“Boldly and without hindrance he preached the Kingdom of God
and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ.” (Acts 28:31)

How are you going to continue the story of Acts? The secret of the power of the Gospel is not that it happened. It’s that it is still happening! Today you are to live out a story that could be found in Acts. Choose your own adventure!

The best part of the show is the interaction of the guys out at sea. These men are part cowboys, part frat boys, & part dads. There is one rule that rules all at sea: The Captain Makes the Rules. In Acts 27 we get a sneak peek into the decision making process that sent Paul out to be shipwrecked.

“Since the harbor was unsuitable to winter in, the majority decided that we should sail on…” (Acts 27:12)

Here is the principle:  Following the majority in this world will lead you to destruction.  I have to continually remind myself that I am different for a reason.  I am under the direction of the Captain who created the seas, and His rules, rule all.

You get that kind of feeling here in Acts 26. How many speeches will Paul have to give in order to present the truth. Here is King Agrippa’s response.

“Do you think that in such a short time you can persuade me to be a Christian.” (Acts 26:28)

Here is the lesson: God in His sovereignty chose not control the free will of mankind. So quit trying to control others freewill yourself. You can present clear truth (as Paul did), present clear love (as Paul did), and then let them come to a place of change (as Paul did). Listen to Paul’s response:

“Short time or long – I pray God that not only you but all who are listening
to me today may become what I am.” (Acts 26:29)

I think Festus had that kind of feeling about Jesus, and more sepcifically Paul.  The Jewish leaders in Jerusalem were still angry that Paul was alive.  They wanted Paul to be taken out, and they thought the change in power with Festus would be the perfect opportunity.  In the end Festus was dissapointed at what appeared to be an unworthy dispute.

“they had some points of dispute with him about their own religion and about
a dead man named Jesus who Paul claimed was alive.” (Acts 25:19)

Festus missed it with Jesus, and I missed it with the Hope Diamond.  The value hinges on two things: Purity & Rarity.

The purity of the life of Christ – matchless

The rarity of the life of Christ – only one conquered sin & the grave.

Never take for granted a priceless object.

Today I am thinking about “Mo”.  Not as in restaurant, but as in “Momentum”.  Momentum is you best friend and worst enemy.  With momentum things move faster and further than you ever imagined.  Without momentum things move slower and harder.  Church planting has a lot of waves of momentum.  Everyone asks you, “How is it going?”  Well, it depends on the time of day.

Today, I found the place I have been praying about for the launch in Sept.  (Positive Mo, Yeah!), and then found out it is mucho expensive (Negative Mo, Boo!).

Here is the lesson for me today -  While the momentum of a day may determine the difficulty of my task, only I can determine the nature of my attitude.  If I am full of joy only when things are easy, then much of life will be spent in the shadows of life.

Paul spent two years going in and out of the court of Felix.  (Acts 24:27) That one little line speaks volumes.  Two years of positive and negative momentum.  Within these years Paul wrote many letters, and his influence actually grew.

You can not always determine what kind of momentum is around you.  You can always determine your attitude and actions in the “Big Mo”.  A couple of fish tacos always helps too!

“Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep,
and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters” (2:3, NIV).

Pure chaos.

“And God said, ‘Let there be light,’” (2:4, NIV)

Pure order.

Chaos to God is like a good batter for a perfect cake.  A soupy mix can become the centerpiece of a wedding.  I think this was God’s message to Paul in Acts 23:11. “Take courage! As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome.”

The chaos of Jerusalem was leading Paul to Rome.

Paul made a difficult speech in Acts 22.  Think about the easy vs. the hard road.  Staying only with easy conversation will also lead you to destruction.

Consequently, I know grocery shopping.  I know which stores around my house usually have the best prices on certain items.  If  I get some free time, you might just see me walking the aisles of Costco or Sam’s for fun (picking up some free samples on the way).

Most of us shop for churches like we shop for food.  We look for the best selection, with the lowest cost, and friendliest environment.  We are consumers of church.  We will put up with an unfriendly or busy environment, if the worship or kid’s ministries hit us just right.  Like I will put up with the chaos of Wal-Mart because the prices are so low.

Here is the key:  We all begin our walk as Christians as consumers, but as we grow we must become participants.  Acts 20:35 “It is more blessesd to give than received.”  The product of a church is not programs or buildings.  It’s people.  It’s you… How are you participating in the body of Christ today?

I find myself asking this with God quite often..”Am I there yet”..”Am I the person you want me to be?”….

Salvation is not just about a destination (heaven). It is also about the journey. When Christ saves us, He also begins the work of changing who we are on the journey. Look at Acts 19:18-19.

“Many of those who believed now came and openly confessed their evil deeds. A number
who had practiced sorcery brought their scrolls together and burned them publicly.”

Many who began to follow Christ were still practicing evil things. Let’s personalized this. This follows one of our core values: Learn Daily.  I am not at the destination point of my character development.  I am not there yet, but I am thankful to be on the journey.

The gifting of teaching is not produced in the dna of men. It is given by the Holy Spirit in the life of a believer, and is no respecter of gender. God will use who he wants to use. Man, woman, child, or even an animal (Balaam’s Donkey) to convey truth he wants to convey.

The Assemblies of God has been ordaining women for ministry from the earliest parts of our history, and I am proud of that. If you are a woman gifted in teaching, then the body of Christ needs you to grow. If you are the husband of a woman who is a gifted teacher, then you need to grow in the gift of encouragment and leadership. Leadership is not domination. Leadership propels others to win.

All of a sudden I have the song “Sisters” from the movie White Christmas going through my head. (Ouch)