Give me the facts, man…

 “Give me the facts, man…”

My husband would say these words as he gathered information whether in geology,  land searches, Bible, life, financial counseling…whatever…he wanted facts…the truth…

Yesterday, we sat at the table listening to the back and forth recounting of years that Jesus walked here on earth…the books written by Matthew, Mark, Luke and John dovetailed back and forth making sure we got picture of the Son of God’s journey, his passion, his touch, his life and his mission as he served those around him…his life, death and resurrection so that all may see and believe…

Those four men writing down inspired words for millions to read over time…

Today I turned the pages to the Book of Acts, the beginnings of the church….the author, Luke a physician…

(I thought how appropriate that God would use a physician to write this book…after visiting a multitude of physicians in the last months,  they deal with facts…they talk to you in facts(hopefully)…so that you have details with which to make decisions as they make decisions with you…life changing ones)…

 In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen…Acts.1.1-2

This morning I got a letter from a missionary that our family has supported from the beginning of their service in missions…we have seen their family increase, and now they are grandparents…they have served faithfully, teaching the Word …he recently visited a place that he had gone to in the 1980’s…no church at that time…now 25…God’s increase…this missionary could write a book similar to Luke about the beginnings of the church in this area, too…

In the same mail, I received a letter from another missionary who is basically just starting out, building a guest house to minister to those who pass through their area in a far away place…sharing the Word with weary travelers and locals…they will write their story from the beginnings like Luke…how God using something simple to reach others…

There are millions of stories like these…the beginnings, how God worked, works…how the gospel was and is spread …

The saying of Jesus speaking to Peter came to mind…

 And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”

Matt.16.18-19

God’s Word will prevail…it is everlasting, convicting, saving, life changing …as much now as  when Luke wrote about the church beginnings…there are beginnings all over the world in lives changed and their stories of God’s love and activity in lives will continue…and those are the facts, man…

Thank YOU….

 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 

He was with God in the beginning. 

Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 

The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. 

The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. 

He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 

He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 

Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. 

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. 

We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

John.1.1-5,10-14

Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eZGGGi8XxzI