What Confounded Them?

Acts 2:6 Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language.

Just a quick thought on this some-what controversial portion of Scripture. What was it that confounded the group of people here for the feast of Pentecost? It wasn't some new, unknown language that was being spoken, but it was the fact that they could understand what was being said in their own language. No matter where they came from (2:7-11) each person heard them in their own language. The miracle was not in the speaking, but in the hearing!

Flickr

This is a test post from , a fancy photo sharing thing.

Who Do You Think You Are?

Luke 9:49-50 And John answered and said, Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name; and we forbid him, because he followeth not with us. (50) And Jesus said unto him, Forbid him not: for he that is not against us it for us.

Here, we have John speaking to Jesus about an encounter he had with another man who was casting out devils and doing miracles in the name of Jesus. John rebukes him and tries to get him to stop because this man was not and would not follow THEM (read the encounter in Mark 9:38-40 for this detail). This happened just after the disciples who WERE following Jesus could not cast out the demon that tormented a child (Luke 9:37-43).

I believe the Lord Jesus teaches the disciples, and us today, two great truths:
#1 - He that is not against us is for us.
#2 - It doesn't matter if people will not follow US (Mark 9:38), what matter's is if they are following and serving Jesus.

It is as if Jesus was saying, "Who do you think you are?" It is not about us, but it is all about the Lord Jesus Christ. May we stop worrying about what camp or fellowship or church this preacher or that preacher associates with, which school they support, etc., and just come to the conclusion that "he that is not against us is for us." And when a fellow servant of Christ is able to accomplish great things for the Lord, even those things that we at the moment cannot, lets rejoice together instead of trying to tear down and stop the work of the Lord.

Save Thyself

Mark 15:30 Save thyself, and come down from the cross

Here, as Jesus is hanging, or crucified, from the cross of Calvary, many begin to pass by and make lots of accusations and slanderous statements. The one that really caught my eye was the one I just quoted from verse 30.

What got my attention was the fact that the rest of the world is still saying the same thing today. They don't want a Jesus that had to be crucified and die for their sins - they want a Jesus that came down from the cross, or better yet, never had to go to the cross to begin with. They are telling Jesus to do the very same thing they are trying to do for themselves: Save Thyself.

We cannot save our own selves. The Bible tells us that our righteousness, or good deeds and works, is nothing more than filthy rags. We must remember why Jesus did not come down from the cross and "save" Himself - so that we might be saved.

Answers Through Questions

Mark 2:6-7 But there were certain of the scribes sitting there, and reasoning in their hearts, (7) Why doth this man thus speak blasphemies? who can forgive sins but God only?

Here, in Mark 2:1-12, we have the wonderful account of four men who bring a crippled man to Jesus for healing. Jesus recognizes their faith (2:5) and forgives this palsied man of his sins. Not exactly what everyone had in mind to happen first - the scribes included. And so they begin to question this and by what authority Jesus could give forgiveness of sins. And it was only AFTER the questioning of the scribes that Jesus heals this man of his physical ailment (2:9-12).

What we need to realize today is that sometimes God allows us to go through struggles so that He may teach and try to reach others. So, it is often times that we receive the answer to our prayers when others see us and begin to ask questions of God. Take your difficult situation as an opportunity for God to show His Greatness in your life to others so that He may get the glory due His name.

Does the Past Cloud Your Today?

Matthew 17:4 - Then answered Peter, and said unto Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here: if thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias.

In the beginning of chapter 17, we come to what is commonly referred to as the Mount of Transfiguration. As Jesus ascends up the mount, He takes with Him Peter, James, and John. While there, these three disciples see Christ transfigured before them. After viewing the glorified Christ, they also notice Elijah and Moses. It is at this point Peter speaks up and says that they should build three tabernacles, or tents, and continue the worship and fellowship.

Many truths can be taken away from this event, but let me give just one today: they allowed the past glory to cloud the current glory and working of Christ. The three disciples, like many of the religious rulers and teachers of their day (17:10), were looking for God to do what He did in the past, just as He did it in the past. But what they missed was that God not was working just as He did in the past, but was doing a greater work by revealing Christ to them.

Often today, we look back to the past when the Church and Christianity had a greater impact, and we want to see it today. But our error is often the same error of these three disciples: we want it done just as it was in the past. Moses and Elijah were great men of old that God used in a mighty way. But we cannot allow our vision of a great past to cloud our vision for a greater now. God is still God and He changes not in attributes - but He does change in how he deals with people.

A great Bible example of this would be Moses when he smote the rock and God gave them water. What a great victory and blessing that Moses experienced; but he allowed this past glory to cloud his vision for God's new plan to get the water to the people - by just speaking to the rock. Instead of listening to God's new plan, Moses falls back on his past experience and smites the rock to no avail. So, he does so again and because of his disobedience to God he misses out on the Promise Land.

Let's not allow the glory of the past dictate to us how we will listen and obey God today; and lets not be afraid of doing something different if it is what God has called us to do. If we are always looking back, we will never be able to look forward.

Beutiful Feet

Romans 10:15 - And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!

Paul, under Holy Spirit inspiration, quotes from both Isaiah 52:7 & Nahum 1:15. While the foot is not considered beautiful by most, it is by our Lord when our feet take us away from evil (Psalm 1:1), to the House of the Lord (Ecclesiastes 5:1), and from the House of God to those who are in the highways and hedges (Luke 14:23). May we each have beautiful feet in the sight of the Lord.