Believing Jesus: A Journey Through the Book of Acts

by Lisa Harper

Overview

Are you truly willing to risk everything?

In Believing Jesus, Bible teacher and author Lisa Harper retraces the steps of the apostles in the book of Acts, while throwing in a few of her own crazy adventures along the way. The disciples didn’t have much of a road map after Jesus ascended to heaven, but God’s grace and spirit filled in the gaps as they moved forward. It required their willingness to risk everything to establish a new community that would change the future world.

As a regular speaker on the Women of Faith® tour, Lisa has earned a reputation as a true theological scholar and hilarious storyteller—not necessarily in that order! Best-selling author and pastor Max Lucado calls Lisa one of the “best Bible tour guides around.”

Believing Jesus will highlight both of Lisa’s strengths as she tackles every chapter of the Book of Acts with biblical wisdom and modern wit. Lisa keeps it real, telling stories on herself and pointing readers back to Jesus, the only one who can truly lead.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780718011208
Publisher:	HarperCollins Christian Publishing
Publication date:	08/22/2023
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	188
File size:	1 MB

About the Author

Rarely are the terms "hilarious storyteller" and "theological scholar" used in the same sentence, much less used to describe the same person but then again, Lisa Harper is anything but stereotypical! She's been lauded as a compelling communicator, whose writing and speaking emphasize that accruing knowledge about God pales next to a real and intimate relationship with Jesus. Her style combines sound biblical exposition and exegesis with engaging anecdotes and comedic wit.

Pastor Max Lucado calls Lisa one of the "best Bible tour guides around," and author/actress Priscilla Evans Shirer adds, "Her God-given ability to not merely teach the Word but package it in a way that stirs the heart and calls to action is incomparable. When she speaks, ears perk up!"

Lisa's vocational resume is comprised of 30+ years of church and para-church ministry leadership, including 6 years as the director of Focus on the Family's national women's ministry where she created the popular "Renewing the Heart" conferences, which were attended by almost 200,000 women, as well as a decade of touring with "Women of Faith," where she spoke to over a million women about the unconditional love of God. Her academic resume includes a Masters of Theological Studies from Covenant Seminary, and she recently completed her doctoral studies at Denver Seminary and is now working on her thesis.

She's been featured on numerous television and radio programs and is a regular on TBN's globally syndicated Better Together show. She's spoken at hundreds of national and international women's events, as well as in churches around the world. She's also invested locally and has been leading the same weekly neighborhood Bible study for 15 years. And if you can't find her teaching, studying, hiking, or riding her motorcycle, she's probably in a coffee shop sipping a mocha and typing away on her computer because she's also had 14 books published - including the recent best-selling devotional, Life, and has written and filmed 6 well-received Bible study video curriculums, including Job: A Story of Unlikely Joy and How Much More: Discovering God's Extravagant Love in Unexpected Places.

However, when asked about her credentials, the most noticeable thing about Lisa Harper is her authenticity. During a recent interview she said, "I'm so grateful for the opportunities God's given me but don't forget, He often uses donkeys and rocks!" She went on to describe her greatest accomplishment to date as getting to become Missy's mom through the miracle of adoption. Because in 2014, after a difficult journey and several adoption losses, she finally got to bring her daughter home from Haiti and she's been smiling even wider ever since!

Read an Excerpt

Believing Jesus

Are You Willing to Risk Everything? A Journey Through the Book of Acts

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By LISA HARPER

Thomas Nelson

Copyright © 2015 Lisa Harper
All rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-0-8499-2197-1

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CHAPTER 1

The Cost of Discipleship

Fear and disillusionment. Courage and commitment. Intense emotion and unbridled passion. The ultimate risk of life in exchange for undeserved grace and a treasured spot in eternity. An example for billions of people who would follow the same road centuries and millennia later. An all-out quest by a growing number of believers to risk everything to spread Jesus Christ's message around the world. The book of Acts. Wow.

