Friday Thought -- May 30, 2014

Good Morning Friends,

“Many of those who believed now came and openly confessed their evil deeds. A number who had practiced sorcery brought their scrolls together and burned them publicly. When they calculated the value of the scrolls, the total came to fifty thousand drachmas. In this way the word of the Lord spread widely and grew in power.” (Acts 19:18-20)

The people of Ephesus responded so well to the preaching of the gospel that Paul stayed there for over two years, one of the longest stays of any during his missionary journeys. Many people came to Christ. Before they came to Christ, these people had been involved in many things that were not right. Among the things they had been involved in was sorcery. They had an interest in spiritual things but turned the wrong direction in their ignorance. Upon coming to Christ, God convicted them of their sin and they wanted nothing to do with sorcery any more.

For the Ephesians, repentance was more than just making a decision in their minds that they would no longer dabble in sorcery. They were serious about leaving that sin and wanted to get as far away from the temptation as possible. As an act of repentance and demonstration of how serious they were, they brought their books of sorcery to be burned in a public bonfire.

Paul warned Timothy to ‘Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness.” (2 Timothy 2:22) That speaks of the kind of clear break with sin and temptation that is expressed in the action of the Ephesians.

The point: get serious about leaving behind sin, to the point that you deal not just with the sin, but even with the temptation that you struggle with so much.

His, by Grace,

Steve

Thursday Thought -- May 29, 2014

Good Morning Friends,

“One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision: ‘Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent. For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city.’ So Paul stayed for a year and a half, teaching them the word of God.” (Acts 18:9-11)

Paul had not been in Corinth long. He had started preaching in the synagogue. That was his usual pattern when he came into a new town. But the synagogue didn’t turn out to be a very friendly place for Paul or a place where there was much positive response. The Jews opposed Paul and became abusive. Paul moved his preaching out of the synagogue and into the school next door.

It was shortly after that when Paul received the vision from the Lord. God was giving Paul an instruction to stay in Corinth and continue to preach there. God gave Paul the promise that he would be able to do so without being harmed. Then God provided Paul with an interesting insight into the people of Corinth, “I have many people in this city.”

Paul didn’t know that. It didn’t look like that was true. There had been some success for the gospel so far. A number of Jews had come to Christ. But God was indicating that there were a whole lot of additional people that He knew were open to Him and would become His. Paul had an open door there to preach with great success.

In looking around Corinth you wouldn’t think that would be true. Corinth was the “sin city” of its day. We could compare it to our own Las Vegas! If any place would not be responsive to the gospel, surely Corinth would be that place.

But the point is -- the way an individual or a group looks on the surface does not always reflect what’s going on in their hearts. Paul couldn’t see what was happening in the hearts of the people of Corinth --- but God could. They may have looked hardened to Paul, but God could see there was an opening for the gospel if Paul would keep preaching.

Don’t write people off for God because they look unreachable. Be open and ready when God provides an opportunity to share with them about Him. Only God knows what’s really happening in their hearts.

His, by Grace,

Steve

Wednesday Thought -- May 28, 2014

Good Morning Friends,

“The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands. And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else. From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. ‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’ Therefore since we are God’s offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone-an image made by man’s design and skill. In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead.” (Acts 17:24-31)

Paul was speaking to very learned men when he spoke the words written above. He was in Athens at the great place of debate and discussion of philosophy and theology called the Areopagus. Consider the points that Paul made to cause such men to ponder the deep things of the world.

God made everything. He is the Creator. The world is not the product of chance. It is the design of God.

God doesn’t live in temples made by men. How could the One who created everything be contained in something that was made by one of His creations? There is no holy place – everything is equally holy because everything was created by God and reflects His character and will.

There is nothing that God needs from any of us. A relationship with God is not about what we can give Him or do for Him – not in any way. It’s all about what He can and will do for us.

It is God’s will that men seek Him and He has created a world in which He never far from any of those He has created. He’s there – always – if we’ll reach out to Him.

Man was created by God in His own image – we are His offspring. That means there is something about us that reflects what God is like.

The time of ignorance is past and now God is calling everyone to turn to Him. There is no excuse for those who refuse to do so. Judgment awaits for those who do not turn to God.

The ultimate proof that God is calling men to turn to Him is what He has done in Jesus by raising Him from the dead. Jesus takes all excuses away from mankind.

That was God’s message to learned men 2,000 years ago in Greece. It’s His message to learned men and women today, too.

