Where, O Death, Is Your Sting (2)

1 Corinthians 15:55 states:

Where, O death, is your victory?
   Where, O death, is your sting?

This will not be the first time I'll have commented on this verse (you can read my earlier post here), since Paul is quoting Hosea 13:14, and I wrote about it when we read Hosea in the summer.  I'll approach this with a different approach than I did back then.

As always, keep in mind who Paul's audience was and what they knew. He's writing to Greeks who weren't familiar with the concept of resurrection for any number of reasons. If you go back to yesterday's reading, you'll see Paul's quote of Isaiah when he wrote "Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die," and in addition to being the Klingon term of greeting to each other in "Star Trek: The Next Generation" (actually, they would greet each other with "It is a good day to die"), it's a great mindset if this life is all there is. If our lives on this world are the pinnacle, if this, as Peggy Lee famously sang, "this is all there is, my friends," then we should do everything to make our lives everything they can be. We should glorify each day, because when we're gone, we're GONE.

Obviously, we don't believe this, and Paul was instructing these early Christians that there is indeed something beyond what we know and see. Faith and hope would be completely unnecessary if there were no resurrection, because we'd have everything we need right in front of us. Every funeral should be a terrible experience because that IS all there is, but we don't believe that. Death claims no victory and the grave has no sting when we have the promise of the resurrection with Christ. These are life-changing words to those ancient Greeks who had spent their entire existence thinking that all ended at death.

And they're just as life-changing today. A true Christian keeps hymn 660 from the red hymnal near and dear to their heart, which is "I'm but a stranger here, heaven is my home," because we're just passing through here. This is NOT the be-all and end-all of our existence, and this is NOT as good as it will get. I have no intention to downgrade the trauma that death has on our loved ones, and I'm not so stupid and insensitive as to even think of telling a grieving person "Well, they're in a better place" or anything like that--it still HURTS, and I'm not so callous as to state otherwise. However, when the emotions have calmed down and we can think rationally, we can ask ourselves a simple question about our loved ones--would they leave heaven to come back to Earth with us? Would you leave Christ's side to come back to a sin-plagued Earth? Who in their right mind would?

There is plenty of victory for those who don't know Christ--death DOES claim victory, and that death DOES sting. Our job is to make sure that, with the Holy Spirit's help, we keep that number as small as possible. On that last day, we'll laugh in Satan's face as he is totally and completely defeated. We know how that story ends--let's make sure we share that with as many people as we can so they can be with us forever.

Scott

Comfort (Nov 30)

who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.
                                  2 Corinthians 1:4 NIV

From the assurance in today's passage, strength can be found.  God is keenly aware of human suffering.  His Son, our Lord, was on earth and was subject to human emotion, loss, temptation, fatigue and other emotions.  I am sure that he did find comfort in rest, in prayer, in fellowship with his disciples and in service to others.

My dictionary has several definitions for comfort: assistance, such as given to an enemy; a feeling from freedom or worry; satisfaction or well being provided by something; a state of being relaxed; freedom from financial difficulty; the act of consoling; to lessen pain; and to give moral or emotional strength.  These definitions, can serve as examples of what Christ and the Spirit do for us.   

Jesus has given us the freedom from death, a freedom that diminishes Satan's ability to hold us by fear of death.  The Spirit comforts and consoles us on a moment by moment basis.  Also, remember the hymn lyrics, turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face, and the things of the world will grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace.

Pray to see opportunities to give comfort to those who are suffering.

In Christ,

David P

Intelligible Words

Today's topic almost sneaked by me until I saw I had highlighted 1 Corinthians 14:19 in my NIV Study Bible. I don't highlight a lot, so I must have done it for a reason. Here's the verse:

But in the church I would rather speak five intelligible words to instruct others than ten thousand words in a tongue. 

It may come as news to you, but I don't really like to speak. It's not that I'm shy, modest or incapable, I just don't find it to be an effective mode of communication, and I particularly dislike when I do my 20-minute (or longer) presentations during our Bible class. Don't get me wrong, my ego has no problem with me pontificating, and I won't be falsely modest and claim that I can't speak, I just find the one-way me talk-you listen mode of conveying information to be the least effective ever. That's why I use the screen when we're in Fellowship Hall, not as diversion or entertainment, but enhancement and outline. You can see the words I put up on the screen, pictures I might use and other media to augment and supplement my words.

The reason I try to do that is contained in the verse, where Paul described how he communicated.Paul favored clear communication over mystical incantations that aren't understandable. I'll use an example of a discussion I had with a pastor (none of you know him) no more than two or three years ago. We were discussing this concept in a roundabout way, and he referenced Romans 3:25 as an example:

Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;

This is the King James Version of that verse, and we have that common word "propitiation," one that comes up every day in conversation. I see no need to define the word, because all of you know what it means.

Unless you're of a certain age (and good luck getting THAT out of me) or a past or current seminarian, you have no idea what "propitiation" means. The pastor's point to me was that he shouldn't have to explain its meaning because we as Christians (and Lutherans) should know. I countered by stating that if people don't know what he's saying, he might as well be speaking in tongues, because he wasn't communicating--it's not communication if only one person understands what is being said. Apparently, the constructors of the NIV Bible also didn't care for "propitiation," since it was changed into "sacrifice of atonement," a term much easier to understand and explain. Teens going through Confirmation can comprehend that term. New believer to our church can figure out what it means, and even those of us with limited vocabularies can understand what a sacrifice is.

