Ready for His Coming

 In the Bible you see how God loves you.

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. John 3:16 NKJV

If you believe in Jesus, this promise applies to you personally.

We read here that God loves all people.

There are idealists who want to save humanity, but they don't really love people.

But God is not like these idealists. God is love.
And you are not a mere specimen of humanity. You are you, and God loves you.

In the New Testament we see that Jesus will come back to take his church from this world, just as a Jewish bridegroom came to take his bride.

Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.” Revelation 19:7 NKJV

Jesus is the Lamb of God who sacrificed his life on the cross to suffer the penalty for our sins, to remove all guilt from us, to set us free from sin.

Jesus said to his disciples that after his death and resurrection he would return to heaven to prepare our eternal home for each of us.

“Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me.
In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 

And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. John 14:1–3 NKJV

Jesus will come again as the bridegroom to his loving and beautiful bride. We see in Acts a wonderful church where all were filled with the Holy Spirit, where Christians helped one another practically, where supernatural gifts of the Spirit manifested daily.

Jesus will come back for such a church. Is the church ready? Obviously not.
We need an unprecedented worldwide revival to bring this about.

We must expect it and pray for it. But the crucial question is whether you and I are ready.

Who can help us? Who can prepare you? Your church may be able to help. Some churches help and some don't. But only the Holy Spirit can transform you so that you are ready for Jesus.

On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. 

He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.”
But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified. John 7:37–39 NKJV

Wisdom from God

 Solomon was young and inexperienced. He was sincere and loved God. He was very intelligent, yet humble.

There are many people who inherit wealth and power, who are proud, and do not want to accept instructions from God or men.

But Solomon was not like that. As a young and inexperienced king, he was aware of his responsibility and his own inadequacy.

He wanted to be a good and righteous king for his people.  

God saw his heart and He visited him in a dream.

At Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream at night. God said, “Ask. What should I give you?” 1 Kings 3:5 CSB

If you are like Solomon, if you want to live faithfully and responsibly, you must be aware of your inadequacy.

Solomon had a task from God. So do you and so do I.

If you think your knowledge, competence and intelligence are enough to fulfil your calling from God, then you have no idea. You need to recognise your inadequacy.

God saw Solomon’s heart, and He sees your heart. He wants to speak to you and help you.

How did Solomon answer?

Now, O LORD my God, You have made Your servant king instead of my father David, but I am a little child; I do not know how to go out or come in. 1 Kings 3:7 NKJV

He realised that his experience and competence were so limited that he did not even understand how to begin.

Many people try to get ahead with their own talents and only ask for God's help when they go horribly wrong, but Solomon understood better.

If you want to live a blessed and fulfilled life, you must involve God as your companion and guide at the very beginning of everything you do.

God wants to help you with your whole life, not just rescue you when you fall over.

Trust GOD from the bottom of your heart; don’t try to figure out everything on your own. 

Listen for GOD’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he’s the one who will keep you on track. Proverbs 3:5–6 The Message

Knowing Good from Evil

We must know the difference between good and evil, otherwise we will be lost. But how are we to learn this?

Solid food is for those who are mature, who through training have the skill to recognise the difference between right and wrong. Hebrews 5:14 NLT

but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die.” Genesis 2:17 NIV84

“You will not surely die,” the serpent said to the woman.
“For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” Genesis 3:4–5 NIV84

God created Adam and Eve. He made them in God's image, innocent and without defects of any kind. God placed them in a beautiful garden where nothing was tainted, nothing could be sick. 

Adam and Eve were designed to be happy and immortal.

But there was a problem. Lucifer, the highest archangel, had already become evil by abusing his freewill, and he had recruited a host of rebellious angels to his demonic army.

Because Adam and Eve were to rule the new earth, they needed knowledge of this battle against evil spirits, but God had not explained everything to them in the beginning.

God's first priority for the first humans was different. Their first priority was to get to know God Himself better. They needed to learn everything step by step from God Himself.

The fruit of the forbidden tree would instantly give the same knowledge of good and evil that God Himself had, according to Satan.