His, by Grace,

Steve

Tuesday Thought -- May 27, 2014

Good Morning Friends,

“Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true. Many of the Jews believed, as did also a number of prominent Greek women and many Greek men.” (Acts 17:11-12)

There was something very special about the Jewish people in Berea. When Paul came to this city in Macedonia, he went first to preach in the synagogue among the Jews. That was Paul’s custom when coming into a new city. And the Jews Paul found in Berea were of noble character. There are three qualities mentioned in these few verses that highlight the noble character of Berean Jews.

They received the message with great eagerness. These were people who were intent on hearing whatever it was that God wanted them to hear. They weren’t trapped in the traditions of their ancestors. They weren’t just Jews by family heritage. They were Jews by heart – people who sought after God. And when a fellow-Jew, as Paul was, brought a message that he said was from God, they were eager to hear what it was. They wanted to follow God – all of what He wanted of them and for them.

They examined the Scriptures to see if what Paul said was true. They didn’t accept at face value Paul’s declaration that his message was from God. They wanted proof that it wasn’t just Paul’s message. They wanted assurance that it was God’s message. And they looked in the one place that they could trust – the Bible. They only had the Old Testament, but they looked at it carefully to be sure this Messiah that Paul was preaching matched what God said of the Messiah through the prophets.

Many of the Jews believed. They were not just academics examining interesting ideas. They were willing to change based on God’s message to them. They acted on what they heard.

An eagerness to hear whatever God wants to say. A careful examination to be sure the message really is from God. A willingness to change based on God’s message.

That’s nobility of character!

His, by Grace,

Steve

Monday Thought -- May 26, 2014

Good Morning Friends,

“The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered them to be stripped and beaten. After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully. Upon receiving such orders, he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks. About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everybody's chains came loose. The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped. But Paul shouted, ‘Don’t harm yourself!  We are all here!’ The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. He then brought them out and asked, ‘Sirs, what must I do to be saved?’” (Acts 16:22-30)

It took a miracle for God to get Paul and Silas to come to Macedonia and preach the Gospel. God used a vision in the middle of the night to call Paul to Macedonia. Paul must have been so excited by that divine invitation to preach. Paul must have been expecting such positive results from a situation that God would work miracles to set up.

And there were many positive things that came out of Paul’s preaching in Philippi, Thessalonica and the other cities of Macedonia. A church was started in Philippi, the first city to which Paul came. There were miraculous conversions there, too. But not everything was positive about Paul’s experience there. In fact, the miraculous conversion was of a jailor and his family that were only reached because Paul and Silas spent time in the jailor’s dungeon!

The thing that strikes me about Paul’s time in the jail is not that he was thrown into jail – there would be a number of times when Paul and other preachers of the Gospel would be put in jail. The thing that strikes me most is Paul’s response to his unfortunate circumstance. The prison must have been a very depressing place to spend time – dirty, smelly, filled with criminals of all types. But when Paul and Silas spent the night in the Philippian jail, they spent the night singing hymns – praising God.

I often have expectations about the way things will work out in my life. I sometimes sense a clear direction from God about some step He wants me to take. When I take the step, my expectation is that God is going to do something good through my obedience. Jail is never part of my expectation! And I’m not sure that singing hymns of praise to God would be the response I’d make if jail did turn out to be the result of my obedience to God.

Paul’s response says something about the extent to which Paul was willing to go to accomplish what God wanted – even to jail. It also says something about how much Paul trusted God, no matter how dark the situation around him became.

His, by Grace,

Steve

Friday Thought -- May 23, 2014

Good Morning Friends,

“Paul and his companions traveled throughout the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia. When they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to. So they passed by Mysia and went down to Troas. During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, ‘Come over to Macedonia and help us.’ After Paul had seen the vision, we got ready at once to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.” (Acts 16:6-10)

This is a strange story. Paul tried to go into Asia to preach, but somehow the Holy Spirit would not allow him to do that. So, he tried to enter Bithynia and the Spirit prevented him from going there, too. It seems like anywhere a person wanted to preach would be okay with the Lord. So, why would God prevent Paul and his team from going to those new places?

The answer lies in the next couple of verses. God prevented Paul from going to Asia and Bithynia because of the people of Philippi and the other cities of that region to which Paul did go to preach. God knew that a woman in Philippi named Lydia was ripe and ready to respond to the Gospel (Acts 16:13-15). God knew that there was a jailer and his family in Philippi who would open their hearts to the Lord if given the chance (Acts 16:25:33). And those aren’t the only people who were saved because Paul came to Macedonia to preach.