Paul's message with this verse is one that I hold dear. I don't necessarily try to keep my message short (take this entry, for example), but I try to be clear in my communication and speak in such a manner that I will be understood. I don't talk the same to 6-year-old kids as I do adults, and I would completely fail if I tried. What are "intelligible words" is a fluid situation--what is understandable to one audience may be incomprehensible to another. On a typical Sunday, the pastors have no choice--they're speaking to such a wide range of age, knowledge and comprehension that they have to choose a path and go down it. However, as we do the retail Christianity, the one-on-one conversations that we have that truly add to the kingdom, we can indeed speak the intelligible words. We can show off our knowledge, or we can help people understand the message of Christ. Whether I accomplish my stated goal of speaking intelligibly is not for me to determine, but it's what I try to do, and it should be the goal of all of us as we work to bring souls to Christ.

Scott

God of Order and Peace (Nov 29)

For God is not a God of disorder, but a God of peace.
                                              1 Corinthians 14:33a NIV

Today's post turns our attention to two attributes of God; order and peace.  We have learned many attributes of God in the passages we have read over the past eleven  months, a few that come to mind are love, steadfast, creator, eternal, unchanging, strong, wise, author of salvation and our rock. 

We have read much of our God being a God of order.  Recall the creation story; there was an order, a progression from void to our world.  After God created the world, he rested.  He did not rest before he finished his work.  He gave Adam and Eve a place to live.  He provided them with the Garden of Eden. 

God also provides peace.  The peace that God provides is a peace that passes understanding.  The peace we receive from God is a peace that we are able to, through Christ, be acceptable to Him in spite of our sin, our waywardness, or our stiff necked nature. 

Consider that if your life is in disorder and does not hold peace; look to God for direction to order and peace.  Pray through the Spirit that God bless you with order and peace.  Prayers for Spiritual gifts like hope, unity, self control, love, and a deepening relationship with Him are the kind of prayers that are especially pleasing to God.

How often do you pray?

What kind of things do you pray for?

Just pray.


In Christ,

David P 

Spiritual Gifts

If I were to go over my posts for the past year and count up the number of times I've written "One of my favorite Bible verses is...", I'm sure it would be a very large number. 1 Corinthians 12:8-10 are among my favorite verses:

⁸ To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, ⁹ to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, ¹⁰ to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues.

You count 'em up, and you'll see nine different gifts (somewhere in my mind, I had eight), and I work under the assumption that these gifts are self-explanatory. Indeed, it's not that important that we know what the gifts are as much as recognize when we possess a given gift and make use of it in the service of the Lord.

Later in today's reading, specifically in 1 Corinthians 12:28-31, Paul will creates hierarchy of the USERS of these gifts, but the gifts themselves have no relative ranking--one isn't more important than the other to the extent it is being used to glorify the Lord. As such, we shouldn't be jealous of another person's spiritual gifts, because we possess our own, and both are of equal importance. Also, while we ALL have spiritual gifts, we don't possess ALL spiritual gifts, and it would be unrealistic to expect to. We might be lucky to possess more than one, but what's more important is that we fully utilize that gift we've been given instead of pining away for more.

Probably my most important point is that these gifts won't necessarily be the same throughout our lives. They certainly could be, but as circumstances change, the Holy Spirit may equip us differently to deal with the various needs we'll encounter in life, but we can be certain that the Holy Spirit WILL always be equipping us, either augmenting what we already possess or training us in new endeavors. I'll make a brief detour at this point and comment on people who exhort us to get outside our "comfort zones," implying that somehow doing something outside of our experiences will be some type of growth experience. It very well could be, and I won't reject the idea out of hand, but I'll work on getting outside of my comfort zone when I'm convinced that the Lord has fully and completely used the skills and abilities he's blessed me with inside that comfort zone. I have difficulties understanding how being a novice in one area can trump being proficient in another, but that's a discussion for another day.

Sometimes we feel like these spiritual gifts are either hiding or don't exist. Neither is true, and it could well be that the time or place for the utilization of our gifts hasn't yet come. In any case, when we feel those times, pray that our hearts and minds be opened to what our gift is and the proper place to use it. The spiritual gifts are the lamp under a bowl as described in Matthew 5:15, and just as we're not to cover our lamps, we shouldn't cover our spiritual gifts. False modesty in denying a gift that the Holy Spirit has bestowed upon us is not a virtue, but instead an impediment to the work that needs to be done. We all have spiritual gifts--ensure that we live lives where we try to discover what they are AND fully utilize them in the service of the Lord.

Scott

Be careful therefore that the exercise of your freedom does not become a stumbling block to the weak.
                                       1 Corinthians 8:9 NIV

Certainly we are free in Christ, free from our original sin, free to worship, free to eat many types of food, and free from the curse of death with the gift of eternal life.  Our freedom does include freedom to speak and to act. 

Scott has recently written about yeast and about unity, those postings are closely related to stumbling blocks, for  infectious yeast and disunity among believers is certainly a stumbling block to many.  We Christians need to focus on what unites us; Christ crucified on the cross for our sin and His resurrection from the dead to win for us our eternal life and victory over death for those who in faith believe.

In our daily life, on our daily walk, consider how we use our freedoms.  Are we using them to point a path for others to the cross, or are we giving others confusing messages?  Are we grumbling, are we displaying actions and attitudes that are not consistent with our new being as believers in Christ.  How do others see us? 

How could a Christian be giving mixed messages about the faith in Christ's work as the only way to eternal life?

What types of activities, actions, and language might confuse another about your Christian faith?

Pray that the Spirit open your eyes to the dark areas in your life.

In Christ,

David P

Yeast

1 Corinthians 5:8 states:

Therefore let us keep the Festival, not with the old yeast, the yeast of malice and wickedness, but with bread without yeast, the bread of sincerity and truth.

