Monday, August 6, 2018

August 7, 2018

"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." Acts 1:8

Is there a more exciting Book in the New Testament than the Acts of the Apostles?

Why is it so exciting? Because it shows the Church at its best! It shows the potential of any group of believers who dare to get real with God. When even a small group of people empty themselves of sin and self-righteousness and allow God to fill them with His Spirit, amazing things can happen! Any church that unites to obey the Great Commission in the power of the Great Commandment will change its world!

Because the Church can be THAT good, hypocrisy is that BAD.

Here is the irony in this whole thing. Hypocrisy is when people who profess to be believers try to act godly. They strive to believe the right things and look the right way seeming to believe that godliness happens from the outside in. But they soon discover that being religious doesn't make you a Christian anymore than living in your garage will make you a car.

So in a very real way can say that hypocrisy is the Acts of the religious. Not a pretty picture. Acting doesn't cut it.

The REAL Acts had nothing to do with acting. This was the real deal. This was God living and loving through single-minded surrendered people. The REAL Acts had nothing to do with religion but had everything to do with relationship. The REAL Acts had nothing to do with self-righteousness and everything to do with Spirit-filled righteousness. The REAL Acts had nothing to do with their actions and everything to do with God acting through them.

Here's the bottom line with the hypocrisy issue - you can have acting OR you can have ACTS!