Whatever it takes to get our attention. He is not even beyond using dramatic object lessons to do it.

Ezekiel chapter four records two very interesting "object lessons" designed to attract the attention of God's disobedient people and lead them to repentance:

"Now you son of man, get yourself a brick, place it before you and inscribe a city on it, Jerusalem. Then lay siege against it, build a siege wall, raise up a ramp, pitch camps and place battering rams against it all around. Then get yourself an iron plate and set it up as an iron wall between you and the city, and set your face toward it so that it is under siege, and besiege it. This is a sign to the house of Israel. As for you, lie down on your left side and lay the iniquity of the house of Israel on it; you shall bear their iniquity for the number of days that you lie on it. For I have assigned you a number of days corresponding to the years of their iniquity, three hundred and ninety days; thus you shall bear the iniquity of the house of Israel. When you have completed these, you shall lie down a second time, but on your right side and bear the iniquity of the house of Judah; I have assigned it to you for forty days, a day for each year. Then you shall set your face toward the siege of Jerusalem with your arm bared and prophesy against it. Now behold, I will put ropes on you so that you cannot turn from one side to the other until you have completed the days of your siege." (Ezekiel 4:1-8)

Ezekiel no doubt appeared to be a crazy man, playing with a brick and pretending it to be Jerusalem all the while he "plays army" and lays siege to it. On top of that, he lies on his side for an entire year and then turns over and lies on his other side for an additional forty days. During it all he cooks food on cow dung and drinks water from a pitcher. From all outer appearances he is either outrageously eccentric or a mad man. But in reality he is a faithful servant of the one true God, desperately appealing to a wicked people to repent and return.

If God will go to these great measures, what does it say about His compassion? Surely it powerfully illustrates His express desire "not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance" (2 Peter 3:9).

I hope that my God never calls me to anything as radical as He did Ezekiel to convey His message to His people, but if my purposes are His purposes then I'll do whatever He calls me to do. I pray that we each are of that mindset. If He so desperately desires the salvation of all people as to do the outrageous through His people, then may we each be willing to participate.

The words of the apostle Paul summarize it well: "Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God." (2 Corinthians 5:20)

May He mightily use us today to appeal to all who are in need of His salvation.

Steve

How many angels can fit on the head of a pin? Did Adam have a belly button? Absurd questions to say the least, but similar ridiculous questions have been the focus of animated discussion and study among believers. Yes, they are biblical topics, but are they profitable for study and discussion?

The Apostle Paul directed Timothy to squelch pointless and unproductive biblical discussion in saying, "solemnly charge them in the presence of God not to wrangle about words, which is useless and leads to the ruin of the hearers" (2 Timothy 2:14). Instead, he positively issued the challenge to "Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth." (2 Timothy 2:14-15). Rather than digressing in to pointless discussions about biblical minutia, we are challenged to stay focused in study and discussion on that which is profitable.

Paul earlier stated the goal of genuine and profitable Bible teaching in saying, "the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith" (1 Timothy 1:5). This is the standard by which all Bible teaching and discussion must be measured. If pure love, a clear conscience and genuine faith are not resulting then the value of the study and teaching is questionable.

I've been in far too many profitless Bible discussions. The topic might as well have been politics or sports because the same aggressive one-upmanship tactics were in play. The objective was not truth but rather manipulation and coercion. The results all too often have been anger, division and distrust. All in the name of Scripture!

Few things are more precious than sincere believers gathering for study and discussion with the goal of growth in truth and conduct. These are gatherings that our Savior blesses with His presence and with insight through Holy Spirit (John 14:26).

The challenge before us is to make sure that our study and discussions don't "major in minors", but instead focus on essentials in building love, conduct and faith. For this reason I believe it is always profitable to consider our great hope of the Kingdom of God, entrance into it only through resurrection, and the nature of our King, Jesus, and His heavenly Father. A sincere desire to discover truth in these areas will result in the essential qualities which Paul speaks of in 1 Timothy 1:5.

May this day be filled with opportunities for profitable study and discussion.

Steve

There is no better summary concerning what it's all about. Read these words and let their meaning really soak in:

"For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus, who gave himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds." ( Titus 2:11-14)

God's grace has brought salvation to all who will believe. That salvation is designed to cause us to say "no" to a certain lifestyle and "yes" to another. It causes us to never lose sight of our great hope, the Second Coming of Jesus to planet earth. It reminds us that Jesus is setting us aside as His people and is purifying us by His active work at the right hand of God. And all of this causes us to be "zealous for good deeds."

What is striking about these important and instructive words is that they largely call us to "go with the flow". It's like contracting a brand new house to be built: once the papers are signed the contractor begins the process of making the plan a reality. When we "sign the contract" (I.e, accept the salvation offer by faith), the Chief Builder gets to work on making our lives fit for the Kingdom.

