DAY 1

“PARADIGM SHIFT”

1 In my former book, Theophilus, I wroteabout all that Jesus began to do and to teach2 until the day he was taken up to heaven,after giving instructions through the HolySpirit to the apostles he had chosen. 3 Afterhis suffering, he presented himself to themand gave many convincing proofs that he wasalive. He appeared to them over a period offorty days and spoke about the kingdom ofGod.

4 On one occasion, while he was eating withthem, he gave them this command: “Do notleave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift myFather promised, which you have heard mespeak about. 5 For John baptized with water,but in a few days you will be baptized withthe Holy Spirit. .” 6 Then they gathered aroundhim and asked him, “Lord, are you at this timegoing to restore the kingdom to Israel?”

7 He said to them: “It is not for you to knowthe times or dates the Father has set by hisown authority. 8 But you will receive powerwhen the Holy Spirit comes on you; and youwill be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in allJudea and Samaria, and to the ends of theearth.” 9 After he said this, he was taken upbefore their very eyes, and a cloud hid himfrom their sight.

10 They were looking intently up into the skyas he was going, when suddenly two mendressed in white stood beside them. 11 “Menof Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand herelooking into the sky? This same Jesus, whohas been taken from you into heaven, willcome back in the same way you have seenhim go into heaven.”

PARADIGM SHIFTSHIFT means

(1) to move or to cause (something or someone) to move to a different place, position, to change or to cause (something) to change to a different opinion, belief, etc.;

(2) to go or to cause (something) to go from one person or thing to another.

PARADIGM means

(1) a model or pattern for something that may be copied;

(2) a theory or group of ideas about how something should be done, made, or thought about.

•

PARADIGM SHIFT means is a phrase thatwas popularized by American physicistThomas Kuhn to describe the nature ofscientific revolutions, or fundamentalchanges in the basic concepts andexperimental practices of a scientificdiscipline.

It means a time when the usual andaccepted way of doing or thinking aboutsomething changes completely.(Cambridge Dictionary) It means changingour mindsets.

HOW TO HAVE A PARADIGM SHIFT

1 In my former book, Theophilus, I wroteabout all that Jesus began to do and to teach2 until the day he was taken up to heaven,after giving instructions through the HolySpirit to the apostles he had chosen. 3 Afterhis suffering, he presented himself to themand gave many convincing proofs that he wasalive. He appeared to them over a period offorty days and spoke about the kingdom ofGod.

4 On one occasion, while he was eating withthem, he gave them this command: “Do notleave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift myFather promised, which you have heard mespeak about.

19 Therefore go and make disciples of allnations, baptizing them in the name of theFather and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,20 and teaching them to obey everything Ihave commanded you. And surely I am withyou always, to the very end of the age.”

In the Greek, the word translated ‘Go’ isreally a participle and it literally means, ‘asyou are going.’ But the words ‘makedisciples’ are an imperative in Greek.That’s the only imperative in these twoverses.

Therefore, the Great Commission is not acommand to go; rather, it is a command tomake disciples ‘as you are going’, or ‘makedisciples along the way’.

17 The heart is deceitful above all things andbeyond cure. Who can understand it?

23Above all else, guard your heart, foreverything you do flows from it.

5 For John baptized with water, but in a fewdays you will be baptized with the HolySpirit.” 6 Then they gathered around him andasked him, “Lord, are you at this time goingto restore the kingdom to Israel?” 7 He saidto them: “It is not for you to know the timesor dates the Father has set by his ownauthority.

8 But you will receive power when the HolySpirit comes on you; and you will be mywitnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea andSamaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

The Greek word translated “baptize” is theverb baptizo. According to mostcontemporary lexicons, the primarymeaning is “to dip, plunge, immerse.” Thesecondary meaning is to “bring under theinfluence.”

And since you personally are beingbaptized, you are also saying, "I died withJesus Christ, I was buried with him andnow I am raised with Christ to brand-newlife.”

