The Promise of Power

In response to this past weekend’s services, I found this bit from Greg Laurie interesting.

The Promise of Power

"For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call."





— Acts 2:39

A dimension of power is available to believers today that is sadly neglected by many. It is a dimension of power that will radically affect your ability to share the gospel with others, a dimension of power that will deepen your prayer life and understanding of God's Word. It is the same power the early church received, which enabled them to turn their world upside-down.The same power that was poured out on the day of Pentecost is available to believers today. After the Holy Spirit was poured out, Peter said, "For the promise is to you," speaking to the people that were present at the time, "and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call" (Acts 2:39). So this was not an event that was only for the early believers. It was for the generations that were to follow as well.Now there are some ways we can go wrong in relating our experience to Scripture. One is by claiming things that go beyond what the Bible says or even contradict it. Sadly today, much of what is done in the name of the Holy Spirit has little or nothing to do with Him. This makes the church a laughingstock to the world, and it is an embarrassment.Yet the same Holy Spirit that set the church into motion some 2,000 years ago is working today. And He is ready and willing to empower you to be the witness for Jesus Christ that you have always wanted to be.

Trev Carpenter
www.btmcallen.com

Waiting in Expectation

I again want to welcome you this weekend as we kick off the Holiday season in preparation for Christmas. With all the recent activity here at home, and definitely at church, this Sunday, we will be taking a look at how Christ came at the right time. I am sure today you need more time, or are out of time, but with a little bit of time, read on to what Henri Nouwen has written about Christ’s coming.

Waiting in ExpectationWaiting patiently for God always includes joyful expectation. Without expectation our waiting can get bogged down in the present. When we wait in expectation our whole beings are open to be surprised by joy.All through the Gospels Jesus tells us to keep awake and stay alert. And Paul says, "Brothers and sisters ... the moment is here for you to stop sleeping and wake up, because by now our salvation is nearer than when we first began to believe. The night is nearly over, daylight is on the way; so let us throw off everything that belongs to the darkness and equip ourselves for the light" (Romans 13:11-12). It is this joyful expectation of God's coming that offers vitality to our lives. The expectation of the fulfillment of God's promises to us is what allows us to pay full attention to the road on which we are walking.

Trev Carpenter
www.btmcallen.com

Where Was He?

In the wake of some events in our Christian family life, Greg Laurie writes a great perspective that we should all keep in mind this week.

Where Was He?

Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So, when He heard that he was sick, He stayed two more days in the place where He was.





— John 11:5–6

Jesus spent a lot of time in the town of Bethany with Lazarus and his two sisters, Mary and Martha. They shared many meals and many good times together. Mary, Martha, and Lazarus could rightfully refer to Jesus as their personal friend.Thus, when Lazarus became sick, they dispatched a message to the Lord. They knew that Jesus would know what to do. They thought that perhaps He would speak a word, and Lazarus would get better immediately. Or maybe He would stop what He was doing, rush home to Bethany, lay His hands on Lazarus, and take this sickness away.But the Bible tells us that upon hearing Lazarus was sick, Jesus stayed where He was for two more days (see John 11:6). The question is, if Jesus loved Lazarus, why did He not rush to His aid? Immediately, we think this is a contradiction. If Jesus really loved this man, then why did He not go and heal Him?When tragedy, hardship, or even death strikes our lives, we too might ask the same question: If Jesus really loves me, why did He let this happen? But the point is that although we cannot see how the situation will end or why it has come upon us, we can know that it flows from the love of God and is controlled by Him.But let me qualify that statement. This is true only for the Christian. If you are a believer, you can know that everything must first come through God's protective screen that He has placed around His children.His delays are to be interpreted in the light of His love and not the other way around.

Trev Carpenter
www.btmcallen.com

Spotting a Fake

A tree is identified by its fruit. Figs never grow on thornbushes, nor grapes on bramble bushes. A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. What you say flows from what is in your heart.Luke 6:44-45

The British Museum in London received an ancient artifact, a painted rock, in 2005. Titled “Early man venturing towards the out-of-town hunting grounds,” it featured animals, a man, and a curious tool. After being on display for three days, the museum removed the artifact from its exhibit. It turned out that the “curious tool” painted on the rock was a shopping cart! A notorious hoax artist was responsible for getting it into the museum, where it remained until experts realized the piece was a fake.
People have the ability to show a certain personality on the outside while being something different internally. And just like the museum’s “artifact,” one’s outward personality can be seen as legitimate if concealed well enough. However, there will come a time when something—a phone call, a speeding driver, a crisis—will expose the person’s true identity. The hoax-life will be revealed. Unless our outward appearance matches our inward appearance, we will be exposed for who we are inwardly. Jesus said, “A good tree can’t produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can’t produce good fruit” (Luke 6:43).
Likewise, a person claiming to know Jesus as Forgiver and Leader should not go around berating or threatening his or her coworkers. These attitudes diminish one’s potential witness for the Lord, giving those who don’t know Jesus “valid” reasons not to believe him. Sooner or later our outward appearances will drown out our inward claims. We should be doing our best to exhibit Christ in the most positive light we can. Otherwise, our words and actions will be revealed as hypocritical.
Let’s be real—to ourselves, to others, and to God—and help others to be the same. That way, the only inward thing that will be exposed is the Lord we love and follow.


Trev Carpenter
www.btmcallen.com