Discipling - To Help Grow Others, We Need to Be Adults First

A Good Soldier of Christ Jesus

"Timothy, my dear son, be strong through the grace that God gives you in Christ Jesus. You have heard me teach things that have been confirmed by many reliable witnesses. Now teach these truths to other trustworthy people who will be able to pass them on to others.

Endure suffering along with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. Soldiers don’t get tied up in the affairs of civilian life, for then they cannot please the officer who enlisted them. And athletes cannot win the prize unless they follow the rules. And hardworking farmers should be the first to enjoy the fruit of their labor. Think about what I am saying. The Lord will help you understand all these things.

Always remember that Jesus Christ, a descendant of King David, was raised from the dead. This is the Good News I preach. And because I preach this Good News, I am suffering and have been chained like a criminal. But the word of God cannot be chained. So I am willing to endure anything if it will bring salvation and eternal glory in Christ Jesus to those God has chosen." 2 Timothy 2:1-10


All believers of Christ are like mini-Timothies -- children of God as much as children of their teacher/discipler, who in turn will become teachers/disciplers to the next generation of believers.

Starter

As new believers we were fed the milk of the Word -- nourishing us, as newly born infants in the faith, as we grow and able to start taking our first steps of walking, and walking with the Spirit.

Sustenance

As we mature out of infancy, we move on to solid food -- fresh manna from heaven. Sweet and filling us daily, as we continue growing stronger in our faith and conviction, and now starting to be able to share our new found faith.

In time, we will out grow out of eating the same food and will crave for and feast in the meat and potatoes of the Word. If we aren't, then there is something wrong with the way we are growing up; much the same as maturing in real life, from babies, to toddlers, to teens and to young adults. So in much the same way, our faith should be growing and maturing.

Service

Now as adulting believers we should start to be able to encourage, teach and disciple new believers. But no, not until we have fed on the Word, enough to start living by faith and not by sight.

No, not until we have depended on the meat of the Word and led by the Spirit than being dependent on our independence and on our own strengths and understanding.

No, not until we have gone through the push backs for trying to live and conduct ourselves as mature believers.

And no, not until we have passed every test our faint and fickle hearts need to endure; on the way to being battle-tested, tough and seasoned soldiers, athletes and farmers in God's Kingdom wherever the Lord have planted or transplanted us.


Milk - 1 Corinthians 3:2

Manna - Exodus 16:31

Meat - Hebrews 5:12

Church Leaders

Guidelines for Leaders in the Church

"This is a statement that can be trusted: If anyone sets his heart on being a bishop, he desires something excellent. A bishop must have a good reputation. He must have only one wife, be sober, use good judgment, be respectable, be hospitable, and be able to teach. He must not drink excessively or be a violent person, but he must be gentle. He must not be quarrelsome or love money. He must manage his own family well. His children should respectfully obey him. (If a man doesn’t know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God’s church?) He must not be a new Christian, or he might become arrogant like the devil and be condemned. People who are not Christians must speak well of him, or he might become the victim of disgraceful insults that the devil sets as traps for him.

Deacons must also be of good character. They must not be two-faced or addicted to alcohol. They must not use shameful ways to make money. They must have clear consciences about possessing the mystery of the Christian faith. First, a person must be evaluated. Then, if he has a good reputation, he may become a deacon.

Their wives must also be of good character. They must not be gossips, but they must control their tempers and be trustworthy in every way.

A deacon must have only one wife. Deacons must manage their children and their families well. Those deacons who serve well gain an excellent reputation and will have confidence as a result of their faith in Christ Jesus." 1 Timothy 3:1-13


In the excerpt above, the apostle Paul talks about the qualifications to become leaders of the early church; taken from one of his letters to Timothy. His letters to young Tim and the one known letter for Titus are often called pastoral letters. These are so because, these letters were like letters of instruction and encouragement from a more experienced pastor to younger pastors.

