“Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that He may send Jesus Christ, who was preached to you before, whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, which God has spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began.” Acts 3:19-21

In the Scriptures, God reveals Himself by His name. More than just revealing His ability, the names of God reveal His character. God introduces Himself for the first time in Genesis 1:1 as Elohim, the Creator. As the Creator, He is full of creativity, ability and productivity.

When God created man, He put that same nature into man. Adam was created with God’s creativity, ability and productivity inside of him. When Adam sinned against God, his fall didn’t nullify those gifts. He still had them except that they were now corrupted. For example, consider his son, Cain. In Genesis 4, Cain was able to build a whole city (4:16-17), provide employment (4:20), music and entertainment (4:21), manufacturing, and the building of weapons (4:22). He was able to singlehandedly accomplish great feats out of the same creative potential God had deposited into the entire human race, albeit that they were now perverted and self-serving.

Herein lies a very important concept: When man fell, God didn’t plan for the elimination of men, society, culture, or the whole world. Instead, God sought to bring about the restoration of fallen humanity. Elohim God started to reveal Himself by another name-Yahweh, or God the Redeemer (Ex. 3:13-14). The essence of redemption is taking that which is broken, fixing it, and restoring it back to its original purpose and intention.

Jesus came to be our Redeemer-to bring about the conversion of fallen man from darkness to light, and from death to life. But He also seeks to convert the creativity, ability and productivity that God has put inside man back to its original purpose. Acts 3:19-21 says that this conversion is not just the restoration of man from the sin problem, it is the restoration of all things in life. People, families, marriages, businesses, education systems, culture and arts must all be born again.

You are not called to hide from the world. As a follower of Christ the Redeemer, you are now a conversionist. You are to use your creativity, ability and productivity to redeem everything you see in your world back to God’s original purpose and intention. So that they could be used for
the cause and glory of His kingdom. Start being a conversionist in your world today!

“Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a Man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves also know.” Acts 2:22

How do we know that Jesus was approved of God? Not by His philosophical prowess or oral eloquence, but by three things: miracles, signs and wonders. Jesus healed the sick, cast out demons, cleansed the lepers, raised the dead, fed great multitudes, turned water into wine, etc. How do you know if someone is a real servant of God? We measure his ministry according to the same standard outlined here in Acts 2:22.

Take for example, Paul’s apostleship. “Truly the signs of an apostle were accomplished among you with all perseverance, in signs and wonders and mighty deeds” (2 Cor. 12:12). The workings of miracles are the signs of true apostleship, not just the presiding over of a huge megachurch or a denomination. If a preacher claims to be an apostle, miracles must be constant occurrences in his ministry. They must be there in “all perseverance”-in other words, happening in great consistency.

Hebrews 2:4 says: “God also bearing witness both with signs and wonders, with various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to His own will?” Again the testimony of God was proven by miracles, signs and wonders. Miracles were so normal in the Ephesian church that God started working unusual ones among them (Acts 19:12). All throughout the New Testament, we see that the reality of God was proven time and again by supernatural miracles. To say that we have passed the days of signs and wonders is effectively denying the Holy Scriptures!

The word “miracle” in Greek is dunamis, which means “power.” As a Spirit-filled believer, you have received the dunamis of the Holy Spirit to work miracles in Jesus’ name (Acts 1:8). But why is it that we don’t see miracles or healings take place regularly in our churches today? The overwhelming reason is the presence of doubt and unbelief for them to happen in our midst (Mark 6:5-6). Remember, without faith, it is impossible to please God . . . or see the miraculous.

But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me
in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth. Acts 1:8

The kingdom of God is the divine rule in human hearts, lives and situations. While the disciples were still thinking of the messianic kingdom in terms of political power, Jesus corrected their misconception (Acts 1:7). He declared that the kingdom of God is currently spiritual in character, international in its membership, and gradual in its expansion.

The kingdom of God was a prominent theme in all of Jesus’ teaching in the Gospels. Jesus taught about the kingdom of God through the power of the Holy Spirit (Luke 4:18-19). Here in Acts 1, He was about to transfer that power and responsibility to His disciples by baptizing them in the same Holy Spirit that had anointed His ministry. The disciples were not to attempt ministry without the empowering of the Spirit. Jesus then makes three points about the Holy Spirit:

(1) The Holy Spirit is a Person and He brings with Him a power that will enable you to be a witness.

