Month: February 2024

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Just the Facts

Choose the right path

Acts 21 A TV show with Jack Webb as the detective coined a phrase: “just the facts.”  Too bad they didn’t have Jack Webb back in the days of Paul when the Jews in Jerusalem started a mob. They gave the commanding officer reasons Paul should be killed but not one of them had the truth. How often do we make decisions without the facts? This chapter reminds us that before we charge a person with guilt we should get the facts. 

A second lesson is how Paul responded to the people before he came to Jerusalem. Many tried in vain to dissuade him from going. Yet, Paul reminded them that he was ready to not only go, but to die in Jerusalem if that was God’s purpose for his life. 

Like Paul, in 2018, John Chau felt God calling him to evangelize a certain island and witness to them about Jesus. Many discouraged him from going because the islanders were known to be cannibals. Just as Paul was accosted and imprisoned illegally, so too this young man was accosted but he was killed for his faith. Like in the case of Paul, he had the facts but the mob didn’t want to listen. 

What lays ahead for each of us is an unknown, but we must be like Paul and John Chau and many others. If we die, we die. If we live, we can share Christ with the “cannibals,”  unbelievers we meet. Be ready in season and out of season to proclaim the Christ. 

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Praying and Praising

The power of prayer

Psalm 23 and 24 teach us both practical ideas for praying and praising God. He is our Shepherd and He is our provider and protector. Here’s an idea you might use as you meditate on these psalms: ACTS (A = Adoration, C = Confession, T = Thanksgiving, S = Supplication) You can build your own prayer using this as a springboard:

A….Lord you are my shepherd and You alone are sovereign, and know each created being that has life and breath.

C…Lord, look within my heart. Cleanse me where I am found not to be blameless, where my motives are impure. Reveal to me if I have any untruthfulness or have made any promises with no intention of keeping them. Cleanse me that I may be pure and holy before you as I enter my time of worship.

T…Lord, I know and am thankful that you promise godly people are rewarded by the Lord, and vindicated by the God who delivers them.

S….Lord, how wonderful to know these promises and pray that all who choose you will know them as well. “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.”

You might close with a summarized and personalized Aaronic blessing: Lord may you bless and keep me as you make your face to shine upon me. Be gracious to me and bless me with your peace.

What prayer will you offer today using A-C-T-S?

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Praying for Others

ACTS  20 Praying a Blessing 

As Paul was preparing to leave those he loved he pronounced a blessing over them in his absence. “And now I entrust you to God and to the message of his grace” [Acts 20:32] These are words we often use as we set off on a journey leaving our beloveds behind. In this way we give those we love into hands of God for their provision and protection. We do this because we trust God to watch over them and us as we are separated. If you have not done this it would be good to start that as a practice. We do not know when we will be reunited here or in heaven so it is good to pray this for those we love. 

Then as Paul was departing, he reminded them it is more blessed to give than receive. The Ephesians had received the Word of God and we have as well. Who will we share God’s blessing today? Who is leaving on a journey and would be blessed if we prayed over them entrusting them to God. Today, praying for my son who is half way around the world working. How about you?

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Are you Fruitful?

Acts 19 In 1 Chron there is a story about a man named Jabez who prayed for God to enlarge his borders. Jabez called out to the God of Israel, “If only you would greatly bless me and expand my territory. May your hand be with me.”]1Chron 4:10]

In some ways that is what Paul must have prayed often. He wanted to share Christ as he traveled and along the way he met some who knew about salvation but had not experienced the power and presence of the indwelling Holy Spirit.

In Ephesus he met 12 men just like that. They had repented and been baptized but had for some reason had not yet been filled with the Holy Spirit. Could this describe you? How do you know if you are like these men? Paul wrote to the Galatians later that the fruit of the indwelling Holy Spirit will be seen in our lives of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control.[ Gal 5:22]

Today check yourself and see if these fruits are in your life, repent if they are not and seek the indwelling power and presence of the Holy Spirit.

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Discipleship

Go and share the gospel

Acts18 Always as I read this chapter, I am touched by the gift that Apollos brought to others. Dr. Luke writes: When he arrived, he assisted greatly those who had believed by grace.  [Acts 18:27] Did he have a Bible study? Did he pray with them? What did Apollos do that assisted these believers? Further, what does that challenge us to do? We too are to assist believers: that is discipleship!  

Apollos sought to take time to not only travel but to stay where help was needed but he went with the blessing of the church in Corinth. David Guzik writes: Apollos went to Corinth to water what Paul had planted.“ Today do we do the same? Do we seek to encourage, teach, disciple others whom God has seen fit to redeem? Do we take time to speak to others about Christ and how to grow in their faith? 

