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In Acts chapter 2 we read the story of God pouring His Spirit out over all people and creation in a way like never before.  Like NEVER before.  Seriously, that part is easy to lose.  It changed EVERYTHING.  The coming together of Heaven and Earth in new ways began something incredible here, and they are continuing to come together today.

In verse 22, we read words describing Jesus, whose Spirit they’re now receiving.  Clarifying that this is not some “new” or “separate” thing that God is accomplishing, rather the continuation of what had been happening through the physical presence of Jesus Christ.  In these words, we find the word “dunamis“, describing things Jesus had accomplished while He walked among them.

This word is used about 38 times throughout all the Gospels.  Rarely is it ever translated as “miracle/s”.  Rather, it’s definition is more focused on “power, ability, inherent nature, resources, etc.”  The meaning here was clear – this is NOT a Spirit that is coming to help us do parlor tricks.  To help us defy laws of nature, or win contests, or prove anything to skeptics.

This is the raw, natural, inherent, wonder-inducing SPIRIT OF GOD being poured out as something transformingly accessible to all.  The Spirit who was rightly feared for generations before, now bursting through the veil, colliding with humanity and creation in a way that CHANGES THINGS.  Which brings me to a closing thought:  How USEFUL is the Holy Spirit in our lives?

In Revelation 3, we hear the famous verses about God vomiting lukewarm water out of his mouth.  Commonly, we hear that this points out “hot water is good, cold water is bad, so we need to be on fire for Jesus!!” (the crowds cheer)  But that could be missing out on something.  Laodicea had sources of water on both sides, hot springs of Hierapolis, and Colossae had the cold waters of Lycus.  Laodicea had ducts from Hierapolis, but the water would’ve become lukewarm by the time it got there.

We’ve been given the Holy Spirit for more purposes than simply to have it.  God’s Spirit is always active, or it isn’t there.  Not hype.  Not miracles.  Not explosive showy tricks and intricately planned out emotionally driven worship services.

But transformed and empowered living in a way that is only made possible by the Spirit of Jesus who lived the same way.

– The more rears there are in a home, the faster the toilet paper is used up.  Adding to that effect, is that every booger needs it’s own square.

 – Bedtime is an art.  Not a science.

 – If toys can fit in the mouth, they will fit in the mouth.

 – My wife may not be Superwoman, but Superwoman could never do all that my wife does.  I win.

 – My daughters are just as cute when I’m upset with them.  This does not help with discipline.  The first step of which, is disciplining myself to be more disciplinary.  Sometimes I approach it the wrong way and hurt my feelings.  Then I find me apologizing to myself, skipping past the discipline, and in the end – Addie is down the hall with a new toy.

 – I’d much rather decide to get up at 5:30am, than be woken up at 7am.

 – If my life involves more things that require organization, I become a more organized person.  (slightly)

 – I enjoy the art involved in putting words together.

 – The Redwings no longer have Yzerman playing for them.   Or Chelios.  Or Legace.  Or Federov.  Or Larianov.  Or Shanahan.  (but I still love them.)

 – When saving a date for something important, it’s good to have the correct date.

 – Speaking of dates, date nights resemble college once again.  Can’t afford anything big, but don’t need much more than to be together, away from the bustle.

 – I miss having 7 or so guys to jump in a mini-van together and drive to a concert, ending the night hitting someone’s dog on accident, arguing a bit, and locking ourselves in the van until we’ve settled.

 – Facebook is awesome.

 – Facebook is horrible.

 – I’m simultaneously so glad and jealous that I didn’t have social networking websites available to me when I was a teenager.

 – Dietrich Bonhoeffer was a man whose life is worth over 1,000 pages of biographing.

 – Ants LOVE my daughters and their inability to keep food in their mouths and dishes.

 – I enjoy doing the dishes, because there is a measurable start, finish, and sense of accomplishment.

 – No, I won’t do yours.

 – I am blessed, and still thirsty for the supernaturally unexplainable outpouring of God’s Spirit on a life that is complete, and yet incomplete without each of these areas being given New Life…looking forward to Pentecost Sunday…

In our scripture this past week was a verse that opens up some discussion on “faith vs. works”. Ephesians 2:8-9 remind us that it is by faith we’ve been saved, not by works, so that no one may boast.  But the words we read in Revelation 22:12 seem unfamiliar in a land that has lost the value of works:

“See, I am coming soon; my reward is with me, to repay according to everyone’s work.” Rev. 22:12

Now, just in “Googling” the verse, I found some popular explanations out there already.  One take, was that this verse is related to John 6:29, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him who he has sent.”  That our “work” is simply to believe.  Which meshes well with the “saved by faith” message we are preaching.  But it seems to extract that verse alone is to cheapen the dialogue Jesus was having with His followers.  They’re wanting to do great things for God, and ask how they can go about doing them.  Jesus points out that it’s God actually doing the miraculous things, that all they need to do is believe, and the great things will be accomplished as they live.  But this simple explanation and dismissal also seems to be missing something.

When we look at the Greek, the literal translation of Rev. 22:12 becomes, “behold, I am coming quickly, and my reward is with me to give to each one as the work of him is.”

The word used for “as” here is “hos” (sounds like “host” without the “t”). As you can see in the word list on that link, nowhere in the KJV, and only 2 places in the NAS is this word translated as “according”.  So what does that mean about the verse we’re looking at?  That perhaps it’s less about being “results/payment for work that was done”, and more simply about being very much connected. 

This past Sunday, Pastor Gerry reminded us of something important.  This is “my reward” (Jesus speaking).  It is not our reward that Jesus is giving us for something we’ve done.  When my oldest daughter Addie comes to me, and asks me for a drink for her sister who is thirsty, it is MY reward to be able to give her what she’s asked me for.

We talk about “Kingdom work” all the time.  That these things we’re doing are somehow connected to what God began in Jesus Christ, and promises to bring to completion.  So it makes sense that in talking about Jesus bringing about New Heaven/New Earth, and bringing in a New Jerusalem; Jesus would consider it HIS reward to be able to give to us the fulfillment of everything we’ve been working toward.

This verse is a reminder that these things we’re doing are somehow connected to the fulfillment of God making all things new.  That God isn’t going to scrap all the work we’ve done, the things that have been made new, the love we’ve developed, the fellowship and beauty and artistic life filled things that exist – they will all somehow be involved in what Jesus considers His reward to bring about.

May we continue our Kingdom work with that knowledge…