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Something Different
June 19, 2020
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"WHAT IN THE WORLD?!!!"
I find myself saying it or thinking it several times a day. For months I've been in deep prayer and focused meditation so that I might discern just a tiny bit of what God is doing right now. I don't have a lot of answers, but I do have clear instructions for how to live out each day as a person of faith during this time. As Christians, we should behave and think in a way that is noticeably different and shines light and love.
After the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, we enter the book commonly known as "Acts" written by Luke. The formal name is "Acts of The Apostles" for all you Bible nerds like me. Despite the title, the book isn't so much about the acts of the apostles but even more about Jesus as the Church is established in his physical absence. The apostles were acting in the name of Jesus and powered by the Holy Spirit. We can learn a lot from "Acts" right now...Let's start with something simple.
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But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
Acts 1:8 NLT
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Almighty God, Our Father, give us Holy Ghost power to be light in darkness and to love in the face of hate. Heal our bodies. Heal our minds. Heal our nation. Amen!
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How do we represent Jesus right now? How do we influence the culture to be more like Him? How do we remain salt and light in the billowy smoke of tear gas and television that desires to bend our thoughts and behavior to their side— left or right?
You Have Power
After being raised from the dead, Jesus tells the disciples in Acts 1:8 that they will receive power. The Holy Spirit powers us to live out the teachings of our faith. There is a specific and noticeable difference in us once we meet Jesus.
My Holy Ghost power sometimes comes in the form of courage and boldness to communicate truth about something. It's usually something I'd rather not even think about so my hands and heart shake in the moment. My Jesus superpower is the ability to TRULY love and forgive those who hate or harmed me by building relationships with them that glorify God. I've rebuilt relationships that astound the people around me who say, "I don't know how you do it." Forgiving people that never apologized or loving people that have no idea that we know what they've said about us... That's God! That's Power!
What specific power has the Holy Spirit given you? Think about a time when you acted and you knew "That was all God!"
You Have Something Different
Most of us recently watched "The Last Dance" on ESPN about the 1990s Bulls. I learned a lot about Michael Jordan from the documentary and can tell you many things about him. However, I don't know MJ. If we don't know what's different about us since we encountered Jesus then we may need to spend time with God thinking about it. When did it happen? How? Perhaps maybe we've never actually met Jesus, we've only heard about Him from other people who know him...kind of like most of us with MJ.
I have a long list of things that are different about me since I met Jesus for myself. However, one big one is that I realize I should care about the faith walk of others—not causing my brother to stumble or offending someone with my actions, even if I'm not wrong. Example: I don't have Rose' with Christians who believe it's wrong to drink wine; I'm more cognizant of my style choices as to not offend other with my bags, jewelry or clothes. I try to embrace "modesty" when I'm not at home. (I get a few rebukes on IG posts from the backyard, but not many.)
What's different about you since you met Jesus? Think about specific things that you changed just because you learned more about what Jesus taught.
Other People Should See it
"I don't know how you do it!" That's what people tell me. These reactions and others let us know that our behavior is not common. It gives us a chance to talk about our faith in Jesus and explain our belief in His teachings for our daily lives. Powerful things happen when we share our faith with actions more than words.
"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." - Acts 4:13
Let's have conversations in love that involve listening as much as talking so we might be recognized as people who have been with Jesus.
Let's extend grace to those who are making unconscious mistakes because they don't know any better helping them recognize us as people who have been with Jesus.
Let's be bold about seeking justice for all so the nation can recognize us as people who have been with Jesus.
Let's be relentless in our pursuit to love and forgive so that we can be recognized as people who have been with Jesus.
Pray. Read Your Bible. Love. Vote. Wash Your Hands. Drink Water. Get Some Rest. I love you.
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Self-Care Tip for the Times:
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Each afternoon I run my essential oils aromatherapy diffuser for 45 minutes while I eat a spinach-based lunch for magnesium that has positive effect on serotonin and mood. e.g. spinach salad with different proteins, smoothie with spinach, spinach sautéed with protein, etc.
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