The background here is after having started churches in the cities Paul have traveled to, he had left behind leaders or pastors in these churches, and when he was able, he visited them back to see how they were doing and he also wrote letters when he could not. Now, remember these letters were written from a different era, for a different culture, where and when they had a different way of doing things. But just the same, let us expound on the points, Paul made.

Bishop

Here, the word bishop comes from the Greek word episkopos, meaning an elder, a pastor, or an overseer. All in all, this term is the leader of a local church.

The biblical definition of this early church leader was a male (long time believer), married (to one wife; with children) and those who have integrity, spiritual maturity, as well as the ability to effectively teach the Word of God.

Deacon

Now, the term deacon comes from the Greek word diákonos meaning servant or minister. The term is a male member of a local church appointed to serve their fellow church members by meeting a particular material need.

The position of a deacon was first used in the early church primarily to minister to a particular need of a specific group of the members of the local church (as seen in Acts 6:1-6).

The early church thus flourished by the practical teaching of the "teachings" of Jesus considering their audience and their current conditions.

The early leaders, led by the Spirit, appointed Spirit-led bishops and deacons to lead the local churches who were then entrusted to repeat the process for those who will lead after them.

The Letter to Titus in 8 Minutes

Church - Everyone Has a Purpose

One Body with Many Parts

"Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ.This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ.

Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth. Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church. He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love." Ephesians 4:11-16

"All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it. Here are some of the parts God has appointed for the church:

first are apostles, second are prophets, third are teachers, then those who do miracles, those who have the gift of healing, those who can help others, those who have the gift of leadership, those who speak in unknown languages." 1 Corinthians 12:27-28


In Paul's missionary journeys, they planted local churches in the cities they taught the Word of God in.

These churches eventually grew in numbers and members. Each church being led by their appointed leaders, and each one experiencing their own unique concerns as well as problems common to one another.

In many parts of Paul's letters to these churches, he was giving them encouragement to continue in their ministry and also instructions on how to conduct themselves, how to conduct their meetings, along with the teachings of Jesus Christ.

In the excerpts above from Paul's letters to the church in Ephesus and Corinth, he was teaching them about how the Lord has given each member, gifts to function as an essential member of the different parts of the body of Christ (the Church).

Foe example, those who were called to be missionaries, pastors and teachers, have the responsibility of teaching to equip others to do God's work and build up the body of Christ. And this shall continue until all members are mature and come to be united in the faith and knowledge of Jesus Christ. This is a tall order, one which can only be achieved by being united by the blood of Jesus and the power and the Spirit of God. But these three parts does not form the whole body of Christ.

On the second part of the excerpt above, Paul said that the church (the body of Christ) are made up of members with different gifts, such as the gift of prophecy, that of performing miracles, those who have the gift of healing, those with the gift of giving, those in the ministry of helps*, those with the gift of leadership, and those who speak in unknown languages.

Now the main question really is how long until we become a productive member of the body Christ?

Of course first off, we need the complete teaching so as to be equipped. Second, we need to identify what our gifts are. And third, to use these gifts to help our local church in making the whole body fit together perfectly, lifting up and encouraging people and helping other parts grow, so as to fulfill the will of our Lord and Savior.

*helps include volunteers in the music, dance and drama ministry, media, hospitality, parking, cafe, store, children's, youth, social media, TV, radio, graphics design, IT, marketing and PR, facility maintenance and administration, among many others.

Fasting

Jesus Is Questioned about Fasting

"John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting. Some people came to Jesus and said to him, “Why do John’s disciples and the Pharisees’ disciples fast, but your disciples don’t?”

Jesus replied, “Can wedding guests fast while the groom is still with them? As long as they have the groom with them, they cannot fast. But the time will come when the groom will be taken away from them. Then they will fast.

“No one patches an old coat with a new piece of cloth that will shrink. Otherwise, the new patch will shrink and rip away some of the old cloth, and the tear will become worse. People don’t pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the wine will make the skins burst, and both the wine and the skins will be ruined. Rather, new wine is to be poured into fresh skins.” Mark 2:18-22


Even at the time of Jesus, people have been asking questions about fasting.