I don't  believe I commented upon it at the time, but I remember when I taught a class on the parables, and the commentary I used as my primary source mentioned that nowhere in the Bible is yeast used as a positive reference. That stopped me short and made me look up all the yeast references in the Bible, starting with the obvious:

1. The unleavened bread of Exodus 12, made in haste because of the impending departure from Egypt

2. The Parable of the Yeast, found in Matthew 13:33, in which it's hard to deny that yeast is a GOOD thing in this parable

3. Jesus tells his disciples to be on guard from the "yeast" of the Pharisees and Sadducees in Matthew 16:11

4. Paul uses the same yeast metaphor again in Galatians 5:8-10 

In the context of the verse today, Paul is clear in his warning to the people of Corinth. He began this chapter by commenting on the novel perversions in which they were engaged, and he warns them clearly that it only takes a small number of people to ruin a vibrant church. These words ring just as true today, and not just in churches. We're all aware that it only takes a persistence in negative comments to bring about the ruin of any institution. I'm going from memory here, but in Stephen Ambrose's three-volume biography of Richard Nixon, he described the 1950 California Senate race between Nixon and Democrat Helen Gahagan Douglas. Nixon developed the novel strategy of creating a false advocacy group that was purportedly supportive of Douglas, namely the Communist Negroes for Douglas. That little yeast of an idea effectively terminated Douglas' political career.

Yeast is such a small and insignificant substance that we can easily overlook it. What may seem small and trivial in our lives ("It's just a small sin, and no one saw it anyway...") can be the foundation for our slipping away from Christ. Paul was warning the Corinthians to make bread without yeast, or in other words, to live lives without wickedness, and his words are just as important to us today. The well-known song begins "It only takes a spark to get a fire going," but that spark can work both ways. We must be ever vigilant to keep the yeast of sin out of lives, lest it spread through us and ruin all we touch.

Scott

Unity

First and foremost, I hope everyone had a joyous and happy Thanksgiving--I know that I did. The combination of excellent weather and a Packers victory made me happy (it makes it easier for the Bears to get a wild card birth) made for a great day.

Today's reading transitions into the first letter to the Corinthians (actually, the second, as the note describes), and Paul begins this letter imploring the believers in Corinth to eliminate any divisions between them. Both my NIV Study Bible and the Chronological Bible suggest a date of approximately 55 AD for the writing of this letter, around 20 years or so after the death of Christ. Think about what happens when the person who establishes anything is gone, particularly after a period of 20 years. Leadership changes, methods differ, goals morph and the initial vision might be blurred, if not lost altogether. This is what Paul was attempting to forestall in Corinth, since it appears that factions were either beginning to develop or had widened further.

To say this has relevance for us today is an understatement of the highest order. The church today is widely fractious--every denomination represents a different faction to the extent that they claim to be the "one true  path" to salvation, but if at the core we all accept the belief that salvation comes only through Christ, then we can consider ourselves as one body. It's a tricky thing to get our minds across, and one that can put up walls where there need be none. What Paul is telling the Corinthians is to ignore the things that aren't important and stress the most important one.

As we continue in Corinthians, we'll read about a church whose lifestyles didn't necessarily reflect a Godly life, which is something we need to constantly be on  our guard about. It's one thing to claim to be a Christian, but quite another to lead a life that is indeed Godly. As I've noted over and over throughout the year, what we profess is far less important than what we live and demonstrate in our daily lives. Actions do indeed speak louder than words, and our entire lives should be devoted to being a living sacrifice, not that we can earn salvation, but as a humble offering of thanks to Christ for that ultimate gift he gave  to us.

Scott

God is Faithful (Nov 25)

God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful.
                                             1 Corinthians 1:9 NIV

God has many attributes.  We have read of his steadfast faithfulness to Israel through our old testament readings.  God did lead and provide even when the Israelites were wandering in the wilderness.  He was a cloud of shade by day and a pillar of fire by night.  He provided manna and quail.  He directed their path.

Just as he directed the path of the Israelites, He directs and leads us today.  By His grace, we are saved by the blood of Jesus shed for our sins and by Jesus resurrection we have eternal life.

May you find comfort in knowing God's faithfulness and grace today as you face your challenges.  May the Spirit guide your path.

In Christ,

David P

TO AN UNKNOWN GOD (Nov 22)

For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO AN UNKNOWN GOD.  Now what you worship as something unknown I am going to proclaim to you.
                                      Acts 17:23 NIV

This statement made by Paul as he observed the various objects of worship on Mars Hill, near the Athenian Acropolis is a statement to reflect on.  Paul noticed all of the god's that the Greek's held in esteem.  The Greeks knew that they did not know all the gods, so they had a location to worship an unknown god.  With that observation, Paul took the opportunity to proclaim the gospel message and told the Greeks about God.

In our society today, there are many people who do not know about our God.  Some people hold things like money, reputation, work, family, friends, hobbies, sports, relationships or perhaps other things of this world in high esteem and as a result make those things gods.

Consider your life in this world and the effect your actions might have on another.  Are your actions, habits, past times, hobbies, community activities, proclaiming the God you know to others?  Does your life follow the Spirit's lead to point others to the Christ and to the salvation you know?  Does your life contain actions or habits that might be a stumbling stone to others? Remember, the God and salvation you know is an UNKNOWN GOD to others.

Pray that the Spirit guide you to lead others to Christ.

In Christ,

David P

What Must We Do To Be Saved?