The Christian life is far from passive but it is in reality more about responding than initiating. The indwelling Christ prompts our lifestyle and leads us in focusing on our hope, even as He inspires a zeal for good deeds. The promptings are obvious so long as we are responsive. And real joy results in "going with the flow" of the plan and promptings of the Chief Builder.

What are the inner promptings you are hearing today? How well are you responding? Is instant obedience characteristic of your life, or is there hesitation and questioning? Our honest answers to these questions are crucial to the productivity and effectiveness of our lives.

"Go with the spiritual flow", so well outlined in these words in Titus 2:11-14, and enjoy the fruit and blessings of a life in step with the plan and purposes of the Lord.

Steve

If ever there was any doubt, this should clarify. What exactly was the gospel message that the apostle Paul and others taught and shared? Notice carefully this verse:

"When they had set a day for Paul, they came to him at his lodging in large numbers; and he was explaining to them by solemnly testifying about the kingdom of God and trying to persuade them concerning Jesus, from both the Law of Moses and from the Prophets, from morning until evening." (Acts 28:23)

Sounding like the old "Mission Impossible" opening ("your mission, should you decide to accept it is ..."), this one verse outlines the most extensive assignment any of us will ever undertake. If we are willing and receptive, our mission is to do like Paul and research all that can be found of the kingdom of God and the Messiah from the first five books of the Bible and the Prophets. No small task! Diligence and persistence are essential to this long-term assignment. But the result will be immensely beneficial not only to those we share our findings with, but to us personally.

Many believers yearn for the impact of the Christian faith today that is recorded in the Book of Acts. Amidst the astounding progress and impact of the Muslim faith, many Christian believers lament the decline of the local church and the diminishing effect of the Christian faith on today's world. But note carefully: the impact of the Christian faith in the first century centered on knowing and sharing the message described in Acts 28:23. When an army of believers research, know, and live this message well enough to share it widely, we can anticipate a radical new impact on today's world.

The secret to the most exciting phase of the Christian faith is clearly evident in both the beginning and ending of the Book of Acts. Notice:

"To these He also presented Himself alive after His suffering, by many convincing proofs, appearing to them over a period of forty days and speaking of the things concerning the kingdom of God." (Acts 1:3)

"And he 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)

Do you see it? Are you motivated by the challenge? The adventure of a lifetime - and beyond - awaits all who take up the call to know, live and share the great message that was foundational to the explosive movement of first-century Christianity. The very real possibility to "re-enact Acts" is within our grasp.

Who is ready to accept the assignment?

Steve

If ever there was any doubt, this should clarify. What exactly was the gospel message that the apostle Paul and others taught and shared? Notice carefully this verse:

"When they had set a day for Paul, they came to him at his lodging in large numbers; and he was explaining to them by solemnly testifying about the kingdom of God and trying to persuade them concerning Jesus, from both the Law of Moses and from the Prophets, from morning until evening." (Acts 28:23)

Sounding like the old "Mission Impossible" opening ("your mission, should you decide to accept it is ..."), this one verse outlines the most extensive assignment any of us will ever undertake. If we are willing and receptive, our mission is to do like Paul and research all that can be found of the kingdom of God and the Messiah from the first five books of the Bible and the Prophets. No small task! Diligence and persistence are essential to this long-term assignment. But the result will be immensely beneficial not only to those we share our findings with, but to us personally.

Many believers yearn for the impact of the Christian faith today that is recorded in the Book of Acts. Amidst the astounding progress and impact of the Muslim faith, many Christian believers lament the decline of the local church and the diminishing effect of the Christian faith on today's world. But note carefully: the impact of the Christian faith in the first century centered on knowing and sharing the message described in Acts 28:23. When an army of believers research, know, and live this message well enough to share it widely, we can anticipate a radical new impact on today's world.

The secret to the most exciting phase of the Christian faith is clearly evident in both the beginning and ending of the Book of Acts. Notice:

"To these He also presented Himself alive after His suffering, by many convincing proofs, appearing to them over a period of forty days and speaking of the things concerning the kingdom of God." (Acts 1:3)

"And he 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)

Do you see it? Are you motivated by the challenge? The adventure of a lifetime - and beyond - awaits all who take up the call to know, live and share the great message that was foundational to the explosive movement of first-century Christianity. The very real possibility to "re-enact Acts" is within our grasp.

Who is ready to accept the assignment?

Steve

Where is God in the midst of the storm? Who hasn't gone through severe trials and questioned His interest and involvement. Many can identify with Jesus on the cross as he echoed the Psalmist's words, "MY GOD, MY GOD, WHY HAVE YOU FORSAKEN ME?" (Matthew 27:46).

Acts 27 records the perilous journey of the apostle Paul to Rome. His safety as well as that of his traveling companions is nothing short of a miracle. A horrific storm lasting at least two weeks caused indescribable anguish. One verse is especially descriptive: "Since neither sun nor stars appeared for many days, and no small storm was assailing us, from then on all hope of our being saved was gradually abandoned." (Acts 27:20).

