Mandeville Church

Deliverance…in Chains?

Jun 022010

In Chains

Paul was ready to die for Christ at Jerusalem (Acts 21:13). He knew His Lord had been put to death at Jerusalem, and I wonder if he felt like he might walk in Jesus’ footprints by going to his own death at the hands of the angry Jewish mob. But he wasn’t begging for death! He came to preach Jesus to his brethren, and that’s just what he did in whatever situation he found himself.
The Jews were trying to kill him when the Roman centurion arrived just in time to save him. On the next day, the centurion (we later find his name is Claudius Lysias from Acts 23:26) let Paul stand trial before the Jews to find out what they had against him. Most of the time, the Romans let the Jews handle their own religious disputes among themselves. But Paul was also a Roman citizen, which compounded the matter somewhat. He couldn’t let the Jews simply kill a Roman without evidence of wrongdoing.

I find it interesting how God works sometimes. The phrase “God works in mysterious ways” is not found in Scripture, yet we DO know He works in ways which often baffle us. In order to escape the Jews here, Paul was imprisoned! That’s right, in order to be set free he had to submit to Roman chains. Odd. Why would God allow this great teacher to be locked up like this?

The rest of the book of Acts (Acts 23-28) concerns the trials of Paul and his journey to Rome where he would appeal to Caesar. God delivered Paul from death in Jerusalem, but Paul still was not “free” in the sense we usually think. Others led him where they wished him to go. Paul was no longer in control.

But as the story unfolds, we realize that God was still completely in control!

Is this Freedom?

Acts closes with Paul “stayed two full years in his own rented quarters and was welcoming all who came to him, preaching the kingdom of God and teaching concerning the Lord Jesus Christ with all openness, unhindered” (Acts 28:30-31). The man may have chains, but the message does not. God’s WORD was unhindered. The teaching of Christ was unhindered. And that is the theme of Acts – God’s word accomplishes exactly what it is supposed to accomplish. Men and women give their lives to the Lord, and the Lord does great things with them! And the Lord knows what His children do. And the Lord helps His children.

So, how’s your life going? Do you feel like you are in prison sometimes – in chains? Maybe chained to a desk at work. Maybe chained to a man or woman who doesn’t care about Jesus Christ, yet you made a life-long commitment to them. Maybe chained to physical difficulties. Remember, whatever you do, in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ – to His glory. He knows. He sees. And even in your chains, be sure He is working a great deliverance in your life. There is a freedom that reaches far beyond this world, and that is the freedom we seek and for which we hope!

May God bless you today,
Nathan

The Testimony that Really Counts

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May 282010

Passionate Testimony

I have heard many testimonies. Some were in the shower when a warm sensation suddenly came over them and they felt closer to God than they ever had before. Some say they were saved while listening some great orator speaking God’s words. Some say they were saved when they accepted Jesus into their hearts (after they prayed the “sinner’s prayer”). Some have wild testimonies; some have normal and more natural testimonies.

What’s your testimony?

Of course, I use this word “testimony” as many do in today’s religious world. There IS a sense in which we can testify concerning our own salvation, but the word “testimony” is never used in this way in the New Testament. To testify is to bear witness. If I testify to a traffic accident, I say, “I saw it happen; let me tell you the details.” If I testify to my salvation, I say, “I’ve been saved; let me explain!”

Paul did just that in Acts 22. He, like so many prophets before him, defended his calling as a Christian and an Apostle of Jesus Christ. I think of Amos, “I am not a prophet, nor am I the son of a prophet; for I am a herdsman and a grower of sycamore figs. But the LORD took me from following the flock and the LORD said to me, ‘Go prophesy to My people Israel.’” (Amos 7:14-15) These men didn’t ASK to be God’s special messengers; they were appointed to that special service by God. They had divine credentials.

Blinded by the Light

Paul’s calling as an APOSTLE was special. He saw a vision, a bright light. He saw the Lord Jesus! Jesus told him that he had been specially chosen as a witness “to all men of what you have seen and heard” (Acts 22:15).

Paul’s calling as a CHRISTIAN was the same as all other Christians. After he arrived in Damascus, Ananias came and preached the gospel to him and called him to respond in faith: “Now why do you delay? Get up and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on His name” (Acts 22:16).

I’ll tell you what testimony REALLY counts. It’s not my own testimony about my salvation. It’s not your testimony. It’s GOD’S testimony concerning you and concerning me. In Hebrews 11:4 we find “Abel…obtained the testimony that he was righteous, God testifying about his gifts.” This is the testimony I want. I don’t care if your testimony is full of amazing details. I don’t care if my testimony leaves you breathless. My only concern is that GOD testifies to our righteousness, that we are His children, and that we are safe in His love.

Stay in His love today! (John 15:10: “If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love…”)
Nathan

Did the Lord Open Your Heart?