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Truth Demands a Response

Acts 17 The Truth Penetrates

God will move His people to where they can hear the truth that Jesus is who He said He was and thus must decide if they will believe or not. God used Paul to speak truth to the Thessalonians of whom were both Gentiles and Jews. Interestingly it was the Jews who became jealous and sought to remove Paul from speaking. Why are the Jews jealous has always intrigued me. As Paul wrote to the Romans, it was they who had received the oracles of God. If that is true, why then did they not accept the words of Paul about God and Jesus? 

Today, when the gospel is shared there are these same two responses. Some believe and others become jealous and seek to destroy the speaker and the words spoken about Jesus. This is then a conundrum (a difficult problem with no easy answers) to me. It reminds me that God opens and closes hearts to hear the words of truth. Each person who is presented the words of truth must decide for themselves. 

 I often take on their responses to myself and pour out guilt upon myself when this is a problem only solved by the intervention of the power of the Holy Spirit. Holy Spirit speak to the hearts of those who do not believe and open their heart to hear and be saved as you did for those in Thessalonica and Berea. 

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God Opens and Closes Doors

Acts 16 As a believer in Christ, we want to be open to what God has planned for our lives and that means minute by minute, day by day etc. Paul does not tell us how the Holy Spirit or the Spirit of Jesus as he notes, spoke to the spirit of Paul to say no to his plans. But, Paul knew in his heart and in his spirit that the Holy Spirit was guiding step by step. How often do you experience that calling or that denying what we have planned? Can you look back over your life and see where that has happened? When that happens, it behooves us to share that with other believers who may be in need of a word to encourage them in their walk. 

So, Paul and his entourage heard the man of Macedonia saying come help us. However, it wasn’t a man that they met from their obedience, but a woman named Lydia. She was not just any woman but a woman of means. She, along with her women’s crew were by the riverside and that is where Paul and his entourage found them. What an opening for Paul and his team! Now Paul could see why the Spirit had said no for the first plans and yes for the second. It was because Paul was listening and obeying that God opened her heart to the gospel message. 

Lydia and her household became believers and God would use that event to begin the church in Philippi. We can learn much from this exchange how to be alert to the voice of the “Spirit of Jesus” so we know what to do and when. 

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Faith Alone

Acts 15 “The Doctrine of Faith Alone”

Dr. Luke again has brought us full circle from Acts 2 to here, showing us the overwhelming presence of God as the emerging church victoriously overcomes the works of Satan. He has shown us the character qualities of God: “a God of forgiveness, merciful and compassionate, slow to get angry and unfailing in your loyal love.” [Ex 34:6]] Now, once again, Satan seeks to divide and conquer through a doctrinal controversy that the Judaizers (those religious Jews who followed the Law scrupulously) brought to a head by claiming one must be a Jew observer first. (meaning you must be circumcised) before one can receive salvation. 

God has given us the privilege of standing on the sidelines and witnessing the debate between the believing Jews, the Apostles, Paul, and Barnabas. How often do we observe but do not take part? Imagine this debate going on in your church today! Peter stands and reminds them all that God alone converts and cleanses the heart. God alone bestows the Holy Spirit on those who bow the knee. It happens regardless if one is a Jew or a Gentile, as witnessed by the conversion of the Samaritans and Cornelius. The key is this: “we are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus,” and it is “ by grace you are saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God;” [Eph 2:8]. What a gift God has bestowed upon us! We are saved not from obeying and following religious rituals or traditions but by taking a step of faith. Have you taken the step of faith?

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Jealousy/Envy

ACTS 13 As I sit here reading this chapter I find it disturbing that the very people that God chose to carry His message of love and forgiveness were jealous of the message of Jesus. They would rather remain in spiritual darkness than to receive the light of the gospel message. Today many also do not want to hear this message,  but their ways are not revealed as jealousy or envy, but of disdain.  They use euphemisms as that is ok for you but not for me or they say what I do is worthy of heaven. They cling to their works, but ignore the promises of God. Just as Paul rehearsed the power of the Holy Spirit to change hearts and lives, so we are to do today. 

Paul presented the truth and it was rejected and it happens to us even today. It is hard to see those we care about reject this powerful message. We, who have received the truth, are never to be jealous, but our hearts should be burdened just as Paul’s was. Again we see what the Holy Spirit has revealed: the veil is over their hearts and the enemy has blinded them so they might see the glorious image of Christ. 

Today may our hearts be ready to share the good news with anyone who needs to hear it. 

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Angelic Work

Acts 12 King Herod was ruthless and cruel. He pursued the Christians and put the leader, Peter in jail. Herod thought he was in control but God will have the last hurrah by sending an angel to release Peter from Herod’s control. Unbelievers are so blind.

As with Judas, and  the rich man in Luke 16, Herod has the knowledge of God but has rejected it. He is blind to the gospel message and takes the glory that is meant for God and attributes it to himself. We are reminded of this truth: “God will not be mocked.” [Gal 6:7] Because “the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” [2 Cor 4:4]

The positive side of this story is this truth: “if God is for us, who can be against us.” [Rom 8:31] God revealed His power, His providential care for Peter and He will do the same for us.  

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