Every now and then, we run across a verse that encapsulates the message of Christianity so succinctly it makes us wonder why we were ever confused in the first place. I ran across an instance today in Acts 16, which describes how Paul and Barnabas were jailed and an earthquake caused all the prison doors to open. Fearing that all the prisoners had escaped, the guard was about to kill himself when Paul stopped him. At that point, the guard asked in Acts 16:30:

  

“Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” 

 

To which Paul and Barnabas answered:

 
“Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.” 

Pretty  simple stuff. We can save ourselves plenty of time going to church, reading the Bible and any other form of attempting to educate ourselves about Christianity by remembering that simple verse. It IS that simple--living it is the difficult part. It begs the question--what does it really mean to "believe in the Lord"?

First, it would mean that we live the words that Christ spoke instead of just learning them. Knowing the speed limit is 70 while going 95 won't impress the officer than pulls you over, and knowing the Bible and blithely ignoring everything it tells you to do is worse than useless, but instead pathologically dangerous. Second, it would mean that our Christianity would be obvious, not in an ostentatious manner, but in a quiet dignity that only a blessed assurance can give. Third, it would make our Christian striving much easier, since we wouldn't be  constantly searching out "what the Lord would have me do"--if you believe, the Holy Spirit will indwell in you and make it pretty clear.

As I wrote yesterday, we would all be much better off if we focused all our efforts on understanding  Christianity on ourselves, since if we all did it, we wouldn't need anyone else to tell us what to do. Paul and Barnabas told the prison guard what to do to save him and his household--they didn't tell him to preach throughout his neighborhood and save everyone there. Martin Luther intended the Catechism to be taught by the head of the family; indeed, the entire Reformation was predicated on the notion of removing man-made barriers between God and man. The prison guard's simple question is the one that we're all asking to this day, and the simple answer is the only one we'll ever need. Take that time you would have wasted in searching for that answer and use it instead to live a life of thanksgiving because of that answer.
Scott

Why We Read The Bible

So many good things I could have written on today. I will NOT be writing on the following:

1. The Law as described in Galatians 5:2-3

2. Unity amongst believers as described in Galatians 5:15-18 (and covered by David)

3. The fruits of the Spirit as described in Galatians 5:22-23

4. Reaping what we sow as described in Galatians 6:6-10

Nope, good subjects all, and some that might be returned to as we cover other epistles, but I have something else in mind. Galatians 6:4-5 states:

⁴ Each one should test his own actions. Then he can take pride in himself, without comparing himself to somebody else, ⁵ for each one should carry his own load. 

Complete the following sentence:

The Bible is a book that tells ________ how to live ______ lives.

We can put numerous words into that sentence, but most will boil down to two choices:

1. OTHERS/THEIR--there is a time and a place for instructing people, and occasions will arise where we need to have a discussion with someone and ask them if they're leading the life they really want to live. But, much more often than not, the correct answer should be...

2. US/OUR--taken to its fullest extent, if we all led Christ-like lives, we would never need rebuking from others. This isn't  possible, of course, but our primary responsibility is to see that we ourselves lead Godly lives, and serve as examples for others to emulate. We can't shine like stars or let our lamp out from under a bowl if we don't lead a life that is clearly focused on God. 

No matter how hard I try, I struggle with telling other people how to do things and stick my nose into matter where it doesn't belong. Since every single one of us has the log in our eye that Jesus mentioned in Matthew 7:3-5, we would do well to follow his advice in that instance and remove the obstacle from our own life first. There will be times when the Bible will serve as our guide to instruct others, but we need to apply that instruction to ourselves first.

Scott

Lydia (Nov 21)

One of those listening was a woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth from the city of Thyatira, who was a worshipper of God.  The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul's message.
                                   Acts 16:14 NIV

Lydia was the first person baptized in Europe.  She was from Asia Minor, the current location of Turkey.  Most certainly she had heard messages as prior mission trips had visited that area.  It was this time, while she was listening, that the Lord opened her heart to the message.

Think of the Spirit's work in opening other's hearts.  Consider Saul's conversion, Acts 9, the Lord blinded him in the process of his conversion.  Consider Cornelius' call, Acts 10, when an angel spoke to him, instructing him to send for Peter.

As we read Acts, keep in mind that much of the work is done by ordinary people doing extraordinary works by following the Spirit's guidance.  In Acts, there is a new relationship between the Spirit and humanity.  Before Pentecost, the Holy Spirit was active and came upon people, like King Saul, and allowed extraordinary acts to occur.  The individual was not sealed with the spirit.   Now, after Pentecost, individuals are sealed with the Spirit and can be continually guided by the Spirit on a moment by moment basis.  One of the main tasks of the Spirit is to guide, empower, encourage us toward Christ.

How do you listen to people, to the Spirit?

Pray to have the strength and courage to be guided by and to respond to the Spirit.

In Christ,

David P

Serve in Love (Nov 20)

You, my brothers, were called to be free.  But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love.  The entire law is summed up in a single command: "love your neighbor as yourself."  If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.
                                            Galatians 5:13-15 NIV

Serve one another in love.  Quite a statement.  Love your neighbor as yourself.  Quite a command.  If all of humanity could follow those two statements literally, think of the transformation that the Spirit could effect in this world. 

If those two sentences could be followed closely, we would probably consider among those others, future generations, and as a result might be better stewards of our time, talents, treasures and of the gift we have in this world. 

Forgiveness plays a role here, for it must be present if love is to abound and to prevent us from going around biting and devouring each other. 

If one does not forgive another, one can damage oneself by carrying around negative feelings about that other person.  Forgiveness of another frees us from challenges we cause to ourselves by harboring resentment and other feelings.

