The Stuff Jesus Did

“Everyone kept feeling a sense of awe; and many wonders and signs were taking place through the apostles.”    —Acts 2:43

Pastor John Wimber, one of the founders of the Vineyard Movement, often tells the story of his conversion and early Christian growth. In 1963, God got a hold of this musician who played the Las Vegas circuit and eventually helped form the Righteous Brothers. John described himself as a “beer-guzzling, drug abusing pop musician, who was converted at the age of 29 while chain-smoking his way through a Quaker-led Bible Study” (Christianity Today, Feb. 9, 1998).

John became a voracious Bible reader. After weeks of reading the life-changing miracles in the Scriptures and attending boring church services, He asked a lay leader, “When do we get to do the stuff? You know, the stuff here in the Bible; the stuff Jesus did, like healing the sick, raising the dead, healing the blind – stuff like that?” He was told that they didn’t do that anymore. They only performed their weekly services. John replied, “You mean I gave up drugs for that?”

The early church began with miraculous signs and wonders. People were either drawn to the church in holy reverence or driven away in fear. Acts 2:43 describes the atmosphere, “Everyone kept feeling a sense of awe; and many wonders and signs were taking place through the apostles.” Although three thousand came to faith on the day of Pentecost, not everyone gladly joined the early band of believers. “At the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders were taking place among the people; and they were all with one accord in Solomon’s portico. But none of the rest dared to associate with them; however, the people held them in high esteem” (Acts 5:12-13). Loved, hated, feared, and revered, the early Church was anything but irrelevant.

People are still waiting and watching the Church, today. If the world is not seeing God in our midst, it may be because we are not attempting anything that only God can do. “When the world sees things happening through God’s people that cannot be explained except that God Himself has done them, the world will be drawn to such a God” (Experiencing God, 144). Some may refuse; others may criticize; but everyone will be moved to acknowledge that something supernatural is happening.

Jesus told the Disciples and us, “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I go to the Father” (John 14:12). Notice that this promise includes us. Jesus said, “He who believes in me.” We will not do greater things than Jesus in our own strength, but God will do greater things through us. Acts 2 describes these wondrous signs as “taking place through the apostles.”

What are you attempting that cannot be explained except that God has done it? Are you reaching out to the broken and downtrodden? Are you giving beyond your means? Are you stepping outside of your comfort zone in obedience to the voice of the Spirit trusting God to accomplish whatever He will? The world is waiting and watching for those who claim to be Christians to do the stuff Jesus did. Jesus said we would. The early Church did. Let us draw near to God, listen for His voice, and obediently step out in the power of the Holy Spirit. God will show Himself to an unbelieving world as we do the stuff Jesus did.

Final Notice

“The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.”    —2 Peter 3:9

I thought I was on the “no-call” list with the telephone company, but I continue to get repeated messages from telemarketers. One claims to be from a government agency telling me to hurry and take advantage of the financial stimulus before the next billing cycle. It ends with the warning, “This is your final notice.” After the twentieth call, I shouted in jubilation to my wife, “This is our final notice! Maybe they’ll quit calling.” I really expect they will call again.

Another urges me to consolidate my debts and lower my credit card rates. They also end with the message, “This is your second and final notice.” As I hang up the telephone for the umpteenth time, I mutter under my breath, “I sure hope so.”

Most people in our culture believe we will always get a second chance. We procrastinate in registering for everything. Whether it is for a concert, a seminar, or a church dinner, we tend to wait for the last possible day to make sure nothing else might come up that we’d prefer doing before committing to anything. The Church has given in to this culture because we permit people to register two days past any deadline. We don’t want anyone to miss an opportunity. We extend deadlines and make exceptions for almost everyone. Yes, we’ll make room for one more.

Many Christians are expecting Jesus Christ to return soon. We often wonder why God is waiting so long. 2 Peter answers that question by pointing out the Lord’s great love and patience toward us. “The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance” (3:9). The telemarketers may be annoying, but you have to give them credit; they are patient and diligent. On the positive side, God, too, is patient and diligent.

A major difference between the telemarketers and God is that telemarketers will probably call us until the end of time, but we have no guarantee that God will call us forever. We can wear out the patience of God. The Lord said, “My Spirit shall not strive with man forever” (Genesis 6:3). God is definitely the Lord of the second chance (and third, fourth, fifth…), but a day will come when the final notice will be the final notice. Romans 1 describes a time when after continual rejection, “God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper, being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil” (1:28-29). If we continually reject and ignore the Spirit’s calling us to God, the Lord may give us over to our own desires. I have heard good parents say to wayward children, “Go ahead, but don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

God might give us up to our rebellion, but there is also a day of reckoning. “It is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment” (Hebrews 9:27). There is a day when all things will be final. Telemarketer calls will ring no longer, and our opportunity to turn to Christ and find forgiveness will be lost. Today, if you feel the conviction of sin and know your need of a new beginning with the Lord, you still have a second chance. Don’t miss it. Eventually, our second chances will run out. A final, final notice will be given. Call on the Lord today, He loves you and is more than patient.

God Guides and Provides

“The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning and bread and meat in the evening, and he would drink from the brook.”    —1 Kings 17:6

The greatest disappointment in my life and the greatest miracle of God’s provision occurred while I attended seminary. God had called us to full-time ministry and led us, we believed, to Asbury Seminary in Wilmore, Kentucky. I planned to get a high paying computer job, and Darlene would work for the college or seminary. No companies wanted to hire me for three years as a part-time employee with no prior experience. I had to settle on a work study position at the seminary making $33.50 per week.

Darlene interviewed 35 times with the college and seminary. Each time she felt confident the interview went well and that she could do the job. Each time brought another rejection. Finally, after a short stint as a waitress at a local greasy spoon, Darlene stopped looking for work. We believed God had led us to this place in our lives and ministry so we decided to wait on the Lord. We planned to wait until our checkbook got down to $800, the amount needed to rent a U-haul truck to move home. If God did not provide our needs, we would determine that we misunderstood God’s guidance for our lives.

About that time, I received a $20 check from a missionary I barely knew. The memo of the check contained the scripture reference, “1 Kings 17:6.” For me, receiving support from a missionary is very similar to being fed morning and evening by a crow. God was faithful. Although we never received large amounts of money, each month little by little enough money came in to pay the bills. I graduated from seminary three years later with the $800 for the trip home still in the bank.

Acts 16 recounts an exciting time in the life of the early church. The Gospel had been declared to the Greek world and many non-Jews were coming to faith. The church leaders at Jerusalem had come to agreement on how to lead the Gentile church. Paul and Silas set out on a second missionary journey to encourage the churches and lead many more to faith in Christ.

As they went forward with great confidence, the doors of ministry appeared to close. They attempted to continue their mission but were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to go into Asia and were not permitted to enter Bithynia (Acts 16:6-7). Finally, God gave them direction. “A vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of Macedonia was standing and appealing to him, and saying, ‘Come over to Macedonia and help us’” (Acts 16:9). They concluded that God was guiding them to Macedonia. They immediately began proclaiming the Gospel in Europe.

What do you do when you are certain you have received direction from God only to find the doors closed? Darlene and I began with great confidence but soon felt self-pity and confusion. Where was God? What were we to do? We stopped trying to solve our dilemma in our own strength and waited on the Lord for guidance and provision. Paul and Silas continued moving forward one step at a time waiting for the Lord to provide an open door and direction.

As we follow the Lord’s direction, the path may not always be clear and easy, but we can be certain that God will provide and guide. If the Lord is calling you to it, He will surely see you through it. Trust Him today. Keep moving forward, doing what you know to do. Wait on the Lord to provide and guide.