But God was in the midst of the storm. Paul declared, "I urge you to keep up your courage, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship. For this very night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood before me, saying, `Do not be afraid, Paul; you must stand before Caesar; and behold, God has granted you all those who are sailing with you.' Therefore, keep up your courage, men, for I believe God that it will turn out exactly as I have been told." (Acts 27:22-25)

When things seemed darkest God intervened with a message of reassurance and hope. Resolute in faith, Paul offered confident reassurance to those who had gradually abandoned all hope of being saved.

This present age is a storm of increasing intensity. A pervading darkness has caused many to give up all hope of being saved. Assumed securities and comforts are being stripped away and the unsteady anchor which many have relied on is proving to be of little value.

Amidst the storm of this age comes a message of assurance for all who will believe. A new age is coming, full of hope and possibilities. The dead will live again, the crippled will run, the deaf will hear, the blind see. Unemployment and financial hardships will be forgotten concepts as all its citizens find meaningful and fulfilling roles in the government of Jesus the Christ.

We are the 'Pauls' of our age who are given a confident and reassuring message to all threatened by today's storms. All who believe and accept can embrace this hope and see the possibilities that exist beyond the storm.

God is in the midst of the storm. Embrace and declare your hope to a storm-weary world.

Steve

"If you were arrested for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?" Although it's been a long time since I've seen this bumper sticker, I often ponder it's searching question.

The apostle Paul was literally arrested for being a Christian and was privileged to make his defense before the highest court of the day. The stakes could not have been higher; he could have babbled like a mad man and been discredited in the eyes of the court, or presented his case concisely and intelligently and gained his freedom. Apparently the latter was true, based on the response of the powerful magistrate before whom he stood: "This man might have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar." (Acts 26:32)

So what was Paul's compelling argument? In his own words, "I stand to this day testifying both to small and great, stating nothing but what the Prophets and Moses said was going to take place; that the Christ was to suffer, and that by reason of His resurrection from the dead He would be the first to proclaim light both to the Jewish people and to the Gentiles." (Acts 26:22-23)

Paul's entire defense was based upon the believer's hope of resurrection made possible through the resurrection of Jesus, as revealed in Scripture. This was the key non-negotiable belief for Paul. This key truth made it possible "to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith" (Acts 26:18). Without Christ's resurrection and the believer's resurrection there is no kingdom hope.

A worthy cause inspires sacrifice and service. There is no higher cause worthy of our highest sacrifice and service than this - the hope of resurrection through Christ. This belief provides the energy and enthusiasm for Christian living, outreach, and mission.

Several years ago I grappled with the question, "What do I believe strongly enough that I would be willing to die for?" The hope of resurrection through Christ's resurrection was at the top of the list, followed closely by the future Kingdom of God on earth, the sleep of the dead, the oneness of God, and the sonship of Jesus. These are my resolute beliefs and worthy of my utmost in service and sacrifice.

May you find powerful motivation today in the truths that matter.

Steve

What's a body to do? It's human nature to be long on intention and short on action. Even worse, the internal battle between good and evil is more intense than we likely realize.

The apostle Paul was not one to rationalize or hide his sinful nature. This giant of the faith was bluntly honest regarding his struggle with sin. Consider these words:

"For what I am doing, I do not understand; for I am not practicing what I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate." (Romans 7:15) ... "For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not. For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want." (Romans 7:18-19) ... " I find then the principle that evil is present in me, the one who wants to do good. For I joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man, but I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death?" (Romans 7:21-24)

These hardly sound like the words of a man attempting to whitewash personal sin. A full recognition of his true nature set Paul on the path to profoundly appreciate the grace of God in Christ: "Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! " (Romans 7:25)

Perhaps the greatest danger we face in life is in believing that we are good. The hard truth is we are more evil than we realize. None of us are beyond the worst criminal behavior, much as we might like to think otherwise. The roots of sin run much deeper in our lives than we are willing to admit. Our plight is more desperate than we know.

Depressing thoughts? You bet. But like Paul, it is only when we realize how bad and desperate we are that we can truly appreciate how profound God's grace and forgiveness are in Christ. If we do not honestly grapple with Paul's bluntly honest words in Romans 7 we are not truly ready to embrace the truth that "there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." (Romans 8:1)

I cut my sinful nature plenty of slack. I dare in my mind to believe that I am beyond certain evil behavior, even though I know that what Paul says in Romans 7 is true. It is only the grace of God in Christ that will keep me from what I am fully capable of humanly.

The danger of "seniority" in Christian living is that we can easily come to believe that Christ's goodness in us is really our own goodness. That attitude is the surest step toward a dangerous sinful fall. We dare not lose sight of the fact that we are more sinful than we know and God's grace in Christ is greater than we realize.

May we face life today with a clearer understanding of who and what we really are, and with an even greater awe of God's goodness and mercy through Christ Jesus our Lord.

Steve