What kind of challenges do you have with forgiveness of others?

How might your own unforgiveness of others effect you, your health, your relationships?

Pray for the Spirit to guide you to the place of forgiveness.

In Christ,


David P

Alive by Faith (Nov 19)

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.  The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
                                   Galatians 2:20 NIV

The main message of the book of Galatians is that our salvation is by grace, apart from the law, apart from what we do.  Christ died on the cross and gave Himself as an offering for our sin; a complete, perfect, total, sufficient substitutionary sacrifice for all mankind.

As a result of that gift, we are tasked to keep our eyes on Jesus.  Some practical ways to stay focused on Jesus might include the following:

        Just say "no" to anything that is attracting your attention and rivaling the high position that Jesus holds
        Spend time in the Word daily
        Pray
        Ask for the Spirit's guidance.

Christ's death has freed us from the devil who holds the keys to death, from the fear of death, and from the fear of temptation.  Because Christ has been tempted, He knows temptation and is able to help those who are being tempted.  Just ask.

It is by faith that we are able to enter God's rest.  Disobedience does hinder us on our way to God's rest and can cause others to stumble.  Remember that nothing is hidden from God's sight.  

What does it mean to you to be "Alive in Christ?"

How do others know your faith?

Pray for a growing and deepening faith and that when you hear His Word that you do not harden your heart.

IN Christ,

David P

Called Work (Nov 18)

While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them."
                                       Acts 13:2 NIV

Just as the Holy Spirit called Barnabas and Saul to work, we are called to work.  In doing their work, Barnabas and Saul met resistance from the Jews.  Scripture mentions the God fearing women of high standing and the leading men of the city as stirring up persecution against them.  This persecution in Pisidian Antioch began as a result of jealousy on the part of the Jews talking abusively to the crowds after much prophecy pointing to Christ was proclaimed by Paul: Acts 13:16-45. 

This pivotal account is when Saul became Paul and when the gospel message, rejected by the Jews, was brought to the gentiles.  The gentiles were glad and honored the word of the Lord; and all who were appointed for eternal life believed. 

Paul and Barnabas did much work, that work occurred because they responded in faith to the call of the Holy Spirit.  Had they not responded, the message would not have spread and lives would be lost.  In our daily life, how do we respond to the Spirit's call?  Are we generous with our time, talents and treasure?  Do we set a positive example of the Christian life?  Are we committed to telling the story in word and deed?  Is there unity, gladness and honor in our actions?

One might consider the jealous response of the Jews.  A response that stirred up leaders in the community, caused division, and began persecution.  The grumbling of the Jews was infectious and lives were lost because of it.  In our daily life, does our pride and jealousy lead us to infectious, divisive and damaging grumbling?  Grumbling can damage in so many ways and can paralyze others in their ministry.

How do you listen to and respond to the Holy Spirit's call?

What do you do to control your grumbling?

Pray for the Spirit to lead you to avoid grumbling and to joyful service.

In Christ,

David P

What To Do If Someone Calls You A God

Acts 12:21-23 states:

²¹ On the appointed day Herod, wearing his royal robes, sat on his throne and delivered a public address to the people. ²² They shouted, “This is the voice of a god, not of a man.” ²³ Immediately, because Herod did not give praise to God, an angel of the Lord struck him down, and he was eaten by worms and died.

Here's some excellent advice--if, in the course of the day, someone walks up to you and says "You're a god": 

Incorrect response--"Well, it's about time you noticed..." 

Correct response--"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!"

All humor aside, I don't think we need to worry too much about others calling us gods when we are more than capable of doing it ourselves. For those that recall, a couple Sundays back (November 6th, I believe), we discussed the 7 Deadly Sins, with my contention that pride was the sin that, in addition to being one of the seven, was also present in the other six. Pride is when we give credit to ourselves for our accomplishments instead of thanking God for the ability to do them in the first place.

A year ago, I taught a Bible Study on Acts, and we had a good time when we got this part, but the underlying message is one of the most important ones we'll ever learn as Christians. The opposite of pride is humility, and for me personally, humility is something I simply don't possess. However, as Christians, it's the one part of our personality that we need more than anything else, because without humility, we're completely incapable of seeing our total inability to do anything to obtain our salvation. If we can't humble ourselves before the Lord, if we claim to be a god and give salvation to ourselves, we're destined to fail on a massive scale. There's nothing wrong with acknowledging a job well done--modesty doesn't require false modesty, which is just a passive-aggressive version of pride anyway. We're not gods and never will be--and because of Jesus and his sacrifice for us, we'll never have to be.

Scott

The Gate Opened (Nov 17)

They passed the first and second guards and came to the iron gate leading into the city.  It opened for them by itself, and they went through it.  When they had walked the length of one street, suddenly the angel left him.
                                                  Acts 12:10 NIV


Today's verse deals with Peter's escape from prison, being guided by an angel of the Lord.  Today, literal prisons exist, however; we are more often held prisoner by a figurative prison like: debt, bad habits, addictions, fears and interpersonal conflicts.  Figurative prisions can trap and immobilize us.

In a sense many 'guards' hold us in our figuratve prisons.  Bad habits can be difficult to break.  Addictions take the work of the Spirit, a power much greater than our own to break. Consumption and spending is encouraged all around us.  Fears and interpersonal conflict may immobilize us in our homes.  

Peter, when leaving prison, did not focus on the two sets of guards or the iron gate.  Instead, he focused on the guidance of the angel of the Lord.  

