Showing posts with label Acts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Acts. Show all posts

The End of the World as We Know It?

Posted by Randy | Labels: , , , , , , , , , | Posted On Saturday, May 21, 2011 at 4:14 PM

(10 pm CDT update - I'm still here. Either I missed it, or someone got it wrong...)


It's the end of the world as we know it.
It's the end of the world as we know it.
It's the end of the world as we know it and I feel fine.
(REM - It's The End Of The World As We Know It, 1987)


As I write, it's Saturday, May 21st, and the rapture, according to Harold Camping of Oakland, CA, is supposed to occur this afternoon at 6 pm... and I feel fine! (According to his prediction, the world itself won't actually end until October 21, 2011.) My first question is - is that 6 pm PDT (since that's where Harold is located) or 6 pm CDT (where I am) or 6 pm EDT (because television shows always list Eastern Time first - must be a conspiracy in there somewhere) or even 6 pm GMT (which is Greenwich Mean Time, which runs through England, and means I'm probably already too late)? It's an important question, if you think about it. If it's 6 pm EDT, then I have time to hear if it's really happening before it gets here to the Central Time Zone. Sort of a rolling rapture...


Anyway, I haven't cancelled any of my appointments for next week, and I would suggest that you don't either. It's not that I don't believe that Jesus will return someday and take home all those who have put their faith in him. That promise is found often and consistently throughout the Bible. It begins in the Old Testament with prophecies about the Day of the Lord. 


After Jesus' death and resurrection, there was a general expectation that he would return very soon. I love the picture of the church in Acts 2-4, but you also get the impression here that they were waiting for something to happen - the return of Jesus. And when it didn't happen right away and they had to go about their lives - and be Jesus' witnesses "...in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth," (Acts 1:8 NLT2) - the church began following the leading of the Holy Spirit to share this good news to every tribe and nation. But they never lost sight of the promise that Jesus would return on a Day of Judgment and take his followers home.



For since we believe that Jesus died and was raised to life again, we also believe that when Jesus returns, God will bring back with him the believers who have died. We tell you this directly from the Lord: We who are still living when the Lord returns will not meet him ahead of those who have died. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the Christians who have died will rise from their graves. Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever. So encourage each other with these words. (1 Thessalonians 4:14-18 NLT2)

This event is sometimes called the Rapture, though you won't find this word in the Bible. The word Rapture is a theological term that, according to my Accordance Bible Software, is "the imminent translation or removal from earth of the Church at the second coming of Christ." In Jerusalem just before he was taken prisoner, Jesus talked about his return and the warning signs that would be present in Matthew 24 and Mark 13.


Almost since the time of Jesus there have been folks who have tried to ascertain when Jesus' Second Coming would occur. Down through the centuries there have been many, many predictions. In my own lifetime and the 20th Century there have been seen several well-documented predications, and probably many more. (similar prophesies occurred for 2000, 1994, 1988, 1975, 1941, 1925, 1920, 1918, 1915, 1914, etc.) The first time you hear one of these it can be disconcerting, even scary, until you read more from the Bible about this event.


Jesus: "'However, no one knows the day or hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself. Only the Father knows.'" (Matthew 24:36 NLT2; see also Mark 13:32, which probably records the same event)
Jesus: "...'The Father alone has the authority to set those dates and times, and they are not for you to know.'" (Acts 1:7 NLT2)

On two separate occasions Jesus clearly stated that no one but the Father (God) knows when this will happen. No prophet, no pastor, no denomination, no radio preacher - no one! Jesus often tells us to be ready because, he says, '"...the Son of Man (Jesus) will come when least expected.'" (Matthew 24:44 NLT2) It seems to be the height of arrogance or ignorance for anyone to claim they know or have figured this out. Jesus is very clear about this.

So, honestly, I'm not sweating 6 pm very much, no matter which time zone it comes in. My biblical faith tells me that this is a non-event, except for the poor folks who have been duped or frightened into making something out of another set of faulty predictions. Those who believe Camping have been gathering in spots around the country and even selling off their possessions in order to be ready. It's interesting that Camping, the latest prophet of doom, actually made this prediction once before in 1994. When it failed to occur then, he claimed to have gotten the math wrong. But this time he says he's got it right. Yea, sure...

I did a little more reading about Camping and his ministry, Family Radio. He's basing his predictions on math and codes that he believes he's found in the Bible. You can go to his website to learn more about how he came to this. He even goes so far as to explain why Jesus' own statements (see above) about his return aren't to be believed. Camping owns close to sixty radio stations around the country. Interestingly, one news article I read interviewed a receptionist with Family Radio who planned to be on the job Monday, and who said at least eighty percent of the staff there did not believe this prophecy. I was wondering how they would handle their station if they were all gone - I guess they won't be!

I have not listened to Camping nor read very much of his stuff. But this one topic - the time of the return of Jesus - seems to catch him and a number of otherwise well-intentioned Christ followers (as well as a few genuine nuts). Ultimately, it ruins their credibility with Christ followers, and it makes Christianity as a whole look crazy.

There is one aspect of all this with which Camping does help us. He reminds us that Jesus will return, and we had better be ready. It will happen suddenly, without warning, and there will come a day and time when it is too late - it really will be the end of the world as we know it. Jesus told a powerful parable that warns us all that though we may not know when he is coming, the wise person will be ready:


"'Then the Kingdom of Heaven will be like ten bridesmaids who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. The five who were foolish didn’t take enough olive oil for their lamps, but the other five were wise enough to take along extra oil. When the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and fell asleep. At midnight they were roused by the shout, "Look, the bridegroom is coming! Come out and meet him!" All the bridesmaids got up and prepared their lamps. Then the five foolish ones asked the others, "Please give us some of your oil because our lamps are going out." But the others replied, "We don’t have enough for all of us. Go to a shop and buy some for yourselves." But while they were gone to buy oil, the bridegroom came. Then those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was locked. Later, when the other five bridesmaids returned, they stood outside, calling, "Lord! Lord! Open the door for us!" But he called back, "Believe me, I don’t know you!" So you, too, must keep watch! For you do not know the day or hour of my return.'" (Matthew 25:1-13 NLT2)
Regardless of the day and time, each of us has to decide if we will have put our faith and trust in Christ and be wise and ready, or if we are willing to gamble and put it off and discover we are foolish. You are the only one that can decide that - what's your choice?

24 HOURS-Week 2: What Happened to Judas?

Posted by Randy | Labels: , , , , , , , , , | Posted On Saturday, March 13, 2010 at 7:58 PM

One of the key characters in the last 24 hours of Jesus' life is the disciple Judas. There were actually two disciples named Judas, but the Gospel writers always distinguish the one who betrayed Jesus as Judas Iscariot (with Iscariot probably meaning, "a man of Keiroth," a small town in the south of Judah).

Matthew, Mark and Luke all list Judas among Jesus' twelve disciples, but he is listed last in each list with a comment indicating he later betrayed Jesus (John has no list). John tells us Judas' heart is clearly not in the right place. When Mary, sister of Martha and Lazarus, poured expensive perfume on Jesus' feet and wiped them with her hair, Judas objected. "That perfume was worth a year's wages. It should have been sold and the money given to the poor." (John 12:5 NLT2) But his motivation wasn't the poor, as John tells us: "Not that he cared for the poor - he was a thief, and...he often stole some for himself." (John 12:6 NLT2)

We know that at the Last Supper, after Jesus prophesied that one of his disciples would betray him, Judas quietly left the meal. John tells us the other disciples just assumed he was going out to pay for their meal or give money to the poor. But both Luke and John indicate that Satan prompts Judas to betray Jesus. However, the fact that Satan could enter into Judas indicated at that time he really wasn't a true follower of Christ. Had he been in the beginning? None of the Gospels tell us.