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Apr 062010

Open Heart

Are you uncomfortable saying, “The Lord opened my heart”? Unfortunately, in all the teaching we do against the Calvinistic ideas of predestination and irresistible grace we often shy away from this kind of language. Acts 16:14 clearly says, “The Lord opened [Lydia's] heart to respond to the things spoken by Paul.” I don’t believe God did anything differently with Lydia than He did with any other man or woman who came to Jesus. God opens hearts to respond to words spoken.

In Ezekiel 36:26-27, God said, “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes, and you will be careful to walk in My ordinances.”
There is no doubt God does these things. He said He would. He said He did. God opens hearts!

The question is not IF He does it…the question is HOW He does it.

Salvation!

This is where the Calvinist immediately jumps to the idea that there is nothing I can do to respond to the Gospel until God reaches down and enables me to do it. I am powerless because I am DEAD in sin. The Calvinist makes a great deal out of the fact that a dead person cannot do anything. If you are dead, you cannot respond, cannot move, cannot think, cannot reason. That’s how they see the spiritually dead. But the Bible’s usage of the term “dead” is not the same as the Calvinist’s. In the Bible, the point of being dead is that it’s a SEPARATION from God.

The Calvinist believes that God SAVES us before we respond to the Gospel. God causes us to respond to the Gospel. Once God has poured His grace upon us, we are powerless to resist His grace – we cannot help but come to Him. God GIVES us faith. He GIVES us a new heart so that we can respond to the gospel. But in all this, the Calvinist connects dots that are not in the Bible.

The Bible does say God gives us new hearts, and He opens our hearts. But the Bible never says God saves us apart from our will to be saved. In fact, the Bible is replete with explanations concerning our free will to respond to God’s message. We need to understand this new heart is instilled THROUGH His word. Lydia’s heart was opened BY the words spoken by Paul. God operates on our hearts through His message, through His divine communication. His word is living and active (Hebrews 4:12). We receive His word, understand His word, and believe His word (John 17:8). God’s word sanctifies us (John 17:17). “Sanctify” means to “make holy.” We are made holy through God’s word! We are saved through His word. We are born again through the living and enduring word of God (1 Peter 1:22).

So…don’t shy away from using Biblical language: “The Lord opened my heart to His Gospel.” But be careful not to go beyond what God MEANS by that language!

God bless,
Nathan

Surprised by Salvation

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Mar 052010

Surprise from Above

We love the stories of men and women in impossible situations, near death, saved in the last hour. We should really love the Bible, then, because it’s full of those kinds of stories! We should really love the Lord, then, because He’s the One who saves.

Peter, I’m sure, loved the Lord greatly after an angel broke him out of prison. The event, recorded in Acts 12, seems surreal at first. An angel appeared suddenly in the prison cell with Peter, and Peter’s chains simply fall off. The angel struck Peter in the side and said, “Get up quickly!” There was no, “Hi, Peter, I’m an angel sent by the Lord to break you out of here…now here’s the plan…” Peter, thinking it was all a dream, quickly dressed and followed the angel past two sets of guards. The prison gates swung open without a touch. And Peter was free – just like that! It was only after he was standing a

lone in the street outside the prison that Peter realized, “Now I know for sure that the Lord has sent forth His angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were expecting” (Acts 12:11).

Peter was surprised by the Lord’s salvation. He wasn’t even expecting it, or at least he never expected to be saved in such an exotic manner!

Peter wasn’t the only one surprised. A bunch of disciples had been praying together in the home of Mary, mother of John Mark. Peter found them there praying, but they wouldn’t believe it was really Peter standing outside their gate. They were surprised by the Lord’s salvation, even though they had been fervently praying for it.

Grace in Amazing Places

We might ask if we really should be surprised when the Lord acts in marvelous ways to save us from various afflictions. Do we demonstrate a lack of faith? We can see from this event in Peter’s life that, although we ask the Lord to intervene and help, we just don’t always know HOW God will work (or even IF He will choose to work) for us. God surprises us all the time because He works outside our little worldview. He does many things we wouldn’t expect. Who would have expected God to sacrifice His own Son to deliver us from the worst possible situation – eternal damnation? Someone coined the phrase: “Surprised by Grace.” We can’t help but be overwhelmed when God acts.

It is so comforting to realize that God works for His children! Like Peter, it’s often AFTER God has brought us through some grave situation that we can look back on the path we took and see His salvation at work. While we walk the road of affliction, we simply trust. After God delivers, we pour out our thanksgiving! Praise be to our awesome God who loves us and gave Himself for us.

Praise the Lord today,
Nathan

Only One Way to Salvation

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Feb 232010

Praying for Salvation?

If the example of Paul was not enough for us, now Luke writes of Cornelius and his family. Many of the same lessons we learned in Paul’s conversion come back to us, perhaps with even more emphasis. The fact Cornelius was a Gentile is also new instruction for us who have been reading of only Jews and Samaritans (part Jews) entering into the Kingdom of Christ.