Have you ever fully dug into this amazing book? I mean really dug in, where your heart beats faster with each revelation and you can't wait to turn the page to see what happens next? All the time you're imagining what it would've been like to have been there beside them. That's what we're going to do in this book, and I cannot wait to take the journey with you.

But first, I need to tell you a story about a precious child who is very close to my heart. In fact, the only person closer to my heart is Jesus, and that's where it all connects. ...

Mama blanc. White mama. That's what my little girl, Missy, called me the first time we met in Haiti in June 2012. And she didn't say it while batting her eyelashes and wearing a sweet smile. Nope. She was pretty much scowling with suspicion. She was two and a half years old and about nineteen pounds soaking wet, but man was she feisty. When her caregiver went to place her in my arms, I think what she wanted to say was, "Don't even think about holding me, you giant pale chick!" but she only spoke a few words of English at the time. Even speaking Creole was difficult because her little lungs were filled with fluid and weakened with tuberculosis. I was holding a bowl of rice and beans, though, which surely made her stomach growl. So instead of dissing me on the spot, she eyed me with a mixture of wariness and hunger. Then she did something remarkable; she reached out and wrapped her fist around my little finger with surprising strength and rasped, "Halo, mama blanc."

On that sweltering June day in 2012, about fifty kilometers southwest of Port-au-Prince, I became a tangible reality to my daughter. She saw and heard and touched me for the first time. She sure as heck didn't trust me at that point though. I was just a large, sweaty, non-Haitian woman. Several visits and suitcases bursting with presents later, Missy had warmed up to me considerably. I'd basically become Santa with bigger hips. The adoption process included two long years and five trips to the hottest place on the planet; in fact, there were times I promised Jesus I'd be a missionary in Africa if He'd just make a Slurpee materialize in front of me. But by the end of it, Missy liked me a lot. I'd become something akin to Barney, only without the obnoxious vocal inflection and purple hue.

But it wasn't until after Missy had come home to live with me in Tennessee — after we'd twirled and wiggled through hours of charades in our quest to communicate (her English was very limited when the adoption was finalized, and my Creole is abysmal); after I'd rocked her through many nights when she couldn't sleep; after I'd held her during way too many blood draws at Vanderbilt Children's Hospital (Missy's birth mom died of AIDS and unwittingly infected her with HIV); after I'd slipped not once, not twice, but three times in wee ponds she'd created by cramming copious wads of toilet paper in a commode and then flushing it over and over again with unrestrained glee (toilets were a luxury in her village, even more so toilet paper, so she was initially quite enamored with it); after we'd discovered a shared affinity for Pirate's Booty (the best popcorn ever), belly laughs, loud worship tunes (especially those with a very active drum track), enthusiastic dancing, roller coasters, pistachios, and playing tag on the beach; and only afterI wiped her bottom and nose and tears more times than I can count — that my baby really began to trust me.

Three weeks ago, I'd spent several minutes at bedtime explaining to Missy who'd be picking her up from school the next day. She'd be spending the weekend with her Aunt Sharon because I would be leaving on an airplane for Kansas City for work the next morning. She turned toward me and slid her chilly, five-year-old feet under the covers and stuck all ten of her perfect brown toes in my "belly fold." I've gained weight since becoming a mom, partly because I've developed a bad habit of eating some of her favorite foods — macaroni and cheese and quesadillas are at the top of her list — and partly because as a single mom I don't have the time to run like I used to and burn off the extra calories. She wiggled her toes in my newly grown valley for a minute, pondering the fact that I was going away for a few days, and then posed a poignant question. "Mama love Missy?"

I replied, "Oh yes, baby. I love you very, very, very much!" She dissolved into giggles and reframed the question into a boisterous declaration, "Mama love Missy! Mama love Missy! Mama love Missy!"

Then her eyelids got heavy, and within ninety seconds she was fast asleep with a smile on her face.

