2007 May « No Other Rock

Pentecostal Preaching

May 31, 2007 at 7:00 am | In Awake My Heart, Spirit | 1 Comment

But Peter . . . lifted up his voice. ~ Acts 2:14

First, I have to ask the question: What is Pentecostal Preaching?

I did a quick search, and I found an interview with George Wood on the Southwestern Assemblies of God University in which he says: “The first Pentecostal sermon preached by Peter was one that initiated a response. I think that Pentecostal preaching speaks with passion . . . There obviously is an edge in Pentecostal preaching if we’re honest and humble about it” .

In today’s devotion, Baxter talks about that sermon Peter gave. He mentions how Peter had very little in his favor in doing so. He was charging his audience with an awful guilt – that of having killed their Messiah. He was telling them the blood of the most heinous crime of all existence was on their hands.

And at the same time, he was championing a new faith – absent of secularized credentials. Peter had not been to seminary or prominent college. There were no traditions or “standards” to follow. At the same time, Peter was challenging a deep set prejudice – and all the fanatical Judaists were ready to sweep Peter away forever.

Finally, Peter appeared before his audience as an uncultivated and lesser civilized being at the risk of cheapening his message. He was not well groomed, nor did he don lavish attire. He was a simple man.

Yet Peter triumphed: “They were pricked in their heart . . . The same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls” (37,41).

All the way through, he was “filled with the Spirit.”

Today, my prayer for you and I is that we will allow ourselves to be filled with the Spirit and be confident that even we – our humble selves – can triumph for God’s will.

Aspects of Pentecost

May 30, 2007 at 7:00 am | In Awake My Heart, Pentecost | Leave a Comment

And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit. ~ Acts 2:4

”Dear Christian believer, are you living daily in the fullness of the Spirit? It is your redemptive right, your blood-bought prerogative. But as it was in the beginning, so is it today – there must be abdication of self-government, a complete abandonment to Christ, and a simple-hearted “laying hold” on the pledged infilling. At Pentecost the Spirit was poured out potentially upon the whole Church; but the fullness only becomes experience in those who thus appropriate it.”

Today, my prayer for you and I is that we will meditate on this message.

How the Spirit Came

May 29, 2007 at 7:00 am | In Awake My Heart, J. Sidlow Baxter | Leave a Comment

A rushing mighty wind . . . .cloven tongues like as of fire . . . ~ Acts 2:2,3

When our God beholds us there,
Pleading in the place of prayer,
Then the flag of truth prevails,
Foes slink black, and Satan Quails.
Bring us, Lord, yea keep us there,
Where we learn prevailing prayer.
~ J. Sidlow Baxter

Today, my prayer for you and I is that we will learn prevailing prayer.

Significant Circumstances

May 28, 2007 at 7:00 am | In Awake My Heart, Bible, Christ, Christian, Devotions, God, atonement | Leave a Comment

With one accord in one place. ~ Acts 2:1

Can you recall a time in which you did not know about prayer? I mean, even when I was an itty bitty kiddy – I knew that we prayer to God. Sure, I was not sophisticated in my prayers – and I wasn’t exactly encouraged by family members to pray – but I did.

Not always, but I did sometimes.

I think I have prayed more each year since I became a Christian in 1995. Surely I have prayer more since then than I did before that.

I bring this up because of one statement Baxter makes in today’s devotion:

“Also, for the first time in history, they were practicing the unique kind of prayer which Jesus had taught them, i.e. prayer “in thy Name” (John 16:24) . . . God was no longer just a vast, baffling infinity.”

How lucky we are to have this knowledge and the “instruction manual” for God-centered living! Could you imagine not having it? Could you imagine how incomplete life might be without having a true idea of your salvation?

Today, my prayer for you and I is that we will show gratitude for God’s Word by studying it and living it.

Write the Name of the Day

May 27, 2007 at 7:00 am | In Awake My Heart, Christ-Sightings, atonement | Leave a Comment

And when the day of Pentecost was fully come . . . ~ Acts 2:1

I am going to tell you more about my dream I had.

After the wind stopped – I somehow ended up at some sort of safe-house that survived the tornado. There were a handful of others and I had a feeling probably much like the folks on the television show, Jerhico, when they realized that nothing would ever be the same again.

There was fear for survival, hope that loved ones were still alive and concern that things were going to get worse.

As I was there, I started to talk with the man who grabbed hold of the stone upon my urging. He seemed gracious – but I cannot recall any of the conversation. Then, we were interrupted by a young woman – whom I had known only briefly in junior high school. She made fun of me for something stupid her first week after moving from another school system and I pretty much never liked her even as a person much after that. I am sure the feeling was mutual on her part, but I have no idea.

Anywho, in the dream, she came up and said “Hi, I’m ____ _____.” I said, “Yeah. I know who you are.”

