ACT Ministries Blog

Absorbing God’s Word

“It had been revealed to Simeon by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah.” Luke 2:26

Applying God’s Word

The Holy Spirit was very much alive prior to Jesus birth. That’s how Simeon knew he would see the baby Jesus and hold him in his arms before he himself died. The Holy Spirit is even more alive today.

At a young age, I was taught to start all my prayers saying, “In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost.” I liked the Father and Son part, but I didn’t want anything to do with ghosts. Even though I sensed the presence of God at different times growing up, I didn’t recognize it as the Holy Spirit. I have, however, recognized it daily for the last thirty-eight years. I just needed to reject Satan and all sin, accept Jesus as my Lord and Savior, and give the Holy Spirit permission to use me for God’s purpose. God’s main purpose has been for me to see Jesus in others and embrace them with the arms of His Holy Spirit.

Accounting of God’s Word

Am I giving the Holy Spirit permission to use me for God’s purpose?

Absorbing God’s Word

“When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus. Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, “What do you want?” 1 John 35-42

Applying God’s Word

John the Baptist pointed out Jesus to two of his own disciples and they immediately left John to follow Jesus. Jesus notices that they are following him and asks, “What do you want?” Isn’t that the question Jesus asks each of us?

The day I decided to follow Jesus was frightening. Like the two disciples, I wanted to follow Jesus but from a distance. I was afraid of what He may want from me. Come to find out He wanted the same thing from me that I wanted from Him; a close intimate relationship. It wasn’t long before His unconditional mercy, truth, kindness, wisdom, compassion, joy and love impacted all the areas of my life.

Accounting of God’s Word

Is the thing Jesus most wants from me the same thing I most want from Him? Am I following Jesus from a distance?

Absorbing God’s Word

“When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.” Matthew 2:13-18

Applying God’s Word

Today I was reflecting on “The Holy Innocents”, the children who died at the hands of Herod. Herod decided to kill all the baby boys under two years old in an attempt to eliminate Jesus. Mary, Joseph and Jesus escaped Herod’s wrath, but most of the other infants in Bethlehem did not. It must have been a horrific scene; Mothers who were frantically trying to save the lives of their children .

This biblical account is not unique by any means. Children have been brutally victimized since the beginning of time. Today’s world is no different. There’s plenty of proof that innocent children are still being abused, abandoned, sold and martyred. Like the mothers of Jesus day, we should do everything we can to eliminate the suffering of a child.

Unfortunately, the stories about holy innocents will not end until Jesus returns.

Accounting of God’s Word

Do I know of any children looking to be rescued or saved?

Absorbing God’s Word

“There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore I command you to be openhanded toward your fellow Israelites who are poor and needy in your land.” Deuteronomy 15:11

Applying God’s Word

God isn’t asking us to help His people, He’s commanding us to help them.

The poor and the needy are the people Jesus sends my way throughout the year, especially during the Christmas season. They are the ones struggling with finances, homelessness, loneliness, sickness, fear, depression or hunger.

We need to see Jesus in our fellow man and be generously openhanded. Unless we keep our eyes on what Jesus wants instead of what we want, we will miss those opportunities.

Louise and I are constantly challenged to help that Jesus we find in the poor, homeless, lonely, sick, frightened, depressed or hungry. We are not wealthy, but we are not poor either. Recently, we helped a family with financial needs, gave two working women new clothes for their babies, provided clothing for an elderly woman and bought eye-glasses for a young woman who needed new ones. Sadly, we probably only captured a few of the opportunities God sent our way.

Accounting of God’s Word

“Challenge” Am I looking for Jesus in everyone or just the ones I want to help?

Absorbing God’s Word

“He was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith, and a great number of people were brought to the Lord.” Acts 11:24

Applying God’s Word

Most of us can count the number of close friends we’ve had on one hand, but most will never have a friend like Bob Schumacher. Bob died at 10:50am on September 23, 2020. His love for Jesus, his wife, children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, relatives and friends never wavered throughout his life; even during his courageous fight with Parkinson’s.

Bob would have turned 79 this last week. He was 51 weeks older than me, which meant we were the same age for one week. Although we met once or twice a week for 30 years, he liked that one week because I couldn’t tease him about being older. There was never a gift exchange, because we both realized that our gift to each other was our incredible friendship.

I could list all the amazing reasons Bob was a best friend, but the ones that stood out are “The Three T’s”; Truth, Transparency and Trust. Thank you, Bob. I love you. Thank You, Lord. I love You, too.