When one plays a game of golf, one does not focus on the water hazard or the sand trap; instead one focuses on the fairway and the cup on the green.  For us to leave our prisons, we need to focus on the Lord, on God's will for our life, on what Jesus has done, on the Spirit's guidance.

Jesus told us that He is the way, the life and the truth.  In John 8:32, we can read that the truth will set you free.  Certainly for Jesus to get us past the guards, for Him to open up the iron gates, we need to focus on Jesus, His power, His glory.  When we focus on Jesus, He can be active in our lives to get us past the guards and open up those iron gates for us.

Consider the "footprints in the sand" poster. In many areas there are two sets of footprints in the sand.  These parallel footprints represent where Jesus is walking beside us.  In other areas there is only one set of footprints.  The single path represents where Jesus is carrying us through our difficult times, out of our prisons.

What other prisons can ensnare people?

Are you ensnared by a prison?

Will you turn that over to Jesus in prayer?

Pray to be focused on Christ.

In Christ,

David P 

James

I can't state it definitively, but by placing the Book of James at this point of the Chronological Bible, the authors are making a statement that isn't necessarily true. My NIV Study Bible states there are four James mentioned in the Bible:

1. James, the brother of John--he will meet an unfortunate end in tomorrow's reading

2. James, son of Alphaeus, another disciple mentioned in Acts 1:13 and Mark 15:40, also known as James the Lesser (much to his chagrin)

3. James, the brother of Christ, and likely author of this epistle

4. Some other James

While the dating of the epistle is open to speculation, the NIV Study BIble is unequivocal in stating that it was written by James, Jesus' brother and head of the church in Jerusalem. By placing the book here, the Chronological Bible is making a tacit statement that it was written by James, the brother of John, but he was executed before this book was written. Take this for what it's worth.

Many commentators note that James is a book that appears more concerned with works than faith, but in no way can we conclude that we can separate the two. James 2:14 is the verse we're all familiar with, which states:

What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? 

James' point is a simple one to explain, but a trickier one  to live out--it's not a question of faith OR deeds, but the understanding that it has to be faith begets deeds, and it has to be in that order. There is such a thing as empty deeds, but it's impossible to truly have faith that isn't exemplified by deeds. The indwelling of the Holy Spirit enables us to do these deeds, and as such, we're merely the vessel through which the Lord works. When that happens, we can't even claim to have deeds--we didn't  do them as much as the Holy Spirit used us to accomplish his goals.

The best part is that we don't need to concern ourselves with whether we're doing these deeds in the first place--by definition, they'll occur if we have faith. They will be such a natural part of our lives we won't even notice when we're doing them. We'll realize this when we're finally face-to-face with God and he asks us where we were when he was hungry, thirsty, sick or in prison and we hang our heads in shame and answer, "Lord, when did we ever see  you that way" and he tells us "Whatever you did for the least of these, you did for me." We won't even be aware that we were doing the Lord's work, but we were, because we had faith, and through that faith, the deeds will come.

Scott

What One Says (Nov 16)

We all stumble in many ways.  If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in check.
                                      James 3:2 NIV

We live in a world with much darkness and we do stumble.  Our speech is one of the many ways that we can stumble.  The tongue that gives praise also can give discouragement.  We can sin in many ways with our tongue.

One sin of speech stems from comments that may be positive.  These comments could be words that boast of ourselves, or flatter others.  Such words can cause disunity and lead others to stumble.  God certainly hates flattery, for flattery can deceive the minds of the naive and does not serve the Lord, but rather serves one's own appetite.  See Romans 16:18.

Another sin of speech is grumbling, for grumbling leads to discouragement, divisions and may lead to the loss of perseverance in the race set out for us.

In addition, we can stumble by breaking God's law and taking his name in vain.


What kinds of damage can be done with words?

What efforts do you make to avoid damage with your words?

Pray for your tongue to provide encouragement and loving guidance to others.

In Christ,


David P

Gentiles

Acts 10:45 states:

The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles.

This has been a long time coming, so long in fact that the Jewish people were unaware of it. If we go back to one of my favorite reference points of the Old Testament, Genesis 12:3, we read God's promise to Abram:

I will bless those who bless you,
   and whoever curses you I will curse;
and all peoples on earth
   will be blessed through you.”

Not being an Old Testament scholar (or a New Testament one either, for that matter), I can state that I had never fully understood the import of that verse that we read so long ago. The Jewish people clearly understood that verse to refer to them, but it's hard to argue that "all peoples" wouldn't have a future meaning that would expand the covenant beyond just the Jews.

Through Peter and Paul, God was preparing the way for the spread  of the Gospel to ALL who believe, not just those of a given ancestry. This was intentional--when we refer back to the Pentecost passages, Acts 2:14 makes it clear that Peter was at that time speaking only to the Jews. However, in the vision that God gave to Peter, it was time to expand the audience, and he was going to use an unwilling Peter in order to do it. We will read how this will cause some rifts in the early church in the weeks to come, but God's message was clear and indisputable--Jesus died and rose again for ALL believers.

In the modern world, what then is a Gentile? We all are, in the sense that very few of us are of Jewish ancestry, but also in the fact that we all look to God as "our own." There's not a religion that doesn't claim to be the one true religion, some just say it more gently than others. We used to run this ad in the paper, I'm guessing sometime in the 50s or 60s:

 

It's an interesting way to answer the question that was chosen, but every denomination (except the Catholic church--they claim they aren't a denomination since they're the only true church) claims some form of exclusivity to God, when the truth is we're ALL wrong in one manner or another. Christianity is belief in God--religion is our man-made attempts to understand and comprehend the divinity and mystery of God, and since they're man-made, ALL religions will be wrong in one manner or another. 