Did Eve understand this? The concept of ``evil'' would be completely incomprehensible to Eve if God had not explained some of it to her beforehand, but God had only taught the basic steps.

We are not called to know everything at once and always be right. We are called to know God Himself better and better as our Father, Friend and Guide.

There are police experts who are trained to identify counterfeit money. Do you think they study many specimens of forged currency? No. They study real banknotes in the finest detail.

We have only one way to recognise and reject everything that is against God. We can find this way only in close communion with God Himself.

And this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. John 17:3 NRSV

… we declare to you what we have seen and heard so that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. 1 John 1:3 NRSV

If we do not cultivate this close personal fellowship with God from the beginning, we will lose our way in life.

We can rely on our own Bible knowledge. Bible knowledge is indispensable, but without fellowship with God and the leading of the Holy Spirit, you will only become dry and religious like the Pharisees who persecuted Jesus.

This is the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

... but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die.” Genesis 2:17 NIV84

During his earthly lifetime, Jesus challenged his disciples to follow him. This often literally meant going around with Jesus himself.

We can no longer walk with Jesus physically, but He has offered us His Holy Spirit to be our companion and guide.

If you want to hold fast to God's Word without being daily acquainted with the guidance and fellowship of the Holy Spirit, you will gradually become dry, lifeless and merely religious.

For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. Romans 8:14 ESV

If you are a woman, you can also hold on to this promise.

This letter from Paul was written for the church in Rome. According to Roman law, sons were the heirs of the father but not daughters. When Paul implicitly includes Christian women here, we are to understand that women are equal in God's eyes.

 

Healing for Broken Souls

Are you overwhelmed, or perhaps really traumatised?

Maybe you are in a church where they preach the Bible, where you see healings, where you hear good testimonies.

You have learned Bible verses by heart and you quote the promises of God.

But it doesn't seem to work for you. You have really tried to do everything right, but you are still deeply hurt. Your spirit is broken.

The human spirit can endure in sickness, but a crushed spirit who can bear? Pr 18:14

You talk about your abuse and trauma, and they say you simply have to forgive. 

Simply forgive? What do you mean, simply?

Unfortunately, there is no simple prescribed method for healing your soul.

There are preachers and pastors who think their methods are from God, and if it doesn't work for you, you must be to blame.
But this is often not the case.

I believe in miracle healings, even for deep traumas.

In the Bible, Jesus met a demonised man who was running around naked. Jesus told the demons to leave the man and the man was instantly delivered and healed.

In the Acts of the Apostles we see how Peter and Paul performed amazing miracles in Jesus' name, and there are a few preachers today who call corpses back to life.

But please be careful. There are genuine preachers, but there are also false preachers.

Jesus promised that we can expect real miracles.

Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. Jn 14:12

But Jesus also warned against false preachers.

Beware of false prophets. They come like harmless sheep, but in reality they are dangerous wolves who want to tear you to pieces.

“Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. 

By their fruit you will recognise them. Do people pick grapes from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. Mt 7:15-17 

Paul warned against preachers who intimidate and dominate Christians.

You put up with it when someone enslaves you, takes everything you have, takes advantage of you, takes control of everything, and slaps you in the face. 2 Corinthians 11:20 NLT 

But we must not condemn all preachers because of this, but it is important to mention this, because deeply broken souls are often manipulated by dominating ministers.

In the New Testament we find false preachers but also good preachers and it is the same today. Those who are spiritually hurt need real pastoral care and sometimes even deliverance.

• But beware of preachers who only see demons behind all the problems of the soul.

• Beware of preachers who demand to control your whole life.

• Beware of preachers who forbid their members to visit other churches.

• Beware of preachers who have only one method of dealing with all spiritual and emotional problems.

• Beware of preachers who claim to be faultless, because this is just not true.

If you are traumatised and cannot find a way out, please recognise that God loves you in spite of everything, that God stands by you, that God wants to accompany you as a friend. 

If you can find good pastoral care, all the better. But if it takes some time to find the right help, ask God to be your guide.

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Jeremiah 29:11 NKJV
 

New Mission. New Mindset.

