Shadows

I have mentioned before that I have recently been fascinated by the early church. Reading about them in the Bible captivates me with the things they did, but more about how close they were to God. I know the original ones actually knew Jesus. I can only imagine what it was like to have known Him. Have to admit it makes me a little envious. Oh, I know He lives within me, but to have walked and talked and listened to Him, that must have been so amazing.

I have been reading a series written by Davis Bunn and Janette Oke called Acts of Faith. I am currently deep in the second book of the three book series. The first one I bought because I needed to finish my obligation to a book club and I have almost all of Janette Oke's books and I enjoy them. I liked it so much I went ahead and bought the second and third books.

What I love about these books is that the authors did their research, including visiting Israel. I love the history books of the Bible and wish that I understood more about the culture and history so I can better understand the stories. When I learn more about it I find so much understanding of the stories.

As I read through these books I can better visualize and understand what it was like in Jerusalem during the time of the very early church. I can understand the way that people interacted with each other, like men with women and Jews with Romans. I know these stories are not history books, although many of the events of the Bible are included in them, but they give me more to think about.

One of the not major characters is Peter. He is mentioned briefly in the first book and a few more times in the second. I have always been fascinated by him. Jesus told him that His Church would be built on Peter but so much of the New Testament isn't even about Peter. Actually it's mostly about Paul. I always think that is odd. Why is the Church built upon one guy who doesn't even get mention in the rest of the Bible? I don't know, but I am sure some day God will reveal that to me, even if it isn't in this world.

Off track for a moment, anyway, in the second book some of the things that Peter is known for saying and doing are mentioned in it. One thing is when people would bring their sick and lay them along the way and he would walk by and where his shadow fell people were healed. Can you even imagine? (Check it out and pick your translation at http://bible.cc/acts/5-15.htm.)

I long to have to kind of relationship people like Peter had with God. The kind of relationship, closeness to Him, that allowed His power to travel from them to others even with their shadow. Obviously not everyone in the early church had shadow powers (please understand I know it is the Holy Spirit's power and not Peter's). If they did then healings and other miracles would happen all the time and everywhere. Yet, I long to be so close with God that He could use all of me, even my shadow to do His will. I know that the Spirit in me is the same one that was in Peter so that isn't the difference. The difference has to be the vessel.

The only way to become a vessel like that and it is to spend time with Jesus. I can't spend time with Him the way that Peter did, but He lives in me and His Spirit dwells in me. I have His Word that I can read and learn to be more like Him through it. I know this draw to the early church is from Him and I know it will lead me to a closer relationship with Him.

How Do I Get a Life Like That?

Lately I have been drawn to find out what the early church was like. I love reading about how God spoke to them. God told Cornelius, a captain of the Italian Guard, to send men to Joppa to find a guy named Peter and bring him back. So he does it! No "why? what if he won't come back?". No questions at all. Now you might be thinking, "not that we know of." I admit I think that often too when I read some Bible stories. Yet a few chapters before this God told Ananias to go and find Saul and he questioned Him. Others have questioned and I think God includes those questions to show that it is normal to ask.

Cornelius' men went to Joppa and found the house and God told Peter to go with them and he did. Cornelius told Peter what God told him and Peter was excited because it confirmed a vision God gave him. In the vision God said that Peter could eat any kind of food, even non-kosher food. Peter realized that it meant non-Jews were also called by God and could be added to the Christian faith.

There are other stories of Peter speaking to a dead woman and she was raised from the dead and telling a lame man to get up and he was healed. Philip ran alongside a chariot and an Ethiopian ended up baptized. God told them to do something and they did it. They spoke to the lame and dead in Jesus' name and they were made whole again.

So the question that went through my head was, "why did they have so much power? Why did they have such influence?" In Acts 2 I think I found the answer. "They committed themselves to the teaching of the apostles, the life together, the common meal, and the prayers." and "They followed a daily discipline of worship in the Temple followed by meals at home, every meal a celebration, exuberant and joyful, as they praised God. People in general liked what they saw. Every day their number grew as God added those who were saved."

Daily they did these things. They didn't just do Sunday church and occasional group meetings. They made this a daily part of their lives. They came together and were taught, worshipped, prayed, and ate together.

Now sometimes I thought, "did they have jobs?" Well, Simon the tanner is mentioned, he must have been a tanner and that's a job. So they worked and did all this each day. How? Weren't they exhausted at the end of their day? Their lifestyles were not like ours. They were hard workers but they weren't work-minded. I know that I am work-minded most of the time. I love my job, well most of the time, but I let it fill my days. Families fill their days with work, activities, sports, etc. Is there anything wrong with working, doing family activities and sports? No, but we have replaced the daily time with God and those He has called us to spend our meals and prayer time with work, activities, sports, etc.

So if we asked God what is keeping us from living the life of the early church, a life that was general liked and people wanted to join in, I believe He would tell us. So, I guess it's time for me to spend some time with Him and listen to what He says for me to give up, to change.