So, why did Judas betray Jesus? This is a question people have wrestled with down through the centuries. Was it for the 30 coins of silver? Possibly, since we know he was a thief and very interested in money. Matthew tells us Judas went to the authorities and asked how much they were willing to pay to have Jesus betrayed into their hands (Matthew 26:14-16). But could there be another reason?

Some have suggested Judas was driven by ambition. Judas was almost certainly an extreme Jewish nationalist or zealot. In Jesus he believed he had found the Messiah, the anointed one of God, who would liberate his people. Perhaps Judas was looking forward to the day when Jesus would be crowned king and lead the Jews to victory over the Romans. Then Judas would take his place alongside Jesus in his new kingdom, with more power and wealth than he could even dream of.

As Jesus entered Jerusalem that last week, on Sunday, to the crowds waving palm branches and shouting out "Hosanna," Judas thought the time had finally come. What better time to announce he was the Messiah than at the Feast of the Passover, when Jerusalem would be crowded with 2-3 million Jews and national fervor was already running high (remembering when God had liberated Israel from the Egyptians). The Roman garrison in Jerusalem would be no match for them, and with the Messiah leading the way, they would quickly expel the Romans from their borders and set up a new Israel, with God's own power protecting them through the Messiah Jesus.

But, as the week went on and Judas realized Jesus wasn't going to confront the Romans, wasn't going to declare himself king, wasn't going to raise up an army to expel the Romans, he became disillusioned with Jesus. Perhaps he felt he had been a fool for thinking this Jesus would really be the Messiah, and now he was angry and bitter. But he would show Jesus. He would betray him and at least get some silver out of the deal.

A somewhat different version of the above scenario starts out the same, with Judas believing in the cause for Israel and believing Jesus was the Messiah. Again, as they entered Jerusalem, it appeared the time had come. But instead of rallying the Jews, Jesus was simply antagonizing the religious authorities more and more. Perhaps Judas saw an inevitable conflict looming between Jesus and the authorities that would leave the Jews divided rather than united. So, some have suggested, Judas betrayed Jesus in order to force his hand, to make him proclaim that he was the Messiah and take his rightful place in leadership of the Jewish people. Perhaps he believed Jesus, as he was delivered to the authorities, would be compelled to act in order to save himself. And thus, the campaign would begin.

Something interesting happens in Judas' very act of betrayal of Jesus. In the dark at the Garden of Gethsemane, Judas would greet Jesus with a kiss, a customary greeting of a Jewish rabbi. It was a sign of respect and affection. Then the arresting mob would know for sure which one to grab. The Greek word used for this "kiss" sign was philein, which is the typical word for this act. However, when it comes time for Judas to actually kiss Jesus, Mark uses the word kataphilein, which carries a much more intense sense of deep affection and love (Mark 14:44-45).

We don't see this significant difference in the English, but it's there in the Greek. Why does Mark use the different, more intense word? Could it be that Judas has begun to reflect on what he's done, that he's starting to feel remorse or regret or even guilt? Of course, we don't actually know, but the choice of these two words by Mark might indicate there was more turmoil going on within Judas than is obvious.

Mark doesn't tell us what happens to Judas, but Matthew and Luke give us the tragic ending. Matthew tells us, in Matthew 27:3-5, that when it became obvious to Judas that Jesus was going to die, he really was filled with remorse. Early on that Friday morning he takes the money back to the religious authorities and says, "'I have sinned, for I have betrayed an innocent man.'" (vs. 4 NLT2) But the religious authorities have Jesus now, and they could care less if Judas has developed a conscience. So, Judas threw the money down in the Temple and went out and hanged himself.

Luke tells us in Acts 1:18 that Judas bought a field with the money. Though Luke isn't clear, most scholars think Judas still hung himself, but either the tree limb or rope broke, and his already dead body fell and "spilt open." Either way, in Matthew or Luke, Judas' life comes to a sad and tragic ending.

William Barclay puts it this way:
"Both Luke and John say simply that the devil entered into Judas. In the last analysis that is what happened. Judas wanted Jesus to be what he wanted him to be and not what Jesus wanted to be. In reality Judas attached himself to Jesus, not so much to become a follower as to use Jesus to work out the plans and desires of his own ambitious heart. So far from surrendering to Jesus, he wanted Jesus to surrender to him..." (p. 330)

Perhaps the message and caution for all of us is that there is some of Judas in each one of us. We're all capable of self-serving sin to get our own way, to even use Jesus for our purposes instead of being used by Jesus for his. I know I have to often check my intentions to see if I'm serving Jesus or trying to get him to serve me. In the end, it's my prayer that I am serving Jesus.

Mark and the Invitation of Jesus

Posted by Randy | Labels: , , , , , , , , , | Posted On Wednesday, October 28, 2009 at 12:01 AM

Today we move into the Gospel of Mark, looking at the first two chapters. But I want to first share a little background about Mark.

Most scholars believe that Mark was the first of the Gospels written (but not the first writing of the New Testament - some of Paul's writings date to the late 40s), somewhere between 55 and 65 A.D. It was written by John Mark, a disciple of Jesus, but not one of the original twelve. He is mentioned in Acts as accompanying Paul on his first missionary journey (Acts 13:5), but he did not stay for the whole journey (13:13). As Paul prepared to depart on his second missionary journey with Barnabas, Barnabas wanted to take John Mark along, but Paul strongly disagreed since John Mark had left them on their first journey. Barnabas ends up taking John Mark with him to Cyprus, while Paul takes Silas with him on his second missionary journey.

Sometime after that Mark probably wrote his Gospel. Many scholars believe that while Mark probably knew Jesus firsthand and followed him, he depended on the Apostle Peter for many of the details of his Gospel, giving it the credibility of one of the greatest apostles. Mark's Gospel is the shortest of the four Gospels, and was written to Gentiles (probably in Rome) instead of Jews. Therefore, he wanted to emphasize that Jesus was the Son of God who came not as a conquering king but as a humble servant. For that reason, unlike Matthew, he is less concerned to show how Jesus fulfilled Jewish prophecy. His focus is on what will make the most sense to Gentiles who may know little or nothing about Judaism and the one true God, and it may explain why he shows us more miracles than any other Gospel. Interestingly, Mark is the only Gospel that tells us absolutely nothing about Jesus' birth or coming into this world.

Most scholars believe that both Matthew and Luke had copies of Mark as they wrote their own Gospels, for virtually all of Mark is repeated in one or both of these other two Gospels. This explains why we often read the same stories in these three Gospels, though Matthew and Luke added their own insights and purposes to make them distinctively different. These three Gospels are sometimes called the Synoptic Gospels, differentiating them from John, which has little overlap.

Mark begins his Gospel with John the Baptist announcing the Messiah, the anointed one of God, is coming. Jesus comes to John, his older cousin, and is baptized by him in the Jordan River. "As Jesus came up out of the water, he saw the heavens splitting apart and the Holy Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice from heaven said, 'You are my dearly loved Son, and you bring me great joy.'" (Mark 1:10-11, NLT)

The very first words Mark records out of Jesus' mouth are these: "'The time promised by God has come at last!' he announced. 'The Kingdom of God is near! Repent of your sins and believe the Good News!'" (1:15) These words sum up Jesus' message throughout Mark - repent and believe!

Very soon after that Jesus begins calling his disciples, and his invitation then is the same as his invitation today. To Simon Peter and his brother Andrew, Jesus said, "...'Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!'" (1:17) He would repeat that same basic invitation, Mark tells us, to the brothers James and John, and to Levi (Matthew), the tax collector: follow me!