As much as I wanted to tell her how much her snobbish comment hurt me and angered me, I just smiled politely.

Does this dream have to do with today’s devotion? Certainly yesterday’s portion could have been easily connected. But this one really does not apply until you review the last paragraph of the devotion:

I would not seem over-dogmatic on this, but I think it true that our individual experience of the Spirit’s infilling usually begins with a “day of Pentecost” in the soul, when in utter yieldedness to Christ, by faith we appropriate it. This is usually some time after conversion. Dear Christian, have you had your “day of Pentecost”?

Today, my prayer for you and I is that we will meditate on our “day of Pentecost”.

Invasion From Heaven!

May 26, 2007 at 7:00 am | In Awake My Heart, Christ-Sightings, God, Providence, Serving the Lord, Spirit, faith, purpose | Leave a Comment

Suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing and might wind. ~ Acts 2:2

I want to tell you about a dream I had the night before last.

I really don’t know the circumstance, but I was riding in a full size train car with every single one of my possessions. This train was seemingly endless, and for all the distance, there were others just like me. They were in their car with their possessions.

It was really quite crazy. All the cars were black and the track zigzagged and swirled for as far as the eye could see. There was no visible engine and I had no idea where this thing was leading.

And then, without warning, a violent wind ripped through the land. Without a second thought, I lunged from my car and tried to find a ditch somewhere off the track because I was certain it was a massive tornado. My only thought was that all my “stuff” was long gone, but I had to stay grounded and hope that a black train car didn’t land on me.

The wind was fierce and scary (one of the few times I can ever recall being scared in a dream). luckily, I was able to grasp onto a circular garden stepping stone – the type that sell for about $1.50 in the lawn and garden area at most retail stores. It was a little pebble in comparison to the terrifying wind – but I was calm in gripping it.

I shouted to the guy who was riding in the car behind me. He was a total stranger and visibly panic-stricken. I say that there were many other circular stones along the path of the track. I shouted for him to grab hold of one – and he did. I saw him regain composure and felt good that we would make it through.

Just then, a though was placed in my head . . . “Now. Aren’t you glad you planted those stones there?”

Whoa!

“Today, my prayer for you and I is that we will forget about our stuff and plant living stones to save others.”

Experiential Christianity

May 25, 2007 at 7:00 am | In Awake My Heart, Christ-Sightings, Christian, religion | Leave a Comment

The love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit. ~ Romans 5:5

Often, we think of being a Christian as being a belief system. But really, it is an experience. Sure, we have our belief’s, but they in fact drive our experiences. Through open our hearts to the experiences that are provided by the Holy Spirit.

I can think of countless times in which I have seen, felt and even sensed God’s presence. I have witnessed events and actions that can only have been provided by God. In fact, I am living today because of God’s Grace.

Dear Christian, let me ask you: Are you living in this heart-enrapturing experience? Do you at least enjoy recurrences of it, when released from nagging work-day obligations? Note three things about those first disciples: First, they loved the place of prayer (Acts 1:14). Second, they were in “one accord” (14)- no grudges, place-seeking, or cruel gossip! Third, they really believed the promise, “Ye shall be immersed in the Holy Spirit. (5).

Today, my prayer for you and I is that we will experience our Christianity.

The Heaven-Sent Paraclete

May 24, 2007 at 7:00 am | In Awake My Heart, Holy Spirit | Leave a Comment

When the Comforter is come . . . ~ John 15:26

How do you describe the Holy Spirit?

Hmm…that’s a tough one. Well, whatever descriptors you’ve used in the past, I wonder if “paraclete” has ever been among them.

But that’s what Jesus used. The meaningful title, Parakletos, is translated to Comforter and means “One called alongside to help.”

Okay, that makes sense. The Holy Spirit is alongside to help us. But what about in our own lives? Does the Holy Spirit live within us and compel us to become paracletes to others?

Today, my prayer for you and I is that we will meditate on this idea.

The Spirit is Speaking

May 23, 2007 at 7:00 am | In Awake My Heart, Prayer | Leave a Comment

He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. ~ Revelations 3:22

Baxter points out that the unsaved cannot hear because they are spiritually deaf. He further points out that what is even more sad is the fact that many of us Christian believers often do not listen even though we can Him.

When I read this, the phrase or idea of “Spiritual Attention Deficit Disorder” (SADD) immediately came to mind. With all that is going on in the world today, has God’s word become little more to us than the television that is on for “background noise”? Is God’s words – His personal messages to each of us – being drowned out by iPods, television, Internet radio, the neighbors working on their deck next door, the kids shouting as they run in and out of the house . . .

Certainly information and stimulation overload is not a new thing . . . but have we diminished the relevance of God in our lives due to our own Spiritual ADD?

Today, my prayer for you and I is that we will tune out everything else a little more so we can tune into God’s word.