Scripture: Acts 13:27,30 – [27] “For those who live in Jerusalem, and their rulers, recognizing neither Him nor the utterances of the prophets which are read every Sabbath, fulfilled these by condemning Him”… [30] “But God raised Him from the dead;…”

Observation: God shows Himself sovereign in every circumstance. The evil of man appeared for a moment to have won when it condemned Jesus. Never-the-less, in putting Jesus to death, that same evil did all that God said it would (though it was unaware), as He accomplished all the good that His love had preordained and promised He would, in, through, and by Jesus who is now our risen savior.

Application: Remember always, whether in persecution or discipline to persevere and be encouraged, for nothing can thwart Gods purpose. I am a son and have not “yet resisted to the point of shedding blood in [my] striving against sin” (Heb. 12:4), and all things do work together for my good, not only because I love God and am called according to His purpose (Rom. 8:28), but more because He has first loved me while I was/am yet a sinner (Rom. 5:8). He saved, and continues to save me by His grace through faith, to walk in good works (Eph. 2:8,10). Moreover, regardless of all that may be done to stop God, or His purpose in my/our lives, none can or shall ultimately prosper for we believe what we are told in verse 30 – “But God raised Him (Jesus) from the dead.” That is the overwhelming, overthrowing reversal of every evil and purpose set against God and those He loves. It is the triumph of His Love towards all who call upon Him in Christ.

Prayer: I praise you Father that though there are those that do not/will not recognize Jesus in the Church or in me personally, you know me and by your grace, I have come to know You through Him. I thank you Lord that you have given “the utterances of the prophets” and though there are many who won’t receive them, they are the words of life to all who recognize Jesus in them. Give me the boldness to live and speak your word courageously with love that any whom you are calling will hear and be saved, remembering that though the cross looked like losing, you made it life and victory through the resurrection of Jesus.

“The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure.  Who can understand it?”   Jeremiah 17:7-9

The leaders of Judah trusted their political allies and were depending on themselves to figure out their problems instead of depending on the power of God.

This is what the LORD says:

“Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who depends on flesh for his strength and whose heart turns away from the LORD.  He will be like a bush in the wastelands; he will not see prosperity when it comes.  He will dwell in the parched places of the desert, in a salt land where no one lives.”  Jeremiah 17:5-6

Do you see what happens when our confidence is in our own abilities or our problem resolves come from our own wit?

God says that when we do that, we begin to turn our heart away from Him.

Why would we do that?  Why would we turn away from God?

I think human history shows that the more we “figure” things out on our own, the less we seem to care what God thinks.  When God isn’t part of our “figuring it out” we get the lofty idea that we don’t need God.  Even worse the arrogance to say that there is no God. That kind of thinking brings a curse to our lives.  No, it’s not God cursing us, instead its wrong thinking that brings the curse.

What is the curse?  It’s the same old curse passed down from the garden . . . separation from God

The heart of the problem is the problem of the heart.  The heart is deceitful and incurable.  We can be deceived by our own hearts.  A heart that is in deception leads us to unbelief. Unbelief is separation from God.

Trusting in ourselves, our abilities, our bank accounts, our health, our intellect more than trusting God leads to unbelief.

The Jewish people wrestled a lot with unbelief.

Unbelief kept them out of the Promise Land (Numbers 13-14)

Unbelief caused them to worship idols . . .

Unbelief kept the leaders from repenting and turning to God for help . . .

Unbelief caused them to get tangled up in costly politics with Assyria, Egypt and Babylon, consequently they made unwise decisions.

I don’t want to be fearful when the heat comes.  I don’t want to be like a bush in the wastelands. I want to see prosperity when it comes, (prosperity here means good or goodness). I want to bear fruit even in a year of drought.  I want to be like a tree planted by the water.  I want my roots out by the stream.

Lord, help me to stay focused on You and on who You are.  You are the powerful one.  You are the one who helps me in my time of need.  You are the one that corrects my wrong thinking and gives me wisdom.  You are the one who cares about me.  You are LORD.

“Lord are You at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” Acts 1:6

There have been accusations by some that say the Jesus talked about here in scripture is not the “Historical” Jesus known by the evidence of history.  However all honest research shows the same Jesus of Nazareth known in history is the same Jesus that went to the cross and resurrected and is recorded here.

In the 3^rd verse of Acts Chapter 1 the Kingdom of God is referenced. Kingdom of what God ?  God the Father, the only true God (John 17:3)

Verse 5 mentions the Holy Spirit and in verse 6 Jesus is referred to as Lord!  These scriptures are yet another reference to the Trinity.  The bible identifies the trinity from beginning to end.

One powerful notation in the first 11 verses of Acts chapter 1 is that every verse either records Jesus speaking or refers to Him specifically.  The book of Acts refers over and over again to the person of Jesus Christ and the bible clearly points out His Lordship.