Last night our Life Group finished watched the three-part video series "Simple" by Pastor Andy Stanley. The three messages were: "Follow," "Believe," and "Obey." Our group really enjoyed all three, but it helped to hear Stanley talk about where Jesus began with people. Not do this, or follow these rules, or jump through these hoops. He simply said, "Follow me." Go with me, get to know me, discover who I am and what I'm about. Walk with me. I love that! Let's get to know and trust each other first. That's the way all relationships begin - walking through life together.

Mark tells us Jesus invited five disciples this very way, but my guess is he used this same basic invitation with everyone. Too many folks want to make it hard - they want to make Christianity a religion of rules, when it all begins with a relationship. That doesn't mean there isn't a place for doing the right things - Stanley got to that in his third message, which we watched last night, and it was obedience. But obedience comes after a relationship is established and we come to believe and trust Jesus. In the beginning, we just follow.

Because Mark wrote to people who may have known little or nothing about Jesus, his emphasis on Jesus' invitation is a great way for us to begin today with those around us who aren't sure about Jesus. Just come check him out, start following him, and see where he leads you. Don't worry about all the rules, etc. - just get to know Jesus himself. We can tell our own story of how we began to follow him, and not try to force things. We might just be surprised by how much happens when we simply do things Jesus' way.

Paul and the Journey of a Lifetime (and Even Longer)

Posted by Randy | Labels: , , , , , , , , , | Posted On Tuesday, October 27, 2009 at 12:01 AM

Today we come to the end of the Book of Acts, written by Luke, the author of the Gospel of Luke. Acts told us the stories of the Apostles, the coming of the Holy Spirit, the birth of the church, and the spread of Christianity beyond the Jews to the Gentiles. We meet the Apostle Paul, who wrote a significant portion of the New Testament. We learn about his powerful calling to follow Jesus and preach the Gospel, first to the Jews, and then to the Gentiles. An interesting side note is that in Acts 16:10 the story changes from third person to first person, for Luke apparently actually joins Paul on portions of the remainder of his journeys, recording some of these events first hand.

In a very eventful trip, Paul sailed from Caesarea, was shipwrecked in on Malta, bitten by a poisonous snake, healed many people, and eventually made it to Rome. There, he remained under guard, but he had the freedom to pick his own lodging and was able to welcome guests. "For the next two years, Paul lived in Rome at his own expense. He welcomed all who visited him, boldly proclaiming the Kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ. And no one tried to stop him." (28:30-31, NLT)

These last two verses tell us something significant about Paul and God's intention for all Christ followers: Paul welcomed all, and he boldly proclaimed the Kingdom of God and the Lord Jesus Christ. This is what the church is called to do: welcome all and boldly proclaim the Good News, because we live in a world dying for Good News!

We also see here the mission Jesus gave the early church moving toward it's fulfillment: "'But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere - in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.'" (1:8) Paul may not have reached the "ends of the earth," but he reached Rome, which was essentially the center of the earth (or at least of the western world). It was said that all roads led to Rome. In Rome Paul would meet people from the ends of the earth, and he would proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ, through the power of the Holy Spirit.

There's a lot about Paul that we really don't know. Some scholars believe Paul was sent to Rome around 60 A.D. From Luke's writings in Acts, we know he was there at least two years. During this time, he very possibly wrote what are sometimes called the Prison Letters: Colossians, Philemon, Ephesians, and Philippians. There is reason to believe Paul was released at the end of these two years. He continued to travel and preach as he most likely headed east to Macedonia and Ephesus. There are some indications that he then traveled west to Nicopolis on the eastern shore of Greece. During this period he appears to have written 1 Timothy and Titus. Some scholars think he then traveled to what is today Spain before being imprisoned again by Nero in a new round of persecutions of Christians. He was returned to Rome, where he probably wrote 2 Timothy, and penned some of his last words:

"As for me, my life has already been poured out as an offering to God. The time of my death is near. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful. And now the prize awaits me - the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on the day of his return. And the prize is not just for me but for all who eagerly look forward to his appearing." (2 Timothy 4:6-8)

It is believed Paul was executed in late 66 or early 67 A.D. in Rome, very possibly by beheading. Yet, Paul was confident that He lived his life well. He knew God had used him and he had remained faithful, even in the face of all kinds of adversity. Paul's life was anything but easy, yet he never gave up welcoming all and boldly proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ. And because of his faithfulness, the church has been blessed and encouraged down through the centuries.

The reality is, we follow in Paul's footsteps today, seeking to reach all people with the Good News of Jesus Christ. Paul let nothing stand in the way of the mission Jesus had given him. Not only do his writings teach us so much, but his life should teach us to never give up on the mission, never diminish it or reduce its significance. Like Paul, may we be found faithful at the end of our days!

Chains and Real Freedom

Posted by Randy | Labels: , , , , , , , , , | Posted On Monday, October 26, 2009 at 12:01 AM

As I read Acts 24-26, I at first felt that a lot of Paul's precious time and experience was being wasted in jail. He has been jailed because he was accused by Jews of stirring up a riot in the Temple. As we saw yesterday, he was brought to Caesarea, the lead Roman city of the area, located on the Mediterranean Sea.

Paul stayed there at least two years, according to Acts 24:27. Apparently, Felix, the governor, was quite a politician. He knew the Jews wanted Paul killed, but he also knew there were no legitimate Roman charges. Yet, to keep the Jews happy, he didn't let Paul go. Instead, he subtly searched for a bribe from Paul, but nothing ever came of it (24:26).

After two years, however, a new governor, Festus, was appointed. Felix had delayed and delayed, but now Festus seemed determined to find some resolution to the situation. He invited the Jews to come and again make their case against Paul. The Jews religious leaders pushed for Paul to be given a hearing in Jerusalem, but they planned to use the opportunity to have him killed. Paul refused to go to Jerusalem, and instead, as a Roman citizen, exercised his right to appeal to Caesar (25:11). With that, Festus was obligated to send Paul to Rome, the seat of power in the 1st Century Western World. As I've studied this part of Paul's life, I've come to see that Paul probably saw real value in this as a way of spreading his message even further.

A few days later King Agrippa arrived, and chose to hear Paul's case. This was Agrippa II, son of King Herod Agrippa, who had had the apostle James killed to please the Jews and sought to have Peter executed (12:2-4). King Herod Agrippa died, the Bible tells us, because he accepted the praise of men that he was a god (12:20-23). Both kings ruled under Roman rule, at the whim of Caesar, yet they wielded significant power in their realms. Agrippa II was enough of a politician to know Jewish culture, since Palestine was a significant part of his realm.

Paul stands before King Agrippa, his sister Bernice, and Festus, as well as many prominent citizens in what the New Living Translation (NLT) calls the auditorium (25:23), thought it was really more like a small coliseum. Paul explains his innocence and tells his conversion story on the road to Damascus. You really get the feeling Paul is trying to convert King Agrippa, who was familiar with the Jewish faith. Paul says to him, "...'I pray to God that both you and everyone here in this audience might become the same as I am, except for these chains.'" (26:29, italics added)

Agrippa and Festus realize Paul has done nothing wrong, but because he has appealed to Caesar, they cannot just release him but must now send him on to Rome. Again, this doesn't seem to be a disappointment to Paul, for he has desired to go to Rome for some time.

