stands on gospel truth. Because we've been made new, God gets specific about anger, giving, words we say, things we do--how to live new.
I dare you to ask the question of verses 25-32, "What's new for you?" What should new look like? I don't want this passage be more of what we know, I want it to begin to describe who we look like.
In these very specific and personal ways, we live out new life in Christ, that by His grace looks like Christ, and brings Him praise.
Because we've been made new, we can live new, and we should, we must, others need to see Christ in us. Given the chance to live, why slip back into the old default of everyday death?
In this passage, godly living stands on gospel truth. Because we've been made new, God gets specific about anger, giving, words we say, things we do--how to live new.
I dare you to ask the question of verses 25-32, "What's new for you?" What should new look like? I don't want this passage be more of what we know, I want it to begin to describe who we look like.
In these very specific and personal ways, we live out new life in Christ, that by His grace looks like Christ, and brings Him praise.
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