When God intervenes, he looks for people to use as instruments or agents.  God's approach is to do His work on earth through human agents.

When God founded the Hebrew nation, He gave Moses not only the Ten Commandments, but more than 600 laws. Those who did not obey all the laws were cursed.

When the Holy Spirit established the church in Jerusalem after Jesus returned to Heaven, all the believers were Jews and all held fast to all the laws of Moses. This was never questioned.

In the New Testament, many non-Jews converted to the God of the Bible, but this was not totally new.  

In the Old Testament, sometimes non Jews converted, but then they had to become practically Jewish. They had to obey all the commandments of Moses. The men and boys had to be circumcised. Ouch!

The new Christian community in Jerusalem was one hundred percent Jewish, but Jesus had said that this was only the beginning of something new.

So when they met together, they asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?”

He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority.

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Acts 1:6–8 NIV84

The Jewish disciples had to have their traditional Jewish way of thinking transformed in order to fulfil this task.

The persecuted Christian movement in China cannot function as it does in Europe or North America. 

Christian meetings must take place in private houses or apartments. Three quarters of the church leaders are women.

“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.

See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland. Isaiah 43:18–19 NIV84

When God wants to step in, he looks for people to use as instruments or agents. God's approach is to do His work on earth through human agents.

But God sometimes has problems with us humans. 

We pray that God will do a great work. Then we look so often, at the miracles or revivals of the past, and we expect God to act in exactly the same way.

“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go to the Father. John 14:12 NASB
 

God's New Ways in the Crisis

 This crisis is a hard test for many. If you are doing well anyway, it is important to help those who are really suffering.

There are different reactions. Some want to complain because the strict measures seem like a dictatorship. If we were really under a dictatorship, do you think protests from a few thousand  people could liberate us ?

Someone has said of a head of government, ``He is a dictator. We must get rid of him in the next election campaign.'' The answer was clear. ``What do you know about dictatorship?''

For the Christians in the New Testament, democratic freedom was totally unknown, but they spread the good news of Jesus and expanded God's kingdom in a dramatic way.

The first church in Jerusalem had to deal with two non-democratic governments. The Roman rulers were not nice and the Jewish religious rulers wanted to abolish Christian freedom.

But God used the persecution of the church to spread the gospel.

Now those who were scattered after the persecution that arose over Stephen travelled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching the word to no one but the Jews only. Acts 11:19 NKJV

But this was only the first phase of God's plan. Then it became quite radical.

Among them were some people from Cyprus and Cyrene. They entered Antioch and began to proclaim the good news about the Lord Jesus also to Gentiles. Acts 11:20 CEB

Some now complain because normal worship services are not allowed, but God has also used this situation to spread the gospel.

Many churches have shared sermons and services with online streaming and You Tube. Something amazing has happened.

Before the crisis, 200 to 400 visitors were expected in our church on Sunday. But when we were only allowed to minister online, 2000 were involved.

Not only that, but God has also blessed our finances. The donations have increased dramatically.

And what has happened to the church building? It was used to distribute food for the unemployed.

“Do not remember the former things, Nor consider the things of old.
Behold, I will do a new thing, Now it shall spring forth; Shall you not know it? 

I will even make a road in the wilderness And rivers in the desert. Isaiah 43:18–19 NKJV

Some people are upset because normal worship services are not allowed during the crisis, but God has also used this situation to spread the gospel. God is leading us in new directions.

God is Faithful

If you are faithful, you can always expect God's help. God never abandons his faithful children. How can you be more faithful than God?

David was God's faithful servant, but he was persecuted by King Saul. His life was in danger, and he had to find refuge in a cave. In his distress he prayed fervently.

Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me! For my soul trusts in You; And in the shadow of Your wings I will make my refuge, Until these calamities have passed by. 

I will cry out to God Most High, To God who performs all things for me. Ps 57:1-3

When you are in deep distress, whether through your own fault or quite innocent like David, you need to get really serious with God.

He will never fail you.

If you fail but you are still committed to Jesus, can expect God's grace and mercy.

• God saved David again and again.

• God trained David through many hard trials, so that he became the greatest of all kings.

