New Acts Commentary from Pastor Chuck Smith

Acts Commentary - Paperback:

Through the years, we have had the privilege of seeing the phenomenal, miraculous work of the Holy Spirit in the growth of the Calvary Chapels. This growth started first with our own local fellowship, then spread to a national, then international level. It is our desire to pass along the spiritual principles we have learned along the way. Many of these have been learned the hard way, which are fundamental principles that God has blessed. They express God’s intention for the church and are to be found in this commentary study of the book of Acts. - Pastor Chuck

In reality, Acts is an open-ended book. Chapters are still being written today all over the world, as Jesus continues touching and changing lives. Presently, the Holy Spirit is indwelling, empowering, guiding, and teaching those who have put their trust in Jesus Christ. Therefore, as we study the church in Acts, one thing becomes quite obvious—it was a church that was governed, directed, and led by the Holy Spirit. So let’s continue on in the Spirit.

Pastor Chuck has a uniquely beautiful way of “taking the hay out of the loft and putting it on the barn floor where the cows can eat it! And it caused me to be oh-so-deeply impressed ... with Jesus. Thus, it is with a heart of expectancy and anticipation I wholeheartedly commend this Acts commentary to you.” - Jon Courson

Click here to view a sample

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Lean not on your own understanding?

Question: "What does it mean to lean not on your own understanding (Proverbs 3:5-6)?"

Answer:Proverbs 3:5-6 is a familiar passage to many: "Trust in the LORD with all your heart; and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct your paths." Verse 5 is a complementary pair of commands. We are told, positively, to trust the Lord and, negatively, not to trust our own understanding. Those two things are mutually exclusive. In other words, if we trust in the Lord, we cannot also depend upon our own ability to understand everything God is doing.

First Corinthians 13:12 says, "For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known." We only see part of the picture God is painting. If we are to truly trust Him, we have to let go of our pride, our programs, and our plans. Even the best-laid human plans cannot begin to approach the magnificent sagacity of God’s plan. “For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom” (1 Corinthians 1:25).

Most of us have a desperate desire to understand, but in so many areas we must acknowledge that we cannot understand. We must approve of God’s ways, even when we can’t comprehend them. Isaiah 55:8-9 tells us why we often don't understand what God is doing: "'For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,' declares the Lord. 'For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.'" God sees the whole picture, while we only see our tiny corner of it. To trust in the Lord with all our heart means we can't place our own right to understand above His right to direct our lives the way He sees fit. When we insist on God always making sense to our finite minds, we are setting ourselves up for spiritual trouble.

Our limited understanding can easily lead us astray. Proverbs 16:25 says, "There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death." When we choose to direct our lives according to what seems right to us, we often reap disaster (Judges 21:25). Every culture has tried to get God to approve of its definition of right and wrong, but God never changes and His standards never change (Numbers 23:19; James 1:17; Romans 11:29). Every person must make a decision whether to live his or her life according to personal preference or according to the unchanging Word of God. We often will not understand how God is causing "all things to work together for good" (Romans 8:28), but when we trust Him with all our hearts, we know that He is. He will never fail us (Psalm 119:142; Philippians 2:13).


© Copyright 2002-2013 Got Questions Ministries. Source: http://www.gotquestions.org/Printer/lean-not-own-understanding-PF.html#ixzz2UKv8Sodh

Hope for the Whole Family - From Alcohol to New Life

Alcoholism is a major problem throughout
South Asia. Many drown their fears and sorrows
in alcohol. The addiction causes the entire family
to live in dire poverty.

Sachi watched her husband become more and more dependent on alcohol to get through each day. She and Javesh had small children to feed, but whatever money he made, he used on his addiction. The situation grew worse, and their food was beginning to run out.

The only glimmer of hope in Sachi’s and Javesh’s lives was that their son Chakor was enrolled in a Gospel for Asia Bridge of Hope center. They knew he was being cared for and given a nutritious meal every day.

While Chakor received the opportunity to learn and grow, things were looking grim for the rest of the family.

One day, during a regular visit to the family’s home, the staff members from the Bridge of Hope center realized how dire Chakor’s family situation truly was. After meeting with the family, they decided to offer Chakor's mother Sachi a job as a cook at the center. She was overjoyed at the prospect.

