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“And the word of the Lord was spreading throughout the whole region.” ~ Acts 13:49

As the church took root in the first century, the powerful story of Jesus began to spread. While the church experienced persecution and the Christians in Jerusalem were forced to leave their homeland in search of safer places to live, this only enhanced the spread of the gospel. Before long, there were Christians living throughout the Roman Empire. When the apostle Paul came on the scene, the church spread throughout the known lands of the world. The story of Jesus became a wildfire. As Christians shared the amazing tales of transformation, grace, and forgiveness, the Holy Spirit worked in the lives of those who believed. The church grew, even in the face of fierce opposition.

It has always been that way. As the church shares Jesus, His influence spreads. Lives are changed, hope is found, and God’s purpose directs the steps and hearts of men throughout the world.

There is a story that is told of a businessman who was traveling home from Communist Russia to Europe. As he rode the train, a group of Russian soldiers saw him reading his Bible. They took the Bible and mocked the man for being a Christian. In the act of belittling the man, the soldiers threw the Bible out the window of the train. While the man was devastated, this Bible had traveled the world with him, he was grateful to be safe from physical harm. He returned home. Years later, the man received a mysterious package in the mail. When he opened the package, he found his Bible. The one that had been lost several years earlier in Russia. The Bible came with a letter. It was a message of gratitude and praise. It seems that a villager found the Bible and read it while tending his cattle. He shared the message and the book with his family, who soon surrendered their lives to Jesus and became Christians. They in turn used the Bible to share the message with the village. It seems that most of the village had become Christians. They then started the laborious task of copying the Bible and the notes that had been inscribed in the margins and on the inside covers. They then sent the message and the Bible back to the address they found in the front cover. One Bible, carelessly thrown from a train had worked to convert a village and change the lives of future generations in a place hostile to the word of God.

Is the story true? I don’t know. What I do know is that the story can be true. The power of the gospel spreads through the lives of men. It transforms the mind and changes the heart.

“So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.” ~ Acts 2:41

What does it mean to be the church? In the first century, the gospel was changing lives and calling men and women out of the world and away from sin. The gospel called people into the church, just like it does today. So what does it mean to be the church?

Being the church means being called out. Out of the world and sin. Out of ourselves and into Jesus. Being part of the church means committing to holiness. To living as “set apart” from the world, even though we walk in the world and deal with it every day.

Being the church means being a family. Following the direction of the Father. Encouraging our brothers and sisters. Standing together. Letting love saturate our relationships. It means practicing forgiveness and patience. It means being kind and faithful. It means having a place where we call home.

Being the church means being excited about what God is doing. Excited about how God transforms lives and changes hearts. Excited about carrying a message of hope and healing into a helpless and hurting world. Excited about telling the story of Jesus, both in the biblical context and in a personal context. Excited about sharing what Jesus is doing in my life today. Excited about grace, salvation, obedience, and faith.

Being the church means being connected to the movement and plan of God. It means looking like Jesus in every part of our lives. Being the church means surrendering our will to the will of Christ. Being the church means many things, but mostly it means that we are committed to learning and growing to look like Jesus.

“And he said to them, “The Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath.”” ~ Luke 6:5

Incarnation. The word describes Jesus as He left heaven to be born a man. It is an amazing act of grace on the part of God. Jesus comes to walk the same roads, eat the same food, sleep the same sleep, and fight the same temptations that you and I deal with every day.

The incarnation means that Jesus lived as a son to Joseph and Mary, a brother to James, and a friend to Peter and John. He knows what it is like to be part of a family. He knows how brothers treat each other. He knows what friendship costs. Jesus knows how I feel when I struggle with relationships or glory in love.

The incarnation means that Jesus worked in a carpenter’s shop. He bought food in a market. He went to school. Jesus knows about the day to day life that I live. He has dealt with deadlines, money, teachers, and coworkers. He knows how I feel when I am tired and worn out. He knows what it is like to need a break or to be satisfied with the work of my hands.

The incarnation means that Jesus prayed, worshipped, and studied. Jesus went to the mountain to talk to God. He went to the temple and was part of a community. He read from the Scriptures in the synagogue. Jesus knows the needs I have when I talk with the Father. He knows the encouragement and support that I seek in the family of God. He knows the hunger I have for the word of God in my life.

The incarnation means that Jesus understands every part of what it means to be a human. There is nothing that I face that Jesus cannot address. There is no situation where Jesus doesn’t know how I feel. There is nothing that stands in the way of Jesus’ heart and my own. He walked where I walk. He felt what I feel. He is the Son of Man. He understands.

“But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall.” ~ Malachi 4:2

Turkish novelist and playwright, Mehmet Murat Ildan once wrote, “Sunrise looks spectacular in the nature; sunrise looks spectacular in the photos; sunrise looks spectacular in our dreams; sunrise looks spectacular in the paintings, because it really is spectacular!” I love the quote because it is so obvious. The writer simply points out what we already know. Watch a sunrise in almost any location and you can find something amazing, something beautiful. Over the ocean, in the mountains, over the city, or in the country, the sunrise brings a splash of color, a feeling of unlimited potential, an awakening to a new day and new opportunities. It is spectacular!