To call Jesus Lord means He has ultimate authority over your life. Not by any threat, not by any manipulation or coercing. Not by trickery or political promises made to you.  To call Jesus Lord means it comes from your heart. It means you recognize your own failures and inadequacies, and you receive His grace and invitation to be His. (Rev 3:20; Romans 10:13)

It means realizing that He is part of the Godhead, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

And I have Good News . . . . He still changes lives today . . . He still does miracles . . .

He still helps those who call Him Lord . . .

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever” Hebrews 13:8

Is He your Lord?

He gives showers of rain to men and plants of the field to everyone” Zechariah 10:1

We seem to be in the rainy season as of late (getting close to snow).  And the days outside look gloomy.  But in all seasons, God blesses His people.  I believe the promise of rain given in Zechariah is a promise of blessing!  Holy Spirit blessing!

The Holy Spirit is spoken of in terms of rain many times in scripture.

Isaiah 32:15 says . . .

Until the Spirit is poured upon us from on high, And the wilderness becomes a fruitful field, And the fruitful field is counted as a forest”

Hosea 6:3 says . . .

“Let us know, Let us pursue the knowledge of the LORD.  His going forth is established as the morning; He will come to us like the rain, Like the latter and former rain to the earth”

Joel 2:23 says . . .

“Be glad, then, you children of Zion, And rejoice in the LORD your God; For He has given you the former rain faithfully, And He will cause the rain to come down for you – The former rain, And the latter rain in the first month.”

And Joel 2:32 says . . .

“And it shall come to pass that whoever calls on the name of the LORD Shall be saved”

If you are in a “Rainy Season” as of late, count it a blessing because The Holy Spirit is at work in your life.  God isn’t bringing you troubles, He doesn’t have to the world is already full of troubles.  Much of our troubles we bring on ourselves, some are from just living in a fallen world of troubles. But you are His child and no matter where your troubles stem from, He will be with you.  He will be raining His Spirit over you.  To walk with you through the troubling season that you’re in.  Take time to call on Him, He will answer. He will be there. He will direct you. He loves you.

Monday, August 30, 2010  02:49 AM

From wire reports

JAKARTA, INDONESIA — A volcano in western Indonesia spewed hot lava and sand high into the sky in its first eruption in 400 years.

The eruption of Mount Sinabung in North Sumatra province sent sand and ash up to a mile high, said government volcanologist Surono, who uses only one name. He said Mount Sinabung last erupted in 1600.

As many as 10,000 people have fled the area.

As I read this news blurb this morning I couldn’t help but think how the very nature that we have as human beings parallels the devastation that nature can bring.

I was reminded of Mt St Helens in May 1980.  At the time of that eruption I happened to be visiting friends in Longview, Washington and woke up to my car covered with ash.  That was something I had never seen!

The devastation left by Mt St Helens was an incredible sight to see.

Mt St Helen was 9,677 feet high before the eruption and 8,363 feet after.

It produced the largest landslide in recorded history.

The lateral blast produced temperatures as high as 660 degrees F and the power of 24 megatons of thermal energy, snapped 100 year old trees like toothpicks.

Those are real facts. Real facts about the “Power of Nature”

What are the facts about our Human Nature?

The Bible has many definitive lists of natural human tendencies . . .

Envy, Strife, Division, Unforgiveness, Judgment, Immorality just to name a few.

The Apostle Paul said . . .

“For when we were controlled by the sinful nature, the sinful passions aroused by the law were at work in our bodies, so that we bore fruit for death.” Rom 7:5-6

The fact is we have a sinful nature.  The fact is we are controlled by our sinful nature, before Christ comes into our lives.

Our “Natural” tendency to give in to sin is, well . . . . “Natural”

But when Christ comes into our lives our “Spirit” is awakened and connected to “His Spirit” and now we don’t have to give in to our old sinful nature.

“Oh I’m like this because . . . . My parents, my environment, my upbringing etc.”

Our sinful nature has the potential not only to bring devastation to our lives and the lives around us, but it also gives us plenty of excuses for lack of change.

We don’t have to be controlled by our sinful nature.  We can be controlled by our “Spiritual” nature.

How do we do that?

King Solomon said . . .

“Can a man scoop fire into his lap without being burned? (Proverbs 6:27)

Don’t play with fire!

The fact is we have a God that doesn’t want us burned.  We have a God that is here for us.  We have a God that can and does help us.

We just need to get to know Him and the “Power of His Nature”

As we’re headed into the new season let this also be a new season for you.  If there are natural fires burning in you that you know have the potential to bring devastation to you, and those you care about, you need to know that He is there for you.  Just be real with Him.  The “Nature” of God will direct you to real help.

“I lift up my eyes to the hill – where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, Maker of heaven and earth” Psalm 121:1-2

Learning, from the . . . “Nature of things”