The new job meant income, and an income meant their family wouldn’t have to starve. Sachi was very happy to be able to meet all her children’s needs again.

Gospel for Asia’s Bridge of Hope turns these
situations around for good. Children are educated
and nurtured. Families experience Christ’s love.
More than 60,000 children have been helped so far
and thousands of families have found faith
in Christ as a result.

God Answered Their Prayers

The Bridge of Hope staff continued visiting with and praying for Chakor's family, and slowly, his fathers life started to change. Javesh stopped drinking alcohol, and he began to use his wages to provide for his family again.

Through the prayers and friendship of the Bridge of Hope staff, Sachi and Javesh saw the love of Jesus and knew that He cared very much for them. The couple and their children embraced the hope that can only be found in Christ.

Today the family attends the local fellowship together, and their home is full of God’s peace. Not only has their outward situation changed drastically, but their inner lives were transformed as well.

See how your prayers can impact Bridge of Hope children and their families.

Sponsor today and get a packet including your child’s photo and letter-writing materials. You can correspond directly with your child to form a relationship.

"But Did You Go?" by Pastor David Guzik

BUT DID YOU GO? -  by Pastor David Guzik

So Moses went. (Exodus 4:18)

They are three simple words, but there's a lot of power behind them. "So Moses went."

Moses had a dramatic experience with God out in the desert. God met him in a miracle - a bush aflame, yet not being burnt up. Moses heard the voice of God speaking directly to him. God gave him three miraculous signs.

But when the fire fades from the burning bush, when the voice of God is silent across the desert; then it is upon us to obey, and to do what God has told us to do. More than one person has had a spectacular burning bush type experience and then went on to live as if it had never happened.

Moses was different. "So Moses went." God has poured a lot into you and given you a call and a promise. But did you go? God has put people and needs on your heart. But did you go? Perhaps God has told you to stay awhile and wait. Did you do that?

Sometimes we won't do what God tells us because we don't see how it will all work out. But Moses had little or no idea what would happen when he agreed to take the Lord's call.

- Could he see the Egyptian army closing in, and God parting the Red Sea through Moses' hand?
- Could he see the song of victory, the water from the rock, the manna from heaven, the battles won through prayer?
- Could he see vision of God on Mount Sinai, the voice of God from heaven, the tablets of stone, the golden calf?
- Could he see the tabernacle built, the priests consecrated?
- Could he see the spies sent forth into Canaan, the response of unbelief, and a thirty-eight year sentence to wander the wilderness?
- Could he see a lonely climb to the top of Mount Pisgah, where he would die looking out over the land of promise?
- Could he see the honor of sitting beside the Lord on the Mount of Transfiguration?

Moses didn't see any of that, but he trusted God enough to take the next step without demanding that God tell him the whole plan.

Nevertheless by faith "Moses went." So we should obey without knowing all the answers.


By David Guzik

David is the pastor of Calvary Chapel Santa Barbara: www.calvarychapelsb.com and teaches at Generation Bible College: www.generationbiblecollege.com

For Bible Study resources by David Guzik, go to: www.enduringword.com/library_commentaries.htm

For David Guzik podcast or rss audio feed, find the link at www.enduringword.com.

How to Spend an Hour in Prayer

How to Spend an Hour in Prayer

"How can anyone possibly pray an entire hour?" Here's how to structure an hour in prayer with twelve scripturally based aspects. Conveniently, each hour can be divided into twelve five-minute "points of focus," allowing specific time for each of these vital areas. Of course, some of these aspects may require only a minute, whereas others – such as intercessory prayer for the world – will require far more than a mere five minutes. -Dick Eastman

1. Praise. Psalm 63:3; Hebrews 12:15; Matthew 6:9b

All prayer should begin with a recognition of God's nature. The Lord's Prayer - our model for all praying ­begins with "Our Father which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name." Praise is that aspect of prayer which vocally esteems God for his virtues and his accomplishments.

2. Waiting. Psalm 37:7; Isaiah 40:31; Lam. 3:25

Not only should we begin it with praise, but time also should be given to being "quiet" in God's presence. This is not meditation or just a time for listening; it is simply taking time to let God love you.

