April 09, 2014–Knowing The Truth

April 8, 2014 By

Day 30: Acts 19:23–20:6

Ron and Nancy MillsOur reading today starts out talking about “no small stir.” We discover that the “stir” referred to was caused because of the love of money. Regardless of what was said, the love of money was the root cause! Listen to what Scripture teaches about this.

People who want to be rich bring temptations to themselves. They are caught in a trap. They begin to want many foolish things that will hurt them. These things ruin and destroy people. The love of money causes all kinds of evil. Some people have turned away from what we believe because they want to get more and more money. But they have caused themselves a lot of pain and sorrow. But you belong to God. So you should stay away from all those things. Always try to do what is right, to be devoted to God, and to have faith, love, patience, and gentleness. (1Timothy 6:9:-11)

I want to be clear here. There is nothing evil about having money. The problem comes when the desire for money perverts our judgment from doing right, to doing whatever is necessary to acquire financial gain.

We examine the stir and discover that a silversmith is offended because former idolaters are turning to Christ, and destroying their idols. This is putting a crimp in his prosperous trade. His solution is to rile up his fellow “craftsmen” who would also suffer financial loss if people turned from idolatry. They then transferred their dismay at financial loss into a “righteous indignation” that the Goddess Diana and her temple would suffer loss of popularity. Now this is possibly a cause that they can rally support for, and get rid of those religious fanatics who were causing a downturn in their business in the first place.

It is not uncommon for the enemy to use subtle means to attempt to bring discredit to those who would promote the gospel. It is also not uncommon for people to fall for these deceptions.

We read on to discover that the resulting riot brought widespread confusion into the city of Ephesus. Please note 1 Corinthians 14:33:  “God is not the author of confusion, but of peace.” Whenever we see confusion, we should recognize that Satan or his agents are at work to bring discredit to an authentic work of the Spirit of God.

This confusion, and riot in Ephesus was settled only when the city clerk began to calmly address the issues of the day. He pointed out the realities, the truth. Accusations levied against the disciples of Christ were untrue. No law of Ephesus had been violated. He brought the focus back to the disgruntled craftsmen who had experienced a downturn in business. Let them, if they have a just matter, bring it through the proper channels, and address it there. Meanwhile, we are in danger of being held to account for our own actions this day. Then he dismissed the assembly.

How lovely if we all could address false accusation and injustice in such a simple manner! My friends, it is incumbent upon each of us to view the “causes” brought to our attention, the requests and demands for action, and to examine the legitimacy of the matter.  Fortunately we have an advocate. He is Holy Spirit, known as the Spirit of Truth, and He has promised to guide us in all truth and to teach us all things. Jesus said in John 16:13 that “when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth.” In John 14:26 we are told He will teach us all things.

We need to know truth. My prayer is that we would not respond to “causes”, but we would respond to truth. As we learn the truth, it has the power to set us free from the bondage of deception.

Filed Under: Ron Mills

April 08, 2014–A Church with Power

April 7, 2014 By

Day 29: Acts 19:1-22

Darren & Lydia Mar. 2014In this way the word of the Lord spread widely and grew in power. (v. 20)

I love this one line.  It says so much.  If you read the preceding passages of Scripture you will read how handkerchiefs that touched Paul were sent to the sick and the demon-possessed and they were healed and set free.

And then there is the story of the seven sons of Sceva the high priest that were casting out demons in the name of Jesus invoking Paul as his servant.  They get beaten up and storm out of the place where they were doing this naked.  This invoked such fear of God over the people that they started to come to Christ casting their demonic sorcery scrolls into the fires.

It was a supernatural church, the early church, and it grew because it was a church that had power.  When people begin to hear such stories of power being released they are drawn.  People don’t want some watered down religion.  They want to know that the God that they serve is more powerful than any other God.

Just last night I had a vision.  In it I am sitting on a city bus listening to this son of the devil proselytizing some sitting near him.  I strolled up beside him and said to those he was speaking to, “Does anyone need healing in their bodies here?”  One of them said, “Yes.”  I said to the false priest, “Pray for him in the name of your God for healing.”  This guy began to conjure up and put himself into a trance, but nothing happened.  The man did not get healed.

I then said, “Can I pray for you?”

He said, “Yes.”

I prayed a simple prayer and the man got healed.  His face said it all.  You could see the joy in his face to be relieved of a pain that had been there so long.