But unlike Jesus, I will not be giving my take on fasting by handing out Jesus type signature stories or parables.

What I would do though, is that I will try to clarify a few things about fasting through my own personal experience with it, and I will support these with Scriptures.

I understand that you will still have questions regarding fasting, even with my best efforts. My aim though is that after reading this, at least you would know why you are fasting and how to go about it.

Rewards

But first, the good news, and there is good news. There is a reward when you fast.

But it should not be to make you look good or for people to look up to you on how religious you are for being so righteous.

When you do fast, Jesus warned to be sure not to practice your religious righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. He added, do not make it so obvious, otherwise that will be the only reward they will ever get (Matthew 6). Figuratively, don't even let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. Meaning, fasting should be something between you and God.

Second, God did not meant for us to suffer or get sick when we fast. No, for I do not believe we have a Father in heaven who is masochistic.

Third, yes we all should fast. And you case you missed it, it is in the verse above -- when the groom (Jesus, talking about Himself) is taken away from them (His disciples), then they will fast. "They" are those who follow Jesus (also in Matthew 9 and Luke 5).

Why fast?

In Jewish tradition and customs, they fast on their holy days and they follow strict rules and regulations. Since old testament times, their fore fathers have fasted and they have recorded them in their Jewish Scriptures. God had His people fast as a sign of mourning, to cry out to Him and to seek Him.

In the New Testament, we have seen that although Jesus fasted, His disciples did not. And Jesus answered one of their questions as recorded in Mark 9:29, this way: "This kind (of evil spirit) cannot come out by anything but prayer and fasting.", which they asked when Jesus was able to cast out this evil spirit after they could not.

Jesus Did Fast

Jesus fasted while He walked among us. In the verse above, He said, we do not pour new wine into old wineskins. And the reason this applies to fasting is that the Jews used to fast, out of religious obligations or tradition or worse to look holy and righteous or to atone for their sins. All this because they follow the letter of the law as prescribed in the old testament. Jesus came to fulfill the law and usher in the new covenant between God and His children. Thus we do not pour "new" wine into "old" wineskin. We are no longer His people, but His friends and His children.

New Way

The disciples of Jesus fasted, not out of tradition or obligation. They fasted because they wanted more of Jesus, they wanted more power, they wanted to hear from Him, they wanted to seek Him and yes they wanted their prayers answered.

Note: Remember after Jesus fasted for 40 days and 40 nights, He was tempted by the devil to turn stones to bread, so He could eat and break His fast. Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'

Yes, when we fast, we do not eat physical or actual food. Now what we should eat instead, is spiritual food, or the Word of God.

Fasting should not just be about abstaining from something or not eating something, it should be about taking time off to seek God's face while meditating on His Word.

Meaning as we starve our flesh, we should make our spirit full by partaking of the bread that comes from heaven, His Word.

Lastly, it is recorded in Scriptures that the Acts 2 church prayed and fasted for, and laid hands on appointed members as they anointed them to be their leaders.

Which kind of fast?

Any kind, just as long as it leads you to your Father in heaven, to doing His will and to hearing His voice.

In seeking His face, you would know what kind of fast would work for you. Although Scriptures gives us different kinds, there is no cookie cut way to do it. And I will not even try to tell you which one. But as we have already learned, whatever will work for the purpose of your fast should be the kind of fast you should be doing. And one thing we could now be sure of, we just need to do it.

Churches - Paul's Legacy

Paul and Barnabas Return to Antioch in Syria

"The next day Paul and Barnabas left for the city of Derbe. They spread the Good News in that city and won many disciples. Then they went back to the cities of Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch (which is in Pisidia). They strengthened the disciples in these cities and encouraged the disciples to remain faithful. Paul and Barnabas told them, “We must suffer a lot to enter God’s kingdom.” They had the disciples in each church choose spiritual leaders, and with prayer and fasting they entrusted the leaders to the Lord in whom they believed." Acts 14:20b-23


We cannot really list here all that was mentioned in the Book of Acts regarding Paul's missionary journeys, but we can sure read this small portion of Scriptures when he first went on these mission trips.