3. Confession. Psalm 139:23-24; 51:10; John 1:9

The psalmist asked God to search his heart for unconfessed sin. He knew sin was one of the greatest roadblocks to answered prayer. Early in prayer we need to make time for confession. This clears the way for powerful praying.

4. The Word. II Timothy 3:16; Psalm 19:7-8

"The commandment of the Lord (his Word) is pure, enlightening the eyes," wrote young King David. When we bring God's Word into our prayer, we are opening our eyes to new possibilities in God. At this point in prayer, read God's Word.

5. Intercession. I Tim 2:1-2; Psalm 2:8; Matt 9:37-38

Our prayer now centers on intercession for a lost and dying world. This concerns praying for others who have desperate needs.

6. Petition. Matthew 7:7; Matthew 6:11; James 4:2

This aspect of prayer concerns our personal needs. Petition is included in the Lord's Prayer in the expression, "Give us this day our daily bread." To petition God is to open our needs to God through prayer.

7. The Word. Jer. 23:29; II Sam. 22:31; Num. 23:19

Earlier we suggested you read God's Word. Now, pray God's Word. Here we bring actual Scripture into our prayer. We can never pray out of God's will when we pray God's Word.

8. Thanksgiving. Philippians 4:6; Psalm 100:4

When Paul wrote to the Philippians, he instructed them to offer prayer and supplication "with thanksgiving." Thanksgiving differs from praise in that praise recognized God for who he is, and thanksgiving recognizes God for specific things he has done.

9. Singing. Psalm 100:2; Ephesians 5:19; Psalm 114:9

Melody in its truest sense is a gift of God for the purpose of singing praises unto him. Many Christians, unfortunately, have never learned the beauty of singing a "new" song unto God during prayer. These songs may come straight from the heart with the Holy Spirit creating the melody. Paul spoke of singing "spiritual songs." To sing unto the Lord is to worship God in

10. Meditation. Joshua 1:8; Psalm 1:1-2; Psalm 77:12

To wait in God's presence is simply to be there to love him. Meditation differs in that our mind is very active. To meditate is to ponder spiritual themes in reference to God.

11. Listening. Ecclesiastes 5:2; I Kings 19:11-12

Whether through his written Word or by an inner "still small voice" of his Holy Spirit, God speaks to praying Christians. But we must take time to listen.

12. Praise. Matthew 6:13; Psalm 100:4; Psalm 150

We begin our prayer by recognizing God's nature, and we end in similar fashion. Jesus taught this when he ended his prayer with the statement, "For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen."

These are just suggestions - everyone has a different prayer life. Developing such a prayer habit will lead you into a ministry that changes you and the world around you as well.

(Source: Dick Eastman, "The Hour That Changes the World: A Practical Plan for Personal Prayer")

The ACTS Prayer

 The A.C.T.S. Prayer

Adoration

"Because Thy lovingkindness is better than life, My lips will praise Thee." Psalms 63:3

Adoration is to adore God, to worship him and to fulfill the commandment to love him with all of our heart, mind and soul. As we spend time in adoration, we praise God for who He is - our Creator, our Sustainer and our Redeemer.

When we focus our attention on the One who can meet our needs, it takes our eyes off circumstances and allows us to experience God's sufficiency and peace.

“Praise the Lord. Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens. Praise him for his acts of power; praise him for his surpassing greatness. Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet… harp and lyre… tambourine and dancing… strings and flute… clash of cymbals resounding. Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. PRAISE THE LORD.”

Confession

"If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." I John 1:8-9

Confession allows us to clear away the things in the relationship between you and God which are displeasing to Him. All of us have sinned, and the Holy Spirit will reveal areas in our life that are not pleasing to Him. Take some time to confess those sins. If the Spirit reveals sin in your life, name that sin specifically and repent. This involves a change in your attitude and an active move on your part to no longer indulge in that sin.

Then thank God for forgiving your sin on the basis of His promise in I John 1:9, "If we confess our sins He is faithful and righteous to forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

Finally, and most importantly, ask God to fill (control and empower) you by His Holy Spirit. Sometimes confession involves restitution or making things right with friend you have wronged. If the Holy Spirit reveals this in your life, do not hesitate to obey.