My wife Susan and I visited the Holy Land - Israel - in 1990, and one of the places we traveled was to this location, often called Caesarea by the Sea. Many ruins remain there from biblical times, including the auditorium (coliseum) where it is believed Paul spoke to Agrippa and Festus. It is essentially an amphitheater in the round, with rising levels of rock, much like our "bleachers" at Gateway, except without the cushioned seats. We sat in this place, and listened to these passages being read aloud by members of our tour group.

I remember in particular one older pastor who really relished reading the quote above (26:29) and holding his arms up as if in chains. He made us feel like we had traveled 2000 years back in time to that day as Paul proclaimed his freedom in Christ, a freedom that was greater than any form of political freedom that could be won or bought. Paul knew the people who were really in chains (of sin and death) were Agrippa and Festus, for they had not put their faith in Jesus Christ.

There are many people today who are still bound by these chains. Paul's desire for their freedom drove his life and mission, and it drives our mission at Gateway. We are a gateway to faith and freedom, through Jesus Christ. It is our desire to free people from their chains and bondage, and we know only Christ can do this. It's exciting to see lives freed and to hear their stories of grace. And like Paul, we won't stop as long as there are those around us who have not yet committed their life to Jesus Christ. The "chains" of this earth are nothing compared to the eternal freedom we have in Jesus. Paul knew this, and so, in a very real sense, even though he was "in chains," he really was free. The Good News is that nothing and no one can ultimately take this freedom from us!

Love and Disagreement

Posted by Randy | Labels: , , , , , , , , , | Posted On Sunday, October 25, 2009 at 12:01 AM

Chapters 21-23 focus on Paul's journey to Jerusalem and the events that will eventually lead to his imprisonment and travel to Rome. Along the way Christ followers worry for Paul, and he is confronted with prophecies that he will be jailed. Yet, Paul will not back down and continues on to Rome.

Paul had begun his ministry to Jews, but he soon discovered that his greater calling most often was to Gentiles. He had seen many Gentiles come to faith in Jesus Christ. And following the instructions from the earlier Jerusalem council (Acts 15), he had not required these Gentile converts to take on any of the religious requirements of Jews. This would have turned salvation by grace through faith into salvation by doing the right works, and this was not what Jesus or the apostles taught. Yet, this angered many Jews who thought he was subverting Judaism. So, they badgered him, beat him, ran him out towns, and even tried to stone him to death.

Now in Jerusalem, Paul was trying to demonstrate, as a Jewish follower of Christ, that he still fulfilled the Jewish Law, when Jews from what is modern-day Turkey arrived and stirred up a mob against him with lies. Paul is eventually arrested by the Roman authorities. When it is discovered that more than forty Jews had taken an oath to kill Paul, the Roman commander sent Paul west to the Roman city of Caesarea on the Mediterranean Sea. There, Governor Felix would hear Paul's case, alongside the complaints of the Jews.

It's interesting to me just how zealous these Jews were, yet how little love they show. I'm not saying false teaching should ever be completely ignored, for several places in the New Testament are warnings against false teachers. But, in the early church there was no sense of killing these false teachers - turn them out, absolutely, but don't harm them, for they were still called to love them. Sometimes making too much of false teachers actually gives them a platform to advance their cause.

The great Jewish teacher and Pharisee Gamaliel had cautioned against these very actions regarding the early Christians in Acts 5:38-39 (NLT): "'So my advice is, leave these men alone. Let them go. If they are planning and doing these things merely on their own, it will be overthrown. But if it is from God, you will not be able to overthrow them. You may even find yourselves fighting against God.'"

And now the Jews really were fighting God, though they didn't realize it. I've found it wise to never rush to quick decisions regarding the faith of others. God doesn't just work in and through me, and His ways are not my ways. The Bible calls Christ followers to unity, but not uniformity. I don't want to major on the minors. That doesn't mean there aren't beliefs and doctrines worth fighting for, but too often we try to make mountains out of molehills. Doctrines establish the foul lines - what's inbounds and what's out-of-bounds - but they leave a fair amount of room for discussion and even disagreement that don't compromise overall unity. Love is still the underlying motive in everything.

I read this week about a church in Virginia that planned to burn translations of the Bible that weren't the King James Version (KJV), as well as works by Billy Graham and Rick Warren, for this church believed these two men had strayed from the Bible. I don't know about you, but I'd love to have just a smidgen of the faith and love of these two great men of God. This church's narrow approach to the Gospel only serves the enemy. When Christians fight among ourselves, we hurt our witness to those outside the faith. Actions like this burning make us look like buffoons. I'm ok if you want to disagree, but can't we disagree agreeably, in the spirit of Christ and his love? Paul would talk about this with the Corinthians:

"If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing. If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing." (1 Corinthians 13:1-3 NLT2)

Jesus hung on the cross, but he did not revile his tormentors - instead he asked the Father to forgive them. He always loved, and if we can't love, we aren't followers of Christ. That doesn't mean it's easy, and we definitely require the work of the Holy Spirit in us to move in this direction. And love doesn't mean anything goes. But, the attitude of love should undergird all our actions and attitudes. If the Jews had lived this love, they might have still disagreed with Paul, they might even have banished him from the Temple and synagogues, but no one would be taking a vow to kill him.

Likewise, today Christ followers are still called to love. We may disagree and even believe that another person's beliefs and teachings are beyond the bounds of Christianity, but that doesn't give us permission to stop loving them. In fact, when it's hardest to love another, when they put us down and seek our harm is the very time we must most love. The kind of love Jesus calls us to is a choice, a decision, not a feeling, and as a choice, it requires action on our part. We're called to choose love and act on it even when we fundamentally disagree with another, even when they have hurt us, or we find ourselves in the same boat with the Jews who badgered and threatened Paul.

The witness of love has never been overcome. Paul never stopped loving. Jesus never stopped loving. And neither can we! It's radical - I know! But it's also right!

Jesus' Spirit is the Difference Between Moralistic Religion and a Relationship of Freedom

Posted by Randy | Labels: , , , , , , , , , | Posted On Saturday, October 24, 2009 at 12:01 AM

Today's reading takes us through Acts 19-20. Paul is on his third missionary journey and he comes to Ephesus, where he found several believers. However, their belief and knowledge was incomplete. They had received only the baptism of John and not baptism in the name and power of Jesus.

The "John" being referred to here is John the Baptist, the older cousin of Jesus. John began his ministry before Jesus, calling people to repentance. The word "repentance" means to change your mind, to turn around and go in a different direction. It's important to understand that repentance is not simply changing your mind, but changing it so that you actually act and go in a different direction.

John baptized those who sought to repent and change their lives. Their repentance was to turn away from sin and turn to God, but it was a human endeavor. It was, "give it your best shot," "try your hardest," etc. Even John knew that what he was doing was only an intermediate step. John explained it this way: "...'I baptize you with water; but someone is coming soon who is greater than I am—so much greater that I’m not even worthy to be his slave and untie the straps of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.'" (Luke 3:16 NLT2) John knew something more was coming, but it wasn't in his power to give it.

Jesus told his followers he would need to leave so that the Holy Spirit could come and live in them. After Jesus' death and resurrection, just before he ascended into heaven, he promised that his followers would soon receive the Holy Spirit: "'But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.'" (Acts 1:8, italics added)

In Acts 2 we read of the coming of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost. The coming of the Spirit brought the presence and power of Jesus Christ into the lives of his followers. No longer would a person have to try to repent and do better on their own, in their own power. Now, the Holy Spirit came to live in those who received Christ into their lives to empower them and transform them increasingly into the image and likeness of Jesus himself. "...the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image." (2 Corinthians 3:18)

What Paul discovered in Ephesus were believers who were trying to live good, moral lives in their own power. They were moving in the right direction, but without the power of Jesus Christ living in them through the Holy Spirit, they were still enslaved to sin. This is still often the case in the church today. Good hearted people are sorry for their sins and turn away from sin, trying to do better on their own. But they get worn out and feel like failures, because eventually they realize they never can live up to the standards Jesus set for us. They have not completely sold themselves out to Jesus Christ. They have been trapped in a moralistic religion rather than a relationship of freedom.