Moving from one city to the next, Paul, like Jesus, taught the Word of God, particularly to those who wanted to hear them. Of course, there were those who didn't like what he was saying and these led to riotings, to Paul being assaulted, stoned, imprisoned, and charges brought up against him. But Paul continued on in their journey leaving churches as they moved on.

Epistles

It is interesting to note that a big part of New Testament Scriptures is Paul writing letters to the different churches that he help start in the different cities he had visited and greeting households he had stayed in during his missionary journeys. We do not know how many churches he help start and how many letters were lost.

For sure we know that he helped start churches in the cities in and around Rome, Corinth, Galatia, Ephesus, Philippi, Colossi, and Thessalonica, as one or more letters were written to them, and are included in the bible. We call these letters, epistles.

Servant-Leaders

The one thing apart from being led by the Holy Spirit, traveling in groups of two or more, teaching, praying and fasting, and performing miraculous signs, that helped jumpstart this church planting spree, we also read above that there was persecution and suffering and that the churches chose spiritual leaders among them who stayed committed and helped lead them, as Paul moved on to the next city in their missionary journey.

Scriptures also record that Paul on his succeeding journeys went back and visited some of these churches that he help plant, and continued writing letters to them, many of which were preserved and read in their meetings, and shared to other churches and, as we have mentioned, form a big part of the New Testament bible.

Before Jesus left His disciples, He said that He will not leave them as orphans. And truly, because the Holy Spirit was sent to them. Now Paul, too did not leave the churches he left behind, as orphans, as he left them letters of instructions and let them appoint leaders, teachers, encouragers and servants among them full of the Holy Spirit. And that was the "gentile church formula" then, up until this day, and until the Lord's return.

From Paul's last letter to Timothy:
(generally believed to have been written during the reign of  Roman Emperor Neo)

"My life is coming to an end, and it is now time for me to be poured out as a sacrifice to God. I have fought the good fight. I have completed the race. I have kept the faith. The prize that shows I have God’s approval is now waiting for me. The Lord, who is a fair judge, will give me that prize on that day. He will give it not only to me but also to everyone who is eagerly waiting for him to come again."

Can You So Quickly Persuade Me?

King Agrippa Meets Paul

"Agrippa said to Paul, “You’re free to speak for yourself.”

Paul acknowledged King Agrippa and then began his defense. “King Agrippa, I think I’m fortunate today to stand in front of you and defend myself against every charge that the Jews brought against me. I say this since you are especially familiar with every custom and controversy in Judaism. So I ask you to listen patiently to me.

“All the Jews know how I lived the earliest days of my youth with my own people and in Jerusalem. They’ve known me for a long time and can testify, if they’re willing, that I followed the strictest party of our religion. They know that I lived my life as a Pharisee.

“I’m on trial now because I expect God to keep the promise that he made to our ancestors. Our twelve tribes expect this promise to be kept as they worship with intense devotion day and night. Your Majesty, the Jews are making accusations against me because I expect God to keep his promise. Why do all of you refuse to believe that God can bring dead people back to life?

“I used to think that I had to do a lot of things to oppose the one named Jesus of Nazareth.  That is what I did in Jerusalem. By the authority I received from the chief priests, I locked many Christians in prison. I voted to have them killed every time a vote was taken. I even went to each synagogue, punished believers, and forced them to curse the name of Jesus. In my furious rage against them, I hunted them down in cities outside Jerusalem.

“I was carrying out these activities when I went to the city of Damascus. I had the power and authority of the chief priests. Your Majesty, at noon, while I was traveling, I saw a light that was brighter than the sun. The light came from the sky and shined around me and those who were with me. All of us fell to the ground, and I heard a voice asking me in Hebrew, ‘Saul, Saul! Why are you persecuting me? It’s hard for a mortal like you to resist God.’