Thanksgiving

"In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you." 1 Thessalonians 5:18

Thanksgiving allows us to thank God for what he has done for us, and through us, right now, just as Adoration is to praise God for who he is, in his pre-existent and eternal Being. Whereas adoration is to praise him for his character, thanksgiving is thanking him for his actions toward us.

Each day God is blessing us! Every moment we can recall the wonderful things that God has done for us, and the gifts that we have been given. We need to be constantly thanking God for his blessings.

"He who offers a sacrifice of thanksgiving honors Me." Psalm 50:23

Supplication

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” Philippians 4:6

Finally we come to ask God for our needs and the needs of others.

PRAY FOR OTHERS. In the epistles of St Paul, we read of him praying for those he has led to faith, and asking them also to pray for him. So, you too can pray for other Christians, and encourage them to pray for you. Pray for your family members, and for neighbors and friends. It's also good to pray for those who don't know Jesus to come to faith - many Christians have come to believe in Christ through the prayers of others.

PRAY FOR WORLD ISSUES. For peace in difficult situations, for leaders and those in influential positions, for global issues such as care of God's environment, justice for the poor, relief of suffering in less developed countries, and other issues that come to you.

PRAY FOR YOUR OWN NEEDS. It’s easy to neglect this, but Jesus encourages us to do so in the Lord's Prayer - the model for prayer that He gave us.

"No good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly." Psalm 84:11

Practical Helps for God time

                         Set a time. The same time every day is the best way to establish a lasting habit. When will you devote time to your relationship with Jesus every day?

                         Set a place. The same place each day is also instrumental in establishing a disciplined time with God. Where will you meet alone with the Lord?

                         Avoid distractions. What are the things that could distract you from following through with your desire to focus only on God? TV? Music? Visitors? Phone calls? The refrigerator? Whatever it is, how will you avoid this distraction?

                         Set reasonable goals. You may know someone who spends an hour a day with the Lord, or another who reads through the Bible completely in a year. But these goals may not be reasonable for you to start out with. Perhaps at a later time these would be good goals for you! Be realistic! What can you pretty much guarantee you would do each day? The idea is to be successful at reaching your goal with consistency. Maybe 20 minutes of Bible reading and prayer, maybe 30 minutes? What can and will work for you?

                         Have someone hold you accountable. It is always helpful to have another Christian know your goal and be praying for you that you will reach it. They could even call you daily or intermittently for a while to ask you if you spent time with Christ. 

(Source: The origin for the ACTS method is unknown, however it's most likely taken from the Disciples' Prayer in Matthew 6:9–13)

Mother’s Day Gift to sponsor a child in your mother’s honor & bring hope

This Mother’s Day, sponsor a child in your mother’s honor, and bring hope to mothers who have none.  What better gift can you give than to sponsor a child for the mom(s) in your life. Visit www.gfa.org/bridge to find out more.

It only takes $35 a month to give a child everything they need—school supplies, a daily meal, medical checkups and more—to attend a Bridge of Hope Center. 100% of your sponsorship is sent to the field to support your child.

We have the opportunity together to change the fate of a child, but time is short. You can make a choice today that will change a life forever.

Sponsor a child and reach a family with Christ's love ►

Visit www.gfa.org/bridge to find out more.

Our Greatest Need? Humanitarianism or Social Gospel?

"Not everyone will enter the kingdom of heaven... God will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me...'" (Matthew 7:21,23) 

We must be careful not to let humanitarianism become our gospel. Humanitarianism or Community Service (aka the Social Gospel), that is the act of showing kindness and helping out, in which people are trying to demonstrate God's love through service to the community is not the true Gospel. 

Humanism: the chief end of being is the happiness of man. 

The Gospel: the chief end of being is the glory of God (man reconciled to God). 

Some call it the Social Gospel but there is only one Gospel and it’s all about Jesus. It’s not enough to feed people and help then off the street, because if they don’t have Jesus they die and go to Hell. It’s good to help others but if it’s done "in the name of Jesus" then people will know they need Jesus to be saved. 

There are so many people searching for answers and for truth in this life. We must not fail to tell this world about Jesus and we must do everything we can to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Yes, let’s meet the needs of the people. But let’s meet their greatest need. What is man's greatest need? Salvation!