  Do you want to fulfil your calling from God? Then you can expect hard trials. 

  God always has a plan to get you out of any trouble.
  
  Often you do not know how to pray.
  Jesus has given you his Holy Spirit to help you in your weakness.
  
  Likewise, the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
  
  Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God. Romans 8:26–27 NKJV
  
  Paul too was often in impossible situations, but God saved him again and again and healed him from terrible wounds, otherwise he could not have continued.
  
  Five different times the Jewish leaders gave me thirty-nine lashes.
  
  Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked. Once I spent a whole night and a day adrift at sea. 2 Corinthians 11:24–25 NLT
  
  Paul suffered so much. Nevertheless, he wrote:
  
  What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? Romans 8:31 NKJV
  
  God's invincible weapons in your hands.
  

  • Speak God's word.

  • Prayer in the Spirit. The miraculous gift of God to pray in languages you have never learned.

  
  
  

God's Miracles for All

When Peter preached the first Christian sermon after the cross, he delivered a revolutionary message.

The glory of God is no longer only for prophets, kings and priests, as in the Old Testament, but for all those who believe in Jesus, receive the Holy Spirit and give free rein.

‘And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh;
Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
Your young men shall see visions, Your old men shall dream dreams.

And on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days;
And they shall prophesy. Acts 2:17-18

Religious tradition has robbed us of our heritage. The spiritual gifts and manifestations of God's power and presence are severely limited or excluded in many communities.

When they are permitted, sometimes only men and not women are allowed to speak for God.
In other churches only pastors, preachers or leaders are allowed to speak for God.

But in his sermon Peter completely abolished these rules and restrictions.

But this was not only in one sermon. In the Gospel of Mark we see something similar.

And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues;

they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.” Mark 16:17–18 NKJV

There are strange sects where people play with snakes, but this was not meant in the Bible. Paul was bitten by a poisonous snake.

But Paul shook off the snake into the fire and was unharmed. Acts 28:5 NLT

We should not play with poison or snakes but God promises us His protection in time of need.

I have an Arab friend who converted to Jesus from extremely fundamentalist Islam but along the way he was misled and joined the Mormons.

When God freed him from this sect, he visited many Mormons and also helped them to escape from that religion.

Then all the Muslims around him heard about his new faith and some converted.

He was not ordained but God used him with supernatural power.

An Arab once gave him food. A week later he was amazed that his  Christian countryman was still alive. He had put enough poison in the food to kill a camel.

The unsuccessful assassin converted to Jesus.

Heidi Baker is a missionary in Africa.  She saves little girls from sex slavery and little boys from forced service as soldiers.

She adopts these orphans, and they get to know Jesus well.

One girl at the age of 11 became a preacher, not ordained of course. She went to a village where Islam and witchcraft were dominant. When she spoke loudly about Jesus, people started throwing big stones.

Suddenly she proclaimed healing for a deaf person among her persecutors. The man dropped his stone. He could hear and cried out loud. "I can hear."

The stones stopped flying. The crowd heard the gospel and converted to Jesus en masse.

Jesus restored Equality of Women

 When Jesus died on the cross, the innocent Son of God suffered the ultimate injustice. Through his unjust death, Jesus took upon Himself the punishment that we deserve for our sins.

The only completely innocent man of all time died an agonising death so that all guilty men and women could be delivered from God's judgement.

With his voluntary death, Jesus began to deliver people from all curses and injustices that started with original sin.  

The first injustice was prophesied by God Himself.

To the woman He said:
“I will greatly multiply your sorrow and your conception; In pain you shall bring forth children;
 

Your desire shall be for your husband, And he shall rule over you.” Genesis 3:16

This was not God's command that men should rule over women. 

After the original sin the character of men was corrupted. The greater physical power of men was used to dominate women, which was never God's intention.

But millions of men ruled over their women. For thousands of years women have been treated as second-class human beings.

In the Bible, Jewish women were also victims of harsh discrimination, but in Christian history, and also in our own time, we see that many Christians do not yet understand that God created us for partnership and not for the subjugation of women.