“I asked, ‘Who are you, sir?’

“The Lord answered, ‘I am Jesus, the one you’re persecuting. Stand up! I have appeared to you for a reason. I’m appointing you to be a servant and witness of what you have seen and of what I will show you. I will rescue you from the Jewish people and from the non-Jewish people to whom I am sending you. You will open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light and from Satan’s control to God’s. Then they will receive forgiveness for their sins and a share among God’s people who are made holy by believing in me.’

“At that point I did not disobey the vision I saw from heaven, King Agrippa. Instead, I spread the message that I first told to the Jewish people in Damascus and Jerusalem and throughout the whole country of Judea. I spread the same message to non-Jewish people. Both groups were expected to change the way they thought and acted and to turn to God. I told them to do things that prove they had changed their lives. For this reason the Jews took me prisoner in the temple courtyard and tried to murder me.

“God has been helping me to this day so that I can stand and testify to important and unimportant people. I tell them only what the prophets and Moses said would happen. They said that the Messiah would suffer and be the first to come back to life and would spread light to Jewish and non-Jewish people.”

As Paul was defending himself in this way, Festus shouted, “Paul, you’re crazy! Too much education is driving you crazy!”

Paul replied, “I’m not crazy, Your Excellency Festus. What I’m saying is true and sane. I can easily speak to a king who knows about these things. I’m sure that none of these things has escaped his attention. None of this was done secretly. King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know you believe them!”

Agrippa said to Paul, “Do you think you can quickly persuade me to become a Christian?”

Paul replied, “I wish to God that you and everyone listening to me today would quickly and completely become as I am (except for being a prisoner).”

The king, the governor, Bernice, and the people who were sitting with them got up. As they were leaving, they said to each other, “This man isn’t doing anything for which he deserves to die or be put in prison.”

Agrippa told Festus, “This man could have been set free if he hadn’t appealed his case to the emperor.” Acts 26:1-32


Towards the end of the Book of Acts, we see how people who hated Paul for what he is doing for the cause of Christ, have come up with ways to stop Paul from spreading the gospel of Jesus.

These passages record how they have schemed murderous plans and how they have devised accusations against Paul. Above we see the proceedings before Paul was eventually shipped to Rome in chains, as he appealed his case to the emperor of Rome himself -- the King and the Lord of the known world at the time.

Here we read Paul's speech as he addressed King Agrippa, the Roman governor who at that time, ruled over that part of the Roman Empire. Agrippa who has the title of King, was a man who was well versed with Jewish tradition and prophecy.

He said that if it was up to him, he would have closed Paul's cases and cleared him of all charges brought against him.

But the Lord had other plans for Paul. He is going to Rome, the seat of the Empire, to speak to people in higher places and to talk to them in behalf of the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords -- the one who came back to life, just as was written about Him, and just as He had foretold. And to preach that one thing that once you believe it, can start to take away each layer of doubt in all the other gray areas of Scriptures, slowly revealing the entire magnificient picture underneath, of God's masterpiece plan of redemption, salvation and abundant life, here and beyond. But no, not all at once. Like how Agrippa responded to Paul, no you cannot persuade me to become a Christian that quickly.

But it will come surely as the gray areas are one by one revealed, and to those who have believed and experienced the love of God, and wanting more of Him, no force on earth can stop them from becoming true Christian believers and eventually witnesses of the faith.

Yes, just like the murderous and blasphemous Saul, as he became Paul, the foremost missionary of Christ.

The Skinny on Evangelism

No Longer Afraid

Peter and John before the Council

"While Peter and John were speaking to the people, they were confronted by the priests, the captain of the Temple guard, and some of the Sadducees. These leaders were very disturbed that Peter and John were teaching the people that through Jesus there is a resurrection of the dead. They arrested them and, since it was already evening, put them in jail until morning. But many of the people who heard their message believed it, so the number of men who believed now totaled about 5,000.

