ARE YOU CRAZY??? Acts 26: 24, 25 Before Paul finished defending himself, Festus shouted, “Paul, you’re crazy! Too much learning has driven you out of your mind.” 25 But Paul replied, “Honorable Festus, I am not crazy. What I am saying is true, and it makes sense. CEV If you’re Oneness Apostolic Pentecostal, you’ve probably heard it by now – “You’re crazy, man!” As an Apostolic believer, you sure can get accused of being “different”, but you have to admit it goes against the “norm” to be demonstrative in a church service. You have to admit that it’s not just any church building in which you may witness choirs swaying, people shouting praises to God, perhaps running aisles, leaping for joy, or speaking in unknown languages. So, I must admit that the accusations of being a little bit “out there” are sometimes warranted from those who are merely looking at this from the outside. That being said, I also would not want my worship experience to be anything less than genuine, original, spiritual, and truthful. John 4: 23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. The first accusation of Crazy. When the New Testament Church began in Acts 2. It was during the Jewish Feast of Pentecost, a religious celebration which began 50 days after Passover. However this year would prove to be a feast like none before, for this was the day that Jesus chose to baptize believers with promised gift of the Holy Ghost: Acts 2: 1 – 4 And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. 2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. 3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. Here is what I find amusing: people who obviously were familiar with worldly parties and feasts, including dancing and drinking, immediately accused this new body of Spirit-filled believers with the only logical conclusion they could relate to – drunkenness: Act 2: 5, 6, 12, 13 - And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven. 6 Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language. 12 And they were all amazed, and were in doubt, saying one to another, What meaneth this? 13 Others mocking said, These men are full of new wine. Doesn’t this sound like you when you first visited a Pentecostal Church? You looked all around at the praise and worship and said, “What does all this mean? These people have been hitting the bottle!” This is that. Peter stands up and acknowledges to the crowd that these new Spirit-filled believers do look a little drunk – but just not as they suppose. This was the new wine sent from Heaven. The kind that doesn’t create hang-overs. The kind that doesn’t cause violence, accidents, or dumb decisions. This was the promised out-pouring and infilling of God’s own Spirit which was prophesied by the prophet Joel. No doubt people were leaping for joy, shouting praise, and dancing and praising God like never before. Peter says they’re drunk alright – but not as the world knows drunkenness: Acts 2 : 14 - 18 But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, “Ye men of Judæa, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words: 15 for these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day. 16 But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; 17 And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: 18 and on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit …” So if you’ve ever wondered about us Oneness Pentecostals, we are not crazy as you suppose. We are, however, crazy in love with Jesus Christ. We are crazy enough to believe that the church that Jesus promised is still alive and well today, and full of Holy Ghost power. We are crazy enough to obey water baptism in the name of Jesus Christ according to the original New Testament Church. We are crazy enough to receive the Holy Spirit of God with the evidence of speaking with other tongues. And yes, we are crazy enough to believe that inward holiness must be pursued, and that modesty of apparel is an outward sign of an inward change in our thinking, and in our willingness to set ourselves apart from the world. So go ahead and call me crazy for believing in only One God. Call me crazy for believing that God was manifest in the flesh. Call me crazy for believing that Jesus Christ was indeed the manifestation of the One True God. But when the trumpet sounds, you may have to call me gone. Gotta go for now. Too much learning could drive me crazy. 1 Corinthians 1: 18 – 31 The message about the cross doesn’t make any sense to lost people. But for those of us who are being saved, it is God’s power at work. 19 As God says in the Scriptures, “I will destroy the wisdom of all who claim to be wise. I will confuse those who think they know so much.” 20 What happened to those wise people? What happened to those experts in the Scriptures? What happened to the ones who think they have all the answers? Didn’t God show that the wisdom of this world is foolish? 21 God was wise and decided not to let the people of this world use their wisdom to learn about him. Instead, God chose to save only those who believe the foolish message we preach. 22 Jews ask for miracles, and Greeks want something that sounds wise. 23 But we preach that Christ was nailed to a cross. Most Jews have problems with this, and most Gentiles think it is foolish. 24 Our message is God’s power and wisdom for the Jews and the Greeks that he has chosen. 25 Even when God is foolish, he is wiser than everyone else, and even when God is weak, he is stronger than everyone else. 26 My dear friends, remember what you were when God chose you. The people of this world didn’t think that many of you were wise. Only a few of you were in places of power, and not many of you came from important families. 27 But God chose the foolish things of this world to put the wise to shame. He chose the weak things of this world to put the powerful to shame. 28 What the world thinks is worthless, useless, and nothing at all is what God has used to destroy what the world considers important. 29 God did all this to keep anyone from bragging to him. 30 You are God’s children. He sent Christ Jesus to save us and to make us wise, acceptable, and holy. 31 So if you want to brag, do what the Scriptures say and brag about the Lord. CEV @Back on Track Bible Studies - Rick Flores
Posted on: Sat, 07 Jun 2014 15:00:01 +0000
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