When Will We Ever Learn?

Royal Priesthood, Holy Nation                                          Acts 1:4

When Will We Ever Learn?

by Robert T. Cooper

When are we going to learn to do what God says, when He says it, the way He says it? He doesn’t mean in a few minutes or when we get around to it. He doesn’t mean for us to find ways to improve on His idea. He just wants us to trust Him and follow His instructions.

1.      When He says to stay, stay. When He says to go, go.

At one time there were 500 who saw the resurrected Christ. Yet on the day of Pentecost, a holy day of obligation when all observant Jews were supposed to be in Jerusalem, there were only 120 in the upper room who received the gift of the Holy Spirit. Where were the rest? What might the Pentecost harvest have been had the other 380 been where they were supposed to be?

2.      When you are engaged in God-directed activity, do it in God’s power.

The hymn says, “The arm of flesh will fail you.” Yet we try to do things “for God” in our own strength. Why? Why do we fail to use God’s power when it is readily available to us? It can only be pride or lack of trust.

3.      Keep God’s Word in your heart, mind, and actions.

God the Father has spoken. God the Son has spoken. It is recorded in Scripture. It is recorded in nature and in history. Read it. Memorize it. Pray it. Meditate on it. Contemplate it. Practice it. Live it. Teach it.

I heard a story about a man who was impressed by the Holy Spirit to witness to a neighbor. Now this man needed to run to the post office, so he thought he’d stop by the neighbor’s house and witness to him while he was out running his errand. He told his wife what he was planning to do and headed out. Driving along, he saw his neighbor was mowing, but was nearly through, so the man thought he’d go on to the post office and stop on the way home.

When he came back by, the yard still wasn’t quite finished, the mower was still out, but no one answered the door. The man went home and told his wife how his good intentions had been thwarted. The wife said, “Oh, no! Did you not hear? The man had a heart attack in his front yard. He died in the ambulance on his way to the hospital.” The man was sorry he had not stopped to witness to his neighbor before going to the post office.

When are we going to learn to do what God says, when He says it, the way He says it?

For your comments: Have you had an experience when you did not do what God said and you were sorry?

The Verb “to Give” Brings New Insight

Royal Priesthood, Holy Nation                                          Acts 1:4

The Verb “to Give” Brings New Insight

by Robert T. Cooper

1.      There is a gift.

2.      The gift has recipients.

3.      The gift is the commands of Jesus.

OK, we get it! We are saved by grace. We don’t do anything to earn it. We just have to be careful that we don’t slip into thinking that our obedience to Jesus earns us any merit with God. We don’t do works to be saved; we do works because we are saved.

Then we get all those sermons on the Great Commission: “teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.” And from the Gospel of John, “If you love me, keep my commandments.” And wasn’t it nice of Bill Gothard to compile for us a list of all the commands of Jesus? I’ve got to get me a copy of that book one of these days.

But I thought Jesus’ yoke was supposed to be easy and his burthen light! Well, reading this verse a word sticks out at us and we suddenly discover a hint: Jesus “gave them this command.” It was a gift! Maybe it was kind of like that hapless fellow who gave his wife a new vacuum cleaner for their wedding anniversary; along with the gift was the implication that something would be done with the gift that did not involve pure enjoyment. But when you consider the commands of Jesus as gifts, they take on an entirely different color, don’t they?

In this particular case, the command was a gift to a particular group of people, or at least part of the command was. Face it, we aren’t all supposed to go to Jerusalem and wait for the coming of the Holy Spirit. Perhaps another time we may consider whether there is anything in the command for some or even all of us today. But one should be careful in reading the Bible. Not all popular verses mean what they seem to mean when taken out of context. Sometimes it matters and sometimes it doesn’t. It simply means that care should be taken (and often people do not take enough care).

So we are left with the idea that Jesus gifts us with His commands. “Be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” “Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.” “When you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen.” “Do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear.”

What do you usually do with gifts? You receive them with joy, thank the giver, and use those gifts appropriately to enhance your life. Hmmm.

For your comments: What about this idea of receiving Jesus’ commands with joy? Have you ever thanked Jesus for particular commands He has given you? Have you ever considered how particular commands of Jesus might enhance your life?

Mealtime Stories

Royal Priesthood, Holy Nation                                          Acts 1:4

Mealtime Stories

by Robert T. Cooper

Have you noticed how many of your family stories center around mealtime or around food? One of the earliest family stories about me has to do with me getting seconds on potatoes at lunch at school. Then there is the story about my dad and the raisin pie.

It’s been like that throughout history. We know about the time the Earl of Sandwich was playing cards. We know what Marie Antoinette thought about people eating cake. And a whole lot of Bible stories center around mealtime or around food as well.

Here we are in the first paragraph of Acts (well, the original manuscripts didn’t have paragraphs, but we are at the very beginning anyway) and Luke is about to quote something Jesus said in the 40 days between the Resurrection and the Ascension. He wants to help people remember which appearance during that period it was, and so he says that it was on one of the occasions when Jesus was eating with the Apostles. Like that is going to narrow it down a little! Not!

My point is this: Jesus did so much teaching at mealtimes because people learn well in that atmosphere. Think about it.

1.      People tend to be relaxed when they are eating, and so are more teachable.

2.      Because people are busy eating, they will chew and listen while you are making your points, especially if what you say is interesting to them.

3.      Because people are used to conversing at mealtimes, they will ask questions and have discussions as part of your lesson plan at a meal.

4.      You can build a structure where the lesson is the length of the meal, with a life-application assignment to get up and go do immediately following the meal.

So whether you are a parent, a teacher, a mentor, a student, a church member, a disciple, a team leader, or just an ordinary person, pay attention when you are at meals. You may be in a lesson situation. Take advantage of the opportunities to teach and to learn.

Question: What are some of your family stories that center around mealtime or around food? How can you apply this idea of sometimes making a mealtime a learning situation?