It wasn’t that God was keeping Paul out of Asia and Bithynia because He didn’t want the gospel preached there -- God wants the gospel preached everywhere. It was because God knew Paul was needed elsewhere. Paul was the messenger that needed to open the region of Macedonia and Greece for the gospel. Others from Asia Minor could go into Bithynia and Asia, Paul was needed somewhere else.

God orchestrated Paul going into Macedonia because God knew the people there, could see that their hearts were ready, and wanted to see them saved. When people are ready, God will see to it that a messenger is sent to them!

That’s how much He loves people. That’s God’s grace!

His, by Grace,

Steve

Thursday Thought -- May 22, 2014

Good Morning Friends,

“Some time later Paul said to Barnabas, ‘Let us go back and visit the brothers in all the towns where we preached the word of the Lord and see how they are doing.’ Barnabas wanted to take John, also called Mark, with them, but Paul did not think it wise to take him, because he had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not continued with them in the work. They had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company. Barnabas took Mark and sailed for Cyprus, but Paul chose Silas and left, commended by the brothers to the grace of the Lord. He went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.” (Acts 15:36-41)

Perhaps this seems like a strange incident to include in the New Testament: two of the best known leaders in the early church disagreeing with each other to the point that they parted company. It’s the kind of incident that we’d leave out of the history of our local church. We celebrate and document the victories and minimize or ignore the problems.

But God is not interested in glossing over the problems of the church -- read 1 Corinthians, Galatians, and most of the letters to the seven churches in Revelation 2 and 3. The New Testament portrays the early church as it really was --- people who loved and followed God, but still had problems that had to be dealt with. I find encouragement and hope in that portrayal because I know that’s what I’m like and what the church I serve is like. For the most part, I have a good heart and I honestly want to serve the Lord, but I still struggle with selfishness and stubbornness and several other kinds of sins. And every person in the congregation I’m a part of is just like me --- oh, their problems may be a little different, but they are still sinners, just like I am.

I thank God that He used sinners in the early church and still uses sinners today!

And note this, because of the disagreement Paul and Barnabas had, two companies of missionaries were sent out instead of just one! So, God took their argument and used it to accomplish something good. After all, that’s exactly what God promised He would do – “In all things God works for the good of those who love him.” (Romans 8:28) That doesn’t mean that God was pleased with their disagreement, any more than He is pleased with our sin, but He can even take sin and turn it to accomplish something good.

Now that’s something encouraging!

His, by Grace,

Steve

Wednesday Thought -- May 21, 2014

Good Morning Friends,

“We are bringing you good news, telling you to turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made heaven and earth and sea and everything in them. In the past, he let all nations go their own way. Yet he has not left himself without testimony: He has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons; he provides you with plenty of food and fills your hearts with joy.” (Acts 14:15-17)

God has not left Himself without testimony. How true that statement is!

The creation declares the glory of God. Its intricate details proclaim that there was a Designer behind it. Its vastness shouts that the Creator is beyond our comprehension. Its variety testifies to the creative wonder of God.

The way the world works testifies to God’s character. You can see God’s grace and mercy in the world. The rains come, even on those who are wicked. The crops grow and the world produces food for all of its inhabitants. It is true that there are occasional things that interrupt its normal pattern of working, but those are the exceptions, not the rule. The usual pattern is of provision and it should be attributed to the Lord.

Man’s sinful wickedness proclaims the need of a savior. Few honest men would say that man is good enough to save himself. Most of the problems in the world, perhaps all, can be traced to the sinful wickedness of mankind. Man’s true nature is clearly revealed in how we treat each other. Left to ourselves our condition spirals downward into wickedness and chaos. We need Someone to intervene to turn us around!

God’s clearest testimony is through His people. Paul preached to the people in the account above. They could see much about God from the world around them, but Paul’s testimony they would never have come to God. God has bound Himself to the preaching of His message by those who follow Him. We are His clearest testimony.

His, by Grace,

Steve

Tuesday Thought -- May 20, 2014

Good Morning Friends,

Like most of us, I don’t enjoy confrontation. When a situation arises in which it seems like confrontation is necessary, I tend to put it off and hope to avoid it altogether. But that isn’t always possible. And that isn’t always the right path to follow. Sometimes confrontation is the right thing to do. Sometimes confrontation is the godly thing to do. It may still be difficult. It may still be painful. It may still result in some strained, and perhaps even severed relationships, but sometimes confrontation just has to be done.

Paul faced a situation like that on his first missionary journey, at one of their first stops.