It also means to cleanse spiritually; initiateor dedicate by purifying.

The Greek dunamis is used 120 times inthe New Testament. Loosely, the wordrefers to “strength, power, or ability.” It isthe root word of our English wordsdynamite, dynamo and dynamic.

Perhaps most importantly, dunamis canrefer to “inherent power, power residingin a thing by virtue of its nature, or whicha person or thing exerts and puts forth”.

29 Jesus replied, “You are in error becauseyou do not know the Scriptures or the powerof God.

30 “Then will appear the sign of the Son ofMan in heaven. And then all the peoples ofthe earth will mourn when they see the Sonof Man coming on the clouds of heaven, withpower and great glory.

In other words, the Lord has inherentpower residing in Himself. Dunamis is partof His nature.

We do not live the Christian life in our ownpower, but in God’s. It is God’s ability thatmakes us able to accomplish anything ofvalue, for apart from Him we can donothing. It is His strength that makes usovercomers.

DYNAMITE

Dynamite is an explosive material based on nitroglycerin, using

diatomaceous earth, or another adsorbent substance such as

powdered shells or clay. Dynamites using organic

materials as sorbents such as sawdust are less stable

and such use has been generally discontinued.

DYNAMITE

Dynamite was invented by the Swedish chemist and engineer Alfred Nobel in

Geesthacht, Germany, and patented in 1867.

STORAGE CONSIDERATIONS: Over time,regardless of the sorbent used, sticks ofdynamite will "weep" or "sweat"nitroglycerin, which can then pool in thebottom of the box or storage area. For thatreason, explosive manuals recommend therepeated turning over of boxes ofdynamite in storage.

STORAGE CONSIDERATIONS: Crystals willform on the outside of the sticks causingthem to be even more shock, friction, andtemperature sensitive. This creates a verydangerous situation. While the risk of anexplosion without the use of a blasting capis minimal for fresh dynamite, old dynamiteis dangerous. Modern packaging helpseliminate this by placing the dynamite intosealed plastic bags, and using wax coatedcardboard.

9 After he said this, he was taken up beforetheir very eyes, and a cloud hid him fromtheir sight. 10 They were looking intently upinto the sky as he was going, when suddenlytwo men dressed in white stood besidethem.

11 “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do youstand here looking into the sky? This sameJesus, who has been taken from you intoheaven, will come back in the same way youhave seen him go into heaven.”

Peter and the other disciples are themost ordinary people on earth. Theywere not expected to reach the wholeworld and share the Word of God. Butbecause of their willingness andobedience to the Holy Spirit.

12 Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in mewill do the works I have been doing, andthey will do even greater things than these,because I am going to the Father.

We can do great things if we have the Holy Spirit in us. God uses the

ordinary people to do extraordinary things.

6 Rather, you are filled with grief because Ihave said these things. 7 But very truly I tellyou, it is for your good that I am going away.Unless I go away, the Advocate will not cometo you; but if I go, I will send him to you.

We can have that power of the Holy Spirit only if we have faith in

Jesus.

The disciples were changed because of the power of the Holy Spirit.

They were once timid but God gave them boldness. They were

once argumentative butGod gave them unity.

Everything is done by the Holy Spirit for us. We just have to invite Him to move in our life and let His presence stay in us everyday and all the time.

Everyday actions become supernatural when

we have the Holy Spirit.

17 And these signs will accompany those whobelieve: In my name they will drive outdemons; they will speak in new tongues; 18

they will pick up snakes with their hands;and when they drink deadly poison, it will nothurt them at all; they will place their hands onsick people, and they will get well.”

14 Nevertheless, more and more men andwomen believed in the Lord and were

added to their number.

ELTON TRUEBLOOD

“Perhaps the greatest single weakness of the contemporary Christian

Church is that millions of supposed members are not really involved at all

and, what is worse, do not think it strange