The next day the council of all the rulers and elders and teachers of religious law met in Jerusalem. Annas the high priest was there, along with Caiaphas, John, Alexander, and other relatives of the high priest. They brought in the two disciples and demanded, “By what power, or in whose name, have you done this?”

Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers and elders of our people, are we being questioned today because we’ve done a good deed for a crippled man? Do you want to know how he was healed? Let me clearly state to all of you and to all the people of Israel that he was healed by the powerful name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, the man you crucified but whom God raised from the dead. For Jesus is the one referred to in the Scriptures, where it says,

‘The stone that you builders rejected has now become the cornerstone.’

There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved.”

The members of the council were amazed when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, for they could see that they were ordinary men with no special training in the Scriptures. They also recognized them as men who had been with Jesus. But since they could see the man who had been healed standing right there among them, there was nothing the council could say. So they ordered Peter and John out of the council chamber and conferred among themselves.

“What should we do with these men?” they asked each other. “We can’t deny that they have performed a miraculous sign, and everybody in Jerusalem knows about it. But to keep them from spreading their propaganda any further, we must warn them not to speak to anyone in Jesus’ name again.” So they called the apostles back in and commanded them never again to speak or teach in the name of Jesus.

But Peter and John replied, “Do you think God wants us to obey you rather than him? We cannot stop telling about everything we have seen and heard.”

The council then threatened them further, but they finally let them go because they didn’t know how to punish them without starting a riot. For everyone was praising God for this miraculous sign—the healing of a man who had been lame for more than forty years.

The Believers Pray for Courage

As soon as they were freed, Peter and John returned to the other believers and told them what the leading priests and elders had said. When they heard the report, all the believers lifted their voices together in prayer to God: “O Sovereign Lord, Creator of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them — you spoke long ago by the Holy Spirit through our ancestor David, your servant, saying,

‘Why were the nations so angry?
    Why did they waste their time with futile plans?
The kings of the earth prepared for battle;
    the rulers gathered together
against the Lord and against his Messiah.’

“In fact, this has happened here in this very city! For Herod Antipas, Pontius Pilate the governor, the Gentiles, and the people of Israel were all united against Jesus, your holy servant, whom you anointed. But everything they did was determined beforehand according to your will. And now, O Lord, hear their threats, and give us, your servants, great boldness in preaching your word. Stretch out your hand with healing power; may miraculous signs and wonders be done through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”

After this prayer, the meeting place shook, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit. Then they preached the word of God with boldness " Acts 4:1-31


I understand that today's reading is quite long. But it gives us a ton of detail and understanding into how the first church grew and flourished.

This lengthy passage came after Peter through the power of the Holy Spirit healed a known cripple outside the temple gate and right after Peter and John took this opportunity to teach about Jesus in the temple court.

It is interesting to note that after having Jesus killed, these religious leaders who tried to stop Jesus the Nazarene are now faced with having to deal with His followers who instead of cowering away in fear of being beaten up and killed themselves, are now coming out in public to continue doing what Jesus was doing, and teaching about Him and in His name.

So now, instead of dealing with just one man, they are now dealing with several, with the same spirit and boldness as the man they just hanged on a cross.

Not so much what they expected to happen, I'm sure.

For here, instead of the 'Jesus movement' being stopped in its tracks we read that there are up to 5,000 men who now believe in the message of Jesus Christ -- the goal being witnesses in the area, moving out, and into the ends of the earth.

Harvest

This alone proves what Jesus said about Himself that "unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit."

The church He had planted have now sprouted up and is now bearing fruit just mere days after He left them when He was taken up to heaven.

And no, it is not because the men He left behind were bible scholars, well-educated, rich and famous or charismatic leaders or excellent public speakers or mastered marketing, advertising, community organizing and events management, (of course these will help) but way above any of these, as we have seen, all they needed was having the power of God as they act and speak with authority after being infilled with the spirit of God.