“They (Paul and Barnabas) traveled through the whole island (Cyprus) until they came to Paphos. There they met a Jewish sorcerer and false prophet named Bar-Jesus, who was an attendant of the proconsul, Sergius Paulus. The proconsul, an intelligent man, sent for Barnabas and Saul because he wanted to hear the word of God. But Elymas the sorcerer (for that is what his name means) opposed them and tried to turn the proconsul from the faith. Then Saul, who was also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked straight at Elymas and said, ‘You are a child of the devil and an enemy of everything that is right! You are full of all kinds of deceit and trickery. Will you never stop perverting the right ways of the Lord? Now the hand of the Lord is against you. You are going to be blind, and for a time you will be unable to see the light of the sun.’ Immediately mist and darkness came over him, and he groped about, seeking someone to lead him by the hand. When the proconsul saw what had happened, he believed, for he was amazed at the teaching about the Lord.” (Acts 14:6-12)

Paul’s confrontation with Elymas was inspired by the Holy Spirit. It came as the result of Paul being filled with the Holy Spirit. That means the confrontation was God’s will. It was what God wanted Paul to do. Paul couldn’t just sit idly by and allow Elymas to try to keep the proconsul from coming to faith in Jesus.

Too much was at stake for God to be willing to allow Elymas a free reign without confronting his wrong actions. The eternity of the proconsul was at stake. Perhaps the entire church at Paphos was at stake. With the proconsul coming to faith, the Gospel would have great freedom to be preached in that area. With the proconsul against the Gospel, it could have been much more difficult for it to become established.

So Paul did the confronting and God put His stamp of approval on the confrontation by blinding Elymas.

Not every confrontation is God’s will – but some are!

Not every confrontation comes from pure motives – but some do!

The principle is to encourage us to keep our hearts open to what the Lord wants us to do and to examine the motives that drive us. And then be willing to do what the Lord asks – even the tough stuff of confrontation when that is His will.

His, by Grace,

Steve

Monday Thought -- May 19, 2014

Good Morning Friends,

“In the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen (who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch) and Saul. While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, ‘Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.’ So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off.” (Acts 13:1-3)

In the church at Antioch, Barnabas and Saul were the primary leaders. Barnabas had been sent to Antioch by the apostles to teach the new Christians there more fully. When the work became too much for Barnabas to handle alone, he found Saul and brought him to Antioch to help with the teaching. The church grew and matured and additional men took on the responsibility of helping with the teaching. But even though there were additional men involved in the teaching, Barnabas and Saul had to still be the ones to whom the church looked to for leadership.

Then, the Holy Spirit asked that Barnabas and Saul be sent out to preach the good news to others. That would have been a difficult thing for the church at Antioch to do. They loved Barnabas and Saul and I’m sure they were convinced that they needed them. They had been the vessels God had used to bring many of them to faith in Jesus Christ and the teachers responsible for their spiritual growth. Perhaps they argued with God about who they should send out to preach to others. There were five teachers in the church, wouldn’t two of the other teachers be acceptable to God and allow them to keep Barnabas and Saul?

What God asked from the church at Antioch was for them to give their very best to the work of spreading the gospel around the world -- to the work of missions. That’s how important the work of missions was to God. And it is still that important to Him today! It is God’s will and His plan to send people around the world to share the good news. And God doesn’t just want to send anyone -- He wants to send His very best.

His, by Grace,

Steve

Friday Thought -- May 16, 2014

Good Morning Friends,

“It was about this time that King Herod arrested some who belonged to the church, intending to persecute them. He had James, the brother of John, put to death with the sword. When he saw that this pleased the Jews, he proceeded to seize Peter also. This happened during the Feast of Unleavened Bread. After arresting him, he put him in prison.” (Acts 12:1-4)

“Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him up. ‘Quick, get up!’ he said, and the chains fell off Peter’s wrists. Then the angel said to him, ‘Put on your clothes and sandals.’ And Peter did so. ‘Wrap your cloak around you and follow me,’ the angel told him. Peter followed him out of the prison.”  (Acts 12:7-9)

Acts 12 is a study in God’s sovereignty and, from a human perspective, His unfairness.

James was executed for his faith and God did not intervene to rescue him. James was an apostle, an important leader in the early church. He had been one of the three who were closest to Jesus during His ministry. He had years of life and service left that he could have given to the church. But, God chose to allow James to die. God didn’t kill James -- Herod, inspired by the devil, killed him -- but God had the power to rescue James and chose to do nothing.

Peter faced a similar fate. He was arrested, just like James had been. He was awaiting trial, being guarded by four soldiers to be sure that no one broke into the jail to release him. But no amount of guards can stand in the way of God. In the middle of the night, God released Peter from his jail. Peter’s chains fell off, the guards remained sleeping, and Peter was led by an angel out of the jail to freedom.

Why did God allow James to be killed and Peter to be rescued? We ask that same question as we look around at what happens in the lives of people. Why does one person die of cancer at 32 and another, no more righteous or useful to God, live to be 96? There is only one answer to those questions: God is sovereign.

We can’t understand His choices, but we recognize His right to make them, and trust His wisdom and love.

His, by Grace,

Steve

Thursday Thought -- May 15, 2014

Good Morning Friends,

Peter stirred controversy in the church. He traveled to Caesarea, preached to the Gentile Cornelius, and welcomed him and his household into the church. The church had not decided that Gentiles could become a part of it. There had been no meeting to discuss it, no vote to be sure it was okay. Peter responded unilaterally and that caused him to be called before the leaders of the church at Jerusalem to give an answer.

Peter’s answer was that it was not his idea to preach to Cornelius. It was not something that Peter considered and decided it was time to do. From Peter’s perspective, it was clearly God’s idea.

Three times Peter received a vision and a voice from God telling him God was declaring all of His creation clean. (Acts 11:5-10) In a divinely orchestrated coincidence, the representatives of Cornelius arrived at the house Peter was staying at precisely when Peter was receiving the vision and listening to the voice. (Acts 11:11-14) The connection was clear, God was saying these unclean Gentiles were clean, so Peter went with them and preached to them.

And God confirmed that He was calling the Gentiles, too, into His church. During Peter’s sermon to Cornelius and his house, the Holy Spirit fell on them just as He had upon those gathered in the upper room on the Day of Pentecost. (Acts 11:15-17)

Peter did not usher the Gentiles into the church --- God did. Here is Peter’s response to what God was doing:  “So if God gave them the same gift as he gave us, who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to think that I could oppose God?” (Acts 11:17)

Who was Peter to think that he could oppose God? Indeed, who would dare to oppose God? God does not have to ask our permission. God does not have to wait for our agreement!

His, by Grace,

Steve

Wednesday Thought -- May 14, 2014

Good Morning Friends,

In Acts 10 there are two primary characters in the story: a seeker and a messenger.

Cornelius is the seeker. “At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion in what was known as the Italian Regiment. He and all his family were devout and God-fearing; he gave generously to those in need and prayed to God regularly.” (Acts 10:1-2) Cornelius wanted to know God and was doing all he knew to do in order to know Him. Of course, a man doesn’t find God on his own. However, God did act to bring the seeker to Himself. In fact, God worked to be sure the seeker was prepared when the messenger came.

“One day at about three in the afternoon he had a vision. He distinctly saw an angel of God, who came to him and said, ‘Cornelius!’ Cornelius stared at him in fear. ‘What is it, Lord?’ he asked. The angel answered, ‘Your prayers and gifts to the poor have come up as a memorial offering before God. Now send men to Joppa to bring back a man named Simon who is called Peter. He is staying with Simon the tanner, whose house is by the sea.’” (Acts 10:3-6)

But God’s work in the life of the seeker is only part of the story! There was a messenger, too.

“About noon the following day as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the roof to pray. He became hungry and wanted something to eat, and while the meal was being prepared, he fell into a trance. He saw heaven opened and something like a large sheet being let down to earth by its four corners. It contained all kinds of four-footed animals, as well as reptiles of the earth and birds of the air. Then a voice told him, ‘Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.’ ‘Surely not, Lord!’ Peter replied. ‘I have never eaten anything impure or unclean.’ The voice spoke to him a second time, ‘Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.’ This happened three times, and immediately the sheet was taken back to heaven.” (Acts 10:9-16)

God worked in the life of the messenger, too. God prepared the messenger to be ready to share the message with the seeker.

The rest of the story of Acts 10 is how God brought the seeker and the messenger together and the miraculous story of salvation that occurred when He did.

Most of the time we can only see one side of the equation. When we were the seekers, we could see how God worked in our lives to prepare us for His message, to bring us in contact with the messenger, and to draw us to Himself. What we didn’t see was God’s work in the messenger to get him ready, bring him to the place of contact, and work through him to bring the message.

Salvation is always a miracle of God, God working in both the seeker and the messenger!

His, by Grace,

Steve

Tuesday Thought -- May 13, 2014

Good Morning Friends,

Do you have trouble believing that people can be changed by God? So did the early church.

Saul spent many days in Damascus after God’s miraculous intervention in his life on the road into that city. He proved a powerful preacher and many people came to faith because of his defense of the gospel. He was so powerful as a preacher that the enemies of the gospel wanted to do away with him and plotted to kill him.

Saul escaped from Damascus and traveled to Jerusalem. In Jerusalem the reaction of the Christians there demonstrated their skepticism about God’s ability to change someone like Saul.

“When he came to Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he really was a disciple. But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles. He told them how Saul on his journey had seen the Lord and that the Lord had spoken to him, and how in Damascus he had preached fearlessly in the name of Jesus. So Saul stayed with them and moved about freely in Jerusalem, speaking boldly in the name of the Lord.” (Acts 9:26-29)

Barnabas was respected by the rest of the church in Jerusalem and he took a chance on Saul. Barnabas staked his reputation on Saul and brought him into the church.

The rest, of course, is history. The church embraced Saul because of Barnabas’s recommendation and Barnabas and Saul became a team who would preach the gospel over great portions of the Roman Empire. Thousands of lives would be changed because of God’s work through their ministry.  And it all started with Barnabas being willing to take a chance and believe that God could change even a man like Saul!

God still changes people’s lives. The church is still often skeptical. We need people like Barnabas who put their own reputation on the line to stand with those whose lives God is changing.

His, by Grace,

Steve

Monday Thought -- May 12, 2014

Good Morning Friends,

“Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples. He went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem. As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him.  He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?’ ‘Who are you, Lord?’ Saul asked. ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,’ he replied. ‘Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.’” (Acts 9:1-6)

Jesus said, “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.” (Luke 19:10) That’s why He left heaven and dwelt on earth as a man. That’s why He went about preaching and doing miracles. That’s why He gave Himself to be crucified by those who hated Him. All that He did while on earth was to seek and save the lost. But that work did not stop when Jesus ascended back into heaven. Even from heaven, Jesus continues to seek and save the lost.

That’s what He did on the road to Damascus when He met Saul there. Saul was lost, although he didn’t know it. He thought he was doing what God wanted him to do. He thought he was following God. Yet, he was actually opposing God and God’s will. That’s how confused Saul was.

He’d been around Christians before. He’d even been there when the Jews stoned Stephen to death. He had seen first hand the sincerity and commitment of the Christians. But no man was going to convince him he was wrong! Saul was smart enough to out argue any man. He was courageous enough to keep doing what he was doing no matter how many people tried to convince him he was wrong. It would take a miracle to turn Saul around!

And that’s how much God loved Saul. God did what was necessary to turn Saul around -- He stopped him cold on the road to Damascus! It took that kind of radical action to get Saul’s attention.

Jesus still is seeking and saving the lost. Few stories are as amazing as Saul’s story, but every story of a person coming to Christ is a story of how God worked to draw them to Himself. He seeks and saves the lost – that’s how much He loves them – that’s how much He wants them to be His!

His, by Grace,

Steve

Friday Thought -- May 9, 2014

Good Morning Friends,

“Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, ‘Go south to the road – the desert road -- that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.’ So he started out, and on his way he met an Ethiopian eunuch, an important official in charge of all the treasury of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians. This man had gone to Jerusalem to worship, and on his way home was sitting in his chariot reading the book of Isaiah the prophet. The Spirit told Philip, ‘Go to that chariot and stay near it.’ --- The eunuch asked Philip, ‘Tell me, please, who is the prophet talking about, himself or someone else?’ Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus.” (Acts 8:26-29, 34-35)

The apostles weren’t the only ones who had amazing stories to tell of how God worked in their lives and through them to touch others.

Philip was one of the men selected to take care of the widows in the church. He and the others made sure that the distribution of food to them was done fairly so that everyone got the same amount and their needs were met. But that’s not where Philip’s ministry ended. He was also a powerful preacher of the good news of Jesus Christ.

One of the principles you can draw from this passage is that God puts His people where He needs them. The Ethiopian was ripe for the gospel. He was seeking God but having difficulty understanding what God meant and how to apply it to his own life. So, God sent someone to him to explain the way to have a relationship with Him.

There is a promise in Jeremiah and the Ethiopian is an example of how God fulfills it. “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” (Jeremiah 29:14) The principle is that God seekers are always satisfied. It’s not that a person can find God on his own, just by doing an intellectual search. Rather, it is that when a person takes even the tiniest step toward God, seeking Him, that God orchestrates His servants to provide someone to share Christ with them.

God brought Philip and the Ethiopian together because the Ethiopian was ready to listen to the gospel.

One key to effective evangelism is to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s work in your own life, ready to go where He sends, and talk to anyone He brings into your path. You may be someone else’s Philip. How thrilling that would be for you -- how life-changing that would be for the other person!

His, by Grace,

Steve

Thursday Thought -- May 8, 2014

Good Morning Friends,

Stephen was accused of preaching about trying to change the customs of the Law of Moses and destroy the Temple. Those were outrages to the Jewish rulers and they brought him to trial for his life. It must have been a frightening experience for Stephen, but he was faithful to the message of Jesus and took the opportunity of his trial to preach the Gospel! What faith – what boldness!

In the midst of his sermon, Stephen made a claim that deserves our notice. He said, “The Most High does not live in houses made by men. As the prophet says: ‘Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. What kind of house will you build for me?’ says the Lord. ‘Or where will my resting place be? Has not my hand made all these things?’” (Acts 7:48-50)

It was arrogant of the Jewish people to think that they had made a building to which God would confine Himself. The Temple was a grand structure, but it was not grand enough to be God’s dwelling place. God could live atop the most majestic mountain or  He could dwell in the deepest and most spectacular cave. He could identify the most beautiful exotic island and declare that His home. All of them were made by Him and any of them could be His dwelling place. Yet even those places, with far more splendor than anything man could ever hope to build, were an inadequate place for God to live.

God would not confine Himself to one location – not even heaven itself. His presence extends over all of His creation. He dwells in every remote corner of what He has made.

And here’s the most amazing thought of all – God has chosen even to dwell in the hearts of men and women who follow Him. As Paul declared, “Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you?” (1 Corinthians 3:16)

Church buildings are nice places for the people of God to gather for fellowship, teaching, and worship – but they are not the exclusive dwelling places of God. He does dwell in them – but He dwells in every other corner of creation, too.

Thank God that He isn’t confined to what we make for Him.

His, by Grace,

Steve

Wednesday Thought -- May 7, 2014

Good Morning Friends,

“So they stirred up the people and the elders and the teachers of the law. They seized Stephen and brought him before the Sanhedrin. They produced false witnesses, who testified, ‘This fellow never stops speaking against this holy place and against the law. For we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and change the customs Moses handed down to us.’ All who were sitting in the Sanhedrin looked intently at Stephen, and they saw that his face was like the face of an angel.” (Acts 6:12-15)

The story of Stephen is a lesson in how to handle adversity and opposition.

Stephen was a powerful man of God.

His ministry was characterized by a servant’s heart -- he accepted the role of distributing food to the widows of the church in order to relieve the apostles of that responsibility and allow them to focus on prayer and the word of God.

His ministry was also characterized by grace and power -- God touched people’s needs through Stephen in miraculous ways.

His ministry was also known for his powerful preaching in wisdom and the Spirit.

Sounds like a person who should have been highly respected and to whom people should have listened. That was true in the church and among many outsiders and God brought many to Christ through him. But it was not true of all people. There were those, even those in powerful places, who opposed Stephen, who wanted to see him stopped. And they would resort to any deception in order to get Stephen out of the way. They stirred up the people against him. They brought false witnesses to testify against him. They spoke lies about him, accusing him of things he never said.

And how did Stephen respond? In the midst of fierce opposition that would result in his execution, Stephen trusted God. They looked at him and his “face was like the face of an angel.” That reflects the spirit of peace and trust that Stephen had, even as the situation deteriorated around him.

So, do you trust God even in the midst of adversity and opposition? You can! God is trustworthy, even in the worst situations.

His, by Grace,

Steve

Tuesday Thought -- May 6, 2014

Good Morning Friends,

“In those days when the number of disciples was increasing, the Grecian Jews among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food. So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, ‘It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables. Brothers, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word.’  This proposal pleased the whole group.” (Acts 6:1-4)

One of the principles that I see in so many biblical teachings is the principle of balance. Balance between two competing priorities is one of the principles that is illustrated in the early verses of Acts 6.

In this passage we see the importance of meeting the physical needs of people competing with the value of meeting their spiritual needs.

There was a group of widows who felt their physical needs were being neglected by the early church. No one among the leaders of the early church argued that these widows were wrong in their perception. They also seemed to recognize the problem and wanted to do something about it. But the apostles also knew that if they took on the task of organizing the church to meet the physical needs of the widows, then there would be other work that would not get done. The ministry of the Word and prayer would be neglected if the apostles devoted themselves to the physical needs of the people in the church.

The biblical solution was to find a way to meet both kinds of needs. The apostles would continue to devote themselves to the ministry of the Word and to prayer – the primary responsibilities that God had assigned to them. A new group of leaders would be identified to organize the meeting of the physical needs of the widows of the church.

The result of this balanced solution was that the word of God spread and the number of disciples increased. The balanced solution resulted in a healthier church than if either of these two competing priorities had been allowed to dominate to the neglect of the other priority.

Balance – look for this principle in other biblical teachings and seek to practice it in your own life.

His, by Grace,

Steve

Monday Thought -- May 5, 2014

Good Morning Friends,

“Great fear seized the whole church and all who heard about these events. The apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders among the people. And all the believers used to meet together in Solomon's Colonnade. No one else dared join them, even though they were highly regarded by the people. Nevertheless, more and more men and women believed in the Lord and were added to their number.” (Acts 5:11-14)

Today’s Bible passage contains great paradoxes. It comes on the heels of the story of Ananias and Sapphira. Here were two people who were more concerned about how they looked to people than they were about what God thought of them. They lied to God and to the church and God immediately struck them dead.

You can understand why “great fear seized the church.” There were other sinners among the people of the church. In fact, there weren’t any people who were a part of the church who weren’t sinners. They probably wondered which sinner God would strike dead next. Of course, God doesn’t often strike sinners dead on the spot --- fortunately! How He acted toward Ananias and Sapphira was His own sovereign decision.

But note that though “great fear seized the whole church,” the people in the church didn’t desert it. They continued to meet with the other believers. They were afraid -- terrified -- but they knew they couldn’t leave. What they were a part of was right and the Lord and His church was the only place they had to turn.

And there is a paradox in the attitude of those outside the church, too. “No one else dared join them.” But even though that was true, the church was “highly regarded by the people.” And, “More and more men and women believed and were added to their number.” A jumble of attitudes -- fear, respect, and a willingness to join.

The church is a paradox. It’s certainly a paradox to the world. It’s even a paradox to those who are a part of it in some ways and at some times. Perhaps that’s because the idea of the church is bigger than any human can comprehend -- most of God’s work is!

His, by Grace,

Steve

Friday Thought -- May 2, 2014

Good Morning Friends,

The rulers of the Jews commanded Peter and John and the other Christians to stop spreading the message of Jesus and they threatened them if they did continue. Then they released Peter and John and the two apostles rejoined the rest of the church. What’s remarkable is to read the response of the church to the threats that were made and the commands that were given.

“‘Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. Stretch out your hand to heal and perform miraculous signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.’ After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.” (Acts 4:29-31)

In response to the threats, the Christians asked God to give them the ability to speak the word of God with great boldness. The threats didn’t keep the Christians from spreading the message that God wanted them to spread. The threats just drove them more fully to God and encouraged them to rely on God’s protection and power.

For the Christians, there was something in their lives that was more important than their safety and their comfort. Doing God’s will was the most important thing in their lives. Even if God’s will brought them into danger and put them on the wrong side of the authorities – they would accept the hardships and continue to do what God wanted.

We live in a day in which there is little hardship attached to doing what God wants us to do. We can share the message of God with those around us without concern that the authorities will try to stop us or in some way make our life more difficult because of what we do. We can be obedient to God’s commands without fear.

I wonder if in our safety we are as bold as the Christians in the early church were in their danger?

His, by Grace,

Steve

Thursday Thought -- May 1, 2014

Good Morning Friends,

Listen to the conclusion of Peter’s message to the rulers of the Jews: “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12)

That is an offensive statement. It sure is today! Our culture demands tolerance, not exclusivity. Our culture demands that people believe that there are many truths and whatever truth a person embraces is fine. Many, many people are offended today by the claim of Christians that salvation only comes through a relationship with Jesus Christ.

That was an offensive statement when Peter made it, too. That’s not what the Jewish rulers believed. They believed salvation came from a blood relationship with Abraham through Jacob. They believed that it was the Jewish people that were saved and no one else, unless they converted to Judaism. They had an exclusive faith, too, but it was exclusive in a different way. They were offended by Peter’s statement that Jesus even entered into the salvation equation.

The Jewish rulers demanded that Peter and the other apostles stop preaching that offensive message. “They called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus.” (Acts 4:18)

I could see our culture making that kind of demand. It’s a demand that has already been made in some parts of the world. There are places where it is a crime to preach the salvation message of Jesus. It may be a crime in the United States someday, too.

So the question is -- how should Christians respond to a demand to stop preaching the salvation message of Jesus? It’s a question that Peter and John answered for us so that there would be no confusion if the situation ever arose again. “But Peter and John replied, ‘Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God’s sight to obey you rather than God. For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.’” (Acts 4:19-20)

Is it offensive? YES.

Is it exclusive? YES.

But it’s not our message – it’s God’s! He has asked us to proclaim it and obedience to Him takes precedence over any other obedience!

His, by Grace,

Steve