In the Bible, new beginnings are of particular importance. As his first act after his resurrection, Jesus restored the equality of women.

Mary Magdalene was chosen by Jesus as the first person to proclaim his resurrection, not Peter or John, and not even Mary, his mother.

Mary Magdalene thought Jesus was the gardener. The first gardener was Adam, and Paul teaches us that Jesus is the last Adam. This means that Jesus is the beginning of the new humanity.

And so it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being.” The last Adam became a life-giving spirit. 1. Cor 15:45

For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. 1. Cor 15:22

Adam was the first man and the father of all human beings. He was without sin until he succumbed to temptation.

Jesus came as the second man without sin, and he resisted every temptation.

Jesus came to give us all men, women and children the innocence and glory of the original creation. 

He came to create a wonderful new humanity, a humanity where men and women can fulfil their potential in equality, freedom and partnership.

When Mary Magdalene announced to the apostles that Jesus had risen from the dead, they did not believe.

Later He appeared to the eleven as they sat at the table; and He rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who had seen Him after He had risen. Mk 16:14

But many who are first now will be last, and the last will be first.

What did Jesus want to teach us? From now on pastors and apostles must also take women seriously. The culture of domination must go.

Knowing God or knowing about God

 Knowledge puffs up, but love edifies.
And if anyone thinks that he knows anything, he knows nothing yet as he ought to know.
But if anyone loves God, this one is known by Him. 1 Corinthians 8:1-3 (NKJV)

I have read this passage many times, but it never really impacted me until just now. I just read these words by a pastor’s son.

• “I thought I was close to God because I knew all the answers. I could answer every question small group leaders or youth pastors threw at me about relationship with God. But I had fooled myself into thinking that was the same as relationship with Jesus. I still struggle with this to a degree.” 

John Piper's son tells his story.

Then I started to dig deeper and I found these words in the New Living Translation.

… But while knowledge makes us feel important, it is love that strengthens the church.
Anyone who claims to know all the answers doesn’t really know very much.
But the person who loves God is the one whom God recognises. 1. Cor 8:1-3

I recall a story told by a well known preacher.

    A Christian goes to his pastor with a difficult question. The pastor gives an apparently wise answer and the church member goes away happy.
    Meanwhile, in Heaven the Father turns to Jesus.
“Jesus, did you hear what that pastor just said? That is a new idea to me. Did you tell him that?

Knowledge is good, but head knowledge without deep heart understanding is dangerous in some areas of life.

A child may admire his father’s knowledge, but it will no good if he doesn’t experience his father’s love.

How many Christians believe in the love of God? They learn to know more and more about God, but they have little or no experience of the love of God.

Some even criticise Christians who talk about deep spiritual experiences. They say experiences can be deceptive and feelings are unreliable. The only safe ground to stand on is biblical truth. By this they mean Bible knowledge.

But if we read Bible truth in the Bible itself, we see that the heroes of faith all personally experienced God Himself. God spoke to them and they listened and believed. 

They were filled with the Holy Spirit. This was an experienced reality, not just a doctrine.

The God of much modern conservative evangelicalism only speaks through bible verses and bible knowledge. This is not the God I see in the pages of the Bible itself.

Of course, we need Bible knowledge, but Bible knowledge without experiencing God just makes you more religious. That is very dangerous. This was the sin of the Pharisees. It is still a huge problem today.

Let God be the Judge.

Moses was a good man. He was loyal to his oppressed Hebrew compatriots, although he could have enjoyed his privileges as an Egyptian prince.

By faith Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, 

choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, Heb 11:24-25

He loved truth and justice. He hated cruelty and oppression.

One day, after Moses had grown up, he went out to where his own people were and watched them at their hard labour. He saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his own people. 

Looking this way and that and seeing no one, he killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. Exodus 2:11-12

Preachers of New Testament doctrine like to oversimplify this story. They say Moses was a murderer but God forgave him because He saves sinners.

Moses was a freedom fighter, a liberator. For him, killing the oppressor was an act of justice and mercy for the oppressed.

Nevertheless, it was not God’s way. Moses’ greatest strength was his weakness. His human reaction was completely counterproductive. He had to flee the country and live as a fugitive in exile for 40 years.

