Luke-Acts

In two short weeks, we studied 25% of the New Testament. That is how much the book of Luke and Acts is. Amazing. I have pretty much dedicated every spare minute of my day to these two books over the last few weeks. I wish there was a way to succinctly put what has impacted me here onto my blog. I don't think it's possible though. I'll make a small effort.

Luke-Acts is written by a Gentile for a Gentile, the only book in the Bible written by a Gentile. One thing I was amazed at while I was reading is Luke's intentionality at showing how Jesus in the book of Luke crossed some pretty strong boundaries to show his love and how that theme extended into Acts as the Holy Spirit was moving in the apostles and disciples to take the gospel beyond boundaries as well. For example, for nearly every miracle, healing or teaching that involves a man in the book of Luke, there is one involving a woman as well. Jesus reached out to women, who in that day were excluded from the temple, from learning the Scripture, and from respectability in society.

Then in Acts, the Holy Spirit through persecution scatters the believers to take the gospel to the Samaritans, a people group rejected by the Jews. I love the story of Philip. God speaks to him to go down to a remote desert place where he meets an Ethiopian eunuch. As a eunuch, this man would have been excluded from temple worship his whole life. He was never allowed, under the Jewish system, to really be close to God. But God sends Philip to show him, he CAN be! There is an intimate place of belonging for this man!

Wow, the heart of God to reach those who society excludes! Amazing! The day that we talked about women and outcasts during the book of Luke, I just lost it. I have lived as an outcast in a society where others have been even more outcast than I felt. I had pictures of women, the sick, the crippled, the beggars, the gypsies, the broken flashing through my head. People I've touched and prayed with, as well as people I've walked by or ignored. God's heart broke me. I wept all during class that day and I had this overwhelming question in my heart....WHO IS GOING TO THESE PEOPLE? They are not walking into our pristine church doors. They are not jumping on airplanes and flying to America and knocking on my front door. They are not calling me to ask me to tell them about Jesus. WE MUST GO TO THEM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! How dare we think the call to the broken and the lost of the world is for someone else. The outcasts are all around us. They are the people we walk by and don't notice. They are the men like blind Bartemeaus that we, like the crowd, wish would just shut up and go away. These are people living in villages in Muslim countries and have NEVER HEARD THAT SALVATION IS FOR THEM!!! God is a God who reaches out to people, and we as his church have no excuse not to be doing the same!

It's a good thing that I am teaching on missions in a DTS in a month (in Montana). I need to release this stirring and the message on my heart. I can't hold it in! But, that poor DTS doesn't know what's coming to it! :)

In some other news: I am an AUNTIE! My brother and sister-in-law had their baby on April 27. She is a beautiful little girl. So, congrats to Jeremy and Rachael! I miss them so much and so wish I could be there and hold and snuggle precious little Alexee Iyla!


And here are some photos of some amazing women that I got some fabulous time to hang out with this weekend. And I must say, it's nice to have some semblance of a social life once again!




Alright, I'm off to bed. We start bright and early tomorrow morning and I'm hoping to get a nice early run in before class.