The false preacher lost his authority to speak in that moment because of the demonstration of the Spirit.  He got off the bus at the next stop and was seen no more.  I then noticed a new ministry beginning in the spot where that healing took place.  People started to come to me to receive prayer and prophetic words.

The Kingdom will advance when we believe in the power of the word of God.  When there is a demonstration of the Spirit and when people are touched by that power, then ministry will become more effective.  Ministries will be born in the place where God’s power is demonstrated.

When we press in for such a demonstration, the effect of it can last for generations.  My own family became what we are today because in the 1960’s my grandmother was healed of cancer.  The sound of that healing touched many people in her region and certainly touched her entire family.  When a demonstration of the power takes place, it is hard to deny the power of God.

I pray that you too will encounter the power of God and that you will walk in that power to see many lives touched in your life and communities.

Filed Under: Pastor Darren Canning

April 07, 2014–The Ministry of Correction

April 7, 2014 By

Day 28: Acts 18:1-28

The Sams in IsraelYou really have to give Aquila and Priscilla a lot if credit for what they did with Apollos.

Credit for their courage. Credit for their caring. Credit for their correction.

First, for their courage.  Let’s remember the context of this incident. Apollos is the guest preacher in Ephesus. He is a teacher and a good one at that–an eloquent man mighty in the Scriptures…he spoke and taught accurately the things of The Lord…he began to speak boldly in the synagogue.” (vs. 25-26)

It takes courage to correct the guest minister at your church, doesn’t it? Aquila and Priscilla realized that Apollos knew only the baptism of John. In other words, he was teaching that baptism was only for repentance. He was not familiar with baptism in the name of Jesus. He certainly had not experienced the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

Clearly, he needed to know the complete truth.  You see, there was nothing wrong with the rest of his teaching, as we see in v. 28:”He vigorously refuted the Jews publicly, showing from the Scriptures that Jesus is the Christ.” However, there was a gap in his theology that Aquila and Priscilla promptly filled with their correction.

This is why I applaud them for having the courage to correct Apollos.

Secondly, for their caring, which is evident in the way they corrected him. “They took him aside and explained to him the way off God more accurately.” (V. 26)

They took him aside.  They did not correct him in public.  They did not embarrass him in front of the congregation. They did it in a private setting.

Here is a cardinal rule that we would do well to follow: Praise in public, correct in private. Sadly, in many instances, the exact opposite happens. Praise, if it is offered at all, is often done behind the scenes. (“We don’t want it to get to your head, you know!”) Correction often happens in front of everybody.  The one who is corrected is often humiliated. Those observing want to crawl under the rug.  And no one is edified.

Aquila and Priscilla cared enough to correct in private, as Jesus taught us in Matthew 18:15.  They deserve our applause.

Thirdly, they are to be commended for choosing to correct.  They could have shied away from confrontation and possible conflict by saying nothing. But too much was at stake. On two fronts.

On the one hand, the Ephesian Church needed to know the whole truth, which went beyond the baptism of repentance. On the other hand, Apollos, who had so many other gifts that could be used by God in evangelizing the Jews, needed to proclaim the complete gospel, which included baptism in the name of Jesus and the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

Aquila and Priscilla took the risk of offending him or hurting his feelings. They did not go the route of avoiding potential conflict. They cared enough to confront and convict.  They deserve our applause.

Having commended Aquila and Priscilla for their ministry of correction, we also need to applaud Apollos for receiving the correction in humility.  Because of his willingness to be corrected, “when he desired to cross to Achaia, the brethren wrote, exhorting the disciples to receive him.” (V. 27). Another door of ministry opened up for Apollos as a result.

Dear friend, there are times when you will find yourself in the position of Apollos, needing to be corrected.  Will you be humble enough to receive correction?

On other occasions, you will be called to offer the ministry of correction.  Will you, like, Aquila and Priscilla, correct with courage and with caring?

I hope and pray that you will.

 

 

Filed Under: Pastor Jeeva Sam

April 06, 2014–Finding Opportunities

April 5, 2014 By

Day 27: Acts 17:16-34

Ron and Nancy MillsIn verse 16, we find Paul being stirred in his spirit due to the idolatry he witnesses in Athens. One characteristic of a true disciple of Christ is that they are concerned about the world they live in. It is not acceptable to be satisfied with the status quo! The world around us is desperately lost – whether they know it or not. It is our responsibility to help, if we possibly can.