Before God could use Moses to liberate his people, Moses had to become a mature character conscious of his human weaknesses.

After 40 years shepherding sheep in the wilderness, Moses was called to liberate his entire nation. By this time Moses knew his limitations. He was actually reluctant.

But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” Exodus 3:11

You may have a passion for truth and justice, but as long as you pursue your cause in your own way or relying on your own gifts and talents, you will not realise your dreams, even if those dreams came from God.

I know a preacher who had wonderful gifts. He was an amazing missionary and personal evangelist.  He wanted to rescue the worst sinners. He desperately longed to help rebuild broken lives.

He was sincerely ministering to dangerous sex offenders, but in his zeal he made terrible mistakes.
He failed to protect vulnerable young women in his church from extreme peril through contact with known sexual predators.

If we resolutely fight against evil, but rush into battle according to our own ideas, we will battle against one evil but in the process allow another evil to flourish.

There are preachers who are zealous to preserve Christian marriages. They will do anything to keep a family together and prevent divorce.

But this single-minded crusade for marriage can have catastrophic consequences.

There are husbands who coldbloodedly plan to entrap a woman in marriage and then systematically manipulate her to become his abject tormented slave. 

This also happens in Christian churches.
When wives protest, they may be beaten, raped or deprived of contact with friends.

When tortured wives try to assert themselves, zealous preachers blame the woman for being rebellious. If the woman leaves her husband, she may listen to sermons accusing her of breaking her marriage vows.

The wife who argues with her husband is judged as rebellious.
The woman who leaves her husband is condemned for breaking her vows.

But the man who rapes, beats and tortures his wife or criminally assaults even his own children is respected.

Tragically, all this actually happens. These abuses are widespread in Christian circles.

He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the LORD require of you
But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God? Micah 6:8

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” says the LORD. Isa 55:8

 

Did Jesus Appoint Peter?

Who was the chief apostle? Who did Jesus leave in charge?

Abraham appointed Isaac; Moses appointed Joshua; Elijah appointed Elisha and David appointed Solomon but did Jesus appoint a supreme leader to take over after He returned to Heaven?

The Bible tells us about the sins and faults of the Apostles and preachers love to preach about them.

A dispute also arose among them, as to which of them was to be regarded as the greatest.

And he said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those in authority over them are called benefactors.

But not so with you. Rather, let the greatest among you become as the youngest, and the leader as one who serves. Lk 22:24-26 (ESV)

What were the Apostles disputing? Was each of the twelve claiming to be number one? I don't think so.

What most preachers fail to notice is this. Jesus had not conformed to the perfectly reasonable expectation of any group of leaders.

If Jesus had appointed a supreme leader, this discussion would be unthinkable.

Peter, James and John were obvious favourites, but Jesus had not named a number one man.

But who was the chosen one? Since Jesus had not told them, they did what any group of men would do. They tried to work it out themselves.

After Jesus returned to heaven, Peter seemed to take the lead in Acts chapters 1 to 3. Nevertheless, the writer of Acts emphasises the collective leadership of “The Apostles.”

In Acts 2, Peter preached the first sermon but the main emphasis is on the inspired and inspiring unity of all the disciples.

All this is not because of any neglect or forgetfulness of Jesus or the Father in Heaven.

In Galatians, we read how Paul visited the leaders in Jerusalem. He spoke of Peter, James and John “who seemed to be pillars.” (Gal 2:9)

Jesus declared a whole new approach to leadership in Matthew 23.

But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all brothers.

And call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven. Mt 23:8-9 (ESV)

This is so radical, that most of us have not even begun to understand it. I have been a member of Pentecostal churches for 35 years and I have never heard any preacher explain this important text.

The mystery does not end here.

The first witness of the resurrection of Jesus Christ was not an Apostle.

It was Mary Magdalene, a woman with a sinful past and a testimony but not an ordained leader.

When she told the Apostles, they did not believe her. Then Jesus came and rebuked the men of God for not receiving her testimony!

Leadership is important but God’s idea of leadership is not always what we expect.