Notice how Cornelius was saved:

1. He was not saved by simply BELIEVING in God (Acts 10:2). Cornelius worshiped the true God, feared Him, and obeyed Him. But he still needed something more.

2. He was not saved by his great WORKS (Acts 10:2). Cornelius gave many alms to the people. Jesus often talked about our duty to give to the poor. This was righteous activity. But all the righteous actions in the world will not save a man. Something more is necessary.
3. He was not saved by constant PRAYER (Acts 10:2). Remember Paul prayed for three days and was still a sinner. Cornelius prayed constantly to God…and God heard his prayers (Acts 10:4). Yet God sent Peter to his house because there was more involved in salvation.

4. He was not saved by an ANGEL (Acts 10:3). You’d think the angel could have explained the gospel message to Cornelius, but that is not God’s plan. Can you think of a time when God preached the gospel through the mouth of an angel? Angels helped get the messenger to the hearer, but angels never preached the gospel. God has a specific plan for that – it is through the mouths of men the gospel is spread!

5. He was not saved by the HOLY SPIRIT falling on him and making him speak in tongues (Acts 10:44-47). Surely that was a marvelous event! God’s power coming upon a person in such a way is truly amazing. But Peter (who also was full of the Holy Spirit) still recognized the need for Cornelius to be saved through baptism!

Water Baptism

6. He WAS saved God’s way (Acts 10:47-48). This is the way every individual is forgiven of his sins (Acts 2:38; 22:16). Cornelius obviously believed in the word, and he obeyed it in baptism. Just like everyone else, he had sins – and baptism is the process God gave by which He forgives those sins.

So – have YOU followed God’s way to salvation?

There are many today who baptize, but their purpose in baptism is NOT for the forgiveness of sins. They do not baptize INTO Jesus (Galatians 3:27; Romans 6:3). They say, “Baptism is an outward sign of an inward grace,” which, in “normal talk,” means that we are baptized to show that God has already saved us. This is not the picture we get from the New Testament! I believe these teachers are leading many to their doom, because they preach a false gospel. What they preach does not match God’s teaching in the Bible. Their teaching is based upon many years of human tradition, rooted in what we call “Calvinism” today, where God saves you first and THEN you respond to Him. The Biblical picture is this: God CALLS, we RESPOND in faith His way, and then He SAVES us.

Man’s plans have absolutely no power to save. Let’s trust in the Biblical plan, God’s plan

God bless,
Nathan

Do You Want to be Saved Like Paul?

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Feb 182010

Reaching for God

When was Paul saved?

Many say it was on the road to Damascus. Think about this:

1. Paul was not saved by a spiritual experience. How often men long for a vision like this – to actually SEE Jesus and speak with Him! Paul had that opportunity. Turned out it wasn’t a comfortable experience, however. Paul lost his eyesight in the process. Do you know anyone who claims she or he was saved because of a grand vision? I challenge you to find one person in Scripture who was saved BY a vision experience.

2. Paul was not saved by prayer. If a man COULD be saved through prayer, I would expect Paul to be. He prayed for three days. You know he must have been asking God for forgiveness. Do you know anyone who believes all you have to do is PRAY for Jesus to come into your heart to be saved? Again, I challenge you to find one person in Scripture who was saved BY prayer. Cornelius, in Acts 10, also prayed – and God heard him. But Cornelius wasn’t saved by prayer, either.

Released from Sin!

3. Paul was not saved by pious works. He also FASTED for three days. Didn’t that prove his brokenness, humility, and repentance? Yes, but we are not saved by our own works. We are saved through a process GOD laid out in Scripture. I challenge you to find one person in Scripture who was saved by his works. You can find countless Scriptures which show we do NOT earn our salvation through works.

4. Paul WAS saved by following God’s plan for every believer. There is a definite pattern in the book of Acts for everyone who came to Christ. There was always belief in Jesus Christ as the Son of God and as Lord and Savior. There was grieving, shock, and pain because of the realization of SIN in their lives – which led to repentance. There was a confession that Jesus Christ was the Son of God – King. And in just about every case it is recorded that these new believers were baptized for the forgiveness of their sins.

In a parallel account of Paul’s salvation we read that Ananias told him, “Now why do you delay? Get up and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on His name” (Acts 22:16). After his spiritual experience on the Damascus road, after all that prayer and fasting, Paul was STILL guilty of his sins! He had not yet followed God’s plan for his salvation…so he was baptized and made a complete 180-degree change in his life. Now he was for Christ!

May we all follow God’s plan for our salvation and not our own,
Nathan

Deliverance…in Chains?

The Testimony that Really Counts

Did the Lord Open Your Heart?

Surprised by Salvation

Only One Way to Salvation

Do You Want to be Saved Like Paul?

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