This is the spot Paul is in as he views the city life around him. The next verse begins with: “Therefore.” This tells us that as a result of his concerns Paul positioned himself in strategic locations to begin “discussions” with those who may be interested, in order to address those concerns.

Paul did not shake his head and walk away! His concern activated a response to see if he could make a difference. Ultimately, people came by who became curious as to what Paul had to share and a great window of opportunity was opened to him to reach many in the city. Not everyone who heard Paul agreed with him, or accepted his message – BUT SOME DID!

Now all this happened while Paul was “waiting” for Timothy and Silas to arrive in Athens!

I have often heard people say that they are waiting for opportunity to show up that enables them to make a difference. I’m reminded of the Thomas Jefferson quote: “I’m a great believer in luck, and I find that the harder I work, the more I have of it.”

Opportunities do come upon us unexpectedly at times. But more often than not they are made or opened up when we are looking for them. This is how Paul’s opportunity arose! To him, Athens looked like a city completely taken over by idolatry, and Paul noticed a statue having an inscription “To the unknown God”. Paul took it upon himself to give this unknown god an identity, and discovered hungry people ready to meet a Saviour.

Not everyone we speak to will accept our message, but some will. We cannot presume that our labour is in vain. We must not believe that the sharing of the gospel is a waste of time. The gospel is powerful and Holy Spirit is always near to help us.

I remember one time having spoken to a particular person about my faith, and he just wasn’t interested. He wasn’t rude, but he was clear that my message was unwelcome. At a much later date, I learned he was in the hospital, and the next day while driving down the road, the Lord spoke very clearly to me to visit him, and to do it that very day! Nancy was with me, and it was our anniversary. We had made plans for the day, and while it was possible to rearrange things, it was a little inconvenient. I spoke to Nancy right away (in the car) and told her what I believed the Lord was saying, and that tomorrow was not an option–it would be too late.  That is what I believed I had heard from the Lord.

Nancy graciously advised me to do as I felt led. I visited the gentleman in the hospital, and he welcomed me. We spoke of the Lord and the plan of salvation, and he accepted Jesus Christ as his own personal Saviour. I was overjoyed at the turnaround in his position. The next afternoon I learned that he had passed away at 6:00 am, just a few hours after discovering the joy of sins forgiven.

My friend’s change in health presented a new and different opportunity.

Opportunities are all around us. Ask Holy Spirit to help you see and take advantage of the ones that are around you.

Filed Under: Ron Mills

April 05, 2014–Two kinds of Responses to Preaching

April 4, 2014 By

Day 26: Acts 17:1-15

Darren & Lydia Mar. 2014Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true. (Acts 17:11)

This is a beautiful passage of Scripture.  I love the thought that there is a congregation out there that receives the message being preached and then spends the next days and hours searching Scripture to determine the orthodoxy of what has been said.

This sure beats preaching to the people who don’t receive the word, who do not test it and who tell you that you are from the devil.  This happens just as often in ministry.  We must forgive them, of course, and move on.

This passage of scripture highlights the two kinds of people you will preach to: the ones that will accept the word you have from the Lord and the ones that will not.

You will often encounter these two sorts in the same room.  Recently I have had a lot of detractors: people who are not impressed with my message at all.  Many of them get up and walk out of meetings.  In fact, I sort of count this as a sign that my meeting is progressing according to the spirit.

I was in a meeting filled with demonic activity recently.  There was a great darkness over many of the lives of the people in the room.  I could sense this but could also see it in the blank and angry stares on many of the faces.

When time came for ministry only a few people responded and most of them were my friends who felt that they needed to help me out.  The rest of the room was not budging.  God began to move a little and some people were healed, but not a lot.  And then this one woman from among their own congregation came forward and got healed and then others started to come.  About 6 or 7 people in this congregation got healed.  It was indeed a breakthrough.  I could see the light of God’s countenance on the faces of these precious ones.

And yet, as I was leaving this meeting there were those who were completely opposed to me.  You could feel it like a dark cloud above them as I walked by.  They would not speak to me or say goodbye.

We will experience those that want to hang us and those who think we are God’s angels.  The line dividing these two camps is drawn through the preaching of the word and the sharing of our testimony.  Those that are of the Spirit will be drawn to us and those that are of another spirit, or in the flesh, will want nothing to do with us.  The more we preach Jesus and the good news and tell people what He is doing, the more we will see the dividing of the camp.