The founders of the first mission to the non-Jewish pagans were not Apostles, and they were not appointed or sent by the Apostles.

Now those who were scattered because of the persecution that arose over Stephen travelled as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except Jews.

But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who on coming to Antioch spoke to the Hellenists also, preaching the Lord Jesus.

And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number who believed turned to the Lord. Acts 11:19-21 (ESV)

These Spirit led pioneer missionaries were not ordained preachers and we don’t even know their names.

Peter emerged as the chief apostle in Jerusalem, but there was no strict hierarchy.

In the book of Acts we something new, team leadership and spontaneous initiative directed by the Holy Spirit.

What can we learn from this?

If the Holy Spirit inspires you to reach out to your neighbours, your workmates or whoever, don’t wait for a leader to give you permission.

Just do it!

For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.” Mt 18:20

The Women also Spoke

On the day of Pentecost, 50 days after the cross, 120 disciples of Jesus were dramatically filled with the Holy Spirit.

Peter was no longer the coward who denied Jesus. He stood up fearlessly and spoke words of power to the crowd. 

These words of power and life were the Keys to the Kingdom. They opened the door of salvation to 2000 hearers that day.

The prophetic words of Jesus were fulfilled.

"And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth when ill be loosed in heaven." Mt 16:19 NKJ
 
When God gives words of grace and truth, they are words of life to any and all who will receive them.
 
But was it only Peter who spoke God’s life giving words that day?

There were 120 disciples who spoke words from God to the crowd that day. They spoke in languages they had never learned and the hearers from many nations understood God’s message in their own languages.

Who were these 120 disciples? Where they only men who were ordained to preach?
Peter clearly dismisses this idea.

And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,  Acts 2:17 NKJ

So did the women also declare the Gospel in a public meeting?

In Acts chapter one, we have clear confirmation of Peter’s revolutionary words, although they were not Peter’s words, but the words of the Holy Spirit quoted from the prophet Joel.

These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers.  Acts 1:14 NKJ
 
Yes. The women were also there. The 120 disciples included women. The women also spoke to the crowd with the authority of the Holy Spirit.

What do keys do? They lock and unlock doors.

The words of Peter and the other 119 male and female disciples unlocked the door of salvation and locked the door of condemnation for all who believed and received their message.

"And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth when ill be loosed in heaven." Mt 16:19 NKJ

Locking and unlocking is another way of saying binding and loosing.
 
Jesus gave his disciples the Keys of the Kingdom, Keys, not just one key.

Keys represent God given authority. 

Words of inspired preaching, teaching, prophesying and testimony are all keys that open the doors for God to reach people with his goodness and power.

So who has the authority to bind and loose, or to lock and unlock?

• Only Peter? Clearly no.
• Only the apostles? No.
• Only ordained preachers? No.
• Only men? No.

Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will have been loosed in heaven.
Again, truly I tell you, if two of you on earth agree about any matter that you pray for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven.
For where two or three are gathered together in my name, I am there among them." Mt 18:18-20 CSB17

Where two or three male or female disciples are together in unity and agreement, their words of faith and believing prayer can bind or loose, can lock or unlock spiritual doors.

Don't Submit to Religious Bullies

Nevertheless, God's solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: "The Lord knows those who are his," and, "Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness." 2 Timothy 2:19 (NIV)

If a woman is subjected to relentless bullying by her husband.

If a woman’s children are tormented, abused or corrupted by her husband, 

...then the only way for that woman to turn away from wickedness may be for her to leave her husband and take her children with her.

This principle should take priority over her wedding vows.

The same principle applies if you are a member of a church where bullying and abuse is rampant and being covered up. If there is no other way to stop the evil, you must leave, regardless of your position. 

If you are a pastor, an elder, a priest or a nun, it makes no difference. You must depart from evil.

If your father or husband is a predator or accomplice, that does not oblige you to be silent or to stay.

"Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness."
Of course, if you are a mother and you cannot leave without losing your children, it may be necessary to stay for that reason, but don’t let yourself be deceived by guilt sermons about the sin of divorce.

"Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness."