CLF Staff Blog

Acts - Week 14 / Friday

2008-09-05T00:05:00.002-05:00

If you have been following along on this blog, you have now read through the entire book of Acts. What a great book! You cannot read this book without getting excited about what God did through that first century church. They literally changed their world, and that is still the call to the church today.

The author of Acts, who was Luke, the physician, concludes the book in a rapid fashion. There is no formal conclusion to this book, so we are left guessing what happened to the Apostle Paul. We have to go to some of Paul's other writings, as well as history and tradition, to piece together what became of this faithful man.

Paul expected to be released according to what he wrote to the Philippians. In Phil. 1:19-26 he wrote these words: “I know that through your prayers and the help given by the Spirit of Jesus Christ, what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance. I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body. Convinced of this, I know that I will remain, and I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith, so that through my being with you again your joy in Christ Jesus will overflow on account of me.”
History and tradition tell us that the prayers of the Philippian church were answered and Paul was set free. He traveled for another two years, was rearrested, tried in Rome, convicted and sentenced to death. Because he was a Roman citizen he could not be crucified. Paul was beheaded as a martyr for Jesus Christ around A.D. 64 or 65.

So, the book of Acts is finished. Or is it? No, not by a long shot! It is still being written today, and you are in it. The story goes on---your story, my story, our story, Jesus’ story. It is the story of how our 21st century church is changing the world for Jesus Christ. And this book of Acts will continue to be written until the return of Jesus Christ to this earth for His church.

Thanks for going through this study with us. I hope you gleaned some helpful truths in the process. Let's you and I keep writing the book of Acts in our community.

Acts - Week 14 / Thursday

2008-09-04T07:04:00.002-05:00

Reading for today: Acts 28:11-31

Three months after the shipwreck they set sail again for Rome. This time they make good time, and it's a safe journey. Paul is encouraged when some believers come to meet him, and accompany him to Rome. The fact that there were believers in Rome did not surprise Paul. He had already sent his letter to the Romans well in advance of his arrival, in fact three years before.

Paul is put under house-arrest in Rome, where he is free to receive visitors. He calls for the Jewish leaders to come to him, and he tells them how he came to be in Rome as a prisoner, emphasizing his innocence.

Three days later the Jews came back to Paul's apartment to hear more from Paul. As he always did in the synagogues, Paul uses the books of Moses and the prophets to teach the gospel and to try to persuade them that Jesus is the Messiah.

Some believed, and some didn't. Those in disagreement began to leave, but not before Paul would quote Isaiah 6:9,10 and let them know the gospel was for the Gentiles as well.

While Paul waited at least two years for his trial to take place, he used the time well, writing the four letters of the New Testament that we know as the Prison Epistles---Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon.

We know from Paul writings in Philippians 4:22 that some of Caesar's (Nero) household were converted, possibly as a result of Paul's witness to the soldiers that made up the palace guard. Whatever the case, we know that Paul did not sit around bemoaning his situation. He used the time well, influencing anyone and everyone he could about the reality of salvation through Jesus Christ.

Tomorrow: The final wrap-up

Acts - Week 14 / Wednesday

2008-09-03T12:55:00.001-05:00

Reading for today: Acts 28:1-10

Well, I wrote this blog for today once already, but for some reason it did not post, and in the process, I lost it. So, I am sorry about that, especially for all of you out there that are just dying to read these each day!

Once all 276 soaked survivors made it to shore safely, just as Paul had promised they would, they discovered they were on the island called Malta. The people of Malta were of Phoenician descent and probably spoke a dialect closely related to Hebrew. They were unusually kind to the survivors of this shipwreck, considering the fact that many of the survivors were prisoners.

The Maltese built a nice, warm fire to warm them up in the rainy, cold morning hours. Paul, being the servant that he was, gathered some wood for the fire. When he went to throw it on the fire, a cold-blooded snake was suddenly warmed and fastened himself unto Paul's hand. Paul immediately flicked the snake off his hand.

The islanders watched all this and immediately assumed that Paul must have done something wrong, like murder, to have this happen to him. They were convinced that he would swell up and die right before their eyes.

When that didn't happen, they jumped to another conclusion: Paul must be a god. Knowing Paul's history from the book of Acts, he would have done his best to dissuade the crowd from thinking he was a god.

It so happened that Publius, the #1 man on the island, had a sick father. Paul prayed for him and he was healed. When the word got out, all those on the island who were ill or diseased came and they, too, were cured.

Here's the interesting point in this story. God healed every person who was in need, except one---Paul himself. The man who prayed saw all those around him healed, but he was denied healing by God. That doesn't compute very well, does it? That is the enigma surrounding healing. God heals some, and He doesn't heal others. So, should we quit praying for healing? Never! All God asks of us is to pray in faith. The rest is up to Him. He does not hold us responsible for the results of our prayers, just the faithfulness of our prayers.

Tomorrow: Rome---finally!

Acts - Week 14 / Tuesday

2008-09-02T11:58:00.002-05:00

Reading for today: Acts 27:21-44

During the terrible storm (most likely near the 11th day) that this ship encounters, Paul gives everyone a word of encouragement: No person will be lost in this storm, but the ship will be destroyed.

On the 14th night the crew sensed that they were approaching land, so they took a couple of depth readings, and discovered that they were, indeed, getting closer to land. When some sailors decided to abandon ship, Paul warned the centurion that if the sailors were allowed to escape via the life boat, that all aboard would be lost. So Julius, the centurion had the ropes of the dinghy cut, and the sailors stayed with the ship.

After finally eating to gain their strength, they jettison the rest of the cargo overboard, which was an extreme measure, given the costly nature of the grain on board. But it was necessary to properly beach the ship.

They finally see land, and head for a beach. But they strike a sandbar, and the surf begins to break up the stern of the ship.

The soldiers, fearing the prisoners would escape, planned to kill the prisoners. Remember that those guarding prisoners were responsible for them. If the prisoner was guilty of a crime deserving the penalty of death and that prisoner escaped, the guard was put to death---he paid the penalty intended for the prisoner.

But Julius, the centurion, kept the soldiers from carrying out their plan, because he wanted to spare Paul's life. So he ordered all who could swim to head for shore, and those who could not swim to find a plank, hang on tight, and head for the beach. Amazingly, just as Paul had promised, all 276 on board made it to shore safely, but the ship was wrecked.

Tomorrow: An unusual kindness

Acts - Week 14 / Monday

2008-09-01T00:05:00.000-05:00

Reading for today: Acts 27:1-20

This account of Paul's journey to Rome gives us one of the most interesting and factual accounts of a sea voyage and a shipwreck to be found anywhere in ancient literature. Luke uses "we" throughout the passage, so it is clear he was an eyewitness.

When they finally get to Myra, Julius books passage for the prisoners on an Alexandrian grain ship bound for Rome. Egypt was the chief source of wheat for the city of Rome, and these ships that carried wheat were considered very important. With much difficulty against these contrary winds, they finally arrive at Fair Havens.

It had taken a great deal of tie to get this far, and Paul cautioned agaisnt going on. The dangerous season for sailing in this part of the world is between the middle of September and the middle of November. After the middle of November all shipping on the open sea came to a halt until February at the earliest.

Luke mentions that it was already past "the Fast" or Yom Kippur, which occurred in A.D.59 on October 5. Therefore, they were well into the dangerous sailing season. The centurion, persuaded by the pilot and the owner of the ship, ignored Paul's warning and decided to try to reach Phoenix and winter there.

When the winds shifted, they found themselves at the mercy of the winds. When they found some protection on the south side of the island of Cauda, they ran cables around the hull to hold the ship together. This was a common precaution done in the event of riding out a storm. They also let out an anchor to slow their drift towards any sand banks.

The next day they threw overboard some of the cargo, which probably meant some of the ship's equipment. The grain would have been (and was) the last thing to go. Lightening the load indicates that the ship was taking on water.

The third day they even threw the ship's tackle into the sea, and for the next 11 days the storm continued, making navigation impossible. They were simply riding out the storm. But when they saw neither sun nor stars for many days, and the storm continued raging, they finally gave up all hope of being saved., except for Paul.

Tomorrow: The shipwreck

Acts - Week 13 / Friday

2008-08-29T08:23:00.002-05:00

Reading for today: Acts 26:24-32

Paul's Faith Story was powerful, and Festus felt its conviction and reacted against it by interrupting Paul, and declaring that these writings Paul mentions are driving him mad. Paul gently replies by declaring his sanity and turning to the king and stating that he is familiar with what has been said.

The king could verify all of this, since none of it happened in a corner. All the things Paul mentions, the life of Jesus, the death of Jesus, the resurrection of Jesus, the gospel message, all happened in public and were well known and attested to.

Then, addressing Agrippa, Paul asked him if he believed the prophets. Without waiting for an answer, he added that he knew Agrippa believed. Suddenly, and with surprise, Agrippa realized Paul was trying to convert him.

By saying that Agrippa believed the prophets, Paul was implying that he would therefore have to believe what they said about the Messiah, and this should cause him to believe what Paul said about Jesus.

But it seems Agrippa was not willing to say he did believe the prophets; neither was he willing to say he believed Paul. Agrippa's response has been interpreted a number of ways, but whatever it was, it was a rejection of the message, and Paul's efforts to convert him. Paul, however, refused to be discouraged. He declares his desire that everyone would become like he (a follower of Christ), except for the chains that bound him.

Next week: Paul sets sail for Rome---finally!

Acts - Week 13 / Thursday

2008-08-28T14:45:00.002-05:00

Reading for today: Acts 26:12-23

Paul continues his Faith Story by sharing his conversion experience in which he encountered Jesus Christ. On his way to Damascus to cleanse the synagogues there of any Christ-followers, he experienced a bright light and a voice speaking to him. Luke includes a new detail in Paul's conversation. Paul states that Jesus spoke to him in Aramaic.

But, what does "It is hard for you to kick against the goads," mean? It comes from the farming picture of someone using a sharply pointed stick to correct the antics of the oxen. This was a common phrase used to express opposition to God. In using this phrase, Paul identifies the voice from heaven as divine. Jesus gives Paul very clear instructions pertaining to the purpose Jesus has for Paul's life.

Paul states that he was not disobedient to the heavenly vision given to him. "Vision" here does not infer dream-like, but implies an actual vision or sighting of Jesus. Paul then sums up the ministry he carried out over the past 18 or 19 years, beginning in Damascus, then Jerusalem, then to the Gentiles and regions beyond.

The message he proclaimed was clear: Repent and turn to God and prove your repentance by your deeds. And it was because of this message that the Jews seized him and intended to kill him, because this message of repentance and forgiveness was for Jew and Gentile alike, and included blessings for the Gentiles, which the Jews did not appreciate.

Paul then bears witness to God's faithfulness in protecting him. He finishes by stating that all he has said is nothing beyond what the prophets and Moses said would happen: That the Christ would suffer; Christ would be the first to raise from the dead; Christ would proclaim light to his own people (Jew) and the Gentiles.

Paul's Faith Story is not long, but it covers the needed bases and would have been quite clear to his listeners. That's all anyone's Faith Story needs to be effective.

Tomorrow: Paul pulls no punches with the king

Acts - Week 13 / Wednesday

2008-08-27T08:13:00.002-05:00

Reading for today: Acts 26:1-11

King Agrippa allows Paul to speak on his own behalf, and so Paul launches into his Faith Story for the third time in this book of Acts. He feels fortunate to be able to make his defense before Agrippa because Agrippa is well versed in Jewish customs and "controversies" (or topics that Jews are not in agreement over).

One of the controversies pertinent to this trial is the resurrection of the dead. Agrippa would have considered himself a Jew, in name only. This religious affiliation with the Jews was for political purposes. He was not a practicing Jew.

Paul, unlike the orator/lawyer, Tertullus, in chapter 24, does not promise to be brief, but asks for patience in hearing him out. Paul first states his background and then raises the real issue of his trial. He pointed out that all the Jews knew his manner of life both in Tarsus and Jerusalem. He also mentions that they all knew he was a member of the sect of the Pharisees.

He then states that it is because of his belief in the resurrection of the dead that the Jews were bringing charges against him. He ends this portion of his defense with a great question, "Why should any of you consider it incredible that God raises the dead?"

He goes on to describe his zeal in persecuting the followers of Jesus. He told how the Sanhedrin had given him authority to arrest and jail believers in Jesus. So zealous was Paul in this persecution that he even traveled to cities outside of Judea to pursue them.

Paul has now set his listeners up for the meat of his story, which we will look at tomorrow. Once again we see this master communicator very much aware of whom he is speaking to. He identifies with them as much as possible so as to create common ground for the presentation of Jesus.

Tomorrow: And now, for the rest of the story!

Acts - Week 13 / Tuesday

2008-08-26T12:11:00.002-05:00

Reading for today: Acts 25:13-27

King Agrippa and his sister, Bernice, come to Caesarea to pay their respects to the new governor. While spending much time with them, Festus gets on the topic of Paul. He relates the entire story to Agrippa and Bernice.

Festus is not well versed in Judaism. He refers to Jewish beliefs in vs.19 as "their own superstition." (King James Version) It is translated as "religion" in the New International Version. He does not mention that he sought to gain favor with the jews by returning Paul to Jerusalem, but instead states that he was at wits end as to how to deal with the issue. Agrippa takes an interest in the case and wants to meet with Paul.

The next day Agrippa and Bernice arrive in all their pomp and glory to hear Paul's case. The city officials and other prominent men of Caesarea also wer in attendance. Festus opens the meeting (which really became the 5th trial that Paul endured in a two year time span) with a synopsis of the case. Festus declares that he had found that Paul has done nothing worthy of death. However, because Paul had appealed to Caesar, Festus had decided to send him.

The problem for Festus was that he had nothing reliable or trustworthy to write to Caesar concerning charges against Paul. In other words, Festus was looking for help in how to present the case in the form of a letter to Nero.

Festus was hoping that from this investigation Agrippa would give him proper instruction on how to word a letter that must accompany a prisioner brought before Caesar.

Tomorrow: Paul goes back to his "Ol faithful."

Acts - Week 13 / Monday

2008-08-25T10:46:00.002-05:00

Reading for today: Acts 25:1-12

Even after 2 years of Paul living in relative obscurity, the Jews in Jerusalem still considered Paul their archenemy and wanted his death. The appointment of a new governor (Festus) was their opportunity to bring their charges against Paul once more.

Immediately upon Festus' arrival in Jerusalem, the chief priests and elders meet with him. They inform him of their charges against Paul, and then they ask a favor, requesting the Paul be sent back to Jerusalem for trial. Their plan was to ambush Paul, and finally kill him.

Probably aware of the previous ambush plot 2 years prior, Festus denies their request. But he does invite them to accompany him to Caesarea to deal with the matter there. Luke does not go into detail concerning either the charges or the defense. Most likely, the charges were the same ones brought 2 years earlier before Felix.

Apparently Festus was unsure of how to handle the situatioin, not understanding the finer points of Jewish custom in regard to the accusations brought against Paul. Because of that, Festus decides to grant the Jews a favor, but only if Paul is willing to go to Jerusalem.

Paul, knowing that the Jews intended t okill him, appeals to Caesar (Nero). As a Roman citizen, this was Paul's right. Besides, at the moment, it was the only recourse available to Paul in order to stay out of the hands of the Jewish leaders.

Festus talked this over with his council, but there was really nothing he could do. Paul had appealed to Caesar; to Caesar he must go. Festus was probably relieved that the case was now out of his hands.

Do you think Paul was right in avoiding Jerusalem and the Jewish leaders at this point? Or should he have just trusted God to protect him in this hazardous position?

Tomorrow: Another interruption to Paul's plan

Acts - Week 12 / Friday

2008-08-22T08:00:00.002-05:00

Reading for today: Acts 24: 22-27

Ever stood in line at the DMV? The number in your hand is #52 and the sign on the counter says, "Now serving #23." Or how about traffic? Like on the Dan Ryan in Chicago at 3:30 on a Friday afternoon? It's a five lane parking lot. Or what about waiting in line at the grocery store? You have a twelve pack of Coke and some pretzels in hand and every lane is full of people who look like they're stocking up for Y2K.

Patience is a virtue. No kidding.

How about Paul? Check out the first phrase in Acts 24:27. "Two years went by in this way..."

Two years. Two YEARS. Two years of being held captive - mind you it was a minimum security, "white collar crime" prison. But still...two years. And two years of a governor who knows the story, but is just holding on to you, hoping to extort a bribe (vs. 26).

Paul: "Come on. Jesus, you told me I was going to go to Rome to preach the Good News!"

Jesus: "Patience, Paul. Patience."

Actually, knowing Paul, he probably was much more patient than what I project on him. But still, he definitely provides us with a model of how to handle difficulty with patience.

What dream are you waiting for to happen? Or rather, how are you waiting?

Author F. B. Meyer provides this insight: "If God told you on the front end how long you would wait to find the fulfillment of your desire or pleasure or dream, you'd lose heart. You'd grow weary in doing well doing. So would I. But He doesn't. He just says, 'Wait. I keep My word. I'm in no hurry. In the process of time I'm developing you to be ready for the promise.'"

Are you waiting patiently for dream to come together? What are the good byproducts of patience? Remember it could be worse...you could be on the Dan Ryan...

Acts - Week 12 / Thursday

2008-08-21T08:00:00.006-05:00

Reading for today: Acts 24:1-21

Perseverance. It is a fruit grown in the soil of suffering (check out Romans 5:1-5 if you aren't sure).

In an address at Harrow School, October 29, 1941, Winston Churchill said, "Never give in, never give in, never, never, never, never - in nothing, great or small, large or petty - never give in except to convictions of honor and good sense. Never give in." Then he sat down.

Acts 24 opens with these words: "Five days later Ananias, the high priest, arrived with some of the Jewish leaders and the lawyer Tertullus, to press charges against Paul." For the better part of the last two weeks of Paul's life, he has been hounded by those who would like nothing better than to see him dead.

They slandered him in the Temple, beat him in the streets, planned his assassination, and now they came to falsely accuse him in a Roman governor's court (they even hired a professional orator - Tertullus).

But Paul persevered. Beginning in Acts 24:10 we read of his own defense. His defense is remarkable for two reasons. First, in spite of the harrowing experiences of the past 12 days, he is able to clearly communicate a reasonable defense. Odds makers would have made Tertullus the heavy favorite. I can only imagine how tired and physically exhausted (and bruised) Paul must have been. And yet, he is able to speak powerfully and eloquently on his own behalf.

The second thing about his defense that is remarkable is his ability to once again seize the opportunity to share the Good News with his audience. In Acts 24:14-16, Paul uses his platform to tell those within earshot of the hope he has in God. Paul models for us the admonition given to us in 1 Peter 3:15, "...Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect."

I have to give Paul huge props. Not only does he persevere through 12 days of adversity, but when he does respond he does it with such class. Remember, these people were trying to kill him! It's one thing to whine and complain through tough times, and another to gently, respectfully, and courageously handle adversity.

James writes on this subject as well: "Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking in anything."

Paul's example, along with James' and Peter's thoughts, make me stop and think about how I handle adversity. According to James, my response to difficulties is a good indicator of my maturity level.

Tomorrow: Patience is a virtue

Acts - Week 12 / Wednesday

2008-08-20T08:00:00.004-05:00

Reading for today: Acts 23:23-35

Once the plot to kill Paul was discovered by his nephew, who in turn informed the Roman commander, plans were made to remove Paul from Jerusalem. The military escort gathered to accompany Paul was no small force - 400 soldiers and 70 cavalry. The size of the force and the hour of departure (around 9:00 PM) would certainly have garnered attention in the streets of Jerusalem.

The trip to Caesarea is a little over 60 miles, so the contingent stopped at a half-way point, the fortress at Antipatris. In the morning, the foot soldiers return to their garrison in Jerusalem and the horsemen continue their escort of Paul to Caesarea.

As Paul's case is passed from the military commander, Claudius Lysias, to Governor Felix, Paul is moving up the "food chain" in Roman politics. Remember earlier when Jesus appeared to Paul, he encouraged Paul and told him that he would preach the Good News in Rome. At that time, Paul must have wondered how that was ever going to happen. By having his case transferred to the hands of the region's governor, the path to Rome was now beginning to take form.

Sometimes when God gives us a dream we wonder how in the world it will ever come about. We tend to see things that are only right in front of us, while He sees the big picture. I'm reminded of this often quoted passage: "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight" (Proverbs 3:5,6).

How are you handling roadblocks and detours? What are some things we can do to bolster our faith when it looks like our God-given dreams are hijacked by circumstances? I'd love to hear some thoughts on this.

Tomorrow: Paul on trial...again...

Acts - Week 12 / Tuesday

2008-08-19T08:00:00.009-05:00

Reading for today: Acts 23: 12-22

An advocate is someone who supports or promotes the interests of another. An advocate is someone who will cover your back - often without you even knowing it. Advocates are gifts from God. Paul's nephew is a great example of what advocates can do for us.

In Leonard Sweet's book "11" he describes four reasons why back-coverers are so important to us:

1. First, you and I are going to get it in the back. Somewhere, someway, someone is going to not-so-kindly place a metaphorical dagger in your back. This is especially true if you are already vulnerable. There is an Arabic proverb that says, "A falling camel attracts many knives."

2. Sometimes advocates fight alongside you on the front lines, but mostly they cover you with prayer from a distance. Paul's nephew fought alongside of him - he told Paul of the plot. But many times your advocates will help you without your knowledge.

Sweet's last two reasons have more to do with how we can cover the back of others:

3. We can be advocates for people we don't even know. A good recent example of this is how the people at CLF helped out with the "Stuff the Bus" campaign last week. By providing school supplies for kids who might not otherwise be able to have those things, we were able to cover these student's backs - students we most likely will never meet personally. There are many ways we can cover people's backs we've never met. What are some things you can think of doing?

4. Finally, we can be advocates for generations that come after us and before us. This one might take a little thought to comprehend. Let me illustrate this with a story from Sweet's book. Former French Prime Minister Georges Clemenceau and Claude Monet, founder of French impressionism, were friends. They each lived to be old men, and each died within a few years of one another, Monet first. When Clemenceau saw a black shroud draping Monet's coffin, a sudden burst of fury overtook him. Rushing to a nearby window, he ripped a colorful curtain from its rod, cast the balck shroud to the ground, and covered the coffin with the drape. For his friend to be buried in a color he had banned from his palette was the ultimate insult.

Here are two questions for the day: Who are my back-coverers? and then Whose back am I covering?

Tomorrow: Moving up the food chain

Acts - Week 12 / Monday

2008-08-18T10:42:00.012-05:00

Reading for today: Acts 23:1-11

The day after the riot at the Temple and Paul's arrest, the Roman commander orders the leading priests and Jewish high council, or Sanhedrin, to meet. It doesn't take long before things get heated.

There are three things that really stand out to me in this passage:

1. After Paul's opening remark, the high priest - a man by the name of Ananias - commands Paul to be slapped on the mouth. This action draws an immediate response from Paul (verse 3). Paul calls Ananias a "whitewashed wall." This is a strong insult to a man in authority. When those standing near Paul rebuke him, Paul responds by saying he did not realize he was speaking to the high priest. Really? Remember who Paul was - his past in the very highest circles of Judaism. And he didn't realize he was talking to the high priest? Curious...don't you think? What's that all about?

2. The second thing that strikes me is Paul's strategic move to change the focus of the meeting. In verse 6 we read that Paul realized some of the group were Sadducees and some were Pharisees - both are sects within Judaism. He makes a proclamation at the end of verse 6 that divides the council down the middle and gets the focus off of himself. What a brilliant move! This just reminds me of what a savvy guy Paul was. Paul knew how to size up a crowd and relate to them. In this case to his benefit.

3. The third thing I find striking in this passage is that Jesus appears to Paul again (verse 11). The past two days have been extremely trying for Paul. He's been assaulted, arrested, chained, and slapped. In the middle of all of this, he had to compose himself enough to verbally defend himself. In the middle of these unbelievably taxing circumstances, Jesus comes to Paul and appears to him and speaks two very important words, "Be encouraged!" Can you imagine what that did for Paul? It reminds me of Jesus' words to his friends in Matthew 28:20b, "And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age." That promise was true for the disciples, it was true for Paul, and it is true for us today.

What about you? What speaks to you from these opening verses of chapter 23?

Tomorrow: Whose got your back?

Acts - Week 11 / Friday

2008-08-15T00:05:00.000-05:00

Reading for today: Acts 22:22-30

The Jews in the courtyard listened to Paul until he spoke of the command to go to the Gentiles. This set off the crowd again. Even though the Old Testament spoke clearly of God's care for the Gentiles, the Roman oppression had blinded their minds. In their eyes, Gentiles were dogs, scavengers. And so they expressed their belief that Paul was not worthy to live.

The Roman commander ordered Paul to be taken into the barracks where they were going to flog him. That meant that they were going to question him while torturing him with a whip made of leather thongs with pieces of bone and metal sewn in them. A Roman scourge often crippled or killed its victim.

At that point Paul asked the man in charge if it was legal to scourge a man who was a Roman citizen and uncondemned. The commander was called in, and he asked Paul if he was a Roman citizen. When Paul answered in the affirmative, the commander commented that he had paid a great sum of money for his Roman citizenship. In other words, he had bought a citizenship, even though he was not one by birth. This was rather common in the Roman empire, especially since it was a good way to line their pockets!

Paul said that he was a citizen by birth. His father or grandfather must have given unusual service to the Romans in Tarsus and been rewarded by Roman citizenship for himself and his family.

Paul's possible "pain inflicters" quickly realized that they were in trouble if Paul decided to press charges against them for what they had threatened to do to him, so they kept him in custody, but without chains, we can be sure. So, Paul escaped a beating---thankfully!

Next week: Paul wisely knows the crowd he speaks to

Acts - Week 11 / Thursday

2008-08-14T00:05:00.000-05:00

Reading for today: Acts 21:40-22:21

This is the passage of Scripture that last weekend's message was based on, so let me recap some of the main thoughts. Paul quiets this raucous crowd, and they become very quiet when they hear him speak to them in Aramaic, because that was their language. He tells the crowd his Faith Story.

Every follower of Christ has a Faith Story. It may not be long. It certainly doesn't have to be complicated. In fact, their are three simple parts to a Faith Story, and you can follow them quite easily as Paul talks.

First, he tells his audience who he was. He is very specific, and he wisely identifies himself as being very much like the men and women whom he was addressing.

Secondly, he tells them how he came to encounter Christ. He relates his experience on the road to Damascus, when Jesus confronted him. The focal point is not what Paul was, or had done, but rather the person of Jesus Christ.

Thirdly, he tells them the difference Christ has made in his life. He went from being a Jesus-hater to a Jesus-lover. He went from hunting down Christians to becoming one himself! That was an incredible transformation, and Paul wanted them to see the distinct difference between what he had been and what he was now.

That's what a Faith Story is about: 1) who you were before Christ; 2) how you met Jesus Christ; and 3) the difference He has made in your life. People may argue with your theology all day long, but nobody can argue with the personal experience you have had with Jesus.

Your Faith Story is powerful. Learn to tell it often, whenever the Holy Spirit prompts you. And learn to tell it well, so there is no chance that your listener will miss the point.

Tomorrow: Paul pulls out the citizen trump card!

Acts - Week 11 / Wednedsay

2008-08-13T00:05:00.000-05:00

Reading for today: Acts 21:27-22:1

The plan of the Jerusalem church elders failed. Instead of satisfying the Jews, the opposite happened when the 7 days of purification were almost completed. Jews from the Roman province of Asia were in Jerusalem for the Feast of Pentecost. They saw Paul in the Temple, started making untrue accusations against him, and stirring up the crowd against him. They even accused him of bringing a Gentile into the restricted area of the Temple that was open only to the Jew.

They made that accusation on an assumption. Isn't it true that many false accusations are based on assumptions? The unbelieving Jews had not bothered to seek out the truth. They just assumed that Paul had taken Trophimus into the Temple because they had seen the two men together. Interestingly, when the crowd was stirred up to a frenzy and began beating Paul, nobody seemed to notice that Paul had no Gentiles with him.

Paul's life was probably spared by the Roman commander who came with soldiers, pushed the crowd back, and arrested Paul. Because of the noise, the commander couldn't seem to get to the truth, so he was about to take Paul into the barracks to protect him.

Another assumption was made. The commander assumed that Paul was an Egyptian anarchist who had escaped capture not long ago. He didn't have any facts to back up the assumption, but that didn't stop him. However, when Paul addressed him in fluent Greek, the commander knew Paul was no Egyptian.

When Paul asked the commander for permission to speak to the crowd who had just tried to kill him, amazingly the commander gave permission. Paul silenced the crowd and asked them to listen to his defense.

Lesson: Don't make judgments based on assumptions. Get the truth, and then come to your conclusions.

Tomorrow: The master storyteller does his thing!

Acts - Week 11 / Thursday

2008-08-12T20:54:00.001-05:00

Acts - Week 11 / Tuesday

2008-08-12T07:50:00.002-05:00

Reading for today: Acts 21:15-26

There is an interesting dynamic of challenges and victories that we see occurring in Paul's life. As they travel, they need a place to stay. But since they have some Gentile Christians in their traveling party, finding a home to stay in would be a challenge. Not every member of the intensely Jewish/Christian church of Jerusalem would be prepared to have a party of Gentile Christians in his home. Fortunately, Mnason proved to be the right host.

When Paul and his companions went to see James and the other elders of the Jerusalem church, they discovered another challenge. False teachers had come among this church and deliberately taught that Paul was teaching all Jews who lived among the Gentiles not to circumcise their children. They also said that Paul taught them to stop conducting their lives according to their Jewish customs.

Of course, the accusations were untrue. Paul had circumcised his young companion, Timothy, and he had recently taken a vow himself. But the elders knew that these accusations had been told and retold, and needed to be put to rest.

The elders had a suggestion. Four of the Jewish believers had taken a vow upon themselves. At the close of the period of time they had chosen, they would offer rather expensive sacrifices. Then they would shave their heads as a sign that the vow was completed.

Paul did not have to take the vow himself. But he was asked to go through ceremonies of purifying himself along with them and pay for the sacrifices so they could complete the vow. This would show all in Jerusalem that Paul did not teach Jewish believers to go against the customs of their fathers.

So, Paul did exactly that. As Paul told the Corinthian believers, to the Jews he became as a Jew, and to those under the Law he became as under the Law. (1 Cor. 9:20) Paul was willing to do whatever it would take to reach people with the "good news," as long as it was not compromising to the gospel.

Tomorrow: The elders plan doesn't work like they hoped it would!

Acts - Week 11 / Monday

2008-08-10T23:42:00.000-05:00

Reading for today: Acts 21:1-14

The farewell experience that Paul has just gone trough in Miletus with the elders of the church in Ephesus is merely the first of other farewells that are going to happen on his way to Jerusalem.

At Tyre they had 7 days to wait while the ship unloaded cargo. Paul located the Christian believers in Tyre, and spent time with them. Here again, as in many places before, the Holy Spirit warned of what was going to happen to Paul in Jerusalem.

The Bible does not say how the Spirit did this, but from what happened a little later in Caesarea, we can be pretty sure the warning came through a prophecy. It says that "through the Spirit" the believers kept urging Paul not to go up to Jerusalem. It does not say that the Spirit did not want Paul to go up to Jerusalem. Back in Acts 20:22, Paul said he was compelled by the Holy Spirit to go to Jerusalem. Paul knew the Holy Spirit would not contradict himself.

The Holy Spirit warned several times of what was ahead for Paul in Jerusalem. These believers knew the warnings, and because of their love for Paul, they urged him not to go. But Paul refused to go against what the Holy Spirit had told him to do. He refused to let them force their feelings on him.

Interestingly, it was not bad advice that was given to Paul. And it was given out of love for him and his ministry. But it was not the right advice for him. He had heard the compelling voice of the Holy Spirit telling him to go to Jerusalem, and so any other advice, as good as it may have been, was wrong for him.

Tomorrow: Paul finally gets to Jerusalem

Acts - Week 10 / Friday

2008-08-08T00:05:00.000-05:00

Reading for today: Acts 20:25-38

Paul let the elders know that this was a final farewell. They would never see him again. So, what do you say to these elders, knowing that this is your last shot at them. Interestingly, Paul's pastoral heart comes through loud and clear in his words.

First, he told them to give attention to themselves and to all the flock that the Holy Spirit had made them overseers of. Here we see that Paul expected the elders to have the office of overseer and be the executive or administrative head of the local congregation. In addition, Paul expected the elders to shepherd the church. The chief duty of the shepherd was to lead the sheep to food and water. That was no small responsibility for these men!

The ultimate requirement of these elders was servanthood, not domineering leadership. Another part of the work of a shepherd was to protect the sheep from enemies. Paul warned these "shepherds" that after his departure savage wolves would come in among them, attempting to severely injure the sheep.

Paul had set before these men an example of selfless service. They were well aware that he had provided for his own needs with his own hands. And he had also provided for the needs of his team members. When Paul would go into a new area to preach the "good news", he was always very careful to show the people that he was not preaching the gospel in order to gain material benefits. The love of Christ compelled him to preach the gospel.

It was a teary farewell when Paul finally said "goodbye." These Ephesian elders obviously had a great admiration and respect for the Apostle Paul. He had taught them well, and they were already sensing the loss they would feel at seeing him no more.

Who has been that kind of mentor in your life? Who has impacted you in some significant ways, in the past and in the present?

Next week: Does good advice always need to be obeyed?

Acts - Week 10 / Thursday

2008-08-07T09:56:00.002-05:00

Reading for today: Acts 20:13-24

Luke and the rest of Paul's company did not stay until daylight. They went on ahead to the ship and set sail for Assos, where they would meet up with Paul, who was walking to Assos, which was a shorter distance.

Luke does not tell us why Paul did this. A little later Paul told the Ephesian elders that in every city the Holy Spirit warned him that chains and persecution awaited him in Jerusalem. Perhaps Paul needed this time alone to settle it with God about going to Jerusalem.

They all sailed past Ephesus, because Paul did not want to spend too much time there. He wans in a hurry to get to Jerusalem by the Day of Pentecost, if possible. Paul did not bypass Ephesus because of any lack of concern for the church there. In fact, he called for the elders of the church in Ephesus to come to Miletus.

This was a very serious occasion for him because he believed it would be the last time he would ever see them. He began by reminding them how all the time he was with them he served the Lord with all humility, with tears, and with testings brought on by the plots of the unbelieving Jews.

At the same time, he did not let danger cause him to shrink from telling them anything that was beneficial, teaching them publicly and in their homes. Paul told the elders that he was going to Jerusalem, not of his own will, but compelled by the Spirit to go. He didnn't know exactly what would happen to him there, but he had been watned repeatedly by the Holy Spirit that chains and persecution awaited him.

The witness of the Holy Spirit was not intended to stop Paul from going. The Holy Spirit had compelled him to go, and he was willing to go. He fully intended to finish the task that God had given to him to accomplish. To Paul, that was more important than his own like, so why shouldn't he go?

I wonder how eager I would have been to continue on to Jerusalem if I knew for certain that persecution and pain and chains awaited me?

Tomorrow: Paul says "farewell" to his friends

Acts - Week 10 / Wednesday

2008-08-06T09:43:00.002-05:00

Reading for today: Acts 20:1-12

As Paul makes his way back to Jerusalem on this third missionary journey, he is accompanied by a number of men. Many scholars believe these men were on the journey with Paul to represent the churches who had given money as an offering for the poor among the Jerusalem Christians. They had the responsibility to see what was done with the money and report back to their home churches. It is obvious that the Early Church was very careful to keep good financial accounts and just as careful to make them known to the members of the congregation. That is just good stewardship, and ought to be the norm for all churches today, regardless of size.

When Paul arrived in Troas, he took the opportunity to preach. Since he was going to leave the next day, he prolonged his discourse until midnight. A young man named Eutychus was sitting on the window sill listening. He fell asleep, and because everyone was focusing on Paul, no one noticed. As Paul kept on preaching, the young man fell from the third story and was found dead. Remember that Luke is with them on this journey, and as a doctor, he would know these things.

Immediately, Paul went down, fell on him, and put his arms around him. We can be sure he prayed as he did so. This was similar to the experiences of Elijah and Elisha in 1 Kings 17:21 and 2 Kings 4:34.

Paul said to the concerned crowd, "Don't panic, he's alive!" After that, Paul went back up and ate and talked with the believers until daylight. Then he left. The boy was also brought before them alive, and fully recovered, and they were very greatly encouraged.

As a preacher, I take heart in knowing that even the Apostle Paul put people to sleep with his preaching!

Tomorrow: Paul says "good-bye" to the Ephesian elders

Acts - Week 10 / Tuesday

2008-08-05T06:58:00.002-05:00

Reading for today: Acts 19:21-41

"I must visit Rome also." A divine necessity was laid upon him. Later on in Acts we find that this was indeed pleasing to the Lord for Paul to go to Rome. However, Paul did not yet know how he was going to get to Rome. But from this point to the end of the Book of Acts, Rome is the objective in view. He didn't go to Rome directly because he felt a responsibility to visit the churches in Macedonia and Greece again. Paul had a great passion to care for the churches that he had helped plant.

One of the churches he spent time discipling was in Ephesus. But it was there that his work and ministry caused a near riot. Because the gospel was making inroads into the lives of the people of Ephesus, they were giving up their idol worship. This was not good news for the makers of these idols, which represented Artemis, the fertility goddess of Ephesus.

When the idol makers realized that their livlihood was in jeopardy because of Paul's message, as well as the band of preachers and teachers who travelled with Paul, they started raising a ruckus, and stirred up a great deal of anger against Paul and his companions.

At this point, the Jews put forward Alexander out of the crowd with the intention of instucting them. They wanted him to explain that the Jews were not responsible for what the Christians were doing. But when the crowd recognized he was a Jew, they drowned him out with their cries---for two long hours!

Finally the town clerk, who was a citizen of Ephesus that served as their official contact or liaison with the Roman government officials in Ephesus, quieted the crowd. He pointed out that the men they had brought into the amphitheater were neither temple robbers nor goddess blasphemers.

It is important to note here that Paul had been nearly 3 years in Ephesus, but there was no evidence that either he or the other Christians ever said anything against the temple or Artemis. They simply kept preaching the good news of Jesus Christ in a positive way, and the sale of the images and shrines automatically fell off.

As a Christian, do the people around you know more what you are against or what you are for? Is our message a positive or negative message? These verses give us a good picture of what can happen when we stick to the message of Jesus. That message is more powerful and life-changing than we can possibly imagine!

Tomorrow: The sermon that killed a guy!

Acts - Week 10 / Monday

2008-08-04T10:28:00.002-05:00

Reading for today: Acts 19:1-20

These are the Scriptures that we covered in this past weekend's message, so I will just comment briefly. When Paul discovered that these 12 disciples in Ephesus had not been taught about the Holy Spirit at the time of their conversion, he laid his hands on them and prayed, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in tongues and prophesy.

The laying on of hands in this situation did not cause them to receive the Spirit, but it encouraged their faith, just as it still does today. Remember, the baptism in the Holy Spirit is a gift that the Father loves to give to His children. There is no special way or place that is necessary for you to receive this gift. Just surrender yourself to the work of the Holy Spirit in your life.

As always, Paul went to the synagogue, starting with the Jews first when he arrived in Ephesus. For 3 months he argued persuasively with the Jews, but as usual, some of the unconverted Jews became hardened and obstinate. So, Paul withdrew from them, found the lecture hall of Tyrannus, and met daily there for the next two years, preaching and teaching the gospel.

Acts 20:34 tells us that Paul continued his usual practice of working at his tentmaking trade to support himself and his party. Ancient manuscripts tell us that he worked from dawn until about 11 a.m. at tentmaking. Then he would teach from about 11 a.m. until 4 p.m. In the evenings Paul would go to various homes to teach and establish the believers and to help win their friends and neighbors to the Lord.

The result was that the whole of the Roman province of Asia was evangelized. Since Ephesus was a great center, people were continually coming in and out of the city, and it is possible that many of them heard the Word of God, were converted, taught by Paul, and then went back to their own cities where they became powerful witnesses for Christ, and churches grew up around them.

Is it possible that this same kind of thing could happen in the central part of Wisconsin? I think the key word is "faithfulness." If we are a faithful people in sharing the "good news" of the gospel, God's Word will not return void. It will impact lives and hearts.

Tomorrow: Paul causes a riot!

Acts - Week 9 / Friday

2008-08-01T08:09:00.002-05:00

Reading for today: Acts 18:18-28

At Cenchraea, Paul had his hair cut, because of a vow he had taken. This is not explained, but it was probably a modified Nazarite vow, a vow that expressed total dedication to God and to His will. The hair was always cut at the conclusion of the period of the vow, as Numbers 6 tells us.

After landing at Caesarea, he went up to Jerusalem and paid his respects to the church there, since he wanted to maintain a good relationship with them. From Jerusalem he went to Antioch of Syria, and thus ended the second missionary journey.

After he had spent some time in Antioch, he took off on a third missionary journey, visiting the churches he had helped establish on his first and second journeys. Paul never started churches and then left them to fend for themselves. He was always revisiting and writing the young churches, giving them further teaching and strengthening the young disciples.

Meanwhile, a new guy shows up in Ephesus, a Jew named Apollos. He was an eloquent man, well-educated, a real scholar, and powerful in his use of the Scriptures. He had all the facts straight about Jesus' life and ministry, as well as about His death and resurrection. But he was not up to speed on what happened following Jesus' ascension. He knew nothing about the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost. He was passionate about what he knew, He just didn't know everything he needed to know.

Priscilla and Aquila were present and heard him speak. They did not say anything to him in the synagogue, but took him aside to give him further instruction. In all likelihood, they took him home with them. There they explained God's way to him more precisely, and brought him up to speed.

That Apollos responded to this instruction is shown by the letters of recommendation the Christian brothers in Ephesus write for him when he wanted to go over to Greece. It is interesting to note, also, that the best Greek scholars, dating as far back as Chrysostom, agree that it was Priscilla who took the lead in giving this instruction to Apollos. She was obviously a very gracious and Godly woman.

Next week: Some strange things happen in Ephesus!

Acts - Week 9 / Thursday

2008-07-31T00:15:00.000-05:00

Reading for today: Acts 18:1-17

Paul arrives in Corinth, which was a commercial center and a very prosperous city. It had been destroyed in 146 B.C. and was not rebuilt until Julius Caesar took an interest in it 100 years later. He made it a Roman colony, and it again became prosperous.

But it was also a center of idolatry and licentiousness. The Greeks even invented a new word to express extreme sexual immorality, "to Corinthianize." The Corinthians were encouraged in this immorality by their worship of the so-called goddess of love, Aphrodite.

At Corinth Paul met a husband and wife who were to become some of his most faithful friends and fellow laborers in the gospel. Aquila and Priscilla had recently come to Corinth from Italy. The fourth Roman Emperor, Claudius, had commanded all the Jews to leave Rome. Paul came to them and found in their home a place to live and to carry on his trade, for they also were tentmakers and had been able to establish their business in Corinth successfully.

When the Jews became abusive to Paul, he declared he was done with them, and would now go to the Gentiles of Corinth. But in the spring of 52 A.D., a new proconsul named Gallio was appointed by the Roman Senate to govern in the province of Achaia, or Greece.

Apparently the unbelieving Jews thought they could take advantage of the new governor's lack of knowledge of the situation. So they rose up against Paul and brought him to the governor's judgment seat. Incidentally, archaeologists have discovered this judgment seat built of blue and white marble.

Gallio had sense enough to realize that no crime was involved, so he drove them out of the tribunal. They seized Sosthenes, the new ruler of the synagogue, and struck him down before he could leave the tribunal. It would seem as though the evil he had intended for Paul had fallen on him!

However, this event must have had a deep effect on Sosthenes, because he obviously yielded to the truth of the gospel. In 1 Cor. 1:1 Sosthenes joins Paul in greeting the Corinthians. Though we cannot prove it for sure, this must be the same man. It would be unlikely that there would be another prominent Sosthenes who was well known to the Corinthian church.

Talk about the grace of God! The leader of the opposition, a man who must have blasphemed Paul and the gospel, became a brother in the Lord. Isn't it amazing how God works?

Tomorrow: Discipleship at its best!

Acts - Week 9 / Wednesday

2008-07-30T07:54:00.002-05:00

Reading for today: Acts 17:16-34

Paul now finds himself in the city of Athens, which was famous for its Acropolis and all its temples. By this time in history, however, it had lost its former glory. It was no longer politically important. Its old leadership in culture and education had been taken over by Alexandria in Egypt. But Athens still nurtured the memory of its past.

Paul went to the synagogue, as was his custom, in order to reason with the Jews and God-fearing Gentiles. But he also went out into the marketplace every day, where he knew he would find men who were not versed in the Scriptures.

Since Athens was a culture that worshiped as many as 30,000 gods and goddesses in their mythology, most of the people were unaware of the "good news" of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Paul's ability to connect with these people is a classic example of relevant communication. His choice of words and examples is truly interesting to observe.

I wonder how relevant our communication as a church is to our world today. If we really listened to ourselves, would we hear ourselves using "insider language" that few people outside our circle understand? Or do we, like Paul, have the ability to understand who we are talking to, and are able to use language they comprehend, and illustrations and examples they can connect with?

Jesus was a master at this kind of relevant communication. He told stories and used examples that his hearers could immediately identify with. This is so important if we want people to hear the crux of what we have to share. Remember, the "good news" is only good news if it is understandable.

Yes, the Holy Spirit has to prepare the person's heart for them to receive the "good news," but somebody has to share that good news with them. That's where you and I fit in. We work, as a team, with the Holy Spirit. And I need to remind myself that I am not ultimately responsible for how many respond to the "good news." That is God's responsibility. My responsibility is to be faithful to share the gospel in ways that my hearers can understand. I gently plant the seed.

Tomorrow: Reaching Corinth---the center of idolatry and licentiousness

Acts - Week 9 / Tuesday

2008-07-29T06:52:00.002-05:00

Reading for today: Acts 17:10-15

Because of the trouble in Thessalonica, the followers of Christ sent Paul and Silas to Berea, which was some 50 miles away. This city was off the main Egnatian Road they had been following, and the believers may have thought they would be safer there.

The Bereans did respond quite differently. Instead of reacting against Paul's messsage, they welcomed the Word with all kinds of eagerness, zeal, and enthusiasm. Even more importantly, they examined the Scriptures daily, searching it out like lawyers investigating a case, to see whether the things Paul was telling them were true.

Many of both the Jews and Gentiles believed. When the news traveled back to Thessalonica, the unbelieving Jews there came to Berea to cause trouble. Before they could do nay damage, the Berean Christians hurried Paul off in the direction of the Aegean Sea, while Silas and Timothy stayed behind to teach and encourage the believers in Berea.

The men accompanying Paul took him on to Athens, from where he sent them back with a command for Silas and Timothy to come to him as quickly as possible.

The significant thing about these few verses is the Bereans' thirst for truth. They gave themselves fully to reading, studying, and searching the Word of God so that they would know what was truth. What an example for us to imitate! It is so vital for us to commit ourselves to regularly reading and learning from the Bible. It is such a healthy discipline for us to adopt into our lives, and it will pay wonderful benefits.

It is interesting to me that Paul never had to correct these believers, at least not from the volume of writing that we have from him. I can't help but think that this was true because they immersed themselves in the Word, and it helped them to live lives that were right in line with God's will. Wouldn't it be great if the same thing could be said about all the family here at CLF? What a powerful testimony that would be in our community!

Tomorrow: Athens---the home of 30,000 idols

Acts - Week 9 / Monday

2008-07-28T09:37:00.002-05:00

Reading for today: Acts 17:1-9

This is now Paul's second missionary journey. He and Silas make the 100 mile trek along the Egnatian Road to the city of Thessalonica, the most important city of ancient Macedonia, and there they find a synagogue. As was Paul's custom, he went to the synagogue first. The Jews had a background in the Scriptures, so Paul would use that background as his platform for teaching.

As always, Paul talked about the Scriptures that pointed to the Messiah, and used them to clearly show that it was God's divine purpose for the Messiah to suffer and rise again from the dead, clearly pointing to Jesus in the process.

Some of the Jews were persuaded, but an even larger number of Gentiles believed, including some of the wives of the chief men of the city. Thus the Gentile converts far outnumbered the Jewish believers. Incidentally, the first letter to the Thessalonians gives a further description of the ministry of Paul and Silas at this time, especially chapter two.

Again, opposition arises alongside this great opportunity. I love the accusation that the unbelieving Jews bring against Paul and Silas. They said, "These men who have caused trouble all over the world have now come here..." Even though the accusation was a large exaggeration, it nevertheless was a back-handed compliment about the influence and impact these two men were having in the area.

The authorities did not take the charges seriously, and they order Jason's release after securing from him some sort of agreement, probably to talk Paul and Silas into leaving town. The sooner they could get these guys out of town, the better! Although the gospel is a gospel of peace, it still can stir up a fair amount of discord between those who believe and those who don't.

Tomorrow: What's the best way to stay on course?

Week 8/Friday

2008-07-26T12:41:00.004-05:00

Reading for Today: Acts 16:16-40

After their first missionary journey experiences, Paul and his companions seem fearless when it comes to opposition. Their experiences of seeing God act on their behalf for the sake of the Gospel help them to see beyond their present circumstances and focus on following Christ.

This time they were "severely flogged and thrown into prison" (16:23). The Roman law concerning punishment depended on the judge and often was overly cruel, especially when administered to aliens. They didn't realize Paul was indeed a Roman citizen, to which he would appeal to later. Suffice it to say, the beating wasn't pretty!

Paul and Silas had no inkling of what God was going to do in this situation. For all they knew, this could be the end. So, their response represented genuine faith and total trust that God would never leave them. I wonder what they were singing? I wonder what I would have sung? Probably something like the old "Hee Haw" song that began like this: "Doom, despair, and agony on me. Deep dark depression, excessive misery. If I had no bad luck, I'd have no luck at all."

Anyway, "the other prisoners were listening to them as they were singing hymns to God."(verse 25) It is in this context that God miraculously moved in their situation. Long story short, the jailer and all his household, and I would think many of the prisoners, were saved that night to the glory of God!

I wonder what the "prisoners" around ME see? Do I demonstrate a rock solid faith in God no matter what? Often I have lived my life hoping that God would help me avoid pain, not realizing that it is the pain in my life that has strengthened my faith the most and brought the most glory to God.

Pain will always be the common human experience in this fallen world. In the midst of our pain, let us focus on the One who promises us an eternal home where "He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." (Revelation 21:4)

Jim Mathias

Acts - Week 8/Wednesday

2008-07-24T14:42:00.002-05:00

Reading for today: Acts 16:1-15

Paul and Silas, along with Timothy, continued to revisit the churches started on the first missionary journey. They delivered the letter from the Jerusalem Council and “the churches were strengthened in the faith and grew daily in numbers.” Healthy churches are growing churches.

If you look at the map of Paul’s second missionary journey, it made good sense to continue evangelizing the Asian peninsula. Paul had a logical plan, but God had a divine plan – a different plan. Often logical plans and divine plans coincide, but not in this case. We must always be open to the possibility of God leading us “outside the box” of our logic.

The Scripture says that “they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to” (16:7). I wish we had more information but suffice it to say that Paul and his friends were listening to the Spirit. The Spirit said “No” but didn’t give them an alternative plan, so they headed to the nearest port city of Troas. It was at Troas that “Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, ‘Come over to Macedonia and help us’” (16:9).

Notice that Paul and his friends didn’t just stand still and do nothing after getting a closed door to Bithynia. They kept moving and headed in the next logical direction. The key to following God is to first of all stop going in the direction we definitely know NOT to go. We don’t have to know the next step. In fact, we often don’t know what God wants us to do until we stop doing what we know He doesn’t want us to do. I remember when I knew God was leading me out of teaching at Nekoosa High School. It didn’t make sense to give up all that security and step into the “unknown” but I’m so glad I did. There is nothing as exciting and rewarding as following God’s leading.

Perhaps you find yourself stuck. You KNOW God wants you to stop what you are doing and go another direction but you are afraid to let go of the security of your own plans. I urge you, LET GO AND LET GOD control your decisions. You’ll never be disappointed and you will never have to say, “If only I had followed God’s voice.”

Paul’s obedience led him to open the first missionary work in what we know today as Europe. Most of the Epistles in the Scriptures are written to these churches.

Join me tomorrow as we talk about Paul’s and Silas’ prison ministry (Acts 16:16-40).

Jim Mathias

Acts - Week 8/Tuesday

2008-07-23T12:09:00.003-05:00

Reading for today: Acts 15:19-35

Evidently the Antioch church was doing fine until the Judaizers came and stirred up the Jews in the congregation with the idea of requiring the Gentiles to conform to the Jewish laws and traditions. After settling the issue of not requiring conformity for salvation, it was decided to suggest compromise when it came to fellowship. The Jewish traditions would have been familiar to the Gentiles anyway since “Moses had been preached in every city from the earliest times and is read in the synagogues on every Sabbath.” (v.21).

The Gentiles in the congregation were being asked to abstain from certain things that were particularly offensive to the Jews for the sake of harmony. In Romans chapters 14-15 Paul asked the more “mature” believers to make allowances for the “weaker” brothers. Thus, it seems that the Jews were considered the “weaker” brothers in this situation.

One sign of Christian maturity is the willingness to refrain from activities that would cause misunderstanding and cause unnecessary arguments in the body of believers. Paul admonishes the Corinthian church to “Be careful that the exercise of your freedom does not become a stumbling block to the weak… When you sin against your brother in this way and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ.” (1 Cor. 8:9, 12)

Let’s ask God to reveal any of our actions that may be causing problems in our relationships. Take the first step to resolution by asking God for a greater measure of love. He will do it!

Tomorrow I would like to consider discerning "closed and open doors" in the context of Paul's vision of the "Man of Macedonia."

Jim Mathias

Acts - Week 8/Monday

2008-07-22T10:04:00.002-05:00

Reading for today: Acts 15:1-19

Paul and Barnabas came back from their first missionary journey all "pumped up" about the amazing things God had done. They didn't dwell on the "persecution" along the way because it was insignificant compared to what God had done, especially among the Gentiles (14:27).

Not long after they returned a group of "Judaizers" came from Judea to straighten out the church at Antioch with a doctrine of faith + circumcision in order for the Gentiles to be saved. Paul and Barnabas were having no part of this heresy. They knew from experience that cultural traditions and the requirement of circumcision were only symbols and had no power to save. Jesus was the fulfillment of the law to perfection when he came as "messiah" not only to the Jews but to the whole world. The Jews had the privilege of God speaking to the world through them, but they had to be saved like everyone else, by grace through saving faith alone!

If we are honest with ourselves, we know there is not enough goodness in any of us to merit a clean slate before a holy God. But sometimes we trick ourselves into thinking we are not so bad, especially when we compare ourselves to those around us. The worst thing we could do is judge our merits by looking at each other. The result of that exercise is that we all "sink together" to the lowest common denominator of spirituality.

The only true measure of our spirituality is God's word as applied to our hearts by the Holy Spirit. The Bible says we all come up short. So we are back to the fact that we are hopelessly lost without saving faith in Jesus Christ.

The Judaizers were still relying on faith + circumcision and I'm sure included in their theology of salvation were many other cultural traditions. Are you relying on Christian traditions for your sense of security in salvation? It is not enough to do Christian activities. One must have the power of the Holy Spirit actively convicting and convincing us that we are His children.

Acts 15:8 says, "God, who knows the heart, showed that he accepted them (Gentiles) by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he did to us (Jews). He made no distinction between us and them, for he purified their hearts by faith." God knows our hearts as well. Let's all search our hearts honestly before God today and renew our affirmation of saving faith in Christ alone for our salvation.

Tomorrow I would like to talk about the requirements for "fellowship." Have a great day!

Jim Mathias

Acts - Week 7 / Friday

2008-07-17T21:51:00.003-05:00

Reading for today: Acts 14:21-28

These verses wrap up the first missionary journey taken by Paul and Silas. You can see on the map of their journey that they retraced their steps when they got to Derbe. That in itself was pretty remarkable because they had been treated pretty roughly in some of those places.

But they went back to check on the status of the churches they had started when they came through initially. They basically did three things in each city: They strengthened the believers in these new churches and encouraged them to remain in the faith; not trying to gloss over anything, they warned the believers that hardships would come in this walk with Christ; and then, after praying and fasting, they appointed elders (leaders) in each church.

The appointing of elders was important because these new churches all needed some organization in order to be able to work together and carry on the work of the Lord. Paul and Barnabas wanted these churches to succeed, so they helped them get organized for continuing success.

It has been proven again and again that the best method of evangelism is the starting of new churches. That was true in Paul and Barnabas' day, and it still holds true today. That's why the new site that we have started at Grove Elementary School in Wisconsin Rapids is so exciting. It has the potential to be one more effective means for us to reach our community for Christ. But just as Paul and Barnabas prayed and fasted for the success of each new church that was established, it is important that we follow their example and pray and fast for the success of this endeavor. God has opened a wonderful door of opportunity for us in Rapids. Let's make the most of it!

(The blog will resume on Monday with Jim Mathias doing the writing for Week 8)

Acts - Week 7 / Thursday

2008-07-16T22:56:00.002-05:00

Reading for today: Acts 14:1-20

Opportunity and opposition---we see it again and again in this passage. When Paul and Barnabas fled to Lystra and Derbe to escape the planned stoning in Iconium, they had a really interesting experience.

Paul saw a man who had been lame from birth, and discerned that he had faith to be healed. So he told the man to stand up, the man did, and was miraculously healed. This miracle made these pagan Gentiles believe that the Greek gods had come down, and so they proceeded to prepare to offer sacrifices to Paul and Barnabas.

When Paul and Barnabas finally figured out what was going on, they ran out into the crowd attempting to convince them of the wrongness of what they wanted to do. The message Paul and Barnabas try to convey was quite different from the message they normally spoke to a Jewish crowd. They realized they had to use pictures and language that this crowd would understand. Today, we would talk about being relevant. That's an important thing to remember when we are trying to connect with people.

Use language and terminology that they will understand. If somebody does not have a churched background, don't try to talk to them in "church jargon." Whether we like to admit it or not, we tend to have a language of our own, and quite frankly, it doesn't connect very well with someone who has not grown up in the church.

The greatest thing you have to share is your own story of salvation. Learn to tell it in language that will quickly connect with your hearer. I'm not talking about watering down the gospel. I would make a plea for making the gospel understandable---whomever your listener may be.

Tomorrow: The first missionary journey comes to a conclusion

Acts - Week 7 / Wednesday

2008-07-16T17:09:00.002-05:00

Reading for today: Acts 13:42-52

First of all, my apologies for this being so late in the day. I started early this morning with a tight schedule, and plumb forgot about writing the blog.

There was a good response to Paul's message on that first Sabbath in Antioch of Pisidia, with many people deciding to follow Christ. By the next Sabbath, nearly the whole town is gathered to hear God's Word.

The sight of the crowd filled the Jews with jealousy, and they began to speak against what Paul said. The implication is that they were afraid of losing their influence over those Gentiles who had been looking to them for teaching. It may also imply that they had a zeal for a Judaism that had no room for blessing on Gentiles who did not first become Jews.

But Paul and Barnabas are not frightened by this attack. They boldly declare that they intentionally had come to the Jews first with this message,, but since the Jews were rejecting their message, Paul and Barnabas would now go to the Gentiles.

Needless to say, this delighted the Gentiles, and many of them chose to follow Christ. Consequently, the Word of God spread through the whole region.

But, as usual, opposition soon arose in the form of persecution against Paul and Barnabas. As a result, they were expelled from the region. But what interests me is their response to this opposition. You don't find them complaining, or moaning about being picked on, or whining, "Why me?"

It says they were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit. Is it possible that the two are connected?

How do you find yourself responding when you are faced with some opposition because of your faith in Jesus Christ? Honestly, I find myself saying, "Why me?" far too often. I'm going to work on that one.

Tomorrow: The fickleness of the crowd!

Acts - Week 7 / Tuesday

2008-07-15T09:42:00.002-05:00

Reading for today: Acts 13:13-41

Verse 13 gives us an interesting bit of information that will resurface in a couple of chapters. It says that John Mark left them to return to Jerusalem. This departure evidently came at a crucial time, and Paul saw it as an almost inexcusable failure on the part of John Mark. In fact, this event became a point of contention between Paul and Barnabas, as we will see later.

When Paul and Barnabas arrive in Antioch of Pisidia, the first place of ministry for them is, as usual, the synagogue. When they are invited to speak, Paul begins what is his longest recorded sermon.

The first part of the sermon, verses 17-25, reviews the history of Israel, starting from God's choice of Israel and the deliverance from Egypt and leading up to God's choice of David. All of this was very familiar to his audience and showed them Paul knew the Scriptures.

The second part of the sermon, verses 26-37, deals with the death and resurrection of Jesus and with the witness of the apostles. In vs.26 Paul emphasizes that this message of salvation was sent out to them personally, both to the Jews and the Gentiles.

Paul ends his sermon in verses 38-41 by exhorting them to accept Jesus as the Messiah. Verse 39 is the key verse to his sermon: justification comes through faith in Christ, not in holding on to the Law.

The message obviously connected with those who were hearing it, causing many to decide to accept Christ as their Messiah. It is always interesting to me how God takes a spoken message and uses it to penetrate the heart of someone who is listening. God's Word is powerful! It has the ability to ignite even the hardest heart. Maybe you have been impacted by a spoken message. If so, it would be interesting to hear about it.

Tomorrow: Opportunity and Opposition

Acts - Week 7 / Monday

2008-07-14T12:22:00.002-05:00

Reading for today: Acts 13:1-12

This passage is a pivotal point in the spread of the gospel. Up to this point, the gospel has been spread from Jerusalem as a result of the persecution that was taking place against the followers of Christ and causing them to scatter away from Jerusalem. But in these verses we encounter the first of those who gave themselves specifically to the work of going to new places for the express purpose of sharing the "good news" and organizing new churches. In fact, these verses describe for us the beginning of the first missionary journey.

Barnabas and Saul (Paul) are selected by the Holy Spirit to be the first missionaries of this new church. It's interesting to me that the church heard this directive from the Holy Spirit during a time of worshiping, prayer and fasting. That meant that they had to quiet themselves before God so that they were in a place that they could hear and respond to the voice of the Holy Spirit.

I wonder if that is why I don't hear the Holy Spirit's voice more often. Could it be that I am too busy, too preoccupied, too intent on doing my own thing to hear His voice? I know it is possible to get so wrapped up in the busyness of life that the Holy Spirit would have to hit me over the head with a 2X4 in order to get my attention. But the Holy Spirit will so rarely ever would do that in any of our lives. So the key is to carve out some quiet times with God so that we can hear His voice, and receive the direction and guidance that we need.

In your experience, what have you found works for you to carve out those times of worship, devotion and prayer? What trade-offs have you made so that you can experience those important times of communion with the Spirit of God?

Tomorrow: Keeping the message relevant

Acts - Week 6 / Friday

2008-07-11T00:01:00.000-05:00

"Help is on the Way"

Through the Spirit the prophet Ababus predicted that a severe famine would spread over the entire Roman world. This caused the disciples to provide help for the believers who lived in this region.

The scriptures says, "The disciples, each according to his ability, decided to provide help." God uses us to meet the needs that other have. That has always been His plan.

Tithing a minimum of 10% to the local church is an act of discipline and obedience that reminds us each time we give that God is our supplier. He provided the ability to earn the current income and He is able to make 90% go further than 100% every day of the week. Tithing is an outward action of our dependence on God.

Giving to others is an act of love for God. God set an equal, minimum standard for tithing. In giving above the tithe, we give according to our current ability. God again levels the playing field and says, give what you can.

Several years ago during a weekend service, God spoke to me that I was give all the money in my wallet to a particular person. I opened my wallet and found $13 and some change. I spent a good portion of the morning talking with God about what He had asked. "What good will $13 do anyone?" "I am embarrassed that is so small an amount" "I had plans for that $13."

I chose to obey and handed someone 2-five's, 3-one's and a lot of change. I gave according to my ability at the time and that is what God asked of me.

God is a giving God, it is His nature. He asks us to be givers like He is.

Let's decide to give and then watch what God is able to do in and through us for others.

This blog will resume on Monday, July 14, 2008

Acts - Week 6 / Thursday

2008-07-10T00:01:00.000-05:00

Today's Reading: Acts 11:25-26

"Who Looked for You?"

Barnabas remained in Antioch for a time to help the new church, but soon realized his need for additional assistance. So he traveled to the town of Tarsus to look for Saul and persuaded him to return with him to Antioch. For a year Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great numbers of people.

Barnabas continued his work of encouragement. Needing help, he sought out Saul, still an relatively new believer with no real ministry experience.

Can't you see Barnabas as he works side by side with Saul? He shows him what to do, shares his own knowledge, watches as Saul does some teaching and offers encouragement and correction along the way. For a year, Barnabas influences and invests into the man who would write most of the New Testament and travel the world to spread the gospel. Their ministry to this church in Antioch was so effective that it was here that the believers were first called "Christians", Christ followers.

Who looked for you? Who spoke into your life and encouraged you to grow? What influence did they have in who you are today?

If you take a moment to ponder your answer, you will find that God has used various people along the way to encourage you.

Who are you "looking" for? Who has God placed in your path to help grow and nurture? Who are you influencing?

Barnabas went "looking" for Saul. About 10 years later this same Saul, now the Apostle Paul wrote these words to the Corinthians.

1 Corinthians 11:1 "Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ."

That would be a great statement for each of us to say.

Tomorrow: "Help is on the Way"

Acts - Week 6 / Wednesday

2008-07-09T00:01:00.000-05:00

Today's Reading: Acts 11:19-24

"A Man you Want as your Friend"

The news about salvation continued to be told by the believers. As a result, great numbers of people believed creating new churches throughout the region. The leaders in Jerusalem sent Barnabas to Antioch to see what was happening and what they needed.

We've met Barnabas before, his name means "Son of Encouragement" and he was one of the first to extend fellowship to Saul. Now we find Barnabas sent to "check out" the new believers.

Things that are newly created often take time to perfect. Inexperience or lack of understanding are part of anything new. For instance, it has taken me three days of writing this blog to realize that the "Title" space was to be the week and date of the blog, not my clever "Title" for that days thought. I would go back and change the titles, but I can't remember how to edit the blog!!

New things need guidance and encouragement. Barnabas arrived in Antioch, observed what was going on, was glad at what he saw and encouraged them.

Would the people in your home or at work describe you as glad or possessing joy? Do you guide and encourage those around you or do you only see what needs to be improved without offering praise?

Some of you have an encouraging nature, like Barnabas, this is what you do. Keep on believing the best of others because someone needs your words of encouragement today. Others of you struggle to encourage anyone including yourself. Remember, no one or no situation is perfect. However, more improvement and growth is done through encouragement than through criticism.

Proverbs 17:22 "A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones."

As we go through our day let's be good medicine to those around us rather than spirit crushers.

Tomorrow: Who looked for you?

"A Great Way to Handle a Dispute" (one that actually works!!!!)

2008-07-08T00:01:00.000-05:00

Today's Reading: Acts 11:1-18

In today's reading we find that Peter faces criticism from the believers in Jerusalem because he went into the house of uncircumcised men and ate with them, which violated Jewish law. In Chapter 10, God specifically told Peter to go to the home of Cornelius, who was a Gentile, and he was to share the good news of Jesus salvation. When he did this, all who heard the message believed and were baptized with the Holy Spirit. Thus paving the way for all Gentiles to hear and receive salvation.

The believers in Jerusalem were not privy to God's call to Peter and they criticized him for his actions.

So here we have Christians in a dispute. Lets see what we can take away from their experience.

1. Try to find out all of the facts before confronting someone
vs 1-3

The leaders in Jerusalem criticised Peter because they did not have all of the facts about the situation. They could have asked Peter privately to relate the story of what had happened rather than confronting him openly in a critical fashion.

2. Respond in a non-defensive, grace filled manor. vs 4-17

When confronted by his fellow believers, Peter could have become defensive.

"You weren't there, how do you know what went on?"
"What right do you have to question me?"
"When was the last time YOU saw a vision?"

Such defensive responses may roll off our tongue, but they do nothing to end a dispute, they only serve inflame the disagreement.

Peter was gracious in his response, he was precise and detailed in telling them what had happened.

3. Unity is the Ultimate "WIN" vs 18

After hearing Peter's story, the believers accepted what was said, made no further objections, and praised God for what He was doing in the Gentiles. We don't see either "side" trying to "win" their argument or holding a grudge. Rather they moved on to the bigger picture of leading the growing church in Jerusalem.

When faced with uncertain facts or opposition from those we are close too, let's follow the example of the early church and seek to understand.

Tomorrow: A Man you Want as your Friend.

Tell Us Your Story!

2008-07-07T09:11:00.005-05:00

Reading assignment: Acts 12 (A very exciting chapter!)

Hello CLF Bloggers!

Now that I have a Google Blogger Account I am ready to dialogue and hope to hear from YOU!

This past weekend, July 5-6, we looked at Acts 12 where we found Peter in prison and the early church meeting together for prayer. You can see from the reading that Peter's situation was desperate and the church family chose to pray.

We could look at other scripture that talk about prayer or tell other Bible stories that illustrate God's faithfulness in hearing us, but I would like to hear from you.

What story from your life comes to mind when we talk about answered prayer?

Did God move in a miraculous way to meet a need in your life?
Did He, slowly, over time change you and release you from the bondage of sin?
How has He drawn family and friends into a relationship with Himself?

Would you send a response? The beauty of a Blog is that is provides opportunity for others to read what you have written and your testimony may be the encouragement that someone else needs today!

Do you have a need that you would like the staff to pray for? Each Wednesday, in our staff meeting we pray for your needs. We would love to stand with you in prayer that God will move on your behalf. You can either respond in this blog, allowing others to read and pray with you, or you can respond to pastorjulie@clfonline.org.

Tomorrow we will begin to look at Acts 11 "A Great Way to Handle a Dispute" (one that actually works!!!!)

Acts - Week 5 / Friday

2008-06-27T00:05:00.001-05:00

Reading for today: Acts 10:23-48

Peter has been impacted by the "vision" he received from God in which it was declared to him in no uncertain terms how wrong it was to call unclean that which God called clean---even when it came to people! For a Jew raised in the prejudiced environment of Jewish tradition and customs, God was viewed as partial since He demonstrated "favoritism" toward Israel. But Peter discovered in this amazing story that God is not partial, that grace cannot coexist with prejudice.

This was a major breakthrough. The Jews traditionally looked upon the Gentiles with scorn because, among other things, they ate food the Jews viewed as unclean. In fact, the Jews looked upon Gentiles as dogs. Hatred ran deep. But when God captured Peter's attention. Peter responded in a very un-Jewish manner. He was willing to set aside his prejudices, and do his best to view these people as God viewed them.

To bring about this change in the thinking of this new church, God simultaneously worked in Peter's heart in Joppa, while at the same time He sent an angel to speak to Cornelius in Caesarea. Peter took some steps that were way out of his normal comfort zone. First, he took in for the night the 3 men whom Cornelius had sent to fetch Peter. Secondly, he became the guest of a non-Jew, when he entered Cornelius' house.

What a surprise to see the house full of interested people! As Peter begins to speak to them about Jesus, it truly dawns on him: God in no respector of persons, He is not partial, He shows no favoritism. Everyone has an equal opportunity with God.

In the middle of Peter's talk, an incredible thing happened! The Holy Spirit fell on that Gentile crowd, and they were heard speaking in tongues and praising God. Imagine that! They had the identical experience as that of the Jewish Christian community. This was precisely what the prophet Joel, hundreds of years earlier, had prophesied would happen.

And thus began a whole new chapter for this new church. Acts 1:8 was becoming more and more clear.

Next: The blog will be on hold next week, and will resume on July 7th.

Acts - Week 5 / Thursday

2008-06-25T19:45:00.002-05:00

Reading for today: Acts 10:1-23

When God chose the Jews in the person of Abraham, He wanted a people through whom He could work, in order to demonstrate to the world that what He did with the Jews He could do with any nation that walked with Him. The Jews, therefore, became the chosen race. But as time passed, they began to see themselves as superior to all other nations, and tradition and prejudice caused the Jews to see the Gentiles as inferior.

Peter had made some progress in this matter. He accepted the Lord's work in saving the Samaritans. But they were circumcised and kept the Law about as well as many of the Jews did. Peter was also willing to stay in the home of an "unclean" tanner who was a believer. (Acts 9:43)

But he had not faced the biggest barrier yet, and that was the chasm between the Jew and the Gentile. So God gives him an opportunity to change his heart and his attitude. God works through Cornelius, a God-fearing Gentile, to bring this change about. While God spoke to Cornelius through an angel, He was also speaking to Peter through a "vision," in which He shows him all these animals that Peter had never eaten. But God said to "kill and eat."

Peter's response is interesting. He said, in essence, "No way, Lord." On the one hand, Peter calls him "Lord," but on the other hand, he says, "No way!" I sometimes wonder if that is how I sound to God. "Lord (master)---forget it!"

Even as Peter is trying to understand this vision, the men sent from Cornelius came for him. Peter was faced with a decision and he didn't have time to think much about it. Would he respond to the vision he had, or would he ignore it and bow to tradition and prejudice? Luke gives us Peter's response in 12 words: "Then Peter invited the men into the house to be his guests."

Tomorrow: The proof is in the pudding!

Acts - Week 5 / Wednesday

2008-06-25T00:05:00.001-05:00

Reading for today: Acts 9:32-43

The Acts story now shifts from Saul, and reverts back to Peter, who has traveled to Lydda to visit the believers there. While there, he finds Aeneas, who for 8 years has needed someone to dress him, move him about, take him from bed and put him back at the end of the day, and help him with all his needs of personal hygiene. His was a very difficult situation.

Peter spoke these words, "Jesus Christ heals you. Get up and take care of your mat." Miraculously, Aeneas is instantly healed. Many people who saw this miracle turned to the Lord, not to Peter. That is a mark of genuine healing: when the Lord gets the glory, and not any man.

Then Peter found himself being dispastched 10 miles further toward the Mediterranean coast to the city of Joppa, where a woman named Tabitha had died. This was a special lady who had given of herself to meet the needs of the poor around her. Peter dismissed all the mourning widows who surrounded her dead body, and went to his knees in prayer, and then turned to the body in faith and said, "Tabitha, arise!"

Another miracle took place as Tabitha opened her eyes and sat up. Imagine the joy Peter had in presenting her alive to all the mourners. Again, this miracle resulted in many people coming to faith in Jesus Christ.

You can't help but notice that Peter refuses to take any credit for these miracles. The spotlight was kept on Jesus Christ as the healer. God has a wonderful way of using miraculous events to draw people into a relationship with Jesus Christ. God can use a miracle as the entering wedge for evangelism.

That's precisely why we pray for miracles to take place around here. The purpose of a miracle is not to draw attention to a person, or a church. The purpose of miracles is to draw peoples' attention towards Jesus Christ. We pray for miracles so that the door of evangelism is opened wider and wider.

What miracles do you find yourself praying for? Why do you want to see that miracle take place?

Tomorrow: Prejudice rears its ugly head!

Acts - Week 5 / Tuesday

2008-06-24T06:40:00.003-05:00

Reading for today: Acts 9 19-31

Saul finds himself in a real dilemma. This most notorious Christian-hater has done an about-face, and is now one of the followers of Christ. But understandably, he is feared and distrusted by fellow believers because they knew his past reputation. On the other hand, he was resented and rejected by former associates of his past life. Right away he began to experience the fulfillment of a prediction the Lord had revealed to Ananias, "I will show him (Saul) how much he must suffer for My name's sake." (Acts 9:16)

The Holy Spirit has empowered Saul, and he is ready to hit the ground running! He doesn't sit around waiting for some sign from heaven to do something. Immediately, he goes to the synagogue and begins preaching that Jesus is the Son of God---the Messiah. And he is convincing! He was a master of logic, trained under Gamaliel, and a brilliant theologian of Judaism, and now he is proclaiming Christ in a most convincing fashion.

Vs.23 says, "After many days had gone by..." We don't know a lot about this time period. However, something mysterious happened during this time. In Galatians 1:17 Saul (Paul) indicates that he went off to Arabia and then returned again to Damascus. How long was he gone? And what took place there? Some say he was there for 3 years, but we do not know this for certain. While there we can safely assume that God was at work with him while he lived in solitude away from the masses.

The next verses relate the difficulties Saul faced. It seemed that everyone had their sights aimed on him. The unbelieving Jews tried to kill him in Damascus, but the Christ followers helped him escape. Then when he went to Jerusalem, the church there was dubious about him. Finally Barnabas comes to the rescue, and convinces the church to take this guy in. He's OK!

But it isn't long before the Grecian Jews tried to kill him. So, again, Saul's Christian brothers help him escape to Tarsus, which is Saul's birthplace. And so, with Saul out of the picture for a while, things settle down, the church enjoys a time of peace, and the Holy Spirit helps the church to continue to grow.

The rejection of Paul by his former associates in hating the Christians would have been understood by Saul. However, the distrust and slowness in acceptance by his fellow believers must have been difficult for Saul to deal with. I wonder how I would have responded to Saul coming into my circle of believers? Would I have been willing to embrace him as a fellow believer, or would I have forced him to prove himself before I extended a hand of friendship?

Tomorrow: Even the dead come back to life!

Acts - Week 5 / Monday

2008-06-23T06:37:00.002-05:00

Reading for today: Acts 9:1-19

These verses tell one of the greatest stories of transformation in all of Scripture. In fact, this story of a dramatically changed life is told three times in the book of Acts.

There are a couple of things that just stick out in this story. First, there is the ability of God to radically transform a life. Saul was about as antagonistic to the story of Jesus and His followers as you can get. And yet, one face-to-face encounter with Jesus, and Saul's life would never be the same again.

Granted, not everyone has this kind of personal appearance from Jesus, but the truth is that God's love for each one of us is a persistent love. The last thing Saul ever wanted was to know Christ in a personal way, but in one brief encounter that suddenly changed.

People today still try their best to run from God, and though he may not blind with lights or speak from the sky, He still pursues every man and every woman. And if He is given any chance at all, He will transform that life completely. Many of you who read this know exactly what I am talking about, because it has happened to you.

The second thing that impresses me in this story is the willingness of Ananias to obey God's directive to go to Saul, and pray for his sight to be restored. Saul had a well-known reputation as being a ruthless hunter and persecutor of those who were followers of Christ. So, Ananias was simply showing his humanness in questioning the wisdom of what God asked Him to do.

Nevertheless, God convinced Ananias that going to Saul was the right thing to do, and so he did it. The result was that Saul's sight was restored and he was filled with the Holy Spirit. Interestingly, nothing more is said of Ananias. But Saul would never forget this godly man who was the first believer to call him "brother."

Who do you know that seems to be an "impossible" candidate for God's transformation? Let this story of Saul encourage you to continue praying for that person. You never know when their divine encounter is going to take place!

Tomorrow: The persecutor becomes the preacher!

Acts - Week 4 / Friday

2008-06-20T00:06:00.002-05:00

Reading for today: Acts 8:26-40

An angel appears to Philip and tells him to travel the relatively desolate and deserted road to Gaza, some 60 miles southwest of Jerusalem. Why did God need to send an angel in this situation? It may be that Philip needed a strong sign from God to leave the great revival that was taking place in Samaria. In any case, Philip obeyed.

As divine appointments happen, at the very time he reached the Gaza road, the chariot of an Ethiopian eunuch was approaching. This man was a God-fearing Gentile who had gone to Jerusalem to worship, and perhaps to purchase a set of scrolls. These were hand-copied and extremely expensive in those days.

When Philip is directed by the Holy Spirit to go to the chariot, he hears the man reading from Isaiah 53, so he asks the man if he understands what he is reading. When the man says, "No," Philip jumps aboard and explains the Scriptures and the way of salvation. The eunuch believes, and when they pass a body of water, he asks to be baptized. So, Philip baptizes the eunuch.

The really interesting thing that happens is when they come up out of the water, the Spirit took Philip away. Luke doesn't explain how that happened, but the verb used usually means "to snatch away." It is the same verb used for the Rapture of the Church. Apparently, the Spirit gave Philip a supersonic ride to Azotus, which was 20 miles away.

The real importance of the meeting of these two men is that the gospel now travels far to the south to Egypt and points south of that, because that is where the eunuch is headed, and surely he took the "good news" he had received and shared it. Again we see Acts 1:8 being fulfilled once more, and the ripple effect is spreading farther and farther with each new convert.

I can't help being impressed with the sensitivity to the Holy Spirit of so many of the believers in the book of Acts. They were continually seeing wonderful and miraculous things take place when they would be responsive to the direction of the Holy Spirit. I surely desire that same sensitivity to the Holy Spirit in my life. How about you?

Next week: A terrorist is transformed!

Acts - Week 4 / Thursday

2008-06-18T22:32:00.002-05:00

Reading for today: Acts 8:4-25

Philip was one of the 7 chosen to help administrate the Church back in chap. 6. Persecution caused the believers to be scattered, which was great, because everywhere these believers went, they took the gospel with them and shared it.

It is interesting, and a bit gutsy on Philip's part, that he went to Samaria. The Jewish people avoided travel in Samaria and viewed Samaritans with contempt. But the gospel of Jesus Christ helped to break through the prejudices. And so it was, that Philip took the gospel to Samaria, and great miracles took place through his ministry there.

These miracles caught the attention of a man named Simon, who was a sorcerer, or magician. Simon's magic was so well known that a statue of him was erected in Rome. Simon had watched Philip with the professional eye of a magician and had to come to the conclusion that these miracles were real. Simon also came to believe Philip's message, and is baptized.

When Peter and John came to Samaria to help, they prayed for the Samaritan believers to receive the Holy Spirit. Clearly the apostles believed the baptism in the Holy Spirit was important for everyone. Something about this experience caught Simon's eye. The thing that makes the most sense is that he witnessed these believers speaking in an unknown tongue, and he wanted the power to make that happen.

Simon gets a blistering rebuke from Peter, and Simon repents. We don't know exactly what happened to Simon, whether or not his repentance was genuine, or just an attempt to appease God's wrath against him.

In any case, due to his actions, we now have the word "simony" in our vocabulary, which means buying a place of authority or an office in the church. That's not exactly the kind of epitaph you would want on your tombstone, is it?

Tomorrow: Philip races a chariot

Acts - Week 4 / Wednesday

2008-06-18T10:08:00.002-05:00

Reading for today: Acts 7:54-8:3

Three significant events happen in these few verses. First, Stephen ends up becoming the first martyr in this young church. He lays down his life for the sake of the gospel of Jesus Christ. In so doing, he became the first in a long, long line of those who have refused to back down in their commitment to Christ, and in so doing, have had their lives taken from them.

Because we live in a country where there is a great deal of religious freedom it is hard to imagine that this still happens today, but it does with great frequency. I recently read an estimated statistic that 70 million people have been martyred for their Christian faith since the Church was initiated on the Day of Pentecost. That is a staggering statistic! Stephen led the way, and many have followed his stellar example.

The second event in these verses is our introduction to this man called Saul. While Stephen was being stoned, the furious crowd laid their clothes at the feet of this young man who was very much in agreement with the sentiment of the crowd. Following Stephen's death, Saul began a crusade of persecution against the Church. His goal was to destroy this fledgling organism, but he was to discover that it couldn't be done!

The third event is the advent of persecution which caused the believers in Jerusalem to scatter to the surrounding countries. Interestingly, what was designed to destroy the Church actually helped the Church grow and become a stronger force than ever, because wherever these young Christians went they took the gospel with them.

Jesus said, "I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." Persecution cannot kill the Church of Jesus Christ. The fact is, persecution only serves to strengthen the Church. The significant enemy of the Church is not persecution, but rather apathy and passionless relationships with God. Persecution forces people to determine where their allegiance lies, and whether they are willing to lay down their life for the sake of this relationship.

Is it possible that the anemic state of the Church in our country is due, in large part, to how good we have had it, and how easy it has been? I can't help wondering what would happen if we did start facing real persecution in America. Who would be left standing up for Christ?

Tomorrow: Persecution begins building the Church

Acts - Week 4 / Tuesday

2008-06-17T07:13:00.002-05:00

Reading for today: Acts 7:30-53

Stephen continues his defense against the accusations brought against him. He speaks at length about Moses, because Moses was the hero of the Sanhedrin. He reminds them of the covenant that God gave Moses, which is called the Law. But the people rejected this covenant, and in doing so, rejected God.

One of the idols mentioned in vs.43 is Moloch, which was a Venus god worshiped by the Ammonites. Moloch worshipers practiced infant human sacrifice. The other idol mentioned is Rephan, which was an Assyrian name for the planet Saturn. Not only did they reject God, but they turned their affections toward idols.

Stephen's main point in all this is that it was their fathers who rejected Moses and the Law, thereby rebelling against God. The fathers of Israel were the ones guilty of wanting to change the laws, customs, and teachings of Moses, not Stephen or Jesus. This was a direct answer to their accusations against him.

But Stephen obviously saw that his message was not being accepted. So, he calls them "stiff-necked" and "uncircumcised in heart and ears." This was a real slam to the Sanhedrin, which they were not about to let slide.

The truth was that these men who represented the Sanhedrin had already heard from Peter and John and others concerning the truth of the gospel, but they were actively resisting the Holy Spirit, just as their fathers had.

Was Stephen saying, "Like father, like son?" There is always a measure of truth in the old adage that "the apple doesn't fall far from the tree." Fortunately for us, God is not limited by such adages. He can bring about a new creation that little resembles where it came from. Aren't we all glad for that?

Tomorrow: The first martyr is welcomed home

Acts - Week 4 / Monday

2008-06-16T00:13:00.002-05:00

Reading for today: Acts 7:1-29

Stephen, one of the 7 men chosen to oversee the ministry of taking care of the widows, has found himself being used by God in some pretty marvelous ways. The miraculous power of God has been at work in and through his life, much to the consternation of the Sanhedrin. They ultimately have him arrested and false charges are brought against him. When we get to this 7th chapter, Stephen is allowed to defend himself against these charges.

His defense consisted of two points: 1) He describes the history of Israel, which the Sanhedrin would have known very well already, but he focuses on how Israel rejected God's plan on various occasions; 2) He reminds them of the past covenants between God and his people.

In the first verses, Stephen emphasizes the faith of Abraham, who believed God's promises even when he saw absolutely no evidence that it would be fulfilled. He also emphasized the way Joseph was sold by his brothers, yet was used by God to save their lives. The treatment of Joseph by his brothers parallels how the Jewish leaders (some who were undoubtedly part of the Sanhedrin) treated Jesus.

Stephen goes on to describe how Moses, being called by God to lead His people, was at first rejected by his own people when he came to their defense. The parallel is once again drawn here to the way the Jewish leaders failed to understand what God had done through Jesus in providing salvation.

This description of Stephen's words is a good reminder to all of us why it is so important to know God's Word. By simply relating the stories that were so well known to his hearers, Stephen is able to draw these men into these stories, and force them to see themselves.

When you and I are confronted by God's truth, we have the choice as to whether we are going to allow that truth to change us, or to react to the truth in destructive ways. We will see later in the week how the men of the Sanhedrin responded to the truth.

How about us? How are we responding to God's truth? Are we allowing it to make us better persons, or do we become defensive, and take a destructive posture, either to ourselves, or to the messenger of the truth?

Tomorrow: Stephen brings the hammer down!

Acts - Week 3 / Friday

2008-06-06T00:05:00.000-05:00

Reading for today: Acts 6:8-15

We are introduced here to something new that was happening. This is the first time we read of miracles being done by those who were not apostles. This was opening up a whole new avenue and opportunity for ministry. No longer would the power of the Holy Spirit work only through the apostles. Now the Spirit was working through others.

These 7 men were given "serving" responsibilities, but Stephen was not limited to that type of ministry. He saw some great miracles happen as he ministered. But, as usual, opposition soon arose. However, there was a problem for those opposing Stephen. They couldn't successfully oppose the wisdom and the Spirit by which Stephen spoke. Their arguments fell flat when confronted by the power of the Spirit working through Stephen.

Finally they had to resort to sheer lying about him. They made up charges, so as to be able to detain him and punish him. Isn't it great when people can find no wrong in us or our behavior, so they have to resort to making up things?

At this point all those who were seated in the Sanhedrin saw the face of Stephen, and it looked like the face of an angel. This probably means there was a glow or brightness that was more than human and came from heaven.

It may have been similar to what Moses experienced when he came down from the presence of God in the mountain. So, this anointed man is ready to speak, to defend the charges against him.

Do you even think about how you would respond if you were put before a tribunal of some kind and forced to defend yourself because of your faith in Jesus Christ? I would like to believe that I would stand strong, and that my testimony would be loud and clear. But, if I am frightened to say anything to anybody in my present state of freedom and openness, what makes me think that I would suddenly be bold in an oppressed situation? I know this for sure. I would really need the power of the Holy Spirit in that setting, or I would be dead in the water!

Next week: A speech that leaves the listeners furious!

Acts - Week 3 / Thursday

2008-06-05T06:58:00.002-05:00

Reading for today: Acts 6:1-7

What happens when a community of believers grows rapidly? All those newcomers crowding in causes some bumps in the road. In this case, the growing church was a cross section of society as it was in Jerusalem and Judea. Some of them were born there and spoke Aramaic. However, the Jews born outside of Palestine did not know Aramaic well and normally spoke in Greek, which was a common language of trade and commerce and government.

When this murmuring arose among the Greek-speaking believers because they felt their widows were being neglected in their need, the disciples decided that the best solution would be to increase the "ministry team." So, they select 7 men to oversee this ministry to the widows. The qualifications for these men were: they must be known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom.

The maturity of this fledgling church is found in the fact that the 7 men all had Greek names, which meant that they were undoubtedly from among the Greek-speaking believers. This truly shows the grace of God and the work of the Holy Spirit in the hearts of the Hebrew-speaking believers. They were in the majority, but they chose all the "deacons" out of the minority group. That meant that there was no possible complaint that could be lodged by the Greek-speaking believers any more.

That was wisdom. It also shows how the Holy Spirit broke down this first barrier that rose up in the church. And the result of all this? The Word of God spread, and the number of believers continued to grow, including a large number of priests. This was a major breakthrough, since most of the priests were Sadducees who did not believe in the resurrection. So, the influence of this young church just keeps spreading and spreading.

I wonder if the same could be said of CLF? Is our influence spreading throughout our community? And if so, what are the effects of that influence? Is the Word of God being spread in an ever-increasing manner?

Tomorrow: A new paradigm for ministry emerges

Acts - Week 3 / Wednesday

2008-06-04T07:06:00.002-05:00

Reading for today: Acts 5:17-42

Things are happening so fast and furious for the apostles and the newly-founded church that you can't help getting excited as you read this account. Nothing can stop them from spreading the good news about Jesus Christ, much to the consternation of the Sadducees and the other "religious" leaders. Empowered by the Holy Spirit, the apostles are unafraid of whatever threats come their way because of the gospel.

When their preaching lands them in jail, a supernatural event takes place. An angel appeared and opened the doors of the jail and led them to freedom. Can you imagine what was going through their minds as that angel set them free?

When the apostles are finally re-arrested and brought before the Sanhedrin, they are given one of the best compliments they could have been given, and it came from the Sanhedrin! "You have filled Jerusalem with your teaching," the apostles are told. This group of disciples, who are now part of this fledgling church, have filled the whole city with the truth about Jesus Christ. Wow! I wish that could be said of us! To what extent have we filled our community with the message of Jesus Christ?

As to the allegiance of the apostles, there is no question. Their declaration was, "We must obey God rather than men!" That stance got them a good beating (flogging) by the Sanhedrin, and an order not to speak in the name of Jesus any more. Of course, that order fell on deaf ears, since it did not come from God, but from men.

I would remind all of us that they have just come through a painful flogging, and a "court order" not to say anything more about this Jesus. If they were going to be intimidated, this was the occasion. This hurt! And they were told to keep silent by the top officials of the city. So, how do these disciples respond to this harassment and persecution? They rejoiced because they had been counted worthy of suffering for the name of Jesus.

And they continued doing what they had been doing all along. "They never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ." That kind of boldness can come to our lives, too, when we are filled with the Holy Spirit. Remember Acts 1:8, "You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."

Tomorrow: All is not well in the new church!

Acts - Week 3 / Tuesday

2008-06-03T07:19:00.001-05:00

Reading for today: Acts 5:12-16

The previous verse (11) refers to this group of new believers as the “church” for the first time. This church is experiencing some pretty exciting times. Many miraculous signs and wonders are taking place. The purpose of the miracles was to point people to Jesus, not simply for some “power display.”

The fear that resulted from the death of Ananias and Sapphira also affected the unbelievers, so that no one dated to join them. That is, no unbelievers dared to mix in with the crowd of believers pretending to be one of them. That was too dangerous!

This did not mean, however, that the Church’s growth was slowed down. It continued to grow, until the suggestion is that the number of believers was over 10,000 at this time.

These believers have great confidence in the Lord, so they bring the sick to be healed. They even lay them out on cots along the road, hoping that the shadow of Peter walking by might be enough of God’s presence to heal them.

Now, honestly, I don’t understand this kind of thing. I believe in divine healing. I have witnessed it in the lives of people around me. I know God can, and does heal. But I have to admit that I don’t always understand the way God works in the lives of people. Sometimes the way God works freaks me out! And some of the people through whom God chooses to work really freaks me out!

But over the years I have learned that God’s ways are a lot higher than my ways, and His thoughts are higher than my thoughts. So, even when I don’t particularly like the methods of the messenger, or I am uncomfortable with the strange way in which God may choose to work in someone’s life, I can still rejoice in the work that God accomplishes in a person’s life. His work is real, and it deserves to be praised.

Tomorrow: A jailbreak that defies the odds!

Acts - Week 3 / Monday

2008-06-02T09:21:00.000-05:00

Reading for today: Acts 5:1-11

This is one of those tough stories in the Scripture that doesn’t necessarily fit into our picture of grace. Here is a story of a man and a wife who conspire together to appear to give the proceeds of the sale of their property to the disciples, when in reality they hold back a portion of the sale for themselves. It was a premeditated action.

The interesting thing is that this appears to have been an unnecessary decision on their part. There was nothing compelling them to give all the proceeds. What they conceived in their heart was a lie, not to men, but to God. Satan was obviously behind what they had done. They certainly could have resisted Satan. But they let pride, self, and the love of money possess them, and that’s a bad combination.

So, when Ananias is confronted by Peter, obviously through a supernatural manifestation of knowledge given by the Holy Spirit, Ananias falls down dead. Now, why such a severe punishment? There are a couple of good answers to that. First, God wanted this new church to know what He thinks about unbelief, greed, and self-seeking hypocrisy that lies to God. Secondly, it is apparent throughout Scripture that in the time of beginnings, God tends to be more severe, perhaps to set the standard for what He expects. A couple of other examples of this are Leviticus 10, where the sons of Aaron are struck dead for offering strange fire on the altar, and in Joshua 7, where Achan and his entire family are struck down because of his stealing items that God had given definitive directions not to take.

Three hours later, Sapphira comes in, perpetuates the lie, and she, too, falls dead. The result of all this was that great fear came upon everyone. Can you imagine what went on in the minds of those new believers when they heard about what had happened? It was obvious that you didn’t mess around with the Holy Spirit, unless you cared little about your life. It’s a good reminder to all of us that our sin does not remain hidden. We may fool people for a time, but we never fool the Holy Spirit. The safest road is to be honest and upright---pure in heart, the Bible calls it.

Tomorrow: Why does God allow “freaky” stuff to happen?

Acts - Week 2 / Friday

2008-05-30T00:05:00.000-05:00

Reading for today: Acts 4:32-37

The great goal of the early Christians was to glorify God. And their faith was more than intellectual. It extended to their hearts and their motives, and it reached into their pocketbooks. They didn't lose sight of the fact that since God had redeemed them, they and all they had belonged to Him.

It's not hard to say, "Lord, I am Yours! What do You want me to do?" It's much harder to live this way, using what you are and have to the glory of God. We would be well-served to remember that God is not nearly as much concerned with how we would use the $1 million we don't have as with what we do with the $20 in our pocket.

Because the early Christians were so generous, there was not a needy person among them. That's a pretty amazing statement. This redistribution of resources was not some form of communism. For one thing, it was optional. Their sharing was an expression of their love for each other, not some political or social system.

There is no indication that everybody sold all their land at once. Rather, from time to time this was done as needs arose. Luke, being the very careful writer, moves from the general to the specific here, and gives us an example of Barnabas, who sold his land and brought the money to the apostles for distribution to those in need.

Their faith touched every part of their lives---including their resources. Is my faith that real?

Next week: Be sure your sin will find you out!

Acts - Week 2 / Thursday

2008-05-29T00:05:00.000-05:00

Reading for today: Acts 4:23-31

When Peter and John went back to their brothers and sisters, they reported on everything that had happened, including the threats made against them. And then they had a prayer meeting.

Their prayer is interesting in its content, but their petition is particularly amazing. In light of what had happened to them, one would expect them to pray for protection against those who were persecuting them. But instead they pray for continued boldness to speak the truth and for miracles and signs to follow that truth.

They didn't want miracles for miracles' sake, but as opportunities to preach the gospel, and as signs so that the people would recognize that Jesus was indeed risen from the dead.

God responded to their prayer by shaking the place where they were meeting and filling them with the Holy Spirit (again!). New, fresh fillings of the Holy Spirit are part of God's wonderful provision for all believers.

That's why God's Word admonishes us (in the literal translation of Ephesians 5:18) to "keep on being filled with the Spirit." Our encounter with the Holy Spirit is not to be an experience, but rather an ongoing lifestyle of walking in the Spirit day by day.

I really want to be freshly filled with the Holy Spirit so that I am ready for whatever opportunities God may send my way.

Tomorrow: When your faith impacts your wallet

Acts - Week 2 / Wednesday

2008-05-28T08:08:00.004-05:00

Reading for today: Acts 4:1-22

The time frame to keep in focus here is that these events are happening no more than two months after the death and resurrection of Jesus. Some of the same characters that were involved in the trial of Jesus are now attempting to harass the apostles.

The Sadducees believed in only the first 5 books of the Old Testament, and denied the whole idea of a resurrection. They considered teaching to be a priestly right alone, so they weren’t at all happy with these 2 guys up there “teaching.” But to further upset things, the disciples were preaching the resurrection of Jesus.

And to further complicate matters, the guy who has been healed of his crippled state is standing right beside these disciples. That makes it impossible for them to refute their teachings.

Imagine their frustration when they realize that these disciples had been with Jesus. They had been part of his “team.” Here they thought they had rid themselves of this whole problem by getting rid of Jesus, but now it is coming back to haunt them, and in increasing numbers!

It’s gone from 12 disciples to 120 in the Upper Room to 3,000 on the Day of Pentecost to 5,000 men alone, not counting women and children, on this very day. Where is this thing going to end?

Truth always seems to have a way of winning out. That’s why the truth is so important. Remember Jesus’ words in John 8:32, “You shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free.”

Tomorrow: “Fill ‘er up again!”

Acts - Week 2 / Tuesday

2008-05-26T23:12:00.001-05:00

Reading for today: Acts 3:11-26

I can't help but notice Peter's boldness as he has another opportunity to speak to an onlooking crowd. The healing of the crippled man has attracted attention. It is another manifestation of the Holy Spirit's power, and the people are amazed. They knew this guy. They knew he had never walked, so this healing was a big deal!

Peter does not mince words. Nor does he waste words. In this short passage he lays out a whole bunch of truth for these onlookers. First, he says they were guilty of killing Jesus. They disowned Jesus. Secondly, he says that God raised Jesus from the dead, and the disciples were witnesses of this fact.

Thirdly, he says that the name of Jesus is responsible for this man's healing. It was not the work of any man. Fourthly, he says that these people (the crowd gathered that day) acted out of ignorance in killing Jesus.

Fifthly, he says that God used their ignorant actions to fulfill what was foretold many years ago by the prophets that Jesus would suffer.

Now, if you are keeping tab, Peter has called them killers, disowners, and ignorant. Not exactly flattering words! But he doesn't just call them names. He invites them to repent, and turn to God, so that their sins can be wiped out.

What you can't help admiring about Peter is that he doesn't say things that will tickle the ears of those listening. He lays out the truth, ugly as it may be. He tells them what they need to hear. And he also gives them opportunity for change.

It reminds me of the New Testament directive that we "speak the truth in love." Truth and love should always be a team. It was effective for Peter, as we will see tomorrow, and it can also be effective for us.

Tomorrow: Not everyone appreciates the "truth in love"

Acts - Week 2 / Monday

2008-05-26T00:05:00.001-05:00

Reading for today: Acts 3:1-10

Have you ever been on your way to accomplish some task and then run into an interruption? Peter and John had just such an experience. They were on their way to the 3:00 pm prayer meeting in the Temple. They would have made it, too, if they hadn’t encountered this guy begging by the side of the walkway.

He thinks that Peter and John may have some coins on them, so he asks for some help. Peter informs the guy that they don’t have any money, but what they do have, they will give to him. At that point, the guy had no idea what they were going to give him.

Boy, was he surprised when Peter said, “In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk!” And then he reached down and took the guy by the hand and lifted him to his feet. Now remember, this guy was crippled from birth. He had never walked! But all of a sudden his feet and ankles are strengthened and he jumps to his feet and begins jumping and praising God. Wouldn’t you have done the same?

The part of this story that really gets me is this: what if Peter and John had been too intent on getting where they wanted to go that day, and had blown this man off, instead of stopping? What if they had disobeyed the prompting of the Holy Spirit?

I can’t help wondering what exciting happenings I might have missed because I didn’t want to get off task at the moment? Have I missed some promptings from the Holy Spirit because I didn’t want to be interrupted from what seemed so important?

My prayer is, “Lord, help me to be aware of the voice of your Holy Spirit. May I never be too busy to obey the Spirit’s nudging in my life.”

Tomorrow: Truth-telling or ear-tickling?

Acts - Week 1 / Friday

2008-05-23T00:05:00.002-05:00

Reading for today: Acts 2:42-47

The newly-founded church in the book of Acts has just added 3,000 new people. How would you like to be the director of discipleship for that church?

The first thing this new church did was to develop a healthy pattern of spiritual disciplines for these new believers. Interestingly, what they did then is still very much applicable today. Four things are emphasized: teaching, fellowship, breaking of bread (worship), and prayer.

As a follower of Christ, how much of a priority do these disciplines have in your life?

As these new believers did these important things, there was a sense of awe that developed among them of the power of God, and the apostles became agents through which miracles took place. These miracles were not for display, but rather to confirm the Word that was being taught.

Is it possible that we do not see more miracles take place because we are so casual about, and lack commitment to the spiritual disciplines that put us in more intimate relationship with God? Just a thought to ponder.

Ultimately, the more these new believers grew in their relationship to God, the more concerned they became about taking care of one another. As needs arose, they were willing to sacrifice in order to help out another needy person. Learning to really love God is a good cure for selfishness in our lives. If we love Him, how can we help but love and care for those He created?

Next week: A detour on the way to the prayer meeting

Acts - Week 1 / Thursday

2008-05-22T00:05:00.000-05:00

Reading for today: Acts 2:14-41

Who would have ever guessed that it would be Peter who would stand up and speak to the crowd that gathered on the Day of Pentecost. This was the same guy who profanely denied that he even knew Jesus just 7 weeks earlier. What has brought about the change in this man?

For sure, he had been forgiven by Christ himself, which we read about in John 21. But something else had happened for Peter. He had been filled with the Holy Spirit. And just as Jesus had promised, when the Holy Spirit came on them, they were empowered to be witnesses for Jesus Christ.

That’s why Peter could stand and boldly declare to the gathered crowd just what this was that they were witnessing. For sure, these people were not drunk, as some of the crowd was proposing. Rather, they were witnessing what the prophet Joel hundreds of years earlier had promised would take place: God would pour out His spirit on all people, men and women, young and old.

As Peter courageously delivered his message to this crowd, he focused on the person of Jesus Christ. He didn’t focus on the Holy Spirit, because that is never the intent of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit will always focus the attention on Christ. Peter makes a great case for Jesus being the Messiah. He quotes from Psalm 16, which is interesting, since Jewish tradition of the time applied those verses to the Messiah. He bases his declaration of Jesus as the Messiah on the following: God raised Him up; He was not left (abandoned) in the grave; His flesh did not see corruption (decay); and the 120 were witnesses to His resurrection.

Peter brings his thoughts to a conclusion by declaring that God has made this Jesus, whom they had crucified, both Lord and Christ. The crowd was really moved by these words, and they asked, “What shall we do?” Peter’s response was simple: Repent and be baptized (in water), and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Why? Because the promise is for you, and your children, and following generations.

The best part of all this is that this still pertains to us! We are part of the “all” that Joel prophesied about, and Peter declared. I don’t know about you, but I could sure use power and boldness in my witness for Christ. It seems so often that I am so timid about speaking up about Christ, and then kicking myself later for missing a great opportunity. The good news is that this power and boldness and courage and discernment is available to anyone of us who will open our hearts to the filling of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

Tomorrow: What do you do with 3,000 new converts?

Acts - Week 1 / Wednesday

2008-05-20T23:06:00.001-05:00

Reading for today: Acts 2:1-13

Pentecost was a harvest festival among the Jews. In the Old
Testament it was referred to as the Feast of Weeks because there was
a week of weeks (7 weeks) between this festival and Passover. That's
where the name comes from, "Pentecost" meaning 50.

Ten days have now passed since the ascension of Jesus, and the 120
disciples (both men and women) are still together in that upper
room, waiting and praying. That in itself is pretty remarkable
obedience! But that obedience is about to be rewarded.

First of all, a sound like a violently blowing wind filled the room.
And then they saw what appeared to be tongues of fire that separated
and came to rest on each of them. Now, it is interesting that these
2 physical phenomena appear in conjunction with the Holy Spirit only
this one time. From here on, throughout the rest of the book of
Acts, when the Holy Spirit was poured out on people, these 2
phenomena do not take place.

And then all of the 120 were filled with the Holy Spirit, and as a
result they began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled
them. Now, this particular phenomenon is repeated throughout the
book of Acts whenever people were filled with the Holy Spirit. In
fact, it still is to be the expected happening today when believers
are filled with the Holy Spirit.

In this particular outpouring of the Holy Spirit, the 120 disciples
who spoke in other tongues were heard by the crowd that had gathered
to be speaking in languages that they understood! Many had come from
other nations to celebrate this festival, and now they hear the
"locals" speaking in languages that they recognize as their own. But
how did these people know those languages? Obviously, they didn't!
They were simply speaking what the Holy Spirit enabled them to speak.

This amazed the crowd. They started questioning how this could
happen. But some in the crowd thought they had the answer: these
people were speaking this "nonsense" because they were drunk!

Somebody needed to explain what was going on. But who will dare to
speak to such a throng as this?

Tomorrow: The "wimp" of yesterday becomes the "powerhouse" of today

Acts - Week 1 / Tuesday

2008-05-20T00:05:00.002-05:00

Reading for today: Acts 1:12-26

Following the ascension of Jesus back into heaven, the followers of Christ returned to Jerusalem, and went to an upstairs room where they prayed and waited obediently for the promise of the Father, which was the presence of the Holy Spirit.

Sometime during these 10 days in which they waited, Peter declared that there was a need to replace Judas, the disgraced disciple who had betrayed Jesus. But the man who was to replace him had to fulfill some essential qualifications. He must be someone who had been with the disciples the whole time from Jesus’ baptism to His ascension. In particular, he must have been an eyewitness of the resurrection of Jesus, just as the rest of the disciples were.

Two men best met these conditions, Joseph called Barsabas, and Matthias. To make the choice between these two men, the disciples first prayed, in recognition that God knew which one He wanted as the twelfth apostle. Then they used the Old Testament method of casting lots.

It should be noted here that they did not cast lots haphazardly. They first selected the two men whom they judged the most worthy to fill the vacancy. Then they prayed about the matter. It may well be that there was nothing to choose between these two men---they were both qualified to fill the position.

In that case the casting of lots, which had very respectable precedent in Hebrew sacred history, was a very reasonable way of deciding on one of the two. Proverbs 16:33 says, “The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the Lord.” They believed that God would overrule the laws of chance and show His choice by this means. So, they cast lots, and Matthias was chosen to fill the vacancy left by Judas’ defection.

It is interesting to note that this method is never mentioned again in Scripture. After Pentecost the followers of Christ would rely on the Holy Spirit for guidance in these kinds of decisions. The Holy Spirit’s arrival was about to change a lot of things!

Tomorrow: The Holy Ghost blows into town!

Acts - Week 1 / Monday

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Monday, May 19, 2008

Today we embark on our study of the New Testament book of Acts. This is such a vitally important book for every believer because it serves as a connecting point between the Gospels and the Epistles (or Letters) and Revelation. If we did not have the book of Acts we would know very little about how the church began, or how the gospel got from Jerusalem to Rome. In fact, we would know very little about who the Apostle Paul was if we were not introduced to him in the book of Acts. Acts is also very important because it gives us some of our greatest insight into the work of the Holy Spirit in our everyday lives. So, let’s jump into this exciting story of the church.

Grab your Bible and begin today by reading Acts 1:1-11

The very beginning verses introduce us to the baptism in the Holy Spirit. After Jesus was resurrected from the grave, he spent 40 days appearing to his followers and giving them many convincing proofs that he was indeed alive. On one of these occasions he gave a directive to this disciples not to leave Jerusalem until they had received the gift that the Father had promised, and that gift was the baptism in the Holy Spirit.

Jesus declared to his disciples that he was not about to set up an earthly kingdom at this time. That time would come, but that was information that could not be given to the disciples. And then Jesus gives them the wonderful promise in vs.8 that lays out what he wants them to be occupied in doing when he leaves this earth to go back to the Father. “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

The purpose of the baptism in the Holy Spirit was to give them power to be witnesses of Christ. The same is true today. Christ is still baptizing his followers in the Holy Spirit for the purpose of empowering them to be effective witnesses in their world. Why? Because the task that Jesus gave to his disciples is not yet completed. Jesus told them to take the good news of the gospel to every creature. And until that is completed, Jesus’ followers will need the power of the Holy Spirit to help accomplish that daunting task.

Would you like to be more powerful in your witness? Would you enjoy having more boldness when an opportunity to speak for Christ comes your way? That’s precisely what God would love to do in all our lives, if we will allow him to fill us with his Holy Spirit.

After Christ gave his followers this promise of a personal Pentecost, he left them and ascended back to heaven. Jesus would no longer be with them in person, but he promised that he would send the Holy Spirit to be their constant companion in life.

The final thought in these verses has to do with the return of Jesus to this earth. The angels told the watching disciples that Jesus would return just as they had seen him go. It was not a snatching away, but rather a gradual movement. And the promise is that he will return to this earth in a similar fashion.

This all meant that Jesus’ first coming was now fulfilled. What he had come to this earth to do had been accomplished. His work of redemption was complete. It would be a long time before his return, but the disciples had their work laid out for them. And they would not be alone in their endeavors. The Holy Spirit would accompany them. The disciples were to obey with the assurance that he would come again. The promise of his return is as emphatic as it could possibly be. And that reality ought to motivate each of us to live our lives in such a way that we are ready for his return.

Tomorrow: How do you replace a disgraced disciple?

Acts - Summer 2008 Sermon Series

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Starting on May 18th Pastor Dean will kick off a sermon series that will continue through this summer. Fourteen messages from the book of Acts. Each week we'll tackle two chapters. Whichever pastor preaches that weekend will start a blog about those chapters. Then each day of the week following, they will blog on other portions of those chapters that were not included in the weekend's message. We hope you will enjoy this summer's study and the conversations on the blog.

Bone Marrow Drive

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THANKS for helping make our drive a success!

We had a great day on Thursday. We registered 68 individuals and collected $1700 so far for testing fees. Praise God!! We can cover the testing costs for all those who registered. Just on the day of the drive we received a corporate donation for $200 and collected $580 from those who came to the drive. God's been good to us throughout this drive.

If you missed our drive you can still join during the "Thanks Mom" campaign. You can call or request a registration packet online from the National Marrow Donor Program. The registration fees are being waived till May 19. Use this link to join:
http://www.marrow.org/HELP/Join_the_Donor_Registry/Join_Now_Special/TM/tm08_join_now.html

Our drive website:
http://www.bonemarrowbuddiesforbillman.org