Acts- A Church That Studies

The reason seesaws have two seats is because that way there is always someone to bring you back up when you go down.

"Truth is not a system, not a constitution, nor even a creed: Truth is the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and He is the Truth about the Father, just as He is the way to the Father.  Our tendency is to make a logical statement, or to make it a principle instead of a Person." (Oswald Chambers, The Discipline of Peril, 298L)

We can give without loving, but we cannot love without giving.  God so loved us that He gave the ultimate gift, whose cost can never be matched: The gift of His only Son. (Osborne, Grant R., Second Corinthians- Linda L. Belleville, Inter Varsity Press, Downers Grove, IL 1996)

Ever wake up on Christmas morning, rush to the Christmas Tree, to see if the things you had been promised arrived?

Someone asked CeCe Winans whether there is any special order to the things she says or sings when she worships in the Throne Roo.  (She says) It's wonderful to know that our God knows us inside out, and He loves us without holding anything back. So, if any sin is coming between God and me, usually the first thing He will do is show me that sin and give me a chance to confess it so He can clean up my heart. Winans, CeCe, Throne Room, Integrity Publishes, Nashville, TN (2004, . 43).

When you have prayed, followed God's Word and done all you can, but your situation does not improve, and you are exhausted with pain and shame; what do you expect God to do?

Lysa TerKeurst, writes: There's nothing we can do to eliminate rejection. Oh, how I wish there were. With every fiber of my being, I wish I could remove it from my world and from yours.  But I can't the only thing I've seen work in my life to protect my heart from these deep wounds is the constant pursuit of the sweetest grace. (Uninvited, Nelson Books, Nashville, TN, 2016, p. 82)

When we are caught between a rock and a hard place, we too need to experience our God's presence and protection

The sufficiency of Scripture means that Scripture contained all the words of God he intended his people to have each stage of redemptive history, and that it now contains all the words of God we need for salvation, for trusting him perfectly, and for obeying him perfectly. 

You may argue, no one can be happy all the time.  While that is certainly true, there are scientific, as well as spiritual, guidelines that can help you cultivate a lifestyle of happiness.  If you choose to follow the proven protocols for happiness, you can develop a happy state of mind and heart that will effectively reduce the stress of your life. (Colbert, Don, MD, Stress less, Siloam, Lake Mary, Florida (2005, P. 219))

Turning from sin impossible without God' grace and mercy. Our trouble is that we so easily forget all that has been secured for us in redemption  For the Christian to seek significance apart from Christ (is wrong.) Worse, it is an arrogant pursuit that distorts our testimony for Him.  What a powerful opportunity we have to demonstrate to a watching world that Christ has liberated us from this clamoring, driving obsession to gain  significance that can never be found.  Stowell, Joseph, M.  Perilous Pursuits, Moody Press, Chicago IL, (1994, P. 93)

When the Holy Spirit is paramount in our hearts, He frees us from the law of sin and death, for where the Lord's Spirit is there liberty to be found. He purifies us and exerts in us the power of attraction that the interest of others may be captured, but above all, He establishes between God and us perfect unity since He forever and increasingly eliminates all that would separate us from God. (Pache, Rene, The Person and Work of the Holy Spirit, Moody Bible Institute, Chicago, IL (1954, Pp. 133, 134))  

Here is something true and rich: God is personal, so we are personal with Him and each other.  Personal means that God comes close to His people.  When He comes close, He speaks to us and invites us to respond, and when we respond to Him, He hears.  This means that He listens and is actually influenced by what we say.  We could think of it as being invited into His home, where He speaks openly and with love, and He offers the best divine hospitality.  All that is almost too much to take in, but then He invites us to speak of what is important to us,and as we speak, He is engaged, undistracted, and responsive.  We could call it fellowship, even communion. (Welch, Edward, T., Caring for One Another, Crossway--Wheaton, Illinois, (2018, pp. 45).

"Christian fellowship in the local church cannot be legislated by a constitution, although constitutions are useful; true fellowship must come from within, from the hearts of the believers. If a believer is out fellowship with another believer, it is because one or both of them have gotten out of fellowship with God." Wiersbe, W. W. (1992). Wiersbe's expository outlines on the New Testament (pp. 582-583). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.

"A Christian Lifestyle" is not always modeled by the leaders of our day: Parents, police, politicians, presidents, nor preachers, or teachers. So, how do we raise and influence a generation of individuals who will preserve a true "Christian Lifestyle", into the next generation? Social media and society's acceptance of its demand to center the world of affections on self must be re-directed, or at best Christians must dwell on teaching more on true Christian principles in our homes and in the Churches. We must teach more, in order to re-orient some and both introduce and inform others of God's order, in regard to, affection.

In the shipwreck, you may feel like you lost it all. Everything is in pieces.  But in the fragments, there are planks that remain-- pieces of desire, of dreams, of hope, of imagination, of longing, that rise to the top of you even now.  They are no longer attached neatly together, but they are still afloat in the swirling chaos of you. You may not need all of them. But almost certainly need one of them. (Martin, Jonathan--2016)

James concerns his discourse with the outward fruits of faith as a man sees them.  God knows whether or not I am a true believer on the basis of my faith apart from any works, but men can only know whether or not I am a true believer as they observe my life outwardly. Jesus said we can distinguish between the true and the false only by man's fruits (Matthew 7:16, 21). (Leman Strauss, 1956, 1989)

After appealing for qualities such as courage, willingness to suffer, and faithfulness in the life of a minister, (all Christians are ministers, servants) Paul borrowed images from daily life to illustrate the traits necessary for effective service. He pictures the effective minister in terms of a teacher (2:1-2), a soldier (2:3-4), an athlete (2:5), and a farmer (2:6).  He concluded with an appeal for Timothy to consider carefully the application of these images (2:7). Lea, Thomas D., Griffin, Hayne P. Jr., 1992, P.200)