Through a life committed to Jesus (not just to trying to repent and turn away from sin), the power of sin is broken, and his Spirit begins to work in us as we profess our faith in Christ so that not only is the guilt of past sins taken away, but the power of sin is reduced in our lives. The love of God begins to replace the self-centered sin-filled nature that we're all born into. This is why Jesus is not simply a great moral teacher. As Jesus said, "'I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.'" (John 14:6) There is no Christianity apart from Jesus, and there is no genuine, lasting life change unless we commit our lives to Jesus Christ, trust him with our whole hearts, and welcome his Holy Spirit to come and live within us to guide and teach and empower us.

As the Ephesian believers understood the difference between their baptism by John, and the baptism of Jesus, the Holy Spirit entered their lives and gave them the gift of tongues and prophecy. (As we look through Acts, we find that this is one of only three conversions that specifically mentions the receiving of the gift of tongues - seven others do not expressly state this.) From that day forward, as they cooperated with the working of the Holy Spirit in their lives, they began to be transformed increasingly into the image and likeness of Jesus himself - the goal for all Christ followers.

Meeting People on Their Terms and Turf

Posted by Randy | Labels: , , , , , , , , | Posted On Friday, October 23, 2009 at 12:01 AM

Acts is an amazing and extremely relevant book for anyone seeking to follow Jesus Christ. Every chapter is jam-packed with information about how the early church dealt with issues that are just as real today.

For instance, in our reading today in Acts 17-18, we read of Paul's encounter with the Greek philosophers in Athens. These were men who sat around all day pondering the meaning of life and the universe. They were intrigued by Paul's message about a foreign god. These men were searching for answers and meaning in life, but they hadn't found it yet. Acts 17:21 says that everyone in Athens "...seemed to spend all their time discussing the latest ideas."

That statement sounds so much like 21st Century America to me. While there are many Christians in our land, there are many others who are searching for answers in all the latest fads and philosophies. Maybe they were exposed to a strange form of Christianity, and assumed that was the norm for all of Christianity. Maybe they're just rebels and want to figure it out for themselves. I'm sure you can think of more reasons why some folks seem to be intent on trying the religion or spirituality du jour.

Not much has changed in 2000 years! So, Paul's approach to the Athenians may give us some insight into trying to reach folks today who still haven't made a decision to follow Jesus Christ. And the first thing Paul didn't do was antagonize or belittle the Athenians' beliefs. He took them seriously, rather than just dismissing them as wrong. He complemented them and affirmed them, knowing that God cared about these men as much as He cared about anyone else.

If becoming a Christian were about having all the right facts, then showing the Athenians how they were wrong might have made sense. But becoming a Christian is about developing a relationship with God through Jesus Christ. It starts and ends with relationship, and that also gives us a great insight into how we share our faith with others - through relationships. We don't win friends and influence enemies by pounding them over the head with a Bible or telling them they're going to Hell because they don't believe in Jesus Christ. We influence people as we share the love of Christ with them, as we demonstrate we care about them. Jesus died for those far from him, just as he died for me and you. We're all saved by grace, through faith, so none of us can brag about how good we are or how much better we are than anyone else (Ephesians 2:8-9).

When we show love and respect to someone who believes differently than we do, who perhaps is caught up in the latest spiritual fad, we gain the privilege of being heard. As trust grows, we can go deeper and deeper in our conversations. As the relationship grows, we can share our own experiences and understandings of the Christian faith in honest, straightforward ways. We can have genuine conversations where the love of Christ works in us and through us. I've always heard that loving people into heaven is almost always more effective than scaring them out of hell. Jesus always had time for the sinners - what bugged him were the religious elites who thought they knew it all.

I've been a pastor for over twenty years now, but the more I know, the more I know I don't know. The longer I walk this journey the more the Holy Spirit tries to push that unholy pride out of me. I really am no better than the person far from God, but I am saved by the grace of God - and that makes all the difference in the world. Paul was no better than the Athenians, but he loved them through Jesus Christ, and he tried to meet them at their point of interest and need. Then he walked them along, with integrity and respect. Some laughed at him, "...but others said, 'We want to hear more about this later.'" (17:32) And Verse 34 says, "...some joined him and became believers."

Paul met the Athenians on their terms, on their turf, and some eventually chose to become followers of Jesus Christ. That model is just as relevant today as it was 2000 years ago. Who do you know that needs the love of Christ in their life? How can you love that person and meet them at their point of interest and need? It may take months, even years, but I know that God honors all our efforts, and no relationship with a Christ follower by a person seeking the truth ever comes back void.


Standing Up for the Gift of Grace, by Faith

Posted by Randy | Labels: , , , , , , , , , | Posted On Thursday, October 22, 2009 at 12:01 AM

Chapters 15 and 16 of Acts are filled with powerful stories, including the beginnings of Paul's second missionary journey, and there's no way I can do them all justice. So, I'm going to focus on the first Jerusalem council, found in Acts 15, because a very important decision was made here by the early church that has huge implications for us today.

In Acts 10-11, Peter had his first encounter with Gentiles, and discovered that when they placed their faith in Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit came to live in them, just as He was doing in Jews who were placing their faith in Christ. This event showed that God had much bigger plans than the salvation of a relatively small race - He was setting in motion the salvation of the world!

Now, in Acts 15, we read that some Jewish Christians were trying to force these new Gentile Christians to first become Jews through the rite of circumcision. There was an act they had to do to become a follower of Christ. But Paul and Barnabas strongly disagreed with this teaching. So, the church in Antioch of Syria decided to send Paul and Barnabas to Jerusalem to consult with the apostles and elders of the church, at what has been called the first Jerusalem council.

There's more to this story, but it's interesting to note a pattern that begins here that would carry on for a few centuries in the early church. A controversy arises that threatens to split the church. Because there is no written Scripture, as we have today, or least none that was yet accepted as what we would call New Testament Scripture, how did the early church make decisions? By councils - gatherings of church leaders who prayerfully sought the leading and guidance of the Holy Spirit. And it's also interesting to note that these controversies - some of which would be labeled heresies - caused the church to get clear about what it believed and what it didn't. The doctrines of the church aren't heavy handed rules but are more like foul lines in baseball that help Christ followers know what's in bounds and what's out of bounds. Otherwise, well-meaning Christ followers can drift into all sorts of dangerous beliefs. Doctrines are important, and they were often settled or determined in response to a controversy or heresy, such as the one we see here in Acts 15.

Back to our story, when Paul and Barnabas arrive in Jerusalem, they discover the same controversy has been brewing there as well (15:5). "So the apostles and elders met together to resolve this issue." (15:6, NLT) After lots of discussion, Peter shared the conclusion they had reached:

"God knows people's hearts, and he confirmed that he accepts Gentiles by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as he did to us. He made no distinction between us and them, for he cleansed their hearts through faith. So why are you now challenging God by burdening the Gentile believers with a yoke that neither we nor our ancestors were able to bear? We believe that we are all saved the same way, by the undeserved grace of the Lord Jesus." (15:8-11)

This became the crucial distinction for the Christian faith, and yet a battle that continues to be fought today. How often do we find ourselves believing we have to follow certain rules, do certain actions, meet certain standards, in order to measure up and be saved? The Bible often calls these "works." How many people have said, "Let me clean up my act first, and then I'll commit my life to Christ." But what they're saying is actually this, "There are certain things (works) I must do first (such as circumcision in the First Century church), before I will be acceptable to God." But Peter called grace "undeserved." We don't deserve it; we can't earn it; we can't be good enough to gain it. We can only receive it, by faith, with gratitude.

