The Introverted Evangelist

Amazing Grace: "But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God." (Acts 20:24) Today I'd like to draw your attention to the book of Acts, or rather the meaning behind the book of Acts. The book of Acts was written by Luke as a constituent to his Gospel of Luke. You can see his main outline for the book of Luke in Acts 1:1. I'll use the Message version for this particular verse, because it makes this concept a bit easier to grasp. "Dear Theophilus, in the first volume of this book I wrote on everything that Jesus began to do and teach until the day he said good-bye to the apostles," (Acts 1:1MSG) If Luke was an account of Jesus's ministry on earth, what then was Acts all about? Why did Luke feel compelled to write a sequel? Well, that is found right in Acts 1:8. ...

Wisdom and Peace: "You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You." (Isaiah 26:3) Trust is a learning and healing process. It's important to understand that when we're struggling with doubt, disappointment, and discouragement, God is waiting to catch us. He doesn't search for the prime moment to take all your fears and forsake you with them. God's actions are always rooted in His unfailing love. God works for our good at all times, and that includes times of tribulation. "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose." (Romans 8:28) We're called for His purpose. In a gradual trusting bond, there will be moments that make you feel like you're drowning in an ocean of uncertainty. This is only because we so easily forget where to secure our focus.  God sees EVERY area of our lives, and in this trusting relationship, He reve...

And it Was Good: "Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good. So the evening and the morning were the sixth day." (Genesis 1:31) The context of this verse, as you may have guessed, is the days of creation. This was during the days when God spoke everything into existence for the very first time. "You, Lord, in the beginning laid the foundation of the earth, And the heavens are the work of Your hands." (Hebrews 1:10) The towering trees teeming with vibrant plant life that had never existed before, now grew taller and swayed gracefully. Flowers, herbs, rivers, and more, all this was spoken into existence by the Lord. So what did God do after He reviewed all of His marvellous creation? He rested. "Thus the heavens and the earth, and all the host of them, were finished. And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done." (Genesis 2:1-2) God rested. How in...

All Things Through and for Him: "For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him." (Colossians 1:16) I love chemistry. The more I learn, the more in awe I become. How stupendously amazing all of His creation truly is! The way each element of this universe is kept together by the differing behaviours of the trillions upon trillions of electrons is spectacular. This leads me to the next verse in Colossians. "And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together." (Colossians 1:17) I must step back and take a breath, because the wonder of it all may feel overwhelming. All this, all of this impeccably crafted nature surrounding was all spoken with the lips of Divinity. One sentence and the beginning of light established, one breath and the heart of man starts beating. How it all glorifies the Lord so eff...

"Body and soul, I am marvellously made! I worship in adoration—what a creation!" (Psalm 139:14 MSG) What a creation! God's intricate detail and design of each and every living being on this earth is breathtakingly beautiful. Each human has been touched with the gentle press of His fingers. He has left His mark on you. He has left His unique mark on all of us. Our talents, personalities, and ingenuity reflect the complex and unfathomable depths of all that He is. "Know that the Lord, He is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; We are His people and the sheep of His pasture." (Psalms 100:3) People of God. What an incredible title! The One true Almighty has placed His seal of approval, ownership, and protection over each and every one of us. God holds us close and loves us with a passionate and jealous love. He wants us all to Himself, and is deeply saddened when we flirt with sinfulness that ultimately will end in our destruction. God protects us va...

Created to Create: "Then the seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name."” (Luke 10:17) The Holy Spirit of the Lord takes up residence inside of us. This powerful and mighty force is the source of all we need to victoriously complete every battle. The enemy's arrows cannot penetrate the shield of God covering us. "Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you." (Luke 10:19) Every force that attempts to overthrow us and what God is doing in and through us, will be sorely defeated. The all powerful authority of Christ within our hearts, through the gift of the Holy Spirit, subdues every one of those opposing forces and casts them off. Amazing feats are accomplished when we work in the Name of Jesus Christ. By our own strength and in the "glory" of our own names, no greatness can ever truly be achieved. There ...

Hope: "For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance." (Romans 8:24-25) With every hour that passes, we're an hour nearer to the coming of the Lord. What eager anticipation wells up within me when I think about it. When I think about seeing my Saviour face to Face, I'm overwhelmed with joy and steadfastly determined hope. "“And now, Lord, what do I wait for? My hope is in You." (Psalms 39:7) Let's consider gardening. It's an exciting day when the teensy tiny seeds are first planted into the soil, because you know that there's a whole lot of beautiful fruitful potential in each one of them. Days go by. Sunshine, fresh air, water, and fertiliser work their stuff. Then one day blossoms begin to burst forth, and you know that harvest is soon to come! Now take the Gospel. Whenever we tell others about Jesus...

Draw Near: "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." (Matthew 11:28) Monday mornings can be difficult. The weekend is over, and it's time to get back to work. The burdens pile back on high, and before you know it, you're burnt out yet again. In Matthew chapter eleven Jesus tells us to come to Him when we're weighed down by strenuous burdens. He doesn't tell us to work, work, work ourselves into the ground in order to EARN one day of resting. We are to be still and know that He is God (Psalms 46:10), cast our burdens onto Him because He cares about us (1Peter 5:7), and receive renewed strength (Isaiah 40:31) to more-than-conquer the challenges each day (Romans 8:37). You might ask, "Well how do I find a place to be still with all this chaotic stress buzzing around me?" This is a good question best answered with Scripture, but then again isn't every question? "And He said, “My Presence will go with you, and...