(2) The Holy Spirit’s power has to be “received”; it is not an automatic experience. As surely as the Holy Spirit dwells within each believer, so surely will He fill and overflow each who receives Him in childlike faith.

(3) When the Holy Spirit fills you, you will know it. Jesus said this and His disciples found it to be true on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 1:5; 2:1-4). You don’t have to claim the Spirit by faith alone. When He comes, you will experience Him in a tangible way. You will know that He has “come upon you.”

Jesus makes it clear that the ultimate purpose of the empowering of the Holy Spirit is so that you can fulfill the Great Commission-by being an effective witness for Christ. You need God’s supernatural power to minister effectively, to heal the sick, cast out demons and work miracles and wonders. But more than that, the Holy Spirit has also come to convince you to go.

As you obey that call to go, He will give you:

(1) the power to find the lost;

(2) the authority to boldly declare Jesus as the Son of God;

(3) the endurance to be strong in times of weakness and suffering; and

(4) the power to establish His Church-locally and worldwide. The intended borders of expansions are clear: Jerusalem (local), Judea (national), Samaria (crosscultural), and “the end of the earth” (global).

And it came to pass when all the kings who were on this side of the Jordan, in the hills and in the lowland and in all the coasts of the Great Sea toward Lebanon-the Hittite, the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite-heard about it, that they gathered together to fight with Joshua and Israel with one accord. Joshua 9:1

As the children of Israel entered the Promised Land, there were seven whole nations to defeat. They were the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Hivites, the Perizzites, the Girgashites, the Amorites, and the Jebusites (Josh 3:10). These seven nations could well represent seven things that are an abomination to the Lord. “These six things the LORD hates, yes, seven are an abomination to Him: A proud look, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that are swift in running to evil, a false witness who speaks lies, and one who sows discord among brethren” (Prov. 6:16-19). Israel was commanded to utterly destroy these seven nations and their kings.

These kings and domains represent enthroned areas of the “self life” where ego still reigns instead of the Lord. They are the pockets of resistance, preventing us from fully experiencing the kingdom of God. These kings are proud, rebellious, and self-willed. Each king guards and protects his own interests and furiously opposes anyone or anything that dares to tamper with even an inch of his territory.

God wants to ultimately settle His presence and glory on Mount Zion. But even that location was guarded by the Jebusites. Mount Zion is a picture of the believer’s heart in which God wants to reside. But the heart has many enemies of the kingdom that we need to subdue. Jesus says, “For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies” (Matt. 15:19).

The Lord appeared to Joshua with a sword drawn in His hand as they were about to go against the enemies of the land (Josh. 5:13-15). We must seek God earnestly and allow Him to confront us with the directness of His Word concerning those rebellious areas of our heart. Until the enemies of righteousness within us are dealt with, we can never enter into full rest. While they are still alive and active, they cause unrest, frustration and defeat.

Unfortunately, Israel was complacent and settled for compromise. They allowed many little enemies to stay in the land of their inheritance. The Scriptures make it clear that Joshua did not bring them into full rest (Heb. 4:8). Full rest is ours when we subdue all our enemies and secure our hearts-the spiritual Mount Zion-for God to build His habitation.

Jesus said to him, “Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” John 20:29

Thomas, one of the apostles, is most remembered because he was slow to accept anything as truth without sufficient evidence. In addition to his inclusion in the list of disciples’ names, Thomas is mentioned four other times in the biblical record. The first two of these incidents give us some insight on the passage in John 20. In John 11, Thomas makes a pessimistic and perhaps sarcastic statement about following Jesus to Lazarus’ tomb, “Let us also go, that we may die with him” (11:16). On another occasion, when Jesus was explaining to the disciples that He was about to go to his Father’s house, Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?” (14:5).

But Thomas is best known for what occurred after Jesus’ resurrection. Jesus appeared to the disciples, but Thomas was not with them at that time. When they told Thomas they had seen Jesus, he refused to believe them. Thomas believed only when he had sufficient evidence to convince him that this astounding miracle had actually occurred. His physical senses told him that Jesus was already dead. Without evidence, he wouldn’t believe.

Many people claim to have faith in Jesus and the Bible, but their faith is only in the realm of the mind—that is head-faith or “Thomas faith.” This is a very natural, human faith which says, “I am not going to believe anything unless I can see it and feel it!”

