disciples

Power from Heaven [Excerpt by Jim Cymbala]

 

Excerpt from Jim Cymbala's book Spirit Rising: Tapping into the Power of the Holy Spirit.

 

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When critical situations arise and I come to the end of my abilities, I deeply feel my inadequacy. Something more is needed. But more of what? Not more praise and worship choruses — I know tons of those. Not a better translation of the Bible. Do I need a degree in counseling? No, most of all I need power from heaven…

 

If we don't have access to spiritual power, how can we accomplish what needs to be done? Power to overcome sin. Power to overcome spiritual enemies that attack us. Power to endure hardship and affliction. Power to witness. Power to speak. Power to pray. Isn't more spiritual power probably the greatest need we have today?

 

The Holy Spirit in Luke 3:22

[The Holy Spirit appeared "like a dove" at the baptism of Jesus (Luke 3:22).]

It's interesting that the risen Christ's final words before his ascension concerned spiritual power. "I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high" (Luke 24:49, emphasis added [also see Acts 1:8]). It was as if Jesus looked down the corridors of time and knew that even having the right gospel message wouldn't be enough. We would face so many such obstacles from satanic strongholds that we would never evangelize the world effectively without the power that only the Spirit can impart…

 

A Surprising Command to the Apostles

[Jesus] told them to do the exact opposite of what they were inclined to do…

Think about the situation the disciples were in [after the resurrection]. They had been with Jesus who had risen from the dead. And for the first time, they finally understood the meaning of the sacrifice he made on the cross, the blood that was shed for the remission of all sins. They had seen the nail marks in his hands. They had seen him ascend into heaven. Imagine how badly they must have wanted to tell people about what they saw! Think of the excitement when they finally understood the good news. They felt the desperate spiritual state of those in Judea, Samaria, and Galilee, as well as the rest of the world. Let's start this evangelizing business right now, they must have thought. Let's get the message out. We're wasting valuable time.

We might even think that Jesus would agree with that kind of thinking. That he'd say, "Okay, now that you've seen the nail marks and you know I'm alive, go out and preach the message!" But he didn't. He told them to do the exact opposite of what they were inclined to do. Jesus told them to wait…

The Holy Spirit was sent to accomplish many divine purposes, but at the top of the list was the empowering of God's people to reach the world with the gospel of Christ…

A Key to the Power Source

Whenever we are determined to help the spiritually blind see & to set the oppressed free, we can prayerfully expect the Holy Spirit to work in power as promised by Jesus.

If we lose sight of God's heart of love for the world — including our own cities and neighborhoods — we will experience little of the Spirit's power, since we are on a different page than our Lord is on. But whenever we reach out with purpose to share the good news of salvation through Christ; whenever we are determined to help the spiritually blind see and to set the oppressed free, we can prayerfully expect the Holy Spirit to work in power as promised by Jesus.

– Jim Cymbala


Q: Which is easier to rely on: the Spirit's power, or your own? I'd love to see your comments.

-Adam Forrest, Zondervan

 

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(Image & some styling above are web-exclusive features not included in the text of Spirit Rising. Image attribution: Gian Lorenzo Bernini, Dove of the Holy Spirit (ca. 1660, alabaster, Throne of St. Peter, St. Peter's Basilica, Vatican). This post does not represent the views of Zondervan or any of its representatives. The writer's personal opinions are shared only for information purposes. To receive new Zondervan Blog posts in your reader or email inbox, subscribe to Zondervan Blog.)

 

 

Then, on Sunday…

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The King Who Washes Grimy Feet [Excerpt by Philip Yancey]

 

Excerpt from The Jesus I Never Knew eBook by Philip Yancey.


There were many surprises in store for the disciples that evening [of the Last Supper] as they moved through the Passover ritual…

 

In the garb of a slave, [Jesus] bent over and washed the grime of Jerusalem from the disciples’ feet.

As I read John’s account, I keep coming back to a peculiar incident that interrupts the progress of the meal. “Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power,” John begins with a flourish and then adds this incongruous completion: “so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist.” In the garb of a slave, he then bent over and washed the grime of Jerusalem from the disciples’ feet.

What a strange way for the guest of honor to act during a final meal with his friends. What incomprehensible behavior from a ruler who would momentarily announce, “I confer on you a kingdom.” In those days, foot washing was considered so degrading that a master could not require it of a Jewish slave. Peter blanched at the provocation.

 

His own disciples were almost horrified by [Jesus's] behavior.

The scene of the foot washing stands out to author M. Scott Peck as one of the most significant events of Jesus’ life. “Until that moment the whole point of things had been for someone to get on top, and once he had gotten on top to stay on top or else attempt to get farther up. But here this man already on top — who was rabbi, teacher, master — suddenly got down on the bottom and began to wash the feet of his followers. In that one act Jesus symbolically overturned the whole social order. Hardly comprehending what was happening, even his own disciples were almost horrified by his behavior.”