The true Gospel is about man being made right (reconciled) with God. The Gospel is all about a person, and that is Jesus who came to die on the cross for our sins so we can have forgiveness from God. Then once Jesus rose from the grave He offers us new life in Him, and gives us the opportunity to receive or reject His free gift of salvation. God is so kind to us and allows for us to be saved by trusting in Jesus Christ and His finished work on the cross for us.

Do you not realize that it is the 'kindness' of God that leads us to repentance! (Romans 2:4). We know that approximately 150,000 people will die today, and our hearts should break for those who will slip from this life into an eternity without God because they rejected Gods free gift of salvation through Jesus. It's God kindness that lost people get another day and get one more opportunity to call upon the name of the Lord. So together we must do all that we can to reach the lost. 

Do you have a passion for the lost? If you don't I encourage you to pray about their fate and God to help you be moved with compassion. Let us seek a Biblical Gospel that is centered on and fueled by the glory of God. We have hope and truth for the world to know about. Do you want to see people transformed and saved?

Make sure that whatever you or the Lord in whatever ministry that you are allowed to openly preach the Gospel. Just as in football if the enemy strips away the ball you can’t score a touchdown and it’s the same Spiritually that if the enemy strips away the Gospel message from you then can’t win the lost to Jesus.

"Willing and Able" by Pastor David Guzik

WILLING AND ABLE -  by Pastor David Guzik

"Now therefore, go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall say." But he said, "O my Lord, please send by the hand of whomever else You may send." So the anger of the Lord was kindled against Moses. (Exodus 4:12-14)

God had a job for Moses to do. Forty years earlier Moses would have jumped at the chance, but after spending forty years herding sheep in the desert he was hesitant.

Because God wanted Moses to do the job, He gave Moses assurance after assurance. He gave Moses the sign of the burning bush. He allowed Moses to hear the divine voice. He gave Moses the divine name. He gave Moses three miraculous signs. It still wasn't enough. Finally, God gave Moses a command: "Now therefore, go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall say."

Moses finally finished with all the excuses and he reluctantly spoke the truth: he would much rather that God send someone else. Despite all his excuses, Moses' problem wasn't really a lack of  ability; it was a lack of willingness.

God reacted: "So the anger of the LORD was kindled against Moses."

- God was not angry when Moses asked, "Who am I?" (Exodus 3:11)
- God was not angry when Moses asked, "Who should I say sent me?" (Exodus 3:13)
- God was not angry when Moses refused to believe God's Word and said, "suppose they will not believe me or listen to my voice" (Exodus 4:1)
- God was not even angry when Moses (falsely) claimed that he was not and had never been eloquent (Exodus 4:10)

But God was angry when Moses was just plain unwilling.

There might have been a hundred reasons why Moses was unwilling, and perhaps some of those reasons made some sense. Yet at the end of it all, Moses was unwilling, not unable.

More than anything, God wants us to be willing. Willing to do what He tells us to do. Willing to serve Him. Willing to listen. God regards your willingness as a serious matter. Do you?


By David Guzik

David is the pastor of Calvary Chapel Santa Barbara:
www.calvarychapelsb.com and teaches at Generation Bible
College:
www.generationbiblecollege.com

For Bible Study resources by David Guzik, go to:
www.enduringword.com/library_commentaries.htm

For David Guzik podcast or rss audio feed, find the link at
www.enduringword.com.

Recommended Article: Bible study is starting up, seeks members

Bible study is starting up, seeks members
Posted By Letters to the Editor On May 3, 2013 (9:32 am) In Letters to the Editor, Opinion
Are you looking for a fellowship where you can learn the Bible and more about God? More than anything we want to share Jesus with you. His love for you is far beyond anything you could ever imagine (Romans 5:8).
To express your interest in a Calvary Chapel style Bible study, email us at admin@2believe.net and let us know. We are looking forward to getting to know you.

Tim Molter
Fergus Falls
Article taken from The Fergus Falls Daily Journal - http://www.fergusfallsjournal.com
URL to article: http://www.fergusfallsjournal.com/2013/05/03/bible-study-is-starting-up-seeks-members/