We preach to bring liberty to these dear ones.  Our message is vindicated by their lives being healed and by them being set free.  When I see peace enter their hearts, when I see them cry tears of deliverance, when I see their families getting touched by the power of God and when I see joy in their expressions, it is all worth the battle fought.

I pray that you too will see clearly and preach.  May God help you as you move out in the work of ministry.  May God open your eyes to discern what is going on in the Spirit and may you win a harvest of souls into the kingdom.

Filed Under: Pastor Darren Canning

April 04, 2014–In the Wake of the Quake

April 3, 2014 By

Day 25: Acts 16:19-40

The Sams in IsraelAt midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were loosed. (Acts 16:25-26)

Did you hear about the recent earthquake in Chile that measured 8.2 on the Richter scale? Thankfully, the loss of life and damage to property was minimal, considering the magnitude of the quake. However, there was one unexpected consequence that caught everyone off guard.

It was reported that the earthquake caused all doors to be opened at a women’s prison in Iquique and all 293 inmates escaped.

The connection with the earthquake in today’s reading could not be ignored. An earthquake hits a prison in Philippi nearly 2000 years ago. Another one hits a prison in Chile earlier this week. The result is the same. No prisoner is held by chains anymore. Every one of them is free. In the case of Philippi, none escaped. In Chile, they all escaped.

What preceded the earthquake in Philippi? Prayer and Praise by Paul and Silas. Having just suffered a severe beating with rods, experiencing excruciating pain, they choose not to cry or complain about their predicament. They lift up their eyes to heaven, focus on Jesus and offer a sacrifice of prayer and praise.

Anyone in Paul and Silas’ condition would have prayed any one of the following prayers:

“O God, please look upon your servants with favour.”

“O God, please make this pain go away.”

“O God, please send an angel to get us out of here as you did for Peter.”

But, Paul and Silas do not stop with prayer alone. They add praise. And, all of a sudden, great power is released. The earthquake follows.

Notice that “the foundations of the prison were shaken” as a result of the earthquake. Not only were Paul and Silas now free from their chains, but so were the rest of the prisoners.

That, my friends, is the power of prayer and praise—a very potent combination.

This power is so great that it does not simply set individuals free, it shakes the very foundation of the structure that keeps them bound. When the foundation is compromised, the structure comes tumbling down.

When we began this 40 Day Fast, it was with a dual purpose. Firstly that our hearts would become more like that of our Father whose will is that “none should perish” (2 Peter 3:9).  Secondly, to quote Lou Engle: “Prayer is the Air Force that softens the enemy defenses for the ground troops to move in and take the land.” In other words, we pray that Holy Spirit will soften the hearts of those who have not yet made Jesus the Lord and Saviour of their lives, so that they will be ready to surrender their lives to Jesus when they encounter a member of the ground troops.

The magnitude of the Great Harvest which is about to be reaped is so huge that territory will be taken in large chunks. It is not only individual conversations and corporate gatherings that will result in conversions.

But, like the earthquake in Philippi, the very foundations of the structures that keep people bound and blind to the truth will be shaken.  Watch for the present scientific presuppositions that declare many addictions to be “diseases” or “unalterable conditions” to simply crumble in the very near future. We too will see “prisoners” set free in very large numbers at one time.

What are you and I called to contribute to this coming harvest? If Paul & Silas’ example is any indication, we too are called to simply add Praise to Prayer. The power that is released from heaven when this happens is nothing short of earth-shaking and the results will be earth-shattering!

Will you do your part? I hope so. I pray so. Let it be so. Amen.

Filed Under: Pastor Jeeva Sam

April 03, 2014–Being Led by the Spirit

April 2, 2014 By

Day 24: Acts 16:1-18   

Ron and Nancy MillsAs we go through our readings day by day, we discover that the primary factor in determining the “acts” of the believers during this time period was the direction provided by the Lord.

Sometimes direction came through angelic communication, visions, “a voice”, miraculous interventions, sometimes because a considered action “seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us”. The phrases “led by the Spirit”, or “the Spirit said” were common among the early believers. Numerous references indicate that it was normal for them to rely on divine input in the making of decisions of where to go, and who to speak to in their daily lives.

In today’s reading we see the phrases “forbidden of the Holy Ghost” and “the Spirit suffered them not”, with respect to Paul, Silas, and Timothy being restrained from ministering in particular places they had planned to go. A couple verses later, a vision came that indicated the team should go to Macedonia. Apparently divine direction can be either positive (to do something), or negative (to not do something).