This was a battle Paul would fight over and over again with Jewish Christians in many of his writings. He tried to spell it out very clearly in his letter to the Ephesians: "God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can't take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it." (2:8-9) We are not saved by works. We are saved by grace, through faith. This became, in fact, the rallying cry of the Protestant Reformation nearly five hundred years ago.

This decision by the first Jerusalem council would set the foundation for a Christian faith that would never be first and foremost about rules, works and meeting certain criteria, but about a relationship with God through Jesus Christ, because of what Jesus did for us on the cross. We can't earn it, and we certainly don't deserve it. But, we can accept it gratefully, and then seek to serve Christ as an expression of our gratitude, rather than as a condition to earn our salvation.

This misunderstanding is still with us today in many circles, with many folks in our churches closer to the beliefs of the Jewish faith than the Christian faith. Which is why it is such Good News - no one has to measure up to receive this "undeserved" gift of grace - in fact, no one can measure up! We're all in the same boat, so none of us is in a position to brag or boast. We are all saved by grace, through faith!

Just Take the Next Step

Posted by Randy | Labels: , , , , , , , , , | Posted On Wednesday, October 21, 2009 at 12:01 AM

Our reading today in Acts 13-14 tells us about what has historically been called Paul's first missionary journey. He would ultimately take four of these, and this was the first and shortest (in distance). From this journey we learn several things about sharing the story of Jesus Christ.

First, notice that Paul doesn't travel alone. He begins with Barnabas and John Mark. Also, notice that the Holy Spirit led them out - they didn't do it on their own. And the Holy Spirit used the church to dedicate these men to their mission. (Acts 13:2-3 NLT)

Second, notice that Paul and his companions always started out in the local synagogue when they arrived in a new town. Paul started with those who would have the most connection with the Christian faith - the Jews. In fact, as we see here in Acts 13, Paul's typical pattern was to ground the story of Jesus in the history of Israel. Jesus Christ, the Messiah, was the fulfillment of all God had been working toward in what we call the Old Testament. The early Christians discovered this and always attempted to reach Jews by showing them their common history and how Jesus fulfilled prophecy. "'Brothers, listen! We are here to proclaim that through this man Jesus there is forgiveness for your sins. Everyone who believes in him is declared right with God - something the law of Moses could never do.'" (13:38-39) And Acts tells us many did listen and turned their lives over to Jesus Christ.

Third, we notice to see that not everyone liked what Paul and his companions were doing. Some of the Jews became very upset, slandering them and arguing with them. A mob ran them out of Antioch of Pisidia and Iconium, and in Lystra Paul was stoned nearly to death. (14:19-20) Jesus warned that the Gospel would divide friends and families. Today there are folks who are vehemently opposed to Christianity, and they'll do whatever they can to ridicule it or discredit it. When we run into those folks, we just need to realize we're in good company with Paul and other missionaries.

Fourth, we see that when the Jews would reject the Gospel message, Paul would then take the message to the Gentiles. He started with those who would most easily connect with his message, but he discovered that God had also been working in the hearts of the Gentiles, who had no history or connection to Jesus. "'...since you have rejected it and judged yourselves unworthy of eternal life, we will offer it to the Gentiles.'" (14:46) Paul then quoted from the prophet Isaiah to show that even this extension of the mission to the Gentiles had always been a part of God's plan: "'"I have made you a light to the Gentiles, to bring salvation to the farthest corners of the earth."'" (14:47, from Isaiah 49:6)

Interestingly, the Gentiles, who had little or no common history with Jesus, were often the most grateful ones to hear this Good News. "When the Gentiles heard this, they were very glad and thanked the Lord for his message..." (14:48) Sometimes we may overlook folks around us who are the most eager to hear Good News. They are different from us, in any number of ways, and we presume we have nothing to say or offer them. But Paul discovered otherwise. We make a grave mistake when we presume we know whom God is trying to reach. The Holy Spirit can work in us and anyone, and sometimes all God desires is for us to open that door, to share our story and offer hope and healing to folks who are looking for answers.

Because Paul was faithful in his journey, many Jews and Gentiles came to faith in Christ. I'm sure the journey did not go at all the way Paul had anticipated, but he left himself open to the leading of the Holy Spirit, and God took care of the rest. It was not an easy journey - he nearly died - but lives were transformed forever. By faith, many times all we can do - and should do - is just take the next step, and trust God to work out His plans through our faith and obedience. We don't have to worry about where it will all end, or what might happen - just take the next step, and leave the results to God. That's really all walking by faith is - taking the next step.

Do We Really Believe in Prayer?

Posted by Randy | Labels: , , , , , | Posted On Tuesday, October 20, 2009 at 12:01 AM

As we begin Acts 12, we read that King Herod Agrippa (grandson of Herod the Great who ruled at the time of Jesus' birth) began persecuting Christians. The apostle James, brother of John, was killed as the first apostle to die for his faith (Judas took his own life). When Herod earned brownie points with the Jews for his persecutions, he had Peter arrested and planned to bring him to trial (and most likely, execution) after the Passover.

Herod took extreme precautions to keep Peter locked up. At any given time there were four soldiers guarding him. It was not unusual for a single soldier to be chained to one hand of a prisoner, but in Peter's case, there was a soldier chained to each hand, plus two at the door of the cell.

Suddenly a bright light and an angel appear in the cell. The chains fall off Peter's wrists, and the angel leads him out of the cell. We're not told how Peter got past the guards, but we know at dawn there was "a great commotion among the soldiers" (12:18 NLT) when they discovered Peter was missing. Herod had the soldiers executed as the standard punishment of the day when a prisoner escaped.

Meanwhile, Peter proceeds to the home of of a Christ follower named Mary, mother of John Mark, where he finds many followers gathered for prayer. In fact, the writer Luke shows us that prayer surrounds Peter's stay in jail. Acts 12:5 says, "But while Peter was in prison, the church prayed very earnestly for him." Acts 12:12 tells us that when he arrived at the home of Mary, "...many were gathered for prayer."

It raises a curious question - would Peter have been rescued if those Christians had not been praying? Obviously, we don't know the answer to that, and we never will, at least this side of heaven. But we know the people prayed and Peter was miraculously released. Yet, when Peter knocked at the door of Mary, her servant Rhoda recognized his voice and was so excited to see Peter that she ran back in to tell the others. But, in her excitement, she failed to open the door for Peter, and those gathered in prayer didn't believe her at first. Isn't it interesting how sometimes we pray for something, yet we are surprised or even don't believe it when it happens? Do we really take prayer seriously?

There's an old story told about a liquor store that opened in a small town. Many of the folks were very concerned, and organized a prayer rally against the liquor store. Soon after the store was struck by lightning and burned down. The liquor store owner sued the church for the loss of his building, but the church members denied having anything to do with it. When the case came before the judge, he noted that it was strange that apparently the liquor store owner believed in the power of prayer, but the folks in the church did not.

I don't tell this story as an indictment against drinking (though it needs to be handled very, very carefully) or liquor store owners, but use it to make the (hopefully) humorous point that many times Christians pray but don't really expect God to act. When God does act, we are so surprised by it that we look for other explanations. Yet, the person of genuine faith is constantly watching to see God work, and this person prays because she or he believes God does answer prayer - maybe not the way we want, but He does answer.