 

Later that same evening a dispute arose among the disciples as to which of them was considered to be greatest. Pointedly, Jesus did not deny the human instinct of competition and ambition. He simply redirected it: “the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves.” That is when he proclaimed, “I confer on you a kingdom” — a kingdom, in other words, based on service and humility. In the foot washing, the disciples had seen a living tableau of what he meant. Following that example has not gotten any easier in two thousand years…

“Behold the man!” Pilate cried [the next day]. Behold the best example yet of humanity.

Jesus Washes Peter's Feet

Jesus washes Peter’s feet.

-Philip Yancey

 

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Question for Discussion: How do you feel when you picture Christ washing his disciples’ feet? Confusion, awe, disgust? Something else?

- Adam Forrest, Zondervan


(Images & some styling above are web-exclusive features not included in the text of Jesus I Never Knew eBook. Image attribution: by Ford Madox Brown, 1856. Public Domain, via Wikimedia Commons and courtesy Tate Museum. This post does not represent the views of Zondervan or any of its representatives. The writer’s personal opinions are shared only for information purposes. To receive new Zondervan Blog posts in your reader or email inbox, subscribe to Zondervan Blog.)

 

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Disciples of Distraction: Reflecting on Technology, Hope and Despair

 

The annual January Series of Calvin College in Zondervan's hometown of Grand Rapids, MI, is a delight for anyone excited by the intersection of faith and culture.

If you're intrigued by how technology transforms our behavior and brains, this year's January Series boasted a special treat. The presentation delivered by Sherry Turkle, MIT professor and clinical psychologist, was called "Alone Together: Why We Expect More from Technology and Less from Each Other." (The lecture was related to Prof. Turkle's book of the same name.)

While I was not able to attend the presentation, Zondervan author Mike Wittmer was there, and he published an excellent summary of Turkle's points on his blog. I found this point particularly stirring:

[Turkle says] People who must constantly check their phone for new messages say that their mobile device feels like a place of hope. They desperately want the message they find there to make their lives interesting.

[Wittmer adds] This reminds me of what the medieval Christians called sloth. Sloth … is the sin of distraction, which is rooted in despair. Is it a coincidence that our Age of Distraction is also an Age of Despair?

People see their mobile device as a place of hope? I have felt a little tingle of hope before logging on to Facebook, and my shoulders slumped whenever new activity failed to deliver whatever abstract commodity I was looking for. I didn't think I was looking for sources of hope and joy, but I think that was (at least part of) my motivation.

 

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But before we all throw our iPhones on a pyre, let's remember some salient points from Tim Challies's recent book on  technology, The Next Story:

"[It] is not the technology itself that is good or evil; it is the human application of that technology."

"Rather than changing the technology to fit our understanding of what is right and wrong, we change ourselves and our society's rules and mores, and we reshape ourselves in the image of the mobile phone."

"That iPhone in your pocket is not an 'evil' device. Yet it is prone to draw your heart away from God, to distract you and enable you to rely on your own abilities rather than trusting God."

"Our task, then, is not to avoid technology but to carefully evaluate it, redeem it, and ensure that we are using it with the right motives and for the right goals."

From the 50-some pages I've read of Challies' The Next Story, it's valuable for helping us see how our favorite technologies affect us. (That's just my opinion. You can read an excerpt of The Next Story on Scribd.)

What do you think about all of this?

Are you more distracted, or less distracted, than you were ten years ago?

Mike Wittmer reminds us that medieval Christians linked distraction to despair. Do you think despair is a motivation behind some of your technology habits?

 

More about Tim Challies & The Next Story

A pastor, speaker, and author, Tim Challies (@challies) is a pioneer in the Christian blogosphere. Over 20,000 people visit Challies.com each day, making it one of the most widely read and recognized Christian blogs in the world. Tim is also the editor of DiscerningReader.com, a site dedicated to offering thoughtful reviews of books that are of interest to Christians. Tim is the author of The Discipline of Spiritual Discernment and Sexual Detox. (Learn more about Challies's books and eBooks.)

 

More about Mike Wittmer

Michael Wittmer is professor of systematic and historical theology at Grand Rapids Theological Seminary, and his books for Zondervan include Heaven is a Place on Earth: Why Everything Matters to God, and Don't Stop Believing: Why Living Like Jesus Is Not Enough. Visit his blog at mikewittmer.wordpress.com.

 

Hear author Gabe Lyons & N.T. Wright at the January Series 2012

Listen to these Zondervan authors' presentations live-stream online:

 

(This post does not represent the views of Zondervan or any of its representatives. The writer's opinions are their own, and are shared for information purposes only. To receive new blogposts in your reader or email inbox, subscribe to Zondervan Blog.)

 

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