2 weeks into furlough and some thoughts about Acts 8, theology proper, and aseity

 

I'm calling this a furlough and not a vacation because the definition of a furlough is, "A furlough is a mandatory temporary leave of absence from which the employee is expected to return to work or to be restored from a reduced work schedule."  I don't know about the "reduced work schedule" with my online masters class and all the "honey do" projects but I am not complaining because this time has a purpose for me in many ways.  The change of pace is allowing me to set up some habits I will hopefully carry over into the next assignment.  

One of those habits will be the bi-monthly coaching calls to the newly installed pastor at my last assignment.  It was the highlight of my week to give encouragement to him; ask and listen to his new challenges; and pray for his ministry.  I am now in my 35th year of ministry and I think of all the experiences the Lord has given me to live through to now share with others.  I am humbled to be asked to do this but with God's help I soldier on.  

Side note:  10 years ago today I received the diagnosis of colorectal cancer.  One more reason to keep on task for the Lord.

I have been thinking about the Acts of the Apostles.  I have thought about how I might work back into this book when given the opportunity in the future.  I am so thankful I was able to cover 7 chapters with the Machias Valley Baptist Church.  It was a good stopping point before venturing into the life of Paul.  

I would start with the 3 things we learn about in this book:  the Holy Spirit, the eyewitness Apostles, and the ever expanding church.  I think I would go back and speak of the four pillars of a biblical church of devotion to the Apostles' teaching, Christian fellowship, Christ-centered worship, and the ministry of prayer which lead to the byproduct of God honoring service.  I would give the principles of "more persecution was followed by more boldness" and "the purging of sin brought about greater unity."  This would set up to cover Stephen's life again with his qualifications found in chapter 6 and how he is the bridge between Peter and Paul.  

His defense of using the Scriptures and his offense of pointing people to Christ was in the face of life-ending persecution, a stoning, but it led again to greater boldness as the church scatters beyond the city of Jerusalem and starts to fulfill the commission given by Jesus in Acts 1:8, "...but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth" (NASB).  

Chapter 8 brings into focus the #2 guy from chapter 6, Philip, who also has the same qualifications of Stephen.  Philip will not shy away from being bold after Stephen's stoning but rather go north to preach the gospel to many in the capital of the northern kingdom; explain the Scriptures and baptize one from lands far away south and east of Jerusalem; and then be caught up by the Spirit of the Lord and placed farther north and preaching in all the cities from Azotus to Caesarea, his hometown (Acts 21:8), who the Apostle Paul would stay with later.  Needless to say, this is one exciting chapter ahead of me and another biblical character to learn from. 

Finally, a paper is looming ahead of me.  Theology proper is the study of God and my 3 inch thick book on systematic theology is increasing my view of God.  I am to write on an attribute of God.  I picked the one that I had never heard before, the aseity of God.  The definition of "aseity" is "from or by self."  The idea is that God is "self-existent, self-sufficient, and self-contained." God ub His transcendence is "above us" and at the same time in His immanence is "among us."  In God's transcendence we learn about God's incommunicable attributes, those that God holds alone and makes Him God.  In God's immanence we learn about God's communicable attributes, those that God shares with us but He, the Creator, holds them in a perfect state while we, the creations, hold them in an imperfect state.  

Sound exciting?  It is.  I am learning more terms and definitions that are built upon passages throughout the Bible to help us understand and teach our God better.  That is my goal.

Adam