And yes, being persecuted for what they believe in and continuing to meet with other believers, continuing to pray and continuing to praise His holy name, and continually being infilled by the Holy Spirit are the very hallmark of the church of Christ.

"So don’t be foolish, but understand what the Lord wants. Don’t get drunk on wine, which leads to wild living. Instead, be filled with the Spirit by reciting psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs for your own good. Sing and make music to the Lord with your hearts. Always thank God the Father for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ." Ephesians 5:17-20

Church is in Session

The Believers Are Filled with the Holy Spirit

"When Pentecost, the fiftieth day after Passover, came, all the believers were together in one place. Suddenly, a sound like a violently blowing wind came from the sky and filled the whole house where they were staying. Tongues that looked like fire appeared to them. The tongues arranged themselves so that one came to rest on each believer. All the believers were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages as the Spirit gave them the ability to speak.

Devout Jewish men from every nation were living in Jerusalem. They gathered when they heard the wind. Each person was startled to recognize his own dialect when the disciples spoke.

Stunned and amazed, the people in the crowd said, “All of these men who are speaking are Galileans. Why do we hear them speaking in our native dialects? We’re Parthians, Medes, and Elamites. We’re people from Mesopotamia, Judea, Cappadocia, Pontus, the province of Asia, Phrygia, Pamphylia, Egypt, and the country near Cyrene in Libya. We’re Jewish people, converts to Judaism, and visitors from Rome, Crete, and Arabia. We hear these men in our own languages as they tell about the miracles that God has done.”

All of these devout men were stunned and puzzled. They asked each other, “What can this mean?” Others said jokingly, “They’re drunk on sweet wine.” Acts 2:1-13


50 Days

Pentecost comes from the Greek word meaning 'fifty'. Pentecost is the 50th day after that last Passover meal Jesus shared with his closest followers, before being nailed to a cross.

On this fiftieth day, the "dawn" of the church made its first appearance. The "light" of this beginning was unmistakeable. Lots of people saw it happen with their own eyes.

Scriptures do say that Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Light. And this light became "visible" and was desribed as a "tongue-like fire". People who majored in the study of the scriptures parallels this with creation when God said, "let there be light."

This dawn, was also unmistakeable, because lots of people heard it happen, as a "fierce wind-like sound" preceded the light.

This again was likened to the dawn of creation where Scriptures record that in the beginning, the "Spirit of God" hovered over the waters. The Hebrew word for spirit translates to 'wind' and also to 'breath'.

Genesis records that God breathed the "breath of life" into the nostrils of (cosmic) dust that He had formed out of the ground (earth) to make humankind.

Earth, Wind, (Water) and Fire

So, as in the beginning (when God created the heavens and the earth), and mankind, He pretty much birthed the church the same way.

One "evidence" being after the church or the first believers, were filled with the Holy Spirit (the Spirit of God) they were able to do the "impossible" (Matthew 19:26) -- to instantly speak in different languages to be able to express God's goodness to the people around them, in their own native tongue.

Of course until this day, like what happened that very first day of the church (or the Body of Christ), they have been "misunderstood" and made fun of.

But such is human nature and human behavior. Nothing has changed and will ever change. Well unless they themselves have experienced being "filled with the Holy Spirit". Until then, these people will always be unable to understand and will make fun of, those who have understood or have an understanding, or as they say have "experiential knowledge".

Many of those who do not yet understand became 'fearful' of this "church". And like in any other time, these confused, ignorant and terrified people become bullies as they formed groups pushing their own or other people's viewpoint, agenda or belief system and often singling out these 'brainwashed' or uneducated/unsophisticated Christians.

But don't get any of them wrong. The same people they are making fun of, were very much like them themselves -- not knowing a thing about what was going on, not knowing any better and yes jeering at the sidelines, as they too were once outsiders, people standing from the outside and looking into a glass house filled with people who they did not understand, until the Spirit of God schooled them and let them in.