This month hundreds of us have been praying and fasting, in addition to reading our Bibles. We've been praying that God will work in us, to grow our faith, so He can work through us to do even greater things around us. But what happens when God starts answering our prayers? Will we believe Him, or will we deny it and miss the boat?

I want to encourage you and challenge you to take your praying seriously. It is not an empty ritual, but a way God works in our lives and transforms us. If you're asking God to change your heart, to trust that God really does love you, that God's power and presence become real in your life, that His healing power is experienced in our church, and that our church will care so much for the lost and hurting "sheep," that we will do whatever it takes to bring them safely "home" to Christ and his church, then begin to expect these changes. Don't be surprised or fight them - cooperate with the Holy Spirit at work in you. There's an old saying, "seeing is believing," but in the world of prayer and faith, "believing is seeing!" Trust God to work through your prayers, and you won't leave Him at the door when He knocks on your life.

Taking My Witness Beyond My Limits

Posted by Randy | Labels: , , , , , , | Posted On Monday, October 19, 2009 at 12:01 AM

Today's reading from Acts 10-11 shows us a watershed moment in the spread of the Christian faith. Up until this point, the apostles had limited their teaching and preaching to specific Jewish audiences. After all, they were Jewish, Jesus was Jewish, and so they had no real reason to go further. For Jews, the world was divided into two basic camps: Jews, and everyone else, whom they called Gentiles. Some Gentiles had probably come to faith in Christ, but the apostles weren't seeking them out. With the persecutions in Jerusalem (that killed Stephan), the apostles and disciples began to fan out, beyond the Jewish lands and culture. At the same time, God opened a new door through a Gentile named Cornelius.

Cornelius was a Roman centurion or army officer in Caesarea who was seeking after God. He was a part of a class of people the Jews called "God-fearers," who were Gentiles but seeking the God of the Jews. Cornelius receives a vision from an angel to seek out Simon Peter. Shortly afterwards, Simon Peter also has a vision, where he was shown animals that had been forbidden for Jews to touch or eat. Now a voice says to him, "'Get up, Peter; kill and eat them.'" (10:13 NLT) Peter cannot imagine doing this because it goes against so much that he had been taught as a faithful Jew. But the voice says to him, "'Do not call something unclean if God has made it clean.'" (10:15) Simon Peter was being challenged to freedom in his faith in ways he had never imagined. He was being challenged to put behind him rules for rules' sake, and instead look at life and existence from God's point of view.

Immediately after his vision, Peter is summoned to visit Cornelius, and he goes. Entering the home of a Gentile again went against so much Peter had been taught as a Jew, but God was expanding his vision. He shared the story of Jesus with Cornelius and his guests, and the Holy Spirit fell upon them. "The Jewish believers who came with Peter were amazed that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles, too." (10:45) And immediately afterwards, they were all baptized. Peter and his Jewish friends were discovering that the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of David, was not just the God of the Jews - He was the God of all people.

There are huge implications in this event for us today. Sometimes I find myself trapped by old ways of thinking, that only certain people could or would put their faith in Christ. When I see folks who have lived very far from God, when I see folks from other religions and lands, I sometimes have a hard time seeing them as potentially being followers of Christ. So, I do nothing. But God led Peter from the Jews to the Gentiles, to open the door of faith to people Peter would have never imagined could or would respond. Who am I overlooking today? Who do I dismiss as someone who would never be interested in faith in Christ, who could never change? How much am I limiting how God wants to work in and through me?

I've discovered that because God gives me free will, my thoughts can often prevent me from being open to all God wants to do. Yet, the Bible shows us there is no one beyond God's reach. Every single human being born on this planet is a sacred creation of God's, whether they recognize that or not. And every single person needs what Jesus Christ has to offer, because he came for all.

When Peter explained to the remaining apostles and believers in Jerusalem what had happened, they were at first concerned. But as soon as they heard that the Holy Spirit had come into the lives of these Gentiles too, they realized God was doing a new thing. "...'We can see that God has also given the Gentiles the privilege of repenting of their sins and receiving eternal life.'" (11:18)

With this event, the apostles began to understand for the first time that Jesus died for all people, not just the Jews. It would radically change their outreach in the coming years. Today we need to ask ourselves if we are unintentionally standing in God's way to reach people that we never imagined could be reached. Just because they don't look like me, or have different backgrounds, or have sinned more than I think I have doesn't mean they are outside God's love or reach. And if God wants to reach them, am I willing to be used by Him if that is His will. Will I go where it's uncomfortable for me, as Peter did, in order to be faithful to my calling from God to carry out His witness? I know I need to be a lot more open to how God wants to work. What about you - who could God use you to reach?

We All Need a Little Help Along the Way

Posted by Randy | Labels: , , , , , | Posted On Sunday, October 18, 2009 at 12:01 AM

Our reading for today is Acts 8-9, and there's so much good stuff here that it's hard to pick one thing to write about. The story of Saul's conversion is one of the great events of the Bible, and we will see him telling it on three different occasions in Acts, with Acts 9 being the first time.

However, I felt drawn to the story of Philip and the Ethiopian for today, so that's where I'm going to camp out. Philip, like many of the disciples, left Jerusalem because of the persecution that had begun with the stoning of Stephen (Acts 7). So Philip went to Samaria, a region between Jerusalem and Galilee that had once been part of the Northern Kingdom of Israel, but was now an area that included many folks who had mixed Jewish heritage. These folks were looked down upon by the pure-blooded Jews in Jerusalem and Galilee.

After a time, though, an angel of the Lord came to Philip and sent him south (8:26 NLT). As he traveled, he encountered an Ethiopian government official traveling in a carriage. He apparently had become a Jew and had gone to Jerusalem to worship at the Temple, and was now headed home. As he traveled, he was reading aloud from the book of Isaiah when the Holy Spirit led Philip to walk over alongside the Ethiopian.

Philip asked the man, "...'Do you understand what you are reading?'" (vs. 30) "The man replied, 'How can I unless someone instructs me?'..." (vs. 31) So, Philip joined him in the carriage and proceeded to explain to the Ethiopian how the Scriptures pointed to Jesus Christ as the Good News.

As the Ethiopian learned of this Good News, he wanted to be baptized, and Philip baptized him. The Holy Spirit then sent Philip on his way farther to the north. The Ethiopian continued home, but now he was so excited because he had invited Christ into his life.

Here was this man who was seeking to know more about God and His ways, but he needed someone to help him understand. So, God sent Philip to come alongside him and help him for a time. I have discovered that God often nudges many of us to seek one-on-one help from another Christ follower in our journey, and at other times He nudges us to come alongside someone and talk with them about our faith journey and Jesus. Sometimes we hear God's nudge, but sometimes we think we don't know enough or the other person might think we're weird, etc.

But I've come to believe that all of us need someone to come alongside us from time to time in our lives and just help us talk through and walk in our faith. Sometimes a person is still checking out Christianity, and sometimes they've made a decision to trust Christ. Either way, God wants to take them further (as He does all of us), but they need some help. Reading their Bible, going to worship, even being in a small group are all great and necessary. But sometimes a person just needs another person to come alongside them and help them take the next step or steps in their faith journey. We call this mentoring.

I know I sometimes need some extra help, and there are other times when I see someone who could really use a little extra one-on-one help with their Christian journey. Are we willing to ask for some help? How can we come alongside another person, not as someone better or smarter, but just a fellow traveler who happens to be a little further along the journey, at least at this point? This isn't about pride or arrogance but love and compassion. It's recognizing that the journey of becoming more and more mature in our faith requires all of us to get help sometimes, and give it at other times. Sometimes we're the Ethiopian, and sometimes the Holy Spirit wants to use us as a Philip.