Accounting of God’s Word

Have I ever experienced “The Three T’s” with another person?

Absorbing God’s Word

“Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.” Psalm 139:16

Applying God’s Word

Today is my seventy-eighth birthday. What does a 78 year old need/want for their birthday? Nothing materialistic. I really wish I had an uninterrupted hour with each of you. Probably because the most precious gift we give to anyone is “TIME”.

What have I found to be one of the most challenging things in life? Facing the TRUTH about who I tried be verses who God created me to be. Another personal challenge has been sharing those TRUTHS with you each week.

One of God’s greatest gifts to me has been the many accountability partners I’ve had over the years. Sadly, most have passed away. God never fails to send me new ones though. One of the newest is Mike Schmitz, the Chaplain at The University of Minnesota, Duluth. I wish I had an uninterrupted hour with him as well.

Below is the link to last Sunday’s sermon by Fr. Mike. He’s open, transparent, real, relatable and funny. I’d like to share it with you and I promise not to ask if you watched it.   

Accounting of God’s Word

Thank you for your friendship. You’ve blessed me more than you’ll ever know just by being a part of my life.

Absorbing God’s Word

“Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5: 16-18

Applying God’s Word

“It’s Impossible”! That was my reaction to the above scripture the first hundred times I read it. Surely the apostle Paul was out of his mind when he wrote it, right? Actually, Paul wrote it because his experience of praying continually brought him great joy and an attitude of gratitude.

Does praying continually really work? I know that it does. Even though I’m still a student of praying continually, I’m incredibly thankful for the immeasurable amount of God’s joy that comes from prayer. My prayers give the Holy Spirit the opportunity to open my spiritual eyes to what God is asking of me. In other words prayer is my spiritual antenna. If it’s not extended I not only miss out on God’s joy, I also miss out on the signals and promptings from God’s Holy Spirit.

Accounting of God’s Word

Do I practice praying continually? Is my spiritual antenna picking up God’s signals?

Absorbing God’s Word

“Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well.” 3 John 1:2

Applying God’s Word

John is writing to Gaius, a beloved friend and disciple. He’s expressing a great measure of gratitude to Gaius for His dedication to Jesus. I extend that kind of gratitude to each of you for joining me on this incredible journey and also for your dedication to our Lord Jesus.

In a few days we will all have an opportunity to be like Gaius to our families, friends and even strangers. We need not smother them with our knowledge of scripture or pressure them into believing everything we believe. We need only allow Jesus and the Holy Spirit the freedom to love them all through us.

Upon reflection about being thankful this past week, I wrote down, “I am thankful that my life hasn’t turned out to be all that I thought it should be. Instead, I’m thankful that my life has turned out to be far more than I ever imagined it would be.” I thank God for that!

Accounting of God’s Word

Blessings, love and Happy Thanksgiving from Louise and me. We all have plenty to be thankful for.

Absorbing God’s Word

“And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” Colossians 3:17

Applying God’s Word

My life as a dancer began at an early age when I tap-danced my way through the fourth and fifth grade. I attended “Betty May Dance Studio” at 1052 Guerrero Street in San Francisco and loved it. I was the only boy in the dance class, which brought about some bullying/teasing at school. I didn’t know back then how impactful the gift of dance would be in my life, but God did.

Although, the God-given gift of dancing never won me an abundance of popularity growing up, it did help win the heart of my late wife, Joanne. It’s also the gift that God used to introduce me to my present wife, Louise. It’s one of the those gifts from God that has brought incredible joy to my life.

It’s only by the grace of God that at age 78 I’m still dancing, doing so in the name of the Lord Jesus and giving thanks and praise to God the Father through Him.

Accounting of God’s Word

What gift/gifts has God blessed me with? Am I using them in the name of my Lord Jesus Christ?

Absorbing God’s Word

“But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.” James 1:25

Applying God’s Word

Becoming a hearer or a doer of God’s word is no easy task. As a young man, I was too caught up in myself and my worldly image to hear anything God was trying to tell me. The more I strived to be a winner in the world the further I drifted away from God and His purpose for my life. I was more focused on being a loser in the eyes of the world than a winner in the eyes of God.

Last week’s election seemed to label people in our nation winners or losers based on who they voted for. Not so! We are all winners if we look into the perfect law of liberty, persevere, and are not a “hearer who forgets but a doer who acts” out of love for Jesus Christ.

 Accounting of God’s Word

Am I a winner in the eyes of the world or in the eyes of God?