A SCENIC POINT ON THE ACTS JOURNEY

As innocent as it may seem, the ongoing transition that's taking place in Missy's and my relationship is not unlike what we're going to see played out in the book of Acts. Think about this: The disciples had spent three years with Jesus. They'd followed Him all over Galilee and traipsed behind Him to the big city of Jerusalem. Most of them had given up a lot to follow Jesus on this risky, itinerant mission, so they obviously believed in Him. But then things started getting dicey. Quickly. There was a riot and Jesus got carted off by the religious police. After which Pete, their unofficial team captain, panicked and threw Jesus under the bus. Then Jesus went and got Himself murdered — hung on a tree like a rabid dog between two gang-bangers. What would you think in that situation? You might still believe in Him, but would you fully believe what He had told you about all this?

Even though Jesus told His closest friends and followers that all this had to happen to fulfill the Old Testament prophecies, it still threw them for a loop when it did. Why? They probably thought He was being metaphorical, speaking at least a little bit figuratively. They didn't imagine their Savior would really have to die, for goodness' sake! So there, for just a moment, stretched thin as a spider's strand in redemptive history, it looked as if that small band of eleven brothers was on the verge of breaking up.

But just when it seems like this true story is going to have a tragic conclusion, the plot shifts:

In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach, until the day when he was taken up, after he had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God.

And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, "you heard from me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now."

So when they had come together, they asked him, "Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?" He said to them, "It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, and said, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven." (cts 1:1–11 ESV)

Did you know that in the forty days that followed the stone being rolled away from Jesus' tomb, He appeared to more than one hundred people on at least ten separate occasions? And as for the disciples, the undeniable proof of their Redeemer's resurrection transformed them from being men who simply believed in Jesus to men who believed Jesus and all He had taught them. From watching and nodding as He preached, to preaching the same you-must-repent-and-be-born-again message themselves. From walking alongside Him to being willing to die rather than renounce their love for Him. As a matter of fact, history suggests that all of them except John ultimately died as martyrs as a direct result of their galvanized faith. They epitomized what John wrote in the twilight of his life:

And our brothers and sisters defeated him by the blood of the Lamb's death and by the message they preached. They did not love their lives so much that they were afraid of death.

(Revelation 12:11 NCV)

A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic — on a level with the man who says he is a poached egg — or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronising nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.

— C. S. Lewis, Mere Christianity

ARE YOU WILLING TO RISK ACTUALLY BELIEVING JESUS?

Take a look at the declarative promises Jesus makes to His followers before He ascends into heaven to sit at the right hand of God the Father:

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth. (Acts 1:8 ESV, emphasis mine)

The original, etymological meaning of you will is "to grasp" or "to seize." The initiative rests with the giver. In other words, these aren't gifts Christ-followers have the option of refusing. If you have put your hope in the sacrificial death and supernatural resurrection of Jesus Christ, you will receive power. The Greek word Luke uses here that is translated "power" in English is dynamis, which is also where we get the word "dynamite." This power comes from the Holy Spirit, and you will be a witness to His grace and mercy. Of course, the boldness in which Christians utilize our God-given authority and communicate our faith with others will increase as we mature in our faith, but the gifts themselves are non-negotiable and nonrefundable. Like an all-you-can-eat dessert bar at a weight-loss convention, these gifts show up in unlikely but oh-so-beautiful places.

Have you ever heard of Florrie Evans? By all accounts, she was a quiet, unassuming young woman from the village of New Quay Cardiganshire, Wales. The word cardigan comes from a fellow who grew up in this town too — Lord Cardiganshire. Evidently, he was a tad claustrophobic, and when he once felt trapped in his long-sleeve wool military sweater, he sliced it from top to bottom in the front, thereby creating the first open-front sweater, which was named after him. But I digress. One Sunday in January 1904, Florrie felt compelled to stand up in the middle of the formal service at the Anglican sanctuary in downtown Sweaterville and bellow with heightened emotion, "I love the Lord Jesus with all my heart!"

As amazing as it might sound, historians point to that one passionate proclamation — the powerful witness of an improbable disciple — as the starter's pistol that set the Welsh Revival of 1904–05 in motion. It was a sweeping, infectious spiritual renewal in which more than 150,000 people put their hope in Jesus, and the attention of an entire nation was turned toward God!