Lucky for us, it isn't our religion that will grant us eternity with Christ, indeed, it isn't ANYTHING we do. As a consequence, a Gentile these days is anyone who differs from us on any level--race, creed, color, nationality, anything that separates us, and just as God told Peter he was to minister to the Gentiles of his day, we're instructed to do the same exact thing. When Jesus told the apostles to make disciples of all nations, he meant ALL, and he didn't mean just back then either. Until he comes back, that's our job as well.

Scott

The Conversion of Saul

Of all the stories in the Bible, there are some we know better than others. Just for fun, here's my top 10, based on what I think I knew as a kid:

1. The birth of Jesus

2. The death and resurrection of Jesus

3. Creation

4. The 10 Commandments

5. David and Goliath

6. The conversion of Saul

7. The feeding of the 5,000

8. The Good Samaritan

9. The Prodigal Son

10. The triumphal entry into Jerusalem

My only point is a simple one, which is that even in the stories we think we have down cold, when we read close enough, we can find new meanings and insights, such as I had today. Acts 9:18 states:

He got up and was baptized

This occurred after Saul had been struck blind, fasted for three days and had the scales removed from his eyes. The part that makes this remarkable goes back to something I mentioned during the lesson on October 2nd (I think) where I was discussing baptism. My comment at the time came from my NIV Study Bible note on Mark 1:4:

"They [the people of Israel] knew of baptism for Gentile converts, but had not heard that the descendants of Abraham (Jews) needed to repent and be baptized." 

Baptism was for Gentiles, not for Jews, and CERTAINLY not for Pharisees like Saul. What I neglected to mention on that Sunday were these comments from the NIV Study Bible note on Matthew 3:15, which I'll paraphrase as reasons for Jesus' baptism:

1. To consecrate him to the Lord

2. To publicly announce the beginning of his ministry

3. He became the substitute for our sin

4. He set an example for his followers

All of these are the reasons we baptize today, and Saul was baptized into service to the Lord just as we were. At the point of Saul's baptism, he was consecrated to the Lord (in the correct manner--the way he was doing "the Lord's work" prior to his conversion was not what God had in mind), it began his ministry, and he set an example for both Jew and Gentile alike in that all needed to be cleansed of sin, and that baptism was the vehicle to accomplish that. So here, in 6 small words, Saul showed that he understood the enormity of what had happened to him and what his mission was to be going forward.

Most scholarship places Saul's conversion at around 34 AD, and his first missionary trip didn't occur until around 46-48 AD, so Saul spent at least 10 years or so in preparation. Our reading implies that he was already beginning to move about spreading the word--the latter part of Chapter 9 says he preached in both Damascus and Jerusalem, cities that are about 90 miles apart, and when things got too dangerous in Jerusalem, they sent him back to Tarsus. This is yet another in the long line of people in the Bible that appear to be totally and completely incapable of doing what is expected of them, yet God is able to use them anyway. I'll try to compile that list later, but if God can make use of a person whose goal was to eradicate the early Christian church, imagine how much more he can use those who want to further his kingdom. Ask him what to do--he'll tell you, but you need to be prepared to accept the answer no matter how far-fetched or unrealistic it sounds. Saul did.

Scott

Stephen's Stoning (Nov 14)

But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.
                                Acts 7:55 NIV

And Saul was there, giving approval to his death.
                                Acts 8:1a NIV

The stoning of Stephen was an event ordered by the Sanhedrin after Stephen gave his address to them.  We read that his face was like the face of an angel, he was full of God's grace and power, and he prayed while he was being stoned; "Lord Jesus receive my spirit," and "Lord, do not hold this sin against them."

One might wonder if Stephen even felt the stones being thrown at him as he focused on God, on Christ, on the heavens being opened up to his eyes.  For we read he fell asleep after his two requests to the Lord.

Contrast the Spirit's gifts of peace, serenity, calm to Stephen with the Sanhedrin's anger as manifested by their gnashing of teeth, and by their being furious.  Have you ever felt the Spirit's gifts to you in a time of trial?

This event was a pivotal event in the early church, for the early believers (not yet coined Christians) were filled with fear for their life and left Jerusalem, taking with them the Gospel message.

Another item to note in today's reading is that Saul was there at Stephen's stoning, giving approval to Stephen's death.  Yes, this is the Saul who hunted down and killed Christians, was blinded on the road to Damascus, and who subsequently became the apostle Paul. 


Have you ever been called to a duty for Christ?  What would you say in response to a call?

Where have you taken the gospel message?

Pray to keep your eyes open for service opportunities.

In Christ,


David P

Stephen's Last Words

In today's reading, we read most of the story of the stoning of Stephen. In his discourse, Stephen explains Jewish history, and ends with this statement in Acts 7:51-53:

⁵¹ “You stiff-necked people, with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You are just like your fathers: You always resist the Holy Spirit! ⁵² Was there ever a prophet your fathers did not persecute? They even killed those who predicted the coming of the Righteous One. And now you have betrayed and murdered him— ⁵³ you who have received the law that was put into effect through angels but have not obeyed it.” 

I just love those words "Was there ever a prophet your fathers did not persecute?" and of course, we know how they reacted to this mild rebuke. I don't want to dwell on or belabor these words, but I wanted to be sure to point them out, since we also need to be sure that we don't persecute the prophets of today.