The prophet Malachi points to the sunrise as a moment of healing. The captivity in Babylon is over. The people of Israel have returned home. The temple is built and sacrifices have begun again. It is a moment in time when there is great potential. A moment of choice about how the Jews will walk with God. Will they learn the lessons of captivity? Will they repent and walk with God? Malachi issues a warning that the people are beginning to slip back into old ways. They need a picture for the future, a picture of how God is working in their lives at this very moment. So Malachi points to the sunrise.

For those who will follow God, the sun will rise. Healing is available to all who will come to God. A life of joy, abundance, and belonging are the promises of God. Man does not have to walk as a captive to sin. We do not have to trudge our way through life, hopeless, joyless, and lost. God brings new potential into every moment. He offers grace, relationship, and salvation for any who would surrender to Him. The invitation is there, the path is laid, the Father is ready. Will you walk in the Son?

“At that time I will bring you in, at the time when I gather you together; for I will make you renowned and praised among all the peoples of the earth, when I restore your fortunes before your eyes,” says the LORD.” ~ Zephaniah 3:20

Pick-ups, vans, and even moving trucks drive the streets of the town where I live. These vehicles are full of the tools of the trade. Fans, vacuums, hoses, and buckets are all ready to make an entrance and get started. The ads plastered to the sides proclaim restoration. Restoration from fire damage, floods, or broken pipes. Crews are ready to swoop in at a time of disaster and begin the process of fixing what is broken. They wash away soot, scoop up water, remove debris, and dry out the carpets. They are restoration crews.

Restoration is an important word in the Bible. It is the moment when God steps in and takes a look at the mess in our lives. As He views the damage caused by the sin sickness that ravages our hearts, He promises that we can be restored. It happens at the moment of baptism when God washes away the stain of sin and the guilty debris. It happens in times of repentance when God repairs broken hearts and heals soul deep wounds. It happens in every moment of surrender. When we give ourselves to God, He steps in and begins the process of transformation, the process of restoration.

Zephaniah and Haggai live in times when restoration is important. For Zephaniah, the Babylonian captivity is an event that will soon overtake Judah. King Josiah is in power and the land is experiencing restoration as idols are destroyed, the Law is studied, and the king leads his people to seek the heart of God. Zephaniah knows that if the people will surrender, God will change their hearts.

For Haggai, the Babylonian captivity is a thing of the near past. Jews have begun returning to their homeland. The foundations of the temple have been laid, but the people have become distracted. Enemies have threatened and kings have commanded, but God is now calling for His people to give themselves to restoration. Haggai calls the Israelites to finish the temple and restore worship, community, and fellowship with God.

For you and I today, the message of these two prophets highlights our need for restoration. The need to keep our eyes on God and focus on living in His light. As you read this week, remember that God restores, God heals, and God transforms.

“I hear, and my body trembles; my lips quiver at the sound; rottenness enters into my bones; my legs tremble beneath me. Yet I will quietly wait for the day of trouble to come upon people who invade us.” ~ Habakkuk 3:16

I was teaching a men’s class one Wednesday evening on the subject of being quiet with God. In a society that is always on the move, the subject can be a tough one. Most of us have multiple forms of communication. We carry cell phones that not only make phone calls, but also enable us to text, check Facebook or Twitter, write and receive emails, FaceTime, and a host of other ways to be available to people. We have full calendars, busy lives, and little time. Waiting in traffic is frustrating. Waiting in line at the store or post office is unbearable. We find or create ways to “get the job done” without having to wait. It was apparent in the class that these men were not used to waiting. In fact, when asked, “How long can we sit quietly with God and wait for His movement?” it took almost two seconds for someone to blurt out, “That long!” Nope. We are not good at waiting.

Why do we have so much trouble waiting? I think it is because our attentions are divided across too many places. I think that we have too much in our schedules. I think our lives are too full of stuff. We think waiting is a waste of time, an inefficient means of handling our days, or idleness that kills productivity. But most of all, I think that waiting highlights the fact that we are not in control. Waiting calls us to move in someone else’s timing, be guided by someone else’s priorities, and devote our time to someone else’s will. Waiting takes me out of the driver’s seat and makes me a passenger.

The truth is waiting on God makes me set down my agenda, my desire, and my strength. It requires me to invest and trust in what God is doing. Waiting is not simply idleness. Waiting is watching for and responding to the movement of God in the world. Nahum and Habakkuk were prophets who promised the people future salvation. They told God’s people that God was moving, but that what God was doing would take time. They told God’s people to wait.

To follow God is to accept an invitation to wait on Him. It means that He is in charge. He leads. He guides. He directs. We follow. We watch. We move at His will and His word. Waiting means we surrender to the character of God. So…how long can we wait?