Truth vs. Tolerance

Acts 17:1-7

Now when they had traveled through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. And according to Paul's custom, he went to them, and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and giving evidence that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead, and saying, " This Jesus whom I am proclaiming to you is the Christ." And some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, along with a large number of the God-fearing Greeks and a number of the leading women. But the Jews, becoming jealous and taking along some wicked men from the market place, formed a mob and set the city in an uproar; and attacking the house of Jason, they were seeking to bring them out to the people. When they did not find them, they began dragging Jason and some brethren before the city authorities, shouting, "These men who have upset the world have come here also; and Jason has welcomed them, and they all act contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus."

Am I living in such a way for Christ, acting as with Christ through me, that I'm viewed as one who is upsetting the world?

An Active Lifestyle

Some cool thoughts...

Am I longing for and doing God's will as much as I should? (John 4:34) Jesus says it IS His food. Not just seeking God's will and His work in me, but doing it, accomplishing it. It will sustain me.

Do I live in such a way that I could say this verse, as though it were me: (Job 23:12). Do I treasure His words as my greatest need? Do I 'eat' them more often than anything else I do?

Am I not just adoring and praising but exercising the attributes of God? Jesus calls us to be like Him. He calls us to be perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect. (Matt 5:48; 1 Peter 1: 14-16)

Edit:
Just to add some thoughts (and a huge thanks to my brother for additional insight): Christ's call to become both perfect and holy like He is, to strive for a sinless, selfless, serving, and loving life at the same time being separate and different from our old self, detached from the things in the world without being completely void of it's interaction or surrounding, can be daunting to say the least.

However, Christ has assured us of His presence throughout our life. Our Father watching over us and His Holy Spirit guiding us. The call is our start, the journey is a continual sanctifying action, bringing us closer and closer to the perfection that is in Christ, which we will only achieve after this life and only by His perfect work in us.

Yet there still remains as a stirring encouragment from our Savior to be obedient. Look to the cross, look to our Lord (after the necessity of placing Him as the true Lord of our lives), look to the Father in worship ("worth-ship", attributing worth and honor to Him) and see the example set before us. The example of love, discipleship, humility, and all the rest, displayed in Christ. Strive forward, personally taking on these attributes of our Lord. Why? Because He commanded us to do so, with all love and affection for us.

We can know that such a command, in love, is for our full benefit. Jer 29:-11-13

Enjoying Creation For God's Glory

Need I say more...

life.

my friend liz sent this to me.

A Privileged Audience.

An excerpt from Paul E. Little's "Know What You Believe"

Because of the ascension and exaltation of Christ, we have free and confident access into the very presence of God. We can "come boldly unto the throne of grace" (Heb 4:16). In Old Testament times, access to the presence of God was limited to one person - the high priest; to one place - the holy of holies in the Tabernacle (or the Temple); and to one time - the Day of Atonement. But because Christ is our High Priest and has passed into the heavens, each of us has access to the Creator at any time and at any place. How the angels must wonder that we make so little use of this privilege of audience with the King!

Prayer is not your energy drink, it is your blood.

We're all familiar with many scripture passages telling us to pray.
- "Therefore I want the men in every place to pray, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and dissension." 1 Tim 2:8
- "Pray without ceasing." 1 Thess 5:17
- "Devote yourselves to prayer" Col 4:2
- "With all prayer and petition, pray at all times in the Spirit" Eph 6:18

These last two verses, however, continue beyond the command to just pray. Col 4:2 adds "keeping alert in it", Eph 6:18 "be on the alert". The end of Luke 21 describes the end times and return of Christ that is approaching. (v36) says "But keep on the alert at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things..." We are not "alert" without cause. We don't watch with readiness for nothing, and a command to do so by our God should not warrant any less of a response.

God's view of prayer is not one of a potential for abundance beyond our measure. He's already given us everything we need. 2 Peter 1:3 "His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness." Eph 1:3 "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing"

Prayer is not a wishlist. It's not a bonus. It's not extra on the side. Instead, it's vital, necessary, and critical to life, the life that actually matters. Not being in prayer doesn't mean that we're living at standard capacity and that to be in prayer: we're overflowing. Not being in prayer, the commanded amount, is living at a grave deficiency.

Lack of prayer, by any amount, is seen to directly correlate to an increase in boastful, arrogant pride and sin.

Example:
At the passover, on the night of Jesus' betrayal, Peter is told by Jesus that Satan is coming to "sift" Peter and the disciples (Luke 22:31-34) Peter denies Jesus' claim, as if he knew better. As if he knew more about himself than Jesus did. (Matt 26:30-35) Peter embraces full arrogance and pride, coming just short of calling Jesus a liar: that though all others will fall, he won't.

Luke 22:40 Jesus says "Pray that you may not enter into temptation." They didn't. They slept. Matt 26:41 - "Keep watching and praying, that you may not enter into temptation" Peter prayed too little and acted too much. When the crowd came to take Jesus, Peter lashed out, attacking a slave of the High Priest, trying to show his courage, his last chance to prove Christ wrong about him falling away.

He didn't pray. He depended on his own strength, which failed him. Later, Peter denies Christ three times. Without prayer, focus is too easily placed on ourselves and our deficiency, which is often a masked false strength.

But there is hope in our deficiency. After Peter's great fall, after having denied him three times, Jesus in (John 15:15-17) gives Peter three times in which to say that he loves Him. Three denials that crushed his spirit, three professions of love and restoration. Remember the words of Jesus to Peter before hand regarding when he is restored, (Luke 22:32) "but I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail: and you, when once you have turned again, strengthen your brothers." How do we strengthen our family in Christ? Jesus answered in the beginning of the verse. He prayed for Peter; Christ's view of prayer was critical.

(Mark 1:29-39) Jesus, after spending an entire day ministering, preaching, healing, and casting out demons late into the night, still rose early, before sunrise, to go and pray. We can see his ministry was not focused on quotas. He could have not risen early to pray, but He did despite tiredness. He could have opted for a day off, having done so much work the day before, working late into the night, but he chose to move onto the next set of towns to minister.

After Jesus ministered late into the night, he still rose very early to pray. Before the greatest burden of His existence was to be placed on Him, He prepared Himself by praying, nothing else. His command to the disciples, before they would be violently sifted by Satan, their faith tested and tried, Jesus commanded them to one thing: pray.

Rom 8:26 "In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God."

How comforting to know that the Spirit's intercession for us focused on the will of God, and not my own often self focused, weak prayers. "the Spirit also helps our weakness"

self-denying community passion

I've been reading through the New Testament, and I'm in Acts right now. It's encouraging to see the focus of the people of the church:

ACTS 2:42-46
" And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts,"

I am ridiculously thankful for Grace Community Church/Foundry/Foundations/Epoch/Core groups for being and providing a community that allows for this type of fellowship/love.