I also wanted to mention one other part of today's reading, in Acts 5:34-39, where Gamaliel imparted excellent words of wisdom that we can still use today. The Sanhedrin were upset with the preaching of the apostles and had them jailed. During the evening, they were freed by an angel and continued their preaching, distressing the Sanhedrin so much they contemplated killing them. Gamaliel gave great advice, summarized in verses 38-39 where he stated that if these men were just men, their plans would fail, but if they were doing God's work, they couldn't be stopped. He suggested they be freed to see just what they were, and was persuasive  enough that this occurred. 

In our world today, if God wants something to happen, it will. He might use us, he might not, he might do it in ways we understand, he might not, but his will WILL be done. What Gamaliel said 2,000 years ago is just as relevant today, and we would do well to use the gifts of wisdom and  discernment to tell whether something is of God or is of man. I will (rarely) question anyone's intentions, but the ultimate question we have to ask ourselves in every endeavor we undertake is who we are attempting to glorify--God, or ourselves. If our efforts are focused on God, they can't fail--they might not go exactly as we planned, but that won't be important. If, however, we have the wrong motivations, even if we don't know it (and that's is one of my stock prayers that I ask on an almost-daily basis, that the work that I CLAIM to be for the Lord indeed be the case, and that my heart and mind be opened if I have strayed off that path), we're bound to fail.

It's tricky. The apostles have the Holy Spirit and visible powers at their disposal, but we have powers at our disposal that they couldn't even dream of. The only impediments to the spreading of the message, at least in this country at this time, are usually those of our own devices. Never stop trying to do good things, just always keep in mind the reason we do them--to the glory of the Lord.

Scott

Chosen (Nov 13)

"Brothers, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom.  We will turn this responsibility over to them and will give our attention to prayer and ministry of the word."
                                           Acts 6:3-4 NIV

In Acts, we read of much church growth and as a result of the growth, challenges arose.  Today, we read of a solution to the problem of Grecian Jews complaining that their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food.  With church growth, labor needs to be divided; remember Jethro's advice to Moses in Exodus 18:13-26 to "select capable men from all the people--men who fear God, trustworthy men, who hate dishonest gain--and appoint them as officials...have them serve as judges."

The challenge is the same today in churches when there is growth.  Duties increase and as the duties increase, more need to be called to serve in various leadership roles.  Those roles are many and diverse.  Some roles take much time, others less time.  Roles need to be filled or the job, duty, event, service or other item might be challenged, and might not even occur.

We church members need to pray about where we could serve.  Discuss answers to prayers with the pastor(s), with other church members.  Consider your own God given strengths and weaknesses in your discernment. 

How might one identify an individual with wisdom and being full of the Spirit, capable, fearing God, trustworthy, and hating dishonest gain.  One place to look is for fruits of the Spirit.  Does that person show the fruits of the Spirit as mentioned in Galatians 5:22; love, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control?  That is a starting point.  As you get to know that potential leader (as you get to know yourself) one may consider areas of potential darkness, habits, pastimes, activities, language habits, or others you might consider that might be kept out of the light.

With that background, one might have a sense of where that potential leaders heart is.  After guidance of the Spirit, prayer, and discernment, one then is best equipped to choose or select a potential leader who is growing and focused on Christ. This approach might reduce the chance of selecting a potential leader/servant who is not double minded and trying to serve two masters.

How might one consider their own strengths and weaknesses for service in Christ's church?

How would you respond if asked for a service/leadership role in Christ's church?

Pray for discernment for church leaders as they select lay leaders for service.

Pray for the Spirit to open the hearts and make time available for those asked to be leaders.

Pray for God's protective arms to be wrapped around the pastoral staff.

In Christ,

David P

Ananias and Sapphira

Sometime back, I'll say about 8-10 years ago, one of my daughters asked if she could keep the money she was going to put in the offering plate. She was kidding, of course, but as luck would have it, I had just read the story of Ananias and Sapphira as related in Acts 5:1-11, so I told her to read it and then make up her own mind. Into the plate went the envelope.

This story isn't a difficult one to understand, but it does have an important message we all need to remember. Ananias and Sapphira DID NOT have to:

1. Sell their lot

2. Give ALL their proceeds to the disciples

What they did in selling the lot was admirable, not mandatory, and the same was in promising to give all the proceeds to the disciples--again, admirable, but not mandatory. What they did wrong was not follow through on their promise, and that was what they were punished for. Just as Cain was rebuked for not bringing his best forward in Genesis 4, Ananais and Sapphira were punished not for their actions, but for their attempts to do less than they had promised. They hadn't kept their word.

This has important ramifications for us today, especially those of us  who might have tendencies to make promises to God when times are tough ("Hey God, you give me ____, and I'll always be in your debt."). Reminds me of that old joke:

A guy is looking for a parking spot, he's running late for an important appointment, and he finally prays and says "God, help me find a parking spot, and I'll go to church every Sunday." Right then, a spot opens up right in front of him, and he says "Forget it God, I just found one." (click here, please)

I'll be here all week, be sure to tip your waitress.

In the Age of Grace ushered in at Christ's death and resurrection, the strictures of the Levitic Law had been repealed once and for all, and obedience was no longer a condition for salvation. While there were plenty of Old Testament references to God not caring for empty ceremonies (an excellent example being Hosea 6:6, quoted by Jesus in Matthew 9:13), new times are upon the believers, especially with the ushering in of the Holy Spirit. Through Jesus' death and resurrection, we are freed from the bonds of sin and the drudgery of the Law, but with that freedom comes the responsibility to do what we say we're going to do. It may seem harsh how God treated Ananais and Sapphira, but if the wages of sin is indeed death, I guess he showed it rather vividly in this instance. It's advice we give our children all the time--keep your word, do what you say you're going to do and don' t make promises you don't intend to keep. What's good for our children is good for us also.

Scott