You see, there's an important and radical difference between the cognitive belief that Jesus is the Son of God and that He exists and actually believing Him. Believing Jesus means you're willing to risk everything you are and everything you have based on everything He taught and everything He did. It means learning to love Him more than you love your own life. It means He is your North and South. He is the Wind beneath your wings. It means nothing and nobody — and I mean no thing and no one — is more important to you than the only One who loves us unconditionally. Introverts like Florrie Evans can spark national revivals when they believe Jesus. Traitors like Peter can turn the tables on their own Benedict Arnold behavior and become church-building saints when they believe Jesus. And middle-aged, single chicks with dusty ovaries like me can become mamas when they believe Jesus.

WHEN PUSH COMES TO SHOVE AND RISK BECOMES REALITY

One of my oldest and dearest friends, Judy Flaherty, and I were reminiscing recently about some of our favorite memories together. We couldn't help laughing at our "blooper reel" of good times. Like the last girls' trip we took before she got married. For some crazy, probably caffeine-induced reason, we thought it'd be a great idea to drive seventeen hours one way to Yellowstone National Park. We ended up almost shivering to death in a leaky tent surrounded by big grumpy buffalo while it hailed for two days. Or the time when I crashed my mountain bike and bent the frame (and ruptured a disc in the process) at the top of a sandstone cliff in Moab, Utah, which caused us to be stranded in the desert for a few hours.

After a while it dawned on us that the memories that were the most meaningful were when we left the most proverbial skin on the pavement. They were recorded in our hearts and minds as precious because we paid such a high price for them, and unladylike scars were our currency!

I think the same could be said about life in general: the higher the cost to obtain it, the more valuable we believe it to be. That's the thematic river that's running through the book of Acts — the inestimable treasure of Jesus Christ and the exorbitant price His ancient followers were willing to pay because of their relationship with Him. Complacent Christianity simply wouldn't cut it for Luke's friends once they encountered their resurrected Savior. Oh that the same will be said of you and me one day.

What will people think when they hear that I'm a Jesus Freak?

What will people do when they find that it's true?

I don't really care if they label me a Jesus Freak

Cause there ain't no disguising the truth.

CHAPTER 2

Earth, Wind, and Celestial Fire

When I was three or four years old, I developed a deep and abiding relationship with a lovely elderly couple. I could always count on Purda and Jim to be there when I needed them, probably because they lived purely in my imagination so they were able to sync their schedules with mine. (I'm pretty sure I fashioned these make-believe pals after a sweet couple from our church named Shirley and Darryl, who in a delightful twist of fate went on to become my youngest aunt Darlene's in-laws.) While the fictitious Purda was pudgy and loved to bake chocolate cupcakes, she wasn't above shimmying up a tree with me. Jim was a steadfast, non-yeller who spent his free time in the garage fixing things.

My mom was naturally a bit concerned about my penchant for inventing adult playmates. Family lore details her many attempts to dissuade me from hanging with Purda and Jim, but I was stubbornly committed to the relationship. Poor mom probably thought she was raising a nut-job until Grandmom brought over an article from some women's magazine claiming that children with imaginary friends have above-average intelligence. Once mom realized Purda and Jim might be harbingers of academic excellence and a Mensa membership, she breathed a sigh of relief and quit trying to talk me into betraying them.

(Continues...)

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Excerpted from Believing Jesus by LISA HARPER. Copyright © 2015 Lisa Harper. Excerpted by permission of Thomas Nelson.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.

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Table of Contents

1 The Cost of discipleship 1

2 Earth, Wind, and Celestial Fire 13

3 Checkered Pasts Can Make Incredible Preachers 29

4 What's Mine is Yours 47

5 Loving More People, More 65

6 Sinners Who Would Be Saints 85

7 A Compassionate Compulsion 105

8 The Need to Be Regospeled 125

9 Bearing the Chain Because 145

10 Kicking Safe, Comfortable Christianity to the Curb 169

Notes 181

About the Author 185