Here is an important verse with regards to receiving divine guidance from Colossians 3:15 (Amplified Version):

Let the peace (soul harmony) which comes from Christ, rule (act as an umpire continually) in your hearts [deciding and settling with finality all questions that arise in your minds, in that peaceful state] to which as [members of Christ’s] one body you were also called [to live].

The “Peace of God” is a central element that God uses to provide direction for us. As the verse indicates, when we are in that peaceful state, and a question arises in our hearts as to whether to follow a particular course of action or not, observing how the question affects our “peaceful state” is a valuable guide for us. If our peace is disrupted, agitated, or uneasy, then we need to step back from the decision to re-examine, or abandon the decision altogether. If our peace remains while considering the question, then we can safely proceed. Note, it is only as we walk in the peace of God that it can (and should) function as a reliable guide for us.

When we read passages that say “it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us,” it is a reference to this internal sense or feeling of peace that operates to guide us. When we read, “the Holy Spirit suffered them not”, again it is a reference to an internal sense of  “this decision just doesn’t sit right on the inside”. This is Holy Spirit interacting with us to provide us with a clear sense of direction in which we can know that God is in the decision we are making.

Luke 4:1 says that “Jesus, being full of the Holy Ghost, was led by the Spirit into the wilderness.”  How was He led? I would suggest that as the thought of going into the wilderness came to him, it “seemed” (peace of God) to be the right thing to do.

“For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.”(Romans 8:14)

In my own life, I have found this method of receiving divine direction to be of most use, and I have used this since I was a very young man. I have heard God speak in numerous ways, but even though He may speak different ways, it is still the peace of God that resides internally that confirms that the decision is safe to proceed with. The peace of God not only confirms a decision, but will release the timing of a decision as well.

My friend, it is imperative that Colossians 3:15 be active in our Christian walk.

Filed Under: Ron Mills

April 02, 2014–Walking Together makes us All Stronger

April 1, 2014 By

Day 23: Acts 15:22-40

“Judas and Silas, who themselves were prophets, said much to encourage and strengthen the believers.” (v. 32)

Darren, Ron & JeevaThis to me is a very interesting passage of scripture.  The leaders of the early church had formed a council to deal with some issues that had arisen among the believers regarding following the law and liberty.   In order for them to walk in unity they came together to discuss this issue and together they formed an answer to the theological debate.

But what I was drawn to more than this was the way the council sent the prophets with the apostles to represent their voice to those whom Paul and Barnabas were to encounter.  On their own Paul and Barnabas had only so much authority, but with these two brothers from the council in Jerusalem their authority was increased.

To me this is a great example of how Apostolic ministry works within the church.  The Apostles and Prophets walk together.  There is no hierarchy in their midst.  They are walking together in order to increase the effectiveness of the message that they carry together.

When I work with other Apostles and Prophets together we carry greater authority.  Our message becomes stronger because we walk together.  When I take the hand of a prophet or apostle and bring them into my circle of influence, their message becomes stronger in our midst because I am putting my seal upon their message.  In this way their message is linked with my authority in that setting and they can release what God has given them with greater authority as a result.

The same is true when I walk into another region and am released by a prophet/apostle to speak in their region.  Their seal upon me becomes my foundation for being able to minister in that place or region.  My authority is linked to their authority and as a result the impact on the region is much greater.

It is not that one is stronger than the other, although there is no question that some prophets and apostles are more mature than others.  We must understand that we are walking in concentric circles with our friends in ministry for a divine impartation of glory in those regions.  Their circles are my circles and my circles are their circles.  Where their work begins and mine ends should be blurry at best.  We are inviting them to walk among us in order for the church to be equipped and strengthened in that region.

One ministry is not more important than the other, but both together are stronger because they are together.  Judas and Silas in this passage walk into Antioch where they are only known by reputation, but because they are with Paul and Barnabas, their ability to strengthen the believers is greater because now they are walking in relationship with each other.   It is not hierarchy because Paul and Barnabas needed Judas and Silas in another region to open the way for them.

I need to walk with my Paul’s and Barnabas’ and with my Judas’ and Silas’ because as we do so we see more authority and lasting fruit for the Kingdom.

I pray that all competition between you and your colleagues in ministry will cease and a true revelation of apostolic ministry will take its place.  I pray that you will be released in greater measure to do the work of ministry as you come into agreement with God’s will for your life.

Filed Under: Pastor Darren Canning
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