"For people who are stumbling toward ruin, the message of the cross is nothing but a tall tale for fools by a fool. But for those of us who are already experiencing the reality of being rescued and made right, it is nothing short of God’s power." 1 Corinthians 1:18

Beginning of the (New Kind of) Church

The Ascension of Jesus

"When he had led them out to the vicinity of Bethany, he lifted up his hands and blessed them. While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven. Then they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. And they stayed continually at the temple, praising God." Luke 24:50-53

Jesus Taken Up Into Heaven

"In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen. After his suffering, he presented himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God. On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”

Then they gathered around him and asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?”

He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight." Acts 1:1-9

40 Days

After Resurrection Sunday, the bible recorded that over 500 people have seen Jesus for the period that Jesus stayed before He ascended to heaven.

Prior to that fateful Sunday, Jesus told His followers that it was for their benefit that He was going away. Because He added that unless He does, the Holy Spirit will not come to them, the Holy Spirit will not be sent to them and will not come upon them. And if not, the church will not be built.

The church was thus first started not when Jesus came down, but after He was taken up into heaven.

How?

Before Jesus was taken up, His followers went to the temple daily, to meet with God and give Him honor.

After the promise that they will be "baptized with the Holy Spirit, they eventually stop coming to their old temples and old synagoues.

Temples of the Holy Spirit

Because as the apostle Paul wrote that they were the temple of the Holy Spirit, we, believers in Christ, are the church -- the temple of the Holy Spirit, the House where the Spirit of God dwells in.

Meaning, the Holy Spirit does not dwell (as people in the past have limited Him to) in structures made of stone, but within every believer. Because as Jesus told them, He will send the Holy Sprit to every believer after He left, leaving them not as orphans and without help.

Body of Christ

So since that time, the body of believers -- otherwise known as the body of Christ was and is the church.

Made up of all believers in Jesus Christ, the church started on that day of Pentecost -- that day which Jesus promised when the Holy Spirit first came upon the first believers (otherwise termed as baptized in the Spirit). And this is when they first became "witnesses in Jerusalem, in Judea, in Samaria, and continuing to this day, to the ends of the earth" (including the cyber world).

Jesus told Peter that the church will be built on this rock. Several different interpretations have been made because of this statement, and new extrapolations are still popping up.

But one thing we do know, Jesus is the Rock, and is the foundation, and the cornerstone and upon which the church is built, and is the Head. His believers, is the body. Apart from Him (or His Spirit), His followers can do nothing (even if they are or they think they are doing something).

All the Parts Make Up the Whole Body

Each member of this body of Christ, then until today, is an integral part, each is an individual part, and each having a unique role.

Paul said, in the body of Christ, God has appointed first apostles, next prophets, third teachers, then those who perform miracles, then those who have the gift of healing, then those who help others, those who are managers, and those who can speak in a number of languages, not because of their own strength but as the Holy Spirit enables.

Which Part Are You?

If you are part of this body of Christ, and in case you still do not know, you need to find out what your role is, and yes, when you do know, to do it.

Church before this consisted of a handful of "selected" people "lording" it over the multitude, who come together on their holy days to sit in the pews and essentially do nothing else but to feel good, give token semblance of gratitude and reverence, do lip service, perform their rituals, drop their donations or do their good deeds and then go back to their usual good old self when they leave the building. This is what we call as religion, or as detractors say "organized religion".

Jesus being taken up to heaven has done away with this old system -- of course not that some who still do or still think of church the old fashioned way are aware of anyway. Jesus actually abolished all their little churchy rules and regulations, plus their long list of dos and don'ts.

The Holy Spirit living in each believer has changed all these. Believers are changed from the inside out. And the process starts when both the mind and the heart have both understood and acknowledged what Jesus Christ has done for them and are assured, and are reassured daily, once baptized by His Spirit.


"For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, their work will be shown for what it is,because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work. If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward. If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved—even though only as one escaping through the flames." 1 Corinthians 3:11-15