What we need is “Abraham faith” or heart-faith. Abraham did not consider physical knowledge or the glaring fact that he was 100 years old and Sarah was 90. He only considered the spiritual truth of God’s Word; that God was going to give him a promised son. And out of that son would come descendants as numerous as the sands on the seashore and stars in the night sky.

Real faith is built on the spiritual truths of God’s promises. While we don’t deny the problems, pain and other negative symptoms of life (for they may be very real), we look beyond them to God’s Word. Real faith says, “If God says it is so, it is so!” Period. Head-faith is just an intellectual acceptance, or mental assent, of certain facts and doctrines. That is not true Bible faith. It won’t produce results or changes in the lives of people. But heart-faith will always produce a definite change in people. Romans 10:10 says, “For with the heart one believes unto righteousness.”

And as those who bore the ark came to the Jordan, and the feet of the priests who bore the ark dipped in the edge of the water… that the waters which came down from upstream stood still, and rose in a heap very far away at Adam, the city that is beside Zaretan. Joshua 3:15-16

The crossing of Jordan was a major turning point in Israel’s journey. It was a new day for them in almost every respect. The old generation and leadership had died off. A new generation and leadership had arisen. The wilderness testings were over and a new land awaited them.

After they crossed Jordan, their attitude was completely changed too. They never wanted to return to Egypt anymore. Something had happened in their hearts and in their nature. Even their diet changed. The manna ceased and they began to partake of the fruit of the land. What exactly does the crossing of Jordan signify? The very fact that the city of Adam is connected with their passage across Jordan is significant. Adam speaks of our old sinful nature. That they immediately came to Gilgal after crossing Jordan is remarkable too (Josh 4:19). Gilgal is the place of circumcision, the cutting away of the flesh.

The crossing of Jordan, therefore, represents the “dead to sin” experience of Romans 6:6. God’s people experienced salvation by the blood of the lamb when they were in Egypt. They marched out of Egypt, passed through the Red Sea (water baptism) and entered the wilderness. Then they came to Sinai at Pentecost. But although they were out of Egypt, Egypt had never gotten out of them. Whenever the going got tough, they murmured that they wanted to return to Egypt.

After Jordan, something changed. The Jordan experience removed Egypt from their hearts once and for all. They no longer desired to go back to the world. The Adamic nature was dealt with and they were circumcised from the flesh. God broke the power of sin and the love for the world at Jordan.

Jordan is equivalent to Romans 6:6, “Knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin.” Romans 6:6 renders your old man-or sin nature in operative. Romans 6:6 is a real experience. “Knowing this” in the Greek means “knowledge that comes by an experience.” It is neither something you grow into, nor something you claim by faith. It is a sovereign appointment and meeting with God. It is a definite revelation from God of what He did on Calvary’s cross. When you have such an experience, your life will never be the same again.

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go. Joshua 1:9

God, Moses and the Israelites all encouraged Joshua to excel in His leadership. What exactly is needed in leadership? Four things apply:

(1) Courage. Seventeen times, the Bible says, “Be of good courage!” Therefore, having courage is a very good thing. The primary ploy of the devil is to bring discouragement to a leader, that is to take courage out of your heart. If he succeeds, then he has trapped you in a place of weakness, despair and hopelessness. Your vision would soon disappear. What is courage? Courage is the capacity to do what is right even when it is unpopular. As such, courage relates to the integrity of character. A courageous person will do what is right in the midst of opposition and mockery, even when there are no perceived benefits to him at all. When you do what is right—simply because it is the right thing to do—that is courage.

(2) Boldness. Someone once counted that 365 times, the Bible says, “Fear not!” In other words, in every single day of the year, a leader must never be afraid. To be bold is to have confidence. David says, “Though an army may encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war should rise against me, in this I will be confident” (Ps. 27:3). Even under house arrest in Rome, Paul preached “with all confidence” (Acts 28:31). The Bible says, “Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward” (Heb. 10:35). Courage relates to character; boldness relates to your personality. Have a confident personality and be secure in who you are.

(3) Strength. Again and again, Joshua was exhorted to be strong. Strength is the ability to stand up on your feet whenever you are knocked down. There are many confident and charismatic people who are not strong. Whenever they are hit by a crisis, they wilt away without having the ability to bounce back in life.

(4) Wisdom. Proverbs constantly speaks of knowledge, understanding and wisdom. Knowledge is the getting of information. Understanding is the analyzing of information. Wisdom is solving the problem. Proverbs says, “Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom” (Prov. 1:7). A leader must be wise.