I'm convinced the Christian journey needs more of us being mentored and mentoring others. Faith is caught more than it's taught, and that means experiencing it personally in the life of another Christ follower. We don't need permission from the church or a pastor to look around us and identify someone who can help us, or someone we can help.

The Good News is that the Holy Spirit always works in these mentoring settings, giving us what we need, and enabling us to give to another, even when we aren't aware that we have something to give. Trust Him to work in you, whichever side of the conversation you find yourself. In fact, many times when we're in a mentoring relationship, we discover ourselves being both the Ethiopian and Philip at one time or another. Like Philip, listen to those subtle leadings, and join someone else on the journey - you'll be amazed what God does!

How Much Do I Really Want to Follow Jesus?

Posted by Randy | Labels: , , , , , , | Posted On Saturday, October 17, 2009 at 12:01 AM

Today's reading covers two chapters - Acts 6-7 - telling the story of Stephen, the first martyr of the Christian faith. But, as I read his story, I was also drawn back to Acts 5.

As Acts 5 ends, the apostles are leaving the Jewish high council, called the Sanhedrin, after having been flogged and warned for the second time to stop speaking about Jesus. Acts 5:41 haunted me yesterday: "The apostles left the high council rejoicing that God had counted them worthy to suffer disgrace for the name of Jesus." (NLT) I had to ask myself if I was willing to "suffer disgrace" for Jesus' sake.

And then I read Acts 6-7, where Stephen, one of the original seven deacons (the Greek word diakanos refers to service or servanthood), is arrested by the religious authorities, based on "lying witnesses." As Stephen stood before the Jewish high council (the third time a Christ follower had come before them in recent days), the writer of Acts, Luke, tells us "...his face became as bright as an angel's." (6:15)

Stephen stood before the council and basically gave them a history lesson, recounting the stories of Abraham, Moses, and David - three of the greatest Hebrews of all time. Then he points out that the Jewish people persecuted God's prophets, and even killed the Messiah (Jesus). The council went ballistic, but Stephen, "full of the Holy Spirit," just gazed off into heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus at His right hand (7:55).

They took Stephen out and began stoning him. As they began, Stephen's accusers threw their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul, whom we'll read more about in a couple of chapters. As they stoned Stephen, and he nears death, from what had to have been a horrific way to die, he prayed, "'Lord Jesus, receive my spirit,'" and "'Lord, don't charge them with this sin!'" (7:59-60)

I'm struck by the total abandon by which these apostles and first followers of Jesus counted it joy to be persecuted on his behalf. I'm struck by Stephen's last words - words of faith and forgiveness, much like Jesus' own last words on the cross. And then I think about me. Do I have this kind of faith? Would I stand up for Jesus before an angry group of leaders? Would I be glad that I was suffering for my faith? Would I be willing to die a horrible death for Jesus' sake?

The other part of this is that I recognize that today, in various corners of the world, Christian's are still rejoicing for suffering for Christ's sake. In fact, more people died for Jesus Christ in the 20th Century than the previous 19 combined. And I ask myself - am I that committed? We're fortunate that in this country we don't face that kind of persecution for following Jesus, but then I wonder if that has made me luke warm about my faith. If not much is on the line, how much of a follower am I?

Honestly, I don't have all the answers to this. But as I wrote about Acts 5:41 in my Life Journal yesterday, I wrote this prayer: "Father, continue your work in me. Help me withstand the pain and suffering of faith that I might become more like the apostles, and more and more like Jesus." Having the faith of the apostles means we have to take up our cross and carry it, through suffering and shame and worse. But I believe the joy of the cross outweighs everything else. I believe this - now, can I live it?

What are My Motives?

Posted by Randy | Labels: , , , , , , , , , | Posted On Friday, October 16, 2009 at 12:01 AM

The first part of Acts 5 actually follows a story line that began in Acts 4:32. The writer Luke tells us: "All the believers were united in heart and mind. And they felt that what they owned was not their own, so they shared everything they had." (4:32, NLT) From there, Luke tells us there were no needy people because the Christ followers took care of each other, even selling land and homes to enable the apostles to help those in need.

Luke then gives us an example of this, speaking of Joseph, who went by Barnabas (which means "Son of Encouragement"). Barnabas would end up bringing the converted Paul before the Apostles in Jerusalem for the first time. He would join Paul on some of his travels, as seen in Acts 11-15. Paul would also refer to Barnabas in his first letter to the Corinthians and his letter to Galatians. So, we know Barnabas is a dedicated follower of Christ. We learn in Acts 4:37 that Barnabas sold a field he owned and then gave all the money to the apostles.

As we move into Acts 5, we learn about a couple, Ananias and his wife Sapphira, who also sold some property. "He (Ananias) brought part of the money to the apostles, claiming it was the full amount. With his wife's consent, he kept the rest." (5:2 - italics added) Now let me be quick to say that there was nothing wrong in what they actually did. Luke even tells us vs. 4 that Peter realized Ananias and Sapphira could do anything they wanted with the money - they didn't have to give it all, or at least pretend they did. But there's the problem - they claimed one thing but did something different. They lied to make themselves look good in front of all the Christ followers, but in truth, they wanted some of the money for themselves. And we read that Ananias and Sapphira paid the consequences for their lies.

There's an obvious application here for us in our giving, too. Giving to be showy, to get the credit, goes against Jesus' command to give in secret (Matthew 6:1-4) - in other words, don't make a show of our giving. But, Luke also shows us that God wants complete honesty from us in our giving. Don't pretend we're doing a lot for God when we're only giving Him a tip. Don't act like our financial gifts are a real burden, when, in fact, we're only giving God whatever we have left over at the end of the month. The tithe is 10% of our income, not just any gift, and it's the expectation for every Christ follower that we give this first each month as a sign of our commitment to God and our gratitude for all He's done for us. ("Honor God with everything you own; give him the first and the best." Proverbs 3:9 (Message)(italics added) ) Only giving above and beyond 10% is considered a gift or offering.

But this passage has even broader implications beyond our finances. God is telling us not to make false claims about our faith journey. Don't put on a show of how spiritual we are, when we do it only when other members of our church around. Is my language the same on Monday as it is on Sunday? Could someone ask my spouse or my kids if I'm the same person as I am at church? Am I the same person at work or when I'm out with the gang? God isn't saying we have to be "perfect" Christians, but do we act like we are? Do we lead people to believe we're more spiritual than we are, we're more mature than we are, that we have our life all together, when in fact, it's crumbling around us. Until we're honest and authentic with God, ourselves and others, God won't help us grow. We're putting on a spiritual show, and Jesus said the applause of people is all we'll ever receive for this lifestyle - we certainly won't get any from God: "'...they have received all the reward they will ever get." (Matthew 6:2 NLT2)

The truth is, none of us is perfect - "...we all fall short of God's glorious standard." (Romans 3:23) By the power of the Holy Spirit living in us as Christ followers, God calls us to live and give beyond ourselves. But He also wants us to be real and genuine and authentic. He wants honest confession about where I am more than He wants a show. If my giving doesn't live up to God's standard of the tithe, I need to be honest with Him about that, and ask Him to help me over time to do what He wants. If my life don't live up to God's standard (and whose does?), be honest with God about where I really am, and ask Him to help me daily move in the right direction. I have found God always honors these honest prayers. God has never desired showy sacrifices but humble and contrite hearts (Psalm 51:17). That's what was missing in Ananias and Sapphira, and it's my prayer that that won't be missing in me. How about you?
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